Kimkim Trip Reviews

Overall a great trip. The hotels they picked out were just what we were looking for. The food tour was very underwhelming. Sarah was nice, but the food was probably the worst we had the whole time we were there and was just charcuterie and bifana which are pretty much everywhere.
All the drivers were great and professional. We really enjoyed Pepe.
I feel like there were some communication issues with our local specialist and he wasn't understanding what we were looking for. We ended up on a very touristy trip and usually we like to do off the beaten path a bit.
Our favorite tour was sidecar tour of Lisbon and that we found on our own. It was also difficult as we planned only 6 weeks out and the time change and Portuguese holidays made communication a bit difficult.

Hotel Reviews

Grande Real Villa Italia

Cascais

great staff great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring Porto's Rich History on an Exclusive Gastronomic Tour Through Time

Porto

We learned some intersting history, but the food was nothing special.

Quality of Experience

variety of food, restaurants and more information

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

sintra was beautiful. I would like to explore it a bit differently. The pena palace grounds were amazing but inside was ridiculously crowded and hot you could not move and it was nothing you haven't seen before in a castle. Also we had asked about staying in Sintra and were really discourage to do so, but I think it might have been nice to be there when all the tourists left.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

i have travelled a lot and been on a number of great trips, but this one is at the top of my list. Nihad listened to us and put together a great itinerary and the riads and hotels that we stayed at were very nice. The star of our trip was, however, our driver, Abdel. He was reliable, and excellent driver, and a lot of fun. We became part of his family and he part of ours. If you are planning a trip, I would ask for him.

The company's name summed up our experience: we felt that we were immersed in Morocco. In addition, to visiting some of the most common sites, we enjoyed our off-track journey through the Atlas Mountains, we enjoyed our cooking classes, which took us into individual's homes, and we loved having tea at Abdel's parents. Tom also enjoyed his hikes, and all but one of our guides were informative and personal. We learned a lot.

I should note that our trip was longer than most. We were there for 30 days, which gave us time to see the country a leisurely pace and to see the backroads.

We had a wonderful trip. It was well planned and executed always catering to our needs. Well worth the cost.

As soon as we made the decision to visit Europe (Ireland, Wales and England), I realized there was no way we could plan the trip on our own, including transportation, lodging and all the event and site tickets. From the very first time I contacted Routescape, I knew I had found the right team to help us plan our dream trip. Throughout the process, they were responsive and completely focused on listened intently to our likes and dislikes. We love the fact that Routescape partners with historic and unique properties for accommodations. The Wilder Townhouse in Dublin, Bodysgallen Hall in Wales and 11 Cadogan Gardens in London were all charming and very comfortable. They also helped us navigate all the various forms of public transportation (trains, ferry, taxis and private drivers) so we got a true picture of life in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Many thanks go to Nic, Nathan, Kim, Tom and Sue for their excellent customer service as well as the other members of the Routescape team that we didn't talk to but were working behind the scenes. We 100% recommend Routescape to anyone who is considering a travel planning service. We truly could not have done this trip without them!

Hotel Reviews

Wilder Townhouse

Dublin

We loved our stay at the Wilder Townhouse. Our room was very comfortable and the staff was courteous and helpful. The daily breakfast was also delicious and convenient. Thanks so much for being a part of our stay in Dublin!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bodysgallen Hall & Spa

Llandudno

This property is absolutely beautiful and is in such an amazing location. It's so nice and quiet, but a quick drive back into Conwy. It was an honor to have stayed in a National Trust property and to be able to enjoy the restoration and preservation that has been done.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

11 Cadogan Gardens Hotel & Apartments

London

We truly loved our stay at 11 Cadogan Gardens. It was nice to come back to a quieter area (Chelsea) at night after long hours of touring during the day. Being there during the Chelsea Flower Show was an unexpected bonus. Our room was comfortable and well appointed, as was the bathroom. The daily breakfast in Han's was delicious and convenient as well. Thanks so much for a wonderful stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cliffs of Moher experience

Ireland

We were blessed with warm weather and clear skies so the Cliffs were absolutely stunning. It's a great way to spend a few hours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tower of London

London

This was a much bigger site than we expected! There are three separate audio guides, but the Highlights guide is the best overall. There was so much to see and read about. One suggestion...get there very early as the lines to get into see the Crown Jewels got very long very quickly!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half Day Driver Guide

Ireland

What an amazing tour! We not only went to the Cliffs of Moher, but we saw so much of the local countryside that we would have never discovered on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dublin Group Walking Tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guinness Storehouse Tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Trinity Trails & Book of Kells

Dublin

This was absolutely amazing. We're so glad we got to see it considering it will be closing later this year for restoration.

