Kimkim Trip Reviews

Amazing trip in Guatemala. Alex was excellent at organizing the trip and making sure we would feel safe and taken care of during the entire trip. Rudy was our local guide - very knowledgeable and helpful, always smiling and supportive. It was an outstanding trip in a beautiful country. Swimming in Lake Attitlan was one of the best and fulfilling experiences...

We spent amazing 12 days in Perú. We traveled to Lima, Cusco, Valle Sagrado and Puno. We spent the most of the time with Emilia, our guide in Cusco and Valle Sagrado and she was wonderful!

Everything was very well planned. Thanks for a great vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Casa República

Barranco, Lima

Comfortable room in a beautiful area. Loved that it had demos and activities everyday. We learned how to make a ceviche and how to prepapre a pisco sour. Staff was very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to restaurants and main Barranco area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Abittare Hotels

Cusco

We spent the majority of the trip at this hotel. Good location. The first room we had was small. But the second time we stayed there, out room was bigger. Breakfast could use more options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mapi by Inkaterra

Cusco

Only spent one night here on the way to Macchu Picchu. The hotel was very busy. Appreciated that they deliver the bags straight to the train station after check out. Room was comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel

Cusco

Hidden gem right off the train station. Beautiful ambiance and great breakfast. Rooms were big.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GHL Hotel Lago Titicaca Puno

Lago Titicaca, Puno

Very comfortable pillows!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lima Food Tour - (PM Tour)

Peru

Our guide was wonderful. We visited some wonderful restaurants and had the best tiradito. Great way to start our 12-day journey and introduce Peruvian cuisine.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historic Center & Larco Museum

Peru

Wonderful and knowledgeable guide. Larco Museum is incredible. Wish this tour included more about Perú's 2 saints.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cusco Tour

Peru

Emilia, our guide, was very knowledgeable. Dont miss this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Moray and Maras Tour

Peru

You get to learn about the Incas and agriculture. The salt mines are very cool. Worth the Trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wolfgang did a great job planning our trip and adjusting with our wants. We had some rental car issues when we tried to pick up our car, and Wolfgang jumped right in to try and help us out quickly.

The most memorable part was definitely Wolfgang’s recommendation to do a day trip to Inishmore, while on the west coast to view the Cliffs of Moher. That experience was probably our favorite of the whole trip!

We just arrived back in the USA after three wonderful weeks in Austria. With the help of both Tomaz and Zala, our Austrian assigned travel specialists, we visited Zell Am See, Kitzbuhel, Salzburg, Graz and Vienna. Throughout the stays in the amazing cities we had many day trips and excursions. Thank you Tomaz and Zala!

From Zell Am See, our driver / guide David took us along the Grossglockner road and up to the Grossglockner glacier and National Park and down the other side of the mountain to Heilegeblut. What a spectacular ride with exquisite views and highly educational at the National Park. David is a wonderful guide as he is from the area and quite knowledgable. Another activity suggested by Tomaz and Zala was the Top of Salzburg which was an amazing adventure taking at least 4 ski lifts / cable cars taking about 1&1/2 hours up to the top of the Kitzhorn. We were up on a glacier and experienced the first ski lift built into a glacier. Again, there is a museum to visit which is informative along with spectacular views. An experience like none other.

In Salzburg, we started our trip in the birthplace of Mozart at an evening Mozart string performance and two opera singers in one of the oldest buildings in Salzburg, dating from the 900's. We highly recommend such an experience in Salzburg. We also enjoyed a walking tour of historic old town Salzburg which helped us improve our understanding of the history and architecture and better directed our sightseeing during our remaining stay. One of the highlights was our visit to the Salt mine (Salzburg means Salt area) near Hallstatt. Along the way our very kind, knowledgeable driver took us through beautiful villages and made stops along the way.

Graz was truly a find and not heavily touristed which is refreshing. From here we did two days of traveling to wine regions with our guide David. Have to say, the Austrian and Slovenian (both Styrian regions) white wines are delicious but not well known. We came away converts and cannot say enough nice words about our guide David as he entertained all our ignorant questions and helped us better understand history and culture.

Vienna was our last stop and a city not to be missed. One of the highlights was a food tour guided by Peter. We knew enough to only have some fruit for breakfast which was a good call as 7 hours later we returned back to the hotel with belts way too tight! We liked one of the stops so much we returned the next evening for our last meal in Vienna before heading back to the USA.

This trip marks our fourth time utilizing KimKim, so clearly we think highly of the company. We very much appreciate being taken care of by a local company / individual and have not been disappointed in the level of service and ideas presented. We will be back for more adventures utilizing KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Grüner Baum Zell am See

Zell am See

This hotel is in an excellent location for walking all over the small village of Zell and very convenient to walk to/from the train station with luggage. Rooms are quite spacious and the staff is very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Typical Tyrolian architecture with a lot of wood and beautiful flowers.

Location

Staff

Big smiles and very friendly. They knew our room number when checking in for breakfast after the first day and think about how many customers they meet daily!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Schwarzer Adler Kitzbühel

Kitzbühel

This hotel is near the old historic city center and is exquisite. We were greeted with a glass of Prosecco and made to feel as though we were the most important clients. The hotel is exquisite and a wonderful place to unwind and relax with a roof tip pool including great views and a bar.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful, old historic building.

Location

Easy access to the city center but a taxi is required from the train station.

Staff

We felt right at home and it was hard to leave

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel IMLAUER & Bräu

Salzburg

Very convenient location to the train station. An easy walk with luggage. And also very easy walk into the city and the historic old town of Salzburg across the river. The staff is quite friendly and helpful making recommendations on where to eat and the easiest way to walk and begin exploring the city. The hotel has a beer garden attached to the restaurant which is lovely and shaded. Restaurant serves authentic Austrian dishes and the breakfast buffet is extensive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais-Hotel Erzherzog Johann 4*

Graz

This hotel is right at the one of the main squares of the historic area of Graz and an easy walk to get to the top of the hill overlooking Graz. Staff is friendly and as usual, they all speak multiple languages so will gladly accommodate the visitor. The trams are right out the door so it is easy to travel around the city if your feet are too tired.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Stefanie

Vienna

Hotel Stefanie is the oldest hotel in Vienna, located in the second district so there is a lot of history packed into the hotel, the city and the district. Very easy to walk across the Danube canal right into the historic city center, about a 10 minute walk. And once across the canal, the metro and trams are all available again making it easy to travel around the area. Staff is immaculate and friendly. This is an "old fashion" hotel in that the room keys are gigantic so you give your key to the staff when leaving the hotel. Amazingly, they have it ready for you with a smile on their face upon your return. So, very friendly and helpful staff. The rooms are far from "old fashion" and are well appointed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Zell am See on your own

Zell Am See

Started the day with a leisurely boat ride around the lake, approximately 1&1/4 hour. Then, we actually walked around the lake following the walking path. It is about 10 miles total around the lake but there are small little hamlets along the way with restaurants and toilets combined with beautiful views. Spent the remainder of the day wandering the village of Zell am See and having a beer lakeside around 5:30pm.

Top of Salzburg

Zell Am See

This was a highlight and the experiences was very unanticipated. The day started out cloudy and rainy so we debated going as we were certain the views would not be visible given the clouds. But, one never knows so we boarded the bus to Kaprun, about 10km. Ultimately, we then spent the next 1&1/2 hours traveling via 4 different ski cable cars up to the top of the mountain, the Spitz Einhorn. Miraculously, the clouds went during our transport up the mountainside so we were treated with a preview of outlooks to come and could hear the bells of the cattle below us and the sounds of the mountain streams rushing downhill. At the top of the Spitz Einhorn there is plenty to see and do. Ultimately, an amazing day.

Graz City Tour

Graz

This was a small group tour led by an employee of the Graz Tourist Information office. We recommend this tour as it helps you truly look at the buildings and architecture in a different way and truly see them. Lots of stories and history provided as well as tips on where to stop for ice cream and other delicacies.

Classic Concert in Salzburg with dinner

Salzburg

Highly recommend as Salzburg is all about the music and Mozart.

Hallstatt Salt Mine

Austria

This was an unexpected surprise. The mine is an active mine, still used today and has been in use for about 8,000 years. The old original remains are visible and the history is explained along the way. It is a bit "disneyland" but nonetheless an excellent experience tailored to both children and adults. We had a private driver to get us from Salzburg to the mine and had time to wander around Hallstatt afterwards. Hallstatt is picturesque, just like in the guidebooks. But, very crowded.

Day trip to Slovenian Styrian region (Ptuj and Maribor) - the oldest vine in the world!

Graz

David took us wine tasting two days in a row. The first day was to the Syrian region of Austria near the Slovenian border. This particular trip was into Slovenia, our first time into the country of Slovenia. Beautiful and picturesque given the steep rocky hills, vines and trees. Delightful wines. And both Maribor with the oldest vine in the world and Ptuj with the castle were beautiful. The wine was an added bonus.

Vienna's Sweet and Savory Food Scene

Vienna

Our guide Peter provided us with both history of Vienna, explained the architecture and also helped us understand the importance of the foods / beverages we were tasting. So, overall a very educational and delicious tour. We spent about 7 hours total which included a lot of walking and the riding the metro into local neighborhoods with no tourists. This was refreshing as we could see everyday life. One of our stops was at a local market which was amazing to the sense for the sounds, sights, and smells. Highly recommend this tour if you like food and history. This company limits the size of the group and there were 8 of us including Peter.

Wachau Valley with wine tasting - group tour

Vienna

If you like wine and tasting and learning about new wines, this is a good day trip. The company limits the size of the group, there were 6 of us on this trip with 2 guides. We drove for about 1 hour outside of Vienna into the Wachau Valley with explanations along the way. We stopped at two wineries total, one before lunch and the second after lunch. Lunch was at a typical Heuriger which was excellent and unexpected. We had wanted to visit a Heuriger but were unsure of how to do this without a car so this solved the issue. After the second wine visit, we boarded a river steamboat and cruised the Danube to Melk, ending with a beautiful view of the Melk Abbey. Then returned to Vienna. A fun filled, delicious day.

Jane and the staff at Kimkim were absolutely amazing. From beginning to end, they were there to help my husband, and I create the perfect 2-week trip to Scotland and Ireland. they listened to what we wanted and gave us suggestions and helpful tips to make our vacation truly a dream come true! We will definitely book through Kimkim again when we decide to take another trip of a lifetime.

Hotel Reviews

Redcliff Hotel

Inverness

Super cute family run place. The staff was super friendly and helpful and welcoming! The food was delicious as well!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eden Locke

Edinburgh

Right in the heart of New Town! Great accommodations, and great stuff! We would stay here again for sure!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super cute and comfortable accommodations and very clean!

The Argyll Guest House

Glasgow

It was a bit confusing checking in, but we figured it out really quickly. We had to check in across the street from where we actually stayed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maldron Hotel Shandon

Co. Cork

It was very comfortable and clean. The staff was very helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We walked everywhere! Great location.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gleann Fia Country House

Killarney

We fell in love with this place! The owners were so very friendly and helpful! Beautiful grounds and the rooms were so cute, and the bathrooms were updated, and everything was very clean.

Authenticity & Character

The whole place was so warm and inviting. It was so nice to come back and have a drink and relax. The breakfast was top notch. Just about everything was made from scratch and sources from local farmer and venders.

Location

Staff

The staff were such a joy!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Connacht Hotel

Galway

It was super clean and comfortable. The beds were comfortable, and our room was very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Academy Plaza Hotel

Dublin

Great location in Dublin. We walked everywhere. The rooms were nice and the beds were super comfy. We would stay here again! The bar and restaurant were very good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

Highly recommended! This was the best way to see Edinburgh! Our guide was amazing and super knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip was amazing. Our local travel specialist, Dhanushka was attentive to our needs and planned a great trip for us. We wanted an active trip and Dhanushka definitely delivered. All of the activities and hotels he picked were excellent. From our elephant safari to our white-water rafting and jungle trekking, everything was amazing. The sites around Sri Lanka were awesome to see as well. The rock fortress, ancient sites and cave temple were a joy to witness.

Although Dhanushka planned a great trip, I'm not sure this trip would have been as amazing without our extremely awesome driver and guide AJ. Out of all of our travels, I have to say that AJ has been the best travel guide we have ever had. He was so personable and made our trip amazing. My wife and I felt like we had a family member taking us around Sri Lanka. AJ was very knowledgeable on all things Sri Lankan and made us feel so at ease. I believe he went above and beyond his duties to ensure we had a great vacation.

I would definitely recommend the KimKim Team and Dhanushka for your travel destinations. And if you're going to Sri Lanka, it is a must that you request AJ as your travel guide. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you,
Melvin and Lisa

Activity Reviews

Arrive in Negombo

Negombo

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver and guide Aj was amazing

Transport

AJ was our driver and he was awesome

Explore the Dambulla Cave Temple Complex

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Family activity - Rural Village Trail in Habarana (Cycling, Boat Trip & Lunch)

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Safari in Minneriya National Park

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sinharaja rain forest, The biodiversity hot spot in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

White Water Rafting in Kitulgala

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy the stay in Maldives

Maldives

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainforest trail in Kitulgala

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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.