Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had an amazing time visiting Madrid, Seville, Granada and Toledo. In each location, we loved having the local guides who provided so much insight into the history and beauty of each place. Their love of their city translated into a wonderful experience. We loved discovering the history of each place and getting insight into the hidden gems. Kimkim also made sure we got to experience the "high adventure" activities to break up the sight-seeing. Biking in Granada in the Sierra Nevada mountains was beautiful and hiking the caminito del Rey was amazing. Our hotels in each place were so beautiful and perfectly located to walk to anywhere we wanted to go. The outside living space in our hotel in Madrid was a perfect place to begin and end each day. Overall, one of our favorite family vacations and the stress of planning it was nearly zero because everyone at Kimkim did such an amazing job. We WILL be using them again.

Sigurður did a fantastic job in planning our 2-week trip! After communicating with him via kimkim site, he knew exactly what we wanted, including activities and accommodations. He designed a perfect itinerary for us. We loved all the accommodations (I am very picky with accommodations ). He nailed them to perfection even though we started planning our trip only 3 months prior. He was also easy to access during the trip when we needed his expertise, so it was a big plus for us. When Sigurður wasn't available on the phone, his colleague, Michele kindly and promptly assisted us. Furthermore, Sigurður contacted us one night around 11:00 pm telling us to go outside to see the northern lights. We were already in bed, but we got dressed and went outside, then we saw beautiful northern lights! He really went out of his way to make our trip extraordinarily special!! We couldn't thank him enough. Thanks to him, my daughter, a photographer, could see the northern lights on her 21st birthday and captured the beautiful image with her camera. Thank you, Sigurður! You are the best!!!

Samir was really helpful in arranging our holiday in Jordan. He helped us shape our itinerary to how we wanted our trip to be planned. He was happy to accommodate our suggested changes. He was responsive and kept us up to date with final booking confirmations, including sorting out the visas for a smooth holiday. We are also grateful for the driver we had for the week (Bassam, so thank you). He just made our time in Jordan pleasant and we had a brilliant time getting to know him and Jordan through his tips and insight. Thank you Samir again, we had a lovely time in your country Jordan and have no hesitation in recommending you.
Thank you
Satinder & Monish

Private tour and guide to Versailles was 5-star experience/excellent. Lucien the guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and kept the tour moving at the right pace. It was great having a private car ride there, and front of the line tickets.

Toledo tour with Victor was also a 5-star guided visit/outstanding. Similar reasons: knowledgeable, friendly, maintained good pace.

We had two errors in the scheduling: Versailles was on the wrong day, and timing of Barcelona tour was wrong. We were late in both instances which we felt bad about.

The tour in Barcelona was okay. Our tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable however the driving tour was in a van and we couldn’t see anything that he was referencing. It would have been nice to have more guidance at Sagrada Familia than just downloading the app.

We appreciated the list of must see and do, as well as ideas for dining options. Hotels were good, we preferred the four star hotels in Spain.

Walking tour in Paris with Josquin was good, he was knowledgeable, kept a good pace and covered quite a bit of ground. Our walking tour with Amor in Madrid was disappointing. We walked a few blocks and the information was limited. We didn’t feel that tour was worth it and felt like we saw very little of Madrid.

Flamenco show was great as was the tapas food tour in Madrid.

We loved the high speed train but as an American, we didn’t know what we were doing and needed to ask for help to find the gate.

Finally, we appreciated the team’s responsiveness to all of our little questions along the way,

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel A la Villa des Artistes

Paris

Boutique feel, located walking distance from most sites, surrounded by cafes.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel didn’t feel like it was part of a chain, had a bit of its own personality which was nice

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Beautifully appointed hotel located walking distance from key sites.

Authenticity & Character

Hip vibe, larger rooms

Location

Walking distance to many attractions, fining

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

We loved the location and modern design of this boutique hotel off one of the main streets in Madrid. The breakfast options were fantastic!

Authenticity & Character

Loved the hotel’s design, lots of plants, beautiful!

Location

Walking distance to many key sites, restaurants

Staff

Always ready to help, answer questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour of Paris

Paris

Enjoyed the pace, ground we covered, information, and stop at the bakery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Seine Cruise

Paris

Enjoyed seeing Paris from the river

Quality of Experience

Day Trip to Versailles

Paris

Lucien was by far the best guide we had. We were briefed on French history on the way. The private car and drive were nice. Our guide was able to move us about and miss the crowds.

Quality of Experience

Perfect day, relaxed, informative, enjoyable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable guide

Transport

Clean nice private car ride

Private Tapas Experience in Madrid

Madrid

Great variety of Food and drink in a localized area, friendly guide, fun group. I was accommodated by every establishment as s pescatarian.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit of Toledo

Spain

Victor was another one of our favorite guides. He was so knowledgeable and interesting. We saw all of the highlights accompanied with stories, history and context.

Quality of Experience

Victor

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Montserrat & Penedès Region Wine Tasting

Barcelona

I would actually give this tour 4.5 stars. The winery tour and Monserrat Abby were amazing places. The winery tour was comprehensive and wonderful. The Abby portion was less smooth. We had to decide whether we would stand in line and see the black Madonna and our guide had some trouble with the tickets. I would have liked to have walked to see the little church in the mountain but it wasn’t an option. We stopped for coffee before the winery and it felt a little forced and awkward. Finally, the driving was a little fast for me in the mountains with all the twists and turns. Our guide was knowledge about the Montserrat Abby was fine but not outstanding.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Barcelona & Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Our tour guide Matthieu was friendly and knowledgeable and the places we saw were great. It was difficult, however, to see anything from the van. I would have appreciated more information and preparation for Sangrada Familia and wished we had an actual guide rather than downloading an app, I would have also like to go to SF earlier to avoid the huge crowds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Night

Madrid

Splendid show! Appreciated hearing the artists talk at the end and explain the art of flamenco.

Quality of Experience

Guided Visit of Madrid: History, Culture & Architecture of the Capital of Spain

Madrid

Our guide Amor only took us around a few blocks and the pace was far too slow for us. Also, the focus of the information sharing was architecture, specifically the balconies, versus history and culture, Unfortunately, we didn’t feel we experienced Madrid fully.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dingle was my favorite place except for the customer service at our hotel.
Doolin was the best for service. She knew our names when we walked in the door and she served the best breakfast of the trip.
My favorite hotel was The Brehon.
Ballyseede Castle was a little disappointing and I would not go to Cork at all if I could change anything. My favorite dinner was at The 1852 Hotel in Belfast.

Hi Samir
You live in an amazing part of the world!
Thank you for arranging our trip in a way that we could see and experience the best of it.
Thank you for all the accommodations - Ambassador, Aicha, By 14 and Old Village Resort stood out the most. Great locations and impeccable service, cuisine and hospitality.

Thank you for checking on us ever so often and all your input in planning the trip. Thank you for arranging the personalized care for us through border crossings. It was all very seamless.

Thank you for the upgrade - we definitely needed Old Village after our 9 mile strenuous hike in Petra!

Fadi and Mamdou were ever so helpful. They took excellent care of us. Hopefully they felt that we took care of them too. Mamdou also helped us find the English speaking guide Wazdi at Petra- Wazdi was outstanding.

Next time we are in this part of the world, we will definitely like to connect with you to plan more of Jordan ….

Take care,
Vanita

Hotel Reviews

Ambassadore Hotel Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Memories Aicha Luxury Camp

Wadi Rum

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

BY 14 HOTEL TEL AVIV

TEL AVIV

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Old City Jerusalem

Israel

Madaba & Mount Nebo Visit

Jordan

Full Day Petra (With Site local Guide or private guide)

Petra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wadi Rum (2-3 Hrs Jeep ride)

Jordan

Masada Sunrise

Israel

Nothing unusual

Day trip to Yad Vashem, Ein Karim and the Israel Museum

Israel

Visit to Bethlehem

Israel

Visit Haifa, Akka & Caesarea

Israel

Zulmy, our local specialist, did a brilliant job - she was friendly, responsive and helped us have an unforgettable three week trip to Panama! We started in Darien (and would highly recommend Ecotours Darien) and spent some time with the local Embera community, before visiting Santa Catalina, Boquete, Bocas del Toro and finally Panama City.

Loved the citi d we visited and all of the tours that were set up. Only thing not great was the dinner pre arranged in Lyon..bad good and not great service. Besides that everything else was awesome!!

Would highly recommend to others

Our family of four visited Thailand over the first two weeks of August. It was my fourth visit, my husband's second, and the kids' first time. Thailand is always a great experience period. This trip was rather last minute with about 1.5 months to plan given that the country had just fully relaxed all COVID restrictions in July or so and therefore, I decided to call up on kimkim to assist. and Martin and KimKim came through. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, but it was great to know the ins and outs from Martin as a local expert. There was plenty of back and forth between us, but it was to ensure the itinerary was tight and things go smoothly from day 1. And Martin was always accessible and responsive. I think the most I appreciated using KimKim was relying on them to arrange all the transportation without lifting a finger. :)

Bangkok was our command central while we would pack light for 2-3day excursions off to Koh Samui and Kanchanaburi to enjoy everything that each place had to offer. We would return to Bangkok between excursions. Koh Samui is captivating where we stayed at Chaweng Garden Hotel and joined a full day tour to Ang Thong Marine Park. In Kanchanaburi, it was amazing to stay at the River Kwai FloatHouse and visit the beautiful Erawan Waterfalls - these two are a must and worthy to be on anyone's bucket list!

Then there is Bangkok - the city that never sleeps. It's all about shopping and eating. We stayed near MBK and the various shopping malls making it easy to get around especially since the National Stadium BTS station was right near us. One of the major highlight and not planned was riding the Chao Praya River Ferry from the Sathorn Taksin Pier all the way to the end where we visited Nonthaburi, a city very much off the beaten path.

So Thailand was a success! We enjoyed a combination of tours arranged by KimKim and our own free time to discover. I would definitely enlist KimKim's help again and definitely when I return to Thailand in the near future. Thanks Martin!

Hotel Reviews

Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Siam

Conveniently located near MBK, BTS, and other malls and therefore, in the heart of where all the traffic bottlenecks. Rooms were clean and staff was helpful. Complimentary breakfast was doable. The hotel offered connecting rooms which is great for a family of four. Will probably stay again for the location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chaweng Garden

Hotel was unique and had a lot of character. It has a pool that starts out like a lazy river and ends with a swim up bar. Complimentary breakfast was good. It is located alongside the Chaweng Beach and the water is just beautiful. It's also located on the main street with all the shopping and eateries you can imagine.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The FloatHouse River Kwai

Chang Wat Kanchanaburi

This is a must do if you are visiting Kanchanaburi. The whole experience that comes with Kanchanaburi to stay on the River Kwai and luckily, we were able to grab the FloatHouse for a couple of nights. When you are here, you truly forget the stress of your daily life back home. The complimentary breakfast is okay. We added on dinner with our hotel package and it was alot of food!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Erawan Waterfalls

Thailand

I discovered Erawan Waterfalls from YouTube. It is amazing and you are truly in awe with Mother Nature! The waters are a beautiful glassy blue. If I had known about Erawan a long time ago, it would have been on my bucket list!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angela helped my wife and I plan the most amazing honeymoon. She was able to direct us to islands that fit exactly what we were looking for. From the very first time we stepped foot in Athens, everything was taken care of for us. Our driver was waiting there for us with our name on a sign. He was prompt for every pick up and very friendly. Our first hotel in Athens was in a great location, right near Plaka. She also booked us on a small group tour that took us around the main sites in Athens. From there, we went to our first island, Milos. Angela suggested this island from our little questionnaire that we filled out on Kim Kim. We were looking for something that was different from your typical islands. It had beautiful beaches, amazing people, and the hotel we stayed in, Eirianna, was delightful and charming. When I was planning this part of the trip, we went back-and-forth about different excursion options, and she was able to find exactly what we were looking. We did a very small group, boat tour and a private food tour of the island. Both of those tours were absolutely amazing and a must do in Milos.
Our last and final stop was in Santorini, again helping us find the perfect small little hotel, with stunning views of the caldera. She helped us not only book a local tour, but also helped us rent a car that was dropped off right outside of our hotel. She coordinated all of our transfers to the airports, ferries, hotels, restaurants, and tours. We literally did not have to think about one thing. That is exactly what we were looking for! She was responsive the entire trip and always checked in to make sure we were having the best time ever. If you were thinking about going to Greece, you must work with Angela. She is responsive, accommodating, easy to work with and prompt. Overall, this was one of the best vacations we have ever been on. I cannot recommend her and Kim Kim enough.

Hotel Reviews

Urban Frame Hotel

Athens

This hotel is in the perfect location if you want to walk around and see all the major sites in Athens. The rooms are tiny, but you are barely in the rooms anyway. It is a five minute walk to Plaka and the acropolis. The staff was very friendly, and the rooms were clean. The breakfast that they provided was also great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to all the shops, restaurants and sites we needed to see.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was very clean, and the bed was comfortable, the rooms were a little small.

Eiriana Luxury Suites

Milos

This hotel was absolutely perfect. Its charm was felt the minute you pulled up. The owner came out and met us when we pulled in. Her and her staff were attentive, kind, responsive, and would work with you to make sure you were having the best time ever. The hotel was located five minutes away from Plaka in Milos. You could easily walk there at night for dinner and shopping. It had beautiful views on either side of the island. The breakfast was wonderful and brought to your little outdoor area every morning. They went out of their way to make sure you were having an exceptional time. The owner gave us recommendations on where to go and what to do in our free time.

Authenticity & Character

A little luxury boutique hotel that had such charm, and you could tell the owner and staff paid attention to every little detail.

Location

Walking distance to plaka, easy to go, grab dinner and shop

Staff

AMAZING!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spitia Tzitzi

Caldera, Santorini

We sat on our outdoor area every single night! This hotel was in a prime location, and the room and outdoor space itself was spacious. The little hot tub was amazing to sit in when we came home from exploring the island. It was in a perfect location, close to Imerovigli, which had the most stunning views of the caldera. The gentleman who ran the property was responsive and helped us with recommendations.

Authenticity & Character

Outdoor area was stunning

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ivis 4 Boutique Hotel

Athens

Great location and amazing breakfast!! Room was spacious and clean

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the heart of all the bars and restaurants in Athens

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

This tour was the perfect length of time. We hit the major sites and the tour guide tied in mythology and how it related towards the different periods of time in Greece. It definitely put a fun spin on seeing the different sites, as they are all tied together.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hi

Transport

Round transfers to Adamas port

Milos

On time and fit all our luggage

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rib Boat 8.5m Rib boat //300hp engine round of Milos - 8 pax max

Greece

This boat tour was wonderful because we were able to see the Chi sites, go swimming for at least 30 minutes in each area, and the tour guides were friendly, and took us on a snorkeling adventure as well. The group was a perfect size, not too big, and not too small where it wasn’t economical. They provided light snacks that were all homemade. They even sent us photos that they took of us while we were on the boat, snorkeling, and from their drone.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was friendly and knowledgeable

Transport

Milos Food Tour

Greece

You must do this!! Not only did we have amazing food from around the island, we also got a private tour, exploring the different villages and towns around Milos. Our tour guide was from Milos and you could tell how much he loved the island. The food was so delicious and filling, actual full portions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Traditional Villages tour

