Kimkim Trip Reviews for Jordan

Jordan--Petra/Dead Sea April 2025

To begin the journey, Mariana was spectacular to work with as our Kimkim coordinator. She was thorough, listened to what we wanted out of our visit in Jordan and just could not have been more helpful. She was readily available and always answered questions or addressed concerns in an exceptional and timely manner. I am very appreciative to her for all of her hard work in helping us create the exact itinerary we wanted. Her suggestions were helpful and insightful, detailed and thorough. Thank you Mariana for your suggestions and patience --the trip we put together was outstanding.

Jordan was simply extraordinary. We enjoyed every moment and were grateful to Azmi Aburezeq our driver and essentially our tour guide. He was knowledgeable, kind and considerate. He was invested on our comfort and interests. Thank you Azmi for making our time in Jordan memorable, special, safe and just delightful. We had the best time learning about your beautiful country and truly hope to return!! Your charm and kindness will be cherished with our memories of the incredible experience we had in Jordan.

I highly recommend Kimkin and look forward to using them in the future, as everything was as promised and discussed with no surprises other than good ones---such as accommodating additional stops along our journey as we learned of interesting areas to visit and experience.

Melissa Macias

Ammar has been very helpful in the hotel checkin and recommending stops and timming of activities.

Samir has been good in the setup and tweaking of our itinary and following up to make sure things were ok.

The guides were punctual, friendly and informative.

We enjoyed our trip very much. Thanks for coordinating and planning our trip

Samir’s travel group, particularly the drivers, were outstanding. They were always on time and enjoyable to be with.

We very much enjoyed our Jordan trip. Firas, our driver and guide was a pleasure to talk to and he knew the country very well.

Hotel Review

Hasan Zawaideh Camp

Wadi Rum

Hotel was okay. Martian tents were basic but acceptable. The bedding was old. It rained the night we were there and the water ran down the inside of the doors and tent. The food prepared was not the best. It seemed some of the food was left over from the day before.

Authenticity & Character

It was just okay. Could have been in Arizona and you wouldn’t know the difference.

Location

It was not remote enough. It was among many other camps.

Staff

Not really interacted.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Old bedding. Shower was working but not draining.

Activity Reviews

Meet & Assist - Queen Alia Airport

Jordan

Very easy. Waited in the immigration official but the guide made it smoth

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Petra (With Site local Guide or private guide)

Petra

Local guide (forgot name) was knowledgeable and friendly. We really enjoyed this

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wadi Rum (2-3 Hrs Jeep ride)

Jordan

The drive in the desert was a lot of fun. My family enjoyed this the most.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dead Sea Entrance and Swimming

Jordan

Access to the Dead Sea is from the hotel “O” and it was terrible. Steps were rusty and dangerous. The hotel felt abandoned right out of a zombie movie scene. The showers were barely working and you had to “rent” towels.

Quality of Experience

Terrible hotel

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dear Amina,
Hi, We just get back home two days ago and now find an opportunity to share our experience in Jordan with you.
The accommodation and meals were fair enough however you had booked rooms in all hotels possibly at low prices which caused us to not have interesting view from our rooms in the hotels specially in Dead Sea.
The Airport service was good and the entering procedure did not take long.
The driver( Mr. Wasef) was very nice gentleman and we enjoyed accompanying him during our road trip while he showed us several places on our way.
The tour guide in Amman and Jerash ( Mr. Hani Shokrian) was very good and his historical knowledge and English fluency was very remarkable and satisfactory.
For the first day in Petra with the Bedouin guy, while he was good to company us for 5 hours and took us to the back route and various sites , but he did not know anything about Petra history and if it was not for my own knowledge about Petra, we could have lost a big deal in the first day. This is what we miss for the first day in Petra. It is important you have more knowledgeable people in Petra to take your clients properly.
We missed a guide in Mount Nebo and few places we visited on our way.
The Lexotel was nice and we enjoyed the environment very much.
Holiday inn in Dead Sea was good however despite of empty space they did not give us sea view room since it seems you had booked the low option. (Road view).
Generally if we want to rate your company based on value for the paid money, we give you 8 out of 10 which we hope to be fair enough and cause you to improve your services.
Anyway We thank you for your itinerary which leaves us unforgettable memory from Jordan.
For my friends which might be interested to come to Jordan, you would be among my recommended travel agents .
Regards.
Nader+

Jordan is fantastic! We spent time in Amman, Petra, wadi rum and Dead Sea seeing all the top attractions. Accomodation selections were excellent, exactly what we were after. Ahmed planned the trip well however included a few too many stops, our driver Wasef was more than happy to adjust to our needs and give us a little more down time. Wasef was an excellent driver, very good English and always there to help, friendly and looked after us very well, taking us to some excellent local restaurants for lunches! And great shopping spots!! He knew people everywhere! Rami was a great help at the airport on arrival and departure, it was greatly appreciated!! Amina was very helpful finalising the tour and ensuring we had all the required information. We also had tour guides in Jerash and Petra which were very good, friendly, good English and great knowledge. All around a great trip

We had a terrific trip to Jordan and Egypt planned by Samir. The hotels were just what we wanted, the guides and drivers top notch. Samir anticipated exactly the trip we wanted and brought everything together. beautifully.

The only disappointment was the car in Jordan. It had some issues that should have been addressed before use. It also was fairly old and probably should be retired from a a trip of this caliber. That said, the driver - Amin - handled the challenges with grace and humor.

Another suggestion would be to remind clients of the need to secure an Egyptian visa themselves. I discovered this quite by accident a couple weeks before the trip.

Overall, we will continue to recommend KimKim and were very happy with Samir and Enjoy Jordan. Many, many thanks for a memorable visit.

Hotel Reviews

Movenpick Dead Sea Spa & Resort

Sweimeh, Amman

Incredible location, team and spa!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Steigenberger Achti - Luxor

luxor

Authenticity & Character

Absolutely loved the Middle Eastern restaurant

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petra Moon Luxury Hotel

Petra

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Helnan Dreamland Hotel & Conference Center

6th of October City

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Laundry was delivered at 11 pm after we were asleep even though we didn't ask for immediate turnaround. Love the service but please be sensitive to the hour.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Petra (With Site local Guide or private guide)

Petra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Meet & Assist - Queen Alia Airport

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Car in Jordan was sub-par. Egypt vehicle was just fine. Would have been nice to have wi-fi in both

Wadi Rum (2-3 Hrs Jeep ride)

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cairo Airport - Cairo (Transfer)

Jordan

So helpful to have someone help navigate this process.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giza Pyramids Tour with Sakkara & Memphis

Jordan

Our entire trip to Egypt was perfect, largely because of our knowledgeable and sensitive guide, John. John is an Egyptologist who is incredible knowledgeable and passionate. He brough the history and monuments to life. He also carefully gauged how much time and info we wanted and did not tire us out or overdo it. This review applies to the entire trip in Egypt.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cairo - Tour3 - Museum & Mosques

Jordan

See earlier review of our time in Egypt

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly From Cairo to Luxor

Jordan

A quick one hour flight

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Luxor Visit 2

Jordan

Same as the earlier Egypt comments. So nice to have John with us in both locations!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

(South Egypt) LUXOR /East West Banks

Jordan

Same as the earlier Egypt comments. So nice to have John with us in both locations!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I have wanted to go to Jordans for almost 40 years. I have lived in the Middle East and traveled and worked in many of the countries but I never had a business reason to go to Jordan and then when I retired it just never seem to work out. I had a sudden schedule opportunity to fit in a couple weeks in Jordan and I contacted Kim Kim. I told them what I was interested in since I'm a history buff and also a seasoned amateur archaeologist. They responded almost immediately and put together a fabulous itinerary and got me a guide that just couldn't have been better.

What Kim Kim has always done well for me is to know the local market and be able to find resources. In this. In this case they put together an itinerary together with Flow Travel of Jordan travel, and found me an archaeologist as a guide. The guide, Amer Bdour, was absolutely perfect for my needs. He was well-versed in the history of the sites that we went to and since he had worked with the Archaeology Directorate he knew the archaeological history of the sites as well. Archaeology is never static, there's always new discoveries that are changing viewpoint on historical events and sites. Amer and I had some delightful conversations and debates about the wonderful sites that we visited

Petra is the big tourist draw in Jordan, and certainly the two days we spent wandering around Petra or amazing. But Jordan is much more than that. The neolithic sites go back to almost 10,000 years BCE. Historical chronology from the time of Christ onward includes amazing transformations between Nabatean, Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, and Muslim empires. It was fascinating to visit the various sites and see the evolution represented in architecture and iconography.

I also have a particular interest in TE Lawrence in the Arab Revolt during WW1. The schedule had me visiting four places where there's good historical evidence that Lawrence was there, including his office in the ancient Al-Asraq Castle. Amer understood how important that was to me and went out of his way to make sure I had enough time at these sites. I also got to talk and interact with some of the Bedouin tribe members whose tribes were part of the Arab Revolt. This is very real history to them and I remember one of the Bedouin tribesman telling me with pride that his grandfather rode with Lawrence in the attack on Aqaba on 1917.

We did include some non-historical sightseeing at Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea. I will most likely come back with my wife next time and will probably do a more nature focused trip. There's no doubt I will arrange this trip yet again with Kim Kim

I started planning this trip with Samir well over a year before we actually went, I had so many questions for Samir and he was always so kind and patient with me! We had the best trip, a trip I had dreamed of for years and it was just perfect! Our driver Mo was amazing and really made our trip extra special in a way we could never have imaged. We will forever be grateful to Samir and to Mo! Thank you both for the trip of a lifetime :)

Hotel Reviews

Coral Tower Hotel - Amman

Amman

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sharah Luxury Camp

Wadi Rum

Would not stay here again. Camp tents were dirty on the outside, the viewing window which is the whole point was also filthy and you could not really see out. The food was also not the best. Disappointing stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Double Tree - By Hilton

Aqaba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Dead Sea Resort

Sweimah

Nice hotel but drinks and food are very expensive! Small TV in the room for a 5 star hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Meet & Assist - Queen Alia Airport

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman-Madaba-Mount Nebo-Karak-Petra

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Petra (With Site local Guide or private guide)

Petra

Quality of Experience

Rum Valley CAMELS SUNSET RIDE FOR 01HRS

Wadi Rum

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amman-Jarash-Ajloun-Amman city tour

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Petra By Candle Light

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Balloon Ride ( Subject to Weather conditions)

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wadi Rum (2-3 Hrs Jeep ride)

Jordan

This was okay, however our driver barely spoke any English so when we went to the stops we werent really told much about where we were.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jordan is an amazing country. So much history and interesting facts in every place you visit. From Amman citadel, Aljun castle, Jarash (a Roman city) Madaba, to Petra, the Dead Sea and so much more, people are very welcoming, friendly, and hospitable.

Our trip was amazing. Thanks to Samir for coordinating it.

My wife already wrote a comprehensive review, including the hotels.
Several weeks before our trip, we reached out to Samir and asked what if there is an escalation to conflict. Samir assured us that Jordan, historically, was not affected.

Unfortunately, my worst fear regarding the trip came to pass. We were asleep when Iran bombed the zionist entity. I do not recall Samir reaching out to us to see if we were OK, how we were feeling/doing. That is a big disappointment.

Even while doing the survey, the first hotel was not updated in the survey to the one we actually stayed at. I have no idea why the change was made and wonder if the Strand would have been better than the Sulaf Luxury hotel.

I loved the overall atmosphere of being in Jordan. As Kathy said, we bear some burden of blame because we did not check the hotels thoroughly enough, however the accommodations overall were a big disappointment. To the point where I question whether or not I would book with Kimkim again.

Overall we had a delightful time in Jordan. We saw all the sights we wanted to given the time we had. It was a busy 5 days. Majed, our driver, was fantastic. He gave us good advice, helped us with some of the locals who did not have good english. He got us guides at a few of the stops we made and was also a resource for our questions. We had decision making power to an extent and made some choices in the moment to make sure we got to see everything we wanted to. He was personable and a safe driver. (The Turkish coffee was a bonus!)
Somehow, through some of our fault and a miscommunication through our initial phone call with the representative I think in the US, we did not have the accommodations at the caliber we are used to. The hotel in Amman was ok, our room was clean but the hallway had room service dishes in it for over 24 hours. Breakfast was ok but the coffee was terrible and we were charged for the cappucinos we ordered instead.
The hotel in Petra was barely a 3 star, and old and dated. We were on a non smoking floor but the room had been smoked in and the air conditioning was barely adequate.
The Wadi Rum accommodations were not good at all. We stayed in the Captain's camp which looks really good on the website. The first bubble tent we were given had a dirty bathroom, it had not been cleaned since the last guest. The front desk man barely spoke english so Majed explained for us. We were moved to another tent, and it was slightly better, but the tea cups in the room had been used and had not been replaced. We were the only non Arabic guests in the camp.
After dinner which was really good, we went back to our tent and the music was quite loud from the main area. The next morning, there was no hot water. I understand if the water is heated throughout the day but no one told us. We would have showered in the evening when the water was hot if we had known.
Our final accommodation at the dead sea, the Holiday Inn Resort was lovely. We had excellent service everywhere in the hotel. The dinner and breakfast buffets were fantastic and all dishes had an ingredient list which was great! They even had gluten free bread in the morning for me as I am intolerant.
We have used Kim Kim in the past and even the 3.5 star accommodations on that trip were excellent. I think in future we would consider using them again however, be much more discerning with the hotels and ensure 4 star at minimum.

Hotel Reviews

Strand Hotel

Amman

This hotel was not part of our program. We cannot comment on it.

Petra Palace

Wadi Musa, Petra

The sign outside the hotel says 3 stars from Jordan. Our room was clean, which is the most important part. But the hotel smelled like cigarette smoke almost everywhere. It is very dated and could use renovations.

Authenticity & Character

Renovate the hotel.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean, but everything from the lobby onward smelled too much of smoke.

Captain Camp - Rum Valley

Disi

Room was not clean - the bathroom even still had shaving whiskers on the sink. We were moved to another room, but in this one the coffee/tea cups were dirty. There was no cold water in the evening and no hot water in the morning for showering. This was a camp where we were the only non-Arabic people. Supper was great, but knowing that culturally many many people smoke is important to know because we had people all around us smoking. Supper was BBQ done underground and we saw the meat and rice being taken out. That was amazing! The camp lights prevented us from seeing many stars.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean the bathrooms and do not leave dirty cups in guest rooms.

Holiday Inn Dead Sea Resort

Sweimah

Clean. Amazing staff. Buffet restaurant had a huge selection, including gluten free.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Meet & Assist - Queen Alia Airport

Jordan

Our greeter was efficient but did not explain much or engage in conversation. D

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman-Jarash-Ajloun-Amman city tour

Jordan

Jarash was our favourite! The Roman Ruins are so well preserved (keeping in mind they are 2000 years old) and even have the largest fountain besides the Trevi fountain!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Petra (With Site local Guide or private guide)

Petra

Our guide Mohammed was super helpful and took lots of pictures for/of us. His English was excellent and he had lots of knowledge to share. And he bought us coffee. And made very good suggestions for gifts to buy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wadi Rum (2-3 Hrs Jeep ride)

Jordan

Be prepared to get sand between your toes!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

You are on a bench in the back of a truck, it is windy and sandy. But the things we saw and the sunset made the ride worth it.

Bethany ( Baptism site)

Jordan

This was something we wanted to do and added it to the trip. You have to go in a group and ride a bus into the site and then there is about an hour (broken up) of walking. It was 30 degrees and sunny so make sure to have plenty of water and sunscreen.

Quality of Experience

Seeing the site where John did his baptisms and where Jesus was baptized was a moving experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was very accommodating for us.

Transport

Amman-Madaba-Mount Nebo-Karak-Petra

Jordan

Unfortunately the church in Madaba is undergoing repairs. But the mosaic was really cool!

Quality of Experience

Food

There was no food provided

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Petra By Candle Light

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Firas our driver for the whole time did a great job and was extremely knowledgeable.

We had a fantastic week in Jordan, thanks to our local specialist Samir and our driver and guide, Mohammad - the schedule was perfect and everything seamless, we couldn't have asked for anything to be better.

Jordan itself was as incredible as we had hoped, and Petra is one of those very special places, like the Taj Mahal that brings a tear to the eye when you see it for the first time.

We were nervous about the situation on the ground travelling at the time of conflict in the region but quickly realised this was a misapprehension on our part.

We would definitely recommend visiting Jordan and using Kimkim!

One of the best trips we've taken! From start to finish, everything was carefully and expertly planned. Our driver Tarek went above and beyond to take us to the best spots for local cuisine, added additional stops for shopping and made our stay feel as close to being a local as possible. Special thanks to Samir for his flexibility, thorough explanations and recommendations. I'll definitely recommend them to prospective travelers.

Hotel Reviews

Memories Aicha Luxury Camp

Wadi Rum

Glamping with a celestial touch. Exceptional food, amazing views, very hospitable staff in the midst of a surreal landscape...what's not to love!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dead Sea Spa Hotel

Sweimeh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

SEAS HOTEL - AMMAN

Amman

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petra Guest House

Wadi Musa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Meet & Assist - Queen Alia Airport

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman-Madaba-Mount Nebo-Karak-Petra

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Petra - Morning Free

Petra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman-Jarash-Ajloun-Amman city tour

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rum Valley SUNSET TRIP

Wadi Rum

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

RUM - FREE TIME ON YOUR OWN

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Petra (With Site local Guide or private guide)

Petra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We really enjoyed our tour of Jordan with our driver Khaldoun. He is an excellent driver and guide. Based on our itinerary, Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea he shared ideas and found opportunities to show us special locations along the way. He was very helpful in managing the itinerary to suit our interests and communicated with the local hotels and jeep operators. Khaldoun was really flexible as we decided how much time we wanted to stay in each location. He was prompt and extremely reliable.

The Hotels selected by KIMKIM were excellent, Petra Moon Hotel, The Captains Camp in Wadi Rum and the Movenpick Hotel and Spa on the Dead Sea were all fantastic. All the guides and jeep operators were so kind and helpful. Our trip was really special and so memorable for all those f us!

FANTASTIC!!! That's the one word I would use to summarize the service, the trip and the awesome KimKim team.

My wife and I loved our Jordanian vacation and have dozens and dozens of photos to cherish the wonderful memories created from the experience.

Ahmed made the undertaking of such a vacation manageable and easy. He answered all of our questions, tailored the package to exactly what we wanted and was always considerate of our request and needs.

Fahad was our personal guide and always made sure we arrived on time while educating us on Jordanian culture and traditions.

It truly was a magnificent trip that created wonderful memories we'll have for the rest of our lives!!!!!

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Deborah Hartnett
Date: Tue, Oct 31, 2023 at 11:08 AM
Subject:
To: Deborah Hartnett

Hi Samir
I want to thank you for all the expert help, guidance and advice you gave me in planning our trip to Jordan. What an amazing country with so much history! The arrangements, timing and tours were perfectly coordinated from the time we were met at the airport with our visas until the time we left with so many incredible experiences in between like floating in the Dead Sea, exploring Petra by candlelight and sleeping in a yurt or bubble tent under the stars in Wadi Rum. We had a wonderful driver for the entire time - Abed Al Salam Alhaleq- and I think the very, very best guide in Jordan - Mutaz Moghrabi. You were wonderful to work with. You were always responsive and always giving insight into your country. Because of all your help, we had a wonderful trip. I Thank you so much. I would recommend you and KimKim to anyone who wants to travel to Jordan.
Debbie