The Netherlands Travel Agents

The hotel in Haarlem was very nice, but the proximity to the church and the frequent ringing of the church bells was difficult to get used to, especially in the evening when the bells ring non-stop from 9-9:30pm. The flower auction and the Keukenhof were highlights! We found both experiences to be enjoyable. It was important that we got to the Keukenhof early because it got very crowded by lunchtime time and the crowds became overwhelming. We loved Albert, our driver; he is very kind and personable. We enjoyed our time with him and learned a lot from him. If we had to do it over, we would skip the ferry ride from Marken to Volendam.

We really enjoyed both Delft and Leiden. We enjoyed the smaller size/feel of these towns and the local culture. We enjoyed wandering around and getting lost, window shopping in local boutiques, and having a drink or meal outside in the sun. Both our guides, Andre and Jeroen, are wonderful! They were both very engaging and made our time together fly by, and we learned and saw many interesting things.

Bruges was probably our least favorite place. It is a very beautiful town, but it felt very commercialized and overrun by tourism. The horse and carriage rides, huge tour groups, and the numerous cheap souvenir shops were a little off-putting. The hotel was very lovely and serene, but some staff were more welcoming than others. Our tour guide, Roland, was a very kind man, but his tour was a little boring. We felt like we saw and learned very little in the two hours we were with him. The chocolate workshop was fun, but it felt like the woman leading the workshop would have rather been anywhere else but there. Also, we recommend people arrive at least an hour before the workshop and walk through the museum first. There is no information, stories, or history given in the workshop itself.

Ghent was nice, but the size of the city was a bit overwhelming to my mom. Similar to Roland, our guide, Christien, was a very warm, kind woman. But her tour was also a bit boring, and we walked away feeling like we didn't learn/see much.

Leuven and Mechelen were our favorite places in Belgium. Like Delft and Leiden, they felt smaller, less touristy, and we enjoyed the slower pace and local culture. We enjoyed roaming the botanical garden in Leuven and strolling down the canal path in Mechelen. The hotel in Leuven was very unique and nice; it was a bit far from the train station, but the location on the canal and the garden made it very relaxing and enjoyable. The hotel breakfast was the best of all the hotels on the trip. One weird thing about the hotel room, the toilet was behind a privacy door, but the shower was open to the room with very little privacy. But despite that, this hotel was still one of our favorites.

Finally, our driver, who took us to the Brussels airport, said he didn't speak English, but he still seemed to understand us, so it wasn't a big deal. However, he was a smoker, so his car smelled very bad. That made the trip to the airport unpleasant, and our clothes smelled like cigarette smoke for a while after we got out of the car.

Overall, we enjoyed the trip! We will definitely return to the Netherlands someday, and we will definitely use KimKim again soon.

Hotel Reviews

Begijnhof Hotel

Leuven

We loved this hotel. The staff were kind, the breakfast was amazing, the rooms were very clean, the gardens and canal made it very relaxing. I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 because the lack of privacy for the shower is awkward. A curtain needs to be placed at the entrance of the shower.

Authenticity & Character

The history of the building makes for a unique hotel.

Location

It is a bit far from the train station, but the canal and the gardens are lovely.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable. However, there is a lack of privacy in the shower. It is too exposed, and a curtain needs to be placed at the entrance of the shower itself.

Hotel ML

Haarlem

We enjoyed this hotel. The proximity to the church caused the church bells to be very loud.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

BoutiqueHotel 't Fraeyhuis

BRUGGE

This hotel is very lovely, the setting is beautiful, and the rooms are clean and comfortable. Some staff seemed a bit haughty, and we felt a little unwelcome sometimes.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Royal Bridges

Delft

Nice hotel, the staff were very kind and welcoming.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Daytrip to Marken, Volendam, Edam and Zaanse Schans

The Netherlands

The windmills were interesting, and Edam was beautiful. But Marken, Volendam, and the ferry ride were not all that interesting or exciting for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Albert, again, is the best! He made the day much more fun.

Transport

Riding with Albert was great. Would skip the ferry.

Leuven - Botanical Gardens (Kruidtuin)

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Flower auction, bulb fields & Keukenhof excursion

The Netherlands

The flower auction is very informative and interesting. The Kenkenhof is, of course, amazingly beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Albert is the best!

Transport

Ghent - Scenic Boat Tour

The Netherlands

We skipped this.

Delft - Private guided walking Tour

The Netherlands

Andre was wonderful, very engaging. We saw many interesting things, learned a lot, and he provided many recommendations and tips for the rest of our stay in Delft.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andre was wonderful!

Transport

We walked?

Leiden - Private Guided city walk

The Netherlands

Jeroen was very engaging and kind. We saw many interesting things and learned a lot from him. We loved the city as a whole.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bruges - Private guided walking tour

The Netherlands

Roland was a very nice man, but the tour was a bit boring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bruges - Choco Story chocolate workshop (join in)

The Netherlands

Making the chocolate was fun, but the instructor was just okay. She didn't seem to want to be there or enjoy her job.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This is a missed opportunity for the instructors. They should have stories and share some history of chocolate to make the experience more engaging. We arrived early but not early enough to go through the museum prior to the workshop.

Bruges - Day trip to Damme

The Netherlands

We skipped this.

Explore Ghent with a CityCard

The Netherlands

Ghent is a very busy city and felt overwhelming.

Quality of Experience

Transport

The city card can be a bit overwhelming to figure out where to go and how to get there properly.

Public Transport Pass Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Ghent - Private guided walking tour

The Netherlands

Christien was very warm and friendly. The tour was a bit slow and boring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Leuven - Day trip to Mechelen

The Netherlands

We loved Mechelen. Smaller, quieter, lovely local culture.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Delft - Delft blue pottery

The Netherlands

Ghent - Waffles 'n Beer Workshop

The Netherlands

We skipped this because I wasn't feeling good.

The communication with Bas was very easy and efficient. I really had no difficulties with my itinerary.
Its hard to pick which activity was the best as all were pretty spectacular.
Starting with my tour of Amsterdam, Inbal was very informative and was easily able to weave the highlights of the city and the food stops.
The boat tour was great as it gave me a different, very interesting perspective of the city.
In fact I could have spent more time on the water and skipped the Rijksmuseum!
(I know that sounds crazy but the crowds were a bit much!)
The tour of Haarlem was also great. Thessa was quite informative and the amount of time spent was perfect.
Finally, the shining star of my trip was the bike ride. Alex was a fantastic guide as he was able to provide me a safe but spectacular route from Haarlem , through the surrounding tulip fields to Kuekenhof, then as an added bonus, a tour of the sand dunes. We actually ended up spending an extra 1 - 1/2 hours on this tour but Alex graciously didn't mind.
All in all, as with the other two KimKim trips, my experiences in the Netherlands was spectacular!

Mieke did a great job. She was thorough and responsive to our questions and needs and very easy to work with. The package she provided was excellent. We had a couple of issues (train schedules) that came up over the 2 weeks and they were quickly resolved. The work she did enabled us to enjoy our trip without a hitch. Hotels, guides, and activities were very well planned

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Mai Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Exceptional Hotel with a very good-sized room and location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boat accommodation for cycling tours: Fluvius

Amsterdam

The bike and boat Tulip tour was a lot of fun. The boat was very clean, the crew very accommodating, the food good, and the room while small (as expected) was nice and worked out very well.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was small as expected but big enough to be comfortable.

The Dominican

Bruxelles

Really nice hotel in a good location with a very helpful staff and a well appointed room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bike & Boat: Zaandam and Haarlem

The Netherlands

Our stop on the bike route at Zaanse Schans, was a very busy tourist location but was very interesing and worth the visit

Quality of Experience

Public Transport Pass Amsterdam

The Netherlands

The card was helpful and easy to use

Amsterdam - Anne Frank House

The Netherlands

To see the actual place where Ann Frank hid was very moving.

Quality of Experience

Bike & Boat: practical information

The Netherlands

Going into the bike and boat trip we were a little leery, but the boat wound up exceeding our expectations. The room was small as expected but worked out very well. The crew was really nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Keukenhof Gardens

The Netherlands

Amazingly beautiful gardens.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bike & Boat: from Oude Wetering back to Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Amsterdam - Canal cruise (join in)

The Netherlands

Fun time very informative guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bike & Boat: Amsterdam

Amsterdam

The bikes were very functional, and the guides made for a safe and enjoyable experience The activities along the routes were excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brussels - Waffle making workshop

The Netherlands

This was a lot of fun. It was a little difficult finding the location but once we arrived it was all good from there. The instructor was fun, and the instructions clear, thus the end result was a delicious batch of waffles made with our own hands.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Brussels - Day trip to Ghent by train

Brussels

We really enjoyed Ghent. A nice city with many interesting shops and sights

Quality of Experience

Transport

Amsterdam: hôtel excellent, tour to Kokunhof was disappointing because we were too early, tulips were not in bloom. Tour to Edam with Tickets and Travel was very interesting and our guide Pieter was very informative.
The Hague: super hotel interesting city. Trip to Rotterdam was OK with Spido
Antwerp: excellent hotel. Tour to Brussels with Florence very informative.
Ghent: nice and cosy hôtel. Tour of Bruges with Roland was excellent
All tickets for transportation for the whole trip was well planed.
Overhaul it was a well planed trip with very good accommodations and good sight seeing.
Thank you Bas
Amy and Marcel

Emma’s recommendations and trip-planning made this the trip of a lifetime for our family, ages 22 to 77. She thought of every detail, from train tickets and schedules to finding great restaurants and making reservations, to researching specific things we were hoping to see and experience in Holland. She is friendly, thoughtful, and was readily available and quick to respond to questions through the entire process. The KimKim team gave us the ability to ask for help or with questions while we were traveling. We also very much appreciated the transport drivers Maarten, Reuben, and Ibo who were prompt and made airport and Christmas Day transport so easy. Many THANKS from our whole family!

Hotel Review

Accommodation booked by traveler

Activity Reviews

Explore Rotterdam and Kinderdijk windmills

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands

Was an extremely packed place on 12/23, likely lots of families visiting because of the holiday week-

Quality of Experience

Transport

Train transport to/from Gouda was pretty easy all week

Amsterdam - Private canal cruise

The Netherlands

Our tiny boat’s propeller quit working and we were close to having to abandon ship during the cruise. The driver June was hanging over the side repairing it in the dark. Would probably suggest another boat company or bigger boat for future groups. The lights in the canal were pretty. June packed hot water bottles to keep our laps warm which was nice.

Utrecht - De Haar Castle

The Netherlands

Booked this on our own without KimKim. Was a fun event to soon Christmas Day since most things are closed. Emma arranged transport and we were so thankful we had drivers Reuben and Ibo!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No English- speaking tour guides or audio tours available on Christmas Day.

Transport

Haarlem canal cruise

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gouda - Cheese Experience

The Netherlands

Place is great! 22 year old son said the cheese-tasting was his favorite thing of the week. Liked the cafe for lunch afterwards, and we bought cheese and souvenirs to take home before we left.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gouda - Day trip to Haarlem

Gouda

We liked the city of Haarlem very much! We purchased tickets for the Corrie ten Boom museum on our own after reading her book The Hiding Place and really enjoyed the 50 min. tour. We liked the canal cruise very much. Shopping was fun by all, and we sampled and enjoyed the street food vendors. Emma planned an Escape Tour and made dinner reservations for us also, but we had one person in our group who wasn’t feeling well, so we went back early for the day.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Haarlem - Corrie ten Boom museum

The Netherlands

Be on time! The reservations tell you this, but you must be waiting in the alley at your ticket time or they will give your place away to others waiting. We had a late train because of a prior train accident, which forced us to run to the museum to make it just in time!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gouda - Day trip to Rotterdam

Gouda

Kinderdijk windmills, water taxi to the windmills, Cube Houses, and Markthal for dinner were terrific! Markthal closed at 6:00 pm, which ended up being just enough time to get and eat dinner for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Haarlem - City escape tour

The Netherlands

We ran out of time to play this tour escape game. However, I know we would’ve liked to play it as it’s a great multi-age group game and a fun way to discover new places in Haarlem! We will do this next time for sure.

Quality of Experience