Greece

Nice way to see key parts of Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to the Peloponnese area was fantastic!! The nights staying in the castle of Monemvasia were monumental~ Thank you Cristos for setting up the lovely and interesting wine tasting at Byrons. the sea-kyacking trip was a pure delight and George and Roque were informed and skillful guides- swimming in the caves was real delight. We really enjoyed the boat and walking tour of the caves of Diros.
Each of the historical sites, restaurants and recommendations that Cristos and the KimKim team made were spot on and truly enjoyed.
The personal attention to all of the details were expertly handled in swift and easy communications with KimKim and Cristos~~ I can't wait to go back to Greece~~

We had a spectacular 10 day visit to Morocco! Highly recommend visiting this diverse and beautiful country. Yassine did an outstanding job creating an itinerary that met our needs and the information he shared on travelling in Morocco was very useful. He is very responsive and very knowledgable. We were set up with Soufiane as our driver and guide. He was wonderful! Very friendly, flexible and a great travelling companion. Felt more like travelling with a friend who is really concerned with ensuring you have a good time. Highly recommend!

The Galapagos Islands were an unforgettable experience. We did an 8-day trip during the month of July to the islands where we visited two of the islands--Santa Cruz and Isabela. The wildlife and the natural habitats were spectacular. We saw sea turtles, giant tortoises, lizards, sea lions, reef sharks, penguins, rays, and various birds and fish. On the island of Santa Cruz, there are multiple biomes so you are able to see pristine beaches, a foggy and moist highland, and an arid lowland. The volcanic element to the islands also created an impressive backdrop that made you feel as if you were on a different planet. It is a place we highly recommend visiting.

The people we met were very friendly and all of the guides were very knowledgeable as only resident Galapagueños can be guides on the islands. The one thing that we feel would have made this experience better would have been to have one point of contact person for the whole trip. We had different tour guides every day as they all specialize in different areas, which was fine, but we had a different point-of-contact person each day which resulted in there being inconsistencies between the information in our itinerary and what they communicated. Additionally, they did not always tell us what we would need to be prepared for the following day's activities (e.g. recommending that we hire a wet suit or have appropriate footwear for some of the walking activities). Other than that, it was a really great trip.

My dream place was always to go to Greece! I didn’t know how to go about planning it and it was overwhelming. I did my research and came across KimKim in November of 2021. I inquired and was talking to someone previously before I started talking to Christos. Christos was so helpful in planning my itinerary and fitting to my budget I had. When I was on the trip they made sure to communicate EVERYTHING to me. I had a mishap when I got off before my ferry they checked on me. Also communicated when my ferry got delay or anything I needed. I am so happy my dream trip was everything I could imagine. I can’t wait to do another planned trip with KimKim and if you are ever going to Greece go through Christos.

Hotel Reviews

NLH Monastiraki

Athens

Upon arrival room wasn’t ready which is understanding. The hotel receptionist told us to come back and when we did she told me it still wasn’t ready and kind of had an attitude. They weren’t really welcoming and when questions were asked it seem to be a bothered to them. Other than that the hotel was nice and was by everything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Convenient

Staff

Welcoming to guests

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and spacious.

Acrogiali Beach Hotel

Mykonos

We got off on the wrong ferry and they were helpful in getting us to the hotel. Staff was so nice to my fiancé and I. They answer every question and schedule transfers for us with no hesitation. I love the hotel and access to the beach with sea view.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Makris Beach Hotel

Kamari

One of our days got cut short in Santorini. The receptionist was waiting for us and gave us tips on the food and everything. I love how the room was close to the beach and had so many food options and stores to access.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Acropolis Afternoon Tour

Athens

Tour guide was AMAZING! She was very clear in explaining everything and making sure to take pictures of us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Riding to Fokos Beach

Mykonos

Love the horse riding to the beach. I was nervous on how to ride the horse but a tutorial was given. She kept checking on us making sure we were okay and even took pictures and videos on my GoPro.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Highlights with Wine

Greece

I thought we were just going on a wine tour but I was shocked to know we had a whole guided tour of everything. I was so excited while he explain everything and took us to different locations. I love the tour guide, gelato, sunset, and wine. Also met another amazing couple there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was incredible. From the very start upon contacting Kimkim to the very end. Sarah our Lillie travel manager was incredibly help and responsive to ever question and concern. I our drivers, skipper and wine guide and everyone in between., was professional, timely, knowledgeable and helpful! Our coordinator Sarah checked in on us and made sure all was going well. This trip was seamless due to her. Thank you, Sarah for a wonderful lifetime memory!

Hotel Reviews

Cornaro Hotel

Split

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel

Hvar

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bellevue Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Split

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Motor Boat Excursion to Brač & the Pakleni Islands (end in Hvar)

Split

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hvar Wine Tasting Excursion

Hvar

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Game of Thrones Tour

Dubrovnik

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was, without a doubt, the trip of a lifetime, and it was all made possible by the fine work of Christos and the rest of the kimkim staff. We started planning this trip pre-Covid in 2020 and delayed it twice due to the pandemic. When we finally decided the time was right to travel in September 2022, we were amazed daily at the first-class experience that Christos had planned for us for our 12 days in Greece. From the accommodations at Home & Poetry, The New Hotel, and Zillers in Athens, to the Hotel Douplani House overlooking the rock formations in Meteora, to the amazing Villa Marandi Luxury Suites (which really lives up to its name) in Naxos, everything was perfect. All of the guides and drivers (especially Dennis of Lampros Tours) were friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable beyond belief. Everything went exactly as planned, and there was not a single glitch in anything about the trip from start to finish. Thank you, Christos and kimkim!

We landed at CDG and were met by our driver and taken to our first hotel. Having a driver lined up takes so much stress off the end of a long flight/ beginning of the vacation!
After an initial day free, we jumped into our first organized event, an e-bike tour called Paris Charms and Secrets. Tour guide Pierre was part artist, part historian and part actor - animated, passionate and interesting! From Paris we headed south on the train for Lyon, a city we loved and want to return to. A highlight of our stay there was the Lyon Traditional Food Tour with guide Semaan that was a foodie’s delight, but also a history lesson and walking tour of old Lyon rolled into one.
From Lyon we headed to Marsaille, again by train, and and a memorable Cassis and Bandol Wine tour. Our guide, Eric, was extremely knowledgeable and personable. We learned so much about wine and winemaking, met the families who owned the 3 vineyards we visited and heard the history of their operations. The countryside was exquisitely beautiful! We had a delicious lunch at a port side restaurant in Cassis, then rode to the top of a National (?) park that overlooked Marsaille. Amazing.
Our tours were all either private (just the two of us) or 8 or less. Perfect for getting around easily and for being able to ask questions and have the attention of the guide.
Our trip included transportation to and from CDG and train tickets for the inner France travel. With this arrangement we would advise making sure you know which train station you need to show up at (many cities have more than one) and (especially in Paris) where you need to be standing to board the train - they are very long and crowded trains and the stops are short: there isn’t time to figure anything out last minute.
Another consideration is transportation to/from train stations and to tours. Cabs are expensive and can add a considerable amount to your trip. The metro systems take a little time to figure out, but are a great way to go if your destination is too far to walk.
We chose to stay at smaller, boutique hotels and they were more than adequate.
Our trip was an abbreviated version of a longer trip planned and postponed due to the Covid pandemic. If we had it to do again, we would not try to pack visits to so many cities into 7 days.
We highly recommend KimKim if you want a tour, but not the “30-people wearing green scarves- following a flag” variety.

This was our first time booking with KimKim and I will never travel without them again. The website paired us with a Greek native named Antonis Alexandrou who knew all the best local sites to visit, places to eat, hotels to stay at. From the very early stages of planning, Antonis was incredibly responsive, helpful and all around pleasant to interact with. He helped us work through multiple versions of our trip always being careful to plan within our budget and also paying close attention to our preferences.

I’m writing this on my way home and I can safely say that the entire 10 day trip throughout multiple cities in Greece went off without a single snag or problem. We loved all the tours and excursions he booked. Complex transportation from hotel to port to ferry to hotel were done effortlessly, efficiently, and without delay thanks to Antonis’s expert planning. We were actually surprised to meet Antonis himself at our first hotel and he was just as lovely in person. He truly listened to the things we liked and didn’t like and the vacation perfectly reflected that. It was almost as if the trip was planned by our very close friend or relative. During our trip he checked in with us frequently and gave some FANTASTIC local food recommendations. I cannot recommend this travel service and this travel agent (Antonis) in particular enough. He is truly a star of the entity and I will continue to use this agency because of him.

Zack + Adrienne

Marcello, our guide at the Napo Culteral Center was amazing. He was very knowledgable of the native culture, language and the jungle animals and plants. We saw red Macaws gather to a clay link, the jungle from both the river and a tower above the trees

Jorge, our guide through the Andes was fantastic. Offered many sites and activities in addition to the itinerary. Although the 4 hour drive over the bumpy dirt road was unpleasant, Jorge and our driver Winston were always positive and personal. Again, I was impressed by the range of Jorge's knowledge of the landscape, culture, language and politcal/history of Ecuador. I felt we did too much driving in the Andes and would have enjoyed taking walks in the foothills.

We did not have a specific guide in the Galapagos. I would have appreciated a detailed itinerary to better plan for the days. The boating days to the other islands and snorkeling were definitely a highlight. The crews were very helpful, kind and great cooks

Hotel Review

Hotel Deja Vu Galapagos

Pto. Ayora

It was so nice to spend 3 nights in one hotel, very relaxing. It was a short walk to restaurants and shops. The staff were very helpful. Answered our questions about the the area. Since our group were in 3 different rooms, we utilized the setting area as a meeting point. It was like having a private living room .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

Lots of fun

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito - Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

The walk around the lake was lovely

Quito - Coca - Napo Cultural Center

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

The farm with great tortoises was exciting, beautiful scenery.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Morning - Afternoon Boat Tour

Ecuador

We were ready for the free morning. This boat tour to yhe trail did not offer anything new that we had seen on a previous trip. Also, we were unaware of the opportunity to snorkle on this trip

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My husband and I planned to do two weeks in Italy for our honeymoon. Since we were in the middle of moving across the country, we didn't have time to plan it ourselves, and really didn't know where to begin since neither of us had been to Europe. Kimkim took all the headache out of planning, and our specialist, Chiara, was incredible.

However, I began to doubt the amount of money we spent on the trip. The hotels weren't quite as nice as I'd hoped. There were still tours and fees that we needed to pay out of pocket.

Some of the planned excursions were not as described. For the boat rides, more people were on the boat, they only served bread instead of a whole menu, and didn't stop at as many locations as listed. Our boat excursion to Capri was more of a ferry, yet was hundreds of dollars. Our Colosseum tour did not include the Underground even though it was listed in the itinerary description.

There were several difficulties with the private transfers and meeting points. The expected meeting points for drivers and passengers are different in every city and were difficult to figure out. A call to the number listed for the driver took you to a dispatcher and made finding the driver complicated. The most important transfer, the one to our home-bound flight at 3 am, did not show, and we had to scramble to book a taxi.

Kimkim is a great service for those who don't have the time or energy to spend researching a trip. We could have spent more time working with our specialist to hone in the details. It was really nice that she checked in with us periodically. We also had an emergency contact to help us if there were issues. But at the end of the day, you're really better off saving the extra money and learning what you need to know about your destination for yourself. That way, all of the trip will be to your tastes.

Regardless, using kimkim was exactly what we needed for our situation, so thank you for an overall smooth experience.

Hotel Reviews

Aenea Superior Inn

Rome

The location in Monti was fantastic. The room was comfortable. We wished there was a better breakfast offering, but the espresso machine in the room was amazing. We were also the room right next to the main entrance and office so it didn't feel very private.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Solo Experience Hotel

Florence

We had a wonderful view of the streets of Florence. The breakfast was incredible. Definitely a highlight of our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Da Baranin

Manarola SP

The bedroom was small but comfortable. But the bathroom was impossibly small. My husband could barely sit on the toilet or fit in the shower. Keep in mind this hotel is at the top of the hill in Manarola, so you'll be climbing a lot of stairs to go to restaurants and get to and from the water.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Prestige 4* Sorrento

Sorrento (NA)

The view of Sorrento is beautiful, and you're up high enough to be out of the line of smoke from the people burning trash in the valley... The hotel was very lovely, with open terraces and a quiet rooftop with an even better view. But... the pool was way too cold, the breakfast was mediocre, and the rooms have cheap plastic finishes and the worst brick beds to ever have disgraced my back. Be aware that the hotel taxi is not complimentary. The same two girls that serve breakfast and poolside lunch also serve dinner at the hotel restaurant. I was worried they work them all day. It was an interesting stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Horrible gd beds

Palazzo Alabardieri Hotel Napoli

Naples

This is a beautiful hotel in Naples and is super close to the most amazing restaurants we visited on our trip. The bed was so comfortable which was a relief. It was the biggest bathroom we had out of our five Italian hotel experiences. Big issue was that even though we changed the thermostat, the AC seemed to do nothing, which made for an uncomfortable summer night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vatican Tour with Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica

Rome

We got lucky and had our own guide. She was amazing, well versed, and knowledgeable. The tour was stunning, but it was a lot of walking. We did the Colosseum the same day and that was too much. Apparently every first Sunday of the month, entrance to national museums is free. We went the day after. It would have been nice if kimkim told us that so we could have saved some money... But that's the game.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine tour from Florence: discover vineyards, olive groves, cellars and wineries

Florence

We got lucky and had this tour all to ourselves. Our guide Mateo was incredible and friendly. We know nothing about wine, and don't even really enjoy it all that much, but we still loved this tour. The 900 year old winery was our favorite. We tasted amazing olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cinque Terre Sunset Boat Tour

Italy

Our guide Christian was very nice and fun. We enjoyed the tour to see all of Cinque Terre and its villages. There were more people on the boat than mentioned in the description. We almost didn't get picked up. We were at the meeting point early, and no boat. We called the number and they told us they were booked but we said we were on the list. They had to send a boat to pick us up. We were served focaccia and prosecco, nothing else.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food not as described, and they almost left us.

Cinque Terre Train Card

Italy

This was a great way to explore. Vernazza and Monterosso were our favorite villages.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum Tour with Underground, Arena & Gladiator Gate with Roman Forum

Rome

The Colosseum is breathtaking, of course. However, the description says the tour includes the Underground, which our tour did not. Our guide would not hear it. Also it was not an agile group of 8. It was around 20 people, and it was very hot, and a little bit miserable. But worth seeing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour from Sorrento

Italy

We found out from the other couples in the boat just how much this "tour" costs... It's hundreds. And if this "8 hr" tour, we spent most of it stranded on Capri. The boat ride was most just a really expensive ferry to the island. They did let us stop at Blue Grotto where some of us paid the ferrymen extra to get inside the grotto in a canoe. When they dumped us at Capri for 5 hours, we had to pay for a bus to get around. We all really just wanted to be on the water. On the way back, they let us swim at one spot. But it was much less than the boat tour I was expecting. They also did not serve the level of food I was expecting based on the description.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Experience from Sorrento (shared group)

Italy

This was fun but you don't get much time at each town. Our group was big, and so was our bus. It got stuck a few times on the narrow coastal roads. I'd rather just take a taxi or something instead of a tour bus so you aren't on someone else's clock the whole day. And spend more time in Ravello.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport