Probably the best curated and communicated anxiety free new country adventure we have taken after traveling to 40+ countries.
The Netherlands | Apr 16 - Apr 30, 2026

Paul
Paul H.
Newark, NJ | Reviewed on May 05, 2026

What a beautiful adventure. My wife long yearned to "tiptoe thru the tulips in The Netherlands" and Bas and kimkim made it happen in a very special way. Upon searching through the web, I landed on kimkim and Bas as our best bet to personalize a 15-day adventure throughout The Netherlands. We provided them with a brief profile of the type of travel we enjoy and a few touchstones that we would like to see. They made all arrangements for us and provided us with easy-to-use electronic tools that provided day by day and very explicit instructions of things available for us to see or do and how to best access them.

Starting in Amsterdam for three nights we had a personal walking tour guide to provide some history and show us the basic layout of the area. From there we had tickets booked to our major attractions Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, a canal cruise and lots of free time to explore on our own.

From Amsterdam we traveled by train to Hoorn for two nights where we once again had a private guided walking tour, historic harbor cruise, and a day trip to Medemblik for a museum ship cruise to Enkuizen and then returned to Hoorn by Steam Train.

From Hoorn we traveled to the island of Texel via train, bus, taxi and Ferry where we enjoyed three days of cycling and exploring around the island including a seal boat tour, and the most charming B&B run by a most charming and accommodating couple.

From Texel we spent two nights in Bergen at a quaint and cozy family hotel located in the center of the village where after a private guided walking tour we enjoyed cycling and inhaling the quiet ambiance of a very friendly Dutch village.

After Bergen we traveled to Leiden for the absolute highlight of the trip - Keukenhof Gardens Adventure which also happened to be Kings Day! Upon arriving in Bergen via bus and train we checked into a wonderful Boutique Hotel d' Oude Morsch located right in the middle of the village with an operating windmill eighty feet out our window. We had another walking tour to discover the hidden inner courtyard "hofjes" along with the many historic buildings and the University. Spent the following day at Keukenhof gardens where it was comfortably crowded due to the holiday but an over the top garden experience. The Tulips were in full bloom along with a lot of other aromatic and glorious flower species.

We then traveled to Haarlem for two nights by train and after another personally guided walking tour we rented e-bikes and cycled out to the beach and dunes areas enjoying the wild horses and birdsong along the way.

All in all a fabulous trip made easy and anxiety free by kimkim and Bas. The electronic tools included were the kimkim app, the 9292 transportation app and the RidewithGPS bicycle touring app.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel des Arts
Amsterdam-Centrum

Perfect location; nice and welcoming staff; comfortable rooms and bed .

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Ysbrantsz Boutique Hotel
Hoorn

Perfect location; nice and welcoming staff; comfortable rooms and bed .

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
B&B De Oude Skuur
Oosterend

Perfect location; nice and welcoming staff; comfortable rooms and bed .

Authenticity & Character
A repurposed, remodeled and modernized former livestock barn - very authentic.
Location
Very near a small village with a bar and restaurant also a short bike ride to other larger villages with more variety.
Staff
Very welcoming and accommodating - they even let us do a bit of laundry in their machines!! and they sell wine!!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Heerlijkheid Bergen
Bergen

Perfect location; nice and welcoming staff; comfortable rooms and bed .

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Boutique Hotel d' Oude Morsch
Leiden

Perfect location; nice and welcoming staff; comfortable rooms and bed . We had a windmill forty feet from our bedroom window!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Malts B&B
Haarlem

Perfect location; nice and welcoming staff; comfortable rooms and bed . lovely hard working couple and staff that made the stay memorable.

Authenticity & Character
True to Dutch form including the entry stairs!
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Public transport pass Netherlands (OV chip card)
Public transport pass Netherlands (OV chip card)
The Netherlands

A must have if accessing various trains and buses. Very easy and convenient.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Trains and busses very timely and efficient.
Amsterdam - Private guided historic city walk
Amsterdam - Private guided historic city walk
The Netherlands

Marc Soeteman was our guide and did a good job showing us the lay of the land in and around Old Amsterdam.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum
The Netherlands

A classis "must see" when visiting Amsterdam.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Bas Naus
Bas
Bas Naus
Local specialist in Nijmegen, Netherlands | Replied on May 06, 2026

Dear Paul,
Thank you so much for your kind words! I truly enjoyed organising your off-the-beaten-track adventure in the Netherlands, and I am glad to read this trip met your expectations and that you appreciated my help.
All the best to you!
Warm regards,
Bas.