Kimkim Trip Reviews

Me and my partner visited Vietnam for only a week and KimKim travels helped us a lot in curating a perfect itinerary and accommodated us based on our requirements to meet them. Very quick and easy response. They made everything run smooth and easy, our journey in Vietnam was stress-free. Highly recommend them for your travels! The local guides where super friendly, kind, vibrant and fully informative. Thank you for your service and help in making or Vietnam trip soo memorable.

Our trip was wonderful. Planning and booking was easy thanks to Lisa and all her advice was spot on.
We had absolutely no issues throughout the trip - all drivers and guides were excellent - particularly Yestin in Beijing & Betty in Chengdu. Would also like to make a special mention to Chow (Mike) in Zhangjiajie - he went above and beyond to make our visit fun, despite the terrible weather that could not be helped - excellent service and a lovely man!
We loved visiting the Pandas (we love animals!) and Betty was wonderful in navigating us away from the crowds and long line ups. The Zhangjiajie region was spectacular, but we really loved everywhere we visited. Thank you to everyone who made our trip very memorable!

Hotel Reviews

Sunrise On The Bund

A good location for Shanghai’s Bund!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Li River Resort

Our favourite hotel on our China tour - very relaxing with a lovely river view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jolie Vue Boutique Hotel

Guilin

Great hotel for Guilin stay - the location is excellent and view from the bistro is amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tibet Hotel Chengdu

Chengdu

Great location and very lovely hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore the Scenic Countryside in Yangshuo by Cycling

China

We opted out of this activity due to the weather!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Highlights in Shanghai

Shanghai

We enjoyed our Shanghai City Highlights tour, with the highlight being the Yu Garden.

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yulong River Rafting Experence

Yangshuo

The bamboo rafting experience was a little bit of fun and a great way to see the scenery of the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marvel at the Li River: China's Most Picturesque River

Guilin

The Li Cruise was lovely - a relaxing way to see the spectacular scenery along the beautiful river.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chongqing City Highlights One-Day Tour

Chongqing

The Chongqing City is pretty cool but this tour was not one of our favourites of China’s city tours. Yudy the guide was nice, but the spots we saw were pretty lame and not really that interesting and we didn’t see everything that was listed (didn’t get taken to Raffles City to do the Sky Bridge or see the Hongya Cave light up at night - only during the day with almost nothing happening). Overall the tour seemed a bit rushed - it would have been better to start in the late afternoon into the evening.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Chengdu: Pandas, Wuhou Shrine,Jinli Ancient Street

Chengdu

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the Pandas! Even though the Panda Centre seemed to be crowded, Betty our guide was able to keep us away from long lines and we had plenty of stress free time to just watch the beautiful animals. One of our favourite days in China.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Revel in the Splendor of Zhangjiajie - Grand Canyon and Tianmen Mountain

Zhangjiajie

Unfortunately the weather was not ideal for our visit to Zhangjiajie’s Grand Canyon & Tiananmen Mountain - but despite this we had an amazing time anyway! Thanks to Chow, our Guide who helped make the day memorable and fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marvel at the Picturesque Landscape in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie

A highlight of our China trip, the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is spectacular, we had a wonderful time thanks to Chow, our guide who was a superstar in guiding us through all there was to see!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking along the Majestic Great Wall, Summer Palace

Beijing

We had a wonderful day visiting the Great Wall. Our guide, Yestin was excellent, especially at helping us avoid the really crowded areas and lone line ups!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beijing Highlights:Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City & Hutongs

Beijing

Excellent way to start our China experience. Our guide Yestin was very good and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nancy, our guide in Lima, was passionate and did a great job at engaging us through each experience. Wily, our guide for all of Cusco,, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and then Cusco again, was EXCEPTIONAL. He provided a thorough and educational experience while working tirelessly to not only meet our needs but exceed our needs to make sure our vista weee the best they can be. And the were amazing! Wily worked well with Alan, our driver, to make sure that we were safe, arrived safely at all locations, that our luggage was generously and graciously cared for. We all felt safe and protected in their care at all points. Wily accommodated 1 injured member of our group and I friend who became ill while on the last part of our trip.

I highly tecommned all of our guides, our drivers and the leadership of Wily and Alan.

We had a truly legendary trip to Morocco. Our driver Rachid was an amazing person. He took care of us like family and made sure we had a wonderful time. We spent two weeks and covered so many amazing areas of Morocco. It is hard to say which part was the best because it was all so beautiful. In each area we were helped to our accommodations and brought to guides who knew their specific area like a college professor. I highly recommend Kim Kim and Morocco Emersion.

What an amazing trip! We couldn’t be happier with the experience. I would not have thought to choose Greece as a destination, but my brother and his wife did, and with Kimkim’s vision and planning we had the experience of a lifetime! Every guided excursion we took was private and the guides were all personable, knowledgeable, and hospitable in what we came to understand is at the heart of Greek culture. Outstanding!

The pick up drivers were also wonderful and it was amazing to not have to try to navigate a foreign country on our own. We could tell your stories about our experiences in Paris doing it ourselves!

The hotels were all beautiful and hospitable in a way we have never experienced in America. We were made to feel welcomed and well cared for at each in their own special way. Attention to detail was out of this world and everything was so clean and beautiful.

