Kimkim Trip Reviews

My husband and I just returned from a week in Guatemala, and it was the BEST trip! Alex was so patient throughout the planning process, making adjustments to our dates and to the itinerary to align with our budget. He was super responsive and every detail on the ground went off without a hitch. We didn’t realize the tours would be private, and being able to move at our own pace was such a treat. Our guide, Vinicio, was with us the entire week and catered to our every need. He is so joyful and was invested in making sure we had a great time; we were sad to say goodbye to our new friend! Highlights included the bike tour through the villages outside Antigua, watching Fuego erupt from our tent on the Acatenango overnight, and a morning of kayaking and hiking on Lake Atitlán. Alex’s hotel picks were awesome, especially waking up to sunrise over the lake at Casa del Mundo, and his restaurant recommendations were spot on. Thank you, Alex and Vinicio, for a week we’ll be talking about for years!

Hotel Reviews

Camelias Inn

Antigua

Beautiful courtyards, friendly staff, delicious breakfast, conveniently located.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acatenango Campsite

Guatemala

Tents were much nicer than we expected! Amazing view of Fuego.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa del Mundo

Lake Atitlán

Unforgettable hotel, accessible only by boat. So charming and unique with amazing views, beautiful landscaping, and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Barcelo

Guatemala City

Perfect for the night before an early flight. We were there very briefly, but the room was clean, spacious and well appointed.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Valley Ride - Bicycle Tour of Antigua's Villages, Farms, and Ruins

Antigua

The Valley Ride was a perfect way to start our trip. Vinicio picked us up at our hotel, and since the tour was private, we rode at our own pace through the villages and farms outside Antigua. We loved the variety of stops: Chocolate Antigua, the King Brothers jade factory and the Valhalla macadamia nut farm, where we got to taste a few things along the way. It was a great mix of exercise, scenery and local culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike Acatenango Volcano & Camp Overnight

Guatemala

This was the highlight of our trip. The hike up is steep and challenging, but having a private guide meant we could go at our own pace, and we reached base camp by early afternoon. The camp was much nicer than we expected, and Vinicio surprised us with a make-your-own taco spread when we arrived. Fuego rumbled all night, and around 11pm we unzipped our tent and watched it erupt, lava and all. It’s something we’ll never forget.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise on Acatenango & Descent

Guatemala

We started hiking around 4am and were on the summit by 5:15am. It was cold, extremely windy and cloudy, and we only caught glimpses of the sunrise through the gaps. But it was still worth it for the challenge.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Lake Atitlán, Visit the Iximché Ruins

Guatemala

We had originally considered flying to Flores to see Tikal, but with only a week we didn’t have the time. Iximché turned out to be a great alternative. It’s an easy stop on the drive from Antigua to Lake Atitlán, and walking among the ancient Mayan ruins with Vinicio was a nice introduction to the country’s Mayan history without giving up a day or two to travel. Afterward we stopped for a wonderful lunch at Chichoy in Tecpán

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Hiking Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

This was the perfect last morning on the lake. Vinicio picked us up at our hotel for a short boat ride to Kayak Guatemala, and then we paddled about an hour and a half along the shore to San Marcos, past beautiful lakefront homes with volcano views the whole way. From there we hiked back along trails and roads through the villages of Tzununa and Jaibalito to our hotel, Casa del Mundo, where a lovely lunch was waiting. Seeing the lake from the water and then on foot gave us a real feel for the area, and the mix of paddling and hiking made it one of our favorite days.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour of Lake Atitlán Villages

Guatemala

We hopped on a boat in Panajachel with our local guide, Pablo, and Vinicio, and took a short, bumpy ride across the lake to Santiago Atitlán. We visited a Mayan shrine and the main church, and Pablo explained how Mayan traditions and Catholicism are woven together in daily life there. In San Juan La Laguna we sampled local honey, watched a weaver demonstrate the whole process from raw cotton to finished scarf, admired the murals around town, and ended with a chocolate tasting. The boat dropped us at our hotel just as the sun was setting over the lake.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaeb Kwanchanok from kimkim organized our trip to Thailand, and it was amazing. Our itinerary was the perfect combination of luxury and adventure, allowing us to experience the beauty, culture, and excitement of Thailand. Our hotels were outstanding, the guides were knowledgeable and personable, and all of our transportation arrangements were seamless. We recommend Jaeb and kimkim to anyone looking for an unforgettable travel experience.

We had a really good trip. Everything you planned worked out great, the hotels were fabulous, our driver (Suk) was fantastic and our tour guide was outstanding (Sonam Jamtsho)! We were able to alter the day as we desired, which flexibility is what we like and makes a trip much more authentic. The highlights of the trip were a visit to a Monastery of young Monks and the interaction, a prayer ceremony at a small nunnery of young nuns and the indirect communication with the nuns (they were very entertaining as some were very young) and Tiger's Nest was very interesting (I think we did it in a good time). I would add, if anyone wants to do any shopping, Paro is the only place.

