Kimkim Trip Reviews

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip visiting East/South Island. Eric provided us with more than enough activities that he thought we would enjoy, and though it was not possible to see them all, Eric's choices for us were well though out. The four of us talked about our favourites, which included Studlagil Canyon's basalt columns, Thorsmork (we hiked 15 km for 5 hours), Mulagljufur Canyon (which we hiked to the top), and the Puffins at Borgarfjordur Eystri. Not organized by Eric but noteworthy for any golfers was Brautarholt Golf course...every hole was stunning and the staff was so friendly! The Katla Ice cave tour was organized by Eric and it was very interesting - our guide Jon was entertaining and informative. We enjoyed Vok Baths and Sky Lagoon when our bodies needed some TLC. We dined very well with some restaurant suggestions by Eric (Apotec, and Pakkhus in Hofn).
We appreciated Eric's attention to find lesser visited areas, for example we drove right by the very crowded Seljalandsfoss because we had Gilsafoss all to ourselves a couple days previous!
All in all, we were in awe every day at the beauty Iceland has to offer, and we will definitely use Kimkim again when we adventure again in the future! Thanks to Eric and Kimkim, well done!

Activity Review

Katla Ice Cave Superjeep tour

Iceland

The drive in was fun and not too long, the gear was suitable, and the tour was interesting, engaging and beautiful! Our guide Jon was entertaining and helpful, and his instructions were clear for safety , gear, etc.

Quality of Experience

The tour gave us access to the natural beauty of the Ice cave, and the surrounding hills.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jon (spelling?) was entertaining, funny, and very informative about the ice cave. Also good with safety instructions

Transport

There was some trouble with the tire compression which was noisy the entire drive back, but not uncomfortable

I loved the Dinner and Show of Moulin Rouge, the Eiffel Tower to the top, bike ride through Versailles (Marlee, our guide was so energetic and fun), the Macaron cooking class with Marthe and the Dior museum! They were my favorites! I would have preferred a more private cruise down the Seine. It was a long line and too crowded to enjoy. Our guide for Fountainbleu Alex, had difficulty translating but was very nice and friendly. Other than that I totally enjoyed the trip with my daughter and two granddaughters! Very memorable!

Nikola was above and beyond amazing. We had such a great trip. Nikola had such great insights and suggestions. From planning and designing our itinerary at the outset, to making adjustments and changes along the way, and being available and immediately responsive on our day to day questions and requests. Even last minute same day restaurant and hotel reservations were made and changed. Nikola has great energy, knowledge and enthusiasm about his country. The trip would not have been nearly as seamless and special without his guidance. Could not recommend him highly enough!

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour of Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Private Boat Tour to Blue Lagoon & Island of Šolta

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hvar Half-Day Private Island Tour (Afternoon)

Hvar

touring Hvar with Grgo - who’s family goes back hundreds of years to the first recorded resodents on the island - was a highlight. He took is to his family home and winery, and into a 350 year old rock wine cave where we had a tasting. It was fascinating to see a part of Hvar and hear stories that you would never see or hear in the main cities.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We used KimKim to help us plan a trip for four families. It isn't easy traveling with 16 people all with different needs and interests. We also had some serious allergies to be considered. Anders, Julia and the other KimKim staff we interacted with were all very professional and helpful. They were extremely patient as we worked on the itinerary, even when we made changes back and forth. The trip was a huge success and went very smoothly. The hotels were better than expected and all the tours and activities they helped arrange were great for our group. Everything was very smooth and well arranged! Having a local guide available for questions on the same time zone also came in handy. I would definitely use KimKim again!

I am extremely pleased with the trip to Japan which we booked through kimkim. The kimkim agent who worked with us from Japan is Olivia and she did an outstanding job for us. We gave a fairly vague request to start the planning - "10 days in Japan visiting 4 cities, utilizing private guides in each city". Olivia came up with an initial itinerary including time in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Kanazawa, with proposed hotels, walking tours, activities and train routes. The chat feature in kimkim works very well, especially given that we were 11 time zones away from our agent. Over the course of several weeks we made multiple change requests and each time, Olivia made adjustments to suit us until we were ready to finalize and book our trip.

When we arrived in Japan, everything ran like clockwork! The hotels were great, the trains ran on time and each of the tour guides and drivers assigned to us by Olivia were excellent. The kimkim chat feature kept us in touch with Olivia throughout the trip, which was helpful on almost a daily basis - for instance each time we wanted the Japanese version of a hotel address to show a taxi driver. Also mid trip we decided we wanted to visit a different neighborhood in Tokyo for our last two nights and Olivia took care of that too on the same day we requested it.

I will definitely book with kimkim again.

1st thank you for planning an amazing trip for my family !! Words can’t express how incredible our vacation was. 1st it was a gift from my daughter and son in law for my Birthday!! I’ve been so many wonderful places but have never experienced such beauty and the most friendliest caring people in my life. Also, being handicapped and using a scooter they planned sight seeing around it! Couple things I couldn’t do but OMG I went and saw everything scheduled for us and more! Every driver was amazing. Each one was our little tour guide. Make sure you bring rain coat for sure and layers but the weather was actually pretty good !! Just one little glitch which was our fault after coming out of the Guinness factory we decided to give our granddaughter a horse and carriage ride. Nope, we didn’t check them out unfortunately and even thought “their” sign said 50.00 for 4 when we got to our hotel at tried to charge us 300.00 for 6 of us!!!! The hotel checked them out after we got there and said they had horrible ratings just for that reason and reported them to the police. Lesson learned. So if you want a horse and buggy ride ask your hotel and check them out. BUT…. It didn’t ruin this amazing trip. We are at all amazing restaurants and drank in every pub we could hit!!! WE can’t wait to go back !! Thank you so much Kim Kim for one heck of a lovey vacation 💚🍀☘️ Ireland is forever in our hearts!!

Hotel Reviews

Clayton Hotel Cardiff Lane

Beautiful hotel. Great accommodation! Super awesome people !

Authenticity & Character

Very clean. Cute and family friendly !

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms, lobby all very nice

Mount Juliet Estate

Thomastown

Beyond beautiful! Property and gulf corse are breathtaking. Wonderful food and the nicest people. The rooms were definitely 5 stars plus. Beds were amazing!! 1st class all the way.

Authenticity & Character

Classy charming and #1 on our list.

Location

Not far from all our adventures.

Staff

Super helpful and so nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

The best !!

Scott's Hotel Killarney

Killarney, Co. Kerry

People were wonderful. But no air conditioning! And right outside our window was a carnival !!!! Even though they closed 10:00 and having to keep our windows open, it was very loud with screaming! Beds were very hard. But very clean

Authenticity & Character

Cute

Location

Perfect for our adventures

Staff

Always willing to help and very nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean

Drury Court Hotel

Dublin

Very please. Close to everything. Wonderful restaurant and bar !! Great food !!

Authenticity & Character

Small lobby. But cute. Those awesome girls handle all our luggage for 6 people.

Location

perfect spot for everything.

Staff

Went beyond the call of duty. Had a bad experience with getting a horse and buggy coming from Guinness factory. They lied, WAY over charged. Totally ripped us off. My little granddaughter was devastated. Crying so bad !!! The girls at the front desk were so concerned. They called the police. They were so upset for my granddaughter they gave her a box of chocolates. They felt so bad for us having such a bad experience on our last day. They truly went beyond the call of duty !!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean and comfy !

Leonardo Hotel Galway

Galway

Great location. Rooms were small but nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Local was great for getting around to so many places.

Staff

Excellent!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean. Beds a little hard and pillows.

Activity Reviews

Private Galway Food Tour

Galway

WOW….. loved our tour guide. She was amazing!!! What a doll filled with so much knowledge!! All our stops were great. Food was wonderful. I highly recommend this for anyone going to Ireland ! Galway is top on my list. Thank you

Quality of Experience

5 ⭐️ star

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best people ever !! Everyone we had was great !

Transport

The drivers !!!!

Irish Dancing Show

Galway

So amazing !!!! Love 🍀love 🍀love 🍀would go again !!

Quality of Experience

So friendly and accommodating!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderful people. So knowledgeable and kind !!

Transport

The best

Free time in Dublin

Dublin

Wondered, shopped, ate, drink-pups…. Repeated !!! Learned how to love Guinness!! :)

Quality of Experience

We actually went to his home. Had a lot of surprises and amazing birds. So much knowledge !! Wonderful people !!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The best !!!

Transport

We felt like friends. So nice and concerned that our time with him was great. Which it was !!

Galway Cathedral

Galway

Very cool. Pretty grounds

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Awesome

Transport

Best driver. We learned so much just from the driver on so much

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

Galway

The absolute best !! Wow

Quality of Experience

So many things made this experience amazing!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Outstanding !!

Transport

The best !!

Falconry Adventures

Killarney

You can’t miss this !! One of our very favs ! You pull up to the gentleman’s house and he brings out amazing birds. So knowledgeable and entertaining!! The birds are so beautiful. We learned so much !!!!

Quality of Experience

The best !!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So amazing !!

Transport

Our driver was incredible!! So much info we learned!

First I would like to commend Mathias for putting together a memorable itinerary and seeing to every detail. He was very attentive to incorporating my requests for modifications. He was supportive throughout our trip. He responded to any questions or concerns. If he was not available, he provided us with a back-up rep. The guides (Slig, John, and Wanda) were very knowledgeable and gave us wonderful incites into their areas. Bjorn who took us on the Waterfall Hike was extremely knowledgeable about his about area and made the hike and the viewing really fun.

Daniela and Roberto helped my family enjoy a memorable visit to Croatia. The itinerary was well organized ensuring we covered all areas of interest. They have outstanding communication both throughout planning and during the trip. Every day we received a what’s app message detailing the next day activities with restaurant and sightseeing recommendations which made planning our day so easy. All accommodations, tour guides and car transfers were wonderful. I highly recommend their service. You will not be disappointed!

Hotel Reviews

Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort

Hvar

Authenticity & Character

Location

No

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Valamar Collection Dubrovnik President Hotel

Dubrovnik

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Marul

Split

Great location, wonderful staff!

Authenticity & Character

Hi

Location

Close to everything!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aminess Liburna Hotel

Korčula

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pelješac peninsula and Ston- triple atraction.

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival in Split and transfer to accommodation

Split

Our car was waiting for us and driver was very nice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Split area - Trogir and Klis

Split

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korčula

Hvar

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Split and Diocletians palace

Split

Our guide was great! We enjoyed the tour and I highly recommend since going alone won’t give you enough background and history to understand where you are and what you are seeing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Krka National Park- 1 days trip from Split

Split

Absolutely beautiful and worth a visit!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hvar island and town

Hvar

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was very well planned for trying to squeeze a 10 day trip into 6 days. Thank you for a well planned route which allowed us to see and do almost everything in that shorten time. I will be spreading the word on your services to anyone & everyone who is planning to go to Iceland.

We planned a two-week trip to Finland with the amazing help of Moonika. She was extremely helpful, and quick to adjust our tours and schedule as we planned the trip. Every tour guide we had was knowledgeable, the drivers were professional and always on time, and the hotels were excellent. I highly recommend KimKim for anyone who is planning a customized trip.

Hotel Review

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Excellent location; beautiful rooms. The breakfast buffet was over the top!

Authenticity & Character

The rooms had authentic decorations; arctic lights in bedrooms.

Location

Very walkable

Staff

Mark was very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat Trip from Nauvo

Turku

Sami, our captain and Rufus, his first mate were excellent. He provided great information, and was very entertaining. The scenery and experience was first-rate. A once in a lifetime experience.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki and Suomenlinna Private Tour

Helsinki

Both guides, Kaita and the guide on Suomenlinna were extremely knowledgable.

Korouoma Canyon Wilderness Hike

Rovaniemi

The hike was great; only for people who could handle steep up and down hills. The guide, Quentin was amazing.

Food

Sausages on the fire were great!

Arctic Nightless Night Boat Trip

Rovaniemi

Wow!! All nine of us loaded onto a wooden boat, and we were escorted about 30 minutes up the river to a forest location where we enjoyed a nature hike, stories around the fire, and amazing fire-cooked salmon. A wonderful experience with nature. Saw the midnight sun and beautiful scenery.

Food

The salmon was excellent

Sauna Tour

Tampere

Excellent!! A way to get a real taste of Finnish culture. Matti and his colleague (can't remember his name) were very knowledgeable, and lots of fun! An experience I will never forget!!

Quality of Experience

The guides are all very good. A concern was the lack of predictability because of lack of detail given.
Here’s some comments I made during the trip:

Capri, Pretty good. Wish I had more info about the boat. Very choppy after heavy breakfast and sore back but made it through. Got in a swim and spent an hour on Capri which was too touristy for me. Expensive and crowded. Paolo was a great guy but we had no idea it would be a small boat with just the two of us.

Had a rough time doing the blue grotto. Very rude guide, and very short time, tons of boats inside and difficult maneuvering. Would not recommend.

Pompeii was great. Antonio was a good driver but had a problem with the Pompeii guide at the end because she wouldn’t take a credit card, I didn’t have euros yet so got ripped off at the ATM. Then needed change and nobody would accommodate.

Finished our Amalfi coast tour. I must say it was unusual but interesting. We had two guides Aldo (driver) and Angelo (guide). We were in a van for 6.
Fun trip. For reference it would have been nice if he had beverages. Same with Antonio on drive from Naples. Black car service right? Paolo boat had soda, water and even Prosecco. It having to buy our own water on drives would have been nice.

Hotel Review

Hotel Continental

Sorrento

Very little fish on the breakfast buffet. This is a seafood town. Skip the balcony and save the money. Bed was a little hard, pillows were a little too soft, room was small. Balcony was very small. Only apps available on the TV were Netflix and YouTube.

Authenticity & Character

Decor

Location

Close to Taso Square.

Staff

Friendly, kind, and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathroom.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Tour: Positano, Amalfi & Ravello

Italy

Everything was great. Aldo was a great driver. Angela was very animated and did a lot of singing as well as good information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Capri Boat Tour and Blue Grotto

Italy

KimKim did not give us any information about the boat, which was small and extremely choppy and hard to endure. Blue grotto was a complete rip off not worth the experience. Do not recommend. Long waits unless you tip on top of the very expensive price Three minute experience and very crowded.

Quality of Experience

Different boat.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Good service.

Private Transfer from Naples to Sorrento with Pompeii en route

Italy

Pompeii was great. Antonio was a good driver but had a problem with the guide at the end. Because she wouldn’t take a credit card, I didn’t have euros yet so got ripped off at the ATM. Then needed change and nobody would accommodate. Suggest offer a connection to a guide that takes credit for future clients.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

God was not preplanned. Would only take cash, which is a major problem.

Transport

The entire trip was amazing. The excursions, the drivers, the apartments were wonderful. The steps to the apartment in Dubrovnik were difficult to manage, but the location was good. Our local specialist was excellent and continually worked with us to ensure we were happy with our plans. Any questions we had were responded to quickly. The local guides were great as well.

Activity Reviews

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Split

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Split Walking Food Tour

Split

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hvar Wine Tasting Excursion

Hvar

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to the Caves & Beaches of Vis Island by boat

Hvar

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Montenegro

Dubrovnik

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Mostar

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Dubrovnik's Old Town

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, this trip was amazing. There were a few issues with tickets, but it was handled efficiently so that we did not lose any time on our trip. They tailored our trip to the desires and needs of all the people going so that everyone has an amazing time. This was an amazing experience that I enjoyed thoroughly.

From the very beginning, working with Kimkim was seamless and stress-free — and that’s entirely thanks to the phenomenal support and planning from Ann Nicole Godoy and Jesus Martel. These two were not just accommodating — they were exceptional. Their response time was faster than I thought possible, always one step ahead of our needs, questions, and changes. Every interaction felt personal, thoughtful, and genuinely caring.

Our itinerary through Peru was beautifully curated, and it’s no exaggeration to say that Peruvian Soul, their local partner, knocked it out of the park. Our tour guide Christian was better than we could have dreamed up! Every detail was handled with precision and heart. The accommodations, transportation, and excursions were all thoughtfully chosen — Christisn essentially was nothing short of incredible. Knowledgeable, passionate, and endlessly kind, He brought Peru’s rich culture and history to life in a way we’ll never forget.

Kimkim has gained lifelong fans in us — this wasn’t just a vacation, it was a life-changing experience.

I cannot say enough about how much I appreciate everything Adeline did for us to plan our dream vacation to Japan. Not only was she able to keep us in budget but helped us schedule all our wish list items, kept us organized, on scheduled and gave great tips, suggestions and directions. She was also great about answering all of our questions in a timely manner before the trip and while we were there. I would definitely recommend her to all my friends and family, I know I could not have planned a more perfect trip without her.

Hotel Review

Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo

Tokyo

Of all our hotels we stayed at in Japan, this was by far the best. Amazing customer service, rooms with great views and the best breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right by the train station but not right in the middle of all the crowds and noise.

Staff

Everyone offered great amazing customer service from check in, concierge and wait staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Tokyo City Tour - Asakusa & Skytree

Tokyo

Our favorite guided tour. The guide took us to all the best spots for shopping as well as the sites and helped us navigate the trains on our first day in Tokyo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Tea Ceremony

Kyoto

So much fun getting dressed up, learning about the tea ceremony and performing it on our own. Definite must!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ramen and Gyoza Cooking Class

Osaka

Such a great cooking class. They kept us on schedule and were really hands on in training and the food we made was delicious!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I used KimKim to plan a trip to Paris with my sister and cousin, and thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. Our trip coordinator with KimKim, Lucie, was wonderful to work with, and the pacing of our time in Paris was just right. We were able to see so many wonderful sites in France, including La Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre, La Cathedrale de Notre-Dame de Paris, Le Palais de Versailles, and Le Panthéon, yet our schedule was open enough for spontaneous activities such as a musical concert at L'Église Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis. We went on a lovely tour of Montmartre as well, and our tour guide, Aloïs, was excellent and extremely knowledgable about the area. The hotel we stayed at while in Paris was extremely comfortable and suited our needs well, and I would gladly stay there again. The only hiccups we experienced were out of KimKim's control, which were several strikes that resulted in the temporary closure of L'Arc de Triomphe and Les Catacombes de Paris. I loved my time in France and look forward to traveling there again someday.

Hotel Review

Hôtel Korner Opéra

Paris

The Hôtel Korner Opéra was a lovely place to stay while I was in Paris. It was extremely close to the Paris Métro and several lovely restaurants and cafés. The staff members were kind and helpful. The hotel itself was clean and comfortable, and I would gladly stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Adventure aboard an authentic sidecar to uncover Paris

Paris

I enjoyed this sidecar tour quite a bit. My guide was friendly and very knowledgable of Paris and its history, and I learned quite a bit about the city during the tour. The drive itself was quite lovely, and we were able to see many of the city's landmarks fairly close-up. The tour itself taking place in a vintage motorbike was also exciting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Panthéon: a Journey through French History and Architecture

Paris

The Panthéon is such a unique place, and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring this landmark and discovering its history. The building itself was pretty quiet and peaceful while simultaneously housing many people like myself, and the representations of the building's history (including the tapestries, monuments, and modern art pieces) are incredible to behold.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Royal castle of Versailles

France

The Palais de Versailles is a gorgeous place filled with so much history and art, and I loved exploring the different wings of the palace and learning their history. The palace itself and its artifacts have been very well maintained throughout the years, and I did not have much trouble navigating the rooms.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beautiful Montmartre

Paris

Montmartre is such a unique area of Paris, and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour experience. My guide, Aloïs, was absolutely wonderful and knowledgable about the Montmartre area. The history of Montmartre and its unique characteristics make it a lovely place to explore.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Aloïs was absolutely wonderful and knew quite a bit about the Montmartre area.

Transport

Unveiling Masterpieces at the Louvre Museum

Paris

As a history enthusiast, the Louvre Museum was a treat to visit. There are so many different pieces of art and relics from throughout history that it is impossible to see everything in one visit. From the remnants of the original fortress to the paintings on the top floor, there is something for just about everyone at the Louvre.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had dreamed of doing a trip to the Orkney Islands, the Isle of Skye, and Iona for years and tried to organize it myself, but it proved to be too complex. Stephen and his colleagues at Kimkim blew us away with how well they put it together They patiently worked with us, custom-building the trip of our dreams. Over a period of months we went back and forth making adjustments and Stephen was very patient with us. Eventually we had a complex package involving flights, taxis, tours of multiple sites, hotels, and car rentals. Things went very smoothly. We received a detailed itinerary and downloadable tickets that made the trip a breeze. We would arrive at a site, or a ferry, show the staff our ticket either printed or on phone, and they would wave us through. At each car rental and hotel, we just gave our name and everything was ready. My brother and I have travelled all over the world, and have rarely been so impressed.

A couple of highlights stand out: We had an Orkney Wildlife Sea Tour with Ocean Trek out of Kirkwall and our host was a fellow named Jimmy. A small boat, but Jimmy was very friendly and knowledgeable, so it was a special delight. He made it feel like we were just friends out for a day on his boat. We saw a castle, seals, and many different kinds of birds. Another highlight was the Tarbet Hotel on Loch Lomond. It was one of the most comfortable and elegant places we’ve ever stayed. Old-world elegance, and dog-friendly.

I hope to make use of Kimkim on future trips. They custom-designed the trip, making everything simple for us so we could focus on enjoying the wildlife and archaeological sites we came to see.

Hotel Reviews

Martyrs Bay Rooms

Isle of Iona

Arrived 5:00 pm. Were made welcome. Rooms and amenities were fine, but we were leaving early in the morning, so we didn't have a chance to sample food. They put together a bag breakfast for us to take on the road, so we were impressed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Stromness Hotel

Stromness

Nice rooms, Victorian decor, friendly staff, good food. However, in the four days we were there, they didn't clean our room. A bit unusual, but we didn't suffer for it. Also, guests should be aware this is a 'no alcohol' hotel. Meals in the dining room are a bit expensive, but there are other restaurants, take-away places, and a grocery store within a couple of blocks for cheaper options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

So much history in Stromness

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

They only clean rooms if you stay more than 6 days.

The Royal Hotel Portree

Portree

Rooms were comfortable. Breakfast dining room staff were great, and the food was excellent. However, in a separate dining room for supper, the service was terrible. Bored teenagers waiting on us; waited 20 minutes to be noticed and then had to walk over to the counter and ask for a menu. After that another staff person came and told us that they only had 2 cooks on that night, so we would have to wait about a half hour for our food. Not impressed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Tarbet Hotel Arrochar

Tarbet

One of the nicest places I've ever stayed, and I've travelled all over the world. Warm, old-world elegance; friendly staff, choice of 3 lovely lounges. Didn't care for the loud music being played in two of them and the lobby, but one lounge was kept as a quiet space, so I survived. A dog-friendly establishment and was delighted to meet the desk clerk's dog on one occasion. We were leaving early, so they packed us a bag breakfast. There is a nature-trail area across the street, and Loch Lomond is just across the street. The road it's on is a bit busy, but wasn't a problem. We elected to eat in a lovely former church down the street about half a kilometer, called 'Kirk o' the lochs'. Nice decor and good food to be found there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Orkney Wildlife Sea Tours

Scotland

This was one of the true highlights of the trip. Jimmy was our host, and he has a very small boat; can only take 3 guests, so it is very up-close and personal. Jimmy was very friendly and was a fountain of knowledge about the area. He asked what we wanted to see and took us to places to see it. We saw castles, seals, and numerous kind of seabirds. By the end of the tour, it felt like we were just friends out on a boat together. The only thing was that I was expecting a larger tour boat, and he was off to the side of the marina, so it was a bit of a challenge to find him. However, it was well worth it. I highly recommend hium.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

There were highlights in every city we visited . All our guides and drivers were on time or early. With 9 of us on the trip, we each had different things we enjoyed. I especially liked the history given by the guides. A real highlight was the day sailing in the archipelago. It was an extraordinary family trip and Moonika was so helpful in our planning. I highly recommend Kim Kim & know other group members are planning to use the agency for future trips.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Fabian

Helsinki

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Original Sokos Hotel Arina

Oulu

Aquarius Resort

Lappajärvi

The room by the lake where I stayed made me feel I was in a camp counselor’s room. Dated.

Authenticity & Character

Needs updating

Location

Staff

Very little interaction with guests

Cleanliness & Comfort

Update

Lapland Hotels Tampere

Tampere

Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone

Turku

Overnight Train

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arctic Nightless Night Boat Trip

Rovaniemi

Boat Trip from Nauvo

Turku

This was a favorite activity! Depending on the weather, dress in layers, have a hat or hood, and perhaps bring gloves.

Quality of Experience

Informative and sense of humor of capt.

Food

The salmon soup was wonderful.

Transport

On time

Everything planned by Sebastian went according to plan. The drivers for all of our transfers were always on time. The accommodations chosen by Sebastian were perfect! We especially enjoyed Domaine de la Tortinière outside of Tours. That was an exceptional experience for all of us. We had private guides who were wonderful, so accommodating and informative, as well as fun to be with: Marlene in Versailles, Camille for our day exploring the castles in the Loire Valley, and Emma, who guided us to the Normandy beaches. In Paris, we had a walking tour in Montmartre with Sensé, and that was very enjoyable.
We covered a lot of ground on this trip, from Paris to the Loire Valley, then on to Normandy, and spent one night in Mont St Michel, then back to Paris. Every detail planned by Sebastian made this trip à memorable one. Thank you Kimkim for your great service!

Hotel Reviews

Domaine de la Tortinière

Veigne

This hotel was our very favorite! The staff was so welcoming and accommodating. Since we arrived on a very hot day, we loved having that beautiful pool at our disposal. We were a group of 7, 5 women and two teenage girls, and we all enjoyed our rooms and especially the breakfasts! They were exceptional! The hotel is outside of Tours, so a car is advisable. We did not rent a car, but we were able to Uber into Tours for dinner. We had a private guide who picked us up for our tour of the Royal Castle of Amboise, Clos Lucé and Chenonceau, and that was a great day.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel is a chateau from the 18th century, so charming.

Location

It is in a beautiful location, about 12 km outside of Tours, surrounded by Forrest, so peaceful and tranquil. This was very appreciated after four very busy days in Paris. It is a great location to visit the chateaux in the Loire Valley. A car is advisable if staying more than two nights.

Staff

We arrived before our rooms were available and they directed us to the little chalet near the pool where we could change into our bathing suits and swim in the pool while we waited.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Bayeux

Bayeux

This hotel in Bayeux is right in town, an excellent location to explore this beautiful Norman town. My only criticism is that we had booked a room for three people, but the room was very small. It had three twin beds, all in a row, and very little space to walk around or put our suitcases. If you need a room for three, I would check to see if they have a bigger accommodation. It really was tight for three adults. Otherwise, it is a lovely hotel. The breakfast was very good.

Activity Reviews

Half-day Versailles & Gardens private tour

France

We had a private guide, Marlene, who picked us up at our Airb&b and drove us to Versailles. We had a half day tour which was excellent. Marlene was very knowledgeable and gave us a great tour of the chateau and the gardens. She was so accommodating and friendly. We really enjoyed the experience.

Chateaux Day Tour: Chambord and Chenonceau - Full-day

Tours

This tour with Camille was wonderful! She drove us to Amboise, where we visited Leonardo Da Vinci’s home, Clos Lucé and the Royal Chateau. We then had a wine tasting, followed by a visit of Chenonceau castle. We loved our time with Camille because she was so friendly and informative. When we asked if she could take us to buy something to bring back to eat at our hotel at the end of our excursion, she was so willing to accommodate us. I highly recommend this tour with her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-day Tour of D-Day Sites

Bayeux

We toured the beaches with Emma, and I highly recommend her. She drove us to Utah Beach, St Mère Eglise, where we toured the Airborne Museum, Point du Hoc, and the Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery. She was so informative and gave us great insight to what occurred on those beaches. We all learned so much about DDay and we appreciated all her explanations. At the end of the tour, we were able to see the lowering of the flag while Taps was played, an emotional experience for sure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great family trip to Peru! Kristy from KimKim helped us put together an excellent itinerary, which took us from Lima to the Sacred Valley, Cusco, and ultimately to the Amazon. The guides and drivers were awesome, and the logistics were seamless. We got to experience the fantastic cuisine, learn about Incan culture and see amazing wildlife.

Kristy helped us navigate a late change of dates and found an excellent activity last minute during a nine-hour layover at the Lima airport.

KimKim helped save me dozens of hours of planning and made the whole trip stress-free.