Kimkim Trip Reviews

It's hard to know where to start. My first trip to Spain was filled to the brim with sites, tastes, and experiences. We must have walked 3 - 7 miles/day. Regarding the guides:
Tslila's Tapas and Wine/Vermouth Crawl in Barcelona was a superb intro on our first night. So much fun and delicious food and drinks. I must have tasted four different vermouths. Tslila couldn't have been better.
Miguel's tour of La Sagrada Familia and the Gothic Quarter was superb, a highlight of our trip.
Our guide in Girona was amusing but he seemed more interested in taking photos of members of the group than anything else. The misunderstanding regarding the contents of the tour (Costa Brava instead of Figueres) was solved quickly and generously by Helena and the kimkim team. We were able to fit in the Jewish Museum and lunch on our own and then take a taxi to see the Dali Museum.
Our small group trip to Monserrat with Alex was memorable. The views are spectacular. He is an enthusiastic and well-informed guide. We were surprised and impressed by the art museum there, too.
Eduardo's tour of Granada via Senses was a nice way to weave in the history of the places we passed but the synthetic fragrances did not always hit the mark and we had little room to carry home the fragrance kits.
Our Alhambra guide was excellent but we don't have his name.
Flamenco dance experience was enjoyable but it was an hour instead of two hours and did not include "a fascinating overview of this culturally distinct musical genre, from its origins to its current global renown."
Eva was the perfect person to introduce us to the Jewish history of Ubeda since her family's home, which she opened for us, contained Jewish history.
Marta was an informative and entertaining guide to Baeza.
The driver who took us to Cordoba from Granada was accommodating and flexible when his instructions didn't match our expected tour. We were able to fit in most of what was listed (confusingly) for the day, although in a different order. We were not able to visit the olive oil factory.
Antonio Jose's tour of the Medina Azahara was well done. Impressive.
The guide for Cordoba (Saray?) was superb. She had a dramatic and informative way of showing us the steps in the transformation of the Mezquita.
Sevilla - our tour was supposed to include the Cathedral and bell tower as well as the Alcazar and the Santa Cruz neighborhood but ended up being split into two different tours, the latter led by Pablo who was excellent, the former afterwards led by Teresa whose stories about the two sisters was memorable.
Jorge's evening introduction to the Hapsburg district was interesting. He shared many insights and left us off at a wonderful restaurant friends had recommended which happened to be across the street from his hairdresser.
We enjoyed Esther's generous wine, vermouth, and tapas tour near our hotel in Madrid. She shared a wealth of information.
Our guide for Toledo (Antonio?) was excellent - so enthusiastic and informative. We appreciated his detailed discussion of the former Synagogue.
Elena's tour of Segovia included details and stories that were very interesting. Our only tour in the rain/drizzle went very well and the restaurant she reserved for our lunch was excellent. Love those artichokes.

The plane and train tickets Helena prepared were a big help.

The hotels:
All the hotels and breakfasts were great:
The Radisson Blu in Barcelona was the least charming but the breakfast was the most extensive - amazing spread. After being offered a room with no view - just the air shaft - they gave us what seemed to be the honeymoon room which had light coming in.
The Aurea in Granada was well situated and historical with lovely Garcia Lorca quotations on the wall.
We appreciated the whimsical creativity and light of our room at the Madinat and enjoyed the Hammam experience that was included. The staff was very nice as was the breakfast.
The hotel in Sevilla was very well situated and elegant with a slightly less extensive breakfast.
We enjoyed the art and craft nature of 7 Islas in Madrid but never did get to sample their craft cocktails - too busy. The staff was helpful and the breakfast was excellent.

Highlights for me:
Museums in Barcelona, Monserrat, and Madrid we went to on our own: Miro, Picasso, Dali, El Prado, Thyssen, Reina Sofia, Sorolla
La Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila
Wine/Vermouth/Tapas tours
Cordoba's Mezquita
Driving through the olive orchards
Olive oil tasting - guide was very good
Several superb restaurants

The experience working with kimkim was enjoyable. I appreciate the initial approach where we discussed the pros and cons of various scenarios - six iterations before we paid anything. There were a few mix-ups while we were in Spain but they were settled right away. We packed a lot in and, at 71 years old, were amazed at our stamina. Perhaps we should have left more free time.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Madinat

Córdoba

Creative and comfortable with excellent staff and breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

originality

Location

Staff

helpful and English-speaking

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla

Sevilla

Elegant and fun location.

Authenticity & Character

Restored building Lovely breakfast area. Our room had a sitting area and bedroom.

Location

It wasn't noisy but was off a pedestrian street with restaurants and very near the Cathedral.

Staff

A few little problems with the wi-fi. Staff was helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

No complaints.

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

Creative design and very helpful staff. Outside room with light but noisy at night since the Spaniards eat fro 10pm - 1am it seems and then hang out in the street.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Superb breakfast. Not charming. Many rooms have air shaft views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Áurea Catedral Hotel

Granada

Comfortable, historic, good location, very good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Highlights of Old Madrid Walk

Madrid

Very nice evening tour with history and interesting neighborhoods. Madrid is so large it's hard to get a feeling for it and this was just one special corner.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

Guide was great. Excellent tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Variety of tapas and wines and vermouths.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-Day Excursion to Montserrat

Barcelona

Go to the museum in addition to the church. May need more time to go up to the top of the mountain.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Medieval Girona & Dali Museum in Figueras

Barcelona

Mishap related to misunderstanding of the tour group was remedied very well by kimkim. Fit in the Jewish Museum in Girona.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit of Granada Through Its Scents

Granada

Guide was very good. Senses part - nice idea but not that necessary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Flamenco Show

Granada

Would have liked an explanation of the history of Flamenco. Dancing was great.

Quality of Experience

Full Day Excursion to Úbeda & Baeza

Granada

Very nice addition but don't know if it is necessary given the amount of trips and activities that were put into our 18 days.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helpful if the drivers speak English although our Spanish skills helped.

Medina Azahara Guided Tour at Night

Córdoba

Wasn't at night but was very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Córdoba

Spain

See my evaluation of guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate

Seville

Very interesting and worthwhile.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was great. The driver got a little lost - first time ever - but got us there.

Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Visit of Toledo, Train Toledo to Madrid

Madrid

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very knowledgeable.

Transport

Train was fine. Good to have the tickets purchased in advance.

Train Madrid to Segovia, Guided Visit of Segovia, Train Segovia to Madrid

Madrid

Loved the designs on the buildings. Tour included the Jewish quarter and other interesting sites and beautiful views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Spanish Cooking Class & Market Visit

Madrid

We enjoyed the food tour in the market and the small class. We helped make salmorejo, spinach and chick peas, and paella. We learned how to make a real sangria and how to debone a chicken. Each person was involved and there were accommodations for vegetarians and pescatarians.

Quality of Experience

Private Wine Tasting, Tapas & Vermouth

Madrid

The guide was excellent and brought to us to especially selected bars where we were served generous portions of wine, vermouth, and tapas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was excellent.

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

An excellent introduction to Sevilla.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Guide was excellent. Everyone should experience La Sagrada Familia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was the best trip of our lives! The travel agent, Terry, was amazing and planned our trip to the fullest extent possible! We will use her again in the future!

Activity Reviews

Explore Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon by Kayak

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was amazing!

Transport

Perfect!

East Glacial River Whitewater Rafting

Iceland

This was the best thing we've ever done!

Quality of Experience

Absolutely breathtaking!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Viking rafting was phenomenal!

Transport

Perfect!

Our trip to Mexico was amazing!

Rutopia basically set us up with a personalized guide in both Mexico City and Oaxaca for our family of four. We felt totally taken care of -- private car, private transfers, and private tour guides showing us around everywhere -- flexible to our needs. It was totally a luxury, and not how we usually travel. I think we could have done this trip for about 30% cheaper if we did it on our own. But, we were traveling with two small kids, without knowing much Spanish, so I was glad we paid extra for the luxury. It was worth it. We would have never found all these tours and private guides without the help if Rutopia (via KimKim).

Also, Rutopia found us two gem hotels to stay at -- little boutique hotels in quiet neighborhoods with easy access to everything -- Casa Decu in CDMX and Hotel Tabaa in Oaxaca. We LOVED where we stayed.

Highlights:
* Food Tour of CDMX with Adrian from Eat Mexico. Learned about all the foods of Mexico and their history. Fruits, pastries, cheeses, mole, and tacos.
* Seeing the CDMX Anthropology Museum with our guide Jose.
* Dinner at Rosetta in CDMX. One of the best restaurants we've ever eaten! (We did this on our own)
* Seeing the Pyramids of Teotichuacan with our guide Jose. Good explanation of the site and plenty of time to explore on our own. I just wish we could still climb the pyramids.
* Private transfer from CDMX to Oaxaca stopping in Puebla and Zapotitlan Salinas. The cactus reserve near Zapotitlan Salinas was particularly awesome to visit. Way off the beaten path -- but spectacular to be among the cactus like that.
* Street Food Tour of Oaxaca with Pepe from Ethnoturstica. We ate ALL the things and learned so much about the history of Oaxaca, Mexico, and all the different types of food -- from memelas, to agua fresca, to mezcal.
* Guided tour of Monte Alban with Alejandro. Learning all about this ancient Zapotec site that I'd never heard of before the tour.
* Visiting the alebrije workshop and the black pottery workshop near Oaxaca.
* Private cooking class in the Oaxacan country side -- starting with a visit to the market to buy everything, cooking everything from scratch, and eventually eating it all.

Things I would do different:
* Xochimilco in CDMX was meh. It was a Mexican party boat. It wasn't what we were looking for with two small kids. Most people can safely miss.
* Don't book a tour everyday. If I had to do it again, I would have one "dead" day in CDMX where we can do things on our own, e.g. visit the Centro Historico and another "dead" day in Oaxaca where we can just wander the city.
* Tell your guides early on that you want to have lunch and to work it into the plan. The working assumption was usually "no lunch". Which didn't work for the kiddos.
* Don't book fancy dinner reservations on the days that you are doing food tours. After the food tour I basically didn't want to eat for another 18-24 hours I was so stuffed.
* Note that Guides are important for context at various sites -- but you don't need them all all the places. For example -- Centro Historico, Coyoacan, the more "tourist markets", and many other places in CDMX are easily visitable on your own. I would strongly recommend getting the private guide for Teotihuacan, the Anthropology Museum, Monte Alban, food tours, and the cooking class.

All in all though, an amazing experience -- we really felt like we got to see large swaths of Mexico, learn a lot about the culture and food, and be taken good care of the whole time.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Decu

Mexico City

Fantastic boutique hotel right in the heart of Condesa. It's on a quiet street just steps from the greenbelt that circles the neighborhood (Amsterdam Ave). The room we were in (a suite) was well appointed for our needs. We had one room with a queen bed and a crib. Our older daughter slept on the couch in the living room that could be converted into a comfy twin size bed. There was a kitchen as well with a fridge, microwave, and sink -- perfect to store water, milk, make bottles, etc. One of the best parts of Casa Decu is the rooftop. We had breakfast on that roof every morning . There is a nice spread of juice, coffee, bread, cereal, yogurt -- with the option to purchase hot food if you wanted. It was really relaxing to go up there every morning overlooking Condesa and have a lazy breakfast and chat with the other tourists at the hotel. The staff was really helpful as well -- pointing our restaurants, letting us store our baby stroller and car seat on the ground floor, and keeping the room sparkling clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Tabáa Oaxaca

Oaxaca

We loved our stay at Hotel Tabaa. It's located just three blocks away from the Historic Center of Oaxaca in the neighborhood of Jalatlaco -- just a short walk from all the action, but on a quiet corner away from it. The inside of the hotel is a beautiful courtyard that feels like a little oasis in the middle of Mexico. We loved spending time in the courtyard having breakfast, tea, and hanging out on the hammock with the kiddos. Our initial room was a single room with a double bed -- that wasn't big enough for our family of four (which includes a baby). But after talking to the owner, he was able to switch us for the last three days to their master suite that had two separate rooms -- a master and a "family room". That was a perfect fit for us on the ground floor. I wish it had a kitchen, but we made do. The little breakfast kitchen in the courtyard was just ten steps out our front door, so we ended up using that to store our milk and make bottles for the baby. It really just felt like our courtyard. The staff was *super* nice and helpful as well. They went out of their way to make us feel welcome and helped us order food when we arrived there late at night on the first day, store our baby stuff under the stairs, help us switch rooms, and just talk and get to know us (and us them). It felt like staying at a family house rather than a boutique hotel (in the best way). Super authentic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rural cooking workshop in Oaxaca

Oaxaca

This was one of the highlights of our trip. It was such an authentic experience. Pepe, our guide, took us to meet Dalia, our cook, at the market in Tlacolula. There we picked out all our vegetables and meats and took them back to Dalia's house in the village of Santa Ana del Valle. There she has a big kitchen where we got to work. Dalia only speaks Spanish, but Pepe was there to translate for us. We made: * a mole from scratch with dried chiles, corn, and other herbs. We ground it down on an old school moler stone. This was much of the fun. * A pumpkin flower soup with zucchini in there. So good. * mashed down corn to make empanadas and the mole base * sweet empanadas from our corn mash and corn husks We ate: * our mole over chicken * said soup * chile relleno * agua fresca * said sweet empanadas We would do this again in a heartbeat. My 8 year old loved it and participated in everything. The baby was happy there crawling around on the floor and interacting with all the other people.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Be amazed by the pre-hispanic beauty of the chinampas in Xochimilco

Mexico City

This was meh. It's a Mexican party boat. Wasn't the right fit for us as a family of four with a baby. We just sat on the boat for 2 hours and in traffic for another 3 hours to get there and back. Would not do it again. It felt very "manufactured", e.g. a tourist trap like experience where it's just a bunch of other tourists on boats and people trying to sell stuff to us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Max was a great guide and we had a wonderful experience! There is so much history, culture, and delicious food to be had! Our stay on Mount Koya was an indescribable experience and it was something I’m super happy we had the opportunity to do.

Hotel Reviews

Koyasan Saizenin

Wakayama

Something I never imagined having the experience to do but it was unforgettable. The communal bathrooms and specified shower times were interesting. Was happy to have the experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Station

Kyoto

Beautiful, clean, great staff, great breakfast, and great location. The laundry self service was perfect!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shinjuku Washington Hotel - Main Building

Tokyo, Shinjuku

Exactly what we needed in Tokyo. Great location, great staff, delicious breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visiting Osaka: The Gourmet Metropolis of Japan

Japan

So much fun exploring this city and eating all the food! The local fashion and culture was really cool to experience and different than the other cities on our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

7-day Ordinary JR Pass

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hakone Full-Day Private Tour By Public Transportation

Japan

Make sure to take the cable car to the top of the mountain for a view of Mt Fuji and black volcanic ice cream!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Kyoto

Kyoto

Max, our tour guide, was super knowledgeable! Beautiful city and we got to so and see so much in our short time there.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Japanese Buddhism, Mount Koyasan

Mount Koya

Definitely was unaware of what I was walking into, but we got the full immersion experience by staying in a temple. You have to just fully go with it and enjoy the experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great time on our family trip to Colombia. KimKim made everything so easy, from the minute we started looking til the time we boarded our flight back home. Andrea was so helpful and communicative, and very quick to respond both before and during the trip. Highly recommend their services!

Hotel Reviews

Nacar Hotel Cartagena, Curio Collection by Hilton

Cartagena

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Park 10

Medellin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cartagena’s Street Food: The Soul of a City in Every Bite

Cartagena

Our guide Liz was simply awesome.She took us to many places that we would never have thought to try for ourselves. The selection of food was great. She accounted for the vegetarian in our group. It was delightful and a great way to kick off our time in Cartagena!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Drum Safari - Sounds of Cartagena

Cartagena

Visiting the drum school was amazing. The whole group, including teen boys (hard to please) had a great time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wander Cartagena’s Storied Streets & Discover the Art of Getsemaní

Cartagena

We loved our guide Javier! Had a perfect day, and he balanced the right amount of scenery and history, adjusted for a pace that we enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy the Beaches and Coral Reefs of the Rosario Islands by Private Boat

Colombia

Such a great day! The boat ride was very enjoyable. Having a private boat made it feel luxurious. The crew kept the boat completely immaculate and had cold drinks for us. The beach club we visited was super relaxing, had a gorgeous beach. Snorkeling was super fun. Overall a great day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colorful Colombia: Hike to Guatapé Rock, Guatapé & Peñol-Guatape Reservoir

Colombia

Two must-visit towns on your trip to Medellin. This trip really gets you out into the countryside, so you can see the beautiful country. We enjoyed our day!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The sincerest thank you to Sherif, who created an amazing trip for our family. We traveled to Egypt for 16 days in November 2022 and were amazed at everything we were able to experience, all because of his flawless planning. He listened to our hopes for the trip and made them a reality, while also showing us some options that we didn't even know were possible...Desert
Safari anyone?? We were so fortunate to always have an amazing driver, tour coordinator and Egyptologist, but were also given the freedom to explore independently and enjoy family/relaxation time at our hotels. Sherif's accommodation recommendations were superb; there is literally not one thing we would change. Traveling to Egypt is exciting but intense and there is no way our trip would have been successful without him - his customer service is truly impeccable! Additional appreciation to Lina Salah, Ahmed Shazly and Tamer and Mostafa who shared their vast knowledge with us, we truly feel like we made new friends! Also, to Ahmed Abd Rabu and Shehab Saniusy for getting us where we needed to be, always quickly and safely! There are so many more to thank, we truly appreciate everyone who helped make our trip the best it could be! Last but not least, our Nile Cruise on the Merit Dahabiya was an experience like no other, another great find by Sherif!
Bottom line, if you are looking for safe, fun and unforgettable adventure in Egypt, look no further, you will not be disappointed!

This experience was amazing. We have traveled to many places before, but it was the first time we used KimKim. Murat did great putting our schedule together and helping us to make reservations to great restaurants. Our local guide Andy (Onder) was wonderful. Always on time, and ready to make recommendations on trustable shops. His historical knowledge of all the places we went was just great. It is so difficult to pick just one favorite place from our visit to Turkiye. I choose all of them. We would definitely want to return. I would definitely recommend this itinerary, and ask for Andy to be your local guide.

Hotel Reviews

Kayakapi Premium Caves

Urgup / Cappadocia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pera Palace

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Avanos: Discover the Centuries-Old Ceramic Tradition

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Anna Maria is the best! She handled all the arrangements perfectly and made adjustments when the weather was inclement. She was always reachable and responsive. I am extremely impressed with the service she provided and can’t recommend her highly enough.

Now that we've completed our whirlwind trip around Egypt, I am glad to provide a review for an excellent company - Egypt Promotions, that helped us design the tour, provided local services and were our week-long companions in this interesting country.

Once submitting an interest via KimKim, the system put me together with Ibrahim. And from the first minute of speaking to him, I knew he'd be a perfect person to help me with a tour.

I presented Ibrahim with arduous task - fit 6-7 major regions into a 6-night tour. Ibrahim took on the challenge and came up with ambitions plan that, once realized, allowed me to fulfill my dream to fully explore Egypt.

Ibrahim's company provided excellent and skilled drivers, clean cars with working a/c (dust doesn't count - this is Egypt); and supplied guides. Regardless of time of arrival, we were always met at the airport and promptly driven to hotels, which were all EXCELLENT and also either booked or recommended by Ibrahim.

Because of seemingly unrealistic schedule, tight deadlines, multiple inter-country flights, etc., I am really thankful to Ibrahim and his team for making sure our trip ran like a clock.

Separately, we wanted to note an amazing guide that accompanied us on our first day in Cairo - Khaled. He was superbly knowledgeable, passionate for his country, had deep appreciation for history and magically made Ancient Egypt come alive to us. Really a wonderful introduction to a country.

However, the guide that accompanied us for the remainder of the trip (to Luxor, Aswan, Edfu, and Kom Ombo), Mr. Ez, was complete opposite. Unfortunately, his English was very limited and we often had trouble understanding him, which forced him to frustratingly (for us and for him) repeat same things multiple times. He mainly provided limited bare facts - years, names - and pointed out few things. We had to lean on nearby tour groups to listen to their guides' explanations. He also never even tried to keep the hustlers away from us so we constantly found ourselves being surrounded by aggressive sales people trying to push their stuff or asking for photos. On conclusion of our first day with him, we specifically asked him: "Will we see you again?" He replied, "No." Relieved, we happily paid him his tip and said Good-Bye. To our astonishment, we discovered the next morning that he was joining us for the remainder of the tour. Otherwise, we would have begged Ibrahim to replace the guide before it was too late. Instead, we ended up looking up facts online trying to understand things we were exploring, which I found unacceptable, given the reputation of the company, and my overall satisfaction with them.

Aside from the above, everything else provided by Egypt Promotion was wonderful. I would never forget our magic time cruising on a felucca down the Nile and watching sunset - the idea recommended by Ibrahim, in lieu of a show that was pre-booked but cancelled at the last minute. Overall, I can't think of a better company that could show us Egypt, only wish that I could timely avert having to deal with Mr. Ez for extended period of time.

Without hesitation, I would recommend Egypt promotion to anyone planning a trip to Egypt.

Thank you, Ibrahim and KimKim for this great adventure!

Activity Review

Pyramids, Sphinx , Salah El Deen Citadel and Old Cairo

Cairo

Wonderful guide that made ancient Egypt come alive to us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Skillful driver able to confidently navigate chaotic Cairo traffic.

Morocco did not disappoint! We experienced a beautiful country with amazing hospitality and a rich, vibrant culture. From the moment we stepped off the plane our itinerary was in motion with every step well coordinated and perfectly timed. A special kudos to our driver, Ahmad, who was extremely accommodating, friendly, and professional. Having a driver made travel easy, fun, and the Mercedes van was super comfortable. No worrying about pick-up, drop off, parking, etc. Local guides were knowledgeable, prompt, and flexible. When we let them know our particular interests they were able to tailor our tours to meet our requests. Hafed in Fes and the food tour with Soufi in Marrakesh were definite high points. Each destination held a special fascination but highlights for me were the Desert Camp near Merzouga, the medina in Fes, and Ait Benhaddou. The Moroccan people were so generous to us and expressed genuine excitement to have tourists back after the pandemic.

Thanks to Erin and her team we managed to pull off the best 3 weeks itinerary in Patagonia on a very short notice. Experienced what both Chile and Argentina had to offer without worrying and planning any of the details. All was perfectly taken care off; from local transportations, hotels, meals, treks, tours, and guided tours..
Would highly recommend !

Jad

we are a family of four, and I have never booked with a travel agency before. My kids are now 12 and 13, and for our trip to Costa Rica, I thought I'd give it a try.

Yuliana was lovely. We went back and forth many times making little adjustments to the itinerary, and talking about possible activities. Typically, our family just lands somewhere, and then tries to figure out what to do, and we never do as much because we are sitting in a hotel room trying to figure it out as we go along.

This trip was so different. Everything was taken care of for us, and there was so little stress. Yuliana knows the country, and each of the hotels and "adventure" companies that are available, so I didn't have to worry, and research every single thing.

We will use these guys again. Why didn't we do this before??????? Give Kimkim a try!

We had a wonderful time in Chile. Lorena planned an adventurous itinerary - city tours, San Pedro hikes, Easter Island wonders, and spectacular hiking in Torres del Paine. During the few times that a flight was rescheduled or the weather interfered with a tour, Lorena and Ignacio stepped up to save the day! We are very grateful to them for making this such a special family vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Renaissance Santiago Hotel

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

best hotel in the area

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Taura'a

Hanga Roa

Sweetest owner - like staying with your aunt.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

Santiago

great location for an early flight

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Carpa Manzano

Punta Arenas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Altiplanico Puerto Natales

Natales

Authenticity & Character

beautiful views

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

relaxing and beautiful environment

Activity Reviews

Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valley of the Moon Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stargazing Experience

San Pedro de Atacama

This was such a unique experience - the stars are amazing. Guides were incredibly knowledgeable and the use of telescopes was so much fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hidden Baltinache Lagoons - Currently unavailable

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had the most amazing guide!

Transport

Waterfalls Trek - Private tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Very cool to see the geysers. Great guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

Great experience and guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Viña del Mar & Valparaíso

Chile

Really enjoyed touring these towns. Fantastic guide!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Tour to Ahu Akivi

Easter Island

Just an amazing experience to see these statues.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park & Surroundings

Chile

Great overall view of park. Excellent guide.

Base Torres Hike

Chile

Be prepared for a rigorous hike with lots of changes in weather.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I can not believe it has taken me so long to write this review! Two families with teenagers worked with Dimitris to plan a tour to Greece and it was amazing!! We did a mix of "must see items" and things that Dimitris recommended as a part of a local tour. We had an amazing time! Thank you!

First we were so skeptical cause we didnt know kimkim.com. Now that we are back, we have been recommending to everyone ! We had an amazing time. Everything was so well planned. We could have never done such a great job ourselves. we have decided to use kimkim.com to any upcoming trip. Lucy and her team were so kind to accommodate any request we had. They had planned everything perfectly. Great communication.

Our destination specialist, Marta Trzeciakowska was amazing and did a great job in planning; reacting to our itinerary change requests, responded to any questions in a timely manner (very responsive), and available to assist when last minute coordination was required to unavoidable weather implications.

During our 9-day trip to Portugal, 3 days in Porto and 6 days on the island of Madeira, each and every planned event was amazing - a lifetime of memories. The guides who hosted our family of 7 on walking tours with various food tastings, wine tasting events in both the Douro Valley and Madeira, site seeing across the beauty of Madeira that included 4-wheel off road fun and mystical/magical views ...just cannot compliment enough on their fun personalities, flexibility, joy and laughter enjoyed by all.

Ce'lia Dias led a tour of Porto while raining, and yet the rain did not matter due to sites seen, fun and vibrant personality and flexibility due to late weather arrival.

Nelson spent about 8 hours with our family (7) leading the site seeing, wine tasting and family hosted meal through Douro Valley. What a day and the intimate experience of a meal and sharing Port/wine with a local experience was amazing.

While on the island of Madeira, two amazing day trips were enjoyed in 4-wheel drive vehicles (adventuremadeira.com) to Porto Moniz, Seixal's lava pools and Cabo Girao glass balcony with 580+ mt drop.... aaaaaahhhhhhhh. Francisco was our tour guide for 2 days and was Amazing - 5-stars!!! He was accomodating to needs of family members, flexible, so much fun and entertaining while throughout the events which also included a 4-wheel journey that was exhilarating and yet safe.

I can go on and on, Jacqueline led the family on a walking tour of the city market which concluded with a cooking experience which included savory food, wine, a delicious dessert and a chef who was skilled, artistic, creative and led us through a mouth-watering experience of delicious dishes.

This was our second trip planned and coordinated by Kim Kim. The first was a 9-day trip through Greece. Both have left us with lifetime memories and I highly recommend the organization as a trust worthy group with fantastic specialists and Services.

Working with Ashley at Kim Kim was a fantastic experience that led to a fantastic trip.

It was a last minute decision to go to Thailand and Ashley at Kim Kim made it come to life. It was so easy and quick, within 3 days, Ashley had created the perfect itinerary for me. She had provided a great itinerary originally and answered my questions in a timely fashion so that I felt really good about booking the trip.

The trip itself was fantastic because of all of the work Ashley had done and the great guides Kim Kim provided. At every destination, the guides and drivers were there to greet me. The hotels met or exceeded my standards. The amount of time I spent in each destination was "just right".

Both of my guides in Bangkok (Tanny) & Chiang Mai (Rung) made my visit to both places very special. They taught me about the culture, introduced me to new foods, and shared with me the history of their cities.

The entire trip was memorable, but some of the highlights were:
-evening food tour in Bangkok
-floating market & railroad market
-feeding & cleaning the elephants at an elephant sanctuary
-relaxing on a beautiful beach

I highly recommend using Kim Kim for traveling to Thailand.

What an amazing introduction to Morocco! We could not have been happier with our experience planning (and replanning due to Covid) this experience with Sharon. She was knowledgeable, patient and kind and became a friend during the process. When the trip finally happened, it was everything we had hoped for and then some. Yassine, our guide, was fantastic from the minute he met us at the airport. We got to see a bit of Casablanca before heading out to Rabat. From there it just kept getting better and better. The variety of trip, from the ethereal blue city of Chefchaouen, to the ancient Medina of Fez, to the GORGEOUS Sahara Desert, and the endless vibrant energy and colors of Marrakech….it’d be hard to pick a favorite part. Even the riads we stayed in were so far beyond our expectations….every single one. And even though Yassine was always full of interesting facts and insights, they also provided specialized local guides in some of the cities that guided us through back streets and ancient narrow passageways to tiny hidden local gems and old family shops we would never have found on our own. And we’re glad we did 2 weeks instead of only 1; there was SO much to see and do and it still felt like we were rushing. Two weeks allowed us to have a free day every now and then to just meander the streets on our own and get a better feel for the places. If you’re considering Morocco, Morocco Immersion is the perfect company to work with. Thank you, Sharon!!!!!

When we decided to take last minute Thanksgiving trip to Chile with our 4 kids (22 - 12)I wasn’t sure where to start. Fortunately we found Kimkim and Lorena!!! Lorena helped us craft the perfect vacation full of adventure, history and unforgettable moments at a great value. A truly seamless experience which included 4 airport transfers, 2 in country flights, 3 hotels, 2 days touring the area with our amazing guide Victor, whitewater rafting, fjord kayaking, volcano trekking and penguins 😍

As a family which travels internationally on multiple occasions, we had never engaged a service to help coordinate our trips. However, our entire family has agreed based on Lorena and the incredible Kimkim vendor partners we can’t imagine taking another trip without them.

16 thumbs up and as many stars as possible!

Hotel Reviews

Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

Santiago

The nicest airport hotel we’ve ever seen. A perfect blend of convenience, comfort and vibe literally 5 steps outside the terminal.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Desk staff when we checked in at midnight were so helpful and engaged.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best shower and beds of our whole trip

Renaissance Santiago Hotel

Santiago

Great customer service! When we arrived after a 8 hour flights before check-in time, the front desk suggested us refreshing in the spa and having lunch at the beautiful restaurant. Both ideas were fantastic and helped us settle into our vacation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to dining options

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Solace Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Clean, convenient and a perfect base for our Chilean adventures. The hotel restaurant was a big hit for dinner on a night we were too tired to venture out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rafting on the Petrohué River

Chile

What a great outfitter in the most amazing setting imaginable. The guides were all so fun and extremely professional. Highly recommend and the beers afterwards were well deserved!

Quality of Experience

Perfect mix of professional and fun

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We loved all the team but our guide Chris was especially engaging

Transport

They picked us up at our hotel on time and dropped us back after. Made the whole day super easy.

Kayaking on Reloncaví Fjord

Puerto Varas

If you like adventuring and want to engage with the mostly lovely locals ever, this is your trip. Our day was a little windy so the athletic demand was higher than anticipated but so worth it. The lunch break at Yolanda and Juan Carlos’ farm was magical. Our kids (22, 18,17 & 12) had the chance to see up close the beauty of living in connection with the land. Walking around the property proved to be high on everyone’s list of favorite things on our amazing Chilean adventure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides were so engaged and informative. We loved them.

Transport

Seem less pickup and return to our hotel in Puerto Varas

Explore Chiloé Island & Puñihuil Penguin National Reserve

Puerto Varas

History, beauty and penguins!!! Our day with Victor, the most amazing guide ever, was incredible. His knowledge on the history of the area, Chile and the environment gave our group so much more than we could have imagined. Fortunately we had him for 2 days and by the end felt like Victor was part of our family! The day trip was so special - would definitely recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Victor (our guide) and Sandro (our driver) we’re so easy to be with and responsive to our interests and needs. The casual pace was perfect and they really picked up on what our group was interested in learning and seeing.

Transport

Clean, safe and temperature controlled vehicle

Day Trip to Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park

Chile

For our final day in Puerto Varas we hiked volcanos, saw waterfalls and toured a lake with no roads. Let’s just say it didn’t disappoint! It was our second day with our wonderful guide and driver team, Victor and Sandro, and we were all ready to explore. The mix of history, area knowledge and incredible beauty was remarkable. We toured all day and then went straight to airport in Puerto Montt to head back to Santiago. A great last day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

kimkim set us up with Alfonso, who did a wonderful job helping us plan our one week trip to Spain in November. We spent time in Barcelona, Cadaqués and Menorca and lucked out with only having rain one evening and temps in the low 60’s. In Barcelona we loved our bike tour and the tour of Sagrada Família. We also went to Parc Guél and did a tapas tour the last night in the Gothic Quarter. Our guide for the bike tour and tapas tour was George and he was very funny and knowledgeable about the history and architecture of Barcelona. In Cadaqués we did a 10 mile hike along the coast with Alfonso as our guide. It was a besutiful hike and the weather was perfect for it. Most of the shops in town are closed during this time but it was nice to have less crowds and just be able to explore the beautiful streets and relax. In Menorca we went on a horseback ride along the coast and had time to explore Ciutadella and Mahon. If I were doing it over I would save the island for a separate or longer trip because I would have liked more time in Barcelona. We wanted to see as much as we could though so we added it in. Overall kimkim was very easy to work with, very responsive and helped us set up and incredible trip for our family of four. We are already talking about where we might like to go next in Spain and would definitely use them again.

Activity Reviews

Visit Park Güell & Sagrada Família

Barcelona

I enjoyed Sagrada Família the most because it is such an incredible sight. I recommend the guided tour because you learn so much more about why he designed things the way he did. You receive headphones so you can hear the guide without her having to shout. Parc Guél was crowded so I can’t even imagine how it is in the summer.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Riding in Cala Mitjana

Menorca

This was a wonderful way to explore the coastline and see a beautiful beach not accessible by car. Our Spanish is limited and our guide did not speak English. We wish we spoke Spanish better so we could have communicated with our guide more during the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

hiking the Gr-92 Camí de Ronda

Cadaqués

Beautiful views, great exercise. There is some steep uphill but it is not too long and definitely worth it. We enjoy hiking and it was a great way to get outside and see some amazing scenery. November is a perfect time for this because we could wear shorts yet were not too hot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

We were originally thinking we would be going to more than one restaurant to try out tapas but this tour is a walk around El Born and you dine at one Tapas restaurant. Our restaurant was right by the Picasso Museum. I cannot remember the name of it but was very good. Our guide George was wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Gothic Quarter Walk

Barcelona

The Gothic Quarter is an amazing place to walk around and just get lost, but luckily with our guide we didn’t have to get lost. Ha. Jorge was so knowledgeable and familiar with the area and it’s history. This was a favorite part of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Barcelona Bike Excursion with Cava

Barcelona

I enjoyed this a lot because we were able to see many different neighborhoods and make it down along the water as well. It was an easy bike ride and our guide was great. It might not be as enjoyable in summer with hot temps and big crowds but November was perfect for it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was funny, very knowledgeable, had an iPad to show us pictures of some of the areas in the past and was great with our teenagers.

Transport

We enjoy biking and it is a great way to see a lot of the city and take breaks along the way.