Kimkim Trip Reviews

This was my second trip planned by Esther with the Eco-Travel Boutique and another great trip. Esther will work with you to tailor what you are looking for in your trip. And just as important, she is very knowledgeable, which permits her to suggest things you did not know existed or that you never knew you could do.

We all have a choice when it comes to hiring someone to help us spend our precious time away from work. I am very pleased how this trip to Lesotho and Swaziland turned out and I believe Eco-Travel Boutique will assist you to experience similar results.

The trip was extremely well laid out - from the north - lake como - to the south - Sorrento - we saw the highlights of Italy in two weeks. The guides and activities scheduled were great. Each guide was terrific. KimKim did a great job again - this is our second kim kim trip.

However, the hotel in Rome was terrible and the one in Florence was marginal. The hotels in Belligao and Sorrento were great. But after our experience in Rome we asked to be upgraded in Sorrento.

The bike tour in Bellagio was a bit aggressive for our age - and we're in really good shape., I fell as our guide took us through a very narrow path - that was unnecessary. Otherwise the bids tour was fun.
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Good idea to stop at Pompei on our way to Sorrento - that was well worth seeing. And both boat trips in Sorrento were terrific.

Great trip! We will use KimKim again - soon I hope. But we will request higher level hotels next time.

Our trip to Morocco was the trip of a lifetime!
It was one of the best travel experiences I’ve ever experienced. Our local expert Majid was outstanding in helping us plan, he listened to our wishes and was extremely easy to work with. Once in Morocco, we were greeted by our driver Hamza. Hamza was amazing, so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about his country, the culture and the people. We felt extremely taken care of and saw so many things off the beaten path due to Hamzas knowledge. Every Riad and accommodation chosen by Majid were absolutely beautiful. The city/ onsite guides he arranged were very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.
Majid kept checking in with us throughout our trip and was always when we had a question. Majid even planned a surprise for my daughter’s 23rd birthday, by arranging for a birthday cake at our Riad in Marrakesh. There was not a single snag or any issues with anything during our trip. Working with local people was a wonderful experience, and it felt good supporting local businesses and people rather than big corporations. Morocco is a beautiful country with an amazing culture and amazing people. We can’t wait to go back.

Alex (travel agent), Josias (guide for 4 days), Marlo and Fernando (drivers), and our Tikal guide (already forgot his name, we’re soooo great. They were on time, patient, safe and knowledgeable. We couldn’t have had a better time on our activities. Our hotels in Panajachel, Guatemala City, Antigua and Xela (Quetzaltenango) were safe and very nice for a good price. Highly recommend Alex and Old Town Outfitter.

Hotel Reviews

Naif Boutique Hotel

Antigua

Very cute hotel. Only complaint was that our room was directly across from reception so it was at times loud. Loved the courtyard.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pensión Bonifaz

Quetzaltenango

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful views.

Location

Right in the heart of the city.

Staff

Helped carry our bags up lots of steps.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Regis Hotel & Spa

Panajachel, Sololá

Authenticity & Character

So cute. The natural warm springs tubs were awesome.

Location

Right in the heart of everything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casona del Lago

Santa Elena

Amazing location. Very beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Left our bags in the middle of the lobby when they should have been behind the desk.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Barcelo

Guatemala City

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pacaya Sunset hike

Antigua

We ended up getting horses for 300 quetzales each for the accent. So fun and affordable. Josias was a beast on foot up to the top. Almost beat us. He also made a great meal for us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Homemade authentic picnic. Nice work Josias.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Josias is a stud.

Transport

Marlo was awesome all of the days. Very safe.

Las Tierras Altas Ride

Guatemala

So fun. Long for a true beginner but so worth it to see the backcountry.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Josias was soft patient and friendly. Really really kind.

Transport

Kayaking & Hiking Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

Soo fun and beautiful. Had a great time cliff jumping, swimming off the dock, and super fun walking along the shore trail through the small towns. Felt very safe with our guide and had great views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Josias was amazing.

Transport

Boat Tour of Lake Atitlán Villages

Guatemala

Felt a little like a sales pitch for local businesses, but was excellent seeing the various towns and having the boats ready.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Tikal National Park

Guatemala

Must visit. Lemurs, Tucans, spider monkeys, our birds and Jaguars. Amazing archeological site. Worth the travel day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great English. Super knowledgeable and funny.

Transport

My clients had a WONDERFUL time on their trip.....

I do feel the communication portal could use a little work....... And I'm not a big fan of the final docs, Seems it could be easier to access and perhaps a little earlier than you provide them. (Minor details) (I tend to be old school and like physical docs)

Stephen was a pleasure to work with!

Transportation - 5-star between hotels and Isle of Skye. Vans fit 2 couples comfortably. Otherwise taxis were expensive.
Accommodations - No11 & Haar had small rooms but comfortable and clean. No elevator up the stairs was difficult. Inverlochey and Cameron House were over the top swank! Food and service at all places was great. The Michelin experience at Haar was a combo of art and culinary skills, expensive but a bucket list.
Meals - all breakfasts were outstanding. Hootenanny was a disappointment. Witchery was expensive, fish was good but steak for two was gristly.
Golf - tee time, buggies, caddies planned perfectly. Thank you Kate for changing Carnostie for Jubilee.
Itinerary - there was not enough time for the golfers to make the tours. These need to remain separate. The tours were wonderful. Only improvement was that the driver did not know anything about stops lists on the drive from St.A to Inverness. Loch Ness tour was exceptional.
Guides - all guides were top notch. Kerian at Edin. Sandy at Inverness and Isle of Skye. Secret food tour of Edin. Only negative was Richard on the St.A tour was overly politically bias and affected the experience.
Kate was very supportive throughout the planning, and during the trip. Great communication skills, very timely with responses and took action to help us out. Thank you very much Kate!

What a beautiful adventure. My wife long yearned to "tiptoe thru the tulips in The Netherlands" and Bas and kimkim made it happen in a very special way. Upon searching through the web, I landed on kimkim and Bas as our best bet to personalize a 15-day adventure throughout The Netherlands. We provided them with a brief profile of the type of travel we enjoy and a few touchstones that we would like to see. They made all arrangements for us and provided us with easy-to-use electronic tools that provided day by day and very explicit instructions of things available for us to see or do and how to best access them.

Starting in Amsterdam for three nights we had a personal walking tour guide to provide some history and show us the basic layout of the area. From there we had tickets booked to our major attractions Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, a canal cruise and lots of free time to explore on our own.

From Amsterdam we traveled by train to Hoorn for two nights where we once again had a private guided walking tour, historic harbor cruise, and a day trip to Medemblik for a museum ship cruise to Enkuizen and then returned to Hoorn by Steam Train.

From Hoorn we traveled to the island of Texel via train, bus, taxi and Ferry where we enjoyed three days of cycling and exploring around the island including a seal boat tour, and the most charming B&B run by a most charming and accommodating couple.

From Texel we spent two nights in Bergen at a quaint and cozy family hotel located in the center of the village where after a private guided walking tour we enjoyed cycling and inhaling the quiet ambiance of a very friendly Dutch village.

After Bergen we traveled to Leiden for the absolute highlight of the trip - Keukenhof Gardens Adventure which also happened to be Kings Day! Upon arriving in Bergen via bus and train we checked into a wonderful Boutique Hotel d' Oude Morsch located right in the middle of the village with an operating windmill eighty feet out our window. We had another walking tour to discover the hidden inner courtyard "hofjes" along with the many historic buildings and the University. Spent the following day at Keukenhof gardens where it was comfortably crowded due to the holiday but an over the top garden experience. The Tulips were in full bloom along with a lot of other aromatic and glorious flower species.

We then traveled to Haarlem for two nights by train and after another personally guided walking tour we rented e-bikes and cycled out to the beach and dunes areas enjoying the wild horses and birdsong along the way.

All in all a fabulous trip made easy and anxiety free by kimkim and Bas. The electronic tools included were the kimkim app, the 9292 transportation app and the RidewithGPS bicycle touring app.

From the time we stepped off the plane in Rome until we re-boarded for home 12 days later, we were well cared for by KimKim for a trip that was to celebrate my 70th birthday. Kimkim was our guardian angel to provide quick remedies to on-the-spot queries that often will occur, like, "We're here but where's our guide?"

Speaking of guides; Francisco, who called himself "The Mayor" of the food market, provided a very entertaining and tasteful tour with the food vendors that allowed an inside peek of what grocery shopping was like for the Florentines: Pastries, Schiacciata (bread), Bolita di manzo (boiled beef), wine, olive oil that ended with gelato, of course. He was knowledgeable about the history and of each establishment and was delightfully engaging.

Special thanks to Sylvia, who guided us through Florence to the "Academy" where opulent art awaited. Michelangelo's David cannot be described in words alone.

We have travelled enough to know that problems often occur (i.e., with communication and location drop-off points, but KimKim was diligent to check and double-check details. Julio was a young, skilled chef providing nstruction for preparing a dinner of pasta (made from scratch), saltimbocca and tiramisu. Moreover, his gracious demeanor after he learned we were misdirected by a miscue, was impressive. Afterward, the KimKim team was gracious to compensate us for the miscommunication.

The hotels were unique with expansive views yet cozy and comfortable, both in Florence and Sorrento. Day 5, I fell on the steps of our hotel room and luckily, only broke the fifth digit on my right foot. Instead of cancelling the rest of the trip, I was determined to tape the toe and go. KimKim provided alternate activities to minimize the last three days in Rome, such as a Vespa tour to replace the heavy walking requirements originally scheduled. Can't say enough about Grant and his cohort, Chinh who helped facilitate our schedule after the mishap.

If there is anything that could be improved, it was our accommodation in Rome. The beds were not comfortable, the elevators were ancient (small and slow) and the breakfast vibe felt more like a budget hotel than a celebration of sorts.

Thank you Kimkim for a memorable time and the work it took to put this trip together!

We had an amazing trip to Patagonia Chilena planned through KimKim. I first deal with Nara Matos, locally based in Puerto Natales, who helped us craft the itinerary based on our interests and some existing itineraries. She was extremely responsive including having a video call with me early on. We were also supported by Jessica Walker who was also very responsive including helping clarify for me which specific property showing up with a common name was the actual place of our dinner reservation. Having Nara and Jessica available while on country is definitely one of the benefits one gets for the premium one pays using KimKim versus trying to arrange everything oneself. They were both very friendly and great to deal with.
All of the hotels and excursions arranged through KimKim were top notch. Our Santiago city tour with Julio Contreras was an excellent introduction to the city and Chile. Julio was engaging, funny and very knowledgeable and I highly recommend him. We also enjoyed staying at the Hotel Ladro in Santiago’s Providencia neighborhood, chosen by KimKim.
Our excursion to try and see Condors by going up Cero Benitez outside Puerto Natales was also excellent. Our guide, Polo, was knowledgeable, fun to chat with, reactive to our needs and safety-conscious. The view from the top
was just incredible and we did see one Condor perched outside its cliff-face home.
The Puerto Natales hotel KimKim booked in which we stayed, Hotel Costaaustralis, was very good. In fact, we rebooked there unexpectedly when our flight back to Santiago was canceled and we had to fly the next day. We particularly enjoyed the view of the water and mountains from our room.
The highlight of our trip was the the three days/nights in the Patagonia Camp eco-resort. An incredible property, beautifully situated and staffed with warm and friendly and fun people. The two day hike excursions we did, Miradores and Historical Patagonia were amazing. The view of the “cuernos” of the Paine Massif across the lake at Mirador Cuernos was jaw-dropping. Not only because of the majesty of the rugged young mountains, but the natural prism-ing of the sunlight 8”into multiple colors that gave everything a magical feel.
The experience of being on the East side of Torres Del Paine for the historical excursion was a nice alternative to the previous day’s Miradores hike. We don’t see any pumas but saw plenty Guanacos and bird life. And at times we were the only one ls out in that massive landscape.
The food and drinks at Patagonia Camp were also excellent. We especially enjoyed the Sunday night bar BBQ our first night. Grilled meats (and veggie options) and wine outside was really nice.
We would use KimKim again as their role in helping craft a wonderful (though too short) introduction to Patagonia for our party (Mom, Dad, 24-year old daughter) was something we really appreciated. Thank you KimKim for helping craft some amazing memories for the three of us.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Ladera

Providencia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costaustralis

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Patagonia Camp

Torres del Paine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Condor Watching

Puerto Natales

Polo was a great guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour

Chile

Julio Contreras was an awesome guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing adventure trip in Laos, made especially great for being there during Lao New Year Celebrations. Organisation in advance, bookings and communications were excellent thanks to Steve. On arrival in Luang Prabang, local guide Phonsie provided first class service. He is most knowledgeable and so proud of Lao culture and history - the tour of temples and museums in Luang Prabang was very informative.
Equally, the time in Luang Namtha and the National Park was brilliantly led by Onh who took great care of us along with the local guide Mr Sing. All first class and they were able to tailor the hike to meet our requirements.

We had an incredible first trip to Spain, thanks to kimkim! They took the guess work out of the trip. Our specialist, Dalia, was knowledgeable, attentive, and accommodating to all our requests. From the hotels to the private tours, nothing disappointed—everyone was exceptional and kind. We appreciated the unique perspectives and personalities each of our tour guides brought to our experiences. Hotels were centrally located and within walking distance to a multitude of historic landmarks. The hotels were comfortable, clean and spacious, and they had amazing breakfast options. Our private driver, Marin, was friendly and provided a layer of history while on our drives. kimkim took care of us every step of the way, exceeding our expectations for our first trip to Europe. Highly recommended!

We had an excellent experience with this travel agency from start to finish. What stood out most was their reliability. Every detail: local tours and transportation—was handled with care and precision by Cristina. There were no surprises, and everything ran exactly as planned, which made it easy for us to relax and enjoy the trip.
They were also incredibly dependable. Whenever we had questions, they responded quickly and helpfully. Cristina was all the time in touch with us and assisted when needed.
I also want to mention our incredible guide, Eduardo, in Santa Marta, with whom we explored Tayrona National Park, the Bunkuany Trail, and Tayronaka Natural Reserve. His kindness, patience with us, and knowledge were remarkable. I would absolutely recommend Chaska Tours to anyone looking for a well-organized and worry-free travel experience

Loved the trip! The hotels were comfortable & well chosen for locations. Transports we're on time & professional - that was sooo nice to have. The tours were really great! Snorkeling was great & the guides really assisted my sister who needed extra care. Very impressed with care & knowledge. Merino in Da Dota was an exceptional birder. We enjoyed every place we went!

Additional context on review above, Excellent on responsiveness, throughout planning and while underway on the trip. Review of 3 stars reflects the actual itinerary, While we felt the actual tours and excursions we participated in were very good to excellent. especially Jamie as our guide / driver on the Milford sound overnight tour and our guide in Hobiton. The actual itinerary once leaving Queenstown and heading north with a rent a car was unrealistic and was based on time lines that did not reflect the actual driving time needed to get from place to place and in some cases left us no time to see or explore the places we driving to see. By putting our trust and dollars in KimKim's local representative, we anticipated better first hand knowlege of what to expect in our travels, and as such we doubt this would be the suggested itinerary. This frustration existed for a 2-3 day period toward the end of our 1st week and resulted in us having to forgo one of our highly anticipated scheduled tours ( Able Tasman ). We found the itinerary in some cases lacked detail of addresses we needed to meet tours, phone numbers needed to reach vendors and inaccurate information. The trip summary on app lacked clarity or was inaccurate on things like breakfast included or to we have to pay ? We had to self manage this trip too much considering we worked with a professional travel agent. For example, I found an error mid-trip with a changed time of event ( we were notifiedby KimKim ) but the balance of our day was not reviewed, and I caught a change that required a change of flights to make it all work. KimKim did accomodate the last minute change, when I brought it to their attention, and rebook flights, update car rentals, drivers, etc. but it should have been caught by them in the first place as this was a disruption that had a lot of components.

Hotel Reviews

Auckland City Hotel

Auckland

solid choice in the CBD , great staff , ok buffet in the morning ( yes we had to pay for )

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sudima Lake Rotorua

Rotorua

great staff and very accomodating we got an early check in , WiFi did not reach to our room only miss but not the end of the world

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Carnmore Chateau Marlborough

Blenheim

very nice hotel and dining facilities on property, would highly recommend

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Hotel Nelson

Nelson

Fine corporate hotel location ok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arthur's Pass Alpine Motel

Arthur's Pass National Park

nice roadside motel, great owners and comfortable room and very accomodating , just very little options for dining in the area and nothing on the property, I would highly recommend but with additional information to guests on limits of infrastructure around property to get breakfast / dinner etc

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Peppers Bluewater Resort

Lake Tekapo

Great staff, good breakfast, location in town was very good, Room crazy small but well appointed and comfortable

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Milford Sound Overnight Cruise - Real NZ Milford Mariner

Exceptional cruise, staff and our driver guide to get us there Jamie was fantastic, would highly recommend, great experience and would book others on this

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Copthorne Hotel & Resort Queenstown Lakefront

Queenstown

fair, great staff, room and facilities including internet not that good, this is clearly a property that is booked by large bus tours

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

suprisingly well done and guides were fantastic, Highly recommend to anyone going to this part of New Zealand regardless if you were a lord of the rings fan or not

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Starlight Gourmet Kayak Tour - Glowworm Caves

Rotorua

Henry was a great guide. This was a lot of fun , beautiful lake, great barbecue dinner and the caves were amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Waimangu Valley Nature Walk & Lake Rotomahana Boat Cruise

Rotorua

beautiful place, very interesting and boat guide was excellent and well informed, Recommended to anyone that comes to this area of the country

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ignore the 5 stars could not erase , transport not applicable here

Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience

Rotorua

this is a must see very authentic and very well executed and interesting and interactive event

Quality of Experience

Food

very exensive menu of options on the buffet did not expect something with this much depth

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marlborough Icons Wine Tour

New Zealand

Jim, our guide was great and the wineries we went to were very good, good tour would recommend

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jim was a great guide

Transport

Tekapo Springs - StarGazing

Lake Tekapo

weather was hit and miss but our guide sorry cannot remember name was great, turned out to be quite good and interesting would recommend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Milford Sound Overnight Cruise (Real NZ)

Milford Sound

see earlier note excellent in all ways hightly recommend

Quality of Experience

Food

suprised how good the food on the cruise was

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jamie was fantastic

Transport

Nice bus and transfeeer

This trip was outstanding! Gersende worked with me and planned a wonderful trip that included everything I wanted it to, with additional free time every day. The app was super easy to use and access all of our tickets and meeting places for tours. I’m so glad I found kimkim, I will be back when I plan future trips!

Hotel Reviews

Maison Durante

Nice

Very cute hotel, nice and close to the train station and old town Nice, as well as a lot of great Brasseries and shopping

Authenticity & Character

Love the Mediterranean decor

Location

Only 20 min walk to the promenade des anglais :)

Staff

All very kind and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de Cambis

Avignon

Nice central location in Avignon and literally across the street from the tourism office which was super convenient

Authenticity & Character

Love the modern paint and decor in a nice older building that fits right in with the rest of the city

Location

Easy to walk to all of Avignon from here

Staff

Such kind and helpful staff! They even took our luggage to our room while we were on a tour

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable, only slight downside is our room was very hot

Grand Hotel Des Terreaux

Lyon

Very nice hotel in Lyon!

Authenticity & Character

Very nice and authentic building with modern upkeep

Location

Easy to walk to destinations

Staff

All the staff were extremely friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Pastel

Paris

Very cute and cozy, the staff were all amazing, knowledgeable and very friendly! It was easy to walk to the Eiffel Tower and arc de triumph as well as access the metro

Authenticity & Character

Cute design very cozy

Location

Close to iconic landmarks and the metro

Staff

Super friendly!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour small group tour

France

This tour was great, I just wish we had more time in Monaco! Océane knew so much about all the history of every place we went and was an awesome guide!

Quality of Experience

Great history and beautiful views. Loved learning about the perfume too

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Océane was excellent!!

Transport

Cannes, Antibes and St Paul de Vence Small Group Tour (Full day)

France

I really enjoyed getting free time at each stop and our guide also pointed out his favorite things and fun landmarks at all the places too! We loved Antibes and definitely want to spend more time there in the future!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best of Luberon in an afternoon!

France

It was great seeing so many small countryside cities and having free time to explore! Roussillon was my favorite :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rémi was awesome!

Transport

Afternoon Wine Tour to Châteauneuf-du-Pape

France

Our guide was excellent, we got to see a lot of the country side near Avignon, and taste some exceptional wine! I’m so glad we brought some back with us, too bad we can’t take any more!

Quality of Experience

Simply beautiful country and wonderful wine

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Beaujolais Wine Route

Lyon

Our guide, Romain, was great! He knew a lot about wines and the entire region. I like that we got to experience 2 very different wineries

Quality of Experience

The small tour group with fellow wine lovers was great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Highly recommended Romain!

Transport

Lyon Old Town Food Tour

Lyon

Our tour guide, Nate, was so friendly and knew so much about Lyon! He showed us some great landmarks around the city in addition to taking us to taste some amazing food!

Quality of Experience

You get to eat a lot of good food and drink great wine, but also see a lot of lyon

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nate was awesome!

Transport

A short walk from our hotel!

After-hours Louvre intimate evening tour

Paris

I love that this was after hours, it made looking at the art less stressful without the big crowds! I heard some horror stories of trying to see the Mona Lisa in particular and we didn’t have that problem! I wish I had more time, but I need an entire day just to spend at the louvre!

Quality of Experience

Spectacular getting to see these famous pieces in person

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Aria was our guide and she was soooooo incredibly knowledgeable about everything!

Transport

Got lost after getting off the metro but there was a number to call on the Kim Kim app and we were able to find out guide after that!

Latin Quarter Gourmet Tour

Paris

It was a nice tour with a local guide and just myself and my fiancé. She was very knowledgeable not just about the excellent food we had but also the local architecture. I was glad we did this after Versailles because I learned a lot about the architecture from that visit and it was nice having a base understanding. I also loved this included a trip to see notre dame

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was so wonderful!

Transport

We took the metro and only got a little lost!

Château de Versailles (tickets + audioguide only)

France

I really enjoyed the self guided audio tour. This palace is amazing and the history is fascinating. I’m glad we had a lot of time to enjoy here as there is so much to see

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our experience with Leny and the Kimkim support team was superb. I would highly recommend them. Leny helped us plan activities, hotels and transportation in Kyoto, Takayama, Kanazawa and Tokyo. The activities gave us a good introduction to Japanese culture and customs. We especially enjoyed the excursions to Takayama and Kanazawa. Our guides were excellent. Leny informed us of the Japanese luggage forwarding service which we used to send part of our luggage from Kyoto to Tokyo so we didn't have to deal with it in Takayama or Kanazawa. That was very helpful. And the hotel in Tokyo not only received it but already had it in our hotel room when we checked in. Leny's recommendation that we schedule our transfer from the Tokyo train station to the airport was also excellent. While it wasn't cheap, our driver met us on the train platform and escorted us to his vehicle and took us to Haneda airport. It definitely made that last leg of our trip very comfortable.

Hotel Reviews

Kanazawa the square hotel

Kanazawa

Our beds were futons on an elevated platform. It wasn't easy to get into or out of the beds for Americans who do not normally sleep on the floor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff responded very quickly to help us set the air conditioning controls when the room was too hot.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tabist kiki HOTEL KYOTO Sanjo Takakura

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Best Of Shibuya Food Private Tour - Evening

Tokyo

Our guide was excellent and we got to try a wide variety of Japanese foods. We also enjoyed getting to explore some of the backstreets of Shibuya.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kanazawa Full Day Tour with English Speaking Guide (Private)

Kanazawa

We really enjoyed our tour with Ian. He started by taking us to a spot overlooking the city so we could appreciate full expanse of the area. We enjoyed visiting the gardens and castle and learning more about his experiences living in Japan (as a Canadian ex-pat).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Takayama Full-Day Tour with English-Speaking Guide

Takayama

We really enjoyed our tour with Ikue. She was really nice and spent extra time showing us around the town. She also provided some good restaurant recommendations for us for that evening.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transfer from Takayama to Kanazawa, including a visit to Shirakawa-go

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Kitchen to Culture: Hands-On Japanese & Sushi Cooking

Kanazawa

The chef relied on a translator program displayed on a large TV screen since he didn't speak English. It made it hard to follow the instructions. The only sushi we made was nigiri style. We had expected to learn to make rolled maki style sushi. The only thing to learn with nigiri is to not press the rice too firmly when making the rice ball and how to thinly slice the fish for the topping. We spent most of our time making an omelette, stew and miso soup.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kyoto Nijo Castle and Imperial Palace - Small Group Walking Tour

Kyoto

I think this would have been more interesting to take the tour on my own and use an audio tour guide. Our guide didn't tell us much about the rooms as we walked through Nijo Castle. I felt like I didn't learn much about the castle or interior artwork.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tea Ceremony in Kyoto (Private)

Japan

The tea ceremony itself left a lot to be desired. Our tea hostess had to use a translator app to communicate and a lot of information was lost in translation. After the ceremony, a native English speaker showed us around the house/building where the ceremony was held. That was a very interesting and informative tour to learn about this history of the building. It belonged to a family that were merchants of silk for kimonos.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide in Lisbon and Cascais was amazing. It was the same guy for both tours and we really enjoyed having that familiar face from Lisbon when we were touring Cascais. He made great restaurant recommendations and was able to get into one that was booked up. He was incredibly knowledgeable and was enthusiastic throughout the tours.

I do not recommend the Helicopter ride. The chatter from the communication tower was screeching in our ears. The pilot did not describe any of the sites were flew over. I paid a significant amount of money for this with extended time on top of that. We could not have been more disappointed.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cascais Miragem

Cascais

Gorgeous views!

Authenticity & Character

Upscale

Location

The balcony overlooked the pool and bay! Walkable to the ocean and all restaurants

Staff

Very Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. The only complaint was the shower was very small

The One Palácio da Anunciada

Lisbon

Beautiful hotel with great service!

Authenticity & Character

The rooms were upscale, the common areas were intimate and beautiful, we had a great view from our balcony and the food was great.

Location

Right downtown and walkable to all restaurants and tourist sites.

Staff

Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and beds were comfortable

Activity Reviews

Private Day Trip to Sintra & the Edge with Pena Palace

Cascais

We had the same guy as before. See previous review on how amazing he was.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Sailing Experience

Cascais

Our Captains were so accommodating. A relaxing experience with gorgeous views. We sipped wine while laying on the catamaran with pillows they provided. When it got cold, they had blankets ready for us. Great experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon by Land & Sky: Private City Tour with Panoramic Helicopter Flight

Lisbon

Our tour guide was amazing as I described in the earlier review. But the helicopter ride was horrible. We could hear all chatter from the communication chatter and it was screeching in our ears. The pilot did not describe any of the sites we were flying over. We paid quite a bit of money for this helicopter ride and could not be more disappointed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Portuguese Food Walk

Lisbon

Fun to see some of the off the beaten path areas of Lisbon. Learned about portuguese food and wine pairings. Love hearing the history behind the places we visited.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gustavo was the best guide ever. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Portugal and of the cities we visited. He had great suggestions for restaurants and made extra effort to see to our needs and requests. He thoroughly researched our itinerary as our trip progressed and made adjustments based on current conditions at the sites we visited.
I highly recommend him.
Tiago was also great. He was available for at any time for all of our pre-trip planning and made up a great itinerary for places to visit. I was very pleased with the locations and quality of all the hotels he selected. He followed up on our progress throughout the trip and even monitored our WhatsApp conversations with our tour guide to ensure all was going smoothly.
This was one of the best trips we have taken and will definitely use Kimkim again!

Hotel Reviews

Porto Royal Bridges Hotel

Porto

Very central location within walking distance to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel in an old city.

Location

Located right in the middle of town. All the sites are within walking distance.

Staff

Friendly staff with helpful restaurant recommendations.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable bed. Nice, soft linens.

The Vine House—Quinta São Luiz

Tabuaço

Beautiful location with amazing views of the Douro river. The on-site restaurant was delicious! It was nice that they included a free tour and port tasting.

Authenticity & Character

Modern amenities in an old winery. Very interesting architecture.

Location

Wonderful views. Quiet, secluded area.

Staff

Friendly staff, especially in the restaurant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable bed.

HF Fénix Urban

Lisbon

Great location. Comfortable rooms. Good quality and selection of foods at breakfast. Staff was helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Pretty standard business class hotel.

Location

Central to many sites and the metro.

Staff

Friendly staff with good restaurant recommendations

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vey comfortable bed.

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Food tour

Lisbon

Very fun to walk the old city and taste local foods.

Quality of Experience

Nice, diverse mix of foods to taste. The group was fun.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniel was very personable and attentive.

Transport

N/A. It was a walking tour.

Guided Tour of Lisbon

Lisbon

It was great to get a historical perspective of the city and to see the main sites and neighborhoods.

Quality of Experience

Our guide was wonderful!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gustavo was very knowledgeable and knew tricks the locals use to avoid the crowds.

Transport

Comfortable van.

This trip to southern Portugal represented an add-on to our original trip, and as such, was a bit more challenging to plan since we were already a bit tired. The boat tour was the highlight for me, and the hotel in Lagos was lovely. Also enjoyed the ATV drive—the driver was particularly sensitive and kind, so he stood out for me as well. Unfortunately, I succombed to a cold by the end and missed the last day’s activities, but I understand it was very much appreciated by my group.

Eleanor is an excellent planner. She was knowledgable and helpful in the planning process as well as throughout our trip. I appreciate how clear Eleanor was in her communication with us. She was prompt and consistent in her responses, and always available and able to answer questions/ change bookings etc. Knowing Eleanor was on hand to help in the event of difficulty was reassuring to myself and the other members of our party.

Eleanor also put us in touch with Yoshika, who was a fantastic tour guide for our time in Kyoto.

Many thanks to Eleanor for helping us to make the trip of a lifetime in Japan!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Groove Shinjuku

Tokyo

Nice spot to start and end out trip with. Large, western-style hotel in Shinjuku (busy commercial and transportation hub area). A reliable choice for cleanliness and tasty food.

Authenticity & Character

Fun theme of records and vintage music.

Location

Bang in the middle of a very busy area of Tokyo (Shinjuku). Good if you're happy to be in crowds first thing in the morning with lots of commercial outlets near by.

Staff

Very helpful and attentive staff who managed the chaos of check in and out with ease.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were quiet and clean. Very comfy beds for an excellent sleep.

Kyoto Umekoji Kadensho - Private Bath Facility

Wonderful space with traditional tatami mats throughout (no shoes allowed past entrance). The rooms were comfortable, clean and quiet, and the breakfast delicious. The staff was helpful and attentive. Would definitely stay here again when traveling to Kyoto.

Authenticity & Character

Traditional tatami floors, futon beds, shoji doors throughout. The baths were lovely too.

Location

About a 45min-1hour walk from the central shopping area and Gion neighborhood, 20-30 min walk from Kyoto Train Station. It was nice to retreat from the crowds to have a relaxing sleep and leisurely start to each day.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Quite a touristy experience. Wasn't my favorite of the trip, although not sure if there were other ways of witnessing this special practice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderful Day in Uji & Nara

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing in Kyoto: Arashiyama & Zen Temples

Kyoto

Fun, quirky and beautiful sites to visit. More crowded but helpful to have a guide to help navigate and cut-down the need for constant decision making on our part!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Spiritual and Tranquil Kyoto with Fushimi Inari (for Laura)

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport