Kimkim Trip Reviews

Giorgia set up an amazing trip for my daughter and me. We flew into Rome and immediately headed to Florence. It was a long travel day but everything was timed well. Our hotel in Florence was centrally located so we had access to all shopping and museums nearby. Our tour guide Amelia was truly impressive. Very knowledgeable and personable. I only wish we had made plans to see the beautiful wine country there in Tuscany. After Florence we went to southern Italy… Bari, Otranto, Ostuni, Monopoli and Lecce! It was quite a trip! All the tour guides were amazing and knowledgeable. Maurizio took us for a trek along the coast of Sorento. He was a wealth of knowledge and information. Some of the hotels were hard to find and we reached out to Giorgia a few times for numerous questions. She always replied expediently. Thank you Giorgia for planning an amazing trip.

Hotel Reviews

Masseria Santo Scalone

Ostuni

Our room was beautiful and the view off the balcony was amazing! Nice pool area and grounds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo de Noha

Lecce

The room kind of felt like a basement. It did have a window and a very nice bathroom. Very modern but figuring out how the light switches worked was puzzling. Tried to charge my phone while at breakfast but the electricity turned off when we left the room. Room was very clean but really didn’t like the smell of the sheets. Location was excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dimora San Giuseppe

Otranto

Cute hotel with a lovely staff. Nice location, even though the car parking was a bit far. Breakfast was fresh and breakfast patio was a nice area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Caló

Bari

Small room with stairs up to a loft where the bed was. Clean room and nice enough staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable to so many places.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Rome Airport Hotel

Fiumicino

Clean room and comfy bed. Nothing fancy but a large breakfast spread.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palazzo Benci

Florence

Very small room with small shower but located central to all interests. The room and hotel were very clean and desk reception friendly.

Authenticity & Character

There was a well in the floor covered with plexiglass so you could see it. It went down so far you couldn’t see the bottom. The hotel clerk said it was used by the Benci family many centuries ago when that space was a palace occupied by the Benci family.

Location

Central location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit of Florence Including David and Duomo

Florence

The tour was wonderful, even though it was raining. Amelia was knowledgeable and fun.

Quality of Experience

A wealth of info and fun people in our group

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Market Visit & Private Cooking Class in Lecce

Italy

Livio and Guillia brought us to the market to pick up the ingredients for our seafood dish. During the cooking class, Livio explained everything so we could understand the importance of just the smallest detail when cooking. Very informative! They were fun to be with and we felt like family sitting around the table together to enjoy our creation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Experience in Otranto & Trekking at the Bauxite Caves

Italy

Maurizio was so full of knowledge about the area. Our walk on the coast of Otranto was spectacular. He was so nice and happy to answer all our questions.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Olive Oil Tasting in a Local Masseria

Italy

We learned a lot of things about olive oil and olives that we never knew. The property was breathtaking and Filipino was very nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, the trip was fantastic. The itinerary worked verywell for us, and the guidance was almost always right on the mark. We had two small quibbles:
1. While the hotels were great, the location of the Kimpton Shinjuku in Tokyo was less than optimal from our perspective, primarily because it was not that close to a train/subway stop. And it was hard to figure out to walk to get to and from the hotel to the Shinjuku Station, which is one of those huge, sprawling stations with several different entrances and exits. The hotel also bungled our luggage transfer, although they were very apologetic about it and did refund the fee.
2. The guides we had, while very nice and very helpful, were not the greatest. Their English was limited, and they often tell us much that we couldn't have figured out for ourselves. We did want to single out one guide, Alex, who took us our food tour in Tokyo. He was exceptional in every way.

Hotel Reviews

The Tokyo Station Hotel

Tokyo

What a gem

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo, an IHG Hotel

The Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo Hotel was nice in itself, but its location posed some challenges. It wasn't really close to any major attractions or convenient train stations. The hotel itself was great, just the location left something to be desired.

Activity Review

Private Evening Food Tour in Tokyo

Tokyo

The Private Evening Food Tour in Tokyo with Alex was fantastic. He was very conversational and took us to amazing places with great food that we wouldn't have found on our own. His guidance throughout the tour was top-notch, and he even helped us get a taxi at the end. The timing of the tour was perfect for visiting various spots easily. Overall, it was an excellent experience.

I would highly recommend KimKim for planning any sort of vacation where you want a more 'local' experience!

From the beginning stages of planning my trip and explaining to Marianna what I wanted to do and see, I was impressed with the level of care and attention she gave to helping create the greatest experience. She helped tailor it to myself and what I wanted to see and do and within the budget I had allocated. Not only that, she had great suggestions for excursions and touring central Europe and Italy like a local - suggestions I would have never found and made my experience so much more rich and robust then simply staying on the tourist track.

I was very impressed with my itinerary, the quality and location of the hotels of which I stayed, and the range of excursions and items that were planned for me on this trip - it was a lot! The service from Marianna and the KimKim team before my trip was excellent and they were available and outstanding for a couple minor items that came up during the trip as well.

They were courteous, professional and did everything to help make this dream trip outstanding and exceptional. I will definitely be using them again for my next travel adventure. Thank you!!

Hotel Reviews

Al Manthia Hotel

Rome

Great location for being close to all the action in Rome. Walk-able and easy to find. Clean, quiet and friendly hotel staff and a great breakfast made this an ideal location for a trip into Rome. Restaurants and cafes close by. Would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Centrally located and close to all of the main attractions in Rome.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Davanzati Hotel Florence

Florence

Amazing location for being close to all the action in Florence. Located right by the main Piazza and market so all of the main attractions are minutes away. Hotel staff was exceptional - friendly, hospitable and made for such an enjoyable stay. Walk-able and easy to find. Clean, quiet and friendly hotel staff and a great breakfast made this an ideal location for a trip into Florence. Breakfast was also exceptional with lots of good options and phenomenal service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff were all amazing!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Gran Duca Di York Milan

Milan

Fantastic location for being close to all the action in Milan. Located close to the main Square for shopping and of course the impressive Duomo! The Hotel staff were exceptional - friendly, attentive and the room was beautiful, spacious and clean. Walk-able and easy to find. Ideally located and close to many of the main attractions and had a great breakfast selection and impeccable service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff were so friendly and great to deal with.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, spacious and comfortable bed. Bathroom was spacious as well.

Le Phénix Hôtel

Lyon

Fantastic location in the old city in Lyon. Hotel is quiet, clean and charming and the hotel staff were exceptional! The room was spacious and clean and easy to find. Breakfast was also very good with a good variety while also staying very French, including a variety of delicious pastries and bread. Staff were excellent on check-in and check-out.

Authenticity & Character

Very charming and unique.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Resident Kensington

London

Service here was excellent! From check-in to check-out the staff were attentive, knowledgeable and went above and beyond to serve including providing a snack and coffee while waiting to check-in. Room was charming, clean and very quiet. Halloween decorations were also a nice touch! Hotel is very close to the metro line making going to and from the hotel very easy. Plenty of great pubs and coffee shops in the area and a few blocks from the hotel as well. Would definitely recommend and will definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Outstanding - professional and courteous

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Jeanne D'Arc Le Marais

Paris

Loved this hotel - the location was great and very close to the metro. Plenty of shops, fine dining and cafes in the area close to the hotel. The staff were excellent, friendly and more than willing to help offer suggestions for food choices in the area. The room was clean, quiet and easy to find. Was very charming.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rome: Catacombs and Capuchin Crypt Guided Tour with Transfer

Rome

Was a very interesting tour and certainly not something on the normal tourist track. Had some beautiful paintings and an excellent overview of the Capuchin Monks and why they created the crypts. Very informative and a good start to seeing the city of Rome.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff were knowledgeable and provided additional insight to the location and history.

Transport

Colosseum Underground Tour with Arena, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum

Rome

What an experience and the guide was incredible. Was a nice small group (5 person) tour that gave us plenty of time in the Colosseum; plenty of history and understanding of what it was, what it wasn't and lots of interesting information along the way. The Forum was incredible as well and again, lots of great historic information one might not get if not using a guide. This was a definite highlight of Rome and it is a busy site with lots of people taking it in, but totally worth it to have a guided tour with a knowledgeable guide. Gives a very authentic and informative experience.

Quality of Experience

Quality of tour and the information - ease of access as well.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was excellent - so good.

Transport

TOUR OF ESOTERIC ROME

Rome

This was a one-on-one tour of Rome for 3 hours and it was fantastic. Marco was incredibly knowledgeable of the area (having grown up in Rome) and took me to places I never knew existed and provided a great history experience. This tour provided new insights and history of Rome that I was not aware of in addition to showcasing other gems of Rome that most tourists might miss. Another great thing about this tour was having someone local who also knew of the best place for pizza, the best place for espresso and of course, a hidden away bakery well away from the tourist areas - all of which were a nice added bonus as we walked the city and covered off Esoteric Rome. Very interesting and would highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

From Rome: Full-Day Pompeii and its Ruins

Rome

Pompeii was excellent. A bit of a long day as it is quite a ways from Rome but so worth it. It was a much bigger area than I had anticipated and could have easily spent an extra day there exploring the ruins and how vast they really are. Local guide was very knowledgeable and provided a lot of color and historical depth on the tour. We did move fairly quickly through the some of the areas but we had ample free time at the end to explore further. An afternoon is not nearly enough but an incredible place nonetheless. Tour through Naples was also very nice and had some stops along the way for photos and enjoying a bit of Naples.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was authentic and was delicious with great service.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Air conditioned bus and it was needed as it was quite warm in that area.

Transport

Welcome to Rome

Rome

This activity turned out to be a simple transfer from the airport directly to the hotel. Driver drove but did not say much and there wasn't really any sort of introductory tour or welcome to Rome.

Quality of Experience

Driver could have talked a bit and explained about the city but it was simply a transfer.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver not talkative or all that friendly actually.

Transport

Quality of transport good, clean, quick and air conditioned.

Private Renaissance Walking Tour of Florence

Florence

Such an informative tour! Having a private walking tour around a city like Florence gives so much history, backstory, tales and stories that one likely won't get just walking around on their own. I learned stories about some of the artwork, the sculptors and the painters one would not receive just walking into a church to view the art and sculptures. It was a great way to get familiar with the city and the main sites and to learn about lesser known ones. My guide, Janella was informative, very knowledgeable and she provided me a lot of information about the works in the Academia and of course, the David, which was as phenomenal and breath-taking as she said it would be. Was a very good tour and an excellent way to explore the city and of course with a local who knows the ins and outs and some great places to eat like a true Florentine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tuscany Day Trip: Siena, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, & Chianti

Florence

Going to these 3 places has been a dream of mine for years so to see them all in one day was absolutely incredible. And to end it off with a wine tour was perfect. The drive was beautiful and scenic on an air conditioned tour bus. We first stopped in Monteriggioni and it was magnificent to explore the town as it only takes 20 minutes as it is quite small and lovely. Walking along the wall was a definite highlight and I'd recommend that. Siena was a gem and absolutely stunning. A beautiful and walk-able city with plenty to see and do and quite an amazing step back in time. Easily could spend a whole day there as it is quite large and there are some great places to eat, drink coffee and of course find gelato. Worth taking time to walk and find yourself in some interesting places like the Porta Romana, which was fascinating and equally beautiful. San Gimignano was also incredible and I enjoyed the time we had there to walk the streets and check out the stunning views of Tuscany from the many, many vantage points that over look the area. Feels magical and historic but also quaint and quite a friendly city. The winery was also amazing and had some of the best wine I have had as well as really good Balsamic Vinegar they make as well. It was a wonderful way to cap off the day and was a definite highlight of the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff and driver were excellent and plenty of time given at each stop along the way.

Transport

Tuscany Day Trip to Lucca and Pisa

Florence

This was an incredible day as I had a private car take me to Pisa and then onto Lucca and the day was perfect. Was a lovely beautiful drive and my driver was incredibly knowledgeable as she was local to Florence. She gave me some suggestions for walking Lucca; like an amazing local place to eat and provided me with some additional information on Pisa that was very helpful. Was a great solo day out and allowed me to venture out at my own pace and was very impressed with both cities and the overall tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and hotel pick up and drop off service. Was excellent and very knowledgeable.

Transport

Private car - nice way to travel.

DOME - GUIDED TOUR

Florence

This was a highlight of the trip as it has been something I have always wanted to do and it did not disappoint. They were right on time with letting us in and up and away we went. View was incredibly worth it - the top of the dome looking at the city and the inside of the dome on the way up as you stop to look at the massive paintings within the dome - incredible works of art and architecture. I personally did not find the climb hard but there were certainly some in my group who struggled through it as there are quite a few steps and some steep sections. Not for those who are claustrophobic for sure. Was a great way to see the city and you get about 15 minutes up there to take in the views and your photos - which is a healthy amount of time considering all the people at the top.

Quality of Experience

Evening Wine Tasting and Dinner

Florence

This was a fantastic evening! The food was delicious and really showcased Tuscan cuisine. The winery (Diadema) was lovely as well, including all of the staff we encountered. The event was a small group event and we were first given a tasting of their wine and locally produced olive oil. We're also fortunate enough to watch the olive oil press process as they had recently harvested and were making a fresh batch and that was a fun process to watch and enjoy the wonderful smell and sights of that. At one point we went into our own little part of the cellar to do a bit of a blind tasting and were given a complimentary bottle of wine to commemorate the evening. It was a mix we each got to create, so that was a really nice takeaway from the winery. Would highly recommend this tour as it was small and intimate and our local guide was really great. Loved this small wine tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was outstanding as was the service.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Aperitivo Street Food Tour

Milan

This was another great local experience as I had one-on-one time with my two guides - Franceso and Alessandro as we walked the streets of Milan and ate some delicious food. They had arranged some great places to eat and drink to showcase the local cuisine in Milan. They also provided a lot of history about local food culture and how Milan differs from the other food culture of Italy and it was really informative. We stopped at some great little places along the way and it was fun enjoying the local history tour, additional aspects about Milan and Italian culture in general. Milan is a very walk-able city and again, walking around with locals and hearing some stories while stopping to eat some great food is such an enjoyable way to see the city more like a local. Would highly recommend this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guys were amazing and great guides!

