Kimkim Trip Reviews

I found kimkim when I was thinking about how to plan my family’s trip to Norway. Knowing very little about the country and not wanting an itinerary created by a U.S.-based travel agent who knew similarly little but would just farm it out to a Norwegian agency, the prospect of getting connected to a Norwegian agency directly through kimkim was very appealing. And what a good decision.

I can’t say enough about Christina and Ethical Travel, the Norwegian travel company kimkim connected me with. She worked tirelessly and so patiently with me, answering my innumerable questions, tweaking the itinerary and creating a trip that seven of us will never forget. “No” was not in Christina’s vocabulary.

Further, once we were in Norway and there were a couple of weather-related changes that needed to be made, Christina was absolutely “on it”! She smoothed out all wrinkled and we did not skip a beat.

And Christina made superb choices in terms to f accommodations and guides that left us feeling that we received great value for money. She was an absolute dream. I would plan any trip with her again.

I am two for two with kimkim, having had a similarly excellent experience with a trip to Portugal this spring. I look forward to using kimkim again.

Planning the trip was smooth and The KimKim team responded to questions and a few glitches during our trip very quickly.
Gareth, our walking tour guide in Edinburgh was amazing—very knowledgeable, provided a lot of history and great info.
Steve Reddick, our safari guide in the Cairngorms National Park was wonderful. He took us to all of the habitats and we saw many birds and animals; we especially enjoyed Murdo, the Scottish cow. Steve was passionate about being a guide and protecting the environment and even provided us with tea/coffee and delicious Scottish butter cookies.
Overall, it was a memorable trip and we enjoyed the various experiences and the majestic scenery of the Highlands.

Hotel Reviews

Destiny Scotland - Q Residence appartments

Edinburgh

Comfortable, spacious 2 bedroom apartment. An elevator would have been nice since our apartment was on the third floor, but we managed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the Royal Mile.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Atholl Villa Guest House

Pitlochry

A quaint Villa in the heart of Pitlochry.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Royal Hotel Portree

Portree

Please don’t advertise “free parking”. There was only 8 “free” parking spaces. Difficult to find any parking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Receptionist was not very friendly when we arrived.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was warm and there was no A/C and no fan.

The Glencoe Inn

Ballachulish

A quaint Inn with comfortable rooms. It was warm and the staff provided a fan to help us sleep comfortably. The staff were friendly and very service oriented!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff were friendly and went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Motel One Glasgow

Glasgow

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eden Locke

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff were friendly and very accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

GreyFriars Hotel Inn

St Andrews

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private transfer in town

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

Gareth was amazing. He was very knowledgeable, provided a lot of history and great info.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Afternoon Tea at the Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Private transfer from Hotel To Train station

Scotland

The driver was very helpful and patient. It took awhile to get the car that we needed and he waited with us until everything was finalized.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

St Andrews Walking Tour of the Old Course

St Andrews

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Play Golf in St Andrews at either the Jubliee, Castle, Eden, New or Strathyrum courses

St Andrews

We played the castle course which was the hardest of all the St. Andrew’s courses. It took 5 hours to play and we had to use a push cart. It was a beautiful course! Recommend reserving a cart, but not sure if any are available on this course.

Quality of Experience

Play at the Kittocks Course

St Andrews

Quality of Experience

Blair Atholl Tour at Blair Atholl Distillery

Pitlochry

Great guide and tasting at the end of the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cairngorms National Park Wildlife Tour with a Specialist

Scotland

Our guide, Steve Reddick, was amazing. Very knowledgeable and passionate. He took us to all of the habitats and we saw many birds and animals. He was a joy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Steve Reddick was the best guide we had during our entire trip. His enthusiasm of the beautiful area was contagious and he loved showing us each of the habitats.

Transport

Very nice, comfortable and clean car.

Private guided tour with driver/guide in Skye

Scotland

Our guide was really just a taxi driver. He was very polite and courteous but he did not tell us about the area or provide insight or history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Provide a true guide, not just a driver.

Transport

Isle of Skye Whisky immersion at Torabhaig

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mallaig Wildlife Boat Trips

Mallaig

I expected the trip to be longer and see more. It basically was a quick trip to an area where we saw a few porpoises and supposedly a whale or two. The entire trip took less than 1 hour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Walk in Glencoe

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide didn’t provide much info about the area.

Transport

Car was filthy, literally had to brush off crumbs and trash from the seats before we could get in.

Falkirk Wheel Boat Ride

Falkirk

Quality of Experience

Visit the Kelpies

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Phd level guided tour of Bannockburn

Stirling

Our guide was knowledgeable but he wasn’t the individual who I believe was originally booked (he said he was asked to step in because the original person was not available). The tour lasted about an hour, much less than what was listed in the itinerary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stirling Castle Tickets

Scotland

Quality of Experience

There are just no words for out trip, it was truly amazing! Everything went seamlessly and Deb and her team were absolutely wonderful to work with. We had wonderful guides, and drivers, and the staff at our lodgings were world-class.

When we told Deb and her team that we wanted to see all the nature that South Africa has to offer and do it within a comfortable setting, they really nailed it. The Tree House Boutique Hotel and the Ivory Wilderness Resort were the perfect places to rest our heads at night and the staff were some of the kindest people I have ever met. Our guides were always on time for our pickups, had so many interesting facts to tell us along our journeys, and really made us feel taken care of. Everyone just went above and beyond to ensure that we had a wonderful time in South Africa.

A huge thanks to Deb and her whole team who constantly checked in on us and even met us in Hermanus and took us to a local winery! I managed to find that wine here in San Francisco and bought a few bottles the other night...what a memory!

When we boarded the plane to go back home, we found ourselves extremely sad to leave this beautiful country and so appreciative that we got to have a once-in-a-lifetime trip as mother and daughter. Seeing all the animals and learning about their daily lives and habits was truly such a pleasure and privilege. It won't be my last trip to South Africa, and I will 100% use Deb and her team again in a heartbeat.

Hotel Reviews

Tree House Boutique Hotel

Cape Town

The staff at this hotel was wonderful! They were constantly eager to please us and make sure we were having a great time. The location was perfect and the rooms were spacious! Their breakfasts were out of this world good! It was so great to feel so taken care of and highly recommend this hotel to any travellers passing though Cape Town!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ivory Wilderness River Rock Lodge

Hoedspruit

There really are no words! When I messaged friends back home to tell them about our days and game drives, they simply could not believe the experience we were having...because they had all been on safaris and not had the personal touches, care, and intimacy with the animals that we were having! We saw so many animals very up close and got to observe their habits and routines. Our guide Craig went above and beyond to answer my constant questions and educate us on the conservation, flora, fauna, and animals from birds to buffalos! I felt like I not only saw the animals but truly understood them after our drives. Prudence, Xoli, Origin, Craig, Warren, the maids and the gardener were outstanding hosts, I really cannot emphasize enough how kind and attentive they were. This is an intimate lodge with only 6 rondavels, so it was perfect to experience the authenticity of the area and really gave us a chance to get to know the staff well. Origin made the most delicious and nutritious meals for us and Xoli and Prudence somehow always knew what you needed and wanted. I am so incredibly grateful that Deb and her team chose this lodge for us as it really was magical!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Lunch at Crofter's Kitchen

Cape Town

Nicky is amazing! DO NOT MISS THIS ACTIVITY! She welcomed us into her kitchen and made us a 6 course meal that was out of this world! She also walked us through her garden where we tasted leaves, flowers, and berries and we even got to take home a spice blend from her! This was so special...a must do!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My wife, 16 year old daughter and 12 year old son had a wonderful trip to Paris and southern France in early August. Since it was our kids' first time in France we wanted the trip to be fun as well as educational and were really happy with our experience!

Lise quickly understood what we were looking for and organized small group or private tours for us in Paris including the Eiffel Tower, Norte Dame/Sainte Chapelle, Versailles and the Louvre. All of the guides were knowledgeable, personable and passionate about the places we visited. They also helped navigate around the crowds and thanks to them we were able to see the sites more efficiently and learn much more than if we'd gone on our own. We stayed at a boutique hotel just off the Champs Elysees with easy access to lots of great restaurants as well easy subway access to many of the popular sites. Lise provided a set of wonderful looking restaurant recommendations, although quite a few of these were closed as many restaurants that cater to local French were on holidays for a few weeks. Lise was super-helpful in calling restaurants and we found some good restaurants in the more popular tourist areas, but if there is anything I'd change it'd be to make restaurant reservations in Paris a little earlier when traveling in August.

After Paris we stayed in Nice and took guided half-day tours of Monaco & Eze one day and Cannes, Antibes and St. Paul de Vence another. These were more sightseeing vs educational tours, but we'd never have seen so much of southern France in such a relaxing way on our own and got some great pictures and memories. We stayed in an apartment just off of old-town in Nice which is alive with activity in August and enjoyed lots of time at restaurants and the public markets.

Overall, we really had a wonderful trip and hope to book future trips through kimkim. The local guides made a big difference in getting to know France in the limited time we had and Lise made the whole experience including all transportation seamless.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel du Rond-point des Champs-Élysées - Esprit de France

Paris

Cute boutique hotel, delicious French breakfasts, helpful English speaking front desk staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

L'abeille Boutique Appartements

Nice

Nice apartment in the heart of a bustling area of Nice, great for people looking to hit the restaurants and social scene of Nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Nothing bad, just didn't interact with staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

This just seemed "As Paris as you can get". Seeing Paris by night is just wonderful, the food and service was excellent and it really was the perfect way to cap off our trip in Paris.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Medieval Paris - St Chapelle, Notre Dame & Conciergerie

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Versailles Palace & Gardens Private Tour

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur walking tour

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a great experience in Kenya and South Africa. Joseph did a very good job finding a driver (Alex) and booking us in a lovely and comfortable hotel (the Fairview). Our driver Alex drove very safely. The only glitch was that he was not present when we arrived at the airport, and that is a key moment to be on time and in the right place. Our time in Lake Nakuru was fabulous (love Camp Mbweha), and Alex did a great job connecting us to tours at Lake Naivasha. We really enjoyed our hike in Karura Forest and highly recommend the cafe there. Thankfully we ended up with a guide there (David), and he was able to provide some fascinating info about the Mau Mau caves.

Our time in Cape Town and its environs was terrific. We had a very safe and knowledgeable driver and guide, Graham. The tours we did were very well planned although I did more of the planning for our time at St. George's Cathedral.

There were some details that were oddly off (a dinner was scheduled for when we were flying), and I would have appreciated a more detailed itinerary with more explanations. We also were not informed until the day before we left that all of our transfers to the airport were not included in the package (although the cost for an Uber was reimbursed to us). Even so, overall, the trip was a wonderful success.

Hotel Reviews

Fairview Hotel, Nairobi

Nairobi

The grounds of this hotel are beautiful, and the staff is very friendly. The breakfast was delicious, and we had two great meals in the restaurants. The rooms are simple, but comfortable. My only concern would be that the hotel doesn't have a/c, and if the weather had been hot, we would not have enjoyed our stay as much.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The only reason I did not give 5 stars is due to the hotel not having a/c. We didn't need it during our stay in August.

Mbweha Camp

Nairobi - Kenya

This camp is absolutely lovely. The service is fabulous, and the rooms were very comfortable. The food was delicious. We also had a wonderful experience taking a night safari.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Commodore Hotel

Cape Town

This is a very comfortable hotel with friendly staff. It's a bit hustle-bustle, but it's in a great location. Our rooms were very comfortable, and the breakfast was delicious. We ate at the restaurant one evening and were delighted at the quality of the food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Dine at GOLD Restaurant

Cape Town

This restaurant provides a unique experience. We really enjoyed the celebration of African culture and cuisine. The service was quite off, but we attribute that to having a new server.

We had a wonderful trip thanks to Alberto! We enjoyed all the activities he planned for us, especially the private tours in Florence and Rome and the amazing boating excursion in the Amalfi coast. We also had a magical day in Tivoli visiting the Villa Adriana and Villa d’Este. All our travel, including private transfers and high-speed trains, was well-planned and went off without a hitch, and the hotels he chose for us were excellent. We especially loved the Glance hotel in Florence, with a rooftop pool and amazing views of the Duomo and the city, and the Hotel Manfredi, with its lovely rooms and attentive staff (particularly Delalia, who enthusiastically helped us with sightseeing tips and great restaurant reservations) located on one of the prettiest streets in Rome walking distance to the Spanish Steps and the Villa Borghese. As a special treat, Alberto also arranged for a unique dinner for us at Baja Roma, a restaurant on a docked boat on the Tiber, which served delicious contemporary Italian food in a pretty setting complete with a gorgeous sunset over the river. I could go on and on about the high quality of the talented tour guides, especially Giulia and Chiara, who brought Italian history to life in Tivoli, the Colosseum and Forum, and Fabio and Caterina who highlighted the masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery and Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, not to mention the early morning tour of the absolutely beautiful Sistine Chapel at the Vatican museum. We also enjoyed an exquisite afternoon visiting a family vineyard in the hills of the Amalfi coast, including a private tour and delicious lunch accompanied by their many wines. In sum. Alberto did a magnificent job and our trip was glorious!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Glance

Firenze

Beautiful hotel with rooftop pool and amazing views of the city! Lovely breakfast and attentive staff. Great restaurant recommendations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right by the Duomo.

Staff

Very friendly and great recommendations for restaurants.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Manfredi Suite

Rome

Lovely rooms and great location. Super attentive staff.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely and comfortable rooms, beautiful decor.

Location

Great location near Spanish Steps and Villa Borghese.

Staff

Very attentive and helpful. Delilia (unsure of spelling) was the best and gave us great recommendations for restaurants and sightseeing. My son left his phone in a taxi and she was able to track it down for us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was pretty and clean.

Hotel Panorama

Maiori

Nice hotel with a beautiful beach view. Very helpful staff, who even found tennis lessons for my son which was absolutely wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Very welcoming and helpful staff.

Location

Right in center of Maiori and beautiful view.

Staff

All staff very helpful and attentive.?

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room and bathroom were clean and bright, with nice balcony that afforded a wonderful view.

Activity Reviews

Galleria degli Uffizi private guided tour

Florence

Great guided tour with lots of good information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fabio was pleasant and provided great information.

Transport

Guided Walking Tour of Florence

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Galleria dell'Accademia private guided tour

Florence

Wonderful tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Caterina was a wonderful guide and provided a lot of great information! We enjoyed meeting her.

Guided Walking Tour of Rome

Rome

Lovely tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giulia was a great guide and provided a wonderful tour!!

Transport

Day Trip to Tivoli

Italy

We had a wonderful day visiting Tivoli! We really enjoyed seeing Villa Adriana and Villa d’Este, and our guide Giulia was the best! She was very detail oriented and provided lots of great information.

Quality of Experience

Food

Our guide Giulia recommended a wonderful restaurant and we really enjoyed the delicious Italian food!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giulia was a talented and extremely knowledgeable guide! It was also a pleasure to meet her.

Transport

Rome to Amalfi Coast with visit of Pompeii

Italy

Our visit to Pompeii was amazing! Our guide was also terrific!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very knowledgeable and it was a pleasure meeting him.

Transport

Our driver was great and really went the extra mile. We asked if we could make a stop in Positano for the afternoon on the way to Maori and he was so helpful in arranging that and then picking us up. Seeing Positano made a huge difference in our trip. Going that way afforded us amazing views of the Amalfi coast and we were able to have a very pleasant lunch in Positano and walk around.

Wine Tasting and Lunch in Amalfi Coast

Italy

We loved this tour of the vineyards and the delicious lunch! The wines were also terrific. Our host was so welcoming, and it was a pleasure to meet him and his family.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day boat tour in Amalfi Coast

Italy

Seeing Amalfi from the water was just an incredible experience. Our guides pointed out the highlights of the Amalfi coast, including where various celebrities, writers, and artists had lived. They took us to a cave that we were able to swim in, and it was just magical. This was perhaps one of our favorite experience of our whole trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Early Access Tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel

Rome

Skipping the line to the museum was the best. We greatly enjoyed the tour and the Sistine Chapel.

Quality of Experience

Food

The breakfast was great. Future travelers should know that there is a large delicious breakfast at the end of the tour, complete with croissants, bacon, and eggs!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide that we got seemed a little bit rushed. Also, as noted above the tour was only of the museum, and the guide did not provide much information about how to get into Saint Peter’s itself.

Transport

Our trip to Spain was wonderful, from start to finish. Beatriz (Bea) helped us plan an amazing itinerary based on our preferences, which allowed for a combination of traditional site seeing along with some adventure. We visited Madrid and Barcelona over the course of 7 days, and did day trips from each of the cities to Toledo and Girona. There was so much history to learn and beautiful architecture to see in all of the cities. Not to mention the delicious food and drinks!

Bea was available whenever we needed her to answer our questions, and all of the tour guides were extremely knowledgeable and friendly. The entire trip felt seamless. We would love to go again and visit more of the country. We would definitely use kimkim again ... it was well worth it :)

When I started to plan a trip for me and my fiancé to London and Paris the thought was so daunting, however, Stephen and William at Kimkim made the whole experience so easy and stress free!! Stephen worked with me to tailor make the trip to suit me and my fiancés interests and we had an absolute blast on all of the tours and events that he planned for us. He made sure we got to see all of the highlights and major attractions in each city and we couldn’t have been more happy with our experience. Stephen and two of his associates at Kimkim were also available the entire time I was in Europe to answer any questions and help me with any issues I had. I would definitely recommend Kimkim to anyone planning a big trip for the first time as it truly was a great experience.

Ashley did a great job helping us to plan this trip and was very organized and responsive. Our guide Mr. Tu was very good! I would highly recommend the Soleil Hotel and Boutique - it is a very nice hotel and the spa there is great. Tina does an amazing massage.

Hotel Reviews

Soleil Hanoi Boutique Hotel

Hanoi

Very clean and room was well appointed. The front desk staff was super helpful and the spa is top notch. Breakfast was included and the food was quite good with a lot of variety. I would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the heart of the old section with many places to eat and shop.

Staff

All of the front desk staff was great and Tina from the spa was amazing

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were good and room was nice and very clean. Only downside was that there was not much room for luggage for two.

La Pandora Cruises

Hai Phong

The rooms were very nice and well appointed. Unfortunately our reeked of sewer gas and we had to be moved.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was clean and very spacious with a private deck. The top deck did not have a place to get out of the sun which was a negative on a hot August day.

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to Ninh Binh (Hoa Lu & Trang An)

Hanoi

Temples were amazing and boat ride was very nice (although a bit long on a hot August day).

Quality of Experience

Food

Food tour was great! Be prepared though to sit on very tiny stools and being very close to the street with motor scooters whizzing by.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, friendly and prompt.

Transport

Very comfortable

Ha Long Bay - Lan Ha Bay (La Pandora)

Vietnam

The bay is indeed very beautiful and it was fun doing a cruise. I think that we were lucky to be able to go out far enough to get away from the crowds. A day trip might not be good. I loved swimming in the South China Sea and going to the caves.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The two guys that were the tour operators were just great. They gave up their bedroom for us as it was the only room that we could move to. I felt sorry that they had to sleep with the sewer gas odor. They were friendly, organized and kept things moving. I appreciated there good service. Food wait staff were very pleasant.

Transport

Drivers to and from Ha Long Bay were very prompt and careful drivers!

Franck planned a great trip that left the whole family happy, which is saying a lot! We felt like we saw as much of New Zealand as we could in the time we had and had some adventures we never would’ve thought to do on our own.

Amazing trip!!! So much to see and do and you all definitely made it a lot less stressful to plan!! I appreciate all your help and answering all my questions! There is no way I could have figured out where to stay, how far to drive each day, and book and time all our excursions accordingly! It was an amazing trip that we will never forget!

Hotel Reviews

Berjaya Hotel Mývatn

Mývatn

Great hotel! They had two spas/hot tubs. They also had a restaurant and a bar. The food in the restaurant was very good. The breakfast at the hotel was also extremely good! Lots to choose from!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

ION Adventure Hotel

Nesjavellir

It is a beautiful hotel! There is a restaurant and a bar and they do have a spa (soaking hot tub). You need to make reservations for the restaurant for dinner. We were lucky that we arrived and they had a time available because there are no restaurants anywhere nearby.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is out in the middle of nowhere, but it is pretty countryside

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Volcano Huts Þórsmörk

Thorsmork

We did not know that you had to reserve sheets, blankets, and towels ahead of time. We did not have any with this, so we just had to use jackets and stuff that we had. If you stay here, make sure you reserve sheets and blankets ahead of time. The showers did not have any hot water so if you’re up for a cold shower, then you can reserve a towel too. There is a restaurant on site, which is nice! It is the only place to eat anywhere remotely nearby

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Núpar

Kálfafell

Very nice hotel. There’s a bar and a restaurant. The food looks good at dinner but we didn’t try it because we ate before we got there. The breakfast was really really good! Probably one of the better breakfast that we had on our trip

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Seydisfjordur Guesthouse

Seydisfjordur

Cute little hotel. There is a kitchen there that you can use. There are a couple of restaurants in the town that were open as well. They do not serve breakfast, but there is a grocery store in town if you get there before it closes. They did have a washer and dryer that you could use, which was absolutely amazing! We were needing to do a load of laundry, so that worked out perfectly

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hvammstangi

Hvammstangi

It was a good hotel. We did not spend a lot of time here because we got to the hotel late and left early. We did not stick around for breakfast as we needed to be somewhere early. The lady at the hotel did help us find a restaurant in town that was open, and the food was extremely good! Overall, it was a good stay

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Baron

Reykjavík

The hotel was fine. It is definitely older. I did not feel like it was real clean. I would probably pick a different hotel if I was going to stay in the area again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Höfn Inn Guesthouse

780 Hornafirði

The hotel was clean, but I feel like we were staying in a hospital room that had been redone into a hotel. It was clean and it was fine to stay one night, but I would probably try to find someplace else to stay if we were to stay in the town again. I would not get the breakfast again. Your options were toast, a bowl of fish, or boiled eggs. We had to go find breakfast somewhere else. :(

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Skógá by EJ Hotels

This was a good hotel. It had a spa/hot tub. The room was very spacious, but the shower was kind of small. It was clean. They had a pretty decent breakfast. The restaurant at their main hotel down the street was really good! Highly recommend the lasagna!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hestheimar

Hella

It was a nice hotel. They had a spa/hot tub. They have a restaurant, but we didn’t get to eat there because you have to let them know ahead of time if you want dinner. There are not any restaurants nearby so plan accordingly. We did eat breakfast and it was very good! I would stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

It is something that you have to do, but there are similar options in Iceland that you could do, so do your research.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Silfra Snorkeling

Iceland

Very cool experience! Highly recommend doing it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Katla Ice Cave Superjeep tour

Iceland

Very cool!! One of my favorite things we did!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip to Italy! From start to finish it was so easy working with kimkim! Cecilia was great! She literally took basic information on things we wanted to see/do and areas we thought we'd like to go and she mapped out the entire trip! She sent us a full itinerary including the stops along our trip, area info for each stop, hotel info, transports, train info, all our excursions, and additional recommendations for each location! It was awesome! We made little to no changes in the itinerary. And every step along the way was exactly as described! And we were a group of 10 so not an easy feat to move 10 people around in another country we weren't familiar with at all lol! It all went smoothly. We loved each place, all the hotels, and every excursion! kimkim was knowledgeable on the areas, was in contact with us while in Italy, and responded to us timely before and during the trip. And our guides for each excursion were wonderful~ highly recommend the guided tours :) We have already said we are going to use kimkim again for future trips! And we definitely recommend kimkim to others! Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Liassidi Palace

VENEZIA

Hotel Roma

Florence

La Tonnarella

Sorrento

Absolutely Beautiful~ the views are stunning!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Republic

Roma

Activity Reviews

Private Gondola Ride

Venice

Murano, Burano and Torcello Excursion

Venice

Pasta and Tiramisù lovers workshop

Rome

Chef Jess was awesome! They also accommodated one in our party who needed a meal that was gluten free and vegan... so that person made the pasta and dessert but was able to order something off the menu that they could eat for dinner!

Private tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Saint Peters Basilica

Rome

Our guide Barbara was great!

Pompeii Excavations half-day Tour

Italy

Our guide Umberto was great!

SMALL GROUP TUSCANY WINE AND OLIVE OIL TOUR

Florence

Our tour guide Antonella was Great! And the girls at the wineries who guided us at each of the 3 wineries we went to were awesome too!

Private tour of Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hill

Rome

Our tour guide was great~ Her name started with an R... Rosalina maybe? Having a hard time remembering it now as we had lots of different tour guides along the way of our trip, but she was wonderful!

Kimkim did an excellent job advising us of places to stay in Norway and booking the accomodations. We were very happy with the hotels they booked us at. Krista and Fenne were also helpful on transportation tips, ferry schedules and getting around. We really enjoyed our trip and recommend Kimkim to other Norway visitors.

We had an amazing time in England and Scotland!! Thank You Stephen and your team for working with us with adding people to our trip last minute. We appreciate all your hard work, and we were able to have a memorable experience we will remember forever! The locations and hotels you picked were so fun and we feel we would have missed out on seeing so much of it weren’t for your recommendations. We have already recommended KimKim to friends and family based on our experience and we will continue to use you for future travels. Thanks Again,
Zane and Jamey Norris

We couldn't be more pleased with the planning, organizing, booking and follow-up from Justine. Ours was a 3-week trip in France covering the areas of Normandy, Bordeaux, the Dordogne area, French Riviera and Paris. Justine set up all of our hotel locations in the best access for all the sights we wanted to see. Also, the hotels themselves were very nice with helpful and friendly staff. All of our guides in the different cities were very knowledgeable. It was especially nice to have all vouchers established with the hotels, car rental, tours, and driver pick up and delivery where needed. We particularly were so grateful for the 1st class booking on the train from Nice to Paris. After seeing the crowds at the ticket windows for the train, it would have been very nerve-wracking to have had to get the tickets ourselves.
During the planning process for the trip, Justine was very accommodating to our requests and even made a last minute change for us on our car rental with ease. All of our guides and drivers texted us within 24 hours before any upcoming event which gave us comfort in not being concerned about time, location, etc.
This is the second time we've used Kimkim (traveled to Colombia before) and have been so impressed with the quality and detail to all aspects of their planning. The local specialists have also been super-fantastic.
One small suggestion we would make is that, if driving, some hotels have limited dedicated parking which fills up fast. We often couldn't get a parking slot for 1 or 2 nights. If we would have known this ahead of time, we could have called the hotel(s) in advance to reserve a spot for us. This info may be worth passing on to future clients.
We will definitely use Kimkim again should we plan another international trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel de l’Horloge

Avignon

Great location for walking to all major sites within the walled part of the city. No hotel parking garage provided and a bit of a walk to the public parking garage.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Lion d'Or et restaurant la Table du Lion

Bayeux

This hotel is in a great location for easy access to all the major restaurants and amenities in Bayeux. It also has one of the best breakfast selections of any hotel we've stayed at. If driving, however, it is a good idea to call ahead to assure a parking slot at the hotel as their space is quite limited.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plaza Madeleine Hotel & Spa

Sarlat-la-Canéda

Great location for the primary shopping mall. Very friendly and helpful staff. Parking a bit of a problem as it is about a 15 minute walk to the garage and space is limited.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel West End

Nice

Fantastic location on the Mediterranean...great for people watching and many restaurants available. There is also a covered public parking ramp very close in the same block.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel d'Orsay

Paris

Great location on the left bank within easy walking distance to the Rhone river, Museé d'Orsay and the Louvre. The hotel has access to inexpensive tickets for many attractions which saves having to stand in line. Also, great restaurants nearby.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They provided us with clear directions on how to use the Metro which was very helpful and also informed us that they had entrance tickets to the Museé d'Orsay for our use.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour small group tour

France

This driving/walking tour felt very rushed. The guide would drop us off and various interest points and tell us we had a very specific time that we had to meet him back at the van for a pick-up. Often these were for very short periods of time, like 15 minutes. He was also very abrupt with accommodating the needs for the tour guests. It would have also been nice to have had some sound amplification in the van so those in the back could hear better.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Back to Medieval Paris with Notre Dame, St Chapelle & Conciergerie

Paris

Our tour guide, Joanne, was very knowledgeable and friendly and provided a great tour. We appreciated the fact that she had a mic and earpieces for us to wear when we were in noisy areas such as St. Chapelle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Tour of Omaha and Utah Beaches & Normandy Landings Sites

Bayeux

Jean Baptiste (J.B.) was super knowledgeable and gave us a lot of info. about Normandy and we visited all the primary sites and gained a lot of insight in being able to physically see where the landings took place. The only downside--and it wasn't his fault--was the bad weather. It was rainy, cold and very windy the days we were there. We ended up totally wet and ruined two umbrellas because of the strong winds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The transport van was adequate but the sound system had an echo which, at times, made the comments from the tour guide hard to understand.

Saint Germain des Prés Food Tour

Paris

Fantastic tours with Caroline. She took us shopping for baguettes and cheese, then provided a picnic lunch in a park across for Notre Dame, after which we then walked to pastry shops ending at a wine bar with samples at each place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This trip was absolutely fabulous. The timing and transport were planned seamlessly to avoid any travel hiccups, which was much appreciated. All the tour guides were so flexible and knowledgeable, willing to tailor their tours to the interests of the group. The Moray archaeological site and the salt mines were so unique, and Machu Picchu was breathtaking! For all the activities we were able to do and the sites we were able to see, this trip was a bargain. Also, a huge thank you to you Liz for your quick, helpful responses on Whatsapp and assistance planning our free days in Cusco.

Absolutely beautiful trip. The detail and time put into our itinerary made our trip stress free. We will definitely suggest Kimkim and Emanuela to our friends if they plan a trip to Iceland.

Activity Reviews

Lava Cave Experience

Iceland

The lava cave was really awesome. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about how the lava tube was created and took the time to answer questions along the way. It was an amazing adventure and was very family friendly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ice cave tour under Katla glacier

Vík

The Ice cave was beautiful. It was so humbling to see how global warming has effected these stunning glaciers and caves. Our tour guide was super funny and really loved his job. It was by far one of the most amazing stops in our trip

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival and Sky Lagoon

Reykjavík

The Sky lagoon was amazing. It was the perfect way to start off our trip after a long overnight flight. The facility was clean and everyone was very friendly. The view was stunning from the lagoon and the 7 step ritual was so relaxing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Walking Tour

Reykjavík

The food tour was a wonderful way to learn about the history of Reykjavik and get to try so of their most popular dishes. Our guide was very kind and funny. We really wanted us to have a good time and enjoy ourselves

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Geothermal bakery

Golden Circle

Of all the rye bread we tried in Iceland this was by far the best. The people even gave us a recipe card and instructions to try and make it at home in the oven.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whale watching tour in Hauganes

Akureyri

The guides were very knowledgeable about the whales usually in the harbor and explained to us the migration patterns of the three groups on whales. They tried to get us as close as possible to the whale so we could see the markings and get some pictures before they would deep dive again

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalia was so great to work with. She shared expert advice, always replied quickly, made adjustments to our plans as we requested and helped make contingency plans when half of our group encountered flight issues. I will continue to recommend her to everyone traveling to Greece. We were a group of 8 and all accommodations and activities were planned & executed seamlessly! This was the trip of a lifetime ☺️

Activity Reviews

Day-Cruise around Milos

Milos

Our favorite part of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Horse Riding Experience

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Wine Tasting Experience

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mykonos Cooking Class

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The treasures of Athens

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Greece was perfect in every way. From the first email correspondence with Eleni, it was clear she was in tune to what my family of 5 wanted to experience on this trip. She helped create an itinerary that included the perfect staying accommodations for my husband and 3 kids, excursions, activities and culture. Each stop was exciting and different and memorable.

In Santorini, we stayed at the Tsitouras Collection which was so luxurious and breathtaking, with our own pool and terrace overlooking the Caldera. The service and hospitality at the hotel was incredible. Eleni arranged a driving/walking tour that was led by Jacob, a Santorini native, who taught us a great deal about the island’s rich history, and showed us all the necessary sites, including many off the beaten path. He then returned to our hotel the next day with cucumbers and figs from his garden and an eggplant dish made by his mother. He was wonderful. Our remaining time in Santorini was spent walking through the towns, enjoying our Villa, and eating at great places that were recommended by Eleni.

Then back in Athens, we stayed at Amalia Athens Hotel which was ideally located in central Athens and, while a bit cramped, included two adjoining rooms which worked out perfectly. Eleni arranged for us to have a great meal at Dionysos Zonar the night we arrived which had amazing views of the Acropolis and the food, wine, and service were excellent. The next day in Athens, we met our guide, Dorina, who took us to the Acropolis and Agora, among other ancient sites. She was an incredible enthusiast about Mythology and Greek history and made what would otherwise have been a very difficult, crowded and windy trek up to see the Parthenon into an unforgettable experience. She left us with recommendations to shop and eat for the raminder of the afternoon. We really enjoyed her company and expertise.

We then made our way to the Marina where we met our crew and boarded our catamaran, all arranged by Eleni, as my one specials request for the trip was to spend a week on the sea. She recommended we tour the Saronic Gulf and arranged for two tours during the week, one on Aegina and the other in Epidauras. Our day on Aegina was the only time we felt we could have had a better organized experience, particularly with the Pistachio farm tour (we essentially just looked at a couple of trees) and the beach where our guide/driver dropped us off (way too touristy). Ultimately our requests to buy pistachios and eat ice cream and shop a little allowed our driver to open up a bit more and show us some great spots. He was very kind and even located a spearmint plant (which he bought himself) for us to take back to our catamaran. Our Epidauras tour of the Asclepius Healing Center by Katarina was amazing. A bit off path to get there by catamaran, but well worth the trip. The city of Nafplio was very cute and quaint and we had a very nice time there.

Lastly, our catamaran experience through Vernicos Yachts was arranged by Eleni, and we scored the most amazing crew consisting of James (captain), Anastasia (chef), and Danai (hostess). These three made sure we were immersed in the Greek culture as much as possible. We found the best swimming spots, snorkeled, ate at great Tavernas, went to fish markets when able, and explored the island towns together. Anastasia made the best meals and we felt very safe at sea with James. Danai was the kindest person. always making sure we were comfortable and well fed with snacks and drinks. We will always remember them and hope to return one day for another sailing adventure through Vernicos.

Overall, our experience with kimkim was amazing. Communication with the travel team via WhatsApp once we arrived in Athens was seamless. Any questions we had were answered right away. Any last minute requests by us were addressed with enthusiasm (yoga mats and fishing poles for the boat, for example). Our local transportation arrangements, domestic flight bookings, and tours were perfectly executed. Special touches included a Happy Birthday text on my 50th birthday by the team, and a bag of small gifts from Eleni (which included two yoga mats!) when we arrived at our Athens hotel.

Kimkim’s guidance, personalized planning, professionalism, expertise, and responsiveness went beyond our expectations. I would definitely recommend them to others who have a specific travel itinerary in mind but are chartering unknown territories, or even those who just want help planning the perfect vacation. We definitely look forward to working with them again to plan future trips. Thank you, Eleni and team!!

It's taken me 2 weeks to think about how to summarize this trip to Norway for this review, and I still don't think I can. It was the trip of a lifetime. Christina took all the ideas I had, bridging 3 generations from mobility-challenged to athlete, the niche requests, and brought them together into a wonderful itinerary with the most detailed plan possible. We were going to take grandparents and grandkids to visit Norwegian relatives. She even found local transport to take us by boat to an island where my dad's family had lived, and so we could visit the house where his grandfather had been born. It was wonderful to have the travel agency at quick reply, and truly, we couldn't have asked for me. We loved Norway, and we were thrilled to use KimKim to create our trip!

Activity Review

Flåm Valley Zipline & Cycle

Norway

Incredible experience. We had a blast! Felt very safe, and was the perfect way to see the Flam valley.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport