Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had an excellent experience with this travel agency from start to finish. What stood out most was their reliability. Every detail: local tours and transportation—was handled with care and precision by Cristina. There were no surprises, and everything ran exactly as planned, which made it easy for us to relax and enjoy the trip.
They were also incredibly dependable. Whenever we had questions, they responded quickly and helpfully. Cristina was all the time in touch with us and assisted when needed.
I also want to mention our incredible guide, Eduardo, in Santa Marta, with whom we explored Tayrona National Park, the Bunkuany Trail, and Tayronaka Natural Reserve. His kindness, patience with us, and knowledge were remarkable. I would absolutely recommend Chaska Tours to anyone looking for a well-organized and worry-free travel experience

Loved the trip! The hotels were comfortable & well chosen for locations. Transports we're on time & professional - that was sooo nice to have. The tours were really great! Snorkeling was great & the guides really assisted my sister who needed extra care. Very impressed with care & knowledge. Merino in Da Dota was an exceptional birder. We enjoyed every place we went!

Additional context on review above, Excellent on responsiveness, throughout planning and while underway on the trip. Review of 3 stars reflects the actual itinerary, While we felt the actual tours and excursions we participated in were very good to excellent. especially Jamie as our guide / driver on the Milford sound overnight tour and our guide in Hobiton. The actual itinerary once leaving Queenstown and heading north with a rent a car was unrealistic and was based on time lines that did not reflect the actual driving time needed to get from place to place and in some cases left us no time to see or explore the places we driving to see. By putting our trust and dollars in KimKim's local representative, we anticipated better first hand knowlege of what to expect in our travels, and as such we doubt this would be the suggested itinerary. This frustration existed for a 2-3 day period toward the end of our 1st week and resulted in us having to forgo one of our highly anticipated scheduled tours ( Able Tasman ). We found the itinerary in some cases lacked detail of addresses we needed to meet tours, phone numbers needed to reach vendors and inaccurate information. The trip summary on app lacked clarity or was inaccurate on things like breakfast included or to we have to pay ? We had to self manage this trip too much considering we worked with a professional travel agent. For example, I found an error mid-trip with a changed time of event ( we were notifiedby KimKim ) but the balance of our day was not reviewed, and I caught a change that required a change of flights to make it all work. KimKim did accomodate the last minute change, when I brought it to their attention, and rebook flights, update car rentals, drivers, etc. but it should have been caught by them in the first place as this was a disruption that had a lot of components.

Hotel Reviews

Auckland City Hotel

Auckland

solid choice in the CBD , great staff , ok buffet in the morning ( yes we had to pay for )

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sudima Lake Rotorua

Rotorua

great staff and very accomodating we got an early check in , WiFi did not reach to our room only miss but not the end of the world

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Carnmore Chateau Marlborough

Blenheim

very nice hotel and dining facilities on property, would highly recommend

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Hotel Nelson

Nelson

Fine corporate hotel location ok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arthur's Pass Alpine Motel

Arthur's Pass National Park

nice roadside motel, great owners and comfortable room and very accomodating , just very little options for dining in the area and nothing on the property, I would highly recommend but with additional information to guests on limits of infrastructure around property to get breakfast / dinner etc

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Peppers Bluewater Resort

Lake Tekapo

Great staff, good breakfast, location in town was very good, Room crazy small but well appointed and comfortable

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Milford Sound Overnight Cruise - Real NZ Milford Mariner

Exceptional cruise, staff and our driver guide to get us there Jamie was fantastic, would highly recommend, great experience and would book others on this

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Copthorne Hotel & Resort Queenstown Lakefront

Queenstown

fair, great staff, room and facilities including internet not that good, this is clearly a property that is booked by large bus tours

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

suprisingly well done and guides were fantastic, Highly recommend to anyone going to this part of New Zealand regardless if you were a lord of the rings fan or not

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Starlight Gourmet Kayak Tour - Glowworm Caves

Rotorua

Henry was a great guide. This was a lot of fun , beautiful lake, great barbecue dinner and the caves were amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Waimangu Valley Nature Walk & Lake Rotomahana Boat Cruise

Rotorua

beautiful place, very interesting and boat guide was excellent and well informed, Recommended to anyone that comes to this area of the country

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ignore the 5 stars could not erase , transport not applicable here

Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience

Rotorua

this is a must see very authentic and very well executed and interesting and interactive event

Quality of Experience

Food

very exensive menu of options on the buffet did not expect something with this much depth

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marlborough Icons Wine Tour

New Zealand

Jim, our guide was great and the wineries we went to were very good, good tour would recommend

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jim was a great guide

Transport

Tekapo Springs - StarGazing

Lake Tekapo

weather was hit and miss but our guide sorry cannot remember name was great, turned out to be quite good and interesting would recommend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Milford Sound Overnight Cruise (Real NZ)

Milford Sound

see earlier note excellent in all ways hightly recommend

Quality of Experience

Food

suprised how good the food on the cruise was

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jamie was fantastic

Transport

Nice bus and transfeeer

This trip was outstanding! Gersende worked with me and planned a wonderful trip that included everything I wanted it to, with additional free time every day. The app was super easy to use and access all of our tickets and meeting places for tours. I’m so glad I found kimkim, I will be back when I plan future trips!

Hotel Reviews

Maison Durante

Nice

Very cute hotel, nice and close to the train station and old town Nice, as well as a lot of great Brasseries and shopping

Authenticity & Character

Love the Mediterranean decor

Location

Only 20 min walk to the promenade des anglais :)

Staff

All very kind and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de Cambis

Avignon

Nice central location in Avignon and literally across the street from the tourism office which was super convenient

Authenticity & Character

Love the modern paint and decor in a nice older building that fits right in with the rest of the city

Location

Easy to walk to all of Avignon from here

Staff

Such kind and helpful staff! They even took our luggage to our room while we were on a tour

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable, only slight downside is our room was very hot

Grand Hotel Des Terreaux

Lyon

Very nice hotel in Lyon!

Authenticity & Character

Very nice and authentic building with modern upkeep

Location

Easy to walk to destinations

Staff

All the staff were extremely friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Pastel

Paris

Very cute and cozy, the staff were all amazing, knowledgeable and very friendly! It was easy to walk to the Eiffel Tower and arc de triumph as well as access the metro

Authenticity & Character

Cute design very cozy

Location

Close to iconic landmarks and the metro

Staff

Super friendly!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour small group tour

France

This tour was great, I just wish we had more time in Monaco! Océane knew so much about all the history of every place we went and was an awesome guide!

Quality of Experience

Great history and beautiful views. Loved learning about the perfume too

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Océane was excellent!!

Transport

Cannes, Antibes and St Paul de Vence Small Group Tour (Full day)

France

I really enjoyed getting free time at each stop and our guide also pointed out his favorite things and fun landmarks at all the places too! We loved Antibes and definitely want to spend more time there in the future!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best of Luberon in an afternoon!

France

It was great seeing so many small countryside cities and having free time to explore! Roussillon was my favorite :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rémi was awesome!

Transport

Afternoon Wine Tour to Châteauneuf-du-Pape

France

Our guide was excellent, we got to see a lot of the country side near Avignon, and taste some exceptional wine! I’m so glad we brought some back with us, too bad we can’t take any more!

Quality of Experience

Simply beautiful country and wonderful wine

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Beaujolais Wine Route

Lyon

Our guide, Romain, was great! He knew a lot about wines and the entire region. I like that we got to experience 2 very different wineries

Quality of Experience

The small tour group with fellow wine lovers was great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Highly recommended Romain!

Transport

Lyon Old Town Food Tour

Lyon

Our tour guide, Nate, was so friendly and knew so much about Lyon! He showed us some great landmarks around the city in addition to taking us to taste some amazing food!

Quality of Experience

You get to eat a lot of good food and drink great wine, but also see a lot of lyon

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nate was awesome!

Transport

A short walk from our hotel!

After-hours Louvre intimate evening tour

Paris

I love that this was after hours, it made looking at the art less stressful without the big crowds! I heard some horror stories of trying to see the Mona Lisa in particular and we didn’t have that problem! I wish I had more time, but I need an entire day just to spend at the louvre!

Quality of Experience

Spectacular getting to see these famous pieces in person

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Aria was our guide and she was soooooo incredibly knowledgeable about everything!

Transport

Got lost after getting off the metro but there was a number to call on the Kim Kim app and we were able to find out guide after that!

Latin Quarter Gourmet Tour

Paris

It was a nice tour with a local guide and just myself and my fiancé. She was very knowledgeable not just about the excellent food we had but also the local architecture. I was glad we did this after Versailles because I learned a lot about the architecture from that visit and it was nice having a base understanding. I also loved this included a trip to see notre dame

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was so wonderful!

Transport

We took the metro and only got a little lost!

Château de Versailles (tickets + audioguide only)

France

I really enjoyed the self guided audio tour. This palace is amazing and the history is fascinating. I’m glad we had a lot of time to enjoy here as there is so much to see

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our experience with Leny and the Kimkim support team was superb. I would highly recommend them. Leny helped us plan activities, hotels and transportation in Kyoto, Takayama, Kanazawa and Tokyo. The activities gave us a good introduction to Japanese culture and customs. We especially enjoyed the excursions to Takayama and Kanazawa. Our guides were excellent. Leny informed us of the Japanese luggage forwarding service which we used to send part of our luggage from Kyoto to Tokyo so we didn't have to deal with it in Takayama or Kanazawa. That was very helpful. And the hotel in Tokyo not only received it but already had it in our hotel room when we checked in. Leny's recommendation that we schedule our transfer from the Tokyo train station to the airport was also excellent. While it wasn't cheap, our driver met us on the train platform and escorted us to his vehicle and took us to Haneda airport. It definitely made that last leg of our trip very comfortable.

Hotel Reviews

Kanazawa the square hotel

Kanazawa

Our beds were futons on an elevated platform. It wasn't easy to get into or out of the beds for Americans who do not normally sleep on the floor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff responded very quickly to help us set the air conditioning controls when the room was too hot.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tabist kiki HOTEL KYOTO Sanjo Takakura

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Best Of Shibuya Food Private Tour - Evening

Tokyo

Our guide was excellent and we got to try a wide variety of Japanese foods. We also enjoyed getting to explore some of the backstreets of Shibuya.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kanazawa Full Day Tour with English Speaking Guide (Private)

Kanazawa

We really enjoyed our tour with Ian. He started by taking us to a spot overlooking the city so we could appreciate full expanse of the area. We enjoyed visiting the gardens and castle and learning more about his experiences living in Japan (as a Canadian ex-pat).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Takayama Full-Day Tour with English-Speaking Guide

Takayama

We really enjoyed our tour with Ikue. She was really nice and spent extra time showing us around the town. She also provided some good restaurant recommendations for us for that evening.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transfer from Takayama to Kanazawa, including a visit to Shirakawa-go

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Kitchen to Culture: Hands-On Japanese & Sushi Cooking

Kanazawa

The chef relied on a translator program displayed on a large TV screen since he didn't speak English. It made it hard to follow the instructions. The only sushi we made was nigiri style. We had expected to learn to make rolled maki style sushi. The only thing to learn with nigiri is to not press the rice too firmly when making the rice ball and how to thinly slice the fish for the topping. We spent most of our time making an omelette, stew and miso soup.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kyoto Nijo Castle and Imperial Palace - Small Group Walking Tour

Kyoto

I think this would have been more interesting to take the tour on my own and use an audio tour guide. Our guide didn't tell us much about the rooms as we walked through Nijo Castle. I felt like I didn't learn much about the castle or interior artwork.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tea Ceremony in Kyoto (Private)

Japan

The tea ceremony itself left a lot to be desired. Our tea hostess had to use a translator app to communicate and a lot of information was lost in translation. After the ceremony, a native English speaker showed us around the house/building where the ceremony was held. That was a very interesting and informative tour to learn about this history of the building. It belonged to a family that were merchants of silk for kimonos.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide in Lisbon and Cascais was amazing. It was the same guy for both tours and we really enjoyed having that familiar face from Lisbon when we were touring Cascais. He made great restaurant recommendations and was able to get into one that was booked up. He was incredibly knowledgeable and was enthusiastic throughout the tours.

I do not recommend the Helicopter ride. The chatter from the communication tower was screeching in our ears. The pilot did not describe any of the sites were flew over. I paid a significant amount of money for this with extended time on top of that. We could not have been more disappointed.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cascais Miragem

Cascais

Gorgeous views!

Authenticity & Character

Upscale

Location

The balcony overlooked the pool and bay! Walkable to the ocean and all restaurants

Staff

Very Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. The only complaint was the shower was very small

The One Palácio da Anunciada

Lisbon

Beautiful hotel with great service!

Authenticity & Character

The rooms were upscale, the common areas were intimate and beautiful, we had a great view from our balcony and the food was great.

Location

Right downtown and walkable to all restaurants and tourist sites.

Staff

Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and beds were comfortable

Activity Reviews

Private Day Trip to Sintra & the Edge with Pena Palace

Cascais

We had the same guy as before. See previous review on how amazing he was.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Sailing Experience

Cascais

Our Captains were so accommodating. A relaxing experience with gorgeous views. We sipped wine while laying on the catamaran with pillows they provided. When it got cold, they had blankets ready for us. Great experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon by Land & Sky: Private City Tour with Panoramic Helicopter Flight

Lisbon

Our tour guide was amazing as I described in the earlier review. But the helicopter ride was horrible. We could hear all chatter from the communication chatter and it was screeching in our ears. The pilot did not describe any of the sites we were flying over. We paid quite a bit of money for this helicopter ride and could not be more disappointed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Portuguese Food Walk

Lisbon

Fun to see some of the off the beaten path areas of Lisbon. Learned about portuguese food and wine pairings. Love hearing the history behind the places we visited.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gustavo was the best guide ever. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Portugal and of the cities we visited. He had great suggestions for restaurants and made extra effort to see to our needs and requests. He thoroughly researched our itinerary as our trip progressed and made adjustments based on current conditions at the sites we visited.
I highly recommend him.
Tiago was also great. He was available for at any time for all of our pre-trip planning and made up a great itinerary for places to visit. I was very pleased with the locations and quality of all the hotels he selected. He followed up on our progress throughout the trip and even monitored our WhatsApp conversations with our tour guide to ensure all was going smoothly.
This was one of the best trips we have taken and will definitely use Kimkim again!

Hotel Reviews

Porto Royal Bridges Hotel

Porto

Very central location within walking distance to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel in an old city.

Location

Located right in the middle of town. All the sites are within walking distance.

Staff

Friendly staff with helpful restaurant recommendations.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable bed. Nice, soft linens.

The Vine House—Quinta São Luiz

Tabuaço

Beautiful location with amazing views of the Douro river. The on-site restaurant was delicious! It was nice that they included a free tour and port tasting.

Authenticity & Character

Modern amenities in an old winery. Very interesting architecture.

Location

Wonderful views. Quiet, secluded area.

Staff

Friendly staff, especially in the restaurant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable bed.

HF Fénix Urban

Lisbon

Great location. Comfortable rooms. Good quality and selection of foods at breakfast. Staff was helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Pretty standard business class hotel.

Location

Central to many sites and the metro.

Staff

Friendly staff with good restaurant recommendations

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vey comfortable bed.

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Food tour

Lisbon

Very fun to walk the old city and taste local foods.

Quality of Experience

Nice, diverse mix of foods to taste. The group was fun.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniel was very personable and attentive.

Transport

N/A. It was a walking tour.

Guided Tour of Lisbon

Lisbon

It was great to get a historical perspective of the city and to see the main sites and neighborhoods.

Quality of Experience

Our guide was wonderful!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gustavo was very knowledgeable and knew tricks the locals use to avoid the crowds.

Transport

Comfortable van.

This trip to southern Portugal represented an add-on to our original trip, and as such, was a bit more challenging to plan since we were already a bit tired. The boat tour was the highlight for me, and the hotel in Lagos was lovely. Also enjoyed the ATV drive—the driver was particularly sensitive and kind, so he stood out for me as well. Unfortunately, I succombed to a cold by the end and missed the last day’s activities, but I understand it was very much appreciated by my group.

Eleanor is an excellent planner. She was knowledgable and helpful in the planning process as well as throughout our trip. I appreciate how clear Eleanor was in her communication with us. She was prompt and consistent in her responses, and always available and able to answer questions/ change bookings etc. Knowing Eleanor was on hand to help in the event of difficulty was reassuring to myself and the other members of our party.

Eleanor also put us in touch with Yoshika, who was a fantastic tour guide for our time in Kyoto.

Many thanks to Eleanor for helping us to make the trip of a lifetime in Japan!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Groove Shinjuku

Tokyo

Nice spot to start and end out trip with. Large, western-style hotel in Shinjuku (busy commercial and transportation hub area). A reliable choice for cleanliness and tasty food.

Authenticity & Character

Fun theme of records and vintage music.

Location

Bang in the middle of a very busy area of Tokyo (Shinjuku). Good if you're happy to be in crowds first thing in the morning with lots of commercial outlets near by.

Staff

Very helpful and attentive staff who managed the chaos of check in and out with ease.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were quiet and clean. Very comfy beds for an excellent sleep.

Kyoto Umekoji Kadensho - Private Bath Facility

Wonderful space with traditional tatami mats throughout (no shoes allowed past entrance). The rooms were comfortable, clean and quiet, and the breakfast delicious. The staff was helpful and attentive. Would definitely stay here again when traveling to Kyoto.

Authenticity & Character

Traditional tatami floors, futon beds, shoji doors throughout. The baths were lovely too.

Location

About a 45min-1hour walk from the central shopping area and Gion neighborhood, 20-30 min walk from Kyoto Train Station. It was nice to retreat from the crowds to have a relaxing sleep and leisurely start to each day.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Quite a touristy experience. Wasn't my favorite of the trip, although not sure if there were other ways of witnessing this special practice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderful Day in Uji & Nara

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing in Kyoto: Arashiyama & Zen Temples

Kyoto

Fun, quirky and beautiful sites to visit. More crowded but helpful to have a guide to help navigate and cut-down the need for constant decision making on our part!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Spiritual and Tranquil Kyoto with Fushimi Inari (for Laura)

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We will definitely be using KimKim for our future travel adventures. Every day and outings Gersende planned for us were a dream come true. Gersende was able to plan what felt like the very best France has to offer. We will be coming back over and over!

We went on this holiday with our 2 daughters and our new son in law. Everyone had an incredible time. We have previously booked a trip with Jane and the people at Kim Kim to Scotland. It seems that they know exactly what we wanted. The previous trip obviously went very well also. Everything went incredibly smooth. The hotel check in's, the tickets to various events and attractions and the transfers. They were very responsive throughout the whole planning process. We really wouldn't use any other travel agent! We had an amazing tour with Aodan from The Killarney Touring Company. His enthusiasm, his knowledge about everything Ireland was amazing as was his flexibility and desire to show us a good time. We also traveled in style in a beautiful, brand new van.

Hotel Reviews

Randles Hotel Killarney

Co. Kerry

Very friendly staff. Great location. Everyone was happy with their room. We had a beautiful, spacious room. The lobby, bar, and outside seating area were really nice. I would highly recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the downtown area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Mont Hotel

Dublin 2

They were extremely accommodating and flexible. Permitting us to check in early after a 6 hour flight and being up for 36 hours was very helpful! Very good breakfast also and a very friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near St Stephen's Green

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Guided Tour of Dingle and Slea Head

Ireland

This tour was with the Killarney Touring Company with Aodan Griffin. It was the highlight of our trip. He was extremely knowledgable about everything concerning Ireland. He was flexible and willing to do anything we wanted. A true professional. He had a brand new van that was very clean and comfortable. He couldn't do enough for us!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We've been on many tours with private drivers. Aodan was the best and that's saying something because we've been very fortunate with everyone that Kim Kim has arranged for us.

Transport

Brand new, very comfortable and clean van.

Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher Day Cruise sailing from Galway

Ireland

We were lucky and had amazing weather. The boat was very clean. Way nicer than our ferries in the states! The return trip took us on the ocean side of the Cliffs of Moher. It was incredible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Guinness Storehouse Experience

Dublin

The admission process and the way they moved you through was really efficient. You don't want to miss this if you come to Dublin.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comparing to other trips we have booked with KimKim we were disappointed with China Travel as they did not check in with us during the visit and the 1 query I had about flight tickets, which I sent the day before travel, I did not get a reply until after the flight had taken place.

I think it would of been really helpful if Carol was able to check in with us to ensure everything was going smoothly.

The guides provided were all very good and language was not a barrier...the stand out guide was Lilly in Xian who really understood the dietary requirements for my wife, who is a vegetarian. FYI the guide in Beijing, Tracey, was good but we started off on the wrong foot as she only wanted us to do a driveby of Tiananmen Square, as she thought the queues were too long, and we had to be adamant that we wanted to do this...FYI she kept going on about how there was not enough time and we had to be firm with her that we wanted to do this. Also we were disappointed that she did not meet us at the train station when we arrive, we got a WeChat from her not long before our due time to say she would not be able to come and the driver would take us to the hotel...in our opinion she should of made arrangements with another guide or told us well in advance. When we did see her for the first time there was no apology or mention of her not being able to come. Having said this about Tracey she was by far the most informed and used different resources to explain the sites and history.

Hotel Reviews

New World Beijing Hotel

Beijing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

staff did not want to engage or say hello

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham Grand Xian South

Xi'an

great location and self laundry service

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Garden Inn Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain

Zhangjiajie

the self laundry service was a god send

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bellagio by MGM Shanghai

wow what a hotel ...by far the most luxurious and great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Price of the Full Package

China

so much was packed into this adventure and having a guide to explain the history and overcome the language barriers was amazing. our guides also added a few bonus trips and were very flexible on the time spent at each place of interest

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train station to Hotel Transfer (Shanghai)

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hotel to airport /train transfer (Beijing)

Beijing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Summer Palace with Boat Ride and the Garden of Virtue and Harmony

Beijing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hutong Walking Tour in Dongcheng District

Beijing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Mutianyu Great Wall(with round way cable car)

Beijing

Spectacular views and the guide gave us lots of time to wonder along the wall

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Temple of Heaven

Beijing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jingshan Park (overlook the Forbidden City)

Beijing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Forbidden City

Beijing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tiananmen Square

Beijing

the fact we had to be adamant we wanted to visit this on foot and not a drive by was really disappointing...the guide should of picked up up earlier if she had an issue with the time that would of been spent queuing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train station to hotel transfer (Beijing)

Beijing

As mentioned in my overall comments we were disappointed no guide was able to great us ...the drive was very polite and we had to struggle to the car park carrying our own bags

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tranfer to Train station for next destination (Xi'an)

Xi'an

Lilly arranged for a porter to make sure we got on the train and to our seats

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

China's traditional national costume (Hanfu) and experience wearing it

Xi'an

we skipped this as it did not appeal to us...we should of removed this from the itinerary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking dumplings

Xi'an

great fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Muslim Quarter

Xi'an

Really insightful and loved all the sights sounds and colours

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Xi'an Museaum and Small Wild Goose Pagoda

Xi'an

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Xi'an

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient City Wall

Xi'an

Lilly gave us time to enjoy the sights with a bike tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Learn How to Make Terracotta Warriors from Local Artisans

Xi'an

Good fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Terracotta Warriors

Xi'an

the was spectacular and Lilly knew all the best places for photos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Airport to Hotel Transfer (Xi'an)

Xi'an

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to airport for Departure

Zhangjiajie

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tianmen Mountain (Tianmen Cave) including Glass Walkway and Cable Car

Zhangjiajie

We had very bad weather and visibility was very poor so we could don't really enjoy as much as we expected

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon with Glass Bridge

Zhangjiajie

We had very bad weather and visibility was very poor so we could don't really enjoy as much as we expected

Quality of Experience

Transport

Baofeng Lake

Zhangjiajie

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie

We had very bad weather and visibility was very poor so we could don't really enjoy as much as we expected

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zhangjiajie Airport/tarin station to Hotel Transfer

Zhangjiajie

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hotel to airport Transfer

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zhujiajiao Ancient Town (with Boat Ride )

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Short Visit to Shanghai Old Alleys

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yuyuan Market

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nanjing Road

Shanghai

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The bund

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shanghai Tower

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Transport

Yuyuan Garden

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Airport to Hotel Transfer (Shanghai)

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Me and my partner visited Vietnam for only a week and KimKim travels helped us a lot in curating a perfect itinerary and accommodated us based on our requirements to meet them. Very quick and easy response. They made everything run smooth and easy, our journey in Vietnam was stress-free. Highly recommend them for your travels! The local guides where super friendly, kind, vibrant and fully informative. Thank you for your service and help in making or Vietnam trip soo memorable.

