Kimkim Trip Reviews for China

We spent an unforgettable 18 days in China with thanks to Lisa and KimKim, as well as our exceptional guides along the way. Queena, Johnson, Shirlene, Jason, Faye, and Ran. We never experienced the common stress of travel (making it to the train station/airport on time or coordinating transportation, activities, etc.). Instead, we were always taken care of and we simply enjoyed our adventure to the fullest. We would highly recommend Lisa, KimKim, and all of our individual guides to anyone who is traveling to China. We hope to return soon to China and will certainly use their services again.

Hotel Reviews

Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing

Beijing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Xi'an Eastern House Boutique Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tibet Hotel Chengdu

Chengdu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zhuanjiacun Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jolie Vue Boutique Hotel

Guilin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Li River Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Longji One Art Hotel

Extremely charming lodge owned and operated by very welcoming local family. Wonderful location and absolutely stunning views from the bedrooms and common areas. Felt right at home instantly and would love to return.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sunrise On The Bund

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Relexing Bullet Train Journey from Guilin to Zhangjiajie

China

The trains across the country are always comfortable and on time. The journey was very picturesque and we found some time to relax.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Qixianfeng Tea Plantation and Tea-Making Experience

Yangshuo

We learned a great deal about tea and tea production. It was truly special to make our own tea from picking the leaves to drying and toasting them. The tea plantation is very nice and also serves great food at its restaurant. We were treated to several local teas and bought plenty to bring home.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marvel at China's Most Picturesque River - Li River

China

Stunning scenery and a pleasant journey. The boat is spacious and comfortable, and serves good tea, coffee, and food.

Quality of Experience

Food

It's difficult to serve special or high quality food on a river cruise buffet. The food was good but not spectacular.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Temple of Heaven

Beijing

A must-do for Beijing. We were unfortunate to visit at one of the busiest days in the year but still had a great experience at the temple and surrounding park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Queena effortlessly explains the history and modern context of all sites in Beijing with great detail.

Transport

Ancient City Wall with Cycling Experience

Xi'an

The well-preserved ancient city wall was our favorite part of Xi'an. At night the lanterns and houses light up to create a magical atmosphere. We cycled all the way around the city wall in 1 hour at a leisurely pace and would highly recommend the activity. I would have preferred solo bicycles but was able to fulfill my wife's dream of riding a tandem bike...

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Countryside Tour in Yangshuo by bike

Yangshuo

We really loved the bike trails through the village, surrounded by mountains, rivers, farms, and gardens. The ride is easy and beautiful. We would have been happy to bike around the area for a couple of hours more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lama Temple — Biggest Tibetan Buddhist Lamasery in Beijing

Beijing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy a Spicy Sichuan Hotpot Meal

Chengdu

We love to experience new local foods when traveling and this was certainly a highlight. We found it much better than the Beijing-style hotpot. Extremely rich in flavor. Shirlene taught us how to hotpot properly!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike through the breathtaking Terraced Fields around Ping'an Zhuang Village

Longji

Perhaps our favorite activity of our entire trip. The rice terraces and surrounding villages are a gem to be discovered in the mountains. We walked several trails through the fields and villages, each one more beautiful than the last.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were happy to connect on a personal level with Faye, who gave us a truly great experience in these days. She taught us how to play Mahjong and we spent each day in interesting and effortless conversation. We learned a lot from her and would recommend her to anyone traveling to this area.

Transport

Full Day Tiananmen Square and the Fobidden City with Chaowai Morning Market tour

Beijing

Tiananmen square is incredibly impressive and contrasts modern Chinese power with historical/imperial power on the other side of the gates to the Forbidden City. It's fascinating to see the past and the present connect in such a beautiful way.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Zhujiajiao Old Town

Shanghai

After a few peaceful days in the countryside, we were a bit skeptical of returning to a big city such as Shanghai, but it was great to find a smaller place outside the city that wasn't too overwhelming. Zhujiajiao certainly lives up to the title of the "Venice of China".

Quality of Experience

Food

Our guide, Ran, directed us to a local dumpling place that was one of our best meals in Shanghai.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peking Duck Dining Experience

Beijing

A truly authentic experience in one of the best local restaurants in Beijing. It was difficult to secure a table and we had to wait for a few hours, but it was absolutely worth it.

Quality of Experience

Food

The DUCK!!! And everything else ;)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our lovely guide, Queena, went to the restaurant early to wait for a table and ended up waiting for several hours. This is just one example of her exceptionally professional service that we enjoyed in Beijing.

Transport

See the Terracotta Army

Xi'an

The museum and archaeological site are located in the serene countryside outside of Xi'an. It was fascinating to learn, in such detail, about the first emperor of China and what remains to be discovered around his burial site.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Revel in the Splendor of Zhangjiajie - Grand Canyon and Tianmen Mountain

Zhangjiajie

The bridge is certainly a sight to see, but the real beauty lies in the canyon below along the river. Unlike the bridge, which was very crowded, the walking path in the canyon was hardly touched. We discovered true beauty and peacefulness here.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Shanghai City Tour with the Yu Garden , Jade Buddha Temple,the Bund

Shanghai

Beautiful sites in the city. Perfect for one day in Shanghai.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were nearing the end of our trip and energy was running low, but our guide, Ran, was able to inspire excitement for the city of Shanghai and easily met our needs as we weren't as ambitious as we were earlier in the trip.

Transport

Full day with Great Wall and Changling Tomb in Beijing

Beijing

The Great Wall and Changling Tomb are a great stop for a tour in Beijing, not only to see the impressive sites, but also to escape the big city and enjoy more serene landscapes and tranquility.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Muslim Quarter

Xi'an

A logical first stop of any tour in Xi'an. Conveniently located in the center of the old city. Plenty of options for delicious street food.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were able to spend some quality time chatting with our guide, Johnson, to learn the history of Xi'an and gain insight into local life in the city.

Transport

The center of Xi'an is small and walkable. Very convenient.

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

Chengdu

We were very impressed by Chengdu's laid-back vibe and lively charm. Local people playing music, dancing, and drinking tea in People's park, and the Wenshu monastery was both peaceful and beautiful. Great food in both areas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We enjoyed connecting with our local guide, Shirlene, and had the pleasure of her acquaintance for our few days in Chengdu.

Transport

Visit the Picturesque Summer Palace

Beijing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panda Encounter in Chengdu

Chengdu

The Tang Dynasty Show (1hour)

Xi'an

Excellent dining experience. Delicious dumplings in a beautiful theater. The show does a great job of replicating Tang dynasty music, fashion, and stories while using lights, screens, and modern technology.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chinese dumpling dinner

Xi'an

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marvel at the Picturesque Landscape in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie

One of the most beautiful places we have ever seen in our lives. Truly captivating and breathtaking.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jason guided us through a full-day itinerary in only 4 hours, and we never felt rushed. We perfectly timed the shuttle buses and avoided several long queues thanks to his experience. We very much enjoyed his company and had fun together for our short time in Zhangjiajie.

Transport

Planning trip: Kimi did great job helping us to create interesting itinerary and as real itinerary execution showed, it was good balanced itinerary with efficient usage of our travel time. Unfortunately, Kimi started working on Tibet permit very late and it made us very nervous. We arrived in Chengdu without knowledge and confirmation if we have Tibet permit . Only Sophie's ( Sophie is probably Kimi's coworker) good and clear emails during first days of our trip clarified all necessary details .
After all payments were finalized Kimi stated that she missed flight from Lhasa into Xi'an to include in trip price. Now they asked to pay extra money through PayPal. Not sure how valid this request.
We worked with 3 guides : Michael ( Chengdu -Rilong with hiking) , Gelek - Tibet, and Jerry - Xi'an. All 3 guides were knowledgeable, responsible and flexible. They did great job

Hotel Reviews

Tibet Hotel Chengdu

Chengdu

This hotel has everything what you need. Their breakfast exceeded all my expectations. 10-20 dishes, juices, tea, coffee, pastries , all was super.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to river, shopping malls, no problems with taxi

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Siguniang Shan Hotel

Rilong

Hotel's rooms had multiple problems like temperature thermostat were broken ( I had 28-30C in my room 4 nights and reception was not cooperative to fix it ). Breakfast had limited number choices , no juices and terrible coffee.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tangka Hotel

Lhasa

Comfortable rooms with good breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Qomo Langzong Hotel

Shigatse

Everything worked there and breakfast had multiple selection with good quality food

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Noble Hotel Xi'an

It is truly luxury hotel where you enjoy your stay. Breakfast was awesome with everything what you even can't imagine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Shuangqiao Valley Hiking

Rilong

Unique place, great hike

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Changping Valley Hiking

Rilong

Great Hike. No luck with weather, it was drizzling 90% of hike time

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wolong Gengda Panda Research Center + Dengsheng Gorge Hiking (3 hours)

Wolong

Wolong Gengda Panda Research Center is amazing. We saw multiple Pandas and place was not very crowded. Dengsheng Gorge Hiking was not prepared. Stairs were destroyed by recent flooding and we had to turn around . It was muddy with crossing couple of local creeks. It is not a problem for our group if we knew in advance and put proper hiking shoes and proper hiking clothes. But we expect easy hike and were not prepared to actual trail conditions

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Tibet Highlights Tour: Explore Norbulingka, Drepung Monastery, and Jokhang Temple

Lhasa

It was absolutely unique tour with very knowledgeable guide Gelek.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Haizi Valley Hiking

Rilong

It was challenging hike with multiple muddy sections . Surrounding views are fantastic

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Essence of Tibet Tour: Explore Potala Palace and Stroll Through Old Barkhor Street

Lhasa

Gelek's tour of Potala Palace was fantastic. Instead of Stroll Through Old Barkhor Street we attend Jokhang Temple

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Xi'an Highlights: Ancient City Wall, The Terracotta Warriors and Horses

Xian

Terracotta Warriors and Horses is absolutely unique archeology museum only it was too crowded. Ancient City Wall was very interesting addition

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lhasa – Shigatse| The Stunning Palcho Monastery, Yarlung Tsangpo Canyon, Karuola Glacier

Lhasa

It was long day with exploring nature jewels : Yamdrok Lake and Karuola Glacier. Yarlung Tsangpo Canyon is far away from our route, not sure why it was included.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shigatse–Lhasa | Enjoy the rest of your day in Lhasa

Lhasa

It was primary drive with visiting Shigatse Monastery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family had some great time in China. The planning of the trip with Heidi was seamless, she was working with us through various scenarios to build the final itinerary. Once in Hong Kong our guide Anne took wonderful care of us taking us to markets, city sights, small snack places and giving advice on spots to visit on our self guided tour days. Zhangjiajie was scenic but very crowded especially in National Forest Park while at least walking in the Grand Canyon one could feel the nature a bit better; also the glass bridge, the zip line and the slide were fun for the kids (and the parents:-)). In Xi'an we loved the terracotta warriers; the exhibits in the museum are fascinating. Also the cycling on the old city wall was great as was the dumpling making class in a home of a local - both for the food as well as to see how the locals live. The guide Jessica took great care of us there. Beijing has shown all the versatility of a capital - Tiananmen square and the Forbidden city, Summer palace and temples on one side, the modern architecture of the Bird's Nest stadium, the Watercube, Galaxy Soho or the 798 Art Zone on the other side. Seamless public transport, great food, real feel of the megalopolis. And the Great wall really leaves you breathless. Our Beijing guide Alice provided a lot of information on the city, country, history, culture. Great trip alltogether; lots to see, many reasons to return. Thanks to kimkim/Odynovo team for the support during the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hampton by Hilton Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

New, large rooms, comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Xi'an Eastern House Boutique Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing

Beijing

a bit older hotel already, but great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Family Adventure in Hong Kong

Hong Kong

It was a nice day, we loved the Victoria Peak, the tram ride, the Star ferry and the Mid level Escalator area; ideally we had bit more time in Central market and at Victoria Peak, We loved the dumpling and cream cake shops.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marvel at the Picturesque Landscape in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie

The nature at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is fascinating, but the issue is the crowds and the noise they produce. One can't really feel the nature, a lot of tourist groups with guides with loud loudspeakers.

