Kimkim Trip Reviews for South Korea

Our driver guide in Seoul, Taylor was very good and our driver guide in Busan/Gyeonju was great

Hotel Reviews

SIGNIEL BUSAN

Busan

Top shelf

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

SIGNIEL SEOUL

Top shelf

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hwangnamgwan Hanok Guesthouse

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day with Gyeongju National Museum, Tumuli Park, Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond

Gyeongju

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Haedong Yonggungsa, Haewundae Beach and Traditional Market Tour

Busan

Danny our driver and guide was the highlight

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Seoul Highlights

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

a lot of traffic in Seoul......not something that could be improved

Personal Color Analysis experience in Seoul

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-Day Gyeongju Highlights: Bulguksa, Seokguram & Folk Craft Village

Gyeongju

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Korean DMZ Tour

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Gamcheon Culture Village, Songdo Skywalk and Jagalchi Market

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Same as before: Danny , our guide and driver was great

Transport

Kim Kim did a great job introducing us to Korea. Organization was superb as were the experiences and customization to our requests. The local guides were superb! Highly recommend! did

We had a great experience in Korea! Our local guides, Sebastian, felt like a host! He was so kind and knowledgeable, both about Korea and about the logistics we needed to get where we were going with great views. The food was so fun, our cooking class with Hello K was amazing upstanding and street food was so fun we did it for dinner several nights! Jessica was helpful and easy to work with. We went to 2 countries on our trip and Jessica helped make sure we had what we needed when, to make things easy! The logistics all went very smooth which is a real benifit for big trips!

Hotel Reviews

L7 Myeongdong by LOTTE

A lot to love about location, getting there was a journey but once there you are in the heart of it all! Not 5 star because it’s a very busy hotel with only 3 elevators, it was quite common to have an elevator arrive already over full and having to wait for 2 or 3 rounds. There are not accessible stairs so there were times we needed to factor 10min into transit time just to get though the elevators!

Authenticity & Character

Fun place, nice beds! The roof top access was fun!

Location

Staff

Overall staff was helpful and kind. Needed help with laundry and one staff members was unkind and unhelpful. Not a language barrier just unhelpful and ultimately we went to 7-11 to get change as the machine was broken.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Not every room has carpet but we stayed in 2 that did and it was visibly gross and stained. Slippers were provided and used!

Cassia Sokcho

Sokcho

What a unique place! The views were so unique! The hotel was huge and expensive. Pool access was an extra charge, as were most of the unique features. The finishes to the hotel were interesting, there was a leak in our bath tub and one of the other rooms the tub didn’t fully drain and was wet upon check in, like it wasn’t level so water pooled on one side. Our stay was safe and we had a lot of fun, but there was a premium cost for anything beyond just the room and the resort style location was not ideal to explore beyond the property, even to eat.

Authenticity & Character

The views were unique, the food was good. It was a resort and felt like one!

Location

Not near anything, a pro and a con. Nice if you want the feeling of exclusivity and being on a reesort, con if you want to explore or see a new area.

Staff

Staff was helpful, we needed to have the early breakfast even though it was already full and they worked to get us settled, even bringing the tickets to our room after check in.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Korean Full-Course Meal Cooking Class at Local Home with Local Market Experience

Seoul

This was son outstanding experience! The host was so kind, the tour through the market was fun, we got a few snacks to try! The cooking itself was an introduction in language and culture as we got to connect with authentic cooking with the idea that we could do this in our own homes later!

Quality of Experience

Outstanding! It was fun and accessible, even if you don’t normally cook

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Host was outstanding! Kind, fun and upbeat! Her passion was clear!

Transport

Transport was self arranged and harder to navigate than expected. We had planned an hour to get there, all predictions said 30min and we got there 3min late! No one’s fault and it was not ideal.

Visit the Picturesque Seoraksan National Park with Shinheungsa Temple

Sokcho

This was outstanding! Beautiful park, we loved the views and the cultural experience at the temple.

Quality of Experience

We. Pyle the used another 1/2 a day here! We only hit the highlights of the park with little extra time to explore.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastián knew when we needed to be where so we we had a great time!

Transport

All the logistics went very smoothly!

Explore Nature on the Way to Sokcho: Garden of Morning Calm, Nami Island, Gangchon Rail Park

South Korea

These should all be separate reviews! We had a great day! Garden of Morning Calm: This garden was a delight! We could have used more time here to explore and enjoy the garden! Lots of great spots to appreciate the garden with benches and lovely paths to walk down! Nami Island: What a fun and unique place! We didn’t know much before going, just there for the nature and it was so nice! We needed more time to explore. The ferry ride over was nice but for logistics we were only able to spend about 90min actually looking either. Lots of lovely nature spots, statues, art and of course little shops and restaurants. Rail park: this was our least favorite of the 3 activities. We had fun, lots of laughter and smiles. It was a little hokey and we would have preferred more time in our other spots but it was fun and I would recommend the experience! Overall a great day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korean Folk Village, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, Icheon Ceramic Experience Tour

South Korea

We had a great time and this day was not what we thought it would be. Fortress . The fortress was a nice piece of haired and gave context to Seoul. Glad to have seen it and enjoyed the tour but was more of an extension of the previous tour where we had gone to the palace. Village: The village was nice, it was during October so there were ghost decorations and lots of kids and families there enjoying the day. Lines were long and crowds were high. Our guide did a great job of finding less busy spots to share about the history and show unique things.I had not realized this was more of a historial theme park, part entertainment part history. Reminded me of a renaissance festival. Nice but not what I had in mind, probably should have done more research. Ceramics: this was great fun and it felt like we were a last minute addition. We enjoyed making our clay pieces and we’re disappointed to learn they were going to be broken down, you don’t get to take it home (or ship it home) so it was just the experience of creating, fun, worth doing and not what we had expected. We also did not learn much about pottery or ceramics or the significance of pottery to the region. Just made clay art! We had a great time, would recommend it and you don’t get to keep the piece you make and the experiment is all about making the piece.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastián was great! Took us to a great BBQ place! The pottery people were kind and accommodating! We had some laugh out loud lunate barrier moments that everyone managed with grace!

Transport

Explore Seoul Highlights

Seoul

This was a busy day! We saw so much and still feel like we only scratched the surface! We had been told we might not go up the tower but we did and I would highly recommend going up!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a very active trip. We saw a good deal of Korea from north to south and learned about Korean history beginning with the Silla dynasty to the Korean war which divided the peninsula.
Our guides were very knowledgable and especially liked our guide on Jeju Island, Eric.

A review our trip to S Korea: Thank you for flawless arrangements, transportation and interesting activities. The hotels were excellent with each having special advantages. The Hotel BOTANIK was close to markets and we loved the roof top garden. The La Valse had great views and was close to the downtown. Whistle Lark had a pool that was good for lap swimming, but too cool for lounging. The Nine Tree had the Insadong market right out the door. The hotels were so nice I am glad we did not opt for 5 star hotels. We enjoyed the K Cooking class and market tours in Seoul, Busan and Jeju. We missed the Gyeongbokgung Palace because it was closed on Tuesday. Climbing the Seongsan Ilchulbong crater in Jeju was great. The restaurant in Busan on the second floor of the fish market was over hyped. We enjoyed seeing the Gamcheon village in Busan and hearing its history. Great photos there. The Manjanggul lava tunnel was better than expected. But the DMZ third tunnel was arduous for Linda..
Our guides each presented unique Korean perspectives. Kory sincerely sought to impart a good impression to the visitor. Jade gave an honest and complete view of life as a young Korean. Sarah told us when we return next time we will be friends and not tourists - so sweet!

I just completed a private tour of South Korea organized by Christine of Kimkim. The trip fulfilled all my expectations and was an excellent introduction for a first visit to a country I've always wanted to visit. As usual with Kimkim the arrangements were first rate, from airport transfers, hotel pick ups, and private and group tours.

Seoul was a great beginning, and I had a private tour of the city highlights with Hera, who was informative, lively and flexible. She rearranged our schedule on the fly to accommodate both crowded venues as our tour fell on a major holiday, the Korean Thanksgiving, as well as rain in the afternoon. Hera knows the city well and easily found parking at Namsan Park and Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was my favorite place as I enjoy history. We also visited Bukchon Hanok Village and later Kwangiang Food Market where Hera described the various dishes available. She also recommended a resturant for lunch were I had an excellent local dish, Samgyetang, a ginger soup with a small whole chicken stuffed with rice.

The next day I visited the DMZ on an all group tour with Julie. It was fascinating. Julie was knowledge and she made the historical reality of a divided Korea relatable. We crept thru a tunnel leading from the DMC into South Korea, viewed North Korea across the DMZ, and meet a North Korean defector and heard her story.

From Seoul I took the train to the city of Gyeongju. A driver picked me up at my hotel and drove me to Seoul Station and walked me inside and ensured I knew which platform my train departed from.

At Gyeonjgu my driver/guide, Luke was waiting for me, and we spend the afternoon visiting various Silla Dynasty locations, from Tumuli Park with their curious royal tombs, to the Gyeongju National Museum with a first-rate collection of Silla artifacts and an excellent narrative of Silla history. We visited the beautiful Woljeonggyo Bride and the interesting Cheomseongdae Observatory. Luke provided detailed explanations with historical background on each place.

The next day Luke took me to Bulguksa Temple, and Seokguram Grotto. Both Buddhist sites dating back to the 8th Century CE. Both were located in beautiful settings and the buildings lovely. We drove to Busan that afternoon and on the way to my hotel Luke took me to a spa where I enjoyed a bathhouse experience that is part of Korean culture. We also took a walk around parts of the city.

Our guides were great. Nicole was really amazing and fun to be with on our tour of the Fortress in Suwon. We wanted to detour to Osan to take some pics of my old base but wasn’t able to do so but everything else went well. Billy our guide for our trip from Seoul to Gwangju, Daegu, Cheongju, and Pusan was extremely well versed in the history of the different dynasties and period of Korean history. He did everything to ensure we had a great time as we journeyed through the land of South Korea. Christine was always available to help and to fix anything that went wrong or keep us informed of any changes or updates to our itinerary. We love the Hotel arrangements and the food offerings at each location. Our tour in Daegu and Cheongju as well as Pusan were great. The people we met were so warm and attentive to our being able to have a wonderful experience in South Korea. We were able to visit the Language Institute in Seoul and Pusan and attended church on two Sabbaths and met some wonderful people of our faith. We enjoyed the spiritual fellowship with them and great food as well. Our trip to Jeju had a small hiccup with airport security but Christine came to the rescue and remedied the situation. Thanks for all your help Christine. You were great. We plan to visit again in 2030. Hope to stay in touch with Billy(Lee Kyung Jong), so we can see him again soon. Thanks to everyone involved in making our trip to South Korea so enjoyable and such a memorable success.

The planning phase was super - we were hoping to trust kimkim to interpret our requests and preferences into an itinerary that met our needs and would make our travel experience smooth and enjoyable. They delivered. Every day was thoughtfully planned with the right amount of activity and also room to improvise when we decided in the moment we wanted to do something different. We had support from private guides and scheduled activities so we didn't have to figure out many logistics, but also flexibility to explore or simply skip things based on our energy levels. The only challenge was overcoming the time difference and a bit of a language barrier negotiating some of the details.

The guides were all excellent in different ways, and I would recommend them all. They were funny, enthusiastic, and friendly and truly enhanced our experience in all of the places we visited. The Hello K cooking class and the Jinyeon traditional music performance were especially notable, but we found so much to enjoy every day. I also recommend the National Museum of Korea, the United Nations Peace Memorial, and the charming Hotel 28 Myeongdong where we stayed during our first leg in Seoul.

This is the first international family trip that we have done, and it was a stellar experience. We had a beautiful and memorable visit to Korea that we will remember for years to come.

Hotel Reviews

Maison Glad Jeju

Jeju

Felt luxe, and everything was quite nice, but lacked personality. Good location and an excellent breakfast.

Hotel 28 Myeongdong

Seoul

We LOVED this charming little hotel. It was a perfect place to spend our first nights halfway across the world.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We could walk to many restaurants, shops, and sites

Staff

Very kind, polite, and attentive, They spoke English extremely well.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great amenities and exceptionally well maintained

Shilla Stay Busan Haeundae

For a huge hotel they did a good job. Beach town vibes. Not fancy, and some of the choices in the rooms were odd, but pleasant enough, and well situated.

Activity Reviews

Explore Seoul Highlights

Seoul

Sebastian was amazing!

Go on a Hiking Tour of Bukhansan and Ancient Seunggasa Temple

Seoul

This is a challenging hike! We enjoyed it but it was VERY hot and we probably shouldn't have done it during the heat wave.

Korean Full-Course Meal Cooking Class at Local Home with Local Market Experience

Seoul

Perfectly lovely in every way

Jinyeon: Korean Traditional Music Performance with Modern vibes

Seoul

Unexpectedly moving. Loved learning about Korea from a musical lens.

Discover the Culture of Busan with Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

Busan

Jino was a delight. Such a kind and sweet young man. We loved seeing Busan with his perspective.

Family-Friendly Mt. Hallasan, Tea Plantation, and Arte Museum Tour

Jeju Island

Jimmie was fun and interesting - loved hearing about his mother's diving, and appreciated all of his recommendations. The Arte Museum was an unexpectedly awesome experience.

We had an amazing eight days in Korea, and much of the credit goes to Christine at KimKim. From the beginning, she listened to what we wanted and created a thoughtful schedule that was not only well designed, but actually honored throughout our trip. Every transfer was prompt, communication was excellent, and we always knew what to expect next.
That level of organization made the trip remarkably stress-free. We had only one hiccup during our eight days, and Christine resolved it immediately. Her attention to detail, responsiveness, and genuine care made us feel that we were in very good hands.
A real highlight was having Kory in Seoul and Lucy in Busan as both our drivers and guides. This was an enormous advantage. Navigating the traffic and parking in two major cities would have added a great deal of stress, and instead we could simply enjoy the experience.
Kory brought Seoul’s history to life with his storytelling and knowledge. Our day at the DMZ was especially moving and became a true core memory for us. He clearly loves his country and city, and that enthusiasm was contagious.
Lucy was a wonderful ambassador for Busan. Her love for her city was infectious, and her knowledge, storytelling, and joyful personality made every stop enjoyable. Her timing was also exceptional—we seemed to arrive everywhere just before the crowds.
We also enjoyed a phenomenal Korean cooking class, along with many other experiences that gave us a wonderful mix of history, culture, food, and everyday Korean life.
A note for other travelers: We are an active retired American couple in our 60s and 70s, and this itinerary was very manageable for us. That said, it does involve a fair amount of walking on uneven surfaces, getting in and out of cars and trains, and navigating some smaller hotel rooms compared with typical American accommodations. We knew this going in, so we packed light, wore good, durable walking shoes, and managed our expectations. With that preparation, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
What impressed us most about KimKim was that the trip worked exactly as planned. The schedule was honored, transfers were prompt, communication was excellent, and when something unexpected happened, it was handled immediately.
Christine, Kory, and Lucy each played an important role in making our eight days in Korea exceptional. We came home with wonderful memories and a much deeper appreciation for Korea. We would highly recommend KimKim to anyone looking for a well-planned, personalized, and worry-free experience.

Hannie did such a great job planning our tours in Korea and picked the best guides and drivers for our family. She was also always available whenever we had questions, both before and during our trip, which we really appreciated.

For our guided day in Busan, our guide was Ms. Son Eunjeong, and she was absolutely wonderful. She was so good with our kids and made the day fun and interesting for everyone. We explored the market, visited Gamcheon Culture Village, rode the beach train, and learned so much about the history of Busan. She knew all the best photo spots and took lots of family pictures for us throughout the day, which we really appreciated. She also recommended some great ice cream that the kids loved. At the market, she even helped my husband find a pair of shoes he was looking for.

Our driver in Busan was wonderful too. She was a very safe and careful driver, and we really appreciated that she had a car seat ready for our child. We felt very comfortable with her driving us around all day.

In Seoul, Hannie booked a food tour for us with Jay, who was also fantastic. He was flexible, great with the kids, and had so many good recommendations. Our kids still talk about the donuts he got for them and the dried strawberries we found at the market! He even arranged a stop at an art museum for our kids, which was such a thoughtful addition to the day.

We really appreciated how well Hannie matched us with guides and drivers who understood what works for a family traveling with kids. Everything felt personal and well planned, and knowing Hannie was always available if we needed anything made the trip that much easier. We had a great experience in both Busan and Seoul and would definitely recommend her.

Excellent service throughout the entire process. From the planning stages to the final day of the trip, the team was attentive and helpful. When I missed the pickup time for a scheduled tour, my advisor was quick to help me catch up with it. Every driver was polite and took the extra time to not only get me to my destination but also guide me through an unfamiliar country. I could not have hoped for better help.

Hotel Review

Lemong Hotel

Very helpful staff and I placed perfectly in Seoul. You are only ever a few minutes walk from any convenience you could need, and a great market Street only a few blocks to the north.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to anything you might need.

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Gyeongju UNESCO Highlights Tour with Local Ryan

Gyeongju

Very helpful guide with an intimate knowledge of gyeongju and its history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Gyeongju National Museum and Tumuli Park Tour with Night View

Gyeongju

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seoul Highlights: Gyeongbok Palace, Insadong & N Seoul Tower

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jun was our guide for four days in Seoul. He was lovely, very friendly and knowledgeable. He humored all of our requests, including driving us to an obscure part of Seoul with very NARROW streets to see where our mom used to live (in the 50’s).! I would say he became a friend during our time with him. Jiyoung
was our guide in Jeju and drove us all over, showing us the things that only a resident of Jeju could know. The trip was well planned and the hotels were spectacular! The Parnas on Jeju had an outstanding pool with a view of the ocean and the Lotte and Conrad in Seoul had extensive and excellent breakfast buffets. Overall a most memorable trip that I will remember forever.

I planned & booked an international trip with Jessica, She made planning & booking of my trip to Seoul stress - less. What I like most about the planning process was that she listened to what I was looking for and what was important to me and just did exactly that. She guided me in the planning without pressure of doing what "most people do".... From day 1, she was interested in my goals of the trip which was - not bouncing from one place to the next and not going one day after another without any rest. Days were flexible where if I wanted a free day, I could have a free day. Her responses were prompt and if they weren't she assured when she would respond.

My two 20ish daughters and I loved our Kim Kim tour of South Korea. I had waited until the last minute to book our tour, and Jessica communicated back and forth with me in a timely manner to decide on the appropriate amount of activities in Seoul, Busan and Jeju. I needed help choosing hotels, and Jessica booked great ones for us! She also chose knowledgeable private tour guides who made our trip fabulous. We really enjoyed her help booking an intimate traditional music concert for us music lovers! We felt especially well taken care of because Jessica booked great transfers, internal flights, and tour guides for us. Thanks Kim Kim.

My two daughters and I loved our three days in Seoul with our Tour Guide Sebastian. Sebastian expertly guided us to the sites we had requested and advised us on the best views. He even took a bunch of photos for us so we have great family pics. Sebastian also gave us great restaurant suggestions. One day, we had outdoor plans, and we were discouraged because it was raining heavily. Sebastian suggested fabulous alternative options so we could make the best of our schedule. One of his ideas was a bird sanctuary. He’d been paying attention and knew we loved birds! He saved the day! Sebastian was fabulous!

Danny was a fabulous tour guide for my daughters and me in Gyeongyu and Busan, South Korea. Danny noticed our interest in some particular historical sites and guided us through a local museum so that we could fully understand the region. It was awesome. He ushered us into a fabulous beef soup restaurant that was both economical and delicious. On our final day in Busan, he made it possible for us to visit the three temples we wanted to see with appropriate pacing for all the hiking. Danny did a great job helping us focus our touring on what we really wanted to see. Danny was a kind, fabulous expert!

Jimmie was an excellent tour guide on Jeju Island. He grew up in Jeju, so he told us about both modern and historical Jeju! He got us addicted to Black Pork and helped us find fabulous restaurants to eat well. Each day, he remained flexible about our plans so that we could enjoy the best activities at the right times of day. Jimmie made us feel like we were his guests in his hometown.

Hotel Reviews

Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong

Seoul

Nice posh hotel with all the amenities to make you feel like you are in a busy city.

Authenticity & Character

Swanky. Liked it!

Location

Right near everything. Handy convenient store inside. Delicious breakfast.

Staff

Staff was very kind and helpful to us on many occasions. They took care of our every need.

Cleanliness & Comfort

All guest spaces were clean and sparkling!

GG Hotel

This is a nice hotel in a small town. It remained nice and cool during some sweltering days. Rooms were spacious.

Authenticity & Character

Nice, sparkling lobby.

Location

Good location. The coffee shop with extensive menue right next door was extremely helpful.

Staff

Very helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fairfield by Marriott Busan

Busan

Nice amenities. Cash machine and vending machines in lobby. Restaurant served extra snacks in the evening. Nice breakfast in the morning with very attentive staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fabulous location....close to the beach and shops.

Staff

Very nice staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean rooms with attentive room staff. Rooms were a bit snug.

Shilla Stay Jeju Airport

Lovely lobby and outstanding top floor restaurant that overlooked Jeju City. Delicious breakfast that we had trouble leaving.

Authenticity & Character

Cool atrium lobby with shiny marble. Very swanky.

Location

Shops directly outside the front door. Bus stop directly outside. Fabulous location.

Staff

Helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Roomy rooms with everything we needed!

Activity Reviews

Full day tour with N Seoul Tower

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastian expertly helped us fit in all the sites we wanted to see. He is an expert!

Transport

Garden of Morning Calm and Nami Island

South Korea

Nami Island is a must see. It's worth half of a day!

Quality of Experience

Nami Island is a unique place with lots of fun activities and a lovely forest.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jinyeon: Korean Traditional Music Performance with Modern vibes

Seoul

A lovely, intimate concert with friendly musicians. The musicians allowed us to ask them questions and take pictures with them. A great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Culture of Busan with Seokbulsa Temple

Busan

Busan temples are fabulous. We loved the cable car rides so we could see all the neighborhoods in Busan.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Jeju: Mt. Hallasan and Tea Plantation

Jeju Island

We viewed the mountain from many spots. It's gorgeous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jeju Discovery: Woljeongri Beach and Seongsan Ilchulbong

Jeju Island

Jeju is absolutely gorgeous. The beaches and neighboring cafes are friendly and wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Jeju is a unique place. You must eat the Black Pork yum!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jimmie was an excellent tour guide on Jeju Island. He grew up in Jeju, so he told us about both modern and historical Jeju! He got us addicted to Black Pork and helped us find fabulous restaurants to eat well. Each day, he remained flexible about our plans so that we could enjoy the best activities at the right times of day. Jimmie made us feel like we were his guests in his hometown.

Transport

Visit K-drama Locations in the Historic City of Gyeongju

Gyeongju

I'm so glad we visited Gyeoungju so that we could better understand the Silla kingdom's history. Our guide suggested we take time for the museum and we are SO glad we did. It had fascinating relics!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Danny was a fabulous tour guide for my daughters and me in Gyeongyu and Busan, South Korea. . Danny noticed our interest in some particular historical sites and guided us through a local museum so that we could fully understand the region. It was awesome. He ushered us into a fabulous beef soup restaurant that was both economical and delicious

Transport

Danny's care was roomy and comfortable. We appreciated it!

Gamcheon Village, BIFF Square and Jagalchi Market

Busan

Gamcheon Village and BIFF Square were a few of the highlights of trip to Busan. The quaint shops and friendly, arty atmosphere of Gamcheon Village were unique and fabulous. We got the shopping bug in BIFF square and loved the film sites.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seoul Highlights

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastian expertly guided us to the sites we had requested and advised us on the best views. He even took a bunch of photos for us so we have great family pics. Sebastian also gave us great restaurant suggestions. We feel fortunate to have had Sebastian with us on our first ays in the city.

Transport

The planning part was fine. The actual activities, guide, was the in some parts, unenjoyable.

My biggest disappointment was the confusion with Lotte world as I'm sure I got charged for the most expensive tickets but they were sold out of that level by the time they were able to locate my tickets. The park itself was also confusing, but I'm aware that wasn't Kimkim's fault. Also, Jones, the tour guide/driver for quite a few of our excursions was not enjoyable and made us uncomfortable to the point of us cutting short our days with him.

Jeju was our best part of the trip, thanks in part to our guide, Clover. She was interesting, knowledgeable and a joy to be with. She suggested activities to do on our free time, which we also enjoyed.

Overall, we enjoyed being in Korea, but I'm not sure I will use this company again.

Activity Reviews

Daegu Cultural Discovery: Dodong Seowon and Oriental Medicine Experience

Daegu

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seoul Euljiro Night Food Tour

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Gyeongbokgung Hanbok Dressing & Namsan Tower

Seoul

Our guide never offered or showed us where we could change into Hanboks, but the history of them was interesting. The your was good overall.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting K-Drama Filming Locations in Daegu: Keimyung University, Seomun Market, and More

Daegu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Mt. Hallasan and Spirited Garden Tour

Jeju Island

This was such a beautiful garden. Must see! Even got to meet the gentleman who started it all!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Michael was amazing

Hotel Reviews

NINE TREE BY PARNAS SEOUL MYEONDONG 2

Seoul

Central AC is no good

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shilla Stay Busan Haeundae

Location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover K-drama Locations in European Villages & Nami Island

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Busan Sightseeing with Hot Springs Spa Experience

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Excursion to Korean DMZ + Suspension Bridge Tour

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Busan Highlights with K-drama Spot

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Gyeongbokgung Hanbok Dressing & Namsan Tower

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our first stop was Seoul and our Driver/Guide was Jun and he was so fun that nothing felt awkward. It was more like a friend was showing you around his town. He always had ice cold water waiting for us in the car when he picked us up from each stop along the way.

Our first stop was Soonski Hair Salon in Hongdae. The staff was friendly and the snacks were yummy. The cuts we received were all really well done. However, my stylist changed from the person who cut my hair so they'd never seen my pictures of what I wanted and she didn't speak much at all so it's kind of my fault that my style wasn't at all what I wanted because I didn't speak up. (It was my first day in Korea so I was still nervous about using the little bit of Korean I have!) The problem was when checked out, they'd upsold my daughter with a Keratin treatment that was over 100,000 won without checking with me. I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they thought she was older than 16 and was making her own monetary decisions, but if you're taking your kids who don't speak the language make sure your not separated when they're giving them the prices at the start. Also I just noticed that my itinerary says a deposit was taking at the time of booking and that it would be deducted from the total. It definitely was not deducted on the day. The experience was fun and the quality was good, just a few problems that probably could have been avoided if I spoke the language better.

Gyeongbokgung Palace was beautiful, but we didn't have enough time to enjoy it properly. The hanboks we rented had a 3 hour rental, which you'd think would be plenty but it left us rushing back to the shop without having fully enjoyed the palace. Jun was great about getting us a good spot to watch the changing of the guard and making sure we were in the right place to be near the front of the line for pictures afterwards.

Myeongdong was so vibrant and I wish we'd had more time there as well! We did Daiso which people online recommended, honestly it was just a very tall Dollar Tree. We came back in the evening for the night market which was full of yummy things but be prepared- it was busy, so many people that just getting to the stalls and back out of the flow of people was difficult.

Kukkiwon was a fun short stop. They didn't have any practices on the day we went. If I was thinking it would have been better to see if someone could check their schedule for us ahead of time. I did happen to see a post by seoul.tkd on instagram posting a schedule of public Taekwondo displays happening while we were there. We managed to catch the team performing at the DDP and it was amazing! I highly recommend looking into the exhibition schedule if you're interested in Taekwondo.

K-Star Road was cute and quick, all the designer shops with their incredible buildings was actually worth seeing there as well!

HiKR Ground was more than we expected it to be! It wasn't very busy and had lots of kpop dance sets for the kids to dance in. There was a spot for karaoke and when you got to the top there were fun cultural things to do like making layered stamps and finding maps of the area. Definitely worth a stop if you have kids that like kpop. Won't take all day.

A private driver took us from the hotel to the station to catch the KTX to Busan. He was very thorough and walked us all the way through the station with our luggage to make sure we knew where we were going. I think his name was Mr. Choi and my entire family was very impressed with his super cool executive vibe and style.

Hotel B'amu was our favourite hotel. The view, the location, the interior. Everything was amazing and the staff was friendly. The breakfast was the only downside. The fresh squeezed orange juice was a hit but the rest of it left a lot to be desired. I don't know if the breakfast was extra but if it is, opt out and go to one of the many amazing cafes nearby instead. I can highly recommend La Feuille and their amazing salt bread.

Gamcheon Cultural Village was beautiful and our wonderful guide in Busan did a great job of helping us understand the history of the village, how it ties into the Little Prince and it's current situation. I have to say though, (even though we're tourists as well, so it sounds hypocritical) a lot of the tourists in this area were incredibly rude and it was nice that we had Danny on our side to stand up for us!

Spa Land was definitely something worth experiencing and my family is still raving about the tiny fish that nibble your feet! Even if you don't decide to go full au naturel and rest in the baths, there are still plenty of rooms to experience.

We did both BUSAN X the SKY and Busan Tower. They both had their own charm. X was full of kpop stuff and lots of instagrammable spots whereas the Tower was more historical, calm and had resident cats you could pet outside!

The Panstar Miracle from Busan to Osaka was a total experience!! I wish we hadn't been so tired so we could have enjoyed the night view longer. But the on ship buffets and swimming in the pool on deck after sunset were definitely things we'll remember for a long time!

We were uncertain if we needed yet another tall building experience but the tickets had already been purchased for Umeda Sky Building. Thankfully it WAS different. The top is open air so it's a very different experience from the others.

Osaka was our least favorite city on the trip but had the best guide. Mie was so prepared! She had files and photos and knew all the history of the places she took us. I was a history major in university so her level of research was very impressive and made the temples, shrines and castle more interesting than they would have been just reading the signs.

We snuck in a day at Universal Studios and honestly I wish we hadn't. The anime aspect of the park was over hyped and under delivered. It was very much just like a smaller Universal Florida. If I did it again I'd rather experience more of Japan instead.

Nara Park is not to be missed!! Perhaps one of my family's favorite days. The deer were adorable and wonderful and terrifying all at once and I would 100% do it again. Remember to bring plenty of cash for the deer biscuits!

If you have the time I definitely suggest the Tokyo Samurai Museum with Experience + Kimono Tea Ceremony at Tokyo Maikoya. Both completely different experiences and both amazing. The staff here was so friendly and engaging and helpful.

Tokyo Dome was our least favorite hotel and as most of the things we wanted to do were in Shibuya or Shinjuku the location wasn't the best. The area also gets very crowded and overwhelming before and after shows at the Dome, so if you don't plan your timing you might get stuck in the mobs of people.

Meiji Jingu was an amazingly tranquil walk and was beautiful.

Senso-ji Temple was the most capitalist temple I've ever been at... it was definitely overwhelming and didn't feel like a spiritual experience at all, it's definitely touristy. I cannot say we didn't buy souvenirs and street food here though, because we definitely did. Just keep in mind it's more of a sightseeing day than a spiritual one.

CAPPINESS Capybara Cafe. Not a cafe. Not even kinda. There are 3 capybara here, one was kept outside the whole time and they didn't volunteer why. They did seem to be treated well and appeared to be happy. The price of 4,000 yen for 40 minutes is definitely a bit high for what you're getting though. Especially since there were 3 groups of people and only two capybara to interact with.

Ninja+Kabuki Tokyo. This was such a cool show!! They have an interactive portion at the end for you to come up on stage and try out some of the moves if you're interested. The drummers were incredible and they had one performer who was a total acrobat and was flipping everywhere. I'm not sure why we had a bar hopping experience connected to the end of ours but we have kids so it wasn't something we were interested in. Just make sure if you get this booking that it only for the show unless you're interested in the bar hopping part.

Hotel Reviews

HOTEL THE BOTANIK SEWOON MYEONGDONG

Seoul

HOTEL THE BOTANIK SEWOON MYEONGDONG was my kids' favorite for breakfast. From now on the sound of Fur Elise will mean that there are fresh waffles ready somewhere nearby. The hotel overall was lovely and had a nice breakfast. It was a comfortable place to stay in Seoul and was close to restaurants and convenience stores.

Location

A separate washer and dryer in the room. Essential!

Staff

The breakfast staff was incredible but the front desk staff were always a bit standoffish and unapproachable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bamu Hotel

Bamu Hotel in Busan was our favorite hotel by far. The room was amazing with a view of the beach and a big spa in the middle of the room. The staff was really friendly, and even though it was a small hotel, everyone was very welcoming. The location was ideal. Directly on the beach with loads of restaurants and cafes nearby. If we make it back I'm going to make sure we stay over a Saturday so we can see the drone show over the beach. The breakfast was the only downside. The fresh squeezed orange juice was a hit but the rest of it left a lot to be desired. I don't know if the breakfast was extra but if it is, opt out and go to one of the many amazing cafes nearby instead. I can highly recommend La Feuille and their amazing salt bread.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Hotel Keihan tenmabashi ekimae

Hotel Keihan tenmabashi ekimae in Osaka was comfortable and had good breakfast. The location was good, and it had nice amenities like a washer/dryer with laundry detergent provided, which was better than the first hotel in Seoul.

Tokyo Dome Hotel

Tokyo

Tokyo Dome Hotel was disappointing. The check-in process was confusing and frustrating, especially with two connecting rooms. The standard room was unimpressive and lacked amenities like soda or alcohol in the fridge, contrary to what the website said. However, after contacting the agency, they helped us move to a premium floor, which was much nicer. The location was not practical as it was far from the main areas we wanted to visit. The area also gets really busy because of the events at the Tokyo Dome. I would stay somewhere more central like Shibuya or Shinjuku next time.

Location

Activity Reviews

Ninja+Kabuki Tokyo

Tokyo

The Ninja+Kabuki Tokyo show was great and the kids enjoyed it. However, the address provided in the itinerary was incorrect, which caused us to spend a lot of time finding the location. Also, the booking included a bar hopping tour that was not suitable for our family and was not mentioned in the itinerary.

CAPPINESS Capybara Cafe Tokyo

Tokyo

CAPPINESS Capybara Cafe Tokyo was a bit confusing due to miscommunication about reservations. I thought I needed to make the reservation myself, but it turned out it was already booked and paid for. We had to rearrange our schedule to fit it in, but the experience itself was enjoyable.

Tokyo Samurai Museum with Experience + Kimono Tea Ceremony at Tokyo Maikoya

Tokyo

The Tokyo Samurai Museum with Experience and Kimono Tea Ceremony at Tokyo Maikoya was amazing. The staff was wonderful, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Full Day Haedong Yonggungsa, Blue Line Train, BUSAN X the SKY and Traditional Market Tour

Busan

The Full Day Haedong Yonggungsa, Blue Line Train, BUSAN X the SKY and Traditional Market Tour was not as expected. The blue line train was a regular crowded train, not the small colorful capsule train shown in pictures. We were unsure if we could get off and back on during the trip, so we just stayed on the train. Clearer instructions would have improved the experience.

Full Day City Tour with Tempozan Ferris Wheel and Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Osaka

The Full Day City Tour with Tempozan Ferris Wheel and Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan was enjoyable, especially the aquarium. However, the ferris wheel was slow and not very exciting, so it felt unnecessary given the other tall attractions we had already visited.

Trendy Hongdae Hair Salon | SOONSIKI Hongdae Flagship Hair Salon

Seoul

The staff was friendly and the snacks were yummy. The cuts we received were all really well done. However, my stylist changed from the person who cut my hair so they'd never seen my pictures of what I wanted and she didn't speak much at all so it's kind of my fault that my style wasn't at all what I wanted because I didn't speak up. (It was my first day in Korea so I was still nervous about using the little bit of Korean I have!) The problem was when checked out, they'd upsold my daughter with a Keratin treatment that was over 100,000 won without checking with me. I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they thought she was older than 16 and was making her own monetary decisions, but if you're taking your kids who don't speak the language make sure your not separated when they're giving them the prices at the start. Also I just noticed that my itinerary says a deposit was taking at the time of booking and that it would be deducted from the total. It definitely was not deducted on the day. The experience was fun and the quality was good, just a few problems that probably could have been avoided if I spoke the language better.

Our trip with KimKim was the trip of a lifetime! Jessica did an outstanding job and planned the best vacation for us in Korea and Japan. It could not have been any better! She listed to our needs and wants and worked to accommodate our every wish. She was extremely responsive and always eager to help us! Her details and follow through was fantastic. The trip itself was perfect for our family! We loved Seoul and Busan and wished we had planned more time in Korea. Our tour guide Jino in Busan was the best and by the time the day was done, we felt like he was a member of our family! We visited four cities in Japan and Jessica tailored our visits to each city perfectly. All of our tour guides and drivers were wonderful and so genuinely sweet and helpful. The transportation and transfers were smooth and flawless, and we appreciated not having to worry about a thing! The hotels that Jessica booked were top notch and she situated us in the best parts of town. We loved being able to walk around the areas and shop find food quickly for some late night snacks or early coffee runs. Jessica allocated the perfect amount of time at each site we visited and we were able to do so much during our trip, and we quickly realized we could not have planned such an amazing trip without her. I highly, highly recommend KimKim and our specialist Jessica. This was the most memorable trip and truly the trip of a lifetime.

Hotel Reviews

ENA Suite Hotel Namdaemun

Seoul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avani Central Busan

Busan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Kyoto Premier

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Richmond Hotel Asakusa

Beautiful hotel. Rooms were lovely.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Highland Resort Hotel & Hot spring

Fujiyoshida

Beautiful hotel and staff was extremely helpful. Rooms were lovely and clean. The Onsen and spa were closed when we were there and it was also raining so the amusement park was closed. We didn’t have much to do in the rain, so the Onsen and hotel spa would have been good options had they been open.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Osaka Castle

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto's Cultural Treasures: Fushimi Inari-Taisha, Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji

South Korea

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day shopping tour

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tea Ceremony in Kyoto FLOWER TEAHOUSE

Kyoto

This was a beautiful experience. So glad we did this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Seoul City Tour with Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village

Seoul

This was beautiful and highly informative! Our guide Billy did a wonderful job!! We loved this experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lake Kawaguchiko Day Trip

Fujikawaguchiko

We loved this day even though we did not have a view of Fuji. Everything was beautiful! Loved the cultural village we visited.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide also recommended a wonderful sushi restaurant for lunch. The food was incredible!

Transport

Full Day Busan Highlights Tour with Jagalchi Fishery Market

Busan

This day was outstanding! Our tour guide Jino was the absolute best - the best of our trip. Loved eating at the fish market. Busan is beautiful and it was wonderful to see everything. The sky train was great too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jino!!

Transport

Authentic Sumo Experience in Tokyo: Enter the Sanctuary

Tokyo

This was so much fun and my college age kids loved this!! The two guides were outstanding and the wrestlers were fun and hilarious while also seriously teaching about sumo wrestling. My kids loved getting to train and wrestle the sumos. This was wonderful!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Tokyo: Culture, History & Local Life

Tokyo

Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and as with all of our guides, she genuinely wanted us to enjoy our day. We loved the beautiful places we visited.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dotonbori Family-Friendly Food Walk

Osaka

Loved our guide Ken. Sweet man and we enjoyed our time with him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an incredible well planned trip through South Korea and Japan. Jay was an excellent tour guide in Busan, she knew so much about Korean history and the out of the way places in and around Busan. Irene was an excellent guide in Jeju, she also had deep knowledge of the island and its history. She was also flexible with us in our itinerary when we got tired late in the day. Overall it was an excellent trip!

We had a great time with all of our guides. They were each very knowledgable and friendly and fun. The day trip to Udo Island, though, was quite strenuous with many cardiovascular activities and a warning of that would have been helpful. The DMZ tour was a disappointing, since the JSA is no longer open to the public. Knowing this would have also been helpful because that was probably what I looked forward to most. The other stops on the tour were less than thrilling and had I known what the tour would entail I would have opted instead for a free day. Maire, the tour guide for DMZ was also very difficult to understand because of her unique accent.