Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our trip to Taiwan was awesome! Kimkim set us up with a stellar tour company and fabulous guide! Our guide, William, took great care f us while we were there! I didn’t have to worry about a thing in a country where I didn’t speak the language or know the culture and customs! I would definitely recommend using Kimkim for all of your travel planning to get the best experience. And our guide, William, was top notch! If my daughter and I decide to visit Taiwan again for a longer stay, William is our guy! Can’t say enough good things about him. He took care of everything so we could thoroughly enjoy our time there and not be stressed,

This trip was amazing. Every detail was taken care of. We just need to enjoy the sights. Thank you for a wonderful trip.

Activity Reviews

Private Tuscany Day Trip to Siena and San Gimignano

Italy

Love the winery and the tour of where the wine was stored. Good was amazing. Georgia was an excellent tour guide.

Quality of Experience

Family-Friendly Rome By Golf Cart

Rome

A great way to see the city. Guides were knowledgeable and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just returned from an incredible trip to Costa Rica! It was superb—we got to check off everything on our bucket list (ziplining, scuba, white water rafting, hikes through the forests, animal and bird spotting). We spent 11 days and everything that Jessica and Gustavo planned for us was perfect, from the private transportation to the impeccable hotels to the activities. Thank you to them and to Kimkim! This is our second time using Kimkim and you better believe it won’t be the last!

The trip was great, guides and accommodations were great. The only downside was the hotel location in Nafplio. With luggage, the road to walk in and out was treacherous and with no elevator, the stairs inside the hotel were brutal. I would not have been able to negotiate this hotel without my husband's help.

Our experience from start to finish was truly amazing. Our local specialist, Heidi, did a great job accomodating all our requests, including requirements from our 2 year old, and planned us an unforgettable experience. Both our guides for each city were very knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. They went above and beyond for our needs. Thank you so much to all the team!

John Patience is a fantastic guide. He took us to some amazing places on the mainland and all over Iske of Skye. He brought us to spots we never could have found on our own and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the area. He was great company for three days. Bravo!!

Activity Reviews

Explore The Isle of Skye

Scotland

One could spend a whole week or more on Skye. We had 2 days, which seemed like just enough. The Fairy Glen, Fairy Pools and Talisker distillery were particular highlights

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Inverness to Isle of Skye Private Transfer

Scotland

John took us to castles, lochs, towns and overlooks. Really great

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vicki , local specialist was great. We worked with her to plan a trip best for us. Vicki was easy to reach and very responsive We had some last minute changes and Vicki was right on to of it. The day trips that the local specialist found were perfect. We had 3 flights 3 cars and all went flawlessly. Could not have easily arranged without Local specialist. Especially the local specialist knew the distances so we were confident in logistics.

Fun accommodations. Manager was extremely helpful in our whitsunday accomodation. But highlight was last four days at Mai tai resort. Port douglas area. Andre owner was a delight. Lovely healthy breakfast. Great views. Impeccable as to cleanliness!!
Day trips with Nichols’s to Daintree forest and snorkel sail on Sailaway was exceptional

Our family trip to Greece through kimkim and with our local specialist, Angela (Aggeliki) was outstanding. We are a family of five including three teenagers, and Angela helped us to craft a trip of a lifetime for our family. We identified our interests and budget, and Angela worked with us to finalize a customized itinerary. She was available before our trip to answer questions, and during the trip to help address any issues along the way. Angela went out of her way to ensure that our experiences were positive, connecting us with experienced local guides and drivers. Highlights of our trip included amazing tours of the Acropolis in Athens as well as the nearby Temple of Poseidon, our stay in an apartment with the most amazing view of the Acropolis, sea kayaking and exploring sea caves along the beautiful coast of the island of Milos, and customized tours on the island of Crete where we visited the beautiful Elafonisi beach, visited Minoan ruins, learned about the incredible history and culture of the island, tasted the most delicious food, and dined in the vibrant cities of Chania and Heraklion. We have already recommended kimkim and Angela to our friends, and we look forward to planning future trip together with kimkim!!!

Hotel Reviews

Porto Del Colombo Traditional Boutique Hotel

Chania

Family-friendly hotel in the heart of Chania, close to port, local restaurants and shops. Delicious breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

As a family of five, we would have appreciated it if our rooms were closer together. Kids were on main floor, and parents several floors up. Also, no reception available after 9 pm. Also, please note that direct access to hotel by vehicle not possible. Approx. 10 minute walk from driver/ parking access.

Olive Green Hotel

Heraklion

Excellent central location in Heraklion!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Reception staff provided excellent recommendations for restaurants, and local laundry services.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alyvia Suites

Santorini

A family-owned hotel. The owner is very helpful, accommodations are clean. Beautiful ocean view with hot tubs for upper rooms. Only approx. 15 minute walk to Oia.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ventus di Milo

Milos

We really appreciated the friendly and helpful staff at this hotel who went out of their way to guide us. The breakfast was the best we experienced in Greece. The hot tubs and lovely infinity pool were a highlight also!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The most beautiful view of the ocean! Suggest arranging either a driver or rental vehicle for transportation.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heloni apartments

Athens

Amazing apartments, perfect for our family of 5. The rooftop view of the Acropolis is truly awesome. We really appreciated the breakfast food in the apartment, the cleanliness and ideal location of these apartments, highly recommended!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Your Tailored Elafonisi Escape: Cretan Dream Where Time Doesn’t Exist from West

Greece

Our guide Nikos was outstanding. He went out of his way to understand our particular family input and goals and we experienced an amazing day with visit to Elafonisi beach, local Roman ruins and view of peninsula. We also enjoyed a delicious local Cretan meal together. Would highly recommend this tour with Nikos!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sea Kayak in Milos

Greece

Experienced guides who ensured safe and enjoyable experience for all. Really enjoyed access to the sea caves and thermal waters!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Our guide was very knowledgeable and experienced!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was outstanding!

Transport

Walking tour

Private Sunset Tour of Cape Sounion, Temple of Poseidon & Athens Riviera

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip was nice. Only recommendation is providing addresses for the train stations and meeting points for the tours. There were some room for error there. Also worth noting connecting train in between Lisbon and Algharve is only 2 mins. We missed this train as we didnt think we would have to rush over, not to mention the initial train was delayed making it even more difficult to connect in time. Overall tour guides were great. We could have benefited also from having better directions on where to meet our driver on last day at train station in Lisbon. It was a huge station with many directions to go for pickup. More communication there would have been helpful. Thank you

We recently had an amazing experience with Kimkim , specifically with the help of their local specialist, Asko, during our 5-day stay in Cairns, Australia. As a family with two kids, aged 10 and 6, we were looking for a tailored itinerary that would be enjoyable and manageable for all of us. Asko did a fantastic job of understanding our needs and preferences, ensuring that every aspect of our trip was well-suited for both adults and children.

From the moment we started planning, Asko was incredibly responsive and attentive. He provided us with a variety of options and took the time to explain each one. He made sure our itinerary included a mix of adventures according to my request like snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, visiting the Kuranda Village via the scenic railway, and exploring Daintree.

Asko's recommendations were spot-on, particularly for family-friendly attractions. He also arranged for convenient and comfortable transportation, which made our experience stress-free and enjoyable. His local knowledge was invaluable, and he even provided tips on what to pack and how to make the most of our time in each location.

Overall, our trip to Cairns was a memorable adventure, thanks to the expert planning and support from Asko and the Kimkim team. We would highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a well-organized and personalized travel experience, especially families with young children.

Hotel Review

Pacific Hotel Cairns

Cairns

Great location, close to the airport and close to where everything happens and the Marina wharf. Breakfast did not meet our expectations, same thing every day and not good quality.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

The Great Barrier Reef day trip

Cairns

Amazing experience would do it again

I am glad Eric advised my wife and I to circumnavigate Iceland on the ring road from west to east, i.e. clockwise, because that gave us for the most part the best side of the narrow roads when navigating fjords, etc. My wife and I had a wonderful time, despite some typically rough Icelandic weather and trouble with our rental car, which stopped starting around Lake Myvtan. But Eric and Blue Rental Car had someone local on site in fifteen minutes and the issue (low key fob battery) was resolved quickly and cost us only maybe an hour total.

Eric’s plan was excellent, not overloading the driving—we did a full ring road circumnavigation—on any day and giving us lots of options plus the certain stops we asked for. That said, the daily driving plans were perhaps too precise about where we had to stop on each destination, so that at times if we didn’t go to the end of a parking lot, for example, the plan would not recognize our arrival and keep sending us back to it instead of moving on to the next stop. But we did figure out how to delete stops and it was not a big problem.

I would add to other folks contemplating a visit that the Golden Circle was the most disappointing part of our tour. Way too touristy and crowded. If you must limit yourself to that, skip Kerid Crater and Geyser and spend your time in Thingvellir National Park and Gladafoss and the Secret Lagoon!

This was our first time using a travel agency in many many years - we usually make our own plans but KimKim was recommended and we decided to travel on short notice during peak season, so wanted some help - we couldn't be more pleased and will recommend KimKim to others. Our local specialist Beatriz was outstanding - she really listened to our preferences and designed a trip that was perfect for us in terms of the things we like to do and see. She found really excellent local guides and planned enough for us to do, without over-scheduling us. There were a few minor glitches (to be expected on such a long and complex travel), but she built in enough time that none of them became critical and all were easily handled. When a couple of drivers didn't show up, she processed refunds for us without even being asked. She or colleagues were very easy to communicate with. This was a memorable trip and we would recommend KimKim and specifically Beatriz very highly!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Spot Family Suites

Porto

Very roomy. Convenient and great staff. The room was comfortable, but there is nothing fancy or historic about the hotel and the breakfast was mediocre. But on location and staff, it was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sercotel Coliseo

Bilbao

Convenient location, great staff. Large room. No complaints.

Hotel Arrizul Catedral

San Sebastián

Best hotel we stayed at in terms of location, staff, etc.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acta Splendid

Barcelona

Good location, nice breakfast, friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

INNSiDE by Melia Zaragoza

Zaragoza

Easy walk to old town sights; nice rooftop pool and restaurant/bar. Rooms clean and roomy and a great breakfast. Recommended.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

The guide was great and the kayaking was fun, but the "hike" beforehand was really just a walk along a very traveled paved pathway. The area we visited was a busy tourist beach - not that appealing in the end, but not really the guide's fault. We just learned that it is not the type of experience we really enjoy that much

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A good driver, but a long drive

Flamenco Night

Barcelona

The dancers were really excellent. The tour included a tapas dinner afterwards which was mediocre and tourist-oriented. Everything was fried and heavy.

Quality of Experience

Private Visit of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

We took a long walking tour with Mari. She was really excellent. She used a microphone and earbuds for us so communicating in crowded areas was easy. She paced things well and was a great communicator. We really enjoyed what was a very long walk that included a trip on the metro, so it made it easier for us to travel on our own afterwards.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Olive Oil Tour and Visit of Belchite Village

Zaragoza

Jorge was a great guide. He really knew the history, was a great communicator and created a very unique experience for us traveling outside of the city center, which is what we wanted to do. He was friendly and fun and very open. He was a good listener and tailored things to what we enjoyed. The pace was great and he was a good driver. He arranged for a special visit to an olive oil maker and a historic site during the Spanish Civil War.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed each of the four cities that we visited (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima). Yumi, Yesgo (phonetic spelling), and Yoko were all excellent guides - knowledgeable, personable, and interesting. Sandy did an excellent job of laying out our itinerary, providing helpful information, and answering questions before and during our trip.

Hotel Reviews

THE KNOT HIROSHIMA

Hiroshima

Very nice room close to the Peace Memorial Museum, the river, and bus and trolley stations. Easy walk to a shopping arcade.

Authenticity & Character

Modern, spacious room, comfortable bed, good restaurant and 14th floor bar.

Location

Close to the Peace Memorial Museum, the river, and bus and trolley stations. Easy walk to a shopping arcade and a small tempura restaurant that was quite good..

Staff

Friendly and professional.

Cleanliness & Comfort

See above.

Hotel Forza Osaka Namba Dotonbori

Great location next to shopping arcade and subway. Small but comfortable room

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel. Small but comfortable room, good breakfast.

Location

Close to shopping arcade and subway/local train station.

Staff

Friendly and professional.

Cleanliness & Comfort

the room and the breakfast area.

Sakura Terrace -Adult Only

Close to the train station. Excellent restaurant and helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

A modern hotel with comfortable room and excellent restaurant.

Location

Easy walk to the train station.

Staff

Courteous and professional.

Cleanliness & Comfort

A very nice hotel.

The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Tokyo Shiodome

Tokyo

We did not stay in the Royal Park. We stayed at Via Inn Prime Akasaka and it was conveniently located and quite satisfactory.

Authenticity & Character

It is a modern hotel set up well for business people and tourists visiting Tokyo.

Location

Reasonable walk to many points of interest. Easy access to the subway.

Staff

The staff was courteous and very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Due to an illness, we need a change of bed linens after the first night and they responded graciously.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Miyajima Island and Memorial Park Tour

Hiroshima

Touring the Memorial Park was a profound experience. We learned so much from Yoko. Miyajima Island was also enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Learning about this from a Japanese point of view was educational.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yoko is a great guide for this city.

Transport

Moderate walking required. We also enjoyed the boat ride and the trolley.

Feed Deer At Nara Park

Japan

We had no idea there would be so many deer just walking among the people. This was fun!

Quality of Experience

The deer! And the temple was educational and interesting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great job.

Transport

Easy and convenient.

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Osaka

Good food. We enjoyed the guide and the other family on our tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fu-Chan was an excellent guide. Personable, enthusiastic, and an inspring personal story that she shared when we asked her about her life when she is not working as a guide.

Full Day Tour of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Sagano Scenic Railway

Kyoto

Most of our time in Japan was spent in cities so this was a nice experience in the countryside.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yasuko was an excellent guide in Kyoto and Osaka.

Gion Corner: Traditional Arts Performance

Kyoto

We really enjoyed this glimpse into Japanese entertainment and culture. The comedy was our favorite.

Quality of Experience

Only one hour but very enjoyable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Not applicable. We went there on our own.

Transport

Subway and walk. GPS was helpful if not essential.

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Knowlegeable and friendly guide.

Quality of Experience

Educational and interesting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yumi was great.

Transport

Comfortable and convenient.

Our nearly two weeks in Vietnam were great and Ashley did an amazing job setting up the details. The accomodations we had at each destination and the in-country travel were all quite good with no complications. Each of the guides and drivers did a great job. The guides had different personalities which added to the interest. We especially enjoyed our experience trekking with Zozo in Sapa, the overnight Doris cruise at Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, and the Delta trip with Nhu-y.

Our time at Krabi in Thailand was not as enjoyable because the choice of Krabi was not a good match for us. We anticipated a relaxing three days at a beach resort between our time in Vietnam and the 10 days in Japan planned by another Kimkim associate, but we did not investigate sufficiently what was offered at Krabi or ask Ashley about alternatives that might have been available in Vietnam or in Thailand closer to Phuket. The drive to Krabi and back to Phuket were tedious. The guide and driver did their jobs well, but we didn't really need a guide to do this. A driver would have been sufficient. Also we learned in Krabi that we could have flown directly to Bangkok from there to continue our trip to Japan. The Panan resort was fine, but it was a 10 minute walk to the beach, and the town of Krabi was not our vibe. It is much better suited for younger couples or singles or young families.

Overall, we commend Ashley for a job well done, and we will certainly recommend that our friends consider Kimkim to help plan a trip to the far East.

Hotel Reviews

Panan Krabi Resort

Krabi

About a 10 minute walk to the beach. The room was quite nice and the staff was excellent. The pool meanders through the resort and was a nice place to relax and is set up very nicely for children to play. The food in the restaurant was good.

Silverland Mây Hotel

Also an excellent location, room, staff, and food. The rooftop pool was very nice.

Laluna Hoi An Riverside Hotel & Spa

Excellent location, room, staff, and food. We enjoyed the convenience of the pool and poolside bar.

Eldora Hue

Hue

Conveniently located, great food, luxurious room

Activity Reviews

Authentic Mekong Delta Tour By Luxury Speedboat

Ho Chi Minh City

Very interesting experience. Nhu-y and the boat crew did a great job and she answered many questions about the people and their life along the delta. We enjoyed visiting the family home.

Hoi An Night Market and Boat Trip With Lantern Releasing

Hoi An

Same guide and again an interesting experience.

Hoi An Half-Day Sightseeing

Hoi An

A charming smaller town and the guide was knowledgeable about the history and points of interest.

Imperial City Tour of Hue Half-Day Exploration

Hue

Interesting and the guide was knowledgeable but it was a very hot day and considerable walking was required.

Kim Kim makes planning easy. I traveled with my family, kids are 26, 19, 18, and 15. Our vacation planner, Bruno, was readily available to answer any questions during our stay. Bruno also offered help in organizing activities not on the schedule. He was very helpful. All transportation was well organized and easy to follow. Trip was excellent. Only one hotel was not an ideal lodging option. Plitvice Holiday Resort Treehouses were awesome with a great pool. If you take a private speed boat Blue Cave tour, I suggest you pack a lunch. White water Kayaking was a highlight the kids loved. We did not stop for lunch till 4pm. Gorgeous country. I will definitely visit again in the future.

The KimKim team was great to work with! I gave them a loose idea of what I wanted to do during our trip to Scotland. They provided an itinerary complete with tours, hotels, and travel details. They also provided other suggestions for activities to do. During the time leading up to the trip, I was able to modify the itinerary to meet our needs. Finally, and most importantly, during the trip, everything was taken care of and I had a handy guide book to remind me of where I needed to be and when, complete with tickets, reservation numbers, and all relevant information. Definitely will use them again!

Had an amazing trip to Peru. All guides were amazing and very informative. Our local specialist Liz Karen was very helpful with organising and booking our trip. Unfortunately one of the activities we were looking forward to, didn't happen and we didn't realise until later, but the trip was still amazing none the less.

The experience was great! The transfers, hotels and care line all worked well.

Two points that would have helped:
1) Pantheon Inn wasn’t at the same level as Tasso and Cannaletto. More hotel choices would have been great.
2) With young kids and the heat, the tours were too long.

Thanks!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Canaletto

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pantheon Inn

Rome

Elevator kept going out, breakfast was so so and quality of room / furniture was poor.

Authenticity & Character

Architecture

Location

Easy to walk to all

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quality of furniture

Activity Reviews

Vatican & Sistine Chapel - Small Group Tour

Rome

Too long on a hot day with young kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hill

Rome

Good info and walk, but Too long and too much standing and sitting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best of Venice guided walking tour with gondola ride

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius walking tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim took the guesswork and anxiety out of my Japan trip with my 13-year-old son. Our tour guides Alisa and Lily tailored our experiences to our needs and offered us abundant kindness, patience, and hospitality. I have never taken a tour before, but this was an excellent and cost-effective way to take a one-on-one tour and see as much as we could see in a short amount of time. Both of the hotels were lovely and well-appointed.

Hotel Reviews

THE HOTEL HIGASHIYAMA by Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

Kyoto

Fancy! This is a beautiful hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro

Tokyo

This is a lovely hotel with an EXCELLENT breakfast buffet, wonderful location and excellent service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Today you will take public transportation for touring instead of a private van, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Shibuya, Pokemon Center, Anime cafe, Harajuku

Tokyo

Lots of walking - cool sights.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Tokyo Tour by Private Vehicle and Guide, Sensoji Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree, Akihabara, Sumo Show and Experience (with Sumo Lunch)

Tokyo

Super fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Full Day Highlights | Kinkakuji Temple, Nijo Castle, Nishiki Market

Kyoto

We learned so much! We got to see the monkeys, too.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fushimi Inari Shrine, Pure Water Temple, Gion District,Nonomiya Shrine, Bamboo Grove

Kyoto

Gorgeous locations and we even got some complementary matcha soft serve while we waited for our driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excellent teams who took care of us during these 2 weeks!