Our trip was wonderful. Planning and booking was easy thanks to Lisa and all her advice was spot on.
We had absolutely no issues throughout the trip - all drivers and guides were excellent - particularly Yestin in Beijing & Betty in Chengdu. Would also like to make a special mention to Chow (Mike) in Zhangjiajie - he went above and beyond to make our visit fun, despite the terrible weather that could not be helped - excellent service and a lovely man!
We loved visiting the Pandas (we love animals!) and Betty was wonderful in navigating us away from the crowds and long line ups. The Zhangjiajie region was spectacular, but we really loved everywhere we visited. Thank you to everyone who made our trip very memorable!

Hotel Reviews

Sunrise On The Bund

A good location for Shanghai’s Bund!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Li River Resort

Our favourite hotel on our China tour - very relaxing with a lovely river view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jolie Vue Boutique Hotel

Guilin

Great hotel for Guilin stay - the location is excellent and view from the bistro is amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tibet Hotel Chengdu

Chengdu

Great location and very lovely hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore the Scenic Countryside in Yangshuo by Cycling

China

We opted out of this activity due to the weather!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Highlights in Shanghai

Shanghai

We enjoyed our Shanghai City Highlights tour, with the highlight being the Yu Garden.

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yulong River Rafting Experence

Yangshuo

The bamboo rafting experience was a little bit of fun and a great way to see the scenery of the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marvel at the Li River: China's Most Picturesque River

Guilin

The Li Cruise was lovely - a relaxing way to see the spectacular scenery along the beautiful river.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chongqing City Highlights One-Day Tour

Chongqing

The Chongqing City is pretty cool but this tour was not one of our favourites of China’s city tours. Yudy the guide was nice, but the spots we saw were pretty lame and not really that interesting and we didn’t see everything that was listed (didn’t get taken to Raffles City to do the Sky Bridge or see the Hongya Cave light up at night - only during the day with almost nothing happening). Overall the tour seemed a bit rushed - it would have been better to start in the late afternoon into the evening.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Chengdu: Pandas, Wuhou Shrine,Jinli Ancient Street

Chengdu

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the Pandas! Even though the Panda Centre seemed to be crowded, Betty our guide was able to keep us away from long lines and we had plenty of stress free time to just watch the beautiful animals. One of our favourite days in China.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Revel in the Splendor of Zhangjiajie - Grand Canyon and Tianmen Mountain

Zhangjiajie

Unfortunately the weather was not ideal for our visit to Zhangjiajie’s Grand Canyon & Tiananmen Mountain - but despite this we had an amazing time anyway! Thanks to Chow, our Guide who helped make the day memorable and fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marvel at the Picturesque Landscape in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie

A highlight of our China trip, the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is spectacular, we had a wonderful time thanks to Chow, our guide who was a superstar in guiding us through all there was to see!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking along the Majestic Great Wall, Summer Palace

Beijing

We had a wonderful day visiting the Great Wall. Our guide, Yestin was excellent, especially at helping us avoid the really crowded areas and lone line ups!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beijing Highlights:Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City & Hutongs

Beijing

Excellent way to start our China experience. Our guide Yestin was very good and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nancy, our guide in Lima, was passionate and did a great job at engaging us through each experience. Wily, our guide for all of Cusco,, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and then Cusco again, was EXCEPTIONAL. He provided a thorough and educational experience while working tirelessly to not only meet our needs but exceed our needs to make sure our vista weee the best they can be. And the were amazing! Wily worked well with Alan, our driver, to make sure that we were safe, arrived safely at all locations, that our luggage was generously and graciously cared for. We all felt safe and protected in their care at all points. Wily accommodated 1 injured member of our group and I friend who became ill while on the last part of our trip.

I highly tecommned all of our guides, our drivers and the leadership of Wily and Alan.

We had a truly legendary trip to Morocco. Our driver Rachid was an amazing person. He took care of us like family and made sure we had a wonderful time. We spent two weeks and covered so many amazing areas of Morocco. It is hard to say which part was the best because it was all so beautiful. In each area we were helped to our accommodations and brought to guides who knew their specific area like a college professor. I highly recommend Kim Kim and Morocco Emersion.

What an amazing trip! We couldn’t be happier with the experience. I would not have thought to choose Greece as a destination, but my brother and his wife did, and with Kimkim’s vision and planning we had the experience of a lifetime! Every guided excursion we took was private and the guides were all personable, knowledgeable, and hospitable in what we came to understand is at the heart of Greek culture. Outstanding!

The pick up drivers were also wonderful and it was amazing to not have to try to navigate a foreign country on our own. We could tell your stories about our experiences in Paris doing it ourselves!

The hotels were all beautiful and hospitable in a way we have never experienced in America. We were made to feel welcomed and well cared for at each in their own special way. Attention to detail was out of this world and everything was so clean and beautiful.

I wish there was a way we could easily provide feedback per tour, but they were all wonderful in their own ways and I will do my best to remember them all.

Thessaloniki - we had two tours, and a rainy day. Our hotel provided umbrellas and our tour guide came prepared with her own.

Private Culture and Food Walk:
Even on a rainy day we had a great time zipping through local markets. During the whole tour the guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to answer our many questions. We toured the open markets, sampled some traditional Greek products, had coffee and pastries at a wonderful bakery, and ended at a restaurant for lunch. Wonderful!

Private Tour of Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki: The guide was so passionate about the displays we toured that we asked if he is indeed an archeologist (he is, among other things). This tour proved to serve as a foundation for the history and mythology we continued to learn along the rest of the trip. We saw some beautiful exhibits and learned a ton.

Private Half-Day Monasteries of Meteora Exploration:
Our guide was fantastic! He grew up in the small town we stayed in (Kalampaka) and was extremely knowledgeable about the caves, monasteries, rock formations, local flora, and he even knew some fun tricks with our cameras to take some fantastic photos. He went out of his way to personalize the tour to our interests. The monasteries and rock formations were beautiful, we got our daily dose of Greek cats, and we had a wonderful time.

Athens Mythology Storytelling Walk:
Guides (and Storyteller) were amazing. It was truly wonderful to hear the myths right in the places they were born to help us understand the history of Greece. The hosts were open to answer our many questions and we learned about the people of Greece as well as the history of the city in such a fun way! The combination of information and dramatization of the myths made for an unforgettable experience that truly helped to immerse us into the culture and history surrounding us.

Private Evening Neighborhood Walk in Athens - Friendly, open, and honest guide knowledgeably and expertly answered our many questions while taking us to parts of Athens we wouldn’t have seen on our own. We toured a garden, saw part of the changing of the guards ceremony, stopped for some delicious gelato, walked a pedestrian street we later went back to shop, toured a church, and ended at a restaurant for traditional Greek mezes (small plates). So fun!

Private Acropolis and Museum Experience- Again the guide was knowledgeable, hospitable, and super friendly in a relatable manner. We started in town and walked through Plaka and the pedestrian street up to the Acropolis, learning about the ancient theatres, temples, and other ruins. We saw cats even at the ruins! (One of our favorite aspects about Greece.) We learned and relearned, from previous tours, about the history and mythology of what we were seeing. It was great to hear different variations of the same myths and really drive home the significance of the myths and history that created Greece and the Greek culture. We ended at the museum where we could see up close what we saw from more of a distance at the top of the hill. Wonderful!

Wine Tasting in the Heart of Athens: I’m not a wine, cheese, or olive fan, but the products in Greece are so different than what we get in the states that I even liked the feta cheese (in slices! I’ve never even seen it like that!). It was a very small group from all over the world in a sort of classroom setting and we all had fun learning how to assess different wines and how their flavors change when paired with different cheeses. Fun!

Private Falassarna and Balos Beaches Day: Wow! I don’t normally enjoy loud and bumpy boat rides, but the water was so blue and in our small RHIB we felt as though we were right in the sea ourselves - it was amazing. I was laughing out loud I was having so much fun. At our first stop there was an opportunity to walk up to a castle (though my husband’s hip was bothering him - we found a private perch and drank some wine and enjoyed the view of the sea while the other guests hiked). It was too cold this time of year to swim, but we were offered the opportunity in a beautiful blue lagoon with white sand beaches. So much fun!

We truly had the experience of a lifetime. The people of Greece are so hospitable, friendly, and welcoming. We had so much fun learning a few Greek phrases and trying them out with the locals. We learned so much, laughed constantly, and can’t stop smiling when we talk about our trip. Thank you, Kimkim, for arranging such an amazing excursion. We will absolutely recommend your services and hope to have the opportunity to use them again.

Activity Reviews

Private Falassarna & Balos Beaches Day

Chania

Wow! I don’t normally enjoy loud and bumpy boat rides, but the water was so blue and in our small RHIB we felt as though we were right in the sea ourselves - it was amazing. I was laughing out loud I was having so much fun. At our first stop there was an opportunity to walk up to a castle (though my husband’s hip was bothering him - we found a private perch and drank some wine and enjoyed the view of the sea while the other guests hiked). It was too cold this time of year to swim, but we were offered the opportunity in a beautiful blue lagoon with white sand beaches. So much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting in the Heart of Athens

Athens

I’m not a wine, cheese, or olive fan, but the products in Greece are so different than what we get in the states that I even liked the feta cheese (in slices! I’ve never even seen it like that!). It was a very small group from all over the world in a sort of classroom setting and we all had fun learning how to assess different wines and how their flavors change when paired with different cheeses. Fun!

Private Evening Neighborhood Walk

Athens

Friendly, open, and honest guide knowledgeably and expertly answered our many questions while taking us to parts of Athens we wouldn’t have seen on our own. We toured a garden, saw part of the changing of the guards ceremony, stopped for some delicious gelato, walked a pedestrian street we later went back to shop, toured a church, and ended at a restaurant for traditional Greek mezes (small plates). So fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Tour of Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki

The guide was so passionate about the displays we toured that we asked if he is indeed an archeologist (he is, among other things). This tour proved to serve as a foundation for the history and mythology we continued to learn along the rest of the trip. We saw some beautiful exhibits and learned a ton.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Culture & Food Walk

Thessaloniki

Even on a rainy day we had a great time zipping through local markets. During the whole tour the guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to answer our many questions. We toured the open markets, sampled some traditional Greek products, had coffee and pastries at a wonderful bakery, and ended at a restaurant for lunch. Wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Experience

Athens

The guide was knowledgeable, hospitable, and super friendly in a relatable manner. We started in town and walked through Plaka and the pedestrian street up to the Acropolis, learning about the ancient theatres, temples, and other ruins. We saw cats even at the ruins! (One of our favorite aspects about Greece.) We learned and relearned, from previous tours, about the history and mythology of what we were seeing. It was great to hear different variations of the same myths and really drive home the significance of the myths and history that created Greece and the Greek culture. We ended at the museum where we could see up close what we saw from more of a distance at the top of the hill. Wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Athens Mythology Storytelling Walk

Athens

It was truly wonderful to hear the myths right in the places they were born to help us understand the history of Greece. The hosts were open to answer our many questions and we learned about the people of Greece as well as the history of the city in such a fun way! The combination of information and dramatization of the myths made for an unforgettable experience that truly helped to immerse us into the culture and history surrounding us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Half-Day Monasteries of Meteora Exploration

Meteora

Our guide was fantastic! He grew up in the small town we stayed in (Kalampaka) and was extremely knowledgeable about the caves, monasteries, rock formations, local flora, and he even knew some fun tricks with our cameras to take some fantastic photos. He went out of his way to personalize the tour to our interests. The monasteries and rock formations were beautiful, we got our daily dose of Greek cats, and we had a wonderful time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing experience using Kimkim to plan our honeymoon in Bali. They did a fantastic job creating a well-balanced itinerary with a great mix of activities, from sightseeing to relaxation, and included a variety of restaurants and cafés that really let us experience the local food scene.

What stood out the most was their support during the trip itself. They were always available to answer questions and were incredibly responsive whenever our plans shifted. When we were running late or needed adjustments, they handled everything smoothly and made sure our itinerary stayed on track without adding any stress.

Jessica and Deta were so wonderful to work with! Overall, the planning felt thoughtful and personalized, and their on-the-ground support made a big difference. We’d definitely recommend Kimkim to anyone looking for a seamless and well-organized travel experience.

Our Sister trip through the Netherlands was absolutely amazing. Lisa planned a trip that was exactly what we were looking for. We had enough down time and time to relax while also seeing all of the sites that we were hoping to see. My sister and I wanted to manage much of the logistics and get around on our own and the schedule was the perfect balance, while providing us with the OV chip card and telling us about the 9292 app made the logistics very easy. And for the longer and less train-access locations, Fred was a wonderful person to take us on those journeys. He is kind, prompt, knowledge, fun and a joy to talk to.

As my sister mentioned in her review, our walking tour on the first day was very informative and our guide was great. He seemed to know everyone in Amsterdam and recommended a Chinese dinner location that was yummy. (Unfortunately I can’t remember the name) We were tired, but it was a great way to push through and stay awake to avoid the jet lag.

The canal cruise with Those Dam Boat guys was really nice. It seemed like a much less touristy experience, even though I’m sure it’s just as touristy as the rest. And it was a great perspective from which to see the city. The only experience that was just OK and we could have done without was the cheese place. It seemed to be a bit of a tourist factory and we were competing with bus loads of visitors for cheese tasting.

Having Lisa get the many museum tickets in advance for us, with entry times that were not too early, and the ease of having access to the tickets on the KimKim app made our trip feel so easy and took so much time and stress off of our planning. We felt like we had gotten the “insider” tour due to Lisa’s extensive knowledge of her country and its sites. And what a beautiful country! All of the hints and instructions in the KimKim app made our days easy and took the stress off of trying to figure out details. We used the restaurant recommendations as well as finding some of our own spots. But the recommendations were very helpful especially as Kings Day approached and reservations were more necessary. The pre-loaded Google Maps were also a huge help. Overall, the app is fabulous and easy to navigate. And Lisa was prompt at answering any questions through the app as well. But we didn’t have many questions because everything was so nicely laid out and all the needed details were present.

Our very favorite place was the Hoge Veluwe National Park and the Kroller Muller Museum. And the our stay at De Wever Lodge. What an amazing spot! The food at the lodge was some of the best I’ve ever had. While there were definitely tourist groups present in the park and at the museum (an adorable group of children speaking French on a field trip) it had a feeling of a hidden beautiful secret. Our driver Fred, an Amsterdam native, had never heard of the Kroller Muller museum. I think the collection there rivals the Musee de Orsay in Paris! I now believe that any true lover of art should visit this museum in their lifetime.

Overall, I just can’t say enough about how wonderful this trip was for us. We enjoyed ourselves completely and felt that we really got to experience The Netherlands and Dutch art in a sincere and beautiful way. Thank you all so much!

We enjoyed a spectacular visit to Japan which we could not have had without Eleanor at kimkim. Thank you doesn't begin to express our deep gratitude for how well she orchestrated our experience. From arranging hotel reservations, private guides and drivers, and answering my countless questions about various details, all was handled with grace, patience, humor and skill. Our time in Japan went very smoothly and when we requested a change Eleanor seamlessly made adjustments to suit our needs. We felt very well cared for. We couldn't have asked for a more competent agent and advisor. Eleanor was a pleasure to work with and helped our Japan travel dream come true.