Personalized trips to China
for independent travelers

Lisa our travel expert was wonderful. Everything worked like clock work and she checked on us daily and reminded us of our schedule and guide for the next day. When our flight to return home was 52 hours delayed from Shanghai she was in constant contact with us extending our stay at our hotel, planning a tour for our extra unplanned day and even having the guide buy snacks and drinks for us to have at the hotel.
Japan and China were beautiful places to visit. They were both very clean, people were friendly and there were lots to historical places and natural beauty to see.
All our guides and drivers were excellent.
Jason our driver to Hakone was just suppose to be our driver, but he helped us with all the tickets and told us where to go. He was more like a guide and spoke excellent English. He was very helpful and considerate.
Ken our guide in Tokyo was very good, knowledgeable and helpful, and his English was good. He was always early for our meeting times and took pictures for us.
Victor our guide in Kyoto and our trip to Osaka was great. He took us to extra places not on our itinerary and he paid for the entrance fees. He bought us drinks because the days were really hot. He took us to a place where we could buy souvenirs at cheap prices. He was very helpful, friendly, always early and spoke excellent Engish. Took pictures for us so we could be in them.
Duke our guide in Beijing was always early, very helpful in telling us the best place to take pictures and took the pictures for us so we could both be in them. He spoke good English.
Johnson our guide in Xian had excellent English, was always early and was very helpful to my husband who is 82 to make sure he had places to rest when he was tired.
Lilli our guide in Chengdu had excellent English, was very friendly and helpful when I needed to buy some souvenirs. She bought us some snacks and was careful that my husband had places to rest when he needed. Always early for our meetings and helpful to take pictures for us.
Alice our guide in Guilin was friendly, had good English, helped me when I needed to exchange money, took pictures for us and was helpful to my husband even buying him milk tea. Was on time for our meetings.
Autumn our guide in Shanghai had good English, was on time, brought us bananas and Chinese knot souvenirs and helped us take pictures.
Vivian was our guide when our flight was delayed. She spent lots of time on the phone with the airlines and at the airport trying to get us on an earlier flight but unfortunately was unsuccessful. She was very friendly and had very good English. She was early when we met.

Hotel Reviews

Sunrise On The Bund

Very nice hotel with good location. Staff helpful when needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near the Bund.

Staff

Helpful when we needed anything.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Had cold water in the refrigerator and also had sugar and creamer for tea and coffee. Room was comfortable and nice.

Jolie Vue Boutique Hotel

Guilin

Beautiful view from the breakfast area and great location to walk around. Staff was friendly enough but bed was very hard. Internet never worked. Room was nice with free soft drinks and juice in the refrigerator.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good places to walk around.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MinShan Lhasa Grand Hotel

Chengdu

Cleaning staff were very friendly and helpful. The front desk was alright. Bed was very hard and the internet never worked. The carpet in the room was stained and the bathroom sink was all cracked up, but everything looked clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Xi'an Eastern House Boutique Hotel

Welcoming Staff and Cleaning Staff very friendly and Front desk staff alright. They had tea in the afternoon and goodnight soup in the evening. Gave us lots of water and had cold water. They let us in early for breakfast. Beds very hard and internet never worked.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to walk to sights to see.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dongfang Hotel

Beijing

Staff didn't even acknowledge me, only talked to the guide when we checked in. I assume they couldn't speak English. Elevators were very slow and always very crowded. Internet never worked while we were there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Forza Osaka Kitahama

Osaka

Desk staff not very friendly or helpful. Paid for breakfast but then ended up with an early flight. We had to leave 30 minutes before breakfast started and asked for a couple of croissants to take with us but were told no. Had a kettle in the room but no tea or coffee.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Could walk to the Osaka Castle.

Staff

Not friendly or helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo

Kyoto

Desk staff was alright. Had to wait 10 minutes in line to get into breakfast. Clean and nice hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Knot Tokyo Shinjuku

Tokyo

The desk staff were friendly enough. The rooms were small but very clean. The restaurant staff were very friendly. The location was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was small but everything was very clean.

Activity Reviews

One-Day Shanghai Cultural Tour

Shanghai

We didn't really see much this day because the guide was trying to help us get an earlier flight out after our flight was 52 hours delayed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vivian was our guide when our flight was delayed. She spent lots of time on the phone with the airlines and at the airport trying to get us on an earlier flight but unfortunately was unsuccessful. She was very friendly and had very good English. She was early when we met.

Transport

Driver was good.

Day Trip to Zhujiajiao Old Town

Shanghai

Interesting town.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Autumn our guide in Shanghai had good English, was on time, brought us bananas and Chinese knot souvenirs and helped us take pictures.

Transport

Driver was good.

Visit the Highlights in Shanghai

Shanghai

Nice city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Autumn our guide in Shanghai had good English, was on time, brought us bananas and Chinese knot souvenirs and helped us take pictures.

Transport

Good driver.

Longsheng Full-Day Tour

Guilin

Nice views.

Quality of Experience

Long drive from Guilin.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alice our guide in Guilin was friendly, had good English, helped me when I needed to exchange money, took pictures for us and was helpful to my husband even buying him milk tea. Was on time for our meetings.

Transport

Good driver.

Hike along the Picturesque Yulong River

Yangshuo

Nice walk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alice our guide in Guilin was friendly, had good English, helped me when I needed to exchange money, took pictures for us and was helpful to my husband even buying him milk tea. Was on time for our meetings.

Transport

Driver was good.

Marvel at the Li River: China's Most Picturesque River

Guilin

Beautiful boat ride. Not to be missed.

Quality of Experience

Food

Not much selection.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alice our guide in Guilin was friendly, had good English, helped me when I needed to exchange money, took pictures for us and was helpful to my husband even buying him milk tea. Was on time for our meetings.

Transport

Good Driver

Elephant Trunk Hill

Guilin

Nice view.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alice our guide in Guilin was friendly, had good English, helped me when I needed to exchange money, took pictures for us and was helpful to my husband even buying him milk tea. Was on time for our meetings.

Transport

Driver was good.

Yao Mountain (尧山)

Guilin

Beautiful views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alice our guide in Guilin was friendly, had good English, helped me when I needed to exchange money, took pictures for us and was helpful to my husband even buying him milk tea. Was on time for our meetings.

Transport

Driver was very good. Always made sure we had plenty of water.

Panda Encounter in Chengdu

Chengdu

Enjoyed seeing the Pandas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lilli our guide in Chengdu had excellent English, was very friendly and helpful when I needed to buy some souvenirs. She bought us some snacks and was careful that my husband had places to rest when he needed. Always early for our meetings and helpful to take pictures for us.

Transport

Driver was good.

Full Day the Leshan Giant Buddha

Chengdu

Long drive from Chengdu but Giant Buddha was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lilli our guide in Chengdu had excellent English, was very friendly and helpful when I needed to buy some souvenirs. She bought us some snacks and was careful that my husband had places to rest when he needed. Always early for our meetings and helpful to take pictures for us.

Transport

Driver was good.

Experience Chengdu's Leisurely Lifestyle: Visit Wenshu Monastery and People's Park

Chengdu

Nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lilli our guide in Chengdu had excellent English, was very friendly and helpful when I needed to buy some souvenirs. She bought us some snacks and was careful that my husband had places to rest when he needed. Always early for our meetings and helpful to take pictures for us.

Transport

Driver was nice.

Visit Huaqing Hot Springs

Xi'an

Beautiful place but it was raining so really couldn't enjoy very well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Johnson our guide in Xian had excellent English, was always early and was very helpful to my husband who is 82 to make sure he had places to rest when he was tired.

Transport

Driver was good.

See the Terracotta Army

Xi'an

Always wanted to see but it was very crowded so couldn't get pictures with us in them.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was very good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Johnson our guide in Xian had excellent English, was always early and was very helpful to my husband who is 82 to make sure he had places to rest when he was tired.

Transport

Driver was good.

Lama Temple — Biggest Tibetan Buddhist Lamasery in Beijing

Beijing

Interesting but you can't take pictures inside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Duke our guide in Beijing was always early, very helpful in telling us the best place to take pictures and took the pictures for us so we could both be in them. He spoke good English.

Transport

Driver was good.

Explore the Temple of Heaven

Beijing

Another for the bucket list.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Duke our guide in Beijing was always early, very helpful in telling us the best place to take pictures and took the pictures for us so we could both be in them. He spoke good English.

Transport

Driver was good.

A Glimpse into China's Imperial Past: the Fobidden City

Beijing

Always wanted to see the Forbidden City but we had to wait over and hour to get through security.

Quality of Experience

Had to wait over an hour to get through security.

Food

Food was good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Duke our guide in Beijing was always early, very helpful in telling us the best place to take pictures and took the pictures for us so we could both be in them. He spoke good English.

Transport

Driver was good.

Hiking along the Majestic Great Wall, Summer Palace

Beijing

Always wanted to see the Great Wall and walk on it. One for the bucket list.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Duke our guide in Beijing was always early, very helpful in telling us the best place to take pictures and took the pictures for us so we could both be in them. He spoke good English.

Transport

Driver was good but this was the only place we had a car instead of a van or SUV so it was not as comfortable.

Half Day Nara Park & Todai-Ji Temple

China

Really enjoyed seeing the deer and being able to touch and feed them.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Victor our guide in Kyoto and our trip to Osaka was great. He took us to extra places not on our itinerary and he paid for the entrance fees. He bought us drinks because the days were really hot. He took us to a place where we could buy souvenirs at cheap prices. He was very helpful, friendly, always early and spoke excellent Engish. Took pictures for us so we could be in them.

Transport

Driver was good.

Half Day Sagano Bamboo Grove and Tenryuji Temple Tour

Kyoto

Enjoyed the Bamboo Grove.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Victor our guide in Kyoto and our trip to Osaka was great. He took us to extra places not on our itinerary and he paid for the entrance fees. He bought us drinks because the days were really hot. He took us to a place where we could buy souvenirs at cheap prices. He was very helpful, friendly, always early and spoke excellent Engish. Took pictures for us so we could be in them.

Transport

Driver was good.

Full Day Kyoto City Tour (Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Nijo Castle and Fushimi-Inari Taisha)

Kyoto

Enjoyed the Golden Pavilion and Fushimi-Inari Taisha.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Victor our guide in Kyoto and our trip to Osaka was great. He took us to extra places not on our itinerary and he paid for the entrance fees. He bought us drinks because the days were really hot. He took us to a place where we could buy souvenirs at cheap prices. He was very helpful, friendly, always early and spoke excellent Engish. Took pictures for us so we could be in them.

Transport

Driver was good.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Tokyo

Nice garden.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ken our guide in Tokyo was very good, knowledgeable and helpful, and his English was good. He was always early for our meeting times and took pictures for us.

Transport

Driver was good.

Half Day Imperial Palace East Gardens and Senso-ji Tour

Tokyo

Enjoyed but there was lots of walking involved.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ken our guide in Tokyo was very good, knowledgeable and helpful, and his English was good. He was always early for our meeting times and took pictures for us.

Transport

Driver was good.

Hakone Exploration with Boiling Valley

China

Nice day trip from Tokyo. Enjoyed the boat ride on Lake Ashi.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jason our driver to Hakone was just supposed to be our driver, but he helped us with all the tickets and told us where to go. He was more like a guide and spoke excellent English. He was very helpful and considerate.

Transport

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would confidently rate it an 8 out of 10—truly amazing. It exceeded our expectations and left us with many wonderful memories. Below, we’ve outlined both the highlights and constructive suggestions, organized by location:

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🌍 Overall

Positives:

- The activities were engaging and well-suited to our interests.
- The itinerary offered a great balance—enough planned experiences during the day while still allowing time to explore independently.
- Almost all guides sent us a welcome message before meeting us, including a few key details that made us feel reassured and well-prepared.

Constructive:

- The agency could have provided a list of optional activities for our free time or instructed the guides to offer suggestions. We were the ones initiating questions about recommended places, shows, or things to do.

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🏯 Beijing

Positives:

- Our guide respected our personal space, allowing us to enjoy meals alone. He even gave us a small gift at the end of our time together, which was a thoughtful touch.

Constructive:

- We felt the guide could have shared more explanations and interesting facts during the visits. His English was limited, and although we initially gave him a good score, in comparison to other guides, we realized we may have missed out on important information.

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🏮 Xi’an

Positives:

- We had a wonderful experience with our guide, Susan. From the moment we met her, she greeted us with contagious positive energy and genuine warmth. Her passion for the job was evident in the way she shared fascinating and unique historical facts throughout the tour. Susan consistently found the best vantage points for us to view each site, ensuring we were always perfectly positioned to take in the beauty and significance of every location. She also offered us a goodbye present, which was a very kind gesture.

Constructive:

- We were disappointed with the hotel and its service. The staff didn’t speak English and made no effort to communicate. Thankfully, our guide was there to assist; otherwise, we would have struggled.
- For example, when I asked about the laundry service, a receptionist pointed me to another guest, who, despite not speaking English, kindly walked me to the laundry area.
- The room had a strong tobacco smell, even though it was supposed to be a non-smoking hotel.

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🐼 Chengdu

Positives:

- Our guide was extremely efficient. When, apparently, the hotel had only one night booked and we had an issue with the car, she immediately took action—even though it was already late in the evening. Her english was impressive.
- The hotel was amazing and very well located. The breakfast was immense and of extremely good quality.

Constructive:

- The car provided did not meet the luxury standards promised in our package. However, this issue was also handled efficiently.

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🏞️ Guilin & Yangshuo

Positives:

- The hotel was outstanding—breathtaking views, incredibly friendly staff, well-thought-out amenities, delicious food, and a warm farewell gift of fruit and biscuits. Truly 5-star service. We loved it and hold it very dearly.
- Our guide was very passionate about his job. He constantly shared insights about the places we visited and offered local treats like fruits and juices. He also introduced us to an amazing coffee shop, which we loved—especially since we’re coffee enthusiasts. We appreciated the agency’s thoughtful gesture of offering us coffee, which truly felt like home.

Constructive:

- During the river cruise, we were not placed in the premium area despite having selected a luxury package. We were left wondering why our tickets didn’t reflect that.

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🏙️ Shanghai

Positives:

- The hotel room was comfortable, with a good bed and a spacious bathroom.

Constructive:

- Upon arrival at the airport, we were greeted by someone other than our assigned guide. While this person was very friendly and engaging, we would have appreciated being informed in advance that our guide wouldn’t be meeting us.
- We were told by this person about the meeting time for the following day. Had we been in contact with our guide earlier, we might have opted to start the day sooner.
- I tried to contact our guide via WeChat, but he didn’t accept the invitation until we actually met.
- We didn’t feel the hotel met 5-star luxury standards. The breakfast staff seemed disengaged, and the food on the first morning appeared stale and lacked quality.
- The location wasn’t ideal—we had to walk about 30 minutes to reach the Bund.

That being said, although we’re pointing out a few less positive aspects, we absolutely loved visiting China — it truly surpassed our expectations, and everything ran so smoothly. The way the platform works made us feel reassured throughout, and Carol’s responsiveness was outstanding. We are seriously considering using KimKim for all our future travels.

Thank you again!

From start to finish we could not fault the level of service provided by kimkim. From our first enquiry right through to the end of our wonderful trip, everything was seamless. Lisa was very helpful and proactive in dealing with us and nothing was too much trouble to look into for us/answer. The guides and drivers in Beijing, Xi'An and Shanghai were all excellent and so keen to share knowledge and history of the area. The organisation was top class and we were never worried or concerned about any of the arrangements.

Hotels were great - all clean and in good locations.

One thing to note (as a UK visitor) that squat toilets are common there (most/many places also have western style toilets) and toilet paper is not (as a general rule) provided in public toilets - just one thing to be aware of

A fabulous trip to China - wouldn't hesitate to use kimkim again and have already recommended them to friends.

Hotel Reviews

Sunrise On The Bund

Loved this hotel. Great location for being able to walk down and along the Bund and the hotel itself was beautiful. Room was lovely with nice toiletries in the bathroom and a nice easy chair in the bedroom. We ate dinner in the restaurant on the ground floor and very much enjoyed what we had. The staff were pleasant and friendly. The spa was also very nice - had a massage which was most enjoyable and a nice swim in the pool. Would stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was easy walking distance to water front

Staff

All friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eastern House Boutique Hotel

Hotel was lovely, spotlessly clean, nice room, not the biggest room ever but more than adequate for our needs. Little or no English spoken by staff which did make things a little challenging sometimes but nothing that couldn't be overcome. We were not in the hotel for very long but we did like it. Breakfast was good.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Peace Beijing

Beijing

The hotel was in a nice area and conveniently located to walk to eating places and shops. The reception area/foyer and bar/lounge area were very nice. The room we were in was clean and spacious but more than a little "tired" looking, particularly the bathroom/shower area which was very rusted and as a result didn't look especially clean. Staff were nice, limited English but able to communicate. Good range of options at breakfast. Beware of the bar closing earlier than stated hours, it notes being open until 11pm but when we asked for a drink one evening at 10.30pm were told the till was already closed so we couldn't get one. Overall a good experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Highlights of Shanghai with Yu Garden and the Bund

Shanghai

A fabulous day spent in Shanghai - view from Shanghai Tower was amazing, the Yu Garden was spectacular to see and the delicious dumpling lunch was also a highlight.

See the Terracotta Army

Xi'an

Loved seeing the Terracotta Army - the sheer scale was breathtaking. Would highly recommend.

Full Day Great Wall and Olympic Park Tour

Beijing

Our stand out highlight of the holiday - it was amazing to be standing on/walking on the Great Wall. I am glad we were there early in the day, as it gets very busy, very quickly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport