Kimkim Trip Reviews

From the start, our specialist, Aggeliki, was excellent to work with. First she advised me what time of year would be best for travel to Crete (a very important thing to start off with). She modified the "pre-packaged" Crete tour to accommodate our specific interests (which were less hiking, more beaches, and food!). She answered questions about the tours offered so we could select what we liked, and also managed to fit in one final desired excursion on the day of our return flight to Athens. The excursions were fantastic: 3 were private --via Land Rover or sailboat-- and two were as part of a group of 10-12. All of the trips included beautiful countryside en route to their destinations. The sailboat to Gramvousa and Balos was the MOST amazing experience: cobalt blue waters turning into crystal clear turquoise blue as we approached the islands.
The best thing about working with Aggeliki was her immediate availability. We ran into a couple of minor snags (missed communication with one of our drivers; incomplete pass code information provided by one hotel to gain entrance to our suite) and she was there, literally in seconds (via text) facilitating their solution. It was so reassuring to know we had the kimkim team, and specifically Aggeliki there to manage any concerns we had (which as I will reiterate, were very few for an 8-day/7 night trip to Chania, Crete, from Athens)
I cannot overstate how pleased we were with the whole experience. I had always been the personal planner for my family and friends' excursions, but after a disappointing Jamaican holiday last December I decided to try a travel agency. I am so glad I did. My friend, my sister-in-law, and I agree this was the trip of a lifetime, perfect, and well worth the price!!!

Hotel Reviews

Athens Woo Suites

Athens

Friendly staff, lovely suite, excellent location in Plaka district.

Location

walkable to shops and eateries, views of the Acropolis

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mirabile Luxury Suites Chania

Chania, Crete

The suites are ideally located in the town, one can walk across a street and be in the bustling Venetian Harbor section of shops and restaurants. The suites are modern, clean, comfortable and the soundproofing provided by the balcony doors was amazing. As noted, the Suites are in the center of a bustling area of town, but shutting the balcony doors brought quiet to the rooms. The breakfasts were huge: 5 or 6 choices of prepackaged meals were delivered in a picnic basket to our door every morning.

Authenticity & Character

I'm not sure what authenticity and character means, so I will say these were nice, modern, well maintained accommodations. We were a reserved party of three in a two floor suite set up for only 2 people, so we needed to secure more room keys, another chair for the balcony, more coffee mugs and wine and water glasses and bathrobes, etc.

Location

Right in the heart of the town

Staff

The first desk receptionist would not give us (3 adult women) more than one room key. The second one was much more accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The housekeeper was wonderful, she tried very hard to make and keep us comfortable

Monsieur Didot

Athens

Very nice suite, we arrived late, so were only in it to sleep on our way to the airport the next AM

Location

Activity Reviews

Full Day PRIVATE Sunset Cruise to BALOS beach and GRAMVOUSA island

Chania

Omigod!!! Take this trip! We modified our stops to exchange Balos for a small, uninhabited island called (phonetically) Eye-You-Sostisee. Skipper Andreas and first mate Kelly were fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The “Make Them Jealous” Trip: Elafonisi Island & Falasarna Beach

Greece

We liked Elafonisi so well we declined to go to Falasarna, and spent the whole day at the first stop.

Quality of Experience

beautiful water and beach

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very informative

Transport

very comfortable car

Luxury Jeep Tour to Manousakis Vineyard & Winery

Greece

Our driver, Christos, was very knowledgeable. He took us through the vineyards and showed us some beautiful views of the mountains and the sea in the process. The winery was pleasant, the meal was also fine. I didn't much care for the wines they made, which is the only reason I didn't give 5 stars. The excursion was very enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Christos really knew a lot about Crete, and about the flora and fauna.

Transport

Super comfy Land Rover

The Real Cretan Cooking Experience

Chania

Our tour guide, Alex, really made this experience something special. He shared so much cultural, historical, and anecodotal information driving to the villa? estate? where we had the cooking class that the travel time flew by. The site for the class was a gorgeous complex with the fanciest "portapotty" I've ever seen. We fed mulberry leaves to some sheep, we made stuff vegetables and hand pies, and then we ate a luscious meal of meat, potatoes, sald and our stuffed vegetables and pies. I'm sure there was some delicious dessert but after all the wine and raki....I'm not sure. It was a late night returning about 11PM.

Quality of Experience

Food

The things we made, and everything else we were served.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comfy bus with A/C

The Miracle of Wine & Olive Oil

Chania

visits to two winereis, one of which is also an oil oil production facility, and a visit to the olive tree that has been the source of Olymic Games olive wreathes since, well, forever.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Perhaps because this was our last tour, and we had such excellent guides, we were a bit underwhelmed by our driver who didn't really warm up until we got to our first destination, so the initial bus trip, and the return, were all silent.