Quality of Experience

not taking the guests to the areas where all the crowds go. Select less visited paths if possible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Better prepare the traveller to know what to expect in terms of crowds, as we would have changed the itinerary if we had more information.

Transport

Go Yum Cha in Hong Kong: Feast on a Sumptuous Dim Sum Meal

Hong Kong

It was very interesting to go for dim sum to a place where locals go.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Revel in the Splendor of Zhangjiajie - Grand Canyon and Tianmen Mountain

Zhangjiajie

The Grand Canyon was better than the Great Forest Park - less crowded though busy. Walk in the Great canyon gorge was feeling more natural, and also the glass bridge, zip line and slide were fun for family, though very arranged. We missed the timing to catch the cable car to Tianmen mountain - here better time management through the day by the guide would be expected. If the crowds on Tianmen mountaing were as they were the day before in National forest park, then we would not like the experience. We suggest kimkim clarifies the guest preferences when planning for visiting nature parks so expectations are clear.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

better time management,

Transport

Visit the Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses

Xi'an

Really fascinating exhibition - both the warriors as well as chariots - both halls as well as the area around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit a Local Family and Learn to Cook Homemade Dishes

Xi'an

We really liked going to a home of a local person to see how people live. We liked the class and the lady preparing the good but have not really had time to work the whole preparation adn cooking process. ideally a longer cooking course is organized so some other meals could be prepared too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day City Tour with South Gate Old City Wall

Xi'an

Really impressive city wall and a nice bike ride around it. Fascinating to see girls and ladies taking photos in the old traditional costumes. As we went for a Tang dinasty show, we did not have time for a Shanxi museum.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Muslim Quarter & Enjoy a Shadow Puppet Show

Xi'an

Really nice to walk the Muslim quarter with all the food stalls and to see the puppet show. Having bit more time for trying food would be great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beijing Highlights and Hutong Culture

Beijing

The Forbidden city and the Tiananmen square are fascinating. Thanks to our guide Alice for getting us into the square really fast. Visit to hutong with small rishaw tour and a local food in one of the hutong dumpling places was great.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Great Wall and Olympic Park Tour

Beijing

The Wall is great and a must see. We went to Juyongguan area of the wall as the traffic to Mutianye was very heavy due to public holiday; this was a bit closer and less busy. The guide and the agency were very flexible to move the trip for a day due to some health issues on our side, which we appreciated.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was perfect. It just kept getting better. The variety of activities and the guides were the real standouts. Most of the drivers were very good; one was a bit scary and it was obvious he smoked because the car would wreak a bit when we got in. One guide, Bobo (sp?) picked us up at the airport in Beijing because our guide was busy. We saw him the next day and said "hi," and he pretty much ignored us; same thing when we ran into him again the day after. Seems he could have been a little friendlier. The hotel in Shanghai was the best of the bunch. The hotel in Guilin was a good location, but the breakfast was a zoo. The elevators were so crowded it would take a long time just to get downstairs. Nina, Jacob and Li were awesome. We only spent one day w/ Roy. He was good too, but didn't have the same connection w/ him.

All-in-all, a great trip and I would highly recommend Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

SSAW Garden Hotel Beijing

Beijing

Great location. Room and facilities were fine.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great restaurants nearby.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Garden Inn Xi'an Bell Tower

Good location and nice property. Breakfast was adequate.

Authenticity & Character

I don't really recall, but nothing noteworthy.

Location

Staff

Nothing great, nothing bad.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Guilin Lijiang Waterfall Hotel

I guess the location was good, but the elevators were so bad they are the most memorable part of the stay, and not in a good way. Breakfast was so-so; very crowded and avg. food.

Authenticity & Character

Big hotel, not so authentic and no character

Location

On the water

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Moondance Resort

Guilin

Nice countryside location, but no so convenient to the town. The room itself was nice w/ the balcony and large bathroom, but is dangerous, especially for older people who get up during the night. The bed on the floor doesn't help and the stairs down to the toilet are a fall hazard. Breakfast was the worst of all the properties. It was very small and boring.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sunrise On The Bund

Good location, good breakfast and nice toilet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Shanghainese People's Secret Recipe

Shanghai

Didn't do this. Went to Jewish quarter instead. That was great.

Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo

China

So beautiful

Quality of Experience

Food

Boat food is boat food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bejing Train Station Private Transfer

Beijing

Didn't take the train.

Tiananmen Square

Beijing

Great being there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Terracotta Warriors

Xi'an

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide Jacob was awesome; driver only gets an "ok."

Transport

Learn How to Make Terracotta Warriors from Local Artisans

Xi'an

This originally didn't sound so exciting, but I loved it. Our warriors are on our bookshelf and are a fond memory of the experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jacob great, John so-so

Transport

Driver was a smoker so car wreaked a bit. He was not a good driver.

Full-Day Private Tour: Longji Terraced Rice Fields and Ethnic Minority Culture

China

The topography and scenery were amazing.

Quality of Experience

Li knows so much it was wonderful sharing this w/ him. The restaurant was in a great location and the food was good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mr. Lee was a great driver.

Transport

Ancient City Wall

Xi'an

Wanted to ride bikes, but didn't have one small enough for my friend. We tried the tandem and then they couldn't raise the seat to accommodate me (and I'm only 5'5"). The bike rental people couldn't have cared less. We ended up walking and went to an adjacent park that was lovely. Jacob did a great pivot here.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Same as before; Jacob great, John so-so

Cooking dumplings

Xi'an

Just like making the warriors, didn't sound exciting, but enjoyed it a lot and the food was great. I really like that Jacob had so many good relationships w/ the people we met.

Quality of Experience

Yangshuo Chinese Cookery Class

Yangshuo

Jenny at Cloud Nine was great. She made it fun and the food was tasty.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shanghai Tower

Shanghai

Loved it

We did a 5 city tour to Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin/Yangshuo, and Shanghai.

Carol and the China Highlights team was amazing. They arranged for all lodging, transportation, and coordinated private tour guides for each city. We setup our itinerary so that each day had an anchor event or two, and we had flexibility to work with the guide in the evening plans.

Here were a few highlights along with our guide name. We recommend all of them highly and would request them again.

1. Beijing - guide was Sally. We ventured to the Forbidden City, Tianamen Square, Great Wall, Hutong Village, Olympic Village, et al. She was extremely thoughtful and had great food recommendations as well

2. Xi’an - Jenny was an amazing guide, high energy and extremely knowledgeable. We saw the terracotta warriors, bike riding the old city walls, shopping and snacking through the Muslim quarter and more.

3. Chengdu - Helen guided us through the Panda base where we saw some of the new baby pandas in their habitat, the Leshan Buddha, evening show with changing masks and we had to have Sichuan local hot pot as well!

4. Guilin/Yangshuo - William did an amazing job showing us around the beautiful countryside via scooter. We also visited the Reed flute cave and elephant rock. The river cruise was great and we had many great local meals.

5. Shanghai - our last stop was with Kris. He took us on a full day tour starting at Shanghai Tower, eating local cuisine at Nanjing road then walking down to the Bund. We also took some time on our own in the French quarter.

Overall a wonderful trip. Highly recommend!

We had a fantastic family trip to China this December 2024 with our 2 teenage children. Kimkim and Odynovo tours in China made everything so easy for us!

Heidi was really helpful and managed to get all our ambitious itinerary to work in the rather short time we had. She was very helpful with sorting out our China visas from the UK which initially sounded rather daunting!
All the guides we had were brilliant, they all rated 5 star! We were met at every airport and train station by smiling faces even very late at night, and helped to navigate restaurant ordering, which local dishes to try, and help get us on the correct train when we moved to the next city. They were all incredibly knowledgeable and taught us so much about Chinese culture and history. Tracy in Beijing was great fun, and very kind, she made our time in Beijing so enjoyable. Candy in Xi'an made the the terracotta warriors come alive, Kevin in Chengdu was brilliant helping my daughter learn Mandarin characters, Fei in Guilin was great too.

Overall the Panda breeding centre in Chengdu was our biggest highlight, but the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Great Wall, the terracotta warriors and cycling Xi'an city walls, and the scenery around the Li river were all wonderful and unforgettable. The food was fantastic - especially we loved comparing the hotpots in Sichuan and Beijing. My children have definitely come back with a new appreciation for tea.

We will certainly use Kimkim again to organise our next big adventure.

We had a great 2 weeks in China, with the highlights in Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Yangshou and Zhangjiajie.
Our guides in each city were great. All had excellent knowledge of the history and culture. The guides took my vacation from a standard foreigners visit to an experience.
I appreciated that each guide warm transferred us onto the next guide and city. We had started to develop the relationship with the next guide even before we arrived.
All logistics went well. It’s an awesome benefit having the personalized touch. I experienced China in the moment as I didn’t need to think ahead on timing or logistics. I’m thankful for Tina, Mervyn, William and Bree. William went well beyond our expectations, he was my favorite guide.

There was a breakdown in communication with Carol and I. In hindsight I should’ve changed specialist as the dissatisfaction was felt immediately.
I would’ve liked to have been presented a wider selection of activities. At times I felt that I was on a ‘vanilla’ packaged tour (Yuk); Hot air balloon flights, motor bike, seats at the front with the 270 degrees view on the Li River cruise are a couple of examples which I would’ve been very happy to spend additional $$$. I was cost focused with Carol so to remove the 5 star hotels. I will always pay extra to for the experience, this wasn’t qualified as a necessity.
I booked 1 activity using GetYourGuide as it wasn’t an option thru KimKim which was weird.
Whilst I signed off on the itinerary, I failed to notice an activity we requested to be removed was still there, caves visit in Guilin. We didn’t do this activity, rather went on the search for antiques. Summer Palace boats activity was included in the itinerary, as it turns out the boats only available in the summer months, our visit was in November.

As I’ve used KimKim previously I know how great it is to have an online catch up with the specialist so the itinerary can be customized. Whilst my wider family and I will continue to use KimKim, I truly understand the criticality of the local specialist relationship. I feel disappointed that we had the plan and simple itinerary rather than something tailored to us. Of course this wasn’t known until we were in each city.

Our guides all made a difference!

We’ll be making the next booking or the next vacation; same time and place as this year.

My hopes for an epic trip to China and Japan were realized thanks to
蒋海丽 (Heidi). She gave me alot of her time and energy to help me plan the trip, and she was with me every step of the way during the trip.

I was a little anxious about traveling to China on my own but Heidi was a reassuring influence as I planned the trip with her through convos on KK Platform and phone calls. Typically, I would send her a lot of questions and she always answered promptly with great options and solutions.

The several tours arranged by Heidi were excellent, especially the tour guides. She selected great hotels for me and booked the train rides I needed to see both countries.

Halfway through trip planning, I needed to switch from another Asian country to Japan. Heidi sent me an itinerary and plan for Japan the very next day!

It is always good to balance a review like this with some positive criticism, but I have none. I am so pleased with how smoothly the trip played out, which allowed me to experience both countries to the max. Thanks again Heidi!

Activity Reviews

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

Beijing

Angela tour guide in Beijing Wu Qiong (Angela) really took care of me in my visit to Beijing. She is an outstanding tour guide, reassuring, and very fun to be with. If you like to grow and learn about the history and culture of China, Angela is like an encyclopedia. Angela led me on two unforgettable days in Beijing, which covered the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall. Angela made sure to ride the gondola with me at the Great Wall, which was a scary ride for me. When not touring with her, she recommended and arranged reservations in interesting local restaurants when I was not on the tour. The time with Angela in Beijing went by way too fast. I could have spent many more days exploring the city with her and learning from her.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of Shanghai with Yu Garden and the Bund

Shanghai

JJ, Shanghai tour guide During my tour of Shanghai, JJ (ChenJie陈杰) shared her incredible insight into China and its relationship to the rest of the world. I will remember those experiences as much as the Shanghai that she introduced me to. Although it was a whirlwind couple of days in the busy city of 25 million people, JJ made it all enormously fun and stimulating. JJ always let me set the comfortable pace for me. I appreciate so much how she was so flexible and creative when I asked for changes in the itinerary. There was so much to see and talk about and think about, and JJ made it all very easy. Go see Shanghai for yourself, and try to get JJ for a guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All the guides were very good. I enjoyed Xi’an and Shanghai more than Beijing were we spent too much time in traffic. The cars and drivers were good.
The cruise was enjoyable because of the scenery and the friendly crew but the food was mediocre and the cabin too small

Hotel Reviews

Novotel Peace Beijing

Beijing

Old hotel n need of renovations. Marginal air conditioning. Old furniture in need of replacement. Shoddy workmanship. Breakfast was ok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eastern House Boutique Hotel

Clean hotel. Professional staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Victoria Katarina

Tiny room . The smallest closet I ever saw. No drawers to store anything. The food is buffet style and is served tepid. Overall the food was mediocre. Upon embarking we had to buy the dinner because it was not included. Big mistake! It was horrendous.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sunrise On The Bund

The air conditioning doesn’t always work. Very small closet. Nice big bathroom

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff was not friendly but they did their job

Cleanliness & Comfort

Air conditioning!!!

Activity Reviews

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

Beijing

Interesting site

Quality of Experience

Food

Loud and busy restaurant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Better car than the old VW provided

Hutongs Exploration: Pedicab Ride and Local Family Visit

Beijing

Nothing special. We didn’t visit any family

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day with Great Wall and Changling Tomb in Beijing

Beijing

The Great Wall is a must see. It is impressive but it’s a long drive from Beijing. The wall is very crowded. The tomb excursion is not worth the time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chinese dumpling dinner

Xi'an

The show was good. The dinner and service were poor

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day with Terracotta Warriors and Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Xi'an

Very interesting site with some remarkable historical pieces

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina Cruise Day 4

Chongqing

A waste of time

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of Shanghai with Yu Garden and the Bund

Shanghai

Very nice excursion thanks to our excellent guide

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Temple of Heaven

Beijing

Nice excursion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Picturesque Summer Palace

Beijing

Nice excursion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Tang Dynasty Show (1hour)

Xi'an

A good show.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina cruise Day 1

Chongqing

The embarkation process was chaotic. The dinner that we had to buy on board was the terrible.

Quality of Experience

Food

Eat on shore

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina Cruise Day 2

Chongqing

A pleasant excursion

Quality of Experience

Food

Flavor and temperature

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Suzhou and Tongli Water Town City Tour

Shanghai

A very nice excursion

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina Cruise Day 3

Chongqing

Very nice excursion on small boats

Quality of Experience

Food

Flavor and temperature

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Each of our guides were warm and welcoming. They were very knowledgable about the history and the current status of their respective cities. Drivers and guides coordinated the transportation aspects very well which provided smooth and relaxing transitions for us.
Restaurant choices were excellent, including the breakfast buffets at each of our hotels.
The Yangtze River cruise was unbelievable. Not only is the scenery outstandingly beautiful, but the staff was congenial and provided a couple of delightful entertainment shows with song and dance.
Our stay in Shanghai was especially enjoyable at Sunrise on the Bund hotel, and our guide JayJay made our time together very special in spite of rain from a typhoon that passed through.

All services are great, we really appreciate everyone effort for making our trip enjoyable...all the guides, drivers are good & tentative...will continue to use KimKim services with our next tour & will recommended to family & friends 😀
All the best!
Mary & Edmund Ko

"Our trip arranged by KimKim exceeded all expectations!
Each day, we enjoyed:
- Dedicated tour guides (Edward and Li Da) who were exceptional, caring, patient and knowledgeable
- Personal drivers, eliminating parking and waiting hassles
- Seamless hotel arrangements
- Insider tips on top restaurants for our free time

We're thoroughly impressed and grateful for the unforgettable experience.

We wholeheartedly recommend KimKim to friends and look forward to our next adventure together!"

Trip was amazing and we had a great time.

Our experience from start to finish was truly amazing. Our local specialist, Heidi, did a great job accomodating all our requests, including requirements from our 2 year old, and planned us an unforgettable experience. Both our guides for each city were very knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. They went above and beyond for our needs. Thank you so much to all the team!

Fantastic Tour of the highlights of Eastern China

My husband and I took a one-week tour of Shanghai, Xi-An, and Beijing and I can't recommend enough. First, China is not an easy country to navigate if you don't have the local apps or speak Chinese, so we felt very comfortable being guided and having someone else figure out our ticketing, lines, etc. I honestly don't think we would have figured out how to see the Terracotta Warriors without them! The guides were all fantastic, and I was particularly touched by Edward's help in finding great vegetarian restaurants for us in Beijing. The hotels were all very nice and comfortable. Heidi is super responsive and communicative and I felt very supported and comfortable throughout the entire trip end to end. Next time I would love to go to Western China with Kim Kim!

Hotel Reviews

Sunrise On The Bund

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice hotel, but a little far from the Bund

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Xi'an Eastern House Boutique Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Peace Beijing

Beijing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Shanghai City Tour with the Jade Buddha Temple, Jin Mao Tower and the Bund

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch stop was not part of the tour, so had to request it when we got hungry

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Beijing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day with Terracotta Warriors and Muslim Street in Xi'an

Xi'an

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour through the Hutongs

Beijing

Though it was nice to meet a local community, I wouldn't have selected this tour. I found it a little boring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Temple of Heaven

Beijing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day with Great Wall and Changling Tomb in Beijing

Beijing

This was my favorite tour. I especially enjoyed the Changeling Tomb as the museum is very nice and it was not so crowded. And of course, the Great Wall!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoyable, well-organized tour with friendly and knowledgeable guides. My wife and I had a great time and would highly recommend.l this service.

Excellent trip to Japan and China. Carol made it very easy to complete schedule according to our like and adjusted itinerary favorable to us. Tour guides in Japan and China were very good communicators, knowledgeable of the sites visited, and again adjusted itinerary to complete an amazing trip.

I had a truly wonderful and unforgettable trip to China. As a solo traveler with limited time and no knowledge of the language, I was initially worried. However, Heidi was incredibly patient and accommodated all my requests to visit Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai, ensuring that the hotels met both my quality and budget needs.

In each city, I was met by a driver and guide promptly at the airport and taken to my hotel for much-needed rest. In Beijing, my guide Ms. Niki gave me an amazing tour, sharing the history in a fascinating way. In Xi'an, my guide Zoe provided an excellent tour of the Terracotta Warriors and explained their significance wonderfully. In Shanghai, my guide Mr. Run Liu took me to various exciting spots around the city.

Throughout my trip, Heidi consistently checked in to ensure I was having a great time. I had an absolute blast and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the trip. I highly recommend this experience to others."

This is my first time booking with Kim Kim and by all means it WON'T be the last. Heidi did an excellent job on making sure everything was in point, answering all the questions and always be there when needed.
Heidi THANK YOU so much for such outstanding job. my family and I brought all these great memories from the trip and in a great part thanks to you.
we'll talk again very soon...
Julio Cesar.

Had an amazing well organised trip, Heidi did a great job of suggesting hotels and excursion ideas, overall preparation and ongoing support was very strong. China is a beautiful country, people were lovely and friendly. Also appreciated all my local guides Alice (Beijing), Tracy (Xian), Kevin (Chengdu), Eric Fan (Guilin) and Run Liu (Shanghai). Would recommend.