Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our guide Zane Matthews was superb — he was extremely knowledgeable about Cape Town’s history and culture, was extremely accommodating in satisfying our every wish, had excellent suggestions for our free time, and was a very safe and courteous driver.

Our time at Thabamati Safari Camp in Timbavati game reserve was especially memorable. Delicious food, beautiful accommodations, super guides and trackers, especially Brett, and our hostess Courtne was especially warm and hospitable.

Our recent trip to Ireland and Scotland was spectacular, and we owe so much of our fulfilling experience to the meticulous planning by Aleksandra at Kimkim. Traveling as a group of four, we loved the high-paced, fun-filled itinerary that allowed us to truly immerse ourselves in the local cultures.
Highlights
If we were to adjust our schedule, we would spend one day less in Dublin and add that extra day to Killarney, as we absolutely loved the charm of the countryside and small towns. The Ring of Kerry was excellent, and Blarney Castle made for a fantastic half-day excursion. In Scotland, the Isle of Skye was truly spectacular, and securing tickets for the Jacobite train in Fort William was a major highlight.
The Kimkim Difference
Aleksandra’s service was impeccable. She handled all train bookings, reserved seating, walking tours, and airport transfers, and even checked us in for our flights from Cork to Glasgow.
Expert Local Knowledge: Hiring John as our private driver for three days in Scotland was one of the best decisions we made. His historical insights and insider knowledge regarding stops and logistics were invaluable.
Proactive Care: Aleksandra stayed in constant contact, even alerting us to make a dinner reservation at the Greshornish Hotel where we were staying—it turned out to be one of the best meals of the trip.
Accommodations: All the hotels she selected were excellent and included wonderful breakfasts. The one exception was specifically chosen for its strategic proximity to a site we visited early the next morning.
Aleksandra is incredibly thorough and made our first trip to these countries truly fulfilling. We feel like we really experienced the best of the countries and cultures!

Clothilde was great to work with. Loved the hotels she picked - good locations and very nice. Emanuel did our Montreaux day long private tour. It was great. He added a small, mountain cheese making tour that was the the best. Drivers at airport, from Grimmelwald to Glacier Express was great. I think his name was Kara. Loved our ebike tour with George. The trains and transportation up the mountains was very easy to follow. We also had to cancel and reschedule this trip twice due to a health problem by one of our trip members. We appreciate KimKim working with us to reschedule the trip.

The hotels listed in this review are not the hotels we stayed at!!!!! These hotels were from an initial itinerary. We stayed at Ameron in Lucerne, Eiger in Grimmelwald, Hotel Zermama in Zermatt and Grand Suisse in Montreaux.

Janneke and her sister Anne-Marie could not have been more amazing to work with and plan this incredible trip. It was perfect! And Anne-Marie even took time out of her day to meet us while we were in wine country. So sweet and we so enjoyed getting to know her!! They were super proactive and always available. All of the excisions, meals and guides were awesome. Transportation was perfect - had zero problems!

Hotel Reviews

Walkers Plains Camp

South Africa

LOVED IT!! It is a newer property and you can tell. Everything about it was perfection - our two bedroom room with a pool was amazing. The entire place was perfectly decorated and it was small and just perfect. Not teaming with lots of people. Only 8 villas. The staff and owners are super engaging and clearly want you to fall in love with it - which you absolutely will! You must stay here! And a huge shout out to Walter and Roen - the best tracker and guide we could’ve had. What we saw the animals doing and how close we got - nothing short of life changing!

Authenticity & Character

One of a kind for sure! Wouldn’t change thing!

Location

Super quick trip from airport but you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. And the timbavati private reserve is just magical!

Staff

All gold star worthy! And the owners made sure to spend time with everyone. It was super nice and felt authentic.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved it!!

La Cotte Farm

Franschhoek

WHAT A GEM!! It’s hard to even describe how amazing this place was. An old plantation converted into incredible accommodations and a fantastic restaurant. The property as well as the rooms were stunning! Working fireplaces and patios look out onto a pool that looked like it was out of another world. Beautiful flower gardens and chickens. It was so incredible charming. Wish we could’ve stayed longer!

Authenticity & Character

Out of this world authentic and charming!

Location

Easy to walk into town and visit all of the little shops etc.

Staff

Super accommodating - they made sure we had breakfast for the morning we had to leave super early to catch our flight.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sea Star Rocks

Cape Town

The staff were fantastic! Breakfast each morning was so amazing. The location and views were incredible - especially when the skies cleared and we were looking at table mountain and the ocean. Doesn’t get much better than that! The layout of the hotel is a bit off and disjointed but it was nice and the rooms were well appointed and super nice shower.

Authenticity & Character

Clearly a house or something that was converted so was charming in that way.

Location

Looking at Table Mountain

Staff

One of the staff stayed up to let us in past midnight the first night we arrived!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lunch at Crofter's Kitchen

South Africa

What an unforgettable experience. Truly a treat and one of a kind experience. Nicki is super gifted and loves to show off her beautiful home, gardens and food with you. The tasting menu was sooo good and it was also very generous portions. She has amazing stories to regale you with. She had a super interesting life so it was so fun to listen to her. She also has a lot of knowledge regarding plants and she has sooo many varieties in her garden. She will have you taste them and experience them. It’s quite a journey she takes you on! A MUST!!

Quality of Experience

The food was out of this world good!

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All awesome!!

Transport

Andrew was great!

Cape Peninsula & Penguins

South Africa

Just wow! The entire day was filled with beauty and fun! The penguins were so fun (and loud!). Our guide, Andrew, was a pro at planning our itinerary and getting us to the sights before the crowds. When we left the penguins it was literally a zoo. When we got there we walked right in and had time to get lots of videos and photos. Same for getting to the Cape of Good Hope. The entire drive along the coast was stunning. I think it’s a must do day trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

See post on Crofters Kitchen!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andrew was great! Highly recommend him. Super knowledgeable and was easy to talk to and spend the day with!

Transport

He had a super nice vehicle and it were very comfortable.

Final morning game drive & next stop

South Africa

I’ve already shared several other comments on quality and perfection of the game drives. They all were unforgettable for different reasons! The airport is so close and easy that you have plants of time to do a morning drive, shower and eat breakfast before you need to head out. Location is perfect!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Day in the Kruger Bush with Two Game Drives

South Africa

Roen and Walter were the BEST. What we experienced during all of our game drives was nothing short of perfection! They are such a great team and know how to find the animals and create unforgettable experiences. We saw everything and the quality of the experiences was something I will never ever forget!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roen and Walter are who you want!!

Transport

Arrive at Walkers Plains Camp in Kruger & First Game Drive

South Africa

The flight was super easy and our driver was waiting for us at the airport. Our lodging was 15 mins from the airport so that was great. We got there and had time to chill before our late afternoon game drive. We told our guide that we wanted to see rhinos and what did we see on our first drive - 10+ of them!! We also got to see a lion sound asleep after eating too much of a warthog. It was like he was in a coma. We were less than 6 feet away from him.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food is sooo amazing at Walkers Plains. There is a private chef so it is incredible high end and they feed you a LOT. No one will ever be hungry there. And lots of options so everything will find something they like including those with good allergies and sensitivities.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved the fact that the vehicles they use have a tracker seat on front and that it isn’t covered and it’s stadium type seating. No obstructed views and super comfortable.

Visiting Babylonstoren

South Africa

AN ABSOLUTE MUST!! It is the coolest place ever! Greenhouses, working farm, all kinds of different shops - bakery, coffee, market, ice cream. The list goes on. The property is sooo lovely. You could easily spend an w tire day there. And the tasting was incredible and their tasting boards are crazy delicious and interesting!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Wine Tour

South Africa

See my review as well for the drive to Franschoek since it involved the winery stops which we loved all of them. They were all so different but wonderful. Roy planned an incredible itinerary - highly recommend him!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Table Mountain

Zambia

A must do while in Cape Town. We got super lucky with the weather and our timing. We didn’t wait in any lines and it was sunny with perfect blue skis and 75 degrees.

Quality of Experience

Spectacular views and experience. Highly recommend!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide didn’t go with us. We did it on our own.

Transport

Easy to get Ubers to and from

Cape Winelands Hiking - Vistas & Vineyards

South Africa

Unfortunately the weather wasn’t great but we liked it anyway and were rewarded with stunning views at the top where the weather was incredible! The views were just breathtaking!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Shayne was very passionate about hiking, nature, being active. She has a lot of energy and it was clear she was taking us all the way to the top whether we wanted to go or not. I had been sick so it was a lot for me but glad she pushed me even though it was hard with not having eaten for over 24 hours.

Transport

Only snafu was she couldn’t figure out how to get us to our restaurant for lunch and our wine tasting. Google Maps was not correct. So we called and then my son figured it out.

Cape Town to Franschhoek with Wine farm visits

South Africa

Such a beautiful part of the country. We had no idea. It’s akin to Napa and Sonoma, but I think more beautiful with the mountains ringing it. The wine was great and all of the vineyards were quite different and lovely! And Roy, our guide, was awesome! We really enjoyed spending the day with him!

Quality of Experience

It was just awesome! The scenery, the wine and the food were all top notch!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Request Roy! He was so great!

Transport

Roy drove us and was with us the entire day!

Bo-Kaap Walking Tour

Cape Town

I am so happy we did this and learned about this history of Cape Town. We got to sample the food, which was awesome, and learned so very much. Our guide was born and raised there and has such passion and love for it - as he should. The architecture and paint are so beautiful. We very much enjoyed it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an issue leaving because the Cape Town marathon was happening. So that was quite a challenge. Getting there was fine via uber.

All of our excursions were very good. Everything was very well-planned by KimKim. Our rides, tickets and guides were all excellent. The guides went above and beyond to provide us with the best experience possible.

Hotel Reviews

Lisboa Pessoa Hotel

Lisbon

Great hotel-beautiful views of Lisbon from the rooftop bar/restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to everything!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lagos Avenida Hotel

Lagos

We enjoyed the modern aesthetics of this hotel. The rooftop bar and pool were great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right across the road from the marina. It was a quick walk into the town. Overall, a great location.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Casas de la Judería

Seville

Beautiful quaint hotel. It was fun to explore the patios and walkways. We very much enjoyed this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Old world charm

Location

It was right in the historic district close to attractions.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tapas & Flamenco Experience in Seville

Seville

This is a must see experience. It was not what we expected but we learned a lot about the origin of Flamenco. Our guide was a Flamenco dancer. His knowledge and expertise made this excursion worth it. He took us to an amazing tapas place after the show. It was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-Guided Viewpoints Adventure

Lisbon

We visited the Alana district during a festival time. It was an amazing time with street food and music.

Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit

Lisbon

Amazing experience. The palace was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Wine Tasting and Lunch in Setúbal

Lisbon

Excellent excursion. We had so much fun with our guide. We learned so much about Portuguese's wine making.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

🥾 Self-Guided Coastal Hike: Lagos Old Town to Ponta da Piedade

Lagos (Algarve)

The views were amazing. We were a little disappointed that only a few of the coastal beaches had open access. Some of the access points were closed.

Quality of Experience

Private Visit to Seville's Cathedral & Alcázar

Seville

Very nice excursion. It was very interesting and we learned so much about the history of these two places.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rooftop Paella Cooking Class

Seville

Fernando, the chef was amazing. We had a great experience learning to cook paella.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chef Fernando was extremely nice and informative

We loved our Italy experience through Jessica at Kimkim. Kimkim is so great because it is not a canned experience with large crowds, common meals, and directed timetables.
Jessica made travel easy and picked just the right experiences at the right price. So little hassle for such great memories. We used the train, private transfers, taxis/ubers and rented a car for various parts of the trip and she helped us match both our transportation and our accommodations to what would give us the best experiences with the least amount of time wasted.
We chose Rome, Naples and Orvieto for our adventures and saw art, architecture, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, and experienced the day and night life of these great cities, and cooked a meal with an award winning chef. Italy is the best place in the world for authentic pastas and pizza. We had the best we have ever tasted several times over.
This is our third Kimkim experience and we will definitely use it again. Thank you Jessica and Kimkim!

Hotel Review

Altarocca Wine Resort

Orvieto

My favorite part of the trip was our experience at this resort. The tasting meal had some of the best dishes I have ever had, the view was amazing f from our bedroom, and the pool had a drink and snack bar and was almost private because the resort is not large. This is a five star experience that is off the beaten path. This is not the place to go for a nightlife of dancing- that is Naples, but to deny yourself this quiet get away would be the wrong choice if you are with your spouse, partner or friends.

Authenticity & Character

The room, wine, food and pool were everything we could want.

Location

Best scenery of our trip.

Staff

So helpful and kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was well kept.

Activity Reviews

Cooking Lesson with a Farm Chef

Italy

We have done a few Kimkim cooking experiences and loved them all. Our party worked with this award winning chef to make some authentic Italian food from scratch. The wine, beer and food were outstanding and we felt at home with him and his staff. Highly recommend this experience if if you only like to cook a little bit.

Day Trip to Pompeii

Italy

If you appreciate history, this cannot be missed. Our guide was very knowledgeable, showed us the site in an efficient way without having us follow crowds of people. I would recommend this experience.

We are so happy that we decided to book our 10 day visit to Ireland through KimKim. We worked with Cathy and the experience was fantastic from start to finish. We had never visited Ireland before but we had a few places in mind that we knew we wanted to visit. We provided that list to Cathy along with the dates that we wanted to travel and Cathy and her team filled in all the blanks. The hotels that were booked for us were incredibly nice and centrally located to the town center. Cathy even managed to find hotels for us with king beds for every single stay (my husband is very tall). Everything was taken care of before we arrived including booking our rental car and any events/attractions that were part of our itinerary. The private tours of the Ring of Kerry with Aodán at The Killarney Touring Co. and the Dingle Peninsula with Mossie at Mossie's Tours that Cathy selected for us were the absolute highlights of our trip! We also thoroughly enjoyed the sheep dog herding demonstration that they booked for us at Killary Sheep Farm - we would have never thought to do that on our own - but it was so amazing to see in person. We had mentioned to Cathy that we wanted to avoid the overly touristy spots like the Blarney Castle and The Cliffs of Moher and she instead booked for other stunning castle tours and planned time at the Kilkee Cliffs and the Kerry Cliffs for us instead. We practically had the cliffs to ourselves when we visited - mission accomplished! The 'Road Book' that was sent to us just prior to the trip outlined every detail and had recommendations for restaurants and places to see in every town that we stayed in or drove through. I highly recommend planning a trip with KimKim and especially working with Cathy - we had the vacation of a lifetime!

I will recommend to anyone planning a trip to use KimKim. I was looking for an itinerary that included many British gardens and our specialist Kateryna delivered a fabulous Grand Garden Tour trip that I never could have planned on my own. Our trip went smoothly with all the tickets bought and available quickly in the Kimkim app. I cant say enough good things about the app which is fantastic ! Our tour guides were experienced and personable and Kateryna arranged transportation to and from places when it was appropriate. We spent 9 days in London and then took a train to Oxford. Spent a day privately touring in the Cotswolds where our driver/guide made sure we saw the best gardens and had a fantastic lunch at the oldest inn in Britain. We ended our trip in Windsor and had private transport back to the airport. What I liked the most about using Kimkim is that I told them what I specifically wanted to see and they made suggestions for other excursions and we communicated easily back and forth until the trip was exactly what I wanted. We had flexibility on some days while we were there to change our plans and truly make it our own trip. My husband and I usually plan our trips independently but after this wonderful experience I will use KimKim instead.

Activity Reviews

Iconic Oxford Private Walking Tour

Oxford

We loved this tour so much it made us want to stay in Oxford longer. Our guide was a PhD student who gave us a unique perspective and some great stories about student life at the university. This is a must tour if your in Oxford!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Secret Gardens of the City of London Private Tour

London

Delianne was a great guide and if you want to see places in London most people dont see take this tour!

Quality of Experience

Delianne is a great storyteller!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NA

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

Our driver John was funny, knowledgeable and told us fantastic stories. Highly recommend doing this tour first when going to London.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved traveling to all the diff. regions in France from Paris to Normandy to Aix Provence to Nice. The tours were amazing and we learned so much history. Amandine was awesome and very receptive to anything we needed.

We were disappointed with the hotel in Bayeux. It was extremely small, outdated and didn't appear very clean. We couldn't hardly maneuver our luggage let alone unpack so I would not recommend having clients stay at that particular hotel. Everything else was very nice.

Thank you for organizing this memorable trip for the Fortino Family!! We loved France

Best Regards,
Tony, Marianne and Katie Fortino

Trip planning was spot on in regard to where we wanted to go and regarding accommodations.
There was a high degree of coordination with transfers (private cars, trains)
We loved having the option to contact the team throughout the day and after hours for minor issues.
We loved the daily reminders and directional pins provided.

Accommodations particularly in Lecce at B&B Palazzotto and in Polignano a Mare at Masseria del Crocifisso were excellent. Masseria del Crocifisso was particularly nice!! The food was fantastic and the staff and accommodations were lovely!!

We couldn't have asked for a better experience with KimKimm/Storywalking!!

John and Susan Comerci

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Hotel Galatea

Rome

Staff was excellent and extremely helpful and kind. Great location. Rooms were not cleaned well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Masseria del Crocifisso

Polignano a Mare

This was a fabulous accommodation. The staff was amazing. they were kind and helpful. Location in proximity to the coast was perfect! Food was fantastic. Amazing pool and grounds!

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Il Palazzotto

Lecce

The room was clean and well appointed. Staff was extremely nice and helpful. The location was perfect for exploring Lecce.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B De Biffi

Florence

Perfect location, clean, staff were extremely nice and very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Polignano a Mare Boat Tour - Small Group

Italy

Experienced captain. Very entertaining and beautiful experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siena and San Gimignano tour with dinner in Tuscany at a boutique winery

Florence

great guide ! Wine experience was wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence in a Day with David, Duomo, Uffizi & Walking Tour

Italy

Great guide! Very well versed in the history of the city as well as at history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat excursion to Leuca's caves

Italy

Great experience but captain a little unsure of himself at time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver at disposal for the day

Italy

Driver was awesome!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Tour in Lecce

Italy

Our guide was fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Traditional Food tour

Florence

Our guide was fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What a memorable trip to France made special by the team at KimKim! We are so thankful for their expertise in the planning, budgeting and implementing of a such a wonderful trip. This was our 3rd trip for my wife and I using KimKim and again what an amazing experience.

I cannot recommend kimkim and our local specialist Eric enough! Going to another country trusting that all will go smoothly is a leap of faith but there was nothing to worry about. All our stays were fabulous with kind and gracious hosts, checkins were easy and seamless. Any minor snags we did hit, the team responded immediately and got us taken care of. Having WiFi on hand at all times was super helpful!
The tours were amazing and the guides were friendly, knowledgeable and made the tours a fun experience. Iceland is a unique and amazing country to visit, Èric made sure we got to see all the highlights as well as some off grid treats. He was professional, knowledgeable and very communicative. We told him our interests and he nailed it!
If you are trying to decide whether to plan it yourself or spend the little extra to have them do it for you, let them do it for you, it is totally worth it for a worry free trip!

Activity Reviews

Katla Ice Cave Superjeep tour

Iceland

We had Nat as our guide, she was fun, professional and knowledgeable! This is a must do!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glacier Hike & Glacial Lagoon Kayaking

Iceland

This was an amazing adventure, highly recommend!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tomaz helped us set up the initial phase, days and which activities we were leaning towards. He also helped us pick which areas we wanted to stay based on what experience we were looking for. He was excellent!

Hotel Reviews

Boutiquehotel Das Tyrol

Wien

Wonderful location. Friendly staff. Great breakfasts

Authenticity & Character

We loved the modern decor

Location

Safe and exciting in the hub with a short walk to the cities major attractions

Staff

Always very friendly and able to help with any needs we had

Cleanliness & Comfort

I don't believe our towels were changed out each day. I think they were picked up from the floor and rehung. Also missing wash clothes a few days but otherwise very good

TAUROA Landhaus zu Appesbach 4*

Salzburg

This was a perfect match for the experience we were looking for. The resort was just the right size and the grounds were beautiful. We loved the incredible views of the lake and mountains. Truly a dream. The food was also excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like what Austria would truly feel like

Location

We loved the incredible views of the lake and mountains.

Staff

We had a lot of questions and they were able to help with everything!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was cleaned daily and the whole resort was in great order.

Activity Reviews

Guided walking tour of Vienna

Vienna

Our tour guide was so full of knowledge. She even spent extra time with us because we were having so much fun and she wanted to share more!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide was so full of knowledge. There was no question she couldn't answer.

Transport

Sound Of Music Tour Salzburg

Salzburg

This was disappointing. Many sites we were not able to actually go into or were replicas.

We worked with Cory to plan an Multiday day Japan trip with our granddaughter.
The Itinerary was outstanding and every arrangement was very smooth. Guides were excellent and informative- we really especially loved Pam in Kyoto!!
The classes and experiences were wonderful, and were kid friendly.
Hosts were fun and we learned a lot while having a great time!
Our granddaughter really had a great time, and we will all have many memories to cherish.

Hotel Reviews

9h nine hours Ningyocho

Tokyo

Great capsule hotel. Very sage

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Blossom Kyoto

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laforet Club Hakone Gora Yunosumika

Hakone

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel New Otani Tokyo Garden Tower

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Izakaya food tour in Shinjuku (14 small tastings)

Tokyo

Max was great- good energy!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Japanese Calligraphy Experience (Nara)

Japan

This was the highlight of the trip. Guides were wonder and so kind- treated us like family. Very special. We loved Hanna!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Samurai Ninja Museum with fun experience

Japan

Felt a bit rushed

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony with Kimono Wearing (Higashiyama)

Japan

Such a great cultural experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sushi Making Cooking Class near the Tokyo Tower

Tokyo

Nara Day Trip with Half Day Walking Tour (Lunch included)

Japan

Yuki was awesome

Quality of Experience

Oh

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ramen Noodle Cooking Class

Kyoto

So much fun a so yummy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Not applicable

Wagashi Sweets Making Experience with an Artisanal Confectioner (Wagashi Issho)

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rickshaw in Asakusa

Tokyo

Full day exploring Meiji Jingu, Harajuku & Shibuya

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Kyoto Temples & Gion Tour

Japan

Pam was friendly and so informative. A pleasure to work with

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Asakusa, Senso-ji Temple, Nakamise Dori Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very responsive and open to our requests. Great communication with Ben before, during, and after trip.

Absolutely fantastic experience with both Giulia and Andrea from start to finish. Giulia helped me plan an unforgettable trip with great hotel selections, unbelievable tours and lovely restaurant recommendations across all of Italy. Andrea made sure we were taken care of even when the train operators went on strike. We are so grateful for both of them and cannot recommend kimkim enough to all our friends.

Hotel Reviews

Corte dei Sogni Boutique Hotel & Spa

Florence

Tucked away on a small side street. We were close to the action without having to listen to the street noise all night. Beautiful room with excellent AC for the super hot summer days.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Continental

Sorrento

Beautiful view. Delicious restaurant. Great location close to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wine tasting and lunch at Winery near Montepulciano

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historic & Food Tour in Sorrento (Private guide)

Italy

Our guide, Antonino was so incredible. We talked about how much we enjoyed spending time with him the rest of the trip. He gave us great recommendations and shared some sweet personal stories along the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fine job in selecting guides in Kyoto, but other than a food tour in Tokyo the experience was not as expected.

Activity Reviews

Kanazawa Food Tour: Private & Personalized with a Local Guide

Kanazawa

Not a normal food tour as it was going to two restaurants and ordering off the menu. Not what we expected, fortunately the food was good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Authentic Ramen & Gyoza Making Class in Kyoto

Kyoto

I would recommend this cooking class to anyone

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enjoy your private open-air bath and dinner

Kaga

We didn’t care for this experience

Kanazawa Artisan Half Day Tour

Kanazawa

Didn’t have a very good guide, though the experience was good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dinner with Maiko in a Traditional Kyoto Style Restaurant Tour (Small Group)

Kyoto

Not to be missed experience in Kyoto and great fun evening.

Welcome to Kaga: Japan's Hidden Gem of Hot Springs and Art

Kaga

Not enough information on the experience

Best of Shibuya Food Tour

Tokyo

Great tour guy with lessons in Japanese culture which was great experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Half-Day Walking Tour: EasternTokyo Your Way (by Public Transportation)

Tokyo

Unfortunate heavy rain dampened our experience and SkyTree was a bit too commercial.

Tokyo: teamLab, Azabudai Hills & National Art Center Tour

Tokyo

Poor guide, but ok experience.

Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo forest & Garden Half-Day Walking Tour

Kyoto

Good guide for the local temples and the forest experience.

Kimono wearing and Tea ceremony (Sado) in Kyoto (Private)

Japan

Good experience for our 17 year old grand daughter.

We absolutely loved our trip to Japan! Shona helped us get the balance just right, between guided experiences and independent travel. Our guides were exceptional and allowed us to cater our days and gain much more than we could have on our own. The assistance in transportation with luggage was especially appreciated. Lastly, the app was easy to use and had everything we needed in one place.

We couldn't have been happier about our trip and will definitely use Kimkim again!

Activity Reviews

Half Day Samurai Ninja Museum and Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

If we were to do it again, we'd do the Tea Ceremony and skip the Samurai Ninja Museum. Purely a matter of personal preference, but we loved the tea ceremony and didn't find the Samurai museum very engaging.

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Moto was an exceptional tour guide. We inited him to visit us at home, because we sincerely enjoyed his company so much!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nokuthula was responsive and attentive from the very start of the process. From the start to the actual travel, she pours her energy into the planning and works so hard to make sure it's a great experience.

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of the Falls

Victoria Falls

We had a phenomenal guide who taught us so much and in addition to brining the history of the falls to life identified birds we saw and heard and trees and plants we came upon. Fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Activities on the Zambezi Queen

Chobe

Highly recommend this unique experience with so much opportunity to view wildlife, animals, birds. Amazingly hospitable and knowledgea ble staff. Great food too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Game drive in Chobe

Chobe

Amazing experience with Six as our guide! We saw so much more than expected. Lions, giraffes, kudu and much more. Would love to do again.

Quality of Experience

Our driver guide Six was fantastic!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We recently returned from an unforgettable trip to Romania, and working with Irenne through KimKim made the entire experience seamless and stress-free.

As travelers coming from the United States, we were hesitant about renting a car and driving in a foreign country. Since KimKim had done such an excellent job planning our trip to Norway last year, I reached out again to see if they could help arrange a driver for Romania. I provided Irenne with a rough itinerary, and she took care of every detail. Her communication was outstanding from the planning stages through the end of our trip, and she was always available whenever we had questions.

Our driver and guide, Alin, met us at the airport right on time and accompanied us throughout our journey. We spent our first night in Bucharest, exploring the charming Old Town at our own pace. The next day, we visited Peles Castle and Bran Castle before spending the evening in Brasov. With Alin driving, we were able to rest in the car, check our phones, sleep, etc. He was also a great driver, didn't speed or drive rough, or play loud music.

Alin was exceptional. He never rushed us, encouraged us to take our time at each stop, and even became our family photographer, capturing some truly beautiful photos. His knowledge of Romanian history was impressive, and he shared fascinating insights throughout the trip.

On the third day, we stopped at the Sighisoara Citadel on our way to Sibiu. After arriving, we spent a relaxing evening exploring the city and recharging after several busy days of sightseeing.

One of the highlights of the trip came on Day 4, when my wife expressed interest in visiting Corvin Castle. Alin was incredibly accommodating and adjusted our itinerary, replacing the Astra Museum visit with Corvin Castle at no additional cost. It turned out to be a fantastic decision, as we felt Corvin Castle was the most beautiful castle we visited in Romania.

Day 5 was perhaps the most memorable of all. We drove from Sibiu back to Bucharest via the spectacular Transfagarasan Road. The scenery was breathtaking, and we frequently stopped to take photos of the mountains, lakes, snow-covered landscapes, and even bears. Alin was patient throughout the day, and we never felt hurried. It was the perfect way to conclude our Romanian adventure.

We arrived back in Bucharest in the late afternoon, giving us enough time to enjoy one final dinner in the city before heading to the airport the following morning.

Looking back, I am extremely grateful that we chose KimKim and hired a driver. Romania is a beautiful country, but the distances between destinations can be significant, and driving can be challenging. Having Alin behind the wheel allowed us to relax, enjoy the scenery, take naps during longer drives, and arrive at each destination refreshed.

I highly recommend Irenne and KimKim to anyone planning a trip to Romania. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to creating a memorable experience made this one of the best family vacations we've ever taken.