Thank you for organizing such a good trip.
Kim and Gil

Amazing trip to Chile, Argentina and Brazil. The W Trek was fabulous and we were so glad to get to stay in the hotel las Torres. The whole trek was brilliantly organised from start to finish. The logistics between each part of the trip were flawless. Guides and drivers turned up exactly as planned. Brazil was a wonderful last leg. The climb up Sugar Loaf mountain was an inspired decision and our guide Eduardo was superb. An absolute 10/10 trip

Activity Reviews

Full day tour to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and Minitrekking

El Calafate

Despite this being a large group tour it was managed really well and we had a fabulous day walking on the glacier

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking and climbing at Sugar Loaf

Rio de Janeiro

Such a great option and good to do something very different compared to the usual tourist trail. It’s a pretty hard three hour climb. Doesn’t take any technical experience but just a good head for heights and some stamina. Would highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My only complaint about Kim Kim is that I will never travel another way. A trip of a lifetime.

Hotel Reviews

VIA INN Prime Kyotoeki Hachijoguchi JR-West Group

Kyoto

Great location by the station, a bit too big for my comfort.

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Miyako City Osaka Hommachi

Osaka

Fantastic property with great amenities

Authenticity & Character

Location

P

Staff

So accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Asakusa Tobu Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Went above and beyond when our luhhage did not make it from the previous hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great size room

the b asakusa

Tokyo

Fantastic coffee and treats.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful

Location

Great place to wonder around

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Master Tokyo's Must-Sees: 5-hour Tsukiji, Akihabara & Asakusa Highlights Tour

Tokyo

Great walk and explanations. Could have skipped the techy part.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ken was very knowledgeable

Transport

Metro

Tea Ceremony with Kimono Experience in Tokyo

Tokyo

Loved every minute of it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Nara with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Long day with lots of walking! It was incredible to experience this

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So accomodating

Transport

Public

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

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Food Adventure Tour: Walking with a Local Guide

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From the Drivers to the tour guides, to pickups and drop offs, the itinerary, and all the many logistics involved - we had an absolute wonderful time. There was no a single hiccup - which is unbelievable given our intense itinerary.

Mohammed, Ahmed (Cairo), Imen, Omar, Mahmound, EVERYONE was over and above!

I may note that Yasser was the best tour guide I have come across in all of our travels. He was clear, consise, not too much info, not to little, compelling, a great story teller, easy to learn from and listen to, relational, and just an overall great guy!

Thank you for an unbelievable trip!

The Kimkim team, especially Preab, were literally along for the ride for the entirety of our trip. They were so responsive, it felt like they never left our side!

What a beautiful country, with spectacular biking and hiking. Never a dull moment, and after working up an appetite, the food was amazing. Robi and KimKim helped us put together a perfect itinerary for our needs. The hiking in the national parks was gorgeous (Plitvice, Paklenica). But the biking on the coast (Hvar, Korcula, Ston) was the real highlight of our trip. The e-bikes were very high quality and very much appreciated. Coming around a mountain bend to be rewarded with stunning views of the Adriatic was a sight we'll never forget. Robi was there for us every step of the way. He worked with us to plan a year in advance and then was in touch with us every step of the way. When we had small issues, he worked tirelessly to make them right. We were absolutely exhausted when we arrived in Croatia, but found out we could not check into tour hotel for many hours, so Robi got us into another hotel at the last minute. When I left my passport on one of the islands - yikes - Robi and Daniela worked to get it to me the next day! Life savers. He even came to meet us for one night and brought us lovely gifts from his family. He absolutely went above and beyond to make this a nearly perfect trip. And, our local guide, Borna, was truly a gem. His positive energy, attention to detail and sense of humor made our biking portion a dream. With one exception, all of our accomodations were lovely and comfortable and had fabulous breakfasts! Thank you Borna and Robi for a wonderful trip. We will absolutely use KimKim for future trips.

The only black mark on our trip was that we rented a car and got a small dent on the bumper when we were parking in a rough area, and Kim Kim let us know that the rental agency was charging us $1600 to fix the bumper! Since they are in Croatia and we are in the US there is no way for us to determine if they are ripping us off or not. We did not add the rental car insurance they offered because we have rental car coverage on our credit card. But we did not know - and Kim Kim's representative did not tell us - that they did not use our credit card to rent the card - Kim Kim paid for the car. They only used our card for a deposit. So, now our credit card is refusing to pay for the damages and we are out of pocket for the full $1600 :( :(:( So, be sure if you rent a car on your trip that you ask Kim Kim to use your credit card to pay for it or pay the additional insurance amount when you get the car. I wish Kim Kim had told us this up front, and wish they'd tried to work with the rental car agency to settle this for a more reasonable amount :(

Activity Reviews

Cycling on Korčula island -Day 2

Korčula

Cycling from Ston to Dubrovnik hinterlands and littoral

Croatia

Krka National Park

Croatia

Very pretty place, but the water levels were so low that the falls weren't really falling :( Check the water levels before going.

Cycling Mljet island and National Park

Croatia

Cycling On Pelješac Penisula To Ston

Croatia

Explore Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

So beautiful!

Adventure on Zrmanja river and overnight in Skradin

Croatia

This was the only miss on the trip. The people running this place were in over their heads. They combined experienced kayakers with completely inexperienced kayakers and they only had 2 guides for a large group of people, so we ended up doing more waiting around then kayaking. For the few times we did get to kayak, it was fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hiking in National Park Paklenica

Croatia

Beautiful!

Hvar island and town

Hvar

Cycling on Korčula island with options

Korčula

This experience was somewhat disappointing. I felt that Ben did not read us well. The sumo and geisha experiences were in poor taste. They were enactments. We expected private personal experiences and did not get that. The hotel10 was also a bad choice. We all felt that Ben should have redirected us and maybe let us know our only choice was something less desirable. Instead we incurred the extra night at the Sheraton Hiroshima just to get out of that hotel. The entire trip could have been more rich in culture and it just wasn’t.

Hotel Reviews

The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Tokyo Shiodome

Tokyo

Hotel was fair. Language was a barrier. Room was fine.

Authenticity & Character

No character to this hotel at all. Geared for business travelers.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hyatt Centric Kanazawa

Kanazawa

Favorite hotel of the trip. Great design. Large and well appointed rooms. Great staff, service and restaurants. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hyatt Place Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Again, geared to business travelers, but better than Park hotel.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gym was dismal. Small, gloomy.

SETOUCHI KEIRIN HOTEL 10 by Onko Chishin

Tamano

Awful. Small. Dark. Poor offerings in restaurant and bar. Language barriers with staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the middle of no where.

Staff

The staff made a dinner reservation for us and when we were dropped off the restaurant was closed. We were left on a dark street without transportation.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel

Hiroshima

Modern, clean, good location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Candeo Hotels Osaka The Tower

Osaka

Hotel did not have our reservation upon check in creating large delays late in the day for us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakone Hotel Kowakien Tenyu

Hakone

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tokyo Full-Day Immersion with Public Transportation: TeamLab Magic + Harajuku & Sumo Dinner

Tokyo

Loved TeamLab.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lines were so long we could not get food at the end of an entire day inside.

Tokyo Culinary & Cultural Delights: Guided Tour with Public Transport – Tsukiji, Sushi, Imperial Palace & Golden Gai

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Food

There was no food tour.

Osaka Full Day Adventure: Explore Osaka Castle, Umeda Floating Garden & Shinsaibashi-Dotonbori Food Shopping (Private Guide, Public Transportation)

Osaka

Excellent day all around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Kyoto's Timeless Treasures: Fushimi Inari Shrine,Golden Pavilion,Nishiki Market,Gion District and Gei Sha Show

Kyoto

The geisha show was a huge disappointment. It was a total tourist attraction. We were very upset that we were placed in that audience.

Quality of Experience

Hiroshima's Legacy: Peace Memorial & Okonomiyaki（public transport）

Hiroshima

Impactful day. Excellent guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

An Unforgettable Moroccan Experience – Kimkim Travel & Our Incredible Driver, Mouad!

If I could give Kimkim Travel and our driver, Mouad, more than five stars, I absolutely would! Our experience from beginning to end was extraordinary. We have traveled to many places, but the level of personal attention, professionalism, and genuine care we received was truly exceptional.

KIMKIM TRAVEL – Exceptional from Beginning to End

From my very first inquiry until we arrived safely back home in the United States, Kimkim was incredible. Their response time was remarkable. Every question, message, and detail was handled promptly. Nothing was overlooked, and they were always on top of everything.

What impressed me most was how well they listened and customized our trip. I had a very specific vision, with an emphasis on culture, architecture, food, and unique experiences. They incorporated all the little details and recommendations that made our trip so special.

One of my biggest concerns was traveling with my pregnant daughter-in-law. Kimkim went above and beyond to accommodate her needs and ensure she could comfortably enjoy the experience with the rest of us.

They even proactively changed one of our hotels after learning that previous travelers had experienced issues there. The replacement hotel was absolutely wonderful! That kind of initiative speaks volumes about their commitment to their clients.

And the thoughtful touches! When we arrived at the Casablanca airport, someone greeted us with flowers for both me and my daughter-in-law. Such a sweet, unexpected gesture and a perfect welcome to Morocco!

Every promise was kept, every detail was handled, and their recommendations added so much to our experience. I cannot recommend Kimkim Travel highly enough. They made planning and experiencing Morocco an absolute joy.

MOUAD – A Driver Who Became Part of Our Family

I have to give a very special shout-out to our driver, Mouad. Quite honestly, I don’t think our trip would have been nearly as fabulous without him. He was THAT exceptional!

Mouad was so much more than a driver. He was attentive, thoughtful, caring, and genuinely invested in making sure our family had the best possible experience.

He anticipated our needs before we even had to ask. He made sure we had regular bathroom breaks, thoughtfully purchased snacks for my pregnant daughter-in-law, and recommended and made reservations at incredible, top-notch restaurants. Every single recommendation was fantastic!

We spent quite a bit of time traveling in the van, and he kept it immaculate. He cleaned and washed it every evening so it was spotless and smelled fresh every morning. His Mercedes van was comfortable and always pristine.

But what made Mouad so special went far beyond the logistics. He was genuinely kind, warm, and generous. He made us feel safe, comfortable, and welcomed throughout our journey. He shared wonderful suggestions and helped us discover little stops and experiences we might otherwise have missed.

He even purchased a special gift for our future grandbaby! It was such a sweet, thoughtful, and incredibly generous gesture that truly touched our hearts. It was just another example of how much he cared about our family.

By the end of our trip, Mouad no longer felt like our driver. He felt like family. When it was time to say goodbye, I actually cried. That says everything about the kind of person he is and the connection he made with our family.

OUR FINAL THOUGHTS

Morocco was everything we hoped it would be and more. The people were warm, welcoming, generous, and kind, just as Kimkim had told us they would be. We came home with incredible memories and a genuine appreciation for the country and its people.

Kimkim Travel made the planning seamless, and Mouad made the journey unforgettable.

If you are considering traveling to Morocco, do yourself a favor and book through Kimkim. And if you have the opportunity to request Mouad as your driver, do it! You will be incredibly fortunate.

We cannot thank Kimkim and Mouad enough for giving our family such a memorable experience. We would travel with them again in a heartbeat!

Five stars simply aren’t enough!

Very pleased with how organised our trip was , we were picked up from airports , hotels and trips arranged , they all run like clockwork .
Flights were checked in and seats booked , which was great . In each location we had a guide who also looked after us .
Very nice people , first time using and would use again.
Thank you for making our holiday special ,
Karen and Peter

Hotel Reviews

Park Hyatt Mendoza

Mendoza

Very nice , breakfast good but dinner not the best in hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Design Suites Salta

Salta

Hotel very basic, free drink was not good wine , and hotel bar poor. Breakfast okay , needed refilling . Location good

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Iguazú Grand Resort Spa & Casino

Puerto Iguazú

Food not great , no pool towels to use . Breakfast okay

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Luján de Cuyo Classic – 2 Wineries with Wine Tastings & Lunch - Vintura

Argentina

Excellent trip , had wonderful time with great guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting the Argentine Waterfalls of Iguazu

Argentina

Great trip lovely guide

Quality of Experience

Food

Did not have food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of the City - Discovering Salta's Hidden Treasures

Salta

Very good guide

Quality of Experience

Food

Did not have food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Between gardens, foods, tours, museums, people, animals, every part of the trip was exceptional. It was amazing to see how much people care about and respect each other. There were so many little things that were incorporated into the culture that made a big impact, such as baskets under the table, hot towels before meals, umbrella stands next to urinals, plenty of public bathrooms that were all clean and had bidets in the toilets, and countless more.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was walking through the markets. Ayumi took us through the Tsukiji Outer Fish Market and Nakamise Shopping Street, which each blew me away with how many shops, snacks, and gifts there were. It was only a few days since the trip, but I couldn't help buying gifts already! Nishiki Market, Omicho Market, and the others we found along the way were each unique and captivated me the entire time. I didn’t want to leave!

Another part of the trip that stuck out was the Nakasendo. It was a beautiful combination of small towns, greenery, paved paths, dirt paths, and a mix of all of those things. I enjoyed walking from town to town and wish I could have stayed even longer in some of the areas to explore. On the other hand, it was the perfect amount of time to walk around for a couple of hours, check out some temples, eat a great local dinner, and head to bed.

I took countless photos and videos of the beautiful architecture, food, and nature throughout my trip that I will look back on forever. I'd absolutely go back to several of the places that I went to and would also like to explore new places like Osaka and Okinawa. I would absolutely recommend KimKim to others who are traveling to Japan for the first time because it helped us a lot with transportation, when to buy tickets, and where to go in a strategic order.

Overall João and his team did a splendid job. They had looked into every detail and have planned a variety of activities giving us a broad taste of Portugal…. We had a great time!

We LOVED our trip! Jessica did a wonderful job of organizing our trip to include all of our interests we had shared with her. And Song, our guide who was with us through out the trip, went out of her way to accommodate needs we had. She was knowledgeable and fun, and by the time we were done we thought of her as a friend not just our guide. We had never traveled this way before, using a travel company like this and were hesitant to do so. However, KimKim really came through. We not only will use KimKim again if we travel, but we have already recommended them to our friends, this took the stress our of travel while still giving us a personalized trip that focused on the things we were interested in! Thank you, Jessica and Song! And Aloha to both of you!!!

Hotel Reviews

LE SEOUL HOTEL

Seoul

Very comfortable, and a great location. The breakfast was certainly adequate but not exciting!

Sea Cruise Hotel

Sokcho

Wonderful view and great location, and the view was incredible. The breakfast was amazing! The only drawback to this hotel is that there are. It enough elevators to get people up and down quickly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gyeongju Shilla Boutique Hotel Premium

This hotel was comfortable and certainly adequate, but we had to go outside to get to breakfast, which was ok but nothing special. And the staff at the hotel did not seem as friendly as elsewhere; this may have been a language issue in part.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Seoul Highlights

Seoul

We didn’t expect to be so delighted with dressing up in Hanbok clothes, but that was really fun, and the markets were incredible

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Garden of Morning Calm, Nami Island, and Gangchon Rail Park Tour

South Korea

The Garden of Morning Calm might be my favorite experience of the trip! It poured on NAMI Island but we had fun anyway,and the Rail Park Tour was an unexpected delight!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Song made every experience a great adventure!

Transport

Hiking in Seoraksan National Park - Gwongeumseong Fortress Course

Sokcho

We love hiking and it is beautiful! The changing of the leaves was wonderful! And, as always, Song made sure we had a delicious meal,

Full Day Gyeongju Tour with Bulguksa Temple and National Museum

South Korea

Private Transfer to Gyeongju with Andong Hahoe Village and Traditional Market Tour

South Korea

We don’t actually get to the market because the travel time was so long, I also wish we could have wandered around a bit more in Andong. Still it was a great day!

Five stars are not enough! Kimkim had everything covered for us and Eleanor was available throughout the entire period. Having a driver available picking us up at the airport and also back to the airport was a huge plus. Eleanor had everything setup for us (hotel stays, train tickets, attraction tickets, everything!!!).
Guides Ken in Tokyo, Chiyoe in Osaka, Yasuko in Kyoto, and Akie in Hiroshima were all wonderful guides and fun to spend the day with. They were all very informative.
r/
Jay

A Month in France -- everything went very well. TLDR: Highlights for me were the hotels, the restaurants gastronomique, the expos in Paris and swimming in the bay at Villefranche-sur-mer. The rooms were almost all exceptional. We had asked to be booked into Adéle et Jules in Paris and that was a bit of a step-down from the other hotels so that is on us. We remembered it as being better, but in comparison to the others, it was not. Breakfasts were also all great. The nights full of sirens at Le Terrasse made it difficult to sleep when jet lagged and it was impossible to get onto the rooftop cafe near sunset. The room and breakfast were awesome though -- the view was stunning. All the tours were great although I didn't buy any of the wines (I drink a lot of Bordeaux and NorCal wines so I'm spoiled.) We did buy a bottle of champagne as a gift to my French teacher though! Highly recommend the day trip to Reims to see the cathedral and taste champagne. All the drivers were great although the pick up at CDG was around 40 minutes late. Aix en Provence hotel to the train station was also late, but there appeared to have been a misunderstanding about arrival time -- it was OK but a little stressful. Also I didn't mention how much we liked the other hotels! Lyon had an amazing location and the view from the window of the river was really something (and the closed windows were very sound proof!) The garden and food at the hotel in Aix were phenomenal -- the walk to town was not ideal, but it was only 8 euros for a taxi home and they were easy to get. The expo in Aix of Toulouse Lautrec was great too -- thanks for getting the tickets ahead of time. And finally, Villefranche-sur-mer had the best ocean view for chilling out and we spent a lot of time on the balcony. There was the little issue at check out in that they had no record of pre-payment, but the extra charge was easily cancelled when the day crew took over the front desk. As I say to my family, "No complaining on the yacht." :-) Thanks again for everything and all your help.

Mostly the trip was great. However, there were definitely a few places that could have been improved. Number one is logistics. For the Monemvasia portion, there was a lot of driving back and forth that could have been reduced by better planning. For instance, the day we went to Nafplio, we went right by Mystras. We could have combined the two and gotten rid of a fair amount of van time. Additionally, the Mani tour we took covered the same roads we took when going from Kalamata to Monemvasia. Could have been combined, thus less van time, and more time for something else. Besides the logistics, there were two activities that I wasn't thrilled with. First, the tour of Mani region with Leah was basically all day in the van. There should have been more stops and activities along the way. For instance, there was an interesting cave near our route that we could have visited, etc. The other tour that didn't go especially well, was the tour of Palamidi Castle. The bike around that tour was great. The reason the castle tour didn't go well, was because we were a little late for the tour and our guide (Matinni?) was not happy. She tried to abbreviate the tour, and as such, we didn't see much, or learn much, on the tour. We were all dissapointed. Otherwise, the guides were very good and knowledgeable and did a good job of answering our questions, of which there were many. Additionally, the tour company did a good job of trying to adjust to the weather and changing tours around to accommodate weather issues. I think that with a bit more thought to logistics, and understanding the group needs better (no long van rides as a tour) the trip would have been fantastic.

Hotel Review

Villa Vager Mani

Mani, Peloponnisos

What a cool place! So interesting as a place to stay, and very friendly hosts. My favorite place to stay on the whole trip.

Authenticity & Character

It's age, arrangement for rooms and overall beauty.

Location

It was a bit far from town, with no easy transportation options.

Staff

The Owners

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room had a lot of space and was very unique and comfortable.

Activity Review

Guided Hike Through Ridomo Gorge

Greece

Fun to have a day in nature with some educational opportunities, but mostly just a really fun hike. I really enjoyed the rock scrambling and being out in nature away from lots of people.

Quality of Experience

See above

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide understood what we wanted to get out of the hike.

Transport

No problems. On time.

Isabel helped us create our dream honeymoon in Puerto Rico! She even helped us out when we were on the Island and late for excursions or needing adjustments.

We had a great trip. Our guides were knowledgeable and interesting. They helped us understand Greek history and the significance of what we were visiting. We ate well and did a variety of activities. Our group was interested in an active vacation (walking, hiking, e-biking, etc) and Gustavo was able to customize our tour to accommodate that. We preferred to spend several days in one location instead of moving hotels every day, and the way the tour was laid out that worked fairly well.

Hotel Reviews

Athens Manor Houses

Athens

Great location, good rooms, nice breakfast. It was nice to be able to walk out the door and be in the heart of Athens. We were able to walk to many of our activities here.

Authenticity & Character

Our room was right on the street but not noisy at all. Several of the walls of the room were thick rock and the ceilings were high. It had a lot of character.

Location

The hotel was on a smaller road just off a main street right in the middle of Athens. It was very convenient to all our tours there.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Vager Mani

Mani, Peloponnisos

The staff was great. The breakfasts were lovely. We ate out on a terrace with a nice view. Each room was very different. Ours was huge with a view of the sea and a small private terrace.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The place has a lot of character, but it is in the middle of nowhere. We had to take a van or get a taxi to go anywhere. There were 2 taverns you could walk to, but that's all there was of the local "town".

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kinsterna Hotel Monemvasia

Monemvasia Peloponnese

This hotel seems like it's a destination all in itself. They have a fantastic breakfast buffet with lots of locally harvested items. There are two swimming pools, walking trails, horses, bee keeping, grapes (wine), olive and fig trees on the property. There are multiple activities each day. For us, since we were going to other locations for tours, we didn't take advantage of all the options at the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms were interesting. Ours had a vaulted rock ceiling and a nice bathroom with a heated floor. The place is huge. The gardens were spectacular.

Location

This hotel isn't in Monemvasia proper. It's on a large estate with lots of activities. It seems more suited to doing things on the property (olive harvesting, honey extracting, horses, wine tasting, swimming, etc) than as a base to do other things. We went to Sparta from there and it was a long drive. We also went to Monemvasia proper and had to get a taxi to get back to the property.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

This was one of the nicer hotels we stayed at.

Sofitel Athens Airport

Athens

The only reason to stay at this hotel is because it's a short walk across one street to get inside the airport. We had a very early morning flight so this was convenient. They did make us box breakfasts since we were leaving our rooms at 4:00am, which was nice. They had a pool and a spa but there is nothing around the hotel to do. It's between a highway and the airport building.

Authenticity & Character

It's a huge, faceless hotel. The food was twice the price of any of our other meals.

Location

The airport is a 2 minute walk from the hotel.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Leto Nuevo Hotel

Nafplio

The location of this hotel was great. It was easy to walk to various things, and there was a nice view. The breakfast buffet was nice. But our room had a tiny bathroom and the second set of stairs to the room were steep with a low handrail. It had maybe just a little too much "character" for us.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel had a bit too much character. The bathroom was tiny, and when it rained water came up from under the vinyl tile floor. We had to climb 2 steep sets of stairs to get to our room.

Location

The hotel was located in the older part of town. It was easy to walk to restaurants, the port, the castle on the hill behind the town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The tiny bathroom was a bit of a trick to navigate. (Our knees hit the wall in front of the toilet.)

Activity Reviews

Private Acropolis & Highlights Walk with Food Tastings

Athens

Our guide was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. He gave us an interesting tour which we really enjoyed. We saw the main highlights of Athens this day, walking the whole way. We ended up at "the best Gyro place" in Athens which really was very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide had a PhD and was very knowledgeable and interesting.

Transport

The best part is we didn't need transport! We walked from our hotel.

Private Cooking Class in Nafplio

Nafplio

This class was really well done. Everything tasted great. The recipes were things that we think we will actually make when we are home -- not too complex and no strange ingredients. We really enjoyed the chef. We also got some great restaurant recommendations from him. We ate at one of them the next night and had a great meal.

Quality of Experience

This was one of my favorite experiences.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The chef was great - he was a good teacher.

Transport

Our van driver showed up on time both ways.

Private Tour of the Villages of Mani (from Kalamata)

Kalamata

Our driver was knowledgeable and interesting, but there was a lot of driving. I thought we might have stopped at several of the villages to look around, but we only stopped at the furthest one and then retraced our path back to Kalamata. The region was interesting with a rich history and the views were pretty, but it was a lot of driving.

Quality of Experience

There was a lot of driving. I thought maybe we would get out at several of the villages and look around, but we really only stopped at the furthest town and then drove back the same way. Then it turned out the next day when we were moving from Kalamata to Monemvasia, we retraced most of the same roads and stopped, again, in the same village. Perhaps in hindsight doing this activity on the moving day might have made more sense.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver gave us a running description of what we were looking at, and of the history of the region - which was very interesting. She was very good.

Self-Guided Lycabettus Hill Visit

Athens

I took the funicular to the top, while a couple of our folks walked up. It turns out there are no views from the car because it's underground. I ended up walking down with the others in our group and it wasn't that far. The views from the top were nice, but there wasn't much to do other than eat at the restaurants which we didn't do because we had other meals planned. The walk to and from our hotel to the base of the hill was a workout in itself. The only minor complaint was that on the original itinerary this was listed as a morning activity, but we had an e-bike tour at 10:00 am so there wasn't time to do it after breakfast and before the tour. Some of us skipped this, and some of us did this in the afternoon between other activities.

Private Guided Trip to Mystras with Traditional Lunch

Monemvasia

The tour of the old city was very interesting, and the restaurant for lunch was great. Apparently the big hall had been closed for years going restoration and was open now. It was well done with a large display of fantastic costumes from the period. The room itself was huge and impressive. The other buildings were interesting to see. We started at the top and walked down amongst the ruins. The restaurant afterwards was great. We got to eat outside in a glass room with nice views that stayed warm - completely outside would have been a bit cool. We had a really nice meal there. The only scheduling issue was that Sparta was quite a drive from Monemvasia. We spent quite a while in the van. But I wouldn't have wanted to miss this tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

The restaurant was very good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

E-Bike to Gialova, Voidokilia Beach & Kalamaris Waterfall

Greece

The weather (and a local event) precluded us going to the beach but we did an alternative e-bike tour that was great. We biked around Messene. on small roads among olive trees, ate fresh figs, visited an old monastery that was lovely (Andromonástēro), and saw the ruins of an ancient sports complex that a guy made his life's work to excavate. Our guide was knowledgeable and brought a picnic to end our bike tour with.

Quality of Experience

I really enjoyed the alternate bike location at Messene. We were on dirt roads with no traffic for most of the ride, and we saw lots of interesting things. The monastery is definitely a hidden gem (Andromonástēro).

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vineyard Hike with Lunch & Local Wine

Monemvasia

We walked through vineyards and olive orchards. Our guide was a 4th generation local and she was great. We really enjoyed hearing about the history of the region and about the ages and different varieties of olive trees. The wine tasting was nice and the meal afterwards was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

The meal was lovely.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We really enjoyed talking with our guide as we walked around the property.

Nafplio E-Bike Adventure

Nafplio

We ended up going to a different location but it was more interesting than what was scheduled. We had an interesting discussion about politics and history with our guide, which we really enjoyed. The e-bikes were very nice and worked well. We did go to the castle but I feel like we missed some of the more interesting parts of it. Our tour of the place was done by another guide and it seemed pretty cursory.

Quality of Experience

The e-bike tour was great. The castle tour was ok.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our e-bike guide was good. The castle guide was just so-so.

Private Coastal Hike with Picnic

Nafplio

This was less interesting than some of our other activities. We walked along the coast to an old church where we had a small picnic. We had the same guide as the day before but this day he spent a lot of time on the phone and seemed less interactive with us.

Quality of Experience

We saw this path from the e-bike tour the day before, so the scenery was nothing new. If the day had been warmer, a swim would have been nice. But this time of year it was too cool.

Self-guided Tour of Monemvasia

Greece

We missed having a guide while touring this town. It turns out that our hotel could have given us a guided tour if we had known to arrange it in advance. The town was interesting, and we hiked to the church at the top of the hill, but we really didn't know the significance of what we were looking at. It started to rain so we ended up getting a quick bite in a cafe and then taking a taxi back to the hotel.

Culinary Walk, Olive Oil Tasting & Lunch

Kalamata

We enjoyed this tour but because of the schedule we were pretty tired when we started. This was our fault - we should have talked to the guide right away about what we needed. As it was, we walked around Kalamata more than we probably should have. The spice shop was interesting, and our olive oil tasting was really good - i found it very interesting. But the coffee shop was lost on us because most of our group doesn't drink coffee, and the rest didn't want strong coffee at the end of the day. When it was time everyone was too tired to go eat the meal that was scheduled. We felt bad about that - we should have talked to the guide about moving things up. The guide did help us get taxis back to our hotel at the end of the tour.

Quality of Experience

The olive oil tasting was great.

Transport

We ended up taking 2 taxis back to the hotel because it wasn't in Kalamata proper.

Authentic Athens Awaits: The Petralona Experience

Athens

I really enjoyed this tour. We walked through a residential neighborhood of Athens. Our guide told us about the history of that region, and then we ate at a local restaurant. The food was great, and it was nice to be outside of the touristy parts of town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was very knowledgeable and interesting.

Historic Highlights E-Bike Excursion

Athens

We did get to see several sites that were too far to walk. We did end up riding on some busy streets, which may be impossible to avoid, but that was a bit unsettling. We enjoyed seeing the changing of the guards at the presidential palace, which included an additional parade and more pageantry because apparently Amal Clooney was visiting the president that day.

Quality of Experience

Julia and the team at Kimkim made travel planning so delightful! They were quick to respond to any questions, concerns, or needs. Having team members located in Europe made support readily available while traveling through different time zones.
Kimkim was easy to work with while in the planning stages of our trip. They gave us several options, were flexible when we chose to do our own thing, and were extremely helpful in organizing it all in the end. Making it seamless and easy for us to enjoy the journey while they planned and organized all the details of our day to day. They focused on supporting the Portuguese culture and used locals employed in local tourism, which I appreciated.
Our itinerary included travel both by train and private drivers, which often were also our guide for the day. I loved using the Kimkim app. where our schedule was simple to follow and easy to use while boarding the train or confirming a guided excursion. I never had to wonder where a ticket or confirmation number was, nor worry if I had misplaced it!
Each guide was excellent. They were knowledgeable, personable and timely, often giving additional suggestions as they got to know us. I always felt safe and respected.
Our hotels were always located in “the perfect spot”. Loving to walk, we were easily able to get to many sites and used Ubers when necessary, making it a quick and easy return.
Some of our hotel rooms were very tight for space. (Jardim da Batalha Boutique Hotel in Porto: very quaint w excellent breakfast!!) and (Hotel Oslo in Coimbra)
Not spending much time in the room made it tolerable, but a bit more space would’ve been a nice comfort.
I especially enjoyed our hotel in Evora; Hotel Albergaria do Calvario. It was an old convent that used to make olive oil. The charm, comfort and excellent breakfast it provided won’t be forgotten. The rooms were large and very comfortable!
Residence Inn in Lagos was in an excellent location, but could’ve used some updating.
All staff throughout our journey were helpful and knowledgeable!
Our last night in Lisbon we stayed at Melia Aeroporto: very conveniently located by the airport, even when schulpping luggage!

Tuk-tuk in Lisbon was a great way to see highlights, avoid crazy traffic and pedestrians, and learn about the city. We had an exceptional guide, Antonio, who went out of his way to pick us up and then drop us off where we were planning to have dinner. Highly recommend!!

Would highly recommend a day trip to the Schist Villages(not supported by kimkim yet) but easy to set up. Our guide Miguel was wonderful to spend the day with.
The coast is beautiful and a must to see. I prefer the less traveled areas myself. We went to Sintra, Peña Palace, (which was impressive) and were to follow that w Quinta da Regaleria, but our guide Louis(highly recommend!!) thought it would way too much to fit in one day, so he suggested an alternative plan which included time along the coast, which was lovely!
Lots of great memories and will highly recommend Kimkim to others!

Hotel Reviews

Jardim da Batalha Boutique Hotel by Shiadu

Porto

Rooms are small but it has a quaintness to it, has an excellent breakfast and the staff were awesome!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful and always pleasant with a greeting!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms very tight for space

Hotel Oslo Coimbra

Coimbra

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Albergaria do Calvário

Évora

Excellent place to end and start your day!! Comfortable and very spacious room, excellent staff, breakfast, and the charm is lovely!

Authenticity & Character

Great historical place.

Location

Staff

Eye pleasant. Were able to leave luggage prior to room availability.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Exceptional!

Residence Lagos

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to everything!

Staff

No staff generally seen except for morning kitchen staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Needs a little TLC.

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

Had a lite diner which was likely the worst food of my time in Portugal. Disappointed, when there wasn’t much for other options. Breakfast buffet looked excellent however! Nice job with that!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided Vila Nova de Gaia Port Lodges

Porto

Enjoyed our ramblings through the ups and downs of this city.

Douro Valley Day Trip with Wine Tastings & River Cruise

Porto

Enjoyed our two winery stops, the views, and drive through the countryside.

Quality of Experience

Great wine tastings in a beautiful place.

Food

Our lunch stop was very tasty.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All were exceptional and very knowledgeable.

Transport

Private Exploration of the Costa Vicentina - Hiking on the West Coast, Lunch & Coastal Sightseeing

Lagos (Algarve)

Fun easy hike with beautiful views while learning about the area.

Quality of Experience

Food

Local! 🤗

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide, Joan,(John) that made the day enjoyable, relaxed and informative.

Transport

Timely, text with updates.

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

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Enjoyed the hearing about the history of the Palace and Monastery.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ponta da Piedade Kayaking Adventure

Lagos (Algarve)

Unfortunately, due to large swells and changing weather, this got canceled.

Quality of Experience

N/A

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I got a text regarding the weather change and the need to cancel or reschedule our kayaking adventure. Humberto reached out to me as soon as he was aware of the adverse weather to see if we could reschedule, but unfortunately, we weren’t able to do so. I appreciate their willingness, efforts and also knowledge in regards to the safety of their clients!! On my bucket list list for next visit.

Transport

N/A

Atlantic Coast Scenic Transfer: Arrábida, Porto Covo, Vila Nova de Mil Fontes and Lagos

Portugal

We were so lucky to have Luis as our private driver again. He wasn’t hired as a guide this day, but he took that role on and continued to share his knowledge with us, finding the perfect places to stop to enjoy the beautiful scenery, eat a great meal and make the drive to Lisbon fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Walk

Coimbra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lagos Evening Food Walk

Lagos (Algarve)

Fun, fact-filled evening with a wonderful variety of of foods to sample in small local restaurants.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Tuk-Tuk Experience Along the 28 Tram Route

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bussaco Forest Walk

Coimbra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Walking Tour: Exploring Lagos Old Town

Lagos (Algarve)

A very easy walk around the city.

Quality of Experience

Loved all the designs in the walkways, the beautiful beaches, and vibrant riverwalk area.