Baltic Nature Travel

Our family recently had the privilege of working with Valdis as both our travel planner and guide for what became the most significant, symbolic, and memorable trip of our lives—a family heritage discovery journey through Latvia. Valdis brought Latvia to life for our family in a way we will never forget.

From the very beginning, he thoughtfully prepared an itinerary that balanced cultural highlights with deeply personal experiences. He went out of his way to make phone calls and track down historical places in the countryside—sites that were far off the beaten path—so we could walk the same roads our ancestors once did. Because of his dedication, we were able to visit the towns our relatives grew up in, stand in the schools they attended, and step into the very churches where they were married. These moments were profoundly moving and would not have been possible without his diligence and care.

Beyond the heritage aspect, Valdis ensured that every detail of our journey was seamless. He arranged impeccable accommodations, comfortable transport, and found us the most wonderful driver, Aldis, whose skill, kindness, and courtesy elevated the entire experience. Both Valdis and Aldis were not only professional, conscientious, and gracious at every turn, but they quickly became trusted companions—friends we now consider part of our extended family.

We could not recommend Valdis more highly. For anyone seeking assistance or guidance in their travels to Latvia or across the Baltics, we would absolutely recommend him, I would choose him 100 times over. His passion, knowledge, and personal touch transformed our trip into something truly unforgettable.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga

Riga

Simply outstanding

Authenticity & Character

Stunning building, inside and out.

Location

Central and close to everything!

Staff

Impeccable service!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfection

Promenade Hotel

Liepaja

Eclectic building and rooms. Incredible location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Historical Canal Boat Tour

Riga

Visit Aizpute and Pērbone

Aizpute

Valdis took time and researched for us and made phone calls ahead of time so we were able to visit the cemetery our family is in, near my grandfathers home site, visit and stand in the school my grandfather attended, and see the town he grew up in.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Riga

Riga

Valdis greeted us at the airport and he and Aldis swiftly transported us to our hotel. Valdis gave us insights on the way, reviewed our week ahead, escorted us into our hotel for registration, made sure we were comfortable and allowed us to get settled in.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Departure from Riga | Private transfer to the airport

Riga Int. Airport (RIX)

The hardest part of our trip was saying goodbye to Latvia, Valdis and Aldis.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Museum of the Occupation of Latvia Tour

Riga

This was a very thoughtful and moving experience for our family since it relates to our family history. So grateful Valdis included this in our itinerary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit Dzukste

Džūkstes pagasts

Once again, Valdis took the time early on in our planning of the trip to map out and research important areas of our families history and places locally to visit. We were able to walk the grounds and see the church my grandparents were married in, the post office my great grandfather worked in, and the town my grandmother grew up in. This was the last bit of our journey together.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free day in Riga

Riga

Old Town is a gem of an area to explore and get to know. We also enjoyed a drive to Valguma Pasquale to experience the Barefoot Trail, a quaint lunch and exploring Jūrmala on the drive back to Riga - with a walk on the beach!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gauja National Park Tour

Latvia

Such a beautiful part of Latvia - not to be missed. We had time and were able to experience the Latvian Bobsled Track as well, in addition to the Sigulda Castle Complex, Turaida Castle and Gutmann Cave.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transport

Latvia

Aldis was nothing short of amazing. He and Valdis are quite the team!! They truly made magic happen for our family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Liepaja city sighseeing tour

Liepaja

It was so thoughtful of Valdis to include this tour for our visit to Liepaja. It helped set the stage for a better understanding of its place in history and enjoying its beauty and all it has to offer today.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

JOHN Restaurant

Riga

A must do in Riga. Staff was superb!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Riga walking tour

Riga

We saw and learned about everything from architecture to museums to everything in between that makes Riga the vibrant gem of a city it is. Topped it off with a historical boat ride on the canal through the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Sailboat trip on a real Fisher's Ship and Fish Grill Bar with dinner

Liepaja

This was such a thoughtful and most impactful experience we shared in Latvia. To sail the waters our family did, and to watch the most beautiful sunset was emotional and moving in a way we will never forget. So happy to have shared the experience with Valdis and Aldis, and thank you to Janis and the crew for the most unforgettable night of our lives :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transport

Latvia

Aldis is the best!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was fantastic thanks to the expert planning of kimkim's local specialist - Valdis, and our INCREDIBLE guide, Tomas. From a planning perspective, working with Valdis made organizing and planning our trip simple and easy, especially since he took care of almost all the details and was sure to incorporate our group needs/preferences into the itinerary planning. He also was responsive to changes in our itinerary when we decided to extend a day because we were enjoying our trip so much! Valdis was excellent at building a trip that was easy to take, easy to enjoy, and easy to relax on!

Most importantly though, Valdis chose an excellent guide to show us around Lithuania. Our guide Tomas went above and beyond to ensure our trip was a 10/10 experience. From a professional perspective, Tomas was an extremely thorough and effective guide. He was able to teach us so much about Lithuania and all that we were seeing and he showcased his extensive knowledge by being flexible with our interests and itinerary. Tomas also went above and beyond to acclimate us to every area we went to, having not only knowledge of the history and legacy, but also of great places to eat and locals only tips for seeing the best parts of the cities we visited. On a personal level, we really enjoyed spending time with Tomas on our trip! He was friendly, kind and a joy to have with us. His company on our trip was a highlight for the group! We could not have imagined a more perfect guide for us.

Hotel Reviews

Neringa Hotel

Vilnius

Great hotel! Modern, sleek and comfortable! A highlight was the breakfast and the rooftop terrace. Perfect location for anyone visiting Vilnius.

Authenticity & Character

Sleek, modern, comfortable hotel with great rooftop bar.

Location

Perfect walking distance to Old Town and main government sites.

Staff

Staff was friendly, professional and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hotel Siauliai

Siauliai

Really enjoyed our stay at this hotel! In a quiet part of town just off of the city park -- making it a relaxing place to stay! We loved the breakfast and the hotel amenities, including the sauna! Rooms were comfortable, clean and spacious. A really relaxing hotel with great service and comfort. Of note is that there is no elevator and there are many stairs -- it was no problem for our group, but could be for others.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Daugirdas Old City

Kaunas

Nice hotel with comfortable rooms! The rooms are a bit outdated but very spacious and comfortable. Great location once construction in the main square is finished.

Authenticity & Character

Location

There is construction in the main square that made it not as desirable, but when it is complete this hotel will be in the perfect location!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

National Hotel

Klaipeda

Great hotel! Comfortable rooms and friendly staff. Love the made to order breakfast and full buffet that is included. Location is also great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

The Curonian Spit tour

Neringa

By far one of our favorite days of the trip! Would not skip this excursion and would even go back to stay on the spit for longer. We really enjoyed exploring the diverse landscape, learning about the traditions of the spit, and enjoying the nature.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We did a one-week tour of Lithuania in early May 2025, including Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Palanga, and Siaulou. Our guide Tomas was very knowledgeable, pleasant, patient and polite. He was also a good driver. My background is partly Lithuanian and Tomas listened to my family stories, helped me translate and understand some letters and documents from the early 20th century, and connected those to things he showed us during the trip. He has a good understanding of Lithuanian history and speaks excellent English. The hotels were very nice and the vehicle was sufficient. We thoroughly enjoyed Lithuania. The country is beautiful and clean, affordable and safe. We did not have a single bad meal. I highly recommend this company and this tour of Lithuania.

These are the only places on earth where eastern and western architecture can now meet in harmony. The architecture tells a social history translated into excellent English on this tour! The hotels were clean, comfortable, and safe. The food was outstanding as well, I only wish I had more time!

Overall we had a good trip. The private guides were all amazing! At times things felt a bit disjointed but our trip coordinator Ieva made herself available via WhatsApp so we could coordinate.

My wife and I had a wonderful time visiting Lithuania with the help of our guide Grazina. She was very knowledgeable about the places we visited, several of which were 'off the beaten path'. Also, our local specialist Ieva arranged local guides for other places we visited such as the Open Air Museum of Lithuania, my grandfather's village Zemaiciu Naumeistas, and the city of Kleipeda.

My cousin and I had a great experience in Lithuania! Our tour guide Minda was fantastic and made the trip a special experience for us. We called him our Guardian Angel. As we drove or walked he gave us such great historical and cultural information just as we wanted. He felt like a friend or relative and was so comfortable to spend time with. We highly recommend him.

Leva did a great job helping us with our itinerary. I told her some places we wanted to go and the types of experiences we were looking for and she organized it perfectly for us. When I asked for some changes or soecial requirements like air conditioning she came through. Our only disappointment was not finding Kugelis! We found a dish that was very close though and enjoyed all of our meals. I will recommend Leva and Kimkimtravel to my fellow travelers!