Kimkim Trip Reviews

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.

We enjoyed our trip to Morocco prepared carefully to meet our specific travel needs and time constraints. AbdelLatif was patient with us and worked through several versions of an itinerary to tailor it just right. We visited Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes and Marrakech in an 7-day trip and all said and done it turned out exactly as we had planned. We look forward to exploring other destinations with Kimkim in the future.

This was our first time using Kim-Kim and we were very pleased with the services provided by the local specialist - Rita Pagano. Rita provided us with excellent hotel accommodations - perfectly located for each city and local (i.e. access to metro in Madrid.) Additionally, having access to Rita through the Trip Plan application while we were traveling was extremely helpful. Updating train ticket changes, or addition of museum tickets to helping find a laundry service was all done through the app and Rita was very responsive to our requests.
We were pleased with all of the guides arranged for the different cities or historic sites. One exception was Barcelona where we felt the guide spent too much time driving around to pick-up other clients. We got quickly spoiled with the private tour guides, and very much appreciated guides meeting us at the hotel to start our tour. Our favorite guide and tour was with Pedro in the Algarve region, He was very engaging, and knowledgeable about nature and history of the area. We will remember that day for a long time. The private bike tour in Seville with Elena was also a highlight of our trip. We left the Iberian peninsula with a better understanding of the history, and people - and the challenges that lie ahead the culture of Spain and Portugal.

Hotel Reviews

Dear Lisbon Bordalo House

Lisboa

Character and great location in Lisbon. Staff was super accommodating (leaving us breakfast in our room when we had to leave before service).

Authenticity & Character

Still some residents on upper floors

Location

This is where you want to be in Lisbon

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Automatic lights were a bit of buzz kill (go on when you get up at 3 am for a bathroom break) Not a deal killer!

Casa Romana Hotel Boutique

Sevilla

Greeted us with a glass of champagne (nice touch) Very cool roof-top bar and pool area with great view of Seville.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Oniria

Granada

Very nice, quiet, great breakfast included

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments - Madrid Suites

Madrid

A bit anonymous - no problems, but the front desk was rarely occupied. Breakfast was simply left in the room

Authenticity & Character

Location

1/2 block from the metro station - essential in Madrid

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Midtown Apartments

Barcelona

Clean, quiet and great staff. Great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tivoli Lagos

Lagos

Had issues with the AC that were not able to be resolved.

Authenticity & Character

Its a resort town hotel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

From Market to Table: Cook Authentic Spanish Dishes

Barcelona

Great experience and would highly recommend. Information about shopping in these markets was invaluable. Only disappointment was not receiving the recipes that the chef promised.

Quality of Experience

Food

We cooked it - it was great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NA

The Soul of Lisbon: Fado Dinner Experience

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NA - Cabbed

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

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Sintra & Sailing Experience: Cascais to Lisbon

Lisbon

Guide was ok on relative basis. We did not sail from Caiscais to Lisbon as we thought - but the sail in the harbor was a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Really covered ground in Lisbon - got to see many of the neighborhoods and good advise about where else to go

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NA - Walking

Lisbon Roots: A Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

Good tour - Daniel had great knowledge of Portugal history. Food venues not as good as Barcelona - but passable

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NA

Discover Rural Algarve on a 4WD

Portugal

Best tour of our trip, Pedro was engaging and interesting and provided us with a good understanding of life in the Algarve - and the challenges they face with climate change. Lunch in the Monchique area, the distillery, and eating fresh figs from a tree on the side of the road. A great diversion from the history and city tours

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Córdoba Revealed: From Mezquita to the Alcázar

Seville

The Mosque Cathedral is a must see in Spain. Amazing structure and history. Private guide was excellent and explained the complex history of muslims, jews and christians in spain.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train to Cordoba was fine

Seville by Bike Like a Sevillano

Seville

Really great morning with Elena in Seville. Ebike covers a lot of ground and still have time to enjoy specific locations. Plaza de Espania was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

This was our only "group" tour - and probably the way it works at the Alhambra. But information was good and guide worked well the group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NA

A Night of Flamenco in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

I was unsure of this - not a big fan of folk music or dance - but the experience was great. If you see Flamenco - see it i n the caves. The intensity of the dancers, singers and musicians was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NA - We took a cab

Hike Montserrat Mountain & Explore Penedès Wineries

Barcelona

Ramon was a wealth of information - maybe a bit too much. Enjoyed the visit to Montserrat. Penedes region went to one Winery - Llopart -which was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barcelona Highlights: Montjuïc, Gothic Quarter & Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Too much driving. Traffic was terrible this day - but still too much driving. Also guide advised that we walk from Sagrada Familia up to Part Guell - not telling us it was 500 feet of elevation change.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taste Barcelona: Authentic Tapas & Neighborhood Walk

Barcelona

Brian provided a nice tour of bars that locals actually patonize. It was a great event to have planned on our first day there - as we were getting over jet lag and really did not want to think about where we ate.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour

Walking Madrid’s Old Town

Madrid

Nicw walking tour - maybe a bit too fast paced. But got to some of the main attractions in Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NA - Walking tour

Tomaz and his colleague Zala did a wonderful job helping us plan our trip to Switzerland. Tomaz took all of our "wants" and condensed it down into a doable itinerary that included everything we wanted. Zala worked on all the logistics and gave us detailed information about the hotels, excursions/adventures, and travel means (trains, buses) included in our trip. We did not have one bit of trouble getting to and from our destinations and we were given all our tickets, vouchers, etc. It was wonderful! This is our second time using KimKim and we will definitely use them again.

Hotel Reviews

Belvedere Swiss Quality Hotel Grindelwald

Grindelwald

This hotel was amazing! The location was excellent--we could walk to and from the train station, to restaurants and shops. The view was breathtaking, the staff of the restaurant and the bar so nice and personable. The amenities were great too--a pool, a sauna and steam room, breakfast included (and so delicious). One night there was live music on the patio. By far this was our favorite hotel in Switzerland.

Authenticity & Character

The history of the hotel was so interesting. Family owned, still to this day and we often saw the owners! There were pieces of the hotel's history (furniture, knick knacks, receipt books, old books) and old photos throughout the lobby and the hotel.

Location

So easy to get to all shops, restaurants, train station.

Staff

Everyone was wonderful, from check in to restaurant staff, to housekeeping, to the bar staff. They all made us feel welcome and were so friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wonderfully comfortable room/bed, super clean. We loved it.

Eastwest Hotel

Geneva

A bit off the beaten path, but still in the heart of Geneva. We arrived at night and were leaving the next morning so we didn't have time to explore the city. The bed was comfortable, the room clean, the staff very nice and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Looked like it was in a great spot to walk to places. However walking there from the train station took us through a sketchy section of street.

Staff

Very friendly and offered suggestions for things for us to do (had we had the time)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tradition Julen Hotel

Zermatt

This quaint hotel was delightful. The decor was so cozy and cute and the location was great. We could walk to every excursion we had booked. The bed was very comfortable, the staff was very friendly and helpful, and the breakfast was great.

Authenticity & Character

The wooden decor, the beautiful flowerboxes, the location. It was all just lovely.

Location

Excellent location in the heart of Zermatt.

Staff

Very helpful. Went over all the room amenities when we got there. Held our luggage for us after we checked out while we did an excursion. The staff of the restaurant was great as well.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Schweizerhof hotel

Zürich

Very centrally located, clean, super friendly staff. We got there and were able to change our clothes (it was hotter than we thought!) and they stored our luggage for us while we did an excursion. The bed was comfortable and breakfast was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was in the heart of Zurich. Easy to walk to the train station, restaurants, shops.

Staff

Everyone was very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable bed, clean room.

Activity Reviews

Paragliding

Switzerland

Oh my gosh, this was the best experience ever! We were both so nervous about doing this but it was incredible. My guide Veit was wonderful and put me at ease. He was so friendly and once we got airborne I was relaxed and able to enjoy this amazing experience. It went by so fast and I cannot describe how exhilarating and peaceful it was. Just incredible!

Quality of Experience

Experienced guides, safety first, very friendly, amazing views. It was incredible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Veit was the best. He and I just chatted while floating around in the air, no big deal! He made me feel very safe and comfortable.

Zürich city guided walking tour

Switzerland

Our guide Urs was a joy. He was very interesting and knowledgeable about Zurich. We walked several miles, covering lots of ground and history and seeing so many interesting sights. He stopped for photos and at the end of the tour he gave us a local restaurant recommendation which was delicious. We loved that it was just us, not a group, as it would've been hard to have a lot of people listening to him unless you had headsets. This was so much more personal. He was a pleasure to talk to and definitely takes pride in his job. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Very interesting and we loved walking around the city.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super knowledgeable guide who loved talking about Zurich.

Our trip was absolutely incredible. Andrea really hit it on the head. We had just a few ideas when we started this planning process, and this trip exceeded all of our expectations. Our hotels were amazing - I adored the uniqueness of them and how centrally located they all were. All the companies we worked with for the tours were excellent and easy to work with. Private transfers were on time and very kind. We could talk for hours about how every single detail of this trip was perfect - using KimKim and Andrea took so much stress off of my shoulders and allowed me to enjoy this trip to the fullest. Could not recommend Andrea and this service more!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Residence

Amalfi

LOVED this hotel in Amalfi!!! The location was incredible and the view was stunning. Would 1000% stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Pendini

Florence

Excellent location and breakfast! Loved our little balcony in our room and beds were comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - small group

Rome

This was one very long and extended due to the fact that we could not go to St Peters square that day. So it felt like the rest of the tour was extended so that we still hit 3 hours. Wish we learned more about the Vatican and what it is over standing outside staring at a picture of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling for 30 min.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum and Roman Forum - small group guided tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Capri Island from The Amalfi Coast - small group

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

Chianti Full Immersive Wine & Olive Oil Experience from Florence (small group)

Florence

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence small group guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were a group of family members who traveled together to Japan for the first time. We had no idea what to plan when we first started so a lot of ideas and plans were made and then changed. Angel was able to work through all that with us and was flexible and helpful all along the way. I am sure that it was frustrating for her as we made decisions and then changed them! In the end we had an amazing trip that all 10 of us enjoyed and I think we saw and did everything that Japan could offer in 3 weeks. I would defiantly use KimKim again. They were reasonable in pricing yet were able to provide us with private tours, transport and guides all along the way. Transport was excellent. Guides and drivers showed up on time and ready to give us their best. Suggested tour ideas from Angel turned out well. We had the first foodie tour that was below our expectations and Angel worked hard to provide us a better experience for the next one. I appreciate that. Not everything works out the way you envision but being able to change and improve on the fly makes this company and this agent great.
One activity that I would recommend was the meditation session that we had with Rev. Takafumi Kawakami at Shunkoin in Myoshinji Temple. Not only did we have an enlightening session along with a tea service but the Reverend was also engaging and free with his time and knowledge about his temple and his life. Such a learning experience for all of us.
We make katana's at a forge just outside of Kyoto and that was also a crowd pleaser. The small but mighty samurai and ninja museum in Kyoto was well worth the small entrance fee and short time that the tour lasts. The Gion Geshia show and walking tour was an experience that shouldn't be missed. The rickshaw ride through the bamboo forest was very cool. We did a cooking class in Tokyo that was excellent as well as enjoyed the team lab planet experience. We were fortunate enough to be in Japan during the sumo wrestling tournament and everyone enjoyed that event. Just for future - don't get the 4 person box for 4 people. Way too small! Angel did warn us but we wanted to experience it that way so that's what we did. Next time only 2 people in a 4 person box. Thanks Angel for putting our trip together for us.

Thank you Kim Kim for a fabulous trip to Greece.
Every aspect of trip was brilliant.
The pre planning and holiday design with Rebecca was perfect, we achieved our holiday goals and have many places we would like return to. It was a great introduction to Greece.
Gina - Met us on our first night in Athens fo r a welcome coffee & introduction to city, a great gesture after travelling 32 hours from NZ
George- we loved the food tour, your wealth of knowledge on Greek food, Greek culture and the universe in general, great company.
Nicholas- Thank you for your fascinating tour of the Acropolis. We followed up the next day with a trip to the Acropolis Museum, which completed the experience.
We left Greece with wonderful Memories and we will return. Thank you

Everything was awesome, the service the attention and overall we are very happy with the whole trip