Kimkim Trip Reviews for Vietnam

While weather interrupted our travel plans, Hien did a fantastic job to reroute us, set-up new events, and keep us safe along the way. Han and Ha Long Bay were highlights, and we rolled with the changes. Everyone we came in contact along the way (guides, drivers, etc.) was professional, well informed, and a pleasure to work with. TYVM and we will come again! Amazing!

We booked our trip through kimkim, and everything was handled with great professionalism. Our trip was assigned to the local agency Realistic Asia, and they were fantastic. They were always available, keeping us informed about each day’s details and even giving advice for our free days. On short notice, they also helped us arrange extra activities that weren’t originally in the plan — for example, just a day before, they managed to organize a full day of tours, guides, and transportation exactly as we wanted.

The guided tours added so much to the overall experience. The guides were not only knowledgeable about the sites and history but also warm and friendly, sharing personal stories, Vietnamese customs, and modern life. They happily answered all our questions and showed us places we would never have discovered on our own.

Having everything arranged and knowing someone was always there to help or solve any issue made it easy to fully relax and enjoy the trip. We totally recommend kimkim and Realistic Asia!

One piece of advice for future travelers: take the time to really go through the proposed plan. The itinerary is great as is, but you may want to add extra activities or spend more time in certain places (for example, I wished we had more time in Hoi An and Hue instead of Da Nang). Customizing a bit more can make your trip even more special.

Victor our guide in Bangkok and the driver Mr. Billy were superb! Absoloutely amazing.

Hotel Reviews

The Salil Hotel Riverside - Bangkok

Bangkok

Obviously a five star hotel! My only regret is that we didn't have an extra day to enjoy all the amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lyra Grandeur Cruise

So much fun!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Oriental Jade Hotel

Hanoi

Perfect location, good breakfast, kind stff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

VIP Fast Track Service (including visa application)

Vietnam

Well done. We felt well cared for and coddled.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hein was wonderful to work with. Hue was flooded & Hoi A was as well. Hein quickly made arrangements for us to go to Denang. She found a a great hotel, guide & Driver.

Hien provided a great plan and was willing and able to accommodate our many suggestions and changes to the itinerary. We ended up with a wonderful 10 days in Vietnam, traveling from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay to Hue and Ho Chi Minh City. Our guides at each step of the way were really knowledgeable and able to explain everything in excellent English. Our hotels were all top quality and the transportation was very safe and reliable. The sites we saw were beautiful and very memorable.

One unusual thing for our trip was that we were stuck in a very significant flood 8n Hue for a few days. This caused us to need to change a lot of our plans, nd to stay extra days in Hue. Hien was a huge help, orchestrating all of these changes and ensuring that we could stay in our beautiful hotel - the Silk Path Grand Hue - for two extra nights. Without Hien we would probably have never been in such a great hotel and wouldn’t have known what do when the rain started. Having the support of Kim Kim was perfect for this situation.

Hotel Reviews

Silk Path Grand Hue

We were stranded here for 4 days in a major flood. The staff were fantastic and kept us feeling safe and secure in spite of a serious situation in Hue. Thank you!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Hotel nd restaurant staff took wonderful care of us under very trying circumstances.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was wonderfully clean and comfortable.

Orchid Premium Cruise

Incredible food, accommodation, and service. The crew and staff were amazing, especially the chef and manager, Bang.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A O Traditional Vietnamese Culture Show with Dinner

Ho Chi Minh City

Fun and interesting albeit a bit touristy.

Cu Chi Tunnels & Half Day City Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Very educational. Phil was a great guide.

Hue Evening Foodie Cyclo Tour

Hue

Food

The restaurant was delicious.

Hue Half Day Sightseeing

Hue

Interesting but curtailed by bad weather.

Day Trip to the Mekong Delta (Ben Tre)

Ho Chi Minh City

Amazing and unique.

Visiting Trung Trang cave - Disembark Cruise (Orchid Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Fun kayaking experience.

Onboarding Cruise To Lan Ha Bay (Orchid Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

One of the top activities on our trip. Bang and the staff were awesome.

Food

Some of the best food we had in Vietnam!

Day trip to Hoa Lu & Tam Coc (Ninh Binh)

Hanoi

It’s a long trip but really fun and interesting.

Ha Long Bay Scenic Plane

Vietnam

Dinner at Ly Club Restaurant

Hanoi

Food was fine, but a little dull compared to the other places we ate. 100% of the other patrons were also tourists.

Hanoi Sightseeing Fullday Tour with Train Track Coffee

Hanoi

VIP Fast Track Service

Vietnam

Great to have this assistance after a long flight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

KC was great and knew the best places for us to go.

Transport

Safe and reliable b

Doris was exceptional. She remained the center of our wheel throughout our trip. She checked in and made sure all the moving parts were cohesive. Her kindness and clear investment in our experience made everything magical!

The trip was phenomenal! The guides, accommodation and activities were all top notch. The only things I would suggest is more communication regarding day to day logistics. I didn’t always know details about where/when and for how long activities would be. That means I wasn’t prepared or dressed correctly on a regular basis. In addition, we ran into significant issues with visas that I would have appreciated more guidance on. I had to specifically ask whether a visa was needed for Cambodia else I wouldn’t have known to get one. We had to file for an emergency visa on the way home and ultimately had to repurchase a second set of flights home because they didn’t tell me I had to either file for a multi visit Vietnam visa or book a flight home that went through Hanoi to the next country. That type of support for a trip was expected to ensure a successful trip.

Kim Kim knows how to plan a trip! Our tour in northern Vietnam was impeccably arranged with seamless pickups and transfers. All the local guides were amazing and knowledgeable. The scenery and activities we experienced were spectacular. Ashley, the KimKim coordinator, stayed in close touch every day by WhatsApp to ensure our trip was going well. Five stars!

Nhung was our travel agent during our September 2025 trip to Vietnam . She did an excellent job. The guides and rides were always on time and the guides did a fantastic job. A typhoon was scheduled to hit La Han Bay during our trip. Our agent quickly changed our trip so we could go to La Han Bay before it arrived. We were grateful for this change. La Han Bay was gorgeous and worth the trip and change of plans. Our agent was in close contact with us during this time and was watching the weather and government announcements. She changed our hotels for us and our flights. This allowed me to enjoy my family and the experience and not have to try to arrange all of this. Thank you for the fantastic trip, Ms. Nhung.

Thank you also to Huyen for organizing the trip at the beginning.

Our visit to Vietnam and the support getting around was absolutely excellent. The initial planning was handled so professionally that any concerns we had were immediately taken care of and then once we were on our vacation any problems we had were instantly corrected. An example of this is on the second night we were on a sleeper bus which was incredibly uncomfortable. We were scheduled to take three more nights of this form of transportation on our itinerary.
We contacted our team and alternate transportation was made immediately to us.

The guides we had for our trip were excellent. Unfortunately I am not very good at names nor writing down their Vietnamese names, needless to say we were delighted with all guides that were provided. Not only were they excellent sources of information but they made sure we were having a good time. The personnel assigned to us were a pleasure to be with. I cannot sa& lucky we were to have this service for this adventure.

We loved our trip!
We would 100% recommend Kimkim and Ashley.

Ashley was in contact with us every step of the way, always providing just the right amount of information, and she was incredibly quick to make adjustments when we decided to add two extra tours.

Our tour guide Bao in Sapa was our favorite, though each guide we met was unique and shared not only details about the sights but also insights into the Vietnamese way of life and thinking. The rice fields, Fansipan, and the waterfalls were breathtaking. However, the Ecolodge (our hotel in Sapa) was a bit disappointing—there was a lot of humidity and an unpleasant smell in the rooms.

In contrast, the hotel in Hanoi was fantastic! The rooms were wonderful, and the staff were extremely helpful and welcoming. We also loved the Jeep tour—it was such fun! The only thing we would have added was a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

The cruise in Ha Long Bay was perfect! The crew made everything fun and easy-going while still being very professional. The rooms were absolutely dreamy.

A special thank you to Ashley for immediately rearranging our bus when we mentioned it wasn’t convenient—she made everything so smooth.

Da Nang wasn’t our favorite stop. While the hotel was excellent and the spa there was amazing, we felt the city itself didn’t have as much to offer. We’d recommend staying two days in Da Nang and adding one more day in Hoi An instead, which was lovely. Our guide in Hoi An did a fantastic job, listened to our needs, and tailored the experience perfectly.