Transport

Moulin Rouge - Big Night Out - Tickets only

Paris

This was a great event and a lot of fun. The show itself was very well done and the champagne was a nice touch as well. Was a great evening and I chose to walk from my hotel to the Moulin Rouge (took about 45 minutes) so I could experience more of Paris and see what a typical Thursday evening looks like in that area. This was a classy act and a great way to experience some authentic cabaret culture in Paris. Would recommend this as an activity if you are visiting Paris!

Quality of Experience

Lake Como Day Trip to Como, Bellagio & Varenna

Milan

Lake Como is stunning and did not disappoint. Our guide was amazing from start to finish and we had such beautiful weather. The area is breathtaking and taking the ferry up the lake allows for so many stunning photos and is a great way to see a large portion of the lake. Bellagio was a lovely town, but Varenna was definitely a highlight. It has a lot of beautiful flowers and fun walkways and stairs to explore and some great places to eat. Neither of these places felt 'touristy' or as busy as other major cities. Train on the way back was a great way to end the day and relax as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was fantastic. Very informative especially on the ferry. Great food recommendations as well.

Transport

Private transfer in town

Italy

This was a great adventure. I did not realize that I would have a private car take me to Pisa and then Lucca so it was a wonderful way to see some of the country well also visit with my lovely driver and learn more about the culture and people in Florence and the Tuscan region. She dropped me very close to the tower of Pisa and I had ample time to explore that area, climb the tower and even get a bit of local food from a street vendor. Then off to Lucca, which was a very under-rated and beautiful city. I loved it there. She also provided me with a few places to see while roaming Lucca and made an excellent restaurant recommendation, which I took her up on and it did not disappoint. This was a great excursion and I loved the one-to-one aspect of having a private car and driver who were friendly and knowledgeable about the area. This was one of my favorite events.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was excellent. Friendly, attentive, knowledgeable and her English was very good!

Transport

Private car - clean, quiet and a great way to see more of the country side with no stress of driving myself.

Timed tickets to Le Louvre

Paris

Let me say this - a few hours is not enough time to fully explore everything this museum has to offer. I was very happy to have a ticket for the opening time as it allowed me to get in right away and beat the crowd to see the Mona Lisa. There were maybe 20 people in total there when it first opened and by the time I left, the line to see it was very large. Aside from that there is the Crown Jewels, many paintings, statues and other wonderful works to see - could easily spend a day or two there because there is so much to see. Navigation of the museum is easy and I would highly recommend adding the audio tour to your musuem tour as it does help navigate and provides a nice way to walk through and see everything. Also was impressive to see what the Royal Palace looked like and it is impressive for sure!.

Quality of Experience

Small group discovery of the Catacombs

Paris

This was simply the highlight of Paris for me. Seeing the catacombs, understanding why they were built is a very humbling experience and very spiritual. You are looking and walking among the dead - bones of real people and even though it is an attraction, the tour is carried out with dignity and respect for those whose bones lay there. It is an incredible place full of mystery and wonder and our guide was really great. He was knowledgeable and was very passionate about the history. I learned things I didn't know about Paris, the cemeteries and the catacombs. Would definitely recommend doing this especially in a tour group as we got access to 'Group' only areas that normal single tickets don't. Worth it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Historical Pub Walking Tour of London

London

This was a great way to finish off my full itinerary by walking through the streets of London with Adam, our guide, and getting some fun stories and then having a pint in each of the places we visited. It was a fun tour, light hearted but full of interesting facts and history and some embellished stories along the way. The pubs were very English and obviously have been there quite a while and was also fun to mingle with the locals in those pubs. Guide was great, fun, funny and had some great recommendations for choice of beverage at each place we stopped.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Adam was a great guide and clearly loves what he does.

Melanie was absolutely amazing. She was great to work with, very attentive, and responded very quickly. She was available to us throughout the whole trip and made the trip seamless. Would highly recommend without any hesitation.

Hotel Reviews

Vanity Hotel Navona

Rome

Great location. Very nice and friendly staff. The room and some of the amenities could use a little updating, but overall a great place to stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Olimpia

Venice

Great hotel. The location, staff, and amenities were all outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ambrosio Relais

Sorrento

This is not a hotel, but more of a bed and breakfast. The location is very far from the city center. It is located on a main road which is very loud throughout the night and the owner's dog barked all night on one of the nights. Although everything was clean, the towels were very old and rough and the bed not very comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Venice Walking and Gondola Tour

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat tour along the Amalfi Coast

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseo and Roman forums adventure

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore St. Mark's Basilica and The Doge's Palace

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rita was very thorough and informative. She was very prompt in getting back to us with answers to our questions and concerns. The drivers and guides she chose were exceptional.

Overall I was decently happy with the KimKim experience. I think that the platform and agents as a whole are not really geared towards someone who is a first time user. There were many many things that I either missed or was not informed about that seemed to be "common sense" for the platform/agent, but were just never communicated. These are things that I will know for next time, but would have appreciated being informed about this time.
One example is the installments. I asked for 3 (maybe 4, can't remember.. not important) installments for the payment. When I was told yes and that this was no problem, I took this at face-value and with the standard accepted definition of an installment. The payment is divided up and due at interval due dates. This is how a car payment works, how a credit card payment works, how literally every industry in the world defines an "installment payment". I checked the site, and the next due date was XX/XX/XXXX. Great. I would have my next installment to pay on that date. Given that I have the ability to make random partial payments at anytime through the site on my own (without it being "called" an installment), it makes absolutely no sense that "offering installments" wasn't actually offering to let me pay in installments, it was just the agent doing the math to calculate the total cost divided by 4. I could have done that myself and made partial payments.... that was not helpful. What was also not helpful, was being told that I had to come up with $13k in four days because "oh your installments aren't actually installments and you have to pay everything by the first installment date". What I expected was divided payments due at staggered due dates. What I got was the agent telling me that I had to figure out how to get $13k in four days... and only because I asked, not because I was informed.
I get that this is a budget platform and that it is my responsibility to read/study everything, but a little communication would have been helpful.
Another example.... we had private transfers for nearly everything. I asked about the car for the lemon tour about an hour before, and was told "ohh we think it's a nice walk so I planned for you guys to walk to that". Yes, I should have read the plan a little more carefully and realized that. But if you are "planning on us having a nice little walk"... maybe tell us?
There was some kind of taxi strike issue so it took us 45 minutes of trying to get a cab before we gave up and walked, and missed the tour entirely.
Not the agents fault we missed the tour, that was our fault for not reading and studying the plan more carefully, it just would have been nice to be informed that this particular outing had a different game plan when every outing so far had a driver.

All this to say- Melanie was nice, the trip was awesome, and the vendors she set us up with were lovely. I wish a bit more focus was put on communicating the little things that were "assumed" we would know, but again I just didn't realize I needed to be that vigilant in combing through all the fine print.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Conca Park 4* Sorrento

Sorrento

Incredible hotel, loved it. By far the most uncomfortable beds I've ever slept on in a hotel, BUT the room-service food was awesome.

Authenticity & Character

awesome art, cool entryway

Location

very walkable

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean but the beds were wildly uncomfortable. I think we all need a massage after those beds

Hotel Le Meridien Visconti - Marriott

Rome

Clean, nice staff, helpful, awesome family room (s)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Renaissance Naples Hotel Mediterraneo - Marriott Naples

Naples

Stunning views while eating breakfast. Loved this hotel. Kinda felt like the toilet was going to fall out of the wall every time we sat on it, but might just be old

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

little rickety, but nice overall and awesome views

Activity Reviews

City Tour of Naples

Italy

It was fine. Exactly what it says it is, nothing negative to say but also nothing crazy outstanding. It was a good way to see the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

N/A

Full day excursion along the Amalfi coast with private driver

Italy

Good excursion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lemon tour and lunch (or dinner) in Sorrento

Sorrento

Didn't make the tour but my husband said it was fine. Not super interesting for the kids, but short enough that it didn't matter too much. Broke my molar on the ravioli, but that could have happened in any restaurant. human error.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This is our second trip using KimKim and highly recommend using them. From the start of our planning to occasional check ins while we were on the trip, our overall experience with our Madrid-based travel consultant, Bea De Pablo, has been excellent. She carefully explored our desired destinations, experiences, travel preferences, and activities and crafted the ideal itinerary for our planned 17-day, bucket-list adventure in Italy to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. She was extremely flexible in accommodating requested changes and altering the itinerary to ensure it better aligned with our needs. Both Bea and other travel consultants whom we contacted via phone and chat were quick to respond to any urgent questions we had while on the trip.

Memorable guided experiences included the following:
• Two days of hiking through the Alpe di Suisi and Seceda Spires in the Dolomites. Our guide, Emanuela, ensured we were able to take in the most stunning vistas as she shared historical and cultural information about this unique region. Felt like taking a hike with a good friend through breathtaking scenery.
• Tour of the Uffizi Gallery followed by a private discovery walk of Florence at Night. Our guide, Paola Angelini (LivTours) skillfully negotiated the crowds with our group of four to ensure we were able to see the Renaissance masterpieces of Botticelli, DaVinci, Raphael and Titan, offering expert insights into each. This was followed by a private walk from the Piazza della Signoria to the Ponte Vecchio. Very impressed with her knowledge.
• Artisan tour of the mosaic laboratory and paper workshop. Our guide from LivTours enabled us to see artisans working behind the scenes. Remarkable to see the processes still employed since the days of Medici.
• Cooking class at the Podere Il Casale in Pienza. Our delightful host showed us the farm and process for making cheese, and then put us to work chopping/preparing and then enjoying the most amazing Italian feast with six new friends. Unique, fun way to wrap up our Tuscan experience.
• Day with Donatella and Marco Vangi of Talixo Tuscany touring the Tuscan countryside with a stop in Civita di Bagnoregio. We were fortunate to have Marco not only drive us from Florence to Montepulciano with stops in Siena and San Gimignano but also from Montepulciano to Rome. Marco provided us very insightful commentary as we took in the sights of historical walled cities and vineyards. Donatella accompanied us to the fragile hilltop settlement and treated us to a lovely lunch.
• Guided tour of the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. Rita’s deep knowledge, combined with her ability to help our small group navigate the crowds was well appreciated.
• Private guided tour of Pompeii. Luigi’s expertise and knowledge as an archaeologist brought to life what was the thriving city of Pompeii and its ancient port, the massive destruction caused by Vesuvius and the history of excavations.

What elevated our travel experience:
• Use of drivers vs. handling our own transportation. Would highly recommend leaving the transportation up to the skilled drivers who were carefully selected by Bea to transport us throughout the Dolomites, to Venice, from Florence through Tuscany to Rome. They were very skilled in navigating the challenging Italian roads, while entertaining us with historical insights and overviews of each area, stories of the regional wines and much more as we passed through the countryside. Kudos to Andrea Alessandrini, Cristiano, and Marco Vangi for allowing us to really relax and take in the sights. Additionally, the drivers were always very punctual and never let us wait.
• Use of LivTours – Organization employs top notch guides who possess great knowledge and brought to life for us the rich history, architecture, life and artistry. They really helped to create a deeper cultural connection for us.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lamm Castelrotto

Castelrotto

Incredible spa hotel in the lovely town of Castelrotto. Rooms were exquisite and spa well appointed. The extraordinary gourmet meals were really the highlight of the stay however. Would highly recommend taking advantage of the half board option which gave us access to a 5-course tasting menu each night for 25Euros each.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Heart of Castelrotto

Staff

Excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything

Hotel Carnival Palace

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Though there were good restaurants close by, it was a long walk to all of the museums, churches and activities.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Solo Experience Hotel

Florence

Terrific location close to il Duomo with a comfortable room with a lovely view of the Piazza San Lorenzo.

Authenticity & Character

Small boutique hotel that fit in with the neighborhood

Location

Terrific location close to il Duomo. Nice public space to relax off the main lobby

Staff

Very friendly staff attending to guests each breakfast.

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Locanda di San Francesco

Montepulciano

Having been dropped off at the gated entrance to the village of Montepulciano by our driver, our quest to reach the hotel walking up cobbled streets with luggage in tow made it a challenging location. That said the views from our room at sunrise of the Valdichiana and from the patio of the adjacent restaurant/wine bar of the Val d'Orcia at sunset were quite beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Situated in a palazzo that dates from the 14th century adjacent to the Piazza San Francesco.

Location

If being driven, have the driver report plate # to the hotel to be allowed into the city. With a private car, one can drive directly to the hotel and park. Good location though otherwise from which to tour Montepulciano. Wood recommend dining at the adjacent wine bar offers great wine and authentic Tuscan food.

Staff

The hotel staff were operating the adjacent wine bar, so the check in process/communication was a challenge. There were however very attentive at breakfast.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, but furnishings could be updated.

Hotel Monte Cenci

Rome

Location is great, with nice public space, lovely roof-top breakfast area and professional staff. The Classic room, though more economical, was really quite small.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location within walking distance to the Pantheon, Colosseum and Roman Forum and excellent restaurants in Travastere and the Jewish Quarter

Staff

When we checked in our initial room had an issue with the air conditioner making a high pitch sound. Unfortunately they were sold out can could not change our room. Unable to fix it, the desk clerk was very good at notifying the manager and making arrangements to change our room the next day. Staff was very professional and attentive to our needs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Classic rooms are very small, particularly for a 5-night stay. Would suggest requesting a Superior room to get adequate closet/storage space.

Activity Reviews

Alpe di Siuisi Panorama Trail Day Hike

Dolomites

Our guide, Emanuela, on the hikes to the Alpe di Suisi and Seceda Spires ensured we were able to take in the most stunning vistas as she shared historical and cultural information about this unique region. She checked in to make sure the pace aligned with needs. Felt like we were taking a hike with a good friend through breathtaking scenery.

Quality of Experience

Touring the breathtaking scenery with someone as friendly and knowledgeable as Emanuela

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Emanuela was delightful and very knowledgeable about the history and culture of the area. Her English was excellent which led to great rapport throughout the hike.

Transport

Very punctual in the morning to pick us up and accommodated our extension of the hike.

Seceda Spires Day Hike

Dolomites

See Alpe di Siuisi review

Quality of Experience

See Alpe di Siuisi review

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See Alpe di Siuisi review

Transport

See Alpe di Siuisi review

Day Excursion to Cortina d’Ampezzo & the Dolomites

Italy

Cristiano was terrific! He provided great details on the history, culture, preparation for the 2026 Olympic games and insights into the industry of each community we passed as he carefully navigated the winding roads of the Dolomites as we made our way from Castelrotto to Cortina and ultimately to Venice. Cristiana made sure to stop and allow us to take photos at some of the most scenic locations and waited patiently as we strolled around Cortina and had lunch. He carefully coordinated our time of arrival in Venice with the water taxi and helped us carry our luggage from the car to the taxi.

Quality of Experience

Excellent way to take in the sights of the Dolomites without having to worry about driving.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cristiano's professionalism and effort to make our drive very memorable.

Transport

Clean, comfortable vehicle

Scenic Navigation through the Grand Canal

Venice

We were delayed arriving at the meeting place given the rain, significant distance of our hotel from San Marco Square, and faulty GPS directions. Our guide was very accommodating however waiting for us. Though her narration of the buildings we were passing was good, the significant rainfall and our inability to see the sights through the condensation forming on the windows made it one of the least enjoyable of our activities.

Quality of Experience

Only undertake if weather is overcast or clear.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide seemed very knowledgeable of the history of Venice and significance of each key building along the Gran Canal.

Transport

Water taxi had to wait ~ 15 minutes due to our delay. Providing towels to wipe the condensation, versus our hands would have made it better. Time was also cut short to 45 mins.

Guided Visit of St. Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace

Venice

Although our guide was very knowledgeable, given the poor quality of the headsets our small group was issued, it was very difficult to hear her.

Quality of Experience

Better headsets for those of us on the tour and microphone for the guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide seemed very knowledgeable of the history of the Republic of Venice, the selection process for the Doges, and the stories of those imprisoned in the Palace.

Guided Visit of Florence Including David and Duomo

Florence

Was changed to be Tour of the Uffizi Gallery followed by a private discovery walk of Florence at Night. Our guide, Paola, skillfully negotiated the crowds with our group of four to ensure we were able to see the Renaissance masterpieces of Botticelli, DaVinci, Raphael and Titan, offering expert insights into each. This was followed by a private walk from the Piazza della Signoria to the Ponte Vecchio.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very impressed with Paola's knowledge of Renaissance masterpieces of Botticelli, DaVinci, Raphael and Titan. Although we were not able to take in the breadth of the museum, the 2-hour guide was highly informative. Really enjoyed our stroll through the streets of Florence that followed and the insights Paola shared with us about the history of Florence and its key architectural sites, the influence of the Medici dynasty and the artists that flocked to the city during the Renaissance.

Traditional Local Artisan Experience

Florence

Artisan tour of the mosaic laboratory and paper workshop were particularly interesting. Our guide from LivTours enabled us to see artisans working behind the scenes. Remarkable to see the processes still employed since the days of the Medici.

Quality of Experience

Guide had strong connections with the artisans in each location.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tuscan Day Trip to Siena and San Gimignano with Lunch & Wine Tasting

Italy

We were fortunate to have Marco Vangi drive us from Florence to Montepulciano with stops in Siena and San Gimignano with a winery lunch and tasting at Tenuta Tociano in between. Despite the occasional downpour, the drive through the Tuscan countryside was lovely. Wine tasting experience was also enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Having a driver made our excursion through the Tuscan countryside much more enjoyable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marco shared great insights about the history and cultural significance of Siena and San Gimignano as well as the many vineyards we passed and which were the best of the regional wines. Marco is extremely knowledgeable about the region. Rapport came easy given his fluency in English, and he welcomed our many questions.

Transport

Very clean and comfortable van.

Private Cooking Class in a Real Tuscan Farmhouse

Italy

Cooking class at the Podere Il Casale in Pienza was wonderful. Our delightful host showed us the farm and process for making cheese, and then put us to work chopping/preparing and then enjoying the most amazing Italian feast and wines with six new friends. What a unique, fun way to wrap up our Tuscan experience.

Quality of Experience

The food was exceptional, and we had such great fun preparing it. Best of all we walked away with recipes that we ill treasure as we try and replicate at home.

Food

Loved the simplicity of each recipe. The pici was fun to make and pork loin roast with fresh herbs exceptionally delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our host at our cooking class at Podere Il Casale was a great instructor and had a super sense of humor.

Transport

La Dolce Vita: Private Golf Cart in Rome

Rome

Enjoyed the ease of taking a golf cart to quickly take in vistas of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, Spanish Steps and some of the current excavations taking place. However felt a little exposed at times.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver offered some commentary at each location and did ensure we had ample time to take pictures. He also dropped us off at a wonderful lunch stop at the conclusion.

Transport

Samir was a fantastic driver. We could not have asked for anything more. He was accommodating and professional at every turn. He provided great insight about his beautiful country and answered all of our questions. He definitely elevated our trip and our experience.

Overall happy with our Travel Agency experience. Average rating.
Agent: Some confusion over transfers (was a transfer arranged or not). Initial documents stated transfers included between hotels and airport/train station when changing locations. The train between Bologna and Verona we expected a high speed train with assigned seats, unfortunately our outbound trip was on a local/regional, not high speed.
Our agent, Francesco, did a good job in recommending Verona as a second city to visit. Unexpectedly, he was unavailable just before we left. Luckily a co-worker, Luca stepped in to figure out the last minute details. The recommended hotel in Verona was nice, however our room overlooked an alley with garbage bins just below our window. We heard people getting rid of trash and garbage trucks all night, especially Saturday, which made it a bit hard to get a good sleep. It would have been nice for our agent to ensure we had a room with less noise. The last time we used KimKim (Slovenia 2019) our hotels and room views were amazing, so we were a bit disappointed. The restaurant recommendations were very generic. We had better luck asking in the hotels.
We had several tours arranged. Private 2 hour tour Bologna highlights and tastes. - disappointing overall. Didn’t get a true feel for the city and got a couple nibbles of cheese, balsamic, etc. and inferior pasta from a fast food type restaurant. Guide nice, but not highly knowledgeable. Very generic, same tour as a group of 10-20 no doubt. Day trip to Parma for cheese and ham - Excellent tour, although I would not term it small group as we had 15-20 of us. Ravenna day trip - not small group, but good tour, was the official tourist office tour.
Verona 2-3 hour overview private tour - excellent guide (Priscilla) with a background in art history and music. She was truly awesome. the tour was well organized in the route and information. She even had charts and maps to help us understand the different periods of history. She was a gifted teacher and a very lovely person. Our private wine tour was different than other tours we have been on in that we had a driver to 2 wineries at which we had tours with winery staff. We enjoyed both stops very much and had a very enjoyable afternoon. Our driver was very kind and professional.
We ended up back in Bologna for a day before flying out. Good suggestion from Francisco to take the trolley to San Luca.
The morning of our flight the transfer was set up an hour too early (at 6am). We were not allowed to check in to our flight until 7:20 so had an hour to kill with all our luggage.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Colomba D'Oro

Verona

Nice, small hotel in an excellent location. Just a couple blocks from the main Piazza, which is lovely. Unfortunately our room looked out on an alley with big garbage bins under our window. It was very noisy all night with trash being thrown and garbage trucks stopping (especially Sat night). Made a bit hard to get a good sleep. Hotel breakfast ok, nothing special. The breakfast staff and coffee at the table were very nice. Front desk staff were friendly and professional. The room was spacious and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Quaint, old building, lots of character

Location

Near Piazza Bra

Staff

Professional and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Our particular room heard noise from garbage bins below window all night.

Royal Hotel Carlton

Bologna

Nice, medium large hotel. Spacious, comfortable rooms. Breakfast large but quality only medium for price of hotel rooms. Nice common spaces to relax. Friendly, professional staff. Loved the courtyard to get fresh air and enjoy a drink before supper. Meeting rooms well appointed.

Authenticity & Character

Rooms clean, furnishings a bit worn, but comfortable. Common areas very comfortable for lounging, lovely outdoor courtyard.

Location

Close to train station. Not too far to walk to center, restaurants, attractions.

Staff

All kind, helpful and professional.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean. Furnishings and carpet could use an update soon, but still very comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Private Verona Highlights Walking Tour an Arena Skip-The-line

Verona

Excellent tour. Our guide, Priscilla, made all the difference. She has a background in art history and music and is able to bring the beauty and history of Verona alive. The tour was well planned out, Priscilla even had maps and charts to help us understand Verona through the centuries. A++

Quality of Experience

A highlight of our time in Verona.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent guide. Knowledgeable, personable, kind, interesting and educational content.

Parma Cheese & Ham Factory tour

Italy

Very interesting and tasty day trip.

Quality of Experience

Very interesting and unique to the Parma area.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, professional, courteous.

Transport

Large van from Parma to factories.

PRIVATE AMARONE WINE & FOOD ROUTE IN A SMALL GROUP

Verona

Private transport to 2 wineries. Private tour with winery staff at each location, plus wine tastings. Went to very small and a medium-sized winery. Both have a very interesting history and excellent wines. Enjoyed seeing differences.

Quality of Experience

Both very special wineries. Love the family connection/history and the staff’s love of the area and it’s wines.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Winery staff well versed in both wine knowledge plus the history and workings of the winery.

Transport

Comfy.

The trip to Portugal was extremely well planned and coordinated by Raquel…. The hotels were terrific and the guides were nothing less than excellent. Totally enjoyed the trip

Hotel Reviews

H10 Duque de Loule

Lisboa

Beautiful hotel…excellent location and great breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascade Wellness Resort

Lagos

Cascade Wellness in Algarve was truly a special place. It stood out among the accommodations for its exceptional atmosphere and amenities.

Pestana Porto - A Brasileira

Porto

Pestana Porto - A Brasileira had a fantastic location, allowing easy exploration of Porto. The rooms were a bit small, but overall it was a nice and convenient place to stay.

Activity Reviews

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Spain

The Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais, and Estoril was absolutely fantastic. Our guide, Paulo, was outstanding - one of the best I've ever had. He was knowledgeable, fun, and made the long day an enjoyable experience. I highly recommend this tour and Paulo as a guide!

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Coimbra

Portugal

The drive from Lisbon to Porto via Coimbra was a bit disappointing. We arrived and found that we couldn't enter the famous library as all tickets were sold out for the day due to other tour groups. It would've been helpful to know in advance or have prebooked tickets. Nonetheless, we enjoyed visiting the castle in the area.

This is our second time booking through Kimkim. We had an absolutely amazing time with the process and experience on our first trip to Italy last year. So, we were excited to plan the second trip this year. Mathilde jumped in to plan fairly late in the game so we were thankful for that. I will say., in comparison to our first planner, Mathilde seemed to be less available / communicative and/or slower to respond than our first experience. I also was a bit concerned about her knowledge of the areas we were traveling since she is from France and we were not traveling there. That said, everything got booked and we were looking forward to it.

When we arrived in Munich, we had to call our driver when no one was present when we arrived. So, that was a little frustrating and different than we experienced previously. But, the ride was fine. When we arrived at the hotel Jederman in Munich we were very surprised and disappointed in the location, but tried to shake it off. We were there early, and the room was not ready. We knew this was a likely possibility, so that was not a big deal. We were very under-impressed as a first impression of the hotel. We were given a space to put our luggage and a map of the city. When we asked for some suggestions on where to go, the staff was fairly non-responsive. So, we did our best to find the city center for lunch. When we returned to check in, we were given our keys to adjoining rooms, and we retrieved our luggage ourselves. There was just no interest in assisting in any manner from the hotel staff. I guess we’re just not used to that at all. When we got to the rooms, we were again disappointed. They were minimal, semi-clean and definitely not welcoming or comfortable. When we entered my daughter’s room, it was filled with the smell of heavy smoking, even though it was supposed to be a non- smoking room. It was so bad, we all started coughing and sneezing and I started to get a headache immediately. I went down to the front desk and the initial response was - sorry - we can’t control if people smoke in the rooms. That’s when I called Mathilde to see what options she could help with. I was honestly uncomfortable staying there. In the meantime, my daughter found mucus wiped all over the wall next to her bed and some kind of pink substance on the wall next to the door. Additionally, there was black mold in each bathroom. We have pictures of it all. They offered Mathilde to clean my daughter’s room, but I knew that wouldn’t mitigate the smell. They were able to find a room down the hall for my daughter, but, it made me very uncomfortable given the overall state of the hotel. That said, every answer I got was that there were just no other options.

By this time, because we had to wait to check in, and then deal with the room debacle, I was not comfortable leaving in the middle of that mess to go on a tour of the city. And, apparently the guide had been told a different location to meet (we were told she’d come to the hotel, she was at a different location by “the fish pond”). I felt it was such a mess. I couldn’t just drop everything to go meet her. I felt like there was just very limited help to resolve the issue from Mathilde or the staff. I actually resorted to looking for other hotels that I was willing to pay for myself. Ultimately, because we had no idea where anything was in the city, and becausexwe we’re going on a full day tour the next day, we decided to suck it up and stay.

The breakfast buffet at Jederman was just okay and, again, we found the staff unfriendly and unhelpful. It was honestly one of the worst hotel experiences I’ve ever had. Based on our prior experience with Kimkim, we were just very surprised at this choice, it’s poor location and poor presentation. Definitely did not meet expectations and we felt like we had no options but to suck it up and make the best of it. We definitely felt it was well below the standard we had come to expect from Kimkim.

The tour to the castle in Germany from Munich was a lovely day and definitely the highlight of Munich.. It was great to be out of the hotel and somewhere beautiful for the day. The tour guides were very nice and knowledgeable. Well worth it.

The trains to Stuttgart were coordinated well and that travel was easy, as always. So, we appreciated that. The Maritime Hotel in Stuttgart was much more in line with our expectations and was in a lovely, convenient area of the city.

Travel to Bruges was also simple and well planned, so we appreciated that.

Hotel Aragon in Bruges was amazing and fully in line with our expectations. Great staff, warm welcome, assistance with questions and suggestions, and a fabulous location. Just a great experience. Hotel Aragon was in line with what we experienced with our Italy Kimkim trip and we were very thankful for that. The rooms were beautiful, clean and comfortable and the breakfast was very good.

There was a snag with my son’s arrival and transport. We don’t really know what happened, but when he arrived he, too, had to reach out to the driver to see location. Apparently the driver was still an hour away. As a result, and to not waste a full hour waiting, my son took a cab from the airport to the train station. Again, for us, we weren’t used to that inefficiency. That said, he did arrive safely.

The tour of Bruges was great and our local tour guide was super nice and knowledgeable. A great tour. Also, the transfer to the airport on our final day went well and our driver was very nice.

Overall, the trip started in a very disappointing manner. Those first two nights were very uncomfortable and we would never stay somewhere like that again. I was surprised Kimkim would select that hotel as something acceptable for guests. It made me wonder if anyone from Kimkim had ever stayed there.

Thankfully, the trip ended on a much better note in Bruges with hotel Aragon. Much more in line with our previously established expectations.

The tour guides and drivers were fantastic. They accommodated our requests and were flexible to our needs.
Some issues I had was with the tour company. During the trip I wasn't sure who or which company I was dealing with. It was Christine, who had put our trip together but it seemed like the actual person/company coordinating our day to day was not Christine but someone else who was actually located in Korea. We do not mind this but it seemed like there were way too many cooks in the kitchen.

One of our issue was with our KTX ticket from Seoul to Busan. No one delivered or sent the tickets manually or electronically to us, even with me asking the agent for them. It got resolved quickly enough but it was during our car ride to the train station. I was not happy. Also, some of the recommended activities were not something I wanted to do nor requested, such as going to Spa land in Busan. Luckily the guide was able to accommodate and find something else for us to do. Also in Jeju Island, the company had put seaweed museum on our itinerary but when we asked the locals, they indicated it was not that interesting and it would be waste of our time since it was located on the opposite end of the island.

Our guide, Alexis, looked after us really well. He found us some great places to visit that weren't on our itinerary but thought we would enjoy.

Hotel Review

Sheraton Taitung Hotel

Taidong

super hotel. great choice at breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Blue Sky and Beach - Kenting

Pingtung

The snorkelling was well organised and there were many fish to see. The visit to the Kenting National Park was very good, we could have spent more time there as there was lots to see.

My trip to Italy was beyond words. I was in awe of the magnificent churches, statues and works of art ( the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum etc.) that were created many centuries ago and are still magnificent today.
The scenery in Florence, Tuscany and Rome was breathtaking. (Rolling hills, olive trees, vineyards , towers, villas and castles) The food and wine were out of this world.
My sister, daughter and I would not have gotten around without the wonderful and professional drivers - Yuri and Stefano and also the knowledgeable tour guides - Sabrina, Magdalena and Mauricio. They all went above and beyond. So I thank you!
A special thank you to Fabio for helping my daughter plan this amazing trip. I hope I have a chance to visit Italy again!

It was a 19 day trip through Croatia; lots of moving parts, everything went well.
People showed up when they were supposed to and it was very smooth. Borna
was our guide/driver for a week and we loved him It was actually hard to say goodbye
in Split. Excellent English. Goran (sp?) took us from Korcula to Dubrovnik and was
also great. Excellent English and lots of local and historical knowledge. The only
thing missing was more time but that's on us - we set the schedule. And it was good to
meet Robi in Dubrovnik, our interactions w him were smooth; he followed through.
And gave us a nice bottle of olive oil.So we would recommend him to anyone and be happy
to use him again. Many thanks Jim & Kathy

Morocco is an amazing place of landscape beauty-the Atlas mountains, the Sahara and the Atlantic ocean, interesting, caring and warm people and a Country with a long history well told by the guides provided and our wonderful driver Karim. The trip was 16 days with highlights that included hiking the canyon of the Atlas mountains and then a private lunch in he home of our guides sister, the Sahara-the camel ride and luxury tents with the energy of the sand and the amazing sky, and the knowing of Berbers, their history and their status as the native Moroccans. The Berber motto of Free people served as the basis for the warmth and wonder of this trip. Having Karim as our driver that seemed to know every Berber everywhere we went enriched the stories and history we learned. The food diversity with the Moroccan fare and the French influence created wonderful dining experience on rooftops with great sunsets. Ahhh, cannot close without mentioning the music-Gnawa music, Amazigh folk music and sufi trance music at the evenings close. Can't wait to go back!!

Hotel Review

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

Hotel was lovely, large rooms but the best is the owner and his brother the chef!! Food and hospitality was 5 stars!!

Authenticity & Character

The Brothers that own his Riad and many of their cousins make this a warm welcoming place

Location

close to the mountains

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Food was marvelous

Activity Reviews

Transfer to Dades Valley via Todra Gorges

Morocco

Didn't know about these mountains and their formation but the gorge hike was fantastic with a wonderful guide that allowed two older women to experience the shear magnitude of the canyon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Got to have lunch with the guide, our driver and his sister at her home. Atreat!

Transport

Half-Day Guided Sightseeing in Fes

Fes

Our guide was incredibly well informed with both history, culture and knowledge of the Medina-Made for a great trip

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

The Sahara is magical with it's changing sand landscape, the colors of sand at different time of day and the night sky. The luxury tents were just that but it was the after dinner music that was played with dancing and chanting that gave more magic to the day.

We booked KimKim to go to Greece for our honeymoon and loved it! Our local specialist Chris was very flexible especially when we first started booking with KimKim. We had lots of questions as we tried to navigate the best flow for our trip, and each time he took our ideas and paired it with his recommendations to create a fantastic itinerary! Throughout our trip Chris was very reliable and always provided clarification to any of our questions in a timely manner. Our tour guide in Athens (Johanna) and our sommelier in Santorini (Nick) were fantastic additions to our honeymoon as they were friendly, personable, highly knowledgeable guides who clearly love what they do! We couldn’t have asked for a more special honeymoon… from the views in Santorini to the beautiful cruise along the caldera to its spectacular sunsets to the cooking and wine tasting experiences. Five days in Santorini was definitely a great recommendation as it allowed us to get to know the entire island personally. We were also very happy and comfortable with the transportation and living accommodations arranged by KimKim all throughout our stay. We would love to use KimKim for another travel adventure in the future!

Hotel Reviews

NLH Monastiraki

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

short walking distance to Monastiraki Square!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belvedere Suites Santorini

Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Diamond Caldera Morning Cruise

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Very laidback experience allowing us to take in the views of the caldera, swim in the Aegean and have a yummy Greek lunch. It was also a beautiful day for our cruise

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens Orientation

Athens

Amazing tour!! We loved Johanna our tour guide. Very engaging, knowledgeable and friendly. She made us feel very comfortable with asking questions!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking & Tasting Experience

Santorini

We love cooking so this was definitely a very meaningful highlight of our trip! Chef Chris was fantastic. He was very personable and passionate about Mediterranean cuisine. He gave us very clear instructions during the cooking process and even handed out recipe cards at the end of the tour which we appreciated! The opportunity to enjoy the whole lunch with gorgeous views atop the restaurant was an added bonus to the experience! Perfect group size too, allowed for a more personalized experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall a great experience - our guides Javier, Manuel, Angel & Jenny were a lot of fun! We learned alot and were able to pack in a lot of great experiences in a short amount of time. Chile is a beautiful country!

We were a group of 6 adults on a private tour. Ivan and Sarah were very responsive to our needs and were able to accommodate changes to our itinerary at the last moments (due to weather forecasts). Their local tour guides, drivers and boat captains were topnotch. We had a great time and created long lasting memories.

Got back a week or so ago from a 'UK Highlights Trip.' Trip itself was 14 days, including 2 days for air travel. We were able to hit Ireland, Scotland, and England....overall, I would say every interaction I had with locals was pleasant, everyone was very friendly, and didnt feel unsafe....

Planning for the trip through KimKim took a lot of the guesswork out of the plannig the logistics for going city-to-city, offering suggestions on the top things to see and do in each city, based on our preferences, and they were able to set a lot of it up and manage for us (domestic flight, trains, tours, etc). Would like to thank Emily, Romane, Salome, and Stephen, who were all very helpful.

With taveling 14 days, we did understand and anticiapte the potential of a fewtravel hiccups, here and there (train delays / cancellations, for example). Any issues we did have, KimKim was very responsive in getting back to us and making sure the they were resolved in a reasonable time, and we were satisifed.

these are some highlights from each spot we hit:

-Dublin - really cool city. if you're going, definitely plan at least 2 days... would recommend getting a drink at the Brazen Head, one of Irelands oldest pubs (going back to 1100s). We also checked out the Viking Museum, Church of Christ Cathedral, and Guiness Factory... we closed one of the days out at the Church Bar and Restaurant

Day 2 was St Patricks Cathedral, Dublin Castle, Dublin Masonic Lodge, Trinity College Library / Book of Kells Experience, and the popular Temple Bar!

Day 3 - Galway Ireland - take a train from Dublin, to this cool, underrated city...some of the medieval fortifications are still standing, and one of the guides did mention that Christopher Columbus had visited it at one point.

Day 4 - we took a bus trip, which featured a short stop to Dunguaire Castle, and Cliffs of Mohr

Day 5 - we took a flight from Galway to Edinburgh, Scotland....would recommend taking a walk to Calton Hill, one of the highest view points of the city. we had dinner at The Dome, which featured wonderful ambiance, and if you're a fan of Harry Potter, would check out The Department of Magic, where you can make magic 'potions'

Day 6 - Edinburgh walking tour, and Edinburgh Castle - you can easily spend a whole day here...right next to it is St Giles Cathedral. Very underrated pizza place btw, check out Dough Pizza

Day 7 - Inverness, Scotland...we took a 3-4 hour train ride to Inverness, Scotland, where we took a tour of Clava Cairns, which were an important place for ritual activity, and thought to be older than Stonehenge, going back 5000 years...as well as Culloden Battlefield - now more well known, due to 'outlander,' it was the site of the last battle of the Jacobite uprising. Food and Drink, check out Aye Eat, and Scotch and Rye

Day 8 - Isle of Skye Bus tour - highly recommend booking this 2 day tour

Short hike to Rogie Falls, followed up by a trip to Dunvegan Castle, which dates back 800 years to clan MacLeod;
additionally saw other famous landmarks of Skye, including Kilt Rock, Lealt Falls, and the Old Man of Storr;
we wrapped it up with a Highland Cow encounter, and short walk around the small town of Portree

-Day 9 - York - -We visited York for a quick overnight stay - would have liked to check that city out further had we have had time, as i found it interesting some of the city's original medieval wall was still standing

Day 10 / 11 - London - Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and Churchhill War Rooms

Hotel Reviews

Harbour Hotel

Galway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tigerlily

Edinburgh

Service, rooms, and breakfast service were all superb - i did however have to do laundry here, and it may have been cheaper just to buy new clothes from one of the gift shops than pay them to do it, so just something to keep in mind when traveling with light luggage

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

River Ness Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals

Inverness

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No.1 York

York

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Plaza London Riverbank

London

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit of Christ Church Cathedral

Dublin

Galway Private Walking tour

Galway

Cliffs of Moher Day Trip from Galway (small group)

Galway

Secrets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile - walking tour with castle tickets

Edinburgh

Tower of London Timed Entry Tickets

London

Two-day tour of Skye from Inverness

Scotland

Churchill War Rooms Small-Group Walking (plus discovery of the area around Westminster) Tour

London

Tickets for St Patrick Cathedral, Dublin

Dublin

Trinity College Library : The Book of Kells Experience

Dublin

Culloden Battlefield private tour

Inverness

Tickets to Westminster Abbey

London