Kimkim Trip Reviews

All the members of my family have been to Japan multiple times, but this trip helped us to deepen our understanding and explore new parts of the country we'd never accessed before. Shona provided wonderful service from planning to booking to helping us to handle unexpected bumps in the road (a member of my party left their passport at a hotel early on, and she was immensely helpful in us getting it back seamlessly and stress free).

A few standout guides/experiences:
Architecture Walking Tour in Omotesando - this was our first formal experience on the trip and set the tone. Yoshi was a passionate, thoughtful, and friendly guide who helped us to understand the architectural treasures hidden in plain sight in this busy neighborhood.

Hidden Gem Food & Whiskey Night Tour near Roppongi - We were staying in Roppongi and didn't realize that there was such an amazing enclave of restaurants so close by. Ellen clearly loves food and this neighborhood, and seeing it through her eyes was very fun. At the end of the night, we ate a meal at the neighborhoo Obaa-chan's restaurant. What a special experience to be in a 4 table restaurant and be served a home-cooked, custom meal from the neighborhood granny!

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Chureito Pagoda & Oishi Park - Really loved spending time with Toru. He helped provide a great background on Japanese history and geography. His enthusiasm for the towns was infectious. It was clear how excited he was to get clear views of Fuji and this made the experience special.

Takayama Full-Day Walking Tour - Miyuki has so much pride and love for Takayama. You could tell based on her description of the annual festival, and the way she would pick up any stray pieces of litter along the way during our tour. That spoke volumes to me about the values of Miyuki and the Japanese people overall. She also pointed us towards her neighborhood restaurant, which was probably the one of the best meal and dining experiences we had during the trip. Still thinking about that Omelette.

Half Day Artisan Tour in Kanazawa - Nozomi was energic, fun, and incredibly well connected in the city. I was impressed with her connection to so many of the artisans of Kanazawa. Impressively, we decided to spend the first part of the tour in the Geisha district, and Nozomi was able to provide a full history and background from memory, without planning. Additionally, she heard we were interested in seafood and pointed us to a very special restaurant to enjoy after the tour, even calling and making a reservation for us. Never would have found that place on our own and I've never seen my dad so happy at a meal.

Hotel Reviews

Hyatt Centric Kanazawa

Kanazawa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located right next to the train station, and next to some amazing restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel, A Pan Pacific Partner Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A little dated compared to our other accommodations on this trip.

Mitsui Garden Hotel Roppongi Tokyo Premier

Tokyo

Right in the heart of Roppongi. Solid breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Honjin Hiranoya Kachoan

Takayama

Wonderful full service Ryokan.

Authenticity & Character

Very authentic Ryokan

Location

Staff

Kind and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were quite large, with multiple rooms.

Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu

Hakone

A wonderful Ryokan experience. There are two different onsens, which alternate between Men and Women each day. We were left slack jawed by the outdoor waterfall and hotspring. Simply magical. Would recommend the buffet meals here - they're quite extensive and quite good.

Authenticity & Character

Top tier onsens

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amazing food on site

Activity Reviews

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Chureito Pagoda & Oishi Park

Tokyo

Really loved spending time with Toru. He helped provide a great background on Japanese history and geography. His enthusiasm for the towns was infectious. It was clear how excited he was to get clear views of Fuji and this made the experience special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hidden Gem Food & Whiskey Night Tour near Roppongi

Tokyo

We were staying in Roppongi and didn't realize that there was such an amazing enclave of restaurants so close by. Ellen clearly loves food and this neighborhood, and seeing it through her eyes was very fun. At the end of the night, we ate a meal at the neighborhoo Obaa-chan's restaurant. What a special experience to be in a 4 table restaurant and be served a home-cooked, custom meal from the neighborhood granny!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Warm, passionate, and very personally connected to the neighborhood

Architecture Walking Tour in Omotesando

Tokyo

This was our first formal experience on the trip and set the tone. Yoshi was a passionate, thoughtful, and friendly guide who helped us to understand the architectural treasures hidden in plain sight in this busy neighborhood. Great experience if you want to practice photography!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our 2025 trip was close to ten months in the planning. Working with Rajat Gupta was fantastic. Rajat was very responsive to our goals and objectives. This trip started with attending a family wedding in Lucknow and expanded to a 37-day adventure around the family function. My wife and I realized we were covering a lot of ground, but we wanted to get a sense of the places we might choose to revisit in the future for a longer period. The trip was customized for just the two of us and all our guides and drivers were wonderful. We felt very safe and in good hands every step of the way.

We especially want to thank our driver Rajinder, who carried us everywhere in the first half of the itinerary. He always had water for us and he was always there waiting for us at every site. We felt like rock stars finding Rajinder with the car door open ready to take us to the next location. We also want to thank Hemant, Rahul, Anu and Kumar for their insight and knowledge. We saw so much and feel fortunate to have experienced the wonders of the region. More UNESCO World Heritage sites than we could ever imagine. And we literally had a trip of trains, planes and automobiles.

The main sites like the Taj Mahal were of course great, but one of our favorite places visited was in Ranakpur. We stopped at the Kumbhalgarh Fort, built in 1443. It took 15 years to complete. This fortress is overwhelming with the second longest wall in the world. Our guide that day introduced us to custard apple fruit bought from a roadside vendor. He made sure it was safe and ripe and it was amazing. That day we also visited the Ranakpur Jain Temple with amazing carved marble throughout supported by 1444 unique pillars and a ton of peace, spirituality and tranquility. We also had one of our best meals at Harmony Restaurant on our way to the Jain Temple. And if you are so inclined, the owner of the restaurant guides nature adventure tours. We were also fortunate to attend the Pushkar Camel Festival. Here's where Rajat did wonders for us. Some friends highly recommended the festival. I chatted with Rajat and he adjusted our itinerary to make it happen.

Another favorite was Nepal. The grandeur of the Himalayas was breathtaking and we were able to see the Annapurna range on a clear morning at sunrise. We also enjoyed the scenic boat ride on Phewa Lake, one of Pokhara’s most iconic attractions. We made our way across the lake to start an 1100 foot hike to the top of the hill leading to the serene Buddhist stupa, perched on high overlooking the valley. Overall, we felt we got the best of everyplace we visited. After our family event, we headed south from Lucknow. Our houseboat experience in Kerala was fantastic and one night was perfect. Finishing off our trip in Mumbai was terrific and High Tea at the Taj Hotel is worth it.

We took three cooking classes on the trip. They were all different in their own way, but we learned a lot about the techniques of Indian and Nepalese cooking. As for the food in general on the trip, we never got tired of the local cuisine...both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. We did have to convince some restaurants to prepare our meals "medium spicy." However some places still gave us mild. We enjoyed many of the curated retail stops, some benefitting local women and children...and other well established family businesses known for their quality.

For those planning to follow in our footsteps, we did learn a few things. The air quality in the big cities of India is pretty bad. My wife and I suffered from upper respiratory issues for the entire trip. Make sure you bring plenty of cold remedies on your journey and wear a mask often when air quality is bad.

Be prepared for flight changes when flying Indigo Airlines. In fact, I would not recommend Indigo. Make sure to check when sites are open. Some are closed on specific days. And ask your guides if you need walking sticks to help with some of the long walks.

Overall, this was an adventure to remember and we will choose KimKim for our future international travel.

I would like to thank and commend Heidi who made my very complicated trip very seamless. I just cannot fault anything . Everything was managed professionally and allowed for flexibility when I wanted to change tickets hotels etc
This trip would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication from
Heidi the best
Xi’an : Shannon she went over and above her guidelines
Chengdu: Ricky thorough entertainer
Chonging : Yudi fun
Zhanziaje : Justin hardworking and dedicated
Shanghai : Shiuli flexible

They ensured that everything was meticulous . This was indeed the most memorable trip made thanks to Heidi and her team
This is my 3rd time using them and I will continue to do so

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hyatt Shanghai

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zhangjiajie Tianmenshan Wyndham Garden Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

ISEYA HOTEL (Chongqing Jiefangbei Flagship)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hyatt Chengdu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sofitel Legend Peoples Grand Hotel Xian

Xi'an

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to Zhujiajiao Old Town

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of Shanghai with Yu Garden and the Bund

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Highlights in Shanghai

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Revel in the Splendor of Zhangjiajie - Huanglong Cave and Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (Including Glass Bridge)

Zhangjiajie

This can be done the same day as the cave and forest

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marvel at the Picturesque Landscape in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tianmen Mountain – Skywalks, Cliff Roads & Heaven’s Gate

Zhangjiajie

Exceptional but very tiring

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Stylish Tour in Chongqing

Chongqing

We didn’t get to do this

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chongqing City Highlights One-Day Tour

Chongqing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shu Feng Ya Yun Sichuan Opera

Chengdu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy a Spicy Sichuan Hotpot Meal

Chengdu

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panda Encounter and People’s Park in Chengdu

Chengdu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Tour of the Treasures of Ancient China: Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and Ancient City Wall

Xi'an

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Xi'an: the Terracotta Army and Muslim Quarter

Xi'an

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Between 2025 December 8th and December 13th, we visited Morocco. During the trip Planning process Majid was very helpful to create a route through the imperial cities of Morocco that fitted our schedule and preferences. The experience of the trip was fantastic. We created amazing memories about Morocco, we were fascinated by their vast culture, their gentle and welcoming people and their astonishing and beautiful cities. Everything runs perfectly. Ismael, our driver during the whole trip, treated us as an old good friend, he filled us up with engaging talks, recommendations about food, curios facts etc. We always felt secure and comfortable. The guides in the different cities were friendly, they looked to us highly prepared for their job, they made it with grace and engaged to communicate the main highlights of each city, building or Medina in order to create an unforgettable experience. The stay on the Riad helps us to make our travel experience closer to Moroccan Culture. We loved it. Finally, we’d like to thank Majid and his team and recommend them to plan your trip to Morocco. Last cue, the weather at this time of the year is fantastic.

We had such an amazing time in Florence and Rome thanks to all the planning that Guilia provided for us. I know that people plan trips themselves, but I am not one of those people. I do not have time or or the patience to book everything separately and thanks to Guilia, I did not have to. I loved having the itinerary right in the app with all the tickets and I love the experiences that she picked out and our private guides in Florence and Rome were so nice and knowledgeable. It was also very reassuring to be able to have someone to message in case there were any issues. For us there were only a few times where I wanted to just check in or ask about something and Guilia and Andrea got back to us right away. As someone with a demanding job and a busy family, I loved this trip because it was so full of activities and free time and recommendations and everything went so smoothly and I didn’t have to plan a thing myself.

Our first trip to Iceland was amazing. Poor Eric, our intrepid kimkim specialist, had to put up with a lot of back-and-forth from us. We travel a lot, so we had plenty of ideas on how we wanted the trip to go. But Eric knew exactly what he was doing and planned an excellent week for us. Every day had a great selection of self-guided tours, and we also added several guided tours (the glacier hike was a highlight). The weather was good for driving, as it mostly rained. We would have had a much harder time if it was snowing or icy. But even with the rain, with proper clothing, it didn't matter (if you ski, you know). Iceland is spectacularly beautiful. Sitting in our home in New York we weren't prepared for how much all the stunning natural beauty would negate the weather and the limited daylight. It honestly didn't matter once we got started on our trip, whether it was raining, freezing, or the wind was howling.

As mentioned, Eric was a great trip planner. He is super responsive and so patient (thank you, Eric!). The only reason I took a star from the overall planning and booking is that the itinerary on the kimkim platform is tricky. The default itin is an overall daily summary, but in order to access information like your car rental, tickets to paid activities, etc, you have to go to a detailed itinerary which all three of us, including our tech savvy 18 year old daughter, found very difficult to access. It is buried in a small tab on the platform's landing page. When we landed in Reykjavik at 6AM and couldn't find our car rental info after an hour, it was hard not to be a little grumpy. But the accommodations were good, especially ending in Reykjavik. Highly recommend taking advantage of the many lagoons after long days of hiking and driving.

Activity Reviews

Sky Lagoon

Iceland

All the lagoons were amazing, and very different. Sky Lagoon is luxurious. The evening we went the wind was howling, the rain was coming down in sheets, and somehow, we still enjoyed the experience. It's a gorgeous setting, and after driving over 5 hours that day, it felt so good to emerge in a hot thermal bath, even with our heads getting beaten by rain.

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

Unfortunately, we found out that ice caves are dependent on the weather. When we went there was only one cave open, and about twenty tour groups waiting to have a turn inside. Once we finally had out turn, our group was allotted ten minutes. BUT, afterwards, we walked the black beach to see the ice flows for an hour and had one of our favorite outings the entire trip.

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

We hiked a glacier! Enough said.

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

We felt like Icelanders here. Very few tourists. Perfect way to end a long day of hiking and driving.

Hien was amazingly patient with me as we planned the iteniary and I made many changes, and each time she made the changes. In the end, the iteniary was perfect for our group.

Hotel Reviews

Wyndham Hoi An Royal Beachfront Resort & Villas

Hoi An

The hotel resort was wonderful, but our hotel room was not great. Compared to our other places, this was more like a three star hotel room. Hot water sometimes didn't work. There were no decorations, and the floors were not comfortable. But the resort and big pool, and location were all great. Breakfast was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

not the friendliest

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lyra Grandeur Cruise

great hotel. Wonderful food and service (Teddy was great!) and wonderful amenities. I wish our stay was longer! We only had one problem: one morning the water didn't work. But it was only for 30 minutes.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Oriental Jade Hotel

Hanoi

This hotel was really great. I think I wish I had asked for a higher room, but other than that, it was perfect. Service was wonderful, beautiful hotel, amazing daily breakfast, perfect locaton.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Evening Teh Dar Show with Dinner

Hoi An

Our least favorite dinner. staff was unfriendly and the food wasn't great. it was the only meal we did not enjoy. The show was just okay. Huan was great, but the dinner and show were only okay.

Hoi An Half-Day Sightseeing

Hoi An

Cam Thanh Cycling & Thanh Dong Organic Farm ( HUT)

Hoi An

the bike ride was really great, but the road she took us on was pretty scary through car traffic with children on bikes.

VIP Fast Track Service

Vietnam

Dark & Bright Cave - Lan Ha Bay - Tuan Chau - Disembarking Lyra Grandeur Cruise

Vietnam

Lan Ha Bay - Frog Lagoon - Onboarding Lyra Grandeur Cruise (D1)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Around the Old Quater by Walking - Afternoon food tour

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

VIP Fast Track Service

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide in Thailand, Mal-ed, was excellent in all aspects of his work. He was thorough in his explanation of history, culture, religion, sites, events, and even understood the nuanced nature of a U.S. sense of humor. On days we had that were not heavily packed with activity, he provided a list of suggestions for things we could see or do including places to eat.

We had a great time in Costa Rica.The Hotels that were booked were great and we had a great time at the hotels.The drivers for the first two legs of the journey were good drivers and the third one-Driver+Guide,Mr.Sergei was a wealth of information and very nice-much appreciated by the group.Adrian,our local contact was awesome with his quick responses and we felt comfortable kowing that some one was available for contact and information locally.I did not think that I would be conatcting him but I did have to do it a couple of times.It worked out perfect-Kusod to him.

I would like to mention a couple of things:
1.The itenerary needed a little more detail in term of description of activity or Hotels and duration of activity with actual times.For eg.The Selvatura tour is a whole day trip that can started anywhere between 8-12:30pm.
2.The Damas island boat tour started at 1:30pm and said Lunch was included but in practice the lunch was not served till after the tour at 5 pm.If we had details,we could have had lunch on our own and skipped their meal which was very very POOR.
3.We are new to rhe country,so exact times of pick up and drop off would have been helpful.

On the whole except for a few little twiks,the trip went well and we felt comfortable and safe with the drivers.Thanks,Elena for planning teh trip.

Hotel Reviews

Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen

San José

Beautiful Premises-wished we had stayed longer

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ecotica

Manuel Antonio

Beautiful location and nice utilization of landscape

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

Beautiful location in Monte Verde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Garden Inn Guanacaste Airport

Liberia

Conveinent for an overnight stay

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Springs Resort

La Fortuna

The OT springs at the Hotel was nice added Bonus!We took full advantage of the spring

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful view of Arenal

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private San José City Tour

San José

I would have liked a planned tour of the most important places to see.He did a good job but it was a little chaotic as he requested what we wanted to see and took us around.However I think he did a great job given the traffic in San Jose!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Damas Island Boat Tour

Manuel Antonio

The tour was called Lunch tour but they did not Provide any food till after teh trip at %pm-food was cold and very poor quality-fish and chicken were dry and rubbery

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

The safest Ziplining so far and the team of six who were with were awesome in watching for safety and helping the group move safely across teh 16 platforms.Wasa great Experience as I felt safe.

Quality of Experience

Food

We had a choice of the Menu and teh staff were curteous and attentive!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Zipling was the safest

Transport

Our trip to Costa Rica was incredible. We were only there for 4 days between Monteverde & Manuel Antonio but our travel agent Elena did a wonderful job making sure those 4 days were memorable. The two hotels she picked were beautiful, clean, and with lovely views. The guides for our activities were all friendly and knowledgeable and we really enjoyed visiting the cloud forest, doing a nighttime wildlife walk, our boat tour, and the trip to Manuel Antonio park. All transportation arrangements were entirely seamless and pickups were timely. I will definitely use KimKim again for future travel needs.

Activity Review

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

The crew on our boat were super friendly and ensured it was a great experience. The boat was spacious and there were only 15 people on board so things didn’t feel crowded. We got a great tour of the western coastline and then enjoyed an hour in the ocean diving, swimming, and snorkeling. The lunch provided was delicious, as were the drinks. I would highly recommend this guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chosing Kimkim was a leap of faith for us. It was our first time using a travel agent. It turned out to be a good decision. Kimkim put us in contact with Minah from Prestigo Asia. Minah's initial proposal was almost ideal. She proposed some destinations that we didn't know about that we decided to include in our itinerary, like Khao Sok National Park and Koh Yao Noi. After giving our feedback we ended up with a great plan.

Once the trip started we were very happy with the hotel selections and the organisation of the guides and transport connections. We were also very happy with the contact number that we could call any time in case of issues. We used it once for a minor issue which was reolved immediately.

We are very happy with Minah's service. We had a great trip and additionally it was good value for money.
Thanks Minah !

My trip was very well organized. Everything like taxi, outdoor activities and hotel was planned perfectly. Lilla was very responsive and flexible to my requests. I am very happy with the trip and would like to reach out again for my next trip.

We had a great trip, my third this year with KimKim. My ONLY feedback is about Naples. Having never been to the area, I did not know how crazy it is!!! I wish we had some advice from our agent to explain what it was like. We might have been better suited closer to Sorento or the coast. Our apartment was amazing, we had a great time and Pompeii was unbelievable, but it was so loud in the City center!! Maybe if our advisor had mentioned this we would have made a different choice BUT, don’t get me wrong we had fun - it just was CRAZY in Naples and our apartment faced the street and it was so loud all night!

Thanks again, KimKim travel!! I recommend you often and you know I’ll be back!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Piazza Bellini & Apartments

Naples

Beautiful hotel and apartment!! We loved that - the location was brutal. It was SO loud, the city center stays awake all night and our apartment faced the street. No sleep in Naples for us!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Loud!!!!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Glam

Rome

Amazing! Clean, roof top bar, everything is in walking distance!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walked everywhere after an amazing hotel breakfast!!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Antiche Figure

Venice

Amazing, great location and included a trip to Murano!! We loved Venice!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the Grand Canal!!! Perfect!

Staff

They were all so nice and helpful!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great hotel and breakfast!

Activity Reviews

Get Inside the Colosseum with Arena Access

Italy

This was amazing - being in the first group in made the day amazing!!!! The sun rose above the colosseum and it was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Testaccio Market: A Local Food Experience

Rome

OMG so delicious and what a great exposure to the food of the area. Amazing day!!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

The food at the market and the lunch - UNREAL!!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Venice: From St. Mark's Basilica to the Doge’s Palace

Venice

We were lucky to be with just us and the guide - amazing!!! We loved our guide, the tour and the history!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Well we didn’t have any!

Venice after Dark: A Cicchetti & Wine Experience

Venice

This was so fun - we were exhausted from traveling but this tour showed us the side of Venice we wanted to see!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Overall excellent trip

Nara did an excellent job and was always present and very responsive.

The staff at the hotel patagonia pristine was excellent

the guide Armand and driver. Juan in Patagonia were excellent too.

Instead of booking a large, generic group tour with fixed dates, rushed schedules, and little flexibility, I wanted something more personal for my first solo trip to Japan—and Kimkim delivered exactly that. Being able to choose my own dates and have a completely customized itinerary was exactly what I was looking for.

My local specialist, Leny, really took the time to understand who I am and what I wanted out of this trip. Over several weeks, we worked together to create a thoughtful, well-paced daily itinerary. I could choose from hotels that matched my style and budget, a mix of private and small-group tours in areas I wanted to explore, the foods I was excited to eat, and the sights I didn’t want to miss. Everything was well organized, including realistic travel time between locations, which made the trip feel smooth and stress-free.

Leny’s expertise, planning, recommendations, and patience made this trip truly exceptional and memorable. Every tour she arranged was fantastic—none were canceled, and all of the guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely enthusiastic. Some personal highlights included the 5-hour Tsukiji, Akihabara & Asakusa Highlights Tour, Best of Shibuya Food Tour, Dinner with a Maiko in Kyoto (which unexpectedly turned into a private dinner with a Geisha!), the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & Garden walking tour, Kyoto’s Nijo Castle and Imperial Palace tour, and the All-Star Food Tour in Ginza.

One of the most valuable parts of the experience was knowing that Leny or someone on her team was always available if I needed help. I received daily reminders of the next day’s plans along with any tickets or vouchers, which was reassuring. Her real-time communication and spot-on recommendations for restaurants, shops, souvenirs, and museums were invaluable. Even when something didn’t go as planned, Leny and her team jumped into action, kept me informed, and resolved the issue with a solution that ended up being even better than the original plan. And when I got lost in Japan’s train stations many times, her team’s patience and guidance made all the difference.

Even though this was a solo trip, I felt like I had a supportive team behind me. Next time, I plan to bring my two teenage daughters to Japan, and I will absolutely be using Kimkim again to plan that trip.

As someone who usually researches and plans their own trips and sets up all the things (hotels, day trip passes, transportation, sightseeing itinerary), this was a different approach for me but one for which I am very thankful. Brazil is an incredible country, but as a tourist, there are safety issues to be aware of in some places and the language barrier is real (Google translate helps, sure, but there is nothing like an actual local guide who doubles as a translator).

I went "hybrid" with this Kim Kim experience: I researched what we wanted to see, then handed it off to Federico to bring it to fruition. He did all the itinerary plans and reservations, including setting up the day trips we wanted - some of a quality we could not have set up on our own (historic coffee farm tour, for one - which you can do through day trip companies but are better with genuine local connections). We still got to weigh in on what we wanted to do, but not getting in the weeds with reservations and the itinerary was heaven for a busy professional (or others short on time) and was very reasonable for the level of care and service provided.

We had a local guide with us every day (Alberto was amazing in Rio and Joao Luiz in Foz was great!), along with reliable drivers and a couple of other guides who were all wonderful. Kim Kim works with a local tour agency there, and they were always a text away if we had questions. The only snafu we had was a driver who was late picking us up for dinner and a show, but the local tour company owner showed up in person to apologize and bring us some bubbly to make good :) Noting, it was great to not be with a large tour group the whole trip; the only time we were with others was on a boat excursion, which made it fun in that case.

Going back to Alberto, what a fascinating, knowledgeable man! We loved his level of historical and local knowledge - made the trip so educational - and he has the patience of Job when you are out with him. Appreciated his being attentive to our needs and safety but allowing us to meander around shopping and seeing the sites at our own speed. Top notch! Likewise, Joao Luiz is so kind and attentive - he's a speed warrior, so we had to slow him down at times, but thanks to him we saw more of Iguazu Falls than we would have ever seen otherwise, and we loved that he pointed out all the birds, animals, and best views! He made going from Brazil to Argentina and back so easy - even walked us up to the counter at the airport on the way back to Rio - and was very accomodating in moving activities around to maximize the weather (as were Alberto and Benni in Rio!).

That is another win for KimKim, by the way. Rio's weather is fickle, but because the guides have vouchers rather than hard tickets like we would have purchased for specific times/dates, we were able to flex days around the best times to see Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, the Bird Park in Foz, etc. and go to the Botanical Gardens and other activities the days when it was overcast, foggy or drizzly. HUGE perk and one that allowed us to see everything we wanted!

Federico was good to work with me on hotels. He provided suggestions, some of which we took, but also booked the other hotels we requested. Same with working around a couple of other activities we booked directly (like a cooking class and beach day). Again, Kim Kim is good to accomodate and work with you, and I found it very reasonable for the service and level of attention you receive. Our many thanks to Federico and Kim Kim, their local partner tour company in Brazil, and our wonderful drivers (we loved Ricardo!) and outstanding tour guides (Alberto, Joao Luiz, Benni!) for making the trip such a terrific experience! I will definitely use KimKim again!

Our bucket list trip to Morocco ranks as one of our best vacations ever,
thanks in large part to kimkim’s impeccable planning and attention to detail.
After choosing kimkim from a wide field based on their highly favorable
reviews and reasonable rates, we exchanged several messages that
culminated in a Zoom call to discuss our interests and personalize our
travel plans. Our expert travel consultants Maryem and Habiba drafted and
then modified our Imperial City tour several times to meet our specific
desires. The entire trip went off smoothly, starting from our pickup at the
airport to the dropoff at our final hotel nine days later. Our driver Omar
exceeded our expectations. We spent a week with him traversing Morocco
and parted as good friends by the trip’s end. Omar was an excellent guide,
as well as an experienced driver. He was very knowledgeable about the
history of his country and great at taking us to many of the under-the-radar
spots that were not overrun with tour buses. Omar was very polite and
gracious and attentive to our needs. He is a great conversationalist but
would also allow us quiet time to relax and nap, as we spent many hours in
the van with him. The hotels we stayed in were top end, some oozing old
world-charm and others worthy of a spread in Architectural Digest. Our
local guides in Fes, Rabat, and Marrakech provided excellent insider tours
both within and outside of Morocco’s ancient medinas.

This was a fantastic trip and a great introduction to Mexico. Our initial trip plan from Charlotte was full of great activities and suggestions as a way to get to know Mexico City and Oaxaca and every activity built on the other to learn the culture and history.

Each day had a thoughtful activity or plan, but it was never overwhelming. The walking tours with private guides helped illuminate more of the history and gave us a different perspective on the rich culture of Mexico City and Oaxaca. Our Mexico City driver, Sr. Roberto, had a great sense of humor and patience as he helped get us around a large and overwhelming city. Some other highlights of our tour were our bicycle ride through Mexico City with our guide Raul, tasting different foods and seeing new neighborhoods on two wheels; visiting the Museum of Archaeology; the hot air balloon ride and visiting the pyramids of Teotihuacan; kayaking the canals in Xochimilco; and this was just in Mexico City!

Oaxaca was also a gem and one of the highlights was the day spent doing a cooking class with our chef Gerardo. He picked us up, took us to a local market, where we learned about the food and bought what was needed to cook a delicious authentic meal, and then spent the afternoon at his kitchen preparing and eating a delicious meal. We also enjoyed the two days of historical tours with our drivers and guide Ede, where we saw other historical and archaeological treasures of the Oaxaca region. We enjoyed visiting the various artisans, including the painters, the potters, and weavers who all used unique methods to make beautiful treasures.

KimKim and Charlotte did a great job of selecting hotels that were unique (especially the Sauve Casa Boutique in Oaxaca--what a great place!) and putting us in locations where we could also go on walks without needing to get in a car. We got good recommendations for meals and food, things to do, and the whole trip was seamless. We felt completely safe and taken care of and had such a good time. Thank you for a memorable vacation!

Hotel Reviews

Sauvé Casa Boutique

Oaxaca

Great central location; amazingly clean; unique room; lovely central courtyard; delicious complementary breakfast. It was also very loud at this hotel, but no surprise given the central location. They did acknowledge the noise with the included ear plugs. :)

Authenticity & Character

Historical and lovely representation of Oaxacan architecture.

Location

Central and easy to get everywhere.

Staff

Super helpful, friendly, went out of their way to help us feel welcome.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, lovely, smelled fresh and so beautiful

Casa Decu

Mexico City

Convenient and lovely location in the historic Condesa neighborhood. The bathroom was a bit small, and the hotel was on a noisy street, but that seems to be an unavoidable part of Mexico City. We loved the Art Deco neighborhood and style of the hotel. It was very comfortable and we would stay there again!

Authenticity & Character

Art deco style and rooftop terrace that felt tucked away yet in the middle of everything

Location

So convenient and easy to just go outside and walk around.

Staff

The front desk folks were amazing and the doorman was so congenial.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed was a little uncomfortable and the bathroom sink was so small! Otherwise, clean and lovely.

Activity Reviews

Hierve el Agua – Mitla – Teotitlán del Valle - Tule Tree - Mezcal Testing

Oaxaca

Guide Ede was fantastic. Seeing the different locations on this day was a great way to end the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monte Alban - San Antonio Arrazola - Cuilapam de Guerrero - San Bartolo Coyotepec

Oaxaca

Monte Alban was a complete surprise and lovely. Not a site we knew we would visit, but even more meaningful after seeing the other ruins and sites. Our driver was awesome, and our guide Ede was captivating and engaging.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class - Oaxaca

Oaxaca

Absolutely a highlight. The market was a unique experience that would have been very intimidating without a guide. We tried and made foods that were authentic and delicious. Chef Gerardo's house/kitchen was so inviting and lovely. We really enjoyed our day!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Oaxaca (city tour)

Oaxaca

The tour guide gave us so much insight into the history of the area. He was energetic and a lot of fun. We liked learning about the ancient water systems, the cathedrals and history of the Catholic church in Mexico, and trying Oaxacan ice creams/ices.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Tacos & Cantinas

Mexico City

Tried a variety of different tacos in places we would have never experienced.

Quality of Experience

Food

Trying things we would have never thought to try (tripe, cheek, ear!, those fried cheese tacos that were awesome)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Teotihuacan site with and English speaking guide

Mexico

Our guide Isabel was so knowledgeable and helpful and really brought the site to life. The pyramids and ruins were overwhelming, but we got a history that made it attainable. Definitely bring a hat! I forgot to do that and it was very bright.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot air balloon ride over Teotihuacan

Mexico City

Magical and such a unique experience. Yes, it was touristy, but I can see why. Our balloon pilot was so skilled and it felt like we were in great hands.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lucha libre in Mexico city

Mexico City

Super fun, great seats, and a really unique experience. I would have never picked this activity but am so glad we got to go! What a spectacle!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike Tour : Mexico Is Not Only Tacos

Mexico City

Our guide Raul was amazing! He was everybody's friend and knew the side streets, street vendors, and best places to try different food. We covered a ton of ground and got to see so much of the Condesa and Roma North neighborhoods. This day was definitely a highlight!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayak tour in the canals of Xochimilco (Sunrise or Sunset)

Mexico

Magical experience. Our driver/kayak guide was fantastic and so energetic. We got to see things I would have never seen on this trip. What a surprising experience, delicious breakfast, and really interesting.

Quality of Experience

Absolutely the guide. He was awesome. So fun, great information, and a real sense of adventure.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private car with driver (Spanish speaking ) and english speaking guide

Mexico City

The driver and the guide were both fantastic! The driver knew Mexico City well and made it a real adventure getting around. Our guide had so much knowledge and information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City walking tour and National Museum of Anthropology

Mexico City

Our guide was amazing. He was so knowledgeable! My only complaint was that it just wasn't enough time to see the whole Museum. We need five days to really see everything, and so much would have been good to revisit after the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was patient, skilled, and really got us around!

Transport

I am a planner at my core and it was a huge leap of faith to trust someone else to plan the details of my solo trip. Cory exceeded my expectations and delivered an amazing experience in Japan. Cory optimized my long wish list of to dos with enough structure and flexibility to accommodate the unexpected. It was in that flexibility that provide me the opportunity to linger in a bookstore just a little bit longer, or pop into a small local coffee roaster and chat with the owner and learn about the beans he roasted on site and even met his mother who popped in - magic truly occurs in the moments between breaths. And the guides Cory partners with are such amazing people, each of them made the trip so special.

Cory’s in country support continued to provide the level of attention and care that she is known for. No trip or event is flawless but knowing that Cory was there to help solve for those unplanned situations made the trip so much better. I ended up having a few questions and a late train change request that Cory quickly responded to and managed for me - allowing for a seamless experience.

I absolutely cannot wait to go back with my family and work with Cory again. I recommend Cory, with absolute confidence, to partner with you on your trip to Japan.

Costa Rica is an interesting country. We stayed in Nayara, Hotel Belmar and Cala Luna resorts so we experienced rainforests, cloud forests and the Pacific. Kat organized a trip around our interests, but driving from point A to point B was only for locals - the roads were typically in poor shape, two lanes and lots of ruts, so we were glad we had a driver instead of our own car. We also enjoyed the transfer time by observing the countryside that we wouldn't normally have seen. Miguel drove us to Nayara, a 3 hr + ride and he handled a detour skillfully while answering the many questions I had about the country. Nayara is so verdant and brimming with natural elements_ pools, natural springs and wildlife. A coati visited us on our patio one afternoon! First-class rooms, amenities and food. Every restaurant showed careful consideration of my food allergies. Massages by Alejandra and Erika were excellent. We would return to Nayara!
Hotel Belmont in the cloud forest (ironically, sunny every day!). The main part of the hotel was old but updated. We had a great view of the Pacific nearly 40 miles away. We enjoyed the cuisine at their restaurant and ate every meal there to be assured we had potable food and water. We shopped at many quaint shops in the town area with regional handmade items. At night we chose the guided Children's Eternal Rainforest walk. Our guide, Alum pointed out many nocturnal animals, birds and insects. Cala Luna resort in Tamarindo was next. While we were very near the Pacific we couldn't see it. The beach was full of enormous, slippery rocks making walking impossible. The nearby public beach (a drive) was crowded, so we stayed away. A shout out to Harvey and Carla at the restaurant, and the masseuses Caroleena and Silbeea, although the spa was near the road, so we heard traffic. The pool was lovely and void of guests, although my chair broke and fell to the ground and no employee noticed. Since we booked late, Kat was told the only room available was a three-bedroom home which was very expensive and it wasn't special at all. Tamarindo is very hot and humid. Kat only contacted us once during the trip...we've had Kim Kim guides text daily. Costa Rica is a mixed bag, but the people we encountered were lovely and appreciated us trying our very limited Spanish.

Activity Reviews

Nighttime Pacific Green Turtle Nesting Experience

Costa Rica

We have seen baby turtles leave their nests to travel to the ocean before, but never seen the mothers come directly to the beach to dig a hole and make a nest in the sand. This time, in total darkness, we saw several mothers come to the beach ready to lay their eggs. While exciting, Christian used red light for us to watch the mothers dig for over 45 minutes before they decided the sand was too wet and marched back into the sea to look for more favorable conditions. Again, it's nature so Christian could not have predicted it, but we were all disappointed. We had ample time to view the vast sky with stars, which was peaceful.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mangrove & Estuary Safari by Boat

Tamarindo

Aside from getting up very early, this experience was very interesting. Our guide Juan Carlos was excellent and gave us a "lecture" about the importance of the estuary and what we might see. We did, in fact see crocodiles, monkeys and many birds. Our promised "snack" was a large piece of very fresh pineapple that Juan Carlos sliced perfectly with his machete!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eternal Rainforest Night Walk

Monteverde

Our guide, Alum was very helpful in pointing out nightlife, when possible. There were only four in our group that night. We saw several birds but mostly insects....the finale was a tarantula that lives in a hollow log. I can't blame the guide for not seeing more wildlife and he did his best to find what he could. I love the story of how the Eternal Rainforest was initiated, but I'll leave that story for the next visitor to hear.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport