Kimkim Trip Reviews

My wife and I signed up to go on a transatlantic cruise from Spain to the US. Since we had to fly to Spain we thought we would take advantage and spend a week in Spain prior to boarding the cruise in Barcelona. I did an internet search of travel agencies that specialized in Spain and Kimkim was one of the ones that popped up. I sent the request and a short time later I was contacted by one of their representatives by the name of Coraima. She was one of their Spain specialists. We discussed the things we would like to do, see and experience while on our trip. She took the information and said she would get back to us with some options. The next day she sent us various options and suggestions to review. After we reviewed them, we discussed with her which ones we preferred and which hotels we were interested in reviewing. Shortly thereafter she sent us a revised itinerary to review. After a couple of tweaks we finalized the trip details. She also made sure that our passports were current and other such details. This was about a month prior to the departure date, As the date became closer she and another agent named Summer would keep in contact to make sure that everything was proceeding according to plan. They were also very responsive in answering any questions that we may have thought of during the period leading up to the departure date.
In one instance the tour company we had booked a tour with had to cancel our scheduled tour at the last minute due to the venue having to close on the day we were to tour. Summer quickly notified us and shuffled our itinerary so that we could still do the tour we desired.

There is always concern when you select a travel agency “in the blind” without a recommendation from someone that you trust. In this case we could not be more pleased with the results. Both Coraima and Summer demonstrated a complete knowledge and understanding of the areas we wanted to visit. They perfectly balanced a professional attitude with a very friendly demeanor. They were always responsive in a timely manner and very patient with our numerous questions. During the trip they contacted us through the Kimkim app to make sure everything was going per plan and that we didn’t run into any problems. We can’t praise and thank them enough for their efforts which resulted in the perfect trip we hoped for when we first planned it. We would not hesitate to use them again should the opportunity arise nor hesitate to recommend them to anyone who asked our opinion of Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Havana

Barcelona

Great hotel. Breakfast offered many different options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Centrally located. Taxi stand right outside

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room Mate Alba

Madrid

Room was nice . Breakfast was ok but nothing unique. We would satay here again

Authenticity & Character

Location

Conveniently located

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Park Güell & La Sagrada Família Experience

Barcelona

The La Sagrada tour was very good. Guide was very knowledgeable. It is a 5 for the La Sagrada and less for the Park Guell. We did the park at night and it was very cold so we couldn't enjoy it as much

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport was not part of the tour. However where the Park tour ended there wasn't any taxis or buses available. Tried calling a taxi but I guess he got lost. Finally a taxi showed up and there client never showed so he took us.

Gothic Quarter Tapas Walk

Barcelona

This was one of the best tours we took. Excellent guide who was very knowledgeable not only of the tapas but also the history of the area. Highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

took taxi so not much to say

Short Prado Museum Visit with Skip-the-Line Ticket

Madrid

Excellent tour. Primarily due to the tour guide (Maria). She was very knowledgeable, professional, friendly, and made this very enjoyable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Took taxi so not much to say

Malasaña Flamenco Experience

Madrid

Excellent show

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Took a taxi so not much to say

Penedès Vineyards, Wines & Tapas Day Trip

Barcelona

Tour was ok, but we went in the spring so there wasn't much to see in the vineyard. Vines were pruned so no activity. This tour would be better later in the year when the grapes were picked and wine being made. The wine tasting and the Tapas were delicious

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Title: The Perfect Balance of Freedom and Support in Iceland

We had an incredible experience working with Gummi for our week-long self-guided driving tour in Iceland. From the very beginning, the planning process was seamless and genuinely enjoyable. Gummi took the time to listen to what we wanted and crafted a flexible itinerary that perfectly matched our travel style.

The materials he provided - detailed itinerary, driving directions, and helpful notes - gave us the confidence to explore independently while still feeling supported in an unfamiliar country. It was exactly the balance we were hoping for.

During the trip, Gummi was always available to answer questions and help us adjust plans when needed - especially when extreme weather forced a couple of changes. His responsiveness and expertise made all the difference.

Our most memorable activity (though it is hard to choose!) was the Ice Cave tour with Siggi.

This truly was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and we are so grateful for Gummi’s guidance and care. We would absolutely work with him again and recommend him without hesitation.

Activity Reviews

Myrdalsjökull Glacier Snowmobiling

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Breiðamerkurjökull Ice Cave Small Group Adventure

Iceland

By far our best activity. We had never experienced anything like the ice caves. And the quality of the tour with Siggi was so special. Would highly recommend adding this to your trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Siggi was an amazing guide - so knowledgeable and kind. He created a special day for us!

Transport

We had an amazing time. I appreciate that you were able to squeeze so many activities in for us because we are busy bodies. It was nice having the assistance of drivers and tour guides for the personal touches they offered. Especially loved Yukiko Yoshida, our guide in Kyoto. She was incredible! She had great energy to her, was incredibly knowledgeable, gave us really cool history lessons and context to understand better everything we saw. The food tours were also great because they helped us acquaint ourselves with the cities in a casual way. We enjoyed the ramen class but we felt it took too much of our time in retrospect, so we will likely not do cooking classes again in the future unless we don’t know what else to do. The kendo class was silly fun but we thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was a fun contrast to the formality of the tea ceremony! Of course skiing in Nagano was incredible and getting to see the snow monkeys while it was snowing was magical. We can’t wait to come back and explore more of the beautiful and dynamic country!

Hotel Reviews

Kokuya Ryokan Shibu Onsen ( Shibu Onsen Kokuya )

Our experience at this hotel was one of the most pleasant on the trip. It was very private, very peaceful, very magical. Our meals here were some of the best we had on the trip, having a private on sun was incredible and suited our comfort level with public nudity haha. We felt very taken care of here and wished more places were like this!

Authenticity & Character

We felt immersed in Japanese culture

Authenticity & Character

We felt immersed in Japanese culture

Location

Perfectly situated in the onsen town

Location

Perfectly situated in the onsen town

Staff

Overly helpful haha

Staff

Overly helpful haha

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well taken care of, very comfortable. Very clean. Mattress pads on the ground can only be so comfy haha

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well taken care of, very comfortable. Very clean. Mattress pads on the ground can only be so comfy haha

Shiga Kogen Prince Hotel

Nagano

Comfortable hotel but it does show its age a bit. The staff was wonderful and the facilities were easy to navigate. Ski in/ski out was awesome though! The rental shop is smaller than big resort shops so be patient. I unfortunately had to wear ski boots that were half a size too big

Authenticity & Character

Very authentic. The MCM vibes were strong in the room.

Authenticity & Character

Very authentic. The MCM vibes were strong in the room.

Location

Ski in/ski out, some of the best runs on a powder day.

Location

Ski in/ski out, some of the best runs on a powder day.

Staff

Very respectful, cordial, and helpful. Took every opportunity to please us

Staff

Very respectful, cordial, and helpful. Took every opportunity to please us

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, beds were comfy, but the space overall shows it age and feeling a bit lost in time. Nothing was wrong with it, it just felt like it was straight from the 70s

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, beds were comfy, but the space overall shows it age and feeling a bit lost in time. Nothing was wrong with it, it just felt like it was straight from the 70s

Mitsui Garden Hotel Jingugaien Tokyo Premier

Tokyo

Beautiful, clean modern, it was a sophisticated way to spend our first nights in Japan. Conveniently located, made it easy to walk from there or take public transportation.

Authenticity & Character

Delicious breakfast

Location

Walkable to cool areas

Staff

So respectful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pristine

Activity Reviews

Learn the Secrets Behind Ramen in a Cooking Class

Osaka

It was a fun experience to learn how the broth and Ramen are made, but in retrospect I think what I was really hoping to make was more of an udon noodle. We appreciate it, however that the techniques we are in there are very easily reproducible at home, especially because we already have a noodle adapter for our KitchenAid.

