Kimkim Trip Reviews

The trip planning and recommendations by Ben were superb. The local guides (Yo, Roy and Ricky) were very friendly and went out of their way to ensure we say everything. 10/10.

Hotel Reviews

Candeo Hotels Osaka The Tower

Osaka

Incredible views from the Onsen.

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Mercure Hida Takayama

Takayama

Laforet Club Hakone Gora Yunosumika

Hakone

Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku

Tokyo

Unbeatable location. The breakfast, while good, was not at the same level as the other hotels we stayed at and there are no public baths.

Activity Reviews

Osaka Exploration: Castle, Cuisine (Ramen Included), and Sky-high Views (Private Guide & Public Transportation

Osaka

Day in Arashiyama: Rickshaw Rides, Bamboo Strolls, Serenity at Three Temples, & Delightful Encounters at the Monkey Park with Tea Ceremony with Public Transportation

Kyoto

Day Trip Itinerary to Shirakawa-go from Takayama with Public Transportation

Takayama

Shirakawa-go is incredibly beautiful and it was a nice change from the big cities.

Private transfer from Tokyo to Hakone via Mt. Fuji

Japan

Tokyo Skytree, Sumo Experience & Michelin Tempura Tour with Public Transportation

Tokyo

Tokyo One-Day Public Transport Tour: Tokyo City Exploration: Tsukiji, Shibuya & Afternoon Independent Leisure

Tokyo

We loved that, Gummy, being a local, shared his passion for Iceland. The information and insights he provided were excellent. He recognized and catered to our interests and needs. We enjoyed all of our activities - it’s hard to pick a favorite.

Moonika did a wonderful job planning our trip. It was an experience me and my children will cherish forever. We particularly enjoyed our bike tour of Helsinki and walking tour of Tallinn. Thanks, Moonika!

We loved working with Kim Kim. Sydney was excellent in creating an itinerary that fit three generations of interests including the mythology tour of the Acropolis, the food tour in Athens, the day trip to Delphi, and our farm visit/cooking class in Naxos which was our favorite. The experience so relaxed having every transportation connection pre-still planned, organized and payed for. Thanks Kim Kim.

While our guide changed several times, there seemed to be a smooth transition to the next person. When we had questions or needed assistance the guides were quick to reply, and helpful. Setting up our rental car and accommodations was excellent. We didn't use the service for too many excursions other than a guided bike and hike which were both excellent. We stayed in three different places over just over two weeks. Accommodations were all excellent. We didn't really care for our first town, Lake Garda but enjoyed Lake Iseo, and loved the Dolomites.

Hotel Reviews

Waldrast - Forestside Living

Siusi (BZ)

Beautiful hotel set within walking distance to the trails and Gondala ride. They include guided cycling and hiking day adventures which was really nice. While several hotels participate in this shared offering, there was only one other couple for our bike day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Romantik Hotel Relais Mirabella Iseo

Clusane Iseo (BS)

Loved this hotel up on the hillside. Beautiful surroundings and lovely staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Piccola Vela

Desenzano del Garda

Wonderful hotel with great service. All people were very friendly and the food was excellent. We had a wonderful dinner. The grounds of the hotel were relaxing and peaceful, out of the business of the town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Walking the Dolomites: Guided Hike on Alpe di Siusi

Italy

The guide was absolutely excellent. We had a very full day on Alpe di Siusi and it was one of the highlights of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved our trip and it was well planned. Any questions or problems were answered quickly and resolved quickly.

Hotel Reviews

The Roseate Villa

Bath

Nice hotel but no lounge areas to congregate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Slaughters Manor House

Lower Slaughter

Great hotel and great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy drive to towns

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hidcote Manor Gardens

England

Beautiful even in the rain

We had a 2 week trip in Greece visiting Athens, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Santorini. From the moment we asked the Kim Kim team to help us plan our holiday they were very helpful and took into consideration our families preferences and what we wanted out of the holiday. It is too difficult to choose our best destination as all the destinations offered something unique. The assistance whilst we were on holiday was amazing, and the app is a great feature so we could access trip details at any time. Everything went smoothly and we had a great balance of free time and excusrions to fill our holiday with great memories. Thank you to Marianna and the Kim Kim team!!

Hotel Reviews

Blue Dolphins Hotels & Villas

Firostefani, Santorini

Lovely hotel with amazing views and a great sized room and balcony. Shame there wasn't a pool but still loved this place!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lagos Mare

Naxos

Nice hotel, good location and good sized pool

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paliomylos Spa Hotel

Naoussa

Beautiful views from the hotel, very cute and quaint accommodation with really helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The George Hotel

Mykonos

Favourite hotel for pool and outdoor space with a 9 year old. Really close to the beach and very friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amalia Hotel Athens

Athens

Great location, nice size room, with beautiful views

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Diamond Caldera Morning Cruise

Santorini

Great trip and lots of opportunities to swim. The food was delicious and service was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Daily Traditional Boat Tour

Paros

This was a lovely trip, but unfortunately the weather wasn't very good on the day so we didn't get to do much off the boat which was a shame.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delos & Rhenia Morning Sailing Yacht Cruise

Mykonos

We loved this tour, great team, good amount of time on the island and great amount of time moored with the ability to swim and fish and delicious food.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nikola meticulously planned our 2-week Croatia/Montenegro tour. We were able to tailor the trip to our needs, and it had a good mix of free time as well as tours organised by Kimkim. We were informed daily as to what was happening via WhatsApp.
The accommodation was superb. We had a variety of hotels, boutique hotels, villas and apartments. Their location was perfect and convenient in the town which we were staying.
The local guides and drivers were friendly, informative & professional.
It was great not having to think about transport whether it was by car or boat.
Our entire trip was exceptionally smooth and would highly recommend Kimkim for travel planning.
Thank you

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Neptun Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Got an upgrade to Royal Blue. Lovely view from our room. Lots of facilities. A short bus ride to the Old Town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Korcula Hill

Korčula

Apartment living. Very relaxing. A short drive to the centre of town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Nora Hvar

Hvar

Lovely villa. Restaurant amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Hotel Fermai

Split

Beautiful hotel - a short walk to the centre of the city

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Teatro Verdi Boutique Hotel

Zadar

Lovely boutique hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dubrovnik

Zagreb

Convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the centre of city.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Day Trip to Montenegro - Perast & Kotor

Dubrovnik

Driver very good. Local guide very friendly & informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Local Guide very friendly and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Boat Tour to Blue Cave & Pakleni Islands

Croatia

Did get to the Blue Cave due to tides so had to go other places.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Split

Croatia

Local guide very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Walking Tour of Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

Local guide very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Using KimKim was one of the best decisions I made when planning a trip to Japan for my son and I. It was so nice to not have to agonize over which hotel to stay at, which train to take, which sites I should go see, and many other very important/stressful things I didn’t have to worry about since Bella ( my trip planner at KimKim) had already taken care of it. She was wonderful to work with the entire way through my trip. She was super flexible when I realized my 15 year old son and I needed more flexibility than having an actual guide with us everyday midway through our trip, she pivoted and was able to give us all the reservations for us to explore alone, rather than with a guide. They booked so many cool experiences for us that I wouldn’t even know existed ( kimono wearing tea ceremony, monkey park, romantic train, water front shrine in Hakone). We loved our guides we did have- big thank you’s to Yo and Frank for making our trip stress free, informative, and lots of fun. Bella, Yo, and Frank made my son’s and my trip to Japan so much fun and not at all stressful, and for that I cannot thank them enough! I would use kimkim again in a heartbeat!

Hotel Reviews

Citadines Namba Osaka

Osaka

Great location and had bigger rooms. Only downside is you could hear trains when they were rubbubg ( like 5am on) nice bright room with all the amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Great location, next to train stations, but no amenities and a little far from the sights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to Kyoto train station, but farther from sites.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No ameneties ( qtips, razors, etc)

Hakone Hotel Kowakien Tenyu

Hakone

The VIEW! And the baths. Wish I stayed here a couple more nights. Absolutely beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro

Tokyo

Breakfast was so good! Hotel was a little out of the tourist area, which we found to be nice and relaxing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Osaka Exploration: Castle, Cuisine & Sumo Culture(Private Guide&Public Transportation)

Osaka

The sumo show was great fun for my teenage son and I. The castle was magnificent. We ate conveyor belt sushi for lunch ( something we really wanted to try-so fun!)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hidden Paths of Arashiyama: River Journey, Moss Temples & Bamboo Whispers（Private Guide, Public Transportation）

Kyoto

The boat was shut down due to high/ rough water, so we did monkey park and romantic train instead. So much fin and absolutely beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour by public transport in Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Shrine, Nikishi Market, Converyor belt Sushi , Samurai and Ninja Museum and Tea Ceremony

Kyoto

The shrine is beautiful- go early for less crowds. The tea ceremony was amazing. You get to dress up in beautiful kimono and learn about why they have tea ceremony then make your own matcha tea. So fun, so worth it!

Quality of Experience

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Transport

Fuji Five Lakes Tour, Transfer to Hakone

Japan

The sites are beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yo and driver were wonderful

Transport

Half-Day Tokyo Tour by Public Transport：Tsukiji Outer Market, Sushi-making class and Free Afternoon

Tokyo

So fun. Sushi making was hands on and so tasty?

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was well conceived and coordinated. The level of reliability was very high for on time meetings, timely information, and delivery as promised (sometimes more than promised).
Heidi did a great job of creating the itinerary and coordinating every single detail including help with the visa process.
Amongst the guides, the standout guides were Justin (zhangjiajie) and Rose (Shanghai). They went beyond their brief, were very flexible and quick in adapting to our requirements, and went out of their way to make us feel comfortable.
The quality of the hotels that we stayed in was excellent. The cars provided in all locations (except Beijing) were comfortable and the drivers very good. The car in Beijing could have been bigger - it was too cramped especially for my daughters who were sitting in the third row.

What could have been better? We would have liked to receive more proactive suggestions from our local guides on what places to visit after our day with them was over. Only when we questioned the guides intensely, did they come up with suggestions. I am surprised that places like Datang Everbright in Xian were not on our itinerary or even suggested. There are so many places in each city that are worth visiting and should have been a part of the suggested list.

Activity Review

Dujiangyan Panda Base Volunteering Day Trip

Chengdu

I did not like this activity. The volunteering work isn't much really and feels very inconsequential. Much ado about nothing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Quality of food here was very average. We did not like the lunch served at the Panda base.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was very well organized, seamless transitions, all transfers were timely, we never felt rushed, short of time or being late. Jessica was sending us messages with heads up before every event and/or transfer. The hotels were excellent and in great locations, right in the middle of the activities and sightseeing places. The tour guides Sebastian, Danny and Kim, did a great job. We spent long days with them. Excellent English, very nice presentations, and the fund of knowledge, perfect pace and very informative! We felt we were very well taken care of.
On a separate note, I booked this trip only three weeks before the actual departure date, so everything was sort of last minute. I was very impressed at how quickly kimkim managed to create a very nice itinerary and do all the booking. So, thumbs up to your whole team!

Fabulous support all around--from Alex and his epic planning and clarity, to the support during the trip with my changing some plans around. The hotels were fabulous, the adventures planned were spot-on. I will book with Kim Kim again and have already recommended them many times!

We recently took a 9-day trip to South Africa, which was arranged by Kimkim Travel Agency and tailored to our specific needs. We visited multiple places (cities and safaris) by car and plane. The agent named Nokuthula meticulously planned each day, with every detail in mind, and ensured the accommodation met our standards and that each connection was seamless and timely, such as airport pick-up and drop-off. During the trip, Nokuthula would text us with updates each day, making us feel more secure and safe in a completely unfamiliar environment. Whenever we had a question, her response was always within a few minutes. We are very impressed with her work ethic and dedication.

We would highly recommend Kimkim and Nokuthula to our friends who are interested in visiting South Africa. No one will be disappointed if they choose Kimkim to be their travel agent.

We had a great time. All the connections between stops worked out just fine. The guides were wonderful. Enjoyed our time there very much.

If you're a travel advisor collaborating with a multi-generational family on a stay in Tuscany and/or the Amalfi Coast, you owe it to yourself to reach out to Italy Charme (Melanie is my go-to there) to have as your in-country partner. They go above and beyond to make sure clients experience Italy like a local! No question I (or any of my clients' 1000s ;)) had was too difficult (or dumb) for them to assist me -- making me look like the expert in the US with my expert partners in-country in Italy. We had worked on this itinerary for over 6 months, and Melanie (and the rest of the team at Italy Charme) allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief, even while my clients (family of 10, ages 3 to 85) were going from one villa to the next . . . and all the little towns worth seeing in between. I wouldn't hesitate to collaborate with Melanie and her team at Italy Charme with future client requests in Italy!

Jamal is the best guide I’ve ever had! From the moment we arrived, he went out of his way to make us feel comfortable and safe. We ended up going out the wrong door at the airport, and he called us to figure out our location and find us. We didn’t have to stress at all, especially since it was late at night.

Every day he came to pick us up, he was punctual and friendly. When we needed more time to get ready, he was patient while also making sure we had enough time to enjoy our day full of activities.

Jamal was honestly one of the highlights of the trip! He went above and beyond by taking photos for us, making sure I had snacks and plenty of bathroom breaks (which I especially appreciated since I’m pregnant), sharing his knowledge of the different cities, and keeping us entertained during the long drives. We’ve been telling all are friends and family about his amazing hospitality!

This was my second client trip in Italy, where I was able to collaborate with Melanie and her team at Italy Charme. Her (and their) assistance in helping me understand the intricacies of the two destinations that I wasn't that familiar with (Palermo/Sicily, and Puglia) was how it started, and their care for my clients during their entire time in Southern Italy-- even changing tours at the last minute-- was the icing on the cake for how they made us look like Rock Stars to our shared clients. They even assisted me with snags that neither of us could have planned for (caused by the clients) without creating more chaos or issues. I highly encourage other Travel Advisors and agencies to collaborate with Italy Charme for your client needs in all of Italy-- you won't regret it!

We had an amazing 2-week trip in Bali and Lombok! First, everyone loooooved Tejaprana Resort and Spa in Ubud. It was amazing in all ways -- the property, our rooms with pools overlooking the jungle, the spa, the food, the service, the passionfruit drinks! We stayed for 5 nights and could've stayed longer.
Mt Batur hike - It was exactly what we anticipated. Glad we had a beautiful sunrise as we knew that's not guaranteed. The hike was tough in parts but totally worth the 2am wake up call.
Bike ride from Kintamari -- This was in the top 3 activities for the group. Amazing day! The two guys from Infinity were wonderful. It was an exhilarating day cycling through the villages and countryside.
Cooking class -- Excellent. However, it lacked some "intimacy" because of its scale. There were 3 other classes happening at the same time. Good food in a beautiful home, though. [I'd skip the market tour next time.]
Overall food in Ubud -- We ate really well...from Compound Warung to Mozaic. Breakfast and snacks at Tejaprana were delicious!
The traffic in Ubud was NO JOKE. We were glad we hired Edi to get us around a couple of those nights. We did use Grab a few times and that worked out for us, as well.
Budi (tour guide)-- What a great guy! So full of life and an amazing sense of humor. We enjoyed our time with him which was only the one day (as we did Pasir Putih the following day instead of Lempuyang). We got to Besakih early before the crowds which was really nice. We had the place to ourselves. And Tirtagangga brought a smile to our faces. Who doesn't love feeding koi and eating ice cream? :)
Amed -- Stayed at the Griya which had pros and cons. I think we would have given it 5 stars had we not just stayed at Tejaprana. The coastal view from the pool made up for it, though. And good food in their restaurant.
We opted for a day at Pasir Putih beach instead of visiting Lempuyang due to the crowds. Edi (driver) took us. He seemed pleased that we wanted to go there. Wow what a beautiful beach. Quiet. Cheap, great warung food and beers. Perfect weather. Super relaxing. A memorable day for us.
Sunset boat ride and BBQ -- The boat ride was lovely and HOLY COW the BBQ was amazing. We didn't know what to expect but it exceeded our expectations! Quite a spread.
Our guide in Lombok-- Maliki! Too much to type but we will probably keep in touch with him. Really great guy. :)
Snorkeling was a good day. So many turtles which made it memorable...a really nice day on the Gilis and in the water.
The Mahagiri Villas in Sanur were great. We arrived and checked in and congregated at one villa, ordered a bunch of snacks and beer, sat in the pool. We were happy.
Then we pulled ourselves together and walked the backstreets of Sanur and wished we had had one more night there, fyi. Lovely town. Walkable. Hit the night market. Ate dinner on the promenade. It was an ideal final day.
And Edi (our driver).
EDI!
Loved him. He's great. We established so much trust with him. What a good guy.
Last but certainly not least -- Marc. Our travel specialist. We were so glad we took his advice on so many things...staying at Tejaprana (it wasn't our first choice), the bike ride he picked, hiring Edi for additional driving services. I could go on and on. Marc is a great communicator and we were tough customers. We highly recommend using Marc. We'd take this trip all over again.

Lucie was instrumental in setting up a fun and realistic itinerary for our trip to France. She was very responsive to all of our inquiries both before and during the trip and managed many important details for us. Chloe was great on our walking tour of Aix en Provence. Greg was an informative guide for our trip to the Luberon Villages. Thank you for your support and would definitely use your service again.

We went to Japan for 11 days. I will not lie to you and tell you that I was not nervous. However, been with kimkim made this so easy. We had amazing guides who all spoke English justice fluently as I do. We had drivers Medicine train stations and airports. They would not leave until they were ensured that we were checked into the hotel. I have not had a more seamless vacation in the United States and to have this kind of experience in a foreign country was nothing more than a miracle. I cannot tell you how skeptical I was about this, but our tour guide, Hal, in Tokyo had spent 12 years in Houston. Our tour guide in Kyoto, Khang, was actually in the United States Navy and grew up in California. Our tour guide in Osaka had spent eight years in United States. Not only do they speak the language, but they also helped us negotiate prices on things we were trying to buy. For example, my wife wanted to buy a fairly pricey purse at one of the resale shops in our tour guide, not only recognized that we were being up charged than negotiated down the price. I wish that I had done this years ago. If this is what traveling the world was like, then I have absolutely no reservation reservations.