Transport

Same smallish, comfy bus as for the cooking tour

We were very pleased with our trip designed by Kim Kim .Megan was our specialist and she was so easy to communicate with even with the time zone difference.
Winnie with Wanderlust voyages was also available for questions during our trip and responded promptly.
Our accommodations were varied and lovely.
Our driver Khalid Khouati was wonderful.
The tour guides arranged for us at various places were personable and knowledgeable and we never felt rushed.
Thank you everyone.

We don't like organized tours but do enjoy someone doing the planning for us -- and kimkim was the perfect choice. The process of putting together a travel itinerary via emails was easy, and the kimkim people did a great job incorporating our own desires and aims with ideas of their own, which we listened to because, of course, they had matched us up with guides who actually live in Japan and know the country well. It was odd never speaking to a human -- and for awhile we wondered if we were dealing with chatbots -- but, magically, every single driver showed up, every single guide showed up when they were supposed to. There was one glitch in a train station (and Japanese train stations are CRAZY-CHAOTIC), but they worked with us in real time to get things fixed and even summoned a taxi for us, telling us the plate number so we'd recognize it. They were responsive and helpful at every turn and twist of the journey.....and they were willing to tweak our itinerary on the fly, which was very helpful. We loved having independence but didn't feel alone at any time. We definitely will use them again!

Hotel Review

Rengejo-in

koya

Our stay at Rengejo-in monastery in Mount Koya was a highlight of the trip. We were given an incredibly spacious and luxurious room dubbed the 'Silent Forest,' with fantastic amenities like a private garden view. The experience was spiritual and beautiful, including a morning chant with monks. It was unlike anything we expected and absolutely memorable.

Activity Reviews

Half day Experience Traditional Japanese Gardens With Japanese garden designer

Kyoto

The half-day experience with a traditional Japanese garden designer in Kyoto was absolutely amazing. Our guide, an expat landscape architect, shared incredible insights about Zen gardening, its aesthetics, and cultural nuances. It was a truly enriching experience, learning the history and philosophy behind Japanese gardens. I highly recommend this tour!

Tea Ceremony in Kyoto FLOWER TEAHOUSE

Kyoto

The tea ceremony at the Flower Teahouse in Kyoto was a fascinating and unique experience. We were unexpectedly upgraded to a private ceremony, which added a special touch. The hosts dressed me in a traditional outfit and my wife loved the entire experience. It was educational, and the location in the Geisha district enriched the cultural immersion.

Great option for first time travelers to France for sure! Amandine and team were extremely responsive before and during our trip. Having all hotel and train bookings in advance were super helpful and put us at ease. Also having a detailed itinerary with Google map links was incredible and felt like over and above service. We specifically appreciated having a life line to call for help when we were put in an uncomfortable situation with one of our hotels.

Trip was amazing and we had a great time.

Our trip to Italy through Kimkim was flawless. Andrea did an amazing job with suggestions, drivers hotel, and tour reservations! Every detail was handled for us. He worked with us to make it just what we wanted. Having someone to reach out to while you’re there is so reassuring and he always got back to us quickly with any questions we had. I would highly recommend kimkim when planning any trip.

Hotel Reviews

47 Boutique Hotel

Rome

Great hotel with nice rooftop bar/restaurant in a good location We had a nice room with a private terrace with lots of greenery. We were shocked at how quiet the room was considering being in the middle of a city with traffic and sirens. They had a small gym and a steam room and shower.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close enough to walk to the colosseum and Trevi Fountain. Vatican was 2 miles but walked along the Tiber river which was beautiful and quicker than Uber. (Lots of traffic)

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Athena Siena

Siena

Hotel Athena is a fine hotel. Just kind of basic. There aren’t a lot of options if you want to be within walking distance to town, which is amazing! The shower was awful! No room to move where the shower head is located and there’s only half a door that doesn’t go up very high so water literally gets all over the entire bathroom! The breakfast was included but was at most average. The staff was nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Could walk everywhere

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Eden Roc Positano

Positano

Great hotel with beautiful rooftop restaurants and pool. Amazing view. Very easy to walk to town

Authenticity & Character

Location

Could easily walk to restaurants and shops

Staff

Almost everyone was amazing. The rooftop bar service was slow. Lunch (salads) took an hour and not worth the wait

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a suite with a great balcony. Hot tub, plus room for bistro table plus 2 lounge chairs

Activity Review

Half-day private boat exploration of the Amalfi Coast

Italy

The boat tour was great! Beautiful views and Franco was awesome. Brought us snacks and drinks and made the trip fun and special. We stopped and swam and also went to Amalfi for quick stop(very crowded and touristy). We stayed in Positano which is beautiful. Would highly recommend the private tour. The boat was amazing too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Franco had a great personality and was interesting and fun

Transport

Our visit to Croatia was amazing. Our organiser, Tina, created the perfect itinerary for our week travelling from Zagreb to Dubrovnik. The entire week was seemless, from our first transfer to Split via Plitvice Lakes. The private tour guides in Plitvice Lakes and Dubrovnik were amazing. Every transfer from multiple ferry trips, car transfers and cable cars happened without any hiccups. Our hotel accommodation in every port was perfect, especially the beautiful Hilton in Dubrovnik. To be located only 100 metres from the Old Town made our visit so easy and enjoyable. We had an amazing day on a jet boat tour in Hvar which was one of our favourite activities on our month long holiday. in Europe. This perfect week was made possible by Tina’s creation of the perfect itinerary. I would definitely recommend KimKim and especially Tina. Mary-Ellen and Adrian

Hello;

Would like to mention the 2 drivers we had on this past trip, who were excellent. Unfortunately both names escape me. Secondly, the guide that took us through Pompeii was also excellent. The trip was made special by the KimKim team and their guides, drivers etc. All well planned out and were there for us every step of the way.

Highly recommend KimKim to anyone travelling to Europe.

Thanks for making this trip so special.

Mary-Ann Labrie

I’m a solo traveler from the USA and I daydreamed of Vietnam. I found my travel agent, Hien from Realistic Asia (through KimKim), to make the dream a reality. Hien is attentive, has great attention to detail, and was dedicated to making sure that my experience would be exactly as I imagined - and so much MORE!

After multiple iterations and fine-tuning via emails, she arranged the perfect customized 2-week trip for me. From transportation to activities and all the logistics in between. She made great recommendations and provided advice on customs, tipping, and even rush-hour traffic times. As a local resident of Hanoi, I felt like I had a family friend as I was traveling through each town, ready for any emergency. Fortunately, I did not need the added service of 24 hour support, though it was huge peace of mind knowing I had a local emergency contact. Hien even came to say hello at my hotel lobby when our timing aligned. It was wonderful to meet her in person! First class, white glove service all the way.

If you are looking for a truly authentic, customized travel experience, skip the crowds and huge group gatherings and create your own itinerary. I found that it was not a huge price difference, and I was able to immerse myself in Vietnam my way… Definitely with the help of Hien at Realistic Asia!

Emanuella planned an amazing trip. Everything was perfect. So organized and professional. It’s amazing how she got our preferences down perfect. We were busy but not too busy. Her food recommendations were incredible. We saw every sight there was to see. I will never go anywhere else to plan a trip. The best trip I’ve ever been on. Thanks to Emanuella it was completely stress free.

Activity Reviews

Explore Reykjavik and Sky Lagoon

Reykjavík

Relaxing and pure bliss. The seven rituals were amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon by Zodiac Boat

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We would like to say thank you to Aleksandra and Kim Kim for fine work done to give us a great trip to England! In the
past we have planned our own trips but given our lack of knowledge of Cornwall, we asked Aleksandra to provide us
help in picking each day of our trip, with her help we sketched out a way to see a bit of London, see some historical
and architectural sites of significance, and pursue our interest in filming locations for Doc Martin and Poldark.
Aleksandra worked on our itinerary with us, counseling on what was possible to reasonably cover each day. She picked
great guides for us to see Oxford University (Jacob) and Salisbury Cathedral & area (Allison), got us booked for all of
the events we picked, even getting us good seats for Hamilton which was sold out at the performance we attended.

We were very pleased with Aleksandra's picks for places to stay. In all we stayed 12 nights spread over 9 locations. The White Hart Hotel was a very relaxing, enjoyable place to start our trip and get over our jet lag on arrival in London. Boscundle Manor was so comfortable I wished we were there more than 2 nights. The Three Tuns was another favorite as we were welcomed like family by other guests in the pub when we went down for dinner. After driving almost 6 hours
on Oct 1 we were very impressed with the Stan Hill Court Hotel. All of the places we stayed were well run, clean, and
had friendly staff and good food. Aleksandra provided a very comprehensive trip plan I could reference on my phone
with all the tickets, confirmation numbers etc

Things change given different events. In our case the weather was not totally cooperative to our plans and some of
the events needed to be rescheduled or dropped from our list. We managed to fill the gaps with trips to Gunwaloe
Beach and to Geevor Tin Mine. Aleksandra helped us with changes and even arranged some ticket refunds for the
events we could not attend. We are now back in Canada, very content with what we accomplished in the last two weeks.
We now contemplate doing this again. Aleksandra will be our first contact for another trip.
John & Sally Bell,
London, Ontario, Canada.

Hotel Reviews

The White Hart Hotel

Kingston upon Thames

very good food, very customer friendly

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sturdys Castle

Kidlington

good clean room suitable for a night stay. good food

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The St George and Dragon by Innkeeper's Collection

Topsham

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boscundle Manor

St Austell

very nice location, owner was quite helpful in ideas for doing things in area

Authenticity & Character

beautiful location

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

provided muffins to start the day in the room..nice idea

The Three Tuns

Helston

very nice old place with friendly staff. Really fun atmosphere at dinner in pub

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No 12 Furze Croft

St Ives

This was not a hotel. It was a couple rooms in someone's house. The owner was very friendly and helpful with advice on the area. Good parking and access to building.

Authenticity & Character

Very comfortable stay but was a new house location, not a traditional old hotel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stanhill Court Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals

Charlwood

Really interesting old estate that was turned into a hotel. Very relaxing for last location of our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful property

Location

15 min from Gatwick Airport

Staff

Very amenable to moving us to a ground floor room at our request

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avonlea Guest House

Banbury

small room but very clean. Good food at breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tintagel Arms Bed and Breakfast

Tintagel

Authenticity & Character

Location

good access to Tintagel Castle and Port Isaac.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Iconic Oxford Private Walking Tour

Oxford

Jacob was great...knew his material and made the walk fun and interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Secrets of Salisbury Private Walking Expedition

England

Allison was very informative

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were a group of 21 people from US and South America, and enjoyed the tour to the fullest. It was a difficult tour (Nakasendo Trail) especially with such a large group, and the planning & operation was quite challenging. However, our first contact with Fei during the initial planning and operation was superb. Fei listened to requests patiently and skillfully understood our requirement to curate a perfectly suited tour itinerary. She worked real hard to get the suitable accommodation for the group's stay matching our expectations. As we moved closer to finalising the tour, Fei handed over the responsibility of looking after our travel arrangements to Angel. She too did a great job in delivering the tour services as planned and proposed initially by Fei. The tour went flawless, with only a few minor hiccups. Everything else was great. The selected guides, hotels, restaurants, vehicles and drivers were all nice and ensured the comfort level of the group during the tour.

Overall, the group had an amazing and fulfilling experience of the unique temple trail. We highly recommend traveling with Fei and Angel for travel to Japan to ensure peace of mind especially as language can be a great challenge. In fact, we are already planning to return back to this wonderful country with them for another experience next year.

Activity Reviews

Half Day Fushimi Inari Taisha to Tofuku-ji Temple Hiking Experience

Kyoto

The guide was excellent, and we all had a great time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Nara Tour

Nara

Quality of Experience

This was a memorable trip of a lifetime. Berat took care of the minute details while planning the trip for us and took into account all the places we wanted to visit
The hotels were amazing and all restaurant suggestions simply sumptuous.
We have to give our guide Volkan 5 shining stars. Not only was he well read and learned about the history of Turkey but took the pains to answer all our questions and went the extra step in making sure we were comfortable and had excellent food suggestions .
The drivers were safe on the roads and immaculate condition of the luxury cars were provided
Would use kim kim in a heart beat and would highly recommend Berat, Murat Volkan and their team to our friends and family
Gulle Gulle and Tesekkurler

Ishmal was professional,personable & informative. Very pleasant personality. The Riad's were amazing,each one got better in each city.Especially, La Maison de Araibe. Highly recommend the Hammam,best massage ever & my first body scrub. Wish there was one in the U.S. The staff at all the Riad's were helpful & accomodating. The people of Morocco were welcoming. Loved Fes,Marrakesh a little too chaotic. I felt we needed a few more days for a little downtime. Dinner with the family was insightful & delicious however it would have been more enjoyable if it weren't just us & the host & hostess.
The desert experience could have been timed better since we missed the sunset because our group didn't take the advice of the guide & insisted on changing the spot he suggested, but awakened to a beautiful sunrise. The staff made my birthday celebration memorable. The restaurant selections were perfect.
Missed Casablanca drive by Mosque because our plane was delayed several hours,disappointing...
Suggestion, less time spent with vendors,fabricators even though we made some purchases but felt obligated to listen to very long dissertations.
An unpleasant situation arose at Marrakesh airport, our driver dropped us in the parking lot & arranged a porter to take our luggage without telling us there was a charge & when we got to check in the porter insisted on 10E which seemed unreasonable and we were blindsided.
All that aside, we would highly recommend KIM KIM & Majid!

Hotel Reviews

Riad Laaroussa

Fez medina

Beautiful rooms,setting & location. Staff were professional & accommodating. Be prepared for lots of steps but worth the climb!

Authenticity & Character

The attention to detail & comfort.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Beautiful setting,rooms were authentic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They had a birthday cake made on short notice & we had a celebration around the fire.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Ksar Ighnda

Ait Benhaddou

Beautiful & spacious rooms. Lots of authenticity in decor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

This Riad is the most beautiful of all! Our driver told us it is on the MUST SEE list.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fes: Exploring the Imperial City

Fes

Most interesting history & views... Lots of walking & steps. We did 17,000 walking steps. Worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fez – Ifrane – Azrou – Mildelt – Errachidia – Merzouga ( 7 Hours Drive).

Morocco

It was a longer then 7 hours & little time to get to desert to see sunset. We didn't get there until after 6 and sunset was around 7. Just barely made it with 3-4 minutes then our group wanted to relocate view against our & the guide's suggestion so we missed it.... Long camel ride then returned to camp in total darkness. Disappointed but loved the camel ride & the beautiful desert. Better experience then in Dubai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TIMING!!!

Dinner with a local Family in Fes

Fes

The host & hostess were very warm & arranged a musician to welcome us with song & dance. Very gracious husband & wife. . Host is owner of restaurant & the dinner was superior.

Quality of Experience

Food

The soup, the chicken tangine were my favorites but all of it was incredibly tasty & delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel trek to your luxury camp

Merzouga

Make sure you arrive in ample time to not miss sunset. Desert and camel ride was great experience better then Dubai. We arrived very late & had a very short time to see sunset,missed it by about 3-4 minutes because 3 people in our group wanted to relocate view against guide & our apprehension.

Quality of Experience

Food

They made me a birthday cake with very little notice

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Merzouga Desert to Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike Through Todra Gorges & Oasis for 1 Hour

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

The hike was arduous. did not realize we were climbing so high. Our guide made it special by showing us the flat where he was born.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aït Benhaddou to Marrakech via Tizi n'Tichka Pass & the High Atlas Mountains

Morocco

Drive was scenic .Topography always changing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech Food Tour

Marrakesh

I am not in favor of eating in such a crowded area & vendor food. The restaurant stop,the lamb was dry & overcooked and the beef was not seasoned. View of the square from the rooftop was nice

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

We were very stressed having to dodge motorcycles & the souk was so redundant because we visited Fez and this was more of the same. No time to slowly meander to shop or pause . Just frenetic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit Majorelle gardens

Marrakesh

Somehow was expecting to see more flowers. Saw lots of cactus & Palm trees which we see daily in our area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eva planned a very impressive itinerary which we very much enjoyed. The glacier hike was most impressive and our guide was very patient with my wife’s initial hesitation about the venture which she enjoyed and now has a memorable event.

We had a really great experience planning our trip with Bastien at KimKim. I like how the entire process was handled online through the chat in the KimKim website. We bounced ideas back and forth until we found the perfect blend of tours and transportation that fit our schedule and budget. Bastien was very knowledgeable about the areas we visited in London and in France. He was never pushy or trying to sell us anything we didn’t have an interest in. We really appreciated that.

We loved our guided “tour with a local” with Chris in London. Even our teens ages 13 & 19 enjoyed jesting about the history of the city during our 1.5 hour walk. Our favorite tour was the one to Versailles in Paris.

The best part for me was all of the train tickets that Bastien booked for us. He was very helpful in purchasing all the tickets and worked with me in deciding what times we wanted to leave, first class vs. coach, etc. Sure it’s something that I could have maybe figured out but he really saved me time and did a great job. The BEST part was when we had the unfortunate experience of all the trains in Paris being cancelled one day due to weather- we would have had NO CLUE how to find an alternative way to our south destination without Bastien to call!! Having someone who knows the language, and what options- he helped us look into flights, hotels, car rentals, and navigated the whole stressful situation for us!! We would have never survived without his help!! That alone would make me use him again on our next adventure!! Top notch service and he really cared to help us out!

I highly recommend Bastien and hope you give him the opportunity to plan your next adventure! I know we definitely will!

Activity Review

City Kickstart Tour: London with a Local (Private/1.5Hours)

London

Chris was our tour guide. He was a historian and knew fun and interesting facts about London. He was able to keep out teens interested too! Fun experience!

Quality of Experience

Fun day outside exploring London with local historian!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved walking outdoors, we met outside the Tube and was easy to find our guide.

There was good and bad. We were happy with each of our guides, who were all very good and personable and had different strengths. Overall, we were very satisfied and pleased with their knowledge, affability, and ability to pivot a bit based on our personal preferences.

KimKim was recommended by friends who'd worked with them previously and had a good experience. We liked their process of filling out a questionnaire to understand better our personal preferences, backgrounds, and vision for our holiday. However, we found the back-and-forth on the website with our first travel agent a bit challenging and cumbersome as she created an itinerary based on our responses. The first several proposals did not match our interests or requests. It took about four versions to arrive at an acceptable itinerary.

Unfortunately, just a few months before our trip, that agent left, and we were assigned a new one.

About a week before traveling, we noticed that one of our hotels had been changed without notification for one of lesser quality. (It was corrected after we asked.) We also found it difficult to understand some of the itinerary's processes, such as when we were responsible for our transportation and when we had a driver.

Lastly, the agency never notified us about an impending typhoon in Okinawa, which was our penultimate stop. We learned about it on the flight to the island from a random stranger. After landing in Okinawa, it took hours to reach the travel agency after numerous calls and messages, including calls to their emergency contact line. (We never did get our agent on the phone.)

Rather than four days in Okinawa, we got less than 48 hours and had to pay an additional $2,000 to return to Tokyo before the typhoon. Had we known about the typhoon, we wouldn't have traveled to Okinawa. The last issue in Okinawa was our hotel, which was the worst of our trip. Luckily, we were only there for two nights.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel New Otani Tokyo The Main

Tokyo

Lovely, older hotel that's popular with business people and small travel groups. The staff was extremely polite and friendly. It feels a bit out of the way, but it's actually close to many sites.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast restaurant overlooks beautiful gardens and koi ponds.

Location

Easy access to subway and easy to get taxis.

Staff

Wonderful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone

Phenomenal! Stunning! I wish we'd had another night at this beautiful, modern hotel with wonderful hot springs tucked into a mountainside. The dinner we enjoyed was one of the best of our trip. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful architecture

Location

Stunning location and views; quiet and lovely

Staff

Very lovely staff; not a lot of English, but it was fine.

Cleanliness & Comfort

flawless

THE HOTEL HIGASHIYAMA by Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

Kyoto

Lovely hotel and location and very nice staff. Note that the restaurant for breakfast can get very busy if you don't go early.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice area that's not very noisy or touristy.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel

Hiroshima

Great hotel that was the most "American" of all our hotels, so it felt a bit less "Japanese" in ambiance, but we liked it.

Authenticity & Character

More western in ambiance.

Location

Right at the train station, but very quiet

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort

Okinawa

I wouldn't return here. The hotel felt dated and needed renovation. The staff was very nice but not as friendly as others we experienced in other hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

You will need a car or taxi to get around. It's about an hour north of airport with very little around it.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Needs new carpet or flooring and updating

The Prince Park Tower Tokyo

Tokyo

This gorgeous, elegant luxury hotel is in an upscale area of Tokyo and is attached to luxury stores next door. The staff was friendly. The clientele appears to be a mix of tourists and business people. (I would have preferred to have stayed here when we first arrived in Tokyo. It's a good, walkable location.)

Authenticity & Character

Modern architecture

Location

Walkable area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flawless, clean, and very well appointed

Activity Reviews

Hiroshima Tour

Japan

Every world leader should visit this museum and park. It offers a vital history and moral lesson. It was very poignant to us as Americans.

Quality of Experience

They should time the ticket entrances for better crowd control. It was extremely busy, making it difficult to view and read some of the exhibits.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We thoroughly appreciated our guide and driver.

Transport

Very comfortable vans used throughout our trip.

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Osaka

We loved our guide and driver, but I'd suggest not spending much time in this part of Osaka (walking around the area with many restaurants and tourists; feels gritty and over-commercial) and asking to see other areas of Osaka. We did, however, appreciate our guide's knowledge of the area.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent, thoughtful, and friendly.

Transport

Comfortable and newer vehicle

Tokyo Discovery with Shibuya & Harajuku - West

Tokyo

We thoroughly enjoyed our first day of touring in Tokyo and appreciated our lovely guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent

Transport

Excellent

Our local specialist was Sara. She took the time to understand what we like to do and see on holiday. She then put together an amazing 2 week itinerary in and around Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The guides she choose were outstanding especially Alberto. We had a special request that had never been requested before but she was able to set up the event that day brilliantly. We wuld highly recommend Sara as a local specialist for Brazil and especially Rio.

Hotel Review

Pousada Apple House Paraty

Paraty

Pousada Apple House in Paraty was a unique special hotel. Each room has a personal pool which made the stay even lovelier.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is a short drive out of town but in a quiet neighborhood.

Staff

Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very nice rooms and grounds.

Activity Reviews

sewing and embroidery course

Rio de Janeiro

This was an amazing experience that was new to Sara and the team at Kimkim. She was able to arrange a day with an extraordinary seamstress.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Recipe Brazilian Cooking Class in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

We learned to cook many of the traditional dishes of Brazil. We have used many of them after we returned to the US.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Behind the scenes of the carnival

Rio de Janeiro

Carnival is a special event in Rio. We got not only a superb tour but also a samba demo and an understanding of one of the most iconic events of Rio.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All the must-sees of Rio in one day: Christ, Sugarloaf, Staircase and city tour

Rio de Janeiro

Alberto was our guide. He is the best. He knew the history and the best times to fully experience the main attractions of Rio.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio Green Tour: in the tropical urban forest and among imperial palms

Rio de Janeiro

Again Alberto was the best.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a pleasure to work with Bastien and Ailene on our road-trip from Avignon to St. Remy, Aix en Provence, St. Tropez, and Cap D’Antibes. They were responsive, helpful and provided great guidance on structuring and scheduling our itinerary. We enjoyed the charming hotels suggested; and their help with train tickets, transfers and car rental made our journey seamless.

Activity Review

A Day Trip from Aix en Provence to Cassis Village, Calanques Boat Ride & Provence Wines (Small Group Tour/8Hours)

Aix-en-Provence

Our guide, Alex, we knowledgeable and entertaining. He relied on our group to determine the trajectory of our tour - within the general parameters set by the tour company - and made our day fee “custom-designed”.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

1. Alexandro the driver in Tuscany was superb. He was very friendly and helpful and always seemed happy to go above and beyond what was required. When he dropped us at the hotel in La Spezia he made sure we could get in. He should meet us with a sign with our name so he is easy to find when we first met him at the train station in Florence.

2. The guide, Elena, to the Uffizi gallery in Florence was wonderful. She was friendly and very knowledgeable and made the viewings much more meaningful than if we had been alone.

3. We should be instructed to have a cell phone with an Italian number or have roaming on our phone as it seems to be vital to communicate

4. We should be forewarned of hotel tourist taxes.

5. The First Hotel in La Spezia was not good. It is an electronic check in. There is no front desk. Your instructions were to go to the front desk and have them arrange a taxi. We tried calling the hotel and listened to a recording telling us that the next available operator would take our call. It then hung up. We tried several times as we also wanted to report that the air conditioning did not work. It made for a very uncomfortable two nights. It would appear that this hotel was not vetted before booking us there.

6. We also tried calling the 24 hour number for Espíritu and could not get an answer.

7. The driver who picked us up at the Naples train station was very difficult to find. Our train was approximately 15 minutes late. I naively assumed the driver would know this. When we got off the train there were approximately 10-12 people standing in the arrivals area with name cards. None had our names. We tried to call the number given in the Trip Plans app but it did not work at all. We looked around for a while and then contacted the Espíritu person via messenger. He sent us the location of the driver. As we were unfamiliar with the area we had great difficulty finding him. We had to message the Espíritu person several times. It seemed that it was somehow our job to find the driver rather than the other way around. When we finally found the driver, I asked him why he hadn’t been at the arrivals area. He said that instruction was not in his contract. He seemed to feel that it was our fault that he had to wait an hour. He was not aware that the train had been delayed which he could easily have known if he had gone inside and checked the arrivals board.

8. The hotel in Pompei was very nice!

9. The guide to Pompei and Herculaneum, Viviana, did an excellent job of showing us the important parts and explaining the history of the locations.

10. The hotel in Sorrento was good. The location allowed us to easily walk to where we wanted. There was difficulty finding our driver when it was time to leave Amalfi. He initially went to the incorrect location. He was then trying to call an incorrect number. We had earlier informed our Espíritu contact of the only number that should be used to reach us while we were in Italy. We naively assumed that he would pass along that information to all of our upcoming drivers, guides, etc. When we learned that our Amalfi driver was still using the incorrect number, we made the effort to instruct our Espíritu contact to make sure that he passed on that piece of information.

11. Some of the drivers often did not display the level of service we expected from a KimKim trip.

12. The trip to Capri was enjoyable although we found it to be very crowded in most areas.

13. The exclusive guide (Francesca) on our first night in Rome was very good and provided an excellent tour and historical background on some major sights.

14. The colosseum and Roman Forum were very interesting and the guide, Manny, was very good. He was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all of our questions.

15. The gastronomical tour went very well. Our guide kept the tour interesting by giving us commentary on the food we were eating as well as the history of the places we went. It would have been better if she had introduced herself as we never learned her name.

16. The Vatican including the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica are amazing but very crowded. Our guide hurried us through and had poor English. The radios we were given for the tour were not very good quality. She also did not introduce herself.

17. The location of our hotel in Rome was central to the places we visited and so was a good selection.

18. In every case on this trip where we had to meet a guide it would have been helpful if we knew the name of the guide and/or the tour company in advance. Several times we had to ask various guides if we were supposed to be with them. They would usually ask us for a registration number which we did not have.

19. When we investigated this trip with KimKim we were quoted a price which we agreed to pay. Later, we requested that additional items be added to the trip and were quoted an additional cost. We agreed to the quoted price. When we attempted to make a payment, the cost was found to have increased by $50 with no explanation. When we queried the additional cost, we found that the price had risen by another $6.52. A rather poor explanation was given for the price increase. Then the $6.52 disappeared but the additional $50 remained. We are very disappointed by this lack of professionalism. When we are quoted a price and agree to it, that is the price we expect to pay. This sudden switching of prices leaves us with a very bad impression of KimKim. If a mistake was made in the original price quote, it is too late to make a change. A professional organization would know this fact and ensure that the error was kept within KimKim. Because of this fact, there is little chance that we will choose KimKim services in the future or that we will recommend KimKim to others.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Navona Colors

Rome

We did not stay at this hotel.

Hotel del Mare

Sorrento

Great location within easy walking distance of everywhere we wanted to go. This hotel caters to the North American traveller.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Helpful and always available.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel del Sole

Pompei

Excellent hotel. A spacious room. A great location.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely and roomy with great decor.

Location

Close to the Pompei ruins

Staff

Friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Spezia by The First

La Spezia

Very difficult to get into. No front desk. No person on duty. Impossible to reach anyone.

Authenticity & Character

Better signage

Location

Staff

It would have been helpful if there were staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The air conditioning did not work and the phone number of the hotel answered with a recorded message and then hung up.

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Rome

These are both amazing places but very crowded. We were rushed through much of the museums and did not get much time to appreciate all that was there to see. The Sistine Chapel is so crowded that it is difficult to move.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide did not introduce herself and spoke poor English. The radio transmitter/receiver systems we were given to use so that we could hear her explanations and instructions were poor quality.

Transport

We walked.

Campo de’ Fiori, Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere Food Experience

Rome

Once again we were not given any information as to who our guide was or what company was providing the tour which made it difficult to find our guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

An interesting set of foods in various locations made this a worthwhile experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was wonderful as she gave us history lessons of the areas we visited as well as the food we were eating. She did not introduce herself.

Transport

We walked.

Colosseum & Roman Forum Visit: Arena Access, Gladiators Gate & Ancient City

Rome

A good guide although we had difficult finding him as the meeting point is for several different tour groups and we were not given any information as to the name of the company or person leading the tour. The colosseum and Roman Forum are very interesting to see although both are quite crowded.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked

Exclusive Private Guided Visit of Rome Highlights

Rome

An excellent guide. On this occasion we were told the name of the company that was providing the tour and the guide met us at the designated location with a sign indicating who she was.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked.

Amalfi Coast Sunset Cruise

Italy

This was probably a great cruise for most but the sea was quite rough that day which made me seasick

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

After the trip the driver who came to pick us up went to the wrong location. He was trying to reach us at a number that was no longer in service even though we had instructed the trip organizer of the only correct number that should be used.

Guided Visit to Pompeii with Archeaologist

Italy

A fascinating place with a tremendous amount of history learned. A knowledgable guide.

Quality of Experience

The guide observed that a cruise ship had docked that day and reversed the order of our excursion so that we were not so crowded.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cinque Terre Sunset Cruise & Aperitif

Cinque Terre

A great experience. It included swimming in the Mediterranean and barbecued prawns and swordfish prepared on the boat. One of the best meals of the entire trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting and Typical Tuscan Lunch in San Gimignano

Italy

Lunch was good but the wine was mediocre

Quality of Experience

A better winery

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Italy

The towns are nice and worth a visit. The wine at the vineyard was mediocre.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit of Uffizi Gallery with an Art Historian

Florence

A superb guide who knew the gallery and its art intimately.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver was superb