Kimkim Trip Reviews

Michelle provided a great itinerary for us which ultimately reflected our desires perfectly. I was unclear about what we really wanted and she was wonderful with information and recommendations that were a significant improvement over my ‘ google’ knowledge. Communication before and during the trip was seamless. We had some problems with a rental car which required a hastily changed itinerary; she was available and very helpful. This was my first experience with a travel planner- very positive overall!

Hotel Reviews

Fiordland Jewel

Milford Sound

A very special experience- first class and a unique way to see the fjord. Our Captain has an intimate history and experience in the sound and his presentation was truly superb

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel

Queenstown

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Milford Sound overnight Cruise - Fiordland Jewel

Milford Sound

This was the perfect way to see the Sound

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We really enjoyed our trip to Australia. Thank you for helping us schedule it.
Here is some feedback for you:

The Brady Hotel Jones Lane was OK. Not as nice or as spacious a room as the one that we had at the Park Hyatt (which is a super nice hotel0. The Brady Jones Hotel was conveniently located and the front desk people were really pleasant but the room was small and the TV never worked (despite several people coming up from the staff to confirm that it was broken...lol). This was a problem only because my husband was trying to watch his team play a March Madness basketball game.

The private trip to Mornington Peninsula was great! We loved our driver/guide Nicci from Epicurean, She took us to a diverse group of wineries and to a wonderful lunch. 10/10 Perfect day!

The car rental from Sixt was a thrash initially because they didn't have the type of car we rented. Lovely people working there but the system was so disorganized. We were not only group that ended up waiting for over an hour to get our car. Eventually they gave us a bigger car for the same price and allowed us to return it without a full tank without charging for the difference in the amount of gas (gas is super pricey there due to the war in Iran). Otherwise no problems with the car and the return was easy.

The trip along the Great Ocean Road was amazing!! We drove about 4 hours each day I think. There are lots of signs warning motorists to watch out for kangaroos crossing the road and they are not kidding since I almost hit one when driving to Robe in the dusk. I will attach photos from Apollo Bay at sunset and the Twelve Apostles if I can.
The cottage at Anchors Port Campbell was wonderful. Spacious with huge windows overlooking the lovely surrounding countryside. Tanya was a gracious hostess and provided us with coffee, cereal, milk, and even a bottle of wine. Lovely place and well situated near the Twelve Apostles so that it was easy to beat the rush of tourists coming from Melbourne in the morning

The Vibe Hotel in Adelaide was nice and in a good location for walking everywhere; the room size was decent and the staff pleasant. The breakfast was good.
We really enjoyed our trip to the Barossa Valley with Chris from Small Batch Tours. He was great and took us to some wonderful wineries and scheduled an excellent lunch for us. The tour ended up being a private one which was a bonus for us. Another 10/10.

Apparently Good Friday is a national holiday in Australia. Almost everything was closed! We did end up scheduling a city walking tour with a lovely young woman (Katina from Flamboyance Tours) which was very good despite the multiple closures. In the afternoon we toured the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Adelaide and got hand pies at the Bakery on O'Connell Street (on Katina's recommendations). In the evening we went to see an Australian football game in Adelaide that evening (which was super fun).

All in all a great trip!

Hotel Reviews

Vibe Hotel Adelaide

Adelaide

The Vibe Hotel in Adelaide was nice and in a good location for walking everywhere; the room size was decent and the staff pleasant. The breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anchors Port Campbell

Port Campbell

The cottage at Anchors Port Campbell was wonderful. Spacious with huge windows overlooking the lovely surrounding countryside. Tanya was a gracious hostess and provided us with coffee, cereal, milk, and even a bottle of wine. Lovely place and well situated near the Twelve Apostles so that it was easy to beat the rush of tourists coming from Melbourne in the morning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Brady Hotels Jones Lane

Melbourne

The Brady Hotel Jones Lane was OK. Not as nice or as spacious a room as the one that we had at the Park Hyatt (which is a super nice hotel0. The Brady Jones Hotel was conveniently located and the front desk people were really pleasant but the room was small and the TV never worked (despite several people coming up from the staff to confirm that it was broken...lol). This was a problem only because my husband was trying to watch his team play a March Madness basketball game.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Mornington Peninsula Day Trip with Lunch & Wine Tasting

Melbourne

The private trip to Mornington Peninsula was great! We loved our driver/guide Nicci from Epicurean, She took us to a diverse group of wineries and to a wonderful lunch. 10/10 Perfect day!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver Khalid was absolutely outstanding. His knowledge and his reliability and safe driving was really impressive. He was very helpful and prepared to assist us at all times.
The accommodation was excellent in all locations except Essaouira where we were very disappointed. We could not get a bottle of water or tea in the afternoon and were told the kitchen was closed. The Air Conditioning did not work and the fan was very noisy while the shower was average at best.
However the location was good in the medina but overall that hotel (Villa de l'O) was poor.
I must stress however that overall we had the most fantastic time. Our guides were always knowledgeable and helpful while Khalid certainly made the trip a total success.
Thank you to Hassan for all his help and with organizing the overall trip.

Hotel Reviews

Marly Boutique Hotel

Casablanca

Very comfortable - great breakfast and a lovely hotel to end our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The receptionist was very helpful and was a pleasure to deal with.

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

The hotel and the rooms were excellent - great staff and a lovely restaurant where we had a fabulous dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff were very helpful - Ismael at reception was really good.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Ksar Ighnda

Ait Benhaddou

A lovely authentic riad with great staff, good rooms and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

A wonderful desert experience - staff were great and hte rooms were very comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Amani

Fès

A great hotel - comfortable - staff very helpful - excellent Hamman and spa.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mövenpick Hotel Casablanca

Casablanca

This hotel was comfortable and great for our first night. A normal big city hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa de l'Ô

Essaouira

This hotel was mediocre at best - location great but that was about all. Breakfast was very average.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

No service in the day if we wanted water or tea

Cleanliness & Comfort

Airconditioning did not work, fan was very noisy, shower was poor.

Activity Reviews

Free Afternoon in Essaouira

Essaouira

We wandered around the medina, had a wonderful dinner at Dar Baba and enjoyed visiting the waterfront and tasting the oysters!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Sidi Kaouki wild beach

Essaouira

A very enjoyable fun visit - went on bikes across the beach and over the dunes - a lot of fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Essaouira Jewish Heritage Tour

Essaouira

a fascinating tour which gave a good insight into the Jewish influence in Essaouira

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very knowledgeable

Transport

Transfer to Essaouira & Argan Oil Tour

Morocco

A safe trip with an enjoyable visit to an Argan Cooperative where we had a really interesting presentation and were able to buy some lovely creams and oils.

Quality of Experience

A really interesting tour of the Argan Cooperative.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Khalid was excellent. The staff at the Cooperative were very nice and knowledgeable.

Transport

As always the trip was comfortable and safe.

Visit Majorelle gardens

Marrakesh

We did not do this tour. We could not get tickets and decided to rest at the hotel.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Khalid took us to the gardens but due to a mix up we did not have tickets and we decided to rest at the hotel.

Exploring Marrakech's Wonders: A Private Guided Tour

Marrakesh

A great tour - the Confluence Museum was really interesting and the Secret Gardens were beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Great museum and gardens - well worth seeing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was knowledgeable and we enjoyed our time with him.

Transport

Marrakech Food Tour

Marrakesh

The food tour was interesting - the food was tasty although perhaps one stop too many - we were all very full!!

Quality of Experience

Food

The food was both tasty and interesting but we were very full at the end - maybe one stop too many!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very passionate about the area and took us to some lovely stops for our different meals.

Transport

Ait Benhaddou to Marrakech via Tizi N'Tichka pass

Morocco

A very interesting drive through some wonderful mountains and countryside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Khalid = excellent!!!

Transport

Very safe driving on some challenging roads.

Guided Tour of Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

A fantastic historical city - really interesting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide around Ait Benhaddou was outstanding - very knowledgeable and interesting.

Transport

Transfer from Merzouga to Aït Benhaddou via Draa Valley

Morocco

Another excellent trip - great landscapes as we drove. Our stop at the gorge at Camp Todra Gorges was really interesting - greatviews

Quality of Experience

Food

We had a lovely lunch Toudgha El Oulia

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Again Khalid was great.

Camel trek to your luxury camp

Merzouga

Our camel guide Mohammed was excellent. Very safe and a lot of fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Dinner was fun - plenty of food!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our camel guide was excellent and hte whole experience was wonderful.

Transport

Riding hte camels was quite an experience!!

Fez – Ifrane – Azrou – Mildelt – Errachidia – Merzouga ( 7 Hours Drive).

Morocco

What a great drive with some really interesting stops, a great lunch and a very safe journey. The arrival in the desert was spectacular.

Quality of Experience

The trip to the desert took us through some wonderful landscapes

Food

We had a great lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Khalid was great and the drive was very enjoyable.

Transport

Very safe driving

Dine with a Local Family

Morocco

We had a lovely eveing with this beautiful family - a fun time, great food and good conversation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes: Exploring the Imperial City

Fes

This was a great city with wonderful history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very knowledgeable and helped us around.

Transport

Khalid as always was great.

Guided Tour of Volubilis

Morocco

Fantastic - great guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide around Volubilis was outstanding

Transport

Sandy was a wonderful support for this bucket list trip! She was very responsive to our requests for modifications during the planning stages and very supportive while we were on the trip

Hotel Review

Hakoneyumoto Onsen Yaeikan

It was wonderful to experience a royken. The simplicity of the room was a bit of a surprise but it truly had everything we needed We won’t need to repeat sleeping on the floor!

Authenticity & Character

Private onsen authentic Japanese dinner and breakfast

Location

We expected to be able to take a taxi to hakone station That was not an option We walked to the local train station and took a train to hakone

Staff

Clearly state we would need to walk to local train station

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Gion Geisha Walking Tour

Kyoto

Did not like getting a presentation from a Norwegian immigrant who learned about geishas from her father in law Her views were tainted and not authentic

Quality of Experience

Discuss trip on a quiet street not a busy street corner

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Own way

A Hands-on Cooking Experience: Nigiri Sushi and More

Tokyo

Very patient and kind teachers

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very patient

Transport

We went by ourselves

Chase Cherry Blossom with Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo

Tokyo

If cherry blossoms are not yet in bloom it would be good to exchange that experience to something more relevant

Quality of Experience

Great to visit the market

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just got back from Japan and everything was perfect! Mari worked with us to create the perfect experience. My husband got to forge a knife with a 7th generation knife maker in Kyoto. We incorporated private tours with small group tours. We loved our cooking class with Niko in Osaka. I would highly recommend KimKim Tours.
Mary from Ohio

Hotel Reviews

The Tokyo Station Hotel

Tokyo

It was great to get off the train from Osaka and have a hotel employee meet us at the train platform.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Conrad Osaka

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ace Kyoto

kyoto

Fun bar and great pizza!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Hotel Tokyo

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo forest & Garden Half-Day Walking Tour

Kyoto

Great guide! Very crowded!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Osaka Home Feast: Cooking, Culture & Sake Discovery

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Kyoto Sake Brewery Tour (Adults only)

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Japanese Knife Making Experience in Kyoto

Kyoto

A real “hands on” experience!

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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English-Speaking Assistant from Tokyo Hotel to Tokyo Station

Tokyo

Well worth it!

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We had an incredible experience booking our trip through Kimkim. From start to finish, everything felt seamless, organized, and thoughtfully planned. Traveling can sometimes be stressful, but Kimkim truly made the entire process easy and enjoyable.

A huge shoutout to Antonio (aka Bobby), who went above and beyond to make sure everything ran smoothly. His attention to detail, responsiveness, and genuine care made a big difference throughout our trip. It felt like we were in great hands the entire time.

We also had the pleasure of meeting the team in person. Sofia, Kathy (cariño!), and the rest of the staff , and they were all incredibly warm, welcoming, and professional. That personal connection really elevated the experience and made it feel even more special.

Every detail, from transportation to accommodations and activities, was well-coordinated and exceeded our expectations. We’re truly grateful for such a memorable and stress-free trip.

Highly recommend Kimkim to anyone looking for a well-curated, personalized travel experience. We would absolutely book with them again.

Our son is adopted from Taiwan. He wanted to take a trip there so we decided to visit for his senior trip which also coincided with his 18th birthday. We knew this trip had to be special. I did some searching online and quickly discovered I was over my head in planning this kind of trip. What a blessing that I came across Kimkim!

I was connected with Shirley through Kimkim. She asked lots questions and found out what kind of trip we had in mind. She got right to work and sent over in extensive itinerary. Shirley was very easy to work with and made great suggestions.

It’s a bit scary when you plan something over the Internet with someone you’ve never spoke to in person or met. But our vacation could not have tuned out better. The accommodations were great and all the activities Shirley planned were winners. She even surprised our son with a birthday cake on his birthday.

One of the best parts of our trip was our driver/guide, Young. He very sincerely wanted to make sure we got the most out of every activity. I’m not sure we could have done the trip without him. He will forever be considered an honorary member of our family.

I would highly recommend Kimkim, Shirley and Young. They planned and executed a trip we will always cherish.

Hotel Reviews

WESTGATE Hotel

Taipei

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wellspring by Silks

Yilan County

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tingtau Garden

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Yuan Forest Homestay Sun Moon Lake

Authenticity & Character

Staff

They knew it was our son’s birthday Ava gave him a birthday gift.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Best of Taipei & Chinese calligraphy workshop – A Day Tour You Can't Miss

Taipei City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gold Rush Town – Jiufen & Yehliu & Shifen Day Tour

Taiwan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Exploration to Morning Market + Peanut Roll Ice Cream DIY & Cycling at Old Caoling Tunnel - Travel to the Past by Bike

Taiwan

We loved hearing the personal stories of the different families that had shops or stands at get Day Market.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yilan - Indigenous Atayal tribe visit

Yilan

This was a fun experience but a long day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tea picking and tea tasting in bamboo forest

Puli, Nantou

Quality of Experience

Picking and tasting tea was a wonderful experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sun Link Sea Day Tour

Taiwan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

SUP & Ci En Pagoda

Yuchi, Nantou

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jay, our SUP guide was fantastic!

Transport

Highlights in Sun Moon Lake

Taiwan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We started our planning one year in advance and had the most stress free vacation that I have ever been on. Svetlana was our travel agent and did an amazing job with the itinerary. During our first zoom call we talked about a few key features the group (4) wanted to do, St Patrick's Day 2026 in Dublin, Guinness Storehouse, Cliffs of Moher, Kiss the Blarney Stone. We also communicated with Svetlana wanted to hire a private driver when traveling outside of Dublin, not a bus tour, so that everyone in the group could rest in between destinations and not deal with the hassle of large groups. She took these requests and built us an amazing itinerary and filled in the gaps with here own suggests. We made some minor changes and finalized the plan on version 3. She took care of all the tickets to all the destinations, booked all the hotels, booked all the transportation. Her communication was prompt and made great suggestions to match the vibe of the group.
The hotels were great. The transport vehicles were very clean and roomy for a group of four. The drivers were always on time. We had transportation waiting for us when we got off the plane to get us to our hotel in Dublin. Our driver during the 4 days outside of Dublin was Paul, he was very knowledgeable of all the sights, he even brought us to a few extra places that were not on the list of stops, he was flexible but still kept us on pace to make sure we could fit in the days agenda. Paul was great, could not have asked for a better driver to spent 4 days with. The day we left the driver was early and took us to the airport.
Svetlana thanks for a great trip; everyone in the group had a great time and I cant think of anything we would have done differently.

Hotel Reviews

The Alex Hotel

Dublin

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park House Hotel

Galway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Killarney Avenue Hotel

Killarney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hyatt Centric The Liberties Dublin

Dublin

A newer built hotel. The location is excellent for walking to any attraction in Dublin

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is close enough that you can walk to just about any main attraction in Dublin

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kilbeggan Distillery

Kilbeggan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Killarney Brews & Views

Killarney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Italy was amazing and it's all thanks to the great work of our travel specialist Jessica and KimKim Travels. The site made it easy to identify aspects of the trip that were the most important to us and Jessica created an itinerary that was perfect for us . Every aspect was thought out and seamless- from the transports and trains to the hotels and tours, everything was amazing! We will definitely use KimKim again!

From the beginning this was such a good choice! Kimkim effortlessly created an itinerary based on my needs and timeline.
My driver/general guide Ali was simply awesome 😎. The local guides were all great as well; providing knowledge and understanding about their “areas” that made the tour so much more immersive.
I really don’t have anything negative to say here. This was a totally professional and customer service experience from start to finish.

Our trip to Egypt was incredible. Habiba did an amazing job planning. From the accommodations to the sites and activities to the fantastic guides she set us up with, all of it made for a truly unforgettable trip. We had the best time with our guides Sam, Mustafa, and Ahmed. All of them were very knowledgeable about the sites and were happy to answer any questions we had. I would absolutely recommend KimKim to friends and family and will certainly use it again for future trips.

Hotel Reviews

M/S MAYFAIR Nile Cruise

Aswan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fairmont Nile city

cairo

Beautiful hotel in a great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tour to Egyptian Museum, Citadel, and Coptic Cairo

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Check out to Luxor East bank.

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

check out to Luxor West Bank with Tomb of King Tutankhamun

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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kom Ombo, and EdfuTemples

Aswan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to High Dam, Philae Temple, and Obelisk

Aswan

I would skip the high dam but the rest of the day was great

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Alexandria from Cairo by Car

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Giza Pyramids Sakkara, and The Grand Egyptian Museum

Egypt

Riding camels in front of the pyramids was a once in a lifetime experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I wanted a once in a lifetime experience and my agent DELIVERED. The hotels were exquisite and perfect, the tours were well planned with the sites and guides being kind and informative.

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Kyoto

Kyoto

My grandson's favorite. Beautiful and spacious. Well located by shopping areas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Kamon

Hakone

A true japanese experience Such gracious kindness!

Authenticity & Character

It was like stepping back into another world

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo

Tokyo

Graceful, beautiful, comfortable and the staff was gracious and welcoming

Authenticity & Character

The landscaping and view out the window of the restaurant was gorgeous

Location

Close to train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was perfect

Activity Reviews

Half Day Kyoto Tour with English Speaking Guide & Vehicle

Japan

Kyoto was a favorite city

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Hakone Tour with English Speaking Guide and Vehicle (Private)

Hakone

A beautiful day to be in hakone

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Harajuku Meiji Shrine Walking Tour in Tokyo

Tokyo

The guide did a great job explaining the history and meaning behind the shrines and traditions

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Relaxing Evening: Private Onsen and Kaiseki Dinner

Hakone

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome (Irrashaimase) to Tokyo!

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wagyu Beef & Sake Paring Foodie Tour in Ginza

Tokyo

Wagyu dinner was great. Tried sake The sweets were yummy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

East Tokyo Highlights: Half-Day Private Tour with Guide & Vehicle

Tokyo

The market is overwhelming for first timers so it was helpful to have someone help us navigate to the hest stalls

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Watch Morning Practice at a Sumo Stable (Small Group Tour)

Tokyo

A highlight

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

With a large family group of 9, including a mix of adults and teenagers, it was great to have our trip to Spain planned for us including transfers, train tickets, and hotels. The excursions we particularly enjoyed were the TukTuk tour in Madrid, the Gaudi experience tour in Barcelona and the cooking lesson with Maria at Solera, her private kitchen location. The KimKim specialist met with us and then set up activities based upon our preferences. Many things we would not have known to do on our own. Having someone familiar with the locations made all the difference!

This wonderful trip was one of much research and planning. This was all made easy and uncomplicated working on with the local, fun, helpful Kimkim specialist, Monika. She took us on a journey before we even took our first flight. Monika was available to us throughout our 23 day trip, by phone or email and kept us up to date on any changes. We had a day by day itinerary created by Kimkim that was on an app on our phone, which was invaluable. There are so many highlights to this trip, including the Milford Sound lead by the lovely Olivia, the Dart River excursion, cycling the Dunstan Trail, oh and how can I forget taking a water taxi to Tasman National Park. Each day was full of adventures, loved staying in Oliver's Lodge in Clyde (originally a horse stable) there was so much to see and do each day.. our last night in Auckland was super fun, our dinner at Ahi restaurant was a true experience immersed in food from land and sea of New Zealand. This trip was very special to my husband and I, one with many fond memories of a beautiful country and its people. Kimkim is a perfect choice to help you put this wonderful trip together. Super great job Monika!!

Had a fantastic time despite the challenges of an unexpected flight cancellation. Moonika helped to salvage my vacation and made it very easy for me to pivot and join my friends in Finland. I credit her professionalism and valuable experience. So much of how tours turn out rests on the shoulders of the coordinator. Moonika made this experience easy, fun and worthwhile.

Hotel Reviews

Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos

Rovaniemi

This is a must-do experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Northern Lights Ranch

Köngäs

Lovely cottages. The food at the restaurant was consistently amazing.

Activity Reviews

Dinner at Ice Restaurant

Sinettä

Such a unique experience. If you’re staying at the hotel, you definitely have to eat here.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Husky Safari (10km)

Finland

Loved the experience! Driving the sled team through the woods was so much fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Snowshoe Trek at Pallas-Yllästunturi

Levi

The guide was charming and incredibly accommodating. The warm lunch prepared at the hut was the highlight!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip was so special and well planned, thanks to Marisa and her team at Across Portugal. The trip was seamless, from our airport transfer patiently waiting for us to get through passport control, to each walking tour arriving early and spending time with us, to our wonderful drivers in Lisbon and Porto, who not only drove us, but were amazing tour guides on the way to our destination. The level of service was wonderful and felt so personal.

We did not encounter any issues on our trip, but when we had questions, Marisa and her team were quick to respond.

We cannot recommend Across Portugal enough! We hope to return someday, and when we do, we will definitely work with them again!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cascais Miragem

Cascais

Really nice hotel, however the front desk staff were not very friendly compared to our other accommodations. Beautiful views of the ocean and a nice pool, however, you do have to walk near a busy road to get to most of the restaurants and the beach in Cascais.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Condes de Azevedo Palace

Porto

Beautiful hot, amazing staff, and spacious rooms. It was so nice having two huge bathrooms and half bath with our family. The staff was so wonderful and the breakfast was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Montebelo Lisbon Downtown Apartments

Lisboa

This apartment was in a wonderful location and was so comfortable as a landing pad during our time in Lisbon. We especially loved the bright living room with floor to ceiling windows. Only knocking off a star because it would be nice to have more than one bathroom in the two bedroom apartment.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Portugal

Despite the rain, our guide made this a wonderful experience with delicious Espumante, and we learned a lot about wine making and the region,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service

Portugal

The lunch was a highlight! Excellent food, service, and views from the restaurant. We enjoyed the tour where were learned more about wine making, saw the grounds, and the tasting at the end was nice! Our guide did a great job of including our kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Such beautiful views of Lisbon, the countryside and the castles! The gardens and grounds were also stunning in the spring time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour & Tastings

Lisbon

So informative and a great way to see the city! The wine tasting at the end was also exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a truly great experience—very personal, patient, and accommodating throughout. Coordinating a large group is never easy, but everything was handled smoothly and thoughtfully.
Given the unpredictability of the global situation, we especially appreciated how flexible and supportive the team was. They were always willing to help with rescheduling if needed, which gave us a lot of peace of mind. All pickups, drop-offs, and tours were well organized and seamless.
A special mention to Sangita, who made the experience even more meaningful by taking us to the area where she grew up. We also had a Buddhist monk as one of our guides—she was incredibly fun and knowledgeable, which added a unique and memorable dimension to the trip.
Our Annapurna trek was absolutely incredible thanks to Mitra and his team. There were five of them in total, all family, and their professionalism and experience showed at every step. They took exceptional care of us. The tea houses they selected were surprisingly comfortable—most even had proper toilets (a huge bonus!)—and everything was clean, with great food and plenty of options.
At one point, I struggled with altitude sickness, and the team handled it with such calm and care. Thanks to their support, I was able to continue and successfully cross Thorong La Pass—something I couldn’t have done without Mitra and his family.
Even smaller issues, like my lost suitcase, were quickly resolved thanks to Sangita. Her recommendations for restaurants, shopping, and hotels in Pokhara and Kathmandu were spot-on.
Overall, an outstanding experience from start to finish. I would absolutely travel with them again.

When an intense spring storm closed roads and made many of our scheduled activities impossible, the kimkim sprang into action to save our vacation. They coordinated with vendors to reschedule activities and got us super-speedy refunds for things that had to be cancelled. They also assisted us with last-minute hotel bookings when we decided to head to the city rather then travel further into bad weather, and they were so proactive and communicative that felt supported and reassured throughout what otherwise would have been a very stressful time.

Thank you so much, Noga and team, for planning an amazing Iceland holiday for us and for all of the work you put in to save the trip when the weather didn't cooperate. We look forward to planning our next adventure with the kimkim team!

Great trip arrangements made by Angela. It had the perfect amount of activities giving us time to explore Greece own our as well.

We travelled to Greece with kimkim for what felt like a milestone trip, our son’s final high school spring break. Our brief was simple but specific: historic castles, seaside towns, and ancient wonders, with an off-the-beaten-path feel. We deliberately skipped the islands for a more authentic spring experience, and kimkim delivered brilliantly.

Our journey began in Athens and unfolded through the Peloponnese, with a thoughtful mix of centrally located hotel stays and amazing private homes. Every accommodation was comfortable and perfectly suited to the location. The food was exceptional, the history endlessly rich, and the landscapes breathtaking. Most of all, the warmth and kindness of the people stood out everywhere we went.

Logistically, everything ran flawlessly. Drivers and guides were coordinated, yet we never felt rushed and always had the freedom to move at our own pace. Towards the end of the trip, our stamina tanks ran low and we decided to skip a scheduled tour day in favour of some downtime in beautiful Nafplio. The kimkim team handled the change effortlessly.

A huge thank you to our wonderful guides, Effi, Maria, Theodore, Hercules, and Athena, and to our drivers, Kostas and Marcos. And special appreciation to our kimkim team, Grant and Siena, who made the whole experience feel like we had our own Artemis II “mission control” behind the scenes.

Greece exceeded every expectation. We couldn’t have asked for a more seamless, thoughtful, and memorable experience.

Hotel Reviews

Arion Athens Hotel

Athens

Arion Athens Hotel is perfectly placed for a proper Athens experience. Set right in the heart of amazing cafés and restaurants, it feels authentically local while still being within easy reach of all the major historic sites. Despite the central location, it’s remarkably peaceful, we woke each morning to birds rather than traffic. Our room had lovely views of the Acropolis and overlooked a charming little church and courtyard, which added to the sense of place. The rollaway twin bed for our son worked perfectly, and breakfast each morning was just right to set us up for a full day of exploring. Comfortable, clean, and attentive. Exactly what you want from a city stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Klymeni Traditional Homes

Nafplio

Klymeni Traditional Homes in Nafplio is the sort of place you book for a night or two and quietly wish you’d arranged your life around instead. Beautifully done, new, and extremely comfortable, we found ourselves spending most of our time simply relaxing there. The terraces offer stunning views, surrounded by orange trees, and the whole setting is wonderfully peaceful. When motivation strikes, it’s easy to call a taxi into town or have food delivered. The host was extremely helpful and always on hand. We could quite happily have moved in permanently!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ardamis Traditional Guest House

Monemvasia

Our Ardamis Traditional Guest House in Monemvasia was exactly what we'd hoped for and actually better than we expected. Historically historic, full of character, and set in a genuinely perfect location. The host provided remarkable care and attention, making everything feel effortless, comfortable and personal. Five stars, without hesitation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Nafplio E-Bike Adventure

Nafplio

The Nafplio eBike Adventure was a brilliant way to explore beyond the town itself. The bikes were excellent, high-quality, all properly sized, with helmets included. We were even picked up and dropped off at our accommodation. The e-bikes made the surrounding hills feel surprisingly effortless, opening up parts of Nafplio we’d never have reached otherwise. We rode to a historic monastery, up to the main fortress overlooking the town, and then down toward the coast, stopping for a thoughtful picnic of homemade food at a small cliffside church. It felt remote, peaceful, and rather special. Hurcules himself made the day. Warm, personable, and generous with his time, he shared stories about the town, his life, and his family that gave us a much deeper sense of place. Along the way, we even stopped to pick and eat fresh oranges straight from the trees. A memorable, beautifully paced day that combined just enough activity with plenty of moments to simply take it all in.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of Villages of Mani

Greece

The Private Tour of the Villages of Mani was one of the most relaxed and enjoyable days of the trip. Kostas and Maria made it feel entirely unhurried, shaping the day around us rather than the other way round. We explored Gytheio, the Diros Caves, Areopoli, and finished in the beautiful seaside village of Limeni, each stop offering something different, but all equally memorable. The pace was perfect, giving us time to take it all in without ever feeling rushed. What stood out most was their generosity with time. Like the rest of our Greek experience, it felt less like a tour and more like spending the day with people who genuinely cared that we were enjoying ourselves.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of Monemvasia Castle with Wine Tasting

Monemvasia

The Private Tour of Monemvasia Castle with Wine Tasting was, without question, the standout of our entire trip. If one day captures our trip for us, it’s this one. Effi met us at the castle gate and guided us all the way to the top, sharing the history as we climbed. As a former archaeologist on the site, her connection to the place was so authentic, you simply couldn't take it from a book. On the way back down, she introduced us to friends who run a small shop along the main street, where we were treated to local wines, olive oil, and delicious food. They were generous, warm, and completely our people. The kind of experience you can’t plan for, but hope to stumble into. A truly special day, and one we’ll be talking about for a long time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Delphi Day Trip

Athens

The Private Delphi Day Trip was a highlight of our time in Greece. We were picked up from our hotel and driven through some genuinely stunning scenery, our first real glimpse of the Greek countryside, which set the day off beautifully. Marcos, our driver, shared thoughtful insights into Greek culture and daily life along the way, making the journey as enjoyable as the destination. At Delphi, Theodore brought the site to life with a clear and engaging explanation of its history, all set against those extraordinary views. The day finished with a wonderful meal at a family-run restaurant overlooking the mountains and olive groves, simple, authentic, and exactly what we'd hoped for. Seamlessly organised, truly memorable, and a perfect intro to Greece beyond Athens.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient Athens Acropolis & Mythology Walk

Athens

The Ancient Athens Acropolis & Mythology Walk was a great way to experience the essentials. We joined a small English-speaking group and covered both the Acropolis and the lower town, which made for a well-paced introduction. Athena, our guide, was excellent, bringing the stories and myths to life in a way that kept everything engaging and memorable. The tour leaned more toward mythology than architecture, which worked well for the group, though I’d have personally enjoyed a bit more detail on construction and design. That said, it likely struck the right balance overall.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff