Kimkim Trip Reviews

I can summarize our trip to Greece in one word, "outstanding". Angela (Aggeliki) worked with us for many weeks over an eight month period putting an itinerary together for our three week trip. We started with a preliminary outline and over time with Angela's guidance we refined our trip to accommodate our interest. As architects and builders our focus were on architectural sites, historical references, time on the water and embracing the Greek culture. We put our trust in Angela to help pick out daily tours to fulfill our interests. To summarize our itinerary we started in Athens-two nights, day trip to Hydra. Flew to Paros for four nights with day trips to Iso and Antiparos via private boat and captain. Ferry to Naxos for two nights, ferry to Santorini for three nights, ferry to Heraklion (Crete) for four nights, Chania for two nights and back to Athens for two nights. On each island Angela set us up with amazing tours with spectacular well educated local tour guides. We learned so much about the architecture, foods, history of Greece, culture, etc. Our guided tours took us to many small villages and ruins on each island that most tourist do not have the time to experience. Our guides had personal relationships with most of the restaurant owners in the small villages in the islands back country areas. The host's were so gracious, inundating us with massive amounts of local culinary treats. I think we actually ate our way through Greece. Over three weeks we had one or two bumps in the road based on our schedule and Angela was so easy to make contact with. Either through the Kimkim site or Whatsapp she always responded and solved any situation that arose. One of the best features was that Angela would send us all our ferry passes for each excursion and there was always an on time driver to pick us up at the airport, ferry or hotel to take us to our next destination. Not being familiar with the country, this was extremely comforting. All the drivers were very friendly and always made us feel comfortable. To top off our trip Angela really stepped up her game and was able to satisfy one desire while in Athens. She obtained tickets to the Roman amphiteater, Odeon of Herodes Atticus completed in 161 AD at the base of the Acropolis to see the Puccini-Turandot opera. What a way to end a trip. I highly recommend Angela, she was always so supportive and engaging. Our trip to Greece was absolutely fantastic.

Our Avalon Cruise to the south of France was cancelled six days before embarking. We called Liz at KimKim and she put together a wonderful ground trip based on our wishes in three days. She was able to get us a fully customized trip with drivers and tour guides in record time. Everything went as scheduled with expert guides, the best hotels and even a cooking class with a top French chef, something that normally needs to be booked way in advance. Thanks to Liz and the KimKim staff for saving our trip and making it possibly even better than what was planned.

Our entire KimKim experience was wonderful! We were able to tell Bas, our KimKim organizer and liaison in the Netherlands, what activities we enjoy and what type of places and hotels we like best. BAs matched us with terrific hotels that were perfect and tickets to everything, making things easy. Our tour guides, all 3 of them, were superb, and each added so many of their personal insights and stories that were fun and informative. Bas was in touch every day and we felt very supported, it was so reassuring to have a contact in the country. We would definitely use KimKim again.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel des Arts

Amsterdam-Centrum

The Collector Hotel

The Hague

Huys van Leiden

Leiden

Hotel ML

Haarlem

Activity Reviews

Amsterdam - Private guided historic city walk

The Netherlands

Public Transport Pass Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

We felt confident and reassured that Bas would fix any problems!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Especially the cruise driver in Amsterdam and Caroline there. Gave us so much information informed by their own experiences. And Andre in Leiden was great too.

Transport

Tickets to public transit

Haarlem - cycling to the beach

The Netherlands

So great to bike in this area!

Amsterdam - Canal cruise (join in)

The Netherlands

The driver was funny and smart, and very familiar with life in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands

The Hague

The Netherlands

Loved the city and museum.

The Hague - Mauritshuis Museum

The Netherlands

Leiden - Private Guided city walk

The Netherlands

Excellent guide

Leiden

The Netherlands

Wonderful city

Scheveningen free time

The Netherlands

Leiden - Hortus Botanicus

The Netherlands

Fantastic

Quality of Experience

History of science and plants—wow. Nothing like this in the U.S.

The roads from Liberia International Airport to Arenal/La Fortuna reminded me of Guatemala & Haiti but the Tabacón thermal resort property was worth the drive! We all loved the hot relaxing water falls & food.
Andy our private guide was excellent on the
Arenal Volcano Park tour & hike. He was extremely knowledgeable & kept us entertained.

Enjoyed Coffee, Chocolate and Sugar Cane Farm Tour & we saw a eyelash palm pit viper in tree. Combination of sampling coffee & chocolate while learning from another intelligent guide was heaven!

Private Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River with JoeDan

Boat driver Justin & driver Francisco
Private Lake Crossing from Arenal/La Fortuna to Monteverde & Cloud Forest Lodge
Andy Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike & Night Walk at Children's Eternal Forest was spooky
Treetopia: Tram, Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges

San Lucas Treetop Dining was an unforgettable experience! 5 stars!!!

The W Costa Rica Reserva Conchal is a gorgeous resort with ALL the amenities, excellent staff, relaxing beach

Tropical Sunset Sailing Adventure beautiful but needs safety instructions regarding location of life preserver.

Gulf of Papagayo is beautiful and relaxing. The staff very professional and welcoming.

Thankfully the roads back to LIR were much better! Thanks KIMKIM!

I am so happy with the service level, organization, details, and help with my trip to Italy. This was my first trip to Europe so I was nervous to plan this myself. KimKim (Rita) were magnificent to work with. Every detail was planned perfectly. Communication was excellent. Tours, transfers, trains etc. were so easy. The app we used on our trip was organized and user friendly. We had a little issue with a transfer while in Amalfi Coast and KimKim fixed it with no issues and very quick to respond. I highly highly highly recommend KimKim for your next travel destination. I am already planning another trip and will use KimKim again!

Robert (Robi) took time to understand our travel preferences and build multiple itineraries for our consideration. Once we landed on a 7-day plan that took us from Zagreb down to Dubrovnik, he kept us well informed of the steps leading up to the trip. During the trip, we received daily messages about the towns we’d visit, restaurant suggestions and detailed instructions on where/when to meet our guides. All of the guides Robi connected us with were spectacular - Mario in Zagreb, Borna in Plitvice, Pero in Split, and Antea in Dubrovnik. Happily, we also spent the better part of a day with Robi, visiting the town of Ston, exploring local wineries, and getting a thorough history lesson on Croatia.

We have always had a great experience with Kim Kim and this is no exception. Thanks to Robi and his network of exceptional guides/historians, we had an incredible adventure in this beautiful country, Croatia!

Ben was the most amazing specialist. He was incredibly helpful and worked with us to craft a trip that was perfect for us. He chose wonderful sights for us to visit. The guides were all so friendly and knowledgeable. Even while we were on the trip Ben was right there when we needed help or had any questions. Everything went so smoothly and we can't thank Ben enough for his help and dedication to making our trip the best it could be.

Amazing trip. Was able to see and do so much. Highly recommend

Hotel Reviews

Phoenix Hotel

Zakynthos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doupiani House

Meteora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arion Athens Hotel

Athens

nice room. good breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Manos Small World Santorini

Santorini island

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Sea Trip to Kefalonia

Zakynthos

Was ok. Would not do again in the future.

Private Sunset Hermit Caves Hike

Meteora

Was able to see some cool areas, He changed the hike based on having our 8 year old.

Sunset Monasteries & Hermit Caves Excursion

Meteora

Nice tour. Very nice guide. Was able to visit and see a lot

Private Panoramic Views Experience

Santorini

Amazing tour. Was able to really see the town and explore

Transfer to Meteora with en route Activity to Delphi Archeological Site

Greece

Nice to have a private driver. Was able to see a ton and had a great tour at Delphi

Private Shipwreck Beach & Blue Caves Swim & Sail Adventure

Zakynthos

Amazing tour. Was able to really experience the town

Lucie helped organize the most perfect family vacation to Germany! She was very helpful with incorporating our many suggestions and changes we asked for. Thank you for specizing the trip to us; it turned out everything we hoped for. We very much like the Cold War and Berlin history walking tour. Kiran was awesome! We even had folks want to join the tour with us he did such a wonderful job. Of course they will likely book their own tour in the future. The trip organized to Neuschwanstein castle was also fantastic. Everything was taken care off from, the bus to the castle, tickets, free time to look around on our own and trip back. The tour guide was from South Africa and his English was very easy to understand! He also even included time for potty breaks on the bus. ride. They thought of everything; all we needed to do was show up and enjoy! Lucie at KimKim did a great job at finding us family friendly hotels that absolutely fit our needs. This is not the easiest for a family of 5. Since we had a multiple night stay in Munich, Lucie was able to arrange a apartment like suite with small kitchen and even a washing machine, which turned out to be a great bonus I didn't think I would use but it was oh so helpful!!. Out hotels were organized to in the city centers so being able to use and experience the German rail system like we hoped was a plus.

Hotel Reviews

Novotel Suites Berlin City Potsdamer Platz

Berlin

Great place for families. Very close to many attractions and breakfast buffet was awesome!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

JUFA Hotel Kronach – Festung Rosenberg

Kronach

Who wouldn't want to stay in a castle?? This out of the way spot was really great. Sleeping in a castle but with all the modern conveniences. The breakfast buffet was awesome and they even personalized it by making table name plates for each family. Hotel guests with kids also have an outdoor play area that has many "knight" in training obstacles to run and play on. Awesome for families. There is also a castle tour and museum right on the property. So cool!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

A little off the beaten path but located in quaint small German town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adina Apartment Hotel Frankfurt Neue Oper

Frankfurt am Main

Very nice hotel with possibly to have 2 bedroom suite. Very much accomodating for larger family

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

ARABEST Aparthotel

Munich

Great location and accomodations for a family. This suite has small kitchen with fridge AND freezer as well as a washing machine. Lots of space.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Berlin Highlights & History Tour

Berlin

Kiran lead such a great tour of Berlin. He is so knowledge and able to answer all the questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Neuschwanstein Castle Full-day tour

Munich

Awesome your. Didn't have to plan a thing. Just show up and everything is taken care of. Even free time to explore what interested us the most.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

24/7 assistance in case of emergency

Germany

They really mean call if anything is amiss and work to fix it right away. We couldn't find out transportation for m the airport and With massaging with KimKim we got everything worked out. Had to go to plan B ( just grabbing a taxis at the airport) since we never did find our driver. But KimKim folks were on the ball and very much tried to help. We even received reimbursement for the added expense before we returned home!

There were no places we didn't love. Mathia was an indispensable before during and after our trip. He made the the absolute best itinerary.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Norge by Scandic

Bergen

Great location in the middle of the city. Walking close to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Much more upscale than we're used to.

Location

Central to all the best Bergen sites.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Strand Fjordhotel

Ulvik

Small but clean and in the center of the village.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Visnes Hotel Stryn

Stryn

Right on the water in the village center.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri

Aurland

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very welcoming.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bestebakken

Hafslo

Very quaint and the owner was more than helpful in planning our local day trips.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Breakfast and dinner were near gormet quality.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

Another upscale big city hotel. Absolutely has the biggest breakfast offerings.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Again, right next to the train station in city center.

Staff

Concierge very helpful in planning our half day in Oslo.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Round Trip on the Flåm Railway: Flåm - Myrdal

Norway

The views were phenomenal.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Quality of Experience

The scenery and the people.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cider farm guide was local and was actually part owner of our hotel.

Transport

Explore a Cider Farm in Hardanger

Ulvik

Only a short walk to the farms. We didn't think we'd like cider, but now we're big fans.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit Stegastein Viewpoint

Norway

We drove up the one lane road. Not for the faint of heart. There is also a bus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I was the driver.

Transport

Nærøyfjord Cruise & Viking Valley Tour

Norway

Great ferry cruise to the valley. The captain ever went near shore so we could get close to a large waterfall.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Valentine planned a spectacular trip of a lifetime for us. She took the time to understand the kinds of activities and places we enjoy, many of which we would never have discovered on our own. One of our favorites was our walking tour with Roberta through Gandria, who gave us a personalized tour of this beautiful village near Lugano.

Hotel Reviews

Walter au Lac Hotel

Lugano

Location is perfect. We had a beautiful balcony overlooking the lake, which made our stay very memorable. We highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Jnterlaken

3800

Hotel Interlaken was probably our overall favorite accommodation. The decor was modern and clean, and every room had a balcony with a great view. The location was superb, with restaurants and grocery stores just down the street, and a bus stop right outside. A delightful surprise was our access to play tennis at the Interlaken Tennis Club's clay courts, something very unique to us. It added a fun and unexpected activity to our stay!

Romantik Hotel Wilden Mann

Lucerne

The Romantik Hotel Wilden Mann in Lucerne was a highlight of our trip. Despite being an older hotel, its location was incredibly convenient, less than ten minutes from the train station, which is essential as we traveled everywhere by train. While the week was warmer than usual and the air conditioning was limited, this is understandable in Switzerland. The breakfast was a standout feature with options like champagne that made it feel extra special. This was my wife's favorite hotel!

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Lugano

Lugano

The walking tour in Lugano was hands down our favorite activity of the week. Roberta did an outstanding job guiding us and sharing insights into daily life there. Walking through the picturesque village and experiencing the Italian-speaking culture was an absolute delight. This was an experience we wouldn’t have discovered on our own, and we’re so grateful to have done it.

Summer Kayak Tour Lake Brienz

Switzerland

The Summer Kayak Tour on Lake Brienz in Interlaken was enjoyable, but there was a bit of confusion about beach access afterward. We misunderstood and thought access to the beach was part of the package, which led to some miscommunication. However, the kayaking itself was fun, and the views were stunning.

We had a fantastic time. Highlights were the two day kayaking trip and the overnight Trolltunga hike. We were also very impressed with the transportation throughout. Seamless transfers and really nice trains and busses. We walked around Oslo and Bergen and enjoyed our urban experience. Great time all around.

Our trip to Iceland was amazing. Our planner and local specialist, Guðmundur Óli “Gummi” was so helpful and put together an amazing itinerary for our family. He guided us on our ice cave adventure and he was so knowledgeable and personable! We will definitely be using the KimKim app again for our next adventure and recommend Gummi as the Iceland planner and guide of choice! Thank you, Gummi!!!!

Clair was absolutely fantastic in planning our trip! She took the time to truly listen to our concerns and expectations, ensuring every detail was thoughtfully arranged. Her patience and dedication in arranging and rearranging plans made the entire experience seamless and stress-free. Thanks to her expertise and commitment, we had a truly wonderful trip. We couldn’t have asked for a better planner—highly recommend Clair for anyone looking for a perfectly curated travel experience!

Our drivers and guides were lovely and helpful and always on time. They helped us to see and do nearly everything we wanted to see on a short time frame. Although our full day in Tokyo was raining, we still saw a lot and loved the sumo stable experience, the fish market, and the TeamLab Planets which was a perfect end to the day! We also enjoyed the Tokyo Skyview which was a perfect way to get a birds eye view of the city (we did this on the first day before the rain thankfully!) The Shinkansen train to Kyoto was a nice interlude. Although we didn't see Mt Fuji on the way out due to clouds, we did get some nice pictures on the way back to Tokyo. We LOVED Kyoto. I especially loved the guided tour of Kyoto and the bamboo forest area and temples, as well as the tea ceremony and the beautiful Hotel Yuraku Kyo Yasaka . The food was amazing everywhere! We were really happy with everything and made some wonderful family memories.
Our local specialist, Katsu, was so great about making wonderful recommendations, figuring out the logistics for getting from one place to another on time, and providing details that helped make our trip smooth and enjoyable. Thank you so much!

Activity Reviews

Tokyo: Sumo Morning Practice Viewing Tour

Tokyo

See sumo wrestlers conducting training with their coach was an incredible experience, especially for my husband and son who are both wrestlers. They want to come back again to see a sumo competition!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Vehicle with English-Speaking Guide for 8 Hours in the Tokyo Area

Tokyo

There is sooo much to see and do in Tokyo! Highlights for our family included the sumo stable, Tokyo Skyview, TeamLab Planets, the fish market, capybara cafe, Meiji shrine, Hamarikyu Gardens, and Takeshita Street.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arashiyama: A Journey Through Kyoto’s Timeless Treasures by private vehicle

Kyoto

Wow, Kyoto is so beautiful and peaceful especially compared to bustling and vibrant Tokyo! We loved the Arashiyama with the bamboo forest trail and gardens. We also enjoyed visiting the many beautiful temples. We loved participating in the Traditional Tea Ceremony wearing kimonos. And we visited Nijo Castle in the center of town. And our traditional hotel, or ryoku, was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Japanese Tea Ceremony at Camellia Flower (Group Experience)

Kyoto

This was definitely a highlight of our trip. The kimonos, the ceremony, the guide's explanations, and the tea preparation itself were all incredibly special and something unique to Japan that we highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We visited CR for 8 days and traveled to La Fortuna/Arenal, Monteverde and Manual Antonio. Creating the itinerary was very easy. Transfers to and from every location were on time with friendly drivers/guides.
Hotel in La Fortuna (Lomas del Volcan) was beautiful and amazing. Grounds were lovely and food was wonderful. Loved the hot springs and Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari. The hike up to the volcano (El Silencio hike) was not impressive and not as described. This was the only guide the entire trip who seemed like he didn't want to be there.
Enjoyed the Rainforest chocolate tour - it exceeded our expectations.
Shuttle and lake crossing to Monteverde = lake was beautiful, but roads were tedious.
Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco: not as nice or roomy as first hotel. Nice staff, decent breakfast, clean.
Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde: nicely run and enthusiastic guide. Just rained so hard that we didn't get to see much.
Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining: very unique zip lining adventure - beautiful and well run. The zip lines were very long and high above the tree tops, and also had a "Tarzan" swing. Great guides. Hanging bridges were lovely.
Hotel Playa Espadilla in Monteverde was pretty standard, small room, just ok food, clean. Staff was friendly.
Catamaran Adventure with Snorkeling in Manual Antonio was on a huge boat with about 50 other people. Enjoyed the ride and swimming. No snorkeling because there was no visibility due to rain/sediment issues which was disappointing. Had to eat lunch back at the marina because waves were too choppy. Nice and professional staff.
Transfers to and from San Jose airport were on time, comfortable with experienced drivers.

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My daughter and I had a wonderful trip to Greece. I’m so glad Sienna and Leah sent us to Naxos. It was a beautiful island that wasn’t overcrowded and we had the best time!

Hotel Reviews

NLH Monastiraki

Athens

Great location within walking distance to food and sightseeing.

Authenticity & Character

Very modern

Location

Easy access to the sights.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The a/c was fabulous considering the temps were in the high 90’s!

Galaxy Hotel Naxos

Naxos

Great location. Close to the “town” but far enough away to be quiet. We loved the local beach.

Authenticity & Character

Great breakfast!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided Local Markets Visit

Athens

Fun area that we would not have walked to without kim kim.

Quality of Experience

Delos & Mykonos Day Trip by Cruise

Greece

This was a long hot day. We loved Delos and Mykonos but an added reminder to bring food for the day would have helped. We didn’t realize lunch wasn’t on the itinerary until almost 2:00. The ferry was super efficient but I did not realize that would be our transportation. When I saw small group tour I thought it would be a small boat for just our group. We still had a lovely day and enjoyed learning the history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed the ferry but thought we would be on a small tour boat.

Ken West of Kerry Coaches did a fantastic job guiding and driving us. One thing that could have been better was we were never quite sure what specific activities we had paid for, and whether that included Ken's lodging. It was a pleasure planning the trip with Joe, though we know he is no longer with kim kim
Mike & Stacy O'Rourke

Good day New Friends!

Our trip was beyond amazing and so well-orchestrated from beginning to end. The patience and guidance in planning is perfect for family traveling (such as us) or just someone who needs support visiting new countries. And they were able to meet all of our requested tours within our limited days in country! With 3 teenagers all with different interests and being the first international travel adventure for 2 of them, that is an accomplishment in itself.

Duje (spelling may be off but our driver from Zagreb) was the family favorite. He shared the rich history of your country, was able to answer all our questions, was engaging, sharing off the beaten path insight into cities and parks, and provided the insight into Croatia and its people we were looking for.

Each day of our trip was made stress free by the seamless coordination of the drivers, guides, hotel staff, and Nikola's fast answers to any questions we had. Sarah ( Dubrovnik) and Jo ( Zagreb) were our in city tour guides that your cities should be proud of. Both provided sites unknown and off the typical tourist track we visited on our own with our free time. As we spent one day in Zagreb without Jo then were able to tour with her on our last day, I can tell you SO worth it. She turned the city alive with her excitement and fun little-known facts/hidden secrets- it was such a memorable day about Zagreb!

Food recommendations met all our needs and if you don't put your recommendation of Dvor on your regular recommendation list, you are crazy! Great view, great service, so unique - one of my entire family's favorite meals.

A once in a lifetime trip only made better by having your support!

We had an amazing trip. We had a wonderful time in Sun City doing a self drive Safari in Pilanesberg, The palace and the breakfast were fantastic. Our early morning balloon ride was such a beautiful experience.
Sabi Sands was amazing. We went straight to a leapord kill upon arrival. Our guide Peter was amazing and actually tracked a pride of Lions for us.
Victoria Falls was beautiful. We went when the water was high so there was a lot of mist making it hard to see the entire falls, but it was still amazing. The Victoria Falls River lodge was incredible. We had an amazing cook and our Butler David was awesome. Overall the trip was amazing and everything went smoothly with Lize taking care of everthing for us as we traveled from place to place.
We will use Kimkim again in the future. Thank you so much for an amazing trip!!!