Kimkim Trip Reviews

Everything was great! Incredible experience! Thank you!

When the guide I had been talking to about our upcoming trip to Ecuador fell through, I reached out to Kimkim on a lark. Mathias responded shortly thereafter and, over the next couple of weeks, put together a fantastic itinerary for us - all the while keeping our wishes and budget in consideration. The week we spent in Ecuador turned out to be our most fun, interesting and relaxing trip ever! Mathias had arranged for Danny Guaman to be our guide – Danny was absolutely wonderful from the moment we met him. Each day was full of things to do and see, while allowing for leisurely meals and time to unwind. We toured the old city and had a cooking class in Quito. We beheld amazing vistas of lakes, lagoons, mountains and volcanoes. We went birdwatching, and visited a butterfly farm and a hummingbird sanctuary. We had a chocolate tour and ate delicious food. We went to the Middle of the World and did fun experiments. We learned about the culture and history of Ecuador, met kind locals, and went shopping at the huge handicraft market in Otavalo. There was also a very sweet birthday surprise at the chocolate shop in Mindo for our son who turned 16 during the trip. Throughout our travels, Mathias kept in touch and checked in on us. I can easily say that, from our airport pick up to drop off, this was an extremely enjoyable and stress-free vacation, and a deeply memorable one – thanks to Mathias and Danny and the entire team! We fell in love with this gorgeous gem of a country and hope to return to see more of Ecuador one day.

Hotel Reviews

San Francisco de Quito

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Geranio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa de Piedra

Mindo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Mindo Chocolate Tour

Mindo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Otavalo Market

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cuicocha Lagoon

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatching and time at leisure in Mindo

Mindo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito City Tour

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito Cooking Class

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day trip to Cotopaxi National Park

Quito

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito - Middle of the World - Otavalo

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were grateful to work with Ioannis. He made the planning phase much easier.

We loved all our guides that were hired and we learned so much from them about real Greek culture and that made it much more gratifying. We did try changing a duplicate Walking Food Tour, and wish that we knew it was going to be the same thing twice (different times of day so we thought it would be different food), but it was the exact same restaurants...and no one caught it. That was a waste of money...but the Street Art tour was a highlight. Having shuttles from the airport/ferry to our hotel was very convenient, however, one was less than a 10th of a mile and we could have walked. Knowing this ahead might have saved us that expense as well.

We enjoyed all of our hotels and were grateful to be moved closer to what we wanted to see as suggested by Ioannis.

Unfortunately we lost a day in Santorini due to a mistake on the itinerary. We were sad to lose that extra day there...and were left paying for all of our shuttles from that point forward. Kimkim did pick up the extra night in an airbnb which was lovely....but we had no access to food. Never the less, I would use Kimkim again.

Thank you for making our trip a memorable one.

Hotel Reviews

Makris Beach Hotel

Kamari

Absolutely LOVED this hotel! Peaceful, close to the black sand beaches. Great breakfast. Highly recommend!:)

Authenticity & Character

Location

10 steps from the water!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Xenia Hotel

Cyclades

Lovely room...but VERY noisy! The bars across the walk were loud and open very late. We would choose something off the beaten path next time....

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is right in the center of the port town, but with that comes noise.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NLH Monastiraki

Athens

Our first hotel in Greece. We were moved here to be closer to the Acropolis and I was glad for that convenience, but we lost our breakfast included perk. The area was sketchy...much like downtown San Fransisco...lots of homeless. Bars around are loud and business are hopping early so that made it hard to sleep. But thats downtown living. All that said...the room was nice and fit us all comfortably. We loved the roof top bar with a view of the Acropolis.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Acropolis & Highlights Walk with Food Tastings

Athens

This activity ended up being separated and we were glad. It was much better that way. Athens was HOT and going early to the Acropolis was key. Our guide was amazing. Again, the Food Tour was a great way to get a feel for Athens life and culture. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgable

Sunset Cape Sounio & Temple of Poseidon Experience

Athens

We enjoyed the sunset at Sounio. The van was quite hot but the information was good, we learned a lot.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Street Art & Food Walk

Athens

The Street Art was amazing! The street food tour was repetitive. I am sorry this wasn't caught before the trip. We weren't able to change it without losing our money.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Trip to Small Cyclades

Naxos

A highlight for sure!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Caldera Catamaran Cruise

Santorini

This was our favorite experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Shore Excursion

Santorini

We somehow ended up on the cruise shoreline excursion. Having to wait for the folks from the ship slowed us down...however, terrific tour once we got going. Great company...knowledgable guides. Wine tasting was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We absolutely loved our vacation! Nikola thought of everything and every little detail was covered. Great trip!!!

A friend recommended Kimkim to us. They had used the company for years and couldn't say enough by way of praise. We told Ethel at Kimkim we would go first to Normandy France to
Meet up with our daughter, then to Norway and back home to Oregon. We asked Ethel for help planning a trip that would take us to small towns and the fjords. We wanted to hike and enjoy the outdoors. She planned a fantastic itinerary and booked us into beautiful hotels with lovely views and hiking nearby.
Just before we arrived I had a fall from a bike and was then not able to hike. No problem for Ethel. She revised our plan, suggested activities I could do. Small boats and ferries, the famous Flam railway. We asked about renting a car. No problem for Ethel. We drove to Balestrad and stayed in a charming hotel on the waterfront. When I couldn't walk to the large hotel which provided the breakfast for that smaller hotel, Ethel switched us instantly. Whenever she suggested an activity we weren't sure we wanted, within a few moments she had wonderful alternatives to suggest. She was always personally available, always cheerful. I can't imagine a travel company that could do more or better. I have complete confidence in Kimkim and Ethel and recommend her without hesitation.

Our entire trip to Croatia was amazing! Anna-Maria planned everything so well. She is clearly an expert when it comes to planning the perfect Croatian vacation. To start, our hotels were fantastic. Each one was very conveniently located mere minutes to the center of everything and included a truly remarkable breakfast each morning. The rooms themselves were quite small in two of the three hotels, but we spent very little time in the rooms, so it hardly mattered. The hotel staffs were incredibly helpful in terms of answering questions, holding bags for us, having rooms ready early, and making dinner reservations. We could not have asked for more! (Note: We stayed at Hotel Fermai in Split, Riva Marina in Hvar, and the Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik. The latter two were particularly impressive. I wish we could have had one more night in Dubrovnik, especially.)

Aside from hotels, Anna-Maria planned our schedule impeccably. The private drivers to/from airports-ferries-hotels were uniformly impressive. They clearly took pride in their cities, shared interesting information about the sights along the way, and were alway on time, even early. On a day-to-day basis, there was a good mixture of staying in the cities and day trips to nearby attractions. I particularly enjoyed the day trip to Trogir/Krka/Skradin from Split (our tour guide, Elena, was great), the boat trip to Blue Cave/Pakleni Islands from Hvar, the island tour of Hvar that included photo ops, lavender fields, and olive oil tasting (Tea was lovely), and the early evening walking tour of Dubrovnik (Alberto was also lovely). In general, most of the tour guides were by far the best I have ever encountered.

Additionally, Anna-Maria was wonderful to work with. When my sister and I felt like the original schedule was a bit frenetic, we decided to add two more days. Anna-Maria was very helpful in determining where to add extra nights and was open to our request to add in a bit more "free time," when we could just explore the cities on our own. She also offered suggestions of what to do or see during this free time. Likewise, when we had a few questions during the trip, Anna-Maria was easily accessible via WhatsApp. I cannot recommend her services highly enough! Thank you, Anna-Maria! Honestly, I wish I could back to Croatia tomorrow and add in a few days to Korcula, which I hear is amazing. :)

Hotel Reviews

Heritage Hotel Fermai

Split

Very conveniently located. Incredibly helpful staff who had rooms ready early and made us several dinner reservations. Delicious breakfast that was included in the price of our rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Short walk to the sights

Staff

Everyone offered to help!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riva Marina Hvar Hotel

Hvar

One of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in! We were originally going going to stay at the Beach Bay Hvar, but I'm so happy our plans changed. I think this hotel was a much better fit for my family. The rooms were small, but if you're doing Hvar correctly, you're not spending much time in the rooms. I loved the included breakfast each morning, and I loved the bar space in the evening. The location cannot be beat. We were literally five steps from the ferry when we arrived on the island; however, the hotel does a nice job of keeping the lobby space quiet, serene, and private. While this hotel does not have a pool, its sister hotel (Adriana Spa) does and is a very short walk away. It was super easy to walk into that hotel, show our hotel key, and take the elevator up to the spa and/or rooftop pool for a relaxing break from sightseeing. Overall, I would recommend Riva Marina Hvar hotel based on location and sea view alone. Everything else was the cherry on top! (Side note: Hvar was my favorite stop on my trip, and I wish I was still there now.)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the water. Literal steps from the ferry. Lovely view day or night.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

One of the loveliest hotels I have ever stayed in. I really wish I could have stayed one more day. It felt incredibly luxurious, our room was very large by European standards, the breakfast each day was incredible, and overall, I felt lucky to be there. I also think the location was PERFECT. It's right outside the walls of the city, which I think is ideal. If you can afford it, I'd recommend this hotel again and again.

Authenticity & Character

Oldest hotel in Dubrovnik

Location

Right outside the walls of the city, which I think is perfect.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Split food tour

Split

Doris was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I am only taking off one star because some members of our group were slightly picky eaters and felt awkward when they did not want to try things like squid ink pasta or sardines. We loved the prosciutto, cheese, truffle pasta, bread, gelato, and of course, the wine. We also felt like we actually learned a lot about the city of Split in addition to its cuisine.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Krka National Park & Trogir

Split

Our tour guide, Elena, was wonderful: friendly, funny, knowledgeable, and clearly took great pride in the sights. Krka was beautiful, of course, but I especially enjoyed the stops to Trogir and Skradin.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hvar Island Tour and Olive Oil Tasting

Hvar

So happy to see other parts of the island outside of Hvar Town. Our guide, Tea, was simply lovely. She was friendly, kind, answered all of our questions, drove expertly up very scary mountain roads, and took a great deal of pride in her island. I would recommend Tea as an island tour guide to anyone. Also, I do not remember the name of the gentleman who was our guide for the olive oil tasting, but he was great, too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue and Green Caves: Full-Day Speedboat Tour from Hvar

Hvar

We saw some truly amazing sights. Highlights were the Blue Cave, Palmizana, and Stiniva Cove. I am only taking off one star because the trip was actually quite long--maybe longer than eight hours. We were very tired of swimming and sun by the time we got back to the hotel. The captain/guide were very friendly, but this trip might be more suited to groups of friends in the 20s or 30s than families or older travelers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Alberto was amazing! I loved him. He walks kind of fast, which was fine for me, but might be problematic for some visitors.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alberto was friendly, funny, and so interesting. I loved his viewpoint on Dubrovnik and Croatia's place in the world, generally.

Transport

Elaphite Islands Day Trip with Lunch from Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Each of the three islands was beautiful. Lunch was tasty, though if you order the fish, please know you will receive an entire large fish. A very large boat with a large group, so less personal than some of the other day trips/boat trips/tours we experienced on our trip. But if you prefer a more anonymous tour, this is probably for you.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The overall itinerary was great and we enjoyed most of the lodgings, etc, but one of the main reasons we booked was so we could get the local knowledge and instructions that we couldn't google and piece together ourselves. That part of it ended up being pretty unhelpful. E.g. On days when we were supposed to hike from town to town along a trail, we were given links to google maps that showed the shortest walking path between the two towns along a highway instead of directions to the trail and information about how to navigate it. All this info was available locally.

(We also found the interface (that included an itinerary in one place, a separate pdf with instructions, plus a separate page for info that was conveyed via "conversation" quite cumbersome; there were plenty of errors along the way that caused us delay, from what was included in the trip to whose name each reservation was under).

Our specialist made efforts to address our concerns, which we appreciated.

Eric was outstanding in planning this trip, adjusting to our needs and answering many questions as we prepared for the adventure. Tomas Johanson of Iceland Everywhere was the perfect guide. Tomas was courteous, helpful, very knowledgeable about the country, knew the people at the best stops to meet our needs and watched after our safety. A million thank yous to both of them.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Odinsve

Reykjavik

Loved this hotel! Fantastic friendly hotel/bar attached. First floor room met my needs. Second floor room was ok but small inconvenient bathroom. Avoid booking second floor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Center of the older part of town and center of tourist area. Perfect location.

Staff

Front desk open 24/7. Friendly and professional.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Klaustur

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

This is a must visit adventure in Iceland. Well timed to visit after flight into Iceland. Definitely splurge for premium package with robe, facemasks and drink. We arrived at 8 am and it was already busy. By 11 when we left it was unbearably crowded. Lockers provided but only hold a small day bag. Lockers work off electronic wristbands. Locked ok but each time I returned my locker was wide open with all valuables exposed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Langjokull Glacier Snowmobiling

Iceland

Exciting adventurous activity. Don’t go if back or neck issues bc very rough ride. Stunning views from the top of the glacier.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I looked at several agencies that provided tours in Egypt and decided on kimkim. I just wanted to say, my husband Gav and I were thrilled with our guides, & drivers and our meet and greets at the airports and facilitating the checking into the hotels. You made this such a breeze for us, and we couldn't have asked for a better company to provide. Our guide in Cairo - Rohnna (Ronnie) was outstanding, her knowledge and enthusiasm for her job was fabulous. Ronnie's English was excellent, and we gained a lot of insight from her. We travelled to Luxor where we were met again at the airport and introduced to Michael our guide for the Luxor/ Aswan part of our trip. Michael was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and his English language was A+. We had great drivers as well. The company representatives who met us at each destination, Mohammad and Zain and another whom we met only briefly so I can't recall his name were wonderful and very helpful and always made sure everything was going to plan. Tipping was expected everywhere and for everything and I was given a guide for amounts which was really helpful prior to arriving so it wasn't a shock. So thankyou once again for making our Egypt tour amazing. I would highly recommend kimkim.

Activity Reviews

Cairo Walking Food Tour

Cairo

Our guide Ronnie took us to a local cafe serving Egyptian delicacies which were delicious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pyramids, Sphinx, Sakkara, Memphis and camel ride

Cairo

Our guide Ronnie was full of knowledge, we would highly recommend visiting the Pyramids, it's a must do.

Quality of Experience

Our guide was knowledgeable and answered all our questions.

Food

We had a local Falafel for lunch one day which our guide got us, and it would've been the best one we had ever had.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides were A+ We understood everything they said. Drivers were excellent too.

Transport

Nice airconditioned Van. Drivers were always on time

Dinner Cruise

Cairo

Probably this was the least activity we enjoyed. The food was nice enough but the entertainment and music was way too loud and went on for too long.

Quality of Experience

Entertainment could be toned down

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsut temple

Luxor

Amazing, but it was really hot. Would definitely recommend. We should've gone to Tutankhamun's tomb though that was a mistake not to see that even though it was extra, we probably should have been told prior to entering the Valley of the Kings that was when we needed to decide.

Quality of Experience

Just visiting the tombs was mind blowing

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Michael was an excellent guide.

Transport

Karnak temple and Luxor temple

Luxor

Michael filled us with all his knowledge of these 2 amazing temples.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Philae temple & High Dam - Felluca ride

Aswan

We didnt visit the Philae temple as we had a long journey in the car from Luxor to Aswan, so didn't feel up to another 6 hours driving. Our Felluca ride was a bit disappointing as there was no wind, so we were towed basically along the Nile

Visit Abu Simbel and Nubian Village

Egypt

This was interesting to visit. It would be one of the highlights visiting this temple. We visited the Nubian village which was a colorful experience. Got to understand their way of life. We also got to swim in the Nile which was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour to visit Grand Egyptian Museum, Citadel of Salah El-Din & Old Cairo

Cairo

The Cairo Museum was incredible and a must to see. Also gaining some factual information about the Cital of Salah El- Din was really good too as we gained insights into the Muslim religion we never knew. Old Cairo town is also a must and whilst there we visited the place where Jesus lived for several months as a young boy. That was an incredible experience given our Christian faith.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trang planned a 28-day trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand for us. She was a pleasure to deal with and very responsive, Her itinerary and hotel choices were very good. I appreciated that she did the online checkin for local flights. She subcontracted tour to local agents, most of whom were excellent also.

Hotel Reviews

Hanoi Pearl Hotel

Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Victory Star Cruise

Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eldora Hue

Hue

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Little Hoi An Boutique Hotel & Spa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eden Star Hotel & Spa

Ho Chi Minh City

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

IRIS Hotel Can Tho

Cần Thơ

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anjali by Syphon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sun & Moon Urban Hotel

Phnom Penh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ad Lib Hotel Bangkok

Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Too far from old city and all sites

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

CHEEVA DEE HOTEL

Chiang Mai

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi - City tour full day

Hanoi

Interesting, Huang was an excellent local guide. Saw major sites, then enjoyed afternoon walk through “very local” street markets.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Huang was excellent

Transport

Hanoi - Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh

Loved temple and climbing up overlook

Quality of Experience

Unique temple and limestone formations, loved lotus fields

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Huang was great

Transport

Hanoi - Halong Bay Cruise - Overnight on boat

Ha Long Bay

Beautiful, but very crowded with many tourist boats. Our boat was very good

Quality of Experience

Food

Good food, esp for a cruise

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Halong Bay - Flight to Hue

Ha Long Bay

Enjoyed additional temple we viewed on the way to airport, it was not on itinerary, but should be added. Stop at tourist shop of marble carvings is unnecessary. There are flights out of Ha Long bay. Ideally, we would have flown from here to next destination instead of spending a day driving back to Hanoi.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hue city tour half day and street food tour

Hue

Hue has very impressive temple and imperial city. Rickshaw ride was fun, we asked to ride along food market, which was very worthwhile.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City – Ben Tre – Can Tho

Can Tho

****Floating village was interesting. *****Bike excursion was great and small river boat good. *Can Tho is not interesting, Iris hotel was not nice it was far away from Main Street.

Quality of Experience

Skip city of Can Tho - make this Mekong excursion a river & forest & bike trip

Food

Very good food at the bike ride resort

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide Trung was not good. Gave only basic info at each site, didn’t give tour at museum, slept in car rides and took 10 minutes of bike ride to attend to personal call — completely unnecessary to join us on bike ride because there was a separate local guide doing the bike tour. If he had calls to make, he should have stayed at lodge to make them. Bike tour guide was excellent

Transport

Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Guide Trung was average. Gave only basic info at each site. At Cu Chi tunnel it seemed other guides had more to say. Ran out of time later in day so only had 45 minutes at war museum. Hotel was far away from central market and main tourist attractions.

Quality of Experience

Food

Restaurant was very good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cai Rang Floating market - Vam Xang Village - HCMC

Can Tho

Siem Reap: Explore Angkor Complex Temples

Siem Reap

Amazing temples, guide SOPHY was excellent, hotel was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok Street Food tour

Bangkok

Nittaya was a fantastic guide. I loved Bangkok. Ad Lib Hotel was great, but far from river and main sites. This is a problem because taxi or metro took 50 min whenever we wanted to go somewhere, like dinner at night.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Both our guide and porters were very nice and very patient. Our first day of trekking was the hardest part of the trekking as we have to change the route to get to our destination, resulting to climb a 3000m high very steep hill (which was a mountain for us 😅). Although it was difficult and unexpected, both the porters and our guide (Naresh) was very helpful and patient with us as we walk slow and take our time. They were kind enough to carry our waters and day bags to lighten the weight we have to carry. The first day of trekking took us almost 10hrs from Phaplu to Junbessi even though the estimated number of hours to trek was 6-7hrs. Moreover, the views up the hill was amazing it was worth the walk.

Our second day of trekking was quite memorable as well. In the morning we got to walk to the Monastery which was a very beautiful place and we got to see the tip of one of the Himalayan mountains. We were very lucky to witness the prayer the Monks does for their last day of celebration (or something like that). Additionally, on our way back to the tea house for lunch, a stray dog followed us from the Monastery to the tea house and trekked with us till the next following day. Unfortunately, It was quite sad that some dogs attacked and bullied the stay dog when we got to Chiwang Monastery and chased him away.

Overall, the trekking experience was amazing and would love to go back and trek for other routes and/or other destinations such as the Pikey Peak. Also, it was an experience to get to go toilet on the bushes 😅, and to get bitten by leeches. Moreover, I wished that the trek on the last day would’ve been a little longer just like how the trekking was the past dew days.

Really liked that we could make adjustments to our itinerary according to our needs, e.g. switching up order of countries, adding on/ removing activities, etc.. Our favorite activities were the boat excursion in Lagos, the Douro River Wine Tasting & River Cruise in Porto, and the Fado evening in Lisbon. Least favorite was the Algarve Sunset Experience, mostly because it was extremely windy and therefore cold and we weren't dressed appropriately. Please let future guests know they MUST take a jacket and dress warmly for this! All in all it was a great experience and appreciate all of Rita's help coordinating it! I'll use Kimkim again!

Hotel Reviews

Be Poet Baixa Hotel

Lisbon

It was warm in the room. Air conditioning was insufficient and would not go below a certain point.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Porto Charming Hotel

Porto

Door was locked when we arrived and no one answered when we knocked. We had to call Kimkim for help to call the hotel and let us in. It was early afternoon, so during normal work hours. Very basic room. Bathroom shower not great. It was what you expect for a 3 star hotel though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Mãe Lagos

Lagos

Amazing!! We absolutely loved this hotel! It was the highlight of our trip. Such a great vibe, food was good, property was beautiful. Loved all the health and wellness touches, like herbal tea, relaxing music, lavendar sachet for under your pillow. The welcome wine was great, as well as all the treats they left in the morning and at evening turn down. They kept the towels, water, coffee bar, etc. replenished twice a day. Highly recommend this hotel!!

Authenticity & Character

Wonderful, as per the overall review.

Location

Loved the Lagos town. Great hiking and beaches nearby.

Staff

Very professional and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room and the whole premises were super clean. Bed was comfortable, and all the spaces (dining area, pool, etc.) were relaxing and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

We definitely enjoyed it. Guide was very friendly and wanted to ensure we had a good experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Douro Valley Excursion with Wine & Olive Oil Tastings & River Cruise

Porto

Really enjoyed this day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Enjoyed the lunch with Douro fish.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was great!

Transport

Catamaran Excursion to Benagil Caves & Carvoeiro Beach

Portugal

One of our favorite activities. Stunning coastline and this was the perfect way to see it up close.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

4X4 Algarve Sunset Experience

Portugal

They were 30 min late and we were put in the back of the van (not a Jeep Wrangler as specified) and it was uncomfortable and very hard to see back there. It was extremely windy and cold so we couldn't really enjoy it although the places he took us to were pretty. We could only run out of the car for a quick photo and run back in. It should have been emphasized that you need a warm jacket (at least) to enjoy it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis tried to make the experience as good as he could, but too many factors made it unenjoyable.

Transport

Should not put people in the back of this vehicle! A jeep (as advertised) would have been better.

Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour

Portugal

Enjoyed this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

Food & wine were great and singers were amazing. Really enjoyed it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our waiter was fantastic. Great sense of humour!

As a young woman, I had my worries about traveling solo without a tour group or travel companion. Emanuela helped my every step of the way! I had the most amazing trip of my life, a great combination of wildlife watching, hiking, and sightseeing! She organized everything perfectly where I could focus on relaxing and having fun. She was available to communicate with, even on Iceland Independence Day where she should have been off work. She was happy to receive updates from me on my travels and checked in on me when I had gotten quiet. She helped me with everything, from making payments on my schedule with KimKim, reserving tables for me at restaurants for dinner, and acting as my digital travel companion over the course of my trip. I am really glad I booked with KimKim because Emanuela really seemed to know all of the secret spots and hole-in-the-wall restaurants with the very best food and cozy atmospheres. She created detailed daily itineraries for me including excursions I had requested as well as new experiences that were so rewarding. I was always so grateful to be traveling alone at my own pace, since I was able to see and do every single thing I wanted! I will forever be grateful to her for supporting me on my first big solo trip, and making it absolutely perfect. I am not kidding when I say I cried happy tears multiple times over the course of the trip, and sad tears when I had to leave!

We had a wonderful trip to France, traveling to Normandy, Paris and Loire Valley. Every segment of the trip was planned well and even though our plane was delayed en route for three hours, we found our driver waiting for us at the airport, and our itinerary wasn't affected at all. We had a zoom call with Lise at the start so she could understand our preferences and she made all the right calls in booking really charming hotels, scheduling excellent guides and pacing the trip. I didn't have to do any of the work and could just follow the itinerary. She was very thorough--we were provided all the information we needed in a very well organized manner. We enjoyed all of our interactions with the guides and it was really the best way to get to know the French culture. I look forward to another trip to France in the future and am very grateful to Lise for all of her hard work.

The trip planning process was very good, but with a little learning curve due to the more unique nature of the model. Pedro was very helpful, adaptive, and facilitative during this process... very accommodating and professional! One aspect that I had to adjust to, was the level of scheduled activities built into the initial plans, but in the end, we arrived at a good mix of planned and unplanned time. For reasons of managing kimkim's total cost (100% paid upfront for us) and maintaining our flexibility, we dialed back a considerable amount of planned activities. It seemed a bit much, and it would have been stressful to proceed as originally planned... especially traveling with a 20-year-old. But again, the final product was an appropriate level of planned (booked) activities.

We thoroughly enjoyed our hotels in Lisbon (PortoBay Marques), Lagos (BoaVista Bela Colina Village), Evora (MAR De AR Muralhas), and Porto (Hotel Dom Henrique)... tasty breakfast buffets AND separate rooms for us and our son (nice!).

We really enjoyed our planned activities and respective guides.
* The Lisbon Walking Tour was very well rounded - enjoyable and educational, and tasty at the end (wine, cheese, etc). Our guide Margarida was wonderful, and provided a true two-way experience. She even went "overtime" with us!
* The kayak tour of the grottoes around Lagos was extremely fun and beautiful (a little strenuous too :-), and our guide Bruno was a delight... engaging, thoughtful, and a character too.
* The Porto Walking Tour was good and interesting, but we all thought that our guide Bernardo was too heavy with the lecturing - it was quite one-sided, with little room for questions and engagement. Our son said it felt like he was sitting in History class.
* The Porto Bridge Climb was fun and provided beautiful vistas. Our guide Kika was a great, personable host, and allowed us to join a bit late after our delayed arrival to the starting point.

Our two drivers, around Lisbon and from Porto to Lisbon, were fantastic... very professional, flexible, and generous with their knowledge and travel tips!

We truly enjoyed soaking in Portugal... the kind people (everywhere), the pharmacist helping me out of a jam with my meds, the meals!, the wine, the architecture and history, the geology of Ponta da Piedade and Benagil, and the vibrant downtown city life... especially in Porto. Evora and its history was a nice stopping point along our trek to the North. Overall, it was a rich travel experience, and we're grateful for the opportunity.

The glue for this entire travel adventure was Pedro Luis! He is awesome... very knowledgeable, connected, forward thinking, extremely adaptable, and quite personable. He worked with us the entire way, answered important questions quickly and at all hours, anticipated issues before we knew of them, made on-the-fly changes to planned activities as we learned more about what we wanted to do, how, and when. He really got to know us, and is the ultimate in travel advocate. Thank you, Pedro!

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boavista Golf & Spa—Bela Colina Village

Sítio da Atalaia - Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M'AR De AR Muralhas

Evora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dom Henrique Downtown

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Walking Tour + Delicious Portuguese Flavours

Lisbon

Guide Margarida was wonderful, and provided an interesting and interactive tour. She was professional and personable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit: Lagos

Portugal

Old town Lagos was fun and vibrant... and delicious! The beach was nice, though didn't spend much time there.

Quality of Experience

Explore the Enchanting Ponta da Piedade Grottoes on a Thrilling Kayaking Expedition

Portugal

Interesting and beautiful scenery among and in the grottoes of Ponta da Piedade. And it was nice to get some exercise paddling the kayak. Our guide was fantastic and funny.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit: Évora

Évora

Interesting old town with historic sites, like the Chapel of Bones.

Quality of Experience

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Interesting, with lots of history and context. But this tour was too heavy on the lecture, and it became one-sided. Needs to mix it up some with more client interaction.

Quality of Experience

Less one-way lecturing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit: Porto

Porto

Great city, with great sites and vibrant activity. Warm and welcoming people.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Scaling New Heights Ascending Arrábida Bridge for a Truly Unique Adventure Experience

Porto

Fun activity, with very nice views, and a great host.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Transfer from Porto to Lisbon with Scenic Stop***

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Transport

Claudia's tours of Cinque Terre and Portfolio were fantastic; she was knowledgable and flexible with our needs.

Eva was fantastic to work with on this trip. She was easily accessible and quick to fully answer any questions we had before, and during the trip. We will use kimkim again and refer the service to any of our family and friends who are travelling.

This trip was one of the most memorable trip my wife and I have had.

I want to make particular mention of Gummi, our trip planner. Not only did he understand well what we like, he organized it well. He was ALWAYS available to us. He is a great individual to work with. I would recommend him to anybody without any hesitation!

Thank you Gummi!

Hotel Reviews

Reykjavík Marina - Berjaya Iceland Hotels

Reykjavík

Boutique kind of hotel would great staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stracta Hotel

Hella

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms are small and tight, as is the bathroom

Farmhouse Lodge

Vík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Entire bungalow by Þórir

Djupivogur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We were a bit taken aback by the rustic look; but we actually enjoyed it! Great surprise

Lagarfell Studio

Fellabær

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Berjaya Hotel Mývatn

Mývatn

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kea by Keahotels

Akureyri

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Geothermal Helicopter Tour

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whale Watching Tour

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Portugal was perfectly planned out with much attention to details. Our drivers, including Josef and Rui, were very informative and went out of their way to make our outings and long drives comfortable. We had an amazing walking tour in Lisbon with Elsa, who was very knowledgeable and managed to answer the many questions our son had. Pedro was our super star who kept in touch with us daily, updating is on our next day and all the activities planned. He answered all questions and made excellent suggestions. Obrigado!!

The guides were fantastic and were very patient with our every request.