Kimkim Trip Reviews

Melanie did a great job of listening to what we wanted and providing it. It was our first time to Italy so wanted a mix of "the things you have to see" and time to really appreciate the country and culture. It was perfect for our needs.

We ended up really appreciating the slower pace of Salerno. Still beautiful with lots of amenities, but not as touristy as other things.

Our guides were all great. We learned a lot in every place we went - history, architecture, cultural significance. All amazing.

Agota was incredible in keeping us informed and shifting things as needed. I'm pretty sure this is a 24 hour job.

Thank you!

Activity Reviews

Colosseo and Roman forums adventure

Rome

Sara was an excellent guide and was really good at ensuring we were at the Forum early (which wasn't quite as busy) and the Colisseum afterward. She was also really good at checking in with us regarding taking photos, resting, getting drinks, and keeping us on time. It's all amazing but more than you can see in the tour. We are putting the Forum back on our list for the next visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very short walk from the hotel.

Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Visit

Rome

Due to some changes, we did the Basilica on our own and then the Vatican and Sistine Chapel with a guide. Roberta was knowledgable and really enthusiastic about everything. She was really good at explaining what we were going to see before we saw it and helping us understand historical themes. Basilica was amazing. We went to a small mass during our visit. The art is incredible. Just an amazing building.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a driver over and uber on the way back.

Food & Wine Sunset Walk in Trastevere

Rome

I loved that we ate things that were not the normal things you have everywhere. My favorite was the cheese, meat, bruschetta at the first restaurant. All of the food was excellent and Marta was great at explaining everything and ensuring we were all organized and enjoying ourselves.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marta's explanations and keeping us together.

Transport

Walked over. Easy taxi back.

Florence cooking class and market tour

Florence

Giulia was our instructor and was so good at giving us information about buying the ingredients, the cooking techniques, etc. We also loved the family we shared the experience with. So much fun. One of my favorite things.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Easy walk from the hotel

Semi private Chianti and San Gimignano tour

Florence

Claudius was our driver and was so fun and engaging. I loved that he pointed out things on the drive. The tour guides at each location were informative and we appreciated learning more about Chianti Classico wine. San Gimignano was incredible and we liked the loose schedule - we could walk around at our leisure.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

Our guide was educated in historical architecture and gave us such a good understanding of the place and importance of the different areas.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Easy train trip

Our trip to Quito, Galápagos and the Ecuadorian jungle was largely amazing. We have used KimKim once before and will use again in future trip planning. Anthony did an excellent job in helping to plan our trip and was very patient as we worked out the details. Although nothing interfered with our trip experience overall-there were two occasions when Anthony was difficult to reach-one actually had to do with just a quick clarification on transportation. We figured out the time inconsistency ourselves going with the earlier time but Anthony did not respond for over 24 hours. The other issue was something that Anthony wanted to do for us because of an issue with a hotel room . Anthony wanted to treat us to dinner and arranged transportation. Unfortunately when we got to the restaurant they knew nothing about our arrival. After trying to reach Anthony and not hearing back, we tried two other phone numbers we were given by transportation guides on the island. The numbers were clearly not workable as those answering the calls had no idea what was going on and were not bilingual. We then called the operations center where they were very helpful. Apparently our reservation was for the following night but they worked it out with the restaurant. We ended up having a nice dinner and an enjoyable walk back to the hotel. With all this feedback, I don’t want to leave a negative impression. The Ecuadorian jungle was absolutely incredible and I would recommend it to anyone. Sasha itself was an excellent immersive experience and the way it is run is exceptional. The staff there love what they do and it clearly shows in their customer service. Galápagos of course is also exceptional and is clean, safe and beautiful. Our hotels in Quito, Sasha Lodge, Ikala and Iguana crossing were also great with really good food as well. Transportation was also great from place-to-place and always timely.

Hotel Reviews

Iguana Crossing Boutique Hotel

Galápagos

Iguana crossing is a beautiful beach side hotel. It embodies everything exceptional about the Galápagos island. Sun, sea and of course wildlife. The staff there was very friendly and courteous and our room was very clean and overlooked the ocean.

Authenticity & Character

Every thing about this hotel from its breezeways to our room overlooking the ocean and pool captured Galápagos feel. Believe it or not the iguanas even crossed the road at the iguana crossing sign.

Location

Beach side hotel at the end of the beach strip but still very close to town and restaurants.

Staff

All staff was courteous and pleasant and never balked at holding our bags before we checked in and after we checked out.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel was very clean and comfortable. The push button shower to conserve water was a challenge first time but we understood the necessity.

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

We spent the most time at this hotel and it was a great experience. It was close to shops and the amazing pier on Santa Cruz and also had a beautiful rooftop restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

The pool looked nice although we didn’t use it and the courtyard was beautiful. We also enjoyed the outdoor restaurant by the pool as well as the rooftop restaurant during our stay.

Location

Close to shops, restaurants and pier. Really appreciated the walk ability here and safety.

Staff

The people working the desk were always willing to answer any questions.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nothing stands out but do appreciate the cleanliness of the rooms.

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

Really didn’t spend a lot of time there. It was clean, restaurant was good and of course very convenient to airport.

Authenticity & Character

There was nothing that really stood out either way. It was like most other airport hotels so absolutely fine.

Location

The main reason for staying there was the convenience to airport. Not really close to anything else but not really expecting it to be.

Staff

Felt welcome but not a lot of time for staff interaction

Cleanliness & Comfort

Seemed clean and comfortable- no issues

Sacha Lodge

Coca

Sasha lodge is truly incredible and we do sincerely appreciate Anthony for recommending it. From the moment you land there after a “journey” which is an adventure itself, you appreciate what it takes for Sasha to run so extraordinarily well. From the Manager, to the guides, to the Chef there is a tremendous pride as there should be. Of course, It is not the place to go if you want to do your own hiking etc. for obvious reasons but if you find their daily agenda appealing as we did then you will have a once in a lifetime experience.

Authenticity & Character

It truly has a unique character to it with no outside locks, boardwalks over the river and a pool unlike any other. Meals were also extraordinary and meal settings were incredible.

Location

I literally retired the three days before we went to Sasha. After taking a plane, boat, hike, and awesome canoe trip, I couldn’t think of anywhere else that would have immersed me so quickly into a different world.

Staff

All provided great service and our guide was outstanding. The Manager was also very visible and friendly. He obviously was very proud of a first class operation.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean and comfortable. Rooms also had air conditioning which I didn’t learn until later that Sasha is the only out there with AC. It was hot and largely dry so worked out very well for us.

Go Quito Hotel

Quito

Although we didn’t have a long stay here, this hotel was in a great location. It was modern and the food and view from the top floor was terrific. Hotel staff also very accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Modern as appropriate to the middle of an urban area

Location

It was located in the middle of the city accessible to a lot. Commuting around Quito takes some time as traffic is an issue.

Staff

NA

Cleanliness & Comfort

NA

Activity Reviews

Transfer to the Galapagos Airport, flight back to Quito

Galapagos Islands

All transportation was efficient and organized. No issues at all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering Bartolome a full day yacht experience

Isla Santa Cruz

This snorkeling tour was an excellent last day activity for us. The snorkeling was great as we saw sea lions, turtles, sharks and other colorful fish and my wife was very confident in herself and our guide. There is a big stair climb but we did it with no issues.

Quality of Experience

Food

Actually had the same chef as on North Seymour yacht trip and he is extraordinary

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was extremely patient with the snorkeling so that everyone experienced to the fullest extent.

Transport

Breeding Center (Giant Tortoise) + Wetlands Isabela Island

Isla Isabela

We were excited to spend another day with the Tortoises and we were not disappointed. However, I think our guide could have shared more with us about the place and its inhabitants. It seemed like other tours were getting that experience.

Quality of Experience

Very interesting place doing good work for Tortoises and turtles.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was certainly friendly but I think he could have been a little more informative.

Transport

Hiking to the Sulfur Mines (Side of Sierra Negra Volcano)

Isla Isabela

This was an amazing hike and a truly fascinating place. Although the hike was labeled as easy to moderate the terrain was relatively easy with a major uphill climb at the end.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful and unusual landscape. Good paced hike.

Food

Loved the food at the end. I think people were confused when they received boxed food at the beginning.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tintoreras

Isla Isabela

This was one of only.two excursions that we thought could have been improved for all on board. While tintoreras is amazing we thought the snorkeling could have been improved for weaker snorkelers. While my wife and I were confident in the first snorkeling site there and saw some amazing things, there was more of an open water swim to the other site. Since the boat went over there anyway, we thought those (about a half dozen) that did not want to swim over there could have been transported over by boat there to continue their snorkeling.

Quality of Experience

Mentioned above about snorkeling opportunities for less advanced.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was good and engaging on the way out to Tintoreras. On the way back however, he totally focused on the half of our group that spoke fluent Spanish. It felt like we were now on two different trips. We did notice that the guide got of the bus at the same hotel in town as the Spanish speaking group so maybe he had been their tour guide all day. It just felt a little strange for those of us less fluent in Spanish.

Transport

Speed boat from Santa Cruz to Isabela Island

Galapagos Islands

Not our favorite activity but necessary to get from one island to the next. Luggage coordination on this ride and every ride was very efficient and helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Embarking on the North Seymour Yacht Adventure

Isla Santa Cruz

This was a great experience. The hiking was a great overview to Galápagos wildlife and the snorkeling that day was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Great introduction and clear water snorkeling.

Food

Food was great on the boat. Chef took a lot of pride in meal preparation.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide that day was exceptional. While we have been snorkeling about a half dozen times, my wife had a more unpleasant experience in rough waters off the Florida Keys. She was a little hesitant but our guide was very patient basically towing her around until she got comfortable. This also put her at ease for our next two snorkeling days.

Transport

Santa Cruz Highlands, Lava Tunels and Charles Darwin Research Station (if times allows)

Isla Santa Cruz

We thought this was a great introduction to the Tortoises in a very relaxed environment. Lunch was also great. Cave experience was just Ok. Nothing special although we didn’t go all the way through as our guide thought it may have been wet.

Quality of Experience

Introduction to the Tortoises in this environment was a really great introduction.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was good this day but thought she could spend a little more time with us at Darwin. We basically self-toured there. Maybe that’s the way it is supposed to be.

Transport

Timely-no issues.

Transfer to the Airport for your domestic flight to the Galapagos Islands.

Quito

No issues. Easy and timely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Quito Airport to Nearby Hotel

Galapagos Islands

We had anticipated finding the hotel shuttle on our own but as an extra step, people were waiting in the terminal to take us to shuttle. This is an extra touch that KimKim does and one of the reasons why I will use them again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacha Lodge - Return to Quito

Yasuni National Park

You need to go out the same way you came in which makes you appreciate the entire experience. No issues with transportation or flights.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All transportation worked hard to make sure you weren’t just dropped off but comforted getting to next destination.

Sacha Lodge Day 3

Yasuni National Park

On this day we visited an indigenous village which was very enjoyable. We sampled food and drink that they had made and learned more about their culture in a pretty isolated environment. Very positive experience for us and the group.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacha Lodge Day 2

Yasuni National Park

Day 2 was somewhat similar to day one in that there was a hike and a pretty major stair climb up a Kapok tree. There was also the Chocolate experience which was also interesting as we learned more about history and ingredients. Piranha fishing also added some fun for our group.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacha Lodge Day 1

Yasuni National Park

As I’ve already said the Sasha experience was excellent throughout. Day 1 was about a reasonable hike. Lots of stairs. Beautiful overlook bridges and bird watching. If cousins it was also about the beautiful jungle around you and the phenomenal meals waiting for you.

Quality of Experience

The bridges were phenomenal and the birds were beautiful although May want to bring binoculars if have them. Guide will provide scope as well.

Food

The quality and way food was served was excellent. Just thinking about how it all got there was mind-blowing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide for all three days at Sasha was the same and she was excellent.

Transport

No issues with transportation here. Mostly by canoe and it was incredible.

Discover Quito's Best-Kept Secrets: A Full-Day Tour of the Historic and the Middle of the World

Quito

Javier was a great guide for our day in Quito. The Middle of the World exhibition was a little touristy but clearly no trip to Quito Ecuador would be complete without out it. The rest of our walk was very pleasant and our guide was both friendly and knowledgeable. The Chocolate tasting is really just that. Not really much history(a few pictures) but the rest of it was really about buying something at the store. I am a chocolate lover so worked about for me.

Quality of Experience

Middle of the world is something that should be experienced as well as touring of square and churches with a very nice lunch in a pretty setting.

Food

Food was excellent throughout.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Javier was excellent…..

Transport

All transportation was timely, clean, friendly and bilingual.

The tour guides were excellent. They were sble to adjust to our needs and give us great information. We saw a great deal about the history of Korea and learned quite a bit,

Hotel Reviews

Hanok Hotel Daam Seoul

Odd concept hotel, made me think of a hostel.

Authenticity & Character

A bed in a walls, the shared room was ok but the men’s and women’s was a bed within 4 walls

Location

We were there on a Sunday night and could not find a restaurant to eat.

Staff

Very helpful to correct issues of separation of couple.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

L7 HAEUNDAE by LOTTE

Busan

Everything you come to expect from a modern hotel, the rooms were well equipped and very well set up.

Authenticity & Character

It is a modern hotel, not traditional Korean lodgings

Location

Everything was close by

Staff

Very nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

They took care of everything, even when my son got sick.

Hwangnamgwan Hanok Guesthouse

There is not 1 thing we could point to as being wrong, it was not really to our taste.

Authenticity & Character

It was like taking an old concept and wrapping it around new construction.

Location

There were food places just nothing open in the early morning.

Staff

Very nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Simsanjae Boutique Hanok Stay

Seoul

Very nice room. Gave us the traditional experience,

Authenticity & Character

It seemed like we were staying at someone’s house while they were away.

Location

Many places to eat and explore

Staff

No staff or contact except through Kim kim

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and good

Activity Reviews

Half Day Seoul City Tour with Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village

Seoul

Mary was a delight to visit with and she went through the areas we wanted very well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Culture of Busan with Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

Busan

So informative, even though we do not have the religion it was amazing to learn about it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gamcheon Village, BIFF Square and Jagalchi Market

Busan

This was a lot of fun and we had fun shopping.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Bulguksa and Seokguram Grotto Tour

Gyeongju

The guide was excellent

Quality of Experience

K

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Gyeongju National Museum and Tumuli Park Tour with Night View

Gyeongju

We were able to see so much, our guide was wonderful,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Korean DMZ and Hongdae Shopping Street Tour

Seoul

Was an excellent TIRING time, we were given a great deal of information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just got back from our China trip and wanted to say thank you to Heidi from KimKim for putting everything together so well. Traveling across multiple cities can be complicated, but the whole itinerary flowed really smoothly and made the experience easy and enjoyable.

Each stop had something memorable. In Beijing, walking through the Forbidden City and visiting the Great Wall were real highlights — so much history, and you can really feel it when you’re there. Xi’an was another standout, especially the Terracotta Army. It’s one of those places that’s even more impressive in person than you expect.

Chengdu was a different kind of experience — visiting the pandas outside the city was a lot of fun and definitely worth it. And then Zhangjiajie… that was probably the biggest surprise for us. The scenery in the national park is just unreal. Photos don’t really do it justice.

Shanghai was a complete contrast — very modern, very energetic. The skyline and the scale of development there really stood out.

The hotel accommodations throughout the trip were great — comfortable, well-located, and made it easy to relax after long days. The logistics between cities (both trains and flights) were also very well handled. Every transfer was smooth, and what we really appreciated is that each guide stayed with us all the way through the train station or airport, right up to the security checkpoint, which made everything stress-free.

We also want to mention the guides, because they made a big difference. Candy in Beijing, Key in Xi’an, April in Chengdu, Ethan in Zhangjiajie, and Sophie in Shanghai (with help from Linda) were all excellent. Everyone was knowledgeable, helpful with translation, and always looking out for us.

On top of the planned itinerary, each guide gave great personal recommendations — places to eat and extra things to see that we wouldn’t have found on our own. Things like the Muslim Bazaar in Xi’an, the Tibetan street in Chengdu, Peking duck in Beijing, and even checking out silk-making in Shanghai added a lot to the trip.

Overall, we had a great time and really appreciated how everything was organized. Thanks again to KimKim for arranging such a memorable trip.

We were very apprehensive before we landed in Casablanca. Not knowing the language and unsure about the customs and culture. Once we started our journey, everything went very smoothly and flawlessly. Youssef was not only our driver but became more like friends. Always taking us to right place for breaks and meals on the way. He treated us on his home made sweets (made by his mother). We named them Laddu( similar to our Indian sweets). All the places of stay were carefully selected. Pace of the trip was leisurely. All the guides were very informative and friendly. Never rushing. Our meal with the local family was great experience. Very bright and young couple. Overall excellent 10 days of trip to beautiful land. Special mention should be made of hotel Dar Rihana Dades in Ait Ouffi was a beautiful small hotel tucked away in the gorge. Run by family. They were all delightful people and served the best meals that we had on this trip.
Hope to visit again.

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

Best hotel to stay in Marrakech near Medina

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sahara Stars Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

They need to air out those tents. Had a very musty odor from being airtight.

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Euphoriad

Rabat

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful location with best view of town of Chefchaouen

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were excellent. Property was very clean

Activity Reviews

Camel trek to your luxury camp

Merzouga

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

Never did guided tour

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dades Valley, Ouarzazate, Ait Benhaddou & Marrakech

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech Food Tour

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of Marrakech, the "Red City"

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class La Maison Arabe Marrakech 10 AM session.

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hammam Spa & Massage in La Masion Arabe at 11 am.

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner with a local Family in Fes

Fes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes: Exploring the Imperial City

Fes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Volubilis

Volubilis

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Fes, Volubilis & Meknes

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning photo shooting in Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a really awesome trip to Morocco…..all thanks to KimKim (especially Said) and Jamal!! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend KimKim!! Jamal, our driver was like a brother to us! We miss him already!!

Hotel Reviews

Riad Ouassaggou

Imlil

Great location. Really good dinner and breakfast. Large rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kasbah Roseville

Kalaat M'Gouna

Nice hotel, very nice staff. Our stay was brief.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

DAR AL MIRAAJ

Rabat

We moved here from another hotel in the area…and I’m so glad we did! Room was great! Plenty of hot water for shower and comfortable bed for sleeping! Our kids loved their room too! Staff was very accommodating and held our bags after checkout while we walked the Medina.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Medina & Spa

Fès

Beautiful pool area and lobby but that’s about all. AC didn’t work, bed was okay, but noisy room. Elevators bad, breakfast you paid for and was not great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk seemed overwhelmed - maybe I got them at a bad time, but not helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The White Camp Erg Chebbi & Merzouga

Merzouga

Great accommodations! I had the best 2 nights sleep of our 11 day trip to Morocco here! Food was wonderful! We could even have wine in the Sahara!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer from Imlil to Dades Valley via Ouarzazate

Morocco

No better driver than Jamal!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Imlil Valley Walk - Toubkal NP

Imlil

This was really fun! Another fave on our 11 day trip. Guide had a mule for our walk. Walk was pretty easy for us(we are in good shape), but we each got a ride on the mule! It was fun and made for cute pics! Lovely area and nice to stretch our legs after and before the long drives!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Marrakech to Imlil

Morocco

No driver better than Jamal!! We love Jamal!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Three Hour Cooking Workshop at La Maison Arabe

Marrakesh

This was really fun and our favorite meal of the 11 day trip was made by us!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Tranquil Hammam & Spa Experience

Morocco

We thought men and women were separated based on everything we had read. But my teenage daughter and I were in the same room with husband and teenage son. It was fine, but kind of strange. If we had known we were all going to be together we would have planned differently.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride in Marrakech

Morocco

Really amazing experience! I would highly recommend if you haven’t taken a hot air balloon ride before.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to Oslo thanks to Katie's expertise. All of the activities were fun but the food tour was an especially huge hit with everyone. Our guide, Stig, was lovely and extremely knowledgeable. I doubt this will be our last kimkim trip.

Hotel Review

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

The rooms were a great size. Wonderful showers. And the staff were all very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right next to the central train station and the port.

Staff

Everyone we met were very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

A Taste of Oslo's Culture and Cuisine

Oslo

It was such a treat. We were able to meet up at the hotel lobby. Walking around and not being in a rush was especially enjoyable. And the snacks were all delicious. We're still talking about the waffles.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stig was a wonderful tour guide. We learned alot about Oslo and had some delicious treats. Highly recommend.

We had an absolutely wonderful trip to The Netherlands. We asked for some more remote experiences and Mieke delivered and I would say Otterlo and Texel were highlights for sure. All of the details were thought of and having our driver made transitions around the country seamless. We loved the extra attention Mieke added with Food Tours and cheese tastings. Overall we just couldn't have asked for a better vacation it checked all the boxes.

Rajat tailored my tour of Meghalaya and Assam so I was able to appreciate the natural beauty of the area, the people and culture.
My guide Kanak was very attentive and our driver Amulya was an expert navigating some rough roads.
I had such a pleasant and positive experience.
Thank you!
Carmen

It was a pleasure working with Christine Liu in planning our first-ever trip to South Korea. She listened to our interests and budget in planning our 12 days visiting Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island. Her prompt and thoughtful responses to the numerous and myriad questions we had over the few months of planning were greatly appreciated. She was ever patient with two women who peppered her with questions and requests!

Similarly our private guides in Seoul (Billy), Busan (Fred), and on Jeju (Yuna) were excellent. Of course we expected them to be knowledgeable, experienced guides as a baseline. But ALL THREE demonstrated keen interest in ensuring we enjoyed ourselves, anticipated our interests and accommodated us without disappointment. E.g. searching for the best salt bread, guiding us through markets with a "local" feel, helping us rent our hanbok, taking plenty of photos, making thoughtful suggestions on how to maximize our experiences, and more. Also a shout-out to our medical concierge (James) and translator (Clara) who were indispensable in arranging our day of K-beauty treatments. With only one-day, James helped select a very excellent medical clinic for non-invasive facial treatments and scalp treatments. BTW, all highly effective and enjoyable.

I have already recommended KimKim to friends who are interested in engaging travel planning and I will not hesitate to utilize KimKim again as well. As a retiree in my early 70's, it is comforting to know I have a trusted travel company that can help ensure a smooth, safe, and enjoyable trip when venturing into new countries - especially when a potential challenge with a foreign language is a factor.

Thank you KimKim! Thank you Christine! Thank you Billy, James, Clara, Fred, and Yuna! I will never forget my experiences in South Korea; in large part and thanks to your guidance!

We had an amazing trip planned and carried out by Kimkim to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Our stay included three nights each in Valladolid and Tulum. Our activities included seeing various Mayan ruins (Ek Balam, Chichen Itza, Coba and Tulum), a boat ride seeing crocodiles and flamingos (our captan Luis was the only one who went far enough out to see the flamingos while we were there, and then we had a delicious lunch at his house prepared by his wife, Malchita, got to play Uno with their grandson Matias), snorkling with turtles, swimming in 4 different cenotes, cooking lessons on traditional Mayan foods. The hotels we stayed in were local, we enjoyed avoiding the big name companies and got to experience more true Mexico than a room that could be anywhere in the world. The ease of the trip was a blessing, from the planning to the execution. We were met at the airport and then each morning by our driver for the day, who took us to each of our destinations, waited for us, and took us to our next and then back to our hotel. Our amazing drivers included Jesus, Carlo, Francisco, Ivan #1, Ivan #2. I got an update each evening with the next day's plans and identifiation of the driver which made it very straight forward. I would highly recommend Kimkim to anyone travelling and looking for local experiences and low stress vacations.

Hotel Reviews

Piedra Escondida

Tulum, Quintana Roo

Beautiful location with friendly, helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mesón del Marqués

Valladolid

Great room, friendly people, excellent food. Flavor of Mexico.

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cenotes of Chemuyil

Mexico

This was by far our family's favorite activity. We were picked up by one of the founding members, Ivan, of the Cenotes of Chemuyil restoration project. We enjoyed hearing about their effort at cleaning up and protecting their community and space of their childhood memories. The bike ride was easy and pleasant, getting to see some of the town along the way. The variety of the cenotes, from cave-like to open, was cool. The water refreshing, the guides friendly. The food at the end of the day was the cherry on top. I would highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the archaeological site of Tulum

Mexico

Beautiful. Our guide was acceptable. I think the 4th ruin was a little too much for us. Kids loved seeing some of the animals before we entered the park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was the only activity where we had trouble meeting up with our guide. Our driver, Ivan, was very helpful and made calls to get us in the right place.

Transport

Snorkeling and Sightseeing with Turtles in Akumal

Mexico

It was really amazing to see the turtles. Unfortunately, the seaweed came in a couple days before we got there, so visibility and enjoyment were not as good as they could have been.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Explore Cobá!

Mexico

Our guide, Sebastian, was friendly and very informative.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Visit to Lol Ha cenote in Yaxunah

Mexico

This was our first cenote experience and we really enjoyed it. Fun to explore, cool off, experience something new.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Cooking Cochinita Pib with locals at Yaxunáh

Mexico

The food that was cooked was amazing. The experience was brief but enjoyable. The kids enjoyed the "hands on" aspect.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Chichén Itzá, Wonder of the Maya World

Mexico

Amazing experience. Enjoyed the knowledge of our guide, Ricardo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Carlo was an amazing driver and guide. He taught us about the Mayan culture, including helping us learn some basic words.

A pink-ish day at Río Lagartos & Las Coloradas

Mexico

Our captain Luis (Baba) was amazing, took us further out than any of the other boats in order to find the flamingos, then went back to his house for an amazing lunch prepared by his wife Malchita.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Guided tour to the AS of Ek Balam

Valladolid

Baltazar was an excellent guide.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jesus was amazing

The KimKim team created a thoughtful trip that made us want to go again. They were always available for questions and adjustments to the plan. Thank you for an amazing experience!

Kim Kim has been great from start to finish. They payed attention to the key places we wanted to see and activities we were interested in. All the guides were so nice. Shout out to Valeria and the food/market tour. Blanca did amazing job taking us around Lima for a 1 day city tour and Martin was really that cherry on top! Martin completed our experience of Peru and we couldn’t have asked for a more knowledgeable and kind guide. He looked after us all so well.

Adeline was the absolute best travel agent for our family! She was so easy to work with and always very responsive. Our trip was the perfect mix of having things planned while leaving time and space to explore and discover things on our own. Everything that Adeline planned for us went smoothly. All of our hotels, transfers, museum tickets were perfectly executed. We love all our hotels (we stayed in four separate locations over 2 weeks) and especially enjoyed the Japanese onsen culture. Having the KimKim app on our phones with our itinerary loaded for each day was so helpful. We could click through links to google maps or to our museum tickets for that day. We had a smooth experience from start to finish and loved Adeline and loved our trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Koo OotsuHyakucho

Otsu

This hotel was above and beyond! We had our own two story condo that was a converted tea house on a market street in Otsu. We were just a 15 min train ride away from Kyoto making it a great home base for exploring in and around Kyoto. The amenities at this hotel were incredible: we had locally made toiletries, pajamas, sweets every night, and a fridge stocked with drinks. There was a delicious breakfast included as well as a lounge for snacks, coffees and happy hour just down the street. We loved this town and this unit!

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Forêt de Repos

This was a peaceful and quirky place in the forest. We had a room with our own private soaking bath and I recommend you get that as well. There is also a public bath that is immersed in the forest. The dinner and breakfast included were delicious! Lovely place to recharge and a good home base to explore the countryside and some seaside villages.

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Hoshino Resorts KAI Kaga

Kaga

What a treat! The room was peaceful and spacious. The onsen was gorgeous and relaxing. The food was out of this world! Our family of 4 felt pampered and relaxed. The little village is delightful to walk through as well.

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&Here TOKYO UENO

Tokyo

Best hotel for families! We had a super fun bunk style room with kitchenette. We were near various train stations. We could go for runs and walks in the nearby park. There were plenty of food options nearby. And, a gorgeous onsen on the top floor!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

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Activity Reviews

Ninja Experience in Kyoto (Family & Kid Friendly)

Japan

Our kids loved this! We learned alot about ninja and samarai culture and had fun! Definitely touristy, but so is most of this part of Kyoto.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Rental Car

Kaga

Easy! Small car made it easy to navigate the narrow roads. Pick and and drop off were simple.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oh my word, if I could give Nicola a 10 out of 5 stars I would! We loved this trip so much, it was so detailed and perfect- we had drivers in the busy areas, had our own car for the easy driving places- so perfectly planned. The parks were FANTASTIC, do NOT miss! Loved the cities and excursions and I don't really like cities much- there was so much to do, so much to see, every day was SO good! Croatia was my husband's idea, he heard it was great- wasn't even on my bucket list but I'm always up for new places- and it was one of our best trips ever. Highly recommend without reserve. More expensive than planning my own trip (which I do often) but I feel we saw much more, did much more than we ever could have if I planned it, bc of the details and itinerary he put together.

We had a fantastic experience planning our trip with Kimkim. Everything was seamless, well-organized, and tailored perfectly to what we were looking for.

The activities were a highlight, especially the Private Gaudí Experience—our guide Catalina was knowledgeable, friendly, and made it very engaging. Montserrat and Costa Brava were also unforgettable, with great guides and smooth transportation throughout.

Overall, we’d highly recommend Kimkim (10/10). The entire trip exceeded our expectations, and Adam made the process easy and enjoyable from start to finish.

Adam, our local specialist, was responsive, thoughtful, and attentive to every detail. His recommendations balanced must-see highlights with unique experiences, making the trip feel truly personalized.

Hotel Review

Nobu Hotel Barcelona

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Costa Brava Hike & Tossa De Mar Day Trip

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Montserrat Sunrise & Brunch

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Gaudí Experience with La Sagrada Família & Park Güell

Barcelona

Catalina was very knowledgeable, friendly, and spent time to know us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We just got home from the most incredible trip to Japan, meticulously planned by Cannon. Every detail was thoughtfully handled—from seamless transportation to and from every destination to perfectly curated excursions.

The tours were not only fun, but genuinely interesting and informative, making the entire experience feel effortless and immersive.

Midway through the trip, we decided to head back to Tokyo from Kyoto early, and Cannon handled all the changes—bullet train tickets, transportation, everything—completely seamlessly.

We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and are so grateful for the care and attention that went into every part of our trip.

Great trip. Thanks for being flexible when we needed to change things because of my mom's medical emergency.

Our two guides were great. Sebastian, in particular, was one of our favorite guides of all time.

Iceland was my bucket list destination and I was super excited from the moment I booked this trip and it turned out to be just what I expected, absolutely amazing! It wouldn't have been such a great trip, if not for Gummi! He made sure to include every single experience/attraction that I had asked for, in our itinerary. His meticulous and detailed planning was one of the reasons we were able to cover at least 90% of what we wanted to do! And he was extremely responsive via chats/calls, despite the time of the day! One specific thing I wanted to specifically thank him is for the Aurora sighting alerts he sent me! I was able to experience them 3 out of the 8 days I was there! This was a bucket list dream for me and thanks to Gummi, I was able to realize it! Considering the fact that it was not even super peak Aurora viewing season and that it rained/snowed/hailed almost every single day I was there, the fact that I was able to experience it was an added bonus! Special shoutout to Gummi for that!

There is a recommendation/suggestion that I want to make. Please note that, this is a generic suggestion and not targeted to Gummi....he was awesome and he gets five stars!

Recommendation/suggestion:

For people like us, who don't live anywhere near the Artic circle, Spring begins after March 15th! Which means we start seeing warmer weather! I expected the same in Iceland, which was one of the primary reasons I booked this trip after March 15th...Unfortunately it was a totally different scenario! The temparatures were still freezing and some of the parking lots that were listed in our itinerary were closed because of the snow! Same with a couple of the attractions/experiences...we had to skip them completely because of the severe weather. Also we experienced very heavy snow, hail,and very strong winds throughout our trip...and twice or thrice, we had very poor visibility during certain portions of the drive and we thought we were going to be in trouble!

So if you could tell your prospective clients that Mid March/Early April is still winter in Iceland, and that they should expect extreme weather...that would be great!

I know that it is on us to check/ be aware of the weather, but if you could advise too, when planning the trip, that will be great! I was expecting greenery everywhere and it definitely was not the case!

But overall, we had a fantastic time and looking forward to coming back and exploring the rest of iceland!

Hotel Review

Fosshotel Baron

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Right in the heart of the city!

Activity Reviews

Víðgelmir Lava Cave Experience

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Breiðamerkurjökull Ice Cave Small Group Adventure

Iceland

Our guide was super awesome and we had a great experience!

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Working with Cory was a pleasure for planning and booking our trip. Cory was able to integrate our ideas with her expertise of Japan to give us the style of trip we preferred. From setting us up with local and inter city transportation to helping us experience the cultural elements of Ikebana, lacquerware, cooking, dining, tea ceremony, confection production, and sumo, Cory laid it all out. While traveling through Japan can be tricky and challenging we found Cory's directions, advice, and the trip planning notes and links made our 17 day, 5 city trip very enjoyable.