Kimkim Trip Reviews

I had a wonderful and memorable trip to Finland, thanks to Alise, my local tour expert from Kimkim. She carefully planned the itinerary according to my preferences and was always ready to provide helpful advice and support throughout the trip. Her attention to detail and prompt assistance made the entire journey smooth, enjoyable, and stress-free.

I would also like to thank the three excellent tour guides who made my experience even more enriching: Ruslan in Helsinki, Emmi in Tampere, and Karoliina in Turku. Each of them was highly knowledgeable about their city, local culture, and history. Their passion and expertise allowed me to gain a much deeper understanding of the places I visited and made every tour both informative and engaging.

Overall, this was a fantastic experience, and I highly recommend Kimkim, Alise, and her team to anyone planning a trip to Finland. Their professionalism, local knowledge, and dedication helped create an unforgettable journey.

Recently took our family of four to Japan for 10-days. We booked through KimKim travel with Leny and had a great experience. The recommendations were spot on and the family had a fantastic time. Reservations were no hassle and the train travel was pretty intuitive. I especially like the convenience of the mobile app that KimKim provided, it was a convenient and handy way of accessing our itinerary and train reservation QR codes. We were on the app constantly to check where and when we should be. I would definitely use KimKim again for Japan.

We had an incredible trip to Croatia!! Our local representative, Sara, was outstanding from the moment we started planning the trip to the end. Sara helped us plan an incredible journey, and was very patient and responsive to all the questions we had before the trip started. During our trip Sara stayed in touch with us every day, responding to questions and providing us with an update on the next day’s activities!

The trip ended up being spectacular. The hotels, restaurants and experiences were top notch h and I would recommend using this group for any upcoming trips!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel More

Dubrovnik

The best hotel we stayed in Croatia!!! This is a first class hotel with a beautiful pool, pool bar and great sea swimming area. The rooms were spacious and very comfortable!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Out of the center craziness, but a very short walk to the hotel!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beach Bay Hvar

Hvar

A beautiful hotel a very short walk to the center of town. A great sea view with great lounges facing the sea.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Time Boutique Hotel

Split

The hotel was very nice but it was a bit out of the old town. There were some advantages being out of the center of activity, but being a bit closer would have been nicer. The rooms were a bit tight, but nicely set up.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

16 Lakes Hotel

Rakovica

The hotel was very close to the National Park and had a great outdoor pool which we enjoyed after a long day hiking. We also had cocktails and dinner which was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spirito Santo Palazzo Storico

Rovinj

Amadria Park Hotel Capital

Zagreb

A beautiful hotel in a restored bank building very close to the center of town. Our room had a window facing the street, which we enjoyed. The included breakfast was first class!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Konavle Region Culinary Experience (small group)

Croatia

I felt that this tour was fair. We went to a family home where we did some vegetable picking and then we helped prepare a meal. It was interesting and enjoyed roasting the veal in their old outdoor oven. It might have been a bit too long of a tour, but still had a good time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hvar Half-Day Private Island Tour (Afternoon)

Hvar

Grgo was an amazing and entertaining guide. He showed us some of the nose beautiful places on Hbar. We went to his family home and we had a wine tasting of their wines and alas snacked on some local delicacies. We continued our tour and went to a beautiful seaside village Verboska. Afterwards, he took us to a wonderful restaurant where we dined on some very fresh local fish. A really great tour!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

The national park was incredible. I wish we had more time there to explore more of the park. Our guide was very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Truffle Lunch with Presentation at Local Family Estate

Croatia

Visiting this local family and going out with their dogs to find truffles was a great treat! The dogs were very active and they were very good at finding truffles. The lunch was just delicious!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Absolutely one of the best trips I've taken. I found MITA via KimKim and from the first contact I was treated as a valued old friend. I worked with Sharon directly to create a robust tour that was a combo mix of budget friendly and luxury with a private guide, and she delivered above and beyond.
Our tour began in Casablanca where we were met by our driver Rachid, who would become our best buddy, ever so kind and helpful and always at the ready to take us on to our next adventure.
Over the next 10 days we stayed in Rabat, Fez, Merzouga (Sahara desert), Valley of the Roses and ending in Marakesh. Each city/town had it's own unique flavor and Sharon chose the best local guides for each area. We walked long distances of antiquities, local markets, wandered in the desert at sunset and learning in depth history and the colorful culture of Morocco. What I most appreciated was the hotel/riads that we stayed in, right in the heart of the medinas, that at first was perplexing until I found my rythym of navigation. Each riad was special, the rooms spacious and well apointed and the staff hospitiable When I was lost a few times, I never felt unsafe at any time. Our stay in Valley of the Roses included a lunch at a personal friends home, where we cooked together and dined, spending the afternoon talking about our different cultures, what dreams each of us had, and our commonalities...young Ikram, a lovely young girl worked double duty translating and helped in getting us dressed in tradtional muslim attire, very fun to feel this age old tradition amongst women. This day was special beyond, the family was absolutely delightful.
I really appreciated knowing each day what to expect as our driver Rachid took full ownership of coordinating all of our guides and meeting points. One day there was a slight hotel issue and immediately he, Sharon and Abdou jumped in to remedy in a heartbeat.
Morocco is truly the heartbeat of civilization and learning the culture in the tour MITA created was tremendous. I cannot stress enough how impressed I was to feel so taken care of, my needs and desires met with 'can do' service.
If you're looking to travel to Morocco, this company is hands down, the best.

This is my second trip using KimKIm, and I will do so again...the vetting of numerous tour operators is challenging and they strive to deliver, and do, the best experienced travel professionals with in depth knowledge of each area of the globe.

Date of experience: May 2026

We are a family of 6 people from the US doing a family vacation - parents and 2 sons and their wives, so all adults. Most of us had been to Paris before but not to Bordeaux and Sarlat so it was great to see some new areas. We traveled between cities by train and we had private tours of sites around Bordeaux and Sarlat. First of all, I would highly recommend Audrey and Beau Voyage for anyone going to France. The itinerary was perfect, with a nice mix of activities that everyone could enjoy. The accommodations everywhere were excellent. We especially enjoyed Le Temps Retrouve in Sarlat. Frederic was so welcoming, kind and helpful and his house was perfect for us. He made our stay so special. It was just a short walk to the city center for dinners and exploring and we did have some excellent meals there! We also liked La Maisson Bor’deaux and L’Empire Paris. Both were very well located, clean and comfortable, and the staff were very helpful and pleasant. The trains worked out very well for our transportation and it was relaxing to travel that way. The train from Bordeaux to Sarlat was very busy but that was part of the adventure! Our tours were excellent. In Bordeaux, we enjoyed spending time with Gabriel. On our wine touring day around Saint Emilion, we visited 2 chateaus plus did a walking tour of Saint Emilion and another tasting there. We especially liked our tour of Chateau Fonroque. Very interesting and different from other wineries we have visited in the US. The tour to Arcachon was also very good. We all climbed the sand dune and enjoyed a glass of wine at the top. Then we took a boat tour with a lunch spread onboard that was incredible. We had enough time after the tour to get a coffee at a local cafe before continuing back to Bordeaux to catch the train to Sarlat. We did a cooking class with Bruno at O’Plaisar des Sens Restaurant in La Roque-Gegeac and it was excellent, complete with a visit to the market for shopping for fish and produce, and truffle hunting with Bruno and his dog. Such a unique and interesting experience! Very fun. Clara was very good for our 2 days of touring in Sarlat, although she seemed to be more a driver than a guide. The weather forecast for one of the days was for rain, so she was able to switch some things around so we did a little more on the first day and a little less on the rainy day. We did a boat ride in La Roque-Gageac and walking tour of the town. Then we went to Mirandes Castle, saw the bird show, and did the self-guided tour of the castle. On the rainy day, we visited Chateau Beynac and Chateau Castelnaud. We had a guided tour at Castelnaud which was good. Because of the rain, we did not get to Domme or the Gardens of Marqueyssac, but that was ok. We did appreciate the flexibility with Clara being able to change things around. It might have been nice to have a little more commentary from her as we drove around, but she was very pleasant and accommodating, so not a huge problem. We did enjoy having some free time in Sarlat as we went to the market and bought things to have a picnic lunch and we also had time to relax by the pool. In Paris, we did a boat tour on the Seine which is always a nice way to see the city. We all went to Notre Dame which is very crowded these days with so many people wanting to see the renovations. It is spectacular. I recommend getting advance reservations for this. It’s free on the official Notre Dame website. The walk-up line on a Saturday morning was huge and although I have no idea how long people were waiting, it was nice that we could just walk right in. Even though it takes a bit of planning and was slightly inconvenient to book in advance, it was well worth it in my opinion. In general, for a group our size (6), I was glad that we had made all of our dining reservations in advance. We had contacted some of the restaurants directly, and in Sarlat, Frederic was kind enough to make recommendations and advance reservations for us. Given that most of the restaurants were quite small, I think it would have been difficult to turn up without reservations. I don’t know if Kimkim makes dining reservations but we had good success by contacting restaurants directly or by emailing the hotels and asking for their assistance. I didn’t love everything about the Kimkim app. It was convenient to have all of our tickets and vouchers in one place so that part is nice. Having the itinerary on the app is nice too, although we did some customized things on our tours and the app didn’t seem to be able to keep up with that. For the most part it was correct, but for example, the tour description of Arcachon Bay was nothing like what we actually did. So there were a few little glitches like that. The other thing that I didn’t love was the “Trip Chat”. It was fine to communicate with Audrey this way; however, once I invited my family members to view the trip, they all became part of the trip chat. Since I was planning the trip with Audrey, it didn’t seem necessary to include everyone in every communication, as it often meant everyone’s phone dinging in the middle of the night due to the time difference with France. Maybe it would be good to have the option of including others in the chat part of the app. Overall, this is a minor complaint. Our trip to France was fantastic and I don’t think there was anything about the itinerary we would change. I would not hesitate to use kimkim again for booking a trip. I really liked being connected to a local tour operator who is so knowledgeable about the area and could help us put together a wonderful itinerary that we all enjoyed. Thank you for everything!

Hotel Reviews

L'Empire

Paris

L’Empire is a very nice hotel and a superb location, near Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Latin Quarter. Rooms are clean and comfortable. Nice bathroom and shower. Staff is friendly and helpful. Breakfast is nice with a good selection of cold items - breads, meats, cheeses, yogurts, and fruit, along with a few cooked items.

Authenticity & Character

Clean and comfortable.

Location

An easy walk to many sites and a metro stop.

Staff

Helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds very comfortable.

Le Temps Retrouvé B&B

Sarlat-la-Caneda

Le Temps Retrouve is exquisite and was the perfect place for our family to stay. Frederic is so lovely and accommodating. He made sure that every detail of our stay was perfect. The rooms are comfortable and clean, with fresh flowers, fruit and drinks provided. There was plenty of space for us to gather and relax, including the beautiful pool. The breakfast each morning was amazing. I cannot say enough good things about this B&B. We would love to make a return visit.

Authenticity & Character

Every detail is amazing.

Location

An easy walk to the city center of Sarlat.

Staff

Frederic was so helpful and even made all of our dining reservations. Olia (the dog) is so sweet and friendly. We loved having her around.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are fresh and comfortable, impeccably decorated.

La Maison Bord'eaux

Bordeaux

La Maison Bor’deaux was a wonderful hotel to start our trip. It is well-located and an easy walk to sites and restaurants. Staff were very pleasant and helpful. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Breakfast was very good with many cold options - breads, meats, cheeses, yogurts, and fruit, plus an option for getting cooked items.

Authenticity & Character

It’s a very nice upscale hotel.

Location

Staff

Staff were pleasant and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were comfortable. Nice shower.

Activity Reviews

Half-day day exploration with a driver-guide

Sarlat

We started our half-day tour with a visit to La Roque-Gageac which was fascinating. We did the boat cruise on the Dordogne River which was a nice way to see the town from below, and audio headsets were provided for commentary and history of the area. We also did a walking tour of the village. Later we visited Castle Des Milandes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Commentary on boat tour was helpful.

Transport

Cooking class with a Chef

France

Fun cooking day, complete with a visit to the market to buy fresh fish and produce, and truffle hunting with our chef and his dog. It was a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Arcachon Bay Day Trip

Bordeaux

We had a very fun day in Arcachon. Because of time constraints, we had to customize the tour. We started with a visit to the Dune of Pilat where we climbed the dune and had a glass of wine at the top. Some took the steps while others climbed the sand. Very nice either way, and beautiful views from the top. Next we did a private boat tour on the bay in a traditional pinasse. The highlight was the lunch onboard which consisted of oysters, shrimp, meats, pate, and of course wine. It was a delightful day.

Quality of Experience

Both aspects of our tour (sand dune and boat tour) were unique.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide and boat driver were very knowledgeable.

Transport

Full day tour - 2 Châteaux Saint-Emilion

France

We enjoyed our full day tour in the Saint-Emilion area. Our guide, Gabriel, was very good. We visited 2 chateaus, and particularly enjoyed Chateau Fonroque. Learning about the biodynamic process was interesting and very different from other wineries we have visited in the US. We also liked visiting Chateau Rol Valentin where we had a nice tour and a delightful picnic lunch. In between chateaus we did a walking tour of the village of Saint-Emilion where Gabriel took us to some nice overviews of the area and arranged for another wine tasting. Overall, it was a great day and we came home with many bottles of wine!

Quality of Experience

It was a fun day.

Food

Nice picnic lunch at one of the chateaus.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gabe was very nice and knowledgeable.

Transport

The transfer people were all good. We appreciated them checking in with us in advance to remind us that they were coming. A confidence booster that they would be there.

The hotels in Bath and Castle Combs were great. The hotel in Bourton on the water was cheesy and below expectations. The hotel in Oxford was fine, but the room was a bit small.

The activities that Kate planned for us were good. We were especially impressed with afternoon tea at the Manor house. High quality.

Having a private Oxford walking tour was really good. Magnus did a nice job. Obviously, private walking tours are better than group tours. The Bath walking tour was less good because we were with others.

Our highlight day was with our Cotswolds private driver and tour guide, Adge Secker. He was enthusiastic, engaging, friendly and helpful. Anyone would do well with him!

Overall, given the information we provided Kate, she did an excellent job putting together this trip. The details, tickets and vouchers were all functional and easy to find.

We would use Kim Kim again.

Hotel Reviews

Malmaison Oxford

Oxford

The refurbished prison retains its original design which is interesting. The room was a bit small

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bigger room, fully opening windows.

Chester House Hotel

Bourton-on-the-Water

A bit cheesy for a 4 star hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Manor House

Castle Combe

Impressive, attractive and well run

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Queensberry Hotel

Bath

Local, eclectic and nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Oxford University Punting Tour

England

Boring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Iconic Oxford Private Walking Tour

Oxford

Magnus was informative and learned.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cotswolds Private Tour

England

Adge Secker was greatly

Quality of Experience

The guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jane Austen Trail Group Tour

Bath

We realize that we would rather be on a private tour. Guide was ok. Others in our group walked too fast for us

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thanks so much to Majid for his patience in helping us create a fantastic trip and itinerary.

Special thanks and appreciation for Khalid, who was super fantastic! He always had a smile, was super helpful and insightful about local culture and history, provided great insights everywhere we went and ensured a fantastic experience for us. He was invaluable and helped to really make the experience special and unforgettable.

Our trip to Peru was our third trip with kimkim and it could not have been better! The guides, excursions, hotels, etc. were wonderful. Our guides Martin, Diego, and Wilson were kind and knowledgeable and felt like friends. My husband had stomach trouble on the trip and within an hour of notifying our guide Diego in the Sacred Valley he came to our hotel with medicine and rearranged our schedule the following day so as not to miss anything. Thank you kimkim for another amazing trip!!

Graduation trip for a family of 5, of which 3 are active teenagers/college students. We were looking for adventures and sure got it - Holden and the team picked lots of activities with a good balance of adrenaline and balance in nature for 10 days. The hotels were just our cup of tea, local comfort with rooms beautifully nested in the rainforests, yet safe from insects (which was a big stipulation for the mom, no visibly present arachnids - the hotels even mentioned that they did a special swipe daily). Holden and Serendipity were very accommodating to our changes and questions throughout the planning and exploration of the itinerary. All the guides were fantastic - be it Mauricio for awesome animal spotting, Bryan for rafting, Andres with AMAZING passion and knowledge of the cloud forest, or William and Gordie making me feel comfortable diving into a perceived abyss called waterfall repelling - drivers on time, service in hotels top-notch. Adrian even sent the forgotten airpods from one hotel to another, which was extra appreciated.

Hotel Reviews

Cala Luna Boutique Hotel & Villas

Guanacaste

As the prior hotels, situated in a beautiful setting, embedded in the flora with birds everywhere. Each room is in its own house/hut with large bathrooms and a swing on the porch (mosquitoes were in high season, so not used; bring that repellent). The massage here outside in the forest was amazing with Andrea. The staff upfront was superb, offered quick golf carts, and was incredibly helpful. Restaurant for lunch and dinner with excellent food and drinks (plus daily happy hour). Breakfast could use a little more variety and maybe not charge extra for omelets or egg stations (did not see that anywhere else), but was very accommodating to prepare our catch for dinner (mahi mahi). All and all beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

a bit of a hike from the town but doable, just not a

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

Loved this place, minimalistic (almost Scandinavian feel) to the room with a balcony and seats to look out at the local ocatis playing around. Huge bathrooms. The highlight is the restaurant - we were shocked how amazing the food was - the chef is top-notch, and we are foodies! Everything was superb! The desserts were a must, and the restaurant staff was truly amazing - Marco and Fernando! The outside with the hummingbirds was a beautiful setting for lunch or dinner. Breakfast is a la carte, so no buffet - but excellent. The indoor lounge with the fireplace is cozy for a book, as you have no TVs, which I personally loved. :-) Our only wish was there was a pool (maybe instead of the glassed lounge outside), but that is just minor wishful thinking. You have umbrellas and ponchos available to use (and rain boots + hiking sticks), which you will use!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

The setting is beautiful, and service is impeccable from the front desk to the maintenance staff. The best part of this hotel is the hot springs, a total gem for relaxation. Loved the setting of the rooms, standalone houses nicely built into the nature, yet free of insects inside. You can see and hear birds everywhere, and it is a live rainforest - beautiful in and out. The onsite restaurant is great for breakfast but limited in the menu for lunch/dinner and a bit high in prices compared to the US standards (same for the spa). A short uber ride to La Fortuna for a bit of a dinner adventure was great for diverse food options, though. Overall, a beautiful place .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Embedded in the rainforest and standalone small houses for privacy

Staff

Curteous and fast, definitely - remembered our names

Cleanliness & Comfort

The only downside was the water pressure (super low) but totally manageable for 3 days

Activity Reviews

Private Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Mauricio did a great job walking up the volcano with us - it is not too strenuous but gets a little rocky later on. The history of the volcano and the overall lake + the continuation of the bird watching was amazing .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Treetopia: Tram, Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

This is a public, commercial place with 7 ziplines which are fun, fast and some quite long and two of you go together. It is high up in the cloud forest so it was misty/rainy and more cold than we expected (long sleeves and pants + rain jacket is a must) - don't be fooled by the weather on the ground. I think we lucked out and it was rather empty so it was just us and another family paired up. While scary upfront, the crew was amazing - did a great job with instructions and guidance (reassuring and repeating :-)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day - Fishing Charter

Costa Rica

A good trip if you want to watch and let the crew or the boys do the job as the fish are huge and takes serious strength to pull them out! Two mahi-mahis took a while to get - just like any fishing, it takes patience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Whitewater Rafting Sarapiquí River (Class III-IV)

Arenal/La Fortuna

So much fun - Bryan our guide and Adrian, our kayaking support were awesome. Figuring out which way to go so we don't flip (which we didn't but a few of us fell out which was kind of fun). The rapids are fun and there are good calm spots/breaks in between to rest. The time flies (14 kms) very quickly and you learn those commands just as fast. We will never forget Adelante, vamonos and a few more that's for sure.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great start of a vacation to ease into the wildlife - Mauricio was a great guide, pointing out so many animals—crocodiles, sloths, toucans, iguanas, lizards, macaws, and so much more. Truly an amazing, laid-back, easy-to-take-a-picture ride on a river trip. Mao knew everything about every bird/creature and shared amazing stories. The howler monkeys were especially amusing with the howls and cheekiness. Loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Canyoning Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Booked this for the teenagers for the adrenaline and was a bit uneasy about it myself, as I don't like heights. Both the guides were excellent, making us all comfortable, explaining everything, and helping the weakest links (me) navigate the slippery walks and jumps. It was super fun and doable (how elegant it was, don't ask - and how much screaming there was). Didn't care - saw gorgeous waterfalls, learned some new skills, flew through the rainforest, and definitely got wet - but it was controlled and safe - and yes, lots of fun!

Quality of Experience

Unique, adventurous

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

William and Gordie were great, fun and doing everything to make the trip amazing.

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Privately Guided Hike

Monteverde

Andres - no words needed. The guy is a magician and an encyclopedia on steroids - the passion for nature and everything that moves or is green is unmatched. It was a joy to watch him and listen to him as he lit up with every part of the rain and cloud forest. Teenagers wanted to spend more time with him and pick his brain, for which he should get a prize. We have all learned so much and didn't want it to end. Truly a remarkable tour, you have to do it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adrian did a great job listening to my ideas, and he built an excellent itinerary for my trip to Ireland and the Isle of Man TT with my son. He took feedback and made tweaks before and during the trip. In Limerick, we asked our local driver for restaurant and pub suggestions. Lo and behold, the places were already on our list from Adrian and Kimkim.

The mobile app was great, with daily narratives and tickets/passes easy to find and use.

Highly recommended. We had a great time!

Ana Sofia would take a long time to respond to my emails, incorrectly booked our room for 6 people instead of 8 (we had to pay an additional $1000 once we checked in and our rooms weren't near each other.

Hotel Review

The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences

Playa del Carmen

It was clean, beautiful, and had wonderful food and service.

Authenticity & Character

Cenote in the middle of the resort

Location

Staff

friendly and helfpul

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ek Balam Archaeological Site, Cenote & Village Tour

Mexico

We were told by the travel agent that the trip was 2 hours. In fact, we found out that it was actually a 3.5 hour drive. Our drive got lost and didn't speak english. We were able to speak with the manager via phone and the local travel agent vs. What's App and ask to be taken home intead of continuing on with the tour. I've requested the travel agent give us a full refund on our excursions. At first the said it wouldn't be possible because we canceled the day of. I argued that we would never have booked the trip if they told us it was going to be 3.5 hours to the excursion instead of 2. She said they are working on getting us a refund. Sadly, we wasted an 7 hours of our trip driving in a van. We were very upset.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

English speaking driver

Explore Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy

Playa del Carmen

Friendly crew and fun adventure

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

"Playa del Carmen Authentic Local Experience"

Playa del Carmen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and informative

From The Reformation to The Sound of Music

My sweet wife, Savannah, and I found our time in Germany and Austria to be truly memorable. Even with a few hiccups, such as canceled flights and lost luggage, the comfort and ease of KimKim's hotel and shuttle reservations helped us find stability throughout our trip. With all the hotel, attraction, and museum tickets, and even restaurant suggestions, we felt right at home navigating large cities like Berlin, Munich, and Vienna, as well as quaint towns like Wittenberg, Erfurt, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber. No matter where we were on our trip, we knew we could trust the local knowledge provided by our KimKim app.

Our visit to Wittenberg was a highlight, especially our tour with Mathias. He is very knowledgeable and enthusiastically shared each story from Martin Luther's life. As a member of the local church — the very one where Luther preached during his time there — Mathias provided us with a private tour. It was clear he loves his town and is proud of its history.

We had wonderful meals, especially in Rothenburg and Salzburg. Lots and lots of great beer was consumed. One can never go wrong ordering a helles at the local beer hall.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our 'Sound of Music' bike tour with guide Chloe. It gave us an up-close experience of Salzburg, revealing its beauty. After the tour, we both agreed that Salzburg is the most incredible place we've ever visited. It combines a charming small-town atmosphere with lots of activities.

We highly recommend this service and will definitely use KimKim for our next trip abroad.

With Love,
Savannah and Noah Glover

Everything with KimKim from start to finish was fantastic! From the first time I posed my ideas to the actual execution of the trip, I felt heard and supported. They planned the perfect out-of-the-way three day excursion to Cefalu and Cerda (my grandfather's birthplace) before we transferred to Taormina. Not too many people choose Cerda as a destination, so KimKim arranged for a hotel in Cefalu and tours in the city/surrounding area. We took a sunset boat cruise with Sealand Tours which was fantastic because of the captain and his wife; they were so welcoming and fun! We went to meet a manna producer on the top of a mountain which we all loved WAY more than we expected! We had no idea what manna was or why it was a notable stop, but all of that changed once we met Mario. Madonie Explorers did a great job joining with Sealand and Mario. Storywalkingtours was our in-country contact and they answered every question and request in a timely manner and gave us an overview of each day the night before, which was so helpful.

I can't say enough positive things about our experience because of everyone involved in planning it. I 100% recommend everyone I just mentioned for top-notch planning and communication.

Hotel Review

Hotel Sunset

Cefalù

This hotel is not only at a perfect location right down the street from all of the restaurants and bars, but it was a little oasis on its own. The rooms are a bit smaller than we are used to in America; however it was very comfortable, clean, and well-appointed. Everyone on the staff was pleasant and eager to help us. They were also very patient with our broken Italian! There are multiple outdoor areas for lounging, there is a rooftop bar with an infinity-edge pool overlooking downtown Cefalu, and live piano music in the lobby a few nights a week. The beach is literally across the street, it's in a quiet location, and is a five-minute walk to the start of the bars and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

So many areas to sit and enjoy the view of Cefalu and the sea

Location

Perfect distance if you want easy access to downtown, but a place to escape the noise at night.

Staff

They were helpful and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean!

Activity Reviews

Meet a "Manna" producer and discover an ancient tradition

Italy

We had NO IDEA what to expect here, but were blown away by what we saw. Mario is on of 18 manna producers left in the world and learning about the process on the top of a mountain was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Once we got to the top, we saw his "office" which is a collection of ash trees (manna sap) olive trees, and almond trees. We learned about his ability to graph various trees and his deep knowledge of manna harvesting. Even though the manna was not being harvested when we visited, we got to try some from the season before!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Driver at disposal

Italy

Every driver was attentive and professional!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Professionally dressed, always offered water, there were phone chargers in the back seats

Transport

Clean, large, beautiful rides each time

Private Sunset Boat Ride in Cefalù

Italy

This was one of our favorite activities of the trip! Captain Alex and his wife Melinda (ex-pat from Indiana) were so friendly, welcoming, and fun! As we went along the coast of Cefalu, Melinda gave us some of the history, pointed out landmarks, and gave us some of the inside scoop on the real estate and hotels. As we anchored for the sunset, they brought out food and drinks for aperitivo with a perfectly-paired playlist. We waved goodbye to the sun as it set on the horizon and got to see Cefalu in a whole new light on the way back.

Quality of Experience

Didn't know what to expect and loved it!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fun and knowledgeable. I felt safe the whole time and learned a lot

Transport

Smooth, slow ride which is perfect for people who might not like being on the water.

We throughly enjoyed our tour of Jerusalem. Our guide, Elias, was phenomenal. He was extremely knowledgable about the the long and complex history of the region and the specific sites and conveyed the information in an engaging and nuanced manner. Elias went above and beyond taking us to his favorite snack shops. He knows seemingly everyone in Jersulem and was able to get us into areas other tourists may not be able to access. Elias even help us manage the difficulties with our rental appartment. We will definatlet seek out Elias to be our guide anytime we return to Israel.

Turkey is working to make the country a welcoming place for tourists. Kim Kim asked if as a couple what we wanted to do. They were responsive to changes we requested as we jointly planned this 7 day trip. The cost was reasonable and highly personalized. Our guides were flexible, well educated about Turkey, with adjusting scheduled activities and daily itinerary. That meant a lot to us both. Could not have been a better trip!

This is my third time using kimkim. I've been happy with each experience.

I was originally planning to visit Vietnam (Hoi An and Hanoi) in November 2025. I was connected with Lucy who put together a great itinerary for me in the limited amount of time I had. We made a few changes to match my interests…and then I cancelled fairly last minute for work related reasons. This ended up being a blessing as Hoi An had some bad flooding around that time, which Lucy had warned me about (and I basically disregarded - so you should always listen to your TA because they know what they are talking about!)

Kimkim makes it easy to reschedule and I moved my trip to May 2026. I was able to add on dates and make additional tweaks to my itinerary. As my travel date came closer, she made sure I had my visa and all other travel information needed. Lucy also checked up on me throughout the trip and made sure I was doing okay.

I like to travel alone and heard that Vietnam was a safe place for a solo female traveler. I otherwise didn't know what to expect visiting the country. The guides I had helped make me feel comfortable and provided a great education about the country. Specifically, my primary guide in Hoi An was Huan who took me to My Son Sanctuary as well as a tour of Hoi An's Old Town. He was very informative and was also very accommodating of my slow pace. I also had guide Chay in Hoi An, who was flexible in changing my scheduled tour for that day. In Hanoi, Trung took me to a village in Ba Vi Hill area where I met several fascinating people. Finally, I had guide Quoc in Pu Luong, whom everyone we passed in the villages seemed to know! I finished my trip with a two night cruise in the Ha Long Bay. Every day was one great experience after another - from the lanterns in Hoi An to the tiered rice fields to the iconic limestone rocks reaching up from beneath the water. And all these great experiences were made more memorable by the welcoming people I met. A truly great trip!

I loved all of my hotels. However, my Hoi An hotel was between the Old Town and the beach. I would recommend that if you want to be closer to Old Town, that you should mention that when planning. I used Grab and the cost to Old Town was minimal and didn't take that long.

Our 15-day trip to Japan was incredible, and Marii made the entire planning process easy and stress-free. She provided great suggestions that we incorporated into our itinerary, and we loved how the trip included a little bit of everything—from traditional cultural experiences to modern attractions.

The tours were fantastic and gave us a well-rounded experience of Japan. Highlights included a tea ceremony, a food tour, and exploring different regions and aspects of Japanese culture. We also appreciated having free time built into the itinerary, along with Marii's excellent recommendations for places to visit, restaurants to try, and activities to enjoy on our own.

I would also like to recognize the wonderful guides we had throughout our trip. Every guide was knowledgeable, engaging, and welcoming. They made us feel comfortable from the start and helped create memorable experiences in each destination.

One of the highlights of our trip was our tour of Hakone and Mt. Fuji with Masashige. He took us to several beautiful viewpoints to see Mt. Fuji and shared fascinating information along the way. Seeing Mt. Fuji from these locations was truly unforgettable and one of the biggest highlights of our trip.

We were also pleasantly surprised by Kanazawa and Hiroshima. These destinations offered a different pace and were less crowded, allowing us to experience another side of Japan. Yoshiko, our guide in Kanazawa, and Lisa, our guide in Hiroshima, made these tours especially meaningful through their knowledge, storytelling, and passion for the local history and culture.

Another guide who left a lasting impression was Moeka during our Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Garden Tour. She had such wonderful energy and thoughtfully took us to quieter locations before visiting the bamboo forest. One of the most memorable parts of the tour was learning traditional calligraphy. She wrote our names in Katakana and guided us as we practiced writing them ourselves. It was a relaxing, unique, and unforgettable experience.

Hakone also deserves a special mention. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, and being surrounded by mountains and nature was the perfect way to slow down, disconnect, and appreciate Japan's natural beauty. It quickly became one of our favorite places on the trip.

All hotel, transportation, and activity information was easy to access. We experienced a couple of minor issues with Shinkansen tickets and a chopstick-making reservation, but Marii and her team responded immediately and resolved everything quickly. Their communication throughout the trip was excellent, including helpful reminders and detailed instructions before each tour, which made navigating Japan much easier.

Everyone we worked with was kind, knowledgeable, and professional. It was clear that a lot of care and attention went into planning our trip. Thanks to Marii and her team, our trip was smooth, well-organized, and truly unforgettable. We enjoyed every minute of it and highly recommend Marii and her team to anyone planning a trip to Japan.

We had a very flexible itinerary with one pre-arranged event and it worked out really well for us as we could adjust as we needed to to fit our schedule and energy level (after having just come off an organized tour). Rita did a great job putting it all together. We didn't get to stay in one hotel location but the team was proactive in quickly getting us another accommodation before our arrival. We were especially appreciative of having contacts while we traveled to address things or answer questions if needed. We were also very appreciative of parking suggestions and mapped locations for the towns we visited.

Activity Review

Puglia’s Liquid Gold: Olive Oil Experience and Lunch at a Historic Masseria

Italy

Beautiful location and knowledgeable employee who gave us some good understanding of the olive trees. The olive oil tasting and lunch were very nice.

Adam was fantastic to work with in developing our itinerary, and Adam was in contact throughout the trip to ensure we were supported. The trip was spectacularly memorable. Such a great balance of planned and free time that we were hoping for. This is the second time we’ve used kimkim, and we will use them again!

Hotel Reviews

Las Casas de la Judería

Seville

The hotel was in a great location.

Authenticity & Character

A bit awkward to get around. The piano bar player didn’t seem to play that much. The pool was handy on a very hot day.

Location

Great location for walking to the heart of Sevilla.

Staff

The staff were very attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were graciously sized.

Hotel Alhambra Palace

Granada

The grand dame hotel of Granada!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect to walk the park and to get to Alhambra.

Staff

Super friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

CoolRooms Palacio de Atocha

Madrid

Loved this hotel! I wish we were staying longer.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful room and rear courtyard with dining.

Location

Easy to watch places.

Staff

Super friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Excellent cleanliness

Activity Reviews

Private La Alpujarra Villages Day Trip

Granada

Fascinating history of this region! Loved this day trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Alhambra & Generalife Gardens with a Historian

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Cádiz & Jerez Day Trip with Sherry Tasting

Seville

This was an awesome tour of Bodega Lustau! So delicious and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Visit to Seville's Cathedral & Alcázar

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Flamenco, City & Tapas Experience

Seville

Great history of Flamenco and an awesome show.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Historic Landmarks Walk

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

From the beginning of our planning stages, Krista was amazing. We had a broad idea of what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go, which of course was probably a bit grand for our available time, and budget. Krista was great in helping us to navigate what we could reasonably get in and do in the time alloted. During our trip, we ran into a few issues that needed to be addressed, and the customer service team took care of all of them! I would not hesitate to recommend Krista and NORD/KimKim for anyone wanting to visit Scandinavia!

Hotel Reviews

Heimly Pensjonat

Flåm

Great small boutique hotel just a 10 minute walk from the center.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Perfect location right across the street from the fish market and Brygenn.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

Great location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Utsikten

Geiranger

This is an amazing hotel with unprecedented views...but you MUST have a car to stay here. Too far away and a steep walk to town, with no or limited taxi service

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lilla Rådmannen

Stockholm

Now called the Corner Hotel, it's a little far away from the center of the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Viking Line overnight cruise

Stockholm

Loved this overnight cruise across the Baltic and into the Stockholm Archipelago!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Upgraded Superior Room was a necessity, and was great!

St.Barbara

Tallinn

Great hotel just outside the old town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Grand Central Helsinki

Helsinki

Great hotel in a great location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Food & Culture Walk

Bergen

Geraingerfjord Safari by RIB

Geiranger

Food & Beer Walk

Oslo

Walking Tour Stockholm

Stockholm

Guide didn’t show up

Estonian Food Tour

Tallinn

Guide didn’t show up.

Copenhagen: A Food Tour of Past & Present

Copenhagen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff