Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our trip was perfectly planned. We had the perfect amount of time at each location and my family and I enjoyed all the activities planned. We were informed of weather-related changes in a timely manner and the alternatives for other activities were just as good. I would highly recommend Angeliki and would love to come back to Greece again to visit different islands!

Hotel Reviews

Iris Boutique Hotel Paros

Naousa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

the only downside is that we had to sleep with the bedroom door open for the AC to reach the other room where the kids slept

Castle Mansions

Naxos

Very clean apartment in the middle of town.

Authenticity & Character

fresh fruit provided, which was a nice touch

Location

we could walk everywhere

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

the apartment was spotless and cleaned daily

Sweet Home Hotel

Athens

Great location, friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Private Cruise to Southwest Coast of Naxos (Rina’s Cave & Mikri Vigla)

Naxos

Beautiful evening! George was wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike tour: Arches – Acropolis – Kolymbithres

Paros

A nice afternoon seeing the island from a different view. I just wish it was longer!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Rib Boat Cruise: The “ULTIMATE” Trilogy Sifnos-Kimolos-Polyaigos

Greece

We had to switch our trip to a slightly different one due to winds, but the replacement was just amazing. A great day of swimming, cliff jumping, and enjoying the beautiful area. Our two captains were just wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naxos Villages Food Tour

Naxos

A wonderful afternoon visiting the villages.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Delicious Athens Food Tour afternoon

Greece

We had SO much food. We walked around the main areas of Athens and learned history as well as tasting food. A great way to start the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Adrian was amazing. Easy to work with and ready to help resolve any last minute glitches and responsive to any questions that we had throughout the trip. For example, in Oban, Scotland we were scheduled to be picked up at 11:00 a.m. by a taxi (and driven to Edinburgh). A day or two before, we learned via the bus and ferry schedule that we would not arrive in Oban until noon. Peggy contacted Adrian and he quickly contacted the taxi company (we did not have the contact info for the company) and made the adjustment so that everything proceeded smoothly. We are pleased that we used kimkim services (and Adrian in particular) and would use kimkim again on a future trip.

Feedback on one excusion: The day trip from Edinburgh to St. Andrews and back. We were transported in a 16 passenger van. However the seats were so close together that there was not much leg room (especially for me at 6'3") and the seat back were so high that you could not really see the scenery as we were riding from point A to B. Personally, I would not want to do any future excursions in 16 passenger vans.

Activity Review

Fishing Villages of Fife & St Andrews from Edinburgh

Edinburgh

See my early comments in the general section re: the 16 passenger van

Transport

Michael was amazing

Hotel Reviews

Shilla Stay Busan Haeundae

Location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NINE TREE BY PARNAS SEOUL MYEONDONG 2

Seoul

Central AC is no good

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Busan Highlights with K-drama Spot

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Excursion to Korean DMZ + Suspension Bridge Tour

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Busan Sightseeing with Hot Springs Spa Experience

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover K-drama Locations in European Villages & Nami Island

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Gyeongbokgung Hanbok Dressing & Namsan Tower

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The land tour through Istria was tailored to our small group’s travel priorities. The itinerary balanced natural sojourns through national parks with cultural and arts interests in the historical old towns. Our personal driver was a pleasant and knowledgeable docent through town and country.

Kim-Kim team,
I rarely write reviews unless my experiences are exceptionally good or absolutely disastrous.
We have travelled the world extensively and utilized several travel agencies including great trips with KimKim several times. Historically, the trips have gone as planned with the activities and logistics going nearly flawlessly after extensive planning and attention to detail. Unfortunately, after numerous virtual meetings with our KimKim Travel expert, followed by numerous e-interaction interactions with the scheduler prior to the trip, the logistics of this trip to Sweden were absolutely a disaster!!! The activities, guides and accommodations were very good, however, the overall transport to and from activities (starting with not being picked up at the airport) along with several mis-bookings (one activity didn't actually exist), poor activity coordination and many miscommunications led to the most stressful trip I have ever experienced. We hired Kim Kim to ensure that we could be care-free. Ultimately, we had to literally planned much of our own trip on the fly with tremendous stress. This was also quite embarrassing for us because we planned the trip for 3 additional couples. If the management were to look at the numerous written and whats-app records of both the emergency hot line (that was worthless), and e-communications (to the trip planner and scheduler), they would see that there were numerous interactions from our landing in Stockholm until our departure. Unfortunately, the hot line and e-communications did virtually nothing other than to be verbally apologetic....virtually no actions that were helpful or taken when we needed them the most. I spent 40 years working for a large corporation as an executive and our mantra was "the customer is always right!". When your business is 100% customer service oriented it was unfathomable that was there was a nearly complete system failure once we landed in Sweden. After returning from our trip and we had several additional discussions with various KimKim employees, they refunded a small portion of the total trip as a token recognition of our unfortunate experience this time with KimKim. Personally, I would have expected more along with letters of apologies from all that were involved (along with management) for this debacle. Hoping that KimKim will closely review our situation carefully to ensure this never happens again! Nothing else needs to be said.

Our Kim Kim agent took the time to really understand what kind of vacation we were looking for. The hotels that were booked for us were absolutely amazing! The staff at each one of them were just as amazing and so welcoming. We never had to worry about a language barrier. Everyone spoke English so we were able to communicate beautifully. Our tour guide in Athens was so knowledgeable, we had such an amazing tour to the Parthenon. It is probably the most memorable part of my vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Plaka Hotel

Athens

This hotel is very quaint and charming. The rooms are cleanly and well kept. But the best part of the hotel is the rooftop bar and restaurant! There's no better view in all of Athens of the Parthenon.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Agali Houses

Firostefani 00

Beautiful hotel in a beautiful setting on the cliffs in Santorini. The rooms are modern very comfortable beds and a beautiful bathroom and shower. The outside was traditional picturesque Greek. They have a lovely pool and lounging chairs. We took advantage of the pool and patio everyday. They also have a bar and snack food which we used daily. The sunsets from our patio were truly amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Iris Boutique Hotel Paros

Naousa

This hotel is beautifully kept and centrally located near shops and dining areas, with just a 10-minute walk. The staff had many suggestions for us that were spot on. They were all so friendly and accommodating we hated to leave! The hotel was very clean and the morning breakfast had so many choices of delicious foods.

Authenticity & Character

So charming and picturesque inside and out. Just what you imagined it would look like.

Location

Staff

The staff gave suggestions on shopping and dining, they were so helpful. They always had smiles on their faces and were very welcoming.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds were very comfortable and the room was spotless.

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided Chasing the Santorini Sunset

Santorini

The most beautiful sunsets you'll ever see!

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Neighborhoods Walk

Athens

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Parikia & Naousa Markets Visit

Paros

Quality of Experience

Acropolis Beat-the-Crowds Discovery Walk

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Day Trip to Antiparos

Greece

I had not been able to have any beach time so we decided to go to the beach resort area. It was amazing! The cost of a beach chair right at the edge of the sea is minimal and the staff was very friendly with great service. The Agean Sea was absolutely beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Museum Visits in Athens

Athens

We were unsure of what museum we wanted to go to. A cab driver suggested the archaeological museum, and it is a doozy. We really enjoyed our visit here. It was truly a Greek experience.

Quality of Experience

Lenny was amazing. Otherworldly experience 3 weeks in Japan. Strongly recommend.

We had an extremely positive experience with KimKim! In 3 weeks we visited Brisbane, Uluru, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, and Sydney. It was nice to have the logistical details of a vacation with multiple locations left to the specialists. Prior to connecting with KimKim we knew where we wanted to go and generally what to do in each location but putting it all together was a challenge, so we turned to KimKim. Samantha and Lea were wonderful to work with! They were incredibly responsive to every question, presented good ideas/options, and we felt supported throughout our trip by the entire KimKim team. (There was one issue with a flight connection and the logistics team was on top of it – monitoring it on their end and keeping us updated throughout – we didn’t miss the connection!). I initially thought working with them just online would be strange – but I had one call with Samantha and then found it very efficient to communicate via the chat. I can’t emphasize enough how responsive they were throughout the process. Huge shout out to Lea who also made sure all the providers/tour operators knew of a serious food allergy and motion sickness issue prior to us arriving – very helpful.

I also recommend winter travel to Australia! Bring layers and you will be fine. It was off season in most of the places that we visited so nothing crowded. In fact, many “group” tours became our private tour! Winter is peak season in Uluru but that is a great time to go – otherwise too hot, plus sunrise/set at reasonable hours.

Highlights too vast to mention – trust KimKim will connect you with the right tour/activities!!

Hotel Review

Villas on the Bay Kingscote

Kingscote

We were very skeptical of the Villas prior to going. Kangaroo Island advertises high end resorts and this seemed very "basic." We needed , however, to stay in an apartment style hotel not an all-inclusive resort. Samantha assured us we would be satisfied with Villas on the Bay. She was right! Cleanest hotel I have ever stayed in! It was a good amount of space, supplied well, and the managers were fantastic and very helpful. It was easy to just walk into Kingscote at night for dinner. There is a trail along the water right across the street, and the pier to walk out on is a short walk away.

Authenticity & Character

Basic villas.

Location

Easy walk to pier and into town for dinner.

Staff

Very helpful. Allowed us to check in early so we could drop groceries since we had a late excursion.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless. Cleanest hotel I have ever stayed in.

Activity Reviews

Uluru Sunset Visit & Field of Light

Uluru

Wonderful way to start our Uluru experience (we arrived that afternoon). Although peak season at Uluru, it was incredibly quiet and peaceful. Really beautiful experience. The sparkling wine and canapes were a nice touch as we watched the sun set and the field begin to light up.

Quality of Experience

Flinders Chase National Park Day Trip

Kangaroo Island

Finders Chase tour w/ Exceptional Kangaroo Island – wonderful! Our guide, Shauna, was the best! Loooong day in the van but you hit incredibly gorgeous locations on the island. Shauna was knowledgeable and interesting, other guests delightful, and had a wonderful day! Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch they provided was very healthy and tasty! It was so good we even pulled down the recipes they posted on their website.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barossa Valley Wine Tasting Day Trip

Adelaide

Barossa tour with Small Batch Wines. Fabulous! Matt our tour guide was amazing. The vineyards we went to were a good variety – one small and one large. Lunch was at a 3rd vineyard. Lunch was extremely delicious! We were the only guests that day so it became a private tour. Highly recommend Small Batch Wines.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He personalized the experience. Also gave us space at the wineries (which some tours don't do -- the guide sits with you etc). Very enjoyable to spend the day with Matt!

Transport

Thank you for the seamless planning and logistics. Everything worked out perfectly with a great itinerary combining history, art and windmills! Particularly outside of Amsterdam, Lisa's suggestions took us to places that we would not have come up with on our own. Lisa also sent us a very helpful welcome package and clear instructions - was able to locate the package when hotel misplaced with Lisa's real-time whatsapp support. Finally the private tour of the Jewish quarter and local canal tours were fantastic

Hotel Review

The Collector Hotel

The Hague

Centrally located hotel - stylish furnishings, clean - great breakfast! A true gem!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Amsterdam - Canal cruise (join in)

The Netherlands

a fun trip

Quality of Experience

Amsterdam - Van Gogh Museum

The Netherlands

Amsterdam - Anne Frank House

The Netherlands

A must see in Amsterdam to see this in person will always with us - a sad story, difficult to imagine that such hate existed and what people did to survive. Bravery to hide the family

Quality of Experience

The Hague - Mauritshuis Museum

The Netherlands

So much amazing and iconic art in a beautiful, historical mansion next to the binnenhof

Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands

Amsterdam - Resistance Museum

The Netherlands

This was a wonderful - interactive museum Learned so much!

Quality of Experience

Delft - Royal Delft Blue Pottery

The Netherlands

Factory tour was interesting - very high prices at the gift shop!

Quality of Experience

Rotterdam - Kinderdijk windmills by water shuttle

The Netherlands

So unique and easy to get to - had to pay extra to get inside the mills and museums.

Quality of Experience

Rotterdam - Remastered

The Netherlands

this was a weird activity - it helped that we had seen many of the art in person or otherwise this would have felt like an acid / drug trip

Quality of Experience

Amsterdam - Private guided walking tour on Jewish History

The Netherlands

Tour guide was excellent - well-paced and informative, visited the Jewish and synagogue.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Public transport pass Netherlands (OV chip card)

The Netherlands

This was invaluable!!! We used all the time - once you get the hang of the train and tram system, you can travel like a local and save money

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great planning and a great vacation by KimKim. We had several guides, but both Louis and Alex stood out above the rest. Their level of knowledge, interactions with us and command of the English language were superb. Cannot recommend them both enough.

Hotel Reviews

InterContinental Chantilly Chateau Mont Royal, an IHG Hotel

La Chapelle-en-Serval

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Domaine de la Tortinière

Veigne

A beautiful Chateau! Would love to stay here again! Food was not as good here, but lots of options nearby.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Relais Saint-Michel

Le Mont Saint-Michel

Really cool hotel, so unique and amazing location and views!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Citadines Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

Great location, good AC.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Crémaillère

Courseulles-sur-Mer

The staff were so kind and helpful! Beautiful stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Mont-Saint-Michel Your Way : Abbey tickets included

France

Quality of Experience

Monet's Giverny House & Gardens self-guided day Trip (Tickets are not included)

France

We ended up skipping this, needed more downtime.

Quality of Experience

Exploration of the Château Clos Lucé : Entrance tickets included

France

Wrong tickets were uploaded to our app, had trouble getting in, but we did.

Quality of Experience

Immersive Sound and Light Show at the Invalides Dome

Paris

A unique experience, but feels like a money maker, I appreciate history more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Exploration of the Opera Garnier

Paris

This was great, but we were too tired having just landed hours earlier.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploration of the Château in Amboise : Entrance tickets included

France

Quality of Experience

Private American Airborne Divisions War History Day Trip

Bayeux

See other review for D-Day tour, all the same - Louis was the BEST.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Loire Valley Châteaux Day Trip: Chambord & Chenonceau

France

Alex was amazing, wishing we had more time as we loved hearing about the history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alex was very engaging and worked with my daughter to help improve her French.

Transport

Private Château Chaumont & River Cruise Escape

France

Our guide was not very engaging and little information to offer. She was unprepared for us, especially in not transporting us to the river cruise.

Quality of Experience

More engaged guide

Food

The lunch on the river cruise was one of our best meals.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Farmer's Market Day in Amboise

Amboise

Go early to get parking

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Mont Saint-Michel Day Trip

France

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Beach Day

Bayeux

Definitely needed this day of relaxing in between tours.

Quality of Experience

Private Omaha & Utah Beach War History Day Trip

Bayeux

Louis was the BEST guide! His level of knowledge and engagement were above and beyond. Wishing I had more time to do more of the beaches with him as a guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Louis was thoughtful, humorous, engaging and the most prepared with water for hot, hot days.

Transport

The vans were super clean and comfortable.

Private Notre-Dame & Sainte-Chapelle Visit with Priority Access

Paris

Felix was a great guide! Sainte-Chapelle was spectacular!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Seine River Cruise

Paris

Very relaxing and great way to see some of the sights while working through jet lag.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fabio executed our vacation flawlessly. He was willing to meet as often as needed and was a great communicator. From the very beginning planning stages he listened to what we had to say and worked with us to plan a lovely trip of Rome, Florence, and Positano, including day trips to neighboring towns. He arranged for hotels (within our budget), transportation (train and private car service), and excursions based upon our requests. He used top notch providers and bilingual tour guides. He was available to troubleshoot during the trip as well, and could always be reached throughout our trip. He made dinner reservations and recommendations, and was kind enough to assist our daughters with a rooftop reservation, even though they were not part of our trip.
Some of our favorite days were the wine tour at Rocca Farm with Martina and her family, and the Donna Rita cooking class in Sorrento with Giacomo and his parents. We definitely preferred the less crowded, more intimate tours.
Personally, the only thing I would do differently is I would build in a day or two to relax and just enjoy, but that was our decision to plan something daily, not his!
I highly recommend Fabio and his travel planning services. He is kind, considerate, attentive and competent, and an absolute pleasure to work with!

This was our second trip to Greece. We loved Milos and Naxos on our first trip. We decided on Crete this time with a return to Athens, of course. Once again, Angela did a great job suggesting and organizing everything, and was a great help when we needed to make some changes during the trip. The private beach club, pool and accommodations at Elounda Gulf Villas were wonderful!

Our 9-day trip to Japan was a whirlwind of last-minute planning, an ambitious schedule and special requests from our teens and we wouldn’t have made it without Ada and KimKim. They were our itinerary’s guiding light, wizards at scheduling and key factors in crafting the amazing adventure we just completed.

In mid-June, I started looking into Japan travel options, planning to leave the last week of June. I put together a rough itinerary and sent it to some travel groups to get thoughts on feasibility, additional options, and if they could help us coordinate things on the ground. Our family didn’t want a group tour and Ada, first to reply with a response that was professional and friendly, seemed to get that right away. She was always available for late-night or early-morning itinerary reviews, answered every question we had, made changes on the spot and never once mentioned how last-minute everything was.

Ada’s experience was clear, and I felt completely confident with her scheduling and suggestions throughout.

We left New York with a packed itinerary, tickets downloaded and easy access to everything we needed for the trip. Every part of the trip went exactly as planned, with drivers (and mini-vans), guides and all our bookings all uniformly excellent. The guides and drivers were always early, friendly, flexible and organized. On our first day in Tokyo, our guide patiently explained the city’s huge subway system—from buying tickets to reading the map and picking our seats - our kids felt confident enough to travel the subway solo the next afternoon.
One of our favorite guides was Yuki in Kyoto who maintained group calm and orchestrated a wonderful day despite heat, crowds and drooping family members. All guides spoke great English and were informative and hands-on without being overbearing.

Throughout the trip, Ada and her team were available and we felt supported every step of the way.

Now back in Brooklyn, our family of four gives Ada and KimKim 5 stars and would recommend them to anyone wherever they are in their planning journey.

I liked the way that the guides were able to tell us about the French cities we were visiting. They knew the facts of the cities and pointed out some of the highlights of the city. The guides were on time to take us to the locations we were to visit. They were easy pick up and easy drop off.

All-in -all, it was a memorable experience.

The trip was wonderful. Amanda understood our interests and knew the territory, and helped us craft a tour that fit our ideal itinerary with what was possible. Every arrangement went without a hitch. The guide and driver were more than excellent and the hotels exceeded our expectations.

Guilia and the KimKim team created an absolutely amazing Italian vacation for our family, including Florence, Cinque Terre, and Venice. Based on her knowledge and experience, she developed an agenda reflecting our schedule, interests and budget. We worked together via email, video chat, and text. She booked hotels, tours, and even car services for us! Once the itinerary was set, the KimKim app showed all the daily activities, stored tickets, and kept us organized. We found it so easy and stress free to have all the details and documents, easily accessibly, and to be able to reach Guilia and the team via Whatsapp or the App. We were coming Italy to attend a wedding and wanted to see the country and the prospect of trying to do all that for a family of 4 without Guilia's assistance would have been stressful and overwhelming. To quote our 23 year old daughter - was so nice to be a "travel princess" with everything arranged for us while still giving us time to explore on our own. The balance of booked tours and our own free time was perfect. We were planning on taking a train on our own to the Tuscan wedding, but when we learned of a possible planned train strike, one message to Guilia and a car service was arranged for us. We leave Italy with great memories thanks to Guilia!

Hotel Reviews

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

Small room for four but bunk bed made it doable, full breakfast, great neighborhood and quiet space. And full of art! Definitely highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Clean crisp feel to the room and common areas. Very well maintained

Location

Easy access from train, and then to walk or take a boat whereever you want to go

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palazzo Vannoni

Levanto

Great space for four people!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy walk, delicious breakfast - try the pine nut cake/torte

Staff

Provided great food recommendations

Cleanliness & Comfort

KOI - Ghibellina Apartment

Florence

Great location - plenty around it and very spacious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy walk to major sites, plus good food all around it, and very large space.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Half-day boat tour with apéritif - 3h (Small Group)

Italy

The whole family loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Norway June 2026 Review
We used KimKim for the second time to help with itinerary, activities, lodging etc for a 2 week trip to Norway. We were very happy with how everything turned out, much like our first trip two years ago using KimKim to visit Ireland.
We were delighted to work with Mathia on all our planning, especially as he lives in the area where we were spending quite a bit of time. To have someone that is boots on the ground and intimately familiar with where you are traveling is invaluable.
Outside of spending a couple days in Oslo (beginning) and Bergen (end), we spent the majority of our time up north in the Lofoten, Versteralen, and Senja islands. Incredible scenery, activities, people and food. It is hard to pick a favorite, but a few highlights were our stay in Reine (the Reine Rorbuer was our favorite lodging, so historical and authentic), the Trollfjord silent (electric boat) cruise in Svolvaer, the bike ride around the Versteralen island, and pretty much all of Senja - we stayed in Mefjordvaer and thought it was the perfect location.
When traveling to this part of Norway, the weather can be rainy and it it’s important to be flexible on plans, on short notice. This is where working with Mathia was so helpful. Not only did we have great communication and rapport with Mathia during the planning phase of the trip, he checked in with us regularly, and assisted in adjusting plans where needed. An added bonus was getting to meet him in person in Versteralen. Although the plan was to do a hike with him, weather was not great, so he had a good plan B to tour a historical home in the area and then we had coffee and just chatted for awhile after that. You learn so much from spending some time with people who are local, and Mathia being willing to do that with us was so special and meaningful,
So kudos to everyone involved in helping make this trip a reality for us, and to those who may be traveling to Norway, I hope you can work with Mathia as well. He is an awesome trip planner, really listens, has great communication, and is just a very special person.

Hotel Review

Reine Rorbuer

Reine

Our favorite accommodation was definitely Reine Rorbuer in Reine. The retrofitted fishing cabins over the water were rustic but cozy and authentic. The location was stunning, and the place had a very special charm and character that we loved. It wasn't the most luxurious, but it was perfect for us as we prefer mid-range accommodations and don't spend much time in hotels. The breakfast was amazing, and the nearby restaurant and a little Italian place in the village were fantastic. Overall, it was a very special and beautiful place to stay.

Activity Reviews

Arctic Trails Hike

Svolvær

We did the Arctic Trails Hike with a wonderful guide, but unfortunately, it rained the entire time. We had to cut the hike short since the views were not visible due to the weather. Despite the rain, we made the best of it and appreciated the flexibility of the guide and the experience overall.

Bike Trip Around Hadseløya

Stokmarknes

The bike trip around Hadseløya was a fantastic experience. It was about 26 miles around the island, and it ended up being just the two of us and our guide, who was an amazing local in his seventies but very fit. He had lived on the island for 40 years and shared many interesting stories. We had lunch halfway through the ride, and the scenery was breathtaking. It was a full day of biking and learning about the local culture, which made it very special.

Trollfjord Cruise

Norway

The Trollfjord Cruise was really awesome. Even though the weather was not perfect, drizzly and overcast, it was still a great experience. The cruise was a highlight of our trip and we enjoyed it very much.

We had a great time in Japan. I love the Kimkim app. Everything is well organized and it was very easy to get the day-by-day details. It is convenient that you can add attachments like the Shinkansen tickets. I wasn’t sure how that was going to work, especially since it was our first time taking the bullet train.

Eleanor did a great job putting our itinerary together. It was very easy to communicate through kimkim to work on the itinerary. It was easy to communicate with Eleanor during our trip.

The tour guides were fantastic. Yumi, Asuka and Yukiko were all very knowledgeable and communicated well. They each had notebooks with more details during our tours.

I researched about how much the hotels and tours would cost before I connected with kimkim. So when Eleanor asked about the budget, I was able to give her the budget. She stayed within our budget.

The only thing that I would do differently is to add a couple of days to our itinerary. I would add at least one day of “rest” after three days of touring or maybe even after each day of touring. But the itinerary was built on what our planned stay already was.

Overall, I am very pleased with how this trip worked out. Our itinerary went as planned. It was a great trip and experience. I will definitely use Kimkim again.

Hotel Reviews

Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza gochome

Tokyo

Nice hotel in the middle if Ginza. Very nice breakfast. The hotel has three washer and dryers for the entire hotel, This hotel was the last one we stayed in on our trip. So I wanted to do some laundry, but the washer/dryers were in continuous usage late at night and even early in the morning. I gave up in doing the laundry! Fortunately, we had enough clean clothes to finish out our trip. If we really need to do laundry, I would have/ could have used the hotel’s laundry service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the train stations, site seeing , restaurants and stores

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Forza Osaka Namba Dotonbori

This kind of an unusual location in the middle of the Dotonburi. We didn’t realize that we couldn’t take a car right up to the hotel. Our driver dropped us off on a street as close to the hotel ad possible. The hotel is a bit obscure. The lobby is on the third floor. We quickly figured it all out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is a great location for exploring the Dotonburi.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Very nice location. It is close to the Shinkansen station so we were able easily walk to the hotel. The cafe had great breakfast with lots of selections.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the train station, restaurants and department stores

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Tsukiji

Tokyo

The rooms were comfortable. It was great having a washer/dryer in the room. I didn’t have to pack as much since I knew that we coul wash our clothes. The breakfast was very good with lots of selection. I was disappointed that the restaurant was booked out for a private event our first two nights there. Usually we like to eat at the hotel on our first day if arrivals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was close to everything - train stations, restaurants, 🏬

Staff

Everyone at the front desk were very helpful,

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer from Kyoto to Osaka via Nara

Japan

We started to tour in Nara-machi. We visited two old homes, We visited Nara Park. Our first activity at Nara Park was to feed the deer! Then we walked to Todaji temple and saw the great buddha daibutsu. Daibutsu-san was awe inspiring. The Kasuga shrine area is beautiful.

Quality of Experience

The Diabutsu is beautiful and breathtaking.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Asuka-san and the driver were very nice.

Transport

Family Kyoto Sightseeing: City Highlights & Arashiyama

Kyoto

We learned a lot about Japan’s history. Nijo castle was very interesting. The singing floors were a special experience. At first, we thought there were birds nearby. Asuka-san is very knowledgeable. She had a book containing a lot of information that she used to explain the history. The Arashiyama bamboo forest was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Asuka-san and the driver were very nice.

Transport

Hakone Exploration with Mt. Fuji Views & Volcano

Japan

We really enjoyed the tour of Hakone. The ropeway to Owakudani, and boat ride on lake Ashi and ropeway to mount Komagatake. Yumi-san was very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Yumi-san was very knowledgeable. She prepared us for what to look for before the cable car reached the top of the area where it opened up over Owakudani area where we could see the volcano area. That definitely helped us pay more attention as we came over the top. She told us about the black eggs so we definitely bought and ate some!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was aware of the traffic by using a gps navigator app. He told us how long it would take to reach Hakone. On the way back to our hotel, traffic was building up so the driver(I think his name was Oh-san), took the backroads to save time, which was a fun and scenic drive. And he saved a lot of time.

Transport

From Osaka: Himeji World Heritage with Scenic & Culinary Kobe

Osaka

Himeji castle tour was amazing. We learned a lot. Yuki-san did a great job explaining the history of the castle and Japan. We then had lunch nearby. Afterwards we toured the Kokoen garden. Then we proceeded to the Herb garden in Kobe. We were late getting to the garden and didn’t have time to walk down through the garden.

Quality of Experience

The notebook that Yuki-san was very good with lots of information.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alexia was responsive in handling the logistics of our trip. However, I substantially designed the itinerary myself, so my feedback relates to the execution rather than the planning.

My primary disappointment was the selection and oversight of the local guide. For a premium private travel experience, I expected much stronger vetting and quality control. When concerns arose, I did not feel that my interests as the client were the primary focus. Instead, I often felt that the priority was accommodating the local vendors.

I also would have appreciated more proactive advocacy on our behalf once it became clear that the guide was not meeting expectations. Ultimately, the execution fell well short of the premium experience we were expecting.

Activity Reviews

Towers of Notre-Dame Before Hours

Paris

This was, without question, the highlight of our trip to Paris and exceeded every expectation. Having access to Notre-Dame before it opened to the public made the experience incredibly special. The peaceful atmosphere allowed us to fully appreciate the beauty, history, and significance of this remarkable cathedral without the crowds. What truly made the experience exceptional, however, was our guide. She was engaging, exceptionally knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and wonderfully prepared. Every moment was filled with fascinating history, architectural details, and stories that brought Notre-Dame to life. She had an incredible ability to answer questions, adapt the conversation to our interests, and make the experience feel personal rather than scripted. If you have any interest in history, architecture, or French culture, this experience is absolutely worth adding to your itinerary. It was the finest guided experience of our trip and one we will remember for years to come.

Quality of Experience

The exclusive early access transformed the entire visit. Being able to experience Notre-Dame in a quiet, uncrowded setting made it feel far more meaningful. Combined with an outstanding guide who continuously shared fascinating history and architectural insights, the experience felt immersive, educational, and truly memorable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was exceptional—engaging, highly knowledgeable, enthusiastic, well prepared, and genuinely passionate about Notre-Dame. She made every moment interesting and brought the cathedral's history to life

Transport

Transportation and logistics were seamless. Everything ran on time, allowing us to focus entirely on enjoying the experience.

Private Paris Fashion Experience & Immersive Store Visits - Day 1

Paris

This was, unfortunately, the most disappointing experience of our trip. We booked a private experience expecting a highly personalized, engaging, and seamless day. Instead, the tour felt unprepared, disjointed, and largely unengaging. There were extended periods of silence with very little historical context, conversation, or storytelling, and much of the day felt like simply walking from one location to another without the added value that a private guide should provide. The guide's attention frequently seemed divided by coordinating other tours and promoting her own book, leaving us with the impression that our experience was not her primary focus. There were also unnecessary delays and awkward lulls caused by transportation and logistical coordination that should have been anticipated in advance. Additionally, portions of our itinerary were changed without consulting us, and I found the guide's communication style to be abrupt at times. I was also uncomfortable with the repeated insistence on handling my personal phone after I had declined. In contrast, our private guide at Notre Dame was exceptionally engaging, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and well prepared. That experience demonstrated exactly what we expect from a premium private guide and made the shortcomings of this experience even more apparent. My advice to future travelers is to confirm who your guide will be in advance and ensure your expectations for the style of the experience are clearly communicated. A great guide can make a private tour unforgettable; unfortunately, this guide made what should have been a highlight of our trip the most disappointing part of it.

Quality of Experience

The experience would benefit from being far more engaging and personalized. There were extended periods of silence, very little storytelling, and limited historical or cultural context. A private guide should provide insights, conversation, and perspective that guests could not easily obtain on their own. The tour often felt like simply walking between locations rather than a thoughtfully curated private experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide should be more attentive to the guests and less focused on other responsibilities during the tour. Throughout the experience there were frequent phone calls and messages coordinating other tours, as well as discussion promoting her own book, which made us feel that our tour was not her primary focus. I also believe guests' personal boundaries should be respected. I was uncomfortable with the repeated insistence on handling my personal phone, and my decision to decline should have been accepted without question. Finally, I would recommend stronger vetting to ensure guides are engaging, enthusiastic, well prepared, and professional in both their communication and demeanor.

Transport

Transportation logistics should be much better coordinated. There were unnecessary delays and idle periods while transportation was being arranged, which interrupted the flow of the day and contributed to long stretches where nothing was happening. A private guide should anticipate these logistics in advance so transitions feel seamless and guests remain engaged rather than waiting while arrangements are made.

Great trip to Argentina. I visited Buenos Aires, El Calafate and Salta. Everything went as planned, all the tours and transfers were always on time. Great service all around.

Hotel Review

Dazzler by Wyndham Buenos Aires Palermo

Buenos Aires

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full-Day Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

Impressive. This was probably my favorite tour of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport