Kimkim Trip Reviews for The Netherlands

Our trip was amazing! It was wonderful working with our local specialist, Fleur! She asked about our family and the types of things we like to do. She worked with our input to finalize the itinerary, and then took care of all of the arrangements.
It's very difficult to narrow down to a favorite part of the trip, but some highlights were the wetlands canoe trip with Majel outside of Amsterdam, our full day castle sightseeing tour around Dinant with Joris, and our day trip to Delft. All of our city and/or food tours were amazing as well.
This trip created so many special memories for our family. Thank you to Fleur and KimKim for this amazing experience!

Fleur planned an excellent trip for us. Sure went through several iterations before we had the perfect trip planned and she was very responsive to us. We particularly enjoyed the multiple private tours she arranged (both walking and biking) in each city we visited. The canal canoe tour was a great break from the busy city. Our castle sightseeing day trip out of Dinant with Joris was a highlight for the whole family. Our accommodations were mostly perfect. The heat wave (outside of everyone's control) made the nights in Dinant without air conditioning a bit miserable. But the location was perfect to walk into town. Fleur was very helpful when we ran into challenges (like cancelled trains or unresponsive taxi services). Overall, I would not hesitate to use Kimkim for our next vacation.

Hotel Reviews

s'Ameuse très Bien

Dinant

Great location to walk into the town center or along the river. Quiet street. Very clean. There was not hand soap for the kitchen or bathroom. And there was no soap for the shower. The lack of soap in the shower is understandable, but no hand soap in the bathroom was not great. I understand that A/C is uncommon in a house like this. But it would have been lovely if they had a couple fans for the bedrooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Eric Vökel Amsterdam Suites

Amsterdam

Beautiful and clean. The blackout curtains were magical. Great location for getting to the central station or anywhere in Amsterdam. The in-room laundry was very convenient (but quite slow ~5 hours per small load, so plan accordingly if you are needing to do laundry). Very friendly staff at the front desk.

Authenticity & Character

No real problems. Just kind of vanilla.

Location

Easy walking distance to the central station and to the heart of the old city.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Outdoor Adventure

Dinant

Castle sightseeing day trip from Dinant

Dinant

Joris thought of everything and was very personable. 10/10!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Resistance Museum

The Netherlands

Best museum in Amsterdam. Underrated to be sure.

Thank you for the seamless planning and logistics. Everything worked out perfectly with a great itinerary combining history, art and windmills! Particularly outside of Amsterdam, Lisa's suggestions took us to places that we would not have come up with on our own. Lisa also sent us a very helpful welcome package and clear instructions - was able to locate the package when hotel misplaced with Lisa's real-time whatsapp support. Finally the private tour of the Jewish quarter and local canal tours were fantastic

Hotel Review

The Collector Hotel

The Hague

Centrally located hotel - stylish furnishings, clean - great breakfast! A true gem!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Amsterdam - Canal cruise (join in)

The Netherlands

a fun trip

Quality of Experience

Amsterdam - Van Gogh Museum

The Netherlands

Amsterdam - Anne Frank House

The Netherlands

A must see in Amsterdam to see this in person will always with us - a sad story, difficult to imagine that such hate existed and what people did to survive. Bravery to hide the family

Quality of Experience

The Hague - Mauritshuis Museum

The Netherlands

So much amazing and iconic art in a beautiful, historical mansion next to the binnenhof

Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands

Amsterdam - Resistance Museum

The Netherlands

This was a wonderful - interactive museum Learned so much!

Quality of Experience

Delft - Royal Delft Blue Pottery

The Netherlands

Factory tour was interesting - very high prices at the gift shop!

Quality of Experience

Rotterdam - Kinderdijk windmills by water shuttle

The Netherlands

So unique and easy to get to - had to pay extra to get inside the mills and museums.

Quality of Experience

Rotterdam - Remastered

The Netherlands

this was a weird activity - it helped that we had seen many of the art in person or otherwise this would have felt like an acid / drug trip

Quality of Experience

Amsterdam - Private guided walking tour on Jewish History

The Netherlands

Tour guide was excellent - well-paced and informative, visited the Jewish and synagogue.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Public transport pass Netherlands (OV chip card)

The Netherlands

This was invaluable!!! We used all the time - once you get the hang of the train and tram system, you can travel like a local and save money

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bear in mind that the airfares were paid and the Kimkim deposit paid before the US and Israel decided to bomb Iran, so the entire trip was will we/won’t we with our flights travelling from Australia through Dubai. Bas, however, accommodated us every inch of the way with our concerns. Luckily threats around our travel dates never eventuated.

I, and an old university friend, flew into Paris CDG and caught trains into Brussels. Three nights in Brussels, starting with a very instructive tour guided by Lieven and culminating in a sampling of the famous Belgian beer. The last day took us via an extensive voyage through the Brussels metro to the overrated Atomium.

Onto Ghent and guided by the excellent Christine, we stayed near the main square in the Ghent River Hotel. A visit to the Castle of the Counts was eventful. Well worth it, as was the included river cruise around the city. One day was taken with a day trip to Bruges, but unfortunately electric overhead wire problems delayed us substantially, and we did make it in time for a canal cruise viewing the highlights of the medieval architecture. A visit to the Historium, a video re-enactment of the time of Rubens was interesting, and followed by a cooling beverage.

We next caught the train to Antwerp where we had two great guides, Jorinde and Nina. Jorinde took us around the historic areas, Nina the food areas. We visited an early printing house, the Plantin-Moretus Museum, which was run for centuries by the Plantin family. Antwerp is a major river port and the river Scheldt is much bigger here than in Ghent. We also visited the MAS museum. Interesting building!

Over to the Netherlands and Rotterdam, one of the biggest ports in Europe, and very heavily bombed during WW2. We did a cruise around the port and it is massive…much bigger than Sydney Harbour. The weather burst here after 7 or 8 days of 30 degrees (86F) and we got quite damp. We also visited the Markthall, a big indoor market, and the Cubic Houses. The next day was a trip to Kinderdijk where there remain a dozen or so working windmills, with their original purpose of pumping water upwards to the river system. Well worth it.

Amsterdam next where we had our first mishap in communications in meeting the tour guide. A quick Whatsapp call rectified the issue but we had a shortened, but quality, trip around the city with Jan. We met 45 minutes overdue, and were restricted by the next appointment. A visit to a canal-side mansion, the Van Loon House, followed. Next day, we had the visits to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, two of the world’s great art museums showing the works of Rembrandt (among others) and Vincent Van Gogh. The must-do two-hour canal cruise split the two visits. The hotel was an interesting one in the Halles district, an old tram workshop. There was a food hall covering many cuisines.

Onto a rainy Utrecht where we stayed in a boutique hotel alongside the city canal. One quibble would be whether this hotel was appropriate for 70-plus year-olds lugging heavy luggage up two flights of a spiral staircase with no lift. But with an unbooked tour round the church, the rains came again and I, personally, decided that 465-step towers, both the climbing and the height, were no longer part of my bucket list. My friend ventured up. The next day, we walked to a 100-year-old house, the Rietveld-Schröder house which was built to be adaptable and utilitarian in every way. An interesting walk through the Utrecht neighbourhoods.

The next day, we travelled to Eindhoven, the home of the Philips electrical goods company which dominates the city. All of our activities thenceforth were with friends from the area and we visited the site of the Battle of Arnhem, Operation Market Garden, “A Bridge Too Far” from the later days of WW2. And a more localised Van Gogh museum from his home area of Nuenen.

Even though we’re not really connoisseurs of haute cuisine, we did enjoy most suggestions that Bas made. The hotels ranged from quite modern (Amsterdam and Eindoven) to more boutique. The appointed guides were all very good, and the provision of the Chipkaart, which is required for most public transport in the Netherlands, very handy.

Hotel Reviews

Westcord Hotel Eindhoven

Eindhoven

Probably the most modern and comfortable hotel. Close to the station, shopping and restaurants. We did have a mild hiccup with the booking in that the hotel weren't aware of our booking, but after calling the agents, was resolved very quickly. Excellent breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

It's very modern, probably on the site of an old Philips building.

Location

So close to everything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Museumkwartier

Utrecht

Quaint is the word. no facilities downstairs eg breakfast. No lift, and two storeys of narrow spiral staircase. Good location on the canal though.

Authenticity & Character

it's old-fashioned but the lack of a lift takes marks away.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de Hallen

Amsterdam

Was modern and comfortable but the bathroom setup was a bit below par. No privacy and not enough hanging space for extra towels.

Authenticity & Character

REfurbished tram depot.

Location

A little out of the way but ideally positioned within the Hallen district.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel van Walsum

Rotterdam

Close to the shopping strips. Everything else was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near to bars and main shopping strip.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel FranQ

Antwerp

Close to amenities. Wasn't modern but comfortable enough.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near to transport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ghent River Hotel

Ghent

Quality hotel central to the main square.

Authenticity & Character

Location

On the river, but also very close to a major square.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

9Hotel Central

Brussels

Very local to the centre of town and particularly the railway station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central to transport.

Staff

Great tips for food.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rotterdam - harbor boat tour

The Netherlands

We didn't realise the harbour was so massive. Unfortunately the weather did break towards the end, and we got wet.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Amsterdam - Van Gogh Museum

The Netherlands

Another great museum/gallery. We did visit another Van Gogh gallery in Neunen, near his home town. This was not part of the trip, rather with friends in Eindhoven.

Quality of Experience

Amsterdam - Museum van Loon

Amsterdam

The house was nice, particularly the garden. I don't think our trip would have been poorer if we'd skipped this one.

Quality of Experience

Antwerp - Private guided Food Tour (on foot)

The Netherlands

Nina collected us in the town square and introduced us to various food types. The charcuterie (don't know the Flemish word) gave us a good sample of Antwerp delicacies.

Quality of Experience

Food

All of it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nina was excellent.

Bruges - Historium

The Netherlands

A little stagey. A video re-enactment of a young man working for Rubens and a model he was asked to collect from, the port.

Quality of Experience

Utrecht - Dom Tower

The Netherlands

I've decided that I'm past the age of being willing to do high towers, both due to my poor fitness and issue with heights. My travelling companion however did all 465 steps and got the photos.

Quality of Experience

Amsterdam - Canal cruise (join in)

The Netherlands

A good, long cruise around the canals.

Quality of Experience

It's essential to do a canal cruise in Amsterdam, indeed in many cities of the Low Countries.

Amsterdam - Private guided historic city walk

The Netherlands

The problem here was the miscommunication re pick up times. We were told to wait opposite the railway station. The guide, Jan, was told to pick us up at our hotel. So we lost 45 minutes of our two hours. Nevertheless, Jan gave us a good walk through the old town.

Quality of Experience

Communication, although we were able to contact the agency quickly.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jan was good, Just a pity about the lost time.

Antwerp - MAS (Museum Aan de Stroom)

The Netherlands

Interesting view of the various aspects of Antwerp history, including the war. We did skip some floors which were of no particular interest.

Quality of Experience

Antwerp - Private guided walking tour

The Netherlands

Jorinde showed us all over the main part of town, together with the port region.

Quality of Experience

The history and geography.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ghent - Scenic Boat Tour

The Netherlands

Along the river (Leie), a good view of that part of the city.

Quality of Experience

Ghent - Private guided walking tour

The Netherlands

Excellent walk with Christine. Through the main part of town, with the cathedral (not that I sent in), chocolate merchants and the Castle of the Counts.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

10/10 for Christine.

Brussels - Atomium

The Netherlands

Overrated. Reasonably difficult to get to on the train network.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Brussels - Private guided walking tour

The Netherlands

With Lieven, through the government and museum district, and then into the central part of Brussels. Finishing with a convivial introduction to Belgian beers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands

One of the great masters of European painting. The Night Watch is currently being restored, iun full view, and the reproduction is on display.

Quality of Experience

Rotterdam - Kinderdijk windmills by water shuttle

The Netherlands

Interesting insight into the use of windmills in raising water levels, rather than in milling grains.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Getting there by water.

Antwerp - Museum Plantin-Moretus

The Netherlands

Very interesting insight into the history of printing in Western Europe. Printers from Antwerp went with Caxton to set up printing in England, then prettyy much the only country in the English-speaking world and able to influence English spelling.

Quality of Experience

Ghent - Day trip to Bruges

Ghent

This was a little less than expected due to problems in the railway system. Trains through Gent-Dompaart were out of action due to problems with the overhead wiring. We had to take other methods to get to Gent-St Pieters and then to Brugge. It was a very warm day as well.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Bad luck with the network.

Explore Ghent with a CityCard

The Netherlands

Excellent value. We jumped a large queue to enter the Cstle of the Counts.

Quality of Experience

Brussels card 48h

The Netherlands

We didn't really get full use of this.

Quality of Experience

Unimpressed with the ways to get to the Atomium.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lieven was excellent and information, and good value for the post-tour sampling of Belgian beers.

Transport

My three daughters and I thoroughly enjoyed our recent trip to the Netherlands. Mieke from the kimkim travel agency was wonderful to work with; she designed an itinerary that perfectly met our needs, as well as our budget, and was always available to assist us throughout the week.
We visited many areas of interest, savored wonderful local dishes, and especially enjoyed a spa day at the Blooming Hotel in Bergen. We highly recommend Mieke and her team at kimkim for anyone planning travel to the Netherlands.
Sincerely,
Terry
Lori, Stephanie, and Carrie

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Schiphol

So very convenient to the airport, especially with early morning flights!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blooming Hotel

Bergen

Awesome setting and amenities

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heavens Hotel

Hoorn

Loved the renovations from being a church!

Authenticity & Character

maintaining as much of the church as possible while accomodating guests well.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ambassador City Centre Hotel

Haarlem

Convenient location and amazing amenities. Excellent breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Friendly and accomodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms could be a little more updated

Activity Reviews

Amsterdam - Private canal cruise to Van Gogh Museum

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Anne Frank House

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Transport

Amsterdam - Van Gogh Museum

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Transport

Hoorn - Private boat tour historic harbor

The Netherlands

This was my favorite! Loved the snacks and drinks on board. We enjoyed a lovely bottle of champagne compliments of our agent Mieke!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Haarlem - Canal cruise

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public transport pass Netherlands (OV chip card)

The Netherlands

Explore Hoorn

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Haarlem - Day trip to Amsterdam by public transport

Haarlem

Quality of Experience

Transport

Bergen - Day trip to Marken, Volendam, Edam, and Zaanse Schans

Bergen

Would have enjoyed more time here but we did see everything we planned!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bergen - Hiking in the area

Bergen

We used this day for rest and spa. We walked into town for a delicious dinner.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marrten was wonde3rful! Very patient and knowledgeable!

Transport

We managed to figure out transportation readily!

good locations for hotels, easy use of transit, great tours and suggestions, enjoyed the world heritage windmill visit, a better explantion of providor of boat cruise.

Hotel Reviews

The Collector Hotel

The Hague

great service and advise for transit use by staff, excellent breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mai Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Great staff, luggage didn't arrive for 2 days provided some necessitiew

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rotterdam - Kinderdijk windmills by water shuttle

The Netherlands

great experience and visuals

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

better explanation od subway to boat dock, got info from hotel staff

Transport

both public transit and boat ride not well explained.

Delft - Royal Delft Blue Pottery

The Netherlands

did't go went to the Vermeer Museum for an explanation of his works and techniques that was informative

The Hague - Mauritshuis Museum

The Netherlands

great, audio guide infrmative

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

public transit and walking

Haarlem - Cycling to the beach of Bloemendaal

The Netherlands

great experienc, beautiful scenery, regret only doig short ride secondary to weather.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

bike staff great

Transport

Amsterdam - Day trip to Haarlem by train

Amsterdam

great experience and visuals

Quality of Experience

Transport

public trans port good, a little better explanation on nhow to get to the boat shuttle and what to expect would have been appreciated

Amsterdam - Anne Frank House

The Netherlands

Had gone to the dutch resitance museum prior so we were a little desensitized to all the horrors, realizing if they were not discovered so close to the end they might of survived was crushing.

Quality of Experience

Transport

we walked from the resitance museum to this location, street scenrey was great, had a bit to eat prior to visit

Amsterdam - Resistance Museum

The Netherlands

great historic information, we walked there from our hotel

Quality of Experience

Transport

we walkes that day extensively

Amsterdam - Explore wetlands by canoe (2hr)

The Netherlands

change of pace good visuals

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

our guide thru wetlands great

Transport

public

Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands

Fun actually met an old friend from 40 yeats ago and toured the museum with them.

Quality of Experience

Transport

public

Amsterdam - Canal cruise (join in)

The Netherlands

swithed fro recorded to skipper on explanations

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Van Gogh Museum

The Netherlands

very informative, easy to get to!

Quality of Experience

Transport

Amsterdam - Private guided historic city walk

The Netherlands

guide knowledgable and gave us the tour we wanted

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Public transport pass Netherlands (OV chip card)

The Netherlands

ease to use

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

public transit easy to use, private walking tour was great,

Transport

public transit great

Lisa was great to work with. She listened to what we wanted to do and made it happen.

Hotel Reviews

The James Hotel Rotterdam

Rotterdam

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel des Arts

Amsterdam-Centrum

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rotterdam - Kinderdijk windmills by water shuttle

The Netherlands

Enjoyed this trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Anne Frank House

The Netherlands

They do a good job explaining and showing what happened. Very moving.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands

This museum is amazing. Truly something for everyone.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Private canal cruise

The Netherlands

Maxim was pleasant and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Dutch countryside food & windmills tour

The Netherlands

Bianca was full of information and answered all of our questions. She made the day fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Private guided historic city walk

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public transport pass Netherlands (OV chip card)

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to The Netherlands was fantastic! Was very impressed with our local specialist Lisa. She was always very quick to respond to our questions. She developed a great itinerary that covered all the items we were looking to see. All the local excursions were well run, on-time and met with our expectations.

Lisa even went above and beyond to provide our group with a welcome package upon our arrival to our hotel, which included pre-purchased OV transportation cards and maps.

Would highly recommend KimKim and our specialist Lisa to anyone looking to travel to The Netherlands in the future.

KimKim set us up for success. We told our agent Lisa the primary things we were looking for and she made it happen. Food tour, Windmills, countryside, Amsterdam Central, museums, etc. Then on to Rotterdam and Den Haugue. Recommend for sure.

Hotel Reviews

The James Hotel Rotterdam

Rotterdam

Staff was less than friendly. No Breakfast. Good location and property is updated but didn't feel welcoming. The James Hotel Rotterdam appeared to be a great property with its newer, bigger rooms, but the staff was just not friendly. They were quite cold and unkind, which impacted our overall experience there. The accommodations were nice, but the hospitality left much to be desired.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Be friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel des Arts

Amsterdam-Centrum

Do this! You feel like you are family here. Right in Central Amsterdam. Hotel des Arts in Amsterdam gave us a wonderful experience. The staff was fantastic and really wrapped it up with their hospitality. Despite the rooms not being as large as other places, the excellent service made up for it. I would recommend this hotel over and over.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Amsterdam - Dutch countryside food & windmills tour

The Netherlands

The Dutch countryside food & windmills tour offered a great food experience, but was lacking in terms of the windmills, which weren't accessible and felt too touristy. However, the food aspect was wonderful, especially visiting a butcher, a cheese maker, and the incredible dining experience, which was memorable and exceeded expectations.

Amsterdam - Private canal cruise

The Netherlands

The Amsterdam private canal cruise with Maxim was enjoyable, but a bit redundant since we had already seen much of the city. Maxim is quite a character, best suited for an evening activity with drinks, not an 11 AM cruise. I would suggest taking the cruise before a walking tour, in a reversed order.

Amsterdam - Private guided historic city walk

The Netherlands

The Amsterdam private guided historic city walk with Rudolph was fantastic. He's an incredible guide and really made the experience memorable. However, I wouldn't recommend doing it right after a long flight due to jet lag as it can be exhausting. It would have been perfect if scheduled later.

Public transport pass Netherlands (OV chip card)

The Netherlands

it is so easy to use if you find your station

For years I have wanted to visit The Netherlands to see the tulips but could never get the timing or became exhausted looking online for the where/how/who of planning a trip. This year we decided, "let's do it" and luckily found Mieke, who was nothing short of wonderful. She took our wishes and needs, asked questions and understood what we were looking for, then organized things to fit just perfectly in our time frame. She put together not just a great itinerary but wonderful activities we would not have found on our own. The private driver was amazing - so helpful and personable, we left feeling like we'd made a good friend. The private canal cruise in Hoorn with a very kind and informative captain was so enjoyable, as was the Tulip Train, and the other activities she organized for us. We had a fabulous trip and it was all down to Mieke's expertise and piecing it all together so seamlessly!

Hotel Reviews

Ysbrantsz Boutique Hotel

Hoorn

We enjoyed the town and this hotel, right at the heart, was a great fit for us. The room was well-done and had a sort of "upscale" feel, staff was accommodating and nice, and the restaurant there is excellent. Focus seems to be on the restaurant as it was always very busy with locals and travelers, but the rooms were nicely done and very clean. The garden side is quiet and nice and the other side opens onto the main square.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ambassador City Centre Hotel

Haarlem

This hotel turned out to be a great location for us - right in the center and easy to walk to everything we needed. Room was comfortable and looked at the church. We loved hearing the bells chime and watching the people parade as they met up for drinks at the many cafes along the street (and of course participating ourselves in that activity!) The breakfast was well-done, restaurant meal was good, staff was very helpful and friendly. We had a great stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Hoorn

The Netherlands

First, the hotel that Mieke set up for us was perfect - great location, lovely rooms, nice staff, very good restaurant and easy to get around. We enjoyed seeing Hoorn, which was a pretty town and lively; sitting on the square for a beer, watching the people parade, looking in the shops, watching sunset over the water...it was quite nice. Second, my main review is for the private driver that was organized for us. Robert was absolutely top-notch. He picked us up at the airport, assisted my husband, who has a disability, was personable and interesting while also professional. He took us to Hoorn by the backroads as requested, to allow us to visit some of the private tulip farms and see them up-close. He came back to Hoorn at an early hour to take us to the airport at the end of our trip, again going above and beyond for us and by the end of our time with him we felt like we'd made a new friend. We are so grateful to him for the help and the good time he showed us, that really helped make the trip special.

Hoorn - Tulip tram

Hoorn

An old-time steam train with antique wooden rail cars that took us amidst the tulip fields - what's not to love? While there was some confusion at the station and the train was late departing, therefore not leaving us time in Medemblik to walk around, the experience of riding through the tulip fields was just lovely. It would have been nice to be able to walk between rail cars, but it being an antique train, I guess that wasn't possible. Having a beverage car would have enhanced the experience as there was little time at the stop in Wognum, barely enough to queue up at the tiny restroom and get back onboard, much less get something to drink or snack. I'd hoped they'd slow down more as we passed the tulips (they slowed more going through unused stations!) but I think it may have been due to the delayed departure and needing to get back in time. Medemblik was supposed to be "a tulip station" but didn't have any flowers on display as in Wognum. Despite the somewhat disorganized situation, we did enjoy the trip.

Quality of Experience

Signage to reach the train, timing, better facilities (more than one or two toilets at the stop would be beneficial), slower passage through the tulips, time to explore Medemblik. Could be better organized.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The antique train and wooden cars were well-preserved and a nice "old time" experience

Haarlem - Canal cruise

The Netherlands

The cruise was smooth and had an audioguide in a couple of languages as it took us among the canals of Haarlem. Overall the process of easy and user-friendly and gave us a glimpse of the city from the water and some details we would have missed walking around town. Haarlem felt sort of like a "mini Amsterdam" and this experience enhanced that impression while allowing us to get off the streets and onto the famous canals to see things from a different perspective. It was more "commercial" than our canal cruise in Hoorn (but that one was a private cruise) though the staff in the canalside shop were helpful and friendly here.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoorn - Private boat tour historic harbor

The Netherlands

Our captain was so sweet and informative - we learned a lot about the town, history, architectural details, and had a great time ducking down under the bridges, seeing the canals, and seeing the town from a different perspective. The private tour let us really talk to the boat captain, ask questions and hear his insights. He included a lovely surprise of drinks and snacks, and we were so glad we did this outing. It was perfect.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip as planned by Mieke at Kimkim was wonderful. Prior to traveling, she carefully listened to our preferences and adjusted the itinerary to our likes and needs. It was necessary to contact her once by phone and a couple of times via in app messaging and she was immediately responsive. The hotels were perfect as to location, amenities and atmosphere. All drivers were prompt and efficient. The one guide we had, Roland in Bruges, was a perfect mix of knowledge and humor, not overly into tedious detail, but just the right balance of information and informality.

