Personalized trips to United Kingdom
for independent travelers

We really had a great time. A few hiccups to be sure, but the tours executed were excellent.

I could not --and, likely, would not--have made this trip without Rachel and KimKim.

I started out with a vague idea of three things/places I would like to experience. Rachel did a magnificent job of helping me figure out what else I might enjoy. And she was right on all counts. I ended up with memorable experiences in all three areas plus a couple more: seeing beautiful landscape by train, art, horses/animals, theatre, history. And Harry Potter.

The KimKim app was indispensable, especially for an almost 3-week trip. It kept everything in one place, was well-organized, and had a clean, easy-to-read design (I have design experience--I know it's not a given). In addition to a day-by-day list of where I was going and what I was doing, it also listed how I would get there and included invaluable links to tickets, maps, and everything else useful and interesting.

They purchased tickets for me for everything from a front-row, center ticket to Phantom of the Opera, to museum tickets, to multiple train tickets. The train tickets were not insignificant, especially because my hope was to experience the landscape of England and Scotland by train. I started out in London and made stops at York, Barnsley, Edinburgh, Inverness, Portree, Oban, and Glasgow. Rachel arranged for me to join several small group tours and for several drivers for longer distances (I didn't trust myself to drive on the left-hand side!).

Each tour was an exceptional experience. The guides were a huge part of that--they made these tours interesting, informative, and fun. I'd like especially to mention:

--Private Walking Tour of York: My guide was Rob, from Walking Tours in the UK. Rob has a doctoral degree in history. To say he was knowledgable is an understatement. He was also passionate about the history of York, his native town. I very much appreciated his consideration for my slight limitations in walking--neither of us made a fuss about it; he simply and quietly stopped at places where I could sit down for a bit while we talked. My York history walk with Rob was a clear highlight of my trip. He has my deep appreciation.

--Whitby and the North York Moors, complete with a ride on a steam train (Mountain Goat Tours). I never understood the mystique of the moors in literature and film until this drive. I do now. Our guide's passion for the moors was contagious. He also had some recommendations for our time in Whitby, which were right on the mark. Another knowledgable, remarkable guide. (And I feel bad I don't remember his name!)

--Harry Potter Guided Walking Tour (Edinburgh) with Caroline, from the PotterTrail. This could easily have been a cutesy, "here's this" and "here's that" tour, but what Caroline did was give thoughtful insight into parts of Edinburgh that inspired JK Rowling. It became as much about where inspiration comes from as about landmarks and Harry Potter--not an easy thing to do, in my opinion. There were several children on the experience and she treated them with respect and fun. It really was quietly inspirational in itself.

--Skye in a Day. This was a dream come true. (I'd been singing the Skye Boat Song for decades before Outlander!) Once again, the guides were a key part of the day. (We had one guide, Donny, in the morning. When he started having van trouble, he called in a colleague, Kevin. There was no disruption; the switch was seamless.) They were both excellent guides. The camaraderie, with a touch of humor, they created with our group made this particularly memorable day. They made it a point to learn everyone's name and where we were from. And the island itself? Stunningly beautiful.

The arrangements that had to be made to make this trip possible were mind-boggling. In addition to the items mentioned above, KimKim arranged drivers for me from Heathrow to my hotel, from Skye to Oban, and from Glasgow to the Edinburgh airport. The drivers were, to a person, professional, knowledgable, and good conversationalists.

One of my tours was cancelled due to a mechanical issue with a ferry we were to take to several of the islands. I received a timely notification from KimKim the day prior.

The hotel selection, especially given the number of cities I was visiting, was also a not-insignificant part of KimKim's services. We talked about what I was thinking of and she chose the right hotels for me. Also, they were conveniently located to the places I would be visiting.

Rachel and I were in touch almost every day. She even reminded me to make restaurant reservations in Portree, where there is a limited number of restaurants.

Those arrangements, from hotels, to theatre, tour, and train tickets, absolutely (pardon the expression) blow my mind. And that everything went smoothly is a testament to their skills and expertise. I can't thank Rachel and the KimKim Team enough for the experience of a lifetime.

Hotel Reviews

Perle Oban Hotel & Spa

Oban

One of my two favorite hotels, the other being the York Grand.

Authenticity & Character

Rather elegant, with a lovely staircase and hallways. (My room required several turns down very short hallways and had a gigantic and elegant mirror.) The first thing I saw was huge ferry right outside my large window. pulling up into the harbor (this was before I knew this was a big ferry terminal.

Location

Perfect. Right in the middle of everything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marmalade Hotel

Portree

Location

Short and pleasant walk to the city.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Redcliffe Hotel

Inverness

My room was in a building separate, but just across the street from the main hotel. This was a very recently remodeled space and was lovely. The best thing was a patio running the length of the building with a phenomenal view of Inverness.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Leonardo City Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Only a short walk to the Royal Mile.

Staff

Was just a little too relaxed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maldron Hotel Glasgow City

Glasgow

It's a little difficult to compare because, like the Tower Hotel, it is a typical modern hotel. But it was nice and having a little less character the last night of my stay (when I was pretty tired) was kind of nice.

Location

It was a short cab ride from the train station. I was only there one night (on my way home), but I spent a little time exploring and found a nice food/shopping street to explore.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Grand, York

North Yorkshire

It felt both impressive and comfortable. The breakfast buffet was outstanding. The bar was impressive in a formal, yet comfortable and relaxed way and had good food--it was a very good place to eat at the end of a big day of walking. Best of all, it was a very short walk to the city center.

Authenticity & Character

I've never stayed in a hotel with a doorman dressed in a red livery uniform before. And, along with the rest of the staff, was very helpful.

Location

It was only a block or so from one of the city gate entrances into York, so very easy to walk to wherever I needed to go.

Staff

The staff was very helpful. They went above and beyond when I forgot about one of my prescription medicines and left it in the refrigerator. They overnighted it to my next hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Tower Hotel

London

Authenticity & Character

the location

Location

it's right on the Thames and right across the road from the Tower of London

Staff

professional and responsive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

An Evening at the West-End! Tickets to a Show of Your Choice

London

I will never forget seeing Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre. The theatre, the sound quality, the sets, and, especially, the talented cast were absolutely memorable. The opening notes of the male chorus are still sounding in my head.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tetiana was only a phone call away and was able to direct and assist us with ANY and ALL aspects of our journey. I was very hesitant to go with Kim Kim after I received an initial rejection from your team because your team was not ready to work within my budget. All this changed when Tetiana reached out to me and worked patiently and diligently to come up with a travel itinerary that suited our family’s needs. She was there with us every step of the way. We are truely grateful to her for enabling us to complete our last family vacation with our elderly parents and my brother who is recently in remission from esophageal cancer. God Bless Tetiana!!!

Hotel Reviews

Melia White House Hotel

London

Very clean and excellent customer service.

Authenticity & Character

Like any other 4 star hotel. Nothing unique.

Location

Centrally located

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean rooms but the carpets in the common areas were stained and worn.

Hôtel Dress Code

Paris

Tiny rooms and dated.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central

Staff

Understaffed at night so the African gentleman stated that he could not help us as he was by himself.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sink was blocked and the staff was not really helpful because he stated that he was by himself.

Hilton London Heathrow Airport

It was ok - it was picked for its convenience to the airport.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer to the International Train Station

United Kingdom

The driver dropped us off about 1/2 a block away from the station and we had to lug our luggage and walk the rest of the way which was tedious for my parents.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient Monuments & Historic Salisbury Tour

United Kingdom

Always awesome to see Stonehenge. Plan to return during the solstice when one is allowed to be up close and personal and partake celebrating the solstices with the Druids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

Chris was great!! He was very informative. Initially we had a hard time following his accent but then we got the hang of it and he used the Mike on the second day so that my parents could hear him better in the back.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Desired Location

London

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paris Icons in Four Hours: Private Drive & Stroll

Paris

Once again, Sebastian and Vijay made a great team!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very comfortable and convenient.

Private Louvre Museum Visit

Paris

Sebastian our guide was beyond excellent!!

Quality of Experience

Guide was very well versed with historical events.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very patient with my elderly parents

Transport

Vijay is an excellent driver and very helpful to my elderly parents.