Kimkim Trip Reviews

I’ve updated Hien as we traveled in Vietnam. She is the best support person ever!

Hotel Reviews

Hermes Cruises

It’s old and the shower stall was moldy. Water doesn’t drain well and you shower standing in dirty water. Not pleasant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

What more to say about Halong Bay. It is an amazing place!

Staff

Ben was the best. As was Husna. There were a couple of indifferent staff. Food ran out at the buffet and I left the cruise hungry!

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Boutique Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Minh went above and beyond his duties. We are very thankful for all his help with the luggage and my brother-in-law’s wheelchair needs

Cleanliness & Comfort

Change the corners of the bed frames so it is not so hazardous. Could get badly hurt hitting against it

Cozy An Boutique Hotel Hoian

Hoi An

I loved that the bathroom had a special surface so it felt safe and not slippery.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acnos Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

My husband got his shin and toe badly hurt by the sharp corners of the bed frame . Thankfully I had a first aid kit to stop the bleeding. I hurt myself too, but thankfully did not bleed. Just got bruised

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

Mai was cool and calm especially with pushing the wheelchair amidst the traffic in Hanoi. But it was hot and crowded and we were tired. So we stopped after 2.5 hours

Quality of Experience

Food

We had too much at the first stop and couldn’t eat much more after that. Mai was very kind to buy us guava as I love that fruit.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sung Sot Cave - Disembark to Tuan Chau (Hermes Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore More Ha Long Bay & Lan Ha Bay ( Hermes cruise )

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ha Long Bay - Titop Islands (Hermes Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Half Day City Tour & Train Street

Hanoi

Mai was very considerate of our age as she took us around Hanoi. She was also very kind to treat us to coconut drinks while waiting for the train.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Danang City Sites & Ba Na Hills

Vietnam

Tranh showed his strength and ingenuity in maneuvering the wheelchair around Bana Hills especially with the escalators. It was fun to travel with him.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An City Tour – Boat Ride – Release Flower Lantern

Vietnam

Tranh was very good and took very good care of us, especially my brother-in-law. It was doubtful if he could make it on to the boat for the flower lantern. But, he made it with help from all who were there

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Ho Chi Minh city Half Day Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Anh was very helpful and attentive. He took us to a place for lunch which was memorable. Unfortunately, I forgot the name of it. It has a water wheel outside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had an incredible trip to Italy! I think Giulia did an amazing job helping my family and I with the planning process, catering to our needs and helping answer the questions we had when we asked them. However, I feel given the amount of things we had planned in a short period of time, the information was not communicated as thoroughly as I would have hoped when it came to certain activities we had opted for. Overall, the trip was an memorable one and I am really that KimKim worked with us to make it amazing!

João was wonderful to work with, he was extremely knowledgeable and helped steer us in the right direction in terms of tours and main attractions. He was also very responsive and helpful whenever I had any questions or comments both prior to the trip and during the trip, which was much appreciated! He provided a clear and transparent Road Book that listed all the activities with guide names and contact information, which made it very easy to find the right people (in a foreign country) and helped us plan out our day. Lastly, he personally drove from Lisbon to Lagos to pick us up, which we greatly appreciated and helped us maximize our time in Lagos stress-free. It was a pleasure working with him and I would reach out to him again the next I'm in Portugal.

We worked with very knowledgeable guides in each city, which helped us feel more connected to the people and culture of Portugal. Francisco in Lisbon was a great guide who was very knowledgeable about the history of the city and provided useful tips to help us avoid major tourist lines and optimize our time. He also recommended a wonderful restaurant that turned out to be our favorite meal of the trip. He accompanied us to Sintra and was a huge asset in helping us navigate crowded sites and optimize our day. He provided a ton of interesting background information on Pena Palance and Quinta de Regalaeria, which helped us appreciate the experience much more. He also insisted we try the local pastries in Sintra (which was a highlight of the day) and advised us to tour the National Palace of Sintra, which is a must-see and not too crowded.

In Porto, we worked with Manuel, who was very passionate about Porto and very eager to show us his home city. He gave us great advice on what to see or do in our down time and is very knowledgeable of the history of Porto. We felt very comfortable with and thought he was very patient with us as we took our multiple photos! He even gave me a small token to remember my trip, which I greatly appreciated the thought and gesture. In Porto, we did a Duorro Valley wine tour and had the best driver/guide Andres. He had such great energy, and was funny, lively, and passionate about the port wine industry! He gave us great tips of what to see and overall made our Duorro Valley experience more enjoyable!

Overall, we had a great time booking with Kim Kim, which allowed us to work with local experts on planning a customized action-packed itinerary. Kim Kim also took care of most of our transportation needs to and from the airport, train station, and hotels, which made our vacation much more enjoyable and comfortable. Lastly, all the guides were very knowledgeable, professional, and passionate about their job, which added to our overall experience! We would definitely work with Kim Kim again.

We were so pleased with our entire tour with Kimkim. Every transfer, every driver was friendly and always on time!!! We never worried about our pick up or our meeting places. Thank you Kimkim for the detailed itinerary! We started in Athens with 2 neighborhood walks. Our guide, from “ Greek Travel Tellers” , CATHERINA, was wonderful and passionate about showing us the neighborhoods!! SANDRA, of Greek Travel Tellers, was also passionate & very knowledgeable about the sunset tour of the Acropolis ! In Mykonos, our neighborhood guide, PACO, was very informative friendly, and yes , passionate about showing us the neighborhoods! In Santorini, Santorini Road Trips: our guide/ driver was KOSTAS!! He too was passionate, informative & friendly. At the end of our tour, we felt like family! Our last tour with LENA, of course Santorini Food Tour, was so informative & yummy! We learned and ate so much😄😄😄LENA, too, was very passionate about the local restaurants and tavernas!

Hotel Reviews

Kasimatis by La Perla

Santorini

we felt like we had our own bungalow. The staff was very nice. The rooms are very clean. It was great to have a great view and a personal hot tub as well as a shared pool.

Authenticity & Character

I loved the white washed buildings and the infinity pool and the quiet surroundings

Location

Great view overlooking Santorini however it was necessary to take a taxi or a bus to the different part of the island

Staff

The south was friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

The entire facility was clean organized and was constantly being kept up

Vencia Boutique Hotel

Mykonos

Beautiful view, clean rooms, Well, cap facility, friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

The location

Location

The location could be improved. If I had a choice. Next time I would request a hotel on the beach there was a lot of walking upstairs and downstairs to the center of town.

Staff

The staff was very friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean facility and very organized

The Zillers Boutique Hotel

Athens

Loved the location and roof top restaurant! Stafff very friendly and accommodating!

Authenticity & Character

Uniqueness

Location

It’s centralized

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Friendly staff.. boutique hotel!

Activity Reviews

Chora Food & Culture Walk

Mykonos

Loved walking through Chora. Our guide, Lena was passionate, informative and had a great sense of humor!!

Quality of Experience

Learned so much about olive oil and feta cheese!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lena… amazing!

Transport

We walked!

Fira Food & Views Walking Tour

Santorini

We tasted many items of food we learned about real olive oil, real feta cheese, basically authentic items that came from Santorini

Quality of Experience

Authenticity of the food items we tasted

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lena was a wonderful enthusiastic, funny, informative & passionate guide

Private Island Villages & Akrotiri Day Trip

Santorini

We loved our guide, Kostas. The archaeological dig was amazing. We also saw the red beach and the black beach and the monastery Kostas was with us and added so much information. Also we were able to taste caper leaves, seaweed leaves and capers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Clean, smooth riding van!

Self-Guided Beach Time

Mykonos

We loved our beach day. I would recommend having this day planned in the itinerary.

Quality of Experience

Time to rest and enjoy the scenery and cool off in the water

Self-Guided Local Markets Visit

Mykonos

We didn’t realize that we were so high up and that it would take some energy and time to walk down to the town center

Quality of Experience

We liked the adventure

Acropolis Beat-the-Crowds Discovery Walk

Athens

Perfect time to see the acropolis at sunset. Sandra, our guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about what she was showing us.

Quality of Experience

Sandra was very knowledgeable and it helped that she was a native of Greece

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Authentic Athens Awaits: The Petralona Experience

Athens

It was great… but similar to our first neighborhood walks.

Quality of Experience

The homes.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Katharina was very approachable

Transport

The transportation was always on time

Private Evening Neighborhood Walk

Athens

Loved the walk & information! So enjoyed Catherina!

Quality of Experience

The guide and the up front experience of local taverna’s & neighborhoods.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

On schedule, all of the time.. All drivers were personable!

Transport

Exactly… seamless!

Guided Tours were great, hotels are a mixed bag.

Guided tours in Normandy were great, I rated the guides via google.
HOTELS
-Le Bayeux: 2 Stars: Location is good, staff is polite, but hotel is very old and needs maintenance. Walls are paper thin, we couldn’t sleep for 3 nights. We could hear the guests coming and going in the middle of the night.
-La Maison Rabelais: 5 Stars: All great
-Arok: 2 Stars: Stylish hotel with polite staff in a very bad neighborhood. I wouldn’t recommend walking around outside.

I chose to book with Kimkim considering the hotels are vetted. But I think I’ll do it myself next time based on Tripadvisor reviews.

Also, we got sick the day before last day. Although I cancelled with the tour reaching out to the tour guide 24 hours ago, I am not getting any money back. Cancellation policy is not very meaningful.
I think I overpaid for the whole thing.

This is my first trip to Europe and it was so amazing. Audrey's thoughtful trip plan included both typical tourist highlights of the area as well as unexpected activities that were outstanding. I cannot recommend this service enough! The trip was so well-planned and all I had to do was show up and enjoy it!

Hotel Reviews

Splendid Hotel & Spa Nice

Nice

Beautiful and historic hotel room, far enough from the beach to be peaceful and quiet but close enough to be able to walk to anything we wanted to see.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were great; unfortunately my deadbolt didn't work and it made me a little uncomfortable at night.

Aquabella Hotel & Spa

Aix en Provence

Beautiful location and hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le 9Hotel Opera

Paris

The staff were friendly, food was great and location was perfect - so close to the metro and easy to navigate around the city from the hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy access to the metro

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day excursion to Cannes, Grasse and Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Nice

Very nice tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver, Kad, was very funny and knows the area well.

Transport

The car was either accelerating or decelerating, nothing in between. Use caution if you get carsick.

Cassis & Bandol Rosé Wine Tour

Aix-en-Provence

Fun and interesting day trip. Would have preferred more time in the village after lunch, but still managed to do some shopping!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Donato was very knowledgeable, but his driving was a bit alarming, either hitting the gas or the brake, no 'cruising' or maintaining of a speed. You were either accelerating or decelerating the whole drive.

Transport

Provence Wines and Luberon Villages

Aix-en-Provence

This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Seeing the wineries was wonderful and visiting the smaller villages was so fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rafael was great; it was amazing learning the history of the area from an actual archeologist!

Transport

In the morning, with just 4 of us in the bus, it was great. In the afternoon when the bus was full, it was a little too crowded and chaotic.

Unveiling Masterpieces at the Louvre Museum

Paris

So much to look at!

Quality of Experience

Visit of the Eiffel Tower and Seine river cruise

Paris

We missed our guided boat tour because our car tour ran over, so we ended up doing the river cruise with a band and cocktails, which was still nice, but would have preferred to have the guided tour.

Quality of Experience

Self-guided Visit of Versailles Castle (Entrance tickets)

France

Beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Day tour of Monaco, Eze and La Turbie

France

This one was not as fun, unsure if it was because we were hitting our vacation wall, but I think it would have been better to end after the tour near the palace in Monaco. I think driving through Monte Carlo would have been sufficient. Many things were closed and what stores we were able to go in, you get followed around by the staff like a criminal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver, Eric, was very kind, but not punctual.

Transport

Filling every seat in the 8 seater van when it was 30 C was too much!

Discovery tour of Paris by vintage 2CV car

Paris

Unique and interesting way to view the city

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driving through Paris is slightly terrifying!

Gourmet food tour in Le Marais

Paris

This was such a an unexpected pleasure of the trip! Fernando was great, so friendly and helpful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The first few days we felt were a little rushed with city/hotel changes and early morning trains. This led us to cancel one of our scheduled tours due to fatigue and pouring rain in Zurich. After we arrived in Munich on day 5 the pace slowed to be more manageable. Still our bus trip to Linderhof and Neuschwanstein felt very rushed. I would have liked to have spent more time at both locations. Pedro our guide for that trip was very good but to keep the tour on time we left 3 people at Linderhof. I was concerned about making it back to the bus in time at Neuschwanstein, so I missed visiting the castle and waited in town while my husband went. It was probably a good decision as we left another passenger there.

Our 2 private tours in Munich were excellent. Kevin took us on a walking "Beer and Bites" tour which we both enjoyed. Max took us to Berchtesgaden and Eagles Nest. Both tours were well paced, and we enjoyed discussing history with both guides. We had some confusion with our guide in Nuremburg. He did not have our name and was looking for another customer and our paperwork said we would be meeting "Kevin" at our hotel. After some discussion between us and the hotel staff we realized that Bastien had booked both the hotel and the tour for us and we were his client for the day. Charlie was also an excellent guide and included some YouTube videos in his car to help give context to some of the WWII sites we visited.

Each of the hotels we stayed in were comfortable. Hotel Beausite in Interlocken was very picturesque and appeared quite old on the outside. The interior was clean, modern and very comfortable. Our room at Hotel Cocoon in Munich was huge and included 1 1/2 baths, sauna and large seating area in the room. The hotel in Nuremburg was next to the market area and an easy walk to the historic area.

I was a little concerned about having a rental car, but my husband did the driving. We had no problems finding parking and navigating from one city to the next. We did have difficulty finding the car rental return location in Frankfurt. The address was shown at the train station but was behind construction barriers. We had to circle a few blocks before final spotting a sign on the fourth floor of a parking garage near the station.

Overall, our trip was fabulous! We have joked that we were touring Europe one mistake at a time. Fortunately, the mistakes were minor and easily corrected. We quickly learned to navigate the public transportation in each city and were even able to add a side trip to Dachau while we were in Munich.

In a word, amazing! From our caring and funny driver, Mohammed (who still insists his chicken lemon tangine is the best),
to a variety of craftspeople, which caused credit card “exercise “ to commence and packing conundrums to deal with when leaving if shipping was not included.

Probably the best thing to say about KimKim, its employees and the Moroccan people in general is they want to help you to have the best time you are capable of.
Between airplane issues and my mobility challenges due to the seemingly unlimited stairs and high step up into the transport vehicle provided for the week in Morocco, everyone went beyond what was expected. Hotel rooms were altered, luggage was “handled”, a stool was purchased for the van, and dozens of other questions were answered. Guides altered itineraries due to “less stairs this way.”

I have traveled extensively. My ruler for the success of a trip and a travel agency is “ Would I return to this country using the same process?” The answer for Morocco and KimKim is “Undoubtedly.”

We had a wonderful trip thanks to KimKim and the Peruvian Soul team! They helped guide our itinerary to make the most of our 10 days in country and saved us from activities that would likely have been disappointing.

Once we were in Peru, we had a local guide in each town who picked us up/took us to the airport and around to our tours which made it so much easier for us. We got to stay in vacation mode the whole time we were there despite several transfers and activities.

The team went above and beyond when flights we booked separately were canceled helping us to find alternatives.

The team was super responsive and made sure we had the best time! Thank you!!

We really enjoyed our trip to Portugal. I was a little leary about using a travel agency but the planning was made very easy by Marta and Beatriz. We were able to taylor make our trip to our interests. We scheduled phone calls to discuss some of the details. Before we departed our entire schedule was on an app that we could download and refer to during the entire trip. We could refer to our schedule daily with the times and drivers names and contacts locally.

Hotel Reviews

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

Super convenient, across from airport, breakfast service begins at 4:30 am if you have an early flight. Complimentary cookies at check in, rooms were clean and contemporary.

Authenticity & Character

Location

If you have a flight to catch pick this!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, contemporary design, great plug ins for devices, extra pillows

Tivoli Lagos

Lagos

Not the best hotel, dated and not so clean. Rooms were difficult to get to with a lot of stairs to navigate with suitcases, no elevator access.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are in need of updating, musty smell, view of roof adajacent to hotel

Quinta de Casaldronho Wine Hotel

Lamego

Everything about this place was unique. Staff was polite and accomodating. Views from the rooftop pool were of vinyards into a valley, the grapes were plump and all over the vines just getting ready for the season. We ate in the restaurant not wanting to venture out too far at night. Food was freshy, adequate and tasty. We had fresh fish and of course sangria!

Authenticity & Character

There is an old church on the grounds which belonged to the family

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were clean, view of vinyards was amazing to wake up to!

Exe Almada Porto

Porto

Nice hotel, clean, small rooms, great breakfasts with many options

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lisboa Plaza

Lisbon

This hotel was slightly off the beaten path off of Place De Liberdad street. This made it tucked away and quiet. The rooms were a little small but probably normal by European standards. The breakfast buffet was amazing! Pastry, fruit, eggs, cheese, fresh coffee...you will be stuffed for the day!

Authenticity & Character

Location

A quiet street

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kayaking the Algarve: Discover the Benagil Caves

Portugal

this trip was cancelled due to storm and wind conditions

Historic Coimbra Highlights: University, Chapel, & Old Town

Portugal

Thomas picked us up in Duoro at the Casalhandro Wine hotel in a nice large van. After 1.5 hours we reached Coimbra where our guide met us for a tour of the city and University. Thomas was polite and a great driver!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

River Boat Experience in Douro Valley

Douro Valley

This could easily be the highlight of the Portugal trip. We were dropped at a dock and unsure of where to go but the boat owners called for us and helped us so kindly. We found our tour guide Sylvia who could not have been more accomodating to us. We took off on a small wooden boat on the Duoro River and were promptly served charcuterie and 4 bottles of wine! She was lovely and so hospitable. She imparted information on all the vineyards we passed on the Duoro River

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Cellar Guided Visit with Lunch

Douro Valley

This was just amazing! We did arrive late to the tour but they accomodated us very nicely. The food was spectacular, steak paired with several wines...it was more like a dinner! The vineyard was beautiful and the tour was interesting to learn about all the varities of grapes here. Well worth the trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Walk of Porto’s Historic Center

Porto

I think this tour was secrets of Porto so we saw the grittier sides of the city. The guide was knowledgable and did not rush us through the tour. Would have appreciated some of the other more popular sites on this tour, ie the shopping district and the port wine area

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Nazaré & Óbidos

Portugal

This tour was exceptional in the guide Marta was a wealth of information. We were picked up on time at hotel and driven to Obios and Nazare. She recommended a nice restaurant where we dined on grilled octopus and seabass and sangria. We continued on to Porto. This was a long day and we arrived at 7 pm. Marta was well versed in all aspects of Portugal. She explained many topics including cost of living, government, etc...

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Sintra & Cascais: Palaces, Cliffs & Coastline

Lisbon

This trip was ok with some exceptions. First, we rushed through breakfast to meet the guide a 10 min walk away. After 15-20 mins we called the travel agency who reached out and informed us the guide was held up picking up cruise passengers. After a 45 min delay we were off to Pena Palace. The guide brought us to the entrance and instructed us to meet up after our self guided tour. She provided very minimal information but did an adequate job. Sintra and Pena Palace are not to be missed!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It would be nice if the guide had walked us through the palace to explain the history more as other groups had

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

This was a thorough 3 hour walking tour. The guide was on time and we met up at a square onlly 10 min walk from our hotel. We saw the Rossio Train Station, Baixa, Chiado neighborhoods, Arc de Triumph. We had fun afterwards shopping at a street market just in back of our hotel on Place de Liberdad.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lisbon Roots: A Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

We really enjoyed this after just arriving in country. We had time to check into our hotel and then rest and had an amazing food tour. We tried pork sandwiches, cheeses, cod cakes, somosas and the traditional custard of Portugal. After feeling very full we walked back to our hotel. Great tour and guide!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The immersion tour was that and much more. The selection of cities provided the spectrum of diversity and beauty of Morocco. Each accommodation was immaculate, comfortable, and unique. The Hotel Club Val d'Anfa in Casablanca was my least favorite and Hôtel & Ryads Barrière Le Naoura in Marrakech by far the best. Mohamed is a superior and knowledgeable guide but each guide we met for specific tours were also knowledgeable, shared their passion for their country, and welcomed us with authenticity. Closing the tour with the cooking class was the bow on a lavish, gorgeous gift touring amazing Morocco.

Where to begin-Jimena was AMAZING in helping my friend and I plan our Peru trip!!! We were not very familiar with the country and felt a travel advisor would be the best way to nail down an itinerary that would suit what we were looking for. She was so thorough and quick in putting a schedule together, helping with any changes, and most importantly, she and Jesus (also equally as helpful and responsive) were so accessible WHILE we were in Peru. We had a contact in each city, who were the best-shoutout Bosco in Lima who did everything from give us recos, take us through the airport all the way to security, and ensure we got to where we needed to go efficiently, Robinzon in Cusco who helped us navigate the town and translate during our cooking class, and Alverro who drove us from Lima to Paracus, stopping in his home town for a local brunch, and giving the best energy as we had fun on the sand dunes. Not only were everyone great, but we were also able to easily contact them easily on WhatsApp to coordinate. KimKim just made is SO EASY that we could show up and have fun. We had a lot of transportation needs, and that would have been so stressful to navigate by ourselves. I've raved about our trip and told them one of the best things we did was use KimKim to book an amazing Peru trip. THANK YOU to everyone who helped make our first trip to South America great!!!

Vietnam was amazing. I loved the people, the food, the culture and history. Our guide was very pleasant and knowledable.

Our trip to Greece was outstanding. I especially appreciate Irene’s recommendations on visiting the smaller islands of Tinos and Naxos. It was a highlight of my trip to meet Marinos and experience his inn and style of fish aging. Both dinners we enjoyed there were delightful and I would come back to Tinos and Marathia first chance.

All of the guides Irene recommended were top notch. I especially enjoyed Antigoni who shared a few of the neighborhoods of Athens. She was adorable and full of information and insight into the city and its culture. Matina was full of passion and enthusiasm in taking us through Nafplio and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Greek history.

The accommodations were perfect, the drivers were on time and full of information as well. I cannot tell you how impressed I am with the knowledge of everyone we met - guides as well as drivers and the people of Greece.

This was the second trip Irene helped me plan - I appreciate her so much and cannot praise her abilities enough!

João planned an amazing trip for my group for our first time to Portugal! Originally we were supposed to be 2 people, but then added my mom halfway through the planning process and he was very accommodating in adjusting the reservations. He kept in contact with us the entire time we were there and was very knowledgeable everywhere we went. The excursions were perfect for our group and a great balance between activity/free time enjoying the cities we were in. We can’t wait to go back and thank you again to João for making our first trip to Portugal unforgettable!

Hotel Reviews

Eurostars das Artes

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lisboa Plaza

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

No

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Zawaia B&B

Lagos

Beautiful hotel but staff wasn’t consistently there to assist.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Someone being present more often throughout the day

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Cave Boat Tour

Portugal

Nice easy way to see the beautiful caves in Lagos! Not too long of a tour so you still have the rest of your day to explore!

Quality of Experience

No

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family recently had the privilege of working with Valdis as both our travel planner and guide for what became the most significant, symbolic, and memorable trip of our lives—a family heritage discovery journey through Latvia. Valdis brought Latvia to life for our family in a way we will never forget.

From the very beginning, he thoughtfully prepared an itinerary that balanced cultural highlights with deeply personal experiences. He went out of his way to make phone calls and track down historical places in the countryside—sites that were far off the beaten path—so we could walk the same roads our ancestors once did. Because of his dedication, we were able to visit the towns our relatives grew up in, stand in the schools they attended, and step into the very churches where they were married. These moments were profoundly moving and would not have been possible without his diligence and care.

Beyond the heritage aspect, Valdis ensured that every detail of our journey was seamless. He arranged impeccable accommodations, comfortable transport, and found us the most wonderful driver, Aldis, whose skill, kindness, and courtesy elevated the entire experience. Both Valdis and Aldis were not only professional, conscientious, and gracious at every turn, but they quickly became trusted companions—friends we now consider part of our extended family.

We could not recommend Valdis more highly. For anyone seeking assistance or guidance in their travels to Latvia or across the Baltics, we would absolutely recommend him, I would choose him 100 times over. His passion, knowledge, and personal touch transformed our trip into something truly unforgettable.

Hotel Reviews

Promenade Hotel

Liepaja

Eclectic building and rooms. Incredible location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga

Riga

Simply outstanding

Authenticity & Character

Stunning building, inside and out.

Location

Central and close to everything!

Staff

Impeccable service!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfection

Activity Reviews

Visit Dzukste

Džūkstes pagasts

Once again, Valdis took the time early on in our planning of the trip to map out and research important areas of our families history and places locally to visit. We were able to walk the grounds and see the church my grandparents were married in, the post office my great grandfather worked in, and the town my grandmother grew up in. This was the last bit of our journey together.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Departure from Riga | Private transfer to the airport

Riga Int. Airport (RIX)

The hardest part of our trip was saying goodbye to Latvia, Valdis and Aldis.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Riga

Riga

Valdis greeted us at the airport and he and Aldis swiftly transported us to our hotel. Valdis gave us insights on the way, reviewed our week ahead, escorted us into our hotel for registration, made sure we were comfortable and allowed us to get settled in.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Aizpute and Pērbone

Aizpute

Valdis took time and researched for us and made phone calls ahead of time so we were able to visit the cemetery our family is in, near my grandfathers home site, visit and stand in the school my grandfather attended, and see the town he grew up in.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transport

Latvia

Aldis is the best!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Sailboat trip on a real Fisher's Ship and Fish Grill Bar with dinner

Liepaja

This was such a thoughtful and most impactful experience we shared in Latvia. To sail the waters our family did, and to watch the most beautiful sunset was emotional and moving in a way we will never forget. So happy to have shared the experience with Valdis and Aldis, and thank you to Janis and the crew for the most unforgettable night of our lives :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Liepaja city sighseeing tour

Liepaja

It was so thoughtful of Valdis to include this tour for our visit to Liepaja. It helped set the stage for a better understanding of its place in history and enjoying its beauty and all it has to offer today.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transport

Latvia

Aldis was nothing short of amazing. He and Valdis are quite the team!! They truly made magic happen for our family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gauja National Park Tour

Latvia

Such a beautiful part of Latvia - not to be missed. We had time and were able to experience the Latvian Bobsled Track as well, in addition to the Sigulda Castle Complex, Turaida Castle and Gutmann Cave.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Museum of the Occupation of Latvia Tour

Riga

This was a very thoughtful and moving experience for our family since it relates to our family history. So grateful Valdis included this in our itinerary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Historical Canal Boat Tour

Riga

Riga walking tour

Riga

We saw and learned about everything from architecture to museums to everything in between that makes Riga the vibrant gem of a city it is. Topped it off with a historical boat ride on the canal through the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

JOHN Restaurant

Riga

A must do in Riga. Staff was superb!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free day in Riga

Riga

Old Town is a gem of an area to explore and get to know. We also enjoyed a drive to Valguma Pasquale to experience the Barefoot Trail, a quaint lunch and exploring Jūrmala on the drive back to Riga - with a walk on the beach!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just returned from 8 days in Iceland that blew us away with the beauty of the country. We did many activities - lava tunnel tour, ice cave tour, whale watching, boating among the glaciers, helicopter tour. Each one was so exciting and elevated our experience with the “fire and ice” that is Iceland.
Emanuela at Arctic Travel put the whole trip together for us and was endlessly patient as we tried to plan the perfect trip. It worked! We started the trip with a visit to the blue lagoon and ended with a visit to the sky lagoon. Both great and would do it the same way again. Perhaps one of the biggest thrills was seeing the northern lights which we hadn’t expected as it was only end of Aug. but Sept 1 the lights were out in full and it was just the icing on a delicious cake.
Emanuela stayed in touch with us the whole trip and quickly dealt with a couple small issues so so could keep the trip going with just positive vibes.
Thomas was our tour guide and driver and he went out of his way many times to make our experience the best it could be. I would definitely recommend Kim Kim , Emanuela and Thomas. Perfect combination.

Activity Reviews

Private transfer to the airport

Reykjavík

Thomas - our guide and driver for the entire trip, picked us up for the return trip to the airport. He was very personable and flexible. He made sure that we got there on time every time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helicopter tour- waterfalls and valleys

Reykjavík

We got so lucky today. The sun was shining and not many cloud in the sky. Perfect day for a helicopter ride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lava Cave Explorer Tour- Private

Iceland

So interesting and informative. Well worth doing and seeing this lava tunnel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katla Glacier Ice Cave Private Tour

Iceland

This tour deserves 10 stars. Our guide Rafal did an awesome job to plan the whole experience. We loved it but must admit that it was a private tour which I think was the right choice. If you are going to splurge on a tour, this is the one I would do private.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My daughter and I just returned from our trip to Croatia. This is the first time I used a local travel agency to plan out trip. I am so glad that I did. Robi was more than excellent-he communicated with us daily and was able to make last-minute adjustments to our itinerary based on our preferences. His choice of hotels, guides, and restaurants was superb. I would highly recommend him and will do so to all of my friends traveling to Croatia. I only wish that we had more time to spend in this beautiful country.

All Guides in Helsinki and Estonia perfect. Enjoyed the hotel but stuffy! Breaky and dinner appreciated. Porvoo was lovely with Maria. Turku hotel amazing…. We were better on our own there. Guide not the best. Train fun and we did sleep! Enjoyed the museums in Turku. Art gallery special . Rovaniemi, hotel excellent with friendly staff, room abit dramatic though! Our tours 100% wonderful. Saw lights thanks to Ryan and cannon hike guide a very nice person, Martin. Santa land very commercial. Reindeers farm was an unexpected highlight! A very impressive young man. Excellent and comfortable trip to Inari. There the trip went down hill. Resort atmosphere quite cold, dull staff and accomodation quite uncomfortable. Too hot! Highlight was the beauty of the lake and fabulous museum. Lilla is a delight and meeting her was a bonus. Well done Kim Kim

Hotel Reviews

Comfort Hotel Helsinki Airport

Vantaa

We were in the room for four hours….quiet and a comfy bed

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wilderness Hotel Inari & Igloos

Inari

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

But over the top in decorations

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overnight Train

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lots of fun

Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone

Turku

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gorgeous bed

Home Hotel Jugend

Helsinki

Bit stuffy again

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights Tour with Professional Photos

Finland

Nice guy but no luck….

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reindeer Farm Visit (No Safari)

Rovaniemi

A very intelligent enthusiastic young man we wish him well in the future

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flexible Northern Lights Hunting

Finland

Ryan brilliant

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korouoma Canyon & Auttiköngäs Waterfalls Adventure

Rovaniemi

Special time in our holiday

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Turku City Walking Tour

Turku

Quality of Experience

Porvoo Private Day Tour

Helsinki

Maria delightful

Quality of Experience

Transport

Tallinn Day Trip

Helsinki

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helsinki and Suomenlinna Private Tour

Helsinki

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nokothula did a fantastic job of designing our adventure and then assisting in ensuring it went smoothly and was most enjoyable. I can certainly say the same thing for Lucy who was always available if we had questions or issues. I can definitely recommend Kimkim to my family and friends as a trusted travel coordinator.

Hotel Review

Mjejane River Lodge

Hectorspruit

Very attentive staff ensured a most enjoyable stay and our excellent game guide gave us an unforgettable wildlife experience. Highly recommend Mjejane River Lodge.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The natural scenery and wildlife right on the Lodge's grounds were outstanding.

Staff

Very attentive care to our needs. Cannot say too much about the staff and their service!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

A Day on Safari

South Africa

Amazing wildlife experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff and guide were excellent!

Transport