Kimkim Trip Reviews

Amazing journey to Turkey prepared by Berat Ornek of Trail Travel. During the course of 14 days Berat had us visiting Istanbul, the Aegean coast and Cappadocia and selected excellent guides, transportation and hotels for each destination.. Her recommendations were not only memorable but perhaps the best we have experienced in visiting more than 70 countries to date. Thank you Berat for a great experience.

This was a beyond wonderful trip to Japan… Memories will last the remainder of my life.
The guides were professionally excellent, always punctual, pleasant, flexible, and very informative.
I would not hesitate for a second to recommend kimkim. We will definitely use your services for our next international trip.

Hotel Reviews

the b asakusa

Tokyo

Great location and excellent service.

Authenticity & Character

Darken floors

Location

Asakusa convenient neighborhood

Staff

Everyone

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything

Hakone Yumoto Fujiya Hotel

Hakone

Authenticity & Character

Best hotel onsen

Location

Surrounded by natural beauty

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Great hotel. Public bath and breakfast buffet in particular.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the toilet and shower

Location

Located a few hundred feet from Kyoto Station

Staff

Everything

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wonderful amenities… Even a pull down privacy screen.

Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu

Osaka

Great hotel, and even better breakfast

Location

Centrally located

Activity Reviews

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi with Oshino Hakkai

Japan

Great day in Mount Fuji vicinity with boat ride on lake.

Quality of Experience

All good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderfully professional guide

Transport

Vehicle luxury

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Kinkaku-ji Temple, Nijo Castle, and Fushimi-Inari Taisha

Kyoto

Amazing castles, and shrines. Kinkaku-ji shrine amazing

Quality of Experience

Amazing history

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable and pleasant

Transport

Great subway system

Sightseeing in Arashiyama - Boat Ride , Bamboo Grove & Monkey Park

Kyoto

Park is beautiful. Loved the monkeys.

Tokyo Highlights Day Tour with Tsukiji Outer Fish Market

Tokyo

Fish market is amazing. Could have spent more time there.

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour (Kyoto Return Trip)

Japan

Miyajima island is wonderful with Shinto shrines and a great shopping area. Hiroshima is a sobering experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide as usual

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Very enjoyable, getting dressed in authentic Japanese kimonos for the ceremony. Fun learning how to make authentic Matcha tea.

Full Day City Tour with Osaka Castle

Japan

Amazing castle and surrounding grounds.

World Heritage Himeji Castle & Kōko-en, Kobe tour

Japan

Castle is amazing. Not enough time allotted to Nunobiki Ropeway.

All our guides were great.all very knowledgeable friendly and outgoing

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Gravina 51

Sevilla

Beautiful boutique hotel located in great area.loved the rooftop.nicely decorated room comfortable bed .items in mini bar were complimentary.staff were friendly and helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walk to everything

Staff

Helpful recommended great places to eat

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathroom bedroom immaculate

Hotel NH Collection Granada Victoria

Granada

Loved the shower great location.could hear the church bells

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central location near restaurants and bars

Staff

Helpful friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

There is a bit of street noise as there is a night club across the street open until six AM

Activity Reviews

Private Visit to Seville's Cathedral & Alcázar

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private History & Culture Walk

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jorge was very helpful and responsive while planning our trip! Our guide, Julio, in Peru was very dedicated and knowledgeable, it was a pleasure spending time with him. In Bolivia, our guide Frans, and driver Ivan, were great! We really enjoyed both of them for our tours of La Paz and the Bolivian side of Titicaca. All of our guides, including the daytrip guides, were good.

The trip was great. The guides worked with our preferences very well. The only adjustment I would make was the seven hour walking tour in Lisbon on our last day was too much. Four hours would have been much better and would have allowed us some free time.

Kim Kim and Liz did a wonderful job planning and executing our trip to France. From the first planning discussion to the final run through of our itinerary we felt that Kim Kim understood our needs and would provide a wonderful travel experience. We weren't disappointed. Highlights of our days in France were visiting the Avignon area of France. What a beautiful place with lots of varied things to do and see. We especially liked the day channeling Van Gogh through St. Remy and Arles.

We probably over booked ourselves during our two days in Paris. It was quite a marathon but we did and saw so many wonderful sights including Versailles, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Orsay Museum. Wish we could have spent more time in Paris but now we are motivated to return.

Traveled as a group of four friends to the Andalusia area of Spain. Our travel specialist Raquel worked with our group and put together 12 day itinerary that met all of our needs perfectly. We loved the kimkim app which had ever detail of our day to day plan, tours, tickets, recommendation , etc and we referred to it non-stop.

Our trip was seamless, from our airport pickup in Seville, car rental, hotels, tours, tickets…through to the end. As per our request, and of course with Raquel’s assistance we were able to hit all the places on our wish list. We visited Seville, Cordoba (day trip), Cádiz, Grenada, Rhonda, Malaga and day trip to Nerja.
Our hotels in each location were in excellent locations for walking in the historic districts and meeting locations for tours. All accommodations exceeded our expectations with attentive staff, beautiful rooms, and delicious breakfasts included. We particularly enjoyed the H10 hotels that we stayed at in Seville and Malaga.
Our arranged private tours were exceptional with local knowledgeable tour guides. They all had educations and backgrounds that enhanced the experiences. We had a great variety of history, culture, food, and fun with lots of laughs along the way.

Hotel Reviews

H10 Casa de la Plata

Sevilla

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Croma Málaga

Málaga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Monumental Seville on Foot & Visit Real Alcázar

Seville

Cory was a delight to plan our trip with! We had a diverse group and she helped us to find something for everyone. Cory also helped us to feel prepared with how to use the transit systems and feel confident we could get where we needed to go, on time. We really enjoyed Kyoto, with our guide Pam. We got to see so much and appreciated having a local point of view. We also enjoyed the fast pace of Tokyo with Karin who adjusted our itinerary to maximize lower traffic times at high traffic sites. We so enjoyed our adventures in Japan.

Hotel Reviews

Hakone Kowakudani Onsen Ryokan Mizunoto

Hakone

The hotel is unique and the hot springs were enjoyable. The included meals were not great, we had much better traditional meals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

There is a garden just across the road and the hotel is in a quite area. It was not ideal to have to walk bags up the hill after a long bus ride

Staff

Staff was kind. We had logistics trouble with the bus not running on time. Staff was kind but unable to help us resolve the issue.

Cleanliness & Comfort

KAYA Kyoto Nijo Castle

Kyoto

Location was nice, it was a walk from the train station but staff were very friendly and helpful. We had a great stay and the beds were comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Helped us get a taxi for 6 on short notice for dinner!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel the Celestine Tokyo Shiba

Tokyo

We had a very nice stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

There was a walk to all mass transit, a doable 10min walk but of note if you have luggage.

Staff

Very kind. We had to check in early and leave bags, they were in our rooms when we returned, stress free!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Akihabara Anime & Gaming Adventure Tour

Tokyo

This was a unique tour. Our guide was kind and knowledgeable about the area. We had expected more of a focus on anime than the general area and hipsters but it was a unique experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great. Made things feel comfortable and accessible. Took us to places we likely would not have walked into without the guide.

Tokyo Night Food Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

We loved this experience! A highlight of the trip! The guide was outstanding and the food was delicious!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Japanese Calligraphy Experience (Nara)

Japan

This was an exceptional experience! We had a great time learning and creating together. The setting was just beautiful, a lovley garden out back and such kind host.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Outstanding! We were not rushed and they were kind about our artistic attempt!

Private Kyoto Temples & Gion Tour

Japan

Pam was wonderful! We saw so much and really enjoyed our adventure!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first experience working with Kimkim’ and everything went excellently! Maria Grazia did an amazing job with our arrangements from our initial consultation to arranging the final details of our trip.
She provided us with options at each stage of the planning and put together an itinerary that was perfect for us. I loved the sweet hotel she booked for us (great location within walking distance of many sites/sights) and our private tour guides (Stephani, Martta, Elena) were exceptional!! We appreciated the self-guided options and restaurants she recommended. We will definitely reach out to Kimkim again. Thank you!

Hotel Review

La Maison du Sage

Florence

Sweet little hotel, wonderful breakfast service, helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Small, nice furnished

Location

Easy to walk to many places

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Uffizi and Vasari Corridor Guided Tour: a Journey Through Florence Artistic Masterpieces

Florence

Stephani was amazing! Congenial, engaging, and incredibly knowledgeable with a wealth of experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour guides breadth and depth of knowledge

Transport

Private Siena Guided Walking Tour with Duomo

Italy

Love leaning abt seina…the distinct districts, the horse races

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A Guided Hiking Adventure in the Heart of Chianti

Italy

Was interesting but was a hot day and walking is gravel roads got a bit tedious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Walking Tour of Florence with Accademia Gallery & Duomo Visits

Italy

Very long lines a duomo so did not get in..enjoyed the babtistry

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A Guided Tour and Tasting at a Tuscan Olive Oil Mill

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was our first experience with Kimkim and we were very pleased. All of our coordinated transport in Portugal was executed flawlessly. It would be nice if all of our drivers would make contact in advance, especially when connecting to trains and airlines. Our first guide for Peña palace, Juo, (can’t remember the spelling) was a wealth of knowledge, not only of the palace but of Portugal and the region. Our first hotel in Lisbon, AlmaLusa Baixa could be improved upon. The room was very small and missing paint on the walls. There was construction on the next building and in front of the hotel that obstructed the view of the plaza from the patio. Location was good though.
We had a nice high speed train ride up to Porto. It would be nice to know where your assigned train car will be on the arriving train. We were assigned the number 1 car but didn’t know which end of the platform our car would be on. We and others guessed wrong and had to run to the opposite end. The train stops are brief and luggage racks fill quickly.
We very much enjoyed our stay in Porto. Great hotel and location. Nice private river cruise with Douro Captain. Would have been nice to go further upstream but our tall mast would not clear the first bridge.
Our favorite destination was our b&b in Peso da Regua. A beautiful property overlooking the town and Douro river. We had an excellent hike in wine country with Naturimont and learned much about the region. Our wine tasting tour the following day at Quinta Barqueiros D’Ouro was outstanding. I apologize for not remembering names but our host was the son of the vineyard owner and he was very good. The time at Vinhos Verdes was anticlimactic and we could have passed on.
Our arrival and first whole day in Lagos was very enjoyable. Beautiful resort and location on the coast with trails close by and enjoyed old town Lagos inside the fort walls.
Sadly we missed our sea kayak trip when we became ill for the last three days.
Good and informative ride back to Lisbon for our last night . Probably didn’t need the planned transport as the hotel is on the airport property and has a 24 hour shuttle.
All in all we’re very happy with Kimkim’s planning and execution of our trip to Portugal.

If I could give Bella 10 stars I would! When my husband was alive we travelled all over the world and NEVER have I experienced the quality of care, professionalism, attention to details and kindness that Bella extended to my girls and myself. My desire, booking this trip was to have a "once in a lifetime experience" celebrating two big birthdays - my daughter's 60th and my 90th and I couldn't have made a wiser choice. The two local guides Peter and Hiroshi were delightful and what a treat and surprise it was at the end of our trip to be presented with a video of the many photos they took along the way. . This was my first time traveling to Japan and I was impressed with how welcoming and polite the Japanese people are, and how immaculate the country is - their toilets are remarkable compared to every country I have visited, including the United States. Thank you Bella

Our trip to Spain and Portugal was our second time using KimKim and we were as pleased with this trip as our first trip. They worked with us to put together our travel plans and come up with our itinerary. They coordinated our travel from city to city and were available if we needed their assistance. Our hotels were exactly as we requested, historic and easily within walking distance to the old city centers. Our guides were knowledgeable and proud to talk about their cities' history. In particular, our Gaudi guide Ruth was very helpful and knowledgeable about Gaudi and made our tour very enjoyable. Our drivers /guides were also very knowledgeable and helpful, in particular Rubin and Cesar. On our travel days KimKim was in touch with us to ensure that there were no issues.

Our local France specialist Audrey was wonderful. She did a great job helping us plan the trip tailored to our specific interests. She replied to our questions promptly and was available for a zoom call.
Our 2 week trip which included Paris and Provence went smoothly. Audrey was easily available when we needed to verify a few of the planned activities. Our personal tour guide at the Louvre was great. We took a guided group day trip to Normandy which was very informative and personally quite a “moving” experience.
We rented a car in Provence and toured many of the local hilltop villages which were lovely. We liked staying in Villeneuve-les-Avignon, much quieter than Avignon. The restaurants there were great as was the hotel. The Roman history in Nimes, Uzes and the Pont du Gard were worth the visit.
The Carrieres de Lumiere show and Les Baux de Provence were wonderful.
We enjoyed hiking the Sainte Baume Mountains and the Calanques National Park near Cassis. The views were stunning.
We flew out of Nice, were surprised by it’s beautiful architecture and lovely seaside promenade.

Hotel Reviews

Aquabella Hotel & Spa

Aix en Provence

Location just outside the old city was perfect. We did not use the spa, sauna, pool etc. Too busy seeing the sights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Victoria

Nice

Good location, They upgraded us to a bigger room which was very nice. Lovely garden space in the back.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Panthéon

Paris

Room was small but we loved the location in the Latin quarter. Easy to walk to Notre Dame and even the Louvre. The restaurant next door had great French food. We ate there for dinner three nights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

As above, easily walkable. Quiet.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

L'Atelier

Villeneuve-lès-Avignon

Great location. Loved the town. Parked the car in an outdoor free parking lot just a few minutes walk from the hotel. Very safe. Lovely, old hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-day excursion from Paris of D-day beaches - U.S. sector

Paris

We did not know that we would be going with a group. So you might want people to know that they will be driving in a van with 8 other people for several hours each way. Our tour guide was an enthusiastic, very knowledgeable young man who gave us a lot of history about D day and took us to several locations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided visit of the Louvre Museum

Paris

Our private guide was great. She took us to less crowded areas where she could spend time telling us the history of certain ancient pieces. Would highly recommend her!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-Day Visit to the Royal Versailles with Private Transfers

Paris

We downloaded the app and went along at our own pace, inside. The fountains outside were not running. Because of the time of the year there were no flowers or colorful gardens but we walked for about an hour outside. Five hours was the right amount of time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was very friendly, and professional.

Transport

Visit & Wine Tasting at Clos du Calvaire

France

We had our own private tour of the vineyard which was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, friendly, . Enjoyed the wine tasting and of course bought some bottles to bring home!

Hop-on hop-off in Paris - 1-day pass

Paris

A nice way to get your bearings of the city on the first day and see the highlights while being driven! The audio didn’t give much information.

Quality of Experience

Caterina & Anna, We had the most amazing trip. Every step was seamless! Hotels and tours were perfect. Thank you for making our trip to Italy & Sicily memorable.

Mathilda provided incredible service! The detailed itinerary was perfect. So easy to travel with this as our written guide. When we had a question, she was responsive.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Cravat

Luxembourg

Great location. Wide variety of breakfast items. Front desk staff very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Heidelberg

Heidelberg

Nice bar. Amazing breakfast. Walking distance to restaurants and local activities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adina Apartment Hotel Nuremberg

Nürnberg

Washer dryer combo in the room. 5 minute walk from the train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Schiller5 Hotel

München

Perfect location. 1/2 block to se the Oktoberfest parade. Nice restaurants within very easy walking distance. Safe walk to the Oktoberfest grounds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sonne Füssen

Fussen

Quaint and intriguing decor. Close to restaurants. Great restaurant/bar.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel NH Collection Salzburg City

Salzburg

Candy in the lobby! Outdoor patio seating. Close to a great local pizza place and an Asian restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adina Serviced Apartments Vienna

Wien

On-site laundry was not convenient nor easy to use, which is why we stayed here. Breakfast was a 5 minute walk across busy streets. Staff was not helpful nor very friendly. Our bed was up against a wall. Close to great restaurants and the train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Archibald At the Charles Bridge

Prague

Close to everything we wanted to see-Charles Bridge, the Prague Castle, the river and good restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Luxembourg 1-day Private Guided country tour

Luxembourg City

Paulo was great. Even though he wasn’t technically a tour guide, he performed like one! Took us to several wonderful places. Very cordial and accommodating.

A wonderful day out to the German wine road, set in the lovely Pfalz countryside

Heidelberg

We loved this tour! Man Fred was amazing. Knowledgeable, friendly and funny! Excellent wine and lunch.

Oktoberfest Tour – Experience The World-Famous Party

Munich

Werner gave a great tour and history. Fun guy. We enjoyed Oktoberfest-the beer, the vibe, the music, the wait staff.

Private Tour to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castle

Füssen

Salzburg Introduction

Salzburg

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Claudia was wonderful!

Transport

Bike tour Sound Of Music Musical

Salzburg

A bit scary bike ride through town-lots of traffic, no helmets, but loved our guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Grand Tour - Schönbrunn Palace (entrance ticket and audioguide)

Vienna

Very much appreciated a 9:30 entrance as the crowds later were too much!

Quality of Experience

Prague Introduction Walking Tour

Prague

We loved Miriam! She was amazing. Learned so much history, etc.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So lovely! Knowledgeable, provided tips for a great experience in Prague (where to eat, where to shop).

Prague Castle (Entrance tickets)

Prague

Go early! A bit confusing on what our ticket covered, cost of audio. Recommend a local tour guide to get more of the local history perspective.

Beer & Baroque Tour of Prague

Prague

We got Miriam again for this activity, which made the entire experience amazing! Great beer and onion soup. She customized our time with her. Skipped the 2nd brewery and walked the momentary neighborhood. She then took us back to the Prague Castle for a tour of the cathedral (our ticket was good on the 2nd day since we had not been able to tour then cathedral the day prior).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Apple Strudel & Prezel cooking class incl. dinner & music

Salzburg

Great hosts. Such a fun activity!

Vienna Folklore Dinner show

Vienna

Amazing event. Orchestra, ballet and opera all in one evening. Amazing evening!

Quality of Experience

Food

Heidelberg Castle (entrance tickets to buy on-site for 11€ incl. funicular)

Heidelberg

No access to the inside of the castle so we did not rate this event as memorable.

Quality of Experience

Nuremberg Full City Walking Tour: Old town & Rallygrounds

Nuremberg

Wow. The history here was so impactful. Our guide, Nick, was incredible passionate and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Nazi history. Tragic. Not to be missed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everything was well planned no issues with transportation. We were a group of 4 and enjoyed our visit in Italy. We visited Venice, Florence, Rome and Sorrento and all of our arrangements went smoothly thanks to Kimkim.

My son and I just returned from a fantastic trip to Japan. Sandy was wonderful to work with. She patiently answered all of my questions and offered insightful suggestions for the itinerary and daily activities. The hotels were exceptional and perfectly located for our needs. We especially loved The Ace Hotel in Kyoto. The drivers and guides were reliable and checked in via WhatsApp with meeting locations. Our time with Yoshie in Tokyo was particularly special. Sandy coordinated all of the trains and transfers and checked in several times during the trip to make sure that things were going according to plan. Highly recommend Sandy and the KimKim team.

The trip was great. Last day in Santa Cruz was almost a waste but we worked with Deigo to give us some free time to walk around rather than just sit at the airport. The Break and Breakfast in GYE was good but the location was not good. We had one night there and left to go walk but there was nothing we could get to, including bars.

All guides were outstanding. They went above and beyond. Loved the SINTRA Tuk Tuk and the Douro valley tour. Sofia in Lagos was exceptional in her knowledge of history and culture. The grotto boat tour was also great. Each city had its own charm and ambience.

My wife and I had an absolutely spectacular trip to South African and Zimbabwe! Lize Enderstein, who was our travel agent, did a great job of mixing South Africa's cities -- Capetown and Johannesburg -- which allowed us to get a good understanding of South Africa past and present with amazing safari experiences, two in South Africa and one in Zimbabwe. And of course, Victoria Falls was as spectacular as promised.
Our guides, particularly Zane in Capetown and Natasha in Johannesburg, were outstanding and highly recommended. They were knowledgeable, flexible, and caring.
Our accommodations, both in the cities and on safari were terrific. We had great safari experiences, terrific food, and very hospitable and attentive staffs. We saw the Big Five several times over as well as a panoply of other animals. For the record, our favorites were the leopards and elephants.
Overall, it was a spectacular and memorable trip that made the long travel to get to South Africa from the US worthwhile. We highly recommend working with Lize for anyone who is considering a similar trip.