Kimkim Trip Reviews

Nikola is first rate, totally extraordinary ‼️‼️‼️

Every detail of our trip was covered in advance plus daily check ins. Nikola even placed our trip plan in a special app that we could refer to without WiFi or cell connection. There wasn’t anything he did not think of or plan for.

We fell in love with Croatia and its people beyond words. We love KimKim but Nikola has been the best planner ever to date ‼️🙏🥰❤️ We are so grateful for his attention to detail, thoughtfulness and incredible spirit.

Thank you Nikola for everything you did to make our trip the awesome experience for our 31 anniversary‼️🙏🥰❤️

Hotel Reviews

Heritage Hotel Santa Lucia

Split

This was our favorite hotel! Nice room with sitting area. Great breakfast, great location and super staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Hotel Dea

Hvar

Super small room on top floor. Not the room pictured above. No a favorite but bed was comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Korsal

Korčula

Loved the hotel but twin beds were very narrow - hard to sleep. The hotel restaurant was fully booked all the time which made it hard to simply relax and have a meal here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bota Palace

Dubrovnik

Loved this hotel, breakfast and manager!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Day Trip to Krka National Park & Šibenik

Croatia

Again, Ivana was great with our tour of the national park‼️🥰❤️ Long day with a lot of walking but great to be in NATURE‼️🥰❤️ The lunch and wine tasting was great‼️🥰❤️ Loved this lovely family restaurant ❤️❤️❤️

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Split

Croatia

Ivana was very knowledgeable. Although we were tired she gave us a great tour of the palace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NA

Hvar Half-Day Private Island Tour (Afternoon)

Hvar

Loved this experience totally from seeing the island through a local’s eyes to the best meal ever in the middle of nowhere‼️🥰❤️

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Boat Tour to Blue Cave & Pakleni Islands

Croatia

Amazing fun day! Loved meeting everyone and sharing so many great experiences with them. Still communicating with one of the captains. Learn so much from him, special forces in the Croatia military, about Croatia’s liberation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korčula Half Day Tour

Korčula

Loved hearing the story’s before the big fire, the piling of the rocks and planting lavender rosemary and olive trees between the rock. The beach was beautiful. Nice to be away from the city. The meal was outstanding.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Konavle Region Culinary Experience (small group)

Croatia

Loved, loved this experience‼️🙏🥰❤️ Everything about this experience was to notch‼️ Loved meeting the grandmother which was 3 years younger than myself.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elafiti Islands - Private Half Day Speedboat Tour

Dubrovnik

Lovely your, nice for it to be private

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Lovely your, felt it could have been a little more personalized.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking your, NA

From start to finish, our trip to Croatia in August 2023 was amazing! The planning was very easy, there were lots of sites to see as well as activities (rafting, biking, tours, boating, snorkeling etc.). What especially stood out were the excellent choices of hotels (and even rooms within those hotels) that Nikola selected for us. All of the transfers went smoothly, there was never any incertainty in terms of someone showing up on time). Antoinetta was incredible on the logistics, always available and very flexible and responsive in terms of modifying the schedule as per our request. This was truly one of the best vacations we've ever taken, would use Kimkim again, and will look forward to returning to Croatia.

I am not going to write much here as I have kept you updated via daily emails.

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Høyers

Skien

By the time we arrived at our final hotel, we were acclimated to a great breakfast, lift for luggage, helpful staff, central location. Once again, though, we were faced with stairs into the hotel and this continued to be a problem for those, like us, who are 80+ and burdened with luggage and legs no longer spry.

Authenticity & Character

OK - did not explore much. I only rated them as 3 stars because of the lack of interaction with staff and time in Skien. We had no complaints or suggestions and would probably rate them higher if we had more time there.

Location

Can't write much here as we did not take in any sights the short time we were there. We asked this trip to be included in our itinerary because I wanted to meet with paternal cousins whom I'd never met in the past.

Staff

Receptionists; staff in dining room

Cleanliness & Comfort

No. I think previous reviewers were turned off by roadside noise and maybe that could be a problem. We were absent most of the time and there was also some raining which no doubt decreased loud noise outdoors!

Hotel Bristol

Oslo

We would give this hotel mixed reviews only because it was so luxurious and we are not that kind of people. I, Maury, was uncomfortable in the dining room as I did not have a sport coat with me and certainly not a suit! The rooms were as one would expect in such an hotel though we had to navigate stairs which was impossible for me to carry with heavy luggage. As the hotel was booked full, the receptionist took it upon herself to carry our two large cases down the stairs. She also arranged to have them carried up when we departed. We returned a couple of days later and had been given a room minus the stairs. Hotel staff seemed a bit aloof but when personally engaged, were full of smiles, stories and helpful directions. Stairs into hotel and a ramp would have been appreciated. We left before breakfast one morning and were told a box breakfast would be waiting; it was not and we had to leave before it could be put together as the taxi was waiting. Central location was great.

Authenticity & Character

Regal.

Location

What can I add? Easy to get to all sights and transportation as well as additional trips we took -

Staff

Once they "unbent" a bit, all were blessedly human

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plenty of towels, WARM bathroom floor! Large desk for our daily blogs to write and send. Comfortable chairs. Lots of storage space. Coffee and tea in the room. Great breakfasts with a regal setting - almost discomforting to us "simple" folk.

Hotel Aurlandsfjord

Aurland

Central location. Most helpful and responsive staff we encountered which is saying a great deal and all staff at all hotels would qualify.

Authenticity & Character

Don't know what to add, here. Sorry

Location

As older clients we appreciated being in a central location and near transportation. This qualifies

Staff

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

One of the best hotels we stayed in -

Authenticity & Character

Location

Short walk to everywhere -

Staff

Helpful, attentive, friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Only problem, since we were in the "old" section was the lack of electric outlets. Staff loaned us an extension cord -

Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz

Bergen

Room much too small for two people. Lack of storage space; one chair. Other than that, it was centrally located. Breakfasts outstanding. Helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

It is what it is -

Location

Staff

Always helpful and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

See comments

Activity Reviews

Oslo Dinner Cruise

Oslo

Really did not find this of interest and, given the opportuntity, would not have gone on it.

Quality of Experience

Nothing. It is what it was.

Food

Well, at our ages, not all that tasty. We have traveled a bit and are open to new food experiences but, still . . .

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were very good at what they did.

Transport

As I wrote, a slow cruise around a harbor was not something we enjoyed. The 5-course meal was unique but not terribly tasty to us - maybe to others. This experience seemed to be more of a romantic and relaxing excursion than anything at all related to sight-seeing.

Nærøyfjord Cruise & Viking Valley Tour

Norway

In the all day rain, darn it. What we could see and enjoy, it was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Again, probably nothing and the people did the very best they could considering they were also in the rain and doing everything they could with a wet group of tourists!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They did not allow the rain to "dampen" our spirits -

Transport

Again, we just walked from hotel to ferry.

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Stieg made it all so very good. Like the other guide in Bergen, he adapted his idea of a walking tour to our age and walking abilities.

Quality of Experience

Read and look at our daily texts and pictures

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledge. Humor. Insights. Adaptable.

Transport

Just walking -

Lifestyle: Balestrand Fjord Angling & Trolling Excursion

Balestrand

The guide made it everything! And we both caught fish! Small but still Norwegian fishes!

Quality of Experience

His knowledge, humor. On the negative side, part of the trip over water was in heavy fog which he sped over at high speed. However, he made sure we understood he grew up there and knew the area very well. Still, we came upon an electric ferry in the mist which he easily avoided but was still a surprise to him! I was a bit anxious because of his speed and the worry about there might be another equally knowledgeable boatman out there also traveling fast.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide provided ware gear, arranged for great photo opportunities, encouraged my wife to pose and fish, told us stories, etc.

Transport

Well, we just walked from hotel to his business -

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise from Bergen

Bergen

At the time, it was amazing but, thanks to your planning, we had even better parts of the fjord tours later!

Quality of Experience

Please refer to our daily write-up

Guides, Drivers and Staff

On time. Helpful. Not pushing and not intrusive, either.

Transport

No

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Personable. Adjusted the program for our age , walking speed and distance. It was raining and he did the very best he could and, in fact, based on his suggestions, we went back over the same area when the sun did come out.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Far too many to write about here. Once again, I refer you to our daily updates and give you permission to use the non-personal parts of them for your future clients -

Transport

They were there as arranged which lessened our anxiety as the trip went on.

I am incredibly pleased regarding our trip to Morocco and specifically want to strongly recommend working with Hakim. Because of our jobs, we were only able to plan our vacation three weeks in advance. Hakim worked with us on our itinerary, and make everything we wanted happen despite the short time frame. I really loved how he balanced incorporating all our special requests with recommending things we weren't sure about that ended up being some of our favorite parts of the trip. For context, we arrived in Marrakech about 5 hours before the earthquake and our itinerary had to be adjusted pretty significantly the first few days. Hakim was BEYOND supportive and accommodating (even at one point working to change a food tour to a cooking class despite the company never having hosted one before). The same praise needs to be extended to all our guides in Marrakech and our driver Hammadi, all of whom where incredibly flexible, kind, and explanatory despite being impacted by the earthquake. Hammadi definitely needs his own call out for being more than accommodating and hospitable, and we truly enjoyed getting to know him throughout the week. Further, I highly recommend Dar Baraka in Marrakech as they went out of their way to find us alternative, safe accommodation the first night. Finally, Abraham, our tour guide in Rabat, despite being brand new, was absolutely awesome, knowledgeable and professional.

My only cons related to the trip are minor given our overall satisfaction with the trip.
-Our first night, we were out on the streets with the rest of the city due to the earthquake until 5am, we had called the emergency line just for confirmation that there was nowhere safe we could stay and for confirmation that we could reschedule our 5:30am event the next day given the circumstances. They told us to plan to still attend and left us on read regarding the accommodations, which I think added unnecessary stress (that Hakim quickly alleviated the next day). Someone from KimKim US also reached out regarding the situation the next day, but didn't follow up to my call back.
-Just generally, I wish there was more price transparency.
-In Fes, the guide used our tour to run his own errands, told us to wait while he finished a conversation and pushed us into a clearly touristy restaurant with pretty high fixed prices. Overall, he was a knowledgeable guide but I would go with someone else if I could do it over again.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Madu Desert Camps

Merzouga

Once in a lifetime experience that we absolutely loved. Everyone was super accommodating. We did have to wait for awhile to be picked up in the morning, but we enjoyed the extra time in the sand.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

We didn't stay in this location for a full night given our flight, however, it was incredibly modern and clean. There was a little hiccup upon check in because they couldn't find our reservation, but ultimately it was a great (albeit short) stay

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Puerta Azul

Chefchaouen

The host was incredibly kind and helpful. The food was great! The location was nice (and the elevator was much appreciated), but it just lacked some of the charm compared to the other places we stayed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Al Madina Al Kadima

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Tamdakhte

Ait Ben Haddou

Absolutely stunning location and accommodations. The food was the best we had in our trip and the host was very welcoming and friendly. Highlight of our trip!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Baraka & Karam

Marrakech

This riad was absolutely amazing. Despite the earthquake, they worked to find us safe accommodation. They were incredibly patient, kind and caring. We absolutely loved the little yellow kitten and he was the highlight of our hotel stays!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour in Fes

Fes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We didn't love our guide (he used the guide to run his own errands, told us to wait while he had conversations which locals , and sent us to a touristy restaurant and ordered for us) although he was educational. Loved the city and the experience, just would have gone with a different guide if given the chance.

Transport

Fes to Chefchaouen via Meknes & Volubilis

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Guided Tour in Rabat

Morocco

Abraham was great, educational and his English was probably the best of the trip! Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour & Local Gastronomy

Morocco

We loved this transformation into a cooking class and the hosts were so fun. We are thankful they were flexible with us and our poor cooking skills!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Merzouga to Fes via Rissani, Midelt, & the Atlas Mountains

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hammadi made the trip fun and was patient and educational along the way

Transport

Traditional Hammam & Massage

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour in Marrakech

Marrakesh

Kudos to our guide for being accommodating with the time (and frankly even agreeing to give the tour) the day after the earthquake. We greatly appreciated his perspective and wisdom regarding the city

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Hot Air Balloon Experience

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

One of the guests that were supposed to be picked up at the same time as us didn't show, which made us a little late, but ultimately it worked out and the driver was nice.

Our trip guide Alberto was great. He was interactive in both putting the trip together and identifying lodging and side trips which matched our interests and life style . Not only accommodations but side trips to wineries, points of interest
such as Pompey ,Vesuvius, and Mount Etna, Organic winery's.
Our driver would be waiting in a black ,clean late model car each morning to wisk us to our destination for the day.
he insured that the local guides understood our likes and dislikes!This was our second with KimKim and both times they exceeded our expectations!

Great suggestions, full & satisfying itinerary
Easy to work with & prompt response
All transfers were seamless.

Mar created a fabulous trip for us. We were interested in the Fjords and the Lofotons. Mar reserved excellent hotels and excursions. We had a fabulous time. There were several glitches that we created and team member Fenne answered middle of the night calls to fix everything. What could go wrong you ask? Well, I got to the airport with the passport that outdated 6 weeks later, not the new one. We were refused admittance on the international flight from the US. So I frantically worked with the airlines to get tickets for the next day and Fenne managed the hotel and excursions that were missed. What about checking out of a hotel whose computer was down and we couldn't verify whether I had charged dinner to the room or to my credit card. Called Fenne and she managed the problem so I could go on without worry about that detail. What about cancelled flight to Oslo and delayed arrival? Called Fenne while riding in taxi to another airport and she notified the hotel. Life happens while traveling especially at night and on weekends and having a responsive understanding agent was a huge contributor to my wonderful trip. Thank you Mar, thank you Fenne!!!!

Scotland - behind the scenes.

Using kimkim and @Luigi Pasiani is the only way to travel to any country and get to see things that you would NEVER pick out on your own. Our trip was spectacular. Luigi planned all of the hotels which were all awesome in their own right. The trip plan had more than we could do at our pace so we ended up cancelling some of the events he had scheduled for us and had to catch some at the end of our trip rather than the beginning as planned. Some of the most unique people and places were scheduled by Luigi, including a short meeting with a Tartan expert which turned out to be most interesting. Sheep dog trainers in the most remote locations. I will say again, you will not see the real Scotland without the help of people like @Luigi Pasiani and the kimkim team.

Hotel Reviews

Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, an IHG Hotel

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

If you are arriving by car, park on Rose Street and walk to the hotel entrance. They will get your luggage and park your car from there. There is no parking in front of the hotel.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rusacks St Andrews

St Andrews

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Victoria Square

Stirling

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fonab Castle

Pitlochry

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Balmoral Hotel

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Uncover hidden gems of Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Great last day to wind down and get ready for the trip home. Shop all the stores on Rose Street and restaraunts are too many to count.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

David seaplane experience

Scotland

If you can make this happen, it is a must for the Scotland experience. The plane uses Lock Lomond to take off and land, but the tour is about 140 miles of the Scotish coastal towns and inlets from the Atlantic ocean. The plane is a Cessna Caravan turbo prop, average altitude 1400'. Trust me, you can see a lot from 1400'.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highland chocolate tasting experience.

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Contemplate the Highland nature

Pitlochry

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover traditional herding

Scotland

Wonderful demonstration on how the sheep, the dogs, and humans interact with each other.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drove a rental car to the address, no problem finding the place.