Hotel Reviews

Juliana Hotel

Brussels

Gorgeous and beautifully appointed. Our room was small, on the top floor. The roofline was peaked making the ceiling slanted very low on one side. Although it required being aware to prevent a bumped head, the beauty of the facility made this a minor inconvenience. We had the final meal of our trip in the hotel restaurant and it was outstanding. The food was sophisticated and perfectly prepared, staff was attentive and the dining room is stunning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Jan Brito

Bruges

Quaint, atmospheric and perfectly located.

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Cleanliness & Comfort

The Collector Hotel

The Hague

Lovely, boutique hotel in a perfect location, although previous warning that it was pedestrian only might have made our arrival a bit easier. Nice breakfast and bar.

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Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rotterdam - Markthal

The Netherlands

The Markthal in Rotterdam was underwhelming. Although the building was architecturally interesting, it was less of a fresh produce market and more of a food court, which was disappointing compared to what we expected.

Bruges - Boat Tour (optional)

Belgium

The boat tour in Bruges was a must-do, and it was great fun. Despite the long lines, we went early, and it was a wonderful experience comparable to iconic Disneyland rides.

Brussels - Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries

Belgium

The Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries in Brussels were okay but not as comprehensive as expected. Although dotted with the 'best' chocolate shops, we missed out on locating the complete gallery experience.

Bruges - Private guided walking tour

Belgium

The private guided walking tour of Bruges was a pleasant experience. The guide struck the perfect balance of information and humor, making the walk enjoyable.

Rotterdam - Kinderdijk windmills by water shuttle

The Netherlands

The Kinderdijk windmills visit by water shuttle was not as impressive as hoped. There was some transportation confusion getting to the river shuttle, but our problem was quickly answered by the specialist.

Rotterdam - Cube Houses

The Netherlands

Seeing the Cube Houses in Rotterdam right when we got off the train was fascinating. It's something I read about, and seeing them in person did not disappoint.

Delft - Delft blue pottery

The Netherlands

Exploring the Delft blue pottery and having high tea in Delft was an enlightening and lovely experience. We learned more than we expected and these activities were a delightful addition to our itinerary.

The Hague - Day trip to Delft

The Hague

The day trip to Delft was absolutely lovely. Despite feeling there might have been more to see in The Hague, Delft was perfect and had so much to offer.

The Hague - Mauritshuis Museum

The Netherlands

The visit to the Mauritshuis Museum was a nice way to spend the day we arrived. It was a fine excursion and added a pleasant touch to our itinerary.

Keukenhof & tulips fields by private transport

The Netherlands

The tulip fields by private transport was a fantastic experience, with our driver taking us to more tulip fields than we imagined! He was a great guy and we thoroughly enjoyed the private tour.

What a beautiful adventure. My wife long yearned to "tiptoe thru the tulips in The Netherlands" and Bas and kimkim made it happen in a very special way. Upon searching through the web, I landed on kimkim and Bas as our best bet to personalize a 15-day adventure throughout The Netherlands. We provided them with a brief profile of the type of travel we enjoy and a few touchstones that we would like to see. They made all arrangements for us and provided us with easy-to-use electronic tools that provided day by day and very explicit instructions of things available for us to see or do and how to best access them.

Starting in Amsterdam for three nights we had a personal walking tour guide to provide some history and show us the basic layout of the area. From there we had tickets booked to our major attractions Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, a canal cruise and lots of free time to explore on our own.

From Amsterdam we traveled by train to Hoorn for two nights where we once again had a private guided walking tour, historic harbor cruise, and a day trip to Medemblik for a museum ship cruise to Enkuizen and then returned to Hoorn by Steam Train.

From Hoorn we traveled to the island of Texel via train, bus, taxi and Ferry where we enjoyed three days of cycling and exploring around the island including a seal boat tour, and the most charming B&B run by a most charming and accommodating couple.

From Texel we spent two nights in Bergen at a quaint and cozy family hotel located in the center of the village where after a private guided walking tour we enjoyed cycling and inhaling the quiet ambiance of a very friendly Dutch village.

After Bergen we traveled to Leiden for the absolute highlight of the trip - Keukenhof Gardens Adventure which also happened to be Kings Day! Upon arriving in Bergen via bus and train we checked into a wonderful Boutique Hotel d' Oude Morsch located right in the middle of the village with an operating windmill eighty feet out our window. We had another walking tour to discover the hidden inner courtyard "hofjes" along with the many historic buildings and the University. Spent the following day at Keukenhof gardens where it was comfortably crowded due to the holiday but an over the top garden experience. The Tulips were in full bloom along with a lot of other aromatic and glorious flower species.

We then traveled to Haarlem for two nights by train and after another personally guided walking tour we rented e-bikes and cycled out to the beach and dunes areas enjoying the wild horses and birdsong along the way.

All in all a fabulous trip made easy and anxiety free by kimkim and Bas. The electronic tools included were the kimkim app, the 9292 transportation app and the RidewithGPS bicycle touring app.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Malts B&B

Haarlem

Perfect location; nice and welcoming staff; comfortable rooms and bed . lovely hard working couple and staff that made the stay memorable.

Authenticity & Character

True to Dutch form including the entry stairs!

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel d' Oude Morsch

Leiden

Perfect location; nice and welcoming staff; comfortable rooms and bed . We had a windmill forty feet from our bedroom window!

Authenticity & Character

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Hotel Heerlijkheid Bergen

Bergen

Perfect location; nice and welcoming staff; comfortable rooms and bed .

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B De Oude Skuur

Oosterend

Perfect location; nice and welcoming staff; comfortable rooms and bed .

Authenticity & Character

A repurposed, remodeled and modernized former livestock barn - very authentic.

Location

Very near a small village with a bar and restaurant also a short bike ride to other larger villages with more variety.

Staff

Very welcoming and accommodating - they even let us do a bit of laundry in their machines!! and they sell wine!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ysbrantsz Boutique Hotel

Hoorn

Perfect location; nice and welcoming staff; comfortable rooms and bed .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

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Hotel des Arts

Amsterdam-Centrum

Perfect location; nice and welcoming staff; comfortable rooms and bed .

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Staff

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Activity Reviews

Haarlem - Canal cruise

The Netherlands

The canal cruise in Haarlem was a unique and enjoyable way to see the city. Our guide was fantastic, making the experience even more special by allowing my wife to steer the boat briefly. This personal touch made the cruise particularly memorable for us.

Texel - Seal boat tour Oudeschild

Texel

The Texel seal boat tour was great. Although we saw the seals from a distance, the provision of binoculars made a big difference. The tour turned out to be quite a social event, as we were joined by a group of friendly locals. Overall, it was a pleasant and memorable excursion.

Leiden - Keukenhof Gardens by public transport

Leiden

Our visit to the Keukenhof Gardens was absolutely breathtaking. We were fortunate enough to be there when the gardens were in full bloom, and the vibrant floral displays were nothing short of extraordinary. It was an unparalleled experience and definitely a highlight of our trip.

Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands

A classis "must see" when visiting Amsterdam.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Private guided historic city walk

The Netherlands

Marc Soeteman was our guide and did a good job showing us the lay of the land in and around Old Amsterdam.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Public transport pass Netherlands (OV chip card)

The Netherlands

A must have if accessing various trains and buses. Very easy and convenient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trains and busses very timely and efficient.

Our Sister trip through the Netherlands was absolutely amazing. Lisa planned a trip that was exactly what we were looking for. We had enough down time and time to relax while also seeing all of the sites that we were hoping to see. My sister and I wanted to manage much of the logistics and get around on our own and the schedule was the perfect balance, while providing us with the OV chip card and telling us about the 9292 app made the logistics very easy. And for the longer and less train-access locations, Fred was a wonderful person to take us on those journeys. He is kind, prompt, knowledge, fun and a joy to talk to.

As my sister mentioned in her review, our walking tour on the first day was very informative and our guide was great. He seemed to know everyone in Amsterdam and recommended a Chinese dinner location that was yummy. (Unfortunately I can’t remember the name) We were tired, but it was a great way to push through and stay awake to avoid the jet lag.

The canal cruise with Those Dam Boat guys was really nice. It seemed like a much less touristy experience, even though I’m sure it’s just as touristy as the rest. And it was a great perspective from which to see the city. The only experience that was just OK and we could have done without was the cheese place. It seemed to be a bit of a tourist factory and we were competing with bus loads of visitors for cheese tasting.

Having Lisa get the many museum tickets in advance for us, with entry times that were not too early, and the ease of having access to the tickets on the KimKim app made our trip feel so easy and took so much time and stress off of our planning. We felt like we had gotten the “insider” tour due to Lisa’s extensive knowledge of her country and its sites. And what a beautiful country! All of the hints and instructions in the KimKim app made our days easy and took the stress off of trying to figure out details. We used the restaurant recommendations as well as finding some of our own spots. But the recommendations were very helpful especially as Kings Day approached and reservations were more necessary. The pre-loaded Google Maps were also a huge help. Overall, the app is fabulous and easy to navigate. And Lisa was prompt at answering any questions through the app as well. But we didn’t have many questions because everything was so nicely laid out and all the needed details were present.

Our very favorite place was the Hoge Veluwe National Park and the Kroller Muller Museum. And the our stay at De Wever Lodge. What an amazing spot! The food at the lodge was some of the best I’ve ever had. While there were definitely tourist groups present in the park and at the museum (an adorable group of children speaking French on a field trip) it had a feeling of a hidden beautiful secret. Our driver Fred, an Amsterdam native, had never heard of the Kroller Muller museum. I think the collection there rivals the Musee de Orsay in Paris! I now believe that any true lover of art should visit this museum in their lifetime.

Overall, I just can’t say enough about how wonderful this trip was for us. We enjoyed ourselves completely and felt that we really got to experience The Netherlands and Dutch art in a sincere and beautiful way. Thank you all so much!

Kimkim knocked it out of the park for our trip to the Netherlands! From Robert, our driver on three occasions, to Lisa, who planned all the details of our trip, every aspect of our adventure went off without a hitch. While many of the sights of Amsterdam, Ghent, Bruges and Haarlem were impressive, what I think I’ll remember most are the small details and interactions : helpful train conductors; welcoming waiters; kind canal-boat drivers. The kimkim app was amazing, with details spelled out for every activity. I was especially impressed with how kimkim was so thorough when it came to train tickets and schedules. All in all our 10 days of sightseeing were just plain fabulous!

KimKim made planning our trip so easy! The local tour company, Beat the Dutch, and the agent, Lisa, planned a perfect vacation! I will definitely use them again. We went to see the tulips and words do not describe the beauty! The canal tours, walking tours & museums are top notch. The people are so friendly too! Only downfall, I did not eat enough chocolate, waffles or fries!

Outstanding travel planning around the Netherlands and Belgium. Services included selection of hotels, tour guides, drivers/train tickets, and destination activities! Very flexible with helpful insights into timing of local events and location selection.

Mieke was a huge help both in planning and during the trip - helping to communicate with personnel re: any potential changes in plans. We had some firm ideas for our family vacation that were unique but very much appreciated and valued Mieke’s additional travel advice and recommendations. Our preference for smaller boutique B&Bs was accommodated with excellent suggestions that were convenient to sites.

Highly recommend KimKim and Mieke’s “Beat the Dutch Travel” support for Dutch experiences.

My daughter and I had a wonderful trip to The Netherlands to see the famous tulips, something I've always wanted to do. Bas was wonderful to work with to coordinate all the logistics for this trip and ensured we got to do everything we wanted to do and see. All the reservations, tickets & activities were easy to navigate and the detailed instructions in the app for each day extremely helpful. Our private driver, Robert, was so kind and helpful. The entire trip was a dream and I'm thrilled with our first time using Kimkim for our travel needs.

Mieke organized 4 nights for us in Haarlem and Hooran, she did and excellent job working with my wife. I have mobility issues and Mieke made the correct lodging arrangements and was able to adjust one of the canal trips to be less walking.
She was very responsive to inquiries before we arrived and followed up during the course of the trip.

Mieke arranged to have Robert be our driver as needed and he was an immense help at AMS and getting us between the towns.

We had a great experience thanks to this team!

Hotel Reviews

Ysbrantsz Boutique Hotel

Hoorn

Right on the main square and car access to rear. Very busy restaurant the two nights we were there but food is top-notch. Good room and comfortable bed. Staff was very friendly and accomadating.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ambassador City Centre Hotel

Haarlem

Right in the historic center with a view of the cathedral. Can be a little noisy but staff was very helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hoorn - Tulip tram

Hoorn

Part of the problem was out of their control: we had some rain and delayed leaving Hoorn due to track repairs. We only had 30 minutes at the last stop before returning to Hoorn. Very clean and well maintained antique train cars and engine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoorn - Private boat tour historic harbor

The Netherlands

Private boat with a very knowledgeable captain, great insights to the town and architecture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Haarlem - Canal cruise

The Netherlands

Was hoping for a smaller boat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lisa did an amazing job putting together a perfect itinerary for us! We saw a lot of things without feeling rushed! Having access to the public transport gave us the freedom to get around easily. When not using public transport, our driver, Fred, was delightful! We loved that our itinerary got us “off the beaten path” for some of the time so we could avoid crowds and get a more authentic Dutch experience! I will definitely use KimKim again!

Hotel Reviews

The Duke Boutique Hotel

's Hertogenbosch

Location was great. Comfortable accommodation. Breakfast was very good.

Authenticity & Character

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De Wever Lodge

Otterlo

Beautiful location within walking distance of the national park entrance. The restaurant was amazing, service was great, accommodations very comfortable. Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful setting and within walking distance of national park entrance.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kröller Müller Museum

The Netherlands

Would visit again! We went toward a lot of museums and this was probably the favorite.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoge Veluwe National Park by bicycle

The Netherlands

Off the beaten path! Not many international tourists! Lovely museum and sculpture garden! Bikes were a lot of fun and made the park accessible without a car!

Quality of Experience

Transport

Delft - Delft blue pottery

The Netherlands

Was very nice… a tour bus destination so I was glad we went toward the end of the day as they were leaving.

Delft - Vermeer Center

The Netherlands

The Hague - Mauritshuis Museum

The Netherlands

Day trip to The Hague & Delft

The Netherlands

The museum in The Hague was very nice! Delft was really great - wish we had more time there.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Day trip to cheese farm, Zaanse Schans, and Hortus Bulborum

The Netherlands

The cheese farm and Zaanse Schans were a bit touristy but still worth seeing. We particularly liked the Hortus Bulborum!

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands

Amsterdam - Anne Frank House

The Netherlands

Very busy but worth the effort.

Amsterdam - Canal cruise (join in)

The Netherlands

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amsterdam - Van Gogh Museum

The Netherlands

Amsterdam - Private guided historic city walk

The Netherlands

A really helpful thing to do on the first day to get acclimated.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public transport pass Netherlands (OV chip card)

The Netherlands

Having the OV card available was essential to this trip! We were able to get around very easily!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a marvelous time in Holland. It was so nice to have everything arranged for us. It was so much easier than trying to make arrangements ourselves. It was nice to have a taxi pick us up from the airport. I would say it was a hassle free vacation. Highlights were the bike ride to Keukenhof and celebrating Kings day. Especially since in the US 1/2 the population hate their president.