Quality of Experience

Gyoza and Ramen are delicious! It was fun to cook too!

Quality of Experience

Gyoza and Ramen are delicious! It was fun to cook too!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were super friendly and helpful. They were very careful to make sure we were doing everything correctly so that we could take our technique home with us.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were super friendly and helpful. They were very careful to make sure we were doing everything correctly so that we could take our technique home with us.

Hiroshima Peace Walking Tour at World Heritage Sites

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was hilarious and well informed. She went out of her way to take nice pictures of us and also was good about giving us tips somewhere to eat the rest of the week.

Samurai Sword Experience for Adults in Kyoto

Kyoto

How can you not have fun learning how to wheel a sword?! Playful, short and sweet, though I wish we had time to spar or something.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

We had so much fun, getting dressed up in traditional garments and learning about the tea ceremony. Everyone got an opportunity to take pictures in the Japanese garden in our fineries, and it was very pleasant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tokyo Highlights: Sensoji, Tsukiji & Imperial Gardens

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

We had a lot of delicious food, but most importantly it was a really nice primer for the area

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto’s Timeless Treasures: Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kyoto Imperial Palace & Fushimi Inari Taisha

Kyoto

Our tour guide on this trip was incredible. She was super informative, was great about giving us lots of background information, and kept us moving so that we didn’t miss out on anything.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guðmundur Óli (Gummi) was incredibly helpful for all my trip planning, all my questions and creating an amazing itinerary that left us breathless! He helped us see the northern light on the first night! He was easy to get in touch with and helped us miss a snow storm. Thank you Gummi and KimKim. Will definitely recommend!

Hotel Reviews

Vík Apartments

Vik I Myrdal

Great location! Right across from a grocery store. Go to Skool Beans!! You won’t be disappointed

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stracta Hotel Hella

Hella

Loved the bartender Melina from Poland!! She was so nice and we had a great chat!! I wish her the best of luck getting her farm with chickens to make her Polish cake. I hope she sees this (from Natalie!!)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Baron

Reykjavík

Wonderful place in the city. Close to everything. Staff was excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshótel Reykholt

Reykholt

Great hotel and lived the jacuzzi. We missed our second morning of breakfast so we were bummed as I knew we paid. We were promised a bagged breakfast with sandwich, fruit, pastry and juice. Just make sure you check your bag. All we got was a sandwich and juice. But the hotel is beautiful!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Glacier Ice Cave Experience

Iceland

Truck got stuck multiple times. They didn’t let us stay long in the cave. Wish it would have been cancelled and refunded for the time and experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Víðgelmir Lava Cave Experience

Iceland

Great experience. I was nervous to go but it was well worth it and not as hard as I thought. Garreth was an amazing guide!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver Khalid was absolutely outstanding- his driving was outstanding- his knowledge was brilliant and he was a joy to travel with and was incredibly helpful and willing to go anywhere we asked.

Ravi was always available for us… Super helpful and very knowledgeable… his detailed and thoughtful planning really made our trip special

Hotel Reviews

The Oberoi Rajvilas

Jaipur

Imagine traveling back in time to the golden age of the Mughal emperors… that’s the impression that Juan experiences when they arrive at the Oberoi Rajvilas… elegant facilities, beautiful gardens, fantastic team… Amazing overall experience

Authenticity & Character

Literally like stepping back in time to the Royal Mughal period in India…

Location

Located near the famous pink city of Jaipur… the hotel isn’t oasis of beauty with grounds like Royal Gardens, pavilions, peacocks, beautiful, bungalow, suites with so much privacy and peace and quiet…

Staff

Doctor, friendly, energetic, always available, an amazing team… Everything was incredibly well done…

Cleanliness & Comfort

A beautiful sweet with a lovely view… thoughtfully furnished… Super comfortable… Spotlessly clean…

The Oberoi Amarvilas

Agra

We arrived late in the afternoon to an incredible view of the Taj Mahal from our lovely room with a balcony…Oberoi hotels are always excellent, and this one it was no exception… Very friendly, helpful team, great food, beautiful grounds, and facilities… Super location within minutes of the Taj Mahal…

Authenticity & Character

With grounds that looked like the gardens of a palace, and a view of the Taj Mahal, as well as well appointed rooms and public areas… Such a beautiful place…

Location

Literally a few hundred yards from the Taj Mahal… The perfect location…

Staff

Friendly and helpful 24 hours a day… Always available… A fantastic team

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was spotless to clean and well appointed with beautiful furnishings, reflecting the palatial feel of the entire resort…

The Oberoi New Delhi

New Delhi

Quiet, tastefully, decorated, everything we needed in our beautiful suite… Lovely staff, who are always attentive and available to help… Great location… Beautiful view of New Delhi… The restaurants are excellent, as well… A wonderful stay… We would highly recommend anyone coming to Delhi to stay at this beautiful hotel

Authenticity & Character

Classy, beautifully decorated, amazing staff

Authenticity & Character

Classy, beautifully decorated, amazing staff

Location

Close to the areas where we had our tours, so it was very convenient

Location

Close to the areas where we had our tours, so it was very convenient

Staff

Available at any time of day or night to help out… Very knowledgeable… Always warm and friendly…

Staff

Available at any time of day or night to help out… Very knowledgeable… Always warm and friendly…

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotlessly, clean and well appointed

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotlessly, clean and well appointed

Activity Reviews

Spiritual Walk in Jaipur

Jaipur

We spent the evening at a local temple and observed special worship service

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our Active India guide, Mr. Safya was excellent

Transport

Mr. Brijesh is the best

Food Walk in Agra

Agra

We really experienced where the local people of Agra eat…small street food and back street sources….amazing

Quality of Experience

Gritty and real local eateries

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taj Mahal Sunrise Visit

Agra

We met our guide before sunrise and headed toward see the Taj Mahal as the sun came up…quiet and beautiful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Active India is a great team

Transport

Agra beyond Taj: Leave for a Mughal Heritage walk

Agra

We traveled through the city of Agra to a spot on the river with a view of the Taj Mahal at Sunset… Although there are many people around, the site is unbelievably beautiful… we also toured the very first marble mausoleum ever built!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide, Mr, Sharma, from Active India was excellent…very knowledgeable

Transport

Mr. Brijesh was a safe and excellent driver…very professional

Street Food Tour

Delhi

Mr. Dharmender took us on an incredible food tour of old deli… several little shops on side streets… we tried everything from sweets to savory foods and delicious beverages… it was a lot of fun and Mr. D is very knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

So many Wonderful flavors

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Old Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

Mr. Dharmender took us on the amazing walk through the monumental district of New Delhi and the historical old Dehli… we went to an historic mosque, explored the back alleys, rode in a bicycle rickshaw, and visited a Sikh temple…

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mr. Dharmender ( guide) and Mr. Brijesh (driver) make a great team

Transport

Mr. Brijesh was a skilled, safe driver… Very polite and very helpful…

We had a great time in Australia. The hotels chosen were decent with very good location. We would have preferred more with complimentary breakfasts. The tours provided were good with knowledgeable guides. We were disappointed to not be able to do the Sydney Opera behind the scenes tour due to a mistake by kimkim. This was a complicated tour that had some communication issues. The difference between a great tour and a good tour is how you handle the details.

Our trip planner, Guilia, was excellent. Her responses on text and e-mail were immediate and she was able to orchestrate many moving parts seamlessly. I loved the personalized travel application for each family member since we had a number of schedules to manage. I loved the kimkim communication platform which help me organize my thoughts and respond quickly for answers I knew and later for things I had to delay. It would have been helpful to know in advance the walking times to our various tour destination points. A preprinted map with meeting points, restaurants and bars may have been useful. Our cooking class was delightful but it was scheduled at 7pm and the pasta was finished and served at 9pm. It was also not enough to be considered dinner for six people. It was a snack and would have been a nice light lunch or day activity. Our tour guides were very sweet and knowledgeable but we suffered from tour guide fatigue and had to cut our last (4th) tour short. Also, next time I will ask the planner to add restaurant recommendations to use as a starting point for planning. Hotel location on the water was perfect for our family of adults with plenty of cafes and space for gathering. We loved our sunny weekend in the fascinating city of Venice. Thank you!

We really did have such a wonderful time! The only feedback I would offer is that it would be helpful for the guides to have a deeper knowledge of the specific tours they’re leading.

Our most incredible guide was Yukiko—she was so knowledgeable, engaging, and just a joy to be around. We truly loved her! Takashi and Mayomi were also great, but Yukiko really stood out. She taught us so much, and it made the experience even more fun and meaningful.

Thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into planning everything—it truly was an incredible experience. The hotels were amazing as well, especially the last one—The Patina…wow, it was so beautiful.

I also absolutely loved the hot springs. Such a unique and memorable experience, and we felt amazing afterward!

This was our first time using KimKim and we could not have been more pleased with the arrangements that were made for us. Shona made all the plans and booked all of the activities for us. She booked activities such as a cooking class, foodie tour, digital art museum, Shibuya Sky observation deck, etc. These were activities that I didn't know about, or would not have thought of, but each one was enjoyed. She, of course, also booked all transportation, tour guides, and hotels.
The tour guides made our lives easier because they know their way around and speak the language. We could have made this trip without using KimKim, but it would not have been as good and as easy as it was with KimKim.
I highly recommend using KimKim, you will not be disappointed.

Flor is the best!! Kind, helpful, efficient!
She made everything so easy, so patient with all my questions and changes!! Our trip was amazing!!

Kimkim did an amazing job with our trip. During our trip, we had a few snags (not by them) but the team was there to help guide us during a difficult time during our trip. Once everything got corrected , we got back on track, with no worries if something else came up unexpectedly. We knew they would be there!
I will be booking my next vacation through this company and many more.

I found Kimkim while looking to book a birding trip to Costa Rica. I love that they put us in touch with local experts while providing an easy-to-use planning platform. We just got back from a Costa Rica birding trip planned by Yuliana and I can say that she put together a thoughtful, well-planned out trip that delivered exactly what we were looking for - birding experiences, off-the-tourist track, ecolodges, and the feel of Costa Rica, on a limited budget. The trip included a well, thought-out driving schedule and pre-booked birding guides along with enough free time to do some hiking or extra tours on our own if we felt like it at the time. Yuliana answered my questions that I dropped in the chat box in a timely manner. The only negative that I had was that I did not get the detailed package drop as soon as I would have liked. I think at least 2 weeks before a trip would be a better timeline than one week.

Guide Joao in Evora was amazing. He had lots of good information and we learned alot about the history of the city. We took a tour of a wine estate that was also superior. The guide there drove us around the estate, telling in detail about cork production and olive oil production, showing us the animals on the estate and capping the visit off with a wine tasting that was truly one of the nicest wine tasting I've ever participated in. We were seated outside with a gorgeous view, tasted numerous wines and had delicious cheeses to sample We also had a walnut tasting as the nuts are also raised in the vineyard.
OUr guide in Belem was named Rui. He had a vast store of knowledge of not only the monument, Belem tower and the Monastery but also the history of portugal and its role in Europe's wars.
Upon the advice of Coraima we drove through Arrabida Park on our way to Lisbon. The views were breathtaking. Well worth the extra time it took.
Finally our food tour was fun and educational. Our guide (can't remember her name) was great at explaining the food but also the history of the neighborhoods we were walking through.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MouraSuites Hotel

Largo da Porta de Moura, 7000-647 Évora, Portugal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Private Alfama Walk & Fado Dinner Performance

Lisbon

Driver made us late to dinner The restaurant owner sat us in a corner and didn't ignored us for the most part. We didn't eat or drink till almost 10 pm. The food was OK. I would not recommend this particular restaurant or driver.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Portuguese Food Walk

Lisbon

great guide fun couple that we shared the food tour with

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

From Palaces to the Edge of Europe – Sintra & Cabo da Roca

Lisbon

The interaction between our local guide and the guide inside the Pena Palace was awkward. They had just changed the "rules" and weren't allowing the local guides to conduct the tour inside. There was obvious resentment about the change and it was a bit uncomfortable. Otherwise our guide tried very hard to accommodate us and show us everything we wanted to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Alentejo Farm and Winery Experience

Évora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From beginning to end our recent trip to Japan exceeded our expectations,

Bella, our Travel Specialist, designed and coordinated our dream trip. She was extremely knowledgeable of Japan, very responsive to the myriad of questions we posed to her, professional, and very personable. She made the planning of this trip very easy. Bella coordinated all the transfers and tickets and we never felt alone in Japan.

From the moment we set foot in Japan our guides Roy and Hiroshi were very knowledgeable of the history, culture, country, cities, and places we visited. We had many questions of what it was like to live in Japan and as well as the customs and practices of the Japanese people. They shared their knowledge and experience of their life in Japan in an easy and personable manner. We invited them to dine with us and they were superlative dinner guests. They made themselves available to us even after they dropped us off at the hotel. They watched over us to the point of assisting Larry with walking and carrying his backpack. Roy, just before our Go Kart experience in Tokyo, turned to Larry and said "Take care of Patty".

We have used Viking cruises and Viator to travel in Europe but by far KimKim provides the easiest, most immersive experience, fun, and pleasurable experience! ,

All the transportation and guide services we used were excellent. Two of the three lodgings arranged for us were perfect. Big thumbs up for Erini!

Amazing itinerary! Michelle was professional and always customer-focused. Highly recommended.

Our family of four (two adults, two kids ages 11 and 12) just returned from an 8-day trip to Costa Rica — our first time — and it was incredible. Elena, Nancy & Adrian at Serendipity Adventures planned everything: airports transfers, two fantastic properties (Arenal Springs Resort and Hotel La Mariposa), and a full slate of daily adventures across Arenal/La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio.

The itinerary was perfectly paced. We hiked Arenal Volcano and the La Fortuna Waterfall and walked the hanging bridges above the rainforest canopy with our excellent and personable guide Mariano, we went whitewater rafting on the Sarapiquí River (Flow Trips was great!), flew through the trees on Sky Adventures zip lines, explored Manuel Antonio National Park with a guide (big shoutout to Soccio and his son/CR's next best guide, Luther, from Endemic Birds), and wrapped up with a catamaran cruise. Every activity was age-appropriate and kept the whole family engaged. All pickups, transfers, and logistics were handled seamlessly — we never had to figure anything out on our own.

There was one minor hiccup on our first full day where a miscommunication about pickup time caused us to miss an excursion, but Elena and Adrian jumped on it immediately and made adjustments to make it right. That was the only issue across the entire trip, and how they handled it actually reinforced our confidence in them.

If you're considering Costa Rica and don't want to deal with the stress of coordinating everything yourself, I'd highly recommend Serendipity Adventures. Elena was responsive, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and clearly knows the country inside and out. We'd book with them again without hesitation.

Our week in Seoul was more than we ever could have imagined. Prior to our trip, we had lots of questions and Jessica answered every question thoroughly and completely. From the moment we arrived at the airport, we were picked up and driven to our hotel which was perfect! It was so nice and perfectly located to everything we could want or need. Our private guide, Hera Kim, picked us up on our first day and we were off and running. Gyeongbokgung Palace and hanbok rental was our first adventure and she guided us through and explained the history behind it all. Everything we did and everywhere we went, she gave us detailed information and descriptions. I felt super comfortable with her and we became good friends! Also, our private cooking class with Yum2Lab, Esda, was incredible. We were lucky enough to be in the class by ourselves so she gave us her undivided attention and we learned so much. The meal we prepared was delicious and she explained everything and was so sweet and friendly.

If we ever return to Seoul, we will definitely go through kimkim again and request the services of Hera. She was absolutely incredible! She took all the pictures we could have asked for without having to ask! Our day at the DMZ was amazing. Although fast paced and busy, we could not have navigated that without her. We learned so much from her and hope anyone who visits Seoul can have someone like her to guide them through. It's always a challenge traveling to a foreign place but she made us feel right at home and like a great friend!

Hotel Review

Stanford Hotel Myeongdong

We enjoyed the hotel very much. The staff was super helpful and friendly. We spent a little time in the hotel bar and the lovely young lady who waited on us both times was incredible. So sweet and friendly!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect location! Steps away from anything you could wish for!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Korean DMZ and Hongdae Shopping Street Tour

Seoul

Hera Kim gave us a quick history recap before we left and was right by our side for the entire day. We could not have done it without her help!

Seoul City Tour with Cherry Blossom Spots: Yeouido Park and Namsan

Seoul

The day was perfect! Thanks to our guide, Hera Kim!

Korean Full-Course Meal Cooking Class at Local Home with Local Market Experience

Seoul

We

Quality of Experience

Food

It was delicious! We ate all of it!! Definitely the best meal of the entire trip!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Esda was incredible. We took taxi and he was a little hard to communicate with and had trouble finding the place but we eventually made it.

Transport

It was a bit confusing trying to get to the location. We were not aware that we had to arrange our travel on our own. The hotel called the taxi for us but the driver had some trouble locating the address. Thankfully, our cooking instructor was waiting for us and even called to make sure we were coming.

We started working with Doris over a year before our trip and had to postpone until March 2026 due to family illness. Doris told us no-problem and picked up our trip planning as soon as we were able to travel - and she did a FANTASTIC job for us! Our trip was very active with many different cities, flights, hotels, and activities - everything was flawlessly organized. Using an in-country expert makes a huge difference as we wouldn't have had the expertise or contacts to organize the trip. Our hotels, while not chain's known to us were all very nice - much cleaner and more luxurious than an average US Marriottt. The food was equally high quality and the service outstanding - warm and welcoming. Our tour guides - 3 of them during the trip - were all knowledgeable and eager to assist us and to showcase their home region. Transportation was easy with a dedicated driver in clean and safe vehicles always available to maneuver chaotic streets carefully and calmly. It's really nice to come off a 14-hour flight and have someone with a sign waiting for you to help with your bags and take you to your hotel! Overall, I can't say enough good things about Doris and about KimKim. I highly recommend both!

Hotel Reviews

La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa

Very nice rooms and good location. Close enough to walk into town but not right in the middle of the madness.

Pilgrimage Village Hue

Hue

Clean beautiful rooms in a resort environment. Pool area was quite busy but overall experience was very nice.

Emperor Cruises Halong

Ha Long Bay

very nice room. we would have liked to "cruise" more as we were mostly anchored in the bay but overall enjoyed it very much. Food and service were excellent.

Peridot Grand Luxury Boutique Hotel

Hanoi

Cool hotel in a chaotic part of Hanoi. Near train street. Very clean with great service and food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Hoa Lu, Ancient Capital - Tam Coc Boat Trip

Vietnam

The trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, including the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and the Tam Coc Boat Trip, was a beautiful experience. The long drive was a bit tiring, but the spectacular scenery on the boat trip made it worthwhile. Despite the hectic travel, we appreciated the chance to see such a stunning part of Vietnam.

Hue: Thuy Bieu Ecovillage, Cooking Class & Imperial Citadel

Hue

The day trip to the Thuy Bieu EcoVillage was probably our least favorite activity. While it was nice to experience more of the local area, we felt like it took us away from the relaxing atmosphere of Ha Long Bay. We would have preferred to spend more time on the cruise enjoying the scenery rather than packing our itinerary with more activities.