Kimkim Trip Reviews

We would rate the itinerary arranged by KimKim for our trip to France five stars!!! Having everything loaded on their app allowed us to easily and quickly locate times, addresses and vouchers. The three primary hotels selected were all very nice and centrally situated. The staff were accommodating and welcoming, especially in Bayeux and Ambroise. Having breakfast included made keeping our early morning schedules easier. The variety of fresh foods and coffee provided every morning was wonderful and highly enjoyed. Kimkim seamlessly arranged for drivers and tour guides. All of our tours guide were outstanding and contributed positively to the experience- especially Wally, Alex and Helene( ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️). The drivers were always on time and very accommodating.

Could’ve used a bit of help to locate our train car and seat. Maybe a video link or something!

The only negative in our interactions with KimKim would be the lack of timely communication. After Gersende left we felt more like a number and not a person. Slow response even after multiple repeated requests. Our contact with the agency was slow to handle a request for a dinner reservation. Joel said that we wouldn’t have issue without reservations but the restaurant only had 5 tables and were turning lots of dinners away while we were eating. We were not notified of a cancellation in one of our tours due to a protest. Fortunately, our guide was notified of the closure and informed us. She had been informed by the agency she works for. Had we not known we could’ve been sent into a difficult situation. Our contact apologized for not responding to us as he was off that day, but we felt like given the high unrest in the country at that point there should’ve always been someone on call. Also our request to reschedule the Louvre tour was handled lethargically.
With all the unrest in France you all should have been in closer contact with us!!!

Hotel Review

Churchill Hotel Bayeux Centre

Bayeux

Great location. Caring attentive staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Right in the middle of town. Grest

Staff

Attentive and nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

D-Day U.S beaches tour

France

Taps at the US cemetery was chilling. Had a fabulous guide, Wally who really pulled the day together for an experience we won’t forget!

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

I added this in to trip and we really enjoyed it. Great service, food and views!!

Montmartre Walking Tour with Chocolate Tasting

Paris

Don’t eat beforehand. Great adventure in chocolate etc

Mont-Saint-Michel day Tour

France

Lots of tourist and stairs but worth it.

We had a wonderful time in Thailand. Our advisor Bella, brilliantly organised some quite tricky travel arrangements for our family so that the whole trip involving flights, train journeys and car transfers went without any problems at all. All of our guides were charming , informative and passionate about the places we went to, especially Marty and Pednoi. We especially enjoyed our hotel in Chiang Mai- peaceful with lovely staff.

This was one of the most stress free holidays we have ever had. Thank you Bella for your care and attention.

Hotel Reviews

Nysa Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 11

Bangkok

Just one night here but it was fine.

Bangkok To Chiang Mai Overnight Sleeper Train

Great fun!

Buri Sriping Riverside Resort & Spa

Chiang Mai

Lovely setting and lovely people.

Aonang Villa Resort l Lifestyle Beachfront Resort

Krabi

Good position.

Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach Resort

Phuket

Our Ocean suite was amazing.

Activity Reviews

Bangkok Highlights Exploration

Thailand

Great guide.

Elephant Nature Park Morning Half day Visit

Chiang Mai

Beautiful setting and experience.

A visit to Bua Tong waterfall or Sticky waterfall

Thailand

Loved it!

4 Islands Sunset Cocktail Cruise + Bioluminescent Night Snorkel

Krabi

Cancelled because of weather

John Gray's - Hong by Starlight

Phuket

Great day out.

Private Hong Island Tour by Traditional Longtail Boat

Thailand

Good swimming and sailing.

Baan Hongnual Cooking Class in Chiang Mai - Small Group - Morning session

Chiang Mai

Great fun and very well presented and planned.

Half-Day Doi Suthep Temple Visit - Private Morning Tour

Chiang Mai

Great views

Welcome to Chiang Mai and Early Check in at the hotel

Chiang Mai

Went seamlessly from pick up at the station to getting in at the hotel.

Tea Plantation Visit in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Very pleasant.

True Taste of Chiang Mai with Evening Foodie Tour

Chiang Mai

Fabulous experience of local places and food.

Temple Treasures of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yaowarat Street (Chinatown) Food Tour

Thailand

A bit rushed on a very busy evening.

Benjamin from KimKim was amazing to work with. He paid attention to what I asked for and put it together for me. We worked together on the planning until I was happy with the plan. He picked great accommodations for me both on Phi Phi and Chiang Mai. He was able to score a great elephant sanctuary experience for us. He also was extremely responsive when I requested assistance during our trip. I highly recommend Benjamin and the entire KimKim team.

Overall, our 24 day trip with our two adult children (4 people all together) to Japan was outstanding. Ada with Kimkim was exceptionally responsive in our trip preparation and spared us numerous booking details, transportation logistics, ticket purchasing and itinerary planning, while still allowing lots of flexibility for us to modify most of our days. The private tours we signed up for were all worthwhile— only 6 in 24 days, and most guides managed with fair English but were very thoughtful, attentive and responsive. JJ, Jo, Kei, Kay, Ayumi and especially David in Kanazawa were excellent. There were only a couple minor glitches; once with using the odd double ticket needed for the Shinkansen, and once when a museum on our itinerary was closed the day we were supposed to go. But we shuffled the itinerary to make it work. Kimkim took note and even reimbursed one transfer for our unused tickets.
Kimkim is a great service. Professional, exacting, customizable, responsible. Paying a bit more if any in booking fees is totally worth having an organized trip, especially in a country like Japan, spread out over a large area, with mobs of people, many travel connections, almost no English speakers, and trekking off the beaten path. We highly recommend Kimkim for any travel, long or short, comfort driven or off the beaten path.

M

The Bari / Puglia area were highly recommended to us (and we had to remove one whole area to abide by our desire to keep the pace slower)—so based on the recommendation we chose Bari /Puglia over another region, and it turned out great.

Hotel Review

Masseria Longa Boutique Hotel

Otranto

Great team and food. Nice pool.

Authenticity & Character

Simple clean converted buildings just a bit out of town but walkable.

Location

Well positioned to explore or relax.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very attentive

Activity Review

Mount Etna Hike & Winery Experience

Italy

Great guide and amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Local knowledge of geology and history

Transport

Ryan air challenges were fixed by gaining access to their automated baggage check system.

Our driver was fantastic. He made sure that we were connected to all of our local tour guides. We did a 12 day trip through Morocco. The planning was good, as we wanted to change some hotels and they accommodated.

The suggestions were all spot on. The local guides were all good. Out Fez guide was excellent.

Highly recommend two nights in the desert, as this allows time to relax and enjoy the scenery.

Our trip with Kimkim to Peru was a dream come true. From Jorge who planned the trip specifically addressing our individual likes and personalities to Luis our incredible guide and our wonderful and careful drivers Jorge and Donato. We learned so much from Luis and had a fabulous time with many laughs with our new friend!! The logistics were smooth.

Our most fun and fondest memories were glamping above the Sacred Valley in Misminay - fun and beautiful and personal. If you consider this, do keep in mind its altitude, it’s very high.

Activity Reviews

Llama Walk in The Sacred Valley

Sacred Valley

Quality of Experience

Great local guide, beautiful, and off the beaten track.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very informative, kind, and personable

Moray circular terraces and soft hike to Maras salt mines

Peru

Fascinating and beautiful at a good pace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glamping at Misminay Community

Sacred Valley

Fabulous at a high altitude. A highlight of our trip

Quality of Experience

Food

Home cooking!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What a wonderful experience in Japan. Thank you, Kimkim for making all the arrangements and being there so quickly to respond when we had a question. We visited Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Tokyo. All of our guides were very informative, and helpful with all the transportation. I absolutely love the culture in Japan. I do recommend visiting there. I love how respectful, clean, and spiritual the Japanese are. Thank you for a wonderful vacation!😎🥰😊

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to Miyajima Island: Floating Torii Gate & Kayaking &Hiking

Hiroshima

Osaka Exploration: Castle, Cuisine, and Sky-high Views (full day tour by public transport)

Osaka

Yummy

Guided tour with public transfer from Osaka: World Heritage Himeji Castle Visiting & Kobe Beef Sampling

Osaka

Beautiful

Hozugawa River Boat Ride and Arashiyama Exploration and Japanese tea ceremony (Private Guide &Public Transportation)

Kyoto

Loved this

Mt. Fuji Scenic Tour with Whisky Tasting by private transfer

Tokyo

Breathtaking 😍

Guided Tokyo City Highlights & Transfer to Disney Area (Private Guide & Private Vehicle)

Tokyo

Wow!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tokyo Highlights: Imperial Palace, Tsukiji & Trendy Neighborhoods（Private Guide & Public Transportation）

Tokyo

Day tour by public transport in Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Shrine, Nikishi Market , Samurai and Ninja Museum and Traditional Art Performance

Kyoto

Enjoy walking around the local market

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

Hiroshima

Definitely educational and surreal

Alexia did an incredible job planning our 4 week and Spain vacation! Our accommodations, tours, transfers, recommendations completely met our needs. Alexia was very responsive addressing our questions or any issues we may have had to ensure a smooth and seamless trip. Thank you KimKim and Alexia!

We had the best trip with KimKim to Japan! I loved working with Eleanor, she communicated quickly and throughout the entire process of planning, updating things along the way that we asked for, as well as updated us throughout the trip! Having the help planning and scheduling our Japan trip was so nice and easy! And it was easy to tailor the trip to what we wanted to do etc. I highly recommend this company and Eleanor! Thank you so much! Worth every penny!

Activity Reviews

Enjoy a Guided Tour of Tokyo with teamLab Planets

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Miyajima Half-day Trip Historical Walking Tour

Japan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Historical Highlights Bike Tour with UNESCO Zen Temples

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Onsen, Ryokan, and Mt. Fuji Experience in Hakone

Hakone

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gustavo helped my family plan an amazing trip to Greece. It was our first time there, and we only had a week, but we all felt like we got to understand a lot of Greek culture and see the beauty of Greece. We loved the island of Milos with it’s many beaches and various activities. All of the previous pictures we had seen of Santorini did not begin to do it justice- even my young adult sons were mesmerized by its beauty. Unfortunately while we were there we were surprised with some bad weather. But Kim Kim to the rescue. Before we even had time to worry about some of our activities being cancelled, they rearranged our schedule so we were still able to do everything, albeit at different times. Even with last minute changes, our transfers went off without a hitch. We never had to worry about anything. The communication between the team was effortless and almost immediate. Thank you Gustavo and Kim Kim for helping us plan such a wonderful vacation full of everlasting memories.

Hotel Review

Katikies Chromata Santorini - The Leading Hotels of the World

Santorini

This hotel was absolutely amazing. Beautiful doesn’t do it justice. The people were so helpful and went a step above to make sure every need was met and more. My whole family wished we had had more time to spend there.

Authenticity & Character

We felt like we were enmeshed in Greece itself, Though taken care of like no-one else existed!

Location

The view was incredibly amazing. But it was also an easy walk from the hotel to shopping, restaurants, gelato!

Staff

So personable and quick to respond.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Felt like we were the only people staying there, despite the hotel being sold out!

Activity Reviews

Street Art & Food Walk

Athens

This was a great way to understand modern day Athens. It was fun, different and interesting. And the food was delicious. It was at our own pace which was great- plenty of time to ask questions and take pictures.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milos Rib Boat Adventure

Milos

The beaches of Milos are beautiful! Though the weather wasn’t ideal, we had a great time and still got to see and do a lot. To get up so close to the caves was exciting for all of us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Adventure in Milos's Lunar-like Landscape

Milos

Despite the weather not being very good, we had a great time. Our guide was wonderful. He gave us options to keep going, or he could have arranged for transportation to take us where we would have ultimately hike to, but we all chose to continue to hike. We all had a wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Santorini Cooking Class

Santorini

Everyone who was involved with this experience or so wonderful. Our Driver, who took us there, gave us so much history on the way there. She was extremely personable and make sure we are on time there and for our next experience, and make sure we knew exactly where we were going. During our experience at the farm and making the lunch, the women were so delightful. You could tell they loved what they did and where they lived, and their enthusiasm was catching. Unfortunately, for us, we had just had a large breakfast and our experience within the morning, so we were not as hungry as we might have been when it was time for us to eat. But it was fun learning how to make some of the typical Greek food, and even more fun getting to taste it all.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Acropolis Discovery Walk

Athens

It was such an interesting tour, as we had always heard of the acropolis, but had really no idea of what it was or why it came to be. It was fun to learn the history. Though it was obviously a lot of walking and up a very steep hill, it was done in such a way that it was very tolerable. We were glad that we were not doing it in the heat of the summer!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

E-Bike Sunset Adventure with Mezes

Milos

My kids had an absolute blast on this tour. They felt like the E bikes were more like motorcycles, and they enjoyed the ride. Our Guide was wonderful about explaining that there had been a bad storm the day before, so the ride was going to be a little bit different. He had offered to change days for the E bike tour, but due to our schedule, we were unable to change. However, he adapted the dinner reservation, so we were all able to attend, even though we did not choose to ride the bike bikes secondary to the weather. He was also flexible when my husband chose to not complete the ride after dinner! He provided great communication with myself, when I chose not to ride at the last minute, so I was able to meet up with the rest of the family. It was a great experience for all of us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Food & Wine Discovery Drive

Milos

It was a beautiful drive and fun to try all the different restaurants. We were a little disappointed in the winery at the end. We felt like we were a little bit rushed, and the explanations of the wine was very brief. But it had also been a long day and we were tired. And we have been catered to so much on the rest of the trip, that maybe our expectations were a little too high for the winery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cannon and our drivers did an amazing job helping us navigate through Japan! We couldn't have done it with without them! It put us at ease knowing we had accommodations, transportation and itinerary planned out.

Hotel Reviews

the b asakusa

Tokyo

Clean, comfy, great location and good breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Next to subway stations and tourists attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Clean, comfy, safe and great location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near train station!

Staff

Kind, friendly and accommodating!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fresh bedding and towels daily

Activity Review

Osaka & Nara Day Trip with Osaka Castle and Minoh Park

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A huge thank you to Shona for keeping up with the last minute changes and odd requests. Our last day of travel wasn't clear and a bit confusing, which almost made us miss our train. Thankfully, I Googled how to get to our final destination and saw that we had to travel to a different train station with barely enough time to get on the Shinkansen.

I think we had the best guides ever! Moto, Yasuko, and Fuji. We had so much packed in on the first day, Moto didn't miss a beat and we were able to do everything on our list and then some. We were especially thankful to Fuji for allowing extra time wherever there was water to allow my son to hang out with the fish for a bit.

All-in-all, it was a great trip and so much less stressful than if I had tried to plan it myself. We had no issues, great communication with everyone, fantastic hotels, lovely breakfasts, and a trip we will never forget.

Hotel Reviews

KOKO HOTEL Tsukiji Ginza

Tokyo

We were so busy that we didn't have time to use the amenities that the hotel offers except breakfast and the laundry. The breakfast wasn't as luxurious as some of our other hotels we stayed at, but again, this hotel isn't as big and for the size, the breakfast was perfect. There was enough "western" type foods that we could eat and the Japanese type foods were really good. The laundry was cheap and unlike bigger hotels, not as crowded, so we had no issues using 1 of the 2 machines. I would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A quick walk to the subway and the river.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

This was a great place to stay. The rooms were modern and nice. The breakfast was amazing. So many yummy options. They get extra points for having massage chairs (paid) especially after a long day of walking around. Located so close to the train station, you don't have to go far to find anything you need.

Authenticity & Character

I thought this hotel was extremely modern and besides the toilet, you wouldn't know you were in Japan. I didn't have any issues with that though because it was extremely comfortable and nice, which is what you want on a long trip.

Location

Right across from the train station!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Monterey Le Frere Osaka

Osaka

I enjoyed the location of this hotel. It is a bit of a walk to the train station, but if you get on the street side, you can look over the city a bit which was a lot of fun for us. It was a tad loud when sirens or loud cars went down the road, but honestly, I thought that was all part of the experience. Ear plugs helped too. The breakfast buffet was absolutely amazing. We weren't here long enough to use any of the amenities, but what we did use, we enjoyed.

Authenticity & Character

It was your typical modern hotel. I didn't have any issues with it because it was comfortable.

Location

A bit of a walk from the train station and noisy, depending on what side you're on.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Nara City Tour: Nara Park, Todai-Ji Temple and More

Kyoto

Feeding the deer is one thing, but just being able to be next to them and pet them like it's no big deal is another. Such an amazing experience to get so close to those magical creatures.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yasuko knew exactly what to do when we get to Nara to make sure our experience was a good one.

Transport

Japan has their public transportation figured out!

Half Day Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour

Kyoto

The bamboo is gorgeous, the hike up the mountain was pretty, and the monkeys were amazing. Getting to feed the younger monkeys was my favorite.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fuji was great!

Transport

Public transportation for the win!

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Akihabara district 1.

Tokyo

This was a looong day. We basically had to speed walk everywhere to fit everything in. I would recommend if this is on your itinerary, to do it the first day you are there because you won't have the steam to this much stuff later on in your trip. We even had our guide take us on a side quest to the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, which he graciously did.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Moto was fantastic!

Transport

Public transportation for the win!

Samurai and Ninja Museum with Experience

Kyoto

I like this museum because it was just enough. I didn't realize we got a tour guide once we were in there, so that was a bonus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide in the museum was funny and spoke decent English.

Transport

We walked there, which was such a great walk. We found some great stuff on the way that we would've missed had we drove.

Half day: Gion Kagai Art Museum and Nijo Castle

Japan

The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is because I think the Art Museum wasn't all that great. The museum itself is really small, but being able to see the geiko perform was worth going! What an amazing experience. Nijo Castle was really cool. Some stuff on TV was shot there, so it was neat to see it in person, but also, just being in there thinking how they used to live and operate, was cool.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fuji was amazing!

Transport

Public transportation for the win!

We actually worked with Sara, as Antonia was on maternity leave.

Overall, we had a truly wonderful experience! The pointers and GPS links were excellent, and we were very happy with the activities, guides, sites visited, and lodging/hotels. Sara was also fantastic to work with. Her quick responses to our messages were much appreciated!

A few suggestions and observations that might be helpful for future itineraries:

Zadar: It was a long drive to Zadar for just one night, and then having to backtrack to Plitvice seemed like a bit of a waste of time on the road. In hindsight, staying closer to Plitvice would have allowed us to get an earlier start and make better use of our time in Zadar. We also felt we could have used another night in Split and more time in Hvar.

We arrived in Zadar after 7:00 p.m., and unfortunately, our hotel experience wasn't the best. The gentleman at the front desk seemed quite annoyed that we arrived late. He basically showed us to our rooms, told us about breakfast, and left. The hotel also wasn't in a very convenient location, as there were no restaurants within walking distance, so we had to rely on Uber.

Timing Between Destinations: One other suggestion would be to provide a little more guidance on how much time to allow for driving between destinations and how much time to plan for each stop. For example, we missed some activities in Bovec because it took us longer than expected to get there. We also had a difficult time finding a place for dinner, as many restaurants were already full due to reservations. Having a better idea of how much time to allocate along the way would have helped us plan our days more effectively.

That said, these are just a few things we learned along the way. It was truly a wonderful vacation, and we appreciate all the work that went into putting together such a memorable trip. We would absolutely recommend your services!

Thank you again!

We had an amazing experience using KimKim for our recent trip to Greece! From start to finish, the team was incredibly responsive, accommodating, and flexible. They made the planning process seamless and were always quick to answer questions or adjust plans when needed. Their attention to detail and willingness to work around our preferences made the entire trip that much more enjoyable. I would highly recommend KimKim to anyone looking to plan a memorable, stress-free vacation!

The Amalfi Coast, Naples and Sicily, all the historic sites and towns/cities we visited, the hotels, the guides and the drivers were fantastic. Just an overall great experience that would not have been possible without the support, responsiveness, insights and guidance provided by Bea and Nadia. They were better than fantastic. There is no doubt we will use KimKim to help arrange our next trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Eden Roc Positano

Positano

Absolutely fantastic hotel. Our suite, the rooftop bar and restaurant, the location, the views and the staff were great. One of the best hotels I have ever stayed at.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Parker’s

Naples

First class hotel. Our suite, the rooftop bar and restaurant, the location, the views and the staff were outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monaci delle Terre Nere, Relais & Chateaux

Zafferana etnea

One of the most unique hotels I have ever stayed at. The setting and views are absolutely breathtaking, the bar/restaurant could not have been cooler with nightly entertainment provided by a great guitarist that played unique stylings of rock/pop classics, the formal restaurant had a wonderful setting, a great menu that was well executed , and an extensive top notch wine list and the hotel/restaurant staff was super nice, attentive, responsive and professional. My only recommendation would be for the hotel to upgrade their gym a bit by updating their aerobic equipment and adding an elliptical.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Mount Etna Visit & Wine Tasting Experience

Italy

Absolutely great experience made even more special by our guide Bruna who was super nice and knowledgeable and full of life and positivity. Mount Etna did not disappoint and the wine tasting and lunch were great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bruna was outstanding. Would not have been the same without her.

Transport

Full-Day Experience in the Valley of the Temples

Italy

Both the Temple of Gods and The Roman Villa were extraordinary made even better brought by our guides who were very knowledgeable, articulate and personable. A lot of driving, but that gave us the opportunity to take in the beautiful Sicilian countryside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Pompeii & Mount Vesuvius with Wine Tasting

Italy

Pompeii was extraordinary. An ancient city frozen in time brought to life by our charismatic, knowledgeable and articulate guide Nina. Combining it with Mount Vesuvius made it even better. Being able to take in both sites was a true bucket list item. The sine tasting and lunch were nice, but not fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Day Along the Amalfi Coast

Italy

A day of wonderful sites that gave a great feel for the wonders and history of the Amalfi Coast.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Italy -Important Trip Information: Please Review Before Departure

Italy

All great. Bea was responsive, clear and professional. Could not have been better.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient Paestum & Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese Farm Experience

Italy

Totally top notch. Antonio brought Paestum to life with his knowledge and enthusiasm. A truly special snapshot of Magna Grecia in Italy. The Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese Farm was also much more enjoyable than I was expecting. The cherry on top of a great day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taormina Walk with a Local

Italy

Another great experience. Just a wonderfully scenic and historic town made that much more special by Lucka our guide. The amphitheater was a real highlight complimented the sights and sounds and history Taormina.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Half Day Visit Through Syracuse & Ortygia

Italy

Really glad we added Siracusa to our itinerary. An incredible city rich in so much history. Ortigia combined with the archeological site on the mainland were outstanding made that more special by our guide Michael who was fun, colorful and knowledgeable. The surprise of the day was the quarry including Dionysius’s ear. Very cool.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was my first experience booking with kimkim, and I would readily do it again. Our tour specialist/planner was attentive to our interests and what we wanted to do, and included all of those activities and more into our itinerary. She was also very responsive when problems or adjustments were needed during the trip. All of the vendors provided good programs and services. Having someone local and knowledgeable to create the itinerary was invaluable and we had a personalized experience we wouldn't have enjoyed on a group tour.

My wife and I had for years dreamed of a trip to England to see our favorite football clubs (Arsenal for me and Liverpool for her) play. On a whim earlier this year, I went ahead and booked our flights for a sixteen day trip in October to cover the dates when Premier and Champions League games were being played, figuring we would be able to secure hospitality tickets to see one or both teams play once the fixtures were released in the summer. We also wanted to see much more of England than just Liverpool and London, including some of the countryside and areas between the cities.

I literally had no idea how to get started in planning such an ambitious journey, so I started doing some research. KimKim was one of the one of the companies that kept coming up in my research with near universal positive reviews, so I contacted them to see what they could setup for us. I gave them the dates of our flights, our goals for the trip and a rough outline of what we wanted to see/experience.

Our England travel specialist, Carolyn Ransome, contacted us the next day and we proceeded to sketch out a rough outline of our trip. We eventually decided on a trip plan beginning/ending in London with Stonehenge, Bath, the Cotswolds and Liverpool in between.

Carolyn was very thorough and diligent in assessing our needs and preferences while sketching out the details of our trip. This included our desires regarding accommodations, travel around England and sites to see/experience. Since it was a few months before I would know if/when we could secure tickets to the football matches, we left a rough outline of our trip in place to be finalized in summer.

After I was able to secure tickets to see our teams play and we had those dates set, I contacted Carolyn again and she set out planning our trip in detail. This turned out to be an ambitious undertaking beginning with the first 2 nights in London, renting a car to drive to Stonehenge and onto Bath, then to the Cotswolds and on to Liverpool, returning by train to London for the last 6 nights of our trip. Carolyn literally planned the entire trip for us, including all accommodations, car hire, train tickets and private transport pickups when needed at several points during our journey. She also arranged for our Stonehenge tickets, private Blue Badge tours in London for us to see the sites while there as well as securing tickets for the London Eye and a boat trip on the canal from Little Venice to Camden.

Once we paid and secured all our reservations, Brandon Williams of Routescape joined our trip as the Travel Care Executice to manage various aspects of the final details. He was very responsive throughout to my many questions and requests throughout the final stages of our planning. He sent us documents regarding travel practicalities, restaurant recommendations and even had a video meeting with us on the eve of our trip to answer any final questions/concerns. About 2 weeks before our trip he also sent us all the necessary trip documents including various tickets, accommodation confirmations and
contact numbers.

We’ve just returned from our dream trip and I must say the planning and execution of it was pretty much flawless thanks to Carolyn and Brandon. Only negatives I can think of were minor issues with our accommodations in Bath and one restaurant recommendation that was below our expectations.

Highlights of our trip included the games at Anfield and Emirates (our teams won both matches!), seeing and driving through the English countryside (Stonehenge, Cotswolds), canal walk in Bath and of course our Blue Badge tours in London. A very special shout out to our phenomenal Blue Badge guide, Sue Sturges. She was amazing.

I highly recommend KimKim for anyone contemplating an ambitious trip such as ours and will definitely consider using them again in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Native Kings Wardrobe, St Pauls

London

Fantastic place to stay. Nice roomy apartments, very comfortable. Great location just a 2 minute walk from St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Thames. Short walks with quick access to Blackfriars and St. Paul’s underground entries. Excellent and very responsive staff. Would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfectly situated for quick underground access. Close to St Paul’s and the Tube.

Staff

Very friendly and responsive to any requests.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It felt like our home away from home while in London.

No. 15 by Guesthouse

Bath

We were very disappointed in our room (Henrietta Jr Suite). The sitting area for the room was a tiny area between the bed and bathroom and was not a comfortable area to sit down nor relax. The floor was slanted and there was a step off between the bedroom and sitting area we frequently would trip over. Also, the bed was not a king size as requested. Certainly not a suite room in the traditional sense one could relax in for a few hours after a day touring. I had the feeling they had better rooms but we didn’t inquire further as we were only there for 2 nights and they appeared to be full.

Authenticity & Character

Historic building with very nice restaurant and bar areas.

Location

Central location with good walking access to most all of the areas we visited in Bath. Henrietta Park out the back door was nice for a quick relaxing stroll.

Staff

Very nice and responsive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was clean but the suite we had was well below our expectations and frankly not comfortable at all.

The Lygon Arms

Broadway

Our nicest room and stay of the entire trip. Luxurious and historic hotel We stayed in the Gordon Russell suite and it was amazing. Would definitely stay here again if in the area.

Authenticity & Character

Historic hotel and setting updated for modern comfort. The bar and sitting areas as well as the restaurant we had breakfast in were beautiful.

Location

Great access to most of the areas in Cotswolds.

Staff

Perfect in every sense of the word.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The suite we stayed in (Gordon Russell Suite) was large and personified comfort. Large sitting room separate from the bedroom as well as and separate entry room. Nice large bathroom with all the creature comforts.

Hope Street Hotel

Liverpool

Very nice room (we had a studio suite). Separate sleeping and sitting areas which suited us perfectly. Comfortable bed. Nice modern upscale atmosphere.

Authenticity & Character

Upscale modern decor.

Location

Was abit removed from the central city areas of Liverpool (docks and city center), so we usually had to take an uber when we wanted to go anywhere.

Staff

Very helpful. Handled our 6 days of laundry we needed done upon arrival promptly and without issue. Very responsive to all our requests.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable bed. Only negative was the couch in the sitting area was abit hard and not comfortable to sit in for any period of time.

Activity Reviews

Half Day London Blue Badge Guide

London

Simply amazing. Personalized touring with exclusive access and insights. Our guide Sue Sturges was phenomenal. Would love to do more if these in the future if the opportunity presents itself.

Quality of Experience

Detailed tailored and personal touring.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sue was perfect for us and we quickly established a wonderful rapport with her. Would request her again for all of our tours if possible.

Little Venice to Camden Market Canal Cruise

London

We did the London Waterbus tour. Boat was covered with windows and the visibility of sights along the canal was very limited. I understand on a rainy day this type of boat might be preferable but frankly we couldn’t really see much of what was talked about on our ride.

Stonehenge Entry

Salisbury

Great to see on of England’s iconic attractions in person. Would’ve been even better to have had the opportunity for one of the personal dawn or dusk tours where you can walk among the stones (they weren’t holding those tours the month we were there, unfortunately). The posters around the perimeter encouraging and showing visitors how to take wacky photos seemed weird to me and spoiled our immersion in this iconic area.

St Paul's Cathedral Entry

London

Absolutely beautiful. Would do this again whenever in London.

Afternoon Tea & Roman Baths Visit

Bath

The tea was nice and checked our box for doing an afternoon tea experience. Would probably prefer doing a less formal structured tea in the future in another location though. The music they provided was good and provided the atmosphere for what they were trying to achieve. The Baths tour was interesting if nothing more than the historic context and seeing the ruins. The walkthrough was well planned a laid out perfectly. Nice to see these once but don’t feel the need to do it again.

Tower of London Entry Tickets

London

Must see experience. One of the highlights of our trip made even more special by our Blue Badge guide, Sue Sturges. The jewels, ravens and Beefeaters stood out here to us. Would probably go again if possible and had the time.

West End Show

London

Moulin Rouge at Piccadilly Theatre. Fantastic show, set and cast. Would’ve like to have seen more shows in London if we’d had the time.

Westminster Abbey with a Blue Badge Guide

London

Must do experience at least once for everyone. Blue badge guided tour made this all the more memorable. We preferred St Paul’s due to its beauty but the history here is unsurpassed.

The Churchill War Rooms Entry Tickets

London

Would recommend for anyone interested in Churchill and the history of England and WW II. It was crowded when we went so visibility was limited for certain areas and it was abit cramped with all of the crowds.

Emanuela did an amazing job in planning our trip to Iceland. She gave us an initial itinerary, which we tweaked to fit exactly what we wanted. She was easy to work with and very attentive to all our needs. She was in contact with us while we were in Iceland, to make sure everything was going well. We did have to rearrange one event and she took care of that for us! Her responses were always very quick! I would highly recommend Emanuela and her company!

The bus trip in Oslo was great! We liked the private guides in Bergen and Svolvaer.

Hotel Reviews

Karl Johan Hotel

Oslo

Breakfast was amazing - in selection and quality. Lovely enclosed glass area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The front desk staff were so helpful and accommodating. Went above and beyond!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

So charming!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Home Hotel Bryggen

Bergen

Lovely room overlooking the water. Breakfast and dinner very much self-serve.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel 1904

Ålesund

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Svinøya Rorbuer

Svolvær

Spread out with walking to cottage taking a while. Staff were so very helpful, helping with large luggage. Loved the sauna! Since it was midday I had it to myself! It was like our own little home! Living and dining space, fridge and all. Quite a walk to city center- used a taxi a few times.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Drive to Geiranger via Trollstigen

Norway

This wasn’t possible due to roadworks. Wish we knew in advance, especially since our original cruise was cancelled. We ended up taking the Atlantic coastal road. Gorgeous! The downside was with the car. Nice car but neither of us had ever driven an electric car. Had a problem with refueling. Don’t know if the problem was with us or the car!?

Ægir Viking Meal Experience

Norway

This was a highlight of our trip! The atmosphere, quality of food and drink was superb! Went to bar afterwards and had a grand evening meeting people!

Quality of Experience

Private Lofoten Sightseeing Trip

Svolvær

Everything about this place was phenomenal! Loved the other islands and getting a sense of how people lived and survived.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Chase

Svolvær

This was special since we saw phenomenal northern lights! We had the driver to ourselves as a group cancelled. He was a real aficionado of the lights and had been doing it for a lifetime!we were lucky to have seen the lights the night of our arrival as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Depart Norway

Norway

The problem was with the airport personnel, insisting I needed a visa to enter Ireland and wasn’t going to let me board! Whatever guidelines I showed him online meant nothing I convinced him to let me fly to Bodo where a helpful staff person resolved it. It was a great inconvenience involving rechecking bags and going through security again. I hope he was corrected on this!

Quality of Experience

Panoramic City Highlights by Bus

Oslo

Especially loved the sculpture gardens and the ski jump.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Bergen City Walk

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Trollfjord Cruise by Electric Boat

Svolvær

One of my outstanding favorites! Boat guides were engaging and knowledgeable. Cruise was a photographer’s dream!

Quality of Experience

Visit the Gol Stave Church (Norwegian Museum of Cultural History - Tickets not included)

Oslo

Did not do this. Went to another museum instead.

Quality of Experience

In

Drive the Atlantic Ocean Road

Norway

Quality of Experience