Saigon was a revelation! The Vespa tour was one of the absolute highlights of our trip—the guides there spoke the best English of all and made the experience unforgettable. All the tours and guides in Saigon were excellent.

Overall, every airport transfer was on time and seamless, all the hotels were in great locations, and thanks to Kimkim and Ashley, the only thing we had to worry about was having fun!

Hotel Review

La Casta Cruise

Halong

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Saigon By Night - Street Food Tour By Vespa (Updated)

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide, Mai in Hanoi was amazing! She was super knowledgeable about the culture and history of Vietnam. We learned so much from her. She was always prompt with our drivers and kept us on schedule without feeling rushed.
Our guide, Zo Zo in Sapa was also a fabulous guide. We did a six mile trek with her and she was great in giving us the lifestyle of the Vietnamese in the mountains. We also went to the temples on top of indochina. Amazing trip!

The only reason I didnt give 5 stars is that we didnt get to our first destination until 3:30 am and the sleeper bus ride was not pleasant. Also there were no vacancies when we arrived at Ha Giang homestay and had to be taken to a hotel, but the hotel was very nice. Other than that, the trip was very nice.
I especially enjoyed the 2-1/2 day motorbike tour including homestay.s Our motorbike drivers , Ben and (Tangh?) were very friendly and accommodating. They were fun guys and added a lot of fun to the trip.
The Ha Long Bay overnight cruise was enjoyable. Although I didnt participate in the activities, I found it very relaxing.
Last but not least, our day tour of Hanoi including Ho Chi Minh mausoleum was very interesting. Our guide Phong Nguyen gave much detail explanation to what we seeing. Very educational.
So, I would give it 5 star review but consider the problematic logistics early on.

Hotel Reviews

Milalux Cruise

Ha Long

This was a very enjoyable cruise. The only comment I would make is that the person giving the introductory talk was very difficult to understand

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Local Homestay in Du Gia ( Ha Giang )

Very nice homestay. Good food. The only exception i have is that we we offered coffee only once, either before or during meals.

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Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Friend Hotel Ha Giang

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MK Premier Boutique hotel

Hanoi

Hotel was clean and comfortable. The manager and staff went out of their way to make our stay as pleasant as possible

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located in Old Quarter. Very concenient

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hanoi City tour- Hoa Lo Prison - Huu Tiep Lake - Ho Chi Minh Complex

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My reviews are the same as my wife, Bettie Choi Mei LIm - whom I believe as already submited hers quite a while ago. I agree completely what she has written.

This trip to North Vietnam arranged by KimKim was more than we could have asked for! Every amenity, the hotels, the transport and the guides - MIA in Hanoi and ZoZo in Sa Pa were amazing, informative, accommodating and fun. We travelled to Hanoi, SaPa, and Ha Long Bay. The food was excellent everywhere and they provided bottled water at every turn. We had many activities that KimKim arranged and they all were fantastic. We love Kim Kim and Ashley!!

We absolutely loved our trip to Vietnam. Lucy, our local specialist helped tremendously during our planning phase. She was very accommodating even when we had to make several changes. Our guide, KC and driver, Quang while we were in Hanoi were spectacular. KC was very informative and kept us entertained the entire time. He really made the first part of our trip extra special. Quang was such a great driver and was able to handle the crazy traffic in Hanoi with ease.
All of our hotels were high end and the staff were always there to help us in any way. Annie from the GM Premium Hotel in Hanoi was like a personal assistant helping us find places to eat, an ATM and providing us reservations even on the 80th anniversary which was hard to come by.
We had a cooking class with Chef Ai and her niece and it was definitely a highlight of our trip.
In Phu Quoc we stayed at the Dusit Princess Moonrise hotel. The staff was exceptional. We especially loved Victor in the hotel bar and Ms. My who gave us several excursion options. We had a great experience at the spa there and loved our massages.
In Ho Chi Minh City the hotel restaurant manager was extra special. He sat and talked with us for over 30 minutes even after they closed. He suggested drinks to try and other establishments in town that we might like.
Our last night in Ho Chi Minh City was spent on a street food tour with Vespa Wanderers and we loved it! Riding on the Vespas was so exciting and the food was great. At the end of the night they gave us a mini scrapbook with pictures taken of us throughout the night. That made it all more special and we have no idea how they were able to get it completed without us knowing.
Vietnam was everything we had hoped and more. Each hotel had a special welcome for us when we got there. Lucy made sure everyone knew we were there to celebrate our anniversary and they made sure to make it extra special. We can't wait to go back

Doris did an excellent job. I appreciated her diligence, responsiveness - and the nuance she provided (e.g., conservative attire in sacred spaces). She was also quite patient with our small group as we weren’t always on the same page.

As for our local guide Richard Thuan was extraordinary. He ranks in our top 1% as we’ve traveled around the globe with private guides. Richard exceded all expectations with everything from a Buddhist deep dive on differences between practices to helping us find local art.! Richard was enthusiastic, energetic and always incredibly thoughtful, especially when navigating my dietary restrictions. Our time with him gave additional insight to life in Vietnam since the “American War.” We definitely hope to return.

Our trip to Vietnam will be a memory we'll talk about forever. Our guides, our drivers - the stunning scenery, the wonderful local sights, the fantastic food, the comfortable hotels and the friendly people were beyond our expectations. Thanks to everyone for making this a once-in-lifetime trip. We'll be back! Kyra Lindemann

Hotel Reviews

Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Stunning vistas

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Nikko Saigon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Au Co Cruise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Peridot Gallery Classic Boutique Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ho Tram - Ho Chi Minh - Depart

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Tram Free Day

Vung Tau

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh - Ho Tram

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta, Explore Ben Tre - Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Halong Bay - Hanoi - Fly to Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Tuan Chau - Lan Hạ Bay - Cat Ba (Au Co Cruise)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Hoa Lu, Ancient Capital - Tam Coc Boat Trip - Hanoi

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I’ve updated Hien as we traveled in Vietnam. She is the best support person ever!

Hotel Reviews

Hermes Cruises

It’s old and the shower stall was moldy. Water doesn’t drain well and you shower standing in dirty water. Not pleasant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

What more to say about Halong Bay. It is an amazing place!

Staff

Ben was the best. As was Husna. There were a couple of indifferent staff. Food ran out at the buffet and I left the cruise hungry!

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Boutique Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Minh went above and beyond his duties. We are very thankful for all his help with the luggage and my brother-in-law’s wheelchair needs

Cleanliness & Comfort

Change the corners of the bed frames so it is not so hazardous. Could get badly hurt hitting against it

Cozy An Boutique Hotel Hoian

Hoi An

I loved that the bathroom had a special surface so it felt safe and not slippery.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acnos Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

My husband got his shin and toe badly hurt by the sharp corners of the bed frame . Thankfully I had a first aid kit to stop the bleeding. I hurt myself too, but thankfully did not bleed. Just got bruised

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

Mai was cool and calm especially with pushing the wheelchair amidst the traffic in Hanoi. But it was hot and crowded and we were tired. So we stopped after 2.5 hours

Quality of Experience

Food

We had too much at the first stop and couldn’t eat much more after that. Mai was very kind to buy us guava as I love that fruit.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sung Sot Cave - Disembark to Tuan Chau (Hermes Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore More Ha Long Bay & Lan Ha Bay ( Hermes cruise )

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ha Long Bay - Titop Islands (Hermes Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Half Day City Tour & Train Street

Hanoi

Mai was very considerate of our age as she took us around Hanoi. She was also very kind to treat us to coconut drinks while waiting for the train.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Danang City Sites & Ba Na Hills

Vietnam

Tranh showed his strength and ingenuity in maneuvering the wheelchair around Bana Hills especially with the escalators. It was fun to travel with him.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An City Tour – Boat Ride – Release Flower Lantern

Vietnam

Tranh was very good and took very good care of us, especially my brother-in-law. It was doubtful if he could make it on to the boat for the flower lantern. But, he made it with help from all who were there

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Ho Chi Minh city Half Day Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Anh was very helpful and attentive. He took us to a place for lunch which was memorable. Unfortunately, I forgot the name of it. It has a water wheel outside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vietnam was amazing. I loved the people, the food, the culture and history. Our guide was very pleasant and knowledable.