Antonis did a great job planning our trip to Greece. He listened to our feedback and catered the trip specifically to our needs. The hotels were clean and well located and the activities were perfect for our adventurous and active lifestyles! A few of the activities that we appreciated most were the “Magnificent Athens” tour (Zakia K. our guide was knowledgeable and full of passion as we toured the Parthenon, acropolis and other sites), the Naxos bike ride (Nikos was a great guide and we loved that the bike shop was family owned and we got tons of exercise), the Fira to Oira hike on Santorini (Agatha was our guide and her passion and energy was inspiring, and the hike kept us challenged), and finally the Samaria Gorge hike. We loved the hike and were so glad to have someone pick us up and ensure we were in the right places at the right time. We probably didn’t need a guide throughout the hike, but Georgios was great nonetheless. Lots of challenge and beautiful views with this last hike and that’s exactly what we wanted. We enjoyed the winery visit in Heraklion so much! The driver wasn’t really sure what to do with us with an early pick up and the winery wasn’t quite sure what package we received, but with some chatting everything was figured out and it was a great day!

Finally, we most appreciated how prompt and easy the transfers were between airports, ferries and hotels. Wonderfully arranged and took the thinking out of it for us.

We can’t thank KimmKimm enough and especially Antonis for their help!

Activity Reviews

The Unique Private Tour Of Samaria Gorge

Chania

Amazing hike! We love a challenge and this hit the mark. Rocky with a steep, steep decline but the views made it all worthwhile. It was also awesome to end in the village and enjoy lunch and the beach. It was a very long day though and we weren’t aware ahead of time that we would have a long ferry and drive home. Plan for a full day. So glad we did it! We also were prepared with serious hiking shoes which was helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Georgios was a good guide. However, we realized that we really didn’t need a guide. We really appreciated the drivers though!

Transport

Very helpful to have experienced drivers to get you to the top/start and to get you home on the winding roads.

Private tour of Eleftherna and Rethymno Villages

Rethymno

Great way to see sites we would not have seen otherwise! The monastery was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Countryside of Heraklion & the Roads of Cretan Wine

Heraklion

Beautiful winery with friendly service and great food! Appreciated the “private” table.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver seemed to have too much time between pick up and drop off at the winery and he did not really know how to use the time. Maybe a direct ride to the winery would have been best. All worked out just fine.

Catamaran Sunset Cruise

Santorini

Great service, amazing food and good size group for boat size. Once in a lifetime opportunity to swim on the sea and view the island from the sea.

Quality of Experience

Food

Really impressed with the quality of food!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking From Caldera Fira to Oia

Santorini

Agatha! Passion and excitement. Loved this hike and the challenge and Agatha’s love for life made it even better. Good sized group with similar fitness level helped.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Agatha was our favorite!

Transport

Magnificent Athens

Athens

Zakia was an amazing, knowledgeable driver who was open to answering all of our questions. Spent just the right amount of time at each site and guided us to shade when we needed it! The driver was also great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Zakia and driver were perfect!

Transport

Discover Naxos by bike

Naxos

Nikos was an excellent guide! Appreciated the level of exercise and the amazing sites!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nikos and meeting his dad that owns the shop

Dhanuka was an amazing tour guide! So friendly, helpful, and informative. He showed up early for every pick up and was able to accommodate and last minute requests and changes we asked of him. He never stopped smiling and was friendly from the moment he picked us up at the airport until he dropped us off 9 days later. Would recommend him to anyone that is looking to have a relaxing, yet busy Sri Lankan experience.

Dhanuka was an excellent tour guide and made our trip memorable. And Dhanushka did a great job of planning the itinerary for us.

Our local specialist, Chadya, put together a great package according to our requests. We got to experience the highlights of the area. Our itinerary was well communicated with relevant details included. The total price was a bit higher than expected, though partly due to our own choosing. But the transparency of the pricing was not very good, the price of each component of the trip was not laid out. We had a great local guide/translator, Miguel, who had lots of helpful and interesting knowledge. We found that the use of translator for airport pickup/drop-off was a bit unnecessary. But all in all we a great trip and we are pleased with the experience.

Robi helped us to plan the most magical trip along the coast of Croatia. He had previously visited each of the locations himself and made fabulous recommendations for what we could do and see and eat! Robi cares deeply about the experience his clients will have in his home country and it shows. He communicated with us the entire time and made sure everything was going well, and it was! This was such a well thought out trip, everything was coordinated so well, we didn’t need to worry about anything!