Quality of Experience

Conwy Castle

Ireland

Quality of Experience

The Churchill War Rooms

London

This should be on the list of every visitor to London. It's very well done with excellent displays and information. We spend two hours here and could have stayed longer.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason

London

Shopping at Fortnum & Mason and having afternoon tea at the Diamond Jubilee Tea Room was a bucket list item for me and it did not disappoint. Be sure to get reservations for the tea and give yourself plenty of time to shop. F&M is truly a quintessential London experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Windsor Castle & Windsor by Train

Ireland

We spent the entire day at Windsor. Being able to take the train to Windsor and back to London at our convenience was very nice. The train service is quick and easy to navigate.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Group Tour of Blenheim Palace, Bampton, and the Cotswolds

London

We wanted a chance to see the Cotswolds and Blenheim Palace and, coming from London, this was the best option. The day was very long and included a lot of driving, but the guide was very informative and entertaining.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Portmeirion Village

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Westminster Abbey with a Blue Badge Guide

London

Westminster Abbey is stunning and we enjoyed our time there. Our guide was very good and helped us navigate watching the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and the Horse Guards at St. James Palace. He knew exactly where to watch from for the best view and explained the process to us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Irish House Party (Traditional Evening)

Dublin

We did not enjoy this. The dinner service was painfully slow (more than an hour to get our simple meals) and the food was average at best. The staff seemed to be uninformed about basic requests. We actually left before the music even started. We would not recommend this activity.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My son and I arranged through kimkim a customized travel experience that covered many of the top highlights of Morocco. Because I had been to Morocco before, I knew what I wanted to see and generally how much time to spend at each location, within our travel time constraints. Kimkim was very accommodating to each request, starting with arranging a local driver who was wiling to stop where requested (we are big-time photography people), and extending to arranging all accommodations and local entry fees.

Hotel Reviews

Kasbah Tiziri

Kelaat Mgouna

Excellent historically restored kasbah with the nicest proprietors. Heartily recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Nesma Suites & SPA

Medina, Marrakech

Excellent location, within walking distance of the Djemaa el-Finaa.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sahara Stars Camp

Merzouga

Great food, easy to reach, close to the sand dunes. Very welcoming staff who switched us to another tent when our initial tent did not have power. Nice glamping camp.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Very informative guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed our trip to Greece. Our first guide, Sophia, was excellent. She was extremely knowledgeable and in addition was patient and understanding. She took our requests into account without any frustration or annoyance. I was able to take reams of notes to share with family and friends, and she patiently answered any requests for clarification.

Our driver Yannis was also excellent, an admitted history buff, and he also added to our knowledge base. He made our trips go quickly and uneventful. We enjoyed our stop in Delphi and although it was raining our guide made it all work and was also quite good.

We learned a lot from our guide Virginia at Corinth. In particular, she painted a great picture of what it must have been like in the time of Paul the Apostle. In addition seeing where his trial may have been held brought a lot to light.

In Naflio our driver Tasos was excellent…very professional yet caring. Our guide on the walking tour through Naflio was also excellent. It was raining which meant we had the place to ourselves, and once again we learned a lot. He was also our guide to Epidaurus and Mycenae. He was clearly knowledgeable and like the other guides was clearly passionate about his craft.

Our last guide Heracles, was our guide through the Arcadian villages. He too knew his material. We enjoyed the ironworth herb tea, orange pie, and the galaktoboureko pastry in Levidi. We enjoyed the caves at Kapsia, and learned about the importance of Dimitsana to the Greek revolution due to its production of gunpowder. We appreciated seeing the Greek countryside and getting a little glimpse into the lives of everyday Greeks.

All in all, we got a tantalizing taste of Greece, and will hopefully be able to visit it again in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Carpe Diem Boutique Hotel

Nafplio

Clean, modern and great location. Appreciated having an on premises breakfast option.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Steps away from the waterfront. Relatively quiet.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Altar Suites Athens

Athens

Clean, modern, relatively quiet. Great location without being overcrowded by tourists. Staff was very helpful including dinner recommendations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful and pleasant

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private tour of Villages of Arcadia

Greece

Enjoyed some unique vistas and great insights from our guide and driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, helpful and entertaining.

Transport

City Walking Tour of Nafplio

Nafplio

It was raining and so our wonderful guide made the best of it for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Visit to the Acropolis Temples & Museum

Athens

Great to see and hear about an impactful part of the world’s history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sophia was amazing.

Private Delphi Day Trip

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transfer from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} with stop in Corinth

Greece

Assume driver and guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great driver and knowledgeable guide.

Transport

Well kept vehicle.

Guided Day Trip to Mycenae & Epidaurus

Nafplio

Amazing sites and although a very windy our guide made it effortless.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Both great driver and guide.

Transport

This was our first time using kimkim to plan a trip anywhere. It made the entire process incredibly easy and I will be recommending it to all of our friends back home. Our trip coordinator was Alfonso Nuñez with Basquelands Way. He was excellent and was always quick to respond when we messaged him with questions. We asked him to put together quite a complex trip that involved traveling to and planning activities in Madrid, Barcelona, Calders, and Palma de Mallorca. He created an amazing trip and handled our requests with ease. Our favorite activities that he planned for us were the hot air balloon ride with Mallorca Balloons, the private olive oil farm tour at Finca Aubocassa, the tuk-tuk tour of Madrid with Tu Tuk Tuk, and the walking tour of Madrid with our guide Jose. I highly recommend Alfonso if you are planning a trip to Spain. We had an incredible time.

Activity Reviews

Private Electric Tuk-Tuk Adventure

Madrid

Jose was a wonderful guide. Taking a tour of the city by tuk-tuk allowed us to cover far more ground than we would have been able to cover on foot and they are a lot of fun to ride in.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Highlights Walk

Madrid

Jose was a wealth of knowledge about the history of Madrid and Spain. His enthusiasm for the history of the area was contagious. I highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Hot Air Balloon Ride

Mallorca

Our balloon ride in Mallorca was probably our favorite thing we did during our time in Spain. It was an incredible way to see the island.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Olive oil farm visit (Almazara)

Mallorca

We had a wonderful time on our olive oil farm visit. Tiffany was a wonderful tour guide. She was knowledgable, funny, and kind. We would definitely like to visit again the next time we are on Mallorca.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Barcelona Bike Tour

Barcelona

This was hands down the best way to see the city. Our guide was great and riding around Barcelona on a bike is a lot of fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Small group - Guided Visit of the Sagrada Família

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a blast in Norway for our honeymoon. We appreciated the kimkim team for handling all the logistics (hotels, transportation, some meals, etc.). We especially love the scenery in Flåm and Balestrand and our favorite activities were kayaking in Bergen and the boat ride/fishing excursion in Tromso.
Before the trip we were busy with wedding planning, so it was so awesome to not have to worry about planning all the honeymoon details. Thank you!

Hotel Review

Flåm Marina

Flåm

Our favorite accommodation was the one in Flåm. It was charming and smaller in size, which we appreciated. Overall, all the hotels met our expectations, but this one stood out.

Activity Reviews

Øygarden Kayaking Excursion with Island Lunch

Bergen

We loved this tour. Johan was a fabulous tour guide. Definitely one of our favorite acitivities!

Quality of Experience

Great tour guide, descriptions of scenery, beautiful

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fabulous. Very knowledge and fun

Transport

Arctic Fjord Cruise & Fishing Excursion

Tromsø

The Arctic Fjord Cruise & Fishing Excursion was a fantastic experience. We enjoyed fishing, even though the boat only caught two fish. The excursion was a highlight of our trip.

We contacted the “local in Norway” KimKim agent to try to change our departure from Flam to Bergen by bus and by train. While responsive, he was not useful. He initially proposed buying new tickets for our party of four (approx total $200). We did it ourselves for free and arrived 2 1/2 hours ahead of initial schedule into Bergen.

Five hours at the Viking Village makes no sense unless we were traveling with young children.

Hotel Review

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Room needed modernizing!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Update the room and the bathroom!

Activity Reviews

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Train from Oslo was very good with assigned seating. Flam train did not have assigned seats. It was chaos at the station trying to get on with heavy luggage while people were trying to get off the train.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjord RIB Safari & Undredal Cheese Tasting

Norway

Extremely windy and cold. Guide/driver was very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Viking Day in Gudvangen

Gudvangen

KimKim had us scheduled for about 5 hours here. Ridiculously long. 90 minutes was sufficient. Also. There are two different parking lots; we did not know which lot to go to get our bus to Voss.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall Clemens and the KimKim team did a great job assisting us. They were very attentive and responsive leading up to the trip and while we were on the trip. Overall very satisfied. There were a couple of aspects of the itinerary that we would have done differently, one example being the train transfers in Munich where we almost missed the train back to Prague as we only had 20 mins between trains and the arriving train was late into Munich. We also would have preferred a train from Vienna to Salzburg (as opposed to the 3+ hour drive, which turned into almost 5 with a huge traffic jam).

That said, the KimKim team did a great job with selecting the hotels (they were all great) and all the other logistics of our trip and made it so easy for us…we didn’t have to think about a lot and we saw so much in 10-days! I would definitely consider using them again for future trips!

Hotel Reviews

Majestic Plaza Hotel Prague

Prague

Very nice accommodations - comfortable and clean. Location was OK and hotel was very crowded.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel NH Collection Wien Zentrum

Wien

This hotel was very clean and comfortable, but a little sparse in overall ammenities outside the guest rooms and was not crazy about the location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel IMLAUER & Bräu

Salzburg

This was probably the nicest of the hotels we staid at. Great location, nice staff, comfortable rooms, nice amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Staudacherhof History & Lifestyle

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Loved the charm of this hotel. Staff was awesome, property was really cool and the onsite restaurant was fabulous. We had a two bedroom suite…which was AWESOME….and made our family wish we were staying longer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

From Prague: Kutna Hora UNESCO Site Tour with Bone Chapel

Prague

This was a good excursion but the drive was much longer than expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Salzburg: 🏞️ Unforgettable Half- Day Trip to Hallstatt: Explore, Admire, and Experience 🏞️

Salzburg

Hallstatt was really cute, but the travel by car from Vienna was long and Hallstatt itself was a tourist scene! A lot of people and probably could have skipped this in the grand scheme of all the other cities/places we were looking to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Schönbrunn Palace

Vienna

This was a little too long and monotonous for us. Could have shortened this to a 90 minute tour of the place and grounds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Culinary Highlight tour through Vienna

Vienna

Really liked walking the city and getting some history and trying some local food. We just didn’t have great weather on that day, so it was a little wet and chilly.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Eagle’s Nest

Salzburg

We removed this from our itinerary because we wanted to spend an extra day exploring Salzburg, because we got caught in traffic the day before driving from Vienna to Hallstatt and lost most of the day.

Excellent trip! Our guide was Rosamary Balino for Capetown and Franschoek and she was energetic, fun and knowledgable. We stayed at Timbavati game reserve at the Thabamati luxury tented camp which was wonderful and the game drives were amazing. Then at the Victoria Falls Lodge which was the most luxurious place we have ever stayed. Kimkim, particularly Lize, did a great job putting our trip together based on our wants and it was so well coordinated, we didn't need to worry about anything on the trip. Everyone picking us up or guiding us were always right on time and were they they were supposed to be throughout the 16 days in Continent. Thank you Lize and kimkim for a trip of a lifetime!

Adam has planned two fantastic trips for me this year as I have capitalized on my daughter's stint teaching English in Madrid! The hotels he found for me in Madrid and Granada were outstanding, and he set us up with some incredible food and adventure tours, including a wine tasting in Mallorca that he joined us for--kimkim's specialists like to get firsthand experience of anything they recommend! It was so much fun to finally get to meet him :-) We spent a couple of gorgeous afternoons sailing the Balearic Sea, had our minds blown by the Alhambra and the Thyssen (my favorite Madrid museum), and of course, sampled allllll the tapas everywhere we went. Adam also booked all our transfers--trains, planes, automobiles--so we were able to travel all over Spain without a hitch, which by itself more than justifies using kimkim's services. I've worked with them multiple times in three different countries now; I don't mind planning my own travel when it's just me, but as a mom who often travels with one or more of my kids, I really appreciate having a local specialist (and fellow adult) in my destination who can provide some logistical support and guidance far from home. I will definitely be back in touch with Adam for my next Spanish adventure, since I still haven't made it to the north yet!

We could write a book about our wonderful trip to Portugal -- but, don't worry, I'll just give you a summary of the experience.

First our specialist, Tiago: Smart, responsiveness, and knowledgeable. That would be enough. But he was also really warm and personable. Just plain nice. We had the good fortune of getting to know him a bit better because he served as our driver and guide on a day tour to Sintra and Cascais. When I am working with people in business, I sometimes run across a person who has "sparkle" -- a brightness and an intelligence that makes ever interaction great. Tiago has "sparkle".

Second our trip: Too many wonderful moments to mention -- but here are just a few:

Porto: Walking around this wonderful city was charming and great exercise (lots of steps and hills). We absolutely adored the views, the history, the shops. Had a wonderful dinner nearby at 5 Oceanos.

Douro Valley (drive and river tour): Simply gorgeous. We were late arriving for our scheduled boat departure -- but Tiago hopped right on it and rescheduled us. Problem solved. Unparalleled views of the vineyards along the river.

Tomar: What a beautiful and charming location. The accommodations were delightful and the main square was a postcard come to life.

Evora: More Portuguese friendliness and charm. We particularly enjoyed our hotel here -- the MouraSuites -- and the visits to the Chapel of Bones, the Palace Gardens, and again working are way around the city streets.

Olive Oil Making Tour: A true highlight of the trip where Joao took us through the history of his families small olive oil business that he is keeping alive through passion and ingenuity. A master class in a tour that was educational, engaging and well worth the time. If you enjoy intelligent people with incredible passion and storytelling skills, please go!

Lagos: Bustling and fun. We spent time in the Algarve looking for property -- and may have found something right in Porto de Mos in Lagos. That says it all!

Benagil Caves boat tour: Visually stunning with amazing crew, including "Lady Di" and the boat captain. Fun! Do it!

Sagres and Salema day trip: Wonderful history and views.

Lisbon: Truly a diverse, friendly and beautiful place. We could not have been more pleased with the staff at our the Hotel Britania -- shout outs to Omar, Jose, Patrick as well as all of the people who made and served us the incredibly breakfast daily.

Day trip to Sintra and Caiscais: While it was crowded, we were treated to a day with Tiago -- who was full of knowledge and knew exactly how to maximize our time to get a flavor for this amazing place. The specialty pastries in Sintra were absolutely delicisious.

OK -- perhaps I did right a book. But that is because we were captivated by Portugal -- it's beauty, charm, friendliness.

Muito obrigado!

Hotel Reviews

NH Collection Porto Batalha

Porto

Great central location and comfortable suites. A few minor maintenance issues with bathrooms that were quickly addressed by staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa dos Ofícios Hotel

Tomar

Charm, charm, charm. Friendliness galore.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MouraSuites Hotel

Largo da Porta de Moura, 7000-647 Évora, Portugal

Probably our favorite hotel during our 2 week visit. Beautifully designed, wonderful breakfast, gracious staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marina Rio

Lagos

Perfect location on the Marina for our time in Lagos.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisbon

The staff was amazing -- and this old hotel has character dripping from the walls. LOVED IT!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Omar, Patrick, Jose, and the desk and kitchen staff -- 5 star!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rabelo Boat Tour

Portugal

We loved the tour for seeing the beautiful scenery. Only thing keeping it from five stars was the lack of any narration of the experience by the tour operator.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to a Cork grove or olive oil Estate

Portugal

Joao was amazing in telling the very special story of his family's olive oil estate. The discussion encompassed a lesson in the making of olive oil, the challenges of retaining a small traditional business vs when competing with the super large agriculture firms, how to taste olive oil (aroma, flavor, etc.) From my perspective, as a marketing professional, the branding of the product was fascinating! A highlight of the trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Azulejo Tile Workshop

Lisbon

Great to appreciate the history and importance of tiles in Portugal and truly appreciate the craft. Loved that we walked away with tangible, self-made tiles that will forever serve as reminders of this memorable experience.

Quality of Experience

Bruno did a great job organizing the trip and always sending daily reminders and updates and being available by text or phone for any real-time issues.

Hotel Review

Lyra Hotel Plitvice

Licko Petrovo Selo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Zagreb - Arrival

Zagreb

Seeing the old part of Zagreb and its history was helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arianna spent almost nine months working with me on a specialized tour of Northern Italy, that offered us flexibility to visit family as well as unusual, less toursity areas of the country. Over that time, significant changes occurred requiring alterations to our trip plan (e.g., number of people traveling, exact dates, locations to visit, accommodations needed, availability of direct flights, etc.) Arianna professionally and graciously lept into action to cooperatively problem-solve. When I needed suggestions, she delivered helpful information, but there was never any pressure or inflexibility. Every traveler need is thoughtfully addressed, with patience and aptitude, and the things you don't even know you want are delivered.

The accommodations she secured for us in Sirmione and Cortina d’Ampezzo were spectacular. We expressed our overall travel preferences and budget and Arianna found lodging that far exceeded our expectations in some locations, while meeting expectations in the others.

Tours and experiences Arianna booked offered us unique, high-quality, individualized access to information and places we would never have found on our own. We wished we booked more!

Hotel Reviews

Gombit Hotel

Bergamo

The hotel was a marvel of renovation and in a great, central location in the upper città. Bed was comfortable, service was excellent, breakfast was good. The only notes I would offer for fellow travelers to this location are that it is adjacent to a tourist destination (park and fountain) over which our room faced, so it was quite loud. The nightly cost to park a car is quite high.

Authenticity & Character

A renovated historic building in an ancient corridor within the limited traffic zone, requiring a specialized permit.

Location

The proximity to the funicolare and many historic sites was perfect. Dozens of wonderful markets, stores, bars, and restaurants exist within a 10-minute walk. We were easily able to walk to the lower city and back from the hotel.

Staff

I wish I could remember them all by name, but the staff with whom we interacted were consistently warm, pleasant, and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was spotless and the towels were good quality. Everything felt new.

HOTEL de LEN

Cortina d'Ampezzo BL

If I had to live in a hotel, this would be the one. Everything about its unique character and exceptional delighted my soul, but the location and staff make it even more special than the architect and interior designer could have envisioned. Every glorious concept is so thoughtfully executed. The rooftop spa is something magical. Truly. I cannot wait to get back to it.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel should be winning design awards, and does, because it's stunning. I fear that after the winter olympics in 2026 bring more focus on this place, this hotel may become so well-known that it is impossible to maintain its current perfect character. The natural wood offers a rustic marriage to a modern, sometimes industrial, interior design. The communal spaces are welcoming, sleek, open, yet private. The transparency of the spa offered an authenticity and character that took my breath away several times.

Location

Staff

Unbelievably kind and considerate staff. They were "waiting for us" when we arrived, later than expected, after long drive. They offered us refreshments during a quiet and personalized check-in process on another floor, which was such a nice touch. People knew us by name and checked on us regularly during our stay. The spa staff, especially Francesca, were extraordinary.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms are appointed in simple, tasteful decor. Bathroom with double sink was a nice touch. Everything was spotless. From a comfort standpoint, we found the inability to control room temperature or towel heating rack, lack of a refrigerator, and absence of extra bedding (lighter blanket to adjust to the fluctuations in temperature), downsides. Towels and bathrobes were high quality. Balcony was large, but with so much construction happening in the town, it was hard to enjoy being outside or having the windows open.

Lancaster Hotel

Milan

The hotel is an older accommodation in a decent location. Its staff are shining stars, however, and had the attitude and approach of a high-end place. It was relatively quiet and comfortable, with a typical breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

It is clearly an older facility, with some character and charm in its bones. Tiny elevator, old fashioned decor.

Location

If you like walking, which we do, this,was a great distance from the main attractions. There isn't much in the immediate vicinity, but it keeps it quieter outside.

Staff

Every person was kind and professional. The breakfast and front desk team were top notch, but special shout out to the guy who made us cappuccino at 4:50AM the day we departed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

While it definitely felt clean in our room and breakfast room, the common areas were quite run down in places. The walls in our room had paint peeling, scuffs, scratches, and the baseboards were badly damaged. The antiques in the room match the general decor and were a nice touch, but need better care. We could hear a lot of interior noise (neighbors above and along our hallway), although outside was quiet.

Hotel Ocelle Thermae & Spa

Sirmione

A resort and spa with a very luxe look and feel. Staff were impeccably dressed to indicate their role and function, underground parking was available, including electric charging, the entire facility was gated and closely controlled. The breakfast filled two rooms and included every option imaginable, including accommodating various dietary restrictions. The location was stellar--only a five-minute walk to Scaliger castle. But the spa facilities themselves were amazing. We sadly had little time to enjoy many aspects, as we were doing tours and visiting with family, but we wished we could have booked a few more days to enjoy the thermal baths and spa services. Notes: it is adults only, and the thermal spa comfortably accommodates a small number of guests at a time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Milan Last Supper Tour with City Highlights

Milan

Wonderful, moving experience to the the Last Supper and fully-appreciate how remarkable it is that the piece has survived, and restoration of this meticulous sort, has been achieved. The other highlights of the tour were also fantastic--ancient historical buildings, artworks, culture, politics--across thousands of years. Deborah was patient and excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sirmione Walking and Boat Tour & Scaliger Castle

Italy

Wonderful, knowledgeable tour guide who showed us the highlights of Sirmione by walking and private boat ride. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat tour was great! Wish it was longer...

Cooking Class in the Dolomites

Italy

The chef we worked with was passionate about his craft and taught us special techniques for making homemade pasta, unique to the region. It felt odd cooking in the dining room so near the entrance, using a portable stovetop, and not in a kitchen, but it was still a great experience. A bit rushed.

Quality of Experience

Dalia was very helpful in planning the trip. She helped us narrow down the places we wanted to see and figure out which cities would make good bases for side trips. Vejer de la Frontera was charming white village and we’re happy Dalia tipped us off to Fondación MAC sculpture garden (or rather, sculpture in a natural setting) outside of town. It was good to have quick phone access to her during the trip when we needed a doctor and when no one could direct me to the car rental place. Best of all, she found two excellent bird photography guides for John who took him to great locations he could never have found otherwise. The other guides were good too, especially Marco, who led us on a walk through La Breña Natural Park and knew about all the local plants, and Joaquin in Cordoba.

Amandine was fantastic to accomodate all our requests and did so in a very quick and thoughtful manner. We had no problems on the trip. Our itinerary was exactly what we wanted and she had all the vouchers ready when needed. This was a wonderful way to experience our first time traveling to Europe. It decreased our anxiety and stress regarding how to navigate a foreign country. I would highly recommend KimKim to others.

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Hotel Karl (former Krone Luzern)

Lucerne

Loved the room which had a fantastic view of the river, covered bridges, and castle. Couldn't have asked for more.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Engimatt City & Garden Hotel

Zurich

Very nice room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Prinz

Munich

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Salzburg Cathedral: Organ Concert at Midday

Salzburg

Excellent organist providing a general feel for each organ. Would have like to have heard more.

Quality of Experience

Self-guided day to Mount Rigi, the Queen of Mountains (tickets)

Germany

Really enjoyed the beautiful boat ride. Surprised to experience snow at the top but enjoyed the way up and down.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zurich with Cruise & Lindt Home of Chocolate

Zürich

We were late due to confusion surrounding the bus schedule and route. However, they were very accomodating and arranged for us to join a later tour group. We were very appreciative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Munich Beer Tour and Bites

Munich

The guide was great and provided good information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rothenburg and Harburg Day Trip From Munich

Munich

Loved the trips! Wish we had more time in Rothenburg.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Neuschwanstein Castle Full-day tour

Munich

Not enough time after the official tour to go through the souvenier shop and make it back down to the bus in a comfortable manner. Confusing route coming back down - would have appreciated more direction to get down.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Original Sound of Music Tour - group tour

Salzburg

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Michael was amazing and his communication and trip guidance were on point. I will suggest the company to others and use again in the future.

We had an amazing trip to Greece. Kim Kim was wonderful. Helped with every detail and made this dream trip a reality. Kim Kim was also very responsive and available at any time if we had questions or hit any snags along the trip. Someone was always available. We started working with Ioannis and he built the trip. Along the planning we also worked with Lea, Gustavo, and Summer. They were all knowledgeable and super helpful. Would highly recommend!!

I cannot express how much of a good time I had in Turkey. Although I did get a bad cold half way through it proved even MORE how great the arrangement with KIMKIM was. My guide and driver took exceptional care of me for which I am so thankful. My guide was so knowledgeable, personable, patient, helpful. I asked his several arcane questions and he had a very good answer ever time. His level of knowledge was as remarkable as his hospitality. In case you cannot gather from my review I had a WONDERFUL TIME. KIMKIM has been EXTRAORDINARY in planning and execution of my Turkey vacation. The profile picture shows my guide: Mr. Yigit, me: Nolan Warner and the driver: Mr. Cumali