Kimkim Trip Reviews

From start to finish, planning to execution, our experience with KimKim traveling to Morocco was fantastic. Working with Hamza to determine the agenda was seamless and his communication was clear and fast. However, the highlight of our experience with the team was definitely our guide, Mustapha. He was full of energy and knowledge, and made our longer car rides fun with all of his information. Not only was he our guide but, by the end of the trip, had become a true friend. We can't say enough about how wonderful he was.

Beyond that, I was very pleased with all of the activities that KimKim arranged for us. Every excursion/activity met our expectations, and there was never a time where there was any confusion or issues when we arrived. It was clear that all of the necessary communication and planning was done in advance, which made it so much more enjoyable for us.

I would absolutely plan another trip with KimKim and fully endorse them for anyone who may be considering a trip of their own.

We had such a great experience with KimKim! Everything was planned well and the guides/drivers/experiences chosen were perfectly curated to what we wanted to do on our trip. The trip was seamless and went so smooth thanks to the planning that they did and the accommodations they chose were in great locations for both Seoul and Busan. We will be recommending KimKim to all our friends planning to travel abroad!

Hotel Reviews

G2 Hotel Myeongdong

Seoul

We really enjoyed the location of this hotel! Though not quite as nice as the other one we stayed in on our visit (L7 in Busan) in terms of amenities and general quality of rooms, we still really enjoyed our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

L7 HAEUNDAE by LOTTE

Busan

This hotel was the perfect location and the rooms were great. Breakfast was amazing!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Haedong Yonggungsa and Gwangalli Night Food Tour

Busan

Our second day with Luke was amazing! He showed us so much of what Busan had to offer and even adjusted our schedule to see some new things that weren't on the itinerary because we had already explored some on our own. He showed us some of the best food we had on our trip. We could not recommend a tour with Luke more!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gamcheon Village, BIFF Square and Jagalchi Market

Busan

Luke was the best tour guide ever! We had such an amazing couple days with him - when it was rainy he suggested a different indoor activity at an art museum and it was the perfect alternative to being outside in the rain. He was so friendly and knowledgeable. We couldn't have asked for a better guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korean Full-Course Meal Cooking Class at Local Home with Local Market Experience

Seoul

This was such a fun activity for our trip! The food was amazing and the class was educational and fun. We couldn't have asked for a better guide/instructor!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Seoul Highlights

Seoul

We had such a great day with Jun! He had the whole day planned out perfectly and we got to see so much without feeling like it was too packed. We couldn't have asked for a better guide, he gave us a lot of fun details about everywhere we visited and answered any questions we had! We were so happy with this tour!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was excellent. Jeff and Chloe were fantastic. Highly recommend them

The organization of the trip and constant monitoring of location and help by Jimena and Jesus was quite amazing. Someone was always there to help, offer advice, and make suggestions while en route. My husband, 80 years, was not feeling well at 12,000 feet altitude and they were quick to offer help and solutions. We were very grateful.

Our guides were exceptional with their knowledge, especially our guide the second day in Lima. I can’t remember his name, maybe Jose. We had Martin in Sacred Valley and Cusco who not only was extremely well informed but full of fun , knowledge, and personal information. He was outstanding!

Eddy was able to get us into Machu Picchu when the tickets were sold out for the day and he kindly helped my husband navigate the terrain. Luis, in Puno, was also very helpful in assisting my husband through the climbing.

The guides were all excellent and helpful.

Lake Titicaca at the island of Uros was absolutely amazing and my favorite area.

For us being near or at 80 years and coming from sea level, we found the schedules very tiring with early departures and constant activity at difficult altitudes. However, we enjoyed the trip very much . If I went again, I would go at a slower pace.

All in all, Kim Kim, Peruvian Soul, did a great job.

Thank you Nikola! We just completed our KimKim part of an amazing trip to Croatia and Slovenia. We have had a great experience with KimKim on a previous trip to Greece and thought we would use KimKim again. Our advisor Nikola was awesome! He suggested some things we had not thought about, like going to Slovenia first then northern Croatia. We had decided we wanted to do a cruise to finish that trip and his suggestion of Katarina confirmed our choice. Every one of his suggestions was perfect and his arrangements were flawless. He was responsive to every communication immediately and gave us an update every night for the next day. We would never have thought of visiting Ljubljana, Lake Bled, Skocjan Caves, Vrsic Pass, Bovec, Vintgar Gorge, or gone truffle hunting with dogs. We loved all the suggestions. We also wanted to see northern Croatia and so glad we did. Loved Rovinj and Pula. And of course there was Split. All of the arrangements and accommodations were great. We are continuing with a Katarina cruise which is also awesome. I just to say that Nikola and KimKim were outstanding and thank them so much for the best trip ever!

Hotel Reviews

Vila Nepos

Split

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

16 Lakes Hotel

Rakovica

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spirito Santo Palazzo Storico

Rovinj

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Soča

Bovec

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff needs training with customer service

Cleanliness & Comfort

Penzion Berc

Bled

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AS Boutique Hotel

Ljubljana

Great room, outstanding location and design

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour of Split

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Truffle Hunting Experience

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Bled Town and Enjoy Pletna Boat Ride

Bled

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Ljubljana

Slovenia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Myriam, Budi, Putu, and all of the other guides and drivers were amazing. The trip was perfectly planned, and everything was smooth as could be. I would give this team my highest recommendation!

Everything was coordinated beautifully for a multi-city family vacation. All transfers were on time and the accommodations were amazing.

Activity Review

Cinque Terre Trekking & Train Card

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was prompt, friendly, and helpful

Transport

Amandine was extremely responsive as we planned our trip and especially during our travels. She was attentive and provided suggestions. The tours she booked in private/small groups were exactly what we wanted. She even responded as we wished to modify plans over the course of a weekend.

Enjoyed the overall experiences had. Letizia on the Cicchetti tour in Venice was fantastic.
The one caveat is the local company only uses guides/tour companies they have contracts with, so if you want to use a different company or do a tour they don't have a contract with, you'll have to research it and book it outside of the site. Even some things, like the Uffizi Gallery and Vasari Corridor tour, I had to ask to be booked after reading about it online, as it wasn't recommended in the initial itinerary.
Also note that even though you have a time scheduled ticket for the Academia in Florence, you still have to wait on line, so best to arrive earlier than the schedule time.
The accommodations were great for the most part. The Hotel Ai Cavalieri di Venezia in Venice was beautiful and a great location. I wouldn't recommend the hotel in Cinque Terre, Hotel la Colonnina, as the walls were incredibly thin and we could hear everything happening in the hotel room next to ours. Everything. I would also recommend staying closer to Siena than Chianti as we spent most days driving south to explore those areas, while only one day around Chianti. Salvondica was beautiful though would save on drive time in Tuscany.
Appreciated the ground transportation scheduled and the WhatsApp messages from Jessica informing us of the name and number of whom would be meeting us in each location.
Would prefer to receive an itemized list of what my money is paying for rather than just the aggregate sum. It's convenient to have someone draft the itinerary and book the accommodations, etc. though I believe this cost more than if I had done the research and bookings myself.

Zehra was amazing. Very quick to deal with our requests and answer our questions and she kept an open dialogue with us throughout the trip ensuring we had all the contact info on all our guides and drivers.
Our guide Eda in Istanbul was very good. She showed us how to you the transit system and sent us directions for our outings on our free day.
a tip for other travellers - air flights in turkey only allow 15kg checkin whereas international is 23kg. We had to pay extra on every flight.
Pera Palace Hotel was excellent. In Cappadocia, Alan and I were in a small room much Lower Than the rest of our group and little space for our luggage. The 2 at the higher level had separate rooms with fireplaces and plenty of room. We ended up upgrading 2 level and they gave us a complimentary upgrade to be at the same level as our friends. Otherwise you had to wait for golf carts to get back and forth. The room we were given was amazing. Also the pool was heated. The hot air balloon was amazing. I would recommend it to everyone!
Our guide in Antalya, Fatih Babaoglu, wasn't sure what he was supposed to show us until I showed him our writeup. It was a long day visiting the Roman ruins which made a very late lunch.
The boat from Olympos to feithye was a disappointment, partly because it was so rough and cool we weren't really able to swim. We could barely move around the boat when it was moving. We couldn't get into Blue Lagoon. Secondly the food was not great. There was very little protein in the meals so we were hungry sooner. Very basic meals, little variety and desert really only 1 night. Also no power outlets in the cabins so my husband could not use his sleep apnea machine and had to store his insulin at the bar (making it easier for him to forget it). Cabins were extremely small and not well laid out. My husband and I had a double and single in our room so had to crawl over each other to get in and out of the bed.
Bodrum was great. The Marmara Hotel was great and the views awesome. It would have been great to have had a heated pool as it was chilly. As it was up in the mountain we needed a taxi to get back up but it wasn't too expensive.
We really needed a full day in Pamukkale . It had some amazing sites but we didn't arrive til around 1pm and had to get lunch before we toured the main attractions. We ended up taking a golf cart to see the Roman ruins (which I think might be the best way as they are really spread out). We would have liked to have gone in the Cleopatra pool as it was open again but we didn't have time and we couldn't go in the limestone laden springs as it was too slippy. It was still wonderful to see. The Richmond Pamukkale Thermal Pool was not up to the standard of the rest of the hotels on our tour. It was a very worn resort hotel and catered to huge groups. Even the dinner wasn't great - too crowded too many people and buffet style!

Hotel Reviews

Richmond Pamukkale Thermal

Denizli

it was set up for large groups of tourists. Not our style. The pool wasn't heated. lightbulb needed replace and a napkin stuffed in the smoke detector. Maintenance took a photo of it but didn't remove.

Authenticity & Character

Location

isolated.

Staff

Buffet not great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Marmara Bodrum Hotel

Muğla

Beautiful hotel. Beautiful views but very isolated. Pool not heated.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Isolated but taxis reasonable to get to old town.

Staff

restaurant staff slow at dinner.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ruin Adalia

Antalya

Room was adequate.

Authenticity & Character

The Roman ruins could be viewed through glass windows on the floor.

Location

very central to Old Town.

Staff

Very accommodating even with a mix up on our tour. We had messed up but they helped us get our money back.

Cleanliness & Comfort

More options on pillows would have been nice.

Argos in Cappadocia

Nevsehir

Beautiful location but isolated!

Authenticity & Character

Omg - it was as if we were staying in caves!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pera Palace

Istanbul

beautiful central hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day trip to Pamukkale

Turkey

Long drive, short time for seeing the attractions of Pamukkale

Quality of Experience

drive took too long.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very good. He suggested the golf cart so we could see it all.

Transport

didn't like limo style car!

Olympos to Fethiye Blue Cruise - Day 1

Antalya

there wasn't that much for us to see and it was too rough when we were moving and food wasn't great.

Quality of Experience

Food

No real variety. Not enough protein.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Antalya & Historical Sites

Antalya

Long walk in the hot sun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

same comment re the limo style transportation. Half the group couldn't see.

Explore The Landmarks of Cappadocia

Cappadocia

Just amazing - all the rock formations, how the people carved them out and lived in them and the hot air balloon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

the limo style seating was bad as 2 of our group had very long legs.

My friend and I had an amazing eight day Moroccan Road Trip which was. planned by Kimkim. The success of our trip was definitely due to our Moroccan Immersion driver Ayoub. I can't begin to praise him enough. This young man spoke English like a Native speaker,. He was a consummate driver, provided us a better and realistic picture of life in Modern day Morocco as well as his daily kindnesses and his commitment to keeping us safe and on time. Our tour begin in Rabat where we met our favorite guide Hassania, who provided an excellent framework for the next week in terms of understanding the life of the Mortocan current King Hassan II, the role of Islam in the Morocco life, and the tradition of mosques in Morocco. Our favorite Riad was the elegant Riad Dar Chrifa in Rabat. The staff Omar and Papa at this Riad were incredibly friendly and helpful, and took care of Gray, the African gray parrot living there. Our favorite day was our road trip from Fez to Merzouga, including driving through the mountains, encountering the monkeys, the camel ride to Sahara Stars, and our lodging at this elegant glamping camp. Finally, one of my other favorite was our cooking lesson with Darr Salem in Maraskesh which involved going to market to buy the local ingredients for our meal, then my role as a sous chef and finally sitting down to have the yummy lunch in the home of our teacher!

Hotel Reviews

Sahara Stars Luxury Camp

Merzouga

We loved the Sahara Stars Luxury Camp in Merzouga. It was such a unique and wonderful experience staying in the desert. This place was definitely one of the highlights of our trip.

Riad La Croix Berbère

Marrakech

Our stay at Riad La Croix Berbère in Marrakech was a bit disappointing. We were placed on the third floor, which was quite challenging after long days of walking around the city. The room was next to a common area, making it noisy, and the bathroom was quite primitive, with leaks and even a hole in the wall.

Riad Dar Chrifa

Rabat

Authenticity & Character

The main common area is very elegant and sparkly. The rooms are comfortable, and tastefully appointed.

Location

Five minute walk out of the souk to the main road which was well signed posted

Staff

Both Omar and Papa helped us a lot! Loved Gray, the African gray parrot living in the main room, who charms everyone'

Cleanliness & Comfort

In comparison to other places we stayed thus pushing maintained a high quality of cleanliness.

Activity Review

Private Cooking Class w/ Souk Tour

Morocco

The private cooking class with a souk tour was fantastic. The host was welcoming, and it was a joy to meet her daughters who spoke English and added to the charm of the experience. Highly recommend this activity!

Our guide, David Mildon in London was incredible. He had a very extensive knowledge of the history of London and all of the sites we visited. We loved all of the things we did in London and Paris, thanks to Justine’s suggestions. The hotels where we stayed were wonderful. It was a great trip and we will book through KimKim again.

Hotel Reviews

The Montague On The Gardens

London

Very nice hotel. Great location, very kind and helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the attractions in London

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Parc Saint Séverin

Paris

The staff were very helpful and nice. The hotel is in an excellent location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to all of the attractions.

Staff

Very helpful. Gave us a lot of information and suggestions.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were very clean and the beds very comfortable

Activity Reviews

Excursion to Windsor Castle

London

Really nice to experience a castle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best of London Walking tour

London

We saw the familiar sites in real life. We learned a lot about the history of each.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

David Mildon was a very good guide. He has a wealth of knowledge.

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

Really cool to see it at night lit up.

Quality of Experience

Amazing views of Paris from the top.

Giverny and Versailles from Paris

France

Loved seeing Giverny having studied about Monet in art school. The ponds where he painted his water lilies were amazing.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful gardens.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gigi was a very good guide.

Transport

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

Fun way to see Paris at night. The dinner was outstanding.

Quality of Experience

Very good food

Food

I had the sea bass. Very good.

Transport

Very nice boat with window ceiling to see the views.

Paris Macaron Baking Class

Paris

It was a very fun class.

Quality of Experience

Our teacher was very good.

Dinner show at the Moulin Rouge

Paris

Dinner was excellent and the entertainment was great.

Quality of Experience

The performers were great.

Food

Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur walking tour

Paris

Interesting view of Paris and the history of it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Mathias was very knowledgeable.

Louvre Museum Private Tour

Paris

I learned so much about the Louvre that I had no idea of. It was great to see the Mona Lisa.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cheese and wine tasting in a Parisian cellar in the Marais

Paris

Very informative and fun to taste the pairings.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

2CV Private Tour Paris Highlights

Paris

Fun way to see Paris highlights.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Greetings,
First off, thank you kimkim.com , Mathilde and her colleagues, Ambre and Emilie, for making our lifelong bucket item fulfilled.
One would think that it would be near impossible for one to have a perfect 6-week journey across Europe including 10 countries and so many cities and events. Well, kimkim.com , Mathilde and her colleagues made that happen for us.
-- Blacklane: One of the best decisions we made was to use "transfers" to & from hotels and to & from train stations or airports. Blacklane was totally professional, prompt, beyond helpful and always made us feel that we were safe and in good hands.... 5 stars!
-- Livtours: They were another blessing for us. We loved the small group size of no more than 6 and on several occasions we were the only ones with the guide. They were very professional, knowledgeable, personable, and made our tours very memorable.... 5 stars!
-- Hotels: kimkim.com and Mathilde did a great job of picking our hotels for us. Location and culture were a huge part of her selections. We trusted her totally in very hotel selection and were very satisfied.... 5 stars!
-- Events: We felt that Mathilde chose highly selected tickets for our tours and events.
- The seating for the Flamenco Show & Dinner in Barcelona was perfect!
- Our table for our Seine River Dinner Cruise in Paris was perfect!
- Our table for the Moulin Rouge Dinner Show in Paris was right up front at the stage and again, perfect!
- Jim absolutely loved the cooking class in Florence!
- And then there was Mother's Day (May 10th in the US) and the Spanish Lippizan Horse Show! We were in the
box seats, row 4, perfectly centered for the performance! What a perfect, special event for Mother's Day!
- And finally, we loved the 24/7 access that was made available for help when needed.
Jim and I are pretty picky with high expectations of others; so, when we say we are 100% pleased with our 6-week journey across Europe, IT MEANS SOMETHING! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
We are spreading the word about kimkim.com
Forever grateful,
Jim amd Alice Snellenberger
Europe 2026

Jane and Gabrella pieced together an impressive itenerary. Rather than visiting normal sites, we threw them a curve requesting to leave the beaten path so we could stay in castles and see lands our ancestors once owned. But of course, we also wanted to see all the major sites. They pulled it off with remarkable brilliance. The accommodations were tailored to mesh with our historical agenda and the hosts were amazing, yet the locations were conveniently close to venues and tour meeting points. They selected such great tour companies, we quickly learned to expect above average guides. Of some 20 plus guides and drivers we only had two I would classify as adequate, the rest were exceptional.

Highlights were so numerous it's difficult not to mention them all. Definitely staying the the Tullock Castle which had been in the family from the 1500s to the 1700s was near the top, finding ancestral inscriptions in the Tower of London is something we will never forget, and expecting to see the changing of the guards but being treated instead to many 100s of soldiers, guards, musicians, and mounted horsemen all in uniform rehearsing for the King's birthday was particularly momentous. Those were all great experiences but as for actual sites, Clava Cairns, Culloden, everything in York, Stirling Castle, and the American Cemetery at Normandy were probably at the top of the list.

Hotel Review

Tulloch Castle Hotel ‘A Bespoke Hotel’

Dingwall

While not huge like King's castles, or as grand as Duke and Earl's castles it was genuine and authentic, more like a baron's castle. The hosts were welcoming and the chef was remarkable. We were treated to the best meal we had on the entire trip there. Besides the restaurant, there is a separate bar which has a different menu. Our room had a four poster bed and a large, very modern private bathroom. I would caution you to read the room descriptions carefully as you can stay in everything from servants quarters, which are very small, to a grand two bedroom suite. This is one hotel where you will get what you pay for. There is a small family museum on premises which remains locked, but you can get a key if you are interested. I highly recommend the Tullock Castle and would definitely return if I'm ever near Dingwall again.

Authenticity & Character

Retention of as much of the historic nature as possible, while adding modern amenities

Location

It had great views, but it is out of town a way so it's better if you have transportation if you plan to stay several days and see other sites.

Staff

They were extremely welcoming. They were also very responsive and extremely polite. There was a couple who booked servants quarters, but were expecting a four poster bed room and demanded to be upgraded. Tullock is in high demand and was already sold out for the season. Yet despite them raising their voices and demanding a different room, they simply became even more polite and gently explained they couldn't kick someone out of their room and they didn't have an upgrade to offer.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathroom was large, bright, clean and had a great view!

Activity Reviews

Palace of Versailles Day Trip with Priority Access – Half-Day Tour

Paris

Most certainly opulent!! Line skipping was nice, guide was knowledgeable but excessively wordy. It was very, very hot and very very crowded so we were stuck listening to someone drone on forever we oft could not even see. The tour itself was great, but our guide not so much so. We were supposed to have 4 hours there, but 2.75 of that was listening to the guide get off track and tell personal stories, leaving us only 1.25 hours to explore the rest of the palace, find some place to eat, visit the gardens, the grand and petit trianon and Marie-Antoinette's hameau. We did get fed, saw some of the gardens but missed the rest which I was really wanting to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Less wordy guide

Transport

Normandy Day Trip from Paris with D-Day Beaches and Traditional Lunch with Cider

Paris

It's a long day from Paris, especially with the number of traffic issues we experienced. The beaches, bunkers and memorials we were allowed to see were great, but we were hurried along and told not to read the signs; they were supposed to provide links instead, but never did. The cemetery was sobering but pristine. The lunch stop was good and since lunch was included in our tour it was a treat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hampton Court Palace - Half Day Tour - With return transport

London

It got cancelled due to lack of people signed up.

Tower of London, Changing of the Guard, River Cruise, St. Paul's Cathedral & Optional London Eye

London

The Tower of London tour turned out to be a highly unexpected experience complete with a stunning discovery. Our entire trip was historical in nature as we were tracing some of Mark's family history roots. Edward Seymour (brother to Jane and Lord Protectorate for Edward VI who was Henry VIII and Jane's son) and John Dudley who served as the de facto regent and ruler of England after he orchestrated the downfall of Edward Seymour were both beheaded during those turbulent times. Edward and John were Mark's 12th and 13th great grandfathers from different lines of his family. In the Tower of London prison, the largest and most elaborate etching on the wall carved in by various prisoners, belonged to John Dudley! It was one of the top two highlights of the entire trip! As if that wasn't enough, our version of the Changing of the Guard was extreme. Instead of a few, we got to see 100s of uniformed guards, military members, musicians and horsemen rehearsing for the King's Birthday. We had a front row seat for their practice parade at its inception so we could see the pre-staging as well. That was unexpectedly precious. St. Pauls was a nice surprise due to its ornate interior, the American Memorial Chapel and knowledgeable guide. Then end this tour, the river cruise included seeing the raising of the Tower Bridge so a sail ship could pass through. Remarkable day.

Tickets to British Museum

London

HUGE museum and was initially surprised it was arranged by country. However, considering at its peak, the British Empire ruled over 23% to 24% of world lands it's understandable. It houses an impressive display of artifacts from all over the world (over 100 countries). You would need two or three weeks to see it all. I will admit I came away feeling, "wow, those should be returned to the Iroquois," and "I wonder why Greece and Iraq haven't asked for their artifacts back?"

Tickets to Westminster Abbey

London

Westminster Abbey serve as the coronation site for British Royals. It is a soaring, magnificent, gothic church which cannot be experienced by simply looking at pictures. It also serves as the resting place for over 3000 notables, including kings and queens. It is a must do at least once in your lifetime.

Yorkshire Dales Small Group Tour from York

York

What an incredible day. Gorgeous scenery, Bolton Castle and the Wensleydale Cheese Factory were the highlights. It was an 8 hour tour and I wish it had been 10 so we could have stopped more to take pictures. The Wensleydale cheese really was extraordinary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stirling Castle Tickets

Ireland

What stands out is its significant historical status. It is way more immersive and engaging than other castles. It has seen extensive restoration and is rich in royal history sitting at the heart of Scottish history. It not only served as a primary residence for the Stewart/Stuart dynasty, it was also a critical military stronghold.

Quality of Experience

So well done. We enjoyed a complete self guided experience.

A Daytrip to the West Highland Lochs & Castles

Edinburgh

The West Highlands were delightful. Being on the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond, Inveraray and Doune (Outlander) Castles and the Rest and Be Thankful Pass with its stunning views and interesting story were the highlights.

Quality of Experience

Great fellow travelers, good guide, comfortable small bus.

Stonehenge & Bath Day Tour (including Roman Baths)

London

The Stonehenge and Bath Day Tour was impressive. I was warned Stonehenge was a free for all, but those folks had visited many years ago. Today it is well managed, traffic and parking is not an issue and the Visitor's Center is a gem. If you go, make SURE you see the 360 degree short film on Stonehenge before you go out to the site. The new displays, showing huts which would have been similar to what the workers would have stayed in enhanced the experience. Bath itself and the Roman Baths are intriguing. I especially enjoyed going underground and seeing the old Roman structures. The little interpretive stops were great in explaining how the old plumbing worked. It is another definite must do.

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

Such an interesting place, very crowded but still worth the time to enjoy. To fully appreciate it, you need to take the time to see it all, the military fortress and batteries, the tradesmen quarters, royal palace and crown jewels, the tribute to Scottish warriors, St. Margaret's Chapel, prisons, museums etc.

Quality of Experience

The Isle of Skye & Eilean Donan Castle

Inverness

Interesting to be in the Isle of Skye and see Eileen Donan Castle. It was a day full of history and sites. Getting to drive through valleys where actual battles took place made it easy to see how they would have developed. The Donan Castle is different in that the exterior was re-created to be as close to the original as possible complete with dropping streaks. The interior is modern and a destination house for a family. The stop in Portree and getting to see several Highland "Coos" was a special treat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glen Afric, Culloden & Clava Cairns From Inverness

Inverness

Two of our top five activities were included in this day trip, Clava Cairns and Culloden. The sheer intrigue and age of Clava Cairns left a permanent impression. The visitor's center at Culloden was well done from both perspectives. The dramatic change to Scotland's future path was handled well. Walking the battlefield and finding various clans brought the battle to life. We were also finally able to make a connection as to why Tullock Castle was "lost" to our family in 1746.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canal and Loch - Loch Ness Tour with Urquhart Castle included & Bus to Inverness

Inverness

Bus ride to the boat ride, plus stopping and getting off the boat to see the castle, time for the visitors center and bus ride home was well planned and a great deal of fun.

Welcome to Dingwall

Dingwall

Already reviewed the Tullock Castle Hotel, but the town was delightful as well. They have a really nice local museum

Absolutely fantastic trip made all the more memorable by our fantastic driver and host Ismail. He had a huge depth of knowledge and was always able to answer all of our questions. We have so many great memories and are forever in his debt. Could not recommend Ismail
And Kim Kim highly enough for this trip.

Very memorable trip and appreciated the organization, ease and service Kimkim provided. Illyace our driver was exceptional and added tremendously to our travel fulfillment. Hotels, guides and experiences exceeded expectations…especially hotel/guide in Fes, same in Chefchaoen, along with waterfall hike — beautiful blue city in the mountains. Two days in Merzouga at the Sahara desert was super scenic and memorable visiting with a Nomad family. Also our stay in the Dades Valley, an adventurous hike with a Berber guide and eating Tangine at a local family home was a highlight. Thank you everyone for making this a very meaningful trip experience!

My most memorable experiences were the wildlife at Tucan Lodge, the river excursion up the Serpentes river birdwatching and Las Tuneles on Isabela Island. All the guides were excellent, but a special Thankyou goes to Stalin at Tucan Lodge who saved us from enduring some very unsavoury tourists.

Robi was our local director. He did an amazing job tailoring our trip meeting our wants. He modified and improved our experience's by carefully listening what we liked. He expended an inordinate amount of his time each day directing us to the perfect places and made sure our access was as easy as possible. He added some small places I had never heard that will have lasting memories and made the trip perfect.

the organization and input from Lisa on what to see and do was great. it really helped to use a local travel assistant instead of one who does not know the region. The idividual guide and driver were good and the guide had good knowledge about the local sights - he was able to indepth explain the history of the various monasteries we visited. The hotels were modern, clean and the service was extremely friendly. The local food was delicious, fresh and well prepared in clean environments. i would highly recommend to use Kimkim for similar local flavor tours.

Hotel Reviews

LUX* Tea Horse Road Shangri - la

great views, centrally located. clean, friendly

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

LUX* Tea Horse Road Benzilan

clean, luxurious, well located.

Authenticity & Character

nice architecture, good views

Location

in the middle of Benzilan

Staff

extremely friendly, helpful to ensure we understood everything

Cleanliness & Comfort

could not have been better

Activity Reviews

Highlight of Shangri-la with Napa Lake, local family visit

Shangri-La

napalake was good to drive through. not a must. we did not do the local family visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shangri-La Day Tour: Pudacuo National Park and Gedan Songzanlin Monastery

Shangri-La

massive monastery with lots of history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Benzilan Old Town, Temples

Benzilan

off the beaten path. we spend 2 nights, 1 would have been sufficient

Quality of Experience

old monasteries, drive through the valley along the Yangste river were super. much historic perspective

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

having a large car was a good recommendation

I started planning my trip to Ecuador and Galapagos about 18 months before our travel date. I organized the trip for myself and 15 other people ended up coming too. I started with 4-5 different companies and ended up picking Alvaro at KimKim because he worked quickly, efficiently, and listened to what I wanted. I was extremely happy with the final itinerary and price.

There were a few tweaks that needed to be made, and once initial down payments were made, he didn’t respond as quickly as before. I was very worried, and others who had signed up were getting worried as well, but the trip was amazing.

Our guide throughout Ecuador was David. He was the best guide we could have asked for. He explained so much about his country, history, and culture. He was enthusiastic, passionate, and helpful. He made sure all activities were organized and enjoyable for all.

When we went to Mindo, two parts of the itinerary were left out, a coffee experience and ziplining. Alvaro made sure to add those items later in the itinerary.

Saul was an amazing guide in the Amazon rainforest. He was so knowledgeable about natural remedies and the forest. We all enjoyed the hiking, cave exploration, and indigenous experience.

We were sad to leave David, as he was not going with us to Galapagos, and we got a new guide. As wonderful as David was, our new guide was the opposite. Although she was very nice, this was her first tour ever, and it showed. She didn’t give us any information about the places we visited. Anytime I asked a question, she either didn’t know the answer or gave an incorrect answer. The group felt that she was just on vacation herself as she let the local guides do all of the work and just participated in the activities. We didn’t really need her on the trip at all since we had local guides. In addition, she was sick, and a few people on the trip also started to show symptoms of the cold that she had.

We went to Santa Cruz, Isabela, and San Cristobal and loved the islands. Our guide in San Cristobal even gave the group an autographed copy of his book! Thanks, Ian! I can’t wait to read it!

Overall, the trip was wonderful and everything went very smoothly. We did so many different activities and I appreciate the work Alvaro and David and the rest of the guides put in to make this a fabulous experience.