Kimkim Trip Reviews

Marianna went above and beyond in every way! From planning more than a year in advance and answering our countless questions to crafting the perfect Italian adventure filled with nonstop sightseeing, incredible food, and unforgettable experiences, every detail was thoughtfully planned. The pacing was perfect, our transfers were seamless, and every driver was kind, helpful, and welcoming. The entire journey was nothing short of amazing!

Marianna and her team paid exceptional attention to detail, truly listened to what we wanted, and brought the trip of our dreams to life. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and would absolutely work with Marianna, her team, and kimkim again in a heartbeat.

Maryem was great. She responded quickly to suggested changes to the trip planning. During the trip, we had one request about the hotel room for our next city, and she immediately contacted the hotel. My traveling companion, Patrize, did most of the trip planning and worked closely with Maryem and thought she was excellent. The hotels she booked for us were all very nice, especially the one in Marrakesh where we spent our first two and last two nights. Our driver and primary guide, Mohammed, was also excellent. He was very nice and easy to be with, which was important since we were with him for 13 days. Our other two traveling companions shared our views on Mohammed. We made a couple of itinerary changes during the trip, and he did whatever we asked of him. I had an incident with one hotel that accidentally charged me twice for an expense. As soon as I realized it (via a notification of the charges on my iPhone), I told Mohammed, and he called the hotel and fixed it. There were four of us on the trip, and Mohammed had a comfortable Mercedes-Benz SUV with cold water bottles and a nice Wi-Fi system, so we were always connected to the internet.
We saw a lot of Morocco, flying into and out of Marrakesh, going south over the Atlas Mountains into the desert, and taking a camel trek to a desert luxury camp and then north again over the mountains. We also visited Fes, Rabat, and Casablanca. Between Fes and Rabat, we stayed in Chefchaouen (the Blue City). The old part is small and very beautiful and well worth the side trip. In Marrakech, Fes, Rabat, and Chefchaouen, we took short tours with local guides who were all excellent. Mohammed was an excellent guide for the other parts of our trip. We even visited his relatives in Rissani, who had us for lunch at their home. All in all, a great trip thanks to you and your people in Morocco.

Bella did an amazing job of coordinating an unforgettable trip to Japan for my mother, sister and me. She was extraordinarily proactive during the trip, providing detailed overviews of the upcoming itinerary each day during the trip with tips on how to best enjoy our time. We had one day with some minor issues (a venue we were supposed to visit was closed for the day) and when we mentioned this disappointment she immediately responded by booking (and paying for) an unforgettable traditional Japanese lunch the next day to make up for the inconvenience. Our local guides (Peter in Tokyo and Hakone and Hiroshi in Kyoto) were wonderful - and both took many, many photos which was much appreciated as it’s rare to have so many photos of your whole group since someone in the group is usually the primary photographer. Overall a wonderful experience!

Alex did a fantastic job helping us plan a short trip to Norway. We had always had it on our list to see the fjord's and possibly Northern Lights in Norway, but the timing never seemed right. This year we decided to do a week in Iceland and thought a trip to Norway would fit right in with our travel plans!

We were so lucky to be connected with Alex! After discussing some places we'd like to go in Norway (Bergen, fjords, Northern lights), Alex suggested we do the Norway in a Nutshell day trip from Bergen, followed up by a 3 day stay in the Lofoten Islands and a final night in Tromso, where we might be lucky to see the Northern lights (we didn't).

The KimKim team arranged all our hotels and transportation to/from the airport to our hotel, rental car in the Lofoten Islands, as well as the Norway in a Nutshell transportation, and internal flights in Norway from Bergen to Svolvaer and on to Tromso!

The hotels were close to the sites in Bergen and Tromso, and in Svolvaer, the Anker Brygge, was right in the center of town on a small island. The rooms were a good size and very comfortable, with Anker Brygge being traditional Norwegian fisherman’s cottages with a small kitchen and dining area, living room and separate bedrooms and free on-site parking! The restaurant Kjøkkenet, which is located on the island and associated with Anker Brygge, served delicious dinners (we ate there all 3 nights!!)

Breakfast was provided at each hotel, and was a nice variety of breads, pastry, sliced meats, cheeses and fruit!

Since Alex had spent time in Norway and specifically Lofoten Islands, he suggested areas to stop and explore, as well as provided some beautiful photos he had taken on his most recent trip!

All-in-all, we had a great time in Norway, and we couldn't express our thanks to Alex and the KimKim team any deeper for arranging this for us!

Maryem was excellent; Her follow through and responsiveness to our requests were outstanding. All our local guides were excellent; knowledgable and helpful. Our driver, Mohamed was a gem; punctual, helpful and very pleasant to spend time with. We all enjoyed our time in Morocco and will recommend both Morocco and KimKim with high praise,

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

Absolutely beautiful hotel with outstanding service

Authenticity & Character

One of the nicest hotels I've stayed at all over the world. Spa, restaurants and Jazz Bar outstanding

Location

Located in the Medina;

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Madu Premium Camp

Merzouga

Now this is my idea of camping; luxury in the desert

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel & Spa Le Doge

Casablanca

Art Deco Hotel with esquisite furinshings

Authenticity & Character

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boumalne Dades to Merzouga Sunset 4x4 to your camp via Tinerhir & Rissani

Morocco

Magical experience; riding a camel in sand dunes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sand-Boarding in Erg Chebbi

Merzouga

There was no opportunity or mention of sand-boarding at the camp so can't be rated.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes walking guided tour : No drive

Fes

Fes was my favorite walking tour due to the artisians and lack of motorbikes in the narrow streets

Quality of Experience

Food

wider variety in hotels

Transport

Tour of the Desert Region

Merzouga

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Chefchaouen via Meknes & Volubilis

Morocco

Chefchaouen (blue city) is so delightful to roam around with every alley and structure begging to be photographed

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech to Boumalne Dades via Ouarzazate

Morocco

No way around the length of the drive but it was long. Mohamed broke it up with several stops which helped

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Very interesting but dodging the bikes, motorcycles and animals in the Medina was challenging

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free day in Marrakesh

Marrakesh

Visit to YSL garden, Berber and YSL Museums followed by a delightful lunch in the area. Enjoyed walking through the city.

Quality of Experience

Explore Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen(Blue City) was magical; every alley and building begged to be photographed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel trek to your luxury camp

Merzouga

Now this is my idea of camping. Amazing experience to ride a camel through the sand dunes to a luxury camp with all the comforts of a good hotel

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hammam Spa & Massage in Marrakech

Marrakesh

Fantastic massage

Quality of Experience

I can't say enough great things about our local specialist, Chris Gravas! He did a fantastic job of helping us plan and manage our trip to Greece and Turkiye - even helping us to coordinate with another couple who joined us mid-trip. His recommendations for locations, selection of hotels, and the tours he picked were all superb and helped to make our trip an all-around great time. He was very communicative, ensuring we were well prepared in advance with contact information and itinerary updates, and even helped us navigate more than a few questions and changes we had on the fly.

Overall it was a fantastic trip that we couldn't have done with Chris' help. Thank you, Chris, and everyone for a truly spectacular time!

Hotel Reviews

Elia Ermou Athens Hotel

Athens

The rooftop restaurant has a fantastic view of the Acropolis with delicious food and drinks (the Greek orange pie was my favorite!). The breakfast buffet each morning was one of the best we've had in all our travels, and the staff are very helpful and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mr. and Mrs. White Santorini

Oia, Foinikia

Mr. and Mrs. White Santorini in Oia offers spectacular views right outside of our room and even included a relaxing pool to lounge by or jump in to start your day. The staff are exceptional, the included breakfast is delicious, and the drinks were amazing (I highly recommend the Mr. White's Garden - they're addictive!)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Burdock Hotel Istanbul

Istanbul

The Burdock Hotel in the Beyoglu neighborhood is truly incredible, with the one of the most comfortable beds we've slept (except of course, of our bed at home). With an onsite spa, delicious food available at the bar, their restaurant, or for room service, and a staff that consistently go above and beyond, it was a pleasure just being at this hotel. As for food, I highly recommend the chicken skewers, meatballs, San Sebastian cheesecake, and one of their pasta dishes with eggplant (I can't recall the name and their menu isn't listed online) delivered to your room. The bartenders and servers are prompt, accommodating, and friendly. Easily one of the best hotels I've ever stayed at, without being the priciest.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Diamond Caldera Morning Cruise

Santorini

The Diamond Caldera Sunset cruise was a blast, with a fun and interactive crew, who took us to a number of beautiful spots, allowing us to jump in at numerous locations. The included meal, which was cooked on the boat, was one of the best meals we had all trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Istanbul in a Day: From Hagia Sophia to the Grand Bazaar

İstanbul

We had an incredible tour guide, Emrecan, who effortlessly tailored the trip to our needs, kept the conversation going (we were pretty exhausted the first day), and had wonderful recommendations for food. We enjoyed the Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and Grand Bazaar very much, and had a wonderful time sitting in the Sultanahmet Square, hearing of all the history that has transformed the area over the centuries.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Early Access To The Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Tour

Athens

The tour of the Acropolis was a great time, though I would definitely take the recommendation to go early before the cruise ships overflow the place. The views are amazing and the history was fun to learn about. The Acropolis Museum was very nice, full of interesting artifacts and historical information, but having just been to the Acropolis, it felt a little less exciting and a tad redundant. If I had to do it again, I might pick another museum.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Villages

Santorini

The tour was filled with fantastic views from all over the island, interesting history about the many villages and Santorini as a whole, and included a wine tasting at a winery that has been on the island for generations. Our tour guide, Giannis, was funny and knowledgeable about all of the locations we visited and made an fantastic recommendation for dinner at an excellent restaurant (41) located on a black sand beach on the south of the island.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giannis is one of the best tour guides we've ever had!

Transport

Athens Morning Food Tasting Tour

Athens

Included a large variety of great food, with an excellent tour guide (Lev) who was engaging, knowledgeable, and able to get the entire group to interact and participate. Easily one of the best food tours we've ever done.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delphi Day Trip From Athens

Greece

Our day trip to Delphi was filled with great views and interesting histories from our guide. The ruins themselves gave you a true sense of the old temple, and the museum is filled with beautiful artifacts, interesting history, and plenty of stories. The stop in Arachova was the best part, with a delicious lunch at a local restaurant, amazing views, picturesque side streets, and shops with tasty treats.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bohemian Beyoglu neighborhood walk

İstanbul

We greatly enjoyed exploring the Beyoglu area, taking in the many sites, scenes, and overall vibes of the neighborhood. Our tour guide (Emrecan again) was exceptional and tailored the tour to our interests and needs wonderfully. The unique architecture and shifting cultures over the centuries make for a truly interesting and immersive experience, including a variety of locations, buildings, streets, and scenes. Seeing the panoramic views of the city from Galata Tower was possibly my favorite part, though it was a bit pricey (going up to the top wasn't originally part of the itinerary and our tour guide warned us it was a little expensive and mentioned some alternative views that were free, but considering our limited time, we opted to anyway - which she pivoted to easily, showing us numerous highlights and nuances we likely wouldn't have noticed without her).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Emre is one of the best tour guides we've ever had!

Transport

We had such a wonderful honeymoon in Ireland. Thank you, Aleksandra, for getting this trip together for us so we could enjoy the visit without having to fret with booking hotels, tours, and experiences. We loved the walking tours learning the history of Dublin, Jameson, and Guinness, the food and culture tours in Kilkenny and Galway, our free day in Cork where we got to enjoy the English Market, the incredible views at the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, and capped off with a relaxing stay at the K Club. Usually, after a vacation, we're ready to head back home and go back to our day-to-day, but we could have easily spent another couple of weeks in Ireland. We can’t wait to come back.

Activity Reviews

Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher Day Return Tour

Galway

Dublin Private Walking Tour

Ireland

Our recent trip to Spain (Barcelona, Rioja, San Sebastian, and Madrid) marks the third vacation KimKim has planned for us, and once again, it was a flawless experience. Each itinerary they create is seamlessly organized, perfectly paced, and deeply memorable.
The new KimKim app kept us fully updated and informed every step of the way, providing daily meeting locations, contact numbers, and clear summaries. Before our departure, our travel specialist, Coraima, even met with us over Zoom to review the itinerary in detail and answer our last-minute questions.
All of our local drivers and guides were prompt, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable. We want to extend a personal thank you to our fantastic guides: Noah (Gothic Quarter Tapas Walk in Barcelona), Gorka (San Sebastian pintxos and wine walk), Victor (Coastal Villages Excursion in San Sebastian), Macarena (Prado Museum Tour in Madrid), and Carlos (Private City Walk and Royal Palace Tour). We also want to thank Juan from Luxury Car Rioja, who was prompt and offered excellent local recommendations for our free time. Every one of these individuals went above and beyond to enhance our experience.
Thank you again, KimKim, for planning a phenomenal trip. We cannot wait to plan our fourth adventure with you!

We did a self driving tour of Ireland. What a beautiful country! We probably took on more than we should have in our driving portion of the trip, not being fully knowledgeable of distances and roads. In retrospect we should have just scheduled a day exploring Cork rather than leaving Cork to explore other areas. Don’t get me wrong the other areas were beautiful, but you can’t see it all in six days. We particularly enjoyed our time in Dublin because we just stayed in Dublin and could fully enjoy it. We did a food tour with Ciaran that was delightful. A good chance to slow down, get some Dublin history, sample local specialties and have a lot of laughs. We also scheduled on our own the duck boat Viking tour. What a hoot! Tons of laughs with some good history lessons added in. The people of Ireland were so welcoming and gracious. A big thanks to Aleksandra for planning our vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Moxy Cork

Cork

A fun boutique hotel in the heart of Cork. Great location for restaurants and shopping.

Authenticity & Character

Very hip, my adult children loved it.

Location

Close to restaurants and shopping

Staff

We didn’t have a lot of interaction with staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms are small but efficient.

Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin

Dublin

A beautiful hotel close to the heart of Dublin.

Authenticity & Character

It was a beautiful hotel that I greatly appreciated, but I think my kids would have preferred something a little more trendy.

Location

It was in walking distance to restaurants and shopping and all the local attractions.

Staff

We didn’t have much interaction with staff, but the times we did everyone was very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very well kept hotel.

Activity Reviews

Guinness Storehouse Experience Tour

Dublin

It was a good experience. Guinness did an amazing job with their visuals on there self guided tour. The pint at the end was very welcoming and I loved watching the pour!

Titanic Experience Cobh

Ireland

It was a good interactive and informative tour.

Dublin Secret Food Tour

Dublin

This was a great food tour! Maybe because our guide Ciaran was so energetic, knowledgeable, and provided loads of laughs. The food was also enjoyable, especially the Irish coffee,

We had a wonderful time making the journey along the Mediterranean coast. Starting in Barcelona we were able to visit the newly opened Sagrada de Familia with a wonderful guide - one of the highlights our trip. We had an early entry so the crowds were easily managed and we were able to enjoy both inside and out. The next day we had another great guide who showed us the Jewish history and historical presence in Barcelona. After Barcelona, we went to Girona, which was a wonderful surprise. We stayed at a lovely hotel in the old town that was a converted palace. Our tour here of the old town focusing on Jewish history was incredible. The next day we had an all day small group tour of Dali's house and museum - both well worth the travel including the incredible views along the Costa Brava. Travelling by car along the southern coast of France was relatively easily finding great things to see - Pone du Gard, Baux de Provence town and castle, St. Paul de Vence and finally Nice. An electric bike ride in Nice was also wonderful.

Hotel Review

Hotel Palau Fugit

Girona

If you are going to Girona, you have to stay here. A bit of luxury right in the middle of the old town next to all the great spots to eat and drink. Very luxurious rooms. Felt like a castle.

Authenticity & Character

Newly renovated castle - still feels like a castle or medieval home but with modern everything else.

Location

Right in the middle of the old town area of Girona. One block from the river and across the bridges from the hot spot of the new town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Highlights of Sagrada Familia Tour

Barcelona

Our guide was great and very enthusiastic. Very knowledgeable about the history and construction - and excellent English language skills. She had great stories and kept us involved.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great!!

Barcelona Highlights Jewish Tour

Barcelona

Our guide was very knowledgeable and knew the town's history as well as the history of the Jewish people . She was open to our questions about the current Jewish experience in Barcelona. She covered a good amount of territory - both physical and historical time frame.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Montserrat Tour with Monastery Entrance Small Group Half Day Tour from Barcelona

Barcelona

While a beautiful drive to the monastery and exceptional views, there was little historical information shared.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

For us, our "guide" functioned more like only a driver.

Girona Jewish quarter and Museum

Girona

We were truly impressed at what this City had to offer - much more interesting than what we had expected. This may be due to our exceptional guide who went out of the way to show us the history and interest of Girona.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Riviera Highlights: Nice, Monaco, Monte-Carlo & Èze

Nice

Nice is a great location to explore other surrounding areas but Nice itself is very populated and seems to have lost it's charm. Our guide to Monaco was very knowledgeable on the history of the area and we appreciated that he is a local. He was very good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dali, Cadaqués and Cabo de Creus

Girona

Out guide was amazing and share stories of Dali's life and influences. His appreciation of the artist was contagious.

Quality of Experience

our guide was engaging and a wonderful story teller

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Welcome to Barcelona

Barcelona

Very manageable city. Great food. wonderful architecture.

Sunset e-bike tour in Nice

Nice

spunky guide kept a good pace. Had pop culture info to share.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I was planning a two-week trip to Japan as a surprise for my partner. We didn't want to be part of a tour group, and wanted it to be a couple's trip fir the two of us. We had never been to Japan, and I started by looking at guide books but it was so overwhelming. I foudn kimkim online, and the reviews were good. I reached out through kimkim about a year and a half before our trip, and the local expert, Olivia, was so patient with me. She asked me our interests, and suggested an amazing itinerary, to introduce us to history, art and culture in Japan. She listened and helped me tweak certain parts of itinerary. She set us up with English-speaking guides in Tokyo, Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, and suggested other places in each town that we could explore on our own. Once we arrived at the airport, there was a driver there to meet us, and we had specific information (in my kimkim app!) for every tour guide who would meet us, every hotel, all transportation, and our itinerary was fool proof. There was also flexibility so we could explore on our own, as we wanted. Every stop was seamless, and we felt so well taken care of everywhere we went. I recommend kimkim and Olivia very highly and have already recommended them to friends who are planning a trip to Japan. We loved our trip and plan to come back, and will contact kimkim again. Arigato!

Hotel Reviews

Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku

Tokyo

Fantastic location in Asakusa! Plenty of things to walk to from this hotel, and easy to get to other venues (like Meiji shrine and Imperial Palace Gardens). Excellent breakfast. Will go back when we visit Tokyo again.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and clean, great breakfast with Japanese and western selections

Location

Great walkability

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora by IHG

Hakone-machi Ashigarashimo gun

The hotel was elegant and the in-room onsen bath was AMAZING. What holds it back from 5 stars was that ours came with a pre-selected dinner that wasn't great, and the hotel felt more corporate than authentic. The breakfast was much better than the dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Onsen bath was great. The hotel and staff felt corporate

Location

We arrived by taxi -- nowhere to go but the hotel for dinner

Staff

Nice and attentive, but corporate

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was great and the bed was really comfortable

Mitsui Garden Hotel Kanazawa

Kanazawa

Onsen on the roof made this a great experience. We could walk everywhere we wanted to go from this hotel. And the obansai breakfast buffet was the best we had in Japan.

Authenticity & Character

Try the Onsen! Having this truly Japanese experience was great. And the Obansai buffet was incredible for breakfast!

Location

Central Kanazawa near the Omicho market

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

FAV LUX HIDATAKAYAMA

Even though the hotel was built recently, it felt dated and tired. If you are a family traveling and need a room with lots of beds, it might make sense, but we were a couple traveling without kids and we could hear the kids in the room next door late into the night.

Authenticity & Character

The breakfast was really limited.

Location

It was near the train station, like a lot of other hotels, but the neighborhood at night felt deserted

Staff

Staff was friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

The carpet was dated, and the bathroom had a window into it from the bedroom. It was odd.

Mercure Kyoto Station

Kyoto

The hotel had a terrific staff and an excellent restaurant. The breakfasts were great -- lots of Japanese and western options. Our room was very comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and clean, but we definitely felt like we were in Japan with the great meals and decor

Location

Easy to get to with our bags from the Kyoto Station

Staff

Friendly and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Tokyu Stay Osaka Namba

Osaka

Good location and comfortable room

Authenticity & Character

Good breakfast options -- lots of Japanese selections as well as westerno options

Location

We were located near the prime shopping area of Osaka

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathtub in our room was great!

Activity Reviews

Half Day Artisan Tour in Kanazawa

Kanazawa

Our English speaking guide took us to the outskirts of Kanazawa where we met a kimono maker. He told us (through our translator) about his artistic process, how kimonos are made (hand-painted and dyed), and showed us some of his work and techniques. One of the most memorable experiences of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Shirakawa-go, Hida Furukawa, and Takayama Tour from Kanazawa

Kanazawa

Our driver and guide, Junpei, was very knowledgable and so courteous. He was able to give us a lot of history about the towns. The house tour in Shirakawa-go was incredible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Junpei was amazing! We learned so much from him!

Transport

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Nijo Castle, Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Our tour guide, Yvonne, was terrific. She explained the history (which we were really interested in) and showed us so many things that make Kyoto such a special place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yvonne was amazing. She was extremely knowledgable about Kyoto! And so friendly and patient! She took us by train and taxi around the city, in ways we couldn't have navigated alone.

Transport

Sightseeing in Arashiyama - Boat Ride and Bamboo Grove

Kyoto

I didn't know what to expect but this peaceful day and beautiful day was a highlight of our trip.

Quality of Experience

It was so peaceful and serene, it was immersive for us

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yvonne was great guiding us to the boat, to visit a temple and into the bamboo grove (and insearch of matcha ice cream!)

Transport

We took a very comfortable train, with our guide's help

Tokyo: Sumo Tournament with Guide & Assigned Reserved Seat

Tokyo

If I had to choose ONE favorite thing about the trip, it would be the Sumo tournament. The pageantry was incredible. We loved the experience of watching sumo with 11,000 people. And the explanatory guide before hand was terrific.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Before the tournament we had an English-speaking tour guide (from a Latin country) who loved sumo. He was so enthusiastic that we got very excited for the tournament before we went in to see it.

Transfer from Kyoto to Osaka via Nara

Japan

Nara was beautiful, and the bowing deer have to be seen to be appreciated. I had read about the deer, but didn't understand how different they were to all the deer I'd ever seen. Really amazing and a highlight of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yvonne told us a lot about the temple, "Buddha's nose" and how to feed the deer.

Transport

kimkim arranged a private car.

Half Day Imperial Palace East Gardens and Senso-ji Tour

Tokyo

Sarah, our tour guide, was great. It was our first day in Tokyo and she took us on the subway (quite the experience) to the Imperial Palace garden and then to Senso-ji. She told us about the history, the traditions at the temple (handwashing, for example) and we felt like we got a grasp the first day. Both of these sites are really worth seeing in Tokyo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sarah was terrific

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

Masa was a great guide to food and Osaka culture. We had a small group, and he listened to what we were interested in (and we got to do some cooking at our last stop!)

Quality of Experience

We went to a part of Osaka we would not have found on our own!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Masa was amazing!

Transport

Went by subway which was fun!

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Dressing in a kimono and learning about the tea ceremony was a highlight of the trip.

Quality of Experience

The ladies who helped us dress in kimono and do our hair added to a great experience. We learned a lot about japanese culture and courtesy.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Samurai and Ninja Museum with Experience

Kyoto

This turned out to be even more interesting than we expected. There was so much excellent history about the samurai and Shogunate that we were able to get a lot more context for the history of Japan as a whole.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderful trip! Everything was handled expertly by Mathilda! Our guides in Nuremberg, Justina, and Munich, Renata, were absolutely fantastic. We had a fantastic time, enjoyed every place we visited. Hotels and arrangements were hassle free. Overall beautiful and care free experience. Will most assuredly do again!!

Our trip to Portugal was amazing! Coraima was able to put together an itinerary that covered all the places we wanted to see. We never would have thought of visiting Coimbra and that was actually our favorite city. She chose wonderful hotels and Inns for us that she had personally visited. Our drivers and guides were all local and gave us so much information about the history and culture of the country. We also appreciated the restaurant recommendations.

Activity Reviews

Discover the Roman Ruins & Museum of Conímbriga

Coimbra

The Roman ruins are fascinating! It is hard to believe that they are so old but so well preserved. The mosaic floors are incredible. Our guide gave us detailed information about the history and context so we were able to get a good idea of life in that city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sara was so knowledgeable and interesting! We loved her. She is one of the best guides we’ve ever had.

Transport

Half Day Visit to the Schist Villages of Serra da Lousã

Coimbra

The villages were really interesting - but we did not have enough time to see all 3 villages so we had to skip one. We did not have enough time to fully explore the pottery shop and we never sampled local honey or liquors as promised in the activity description.

Quality of Experience

This should have been planned as a longer trip. The drive took up too much time.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was really just a driver and did not really provide much info

Transport

Drive was too long

Self-Guided Walk through The Tragic Love of Pedro & Inês

Coimbra

This was not worth doing. Would not recommend it.

Quality of Experience

It was pretty but was not worth the entrance fee. The best part of the experience was lunch at the hotel.

Self-Guided Peso da Régua Walk and Douro Museum Visit

Peso da Régua (Douro Valley)

We enjoyed the museum but the town itself was a huge disappointment. It is old and run down. The train station is under construction so we couldn’t visit it. The town is basically a tourist trap for the river cruise passengers. All of the restaurants are the same and many were closed on Monday and Tuesday. The inn where we stayed was nice but overall I wish we stayed at a winery farther outside the city.

Quality of Experience

I would not have anyone stay in Peso de Regua.

Private Douro & Vinho Verde Wine Tasting

Portugal

This was a fantastic experience! We enjoyed both wineries and especially appreciated having Vasco as our guide. He was able to tell us about the family winery and the history of the area. It was great to taste the port out of the barrel and to meet all the pets. The vinho verde winery was also beautiful and the wine was excellent. We ended up buying wine from both vineyards.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Historical Highlights Discovery Walk

Coimbra

The history of the University was really interesting and Sara Cruz was a fantastic guide- highly recommend using her for all of your tours. She was a student and is so knowledgeable! I wish we had more time to visit the library and the science buildings. Would suggest extending this to a full day tour to accommodate those other points of interest.

Quality of Experience

Sara made the experience amazing. It could have been dull with a less interesting guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Lamego Day Trip

Portugal

We enjoyed touring the castle and the cathedral, but the best part was the archaeological museum visit and the wine tasting.

Quality of Experience

The stop in the middle for sparkling wine and charcuterie was so much fun!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roger was so professional and interesting! He was a great guide and went out of his way to give us a great experience! Highly recommend him for future tours.

Transport

A big thank you to Ali and the team for planning such a wonderful family trip! Everything was well organised, and we really appreciated their flexibility and support. With just two days’ notice, they changed our itinerary, city and hotel to accommodate our departure change, at no extra cost. Their thoughtful service made our trip comfortable and stress-free. Highly recommended!

Hotel Reviews

THE ORION DOME AGAFAY MARRAKACH

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Wow

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Barceló Casablanca

Casablanca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Chama - Essaouira

Essaouira

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Casablanca in a Few Hours: A Driving Tour

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Leny was great! She planned a great trip for me to Hakone. The hotel was so good and very traditional with a private onsen in it which was brilliant. I also loved being on Lake Ashi, the tea house and just walking around Hakone. Hakone is truly a place to escape and the surroundings are tranquil. Definitely highly recommended if you want to relax and get away to a quiet place. Leny also provided me with a good local guide Mitsuri-san and he was excellent. Made my trip very special by taking me to some non touristy spots

Hotel Reviews

Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu

Hakone

Loved the traditional ryokan style hotel. It was very clean and spacious. Having a balcony looking out to the greenery, the forest was breathtaking. The balcony also had a superb private onsen and it was truly a nice traditional Japanese experience. The breakfast and dinner was excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hyatt Tokyo

tokyo

Outstanding hotel. The location was perfect to go around to nearby places. Loved going to some quiet local areas recommended by the hotel. Location in Mimato and the Roponngi area made it special. The staff at the hotel know how to curate trips and experiences for you. The food and restaurants are of very high quality. Breakfast was excellent. The traditional Japanese food and the European breakfast was of very high quality The room was very spacious. Loved the pool and the workout area. The workout area can be improved. It was tight and claustrophobic. But on the whole the pool and gym was good. Staff are very polite and lovely

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hidden Hakone: Scenic Views, Local Traditions & Quiet Nature

Hakone

Had a great tour guide Mitsuri san. He did a fantastic job.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Hakone!

Hakone

Welcome (Yokoso) to Tokyo!

Japan

Our trip to Germany was very educational. We visited Berlin, Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Nuremberg, Munich, and
Wiesbaden. We also went to the Dachau concentration camp.

The food tour guide in Berlin, Anna, was simply excellent. She chose simple but delicious foods such as currywurst and doner kebabs that had a particular meaning to Berlin. She also provided historical information as we walked from location to location that were meaningful and educational.

Max, Niklas, Amir, and Connie were also very good and knowledgeable guides. We learned a lot from all of them. Amir was particularly accommodating as well as being a good driver.

Hotel Review

Hotel Oranien Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden

Very well-appointed furnishings, clean and comfortable. The onsite restaurant was surprisingly good and the service excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Interior was quite authentic

Location

Walkable to the center of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Former Nazi Rally Ground Tour

Nuremberg

Our guide Niklas did an outstanding job of explaining the history of the grounds. He was well prepared with videos and pictures and presented an accurate description of the political and economic situation of that time in Germany which led to the rise of the Nazis.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Berlin food tour

Berlin

Our guide for the food tour, Anna, was simply outstanding. She was knowledgeable and funny and made the experience enjoyable and educational. Her choice of food - currywurst and doner kebabs was inspired - simple and delicious but with historical underpinnings. Also escorting us through different neighborhoods at night was inspired and interesting as we learned a lot of the history that way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Berchtesgaden and Eagle's Nest

Munich

Our guide was excellent, the views were stellar, but we found it to be the least consequential tour for us. Just didn't speak to us, and we didn't find it particularly interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Dachau Concentration Camp Tour

Munich

Our guide, Connie, was well prepared and knowledgeable. The preservation of the site and the artifacts along with the information provided made it memorable and emotionally significant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Heidelberg Private Guided Walking tour old town with Castle visit

Heidelberg

Our guide, Max, was a local and very well informed. Heidelberg was beautiful and it was interesting learning about its history as well as exploring the streets and the castle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was one of my favorite trips. My husband and I were completely overwhelmed with the care and enthusiasm provided by the kimkim team. Berat and Murat put together a stunning itinerary and Hulya and Murat were on point to have it flawlessly executed.

Our guides Zekiye, Efe, and Ozan were truly some the highlights of the trip. Their warm concern and enthusiasm about showing us the best of Turkiye and its outstanding history made us feel like we were apart of the family. I hope other travelers get a chance to meet these amazing hosts. The drivers were all puctional and kind and the mode of transportation was luxurious.

The hotels were top notch , the Ciragan Palce, the Hotel Taskonaklar,, the Swiss hotel Izmir, and especially the Caresse Resort and Spa.

The restaurants chose for us to enjoy dinner were sublime

The tremedous archeolgical ruins and palaces and Mosques were breathtaking. We were allowed to spend ample time at each to really learn about the history.

Hotel Reviews

Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Taskonaklar Cappadocia

Nevsehir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swissotel Buyuk Efes Izmir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Caresse Resort + Spa, Bodrum

BODRUM

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Akra Antalya Hotel

Antalya

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ceramic Tradition in Avanos + Light Hiking in the Love Valley

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Roman Theater of Aspendos and the Ancient Town of Perge

Antalya

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Dolmabahçe Palace

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Bodrum: Bodrum Castle, Underwater Archaeology Museum and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

Bodrum

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Priene: A beautiful ancient Ionian town

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Bodrum to Antalya via Euromos + Aphrodisias

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Eternal Flame of Chimera

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Urla: History and Gastronomy

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum + House of Virgin Mary

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beautiful Antalya: Explore the Old Town

Antalya

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Izmir: The Beautiful Port City of the Aegean Sea

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Göreme-Uçhisar Hike

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Wine + Romance in Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beautiful Cappadocian Valleys: Zelve, Paşabağ and Uçhisar Fortress

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the ancient sites of Miletus and Didyma

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Italy was absolutely incredible. Everything place we visited seemed more amazing than the last, and the tours and guides were wonderful. The hotels were in excellent locations, and every pickup was right on time. We didn’t have a single glitch or negative moment throughout the trip.
The itinerary had a perfect blend of nature and cities, and we loved every minute of it. Everything was thoughtfully arranged, and the whole experience felt perfect from beginning to end. We’re so grateful to the team who planned it! They were fantastic at communicating throughout the entire trip! We highly recommend them!! Caterina and Anna were the best!

Alfonso and Uhaina at Basquelands Way planned an perfect vacation for my husband and I. We hiked the camino and they got our bags moved to the next location flawlessly. They set up an amazing guided tour of the guggenheim bilbao. They responded to all questions and requests instantly. And Alfonso shared tons of knowledge about the region on a few guided activities. We even threw a few curveballs at them and they kindly accomodated us. I highly recommend their service.

Cannon was amazing. He helped plan the trip making revisions as we discovered places we wanted to see. A few days before we left he reviewed the itinerary with us, answering our last minute questions, which was super helpful. His suggestion for Kim Kim to provide private transportation for us from and to the airport made the trip so much easier. We took one suitcase that was larger than carry on, and he arranged our train tickets to provide space in the oversize luggage area of the train car, making managing our luggage as we moved from town to town easy. He really "listened" to our description of the kind of trip we wanted. We ended up with the perfect mix of group tours, a private tour for one day and lots of time on our own. The hotels were great, and he helped in the planning so we only stayed in 4 cities ( I did not want to move too often) but the helped us get some day trips to other cities/sites we wanted to see. He listed in our itinerary directions for using public transportation and times of day to visit certain sites. Once we were in Japan, he responded to our questions with suggestions for transportation (IE when a train or taxi was the best option) and restaurants. His restaurant suggestions provided us with a wide variety of various types of Japanese dishes. Cannon responded quickly to our questions. He often offered options for site seeing with the pro and cons of each. We had a great time and are thankful to Cannon,

Hotel Review

The Hotel Sanraku Kanazawa

Kanazawa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hidden Fushimi Inari Hiking Adventure: Discover Kyoto Beyond the Crowds

Japan

The hike was great. We saw and learned so much on the way to Fushimi Inari. Our guide was very knowledgeable. It was fairly strenuous; my knees are weak and I used a hiking stick. There were lots of stairs, some without rails. I am so glad I did this hike and would do it again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

1 Day Tour from Kanazawa: Shirakawa-go, Gokayama and Wood Carving Village

Kanazawa

The day was great. I appreciated the stops especially seeing Ainokura and being able to make paper! The transportation was good, group size large enough to enjoy others insights and small enough to be able to ask questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All were courteous, helpful and considerate. Guide very knowledgeable.

Transport