Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had the best holiday in Ireland!

Hotel Reviews

Iveagh Gardens Hotel

Dublin

Beautiful upscale hotel with a bar and restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to city centre and we could walk to everything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

ibis Belfast City Centre Hotel

Belfast

Great location!! The staff was incredible and they had a 24 hour bar and kitchen open!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. They always were available to give us advice on things to do etc!

Cleanliness & Comfort

An Crúiscín Lán Hotel and Restaurant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Wanted to be closer to city centre… location was safe and not busy though

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clonmore Lodge

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Amazing owners that helped us with directions, pulled out maps and suggested nearby attractions/sights! Had a family feel!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ballyseede Castle

Tralee

Luxurious! Bar area had food and it tasted great!

Authenticity & Character

A true castle feel! Loved it!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Killarney View House

kerry

Location was great to Killarney! Breakfast was really good!

Authenticity & Character

Right on the river! Views were amazing!

Location

Very close to city centre and walkable!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gabriel House Guesthouse

Cork

The room was large and had 3 beds! Very comfortable! The shower was nice. Breakfast was amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Academy Plaza Hotel

Dublin

We were able to check in early which was so great since we landed at 5 am! The shower was a little small but the room was cozy!

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was in the City centre so we could walk everywhere!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Celtic Nights Dance Show @ the Arlington Hotel Dublin

Dublin

A definite MUST see! Incredible live music, dancing and the dinner was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Dublin's Oldest and Best Pubs & Bars

Dublin

We visited multiple pubs and bars while I’m Dublin! Some had live music and all the staff was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We got on the double decker hop on hop off bus! It was the best way to get around and the driver talked about things along the way!

Killarney Sight Seeing Highlights

Ireland

This was one of our favorites! We drove around Ring of Kerry and saw AMAZING sights!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We drove ourselves and all the locals were so friendly and helpful!

Transport

A couple of guides stand out for both Linda & I. Our guide for the day trip to Douro Valley was João & he took us to exclusive wineries for a wonderful experience where we were the only tourists. Our lunch with him at a vineyards restaurant was incredible. He taught us how to debone a fish that day & we had one of our favourite meals there.
Our day trip from Lisbon to Sintra with Nuno was another favourite. He was a local from Sintra. We did 2 hikes that day with a picnic at the top of the coastal cliffs.
Marta & her team were fantastic, always available with quick response time if we had any questions or had any timing issues. The team would check in on us throughout the trip to ensure all was well.
This was a trip of a lifetime where we had the opportunity to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. We just can’t say enough good things about this team & have already recommended you to several of our friends.
Thanks again for providing a wonderful travel experience!

Hotel Reviews

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascade Wellness Resort

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Évora Olive Hotel

Évora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dear Lisbon Bordalo House

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Miramar Hotel & Spa

Nazaré

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Editory House Ribeira

Porto

Nice hotel but rooms were small

Authenticity & Character

Larger rooms

Location

Central to restaurants, near river

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Boat Excursion to Benagil Caves & Carvoeiro Beach

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Algarve E-Bike Experience: Villages & Secluded Beaches

Portugal

Unfortunately this was cancelled due to rain

Excursion to Alentejo - Jeep Safari Through a Cork Fork & Visit to an Olive Oil Estate

Lisbon

This was not available on our trip

Évora Through the Ages: Guided Walk

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Soul of Lisbon: Fado Dinner Experience

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Timeless Experience: Vintage Car Ride & Wine Tasting

Porto

Not really a vintage car that we expected to have

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

It was a nice experience for our first night exposure to Porto

Quality of Experience

Food

Exploring different wines & restaurants

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It was a walking tour

We had been thinking about a trip to Iceland for a very long time but didn't really know how to start planning. Eric made that part easy and fun. He was very thorough and communicated well throughout the process. We had a mixture of planned excursions and independent exploring, which suited us perfectly. All of the booked adventures were a lot of fun and we lucked out in that we actually got to see whales, seals, and the Aurora Borealis! The suggestion to rent a car and go out on our own was an excellent one. Driving is easy and there is much to be seen along the main roads of Iceland. We were mesmerized by the otherworldliness of the land and the sky -- the colors, waterfalls, glaciers, and lava beds. We took many pictures from the car and stopped in tiny towns to explore and hike. The people were friendly and fun; they seemed to want to make our adventure even better. This trip was everything we had hoped for and more; I highly recommend Eric as a "tour guide in chief" for Iceland.

Jessica, was always available throughout the planing and execution of the trip .She made sure she understood my needs and expectations and crafted an itinerary that meet them all.

once arrived at destination my local specialist was making sure all war as expected , the drivers and guides were professional and reliable. all my guides were very knowledgeable and shared a lot of details about the places we visited , the culture, history etc.

it goes without saying that I had a lovely time and as a solo traveler always felt safe . Traveling solo allows for beautiful encounters and flexibility

Hotel Reviews

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta - MGallery Collection

Yogyakarta

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tropical Beach House

Seminyak

Authenticity & Character

Location

right by the ocean and action yet calm and quiet place

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adiwana Svarga Loka

Ubud

beautiful hotel ideally located close to everything yet far from the noise . all the staff was helpful and nice room was clean . I loved that there was a temple on site .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Angel Billabong

Indonesia

nice place just a lot of traffic to see a beach just for the photo

Rock Bar

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Watch Kecak Dance Performance

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Uluwatu Temple

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Ulun Danu Beratan Temple

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Ubud Art Market

Indonesia

nice market just way to much tourist trap for me

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Tirta Gangga Water Palace

Indonesia

beautiful set up !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Lempuyang Temple

Indonesia

Even though this is highly touristic I think a trip to Bali is not complete without a stop here

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

Indonesia

beautiful place can walk lots of shade

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Alas Harum

Indonesia

the place is beautiful it is just not my thing highly touristy and all man made infrastructure

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

guide was super

Transport

Visit Tegallalang Rice Terrace

Indonesia

nice rice field and fun to be able to walk all over

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling in Kintamani

Indonesia

This activity was lots of fun and allows to interract with real people

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) Domestic Arrival Airport Meet and Greet

Indonesia

amazing was right there to welcome and assisted me . very professional

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was smooth and enjoyable. Local guides of Original travel Saïd, Noureddine and Ayoub were amazing and very helpful. Especially Saïd was there whenever we needed any help, he was gone extraordinarily to help us.
Noureddin and Ayoub conveyed us Moroccan history very well.
Sightseeing and local food and fresh Pomegranate juice was tasty.The night in dessert was excellent.

Our trip to Portugal was truly special thanks to Marisa and her team! Our drivers were so friendly and helpful, the walking tours of Porto and Lisbon were very informative and a great way to see the cities and our self guided portion of the trip was a nice way to see the south at a relaxing pace. Using Kimkim and having in country experts at your disposal is an added piece of mind that really allows you to enjoy the trip and not worry about the details!!

Mar wonderfully balanced convenience, comfort, and leisure. We had a nice mix of practical and comfortable hotels when appropriate (e.g., had early travel the next day) and unique memorable places in between - just as we requested. Some of the days’ agendas were a little ambitious (also as requested) but the recommendations and planned events really allowed for a full and fulfilling trip! Would definitely recommend Mar and the Kimkim team in the future.

Just returned from a great trip to Portugal. What a beautiful country! Many thanks to Joao for making all the arrangements. He checked in on us daily. Excellent locations/accommodations for all of our hotels, tours were enjoyable especially Douro valley, Porto cooking class, Fado experience and walking tour in Lisbon plus a relaxing time in Lagos. All of our Drivers were on time and friendly. Certainly one of our best trips ever.

Activity Review

Flavors of Porto an Immersive Culinary Journey through a Cooking Class***

Porto

Vitor was a great host. We had lots of laughs and cooked a delicious meal. Very hands on. Maybe the highlight of our 11 day Portugal adventure

This was my first experience with a travel service and I was very pleased. Extremely accessible and responsive. All arrangements were ready for us as promised. Accommodations were both top notch and good value for money. Suggestions for our activities were in line with what they learned about us prior to starting to plan.

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Tea at the Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh

Lovely, quiet venue with excellent service and excellent food. The optional Gin flight we chose prior to Tea was excellent as well

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

Lots of history to learn and see. The audio system was well worth the additional fee. The Crown Jewels display was very impressive

Small group visit of Mary King's Close

Edinburgh

Very interesting but could have been better with a little more historical reenactment and re-creation of the time period

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

History Lovers Old Town Walking Tour

Edinburgh

Our tour was small and our guide was excellent! We learned and saw so much of the Old Town and this prepared us to explore more on our own

Private transfer from Train station to Hotel

Scotland

Very professional and friendly. Great car

Private transfer in town

Scotland

Super friendly. Very posh car ! Waiting where promised

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

London Cab Tour of London

London

Ollie did a fantastic job making this interactive, and covering so many important sites. I was worried that the tour would be too long but time flew by!

Changing of the Guard Guided Tour

London

Fast-paced but with time for Rosie our guide to give us lots of explanation of what we’re watching

Quality of Experience

Tower of London Timed Entry Tickets

London

The Yeoman Warder tour is what makes this visit worthwhile and we loved it. So much history, made so interesting

London Bridge Food Tour

London

Tom the guide made this a very fun experience in spite of being a super crowded Saturday

London Eye timed entry tickets

London

While it provided great views, it gave very little info to help us understand what were seeing Even some type of map would be helpful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The London drivers were on time but barely spoke. The Scottish drivers were extremely professional and friendly

Thanks to Mathia's help we enjoyed a little bit of everything that Norway has to offer. From Bergen to Oslo we saw an abundance of majestic scenery, experienced small village life, and loved the energy in Oslo and the people we met. Our trip began with two nights in Bergen at the Bergen Bors Hotel. The hotel was steps away from the harbor, restaurants, and quaint neighborhoods. The rooms were very clean and comfortable. The breakfast at the hotel was very good and the restaurant has a classic feel (it was an old stock exchange building from the 1800's). While in Bergen we did a private historical walking tour with John. The tour was supposed to be 3 hours, but John spent 4 lovely hours with him. If we were willing to walk (in the rain), he was willing to keep showing us around and sharing stories. Later that same day we took the Mostraumen Fjord Cruise (3 hours). We were lucky that the rain stopped! When in Norway, a fjord cruise is a must! Our last day in Bergen, we explored on our own. We took the Floibanen funicular to the Floyen (top of the mountain) for a great panoramic view of the city, mountains and fjords. If you like to walk, I recommend buying a one way ticket and walking back on the very well marked trail back to the city center. It's a very active area with lots of families and people enjoying the outdoors. Our next stop was Balestrand, a tiny town population 1,200 located in a beautiful fjord. We stayed in the Kvikness Hotel which takes you back in time. It reminded me a lot of The Balsams Wilderness in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. We took a private scenic fjord boat trip with Captain Tor. We had a unique trip weather wise which made even better in my eyes. Captain Tor was in his element (rain or shine) and took good care of us. Seeing the area through the eyes of a true local was unique. The hotel had a very nice buffet style breakfast. We chose to eat dinner at Peter's Plass a quaint tiny Ukrainian restaurant. Note: Aside from the hotel this was the only restaurant open as everything was "closed for the season". On our way to Aurland by ferry we got to see more of the beauty of the fjords. In Aurland, we stayed three nights at 29/2 Aurland an organic farm "off the beaten path". Our accommodations were in a rustic old fisherman's cabin but very comfortable and unique. There was main (modern rustic) building that all of the guests had their meals and afternoon coffee/tea & homemade baked goods. The breakfast was buffet style. The dinner was a three course meal (with a wine pairing option). Dinner was the chefs choice, all organic, and local ingredients. Small "masterpieces" were served each night. We are willing to try new foods, but we are not true "foodies". Note: The food was wonderful, but there are not "options"/the menu is set. While there we rode (the free) bikes down to the village (population 800) and around the fjord. The next two days rained a lot...a lovely employee Madara at 29/2 found my husband a pair of waterproof hiking boots and a rain coat that saved the day! We were able to hike the nearby waterfall (Turlidfossen) despite the extremely muddy trail. It was an adventure and beautiful! We lucked out and had clear skies and a little sun for our excursion to the Stegastein Viewpoint. The "road" to the viewpoint was very narrow and curvy. I'm glad we left the driving to the professionals! While I truly loved our experience at 29/2, for this trip, I would have opted for 2 nights (instead 3) and added an extra night to our next stop in Geilo. On our way to Geilo, we went through Flam. The fjords heading from Aurland to Flam were our favorite - majestic overload! In Flam we took the scenic railway to Geilo for one night. Geilo is a small ski town. We stayed at the Vestilia Resort. The accommodations were modern and very spacious. This is a family friendly resort with options for adult only areas. The breakfast spread was amazing and the dinner we had in the restaurant was top notch. All of the employees were super friendly and helpful. We entertained ourselves with a 6-7 mile walk around the lake and explored the base area ski shops. If you are a skier, you'll appreciate this little ski village. Final stop: Oslo! The night we arrived we saw Luke Combs in concert at the Spektrum Center. It was an awesome experience. The venue was the perfect size, the acoustics were great, and the crowd was full of energy! Singing "Sweet Caroline" before the concert started with a bunch of Norwegians was so much fun! I was surprised how much I liked Oslo. I didn't expect it to be as warm and friendly as it was. On the last day of our trip we walked 12 miles on a all around Oslo. It was the nicest day (weather wise) that we had in Norway. Highlights of our walk: city center, residential areas on our way to the Royal Palace, Vigeland Sculpure Park (so unique), the waterfront activity (coffee shops, ice cream, floating saunas, the Salt salsa dancing, the Opera House, and Olivia's Italian restaurant. We stayed at the Thon Opera Hotel. This is a very modern hotel located right next to the train station and in walking distance to the Spektrum Center. The room was comfortable and clean. The breakfast was also good. It was a much busier environment than our other accommodations. Getting a taxi from our hotel to the airport at 4am was super easy. Overall our trip was a success!
We saw a lot and we felt like we got a great feel for the people and the culture of this beautiful county. I would highly recommend working with Mathia. He took our input and planned a seamless trip for us.

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

Modern hotel with all of the amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Clean, typical modern hotel in a city

Location

Walking distance to the train station, city center, Spektrum center, and waterfront

Staff

The receptionist were great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vestlia Resort

Geilo

A great ski lodge rustic spa feeling

Authenticity & Character

We are skiers so I loved the lodge feeling - the Norwegian touches was awesome

Location

In walking distance of the trails around the lake

Staff

Everyone was very helpful. We especially had great service at dinner.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a one bedroom apartment. Plenty of space and modern decor.

29|2 Aurland

Aurland

This is a unique place. It is remote and a bit rustic with partially shared accommodations. The "fisherman" house we stayed in had very tiny bedrooms (each with a small private bathroom) with small common areas (sitting room and kitchen). There were working wood stoves.

Authenticity & Character

I loved the history....a farm that has been passed down many generations.

Location

Being remote is what makes this place unique. The village is a 2 mile walk. There are free bikes for guests to use. If you are unable to walk, they will drive you to town for 500 krone (roughly $46 dollars one way). We like to walk and bike and we got lucky that it wasn't pouring when we needed to walk into the village.

Staff

The hiking guides (we didn't use them, but picked their brains) were super friendly and clearly enjoy showing people around. They were very helpful. The staff overall was warm and very gracious. Madara went above and beyond and helped us with some rain gear.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I loved the quaint rustic cozy quarters.

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

The setting is beautiful. It takes you back in time....

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view from our room was lovely. You can walk from the ferry to the hotel. You are in walking distance to the center of this tiny village.

Staff

The receptionist (a 25-30 year old female) was very short with us. Not helpful with our basic questions. She appeared to be annoyed that we didn't know we were visiting "off season". She informed us that there were NO restaurants (other than the hotel) open in the off season. However, we did find Peter's Plass a Ukrainian restaurant and we had a great meal. We were surprised by her attitude, because everyone we had encountered thus far was very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

An old stock exchange building....with an old world feel.

Location

In the heart of the city center.

Staff

Very nice and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Stegastein Viewpoint

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Boat Trip to Fjærland

Norway

A unique private tour with a true local - Captain Tor.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise from Bergen

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Viking Heritage Walk with a Local

Bergen

John our guide was great. He spent 4 hours with us (tour was supposed to be 3). He was not in a rush. He wanted to show us as much as possible while making sure we were ok with all of the walking (and rain).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was our very first international trip we were planning and we had zero feedback as none of our friends have ever been to Greece. I did research and stumbled upon KimKim. I had previously been in contact with other travel agencies, but none compared in the communication department as well as KimKim. Communication is huge for us as we had tons of questions. Once we received all our information back as far as price and the excursions we wanted to par-take in we decided to secure our dates with KimKim. Our travel guide was, Ina and she was AMAZING!!! She would always be in constant communication with us and answered emails (which I sent a lot) in a timely manner. If she was going to be out of the office/vacation she would let us know in case we sent emails and didn't receive a timely response, we would know why. Once we were on our trip we had a 24 hour text/call center we could contact incase we needed help along the way of our trip. We would highly recommend KimKim to anyone and are currently trying to figure out where our next vacation will be. Thank You Ina

Our trip to Italy was amazing and unforgettable. The planning, organization and itinerary created by Harris was truly outstanding and exceeded our expectations. Our tours were exceptional and our tour guides Susie in Venice, Alecia in Siena and Tuscany, Natalia in Pompeii, Antonella in the Colosseum and the Forum and Giovanna in the Vatican were all wonderful, as were our guide in Florence and the crew on our boat tour along the Amalfi Coast. Fun, Fun, Fun. Our hotels were all excellent and situated close to where we wanted to be, particularly in Venice and Sorrento. Our drivers were all friendly, very punctual and helpful. The Travel12 team on WhatsApp was so helpful and immediately available to help us with questions large and small. The entire trip was so well planned for us, with great tours and leaving us with plenty of free time to explore or relax with an aperol spritz on a friendly piazza. We couldn't have been more satisfied. You guys truly thought of everything. Thank you so much for a wonderful trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Capo d'Africa—Colosseo

Rome

Nice hotel with a location just a couple blocks from the Colosseum. Our bartender made the best drinks. We enjoyed our stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa di Sorrento

Sorrento

Outstanding hotel with beautiful room and terrace overlooking the city and the bay. Perfectly located steps away from the Piazza Tasso. The staff was exceptionally helpful. We loved staying here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Orto de' Medici

Florence

Very nice hotel with a convenient location close to where we wanted to be. Very nice people.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Olimpia

Venice

Outstanding hotel with wonderful friendly staff, comfortable room and bed, and excellent breakfast. Location right on the canal was superb.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

Amazing tour of the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica with Giovanna. It's so impressive, with so much more than just the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (which of course was awe-inspiring, as was Michaelangelo's Pieta). Superb time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Excellent tour with Antonella . She showed us so many interesting things and avoided all the crowds. Great time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Pompeii Tour

Pompeii

Excellent tour. Pompeii had so much more to see than we had imagined. Natalia was an excellent tour guide showing us so many interesting things, while constantly avoiding all the crowds. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Italy

Probably the most fun tour of our entire trip. Small group of friendly people, with a crew that knew how to have fun and take us to all the most interesting places to swim. Amalfi and Positano were beautiful, and the entire view of the coast from the sea with a pleasant breeze keeping us cool and comfortable was wonderful, as were the complimentary glasses of prosecco and our panini lunch. Would highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuscany Day Trip from Florence with Chianti, Siena & San Gimignano

Florence

Outstanding tour with Alecia. Sienna was beautiful and unexpected. The wine tasting lunch was a real highlight - we never new Chianti could taste so good and be so varied, and the lunch served with each glass was one of the best meals we had in Italy. Exceptional tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Florence Highlights Walking Tour

Florence

Excellent tour of Florence, particularly viewing Michaelangelo's David in the afternoon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Highlights Walking Tour

Venice

Excellent tour through the alleys and narrow streets of Venice, showing all of the sites and ending in the Piazza San Marco. Susie was the best.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was amazing. We had the best time and the Kim Kim team made it stress free. Our driver Samir was the best. He was knowledgeable about everything and a great driver. Every place we visited was beautiful and Samir made us so comfortable. Said was also very accommodating and let us extend our stay in Marrakech. Highly recommend booking with Kim Kim.

We travelled to beautiful Norway in September for a special 50th birthday trip. Our destinations were to Oslo, Åndalsnes, Geiranger & Ålesund. After several changes by me, Mathia created an amazing, memorable trip! He was very patient and never made me feel like an inconvenience.
Initially, I was concerned that we would have too much down time, but it ended up being the perfect mix of both activities and self-exploration. We were able to see 4 completely different areas of Norway and stayed in 4 completely different hotels, so we got a little bit of everything, which was awesome. I loved that we were primarily in local hotels rather than big chain hotels. It is so much better to experience the local culture.
As with all vacations there was a small snafu, but Mathia had it corrected and we were on our way within the hour. It is hardly a thought in my mind when remembering the trip.
I was also extremely impressed that there was someone on call over the weekend. Our initial connecting flight was delayed multiple times and finally cancelled because of weather. I notified the on-call person, who was ready to take appropriate action as needed on their end. Luckily, we were able to get a connecting flight out of another city, so were only a day late, so very few changes had to be made.
We missed most of our time in Oslo but were able to make the cruise touring the area and learning about local culture. Our guide, Suzy, was hilarious and made the trip extra enjoyable.
In Åndalsnes, we road the gondola to the top of the mountain, did some hiking and ate at Eggen with beautiful views as the sun went down. We also explored the beach and took some great pictures.
In Geiranger, we got to take a boat ride in the fjords and did the via ferrata & zip line adventure. I was not sure what to expect, but it ended up being one of the best activities of the trip. The staff at the hotel were amazing and the food was spectacular!
Ålesund was my absolute favorite city. It was so beautiful and the trip to the other islands with a hike was amazing! Our guide was great and the lunch provided was wonderful. I would say the Hotel Brosundet in Ålesund was my favorite hotel of all times and would recommend it to anyone!
I highly recommend Kimkim and would definitely use them again for another exploration. I hope to travel to Norway again and see the other parts of this amazing country. This was an incredible trip and will be hard to beat for future travels.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Brosundet

Ålesund

This was my favorite hotel. Beautiful décor and the huge fireplace in the lobby was wonderful to sit around and chat. Staff was great and very accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grande Fjordhotel

Geiranger

Fabulous staff, great view and wonderful food!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Zip Line & Via Ferrata Hiking Experience

Geiranger

I was a little nervous initially because it was a new experience, but definitely one of my favorite adventures.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploration of Ålesund's Surrounding Islands

Ålesund

Island were beautiful and the hike was a little tough for a beginning, but wonderful to see. Guide was very knowledgeable and very patient.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Silent Oslo Fjord Cruise

Oslo

The tour guide, Suzy, was entertaining and so full of knowledge. Wonderful activity!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Lares Trek was awesome! Our team was very friendly, knowledgeable and professional. Our guide carried us all the way through to Machu Pichu!

The Amazon adventure was Awesome as well. Our guide was also very knowledgeable and professional.

Same with Rainbow Mountain with Jesus!

Very disappointed with the Xima hotel. Not a 4 star hotel. The room was dirty and bath room floor had feces on it! We would like our money back for the Xima hotel stay

Where to begin? It all started with the amazing Team at KimKim from our initial contact in September '22. They heard our desires and were very capable in making our travel as fluid as it was! With some brief back and forth, the itinerary was set. I would be remiss if I did not inject the great attention to detail the KimKim Team provided and the several last minute changes that we asked for while on travel. There were a couple of cancellations not of our doing and the Team quickly notified us and we were able to adjust on the fly! We first arrived in Dublin, Ireland which was not what we thought, but opened our eyes to European big city life. The EPIC Immigration Museum really is a place to visit to get a deep understanding of the Potato Famine of the 1840's and how it really formed how the US was shaped by 1.5-2 million immigrants. Our trip took us via our rental car to Waterford to see the Waterford Crystal company and yes, we bought a fabulous piece of crystal. Then on to Cork with a stop at the KilKenny Castle. Our first experience with a castle and it did not disappoint! Maranatha Country House is where we stayed and it is a wonderful B&B and gracious hosts. Our next stop was in Limerick and while there we visited the Muckross House and Gardens. Such a peaceful location to walk the grounds and feel like you are in the 17th century again. From Limerick, we travelled to Galway and possibly to main reason to visit Ireland. Family connection into the Clan O' Flarerty brought us to the Aughnanure Castle which was the 16th century homestead of our family. Let me take the time to speak about the most amazing B&B we stayed in at Galway, the Cnoc Suain. It is located on a 200 acre private land and we stayed in a three room cottage that was built in 1691 yet modernized. We WILL be back to the Cnoc Suain on our next trip. Plan on zero internet nor cell reception, such a peaceful time. While there, we ventured to the Kylemore Abbey and it surely did not disappoint. Magnificent ground and history, plan of 2 - 3 hours. From Galway, we flew to London via Shannon Airport (easiest airport to navigate). We had a private transfer from the airport (Stansted) to The Sanctuary House Hotel ideally located to see the major sites in London and Westminster. We saw the Changing of the Guard and our walking tour guide (Paul) with Fun London Tours made it a grand time! We had another walking tour scheduled but the tour was cancelled and KimKim Team, at our request refunded that cost. We then free lanced the rest of the day, which we did on several occasions. We chose to adjust our one full day in London and take the train to Brighton on the south coast. The KimKim Team quickly handled our request and we spent a wonderful day in Brighton on the English Channel. We took a Thames River cruise and were able to see some of the sights of London/Westminster that many do not see. Seeing Westminster Abbey and Big Ben from the river was breathtaking! Our next day, we had scheduled a train trip from London to Edinburgh Scotland. The countryside and coastline of the UK is filled with such splendor. We were scheduled to take a trip to the Loch Ness and Highlands area but chose not to due to the pace we had been on predicated a day of free lancing in Edinburgh which we spent many hours walking the Royal Mile which is the main street between the Edinburgh Castle and the Holyrood Palace. The KimKim Team worked on a satisfactory refund of this day. The Royal Mile has the majority of retail and restaurants that most tourist see. While in Edinburgh, we stayed in a 16th century low class and middle class building that was converted into a small hotel that had the best morning breakfast ever! Ollie, the owner was the best! I definitely cannot omit that our trip to St. Andrews through the Kingdom of Fife, the bread basket of Scotland was just beautiful. What will I say about being at the Old Course at St. Andrews, I am still speechless. We have been to Jerusalem and now the Home of Golf, maybe my life is complete! Sadly, we had to fly home, but if you are ever in Edinburgh and need a private transfer (private car and driver) please ask for and use Stephen Dunn that owns the Ecoss EV Travel, he was super!

If you are considering KimKim as a source for your travels, well I am limited to only 5 stars and they are worthy of many, many more. Thank you, the Team at KimKim for making our trip so memorable!

Hotel Reviews

Maranatha Country House

Cork

A very pleasant stay. The hostess was incredibly hospitable and engaging, which really made it a great experience!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ben Cruachan Guest House

Edinburgh

This was the standout accommodation. Interaction with the owner, Ollie, was delightful and the breakfast was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Sanctuary House Hotel

London

The location was ideal, close to key landmarks like Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and Buckingham Palace. A good overall stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cnocsuain | Annead

Galway

This was the favorite hotel of the trip. The historic stone cottage, built in 1691, was charming and the owner and his daughter were incredibly welcoming.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hard Rock Hotel

Dublin

The location was perfect for exploring Dublin on foot. Overall, a very good hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private transfer in town

Scotland

Stephen Dunn provided the best service. On time and very professional. A joy to be around when in a new area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were very happy with the Kim Kim service.
Elisa was our travel consultant for Iceland and she put together an excellent itinerary. She handled the bookings for our lodging and was quite flexible when we requested some changes. She also booked a number of excursions and we had very few glitches during our travels. She responded very promptly regarding the few small items that came up.
I loved that her trip itinerary included not only the specific places we'd booked but a long list of suggested places we could visit on our way plus a nice selection of restaurants some of which she had been to and offered her personal opinions.
With her suggestions there were more choices than time to do them all. (Maybe we need to come back again!)
We loved the Trollaskagi tour with Reynir. It was just the two of us and the driver. And he was full of stories about life in Iceland such as when we visited the Herring Era museum and he talked about when he worked on a Herring ship when he was younger. He also had suggestions for when to see some of the other sights on our list (and how to avoid the cruise ship tour bus crowds).
The super jeep tour with Helga was great too. And she too gave us wonderful insight to living life in Iceland. We had one other couple with us. This was so much better than those huge bus tours!
And of course you can't skip the glacier hike and ice caves which also add to what makes Iceland unique!

All the town & city tours were excellent especially Josipa from Purgerica. She spent 30 minutes more time to show me Zagreb as my wife was back in the room feeling ill from pneumonia we didn't know at the time(she's finally doing very well after getting antibiotics). I mentioned to Josipa that we're very involved with fungi and she took me to the very excellent mushroom museum in Zagreb. Her tour of Zagreb was the best tour.

Our long distance driver Viktor Ropac, while driving us to the next destination, showed us many areas of the countryside and small towns we wouldn't normally visit. From a fish farm to roadside stands selling honey & cheese to his village, he gave us a sense of the heartbeat of the land he loves.

The man (his name escapes me) in Ston did a great oyster/mussel informational/cooking demo

Miro Tartufi and his wife demonstrated how their dogs find buried truffles. The luncheon, scrambled eggs with truffles and dessert with truffles was five star quality and presentation.

Our tour through the Hvar countryside was great. Excellent views and our driver stopped a few times so we could enjoy wild figs.

Beekeeper and gin maker Vlaho Komparak from OPG Komparak was a nice visit. We tasted some honey and talked about beekeeping.

Plitvice Lakes was excellent tour even though the weather was cold and wet.

The pasta class was very great, we learned so much about making different kinds of pasta and gnocchi. Everything was delicious.

We especially enjoyed the relaxed lifestyle of Rovinji and Zagreb.

Antonia really put together a great introductory tour of Croatia for us. Our trip was jam packed with activities and tours. She was very helpful, even when a couple issues arose. Antonia is extremely professional in her job and truly cares about taking care of her clients.

The best decision I ever made - I was reluctant at first seeing as it was my first solo trip to a whole new continent! I had my doubts but the team at Kimkim, especially Erin, gave me the assurance and confidence I needed to embark on this journey. She was responsive to every question/concern I had and gave me full transparency on how these trips occur.

I could not recommend their services enough and I will definitely use it again.

Thank You!

My husbad, and I never had a guide before, but decided to sign up for it, with my sister and partner in order to spend time with them in Portugal. If only we had known, what a difference it could make for a trip! We were quite charmed and impressed with Joel. Although we had little personal contact with Tiago, he was very helpful sending us information and keeping everything organized, between 3 individuals. He even gave us tips on the rest of our trip, on our own in Northern Portugal.
Since culture and history is our main focus on vacations, this was absolutely perfect. We learned and saw different areas of Lisboa and learned the significance of the neighborhood´s architerectual and artistic styles coming from many different cultures. The history was mostly unknown to us, and very interesting. Joel showed us the most beautiful scenery on two outings outside of Lisboa and took us to a castle and to the furthermost corner of the country, which was great between "a head full of cultural and historical information." He introduced us to two unforgettable meals and booked a Fado evening, with about 6 courses, including the two heartful and melancholic Fado musicians, repectively singers. It was local, meaning that it was not a typical touristic "Fado evening." We also had our first food tour, which had much different array of foods, as well as a very enthusiastic guide. It was so much fun, we will do it in other cities, as well.
The tour was a variety of experiences, that were well put together. I could go on and on about how much we learned and enjoyed. Joel love and enthusiasm of Portugal was contagious. Last but not least, Joel thoroughly surpassed all of our expectations. We absolutely recommend booking with Kim Kim. After the tour, we did not find it expensive at all, as originally assumed, after the amazing experience.

Hotel Review

Dom Carlos Liberty

The most important for us, in choosing a hotel in the city is the location. With Dom Carlos, we were not disappointed. It is close enough to the inner city to walk in 10 minutes, but quiet enough that one does not experience the traffic. The neighborhood had a variety of well priced local restaurants, with local cuisine, as oposed to expensive and low quality tourst food. The room was quiet, elegant and clean. The staff was very accomadating and hospitable. The buffet had anything one could wish for, and was hygenic and well organized.

Authenticity & Character

Elegant and sufficient in every way.

Location

Centrally located, without the noise.

Staff

Friendly and very accomadating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms, lounge and breakfast area very clean and comfortable.

Activity Review

Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

See section 1. What we most enjoyed about the dinner was that it authentic Porteguese, rather something touristic. Our server made us feel at home. The music was captivating and we had never heard anything like it again. The history behind it was also interesting. We are glad that they still keep their traditions in Portuagal, for it was done by young people. The food was dellicious and it was wonderfully organized, with the dimming of the light, while the music played between courses.

Quality of Experience

It wasn´t like a typical tourist tour. We felt well taken care of.

Food

Joel took us to two places, and shared food, which we had never tried. Delicious! The food tour was also good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Joel and Tiago were totally supportive and forthcoming towards our wishes and requests.

Transport

We were quite impressed by Joel´s and Tiago´s maneuvering around the chaotic traffic, especially in rush hour. We even shared music tastes.