Kateryna Garkavenko

Our trip to Scotland was magical. Kate was very attentive, always quick to respond with questions and to offer alternatives to the itinerary. The pace was perfect and we hit every sight we wanted to see, with the exception of Nessie, she was not in view the day we were at Loch Ness!

Eridon was exceptional as a driver/guide. He drove us to Portree and made a few stops en route that were not on the itinerary, places that he thought we'd like, and we did! It was a long day, but one of the best ones. He was lovely and very knowledgable.

All the hotels were great, but Taransay House stood out. Our stay there included breakfast and dinner each night and the food was delicious. The rooms were immaculate and very spacious and comfortable but what stood out the most is how hospitable Murdo and his family are, he was there at the door to greet us upon arrival and we immediately felt like old friends. He helped us with mapping out routes, and finding a driver for us, by calling in a favor, when he learned that we had no transportation reserved.

As a note - in many of the more remote places in Scotland, Uber is not available and taxis need to be reserved (well) in advance. We didn't understand this and were caught out more than once when there was no transportation available. It would have been better (and easier) for us to have that done in advance, whether by Kate or on our own, as it was a bit stressful on the day to learn that we couldn't move forward with our plans due to lack of transportation.

Hotel Reviews

Virgin Hotels Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Fabulous location, right on "Diagon Alley" and walking distance to everything in Edinburgh. The staff was very helpful and very welcoming. Rooms were comfortable and clean.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Taransay House, Small Hotel

Portree

Taransay House is a gem. Only four rooms, run by a family, includes breakfast and dinner. We have stayed at 5 star resorts all over the world, and Taransay House is on par. The rooms are immaculate, large and very comfortable, and the food is wonderful. The family that runs it are very special, we felt welcome immediately and when our stay was over, I didn't want to leave. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to the center of Portree, overlooking a waterway.

Staff

Murdo and Scott are fantastic!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Prestonfield House

Edinburgh

What a special experience! We felt like we had stepped back in time to another, more civilized, era, but with all the modern amenities and comforts.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Edinburgh: Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour

Edinburgh

Even my husband, who is not a Potter fan, thought this was so much fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kate from KimKim connected us with drivers and guides that were just good people with local knowledge and an interest in helping us have a positive experience. Numerous times during our trip, my wife and I commented that the support from Kate made this a comfortable and stress free trip.

Hotel Reviews

Cameron house

Lovely property and welcoming staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inverlochy Castle Hotel

Fort William

Our time here was impacted by a major wind and rain storm. The staff rose to the occasion and did their best to pamper us and help make it a positive staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Views are amazing.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marmalade Hotel

Portree

Nice property in a very convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk staff was not overly friendly. All other employees at the property were great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

River Ness Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals

Inverness

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel du Vin & Bistro Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Unique property, in a good sense.

Location

Staff

Wonderful welcoming staff. Made us feel like we were appreciated.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Holyrood Distillery Tour

Edinburgh

Was looking for a whiskey tour. This tour focused more on their other distilled spirits. Was not a fan of their whiskey.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Talisker Distillery

Scotland

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Inverness Walking Tour

Scotland

Our guide was knowledgeable and engaging.

Explore Glen Affric, Culloden, and Clava Cairns Tour

Inverness

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Edinburgh Old Town Tour

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Vaults Tour

Edinburgh

If you have limited time, don’t think this needs to be a priority.

Quality of Experience

Probably the least favorite guide we had while in Scotland.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip went smoothly overall and all of our accommodations and private guides were exceptional. Shawna did a fabulous private tour of Old Town Edinburgh with us. She recommended a wonderful place to eat in Old Town and we ended up eating there again on our last day when we returned to Edinburgh for our flight home the next day.

We had an issue with Ian, our driver (son of Brian of BW taxis) on our transfer to Inverness from Portree-he didn't seem to know where he was supposed to take us and insisted that he had let you know that he could not do Culloden, Cairngorms and Clava Cairns on the same day ; I let Kateryna know and she fixed the issues promptly (on a Sunday!) and arranged for a driver on Monday who was outstanding (Jim). He and Kateryna made sure that we were able to do the activities that we were supposed to do on Sunday even though it made a very long day for both Jim and ourselves. (It was almost dark and we were the only ones left when we left the Culloden battlefield!) If the driver on Sunday had followed the itinerary we would have been able to see all the places on our itinerary before it became so late. I would suggest that you do not use ian again. Constantine, our driver from Edinburgh to Loch Lomond was very accommodating - he stopped at Balloch Castle and took us into Luss. Our driver from Loch Lomond to Portree (Eri) was also great. The driver who picked us up at the airport did not meet us in the airport as we expected but sent me a WhatsApp video of where we should go to find him. We weren't able to follow his directions very well and he had to come and find us after all. I understand that he was not supposed to leave his car in the place that he had parked but this disconcerted us as it was the first thing we encountered upon our arrival.

Kateryna's suggested activities were perfect for us! We were able to see a lot in the 9 days that we were there. We ended up doing the Mary King's Close tour on the last day that we were in Edinburgh which was not something that we booked with you. It really was a spectacular 9 days. The only other thing I want to mention (I've mentioned this to Kateryna) is that we have used agencies for several other international trips in the past and we have always been able to view a detailed list of expenses for drivers, hotels and excursions. I'm not sure why you do not wish to make this information available to your travelers but my husband prefers this transparency. Even though Kateryna did a wonderful job for us, he would be hesitant to use your services in the future for this reason.

Hi Kateryna,
Our trip to England was wonderful and you were great, responding very quickly to our texts and emails, and making the adjustments we requested. Our guides, Chris, our Black Cab driver in London, and Ulrich in Bath, were so knowledgeable and fun. Loved our hotels, very quaint and comfortable (especially The Manor, I'd like to live there forever). Enjoyed our diverse itinerary and the great transportation between town, especially our train ride.
Thank you so much for making this trip perfect.

Our trip to England was incredible! Kate truly listened to our interests and crafted the perfect itinerary—blending city highlights, countryside charm, and small-town experiences. In just one week, we visited palaces, farmhouses, and ancient Roman baths, and got a real feel for England’s rich history and culture. All of the travel arrangements were seamless—drivers were punctual and friendly, and our tours were fantastic. The Black Cab tour with Chris was fun and informative, and the walking tour of Bath with Ulrich brought the city’s history and architecture to life. Every hotel was spot on for our group of three. Our favorite was the Manor House in Castle Combe—beautiful, comfortable, and topped off with a lovely afternoon tea. Kate was thoughtful, organized, and so easy to work with. I highly recommend her to anyone planning a trip to England—she made our vacation unforgettable!

We had a very exciting and informative trip. All of the guides were professional, personable and exhibited enthusisam when sharing details and history of the places we visited. My only disappointment was with the bus trip to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath. We arrived before the castle was open to visitors and were among the first people to enter. There was not sufficient time to enjoy the tour of the castle. I felt as though I was racing through the various rooms in order to make it back to the bus for the next segment of our trip. I would suugest taking a train to Windsor in order to have more time and not try to cram that much into the day.

Hotel Review

Great Scotland Yard Hotel

London

Comfortable and quiet environment. Staff was very pleasant. Breakfast service in the Parlour was questionable in terms of service and competence of some of the staff. Management did their best to compensate for the poor performance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

Jack was fun and very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tower of London Beefeater Welcome & Crown Jewels

London

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Royal London Tour: Changing of the Guard and More

London

Delianne was a delight and a wealth of knowledge. She shared many interesting stories about architecture, gas streetlights, the Royal Guard and the royals.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stonehenge and Windsor Castle from London

London

Too rushed. Not sufficient time to enjoy Windsor Castle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and Tour

London

Excellent guides. They provided a wheelchair for my husband. Very informative presentation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tasting Menu at Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay at The Savoy Hotel

London

A truly memorable dining experience. Both the staff and the food were excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cotswolds Private Tour

England

John made us feel at home immediately. We enjoyed spending the day with him. Taking us to the gravesite of Winston Churchill was an unexpected surprise. He also shared many details of the Cotswolds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We chose Kim Kim because the initial questionnaire was an excellent way to describe our wants. Kateryna then took that information to present a very good initial plan. She worked with us to modify the plan to our final liking. She was top notch all the way, i cannot applaud her enough.

When we arrived at LHR our driver was not there to pick us up. Thinking “oh no”, i began to try to and find out what to do next when i received a text that a replacement driver was on his. What started out as a negative turned into a positive because your team was on top of the situation. Bravo!

I am going to send Kate more info about specific experiences, but it is worth noting that our black cab guides Jack and John were wonderful as was Delianne for our walking tour. Also, the Restaurant 1890 dinner was an unforgettable experience. Wimbledon was an extraordinary tour and experience! And, we really enjoyed the (long) day in Cotswold.

We didn’t get much out of the Tower of London tour - the line to see the Crown Jewels was so long it was essentially prohibitive for me because of my walking/standing limitations. If i had it to do again, i would skip the Stonehenge/Windsor Castle/Bath tour. Stonehenge wasn’t worth the trip in a crowded bus. We had way too little time at Windsor Castle. And while Bath was a nice city, again I’m not sure worth the trip. Having it to do over i would skip Stonehenge (pictures and write ups cover it nicely) and Bath and i would take a train to Windsor Castle and spend much more time there. I have seen Phantom twice in NYC and once in Toronto and. while enjoyable, i felt the London production was somewhat scaled back from those shows.

Hotel Review

Great Scotland Yard Hotel

London

First class hotel. Location was superb! Accommodations were very comfortable. Service was excellent. Front desk was a little confrontational. Restaurants were not exceptional, but very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything with good transportation options.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

Our guide, Jack, was very knowledgeable and fun. I wish i had asked to see Abbey Road.

Tower of London Beefeater Welcome & Crown Jewels

London

Beefeater group was too large. I couldn’t stand in the very long line to see the Crown Jewels.

Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and Tour

London

We learned so much and had a very enjoyable time. They were gracious about letting me use a wheelchair to avoid the walking.

The Royal London Tour: Changing of the Guard and More

London

Delianne was a delight and we learned a lot while having an enjoyable time. She was particularly cooperative about my walking limitations.

Stonehenge and Windsor Castle from London

London

See my earlier review.

Tasting Menu at Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay at The Savoy Hotel

London

A lifetime memory. The food was very nice. the presentation and service were exceptional.

Cotswolds Private Tour

England

Highly informative and enjoyable tour. John, our guide was very good about accommodating us throughout the day. It took us 11 hours but was well worth it . Being there is like stepping back in time!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport