Kimkim Trip Reviews

I will recommend to anyone planning a trip to use KimKim. I was looking for an itinerary that included many British gardens and our specialist Kateryna delivered a fabulous Grand Garden Tour trip that I never could have planned on my own. Our trip went smoothly with all the tickets bought and available quickly in the Kimkim app. I cant say enough good things about the app which is fantastic ! Our tour guides were experienced and personable and Kateryna arranged transportation to and from places when it was appropriate. We spent 9 days in London and then took a train to Oxford. Spent a day privately touring in the Cotswolds where our driver/guide made sure we saw the best gardens and had a fantastic lunch at the oldest inn in Britain. We ended our trip in Windsor and had private transport back to the airport. What I liked the most about using Kimkim is that I told them what I specifically wanted to see and they made suggestions for other excursions and we communicated easily back and forth until the trip was exactly what I wanted. We had flexibility on some days while we were there to change our plans and truly make it our own trip. My husband and I usually plan our trips independently but after this wonderful experience I will use KimKim instead.

Activity Reviews

Iconic Oxford Private Walking Tour

Oxford

We loved this tour so much it made us want to stay in Oxford longer. Our guide was a PhD student who gave us a unique perspective and some great stories about student life at the university. This is a must tour if your in Oxford!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Secret Gardens of the City of London Private Tour

London

Delianne was a great guide and if you want to see places in London most people dont see take this tour!

Quality of Experience

Delianne is a great storyteller!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NA

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

Our driver John was funny, knowledgeable and told us fantastic stories. Highly recommend doing this tour first when going to London.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved traveling to all the diff. regions in France from Paris to Normandy to Aix Provence to Nice. The tours were amazing and we learned so much history. Amandine was awesome and very receptive to anything we needed.

We were disappointed with the hotel in Bayeux. It was extremely small, outdated and didn't appear very clean. We couldn't hardly maneuver our luggage let alone unpack so I would not recommend having clients stay at that particular hotel. Everything else was very nice.

Thank you for organizing this memorable trip for the Fortino Family!! We loved France

Best Regards,
Tony, Marianne and Katie Fortino

Trip planning was spot on in regard to where we wanted to go and regarding accommodations.
There was a high degree of coordination with transfers (private cars, trains)
We loved having the option to contact the team throughout the day and after hours for minor issues.
We loved the daily reminders and directional pins provided.

Accommodations particularly in Lecce at B&B Palazzotto and in Polignano a Mare at Masseria del Crocifisso were excellent. Masseria del Crocifisso was particularly nice!! The food was fantastic and the staff and accommodations were lovely!!

We couldn't have asked for a better experience with KimKimm/Storywalking!!

John and Susan Comerci

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Hotel Galatea

Rome

Staff was excellent and extremely helpful and kind. Great location. Rooms were not cleaned well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Masseria del Crocifisso

Polignano a Mare

This was a fabulous accommodation. The staff was amazing. they were kind and helpful. Location in proximity to the coast was perfect! Food was fantastic. Amazing pool and grounds!

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Il Palazzotto

Lecce

The room was clean and well appointed. Staff was extremely nice and helpful. The location was perfect for exploring Lecce.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B De Biffi

Florence

Perfect location, clean, staff were extremely nice and very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Polignano a Mare Boat Tour - Small Group

Italy

Experienced captain. Very entertaining and beautiful experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siena and San Gimignano tour with dinner in Tuscany at a boutique winery

Florence

great guide ! Wine experience was wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence in a Day with David, Duomo, Uffizi & Walking Tour

Italy

Great guide! Very well versed in the history of the city as well as at history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat excursion to Leuca's caves

Italy

Great experience but captain a little unsure of himself at time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver at disposal for the day

Italy

Driver was awesome!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Tour in Lecce

Italy

Our guide was fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Traditional Food tour

Florence

Our guide was fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We booked a 10 day trip to Seattle, the Olympic peninsula, and Orcas Island. The weather was perfect and the scenery was stunning. However, we had several issues with the accommodations during the trip and had to call our agent at one point to straighten it out. The type of accommodations and rooms were not what we expected or requested. We did several tours arranged by our agent and most of those were great. We particularly enjoyed a kayaking tour along the shore of Orcas Island. We also did a whale watching tour and saw a pod of Orcas! I think the itinerary was a bit too aggressive for 10 days because we had to spend a lot of time driving and taking ferries to get to all of the destinations and we couldn’t even get up all of the hiking spots that were included in our itinerary. We covered a lot of ground but had no downtime to rest because we always had a deadline for a ferry, tour, or some other activity.

Activity Review

Chef Guided Food Tour of Pike Place Market

Seattle

This is a really fun activity and a great way to experience Pike Place Market for the first time. It’s a fast paced tour led by a local chef. We got to skip the lines and taste so many samples of amazing food! We tried clam chowder, smoked salmon, Mac & cheese, a Jamaican meat pie, gelato, ginger beer, truffle salt, a taco, pizza, and at the end we each received a little 4 pack of chocolate from Fran’s. I highly recommend this tour if you go to Seattle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

What a memorable trip to France made special by the team at KimKim! We are so thankful for their expertise in the planning, budgeting and implementing of a such a wonderful trip. This was our 3rd trip for my wife and I using KimKim and again what an amazing experience.

Hotel Reviews

Les Roches Blanches

Cassis

I wish there were more stars I could give. I was not paid for this review and when you go there and leave you will be able to say the same thing. Unbelievable hotel!! Every member of their staff was top notch. We have stayed in a lot of nice places all over the world and you will not find a nicer hotel or more attentive staff than what you will find at Les Rochas Blanches! Absolute best. We arrived before check in and were invited to have lunch at their Michelin star restaurant for lunch. Best decision ever. Julian our waiter was awesome. He recommended a Cassis Rose’ wine with our pesto pasta dish that ended up being one of our favorite dishes on our trip. They were able to get us into our ocean view with a balcony room before check in which was a pleasant surprise. The room, I mean THE ROOM!!! Being able to order a pillow to match your sleeping style was unexpected. I ordered the buckwheat filled pillow and slept like a baby every night were there. I even ordered one like it when we got home because I liked it so much. lol. The two infinite pools we swam in were amazing. They were heated to a perfect temperature and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Lounging by the pool with a glass of wine snacking on delicious snacks was like a dream. You will love the little round disk with the button in the middle. One push and the very attentive staff show up to help you with your food or drink order. They were the best. The front desk and concierge are phenomenal. They provided us with a shuttle into Cassis on several occasions and arranged transportation into La Ciotat for an excursion we had. When we were ready to be picked up in Cassis they were there in very short order to take us back to the hotel. That was a helpful perk. Before we, sadly, had to leave, my wife and I were already discussing how and when we could go back to Les Rochas Blanches! By far the best hotel experience we have had! Thank you for ending our vacation in such a relaxing and pleasant way!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The videos are amazing and it’s a short walk or drive into Cassis.

Staff

This is what makes a great hotel and they have it.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Slept like a baby with the buckwheat filled pillow.

Chateau de Bellefontaine

Bayeux

This is authentic French experience. Very nonchalant and pleasant service provided by the hotel staff. The ladies working the front desk are the restaurant server and all around everything else when it comes to service. No complaints because they did a great job taking care of us. Our room was clean and well appointed. There was no A/C in the room we stayed in however it did not matter. We left the two windows open at night and the provided fan and were never uncomfortable. Plus you get to hear nature while you sleep! It is about a 15 minute walk into Bayeux which we never did as we hired a cab each time. We did eat a dinner in the restaurant and it was delicious. I’m not sure if the front desk attendant was the cook too but it was very good. We would stay at this hotel again.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel has a lot of character.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Royal Garden Champs Elysées Paris

Paris

We were only able to stay here a couple of nights. We arrived to the hotel prior to check in time as our flight was an early morning flight. The hotel staff were so helpful in providing us water and a place to rest for a little while they prepared our room. We did sleep on the comfortable lobby couch and after what seemed like only a few minutes they had our room ready, before check in time! Such a wonderful surprise. The room was clean and comfortable and gave a a chance to rest a little more before heading off to the short distance to Notre Dame. Champs de Elyse and the Arch de Triumph are only a short walk from the hotel. The breakfast in the hotel was excellent along with the nice waitresses that served. Overall we would stay at this hotel again. Perfect for our short stay in Paris.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Omaha Beach & Band of Brothers: Full-Day Experience

Bayeux

Our guide Remy was amazing! He was such a wealth of knowledge. He did not just spew information but actually told the history of the places we stopped like you were back in 1944 landing in Normandy yourself. The places themselves are sobering places of history. We absolutely recommend this tour especially if you have Remy as your guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Remy was the best.

Transport

Mont Saint Michel & The Abbey : The Enchanted Island

Bayeux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Calanques Morning Escape (transfer not included)

France

Very relaxing experience. The boat size was perfect for the 8 people and 2 crew. The tour was as expected and the skippers were very informative about the Calanques.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I cannot recommend kimkim and our local specialist Eric enough! Going to another country trusting that all will go smoothly is a leap of faith but there was nothing to worry about. All our stays were fabulous with kind and gracious hosts, checkins were easy and seamless. Any minor snags we did hit, the team responded immediately and got us taken care of. Having WiFi on hand at all times was super helpful!
The tours were amazing and the guides were friendly, knowledgeable and made the tours a fun experience. Iceland is a unique and amazing country to visit, Èric made sure we got to see all the highlights as well as some off grid treats. He was professional, knowledgeable and very communicative. We told him our interests and he nailed it!
If you are trying to decide whether to plan it yourself or spend the little extra to have them do it for you, let them do it for you, it is totally worth it for a worry free trip!

Activity Reviews

Katla Ice Cave Superjeep tour

Iceland

We had Nat as our guide, she was fun, professional and knowledgeable! This is a must do!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glacier Hike & Glacial Lagoon Kayaking

Iceland

This was an amazing adventure, highly recommend!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tomaz helped us set up the initial phase, days and which activities we were leaning towards. He also helped us pick which areas we wanted to stay based on what experience we were looking for. He was excellent!

Hotel Reviews

Boutiquehotel Das Tyrol

Wien

Wonderful location. Friendly staff. Great breakfasts

Authenticity & Character

We loved the modern decor

Location

Safe and exciting in the hub with a short walk to the cities major attractions

Staff

Always very friendly and able to help with any needs we had

Cleanliness & Comfort

I don't believe our towels were changed out each day. I think they were picked up from the floor and rehung. Also missing wash clothes a few days but otherwise very good

TAUROA Landhaus zu Appesbach 4*

Salzburg

This was a perfect match for the experience we were looking for. The resort was just the right size and the grounds were beautiful. We loved the incredible views of the lake and mountains. Truly a dream. The food was also excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like what Austria would truly feel like

Location

We loved the incredible views of the lake and mountains.

Staff

We had a lot of questions and they were able to help with everything!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was cleaned daily and the whole resort was in great order.

Activity Reviews

Guided walking tour of Vienna

Vienna

Our tour guide was so full of knowledge. She even spent extra time with us because we were having so much fun and she wanted to share more!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide was so full of knowledge. There was no question she couldn't answer.

Transport

Sound Of Music Tour Salzburg

Salzburg

This was disappointing. Many sites we were not able to actually go into or were replicas.

We worked with Cory to plan an Multiday day Japan trip with our granddaughter.
The Itinerary was outstanding and every arrangement was very smooth. Guides were excellent and informative- we really especially loved Pam in Kyoto!!
The classes and experiences were wonderful, and were kid friendly.
Hosts were fun and we learned a lot while having a great time!
Our granddaughter really had a great time, and we will all have many memories to cherish.

Hotel Reviews

9h nine hours Ningyocho

Tokyo

Great capsule hotel. Very sage

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Blossom Kyoto

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laforet Club Hakone Gora Yunosumika

Hakone

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel New Otani Tokyo Garden Tower

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Izakaya food tour in Shinjuku (14 small tastings)

Tokyo

Max was great- good energy!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Japanese Calligraphy Experience (Nara)

Japan

This was the highlight of the trip. Guides were wonder and so kind- treated us like family. Very special. We loved Hanna!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Samurai Ninja Museum with fun experience

Japan

Felt a bit rushed

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony with Kimono Wearing (Higashiyama)

Japan

Such a great cultural experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sushi Making Cooking Class near the Tokyo Tower

Tokyo

Nara Day Trip with Half Day Walking Tour (Lunch included)

Japan

Yuki was awesome

Quality of Experience

Oh

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ramen Noodle Cooking Class

Kyoto

So much fun a so yummy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Not applicable

Wagashi Sweets Making Experience with an Artisanal Confectioner (Wagashi Issho)

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rickshaw in Asakusa

Tokyo

Full day exploring Meiji Jingu, Harajuku & Shibuya

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Kyoto Temples & Gion Tour

Japan

Pam was friendly and so informative. A pleasure to work with

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Asakusa, Senso-ji Temple, Nakamise Dori Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very responsive and open to our requests. Great communication with Ben before, during, and after trip.

Absolutely fantastic experience with both Giulia and Andrea from start to finish. Giulia helped me plan an unforgettable trip with great hotel selections, unbelievable tours and lovely restaurant recommendations across all of Italy. Andrea made sure we were taken care of even when the train operators went on strike. We are so grateful for both of them and cannot recommend kimkim enough to all our friends.

Hotel Reviews

Corte dei Sogni Boutique Hotel & Spa

Florence

Tucked away on a small side street. We were close to the action without having to listen to the street noise all night. Beautiful room with excellent AC for the super hot summer days.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Continental

Sorrento

Beautiful view. Delicious restaurant. Great location close to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wine tasting and lunch at Winery near Montepulciano

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historic & Food Tour in Sorrento (Private guide)

Italy

Our guide, Antonino was so incredible. We talked about how much we enjoyed spending time with him the rest of the trip. He gave us great recommendations and shared some sweet personal stories along the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fine job in selecting guides in Kyoto, but other than a food tour in Tokyo the experience was not as expected.

Activity Reviews

Kanazawa Food Tour: Private & Personalized with a Local Guide

Kanazawa

Not a normal food tour as it was going to two restaurants and ordering off the menu. Not what we expected, fortunately the food was good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Authentic Ramen & Gyoza Making Class in Kyoto

Kyoto

I would recommend this cooking class to anyone

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enjoy your private open-air bath and dinner

Kaga

We didn’t care for this experience

Kanazawa Artisan Half Day Tour

Kanazawa

Didn’t have a very good guide, though the experience was good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dinner with Maiko in a Traditional Kyoto Style Restaurant Tour (Small Group)

Kyoto

Not to be missed experience in Kyoto and great fun evening.

Welcome to Kaga: Japan's Hidden Gem of Hot Springs and Art

Kaga

Not enough information on the experience

Best of Shibuya Food Tour

Tokyo

Great tour guy with lessons in Japanese culture which was great experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Half-Day Walking Tour: EasternTokyo Your Way (by Public Transportation)

Tokyo

Unfortunate heavy rain dampened our experience and SkyTree was a bit too commercial.

Tokyo: teamLab, Azabudai Hills & National Art Center Tour

Tokyo

Poor guide, but ok experience.

Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo forest & Garden Half-Day Walking Tour

Kyoto

Good guide for the local temples and the forest experience.

Kimono wearing and Tea ceremony (Sado) in Kyoto (Private)

Japan

Good experience for our 17 year old grand daughter.

We absolutely loved our trip to Japan! Shona helped us get the balance just right, between guided experiences and independent travel. Our guides were exceptional and allowed us to cater our days and gain much more than we could have on our own. The assistance in transportation with luggage was especially appreciated. Lastly, the app was easy to use and had everything we needed in one place.

We couldn't have been happier about our trip and will definitely use Kimkim again!

Activity Reviews

Half Day Samurai Ninja Museum and Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

If we were to do it again, we'd do the Tea Ceremony and skip the Samurai Ninja Museum. Purely a matter of personal preference, but we loved the tea ceremony and didn't find the Samurai museum very engaging.

Full Day Tokyo City Tour

Tokyo

Moto was an exceptional tour guide. We inited him to visit us at home, because we sincerely enjoyed his company so much!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nokuthula was responsive and attentive from the very start of the process. From the start to the actual travel, she pours her energy into the planning and works so hard to make sure it's a great experience.

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of the Falls

Victoria Falls

We had a phenomenal guide who taught us so much and in addition to brining the history of the falls to life identified birds we saw and heard and trees and plants we came upon. Fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Activities on the Zambezi Queen

Chobe

Highly recommend this unique experience with so much opportunity to view wildlife, animals, birds. Amazingly hospitable and knowledgea ble staff. Great food too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Game drive in Chobe

Chobe

Amazing experience with Six as our guide! We saw so much more than expected. Lions, giraffes, kudu and much more. Would love to do again.

Quality of Experience

Our driver guide Six was fantastic!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We recently returned from an unforgettable trip to Romania, and working with Irenne through KimKim made the entire experience seamless and stress-free.

As travelers coming from the United States, we were hesitant about renting a car and driving in a foreign country. Since KimKim had done such an excellent job planning our trip to Norway last year, I reached out again to see if they could help arrange a driver for Romania. I provided Irenne with a rough itinerary, and she took care of every detail. Her communication was outstanding from the planning stages through the end of our trip, and she was always available whenever we had questions.

Our driver and guide, Alin, met us at the airport right on time and accompanied us throughout our journey. We spent our first night in Bucharest, exploring the charming Old Town at our own pace. The next day, we visited Peles Castle and Bran Castle before spending the evening in Brasov. With Alin driving, we were able to rest in the car, check our phones, sleep, etc. He was also a great driver, didn't speed or drive rough, or play loud music.

Alin was exceptional. He never rushed us, encouraged us to take our time at each stop, and even became our family photographer, capturing some truly beautiful photos. His knowledge of Romanian history was impressive, and he shared fascinating insights throughout the trip.

On the third day, we stopped at the Sighisoara Citadel on our way to Sibiu. After arriving, we spent a relaxing evening exploring the city and recharging after several busy days of sightseeing.

One of the highlights of the trip came on Day 4, when my wife expressed interest in visiting Corvin Castle. Alin was incredibly accommodating and adjusted our itinerary, replacing the Astra Museum visit with Corvin Castle at no additional cost. It turned out to be a fantastic decision, as we felt Corvin Castle was the most beautiful castle we visited in Romania.

Day 5 was perhaps the most memorable of all. We drove from Sibiu back to Bucharest via the spectacular Transfagarasan Road. The scenery was breathtaking, and we frequently stopped to take photos of the mountains, lakes, snow-covered landscapes, and even bears. Alin was patient throughout the day, and we never felt hurried. It was the perfect way to conclude our Romanian adventure.

We arrived back in Bucharest in the late afternoon, giving us enough time to enjoy one final dinner in the city before heading to the airport the following morning.

Looking back, I am extremely grateful that we chose KimKim and hired a driver. Romania is a beautiful country, but the distances between destinations can be significant, and driving can be challenging. Having Alin behind the wheel allowed us to relax, enjoy the scenery, take naps during longer drives, and arrive at each destination refreshed.

I highly recommend Irenne and KimKim to anyone planning a trip to Romania. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to creating a memorable experience made this one of the best family vacations we've ever taken.

The Quilt That is Ireland

Claire and her team stitched together a patchwork of history, culture, spectacular scenery, food, and music, threaded together with engaging guides, drivers and staff. My heart was especially touched by the people. Welcoming, kind, anxious to share and so very proud of their heritage. And those who left other countries and adopted Ireland, offered great insights as well. New best friends all. (Pretty sure I was the last one to get back in the taxi, on the bus or in the trap at every stop!)
Grouping our tour into Architecture, Geography, Culture, these are my "highlights."

St. Patrick's Cathedral is just jaw droppingly gorgeous. Kylemore Abbey and Kilkenny Castle offered insight into an elegant lifestyle that was a dramatic comparison to the humble one-room thatched roof cottages shared with livestock that were showcased in the Bog Village museum. Our first hotel, Staunton's on the Green, deserves special mention. Loved the Georgian architecture, decor, garden, food and staff. I want to live there.

Our circular route through the country gave us a real understanding of how diverse Ireland's landscape can be. Lush farmland seamed with stone walls and dotted with herds of sheep and cattle, dense forests with a plethora of wildflowers, the incredible granite domes of the Burren made way to the Stones of Viking lore and then land's end, at the Cliffs of Moher. Additionally loved the view drives-Connemara Sky Road, Ring of Kerry and the Inishmor pony and trap tour with Tom. (Shout outs to Tom, Colleen and Derrick for informative and humorous narratives.)

As an artist and calligrapher, The Book of Kells, and Trinity Library were a high point for me. The evolution of the written word from Ogham script on stone to the Illuminated Manuscripts was fascinating. Not enough time here!
Howth Castle Cooking Class -Julie and Pierre were delightful and we definitely learned some new skills. I would go back! (and would like to tour the castle)
Sheepdog experience- the border collie's command of sheep wrangling is awe-inspiring. Fun and well done.
Falconry- Another high point. Excellent presentation and extremely knowledgeable. And yes, I got to hold a PEREGRINE FALCON!
Killarney Lake by kayak- My first time in a kayak. My first time in a kayak in front of a castle. Hester and William are charming - great experience. Loved the stop at Innisfallen Island.
Taylor's Irish Night-Flatley-esque, good food and lovely combination of music, dance and history with a bit of humor.
All of the city tours were informative and helped get us acclimated. Note: Cromwell= bad.
The Ross-Maeve and Sheila our breakfast waitresses made us feel like family. We sampled MANY pubs. Loved the Guinness, the opportunity to try Irish cuisine and enjoy a wide variety of music. I cannot get the song "Grace" out of my mind, still. Not one negative comment, Claire and Team, it was the trip of a lifetime!
I will miss being told "Lovely and Brilliant" when I place my breakfast order.

I love you, Ireland, and will bask in my memories of your incredibly green quilted country.
Renee'

Aer Lingus gets a huge thumbs up!

Hotel Reviews

Pembroke Hotel kilkenny

Kilkenny

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Ross

killarney

Very interesting layout. unique decor and menu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location for our excursions. Fun to sit in the bar and people watch

Staff

Bar staff was attentive and accomodating. LOVED Maeve and Sheila at our breakfasts-felt like family!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Hyde Hotel

Galway

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stauntons on the Green

Dublin

I felt like royalty in this gorgeous hotel. Staff from front desk to waiters was warm, welcoming and efficient. LOVED the art work, the garden and the food was delicious. Cozy room with a view of St Stephen's park with great people (and Irish Wolfhound) watching. Great proximity to St. Patrick's, the pub scene and park activities. Really loved our stay here.

Location

Staff

Ian. Big hugs!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the dining space, especially by the garden windows. Bird watching, peaceful. Breakfast and afternoon respite with a glass of wine. Lovely.

Activity Reviews

Tickets for St Patrick Cathedral, Dublin

Dublin

What a spectacular cathedral. Really loved this.

Quality of Experience

nice that there are recorded tour info in multiple languages

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Ireland

in spite of large crowds, beautiful location and visitor center. Happy they had golf carts for my mom

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Killarney Lakes Discovery by Kayak

Killarney

Absolutely loved this

Quality of Experience

Stunning scenery

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent -very professional, fun, knowledgeable. My first kayak adventure and felt totally safe

Taylor's Irish Night ( with dinner)

Dublin

Well produced show with standout performers. Excellent dinner

Quality of Experience

This is a large venue, we got to meet other travelers which was fun. Fast paced show and interactive w the audience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Welcome to Doolin

Doolin

We didn't stop here, but really would have liked to! Only marked poor in order to move on in the survey

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Galway Walking Tour

Galway

Our guide was very knowledgeable and gave a great overview about Dublin's history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Interactive, good sense of humor

Transport

It was good to walk

Pearse Lyons Distillery: Dublin's Unique Church-Converted Spirit Haven

Dublin

We ran out of time and did not experience this tour. Only giving one star as I cannot complete this item without using a star...

Private Transfer/Taxi

Ireland

A Pony & Trap Tour in Inishmore

Ireland

What a fascinating place to visit! Really impressed with the horse pulling the trap with a LOT of tourist traffic all around him- steady! Tom was an excellent guide and shared much info about the island and his own history. Excellent!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Corrib Princess River Cruise

Galway

This was an okay ride- not a lot to see after the "Castle of despair" as I'm calling it. Sad story. had a nice chat with the boat captain and got a great pic of a Mute Swan family .

Cooking Class in Howth Castle

Ireland

Another high point of the trip!! As mentioned, we learned, ate and drank well and loved hearing the stories of how Julie and Pierre made their way to Ireland for keeps. We strolled up the grounds to the ocean overlook. Lots of birds and wildflowers which I loved.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoyed the train experience and getting a different view of the country and mode of travel

Falconry Adventures

Killarney

LOVED this. One of my favorite visits. Unique, Well presented, wonderful to participate and could have talked to him for hours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kilkenny Food Tour

Kilkenny

A fun approach to foods and the various locations were interesting and had great back stories. Especially liked the small grocery and the lovely lunch.

Dublin Private Walking Tour

Dublin

Great to start in the park, liked the architecture, Guinness history, Handel performance building and Rock n Roll wall of fame.

Ring of Kerry Group Day Tour

Killarney

This is quite a bit of land to cover with a lot of diversity. Lucky to have clear enough sky to see the Skellig Islands. Derrick was great, though he commented that he could pick me up next Wednesday....I was lollygagging I guess.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent recall of Irish history

Killarney Combination Tour - Boat + Jaunting Car

Ireland

Enjoyed the tour with all of the landmarks explained. Same with the jaunting car through the forest with deer and wildflowers. the boat was fine, but probably wouldn't choose that again as we also did the kayak experience.

Quality of Experience

Private tour of Connemara (Sky Road, Kylemore Abbey and a Sheep dog Farm experience)

Ireland

Beautiful drive through "Quiet Man" country. The Abbey was magnificent. I needed more time to wander the gardens as I spent so much time on the inside tour. Sheep dog experience thumbs up. I have 5 border collies that we use for cattle. The dogs are "brilliant" and to me it would be impossible to work the sheep on that hilly country without them. Really good job explaining how they work and background on the sheep industry. Well done.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Colleen was the best. Very informative, funny and just a pleasure. Loved our lunch stop that she recommended.

Transport

Galway Cathedral

Galway

One of the more modern cathedrals, especially the stained glass. Interesting that JFK is included on a mosaic. A liturgy was just being concluded so that was meaningful. Also liked that they offer a prayer book where one may leave a request for prayers.

We had an amazing time. All of our excursions were great. We did a Lava Cave experience and our guide was great! The Ice Cave experience was so cool and our guide was really fun and even gave us information about movies filmed in certain parts of Iceland. Our favorite activity was the Zodiac boat tour at Glacier Lagoon. We visited the Blue Lagoon and Laugaras Lagoon. The Laugaras Lagoon was by far our favorite of the two. Gudmundur our specialist was quick to answer our questions and help with anything we needed. His planning of our trip and knowledge of Iceland were top notch. We loved everything we did and saw.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Vík í Mýrdal

Vík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Grímsborgir by Keahotels

Ásborgir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Búðir

Búðir

Amazing location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apótek Hótel by Keahotels

Reykjavík

Great hotel and location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Center Hotel Arnarhvoll

Reykjavík

We were disappointed in the hotel. The staff was friendly and we were greeted with sweet treats in our room upon arrival. That was the positive. Unfortunately, the rooms were not up to par. It was shown/advertised as a 4 star hotel and the rooms did not meet this standard. We had 2 rooms for one night. The bathrooms in both rooms were very tiny and awkwardly layed out. The shower in our children’s room was so small and the shower cleaner brush was left in the shower. Water leaked out from the shower as well. Our shower in the queen room was an oddly shaped tub shower and hard to get into. The queen room had cracks in the ceiling and seemed not well maintained. Walls and doors needed paint.

Authenticity & Character

Spa was nice.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Glacier Ice Cave Experience

Iceland

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Víðgelmir Lava Cave Experience

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon by Zodiac Boat

Iceland

Once in a lifetime experience. Great guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Emilie was the best! She listened to what we were and were not interested in doing during our 13 day Switzerland adventure! She picked wonderful hotels in each city/town we visited, each conveniently located near a train station. She set up all of our daily activities and gave us great recommendations for things to see/do on our free days. Emilie also recommended that we download the SBB Mobile App to easily navigate the train schedules. Having that plus the KimKim App made the whole trip run smoothly! We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Switzerland and will recommend Emilie and KimKim to all of our friends and family!

We had a great time in Costa Rica. The trip was worry-free and well planned. We went on the mountain hike and loved it. Our guide, Oliver, was wonderful. He was knowledgeable and made it fun for us older folks. The river adventure was awesome as well. Our guide, Henry, was great. The food was amazing and the people were so friendly. Three Monkeys were always early to take us on the next adventure. Our drivers were friendly and kept us informed of where were and where we were going. We hope to return to Costa Rica in the future and will use Serendipity again. Thank you for a wonderful trip.

I will start with what went well or very well.
- Hotel in Stockholm was excellent in an excellent location.
- The Wildlife Safari was a disaster. The guide, I think his name was Daniel, smelled so bad it was nauseating. The trip was not as advertised. The van was not comfortable and it was dirty -- so dirty I could not see out of the windshield and we were supposed to be looking out the window to spot wildlife. It included one hike up a fairly steep hill with NO PATH. It was extremely difficult and I would never done that trip if I had known. I would never recommend this trip.
- Guided Tour in Stockholm was great with an excellent guide, Adam.
- Pre-arranged transportation in Stockholm from hotel to airport worked well.
- Helsinki & Suomenlina Tour was good with an excellent guide, Danielle.
- Guided Tour to Porvoo was good with an excellent guide.
- Pre-arranged cab in Rovaniemi worked well.

Here is what was not so great.
- The Hotel Reisen in Stockholm was not within walking distance of where the ship left us off. We were easily able to get a cab but it would have been helpful to know that in advance.
- Loyly Sauna was not a great place. We went for a drink but did not stay for dinner.
- Turku was very disappointing. Not much to see or do there. We took the train, walked around from the Cathedral to the Tower (which was a pretty long walk), stopped at a cute place for a drink but not much was open. I would not recommend going all that way.
- Rovaniemi was not a good choice in the summer. Most everything including most restaurants in town were closed. Our hotel was fine but the BAR and restaurant were closed. We got off the 9 hour train ride to check in and have a drink but we could not. At the point, we did find one restaurant in town that was open and pretty good. Sitting at our table, we began the process of trying to fly home earlier than we anticipated. That night our hotel room was so hot. There were only a couple of guests at the hotel and no manager on the property. He had given us his What's App contact and I contacted him to ask how to make the room cooler. He did not respond until we had left the next day at noon.

I think that is it.

Hotel Reviews

Nova Skyland Hotel

Rovaniemi

Pleasant room. Bar and restaurant were closed. And room was way too hot with no ability to make it cooler. Not a great place in the summer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Way too hot

Hotel Lilla Roberts

Helsinki

Nice hotel. Good lobby. Pretty good location. Room was a bit overdone.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Reisen in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt

Stockholm

Really great location. Nice hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right at the edge of the old town.

Staff

Our room was not available when we got there. We walked around for quite a while and then went back to the hotel for a drink in the lobby until the room was ready. One women at reception charged my phone for me.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wildlife Safari

Stockholm

Horrible experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Tour Stockholm (private)

Stockholm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Tour to Porvoo

Helsinki

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki and Suomenlinna

Helsinki

Good trip. Guide was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, it was amazing. Only two minor hiccups which could have been prevented with more proactive communication. However, they were handled quickly and only slightly inconvenienced me. Loved the path of the gods hike; however, having everyone in the group introduce themselves first and maybe answer an icebreaker question or two would go a long way in making the tour more enjoyable. Our group was quiet and we jumped into the hike with no introductions. Of note, all of the tours could be better improved with intros and icebreakers so the group can more easily get to know each other and relax. My favorite day was the day trip through Tuscany (Siena, San Gimigiano). Our guide, Giacomo, made the experience unbelievable. He was so knowledgeable about the area, Italian food, and Italian wine. It was a long day but worth it. Metro in Rome was easy to navigate. No problems with either train transfer. Well worth what I paid for the trip.