Kimkim Trip Reviews

We just returned home from the most phenomenal adventure in Iceland, and cannot thank our specialist Eric enough for crafting such a jam-packed, memorable itinerary for our family! Eric took all our must see spots and built a trip that was not only logistically efficient, but also delivered all the highlights within the timeframe we had available. I have built many travel itineraries over the years and can confidently say, there is no way I could have come up with an equivalent experience on my own. The first hand knowledge and insight Eric shared, his prompt responses to all our questions as we approached our departure date, and the tours & accommodations he recommended and booked were perfect. With the countless travel blogs & social media groups online, attempting to build a personalized, self-guided itinerary is incredibly overwhelming & time consuming. The service Eric provided made this process both easy & enjoyable, and saved us so much time & stress. Having just experienced the highlights of Iceland, we can sincerely say, our itinerary delivered the most incredible, memorable experience for our family - there isn't a thing I'd change about the trip Eric built - so thank you Eric!!

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

The Blue Lagoon was an incredible experience. The geothermal waters were so relaxing, and the setting was just beautiful. The kids had a blast, and it was a great way to start our trip. It was a bit pricey, but totally worth it for the unique experience.

Kayaking tour under Mount Kirkjufell

Iceland

We loved the kayaking tour under Mount Kirkjufell. The scenery was stunning, and being on the water gave us a unique perspective of the iconic mountain. It felt intimate and less touristy, which we really appreciated.

The trip was well planned in every aspect.

Migle was incredible! Booked some amazing experiences and catered the trip to our desires and wishes. We had an unforgettable trip!

Hotel Reviews

Lillan Boutique Hotel & Kök

Tampere

This hotel was so unique! We had a sauna in our room! The food was incredible and the welcome drink was a nice touch.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Hamburger Börs

Turku

Beautifully remodeled hotel in the heart of Turku!

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Hotel Helsinki

Helsinki

Great breakfasts and comfortable rooms!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Yöpuu

Jyväskylä

Nice location just off the main square but smaller rooms. The sauna was incredible!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fabian

Helsinki

Great location! Great breakfast! Really nice rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Helsinki Walking Tour

Helsinki

We had a great guide and the tour was informative and fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Löyly Sauna visit

Helsinki

A great experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Forum Sauna

Turku

This was nice but a little overwhelming. Sauna Mama's English was not great and the facilities were a little cluttered. Glad to experience a traditional sauna but not my favorite activity.

Quality of Experience

Evening Canoeing on Tourujoki

Jyväskylä

Great experience! The water was great and our guide was wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Island Whispers: Archipelago Cruise

Turku

It was beautiful to see the Archipelago but might have been fun to go to Sweden for a night to enhance the experience and break up the travel. The meal was good but a little fancier than we expected.

Quality of Experience

Transport

SkySauna: An Elevated Finnish Experience

Helsinki

Incredible experience! Would have liked a little more time here.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Harmony in Stone: Temppeliaukion Church

Helsinki

Did not get to go here because we had trouble with the tickets.

Both the Golden Circle tour and the Fire and Ice tour were informative and well planned. Thy were run by Hidden Iceland. The Reykjavik Food and Culture tour was also very good. Driving in Iceland is super easy, and Eva gave us all of our map coordinates, which was very helpful.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Odinsve

Reykjavik

The location is perfect! Right in the center of a residential and tourist friendly section of Reykjavik. We walked to everything! The bus stop for our tours was right up the street. Plenty of cafes, coffee shops, and shops nearby. We stayed here for 3 nights at the beginning of our trip. We were not happy with the room we were given. It was old and drab, with a very small bathroom and stall shower. We stayed again the last night of our trip and were pleasantly surprised to get a much nicer and updated room and bathroom. I would definitely request a newer, renovated room! The buffet breakfast was fine, but they seemed understaffed, because the food platters were often empty and we had to ask them to put out more food.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms are very bare. Maybe add some artwork and comfortable seating.

Location

Staff

Most were helpful. One was not very friendly when we arrived after an overnight flight and inquired about a check in earlier than 3:00.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a very small and sparse room and bathroom. Not very comfortable. Room 201. The hotel should charge less for this room. The beds were comfortable.

Fosshotel Stykkishólmur

Stykkishólmur

We loved this hotel! The front desk staff was very helpful and friendly. The rooms were spacious and comfortable. The breakfast buffet was plentiful, and the staff in the restaurant was very attentive. Our dinner here was also excellent. We enjoyed the happy hour as well! We liked being able to walk to everything in town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Reykjavík Culture and Food Walk Tour

Reykjavík

The meeting spot was easy to walk to. We went to 5 different spots and tried many different dishes. Our guide, Jenny, was entertaining and informative. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

GOLDEN CIRCLE: PLATINUM TOUR

Reykjavík

Enjoyed all activities on this tour! Secret Lagoon was peaceful and rejuvenating. Tomato farm was educational and lunch was yummy. Gulfoss waterfall was unbelievable. Our tour guide wasn’t as informative as I would have liked, but otherwise it was a great tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide wasn’t as informative as I had hoped

Transport

Very comfortable and new tour busses.

South Coast — Fire & Ice Tour | Small group

Reykjavík

This tour guide provided a lot of information which was very helpful. He drove carefully through some difficult weather. Black sand beach was super windy and rainy, but we persevered! Lava show was cool, and our guide wisely had us order our lunch before the show so it would be ready when the show was over. It was great to have an experienced guide who could be sure everything ran smoothly!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gerðuberg Basalt Cliffs

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

This is a quick stop. Only do it if it is on your way to something else. We only stayed for a few minutes.

Quality of Experience

Vatnshellir Lava Cave Tour

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

This lava cave was a cool experience. The guide was OK. not great. Be prepared to climb up and down some steep steps and be deep underground. Also wear sturdy shoes. Don’t go if you are claustrophobic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Deildartunguhver

Iceland

Small area to view. Not a lot to see or do here after you view the hot spring area, which takes about 5 minutes. The best surprise was the Krauma Day Spa which is on site. We had a lovely lunch in the restaurant there. Unfortunately, we were not aware of the spa ahead of time so we didn’t take advantage of the soaking pools.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

We loved Norway. I was impressed by how convenient all the hotels were to all of the activities at each location- i.e. The Scandic Byporten was so convenient to the train, and centrally located to the museums. My favorite hotels were the marina apartment hotel in Flam because of the incredible Fjord view, how it was out away from the main part of town, how quiet it was at night and their restaurant, as well as Gudvangen because of how quiet it was at night, their delicious Fish restaurant and fantastic pizza restaurant and the Viking village and trail to Bakka. The Scandic Voss was great because of its convenient location and the beautiful sauna they had.
My favorite activities were the Floating Sauna in Flam and the ebike ride in Voss. Our ebike guide, Daniel, at Outdoor Norway took us on a fantastic route with varied terrain and taught us a lot of Mountain biking techniques. We enjoyed the kayaking and our guide, Kelly, who was very knowledgeable, but the level of the kayaking was too easy for us. Although it was an enjoyable trip and lovely to be on the Fjord. The Stegastein Viewpoint was incredible, too! We loved it all. The Flam Railway was great, too. I would love to return and experience the Flam Railway when it's less crowded to enjoy all the scenery.
Our initial room at The Scandic Bergen was a dark and noisy room on the airshaft. We were able to request a different room that was on a higher floor and on an outside wall with a nice, little balcony. What a difference! At every hotel the breakfasts were delicious 😋. Thank you for everything! We enjoyed our Kimkim experience.

We had an incredible trip to Finland - with a bonus day trip to Tallinn, Estonia - thanks to Emerson’s expert planning and advice. He made it super easy to plan and prepare for our trip. All accommodations, experiences and transportation were taken care of leaving us to simply enjoy! Our guides in each city were wonderful and the experiences in Rovaniemi were particularly memorable. Thank you Emerson!!

Hotel Reviews

GLO Hotel Art

Helsinki

Beautiful hotel and rooms, great location, delicious breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central

Staff

Super friendly and helpfull

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kakola

Turku

Nice rooms, unique building/history, and food was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overnight Train

Convenient way to travel. Nice to be able to stretch out.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Original Sokos Hotel Arina

Oulu

Convenient location, beautiful private sauna.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Gorgeous room and building, comfortable beds, beautiful private sauna, and good location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfort Hotel® Xpress Helsinki Airport Terminal

Vantaa

Tiny rooms, could use some deep cleaning. Convenient and served its purpose as a quick place to shower and sleep before a super early flight.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tallinn Day Trip

Helsinki

What an awesome city! Our guide Dominic was wonderful - enthusiastic, incredibly knowledgeable, and patient with all our kiddos’ questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canoe Tour

Rovaniemi

Chris was an excellent teacher and guide. We had an amazing time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short Arctic Wilderness Hike (Summer/Autumn)

Rovaniemi

Leo and Pierre were very friendly and knowledgeable. They matched our pace, shared great information, and made the experience fun and enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finnish Sauna Experience

Rovaniemi

Leo was wonderful, setting up the sauna as well as paddle boards for us. We were given plenty of time and privacy to enjoy the sauna and lake as a family. It was beautiful and relaxing. The homemade lunch of salmon soup and blueberry pie was above and beyond!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had an excellent trip and one that I highly recommend. This was Kandy, Nurwara Eliya, Haputale and Ella. The biggest highlight was staying at the Melheim in Haputale. Truly paradise and you can see God's beauty in every corner of the resort. The views were breathtaking! I will go back to Haputale again in a heartbeat. Dhanushka is an excellent person to work with and within 2 days he tailored the holiday I wanted. There were some hiccups but Dhanushka took care of things well. Loved being in all the places and it was a truly magical holiday for me. Pranit was my driver/guide and I highly recommend him. A very careful driver and he was an excellent guide even as we scaled up the Little Adam's peak in Ella and other spots. He took be also to placesof interest like churches. Amazing guy and made me feel safe as a woman. I highly recommend him.

Activity Reviews

Discover Kandy: Temple of the Sacred Tooth visit

Kandy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Nuwara Eliya

Sri Lanka

The Golden Ridge hotel was a great location but the service and overall place in terms of maintenance can be improved.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pranit made this trip so amazing

Transport

Discover Ella

Sri Lanka

Excellent trip and enjoyed the Nine Arches, the various waterfalls and the hike up to Little Adam's peak

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver Pranit

Fantastic trip. Our guide Amnay was incredible, kind and very knowledgable. He took extremely good care of us. Our driver was fantastic. We always felt safe, comfortable and well taken care of. Beautiful country, and can't wait to go back.

This company, especially Tom Christer literally made my dream come true. I had booked this trip in 2019 and had already paid a part of it. Tom, kept contact and waited for me to both manage my new work situation as well as changing finances for "4 YEARS!!!!" They kept my payment and tweaked the tour based on my new needs. I am 67 and was travelling alone in a new country I haven't experienced before. Tom (and the team when he was otherwise busy) had extremely helpful suggestions throughout the trip. I never felt alone and saw wonderful things, ate wonderful food met very interesting people on the way.

They answer every question, you feel you have your private tour guide right next to you during the trip. North Americans must be aware that Europe does not have "coffee cream" (although I found Kaffeflote from Supermarket https://meny.no/varer/meieri-egg/flote/kaffeflote/kaffeflote-10-7038010043307 😁 Hotels were quite comfy, also, North Americans pay attention single room or budget means very narrow one person bed !!! twins were really good and Norway hotels do not have Air Condition !!! This is nobody's fault but if you go in summer you can suffer a bit. The silver lining is you can open windows in Europe which we cannot in the US and Canada, hence, need AC.

I have been to Bergen Trondheim and Tromso, and although I liked all of them my favourite will always be Bergen. I will definitely come again and ask these wonderful people for a new arrangement then. I suggest if you like travelling in Norway, let them guide you without breaking your bank. Thank you very very much for this once in a lifetime trip , which will hopefully be twice or thrice in my lifetime🥰🇳🇴👍

Overall, it was an excellent trip. We loved Portugal! The people are very welcoming. The country is beautiful and very historic. We enjoyed the hills and mountains, rivers and sea, sandy coastline and rocky shores, delicious food and excellent wines. The fresh fish was a real treat! I had never tasted fresh sardines before. Yum!

Lodging:
- The Laranjais in Porto was lovely. Good location in a quiet part of town that was walkable to everything. The rooms were perfect. Comfortable, stylish, and spacious. The yoga mats were a nice touch! We liked the charming style. The service was good.
- The Legendary in Lisbon was comfortable but generic. It was in a nice part of town and walkable to the downtown.

Tours/Excursions:
- The tour guides were all excellent. However, most of the tours started very early and took up the whole day. We should have planned more downtime and time to sleep late since we needed to relax on our vacation!
- In Porto we would have preferred a city tour that showed us the sites, introduced us to the culture, and gave us a briefer introduction to the story of the tiles.
- The Douro Valley was beautiful. The ride on the river was lovely. The wine, vineyards, food were good. It was very hot there, so being in the wine caves was helpful! The first vineyard taught us about tasting. We liked the way they sat us down for a few different varieties with some snacks. The guide in the second vineyard was excellent, and the port was top quality. We loved the graciousness of that space. It was a grand old home.
- We enjoyed the day in Braga and Guimarães. The walk through the grounds of the Bom Jesus do Monte grounds was beautiful. Great views too! We had time to explore the town too. The very old castle in Guimarães was really interesting. Excellent traditional Portuguese lunch with the group!
- We are really glad we asked to see Nazaré! Even though there weren’t any waves at the beach, it was gorgeous! That was our first glimpse of the sea in Portugal. We just wish we had been told that the walk to the beach was 10 minutes from the top where our driver left us to wander around. We didn’t find the path until just before we had to be back at our meeting point. We would have walked on the beach, and I would have gone for a swim! By the way, we drove by Óbidos, but we didn’t stop since we needed to be back in Lisbon by 1 PM.
- The Highlights of Lisbon was a fun tour — mostly driving around with a bit of walking. We got a good sense of the history and the parts of town we wanted to return to (especially Alfama). My husband was excited to learn that the Volta à Espanha / Vuelta a España starts in Lisbon this year. Sadly for us, the first stage started the day after we left.
- The kayaking, snorkeling, caving, and cliff jumping day in Portinho da Arrábida was by far the best day! The tour guide was a great host. Very enthusiastic and energetic. We felt like we were seeing some things that were off the beaten path. It was fabulous to be on the water. He treated us to homemade lunch on the beach afterwards. And he offered us wine and port as well. The water was a perfect temperature and not too rough.
- The palace in Sintra is definitely worth seeing, and the town is beautiful and very old. It’s lovely to walk on the paths in the cool forest. We enjoyed visiting Cascais where we got to wander around to find our own lunch. Then we went for a swim. I am glad we went there, but it was VERY hot!
- We were very happy to have a full morning in Lisbon before leaving for the airport. We got to walk around a bit, although it was very hot (99 degrees F). We got to taste delicious gelato! The night before, we walked from the hotel to Alfama for dinner and back. It was a perfect night. Over 6 miles round trip!

Hotel Reviews

Laranjais Boutique Suites & Apartments Porto

Porto

Highly recommend the Laranjais. It’s a quiet boutique hotel with apartments in a quiet part of the old city of Porto. The rooms are spacious and very comfortable. It’s in 2 old buildings across the street from each other. They are tastefully renovated. Although the hotel does not have a fitness center, they provide yoga mats in each apartment, and there’s plenty of space for exercising. The views out the French windows are charming. Excellent restaurants are just steps away. Breakfast is vegan (which is not required for us, but we appreciate sustainability).

Authenticity & Character

Tastefully renovated.

Location

Quiet part of the old city. Up the hill from the river.

Staff

Gracious and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Just right!

Legendary Lisboa Suites Apartments

Lisbon

The hotel is comfortable but generic. It lacks charm. Also, the bathroom is not ergonomic. The door, sink, and toilet are too close to each other. It’s also a bit outside the old part of town. Next time, we’ll try to find a more interesting place to stay — perhaps in one of the old neighborhoods.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrábida Kayaking & Snorkeling Day Trip

Lisbon

Highly recommend! The beach at Portinho da Arrábida is beautiful. The tour guide is energetic and fun. We loved kayaking, snorkling, cliff jumping (optional, not that high, not so scary), and caving. We also were treated to a simple homemade lunch on the beach afterwards. Plus, we had a chance to swim in the ocean. The sea was calm, and the water was cool and refreshing. The beach was huge and not crowded.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Azulejos Walk

Porto

The Guided Azulejos Walk was too focused on tiles for my taste. While the guide was knowledgeable and took us to interesting places like a guitar shop, the tour was overwhelmingly about tiles. I would have preferred learning more about the city's history, landmarks, and cultural spots, rather than such a specific focus.

Douro Valley Day Trip with Wine Tastings & River Cruise

Porto

The Douro Valley Day Trip was lovely, especially the wine tastings at two different vineyards. It was very hot that day, making the river cruise feel like hot air was being blown in our faces, but the beautiful scenery and welcoming people at the vineyards made up for it. Overall, it was a very enjoyable day.

Sintra Day Trip with Visit to Pena Palace

Lisbon

The Sintra Day Trip was interesting, although very crowded at the palace. We loved the little town and found beautiful paths through the woods, but didn't have enough time to explore them fully. I wish the guide had given us more information about what to do and see in Sintra, as we missed out on some great spots. Nonetheless, it was worth seeing and enjoyable.

We loved the Galapagos! We had originally planned to go in November, but, unfortunately, my father died the day before we were supposed to leave. Alvaro rearranged things and then re-planned an even longer trip for us about 9 months later. The local guides were prompt, friendly and very knowledgeable about the islands.

I just finished my 10-day tour in Japan, with my 18yo daughter. Out itinerary, offered by KimKim, covered Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. We had a wonderful experience overall. Shona, our agent, did an amazing job planning our trip and promptly following up on my questions and inquiries. All the tours and transportations were arranged properly and went smoothly.
There was one confusion at the very beginning, when we mistakenly got a ride from the Narita airport with random driver, instead of designated driver, yet KimKim acknowledged some miscommunication on part of designated driver and fully reimbursed us for the ride. Other than that, we had a wonderful experience - the entire itinerary was offered in a way to get an enriching experiences via day-long tours (like Mt Fuji/Hakone), Kyoto sigh-seeing with private tour guide (Jun was very engaging and knowledgeable), visiting popular tourist attractions, like TeamLabs Borderless, but also allowed some easy relaxing days to explore on our own.
Japan is an amazing country, and KimKim travel can help you get the most of it. Shona also provided me upfront with some good information about customs rules and regulations, traditions and practices of Japan, and other details.
I highly recommend KimKim, and Shona Zhong in particular, for planning a trip to Japan; I assume that planning travel to other destination will as smooth and enjoyable.

Hotel Reviews

Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza gochome

Tokyo

Nice location at the heart of Ginza; friendly stuff. Rooms are small yet clean. Public baths with hot water is a plus. Minute walk from Higashi Ginza station and 7/11, which is very convenient.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel fits very well in overall landscape of Ginza - a modern understatement.

Location

Nice location at the heart of Ginza

Staff

All staff in Japanese hotels are nice and friendly. Mitsui Gardens is no exception

Cleanliness & Comfort

Good overall but pillows comfort could be a bit better. This applies to all the hotels we stayed.

Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

kyoto

Nice hotel overall but location is a bit off the center, unlike the hotel in Tokyo.

Authenticity & Character

Nothing special, but fine overall.

Location

No convenience stores around the area.

Staff

Japanese people hospitality and friendliness is unmatched, including hotel stuff!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pillow comfort is a bit compromised (just as in all other hotels we stayed); otherwise very good

Cross Hotel Osaka

Osaka

Perfect location in the heart of Osaka, few minutes walk to iconic Dotonbori, close to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Perfectly fit the environment - airy and modern.

Location

Perfect location in the heart of Osaka, few minutes walk to iconic Dotonbori, close to everything.

Staff

Cross Hotel personnel is attentive, friendly, and helpful - like all in Japan!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Same story with pillows; other than that nice and clean, and comfortable!

Activity Reviews

1-Day Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tour [Return by train] With Lunch, From Shinjuku

Tokyo

Very nice trip; unfortunately the foggy weather did not allow to see Mt Fuji in all of its beauty. Cable car ride to the top was a huge relief - a breath of fresh cool air comparing to hot and humid weather down there. I would not say that TK (guide) storytelling style was extremely fascinating but still he provided with adequate information and overall he kept the the tour at just right pace. I must admit I did not like much the canteen-style lunch experience, and food quality was just okay. The performance of traditional Japanese drummers did brighten up the things though.

Quality of Experience

Sheer beauty of the nature, escape from hustle and bustle of Tokyo

Food

I must admit I am not a big fan of Japanese food, so my opinion here is highly subjective. I felt the soup was a bit too greasy, and the rest tasted quite bland.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

TK is knowledgeable but his narrative style is a bit dry.

Transport

Bus ride was good, safe, and seamless

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Unforgettable and unusual peek at Japanese tradition through real participation!

Quality of Experience

Recreation of things that I heard about before and considered exotic and fascinating.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staffers and master of ceremony made this experience truly remarkable.

Transport

Not applicable - self transfer (we took a taxi).

Kyoto's Cultural Treasures: Fushimi Inari-Taisha, Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji

Japan

Very interesting tour; Jun is knowledgeable and engaging; it is a big advantage to have a private guide so we learned many things through easy and laid-back conversations. The visited shrines and temples are amazing. However, heat was excruciating, and hopping between buses, trains, and walks contributed to our exhaustion and took away from otherwise wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

All visited temples and shrines were fascinating; the guide explained many things and gave us some insight into the Japanese history!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jun was friendly, engaging, and easy going - we learned a lot from him!

Transport

I'd prefer private driver vs hopping between public transports and relatively long walks, especially during summer months.

Tricia planned a great multisport (glacier, hiking, biking, rafting, ziplining...) weeklong trip for our family into the fjords for us at the very last minute. We didn't decide to go until two weeks before departure and it was at the height of season! She worked quickly and found us accommodation where there seemed to be none. She found activities for the varying interests and abilities of our family and then juggled booking those tours and activities that all seemed to be all booked up when I checked. Tricia, Tom and the team also were readily available to handle and solve the small issues that arose during the trip and kept those irritations to a minimum. We had a lovely trip and could not have done it without Tricia. It was a pleasure and easy to work with her and she put together a great itinerary for us with lightening speed. Highly recommended.

This trip was a dream and planned absolutely perfectly. Aleksandra at KimKim planned the perfect activities for our group and made everything so smooth and easy for us. We literally just had to show up. She took the stress out of traveling. We went to England, Scotland and Ireland and loved it all. Our favorite was Scotland, particularly the Inverness area, and it's due to the best travel guide I've ever experienced -- Sandy. He was so knowledgeable and entertaining, I wish he could have stayed on for the whole trip. ha.

I would 100% recommend KimKim, and have already spread the word to anyone who will listen. I'm planning another trip for next year and will absolutely use them again then and in the future.

We absolutely loved the guided food tour in Athens. Our guide Alexandra was very nice and knowledgeable and easy to talk to. The hotels were in great locations.
We loved the islands!

Hotel Reviews

Perianth Hotel

Athens

Great location, very clean, good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Liostasi Hotel & Suites Ios

Cyclades

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

You And Me Suites

Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sounio & Temple of Poseidon Excursion (5 hrs)

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tailored Horse Riding Experience at Sunset

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mylopotas Beach Free day!

Ios

Quality of Experience

Acropolis & Flavors Combo Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We guide you in the Past

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diamond Caldera Morning Cruise

Santorini

Don't offer this to clients. More than 20 guests despite being a small group tour (supposed to be less than 20 guests). Staff are rude. Very strict rules once onboard. No getting onto the boat wet after swimming, can't wear sunscreen, can't use the onboard bathrooms, can't have a towel, can't sit down inside the covered areas of boat, BBQ food was dry & overcooked. Stopped at swimming areas for very very short amount of time so there wasn't enough time for all on board to get in and out again.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was late at pick up. Driver went in circles at the end, I think he was lost.

The Trip was fantastic. The sites and food recommendation was spot on. We loved how everything was planned out each day. Especially since we did a lot of driving, so it was great to have a pre loaded itinerary with google maps. There was a lot of information that our guide gave us with regards to the sites and restaurants. We had total freedom to pick and choose where we went and what we saw. the tours were very fun and the local guides were so nice and accommodating.

Hotel Reviews

Hótel Klaustur

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

clean and comfy

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Skuggi Hotel Reykjavík by Keahotels

Reykjavík

Great Hotel. Clean and comfy. Breakfast was ok.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Stykkishólmur

Stykkishólmur

Very nice hotel. Clean and amazing breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel South Coast

Selfoss

Clean and comfy

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

very relaxing and staff were very nice. Love how quiet it is.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatnshellir lava cave tour

Iceland

Very cool and guide was very funny

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rye Bread tour (Geothermal bakery)

Iceland

delicious !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reykjavik Food Walk

Reykjavík

Got to experience some cool restaurants and food. One stop was a hotdog. Could of had something else there since thats so easy to get . Other than that our guide was great and food was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Silfra Snorkeling

Iceland

Great guide and staff. Wish it was longer. really cool experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katla Ice Cave Superjeep tour

Iceland

Great hike with amazing scenery. wasnt really a cave tour. More of a glacier hike. We went in a tunnel of ice for like 5 seconds. Still great to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puffin watching tour at the Ingolfshofdi cape

Iceland

Scenery was surreal. Got really close to the puffin. I wish i had my professional camera.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our agent Antonia did a fabulous job planning a terrific trip to Slovenia and Croatia. It was action-packed with lots of adventure -- canyoning, paragliding, hiking, etc. -- and we were able to see all the highlights. What I most appreciate about KimKim was the way that Antonia was in constant touch with us during the trip -- making dinner reservations, suggesting additional places to visit, trouble-shooting, and, most importantly, helping us avoid a large fine (and get back on track) when we accidentally made a detour into Austria. The other guides Antonia arranged for us were also terrific and highly knowledgeable -- Luka on Debela Peč and Tara at Plitvice Lakes -- and we appreciated the suggestion that we meet a beekeeper.

Hotel Reviews

AS BOUTIQUE HOTEL

Ljubljana

This hotel was the best of our trip. It was cute, perfectly located, nestled in a courtyard off the street, and the staff was wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Residence Rovinj&

Rovinj

The hotel was nice enough, but it would have been better to be closer in to town, and this one was probably our least favorite because the beds were hard.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

16 Lakes Hotel

Rakovica

I wish we could have spent more time here to take advantage of all the amenities. The hotel was adorable & our room was quite large (& not just because it had 3 beds). The restaurant was excellent, which was nice because we got in so late.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Esplanade Zagreb Hotel

Zagreb

This might have been our least favorite hotel. The bathrooms were inconveniently laid out & the bathroom door was wobbly & loud. The vibe wasn't as nice as the other, more modern, hotels, and the food at the restaurant was just mediocre. Check-in & check-out took so much longer than everywhere else & the staff wasn't particularly friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bled Rose

Bled

A great hotel. Great food, felt luxurious (our room was huge, but my daughter's not so much). The location was perfect -- right on the lake, but with parking. The staff was helpful, and the breakfast was terrific. My only complaint was that, for a luxury hotel, they missed on a few details: the cosmetics mirror was broken in our room, as was the toilet paper holder (which meant the paper kept falling off onto the floor).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Honey Tour with Local Beekeeper

Slovenia

The kids (young adults) loved this activity & were fascinated. Our host was excellent & informative & we learned a lot about bees & beekeeping from her. The honey-tasting was fun and educational as well. My one complaint was that there wasn't enough time scheduled for this event. While it only took one hour for the tour & discussion, we were supposed to arrive early for our next activity at 11 & that meant that we didn't have enough time for the honey-tasting or to try anything at the honey cafe. This event shouldn't be scheduled so close to another timed event, as most people would need at least 90 minutes at the beekeeper's shop and possibly close to 2 hours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hike to Debela Peč Mountain

Slovenia

This was a fantastic, rigorous hike. Our guide, Luka, was knowledgeable about the whole area & taught us a lot (& he was pretty easy on the eyes too!). It was nice having him to guide us, as selecting the path could get a bit confusing. As athletic as he was, he was also good at adjusting his pace to ours. I'm glad we summitted by one route & came down by another. The view from the top was amazing. The mountain hut was also perfectly placed for a good -- and seemingly authentic -- snack on the way down. I'm also glad we started early because, even though rain didn't turn out to be an issue, that left us sufficient time to explore more of Bled in the afternoon.

Canyoning Experience in Slovenia

Bovec

This was a terrific experience & the kids loved it. People should be warned that one not only needs to be fit for the experience, but REALLY fit (although I managed at age 66). I might have preferred to start this activity somewhat earlier in the day because, with a 4:30 pm start, it got a little chilly -- & rushed -- toward the end. One of the guides was great (Peter?) -- kind, encouraging, & sweet -- but the other was a little pushy & negative with the members of the group, who were a bit more cautious (all women). He kept complaining that the group was too large, but that wasn't our fault.

Tandem Paragliding over the Soča Valley

Bovec

This activity was wonderful. It was exciting & just generally delightful. We all loved most of our guides -- Martin, Joseph, & Mimi (not so much Robert) -- & they were determined to make the experience fun. I will admit that I had trouble getting off the ground & my tandem guide (Robert) got pretty snappy about the way I kept falling & screwing up our launch. Fortunately, Mimi (the driver) insisted that there was no quitting in paragliding & she gave me some encouragement & feedback that, ultimately, helped me get airborne with Robert on our 5th try. We also learned a lot from all the guides -- about paragliding, about Slovenia & Slovenian history, & about the impact of climate change on paragliding.

Private Guided Hike of Plitvice Lakes National Park - (Lower & Upper Lakes)

Slovenia

Plitvice is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, & we loved the hike. We were delighted with the K Hike because a significant portion of the trail took us away from the crowds (which were the only downside to Plitvice). We really enjoyed hiking with Tara, although it was clear that she was a knowledgeable guide & a sweet young women, but not a great or experienced hiker. She struggled with the uphill portion of the K hike. But she pushed through, which was impressive.

There are not enough superlatives in the English language to describe our experience in building our adventure in the country of England with KimKim. From building of the itinerary and activities to actually traveling the itinerary all was flawless, fabulous and fun.

Through the Kimkim platform we were paired with Megan Lloyd. Megan took the time to have a phone call with us to suss out more details about us, what type of experience we desired, interests, hobbies, etc. This interaction was special and I believe truly helped create a very tailored and unique experience. It also further allowed Megan and her team to make additional suggestions and changes to our itinerary including experiences and places we had not considered. The best example of this is the inclusion of a visit up to the Lakes District including the Yorkshire Dales and how to fit in Hadrian's Wall. We had not given this consideration at the start. In hindsight, this was brilliant! We would not have changed a thing with our itinerary, other than wishing we had more days as ultimately none of our stays was long enough! (We spend approximately 5 weeks in England.)

We requested and had many day trips with guides. Again, we were paired via Megan and her team with wonderful, personable guides. This allowed us to make a home base in a city and take various day trips to other places, sights and villages in the area. More importantly, it provided us with a local expert who could also help educate us on the culture, guide us on further reading or places to explore and provide tips on where to dine. We loved each and every one of them.

The good news is we like to travel and London is a direct flight for us from Phoenix. As a result of the help and incredible details put together and waiting for us upon check in at our first city stop in London by Megan, we have a new favorite city and a convenient place to stop and recover from jet lag before continuing travels further. London was our first city of five visited during our five weeks in England and we spent a little more than one week there exploring. Upon check in at our hotel, we were given a package that Megan and her team had assembled which was our very detailed roadmap for the entire visit, including all our train tickets and entrance tickets as needed. This road map also included some history of the city and a list of suggested places to dine. This truly simplified navigating new places and helped reduce stress levels of being in new places.

All I can say is Megan and her team rock! Thank you for an amazing five weeks in England.

Elizabeth and Robert

We really had a good time. Elise was fantastic and on top of everything.It rained quite a bit, but that made the waterfalls more spectacular. We did the bicycle ride ride after we hiked dow from the gondola ride in Voss and it as quite fantastic. We also loved the floating sauna in Flam. We were disappointed with our room in Bergen and we had words with management, but that had nothing to do with Kimkim. So overall we thought it was a great way to see Norway. If the Kimkim team would like to suggest a trip through Denmark, Sweden and Norway for about 3-4 weeks at the end of next summer that included all the same activities, I'd love to hear about it. Thank you again.

Michael and Tamara

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Byporten

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåm Marina

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gudvangen Fjordtell

Gudvangen

A bit run down, but easy access to some wonderful sights. Wishing it was easier to rent bicycles there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy access to someamazing waterfalls.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Voss

Voss

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

It was busy. The staff was the most rude here. Theye put us in a back facing room that stank of Chinese food from the restaurant behind us. Also there was construction going on and the tube for the debris ran next to our room so every 15 minutes there was a loud rumbling right past our window and a crash of glass and bottles into a dumpster. I asked to move and the young assistant gave me a hard time, but eventually gave us a better room and it made a difference.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the train up the hill, although we walked up.

Staff

One of the staff was a bit rude. The other was very superficiaL.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Floating Sauna Experience

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Summer Kayaking Excursion

Flåm

Some inexperienced paddlers and younger childre limited how far we could go, however it was still a nice experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Wellput together overall. The Scandic chain was very nice and accomodating overall.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stegastein Viewpoint by Bus

Norway

Wonderful lookout. Wild ride!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was excellent at manuevering his bus.

Transport

Viking Day in Gudvangen

Gudvangen

Fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

N.A.

Gondola Ride in Voss

Voss

Fogged in and couldn't see. We walked down.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

E-Mountain Bike Guided Tour

Voss

The guide was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was excellent.

Transport

Return to Oslo, Explore

Oslo

Neededmore time in Oslo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I usually do all of my own planning for trips to save money. In Costa Rica, I wanted to see the Turtles on the Carribbean side of Costa Rica, my husband is a geologist so the volcanoes were of interest, and our daughter wanted to surf in the Pacific. We had nine days to manage this so we needed a car for a portion of our trip. I knew a boat transfer was necessary to get to Tortuguero but was a bit confused about what to expect and how to book it. When I contacted KimKim, Olman was really helpful. He explained that it was more expensive to book many things on our own and after comparing prices, he was right, it was more affordable to go through KimKim and absolutely less hassle! Olman asked what we wanted to do and he put it all together. The price was a bit higher than what we wanted to spend so I asked for a manual shift car and a hotel change, which brought the price into line. A driver met us at the airport and took us to our hotel in San Jose. In the morning another driver took us to the dock in Tortuguero for our 1 hour and 40 minute boat ride to the eco lodge. A jungle walk, open lagoon boat tour, and boat to town was included with our hotel plus all three meals daily. We booked a night-time turtle tour and saw a 250lb. turtle laying her eggs and then using her flippers to camouflage her nest. It was a dream come true for me to see this. After Tortuguero, we traveled by boat to the docks then to Guapiles by motor-coach for lunch and to pick our car that had all fees paid and was gassed up and ready to go. Our hotel in La Fortuna was at the top of a hill with a wall of windows for a perfect view of Arenal Volcano. We took a mud bath there and swam in mineral hot springs. Our next day took us to 7 zip lines over the tree tops and then a walk with hanging bridges to see the flora and fauna at Misitco Park. After two nights we made our way to Tamarindo where we stayed on the hillside with a cooling breeze and an infinity pool. Our daughter got in 3 days of surfing and we all took a snorkel sunset cruise. All of our accommodations were top notch and the food was great at all of them. Our drivers met us as expected. The tours were all good and safe (zip-lining!). The Costa Rican's are happy, helpful and appreciate tourists. The country is beautiful and still wild. Go to see the turtles, monkeys, sloths and colorful birds. There is so much to do. Contact Olman because he will very graciously work with you to put together an affordable trip of a lifetime. I now need to see the turtle hatchlings make their way to the sea, so I will be booking another trip soon (and I will feel very safe traveling there by myself using drivers) and I will book through KimKim and Olman again!

Hotel Reviews

Wyndham

Tamarindo

The room was big and the beds very comfortable. Loved the pool and swim up bar.

Authenticity & Character

Open air lobby overlooking the ocean.

Location

Located at the top of the hill there was a nice cool breeze.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Inn San José by Radisson

San José

Beds were very comfortable and restaurant food was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pachira Lodge

Tortuguero

Pachira Lodge has their own boardwalk through the jungle where you will see monkeys, sloths and poison frogs! Three meals are served here and there is good variety and it all tastes delicious. We sat at each meal with another family to fill our table and it was fun getting to know them. Eco lodges do not have air conditioning but the overhead fan cools the room down at night where you will use a blanket.

Authenticity & Character

It's an eco lodge with monkeys playing in the trees.

Location

Staff

Oliver

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was as expected. Beds were comfortable.

Montaña de Fuego Mountain Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

The glass walls made for a fabulous view of the volcano.

Authenticity & Character

It was one of the coolest rooms we ever stayed in with the big windows overlooking the volcano.

Location

Staff

Joseph was very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great air conditioning and big towels for the springs.

Activity Reviews

Enjoy the Beauty of Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero

Turtles, Turtles, Turtles. And monkeys, sloths, frogs and colorful birds. I need to go back. Soon!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All drivers and staff were very helpful and kind.

Transport

Very efficient.

Arenal Volcano Extreme Zipline

Arenal/La Fortuna

7 ziplines!!! Lot's of staff to help everyone. They were wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff