Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our group of six people spent 14 amazing days in Greece, and we never had any problems with our itinerary or reservations. The hotel accommodations and tours were as described in the our itinerary and the guides were excellent. We visited Athens, Naxos, Santorini, and Crete. We interacted with over 8 guides and 10 drivers. All the tours and transfers were on time and we traveled in luxury private cars. Our local specialist, Angela was readily available to answer any questions we had. She always responded quickly and on a few occasions made some last-minute changes we requested. I am so happy to recommend Angela for your trip to Greece.

The trip planning process was incredibly easy and we were supported the entire way through by Pauline and the kimkim staff. Once we were on our vacation, we were able to continue contacting Pauline when we had a few snags at hotel check in, which she expertly handled. Using kimkim took a lot of stress out of traveling and is something that we’ll consider using again in the future!

Vineyard at Quinta da Pacheca was excellent. The guide we had, Fabio, was very well versed in the winemaking process, and answering many questions we had. The service was excellent for lunch, food and wine pairings was excellent. It was probably the favorite for us of our whole trip. Mary and Bruce

Hotel Reviews

Cascade Wellness Resort

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleaning staff was insufficient to be rated 5 star, maybe better training to have essential items in room like tissues for our 3 night stay. No extra pillows or blankets. Curtain rods and toilet paper holder were broken from the start of our stay, which we did mention to staff twice.

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cascais Miragem

Cascais

Great pool area and staff members did a great job. Wish we would have stayed there anther day longer.

Authenticity & Character

From lobby to pool was 5 star for sure, impressive elevator with view and sitting areas add luxury to this hotel.

Location

Ocean front view was amazing.

Staff

Very attentive to our dining pleasures.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxurious huge King bed, 5 star attentive cleaning staff before and after we arrived.

Maison Albar - Le Monumental Palace

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Such a Great 5 Star Hotel, everything from check in to check out Very attentive to our needs in the Hotel, our room, the amenities were excellent and the Bar staff was excellent.

Activity Reviews

Farewell

Lisbon Int. Airport (LIS)

Rush hour traffic on the freeway. Pick up was at 0730, Not sure if there was a better way to get to Airport. Luggage did not get on our connecting flight to London on time.

Exclusive Panoramic Boat Tour to the Ponta da Piedade Caves

Portugal

Fun boat tour, saw amazing cave and cliff formations, along with waterfalls.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Captain was very good at guiding his boat in narrow spaces. Was exciting!

Transport

Transfer from Porto to Lagos

Portugal

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was attentive to our needs for stops along the way.

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Portugal

Fun boat ride to see beautiful Duro River.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Captain was informative about area

Transport

Indulge in Elegance on a Guided Winery Tour Infused with Tastings and a Delicious Lunch

Portugal

Excellent service, great food choices, 5 star service with wine pairings.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service

Portugal

Absolutely excellent experience

Quality of Experience

The guide Fabio, at Vineyard was very informative and interesting to listen to. The lunch service and wine pairings were wonderful.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

He pointed out interesting sites along the way.

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was pleasant, informative of area, and talkative

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was attentive to our needs.

I was initially referred to KimKim by a family friend who had a great experience. Due to my work schedule and never traveling abroad before, I needed a company I could trust to set my trip up the right way. Raquel was not only super responsive and helpful, but she also listened to everything I wanted out of a trip to Spain and Portugal and custom created a trip beyond what I could imagine. This trip was 5 cities over 2 weeks. 5 hotels, 2 train transfers, and multiple flights (not counting getting to and from the EU from the US) and she made it as clear and easy to follow as absolutely possible. I do not speak Spanish or Portuguese for reference, and yes it was still extremely easy to follow. Each activity that was arranged was an incredible and memorable experience with a guide who was a true local with local experience and connections. Writing this, I honestly can’t think of a critique I could even give. My expectations were met within the first couple days, then exceeded at about half way through the trip. The rest was all a bonus. If you are reading this review because you might be skeptical or questioning whether or not to use KimKim or Raquel, just know I had my concerns as well. I am now 2 days back and wrote this review and I cannot recommend this service enough if you want a truly memorable experience.

Hotel Reviews

Dear Lisbon - Gallery House

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

This hotel was clearly renovated from a traditional Lisbon apartment building and gives you a traditional feel with modern amenities. Very very cool place to stay

Location

Very nice area located and very close to amazing restaurants but not so centrally located that it is loud at night from street activity

Staff

Super welcoming and always helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Despite being a traditional building, the carpets and rugs do not even have stains on them. The “mini-split” AC units were fantastic

Catalonia Porto

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Blends in great to surrounding areas and retains a Portugal charm. Also truly an amazing breakfast

Location

Excellent location to city center and the river

Staff

Not only was the staff very friendly to deal with but also happy to help at a moments notice

Cleanliness & Comfort

EVERYTHING was clean all the way down to the inside of the mini fridge

H10 Puerta de Alcalá

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

The hotel was just remodeled so it had a very cool and “swank” design

Location

In a VERY nice part of town and was centrally located to many great restaurants

Staff

Everyone involved was very helpful. This was one of 5 hotels we stayed at so unfortunately I do not have any names to mention

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfy beds and clean all around from the lobby to breakfast bar to the hotel bar to our room

Intelier Victoria

San Sebastian

Authenticity & Character

Great rooftop views, incredible breakfast, very clean

Location

Great central location to the old town and everything is accessible by foot

Staff

So incredibly nice and helpful. Everyone seems truly happy to work there.

Cleanliness & Comfort

EVERYTHING was very clean. From the lobby to the showers to even the elevator

NH Collection Barcelona Pódium

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Did not feel out of place and it felt like you were a part of the city

Location

Great location for activities and rich in culture

Staff

Incredibly nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Traditional Basque Coastal Towns & a Txakolli Winery Visit

San Sebastián

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

Initially, we had a hike planned that unfortunately got cancelled due to the tragic wildfires that happened in Portugal at this time. Our hike got rescheduled to another area along the Sintra Coast. We got paired with Falis, and this might have been the best highlight of an already incredible trip. Falis prepared the hike according to us and what WE felt comfortable with. I am a 30 year old and I am in good shape. We did a roughly 15 km hike that was unlike anything I could have imagined. This was a private costal hike to a private beach and through small costal towns that was beyond anything I could have imagined. The terrain was tough but I can personally handle it. Felis was 100% prepared for anything and knew all the best routes that were the opposite of any “tourist” walk. I will never forget this experience. Felis is now a true friend after my experience. He even personally selected food for lunch and provided it to us. Unbelievably beyond my expectations.

Quality of Experience

Felis and the views. I knew nothing of what the Portugal coast had to offer and was completely blown away

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Felis is truly one of the most welcoming guys I have ever met that you could tell, this is what he loves to do and he loves giving you a memorable experience.

Transport

Felis met us at the hotel and transported us to the hiking destination. As easy as absolutely possible.

Go West to Belém TukTuk Tour

Lisbon

This was my first time on a Tuk Tuk and Catalina provided a great knowledge base of the city. She took us to great places and gave us exclusive access to some things that made the city so great.

Quality of Experience

Great knowledge from Catalina

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Catalina’s enthusiasm for the city of Lisbon

Private Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Emanuel is a local expert and was such an amazing guide to have. His knowledge of the city and its history is so vast you were getting a college semesters worth of history in a 3 hour tour. He loves the city and gets you to love it too.

Quality of Experience

Emanuel’s knowledge and expertise

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Emanuel’s enthusiasm and attention to city detail along with local pointers for things to do later

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

This was one of many food tours we took on this trip and we had Jon (Jean) as our guide. This man was incredible. Not only was Jon a knowledgeable local guide who knows the city well, he was also a chef. So all meals were expertly picked with a chefs taste and Jon was about as entertaining and knowledgeable guide as you could ask for. Meals ranged from local meats and cheeses with authentic port wine to local hot spots with authentic dishes

Quality of Experience

Wide variety and incredible guidance

Food

Absolutely everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jon (Jean) was amazing and a local expert.

Walking Madrid’s Old Town

Madrid

When first getting into Madrid, I wasn’t sure how much I would love the city. Just coming from Barcelona and San Sebastián, Madrid was massive and had a different vibe all together (not bad or dangerous, just very different than the other 2). Sean (our guide) was the game changer for my impression of the city. He showed us the real Madrid that I’m sure not a lot of tourists get to see or understand. If it wasn’t for Sean, I don’t know if I would have enjoyed Madrid as much as I did. He has an awesome local knowledge base of the city and helped us navigate the city much better. By the end, Sean became a friend we met along the way through our journey and I mean that in the most professional way possible.

Quality of Experience

Sean. He was welcoming and extremely knowledgeable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sean truly loves the city and understands it so well

San Sebastian Pintxo Experience

San Sebastián

This was an incredible experience with fantastic food all put together by my guide, Felix. Felix is a local and has grown up in San Sebastián so his selection and taste was spot on. He provided an incredible tour and by the end, became a friend. I mean this in the most professional way possible. The selections he picked were unique to San Sebastián and even gave more suggestions for meals during your stay that couldn’t be included in the tour because time wouldn’t allow.

Quality of Experience

Felix and his knowledge

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and the food was nothing short of amazing

Private Visit of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

We met Albert who was our guide and he was incredible. I could not believe how much this man knew about Barcelona. This man had binders of pictures of what the city used to look like and how it has changed over centuries. I walked away from this tour amazed at the education I was provided along with local tips for how to navigate around Barcelona that you would never find even online. You will get a college semesters worth of education in 4 hours and the best part about Albert, you can tell he was excited and passionate about the city’s history and excited to share it with you.

Quality of Experience

Albert (our guide)

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

This was our first activity coming off a 9 hour red eye flight being abroad from the US for the first time just to set the scenario. Boris (our guide) welcomed us to the city in the most impressive way possible. I normally cringe at the idea of a “tour”. This isn’t your traditional tour guide walking and shouting to keep everyone together with a giant sign and whistle giving you the cliff notes of generic “authentic” foods. This is a local guided, off the beaten path, “locals only” known with history and culture. Each location is unique and purposefully selected to give you an authentic experience. The group is not more than 8-10 and you start as strangers and end as friends taking pictures to remember the experience. Boris was an awesome guide with amazing taste.

Quality of Experience

Boris was an incredible guide and you eat at places you are not going to find on a local yelp page.

Food

The authenticity of the meals were great and unlike anything I ever had before

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boris was fun, friendly, experienced, knowledgeable and the places you go to are welcoming and happy you are there.

Transport

We walked and met at a location that was easy to find

We’ve been used to DIY traveling to North America, Europe and Asia for several years. This year, we decided for the first time to use an agency to do the planning for our Central American travel to Costa Rica. We came across Kimkim in our search, which did all the hotel bookings and activity planning for us based on the preferences we provided them. Kimkim didn’t disappoint us and had, in fact, exceeded our expectations by making adjustments to our needs while we were already in the midst of our Costa Rican adventure. Their quick response to our requests were commendable. The adjustments they made for us due to my traveling partner who developed medical issues during our travel were addressed seamlessly. Jessica, our Kimkim agent who we touched based with till the end, was always responsive and made sure we were getting the most of our travel time. We would not have had a memorable experience without Kimkim’s services and its expertise of Costa Rican life, land, people, and culture. Pura Vida!

Kristiina the Oslo guide was wonderful and very helpful
There a lot more sites to visit in Oslo than Bergen and it would have been nice to have more days there rather
than Bergen but both were very good
Enjoyed the train from Oslo to Bergen--saw scenery at multipel altitudes both below and above tree line
The Fjord cruise in Bergen, Rib boat in Flam, Sea Kayak in Geranger/Glacier tour in Balestrand, and the cable care in Bergen were all wonderful. Hiking in Balestrand was a challenge but the views were great. It is amazing that people could live and farm on the steep cliffs years ago. The Cornelius dinner was amazing. Getting back at 11 pm and having to get up at 3 AM was not great planning but the meal was worth it.
We were very fortunate to have clear weather for the Sea Kayak! The waterfalls after it rained were wonderful
The scenery was fantastic
Car rental and driving was interesting. The Bergen self service rental has no one to talk to. We found another Hertz
location on the road and got an introduction to the car. Our taxi driver from the hotel drove past the location and I
had to tell him where to go! Every time I put gas in the vehicle we were double charged large amounts on my credit card--These are still pending as of today. Driving on the roads was an experience--the tunnels were unbelievable-how in the world did they do them!!! More switchbacks than I have ever seen and done
The airport transfer did not show up for the flight home--we had to take a taxi.. Hoping that can be refunded
All in all a wonderful trip and may well use Kim Kim again

Hotel Reviews

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

great bar and dining area Bath had a shower with only curtains--presume for person in wheelchair Large room

Location

near wharf

Staff

front desk helpful when airport ride didn't show up

Cleanliness & Comfort

again the bath

Hotell Utsikten

Geiranger

Great views closing for season the day we left Nice lounge area no elevator/ on 3rd floor very tiny rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

view

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

very tiny room and bath

Hotel Aurlandsfjord

Aurland

great views No elevator and we wer on 4th floor/ a hike

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Norge by Scandic

Bergen

modern hotel not as much character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bristol

Oslo

wonderful staff delightful hotel with shower and bath and terry cloth robes Breakfast amazing my favorite hotel

Authenticity & Character

see above

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

see above

Activity Reviews

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Dinner was amazing culinary triumph

Guides, Drivers and Staff

waitress Anna was delightful, Owner was there and talked to every group

Transport

Fjærlandsfjord Cruise & Bøyabreen Glacier Visit

Balestrand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjord Safari by RIB

Flåm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Waterfall Kayaking Excursion

Geiranger

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

not applicable

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Walk

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

walking in the rain actually fun-- "No bad weather--just bad clothing possible" per our guide

Helena was awesome in planning our family trip to Spain! She was very patient and attentive to our needs and planned some awesome tours! It was great having everything reserved (train, tours, hotel) so we can relax on our vacation. Helena kept open communication with us —we highly recommend her!

Hotel Reviews

Slow Suites Setas

Seville

Great space for our family! The extra bedroom had a full bed, which was great for our kids so they can sleep together. The space was well used that we did not feel crammed at all with our party of 6. The outdoor space was nice as well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Playground was great with the kids. Walking distance within everything.

Staff

Didn’t interact much with them but they were pleasant with greetings .

Cleanliness & Comfort

Slow Suites Bellas Artes

Madrid

Place was spacious and fit our family needs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance within everything

Staff

Staff held our bags in storage since our flight came early. It gave us time to explore without dragging our bags everywhere.

Cleanliness & Comfort

There was a random sewer smell near the bathrooms that would come in waves. We did not experience it on our last day in Madrid.

Activity Reviews

Seville City Bike Visit

Seville

Sara was awesome! She was one of our favorite tours as well! It was great to ride bikes and tour the city of Seville. She took us to popular landmarks and told us the history of the town as well.

Quality of Experience

Highly recommend- we like to stay fit, no better way to travel far than on a bike enjoying the scenery.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sara was wonderful! Great personality, knowledgeable, and kept us safe during our tour.

Transport

Flamenco Experience

Spain

It was a great experience to see a combination of traditions in a show. The dancing and music were great!

Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Family Visit, Train Toledo to Madrid

Madrid

Toledo was beautiful! The train was fast and efficient from Madrid. Elena our guide was very knowledgeable and showed us some great historical landmarks!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Madrid for Kids - Walking Tour with Activities & Snacks

Madrid

Beatriz was great in showing us around Madrid. We learned a lot of history, gained knowledge about some of the monuments, and enjoyed some great food as well.

Family Foodie Experience in Madrid

Madrid

Angie was awesome! She was our favorite tour during our trip! She had a great, warm personality and took us to some special places to eat. As well, we learned a lot about the history of Madrid. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Angie our tour guide was wonderful! Highly recommend!

Transport

We walked everywhere- pretty views!

Seville Culinary Experience

Seville

Guillermo was a native to Seville and has a passion for the city. We had a fun small group during our tapas tour and also met someone from our state! It was a good time!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

If we could give Andrea Gambino 10 stars we would. Kimkim was recommended to us when trying to plan an Italy trip with many moving pieces. Once we connected with Andrea we realized all the things we wanted to do in Italy would become reality. From the very beginning we were very impressed with the knowledge and detail put into our itinerary.
We had 17 days on ground . We arrived in Rome and were met by a private driver. This was the beginning of our experience with many private drivers throughout Italy starting throughout Rome to Naples, Pompeii, Amalfi coast, Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano. Every driver was on time and very professional. It was a great way to get from point A to point B. We did use a taxi service as well that was excellent.
Andrea listened to our desires and goals and suggested itineraries and then scheduled all of our private tour guides.
Silvia Ferrari 3 hours Colosseum and Palestine Hill was an expert . We had skip the line tickets.
Mariapaola Vatican Museum & St Peters Basilica skip the line tickets and incredible knowledge.
Private guide in Catacombs and underground church
Pompeii private guide Stephen excellent and vast knowledge
Fiammetta our private tour guide for Academia gallery .
Pisa private tour guide. Every single tour guide was professional with a vast knowledge and expertise in the respective areas. We learned what the guides have to do professionally to be guides. It’s pretty comprehensive. Thank you Andrea for arranging all of this for us as well . These private guides were also able to recommend some local great restaurants!! The hotels that Andrea reserved were beautiful and clean and exceeded our expectations.
Our road book for this trip was so detailed that we always felt comfortable with all that we were doing. We built free time into our schedule with the assistance and recommendations from Andrea.
This trip and all its moving parts would not have been possible without Andrea’s expertise and vast knowledge. Every aspect of our trip was spot on and we never experienced one hiccup. It was unbelievable that it went so smoothly.
I would definitely use KimKim and Andrea again for a trip of this magnitude.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Navona Colors

Rome

This boutique hotel was amazing. The 4th floor suite was amazing. Beautiful terrace. Very clean, comfortable bed and amazing staff! Loved it here.

Authenticity & Character

It was just boutique and lovely. Very close to a delicious family Italian restaurant!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Bussola

Amalfi

Beautiful terrace with beautiful water view. Excellent service great breakfast included. Respectful pleasant staff! Very comfortable bed!

Authenticity & Character

Typical Amalfi decor great vibe

Location

Staff

All respectful pleasant and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable bed hotel was spotless , very clean

Activity Reviews

Pisa leaning tower and Piazza dei Miracoli monuments entrance

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided walk at Piazza dei Miracoli and Leaning Tower in Pisa (2 hours)

Italy

Had no idea what to expect Pisa is a beautiful and clean city. Private guide had lots of interesting information

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Winery visit with wine tasting and light lunch

Italy

Beautiful surroundings so happy we did this

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Italy

Our guide very knowledgeable and personable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

On time always and professional

Transport

Accademia Gallery - skip the line entrance

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

This was something my husband and I wanted to do. It is truly an incredible place and amazing to see 2/3 of uncovered ruins. Our guide was so knowledgeable with many years of experience . He works at the site.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Underground Rome Catacombs Tour

Rome

This was amazing! The underground church is beautiful and going underground to the catacombs was a first for me. Our guide was terrific! We were so happy we did this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel skip the line ticket

Rome

Amazing ! our guide Mariapaola was extremely knowledgeable and personable . I believe she was with us longer than expected.

Quality of Experience

Expertise of our private guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Always on time , professional and respectful

Transport

Colosseum and Roman Forum - small group guided tour

Rome

Silvia Ferrari extremely knowledgeable . We had Skip the line tickets. Invest in Skip the line and use a private guide you get so much more out of the tour! We loved this so much!

Quality of Experience

The vast knowledge , expertise and education of our private guides.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Always on time never ever late very professional and knew enough English to communicate

The trip was wonderful. The Azores and the Algarve were so different yet so beautiful.

As a couple in a group of 8 we had unfortunate hotel issues. Our hotel room in Terceira had a terrible musty smell, and no one worked with us to address it. We were surprised to learn the apartment suites in Lagos did not have locks on the bathroom or bedroom doors.

The guides were wonderful and worked with our large group to accommodate individuals needs. Jorge and Ivo made the touring days informative, fun and so enjoyable. The pilot and co-pilot on our sail cruise were also lovely. Thank you Leo and ‘Nunu’.

Please inform future clients there are limited taxis in Terceira. We had to walk home from dinners as we could only locate a single taxi, and the sidewalks were frequently blocked with parked cars or narrowed to a small strip-requiring we walk in the street with oncoming traffic in the dark.

Hotel Reviews

Cascade Wellness Resort

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palacio Santa Catarina Hotel

Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal

Our room had a terrible musty smell and no resolution was offered-not a new room, air purifier, dehumidifier or moisture absorbing beads. Some staff were lovely-especially Leo, while others were not very hospitable. Front desk staff should be bilingual and more forthcoming with information re the island-such as there are no taxis after 9.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Octant Furnas

Furnas, Povoação, Azores

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat Tour to Ponta da Piedade

Lagos (Algarve)

Luxury on the coast of the Algarve. An amazing view of the coast from a beautiful sailboat with many creature comforts. The staff were knowledgeable and added so much to the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Terceira Island: Sights & Scenery Day Trip

Azores

Ivo was wonderful! He customized the day so we had a slice of Terceira to sample. Joe Ferreira generously shared his vineyard and home with us. Lunch, including Alcatra, was great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whale & Marine Life Watching from Terceira Island

Azores

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing whale watch! I didn’t realize we would go that fast and the ride would be so bumpy but It was amazing to see dolphins, false killer whales and a female sperm whale up close in their environment. Victor was very knowledgeable.

Private walking tour of Angra do Heroismo

Azores

Anga was lovely and so knowledgeable. She helped us appreciate the history of the island and shared personal stories that made it real.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

São Miguel's Wild and Mountainous Northeast: Culture, Gastronomy & History

São Miguel Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Spectacular Lakes & Viewpoints! A Day trip to Lagoa do Fogo & Sete Cidades

São Miguel Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Terra Nostra Thermal Water Pools - Recommended visit

São Miguel Island

Quality of Experience

Our experience with Michelle arranging our Nth Island NZ trip was good from the beginning. It was easy to coordinate with her and we valued her insider knowledge as to what would be good for our family to see. Payment and finalising the itinerary was very easy using the kim kim site.

Our trip was fantastic. The accommodation chosen by Michelle was great. In Auckland - the swiss bell suites were close to everything, clean and perfect for our needs. The Weta workshop was great for kids, thankyou for this suggestion Michelle! Pick up and use of the rental car was easily done. In rotorua, we stayed in a lovely apartment part of a B&B which was also lovely with great hosts, in a nice quiet area. We would highly recommend the canopy tour, Te Puia experience and of course a visit to Hobbiton.

In Taupo, we stayed just outside in 2 mile and had an amazing family apartment which overlooked the lake, the only downside was that we were only there one night!

Everything in our holiday ran smoothly and Michelle had organised timing perfectly for our booked events.

Thankyou so much.

Hotel Reviews

Novotel Auckland Airport

Auckland

makes transfer to the airport so incredibly easy. We had adjoining room for the kids.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anchorage Resort

Taupo

What a lovely lakeview apartment. Perfect location, lovely warm pool, great for families

Authenticity & Character

Location

beautiful view across the lake

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swiss-Belsuites Victoria Park Auckland

Auckland

Clean, perfect location, great for family.

Authenticity & Character

Location

so close to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rotorua Views

Rotorua

Lovely hosts, quiet location, perfect for a family.

Authenticity & Character

Location

the location was picturesque, quiet and not far from anything that we wanted to do

Staff

Anne was excellent and gave us great advice on our time in Rotorua

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves

New Zealand

We just saw the glow worm caves. It was a lovely experience and we had a great guide. might have been good to see another cave also whilst there as they do some good packages.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jetboat Huka Falls

New Zealand

If you haven't been jet boating before, it is a great experience. was good to see huka falls from the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

guides were good.

Transport

Wai-O-Tapu

New Zealand

This really was a great experience. You are able to get up close to the geothermal areas, more so than Te Puia. We would recommend this, it wasn't too far from rotorua and we had time to do all of the walks.

Quality of Experience

we went first thing in the morning, barely anyone there so almost to ourselves.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

only 20mins out of rotorua so easy to get to.

Luge Rides (incl. Gondola)

Rotorua

As a family, again we all enjoyed this experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

staff there were not a highlight in general.

Transport

not far from our accommodation

Zipline Canopy Tour

Rotorua

Great experience, the guides were amazing, the whole family enjoyed this experience. Photos included in price, not an added extra which was such a nice change.

Quality of Experience

Fantastic experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mitch and Steph were our guides - they were friendly, knowledgeable and reassuring. It was an amazing experience.

Transport

Not far from our accommodation in Rotorua

Te Puia - Te Ra guided experience with Haka and lunch (Once Upon a Trip exclusive)

New Zealand

We did the guided tour with Maori experience (definitely recommend adding this) along with the Hangi lunch. This was a perfect cultural tour for our family.

Quality of Experience

Food

our family really enjoyed the hangi lunch.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

very close to our accommodation in rotorua

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

Great for a family, we loved going to Hobbiton. Tour guide was great, experience was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Weta Unleashed Auckland

Auckland

This was a great suggestion from michelle, our boys (aged 10 and 12) loved this workshop.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

easy to walk to from our apartment.

We really enjoyed this trip. We loved Porto and wish we had more time there and in Cascais. When we had a problem at the Hotel Vila Gale in Cascais, Joao handled it for us. We had a terrific time with our drivers, Ivo and Joao. To note, the car was not clean when we picked it up and we had to clean the windshield in order to see when driving. Overall, this was a memorable, fabulous experience.

Hotel Reviews

Vila Galé Cascais

Cascais

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had bedbugs and had to change rooms.

Vila Galé Lagos

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Évora Olive Hotel

Évora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Hotel Porto Jardim

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lisboa Plaza

Lisbon

Location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Off Liberty Avenue and close to everything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Farewell

Lisbon Int. Airport (LIS)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Panoramic Boat Tour to the Ponta da Piedade Caves

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Indulge in Elegance on a Guided Winery Tour Infused with Tastings and a Delicious Lunch

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Thank you, Bernardo!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Transfer from your hotel to a unique Fado Experience

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Historic Odyssey Walking Tour of Lisbon

Lisbon

Thank you, Nadia!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our late summer trip to northern Norway was incredible. We couldn't have planned such a memorable, custom trip without our trip specialist, Tricia. The pacing of our trip and the chosen destinations were well matched to our abilities and interests. The mild weather added to our enjoyment of the outdoor activities. Because we were off-season, destinations were uncrowded; in fact, on several tours, my husband and I were the only people. Repeating our overnight accommodations as we returned from the far north was genius.

Our flight had multiple legs, first into Dallas, then Dallas to Helsinki, then Helsinki to Oslo. It all went smoothly. I particularly enjoyed the pretty berry pastry at the Helsinki airport coffee shop. Upon our arrival in Oslo, we used the Flytoget train, buying a roundtrip ticket at the station. These trains are clean, frequent, and quick. As we had arrived before check-in time, we left our bags at the Amerikalinien hotel, walked over to the Oslo Opera House, and walked to the top to enjoy views of the harbor and city. We walked over to Barcode Street Food for a wide variety of options for dinner and drink. Altogether, we ate there three times during our time in Oslo; I particularly enjoyed the poke at Hawaii.

Adding a 'recovery day' after our overnight flights to Oslo was wise. The breakfast at the Amerikalinien had extensive, delicious options. We had a rainy day in Oslo, but it didn’t mar our tour on the Silent Oslo Fjord Cruise. With an Oslo pass, we used public transit to travel to Lazy Boyz Harley-Davidson Oslo in the suburbs for a couple t-shirts. The lounge at the top floor of the Munch was perfect for an overview of the harbor and city while enjoying a cold drink.

Using our return pass, we returned to the airport for our midday flight to Alta. The flight itself was scenic and one would wish every airport was the airport in Alta. Our car rental with Hertz went smoothly start to finish. We enjoyed lunch in the local mall at Aranya AS. In total, we ate three meals there. The parking app for the mall was easy to set up and to use. The mall is a good spot to buy a missing cord or some Norwegian chocolate.

Our afternoon was spent at the World Heritage Rock Art Centre and Alta Museum. The museum offers a range of exhibitions including local life in the time of the rock carvings up to 9000 years ago, the more recent history of mining and fishing, and World War II history. There are two long paths with extensive boardwalks that allow you to view the rock carvings along the way. Allow enough time to view the carvings and soak in their fjord setting. We returned for a second visit when we returned to Alta.

Then we made our way to Trasti and Trine’s Lodge. Our spacious room was very comfortable; the breakfasts were delicious with a generous range of dishes offered. We enjoyed morning walks down to the river. It was interesting to learn about the Northern Light huskies and to visit the puppies. We enjoyed a leisurely evening meal in their excellent restaurant. The next morning, we had the Altafjord Cruise on the Ice Cube of Aurora all to ourselves. The water was choppy, but didn’t mar our adventure. We learned about World War II in Alta, viewed a fjord waterfall, and looked for seals with high quality binoculars. The fjord was in full fall color.

After two nights in Alta, we spent our next two nights in Honningsvag at The View, a smartly converted Cold War Era military barracks. As suggested by its name, this location has a commanding view of the fjord. We enjoyed the northern lights on the outdoor balcony each night of our stay. Be sure to download an app such as Aurora that can provide you with alerts. We also left our window drapes open all night. We enjoyed a dinner at NorMat. The hotel does not offer food other than breakfast, but it has several beers on tap. The local museum, Nordkappmuseet, had an excellent variety of exhibits on local history and art – the section on World War II and post war recovery was particularly moving.

Because of the warm water currents, the fall colors around Honningsvag were not as far along as either Alta or Karasjok. Coming into Honningsvag, we passed through several long tunnels, including one that took us 800 feet below sea level – a record for us. Nevertheless, our drive on winding roads to NordKapp was still quite dramatic. NordKapp itself was impressive. We arrived early, allowing for plenty of photo opportunities, and time before the Nordkappmuseet opened. The museum has a nice café and gift shop. It’s a great spot to buy and send postcards from NordKapp. The northern lights, sea birds, local history, and World War II history displays were all well done.

Our next two nights were spent in Engholm Husky Design Lodge in a very stylish custom cabin. Each detail of our lodging was carefully considered and beautifully crafted, mostly from natural materials. It is a perfect spot to cocoon in nature in any season. We enjoyed the opportunity to ride along on a husky training run through woodland trails out to the river and back, and to visit with the latest litter of huskies. We drove over the border to Finland for lunch and a stop at the grocery store for snacks. We bought postcards and stamps and mailed them on the spot. The Sámi Museum in Karasjok - De Samiske Samlinger/Sámiid Vuorká-Dávvirat was an excellent introduction to the culture and traditions of the Sami people including artifacts, traditional clothing and tools, art and history.

After returning to Alta, we went on a northern light tour with Glød Explorer. Glød means ‘glow’. We were the only tour members that evening. Starting with a delicious fish soup and an introductory film, Gard took us out to the best spots for catching the lights. With light rain and clouds, it took patience and a few locations before the lights were visible. Alta claims to be the home of the light for good reason, the local skies seem to be a node for the lights. Not only were the flickering beams dancing, but less common forms directly overhead morphed in forms that resembled fish or flowers. Gard even took our photo with the lights in the background. It was the perfect highlight to our trip!

Our return travels went smoothly. It was a trip we will always remember – off-season and perfectly attuned to our specific interests and requests. Thanks Tricia!

Hotel Reviews

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

Outstanding hotel in a very convenient location across from the train station and within easy walking distance of the city harbor area. Staff was attentive and accommodating. The hotel was able to hold our luggage until checkin so we could begin exploring the city. When checkin was a bit delayed, we were given an upgraded room. The hotel was decorated with items reflecting the history of the American Line in Oslo. Comfortable beds! The sumptuous breakfast was a real treat. On the day we departed before the regular breakfast hours, we were offered a packed breakfast. The hotel bar was very stylish with unusual cocktails. We stayed here for a total of three nights; two as we arrived in Norway and the night before we departed.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the historical details from the American Line that were featured throughout the hotel.

Location

Easy walking distance to the downtown harbor area including the main station, opera house, dining, and museums.

Staff

Attentive - offered a packed breakfast when we had an early departure.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable, cozy bed and bedding. Loved the modern, full powered shower and generously sized bath area.

Engholm Husky Design Lodge

Karasjok

We loved the very stylish custom cabin. Each detail was carefully considered and beautifully crafted, mostly from natural materials. It is a perfect spot to cocoon in nature in any season. We enjoyed the opportunity to ride along on a husky training run through woodland trails out to the river and back, and to visit with the latest litter of huskies.

Authenticity & Character

This lodge exudes character. We marveled over the handcrafted details of the decor. Quiet, peaceful, thoughtfully designed.

Location

This location is convenient to activities in Karasjok and just over the border into Finland.

Staff

Dedicated to huskies! It was a real treat to go out on a training run.

Cleanliness & Comfort

You could happily cocoon in this lodge in any season.

The View

Honningsvåg

A smartly converted Cold War Era military barracks with the outstanding view. We enjoyed the northern lights from the outdoor balcony every night of our stay. The complimentary breakfast was very nice each morning. The hotel does not offer food other than breakfast, but it has several beers on tap.

Authenticity & Character

Very cool retrofitting of an old Cold War era military barracks.

Location

Not in the heart of the town, but with outstanding views of the harbor.

Staff

Staff was very knowledgable of the area with excellent tips.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfy, individualized bedding was the best.

Trasti & Trine´s Lodge

Alta

Very welcoming and comfortable accommodations for lodging and dining. Extensive grounds with trails to the river. And, best of all, huskies! This location is convenient to activities in the Alta area. It is a great location for watching the Northern lights. The breakfasts were delicious. The evening is devoted to fine dining. A unique offering.

Authenticity & Character

Huskies!

Location

Just out of town. Beautiful country setting; lovely in the fall. Very convenient to all activities in the Alta area.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful in answering our questions and offering suggestions, such a the river hike.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the individualized bedding; I might just try that back home! Generously sized rooms and baths.

Activity Reviews

Hunting the Northern lights with Photographer

Alta

This was a perfect adventure to conclude our time in northern Norway. Glød means ‘glow’. We were the only tour members that evening. Starting with a delicious fish soup and an introductory film, Gard took us out to the best spots for catching the lights. With light rain and clouds, it took patience and a few locations before the lights were visible. Alta claims to be the home of the light for good reason, the local skies seem to be a node for the lights. Not only were the flickering beams dancing, but less common forms directly overhead morphed in forms that resembled fish or flowers. Gard even took our photo with the lights in the background. It was the perfect highlight to our trip!

Quality of Experience

Alta is the home of the northern light for good reason. The local nodes result in unique, memorable morphing forms.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gard was an excellent guide full of enthusiasm and local knowledge of the lights.

Transport

Van was a comfortable way to tour looking for northern lights.

Altafjord Cruise

Alta

Easy to find. A choppy day did not deter our enjoyment of this trip. We were the only two on the cruise on this day. We learned about World War II in Alta, viewed a fjord waterfall, and looked for seals with high quality binoculars. The fjord was in full fall color.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The personal experiences of our captain and his knowledge of the fjord and local area was a key part of this tour.

Transport

Silent Oslo Fjord Cruise

Oslo

This cruise was an easy introduction to Oslo. It was very peaceful to view the city from the water. The tour guide's narrative was just right, informative while giving space to enjoy the cruise.

We loved our time in Greece! It was tailored just as we were wanting. We loved the hotel in Athens for its location and elegance. The hotel in Myconos was one of our favorites and while it wasn’t around a lot of restaurants or shops, we enjoyed the ones that were nearby. We enjoyed the Naxios hotel for the warm and friendly hosts and our room and outdoor area made it very enjoyable. We enjoyed the country like feel of Naxos. Our favorite hotel was definitely Homeric Poems in Santorini! Wow. Perfect location for quiet and less busy with an easy walk to Fira. A beautiful walk at that too. Looking back I think we would skip Mykonos and spend more time at Homeric Poems. We also found we enjoyed some of better restaurants as the food was absolutely fantastic! We love good food. Not super fancy but good food!

With that in mind we would definitely consider Crete and maybe revisiting Santorini as our next adventure. Probably spending 2-3 weeks in Crete as we hear it’s worth it. Thank you for making our trip so easy, enjoyable and memorable!

Our round trip through Morocco was one of the best we have ever experienced. We have so many wonderful memories of the country, the people, the new friends and the beautiful landscapes! Special thanks to Soufiane, our driver, who accompanied us for 10 days. He was always helpful, friendly and responsive to our wishes and we always felt very comfortable. I in particular always suffer from motion sickness, but Soufiane found a driving style that I could only enjoy. Simply beautiful! Special thanks to him, but also to the whole team in Morocco... all thumbs up!!!

Unsere Rundreise durch Marokko war eine der besten, die wir je erlebt haben. Wir haben so viele schöne Erinnerungen an das Land, die Menschen, die neuen Freunde und die wunderschönen Landschaften! Besonderen Dank an Soufiane, unseren Fahrer, der uns 10 Tage lang begleitet hat. Er war immer hilfsbereit, freundlich und ging auf unsere Wünsche ein und wir haben uns immer sehr wohl gefühlt. Besonders ich leide immer unter Reisekrankheit, aber Soufiane fand einen Fahrstil, den ich nur genießen konnte. Einfach schön! Besonderen Dank an ihn, aber auch an das ganze Team in Marokko... alle Daumen hoch!!!

Croatia was amazing. Full of history and great food and wonderful people. Robi was outstanding making our arrangements and keeping in contact with us. Because of Robi we had a fantastic trip.

Very well supported during the planing and while on the road. First time using KimKim. I was concerned about the quality of the travel support I was doing to recieve, but it was great. No issues. I might use them again.

Pedro, our guide in Lisbon was amazing! He was knowledgeable and fun. Our hotel, the Torel Palace Porto was spectacular and such a surprise, a beautiful bathroom set in a gorgeous room surrounded by mirrors and the poet after whom our room was named was carved in plaster over the bed. A beautiful country and wonderful people.

Marion guided us through the planning process for our self-guided trip of Tour du Mount Blanc. She patiently answered all of our questions and gave us additional maps which were invaluable in keeping us on track. Everything went according to plan. She accommodated our requests for adjustments.

We had a brilliant time cycling between Split & Dubrovnik.
Robi's organisation is excellent and we were accompanied on our daily rides by Borna who made sure everything just right. We have never experienced such care on many other cycling holidays - and would recommend this trip wholeheartedly.

Prior to KimKim, we had not worked with a travel company, but I cannot say enough about what a positive experience it was! Anu took our beginning plans and filled them in with not only wonderful places to stay in Oslo, Geiranger and Flam, but gave us so many options for additional activities through out our two weeks. It was so nice to have transportation provided from and to the airport and to have ferry and bus tickets purchased in advance. Every detail was addressed and it was helpful to have Rufo on call when we had questions during the trip. I'd highly recommend working with KimKim if you plan to travel in Norway!

Hotel Review

Scandic Bakklandet

Trondheim

The Scandic Bakklandet in Trondheim was just okay. The rooms were very basic. Initially, we had to move rooms because the one we were given was small and musty. I was hoping for a better experience with this particular stay.

Activity Reviews

Flåm Railway, Zipline & Cycling Adventure

Norway

The Flåm Railway, Zipline & Cycling Adventure was such a great fun! I thoroughly enjoyed the whole activity and would definitely recommend it.

Waterfall Kayaking Excursion

Geiranger

Kayaking on the Seven Sisters Kayaking Excursion was an absolute delight. The entire experience was well worth it and I would highly recommend it to other travelers.

Summer Kayak Lofoten

Norway

The summer kayak trip in Lofoten was fantastic. I was very happy with the entire experience. The surroundings are incredibly beautiful, making it truly memorable.