I wish there was a way we could easily provide feedback per tour, but they were all wonderful in their own ways and I will do my best to remember them all.

Thessaloniki - we had two tours, and a rainy day. Our hotel provided umbrellas and our tour guide came prepared with her own.

Private Culture and Food Walk:
Even on a rainy day we had a great time zipping through local markets. During the whole tour the guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to answer our many questions. We toured the open markets, sampled some traditional Greek products, had coffee and pastries at a wonderful bakery, and ended at a restaurant for lunch. Wonderful!

Private Tour of Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki: The guide was so passionate about the displays we toured that we asked if he is indeed an archeologist (he is, among other things). This tour proved to serve as a foundation for the history and mythology we continued to learn along the rest of the trip. We saw some beautiful exhibits and learned a ton.

Private Half-Day Monasteries of Meteora Exploration:
Our guide was fantastic! He grew up in the small town we stayed in (Kalampaka) and was extremely knowledgeable about the caves, monasteries, rock formations, local flora, and he even knew some fun tricks with our cameras to take some fantastic photos. He went out of his way to personalize the tour to our interests. The monasteries and rock formations were beautiful, we got our daily dose of Greek cats, and we had a wonderful time.

Athens Mythology Storytelling Walk:
Guides (and Storyteller) were amazing. It was truly wonderful to hear the myths right in the places they were born to help us understand the history of Greece. The hosts were open to answer our many questions and we learned about the people of Greece as well as the history of the city in such a fun way! The combination of information and dramatization of the myths made for an unforgettable experience that truly helped to immerse us into the culture and history surrounding us.

Private Evening Neighborhood Walk in Athens - Friendly, open, and honest guide knowledgeably and expertly answered our many questions while taking us to parts of Athens we wouldn’t have seen on our own. We toured a garden, saw part of the changing of the guards ceremony, stopped for some delicious gelato, walked a pedestrian street we later went back to shop, toured a church, and ended at a restaurant for traditional Greek mezes (small plates). So fun!

Private Acropolis and Museum Experience- Again the guide was knowledgeable, hospitable, and super friendly in a relatable manner. We started in town and walked through Plaka and the pedestrian street up to the Acropolis, learning about the ancient theatres, temples, and other ruins. We saw cats even at the ruins! (One of our favorite aspects about Greece.) We learned and relearned, from previous tours, about the history and mythology of what we were seeing. It was great to hear different variations of the same myths and really drive home the significance of the myths and history that created Greece and the Greek culture. We ended at the museum where we could see up close what we saw from more of a distance at the top of the hill. Wonderful!

Wine Tasting in the Heart of Athens: I’m not a wine, cheese, or olive fan, but the products in Greece are so different than what we get in the states that I even liked the feta cheese (in slices! I’ve never even seen it like that!). It was a very small group from all over the world in a sort of classroom setting and we all had fun learning how to assess different wines and how their flavors change when paired with different cheeses. Fun!

Private Falassarna and Balos Beaches Day: Wow! I don’t normally enjoy loud and bumpy boat rides, but the water was so blue and in our small RHIB we felt as though we were right in the sea ourselves - it was amazing. I was laughing out loud I was having so much fun. At our first stop there was an opportunity to walk up to a castle (though my husband’s hip was bothering him - we found a private perch and drank some wine and enjoyed the view of the sea while the other guests hiked). It was too cold this time of year to swim, but we were offered the opportunity in a beautiful blue lagoon with white sand beaches. So much fun!

We truly had the experience of a lifetime. The people of Greece are so hospitable, friendly, and welcoming. We had so much fun learning a few Greek phrases and trying them out with the locals. We learned so much, laughed constantly, and can’t stop smiling when we talk about our trip. Thank you, Kimkim, for arranging such an amazing excursion. We will absolutely recommend your services and hope to have the opportunity to use them again.

Activity Reviews

Private Falassarna & Balos Beaches Day

Chania

Wow! I don’t normally enjoy loud and bumpy boat rides, but the water was so blue and in our small RHIB we felt as though we were right in the sea ourselves - it was amazing. I was laughing out loud I was having so much fun. At our first stop there was an opportunity to walk up to a castle (though my husband’s hip was bothering him - we found a private perch and drank some wine and enjoyed the view of the sea while the other guests hiked). It was too cold this time of year to swim, but we were offered the opportunity in a beautiful blue lagoon with white sand beaches. So much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting in the Heart of Athens

Athens

I’m not a wine, cheese, or olive fan, but the products in Greece are so different than what we get in the states that I even liked the feta cheese (in slices! I’ve never even seen it like that!). It was a very small group from all over the world in a sort of classroom setting and we all had fun learning how to assess different wines and how their flavors change when paired with different cheeses. Fun!

Private Evening Neighborhood Walk

Athens

Friendly, open, and honest guide knowledgeably and expertly answered our many questions while taking us to parts of Athens we wouldn’t have seen on our own. We toured a garden, saw part of the changing of the guards ceremony, stopped for some delicious gelato, walked a pedestrian street we later went back to shop, toured a church, and ended at a restaurant for traditional Greek mezes (small plates). So fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Tour of Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki

The guide was so passionate about the displays we toured that we asked if he is indeed an archeologist (he is, among other things). This tour proved to serve as a foundation for the history and mythology we continued to learn along the rest of the trip. We saw some beautiful exhibits and learned a ton.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Culture & Food Walk

Thessaloniki

Even on a rainy day we had a great time zipping through local markets. During the whole tour the guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to answer our many questions. We toured the open markets, sampled some traditional Greek products, had coffee and pastries at a wonderful bakery, and ended at a restaurant for lunch. Wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Experience

Athens

The guide was knowledgeable, hospitable, and super friendly in a relatable manner. We started in town and walked through Plaka and the pedestrian street up to the Acropolis, learning about the ancient theatres, temples, and other ruins. We saw cats even at the ruins! (One of our favorite aspects about Greece.) We learned and relearned, from previous tours, about the history and mythology of what we were seeing. It was great to hear different variations of the same myths and really drive home the significance of the myths and history that created Greece and the Greek culture. We ended at the museum where we could see up close what we saw from more of a distance at the top of the hill. Wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Athens Mythology Storytelling Walk

Athens

It was truly wonderful to hear the myths right in the places they were born to help us understand the history of Greece. The hosts were open to answer our many questions and we learned about the people of Greece as well as the history of the city in such a fun way! The combination of information and dramatization of the myths made for an unforgettable experience that truly helped to immerse us into the culture and history surrounding us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Half-Day Monasteries of Meteora Exploration

Meteora

Our guide was fantastic! He grew up in the small town we stayed in (Kalampaka) and was extremely knowledgeable about the caves, monasteries, rock formations, local flora, and he even knew some fun tricks with our cameras to take some fantastic photos. He went out of his way to personalize the tour to our interests. The monasteries and rock formations were beautiful, we got our daily dose of Greek cats, and we had a wonderful time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing experience using Kimkim to plan our honeymoon in Bali. They did a fantastic job creating a well-balanced itinerary with a great mix of activities, from sightseeing to relaxation, and included a variety of restaurants and cafés that really let us experience the local food scene.

What stood out the most was their support during the trip itself. They were always available to answer questions and were incredibly responsive whenever our plans shifted. When we were running late or needed adjustments, they handled everything smoothly and made sure our itinerary stayed on track without adding any stress.

Jessica and Deta were so wonderful to work with! Overall, the planning felt thoughtful and personalized, and their on-the-ground support made a big difference. We’d definitely recommend Kimkim to anyone looking for a seamless and well-organized travel experience.

Our Sister trip through the Netherlands was absolutely amazing. Lisa planned a trip that was exactly what we were looking for. We had enough down time and time to relax while also seeing all of the sites that we were hoping to see. My sister and I wanted to manage much of the logistics and get around on our own and the schedule was the perfect balance, while providing us with the OV chip card and telling us about the 9292 app made the logistics very easy. And for the longer and less train-access locations, Fred was a wonderful person to take us on those journeys. He is kind, prompt, knowledge, fun and a joy to talk to.

As my sister mentioned in her review, our walking tour on the first day was very informative and our guide was great. He seemed to know everyone in Amsterdam and recommended a Chinese dinner location that was yummy. (Unfortunately I can’t remember the name) We were tired, but it was a great way to push through and stay awake to avoid the jet lag.

The canal cruise with Those Dam Boat guys was really nice. It seemed like a much less touristy experience, even though I’m sure it’s just as touristy as the rest. And it was a great perspective from which to see the city. The only experience that was just OK and we could have done without was the cheese place. It seemed to be a bit of a tourist factory and we were competing with bus loads of visitors for cheese tasting.

Having Lisa get the many museum tickets in advance for us, with entry times that were not too early, and the ease of having access to the tickets on the KimKim app made our trip feel so easy and took so much time and stress off of our planning. We felt like we had gotten the “insider” tour due to Lisa’s extensive knowledge of her country and its sites. And what a beautiful country! All of the hints and instructions in the KimKim app made our days easy and took the stress off of trying to figure out details. We used the restaurant recommendations as well as finding some of our own spots. But the recommendations were very helpful especially as Kings Day approached and reservations were more necessary. The pre-loaded Google Maps were also a huge help. Overall, the app is fabulous and easy to navigate. And Lisa was prompt at answering any questions through the app as well. But we didn’t have many questions because everything was so nicely laid out and all the needed details were present.

Our very favorite place was the Hoge Veluwe National Park and the Kroller Muller Museum. And the our stay at De Wever Lodge. What an amazing spot! The food at the lodge was some of the best I’ve ever had. While there were definitely tourist groups present in the park and at the museum (an adorable group of children speaking French on a field trip) it had a feeling of a hidden beautiful secret. Our driver Fred, an Amsterdam native, had never heard of the Kroller Muller museum. I think the collection there rivals the Musee de Orsay in Paris! I now believe that any true lover of art should visit this museum in their lifetime.

Overall, I just can’t say enough about how wonderful this trip was for us. We enjoyed ourselves completely and felt that we really got to experience The Netherlands and Dutch art in a sincere and beautiful way. Thank you all so much!

We enjoyed a spectacular visit to Japan which we could not have had without Eleanor at kimkim. Thank you doesn't begin to express our deep gratitude for how well she orchestrated our experience. From arranging hotel reservations, private guides and drivers, and answering my countless questions about various details, all was handled with grace, patience, humor and skill. Our time in Japan went very smoothly and when we requested a change Eleanor seamlessly made adjustments to suit our needs. We felt very well cared for. We couldn't have asked for a more competent agent and advisor. Eleanor was a pleasure to work with and helped our Japan travel dream come true.

Mina and her team were incredible throughout the year-long planning until we were safely home from our trip! We were so happy with the entire experience! We already want to plan our next trip. Special thanks to Iris and Carinta for their help too! We felt supported wherever we went with the emergency line - such a great feature! Thank you again! Can’t wait to work with KimKim on our next adventure!

Swimming with sea turtles! Watching hundreds of parrots coming to eat in the early morning hours. Biking in Quito. Sharing a boardwalk with a sea lion. Tasting different chocolates. Balancing an egg on the top of a nail at the equator. These were just some of our adventures.

Initially we planned to do a trip to the Galápagos Islands, then we decided to add a trip to the Amazon as well. Ariel did a great job of finding local accomodations and arranging transportation. We even got to meet him while we were in Quito.

Thank you Ariel. Thanks to all the staff at KimKim, the Napo Wildlife Center, Joseline at Galapagos Suites, the team at Casa Playa Mann, the guides and all the others that helped to make this an awesome adventure.

so many great experiences. I will review in the next section,

Hotel Review

Hotel La Perle

Paris

The hotel was very quaint, exceptional staff that were kind and helpful, very clean rooms and daily Freshen up. We had some miscommunication with the room and bed set up but that was more a language and word barrier than anyone’s fault. We wanted to have 3 beds all seperate , not just 2 inches. But all was fine and we adapted. The rooms were small but we rarely spent time there except to sleep and prepare for the day. Breakfast was ok but not one day of variety for the 6 days. Nothing like fresh fruit ( canned /frozen) . Service was excellent and they always asked what we needed. Just no variations. Staff were so knowledgeable , nice, spoke English , gave suggestions and always were available to answer questions or help. I felt safe and relaxed. Super quiet. The location was ok . Not really near any tourist things but maybe that is a good thing. Quiet, little traffic. We easily could walk or uber,

Authenticity & Character

Nothing to compare it to. We only went in another big hotel for drinks.

Location

maybe near some of the popular sites and on other side of river on East? Not sure for budget

Staff

they are great. Keep it up.

Cleanliness & Comfort

All clean

Activity Reviews

Starry Dinner on the Seine River

Paris

Hard to find. We needed better directions. Label on the pier? It was very nice ride. The food was ok, Scenery was amazing and at dark even better.

Quality of Experience

Food

new menu or just improve what you have. Bland

Guides, Drivers and Staff

wait staff nice . English was not always available but fine

Transport

boat smooth and nice. Waves not present

Cooking class with a Chef

Paris

The highlight of the trip and favorite

Quality of Experience

Food

All of it we made and purchased. Just a perfect day . She is helpful to explain how to do and why.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She made it wonderful. Her knowledge, ability, kind, beautiful and her home. Classy ! French lovely

Transport

we walked

Guided visit of Montmartre

Paris

We arrived early that day and took our own walk around. When we met up with our guide we were already somewhat tired. This tour has a lot of hills and elevation.

Quality of Experience

Could have seen it in a car with same eperience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

English was great but her accent made be really have to listen carefully . Knowledgeable but kinda boring

Transport

We have walked all over Paris and it was just a long day.

Guided visit of the Louvre museum

Paris

Tour guide Sonali made it amazing. It was crowded and we expected that. Wore earpieces and that is a must.

Quality of Experience

she knew were to stand and have a great view and out of the large mass of people. Head set was helpful so much to explain and be able to move along.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sonali again took us to the places we wanted and her recommendations.

Transport

Walked

Gourmet food tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

The guide was ok . She was hard to not compare with Sonali the day before, We began with chocolate . I would have preferred a coffee and croissant or similar. These were never part of tour. This chocolate place was ok but I have been on similar tours and the owner of place at least talks or appreciates your coming. Not so at these places except one or 2. The chocolate is early in the morning to begin. They also sold there many macaroons , but not offered unless you bought one. I thought that would be given and talked about. The other food stops were jams, spreads and we did have cheese. Those were ok but again not much. The best was the hot food at a restaurant that we could select 3-4 for us. Those were good and we didn’t know much about what we were eating. Guide was somewhat flat .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide

Transport

We walked so not sure of question

Guided tour of covered passages of Paris

Paris

This was our first guided tour and what a special guide of Sonali for us. She is amazing and I would like to have all tours with her. She was a certified guide, which we learned is quite an honor and distinction to achieve. She is so intelligent, funny, kind, knowledgeable and has a complete confidence in her role and ease with the place touring. The passage way was very interesting and gave us several areas we would not have seen.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sonali as I stated above

Transport

Not sure what this means since we walked

My sister and I had a wonderful trip to London with KimKim and Tetiana’s help. The hotel, The Mad Hatter, on the south bank of the Thames, was perfect with an included breakfast in the pub everyday. Good location for walking all over the area by the River, including the London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral, restaurants and Pubs. We took a day bus trip to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath, Bruce was the guide with Golden Bus tours and he was excellent. We took a River boat ride to The London Tower tour with Miles, a Beefeater that was great. We took a walking tour with Pepe to see the changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace that was perfect. We lucked out with super weather so were able to walk every day. The Victoria and Albert museum was so interesting as was Westminster Abbey. the history is incredible. We also booked a Tea at the Diamond Jubilee Tea Room at Fortnum and Mason that was very nice. I’d used KimKim before on a trip to Norway and found them super helpful and accommodating to our budget and timetable. Thanks, Cheers!!!

Hotel Review

The Mad Hatter Hotel

the location was good for us to be on the South side of the Thames, close to London Eye, bars, restaurants , St Paul’s Cathedral, and easy to get a cab or UBER. The Pub was fun, excellent food and good beer! Had a nice included breakfast every day, which started our day off perfectly.

Authenticity & Character

The Pub, the stairwell, the rooms were clean, nice and the housekeeping came in everyday.

Location

close the the Riverwalk, Bridges and all the action

Staff

Sammy was great at the Front Desk and the ladies in the Pub for breakfast were super sweet and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our beds were made up everyday, the down duvet was so snuggly.

Activity Review

Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, and Bath from London

London

the trip was great, unfortunately, there was a car accident on the way out so it added 2 hours to an already long day.. Windsor Palace was so cool to tour getting to see where the State Dinners are held.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver who picked us up at Heathrow was so professional and drove a beautiful Mercedes Benz

Kimkim (old town outfitters) was incredible. They planned everything we wanted based off our wishes, and when we wanted to change plans/activities they did it with ease. The tour guides they scheduled for us were the most wholesome, informative people. I could not recommend this agency enough. Shout out to Cuscun cooking class, it was such a cool immersive experience for us.

Hotel Review

Camelias Inn

Antigua

Actually coolest hotel ever. Breakfast on the terrace and then seeing the volcano erupt at night was a memory I'll never forget.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Traditional Guatemalan Cooking Class

Antigua

SO COOL! Friendliest staff, amazing views, delicious food. You 100% feel immersed in the culture. Could not recommend this place enough.

Quality of Experience

Overall experience was the coolest cooking class I've ever done, with a breath-taking view

Food

Traditional Guatemalan foods, with an appetizer, dinner, and dessert.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was sooo so sweet and fun! Let us choose songs to listen to

Transport

This is the second time I use Kimkim to plan a 15 day vacation visiting multiple cities and taking various transportation means. Kimkim did its wonder again. I can’t say enough good things about Kate, my trip advisor/planner. She took the time to truly understand our travel style and delivered a trip that exceeded every expectation. She is also very accommodating since my family was joining us from different places. Alone the planning process, I made several changes to the initial itinerary and Kate was very patient with me. She made all the adjustments and gave me a lot of great suggestions. She also checked in during the trip to make sure we are ok. I also want to point out the private drivers and/or small tour company she engaged were very good and professional. Without Kate, our trip could have been stressful. We’re already looking forward to booking our next adventure with Kimkim

Hotel Reviews

The LaLit London

Hidden gem in a busy street, very quite.

Authenticity & Character

Nice indian decoration, feel very upscaled

Location

near the Tower Bridge tube station. The Shard, the Tower Bridge and the River Thames are all within walking distance

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best bed ever! Room is very spacious.

Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh

Edinburgh,

The hotel has the best location you can ask for. It's right cross the street from the train station if you come out the "Market Street" exit, no need to call a cab, just less than 10 min walk. The view from the hotel room is amazing as the Calton Hill and iconic Edinburgh clock tower are right in front of you. The hotel staff is so friendly and helpful. Let alone the great breakfast and restaurant staff. Scottish people are so nice!

Authenticity & Character

Roomy, clean and well equipped.

Location

It's right cross the street from the train station if you come out the "Market Street" exit, no need to call a cab, just less than 10 min walk. You can walk to the Royal Miles in the old town or go to Prince in the new town. We walked to the W Hotel rooftop to see the whole city!

Staff

Most friendly and nice staff I have encountered! My daughter, a college student, has to do some school work and make calls. The restaurant manager let her work in the restaurant in the afternoon!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Dean Court

York

The location of the hotel is perfect, right next to the York Minister. Front desk staff is cordial and helpful. However, the room is tiny and the "free breakfast" is not full breakfast, which was a surprise to me. No protein included in the breakfast but you can pay to order full breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk staff are nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hampton Court Palace & Windsor Castle Private Tour

London

Must go tour. The audio guide is very helpful and it's free!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver, Chris, is so accommodating. He's puncture, sent me text message a day before to confirm pick up time and another text message when he's on the way. The cab was very comfy.

Transport

We booked a 4 day trip with Kimkim to the southern part of Portugal as an extension to another tour we had in Porto. Emily and the team at Kimkim was very helpful, prompt at answering my questions, and very enthusiastic about helping us with our tour. I will definitely use them again. But, I will be asking more questions regarding the specifics of each tour that is booked….

We flew down to Faro and were picked up by a driver who took us to our hotel in Lagos. We had 2 day tours while in Lagos, the classic boat tour along the coast and a 4 wheel off road sunset tour to Sagres. We then had a driver take us to Lisbon where we had a night of fado music and dinner and a full day trip to Évora.

The boat trip in Lagos was awesome. Beautiful coastline with a very experienced boat captain. The boat was small enough to get into the smaller areas around the rocks.
The 4 wheeler trip to Sagres was just beautiful except the vehicle was very lacking. There were beautiful views with lots of photo ops but we were in a standard sized jeep with jumper seats in back and there were 6 passengers booked! All 6 of us were seniors and we took turns in the far back seat and none of us could easily get in or out of that area. My legs were sore the next day from all the contortions getting in and out. I would not have chosen this particular set up if I had known the details of the vehicle.

Our fado and dinner tour was tolerable. The driver and tour guide seemed overly eager to please, but the car was dirty and smelled. The place where the fado and dinner was held was small, I could not see the folks who were performing at all, and a full bus load of folks piled in and filled the room completely right before the start and were very loud. I know there must be better experiences in the Fado area than what we had.

The best tour we had, without a doubt, was the day trip to Evora. Joao from Delighted Tours was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable. His English was very good and he was very attentive. We went on a wine tasting, toured Monsaraz castle and medieval town, and toured the old areas of Evora. It was a private tour, so only 4 of us and the car was clean and very comfortable. Thoroughly enjoyed that day

Hotel Reviews

Hotel da Baixa

Lisbon

Great location in downtown Lisbon, with great bar and restaurant. The rooms are very small and no space in the bathroom for personal stuff. Staff were very attentive and friendly

Authenticity & Character

Boutique hotel

Location

Super location in the heart of old city center

Staff

Super nice and helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean but rooms were very small so that we had to put our suitcases on the bed to open them, so not very convenient.

Lagos Atlantic Hotel

Lagos

Nice big rooms with beautiful view of the ocean and hotel pool. Towels were thread bare, no shampoo or conditioner was in the bathroom. The pool bar serves a small menu of choices for lunch and dinner but closes around 9:30, which is odd for a country that usually eats very late dinners.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Hotel is near the beach but a couple of miles from the town center.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Évora Day Trip & Monsaraz Wine Tasting

Lisbon

This was an amazing trip! Joao was our driver and guide and he was very informative and knowledgeable. We visited a castle and medieval town where there was a beautiful little church, and sweet little town. The wine tasting included a charcuterie board and several very good wines. In the town of evora we saw the church of bones and a Roman ruin. Beautiful day!

Quality of Experience

Tour guide knew so much about the area that it really made it special

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Joao was great!

Transport

Car was clean and comfortable

Sagres & Sunset Off-Road Adventure

Lagos (Algarve)

The tour had 6 passengers, all of us senior, and in a regular jeep, so 2 of us had to sit in the jumper seat in the back. I would not have booked this tour if I’d known what the vehicle arrangement was. Tour was nice though, in terms of views and photo ops. Guide was nice and friendly

Our father daughter trip was fantastic. Alvaro was great to work with. He was so responsive and helpful to our individual wants and needs during the trip planning process. Yael greeted us with a welcome gift upon arrival in Quito and made sure everything was going well before our departure across the country.

Our itinerary was perfect and we feel very lucky to have had the guides we did. We had David for our tour around Quito. He was knowledgeable, helpful & paced the day perfectly. For the remainder of the trip we had Chris and he was so amazing. We would not have wanted to do the trip without a driver and Chris was exceptional in this realm. He was a very defensive and great driver on the chaotic roads. He was always one step ahead of the weather & road closures which made our trip so much more seamless than we could have hoped for considering we traveled during the peak rainy season. We had such a good time and kimkim made it an easy & relaxing process. Our itinerary was jam packed and we saw so much but we didn’t feel rushed at all. We feel like the trip was a bargain for all it included. Would definitely use kimkim again & we are hoping to do a Galapagos trip in the future!

Hotel Reviews

Holiday Inn Guayaquil Airport

Guayaquil

Authenticity & Character

We don’t book airport hotels for authenticity or culture! Just practicality

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Victoria

Cuenca

The river view and getting to sleep with the sound of the water right outside our hotel room was a wonderful surprise.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inti Sisa

Guamote

This was our favorite stay of the trip. The cultural experience and community outreach this hotel does are wonderful. My Dad and I bought so many gifts here from the shop & wish we could have gone to the local market! We just stayed on the wrong day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

I

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sangay

Baños de Agua Santa

I would note, especially for American travelers, that this hotel has no air conditioning and no screens in the windows so getting airflow without getting bugs in the room was difficult.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swissotel Quito

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Connect with your flight to Galapagos

Ecuador

The airport hotel was extremely convenient. The shuttle was efficient and got us to the airport quickly. Guayaquil airport was small and easy to navigate & security lines were quick.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cuenca - Cajas National Park - Cacao & Mango Hacienda - Guayaquil

Cuenca

Unfortunately, due to weather & road closures, we didn’t get to do Cajas but that was in no way our guide or KimKim’s fault. We loved the mango & chocolate hacienda. I would note that it isn’t mango season so we just did the chocolate experience which was wonderful. The family that ran it was so great. Jamil & Estefano were very knowledgeable and we loved making our own cacao drink & chocolate bars.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch we had at the hacienda made by the family was one of our favorite meals of the trip. It was delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering Cuenca's Charms: A Journey Through History and Culture

Cuenca

We loved Cuenca. It is such a beautiful town and we see why a bunch of expats have moved here! The tour was great and we got to see a lot in our day here. This is also where we did our cooking class instead of having it in Quito like the itinerary stated. It was a private cooking class at a very fancy hotel with a beautiful view of the blue domes! We could tell Chris had a good relationship with many of the vendors at the market & wish we had more time to sample things here but we didn’t want to eat anything right before our cooking class!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guamote - Palmira - Ingapirca - Cuenca

Guamote

We loved Ingapirca and are very glad we got to go. It is a beautiful ruin!

Quality of Experience

Food

We loved our lunch near Ingapirca at Posada Ingapirca.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Immersive Cultural Exploration: From Riobamba to Guamote

Ecuador

The night before we got to wander around Baños and had a delicious dinner at the Italian restaurant in town. We started the day with a tour of waterfalls around the Baños area and then continued onto Guamote. Our only wish is that we could have gone to the market in Guamote but we were ther a day early!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Full-Day Amazon Experience from Baños!

Ecuador

We broke up our waterfall tour & our Amazon tour to the local community. This day we visited the local indigenous community & got to go on a waterfall hike. Michaela was our face painter as well as our waterfall hiking guide and she was great. The lunch they made for us was delicious and we even had their pet monkey make an appearance! We then got to go to Yanacocha which is an animal sanctuary for animals rescued from the black market or who were orphaned and aren’t able to be released back into the wild. It was great to see them all treated so well!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quilotoa Lagoon - Baños

Ecuador

This was a beautiful stop & we are very happy we got to see it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Chris chose a great restaurant by the lagoon for us to have lunch.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

We got to see a ton for only being in the city one day.

Quality of Experience

We did a ton in one day but it didn’t feel rushed. We truly feel like we got to see the highlights of Quito!

Food

The breakfast that was included at the hotel was fantastic & David chose a wonderful lunch spot with a view with great local fare for us to try.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

David was great! Extremely knowledgeable, friendly & kind. He was also friends with so many people at the different stops that it made our day even easier than expected!

Transport

David’s car was very clean & he was a very good driver who tailored our day around the traffic.

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin! (Transportation Service)

Galapagos Islands

Our flights got in too late to do anything in the city this day. Our driver picked me up because my flight got in 5 hrs before my Dad’s and then he went back for my Dad which was greatly appreciated and gave me time to settle into the hotel & grab dinner instead of sitting at the airport for 5 hrs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ariel was amazing from the start and through out the trip. He was very responsive and helpful throughout every step of the trip. We were welcomed in the Galapagos by an amazing guide Vivianna. She was so knowledgable and helpful through out our whole stay. We had so many wonderful guides throughout the entire trip. Thank you to everyone who made this trip easy and exciting and unforgettable for our family of 5. Our hotels, drivers, boats, etc were all top notch. I cannot reccommend the entire team enough!

Hotel Reviews

Albemarle

Puerto Villamil

Great location and staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Amazing location. Comfortable rooms. Great ambiance. GREAT breakfast. WONDERFUL staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

Great staff. Great rooms. Top notch

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit to Garrapatero Beach

Galapagos Islands

Great way to end the trip, playing in some beautiful water

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Trip to Flamingo Lagoon & Tortoise Breeding Center

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Absolutely the highlight of our trip. Great guide. Great experience. Unique landscape and wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bay tour

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

What a great experience for our family. We learned so much about the wildlife, as well as had a blast snorkling with some amazing creatures

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Quito Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Vivianna our guide was absolutely amazing. She was knowledgable, kind, helpful. We learned so much and saw some incredible things.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A great trip that mixes both history and nature. Thanks for putting it together for me Adam.

Hotel Reviews

MYR Palacio Vallier

Valencia

Outstanding location — directly off the main Cathedral square. You step out of the hotel and the Cathedral is right in front of you. Many rooms have a balcony with a direct view of the Cathedral — this is the defining feature of the property. The building looks historic from the outside. The interior is a complete contrast: glass, steel, mirrors, and marble throughout — very modern and grand. The entrance is impressive: a large glass door opens into a marble and glass lobby, leading to double marble staircases that rise to the upper levels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

From your window you can see the cathedral

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Marqués House

Valencia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right next to the main street and around the corner from the cathedral.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Noise was an issue for me. I could hear people coming in at night when they closed their doors, and in the morning I could hear the trucks on the street.

Hotel Helen Berger

Valencia

I stayed at Hotel Helen Bergen at a recent kimkim work trip. Lovely hotel, in a great location. The hotel is only a few block away from the main old town/cathedral, and also just a few steps from the main shopping districts, but is set away far enough such that it feels like you are in the neighborhood. The hotel is very understated, actually looks more like a restaurant at first glance. In fact most of the ground floor is the hotel restaurant, which seems to be busy for afternoon coffees, pre-dinner drinks and dinners. When ever I walked by, there were people there. The rooms were modern, and well setup. The desk is a good size to work from if you are there to work. The only complaint I would have is that the room is a bit on the small side. The other thing I really appreciate is the care the hotel put into ensuring the noise from the outside streets is well insulated. When the windows were closed, you didn't hear anything from the streets. Bed was comfortable and the team were very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Between the old town and the new area. But walkable to both.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Old Town Walk with Wine & Tapas Experience

Valencia

Beautiful experience. I felt it was just the right mix of guided walk around the old town and relaxing at the venue. The venue was in a very unique location, and the team there provided a lovely set of tapas.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Albufera Trip with Tapas & Wine

Valencia

Very relaxing, and a beautiful way to see the lagoon. The trip for us was all about the sunset, they put us in a small boat with a bottle of wine, and tapas, and took us into the middle of the lagoon, we were able to just relax and enjoy the view and the food & wine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paella Cooking Class & Shopping at Mercat Central

Valencia

What a fun experience! Our guide/master chef Juan was super fun. He was able to keep it easy to follow, and also helped the group really get to know each other. The Paella was delicious, I can't want to try this with my family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super friendly.

Our group of 8 friends really enjoyed our trip to Greece. I feel it was a perfect mix of Greek culture for first time visitors. We started in Athens and with a full day tour with Alaina. She was very knowledgeable and we all felt it was a great tour of some of the main attractions in Greece. The next day we met Elisavet who took us on a walking food tour. This was the favorite activity for some of our group with very high praise for our guide. In the evening we met with Fodi who took us for more food and some dancing. His energy was so much fun! Our hotel at Woo Suites in Athens was top notch. The young women who were working there were so kind and helpful. They delivered an amazing breakfast to our rooms each morning (too chilly to enjoy the rooftop dining) and they had lots of great recommendations for roof top bars and restaurants.

We took the ferry to Naxos and I want to note that all transfers went so smoothly! Naxos was amazing . Our hotel was in a perfect location to walk to the water and restaurants. We also had great views from our rooms at Castle Mansions. We had a fun tour on to the island to see some small villages and were able to enjoy some beverages, food and cheese! The marble quarry was very interesting. WE also enjoyed a full day on a RIB boat to see some other beaches and Antiparos. The weather was a little cool but a few of us jumped into the Aegean Sea! Our final tour was to a farm and winery . This was another great way to enjoy more views of the island and try to great wine and food.

Our last stop was to Santorini. WE stayed in a villa with for a view of a sunset. We had nice breakfasts delivered to us each morning which were very good. We had a great tour of the highlights of Santorini with Panos! The stop at Akrotiri was quite a surprise to us and we loved it! But, the best stop was lunch at Atlier. The food was absolutely amazing and the people there were so gracious! ON our final night we were schedule for a dinner/ sunset cruise. The weather for 2 days was overcast so we had low expectations, BUT we were blessed with an amazing red sunset that even the crew was taking pictures. What a great way to end our holiday in Greece.

Angeliki - thank you so much for an amazing experience. I feel you really listened to our needs and built the perfect itinerary for us. We also appreciated you being available to answer questions for us while we were there too.

We had a wonderful trip in Croatia, starting in Split, then Hvar, Mljet, and Dubrovnik. The hotels were all lovely and the guided tours had just the right balance of education, fun and duration. Whenever we had a problem the group chat established by the KimKim team allowed for very quick and easy responses. I forgot a bag in Hvar and it was placed on the next ferry for pick up in Dubrovnik. Although the KimKim team had nothing to do with food, the Croatian food was amazing - always fresh and tasty. I would definitely go to Croatia again and I would definitely book with the KimKim team for Croatia or any other of their amazing destinations.

Hotel Reviews

Villa Orabelle

Dubrovnik

Very nice hotel and staff. Very good breakfasts. Good location but know that its 1.3 miles from the old town. But also a good location for less touristy restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Sterile and modern but pretty and comfortable

Location

Beautiful view of the Adriatic and easy access. 1.3 miles from old town

Staff

Always nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfortable, easy.

Corallium Imperiale

Pomena

A sterile apartment. It was fine as a launching place to explore Mljet, but no charm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel

Hvar

The room was nice, the breakfasts were good, but the staff was inept. They couldn't find our reservation, and service at breakfast was dodgy. But the location was great.

Authenticity & Character

Modern

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Boating Excursion to the Elaphite Islands

Dubrovnik

We opted out of the Elaphite islands and went to Lokrum (closer island) instead. We loved Lokrum - it is a great way to spend half-day hiking and swimming. Simon our skipper was wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Dubrovnik's Old Town

Croatia

Tour guide Jenna tried hard to give us an overview of the old town and its history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hike to Lost Villages of Hvar, Croatian Peka Lunch

Croatia

Wonderful activity. Our guide, Josip (spelling?) was knowledgeable and fun. The hike was easy and mostly downhill...perhaps too easy for those of us who want a bit more exercise before lunch. He knew everything about local plants, history, and life on the island. Highly recommended. And the lunch was one of the highlights of our trip. They prepared Octopus in a Peka that slow cooks the food for 2 hours. It was the best octopus I've ever had and the restaurant was in a delightful, charming setting. The family that owned the restaurant were wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport