Kimkim Trip Reviews

KimKim did an amazing job arranging our trip to Japan. From train tickets to guides to someone meeting us at the airport with a friendly face, everything was great. We had a last minute change to make, and Angel was able to re-book our Shinkensen tickets and get them to us in a timely way. All around, an excellent service.

Hotel Reviews

The Ritz-Carlton

Osaka

This place was beautiful and the staff was, without exception, outstanding. Would love to stay here again someday.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intergate Hiroshima

Hiroshima

There was really nothing I liked about this hotel. The staff at the reception weren't welcoming at all, nor helpful during checkout. The room had a tiny window with shades drawn so you felt a little like being in a cell- very claustrophobic. We spent as little time as possible in the room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

Kyoto

Room was pretty spacious so that was nice. It's gotten some fancy updates but seems like it might have been a Courtyard by Mariott at some point and got a face lift. The staff were great especially the congierge who gave us great sushi restaurant tips and directions. It seemed to be geared towards large tour groups. The restuarants were always empty (Except at free breakfast), probably because they were very overpriced. It was a good location, fairly close to the train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Green Plaza Hakone

Hakone

We picked this hotel for the views- well, not their fault that it was overcast and we couldn't see anything. However, this place is dated and a little tacky. The store and cafe were never open. The place was overrun with children who screamed throughout dinner. The restuarant was lit up like hospital cafeteria, and while the food was ok, it was so noisy and bright that we couldn't wait to leave. I can imagine the onsen would be amazing if you could see Mt. Fuji. It's also not located near anything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel

Tokyo

Hotel was very nice- nice sized rooms, great breakfast, great service. The rooftop bar is a must.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Helpful, friendly, enough english for us to get by with our limited Japanese

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

One Day Hiroshima and Miyajima Island Tour

Hiroshima

Yoko was an excellent guide. We went to Miyajima first, via ferry- it was lovely. Very limited crowds, although it was raining so that could be why. Had some yummy roasted oysters, some great little maple leaf cookies, and got some great views of the gate and temple. Then headed back and toured the Peace Memorial and the museum. Both were very moving and emotional. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nishiki Market Food Experience

Kyoto

We did'nt do this tour

Day Trip to Nara and Uji

Kyoto

We didn't do this trip

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Yoshi was a great guide- turns out she spent a year not too far from where we live in Oregon. Totally not her issue, but the sites in Kyoto are just overrun with tourists, which I realize we are also, It was really hard to enjoy the temples, tori gates, Gion district becuse there are just too many people at the same spots.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi Tour with Whisky Tasting

Tokyo

Yoshi was a great guide. We just didn't have great weather for viewing Fuji (never did see it). However, he did his best to keep us interested and entertained, including taking us to a flower garden that wasn't originally planned. The Whicky tour and tasting was really interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Yumi did a great job of putting together a tour catering to our preferences. We were a little jet lagged so probably didn't get all out of it that we could have. The fish market was super fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Croatia was awesome!!
The experience was so good because of the work of Daniela and Robi.
They constructed a fabulous itinerary that touched on the highlights of Croatia from the capital city, the fantastic Plitvice Lakes National Park, Split, two marvelous Islands and then Dubrovnik. Daniela and Robi selected wonderful hotels and great guides and stops along the way. We appreciated the daily updates and personal assistance.

Thanks so much for helping us make beautiful memories of amazing Croatia.

Mike & Jan & Chris & Jerry

The guide that we worked with for our trip to Iceland was everything I could have hoped for! I gave her a LOT of info on what we wanted to do, and she was able to make it all happen. I love that you can go back and forth, ask questions, make tweaks, etc through the whole process. She gave personal recommendations on sites to see and places to stop for food - all of which were amazing. The handheld guide she put together was easy to understand and very thorough. Even better was that she didn't disappear after sending the guide. She WhatsApp me when we got there, a couple times during the trip, and when we got home. It was very comforting to know I could get help at any time. Plus there's a number for 24/7 help. I never had to worry about anything going wrong, and that was worth every penny. Highly recommend, you won't be disappointed!

Hotel Reviews

Hótel Kría

Vík

Great location in the heart of Vik. There's a bar and restaurant, which have an incredible view. Lots of parking. Rooms were nice, good size bathroom, and smart TVs. The beds were clean and nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eyja Guldsmeden Hotel

Reykjavik

What a cute hotel! There was breakfast, and a restaurant on site. The rooms were darling and had very comfortable beds. The TVs are not smart tvs so you're limited to like 6 channels. There's a gym, and there's a Bonus grocery store right behind the hotel. Walking distance to a food hall, but it would be a pretty far walk to downtown where the shops and restaurants are.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

ION Adventure Hotel

Nesjavellir

Such a cool hotel! It has a spa pool and a sauna. A bar that stays open until 11. There's room service and a restaurant on site. The rooms are modern but cozy. You can get Netflix on the TV. We saw the northern lights from our walk out. You also get some prosecco when you arrive, which doesn't hurt a bit.

Authenticity & Character

Very unique and cool

Location

Not very far from Selfoss

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights tour with your driver

Iceland

The super jeep tour was so cool! Picked us up from the hotel and drove us out about an hour and half. They stopped and looked for the lights, then would move us to another location looking for them. We found them! They set up a camera on a tripod and take your pictures with the lights in the background. The guide even had hot chocolate for everyone... And a lil something special to add to it if you liked. Great tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Lagoon

Reykjavík

Wow you will not regret going here!! Pay for the bigger package because it's totally worth it. There's a restaurant inside and a small gift shop. The locker room is private with showers. There's a swim up bar in the lagoon. The seven step rituals were absolutely incredible and not to be missed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Silfra Snorkeling Adventure with Transport

Reykjavík

Such a neat experience! You have to wear thermal underwear of some sort and warm socks. You put on a suit, and then a dry suit over it. It is tight, and uncomfortable around the neck and wrists - but it's to keep the 2°c water out sooo it's worth it. There's a short walk to the entry point. We had to wait about 20 mins to get into the water because of other groups ahead of us. Once you are in the water, it naturally propels you and the suit loosens up a bit. You barely have to do work. Our guide was funny and nice. At the end we all drank hot chocolate and talked about the experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had James and he was wonderful!

We had an amazing trip to Sicily. Everything was so well planned. Each guide was fun, knowledgeable and perfect! The street food tour with Valeri was a highlight. As was the urban winery- mt Etna. The wine pairing was absolutely delicious!
Hotels were clean and so well located and welcoming. Flexibility was appreciated.
When 4 travelers agree - you know they must be doing right!

We were very pleased on all that KimKim did to set up our Italy vacation. Elena was wonderful in giving us all the details we needed to make traveling to our various locations seamless. She was very accommodating when we had questions and always responded promptly. She was our unseen lifeline while traveling.

We especially enjoyed all the guides that handled our day trips. All were extremely knowledgeable and had so much to show us and share with us.

The accommodations were very nice. Some better than others but all conveniently located to the sites we wanted to see.

Definitely recommend and would use KimKim again!!

Hotel Reviews

The Corner Duomo Hotel & Spa

Milan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hotel Argento

Levanto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colosseum and Roman Forum - Private guide

Rome

Our guide was wonderful. The history and architecture shouldn’t be missed

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Winery visit with wine tasting and light lunch

Italy

Loved the setting, the wines and light lunch

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lake Como Guided visit (Bellagio, Varenna and Villa Carlotta)

Italy

Loved the multiple locations our guide took us to

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last Supper guided visit (1h)

Italy

Everyone should see this!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The variety of things to do in Bolivia was outstanding. Camila did a great job of organizing everything, demonstrating amazing flexibility and an ability to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. David stands out among several great guides for his attention to detail and our interests. Being able to bird with Berto was a real highlight.

Kim Kim was such a perfect way to plan our trip! Catarina was awesome! Marta was great! It made everything so stress free. I would highly recommend to anyone. Even if we changed things they were more than happy to help. Thank you Kim Kim team!

Valentine is exceptional at what she does. She arranged a first-class trip for our group. The hotels she selected were perfect! The tours were well organized. I would definitely recommend using Valentine if you want the luxury of having your entire trip planed out for you. John

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Kloster Hirsau

Hirsau

Very nice/clean hotel with very friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Spinnerhof

Salsbachwalden

This is a very quaint hotel nestled in the black hills. Everything about it was wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Living Hotel Das Viktualienmarkt

Munich

This hotel is within walking distance of everything!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Metropolitan Hotel

Prague

This hotel is within walking distance of everything!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Premium Tour

Munich

The first-class bus ride was very comfortable, and the tour was amazing. There is a great amount of walking necessary for this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial

Munich

Sobering is all I can say. God bless the souls who perished there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oktoberfest private tour: Bavarian Beer & Festive Bites

Munich

Just not what we expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Bastei bridge with Boat Trip Day Tour

Prague

The bridge if beautiful. The boat ride was quite a let-down. It takes a total of 20 minutes. They take you upriver 10 minutes then back to the start. Really not much to see. Plus, and this is something you really need to know, the hike to the boat is not an easy one. It is advertised as a tour for people from young to old. That is not the case at all. There is a great amount of hiking at both the bridge and to the boat. I am in pretty good shape and i considered it a moderate to difficult hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best of Culinary Prague

Prague

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Prague Introduction Walking Tour

Prague

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Prague

Prague

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the time of our life! Our guide in Santorini was incredibly knowledgeable and absolutely amazing! I wish I had her with us through out the trip and remembered her name. I learned so much from her! She knew every historical, agricultural, economic, etc fact you could ever imagine! I later shared the facts on our Sunset Cruise and everyone had so many questions… like I was the guide. Lol. Our private driver pickups was such a perk we weren’t used to having.
We had an amazing time and if were to return would stay in Santorini the entire time and do day adventures from there. There’s so much to see there! We did change our Catamaran sail to an afternoon option to see the sunset. It was a last minute decision & the driver etc just wasn’t the same. Our mistake though!
We found an incredible 20th anniversary ring at Poniros, recommended by the clerk/concierge at Perla hotel . It is stunning!! Absolutely perfect! Thank you KimKim we can’t wait to use you for France & Thailand next! 😘😘😘

Hotel Reviews

Athens Manor Houses

Athens

I wish we spent a little more time here!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Mid city center, Acropolis in walking distance and view, food, people, restaurants amazing!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NLH Monastiraki

Athens

I wish we actually got to sleep & enjoy this location but we stayed up, curled in bed & ordered Vietnamese food because we were exhausted & knew our flights, leaving hotel in Athens, were at 2am. Longgg ride home in a really cozy plane!

Authenticity & Character

The balcony was awesome!!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Santana Luxury Suites Naxos

Naxos

The staff was lovely! Not the same as the others. Bed uncomfy and we missed cold potable water at our beck and call/room service or even room phones to ask questions. The island was beautiful.. just alot more laid back. We did our souvenir shopping here because the island/city areas economy was a lot less luxurious & even busy! Which was a nice change but we missed a couple little things. Comforts & Water 💧.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kasimatis by La Perla

Santorini

Thank you to everyone who made our adventure there amazing! To our hotel concierge & staff we appreciate everything you did! Especially our adventure to Poniros as a recommendation for the best jewelry shopping! My ring is stunning & one of a kind!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The George Hotel

Mykonos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Off-the-Beaten-Path Villages & Countryside Excursion

Santorini

Our absolute favorite! Our guide, I wish i knew her name so i could recommend her, was extremely knowledgeable about all details, history, architecture, agriculture, wine & it’s history of being the “oldest vines known” because of the lack of soil in Santorini and the roots growing in the constantly spongey/damp pumice stone of the lava landscape.. every little bit of information we soaked it up! I wish I had her with us our entire trip! She took great pictures for us & others. So incredibly kind and if we had the chance would have made lifelong friends! I’d love her name and to find her on Facebook etc!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Every element of our trip, from the drivers who collected us to the various tours, was amazing. On time, very informative, fun.

Hotel Reviews

Domes Noruz Chania

Agioi Apostoloi Chania-Crete

Overall design of hotel is cool but room design is very impractical. We had a “wellness suite” on 2 floors. Entry floor features the bathroom sink in the middle of the room, too much furniture but no place to store clothes or even put suitcases (had to put one on the sofa, the other on floor next to bathroom door). Bathroom is impossibly small. Bed area upstairs features small queen bed that is “cocooned” by glass half-wall on sides and feet. Must be extremely difficult for housekeeping staff to change bed linens and clean. Small toilet next to bed area impossibly small. Jacuzzi bath on balcony had zero privacy from people walking around hotel. Yoga ball and foam roller took up too much space, as well as 2 nesting coffee tables, rocking chair and sofa bed. As an adult-only hotel, I wondered why the need for a sofa bed, so many coffee tables if only max two persons in room? This was probably meant to be the nicest hotel of our trip but the Collection (Domes) is trying too hard to be something the travelers are not - funky.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Naxian Collection

Naxos-Greece

The hotel is nice but next to the airport - when a plane has recently landed you smell jet exhaust. Lighting was barely existent in bathroom (by design), so it was difficult to see for tasks. Breakfast was very tasty. Location required taxi into town, longish walk to beach area. Sheets and towels were not white, rather dirty-grey. I think this may have been part of their ecological drive to not use bleach - just seemed less appealing. Loved the semi-private pool and landscaping.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Divani Hotel Meteora

Kalampaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

V Hotel Delphi

Delphi

The hotel was no frills, basic and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Urban Stripes Athens

Koukaki, Athens

Very nice, comfortable and chic hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Acropolis & Athens e-bike guided tour

Athens

Fun, informative and exactly what we’d expected

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camila did such an amazing job planning the trip! I loved my accomodation in La Paz and Uyuni! Fernando was the best guide I could have imagined and all around it was just a wonderful experience! Thank you so much

Our recent honeymoon in Croatia, customized by Sarah and Ivan from the kimkim travel group, was an absolute dream come true! Sarah and Ivan were easily reachable and communicated with us throughout the entire trip, ensuring seamless transitions between accommodations and making sure our trip was smooth and easy. From the moment we landed in Dubrovnik to our final day in Split, every detail was meticulously planned, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the beauty and culture of this stunning country.

Our journey began in the enchanting city of Dubrovnik. The Hotel Bellevue lived up to its 5-star rating, offering breathtaking sea views and impeccable service. Immediately upon check-in, we went downstairs to the beautiful local beach conveniently located downstairs and accessible by a hotel elevator that takes you directly to the entrance of the beach. The hotel was also walking distance to the old town where we could tour the city walls at night and immerse ourselves in Dubrovnik’s rich history as we walked the 2km stretch. The sunset kayaking excursion around the old town was a magical experience we'll never forget.

The day trip to Cavtat was a delightful surprise. The local farm that we visited in this charming coastal town was truly an unforgettable experience. The authentic Croatian meal we prepared alongside the farm’s owner Jadra was a feast for the senses - the flavors were incredible, and the hospitality was heartwarming.

In Hvar, the Amfora Grand Beach Resort provided the perfect blend of luxury and relaxation. The private island discovery tour was a highlight, with our knowledgeable guide J.J. sharing fascinating insights about Hvar’s history and culture. The boating excursion to the Pakleni Islands and Brač was simply spectacular - crystal clear waters, secluded bays, and the freedom to explore at our own pace.

Split captivated us with its ancient charm. The cooking class was an absolute delight - shopping at the local market and then creating traditional dishes under the guidance of our chef was both fun and educational. Our guide for exploring Diocletian’s Palace was exceptional, bringing the ancient stones to life with engaging stories and historical context.

Throughout our trip, the guides provided by kimkim were outstanding. Their passion for their regions shone through in every interaction, and they went above and beyond to ensure we had unforgettable experiences.

Our trip was nothing short of amazing! Our travel planner, Elena, did such a fantastic job in planning this trip. We had gone back and forth on the places we wanted to go, and she was very flexible with everything. While on the trip, she was always available to answer our questions and helped us out in ensuring we got back to Florence when we were in a different city and not feeling well.

The tour guides she planned for us were very knowledgeable and personable. The private transportation we requested was perfectly organized. We are so looking forward to using Kim Kim again in the future, and of course will be recommending Elena to anyone who wants to travel to Italy!

Monica was the best!! She was always available to answer questions and provide guidance. Her knowledge of the area was exceptional & the activities she arranged were perfect for us. All accommodations were exceptional, and her itinerary was thoughtful, allowing us to experience the ‘real NZ’ and its beauty.
Kimkim continues to provide extraordinary service & we have recommended them to others.
With many thanks, Gary & Kim Glenn

We had a once-in-a-lifetime amazing journey to visit Zanzibar, Tanzania and Kenya. The safari days were long and bumpy but so full of amazing things to see, that they passed quickly. The camps were so very much nicer than we had anticipated, and we very much enjoyed the wonderful food and relaxed luxury after those long days out in the sun and the dust and the bumpiness. Our stay in Zanzibar was marred by an inattentive "guide" and so much hawking that we fled from it to the hotel. Our guide in Tanzania, John, could not possibly have been better or offered more insights and expertise--plus he taught us some Swahili!
In Kenya we did not have the one guide/driver for the whole time that we had expected, but our lodge and its driver at Naboisho were terrific. You could do an entire successful wild animals viewing just there. Finally, we visited Maji Moto cultural camp and it was the highlight experience. It was much more impactful than being sent to tourist traps. We ended our trip in Nairobi and had an enjoyable day and very pleasant hotel.

Activity Reviews

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Kenya

It was interesting to hear the caretaker's presentation, and it was fun to watch the elephants and the baby rhino. I really loved having a chance to actually touch an elephant. They stayed very close.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giraffe Center

Kenya

WELL WELL worth it. Delightful encounter to see giraffes really up close. Loved also the botany -- the trees and plants marked with descriptions and medicinal uses. The nature walk was very pleasant. The gift shop was probably the best shop we saw in two weeks. It was outstanding.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was great to give us heads up about spending time there..

Nairobi National Park

Kenya

This is another great place to hunt for animals but after our prior experiences, it fell pretty flat -- EXCEPT for the most remarkable viewings of the rhinos. Most of the animals spotted were extremely far away.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

very comfortable

Mto Wa Mbu Cultural Immersion & on to Ngorongoro Conservancy

Kenya

We started out enjoying this experience very much. Our guide was kind and full of info. The tour was fine. But being led into these money-sucking situations, like the carvers/artists place, was a bit off-putting. I will say it was MUCH lower pressure than other places, and after having visited Morocco, we are familiar with this "game." The only real unfortunate issue was that he somewhat pressured my husband into tasting his brewed banana beer -- and that resulted in two days of intestinal disaster.

Quality of Experience

Stone Town, Spice Farm, Prison Island & Kuza Cave Tour

Stone Town Zanzibar

the "guide" dropped us with a man who did not speak English, but had an old boat. It had no life vests and a half-rotted floor. It took about half hour to cross to the island instead of the 15 minutes other boats did. We were then handed off to an unscrupulous horrible man who served as a "guide" -- did NOTHING--and demanded $20. The tortoises were very interesting to visit--the "guide" scratched one's neck when it was clearly marked not to touch them. We received NO tour of Stone Town at all--we walked out a bit by ourselves but pretty much got lost. We did not go to any Kuza Cave.

Quality of Experience

See above

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The man was kind and all, but it was unsafe.

Rooftop Swahili Dinner

Stone Town Zanzibar

The staff and chef are wonderful. The meal was outstanding, beautifully prepared and presented, and always preceded by clear explanations of the dish being served and its ingredients and preparation. Dinner lasted a couple hours. It was a very good value.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Overall we had an amazing experience during our trip to Morocco. The hospitality of the people is incredible, food was delicious, the cities are enchanting and our driver Samir was absolutely the best! If you visit Morocco you definitely have to have Samir as your driver. He is kind, knowledgable, respectful, punctual and will show you the best local places and not only the ones were all tourists go. He knows the best spots for pictures and real Moroccan food.

My husband and I had a wonderful days in France. Thanks to our coordinator Lise for everything.

We employed Kimkim's services because of its use of local talent to provide the best experience when touring a foreign city and country. We had an incredible trip with Kimkim to Athens. We expected the same level of concern to planning and detail on our just completed trip to Austria and Poland. That was NOT the case. When we arrived in Vienna, our private trasport driver was nowhere to be found. We circled the arrival hall multiple times. We utilized one of our Verizon cell phone travel passes to call the driver's cell (provided in itinerary). We finally located him and headed to our hotel, K+K Maria Theresia to freshen up after a long flight. The toilet in the room malfunctioned and the bathroom had no soap. We called the front desk and were told that the toilet had just been repaired with the wrong part so would not stop flushing and that soap would be provided. We checked out the following morning and boarded our OBB train from Vienna to Krakow- all according to our Kimkim itinerary. The Austrian conductor scanned our tickets and gave NO indication that there were any issues with the journey. Our tickets were scanned again by a Czech Republic conductor once the train crossed the border. Again nothing was said regarding the journey. When the train reached Hranice, the conductor announced that our journey has ENDED. He told us that due track damage, the OBB train would terminate at Hranice. Using very limited English he told us to try to find a local train or bus to either Bohumin or Ostrava but BEWARE because "bad people will try to cheat or steal from you." We were horrified. We had no roaming cell service so the "emergency kim kim number " was useless. We made our way into the train station and found the Regiojet desk. NO ONE spoke a word of English or German and they responded to all of our questions with "NO." We consulted the posted time tables and found a Regiojet train to Ostrava and purchased two tickets ($8.74). We also found a Regiojet bus from Ostrava to Krakow ($78). We had to take a taxi from the Ostrava train station to the bus station ( $10.90). We bribed a bus station guard to allow us to use the pay toilet (We had NO Czech coins) with a 5 Euro note. We managed to get to Krakow by bus with absolutely NO ONE from Kimkim or Grand Cuvee tours aware of the situation. We realize that the local arrangement staff is not responsible for weather related issues HOWEVER, the damage to the tracks was known in Vienna and in the Czech Republic. The only ones in the dark were the unsuspecting passengers who boarded the train. Our time in Krakow was not arranged by Kimkim and went flawlessly BUT OUR TRAVEL BACK to Vienna and onto Salzburg WAS. I contacted Grand Cuvee repeatedly because we were told by our Polish contacts that the OBB train to Vienna would not run. It was NOT until the evening before our scheduled 9/27 departure from Krakow to Vienna that Grand Cuvee confirmed that we would not be able to take the train from Krakow to Vienna. At this point, a private transfer by car was the best option. I paid Kimkim an additional $1000.00 for the private car and driver. The driver (Maciek) was excellent. He deposited us safely at the Vienna central train station for our train trip to Salzburg. We waited in the OBB lounge where we learned that multiple trains from Vienna to Salzburg were either delayed or cancelled. The OBB desk attendant suggested that we take the next available train. Since our tickets were booked as first class we were able to board an earlier train to Salzburg. The Imlauer Hotel Pitter was lovely. I believe Grand Cuvee upgraded the room which was appreciated. Our walking tour guide, Ms Klinger was very good. The Mozard Dinner Concert as arranged by Grand Cuvee was fantastic. We took the train the next day to Vienna with no issues. We returned to the Maria Theresia, stored our luggage and embarked on a walking tour of Vienna with Mojca. I would give the guide a B-. The most effective guides are those who have an itinerary and are able to weave YOUR interests into their plan. Mojca did not explore our interests but moved somewhat haphazardly from one spot to the next. When we passed the Maria Theresia library and my husband discovered that the library was open free to the public because it was Sunday, Mojca relented and went in. It was one of the highlights of the tour no thanks to the guide. The Mozart and Straus concert at the Kursalon and the Schonbrunn palace tour scheduled by Grand Cuvee were excellent. The Danube Tower tour was so so. The Sisi Museum and Imperial Palace tours were excellent. The concert at St Anne's church as arranged was lovely. Our stay at the Maria Theresia went well. The amenities in the room were functional. The hotel staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. Our transfer to the airport with Herr Wolfgang was on time and pleasant.
After our trip to Athens with Kimkim, we not only recommended your services but could not wait to use them again. After this trip- we will have second thoughts about a repeat. Your strength is in the intel that your local agents provide. The local agents did not stay informed. The trip to Krakow was incredibly stressful. The uncertainty of the transfer from Krakow to Salzburg created constant anxiety. Why were we telling Grand Cuvee that the trains were in question?
We feel that we spent a significant amount of money and then had to spend MORE. We also feel that we did not get good value for our money. We asked Grand Cuvee to petition OBB for refunds for our train fares. They have but why did we need to ask. I feel that Kimkim should cover the additional train, bus, taxi and private car fares. The Grand Cuvee team did try to turn this trip around for us but it was too little too late.

Marianna was responsive and adaptable, she helped us plan a wonderful trip and revised it a few times based on our requests. The trip was well thought out an well planned. We enjoyed the culture, food, tours and accommodations Marianna recommended. There were a couple of requests that we made which were not addressed, but overall it was a wonderful experience.

Hotel Reviews

Trebovir Hotel

Kensington, London

This hotel is in a convenient location to the underground and had very helpful staff. The breakfast was very crowded and did not have many options. Hard boiled eggs, yogurt, toast and cereal. The hotel is older so the rooms are smaller, but suited our needs while we were there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Bastille Spéria

Paris

We only had one night here, but the hotel is beautiful, the rooms are a little tight, but well appointed and comfortable. The breakfast was so good though! The staff was really friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oceania Saint Malo 4*

Saint Malo

This hotel is beautiful, newly renovated and clean. The beds were comfortable, the bathrooms were crowded, but nice. The breakfast was a challenge, it was set up as a continental breakfast buffet, but they were always out of plates, cups and coffee mugs. The eggs were also undercooked.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Belle Normandy

Bayeux

We could not have loved this hotel more, the room was very comfortable and spacious. The hotel staff were so accommodating and friendly. The homemade breakfast, pastries, jams and quiche were such a treat!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Lorette - Astotel

Paris

Great hotel for a family, it a good location, close to the metro. Nice breakfast in the morning. The coffee and snacks in the afternoon were also handy!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

London Borough Market Doughnut Tour

London

Our guide, Oscar, was excellent! he really taught us a lot about borough market and some cool history of London. He was excellent with our kids and kept them laughing and entertained for a couple of hours as we strolled through the market and tasted some rather delicious doughnuts!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Changing of the Guard Guided Tour

London

Our guide was knowledgeable and adaptable. She had prepared the group that the tour experience would change depending on the crowds and she was able to navigate us around some very busy streets to see some unique aspects of the Changing of the Guard.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Charlie & the Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea

London

Cool idea and very friendly staff but very expensive for what you get. The food was ok, but nothing really unique. The tea is located in a basement so you can't enjoy any of London's scenery... We found an afternoon tea beside Tower Bridge that was better quality and price with a wonderful view!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kid-Friendly Tour of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge with Tickets included

London

Our guide Lucy was incredible, she is a talented and animated storyteller who can really take you back in time through the history of the Tower. If you go, ask for Lucy!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Harry Potter Studio Tour from London (with transport)

London

The tour itself was really cool, although we wish we would have had more time. The busses ran a tight schedule, so we couldn't enjoy the entire tour at our own pace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The busses were not comfortable and the screens were not working.

Tickets to the evening show of Hamilton (or another Westend show)

London

Our whole family enjoyed this, our 9+12 year old daughters are still singing the songs around the house! Great performance

Quality of Experience

Discover the Mont-Saint-Michel & Cancale with a local

France

Love this day! We didn't even have Mont-Saint Michel on our list of experiences we were seeking, our agent suggested and booked this for us and we were sure happy she did!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering American D-Day Sites in Normandy

Bayeux

Our guide was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed our tour with her. We had hoped to see a few other beaches so a more detailed description of what each tour offers would have been helpful as we would have selected a different tour. We had specifically requested to see Juno beach through KimKim, but were advised that we could just tell this to our guide and they would adjust the tour. This is a group tour so the guide was unable to accommodate and changes to the tour itinerary (understandable)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Bayeux

Bayeux

Adorable little town with very friendly people! We loved Bayeux and the shops, restaurants and history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cruise on the Seine

Paris

It was a beautiful way to see parts of the city and learn more about Paris. The tour guide was not super engaging and there were long periods of just sitting and taking in the scenery. It would have been nice to hear more about Paris.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Louvre Treasure Hunt - Kids & Family Tour

Paris

We were unfortunately late to start this tour as we had a cooking class prior that ran a little long. Despite us being late, our guide took the time to provide us with a fun, action packed and informative tour that our 12 + 9 year old daughters really enjoyed and were very engaged in!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

French market and cooking class

Paris

We had such a great day with Dury, we learnt a lot and made some delicious food!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hop-on, Hop-off Bus through Paris

Paris

We bought tickets for this, but the busses didn't come to any of the stops after we had waiting for 20+ minutes at a couple of stops. We found it faster to just walk between the sites we wanted to see. We were never able to use our tickets and 2 weeks later are still waiting to hear back regarding a refund. I wouldn't recommend this tour option

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide Ismail made our trip. He was very knowledgeable, and gave us in-depth insight to urban and rural living, culture , religion, and Moroccan history. It was information that we would otherwise never have experienced. He was kind and had a great sense of humor . His concern for our safety was paramount and he was willing to assist us with anything that we needed. We would highly recommend KimKim for the tour aspect of a trip to Morocco and overwhelmingly recommend that you ask for Ismail.

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

Beautiful Riad. Only problem is that they had a beautiful pool and it was hot but there was nowhere to lounge by the pool as all the tables around were for the restaurant. The lounges were up on a small deck which only fit 4 lounges and it was hot with no air flow because of the walls around it. Part of the restaurant should have been made into the pool lounges.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

The Manager helped us evacuate when the storm hit the desert and he was excellent. The camp was beautiful and the food in the restaurant was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They handled everything when the torrential rains came, and we needed to be evacuated, with professionalism and concern for safety of all the guests. Would highly recommend this camp.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Pomme d'Or

Midelt

Beautiful hotel and restaurant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Lys - Luxury Riad & Spa

Fes

Beautiful hotel. Lovely breakfast with good service.

Authenticity & Character

It would have been nice to have had a pool.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ziryab

Chefchaouen

A lovely hotel with excellent service and great food

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Great service by a young man who worked all day and lived with his mom nearby. He was excellent in terms of service.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Dar Dar

Rabat

This hotel out of all of the booked hotels, is in definite need of a renovation or updating of the rooms and bathrooms. The dipping pool was not used as it had a color to the water. The service and breakfast, however, was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Needs bathroom redo, and room updates.

Staff

A young man at reception who also worked at another Riad.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathrooms need to be redone.

Activity Reviews

Merzouga to Boumalne Dades via Tinghir & Todra Gorge

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hammam Spa & Massage in La Masion Arabe at 3 pm

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walking tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marrakech Food Tour

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cooking Class La Maison Arabe Marrakech 10 AM session.

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Chefs and Assistants were excellent and lots of fun!

Transfer to Merzouga via Erfoud, Saharan Camel Ride

Morocco

The Manager of of the Tiziri camp went over and above to evacuate us and look after our safety with the major storm in the Desert.

Quality of Experience

Look

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Ride

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Yourself was amazing and made this experience. Will never ever forget it.!

Food

Such a nice surprise to come back to breakfast

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yourself knew what he was doing

Transport

Dades Valley, Ouarzazate, Ait Benhaddou & Marrakech

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Midelt via High Atlas Mountains

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel trek to your luxury camp

Merzouga

Quality of Experience

Food

The meal at the camp was one of our best in Morocco.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes Food Tour

Fes

It was good to try different food but the order of the food could be changed so that you do t have the donuts before your meal. Rather have them after the main meal for dessert. The dinner place should have nicer seating out on a deck .

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Volubilis

Volubilis

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Guide was very knowledgeable and also had a good sense of humor

Transport

Fes: Exploring the Imperial City

Fes

Quality of Experience

Visit the mint Tea guy in the Medina upstairs.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide in Fes was very good.

Transport

Dinner with a local Family in Fes

Fes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

U

Explore the Blue City

Chefchaouen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Casablanca Accommodation – Rabat ( 1 Hour Drive).*Driving Times Don’t Include The Various Stops Along The Way

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Fes: Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Chefchaouen with your local guide

Chefchaouen

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very nice but not much information etc. we just walked around the town.

Transport

Transfer to Chefchaouen from Rabat via Ouazzane 4 Hours Drive

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Ismail was an excellent driver and had a wealth of information.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nice Mercedes van

Rabat Guided Tour : Hassan Tower, Salé, & the Oudaya

Rabat

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport