Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had a wonderful week in Morocco planned by the Kimkim team. Our driver, Ziad, was a delight and made all our transitions seamless. Excellent guides were chosen for all our city tours; very helpful in learning how to navigate the cities. The hotel choices were also excellent: La Maison Arabe in Marrakech has climbed to the top of our list of favorite hotels. We thought the pricing was very reasonable given all that was included. We would definitely use Kimkim again!

Morocco was a beautiful country, made extra special by our driver Maysar! He was professional, punctual, polite and just a joy to spend a week with! Everything went according to itinerary. Riding camels in the desert was a definite highlight, but we loved Chefchaouen, Fez, and Marrakesh! Said was helpful when one activity was cancelled due to weather, and was able to help substitute another activity in the trip. Overall would recommend!

Absolutely wonderful trip and all the details worked out flawlessly. We had a little bit of everything in our family trip to Norway and it went off without a hitch. We loved the fjords, the saunas, the Viking Village, and the city of Bergen. We made some unforgettable family memories!

The trip planning was pretty easy with KimKim. We had a great time exploring the highlights of Morocco.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Semlalia

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

not enough staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Ksar Ighnda

Ait Benhaddou

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Andalla Spa

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Casablanca Airport to Rabat via Casablanca City: From Economic Capital to Royal Seat

Morocco

Or driver Tayeb was great. He made everything seamless and had great tips throughout the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. The places and experiences that made up our itinerary were excellent. We particularly enjoyed El Calafate/El Chalten. The kayaking/hiking day was amazing. And also the area around Salta - just stunning scenery. In Ushuaia, we loved the day of hiking and rafting. We did not have good luck with weather but enjoyed ourselves nonetheless. The hotels & breakfasts met our expectations - nothing disappointing. The internal flights and all the transfers went very smoothly. And the guides we had for the various things we did were really excellent. Well-informed, easy to understand, fun to be with.
The only thing we might have liked more of was a chance to walk or hike during the four days we spent in the north around Salta. We realize there were long distances to cover by vehicle and so maybe not enough time for that.

Charlotte and team provided us with a wonderful itinerary and excellent support throughout our 11-day trip through the Yucatan peninsula. The highlights for our family of four (including two teenagers) were the group bike tour in Chemuyil (with a wonderful guide, stopping at three amazing cenotes), the tour of the Sian Ka'an nature reserve (also with an excellent guide; we especially enjoyed floating down the river through the mangroves), and the visit to the village of Yaxuna where locals showed us how they are making a living and cooked the most delicious meal for us (and let us swim in their beautiful cenote). Seeing the Mayan ruins in Tulum, Chichen Itza and Ek Balam was great, too. Two relaxing days on the beach in Holbox added the perfect ending to an unforgettable trip. KimKim and their local specialist, Mexplorer, impressed us with excellent hotel choices and community-based tours supporting the local people and sustainable development. We would definitely book another trip with KimKim!

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Said was extremely responsive to all of our questions before we left. (I did not work with Abdellah; our friends planned the trip before we signed up.) Our driver, Samad was very courteous and timely (except the last morning). At the beginning, he did not give us a lot of information about where we were or where/when we'd be stopping, but supplied more as the trip went on, which we appreciated.
Our guide in Fez, Shariff, was excellent. We enjoyed our full day with him. We also enjoyed our stay at Riad Braya. The staff could not have been more friendly, helpful and accommodating.
We enjoyed our visit to the Sahara at the Orient Desert Camp. The camel ride to the camp was fun. The accommodations were not as luxurious as we had expected, but they were perfectly fine, and the staff was wonderful - friendly and accommodating. We did not really interact with any of the nomad families; we visited a camp and our guide explained what we saw in different tents. We also had a lot of fun riding in the sand on the atvs.
Dades was our favorite part of the trip! Dar Rihana Dades was fantastic! Mohammed could not have been any friendlier and helpful. The food was absolutely amazing (Michelin Star quality)! Breakfast and dinner were both special and delicious. We also loved our hike with Said through Monkey Finger Canyon. We learned to recognize the trees and enjoyed scrambling over the rocks and then walking through the village at the end of the hike. Our lunch with the Berber family was delicious, but not very exciting because we did not interact with the family.
Marakesh, while interesting, and a must-see, was somewhat disappointing. The hotel staff at Palais Sebban, was not very welcoming, and it was not an easy place to sleep because of noise. Our guide seemed more interested in all of the people he knew, and took us to shops where it seemed as if he would get a commission from their high prices.
We covered a lot of miles (a lot of car time), saw many beautiful sights, and had some really fun adventures!

Hotel Reviews

Palais Sebban

Marrakech

We were not welcomed with tea and snack when we arrived, as we were at all of our previous destinations. Everything seemed very rushed. We had a hard time sleeping the first night because of the noise in the courtyard below our room.

Location

Staff

Orient Desert Camp

Merzouga

Very welcoming environment in the desert. Staff was very friendly and helpful.

Staff

Riad Braya

FesfE

The staff was very welcoming and friendly, and the riad was beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

easy to walk around the medina from the riad

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

I would give this hotel more than 5 stars if I could! The staff was amazing. They were extremely friendly, welcoming and helpful. The tea and cookies on the roof deck when we arrived were excellent. Breakfast with 3 fresh juices and the best egg dish was a fantastic start to the day. The dinner we had at the hotel was incredible. The chef deserves Michelin Stars! I can't recommend this hotel enough!

Authenticity & Character

The brothers worked so hard to welcome us and make us comfortable.

Location

walkable to other places in the small town, and view of the river

Staff

Mohammed took care of us from explaining things, to contact with our driver and guide, serving in the restaurant, and fixing our hot water.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

It was very helpful to go to the overlook to see the whole medina from across the valley. Shariff, our guide asked what we were interested in seeing, and took us to the Jewish Cemetary and Jewish Quarter, which we appreciated. He was very helpful guiding us through the medina, pointing out the different sections and architecture. Our tour lasted more like 6-7 hours which was wonderful for us.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Shariff was excellent and coordinated well with our driver, Samad.

Arrive in Casablanca, Visit Hassan II Mosque, Transfer to Fes via Rabat

Morocco

The Mosque was closed because of Eid, but we were able to visit at the end of our trip, which was good. We made a couple of stops in Rabat which were really beautiful and interesting, but it would have been helpful to have a guide to explain what we were seeing at the Kasbah and palace. We thoroughly enjoyed wandering around Chellah Castle and gardens, including a nice lunch. It was probably the best way to help us get through the long day after overnight travel.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We did not get much information from our driver at first. He dropped us at the Kasbah and told us where to meet him, but not what we were looking at. It was a bit confusing.

Transport

It was great to be met at the airport without worrying about how to get to our destination.

We had a great trip, well organized and comfortable.
Our local specialist was George; he was cooperative and attentive.
Our local guide Putra was amazing and very informative and helpful.

Angel was the most amazing organizer; informed, personable and fun to work with. We were 4 women who enjoy adventure and talking to local people. We each have done a fair amount of traveling on our own and arranging our own trips with family and friends but this time relied on KimKim to make our arrangements.

Their local day trip guides were extremely knowledgable, thoughtful, kind and with a sense of humor. We appreciated times when the various local guides adjusted the schedule or site given to avoid the crowds. Sometimes we explored new places and had to adjust the schedule given unknown circumstances. The experiences felt unique while at the same time we were visiting major sites. So many places we went were so special. We made a number of requests in the beginning and made a few major adjustments just before embarking. When we had an unexpected emergency she responded immediately --anticipating the next steps with calm.

I wish Angel could arrange all my trips.

This was an outstanding trip planned by Holden and Adrian at Serendipity Adventures with only two months’ notice. We made sure to be where we needed to be and everything happened like clockwork. This is our third trip through kimkim, and as always the kimkim platform made all of the planning and payment easy. This time we especially liked the new kimkim app that made it handy to pull up our daily itinerary and see what was happening when. Costa Rica was exceptionally beautiful, and the easy logistics really allowed us to enjoy the views, great food and world-class wildlife.

Guides were all excellent throughout our trip, making every stop along the way a really educational experience. One of the big advantages of having a guide is meeting and getting to know a local person in the place you are traveling. We always learn so much more than we would just on our own. The guides have a lot of infectious enthusiasm for Costa Rica and the area they live in. Things are so varied throughout the country, and each new ecosystem is a new opportunity to learn about unique plants, animals, geology and ecology. From hollow trees filled with water that sound like a drum when hit, to hand-grinding freshly-roasted coffee beans, to stopping on the side of the road on the way to the airport to see how a cashew grows, we were constantly coming in contact with new and interesting subjects.

Our list of new-to-us animals, birds and plants is huge from this trip - some standouts were howler monkeys, spider monkeys, two & three-toed sloths, agoutis, coatis, quetzal, eyelash pit viper, scarlet macaw, caimans, motmots, sea eels, morpho butterflies, and special mention to all the various hummingbirds at Monteverde and the nighttime spider eyes watching us in La Fortuna. The plant and insect life is an important part of the experience as well, especially at Amor Arenal where you are surrounded on all sides by amazing jungle vegetation, and the cicadas, birds and wind are the constant backing track.

We met so many friendly and helpful people at all of the hotels and attractions, it made for a welcoming trip. Adrian from Serendipity kept track of us through WhatsApp - and provided some critical help over the phone when we became too absorbed in the Monteverde cloud forest and had to change plans quickly. The hotels were all noteworthy because of the helpful staff and the excellent facilities. Every guide was a stand-out, and really every guided activity was rewarding and worthwhile. The naturalist guides were invaluable - Bryan at Arenal, Joe on the Peñas Blancas River, Andy in Monteverde, and Kenneth in Nosara all really knew their areas well and gave us real insight into the natural world of Central America.

Transfers were timely and seemed like a necessity, not an option. There were quite a few rough roads and tricky turns, it was great to have locals driving. They were all excellent.

We would recommend Costa Rica without reservation, and this tour made it great.

Our Japan trip was truly memorable! It was my daughter's first international trip and she did so well. Eleanor has planned it in a way where my daughter can keep up and not get overwhelmed and still check off all the places and experiences we wanted to have. Our local guides and drivers were also superb. Shoutout to Yuka, our guide in Shirakawa. She was a lovely person and my daughter played with her a lot. Overall, the beauty of the places we've seen, the culture, the hospitality made it magical and enchanting for us. It reset our minds and spirit. I can actually say my soul was deeply moved. We were absolutely captivated by Japan!

This was our first trip to Morocco and our first time booking through Kimkim, and the experience exceeded our expectations from start to finish.

Planning with Mohamed was straightforward and pleasant, very much in line with the strong reviews we had read. We chose an itinerary covering Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, the Agafay desert, and Marrakech, and he was happy to accommodate a few thoughtful modifications to better suit our group.

As the trip approached, Said took over the local coordination and handled bookings on the ground. Once we arrived, there were a couple of last-minute changes involving guides and an activity venue—things that could have been stressful—but Said and Karim handled everything seamlessly. The replacements they arranged were excellent, and we couldn’t have been happier with how smoothly it all worked out.

We traveled as a private group of two families, with a dedicated car and driver, which made a huge difference in comfort and flexibility.

Each stop on the itinerary had its own unique charm:
• Casablanca offered a sense of nostalgia (especially for fans of the movie) and the stunning Hassan II Mosque by the sea.
• Rabat was a highlight—we adjusted our schedule to spend more time there, and it was absolutely worth it. It’s rich in history yet also relaxed and coastal, making it ideal for a mixed group. Chellah, with its storks nesting nearby, was especially memorable.
• Fes stood out for its atmosphere—the orange blossom–scented courtyard at Palais Amani, and the maze of narrow streets in the medina. We also visited Mosaique et Poterie de Fes, where live demonstrations showcased truly impressive craftsmanship in traditional pottery and mosaic work. It was fascinating to see the level of skill involved. That said, the sales pitch can be quite aggressive and persistent, so it’s worth being prepared for that. As elsewhere, once we made it clear we weren’t looking to purchase, things remained respectful.
• Agafay Desert (Inara Camp) was a true highlight. The setting—with views of the Atlas Mountains—combined with sunset, dinner, performances, and a camel ride made for a magical experience. We genuinely wished we had stayed an extra night.
• Marrakech was vibrant, beautiful, and full of life. We had heard mixed advice beforehand—some suggesting skipping Casablanca and going straight to Marrakech—and now we understand why. The city is rich in history yet full of energy, with welcoming neighborhoods and lively night markets. Our cooking class at MonRiad was intimate and authentic, led by two young chefs with less showmanship but 100% sincerity. Even after multiple visits to spice markets, we found ourselves enjoying them more each time. Another highlight was a traditional hammam and spa experience at Les Bains de l’Alhambra—it somehow took away all the muscle soreness, dead skin, and lingering travel fatigue in one go 🙂

Overall, the trip felt thoughtfully designed, well-paced, and very well supported on the ground. We appreciated the flexibility, responsiveness, and the sense that we were in good hands throughout.

We were incredibly fortunate to have Karim as our driver throughout the trip.

He drove a brand new 7-passenger Renault SUV, which made long travel days comfortable and relaxed. More importantly, Karim is an excellent driver—steady, safe, and professional, which really matters on some of Morocco’s longer routes.

Beyond that, he was knowledgeable, reliable, and genuinely pleasant to be around. His personality struck just the right balance—friendly and helpful, yet calm and unobtrusive. Traveling with him made the entire experience feel easy and enjoyable.

We couldn’t have asked for a better driver and would highly recommend him to anyone planning a similar trip.

Benjamin created an affordable and amazing itinerary for Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. We really enjoyed the diverse food, shopping cultural sites, and nightlife in Bangkok. Kodalay Seafood Buffet was our culinary highlight, great seafood by the river.

Transportation from airports to various destinations were seamless. Elephant Sanctuary tour in Phuket was an amazing experience feeding and walking amongst the elephants in their natural habitat. Also spent time on the beautiful beaches in Phuket and island hopping to Maya Bay.

Benjamin was always available to help in booking extra room or when I lost my wallet and key card. I would highly recommend him for any trip to Thailand.

My family and I had an amazing trip to England! It was our first time visiting and were not familiar with pretty much anything. Kateryna set us up with several private tours including a drive to Stonehenge and the Jurassic Coast. We took a day trip to Paris on the Eurostar, saw plenty of the tourist sites in London, and got to rides horses in Hyde Park. Everything was planned perfectly and Kateryna was there to answer any questions, even on the day of arrival.

Our trip to Rome was wonderful and the itinerary Fabio put together for our family was so much fun. It was great to have the same private guide for our Coliseum and Vatican tours (Mirta was fantastic and so good with the kids!!) and for our car transfers. The Fiat tour with Daria was fantastic and our cooking class was the star of the trip. Thank you for a seamless travel experience!

I wish I could give Columbus Guatemala Travel more than 5 stars – they were that good! Caterina and her team were available 24/7 for any of our questions, they were always quick to respond, and it was obvious they genuinely cared that we had a memorable and enjoyable trip. 10 out of 10 for Columbus Guatemala Travel in Antigua, Guatemala!

Overall our guides were excellent. Coimbra was by far my favorite city. Our guide at the university did a great job of explaining the history without going into information we are not interested in.
Our hotel in Coimbra was fantastic!

Hotel Reviews

CBR Boutique Hotel

Coimbra

One of the nicest hotels ever! Super comfortable and loved the decor of books!

Authenticity & Character

The books in the walls was amazing! Heated floors, amazingly views from the 5th floor

Location

Right out the door is the town square

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Could not be nicer!

Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central and walking distance to sites

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AlmaLusa Baixa & Chiado

Lisbon

Great location walking distance to everything. Good breakfast and nice staff.

Authenticity & Character

Clean, nice staff

Location

Central and easy to walk to sites

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bussaco Forest Walk

Coimbra

We loved it! It was a big hike so important to be in good shape. Our guide took us on a longer hike and we so enjoyed the sites

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Walk

Coimbra

Wonderful guide and good selection of local foods

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Joanina Library & University of Coimbra Visit

Coimbra

The best guide. Fascinating tour of the university and library Bats in the library…. Amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Food Walk

Porto

Wonderful guide! Took us to places we would not have found on our own

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private River Cruise with Wine & Food Platter

Porto

It was a highlight. Lovey cruise with the sails up for a bit

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tuk-Tuk Experience Along the 28 Tram Route

Lisbon

Since we had been on Lisbon for two days and had walked the streets the ride was repeatedly what we had seen

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

Lisbon

Turned out it was not private so Kim Kim refunded the cost. The tour guide could not stop talking. Not very professional

Private Alfama Walk & Fado Dinner Performance

Lisbon

Sure did not need to dress up for the event. Dinner was just ok but wonderful to be with the locals

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I appreciated that they contacted me the day before to confirm pickup

Transport

We really appreciated all the transfers during our trip, given road conditions and signage. All the drivers were friendly and on time, if not early. All the lodging arrangements were great. We had excellent nature guides in Monteverde. When there was a glitch in reserving a guide at Treetopia, having our confirmation # came in handy, and someone from KimKim called us in the moment. The only change I would make is to spend 2 nights vs 3 at Hacienda Guachipelin. It was a great place, but there wasn't enough hiking in the local area.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín

Liberia

Great location. There was a feel of a resort without all the fanciness. If you're not into ziplining, rapelling and tubing, there are fewer hiking options, though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Hotel Guiones

Nosara

Great location- walking easy to beach and town, very helpful and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cala Lodge

Monteverde

great location, beautiful setting, nice breakfasts

Authenticity & Character

helpful staff

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

perfectly clean, room was a bit tight

Activity Reviews

Rincón de la Vieja Volcano Hike & La Oropendola Waterfall

Rincón de la Vieja

This park is VERY busy and there are limited trails but very interesting to see fumaroles, mud pots and water pots. Our group was fairly large and the guide was fair, but not superb. The Oropendola waterfall hike was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatch Hike in Nosara Biological Reserve

Nosara

Our guide, Rio, was born and bred in Nosara and his family goes back generations there. It was worth getting up for a 6 am birdwalk. Rio's spotting scope was broken, but he was able to spot birds easily since he's so experienced.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Our guide, again- it was Marcella- was wonderful. Santa Elena was a busy place but going with a guide allowed us to see way more birds and have a good understanding of the ecosystem.

Quality of Experience

the guide makes it worth the trip

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It's a pretty bumpy ride getting there, but worth it

Transport

Hanging Bridges Adventure

Monteverde

Nice and quiet and we had a great guide, Roberto, all to ourselves. He was into birds, trees, spiders- couldn't have asked for more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Walk at Curi-Cancha Reserve

Monteverde

Our guide Marcella was great. The waiver process was cumbersome and didn't seem necessary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We recently returned from a truly wonderful tour of Japan. Eleanor at KimKim was the primary reason it felt so effortless. From the very beginning, she was incredibly thorough, managing every small detail and keeping us perfectly posted with updates and reminders exactly when we needed them. She managed to hit that elusive sweet spot between guided and self-guided time, selecting fantastic guides while still leaving us enough room to breathe and explore on our own. Eleanor was easy to work with and made changes when we thought of them.

One of the best decisions we made was following her advice to spend three days staying on Miyajima instead of staying over on the Hiroshima side. It was a highlight of the trip, though we do have one funny "pro-tip" for anyone else heading there: once the day-tourists catch the ferry back, almost every restaurant on the island shuts down by 6:00 PM. It left only a few spots open outside of the hotels, which we turned into a bit of an adventure, though others might find it a bit of a shock if they aren't prepared!

If we were to tweak anything in the itinerary, there were really only two minor exceptions in Kyoto—the boat ride and the tourist train. Only one person in our group enjoyed them. But in the grand scheme of such a well-planned trip, those were very small notes. Eleanor’s planning was top-tier, and while KimKim provided a great backend for the whole process, it was her personal touch that made the experience what it was. We would highly recommend her to anyone planning to travel to Japan.

The highlight of the trip was the 1,000 photos I captured along the way. I resonate with the Japanese style and their conscious use of space, line, and form in almost everything they create.
The gardens were especially relevant to me. Each one had a similarity but also its own unique elements, which made looking through my lens truly exciting. In fact, they have inspired me to revisit my own gardens, not trying to mimic a Japanese garden, but to take the time to think about, look a little longer and deeper, and try to incorporate these elements into mine.
My favorite was Miyajima - I loved the Island, the cable cars, and the Tori Bridge. It is a beautiful island. I especially love the Miyajima Hotel Villa. They had free snacks (and ice cream!) and the room was very comfortable with a lovely water view. The deer roam freely and are so friendly to the tourists.
I will contact Eleanor when we decide to return to Japan. I will use KimKim to plan travel to other countries.

We had all wonderful guides who were prompt and took us to all the places that they were supposed to. They were all knowledgeable and helped us to understand what we were seeing. Due to the holiday after Ramadan the traffic was unusually heavy, and we spent a long time traveling. One guide seemed to be on a schedule and she took so much time getting us to our next place. She did not want our arrival to be before a set time. It was late and we had an early flight out. It was much too much for one day.

Marc, our travel agent, prepared the trip to our specifications. The hotels were all good.

Thanks for planning this trip so well. We enjoyed it.

Judith Lewin-Kossover