Kimkim Trip Reviews

I have never booked a personalized trip before, figuring it was way to expensive and out of reach. But when my husband and I decided to go to Morocco we had very little time and there was so much we wanted to see. I decided to investigate custom travel to aid in our transfers from place to place and help us determine the best places to go. We could not be more happy with the service we received. Not only was it affordable, the booking specialists who helped us design our trip listened carefully to how we like to travel, what are preferences are and what types of things we like to do and see. The communication with both Saïd and Mohamed planning the details to get it just right was both seamless and easy. Our driver/guide, Karim, spoke very good english and drove us to each location, explaining each of the sites while also offering us the time we wanted to explore on our own. He was flexible when we got spirited away and accommodated all of our wishes. We had a different local guide in Fes, Sharif, which is essential if you want to visit the huge Medina there. His english was superb and he showed us places we'd have never discovered on our own while also educating us on the history of the old town. KimKim Travel works with local, native guides who can give you a far greater understanding of a place than you could ever discover on your own. I highly recommend trying out a custom tour - you will be glad you did!

Our trip was planned and meticulously arranged by Kim Kim. From the initial interview to the final day of travel every detail was covered. Our accommodations were comfortable, clean and relaxing. Our accommodations in Florence were surrounded by the local residents and community. The semi-private tours were the highlight of our trip. From wineries, walking tours and the Vatican City we were met with knowledgeable guides and insights. With the use of WhatsApp, we were able to remain connected to the travel team for the duration of our trip. Overall, we would highly recommend booking your next trip with KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Ottantotto Hotel Florence

Florence

Beautiful, relaxing and peaceful location. We enjoyed being able to easily walk to all that Florence has to offer! Being nestled in the local community was an added bonus!

Authenticity & Character

Overlooking the interior garden was so beautiful and peaceful.

Location

Local community

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Olimpia

Venice

Front desk staff were amazing! They were able to easily respond to questions and provide helpful insight to the area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

St. marks Basilica is about a 30 minute walk from hotel.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Modigliani

Roma

They have a restaurant on site that offers a simple menu for dinner. This was especially helpful after long days in Rome. The view from our balcony was a great way to enjoy some downtime in the afternoons. Pantheon and Colosseum were a 20-25 minute walk. Vatican City is about 45 minute walk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Venice Highlights Walking Tour

Venice

Our semi private tour was comprised of 6 people. Our guide was knowledgeable and provided insights on the city. Especially, how to easily escape the crowds! Highly recommended!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chianti Wine & Olive Oil Tour from Florence

Florence

Our group of 8 enjoyed a wonderful day of food, wine and new friends! Highly recommend this tour. We were able to enjoy a full day in Tuscany with a small group. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Food

A wonderful lunch was served with more amazing wine!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Our small group of 6 was the perfect way to tour the Colosseum. We were able to access multiple areas that were not accessible to the huge crowds. Tour guide was knowledgeable and easy to understand.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Early Morning Vatican Tour

Rome

The early start allowed us to fully enjoy our time in the Vatican City with feeling rushed. Our semi private tour consisted of a group of six. Our guide was funny and interesting . Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Morning Florence Highlights Walking Tour

Florence

This was our only tour that was in a larger group. They provided ear buds to be able to hear the tour guide. Our guide was knowledgeable, informed and funny! Her information was helpful to understanding the history of the city. This tour group was around 20-25 people. When compared to other tours , I would recommend the smaller group if possible.

Quality of Experience

Some of the group members were not willing to follow instructions.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was knowledgeable and funny!

Trastevere Afternoon Food Tour & Wine Experience

Rome

Our group of 6 was the perfect group. We enjoyed great conversations, excellent wine and food!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This tour was a 45-60 minute taxi ride from our accommodations. Otherwise, it was perfect!

Ana made a last-minute trip to Indonesia easy, comfortable, and incredible. She paired me with great drivers (Satria and Oka) and local guides (Like Duy at Prambanan and Bayu at Bromo) and was always just a WhatsApp message away when I had questions on the trip! I would definitely book with Ana again!

Wow what a trip! This was definitely the trip of a lifetime and Angela made that happen. KimKim has been a godsend planning for a group of 6 people. We had a slight hiccup when we arrived late to our Athens apartment and the place hadn't been cleaned. I messaged Angela and she got back to me right away (it was like 11pm) and fixed the issue by the time we had gone out for a drink and came back. We were all very impressed!

I would say the best part about KimKim was all of the transportation that was set up for us and all of the drivers we had. Our shuttles were ALWAYS on time and the drivers were always upbeat and SO sweet. George, Dimitris, Nikos, all amazing!!!!!! They deserve raises.

Also, every one of our tour guides were the best as well!! We all could not stop raving about every guide we had, professional and you could tell they truly enjoyed what they did, we were very very impressed.

Accommodations were beautiful!!!! The one thing I would maybe suggest is just warning people how many steps there are to get to each villa. Honestly wasn't an issue for us, and getting the most amazing views was 100 percent worth it. But if someone has any issues with stairs, I would probably be good to just get a little warning (80 steps up to our Naxos villa and 160 steps down to our Santorini villa). The price you pay for insane picturesque views!!!!!

Our villa in Naxos was a all around favorite! It was the most beautiful views and an amazing private pool, absolutely incredible.

Anytime we needed Angela she was there and I really really appreciate everything she did for us. Thank you Angela!! I would recommend this to anyone and would definitely book with Kim Kim in the future!! 🤗🤗🤗

Hotel Reviews

Four Streets Athens

Athens

Location, perfect. Layout and space, beautiful. We did have an issue with the cleaning. We arrived very late at night and our apartment hadn't been cleaned. Angela and the building management had someone come to give us fresh sheets and towels for the night and would send someone for a full cleaning the next day. No one showed up the next day. Management was so apologetic and I just think it was a one time issue, but it was really irritating. Not a fault of KimKim at all, I just want people to know. Someone did end up coming our last day and doing a clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable to so many places!

Staff

Very nice and apologetic about no one cleaning our apartment

Cleanliness & Comfort

Following up to make sure the staff has cleaned each and every apartment

Villa Paradise Seaside Luxury

Naxos

Amazing amazing amazing! Right across from the beach and had the most amazing views. We could have laid by that pool all day every day. Also breakfast was so so so so good! 78 steps to get up to our villa just a heads up to anyone going there with bad knees or out of shape! Lol

Authenticity & Character

Location

The only reason I'm giving this 4 stars is because we did not have a car and we were no where near town. Stefanos, the man who worked at the hotel, was nice enough to drive us to the grocery store on our first day. We aren't sure what we would have done if he hadn't driven us. That would be just my one suggestion is to maybe have a plan for the next people on how to get groceries or how to go about getting dinner in town.

Staff

Three cheers to Stefanos he was lovely!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was!

Ifestio Villas

Santorini

Views were literally insane, it was such an amazing view. We really enjoyed our stay here. Shower situation was a bit odd, but we understood the buildings are old and not modern. Didn't affect our opinion, they were just awkward and interesting.

Authenticity & Character

Very authentic and so much character!

Location

Perfect location!!!! Just a heads up - 170 steps to get down to our villa. Not an issue for me but just wanted to let other people know!

Staff

Our housekeeper was so sweet and nice!! Also - 20/10 stars to the guys that carried our luggage up and down those steps. Thank God for them otherwise we would have been in trouble haha.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Our guide was amazing we really loved her! Only reason for 4 stars is that it is a lot of standing sometimes we just wanted to go see the acropolis and then sit down with our guide. Still an amazing educational tour, we learned a lot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Delicious Athens Food Tour

Greece

This was amazing! Our guide was amazing!!!! 🤩 Great food and coffee as well 😋

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naxos Culinary Tour

Greece

We had lunch at Ms Maria's house!! We helped her cook lunch and then all ate together in her kitchen. It was very authentic and very homey - we all loved this so so much.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dimitris was amazing!!!!

Transport

Always amazing transportation

Naxos to Mykonos Day Trip

Naxos

We loved this tour and our tour guide. Only issue was the length of the trip. Our ferry was delayed by 30 min, but I think it could have been planned a bit better. It was supposed to be a day trip to Mykonos and by the time we got there we only had 2.5 hrs to see everything. Our guide was incredible, but I would really suggest getting an early morning ferry (ours wasn't until 12:15pm and was delayed until 12:45pm) so that you have substantial time there. That was a bit disappointing. I almost feel like the tour was planned as if we were taking a high speed ferry, but we were not.

Quality of Experience

Needed an earlier ferry - only has 2.5 hrs once we got there and met up with Antonio

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was AMAZING. He tried his best to give us the best tour in the shortest amount of time. I would like to do another tour with him!!!

Transport

Always amazing transportation.

All time classic Santorini 2024

Greece

Great tour!!! 😁

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

HS Catamaran Sunset Cruise MD

Santorini

Amazing amazing amazing!!!! At first we thought it looked like a lot of people to have on the boat at one time (about 16 of us). But it never felt crowded at all! One of our party got seasick and the crew was SO nice making sure she felt comfortable the whole time. The sunset was incredible and the dinner they made us was delicious. I recommend 10/10 for everyone to do this one.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was a great experience for us. All of the guides were charming and knowledgeable. The hotels, restaurants and locales were a pleasure to experience. One especially gorgeous place was Marmore Falls and the food tour we took in Rome was a real treat. We have nothing but praise for our local specialist, Vincenzo.

Activity Reviews

Guided Walking Tour of Napoli

Naples

Visit Naples Underground

Naples

Guided Tour of Pompeii

Italy

Nikolas was a wonderful specialist. The planning process was easy, fun, accommodated our specific wants. The plan was very detailed including photos of accommodations and restaurant suggestions. (Tho we did do our own research for that). During the trip Nikola was available for and answered questions, provided next day guidance each day, suggested and scheduled alternatives when weather caused plan cancellations, and contacted drivers, etc if there was any potential issue at all. Nikola and his boss really helped with the process when we had accidental damage and the car company wanted us to sign that we agreed to pay for the damage instead of just the damage report itself. They worked it out for us and got the replacement car. 100% Recommend Nikola, KimKim and their travel planning.

El viaje ha sido espectacular!!!! Muy bien organizado y hemos aprovechado muchísimo las oportunidades.
Tuvimos que contactar a nuestras especialistas en el trayecto y siempre nos dieron respuestas prontas y oportunas. Estamos muy contentos y agradecidos. Utilizaremos este servicio nuevamente y lo recomendaremos mucho.
Muchas gracias.

Activity Review

Douro Valley Excursion with Wine & Olive Oil Tastings & River Cruise

Porto

Excelente experiencia, bellísimo lugar, recibimos muchísimo!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip, all because of Jessica’s amazing plan and the service we received with the local guides. I couldn’t recommand Kimkim more!! Thank you very much to Kimkim, I could never have planned such a wonderful trip myself and saved so much time and stress. I will be using Kimkim for my future trips. And thank you for the instant help when our flight was delayed, it made us feel safe and taken care of.

Hotel Review

Tierra Viva Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Activity Reviews

Short Inca Trail Day 1: Hiking to Machu Picchu via Chachabamba and Wiñay Wayna

Peru

My favorite activity of the trip, it was magical. The guide was instructive and nice and the lunch was good!

Quality of Experience

Food

The brownie was maybe the best I ever had!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainbow Mountain Trek

Peru

The hike itself is great! Too many people asking to ride a horse and bad toilets but overall reslly great. But I did NOT enjoy the drive. I got scared we were going to fall off the cliff. We did ask our driver to slow down but still, the road is very very dangerous.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

.

Transport

The driver webt way too fast in the mountains. I did tell him to slow down and it helped a bit but they should consider the safety of the travellers instead of just trying to get there as fast as possible

Activities-a-la-carte - Refugio Amazonas

Peru

I loved it! We were grouped with 2 other young couples so it made the whole experience really fun. I thought it was one night too long though. In 2 days we had done the best activities. It was so hot that after 2 days we got tired of the heat (no fan or air con)Also, we did not get to choose our activities like it was described on kimkim. I was also having diarrhea the whole time I was there, probably because of the water.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had the pleasure to work with two different agents. Fei on the planning, and Angel on the implementation.
We were a group of 21 focused on meditation and tracking the Nakasendo trail.
Angel took care of every detail, forecasting any difficulty we could encounter.
She designed every dinner and hotel experience.

I do this around the world every year in different destinations and this has been by far, the most memorable, impecable and amazing experience.

They surpassed our expectations.

Congratulations for your hard work, it delivers exceptional results.

Thank you for a year long of planning this trip together.

We will return next year with a new group.

My complete admiration.

Without a doubt, one of my most favorite vacations despite missing four days due to flight disruptions. The first part of our trip, we spent three nights in Cape Town and stayed at the La Splendida Hotel with an ocean view and minutes away from the waterfront. Bridget Wilcox was our tour guide in Cape Town to a Penguin Safari, a drive along the coast to Cape Point, Hirschenbosch Botanical Gardens and wine tasting. Bridget was friendly, informative, funny, and knowledgeable. We enjoyed having Bridget as our tour guide while in Cape Town. I appreciated, Laurel, a representative from Capi Tours, meeting my husband and I at the airport while we waited for our ride to the hotel given the chaotic start we had. From Cape Town, we flew to Kruger National park - Shalati. The 3 day safari was the highlight and best part of our adventure. Shalati did not disappoint from the staff, accommodations, food, surroundings/atmosphere and overall experience. Definitely exceeded all of my expectations. Benedict from what I observed ran the place well, professional, helpful and made it a point guests were taken care of. Shout out to Subisiso and Lurrecia, both waited on us the majority of our stay and super friendly and helpful. The game drives were quite an experience like no other. We were able to see 4 of the Big Five and in complete awe of seeing them in their nature habitat. The last leg of our vacation, we flew to Zimbabwe. We saw Victoria Falls (no dead pool swimming) but pretty neat regardless and then a Bomba dinner that evening. Our last night, we had lunch at Dusty Road and a sunset cruise. It was such a pleasant evening on the cruise and surprisingly had a great time.

My biggest complaint: La Splendida Hotel and theft. We had a few items laundered with a next day return. I picked up my clothes at the front desk from Lucille (manager) the morning of our last day in Cape Town. I took the clothes to my room and left for our all day wine tasting tour. When we returned, I noticed 4 of our laundered items were missing. I immediately notified the front desk and was told to talk to the manager in the morning, which was the morning we were flying to Kruger National Park. Lucille tried to deflect that it was a possible mix up with another guest's request, plausible but very unlikely. Someone with a key entered our room while we were away and stole our clothes!! We had laundry service at Shalati and Pioneer and had no issues or experienced theft of any kind. Apparently, others have also reported theft at La Splendida (something we found out later after the fact). With a service such as Kim Kim, it is their responsibility to vet hotels, tour guides, etc. and ensure they are reputable before recommending to their guests. I paid for and relied on Kim Kim's expertise to do that on my behalf. In this regard, they failed in my opinion. Stephanie did work with the hotel to recover the stolen clothes. It's been almost 6 weeks since we've been back and I have yet to receive them, if ever.

Hotel Reviews

La Splendida

Mouille Point, Cape Town

Theft! Need to hire trustworthy employees. Online pics were so misleading because our room was no where near what was shown in the pics!

Kruger Shalati Bridge House Suites

From the moment we arrived to departure, service was top notch. Everyone was friendly, welcoming and helpful. Wonderful experience and highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Being able to see elephants, hippos, baboons from our room was incredible!

Staff

Shout out to Subisisco and Lurrecia!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pioneers Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls

Loved the quaintness and coziness of Pioneers!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrival at Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Cruise - Signature Deck

Victoria Falls

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kruger Shalati Train on a bridge

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boma Dinner and Drum Show

Victoria Falls

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day penguin safari - Cape Peninsula

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dusty Road Lunch Experience

Victoria Falls

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Increíble once in a lifetime trip! Our guide heraldo was excellent - Very knowledgeable and helpful along the way. Hands down the most adventurous trip we’ve ever taken. The untouched nature was amazing.

Our recent trip to Italy, organized by Kim Kim, was absolutely flawless. As it was our first time visiting, we relied heavily on their expertise, and we wouldn't change a thing about the experience. From start to finish, everything was incredibly well-organized, making our trip smooth and stress-free.

Kim Kim handled all our train and private transfers seamlessly, and our hotels were perfectly located in the heart of the action, allowing us to walk everywhere. They also provided invaluable advice on which tours to book ahead of time and gave us a comprehensive list of other activities to explore at our leisure.

What stood out most was how thoughtful they were about our itinerary. They planned it around our arrival times, ensuring we had time to settle in before immersing ourselves in each city. Their suggestions, like visiting elevated viewpoints in Rome and Florence upon arrival, gave us a perfect introduction to each destination.

Communication throughout the trip was excellent, which greatly helped to ease any anxiety we had. We also loved the convenience of the Trip Plans App, which had all our activities, bookings, and digital tickets neatly organized in one place.

Kim Kim truly thought of everything and made our trip an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Orto de' Medici

Florence

Beautiful large room with a view of garden. They provided a bottle of champagne upon our arrival. The hotel was within walking distance to all the city highlights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to the city highlights and just far enough away from the crowds.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mozart Rome

Roma

Great location. A little small. No views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Breakfast staff was very attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Atmosfere Guest House - 5 Terre e La Spezia

La Spezia

We felt safe. Bed was comfortable. We liked the terrace. Room was a little on the small side.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to train station, close to breakfast spots. We thought we may be in one of the 5 villages. The feel of La Spezia was not what we expected.

Staff

Little contact with staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albergo Marin

Venice

Perfect location. It was great to see the gondolas and singers right outside our window.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to all districts

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked

Guided Visit of Florence Including David and Duomo

Florence

Brenda was energetic, funny and personable. She was very knowledgeable. The timing of the tour was perfect.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Tuscany: Chianti Winery Visit & San Gimignano

Italy

Check out this review of Small-Group Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Tour - White and Red Wines on Tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187895-d18976319-r969954725-Small_Group_Vernaccia_di_San_Gimignano_Wine_Tour_White_and_Red_Wines-Florence_T.html

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cinque Terre Sunset Cruise & Aperitif

Cinque Terre

Fun, informative. We met 4 other couples and had a great time. The villages are breathtaking from the water.

Quality of Experience

Food

No food was provided, but the wine and beer were flowing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Danny was very knowledgeable about all 5 villages.

Transport

Venetian Lagoon Experience: Rowing in Venice

Venice

We had a great time learning how to row! The guides were engaging and helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved the fact that we had walking tours in each city the day we arrived and the trip got better and better each day. I couldn’t have planned this trip on my own. All the different places we stayed kept us excited for what was next. The best dinner we had was at Rufflets in St Andrew’s. If we were too tired to go out to eat, the locations we stayed served very good food.

Hotel Reviews

One Devonshire Gardens - Hotel du Vin

Glasgow

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was huge with the tallest ceilings I have ever seen.

The Machrie

Islay Island

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

restaurant staff was excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

very comfortable beds and linens

The Manor House

Oban

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bunchrew House Hotel

IV3 8TA

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit out of town but it was peaceful and quiet

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rufflets St Andrews

St. Andrews

Authenticity & Character

Loved staying in the Shepard Hut. We used the amazing copper bathtub after a day of golf.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Market Street Hotel

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Glenlo Abbey

Beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We had a slow leak in the tire of our car. The bellmen pumped up the tire for us and made sure it was still at the right PSI for our drive to the airport that morning.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cahernane House Manor Hotel

Killarney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perryville House

County Cork

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trinity Townhouse

Dublin

location was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Johnnie Walker Tasting Experience - Whisky Explorers

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

Great learning the history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private transfer in town

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Galway Evening Food Tour

Galway

food was very good. There was so much we couldn’t finish it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Ireland

Lots of people there but was worth to see.

Quality of Experience

Guided Killarney National Park Walking Tour

Killarney

We walked through the forest on trails. Fun to see something we would have never discovered on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Richard Clancy was great!

Transport

Kinsale Walking Group Food Tour

Kinsale

Walking through town and learning history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A Round of Golf at Jameson Golf Links, Portmarnock

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Many thanks to Michael and the kimkimteam for making my tailored excursions to the Tatacoa Desert and Cocora Valley a wish come true. Your patience and accommodation has truly contributed to making my trip to Colombia a memorable one. And for this, I give many thanks!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Salento Real Eje Cafetero

Salento

Centrally located to shops and restaurants, beautiful aesthetic with clean, comfortable rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

TATACOA STAR ECOHOTEL

Villavieja, Huila

Encanto, treehouse themed hotel with comfortable bathrooms, A/c and cable television. Staff were friendly and easy to communicate with. Breakfast was made to order.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Tatacoa Desert's Astronomical Observatory

Villavieja

What better way to experience the solar system then out in nature under the desert skies? Guillermo was enthusiastic and informative about the locations of the constellations, we were able to see Saturn, Alpha Centuari stars, the moon up close and the positions of the stars through his telescope.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Tatacoa Desert

Villavieja

This is a breathtaking desert! During this trip I learned about the prehistoric animals that roamed these lands and the current animals and plants that thrive there. I got to experience the juxtaposition of the red desert and the grey desert. This is a unique experience to walk through a remarkable landscape. It's an easy walk and the cool breeze in the morning made the walk comfortable, especially at the grey desert.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I rode in a tuk-tuk to get around and the experience felt much more authentic as you can feel the road below and take in the air.

Cocora Valley & Salento

Colombia

I road in an open top jeep along open farmlands to get to the Cocora Valley and it was very scenic and liberating. There are different hiking trails and it's not difficult, but the incline up the hill is noticeable. My guide, Carlos, was informative and I learned about the background of the wax palms, its history and preservation. The nature is beautiful. The area is so green and the trees have to be experienced firsthand to see their remarkable endurance and height. The weather was excellent in the morning with a breeze.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our group of six people spent 14 amazing days in Greece, and we never had any problems with our itinerary or reservations. The hotel accommodations and tours were as described in the our itinerary and the guides were excellent. We visited Athens, Naxos, Santorini, and Crete. We interacted with over 8 guides and 10 drivers. All the tours and transfers were on time and we traveled in luxury private cars. Our local specialist, Angela was readily available to answer any questions we had. She always responded quickly and on a few occasions made some last-minute changes we requested. I am so happy to recommend Angela for your trip to Greece.

The trip planning process was incredibly easy and we were supported the entire way through by Pauline and the kimkim staff. Once we were on our vacation, we were able to continue contacting Pauline when we had a few snags at hotel check in, which she expertly handled. Using kimkim took a lot of stress out of traveling and is something that we’ll consider using again in the future!

Vineyard at Quinta da Pacheca was excellent. The guide we had, Fabio, was very well versed in the winemaking process, and answering many questions we had. The service was excellent for lunch, food and wine pairings was excellent. It was probably the favorite for us of our whole trip. Mary and Bruce

Hotel Reviews

Maison Albar - Le Monumental Palace

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Such a Great 5 Star Hotel, everything from check in to check out Very attentive to our needs in the Hotel, our room, the amenities were excellent and the Bar staff was excellent.

Hotel Cascais Miragem

Cascais

Great pool area and staff members did a great job. Wish we would have stayed there anther day longer.

Authenticity & Character

From lobby to pool was 5 star for sure, impressive elevator with view and sitting areas add luxury to this hotel.

Location

Ocean front view was amazing.

Staff

Very attentive to our dining pleasures.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxurious huge King bed, 5 star attentive cleaning staff before and after we arrived.

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascade Wellness Resort

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleaning staff was insufficient to be rated 5 star, maybe better training to have essential items in room like tissues for our 3 night stay. No extra pillows or blankets. Curtain rods and toilet paper holder were broken from the start of our stay, which we did mention to staff twice.

Activity Reviews

Farewell

Lisbon Int. Airport (LIS)

Rush hour traffic on the freeway. Pick up was at 0730, Not sure if there was a better way to get to Airport. Luggage did not get on our connecting flight to London on time.

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was attentive to our needs.

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was pleasant, informative of area, and talkative

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service

Portugal

Absolutely excellent experience

Quality of Experience

The guide Fabio, at Vineyard was very informative and interesting to listen to. The lunch service and wine pairings were wonderful.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

He pointed out interesting sites along the way.

Indulge in Elegance on a Guided Winery Tour Infused with Tastings and a Delicious Lunch

Portugal

Excellent service, great food choices, 5 star service with wine pairings.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Portugal

Fun boat ride to see beautiful Duro River.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Captain was informative about area

Transport

Transfer from Porto to Lagos

Portugal

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was attentive to our needs for stops along the way.

Exclusive Panoramic Boat Tour to the Ponta da Piedade Caves

Portugal

Fun boat tour, saw amazing cave and cliff formations, along with waterfalls.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Captain was very good at guiding his boat in narrow spaces. Was exciting!

Transport

I was initially referred to KimKim by a family friend who had a great experience. Due to my work schedule and never traveling abroad before, I needed a company I could trust to set my trip up the right way. Raquel was not only super responsive and helpful, but she also listened to everything I wanted out of a trip to Spain and Portugal and custom created a trip beyond what I could imagine. This trip was 5 cities over 2 weeks. 5 hotels, 2 train transfers, and multiple flights (not counting getting to and from the EU from the US) and she made it as clear and easy to follow as absolutely possible. I do not speak Spanish or Portuguese for reference, and yes it was still extremely easy to follow. Each activity that was arranged was an incredible and memorable experience with a guide who was a true local with local experience and connections. Writing this, I honestly can’t think of a critique I could even give. My expectations were met within the first couple days, then exceeded at about half way through the trip. The rest was all a bonus. If you are reading this review because you might be skeptical or questioning whether or not to use KimKim or Raquel, just know I had my concerns as well. I am now 2 days back and wrote this review and I cannot recommend this service enough if you want a truly memorable experience.

Hotel Reviews

NH Collection Barcelona Pódium

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Did not feel out of place and it felt like you were a part of the city

Location

Great location for activities and rich in culture

Staff

Incredibly nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Intelier Victoria

San Sebastian

Authenticity & Character

Great rooftop views, incredible breakfast, very clean

Location

Great central location to the old town and everything is accessible by foot

Staff

So incredibly nice and helpful. Everyone seems truly happy to work there.

Cleanliness & Comfort

EVERYTHING was very clean. From the lobby to the showers to even the elevator

H10 Puerta de Alcalá

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

The hotel was just remodeled so it had a very cool and “swank” design

Location

In a VERY nice part of town and was centrally located to many great restaurants

Staff

Everyone involved was very helpful. This was one of 5 hotels we stayed at so unfortunately I do not have any names to mention

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfy beds and clean all around from the lobby to breakfast bar to the hotel bar to our room

Catalonia Porto

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Blends in great to surrounding areas and retains a Portugal charm. Also truly an amazing breakfast

Location

Excellent location to city center and the river

Staff

Not only was the staff very friendly to deal with but also happy to help at a moments notice

Cleanliness & Comfort

EVERYTHING was clean all the way down to the inside of the mini fridge

Dear Lisbon - Gallery House

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

This hotel was clearly renovated from a traditional Lisbon apartment building and gives you a traditional feel with modern amenities. Very very cool place to stay

Location

Very nice area located and very close to amazing restaurants but not so centrally located that it is loud at night from street activity

Staff

Super welcoming and always helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Despite being a traditional building, the carpets and rugs do not even have stains on them. The “mini-split” AC units were fantastic

Activity Reviews

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

This was our first activity coming off a 9 hour red eye flight being abroad from the US for the first time just to set the scenario. Boris (our guide) welcomed us to the city in the most impressive way possible. I normally cringe at the idea of a “tour”. This isn’t your traditional tour guide walking and shouting to keep everyone together with a giant sign and whistle giving you the cliff notes of generic “authentic” foods. This is a local guided, off the beaten path, “locals only” known with history and culture. Each location is unique and purposefully selected to give you an authentic experience. The group is not more than 8-10 and you start as strangers and end as friends taking pictures to remember the experience. Boris was an awesome guide with amazing taste.

Quality of Experience

Boris was an incredible guide and you eat at places you are not going to find on a local yelp page.

Food

The authenticity of the meals were great and unlike anything I ever had before

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boris was fun, friendly, experienced, knowledgeable and the places you go to are welcoming and happy you are there.

Transport

We walked and met at a location that was easy to find

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

We met Albert who was our guide and he was incredible. I could not believe how much this man knew about Barcelona. This man had binders of pictures of what the city used to look like and how it has changed over centuries. I walked away from this tour amazed at the education I was provided along with local tips for how to navigate around Barcelona that you would never find even online. You will get a college semesters worth of education in 4 hours and the best part about Albert, you can tell he was excited and passionate about the city’s history and excited to share it with you.

Quality of Experience

Albert (our guide)

San Sebastian Pintxo Experience

San Sebastián

This was an incredible experience with fantastic food all put together by my guide, Felix. Felix is a local and has grown up in San Sebastián so his selection and taste was spot on. He provided an incredible tour and by the end, became a friend. I mean this in the most professional way possible. The selections he picked were unique to San Sebastián and even gave more suggestions for meals during your stay that couldn’t be included in the tour because time wouldn’t allow.

Quality of Experience

Felix and his knowledge

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and the food was nothing short of amazing

Guided Visit of Madrid: History, Culture & Architecture of the Capital of Spain

Madrid

When first getting into Madrid, I wasn’t sure how much I would love the city. Just coming from Barcelona and San Sebastián, Madrid was massive and had a different vibe all together (not bad or dangerous, just very different than the other 2). Sean (our guide) was the game changer for my impression of the city. He showed us the real Madrid that I’m sure not a lot of tourists get to see or understand. If it wasn’t for Sean, I don’t know if I would have enjoyed Madrid as much as I did. He has an awesome local knowledge base of the city and helped us navigate the city much better. By the end, Sean became a friend we met along the way through our journey and I mean that in the most professional way possible.

Quality of Experience

Sean. He was welcoming and extremely knowledgeable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sean truly loves the city and understands it so well

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

This was one of many food tours we took on this trip and we had Jon (Jean) as our guide. This man was incredible. Not only was Jon a knowledgeable local guide who knows the city well, he was also a chef. So all meals were expertly picked with a chefs taste and Jon was about as entertaining and knowledgeable guide as you could ask for. Meals ranged from local meats and cheeses with authentic port wine to local hot spots with authentic dishes

Quality of Experience

Wide variety and incredible guidance

Food

Absolutely everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jon (Jean) was amazing and a local expert.

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Emanuel is a local expert and was such an amazing guide to have. His knowledge of the city and its history is so vast you were getting a college semesters worth of history in a 3 hour tour. He loves the city and gets you to love it too.

Quality of Experience

Emanuel’s knowledge and expertise

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Emanuel’s enthusiasm and attention to city detail along with local pointers for things to do later

Go West to Belém TukTuk Tour

Lisbon

This was my first time on a Tuk Tuk and Catalina provided a great knowledge base of the city. She took us to great places and gave us exclusive access to some things that made the city so great.

Quality of Experience

Great knowledge from Catalina

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Catalina’s enthusiasm for the city of Lisbon

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

Initially, we had a hike planned that unfortunately got cancelled due to the tragic wildfires that happened in Portugal at this time. Our hike got rescheduled to another area along the Sintra Coast. We got paired with Falis, and this might have been the best highlight of an already incredible trip. Falis prepared the hike according to us and what WE felt comfortable with. I am a 30 year old and I am in good shape. We did a roughly 15 km hike that was unlike anything I could have imagined. This was a private costal hike to a private beach and through small costal towns that was beyond anything I could have imagined. The terrain was tough but I can personally handle it. Felis was 100% prepared for anything and knew all the best routes that were the opposite of any “tourist” walk. I will never forget this experience. Felis is now a true friend after my experience. He even personally selected food for lunch and provided it to us. Unbelievably beyond my expectations.

Quality of Experience

Felis and the views. I knew nothing of what the Portugal coast had to offer and was completely blown away

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Felis is truly one of the most welcoming guys I have ever met that you could tell, this is what he loves to do and he loves giving you a memorable experience.

Transport

Felis met us at the hotel and transported us to the hiking destination. As easy as absolutely possible.

Visit Traditional Basque Coastal Towns & a Txakolli Winery Visit

San Sebastián

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We’ve been used to DIY traveling to North America, Europe and Asia for several years. This year, we decided for the first time to use an agency to do the planning for our Central American travel to Costa Rica. We came across Kimkim in our search, which did all the hotel bookings and activity planning for us based on the preferences we provided them. Kimkim didn’t disappoint us and had, in fact, exceeded our expectations by making adjustments to our needs while we were already in the midst of our Costa Rican adventure. Their quick response to our requests were commendable. The adjustments they made for us due to my traveling partner who developed medical issues during our travel were addressed seamlessly. Jessica, our Kimkim agent who we touched based with till the end, was always responsive and made sure we were getting the most of our travel time. We would not have had a memorable experience without Kimkim’s services and its expertise of Costa Rican life, land, people, and culture. Pura Vida!

Kristiina the Oslo guide was wonderful and very helpful
There a lot more sites to visit in Oslo than Bergen and it would have been nice to have more days there rather
than Bergen but both were very good
Enjoyed the train from Oslo to Bergen--saw scenery at multipel altitudes both below and above tree line
The Fjord cruise in Bergen, Rib boat in Flam, Sea Kayak in Geranger/Glacier tour in Balestrand, and the cable care in Bergen were all wonderful. Hiking in Balestrand was a challenge but the views were great. It is amazing that people could live and farm on the steep cliffs years ago. The Cornelius dinner was amazing. Getting back at 11 pm and having to get up at 3 AM was not great planning but the meal was worth it.
We were very fortunate to have clear weather for the Sea Kayak! The waterfalls after it rained were wonderful
The scenery was fantastic
Car rental and driving was interesting. The Bergen self service rental has no one to talk to. We found another Hertz
location on the road and got an introduction to the car. Our taxi driver from the hotel drove past the location and I
had to tell him where to go! Every time I put gas in the vehicle we were double charged large amounts on my credit card--These are still pending as of today. Driving on the roads was an experience--the tunnels were unbelievable-how in the world did they do them!!! More switchbacks than I have ever seen and done
The airport transfer did not show up for the flight home--we had to take a taxi.. Hoping that can be refunded
All in all a wonderful trip and may well use Kim Kim again

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Bristol

Oslo

wonderful staff delightful hotel with shower and bath and terry cloth robes Breakfast amazing my favorite hotel

Authenticity & Character

see above

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

see above

Hotel Norge by Scandic

Bergen

modern hotel not as much character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Aurlandsfjord

Aurland

great views No elevator and we wer on 4th floor/ a hike

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Utsikten

Geiranger

Great views closing for season the day we left Nice lounge area no elevator/ on 3rd floor very tiny rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

view

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

very tiny room and bath

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

great bar and dining area Bath had a shower with only curtains--presume for person in wheelchair Large room

Location

near wharf

Staff

front desk helpful when airport ride didn't show up

Cleanliness & Comfort

again the bath

Activity Reviews

Private City Walk

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

walking in the rain actually fun-- "No bad weather--just bad clothing possible" per our guide

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seven Sisters Kayaking Excursion

Geiranger

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

not applicable

Fjord Safari by RIB (Summer/Fall)

Flåm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjærlandsfjord Cruise & Bøyabreen Glacier Visit

Balestrand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experince

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Dinner was amazing culinary triumph

Guides, Drivers and Staff

waitress Anna was delightful, Owner was there and talked to every group

Transport