Kimkim Trip Reviews

I have used Kim Kim twice for planning trips. My experience could not have been more different for each trip.

The reason is that Kim Kim simply assigns your trip to a local travel agent for each trip. They do little quality control or monitoring or supervising to see if planning or execution of the trip is proceeding well. So it’s the luck of the draw as to whether or not things work out.

My first trip to Portugal was spectacular. Our trip was assigned to an agency who carefully listened to what we wanted to do, found the perfect guide, transportation and accommodations based on what we said we wanted and stayed in touch with us throughout the planning process and the actual trip.

Our second trip to Portugal was assigned by Kim Kim to a different travel agent, located in another country. That trip turned out to be a miserable experience. Among the problems:

1. The transfers provided by that agency were hit and miss. One transfer did not have a child seat as we requested. One transfer didn’t show up at the airport when it was supposed to. One transfer dropped our party off at the wrong hotel, leaving the party to walk in the pouring rain to the correct hotel in the middle of the night. Another transfer was given the wrong address by the travel agent, miles away from the right villa in the Algarve.

2. This travel agent demanded full payment early on in the process but would not turn over travel documents until a few days before the trip. When I finally received the documents (accommodations and transfer details), the booked tours and transfers were still incomplete.

I asked for a preliminary itinerary with details a month before the trip (three months after I had paid for the trip) so that our three families could get together to discuss them. Not only was it not provided, but no one even replied to me from the assigned travel agency. The agent simply ignored me.

3. The travel details provided days before
the trip included very problematic issues. For instance, the details said that often flights that time of year were full and it took longer than an hour to go through customs and immigration. It ALSO said that your transfer companies would not wait longer than an hour and, if that happened, you were on your own. Had I known this way back before I was made to pay the bill in full, I would have foregone the transfers and just gotten Ubers at the airport. What a racket. They make you pay for the transfers then, right before the trip, tell you that you will probably be too late to get the transfers and have to get an Uber anyway.

4. When we experienced the many issues with this trip, often the travel agency was closed and you had to solve the problem yourself.

5. Early in the planning process, I asked for private tours. I got drivers with varying degrees of knowledge. Only one of several was a tour guide with substantial knowledge and information.

I loved Kim Kim after my first trip to Portugal but I will not use them again. Kim Kim’s success is only as good as the random agency they assign you to.

Hotel Review

Vincci Baixa

Lisbon

The hotel was okay but the location in Lisbon was different from the area I initially requested.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Finding us a hotel where I requested the location,

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Privately Guided Visit of Belem

Lisbon

This guide was excellent along with the provided coach.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Excursion to Óbidos, Nazaré & Fátima

Portugal

The driver/guide knew little about the destinations and left us to ferret out information in each location.

This was my first experience with KimKim and we would definitely use them for our next trip as well as refer them to our friends. Chiara did a great job of getting to know us and what our interests are; she created a plan that catered to our needs and interests. She is based in Italy which was a bonus! We spent 4 days in Rome and 4 days in Tuscany. During our trip, we had give different tour guides. Lea, who gave us a tour through Vatican City, was great. Her knowledge and excitement of art history really shined through during the tour. Francesca helped up eat our way through Rome. We learned so much about the not only the food but the history of city. Our tour of the Colosseum was terrific! Our only mistake was to tackle Vatican City and the Colosseum in one day. Do these on two separate days! In Florence, Stefan gave us a great walking tour of the city that ended with seeing the statue of David. We now have a much greater appreciation for the architecture and history of the city. The last day trip was a small group tour of three wineries. Chiristine and her colleagues were fun and informative. This was such a fun day; we not only had great wine and food, we met fun travelers from all over! KimKim arranged for the purchase of tour tickets, train tickets, hotel stays, and private transportation. We completely underestimated how many tourists are in each city so having all of these things prearranged for us was very much appreciated. In addition to all of the arrangements, Chiara provided us with a list of great restaurants to try in each city. Lastly, KimKim sends you reminders each day of what to expect the following day that included links to tickets and locations to meet our guides. They were also very quick to respond during the trip with any clarification questions. All around, this was a great experience!

From the very beginning in Zagreb, to the end in Cavtat, every detail was perfection. Our guide in Zagreb , Josipa was outstanding. Our driver Matej who picked us up in the airport , and also drove us to medvedgard castle was on time and very professional. Our guide Mario for Plitvice Lakes was very knowledgeable and easy to work with. He also had a lot of information about Zadar and Trojir. Our split guide , Pero, was great also! The cooking class was great! All of our hotels were terrific! Thanks to Robbi for choosing great accommodations. The only complaint we have is that we had rain one day!!! But we made it work and we know that is no one’s fault. I would highly recommend using Robbi as a travel agent and your guide. His portion included a great trip to Ston and oyster tasting. Thank you again for everything!!!

We absolutely loved both places we stayed in Tuscany. They were magical! We loved all of our activities and drivers (except one grumpy one after our bike tour.)

Hotel Reviews

Relais Le Clarisse Rome

Rome

The staff is wonderful. The room was very small and an odd set up. We didn’t LOVE the location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Boutique Villa Liberty - Depandance Hotel - Borgo Capitano Collection - Albergo diffuso

San Quirico d'Orcia

If you want to feel like royalty, stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Romitorio di Serelle

Barberino di Val d'Elsa

The views, accommodations and food are unparalleled.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Olive Oil & Wine Tasting: a True Taste of Tuscany

Italy

we were both so surprised how much we enjoyed this activity and just how much we learned on it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vincenzo is an absolutely amazing driver and went above and beyond to chat with us, answer questions, and educate us. He was always very, very concerned about our comfort level etc..

Tuscany by E-Bike Through Chianti’s Heart: From Radda to Volpaia

Italy

This was probably our least favorite activity. We biked 40 Km which we absolutely were not expecting. And since it was in sienna, it was almost all on gravel roads. There were portions of it where we were truly off Roading uphill in the gravel, thank goodness the two of us are in decent shape and very coordinated. I honestly don’t think the average person would’ve been able to do this. The lunch we ended up having was absolutely beautiful and breathtaking and we will remember that forever! When I have done a bike tours in the past, there was a lot more scenery involved, and I was disappointed in that part of this

Quality of Experience

Food

The place where we stopped for lunch is a place we will remember for the rest of our lives

Guides, Drivers and Staff

our guide Sarah was absolutely delightful. And our driver on the way there was also very very friendly. But the one that picked us up was Cleary annoyed because he was told to be there at 2:30 when the bikes were actually ended at three but we ended up all finishing at 3:30. He did not hide his annoyance at all

Transport

Please see above review of driver

A Tuscan Day: Pasta Cooking Workshop & Wine Tasting a Countryside Estate

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip to Peru. The KimKim team planned an adventure that touched on many different activities including a food tour in Lima, a Hacienda luncheon in the Sacred Valley, 4 wheeling to salt mines, the rainbow mountains, a luxury train ride to Punta, a boat trip to the floating villages with a luncheon at a private residence. Then, there was the Inca Trail hike which was both challenging and amazing with a culminating visit to Machu Picchu. We were impacted by altitude and could have benefitted by an additional day acclimating so that should be a consideration for anyone visiting Peru. And this is an early to bed, early to rise trip as most of the tours start early to beat the traffic and because some locations take longer to get to than the distance implies. Our hotels, particularly in the smaller towns, were quaint with impeccable service. Guides were generally knowledgeable and easy to understand. Everything went pretty smoothly; pickups were as scheduled and there was a lot of coordination between our guides and our drivers. Highly recommended!

We did a Seoul City tour with Lisa Choi! We learned a tremendous amount of Korea history which helped the rest of the trip. Then we toured Suwon with Sophia. This was a great chance to get out of Seoul and see more. Our trip to the night markets was fun and delicious with Yoon. Thanks so much Jessica! We got information in time but I would have loved to have had it a week in advance.

Activity Reviews

Taste the Night: Seoul’s Ultimate Street Food Adventure

Seoul

We arrived late and our guide was very kind to include us fully. Yoon was terrific!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korean Folk Village and Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Tour

South Korea

This is was a good way to get out of Seoul and learn more history. Suwon had more outdoor space for us!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seoul City Sightseeing Tour Including Gyeongbokgung Palace, N Seoul Tower, and Namsangol Hanok Village (Join in)

Seoul

A great way to learn Korean culture and history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The planning process with Anders was great. The hotels selected in each city were in the best locations. The rooms we were given often were not top rate and when I asked for a different room, e.g., with a view or a larger room, upon checking our booking the hotels were unable to accomodate us. Our driver in Norway, Lene, was fantastic. She planned our days well and went out of her way to help the Hernas members of our threesome find their ancestral home towns. All of our other drivers and guides were top flight. Our only issue was that it took several tries to convince Anders that only Deborah and I were travelling to Finland. Even when he finally adjusted the room bookings, he did not adjust other reservations like the ferry to Estonia. Fenne straightened things out while we were there.

Hotel Review

Scandic Grand Central Helsinki

Helsinki

Great location in the heart of the city. Our room was tiny, the only one of the floor that had a former office divided into two rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Helsinki To Tallinn Private Day Trip with Old Town Tour & City Sightseeing

Helsinki

Tallinn was wonderful. It has a great old walled city with lots to see. Our guide was very knowledgeable about it and made it a fun day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porvoo Private Tour with Helsinki Highlights

Helsinki

This was a highlight tour while we were in Finland. Porvoo is a quaint waterfront city with an old shopping district. We also enjoyed the Sibelius monument and the rock church in Helsinki. Our guide, George, was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained the whole day. The only reservation we had was that he insisted on telling us about sauna even after we told him we have one in our home in California. I didn't need to be sold on sauna.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Geirangerfjord Cruise

Geiranger

The Fjord itself is spectacular and the cruise well paced to allow you to enjoy the waterfalls and other sights.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Geiranger Skywalk Visit

Geiranger

The trip to get there takes you out of your way to the fjord itself. The view from there is spectacular overall, but the Geiranger Fjord is but a speck in the distance.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cider Tasting with Food Pairing

Balestrand

Although I was a bit skeptical about this going into it, the experience was really fun. The owner walked us through a tasting of ciders and then paired them excellent food choices. I was not a cider drinker before this, but I have gained a whole new appreciation for the genre.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise

Bergen

This was not a worthwhile cruise in our view.

Oslo Private Driver for a Day

Oslo

Lene was fantastic, not just this day but for the whole time we were with her in Norway. On this day, she exerted her "site location" skills from the movie industry to help locate the villages where Deborah and Pat's ancestors once lived.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lene!

Transport

We were so pleased with the itinerary Uma prepared for us and the incredible attention to detail she brought to our experiences. She stayed available to us the whole trip, rescuing me from a customs' mishap, and making on the fly recommendations when one excursion got cancelled due to weather. We felt so cared for and genuinely enjoyed working with her! So much so, that I booked another trip with Kimkim before even embarking on our New Zealand trip!

Hotel Review

Legacy Te Waunui

Franz Josef

The staff paid such personalized attention to us, and the dining room was always warm and inviting.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Jetboat Ride to Huka Falls

Taupō

My four year old daughter and I loved this!!! My son... not so much ;-) Definitely fast, you'll definitely get wet!

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

Our tour guide was so funny and engaging with my kids!

Enjoy the panoramic view of Auckland from Sky Tower

Auckland

Not for the faint of heart! Gorgeous views

Wētā Workshop Unleashed

Auckland

My kids were so invested in the miniature mountain and castle, and loved the final movie experience.

Perfect trip, very well executed by local team! Highly recommended Kim Kim!

We had an amazing trip to Peru. The KimKim team planned an adventure that touched on many different activities including a food tour in Lima, a Hacienda luncheon in the Sacred Valley, 4 wheeling to salt mines, the rainbow mountains, a luxury train ride to Punta, a boat trip to the floating villages with a luncheon at a private residence. Then, there was the Inca Trail hike which was both challenging and amazing with a culminating visit to Machu Picchu. We were impacted by altitude and could have benefitted by an additional day acclimating so that should be a consideration for anyone visiting Peru. And this is an early to bed, early to rise trip as most of the tours start early to beat the traffic and because some locations take longer to get to than the distance implies. Our hotels, particularly in the smaller towns, were quaint with impeccable service. Guides were generally knowledgeable and easy to understand. Everything went pretty smoothly; pickups were as scheduled and there was a lot of coordination between our guides and our drivers. Highly recommended!

We enjoyed our 19 day Italy trip very much. Everything went very smoothly and we did ALOT!
Our driver Dino in Sorrento area was a standout. Polite, punctual, helpful and friendly. He was also quite informative seeing as he was a driver and not really a guide.

Justine was an amazing resource for our family of 4 first international trip to France. She thoughtfully planned a trip catered to our wants and wishes, not just a packaged itinerary. Overall our days were seamless and well thought out. Activities, sight seeing, food, culture and relaxation…she helped us balance them all! I would suggest Kim Kim to others and plan to use them again myself in the future.

Hotel Reviews

La Bastide de Moustiers

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

There are no words, and certainly 5 stars is not even enough. I could have spent my entire vacation here. Spanish, provential, mountain retreat. We spent just a few days exploring the nearby Verdon Gorge. Despite all its natural beauty the kids would still ask if we could just go back to our amazing hotel room! Space for everyone and beautiful private serene grounds to recharge and relax in.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Royal Garden Champs Elysées Paris

Paris

Great home base in Paris. Central location for walking to many sights as well as great food nearby. Excellent petit dejuener on site too. Family apartment provided all the amenities to make it a home away from home; fridge, microwave, tea kettle, coffee, daily water, balcony, and dining table.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rock climbing initiation (2 hours)

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Top favorite activity for both our kids ages 8 and 15. They had climbed very few times, my husband and I never before. But it was catered amazingly well for everyone’s level of climbing. Great day, great view, GREAT guide Christine! Views of gorge are beautiful. Started out very cool in am (jacket!) but warms up when sun is on you climbing. Layers necessary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Catacombs of Paris

Paris

My husband and 15 year old loved this tour. I am claustrophobic and would not have done well (they confirmed that!). FYI

A kayak trip in the Calanques (inlets)

France

One of our 2 5 star activities on our 12 day family trip to France. She’s 8, 15, mom and dad enjoyed 4 hours in the water. Kayaking, snorkeling, beach, caves. steady work paddling for many hours but the beauty was well work it.

Eze & Monaco with Oceanographic Museum Entry

Nice

Eze is AMAZING! True Provençal French town. So many great views, wonderful shops and casual dining. 2 hours is not nearly enough!! Needed more time here and less at the oceanographic museum.

Seine Cruise with Commentary

Paris

The cruise is nice, but we preferred many of our guided toured over this. Gives a good overview of the lay of parts of Paris. Line proved much shorter near lunch hour than the popular evening cruise with very long lines.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pedro did an excellent job setting up, coordinating and communicating details about our Portugal Trip.

The airport transportation, the various tours and the transportation to/from the various locations we visited were all executed flawlessly. In addition the restaurant and activity suggestions were very helpful.

The tour guides (Claudia, Ricardo & Catarina) and main drivers (Carlos & Ricardo) that Pedro hired all did a fantastic job.

Our trip went smoothly overall and all of our accommodations and private guides were exceptional. Shawna did a fabulous private tour of Old Town Edinburgh with us. She recommended a wonderful place to eat in Old Town and we ended up eating there again on our last day when we returned to Edinburgh for our flight home the next day.

We had an issue with Ian, our driver (son of Brian of BW taxis) on our transfer to Inverness from Portree-he didn't seem to know where he was supposed to take us and insisted that he had let you know that he could not do Culloden, Cairngorms and Clava Cairns on the same day ; I let Kateryna know and she fixed the issues promptly (on a Sunday!) and arranged for a driver on Monday who was outstanding (Jim). He and Kateryna made sure that we were able to do the activities that we were supposed to do on Sunday even though it made a very long day for both Jim and ourselves. (It was almost dark and we were the only ones left when we left the Culloden battlefield!) If the driver on Sunday had followed the itinerary we would have been able to see all the places on our itinerary before it became so late. I would suggest that you do not use ian again. Constantine, our driver from Edinburgh to Loch Lomond was very accommodating - he stopped at Balloch Castle and took us into Luss. Our driver from Loch Lomond to Portree (Eri) was also great. The driver who picked us up at the airport did not meet us in the airport as we expected but sent me a WhatsApp video of where we should go to find him. We weren't able to follow his directions very well and he had to come and find us after all. I understand that he was not supposed to leave his car in the place that he had parked but this disconcerted us as it was the first thing we encountered upon our arrival.

Kateryna's suggested activities were perfect for us! We were able to see a lot in the 9 days that we were there. We ended up doing the Mary King's Close tour on the last day that we were in Edinburgh which was not something that we booked with you. It really was a spectacular 9 days. The only other thing I want to mention (I've mentioned this to Kateryna) is that we have used agencies for several other international trips in the past and we have always been able to view a detailed list of expenses for drivers, hotels and excursions. I'm not sure why you do not wish to make this information available to your travelers but my husband prefers this transparency. Even though Kateryna did a wonderful job for us, he would be hesitant to use your services in the future for this reason.

An exciting 12-day adventure in Greece!

Back safely from our trip for 4 of us to Greece through Kim Kim with Siena as our planner & coordinator.

Overall a wonderful experience despite a couple of challenges that we dealt with. Excellent selection of hotel locations and all tour guides allocated were superb! The trip plan was well designed to meet our needs although a key change was necessary due to rough seas. All transfers were well coordinated and executed.

Our group travelled into Athens, Milos, Santorini , Naxos and then back to Athens. Was a perfect blend of experiences!

Phil Mohamed

Hotel Reviews

Avra Hotel

Rafina, Attica

Hotel location is 20 min to the airport with low traffic. The airport shuttle was effective but If you're short on time I don't recommend staying here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

On the sea view zone but useless if you're arriving in the dark and leaving early morning.

Staff

Night staff appeared to be tired or frustrated.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Liana Beach Hotel & Spa

Naxos

Perfect location on the second best beach in Naxos! Was really nice to walk the beach and lounge on the comfortable chairs. One improvement could be the wasp and bee control in the open snack/buffet area as it was almost impossible to enjoy our breakfast outdoors!

Authenticity & Character

Buffet BF could be improved but was nice to have on the front facing beach location.

Location

On the 2km beach which was great.

Staff

Friendly and service oriented staff mad our stay very pleasant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sole d'oro Luxury Suites

Santorini

Great location within walking distance to the shopping and restaurant district. Very quaint!

Authenticity & Character

Great modern design - but i recommend booking the upgraded suites with private hot tubs.

Location

Short walk to the nearby shops & restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Artemis Seaside Resort

Paleochori, Milos

Great location on the beach ! With overall modern design and individual pool tub with rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking on the beach was special!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room design was superb

Ivis 4 Boutique Hotel

Athens

Extremely well located in the heart of the core in Athens - easy walking distance to so much!

Authenticity & Character

Boutique hotel with great service and breakfast inclusive.

Location

In the core and walking distance to so much

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self Guided Beach Day in Naxos

Naxos

Free to do and plan as you want. Feel free to rent a small car or ATV if you're feeling adventurous.

Quality of Experience

Old Town Food Walk

Naxos

Very informative and excellent choice for guide

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fira Food & Views Walking Tour

Santorini

Excellent guide - very informative

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Caldera Catamaran Cruise

Santorini

We did NOT do this activity

Quality of Experience

we did NOT do this activity

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Island Villages & Akrotiri Day Trip

Santorini

Excellent tour guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset & Wine Tasting Experience

Santorini

Wonderful experience for 3 wineries and local snacks/food.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Sailing Cruise with Lunch

Milos

9 hours makes for a long trek on the Catamaran especially if the seas are rough. Overall a great experience with lunch and 3 stops for swimming or snorkeling!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Beach Day

Milos

Time was limited and without a rental vehicle you can't do much

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Local Markets Visit

Athens

No comments as we did not have much time to enjoy this

Quality of Experience

Ancient Athens Acropolis & Mythology Walk

Athens

Excellent experience and tour guide very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked 30 min from hotel location

Self-Guided Lycabettus Hill Visit

Athens

Excellent experience but be prepared to walk uphill and around.

Quality of Experience

Tour guide was excellent

We really enjoyed our trip and all the arrangements. Favorite things: The walking tours, Ricardo our Porto driver, our Porto hotel, the football match, and the ebike experience. The restaurant suggestions were very good. Diana and team helped us make some last minute adjustments which we appreciated and they were super organized reminding us every evening about the details of the day ahead.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lisboa Plaza

Lisbon

This hotel is nicely located near key sites and shopping. The staff was wonderful. We had a junior suite (Room 610), which was a king bed with a sitting room. Very nice! We enjoyed the breakfast and all day coffee and water. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is the hotel is a bit dated in its furnishings. So the facility is 4 star but the experience was 5 star.

Authenticity & Character

V. Nice older hotel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Condes de Azevedo Palace

Porto

We loved our apartment style room in this historic hotel. The staff was great and the furnishings very beautiful. We discovered the stunning rear garden too late to use it but it is lovely! The location of the hotel was very convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

To Eat Suggestion: Cervejaria Trindade

Lisbon

We enjoyed this restaurant, but on another night we went to Barrio do Avillez - Pateo for dinner and we liked that quite a bit more. The vibe was more fun.

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

We went to Sintra on a spectacular day and the palace is incredible. We had skip the line tickets which was great, but you are really just skipping the entrance line, not the main line that snakes throughout the palace rooms. Its a very congested experience. We walked over to the Moors castle and enjoyed that. We then - with some struggling - found the walking path down to the town and ate at the perfect restaurant for a late lunch: Tascantiga. The food was delicous and we were lucky enough to sit outside at a lovely table. Our improvising made things a little challenging for our driver, who did not seem very happy about our changes in plan.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

the car was very nice! The vans with split seats (vs. bench seats) in the passenger row are much more comfortable!

To Eat Suggestion: Tapabento

Porto

We loved the vibe of this place and the food too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cascais-Sintra Exclusive E-Bike Adventure

Portugal

We had to shorten our ride duration from 3 hours to 2 but our guide (the company owner!) adjusted and was awesome. My husband said he wasn't really looking forward to the bike trip but afterward it was one of his favorite activites. The ride along the beach was spectacular. It was our first time on e-bikes -- they are wonderful and easy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

loved our guide

Transport

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Portugal

We were worried this might be a cheesy tourist experience. It definitely is for tourists but it was also very fun and the music and service were great. Our food was also good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Two-Hour Private River Cruise in the Picturesque city of Porto

Porto

Quality of Experience

It was grey and rainy so unfortunately not the best day for boating.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The boat and the crew were great - friendly and knowledgeable.

Transport

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lilla did a wonderful job providing guidance along the way. She was genuinely invested in making certain things went well. Some tours were beyond expectations (bog shoeing in Estonia, hiking in Pyhajarvi, rafting in Rovaniemi, sauna tour in Helsinki) others were not what we had hoped. Overall we achieved our objective, having an active vacation and getting to know Finland.

Hotel Reviews

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Staff, location, room, and food were all best of your.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kurula's Resort

Pyhätunturi

Restaurant was not open. Nearest food was a two mile walk away. Unreliable taxi service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Clerk provided us breakfast items from local store. Not great food, but we didn’t starve.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gorgeous room

Overnight Train

A wonderful experience and comfortable nights sleep.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cru Hotel

Tallinn

Excellent location. Restaurant was wonderful and staff was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Home Hotel Jugend

Helsinki

They charged 20 Euros for early check in. Rooms were quite small for two travelers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Korouoma Canyon & Auttiköngäs Waterfalls Adventure

Rovaniemi

Guides were very personable and knowledgeable of the area. It was a long drive and a relatively short hike but the nature and conversation made up for this. Cooking sausages over the fire was a bonus.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Too long

Fatbike Trip (Day or Night)

Rovaniemi

Cold, rainy weather did not stop the tour, thank goodness. Views were limited and our snack was a cold quick one, but what can you do? Guide was very patient and provided us a wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Flexible Northern Lights Hunting

Finland

Driver did everything possible to find lights. Unfortunately they were a no show.

Quality of Experience

No lights, long night of driving

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rafting Behind the Arctic Circle

Rovaniemi

Again, weather wasn’t great, but we made the most of our experience. Guide was very knowledgeable and provided a safe, exciting experience. I would have preferred a longer run than we had(had to drag raft back up river to make additional runs) but we enjoyed the experience. The trip included lunch and a sauna experience which we declined. We expected rafting, not eating or sauna.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Authentic Sauna by the Lake and Dinner

Pyhä

Nice sauna experience and good food, not great. Guide was very accommodating and provided a wonderful, personal experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From the Deepest Gorge to the Highest Peak Hike

Pyhä

Amazing experience. Guide was knowledgeable and seemed to enjoy the experience. Weather wasn’t great, but it was not a problem. This was a great hike!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Canoe Trip

Pyhä

Again, not a lot to do at 6:00 when it is dark at 7:30. Weather wasn’t great, but that wasn’t the issue. We should have gone at 4:00 and perhaps canoed on a river or something more fun than a lake.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Culture of Eastern Lapland Tour

Pyhä

Not much to hear about. Guide was informative but we wasted our time on this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tallinn Old Town Walking Tour

Tallinn

Guide was ok. Seemed he was reading from a script. His mind was elsewhere.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bogshoe Hiking Tour

Tallinn

Amazing. Wonderful experience and knowledgeable guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki City Walking Tour (2h)

Helsinki

Guide was knowledgeable and quite entertaining. I felt we got a good exposure of the Helsinki City Center and history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Hike in the Archipelago Sea

Helsinki

Not much of a hike. (Less than 2 miles). Guide was knowledgeable and provided as much information as possible. Just not much there to see.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki Sauna Tour

Helsinki

Guide was informative, and fun to be with. Good balance of cycling and sauna time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of our hotels were wonderfully located. We could walk or hop onto public transportation to visit everything we wanted to see. Our bicycle tour in Berlin (Berlin on Bike) was wonderful! Although we were mostly on our own, every city tour was interesting and worthwhile: Berlin on Bike (thank you Pete), walking tour in Dresden (thank you Leo), walking tour in Breslau (so sorry to have forgotten our guide's name), and walking tour in Krakow (thank you Chris). Each guide offered insights about the city and made sure we were comfortable.

We added Zakopane to our itinerary and enjoyed our time there. Once there, we were surprised to find everything very crowded, including pedestrian streets, hiking trails, and mini buses to various trailheads. We were there on a beautiful fall weekend and it seemed many thousands of local tourists were there as well.

We loved being in every city we toured, but if we had to pick a favorite, it's certainly Krakow!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel H12

Krakow

Location

Such a wonderful location! We could walk in a few minutes to the main square of Krakow. And the view from our room was spectacular , especially at sunset.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Private Charlet: Dmki Javorina

Zakopane

This is a charming hotel and our room was quite spacious and comfortable, with a large closet, nice bathroom, and desk area. We had specified a west or south facing balcony, hoping to sit it the sun in the late afternoon. We had a covered porch that was shaded and looked out on a parking lot, so although it was a nice space, next time we would be more specific about our intentions. The reception staff, especially Veronica, were helpful. We enjoyed our dinners in the hotel restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Herbal Hotel Wroclaw

Wroclaw

Our room was spacious and perfectly comfortable. The staff at reception spoke excellent English, which helped us, but the people were not especially helpful.

Location

It's a very short walk from the hotel to the lovely Old Town. And, it's very close to a tram that goes directly to the train station. Here's a note - trams and buses are free for everyone over 65, so just hop on!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bilderberg Bellevue Dresden

Dresden

This is a full service hotel with a fabulous location. You can take a tram (#3 or #7) from the train station and be within 2 blocks of the hotel. Once you don't have luggage, it's very easy to take the 5 minute tram ride over the bridge to old town, or walk and take pictures along the way. Our room was comfortable with a table and chairs, and breakfast was just fine.

Location

Hotel Titanic Gendarmenmarkt Berlin

Berlin

Location

Walking distance to Unter den Linden, plus U-bahn and bus stops very nearby.

Staff

Plenty of staff at reception at all times. We needed help to find a store with US - to - Europe adapters, and the desk staff were very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

City Sights and History Guided Walking Tour

Germany

We had a private walking tour with Chris, a very experienced guide. He was so knowledgeable, and at the same time asked us a lot questions so that we spent our time together in the most useful way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chris made sure to to understand what we were interested in learning and seeing.

Guided City Exploration Tour

Breslau

What a perfect introduction to Wroclaw! We loved seeing the sights while learning a bit about the history of the city. Our guide even helped us make a purchase in a convenience store, when the only local currency we had was large bills from an ATM.

Historic Walking Tour of Dresden

Dresden

Our guide was low key and very knowledgeable about his city. The tour group was 12 or so English speakers, and we thought it was time well spent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cruising the Elbe River: A Scenic Boat Trip Experience

Dresden

What a lovely and relaxing trip! We hustled to get to the boat shortly after checking into our hotel, and it all worked out!

Berlin By Bike

Berlin

Bicycling was the perfect way to tour central Berlin. It would have been intimidating to do this on our own in a strange city, but our tour took us on easy-to-navigate streets and included the highlights we wanted to see. It rained at one point and our tour guide had ponchos for everyone!

Prior to our trip, we appreciated going over the itinerary with Liz, who had a lot of tips for maximizing our stay. She had ideas for nearly every activity.
The hotel location was excellent!
In country, the local guides were great. We met a new local every day, and each was so kind and tailored the activity to us.

Hotel Review

Citadines Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

Excellent location, walkable to many museums and historic sites. It’s surrounded by great places to eat. Each room has a small kitchen, so there’s no on-site restaurant. There are complementary beverages and vending machines in the lobby, and there’s a small gym with a few machines and free weights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable to many popular tourist sites

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Seine River Cruise

Paris

So relaxing! A great way to wind down the day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Versailles Bike Tour

Paris

Our guide was so caring, knowledgeable, and fun! We met him in Versailles and started the day with tasting and shopping in the market for our picnic lunch. After a quick stop at the bike rental shop, we set out for the gardens at a leisurely pace (most of the bikes lacked gears), stopping frequently to check in and explain about the area. After leading the group through the forest and around a pond, he took us through the Grand Trianon, and then let us explore the Petit Trianon and Marie’s Hamlet on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Notre-Dame & Sainte-Chapelle Visit

Paris

Our guide took a perfectly-paced slow tour through Saint Chapelle, pointing out details in the stained glass, the architecture, and changes through its history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Louvre Quest for Teens

Paris

Excellent way to see the highlights, as the Louvre is vast

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private French Revolution Walking Tour For All Ages

Paris

Our guide gave us an excellent overview of the city, not just the Revolution.

Arc de Triomphe - Self-guided Tour (tickets only)

Paris

Amazing view from an iconic place

Self-Guided Champs-Elysées Discovery Walk

Paris

Lots to see, ranging from gardens to shopping

Quality of Experience

This 11-day trip to Japan (Tokyo, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto) was an unbelievable once in a lifetime experience that my mom and I got to enjoy together all thanks to Shona… From the moment we connected Shona was INCREDIBLE!! Right from the planning and customization, to during our travels and right untill the very last moment when we departed Japan, she was always available and ready to assist.
We were able to experience many of the country's beautiful traditions, culture, food and people. Travelling in a small group of only two women, I was pleased with the accommodations selected by Shona. They were always clean, safe, and offered exactly what we needed in each city by being centrally located and well connected. Our activities were tailored to our requests and many of the associated individual guides were very welcoming. Big shout out to Mr Ken (Mt Fuji) and Rio (Miyajima) of Magic Tours who were very knowledgeable and kind and took special care of my mother when we navigated steep climbs etc. The others were also good, however Mr Ken and Rio really were great! The tea ceremony at Kyoto and Sumo show at Osaka were great selections by Shona. For those areas that were self-guided, Shona gave us the information and material we needed.
This is our second trip with KimKim and have been telling our friends about it. Thankyou Shona for your dedication to making our trip a special one.

Hotel Reviews

Kadensho, Arashiyama Onsen, Kyoto - Kyoritsu Resort

Very special hotel, really enjoyed the location and in house facilities. Very close to the train station. The restaurant has only a set menu for dinner and breakfast which are to be prebooked so plan meals accordingly. There is a tourist tax to be paid and in cash only. The public and private onsen are a must do when staying here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Royal Park Canvas Osaka Kitahama

Centrally located and well connected to 2 main train lines. There is tourist tax that has to be paid at the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intergate Hiroshima

Very close to the tram station and the vibrant streets for food and shopping.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

the b asakusa

Tokyo

Great location. Very close to the Metro station and the buzzing area of Asakusa.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Proximity to things

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Fushimi Inari Taisha to Tofuku-ji Temple Hiking Experience

Kyoto

This was a beautiful walk through a beautiful forested area finally reaching the magnificent Torii gates. There is a fair bit of walking on inclines and steps.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

This is an activity you cannot miss. It was conducted seamlessly and was very enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

World Heritage Himeji Castle & Kōko-en ,Kobe tour

Osaka

The location was incredible and well worth the visit. Involves walking and a steep step climb if you want to reach the very top. Yet a must do when based in Osaka. The guide was the same from the day before. It was encouraging to see that she had taken some of our suggestions and was much better prepared.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka-Nara-Uji day trip

Osaka

This was a magical location. A fair bit of walking over uneven terrain and some incline. The guide was very young and seemed a bit inexperienced however we appreciated her trying her best.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka: Sumo Show Experience with Food Box

Osaka

This was an entertaining and fun way of getting to know and experience a bit about the Sumo culture. Very good set up and the bento meal was good. This is a must do in Osaka.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Miyajima Half-day Trip Historical Walking Tour

Hiroshima

This place was magical. A fair bit of walking with steps and steep incline. Rio was our guide and she was simply wonderful... very plesant, kind and knowledgeable. She adjusted the pace to suit my mothers walking abilities yet made sure we saw everything.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiroshima Bar Hopping Food Tour

Hiroshima

The guide took us to some very local stops and by the end of it we were really stuffed with some authentic and very delicious Japanese food.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi & Oishi Park

Japan

Very lovely experience. Mr Ken and the driver were great. Mr Ken took special care of my mother when walking the steep hill to the viewpoint and pagoda. There was an approximate 2.5 hours drive either way but our driver was very safe and the ride was comfortable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Master Tokyo's Must-Sees: 5-hour Tsukiji, Akihabara & Asakusa Highlights Tour

Tokyo

This was a great way to walk and experience some of the highlights of Tokyo. The guide was friendly and shared insights about the areas, local food and activities.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport