Kimkim Trip Reviews for England

I think everything went pretty well overall. Our drivers were wonderful and always on time. The tour guide Tony for the Bath walking tour was great. Jamie who drove us from Stratford to Bath, touring through the Cotswolds was wonderful. The gentleman who drove to and from Henley was fantastic. We just had a little minor minor logistics issue with the Oxford tour.

The hotels were very nice. For me as part of a couple, our rooms were the right size for us. I felt for our friend staying in a room as one person, she should get the same size. I understand that maybe UK hotels work differently than my expectations. Maybe kimkim can take this as a suggestion.

Our coordinator Liam was very responsive whenever we had questions or needed some things adjusted.

We had a very lovely time. Thank you.

Hotel Reviews

Apex City of Bath Hotel

Bath

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was just a little small

The White Swan Hotel

Stratford-upon-Avon

Really lovely, comfortable and wonderful service!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Punting in Oxford

England

This is just so relaxing and wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Entry into the Roman Baths

Bath

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oxford University & City Tour with Alumni Guide

Oxford

This was very informative and almost TOO much info. We spent an hour in one college and based on the description we weren't sure how it was all going to be fit in. We were a little overloaded so we politely excused ourselves at a good point.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A Private Classic City Walking Tour of Bath

Bath

Tony met us at the hotel and he was wonderful. Very knowledgeable and professional. The description listed on our itinerary was a little different: it specifically said Dan and that there was a drive involved? However, Tony just walked us around and gave us a fabulous overview of the town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A Classic Cotswolds Private Driver Guide - South Cotswolds

England

Jamie was amazing and very professional. Great stops and history! Very accommodating to our needs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were amazed at the support we received from our specialist Kateryna. She took really good care of us and adapted our trip to meet our needs right up until we were ready to leave. She was very friendly and responded quickly to all our requests. We had a great time on our trip as well. The tours she planned for us were a blast. SoHo food tour, Jacobite train and the Caledonia Sleeper train were among the highlights. Only complaint was at least one of our rooms did not have working air conditioning at every hotel we stayed at except one. Unfortunately we planned our trip during one of the worst heat waves in British history. The hotel Lemonde in Edinburgh was an amazing place to stay. If I were to take this trip again I would definitely request more days at that hotel.

Hotel Reviews

Leonardo Royal Hotel Oxford

Wolvercote, Oxford

Pretty decent hotel. Lobby and some rooms were nice and cool but ours was incredibly hot. One of our rooms was ice cold and the other was extremely hot and we could not get another room. Really amazing breakfast though

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel location was pretty good being halfway between Oxford and Blenheim Castle

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our A/C was not working and it got incredibly hot in our room. Luckily my mother-in-law's room was incredibly cool so she was lucky.

The Garrison Hotel

Fort William

Rooms were too small for what we were looking for. Since we were on a longer trip my wife and I had some large suitcases and we didn't have room to open them in the room while we were inside. Wished we would have booked the larger suites instead.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good location. Furthest from train station but it is a small town so not a far walk

Staff

Staff were wonderful and took good care of us

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel seemed clean but the bathroom was so small water kept leaking out of the shower into the bedroom carpet

Le Monde Hotel

This was a wonderful hotel. We all enjoyed our stay and wish we could have stayed longer

Authenticity & Character

Cool boutique hotel and rooms were huge

Location

Not terribly far from the train station and we found some good restaurants nearby

Staff

Staff took good care of us. No restaurant but they did give us good recommendations

Cleanliness & Comfort

A/C worked great and the rooms were large and very clean

Montcalm Brewery, London City

Hotel was nice but we had 3 rooms and 2 did not have functioning air conditioning. We were not asked if we would like to have a new room but were given fans that unfortunately only moved around the hot air. Would not have mattered but we were staying for 5 days and would have liked to have had the option of trying to move to a new room.

Authenticity & Character

Very unique hotel. Would have liked to try the brewery but the pub downstairs was a lot of fun

Location

Too far from Tube station

Staff

They were very friendly and helpful. Our reservations got messed up but they finally got it straightened out.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were incredibly hot in our room. Our daughter's room was very cool and comfortable so we knew some had working A/C. Hotel was very clean though and the housekeeping staff was very attentative

Activity Reviews

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

This was a great experience. Our guide was willing to take us to see whatever we wanted to see and had some amazing insight into the city. I would highly recommend this tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Holyrood Distillery Tour

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Seal Spotting Loch Linnhe Cruise

England

We had a blast on this cruise and the scenery was unbelievable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening SoHo London Food Tour

London

This could very well be the most fun and entertaining food tour me and my family has ever done. Our guide was amazing and she engaged with each one of us. The food choices were delicious and we got to experience a whole world of flavors.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was the best

Transport

Tower of London Beefeater Welcome & Crown Jewels

London

This was a nice adventure and was great to say that I have had this experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wish we would have done a private guided tour since we had trouble getting over to the Tower

Transfer to Oxford

London

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Islander Workshop Experience in Edinburgh

Edinburgh

This was a surprisingly wonderful experience. The employees were so helpful in helping all of us put the bags together and we were able to build some amazing bags for gifts

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jacobite Steam Train

Scotland

This was the highlight of the trip. Train was like stepping back in time and the scenery was beautiful. We had a wonderful time and would do this again in a heartbeat

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train was fantastic

One Day Trip Canterbury & Dover Cliffs

England

Our guide was great and very informative. Canterbury was such a beautiful city and the Cliffs of Dover were something everyone needs to experience. While we were there Spitfires were flying over the cliffs which was another amazing experience.

Quality of Experience

Guide was funny and kept us entertained. Beautiful area to get out of the bigger city

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was funny and kept us entertained. Driver was great as well

Transport

This was great for a larger tour. I would also like to try the smaller group experience one day but this was very well organized for such a large group

Stonehenge and Windsor Castle from London

London

This was a highlight trip for us. Were really surprised at how much fun we had in Bath.

Quality of Experience

Bath was a hidden gem we weren't expecting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taking this bus tour was a great option for us. By this time we were worn out with walking tours in London and this was a great opportunity to get out of the city and into some more remote areas.

The Royal London Tour: Changing of the Guard and More

London

Our guide was wonderful and we had a great time with her. She got us into all of the best location for photos.

Quality of Experience

We had a great time on this tour

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was amazing

Transport

This did not apply. We had to take the tube to this experience

Our itinerary was just right for us, and the hotels you chose for us were all great! We loved touring the villages nearby, and you helped insure there were no major travel issues. Thank you!

We had great guides, Amanda, Trevor and Jim. It was a real treat spending time with each of them. We happened to be in Wales during the heatwave, but that didn't detract from the wonderful sites and people we met.

Trip was a lot of fun and Jane did a great job helping us feel comfortable navigating England without a car. We had a couple hiccups, most notably an issue with the hotel reservation the final night that meant we had to rent another room separately from the original reservation. But Kimkim was able to follow up and reimburse us for the additional cost.

Hotel Reviews

Moxy Hotel Heathrow

Hounslow

Authenticity & Character

Trying very hard to be hip, but kinda failing. Quite loud inside and had cars using the back parking lot to race and rev engines late into the night. Got very little sleep.

Location

Staff

Front desk staff did not honor our reservation as it had been booked under another credit card by kimkim. We had to rent a second room and were not reimbursed for the original reservation.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trash on floor under beds. Uncomfortable pillows.

The Head of the River

Oxford, Oxfordshire

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Townhouse

Stratford-upon-Avon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Edgar Townhouse

Bath

Staff were super helpful and always offered to go above and beyond my expectations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wilde Apartments Tower Bridge

London

Small room but had everything we needed. Easy walk to underground and London Tower.

Authenticity & Character

Clean and comfortable, but rooms quite small.

Location

Slightly dodgy feeling area of town but we didn’t have any issues.

Staff

Friendly and always greeted us upon entry

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour in Stratford Upon Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon

We did this on a dreary rainy late afternoon but our guide was wonderful and really help turn a somewhat gloomy feeling afternoon into a pleasant experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Entry into the Roman Baths

Bath

Interesting tour, busy but not super packed in the late afternoon.

Quality of Experience

London Globe Theatre Performance

London

Really special to see a show in this theater and experience the really interactive atmosphere between the audience and actors.

Quality of Experience

Oxford University & City Tour with Alumni Guide

Oxford

Late in the day tour that meant we couldn’t enter any of the colleges (they lock doors at 4pm). Would have preferred an earlier tour if we had known. Guide was very nice but not as informative on the history of the colleges as we would have liked. No entry into the Bodilean libraries or other buildings included. MUST book this separately and in advance if you want to see them. Another item I wish we had know as it was on the must see list for our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Afternoon Tea at The Swan (Near The Globe & Borough Market)

England

London Globe Theatre Tour

England

Entry tickets to historic Kew Gardens

London

Quality of Experience

Tower of London Timed Entry Tickets

London

Really interesting place but got crowded quickly the morning we went.

Quality of Experience

Stonehenge, Avebury and Cotswolds Villages Small Group Tour

Bath

Great day and enjoyed our guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I will recommend to anyone planning a trip to use KimKim. I was looking for an itinerary that included many British gardens and our specialist Kateryna delivered a fabulous Grand Garden Tour trip that I never could have planned on my own. Our trip went smoothly with all the tickets bought and available quickly in the Kimkim app. I cant say enough good things about the app which is fantastic ! Our tour guides were experienced and personable and Kateryna arranged transportation to and from places when it was appropriate. We spent 9 days in London and then took a train to Oxford. Spent a day privately touring in the Cotswolds where our driver/guide made sure we saw the best gardens and had a fantastic lunch at the oldest inn in Britain. We ended our trip in Windsor and had private transport back to the airport. What I liked the most about using Kimkim is that I told them what I specifically wanted to see and they made suggestions for other excursions and we communicated easily back and forth until the trip was exactly what I wanted. We had flexibility on some days while we were there to change our plans and truly make it our own trip. My husband and I usually plan our trips independently but after this wonderful experience I will use KimKim instead.

Activity Reviews

Iconic Oxford Private Walking Tour

Oxford

We loved this tour so much it made us want to stay in Oxford longer. Our guide was a PhD student who gave us a unique perspective and some great stories about student life at the university. This is a must tour if your in Oxford!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Secret Gardens of the City of London Private Tour

London

Delianne was a great guide and if you want to see places in London most people dont see take this tour!

Quality of Experience

Delianne is a great storyteller!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NA

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

Our driver John was funny, knowledgeable and told us fantastic stories. Highly recommend doing this tour first when going to London.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed this trip very much and are very appreciative of the support we received from KIMKIM. We worked with Aleksandra for several months finding a way to include all the cities and areas we wanted to visit.
In terms of cities I think Dublin was our favorite. We liked the Mercantile Hotel - a great location, nice room, amazing breakfast and a very good bar and restaurant. We enjoyed the stores and pubs in the neighborhood a lot. The Hop On Hop Off bus stop was very close to our hotel and we used this system to make our way around Dublin.
We're so glad Aleksandra recommended the tour of 14 Henrietta Street. It was a little tricky to find but we had a very nice guide and appreciated his words about the history of the building.
The day tour of the Cliffs of Moher was disappointing. The bus was very cramped and Bill especially was uncomfortable because of no leg room at the seats. Galway was a big disappointment it was very crowded with tourists and we saw no charm in the city.
Kilmainham Jail was fascinating. The guide provided an excellent exposure to the many different eras of the jail including why people were jailed and executed there. Experiencing the small cells and limited access to the outside was chilling.
The Guiness Experience Tour was a struggle. It was packed with people - mostly young people who's purpose was to enjoy the free beer.
We were so glad to visit Trinity College and the Book of Kells. It was a graduation day for medical students so the plaza was filled with family members bearing numerous floral bouquets. It's too bad the books are being removed from the "Long Room" and it will be closed to the public for several years.
Edinburgh was our next stop and our lodging issue was extremely frustrating but NOT the fault of Aleksandra. We thought the apartment building had a lift but it did not. Only a very large spiral staircase and there was no way we could have handled that climb daily. Aleksandra was quick to respond and found us another hotel very close to the areas that we were scheduled to tour. My only suggestion about Edinburgh is that people who are considering Edinburgh need to understand how steep the streets are and how difficult it is go get around. Our food tour was excellent. The castle tour was very strenuous. The Real Mary King's Close was difficult due to uneven flooring and small doorways but the guide was very accomodating to the senior citizens. Holyhood House was very interesting to see - we enjoyed that opportunity very much.
Our hotel in Bayeux was very nice close - to the train station and the downtown area. We were a bit challenged by all the football fans who had filled the bars close to us to watch Arsenal but we enjoyed the fun, Our all day tour of the Normandy beaches was a real highlight of our trip. We booked this tour ourselves but I would suggest that KIMKIM include this gentleman for Normandy tours in the future. His name is Bertrand Saudrais and his email is [email protected].
Our hotel location in the West End was great. The changing of the guard was very crowded and took quite a long time but we wanted to see it. The Royal Mews was very interesting and our lunch at Buckingham Arms Pub was a great recommendation from Aleksandra.
Unfortunately our trip to the Victoria and Albert museum was cancelled. Bill had a cold and we both thought we needed a day off.
The river trip to Hampton Court didn't work out. It was raining heavily and the wind gusts were difficult. The boat did not have enough room for everyone and we ended up on the front deck chairs. After an hour we got off the boat and found a local pub where we enjoyed a great lunch and a very friendly group of people.
The next day our Hidden Pubs of London tour was a wonderful history of London pubs over the centuries. Drinking beer wasn't the focus but the guide Lynden was excellent. - very informed and very cognizant of all the people on the tour.
Our day long tour of Stone Henge, Bath and Windsor Castle began at 7:00 AM anded at 6:30 PM - a long day. However, the coach we had was very comfortable we covered many miles hearing from our guide and talking with our fellow tour people. All of the stops were just as we had hoped but it would have been nice to have more time in Windsor Castle - guess we'll have to go back.
On Saturday it was raining again as we waited in line at Parliament. Once we got inside we really enjoyed the different rooms for the various political groups. Very interesting.
Our last day we toured the British Museum that was very close to our hotel. Seeing the ancient artifacts from around the world was such a pleasure..
Overall, we were once again very pleased with KIMKIM. Aleksandra worked very hard to fulfill our wishes in the way that made the most sense. What we learned is that we may have over booked this trip with tours - we should have included at least one more day of rest.
As we talk to our friends about our travels we always mention the KIMKIM name so I hope you'll get some new customers.

This was the first time we used Kimkim, based on a recommendation by my college classmate. It was great - I chatted back and forth with Aleksandra to customize our vacation just the way we wanted. Then she took care of all the bookings - hotel, transportation, guides, theater tickets, attraction tickets. I usually do the planning for vacations in our family so it was hugely relaxing to not have to be the 'cruise director' on this one. Everything was great, especially the London Black Cab guides, Chris and Jack. We got to see everything we wanted, and had some free time as well.

I like Kimkim because of this customizability - as much or as little planning as you want, the price level you want, and elimination of all the hassle. On big travel events in the future, we will definitely utilized them again.

Hotel Review

Apex City Of London Hotel

London

Very friendly staff, and an excellent breakfast buffet. We fueled up every morning for adventure. And I confess we all enjoyed the tea / hot chocolate and biscuits in the evening! Housekeeping was also great. My wife loves coming back to a clean room and made bed when we are on the road.

Authenticity & Character

Great rooms, and I liked the emphasis on sustainability.

Location

Central to all the things we wanted to see in London - the Tower, British Museum, Eye, LSE.

Staff

The dining staff were all fantastic.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping every night did a great job - it was nice to come back to a clean room. With hot chocolate and tea waiting for us, as well as filled water bottles.

Activity Reviews

Hampton Court Half-Day Tour

London

English Heritage does a great job with all the historic sites. Hampton Court is my favorite because of the range of history and the preservation of the artifacts. The audio tour is great, and the cafe was really charming - lunch in the gardens. Don't miss the Great Vine and the gardens.

Stonehenge and Bath

England

Had a great trip to Stonehenge. English Heritage did a great job making it fun for the kids as well, with photo ops and the mythical creature hunt. And Bath is just lovely - my favorite town in Britain. The Roman baths tour is awesome, and the whole town is relaxing.

Tower of London Beefeater Welcome & Crown Jewels

London

Kids loved the tower - they really got into the history, which I was surprised and gratified by. The Beefeaters are of course amazing - don't miss that on the tour.

The hotels selected and the daily schedule were great. All four of us had a great time and it was nice to have it all planned for us.

Loved our trip and it was well planned. Any questions or problems were answered quickly and resolved quickly.

Hotel Reviews

The Roseate Villa

Bath

Nice hotel but no lounge areas to congregate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Slaughters Manor House

Lower Slaughter

Great hotel and great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy drive to towns

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hidcote Manor Gardens

England

Beautiful even in the rain

Dear Rachel/KimKim Team,
I hope you are well. I am writing regarding our recent London trip arranged through your company. While we appreciated some aspects of the planning, there were several arrangements that did not meet our expectations and significantly affected our experience.
Before I get started I want to mention that our liaison Rachel went on vacation just as we were beginning our trip, so that we had to ask for help from whoever was covering for her. The person we worked with did their best to help with the problems as they arose.
Key concerns and misalignments:
Accommodation: We were placed at the Tower Hotel near the Tower of London. As seasoned visitors to London, we do not view this placement as valuable or appropriate for us, since we were not seeking a Tower of London–focused experience and have substantial familiarity with the city.
I have already raised this issue with Rachel but got a response that most people just love the Tower hotel. This kind of response is not helpful and I find it dismissive.
Also, we were placed in a room that did not have an accessible bathroom, which meant we had to move to a handicap room. That’s fine but the room was not particularly nice or comfortable. All in all, we did not enjoy the Tower hotel, and in particular their breakfast was absolutely appalling.
Tour/activities: We had explicitly stated that we were not interested in group tourist activities. Nevertheless, we were signed up for two large sightseeing bus experiences. When I discussed the overview with Rachel, I did not understand that we were going to be placed on a large tour bus or I would never have agreed to that arrangement. Once I realized what we were in for, I requested to cancel day two.

Mobility and transportation:
We explicitly informed KimKim that both of us are over 70 and that public transportation in London, as well as extensive stair-climbing, would not be suitable. Despite this, we were advised to use public transport and participate in activities involving multiple stairs, including two large sightseeing buses. This was uncomfortable and impractical and did not align with our accessibility needs. Once again, when I brought this issue up with Rachel I felt dismissed and not heard. I was very clear with Rachel during our conversations that we have, and my partner who is 80 has, mobility issues. I think a more experienced person might have picked up on this aspect of our experience. On the contrary, the response I got from Rachel clearly indicated that somehow, we should have just sucked it up and gone down into the tube, even though we both struggle with stairs and long walks. Here is the response I got from Rachel.
“Tower Hotel is positioned right beside Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, offering one of the most iconic and scenic settings in the city. It also has excellent public transport connections (Underground, DLR, and river services), allowing easy access across London.
As London is a large city, even centrally located hotels often require some use of transport depending on the day’s activities, and taxis are frequently used for convenience rather than necessity”
Clearly written by a person who doesn’t get accessibility concerns, and the kinds of issues older people can face doing something that seems simple to a younger person
When we arrived at the train station at Matlock on May 28th, the transportation hired by the company didn’t show up for over an hour. Calling the company eventually resulted in someone showing up, but the following days the company failed to turn up and we had to find local transport, including our transport to Chatsworth. The new company required us to pay in cash which ended up costing us 60£ for three trips.
Btw, for some reason we were not booked with first class train tickets. I have to say I find it a bit outrageous that we paid 14,000 for the tour services, and they we had to fight to get decent transportation and first-class train tickets and that we were booked on cheap group tours. What were we paying for? I am struggling to understand the value offered at this point.
When we arrived at the train station at Moreton on Marsh, we discovered that there was no assistance to get to the hotel. I ended up having to drag my partner’s suitcase the two or so very bumpy blocks to the hotel in the extreme heat that was happening at that time. We ended up having to book a taxi for 15£ to avoid having to drag our luggage. Not to mention that there was a huge over the track ramp we needed to cross to get to the train and there was no assistance at the train station. Luckily we met kind people along the way who gave us a hand or I would once again have had to drag all of our stuff over the ramp.
Cost transparency: We have repeatedly requested a detailed, itemized breakdown of all charges (accommodation, transportation, activities/tickets, service fees, and any markups) and the net amounts paid to third-party suppliers. To date, we have not received a clear breakdown, making it impossible to verify charges and value.
Summing up, I am requesting the following:
A detailed, itemized cost breakdown for our trip, including:
o Accommodation for each place and what was included
o Transportation: transfers, and private transport
o Activities/tickets: names, dates, per-person costs
o Service fees, markups, and any other charges
o The total charged to us by your company and the net amounts paid to third-party suppliers

This was a very important trip for us. We often travel to Europe, but we are getting too old to do complicated booking and arrangements. We thought that the KimKim service would do the heavy lifting for us, and they did step in to help solve problems, however the problems were usually caused by our liason not listening to us or just not putting a lot of thought into what would be good options for us. To be honest, the person we were working with seemed distracted and not easy to contact prior to our trip and of course she was unavailable to us during 90% of the trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel du Vin & Bistro

Tunbridge Wells

This is a super nice hotel with large rooms. The bathroom was also great. The restaurant has really amazing food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Just a short walk to the high street

Staff

The staff at this hotel were so incredibly nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

The White Hart Royal Hotel

Gloucestershire

This hotel is nice and our room was very interesting but they don't seem to have enough staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the high street so you can walk to many different restaurants and to the town market

Staff

The staff seemed really overworked and few and far between

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Peacock at Rowsley

Matlock

Very comfortable and nice hotel with a great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel wasn't near anything but that didn't really matter to us.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Tower Hotel

London

This was a very basic hotel. We had an accessible room which was ok however for some reason accessible rooms don't get coffee makers? So strange. The room looked out on a roof with some large machines or fans stuck on them. The coffee at breakfast was literally the most terrible tasting coffee I have ever had in my life. The concierge at the hotel was very good however. There was also a laundry place nearby which really came in handy. The worst thing about the hotel was the location, it was miles from everything that we wanted to do in London. We racked up huge bills taking taxis and Ubers to get places because we couldn't navigate the public transportation because of accessibility and time constraints.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The accessible room was very basic and not particularly comfortable and their was zero view, which was why KimKim put us in there

Activity Reviews

Taxi Transfers in and around Matlock (2)

Matlock

The company that was engaged was very shady and didn't show up as planned. I highly recommend that you find a new company and never use this one again. We ended up finding some local drivers and paying them ourselves.

Return Taxi Transfer from Matlock to Chatsworth House

Matlock

The company that was engaged was very shady and didn't show up as planned. I highly recommend that you find a new company and never use this one again. We ended up finding some local drivers and paying them ourselves.

Taxi Transfers in and around Matlock

Matlock

The company that was engaged was very shady and didn't show up as planned. I highly recommend that you find a new company and never use this one again. We ended up finding some local drivers and paying them ourselves.

Canterbury, Dover Cliffs & Castle and Leeds Castle is included

London

The tour guide on this trip was beyond nice but the trip was very hard for us because the bus was not comfortable and we basically rushed around too many places with no stop for lunch. Going to Dover was just too much. We had barely no time to enjoy Canterbury cathedral. Leeds castle was nice but once again being rushed around with a group of people is something I was hoping to avoid on this trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I spent my whole time in the bus with my knees crushed up against the seat in front of me. Getting in and out of the bus was a real challenge because of the narrow steps

The transfer people were all good. We appreciated them checking in with us in advance to remind us that they were coming. A confidence booster that they would be there.

The hotels in Bath and Castle Combs were great. The hotel in Bourton on the water was cheesy and below expectations. The hotel in Oxford was fine, but the room was a bit small.

The activities that Kate planned for us were good. We were especially impressed with afternoon tea at the Manor house. High quality.

Having a private Oxford walking tour was really good. Magnus did a nice job. Obviously, private walking tours are better than group tours. The Bath walking tour was less good because we were with others.

Our highlight day was with our Cotswolds private driver and tour guide, Adge Secker. He was enthusiastic, engaging, friendly and helpful. Anyone would do well with him!

Overall, given the information we provided Kate, she did an excellent job putting together this trip. The details, tickets and vouchers were all functional and easy to find.

We would use Kim Kim again.

Hotel Reviews

Malmaison Oxford

Oxford

The refurbished prison retains its original design which is interesting. The room was a bit small

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bigger room, fully opening windows.

Chester House Hotel

Bourton-on-the-Water

A bit cheesy for a 4 star hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Manor House

Castle Combe

Impressive, attractive and well run

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Queensberry Hotel

Bath

Local, eclectic and nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Oxford University Punting Tour

England

Boring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Iconic Oxford Private Walking Tour

Oxford

Magnus was informative and learned.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cotswolds Private Tour

England

Adge Secker was greatly

Quality of Experience

The guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jane Austen Trail Group Tour

Bath

We realize that we would rather be on a private tour. Guide was ok. Others in our group walked too fast for us

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We loved the private tour to Windsor Castle and Hampton Court with David. And, actually the free day the we were given by accident in both London and Paris were wonderful. Next trip we will schedule a free day intentionally. Paris was a blast. The D' Orsea was not to be missed. We could have gone back for a second day.

Tatiana was ever attentive and super positive. Next up, Venice!

B

We had a wonderful experience using
Kim Kim and especially their local agent, Jane who helped organize our 13-day driving tour through England. Having an agent actually based in the country with local knowledge of major building and gardens made a huge difference. Her local recommendations, and attention to detail created a smooth and memorable trip from start to finish.
Our itinerary included:
* London
* Royal Tunbridge Wells
* Isle of Wight
* Lyme Regis
* St Austell
* Henley-on-Thames

I have done 2 trips with Kim Kim, England and Uganda to see gorillas. Both trips went
extremely well and would absolutely work with them again.
William Gordon, CA

Amazing trip to London! Kateryna was a great planner and checked off our list of things to do in London, Bath, the Cotswolds and Oxford. Kate was always available at a moments notice and stepped in when we needed help along the way. She called ahead to our hotels so that they would be prepared as we arrived and she sorted out any touristy questions that we had as we arrived and departed each location. We've used kimkim before for our trip to Spain (and it was also great), but Kate made us feel like we had someone we could reach out to at any time. We also ventured into The Netherlands for four days, but the planning on that segment did incur some problems. Tickets to museums were not pre-purchased and we had to scramble needlessly. "Self Guided" tours in several Holland cities left it us to research activities on our own. In review, we should have stayed in the U.K. for the whole trip as Kate has that country figured out completely. We would use and will use kimkim again for our next trip

Hotel Reviews

Hotel des Arts

Amsterdam-Centrum

Super location, super staff, super ideal! The staff at this hotel was like having a local friend that helps you out when you are in town. Housekeeping: top notch - Breakfast staff: EXCELLENT cleanliness and food options. This staff provided us with the BEST start of the day, every day. - Front Desk: What can I say? Like your friend you've been waiting to talk to in Amsterdam.

Authenticity & Character

Totally authentic house close to the canal that has been transformed into a comfortable hotel.

Location

Right in the middle of the city. Steps from the Metro station.

Staff

EVERYTHING they did: directions, recommendations, food options, museum options, the staff is the BEST!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping is on it! Everyday, every spec of dust, ....we were getting spoiled by their attentiveness.

Pullman London St Pancras

London

Right next door to the major train station! Street traffic seemed to be in gridlock around the hotel in every direction, but having the train station with the EuroStar service next door was genius on our planner's part (Kate). Another hotel with EXCELLENT breakfast service, but having dinner at the hotel was an experience that took two hours! Seems that the kitchen was having a tough time keeping up with the orders from the dining room. Mentioned the delays to our server and he graciously took a couple drinks off our tab.

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel, with great views of the city, quiet on the upper floors, safe, clean and comfortable.

Location

Train station right next door! Location, location, location.

Staff

Another professional crew of hospitality folks.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was large, clean and comfortable. Bathroom also large in comparison to other local hotels....nice shower.

The Store

Oxford

CENTRAL location in Oxford....clean, comfortable, safe hotel with an amazing breakfast all run by a professional and top-notch staff. Because the location is right in the middle of Oxford, many of the local food choices are geared towards the student population....lot's of fast food joints and restaurants that seem to target the students. Wish we could have tried the hotel's restaurant for dinner, but it didn't open until 5:30pm and our ride to London departed at 6pm. Based on the breakfasts we had at the hotel, the dinner menu would have been the best around.

Authenticity & Character

Hotel has everything! Great restaurant and bar, Spa with massage services, comfortable, quiet rooms

Location

Right smack dab in the center of Oxford.

Staff

Front desk staff can do hand stands and back flips! Anything we needed, the were there to step up.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, quiet, and safe rooms.....mini fridge didn't cool, but the front desk staff was getting it addressed.

Hotel Indigo Bath

Bath

BEST hotel during our entire trip! Scrumptious breakfast, QUIET hotel room, SUPER central location and incredible staff.

Authenticity & Character

INCREDIBLE job in converting a classic building into a truly modern hotel.

Location

Right in the heart of town and walking distance from the train station.

Staff

These people understand how to take care of their guests.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wish we could have stayed longer, room was the most comfortable during our two week trip encompassing 5 hotels.

The Academy London

GREAT breakfast NO elevators SPACIOUS rooms LOUD street noise day and night CENTRAL location

Authenticity & Character

Classic row homes converted into a hip, clean, hotel.

Location

Close to the Underground system and easy to catch a cab outside the front door

Staff

EVERYBODY was SUPER hospitable. Breakfast ladies were amazing and top notch.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Poor housekeepers need to go up and down a lot of stairs!

Activity Reviews

Open Boat Cruise Drinks Included Central Station Departure

Amsterdam

The absolute BEST was to start your Amsterdam vacation. Cruise the canals and see the city in the comfort of a well guided captain. Couple of drinks, great weather, and a good tour guide made this a memorable part of our visit to Amsterdam and was really the way to kick off your holiday in the city.

Quality of Experience

The cruise down the various canals and the historical stories told as you motor along.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great captain, great staff, great weather, great way to start off your stay in Amsterdam

Transport

Safe boat, professional crew, clean onboard, and incredible vistas!

Private Oxford University Punting Tour

England

Excellent adventure, but very short ride. Beautiful scenery and super punting tour guide. 30 minute ride was way too short, but the punting circuit is limited to a ride around the man-made island. Still had a nice relaxing ride on another beautiful day. Passed alongside a botanical garden during the punting tour ride and went there immediately following the punting excursion. Turned out to be a great diversion and wonderful way to stroll along the gardens for another hour. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Excellent experience, but very short and sweet at 30 minutes.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Strong, knowledgeable, Punting guide....student earning his way through college with a side hustle.

Transport

I couldn't do this myself and watched others attempt to "Punt", the students working there are the best.

Iconic Oxford Private Walking Tour

Oxford

Nice 2 hour walking tour, but the tour facility was unprepared when we showed up for our scheduled tour. Had a nice, former student, walk us around for a couple hours, but honestly we could have seen so much more....we only ventured out 5 or 6 blocks from the tour facility and spent way too much time reliving the former students, hangouts rather that the immense history of Oxford. Still an enjoyable walk on an enjoyable day.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful day. Beautiful scenery and amazing centralized location.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Further exploration of the city with a seasoned tour guide.

Transport

Walking the whole way.

Cotswolds Experience from Bath, private tour

Bath

The HIGHLIGHT of our 2 weeks in Europe! Our private tour guide Adge, and his trusty driver Leroy made for a most memorable day in Bath and the Cotswolds. Our guide Adge was a retired police officer from Bath and new every inch and crevice of the city and beyond. Our driver Leroy was the utmost professional driver and navigated our day through tight twists and turns where we always felt safe and secure. We got 16 hours of the best tour possible in 8 hours that day. Adge was humorous, spontaneous, knowledgeable, warm, welcoming, and EVERYTHING you could of asked for in a private tour guide. BEST day of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Our private tour guide: Adge and our trusty driver Leroy

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Adge, Adge, Adge, Adge, Adge, Adge,Adge, Adge, Adge, Adge, Adge, Adge,....and Leroy.

Transport

Leroy made us feel special in the Luxury SUV and his cool and calm driving demeanor.

British Museum Private Tour

London

AMAZING museum and knowledgeable tour guide. Only with we weren't worn out and that the tour could be an hour or two longer. Pedro was an experienced expert and a very personable, private tour guide and showed us many of the items in a quick tour of maybe 20% of this HUGE museum.

Quality of Experience

One of the best museums visited in the world!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro (I kept calling him Pablo!), was a knowledgeable and interesting guide, showed us as much as possible in such a HUGE museum.

Transport

The London taxi system and the Underground metro

The Royal London Tour: Changing of the Guard and More

London

Delianne was a fun and quirky tour guide for a walking tour of more than two hours! She had great stories and took us to the great spots to watch the parade and to take pictures along the way. Delianne also went out of her way to teach us how the Underground metro system worked and then we were on our way using the system the rest of the trip....fun! Delianne was punctual, knowledgeable, cute, and in great shape for what was probably 10,000 steps (but I didn't monitor on my app).

Quality of Experience

How great London is!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Delianne was a GREAT guide, loaded with information presented in a fun and quirky manner.

Transport

Got to the meeting point by taxi, but guide taught us how to use the Underground and that was the best information needed about transport!

Tower of London Beefeater Welcome & Crown Jewels

London

Breathtaking! The Crown Jewels (minus the jewels), the history, the buildings, the Beefeaters, the ravens! All made for an enjoyable day at this memorable location. Our tour planner Kate made sure that we were there at the 10am opening and that was genius! We had hardly any lines and got in the queue of 5 or 10 people to visit the Crown Jewels exhibit. The early start made for a leisurely stroll through all the buildings at the Tower of London. As we were wrapping up tour, we noticed at least 500 people in line to see the Crown Jewels! It must have been pandemonium at that time to get a glimpse of the displays in the Tower of London. Thank you Kate!

Quality of Experience

Self guided tour a little tough, lots to see and huge expanse to cover

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide, driver, or staff not provided. Group tour with the amount of tourist was impossible. (was listed as "small group"- wasn't small at all).

Transport

Transport not provided....used the city taxi's which were easy to find, but a little pricey (still less than Uber's rates!)

Thames Cruise with Dinner

London

Prepare to "herd" aboard a dinner cruise in which you don't get to choose what you want for dinner. The minions (us and forty or so other guests) get to sit right in the middle (where usual dinner cruises have a dance floor and everyone gets a table close to a window). We were given "menus" which had several choices, but when I asked about them, was told that the menu is to show you what drinks you can order. Everybody gets a chicken dish....everybody. The staff was as if they were in forced labor, no smiles and no frowns. Entertainment was a Karaoke singer. Having done dinner cruises in other cities in other countries, this was unexpected.....hope it didn't cost too much?

Quality of Experience

Turn the business into a legit dinner cruise

Food

Choices - at least 2 or 3 choices.....please?

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Smiles everybody!

Transport

Staff involvement? Sights to see?

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

Great driver who knew the city inside and out. He found ways to make it through the city that we could never replicate again. Super conversation from a local character that we well versed in the history of the city.

Quality of Experience

Lot's of history

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Well educated driver on the history of London (and a lot of the U.S. too!)

Transport

Comfortable, newer London taxi with a driver that navigated some of the most difficult passages.

Thank you KimKim and Kate for planning our first trip to London and The beautiful and charming Cotswolds. It exceeded all our expectations. The accommodations in London and Bourton on the Water with the delicious breakfasts were perfect! Each of our guides (Chris, Delianne, Adge) were an absolute delight, informative and entertaining. Our private transfers were comfortable and went smoothly. This vacation was a wonderful adventure with fond memories I will always cherish.
Kate- we sincerely appreciate all your time and effort planning and organizing this trip for us 4 ladies❤️
Andrea

Our trip to London and the Cotswolds came alive because of the guides and the personal knowledge they shared on every place we visited. Each guide, each driver allowed us to see a personal side of our trip and made it incredibly memorable. The trip was planned perfectly so we were able to keep on schedule and enjoy all the sights. We walked some, took a cabbie or bus, or was dropped on a a restaurant the guide recommended. As a result in a few short days we experienced a memorable trip packed with history and sights we will always remember!
Kate was a supportive and capable trip planner and using Kim Kim to plan our trip was an excellent choice!

Katerina was exceptionally helpful. We had a wonderful trip!

Hotel Reviews

The Old New Inn

Bourton on the Water

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riu Plaza London Victoria

London

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cotswolds Trip to Oxford via Stow-on-the-Wold, Blenheim Palace Tickets Included

England

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was so fun, knowledgeable & truly made our time memorable!!

Transport

The Royal London Tour: Changing of the Guard and More

London

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stonehenge and Windsor Castle from London, private group

London

Loved Windsor Castle!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thames Cruise with Lunch

London

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First time to London and Dublin and Kateryna put together a wonderful trip for my wife and me, and our son and daughter-in-law. Got to see all the usual tourist attractions as well as some more local flavor. We couldn't do the first trip there without Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Stonehenge. First day we had a great 3.5 hour driving tour in a London Black Cab. Our driver John was outstanding and gave us so much history and insight. And the next day, John was our driver again as we ventured out into the countryside to Stonehenge and Windsor. A 2.4 hour walking tour with our guide Delianne the next day gave us the best of the city center. And Delianne guided us to the Red Lion afterward for a pint like Churchill used to indulge when Parliament got too much for him. Next day was the Tower of London (with a special ceremony occurring while we were there) followed by the Borough Market for the local food scene, our guide Tom King was great for this foodie experience. The British Museum and a dinner at Gordon Ramsey's 1890 Restaurant rounded out our final day in London before heading to Dublin for a quick stop. Dublin gave us a walking tour of the city with our lovely guide Mydie, followed by a tour of St. Patrick's Cathedral. And a first visit to Dublin must include a tour of the Jameson Distillery and the Guinness Brewery.
A lot to fit into a one week trip, but Kateryna gave us a great experience with lots of hightlights and memories.

Thanks to Kateryna, we had excellent daytrips from York, England! She made sure we could do an All Creatures Great and Small tour, then a private driver taking us into the Dales to see bluebells and sheep, another day going up to Hadrian’s wall, and more. Both Best of Britain and the Mountain Goat Tours people were phenomenal guides . (Shout out to Mark and Chris!)
Kate chose a wonderful hotel/BnB in the Lake District for us: Cedar Manor in Windermere. We did a 10 Lakes day tour there (another great Mark!) and our hotel did the BEST afternoon tea…. Great hiking in the area, too.
Forgot to mention that Kate had arranged a private driver to meet us at Heathrow and get us to King’s Cross for our train after our trans-Atlantic flight. Lovely way to start our trip to England!
Kimkim was patient with all of our wishes and requests. Highly recommend!!!! 5 stars all round.

Hotel Review

Cedar Manor

Windermere

Such a fine hotel!! Best breakfasts (you choose from a menu the night before - get the Eggs Benedict), AND you can book their afternoon tea. Not to be missed. The hosts, Jonathan and Caroline, were so accommodating and helped us know where to hike, too.

Authenticity & Character

Used to be a vicarage, I believe? Comfortable rooms. Great food.

Location

Great walking area, but a taxi is only around 4 pounds if you need one.

Staff

You cannot get better staff in the Lake District! Our hosts, the chef, the maid - all top notch.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Absolutely clean and attractive. A pleasure to stay there.

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Tea at Cedar Manor

England

We got so pleasantly full at this tea that we didn’t need supper that evening. Wow! Some soup, lovely sandwiches, excellent scones (with cream and jam), and desserts to die for. A large selection of teas to begin with, plus prosecco!! We had ours in the lounge. You will be waddling out. SO worth doing!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Phenomenal chef and staff.

Transport

Ultimate Full Day Scenic Tour visiting 10 Lakes

England

It’s a glorious area to explore by mini-coach. (Don’t try and drive it yourself!) You can see why the poets were so inspired.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hadrian's Wall

England

Chris figured out EXACTLY what we needed to make it an excellent day! He’s a Best of Britain guide/driver, and he asked what we were hoping for as we went along. My husband got to walk along part of the wall! And we saw archaeologists still digging for Roman artifacts. Vendolanda is a site with a great museum, too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yorkshire: All the Creatures Great and Small Mini-Coach Tour

York

Barry knew his details on the old TV series AND the newer one! An excellent driver and guide through Mountain Goat Tours, and he knew a lot about James Herriott (Alf White).

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Barry was a cheerful and knowledgeable guide/driver. Very fun.