Not only did he do an amazing job of helping us plan and coordinate our trip but he was also a guide for one of our activities! He is a wonderful tour guide, took us to places that felt authentic and were so special.

I cannot recommend Robi enough, he truly loves Croatia and wants you to see it in the same way he does.

Activity Reviews

Split - Departure

Split

Visit Ston

Croatia

Ston is a beautiful town with the best oysters you will ever eat!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dubrovnik and Elaphiti islands - Lopud and Koločep private boat trip

Croatia

This was an amazing boat ride, it was planned out so well. We snorkeled, swam in caves, saw small island towns, ate the best food, and even saw the city walls from the water! Highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Croatia

Beautiful!

Adventure on Zrmanja river and overnight in Skradin

Croatia

An amazing kayaking adventure!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Krka National Park

Croatia

Beautiful to see, however lots of tourists, you are kind of tripping over each other. The boat ride was great

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace

Split

We had a great tour of the palace with an amazing tour guide. We learned so much about the city and the palace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival in Split and transfer to accommodation

Split

Leisure day in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

We used Kim-Kim in the past and will continue to do so because they take care of every detail so we don't have to. The professionalism of the company, organizers and local partners shows through in how they communicate, cleanliness of vehicles, promptness of drivers and tour guides and quality of activities based on our input keeps us coming back. We appreciated the historical knowledge of our guide, Ibrahim, in Istanbul. He made sure we were able to see and do what we requested with flexibility and space to explore. Hatice in Cappadocia was also knowledgeable and she synched well to our level of fun. We whole heartedly recommend Ibrahim and Hatice.

Hotel Reviews

Park Inn by Radisson Istanbul Airport (Odayeri)

Istanbul

We used this hotel because it is "close" to the airport and we had an early flight the next morning. Everything was clean and the staff was friendly. We really appreciated that there was a full service restaurant on the premise.

Authenticity & Character

Lots of room amenities. This is a great business traveler hotel. You most likely would not stay there to see the sites.

Location

No hotels are really close to the airport however this one is only 15 minutes away.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful. They took care of booking our early morning taxi pickup.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Recital Hotel

Istanbul

We would stay there again but Istanbul is a city that never sleeps so it was a bit noisy at night.

Authenticity & Character

I wouldn't say it had or didn't have character. It was just nicely put together with everything you needed.

Location

Short walk to Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque. Fabulous view of the Bosporus from the rooftop terrace.

Staff

Mike at Reception was very informative and immediately took care of our internet and phone challenge.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything throughout the hotel was clean. I would have given 5 stars if the rooftop terrace was an active, working part of the hotel instead of an after thought place to sit. There was a bar but drinks were delivered from the lobby instead of using this space.

Kale Konak Hotel

The hotel staff was so helpful and friendly. The hotel itself is beautiful and a true Cappadocia experience. Breakfast was yummy!

Authenticity & Character

The hillside setting, cave hallways and furnishings.

Location

I thought we would be able to see the balloons better.

Staff

Available when we needed something, always accommodating and took their job seriously.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It is difficult to keep everything clean in a dusty, open air setting and yet they were all over it. Most impressive.

Activity Reviews

Cooking Class in Cappadocia

Cappadocia

What a hoot! Loved Ina. In true Turkish tradition, we made lots of food and then she had prepared even more food to share. Seriously, we were stuffed!!

Quality of Experience

Always fun to have an in-home experience. This was her kitchen.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hatice had to interpret everything. It was fun having her join in with the cooking and share some of her childhood eating stories as well.

Transport

We picked up Ina's daughter in town so she could give Borak directions through the neighborhood. Better than a GPS!

Ceramic Tradition in Avanos + Light Hiking in the Love Valley

Cappadocia

Their work is extremely nice and, while the designs/shapes are basically the same whatever place you wish to buy, it is very apparent their work is superior. I only gave it 4 stars because I didn't know there would be such an emphasis on making a purchase. Same for the carpet place we visited. When you are young you want to buy items. When you are old like me, you are trying to get rid of your stuff - not add to it.

Quality of Experience

My husband and I enjoyed the complimentary glass of wine.

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

It has taken abuse over the years from people defacing the structures. Still, the history is worth knowing. I'm glad it is now being preserved.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hatice was able to maneuver us around the crowds, give the history and knew the best places for us to take photos.

Transport

Our driver, Borak, was with us the entire three days. Prompt, courteous, safe driver and always had water on hand.

Explore Çamlıca Hill + Çamlıca Tower

İstanbul

I wanted to go here to ensure seeing the city in its entirety (not possible). It wasn't spellbinding like I thought it would be. The structure itself is more of the attraction.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I liked that we used public transportation instead of a hired driver. It was much more fun to be with locals.

Transport

If you enjoy aggressive driving, you will love the taxi ride to/from the tower. That experience was actually the most fun as we took many back streets to avoid traffic jams.

Crossing between Continents: Explore Kadıköy and Moda

İstanbul

The crossing gave us the opportunity to get away from the tourist attractions and see how locals live.

Quality of Experience

The lunch stop was different - a buffet of sorts where you could make various selections.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Speaking absolutely no Turkish, having our guide, Ibrahim, interpret and advise was indispensable.

Transport

We rode the metro under the Bosphorus!

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Istanbul is soo big that the boat ride helps you see things that would otherwise take too much time to see via land. It is a nice respite from all the walking. Grab a bite to eat from one of the many nice restaurants under the bridge. The food is good and you start to get a feel for how busy the waterway actually is.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It was helpful to have our guide, Ibrahim, tell us what we were seeing as it was difficult to hear information from the loud speaker on the boat.

Transport

I liked that the boat went up one side of the strait then down the other.

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Going with a local guide - especially Ibrahim that has lived in Istanbul all his life - made the site's history come alive. He showed us places a tourist on their own might not know about. And we were able to navigate the crowds with ease.

Quality of Experience

It was interesting to see the European and Asian side differences.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It was fun to experience a taxi, boat and metro.

Transport

We were walking so it wasn't an issue.

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

We have been up in balloons before yet never experienced the large basket style. It was fun to go up with Americans, Spaniards and a group from Poland.

Quality of Experience

There was never a question of what to expect and where you needed to be.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The professionalism of Royal Balloon company was without flaw. A well oiled machine at every step. Pilots Kemis and Omar where fun and capable. Loved that they took us low into the valley and landed right on the trailer at the end.

Transport

The coordination from pick up to drop off was representative of a company that has done this a million times.

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

MUST experience this unique site.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I was nervous about using an online travel company, but Chris made it easy. After initially filling out an online profile, Chris worked with me to plan a 10 day trip in Greece for my husband and me and our 2 adult children and their spouses. He had great suggestions, tailored to our interests. We wanted to get off the beaten path and spent several days on a self-drive through some great coastal towns in the Peloponnese area. Chris took care of every detail - airport transfers, flight to Santorini, hotel accommodations, tours of historical sites, a winery tour with lunch, and a catamaran cruise. We enjoyed personalized tours and the guides were all so knowledgeable and fun. The small boutique hotels Chris suggested for us were all unique and just what we wanted. We were happy to get to meet Chris after we arrived in Athens, and he checked in with us every few days to make sure everything was going smoothly. His communication throughout the planning process and trip was terrific.

What an incredible trip!! Samir was beyond amazing and went way out of his way to make sure we were always happy. Advice: Spend as little time in Casablanca as possible.And the hotel there wasn't great. BUT.. The hotel in Chefchouen was wonderful and the Riad hotel in Fes was spectacular! The agency was excellent.. and there was one snafu (As there always are) and they stepped up and fixed it asap way better than we imagined. Great job!!!

Hotel Reviews

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Small village, so could definitely hear the kids playing outside until 11pm.. but other than that, it was DIVINE!! Definitely reserve the pool, it is so serene, and the Hammam was amazing. Breakfast superb and the staff were really really sweet. Thanks guys!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mövenpick Hotel Casablanca

Casablanca

Didn't really care much for cleanliness. Windows were really dirty, and outlets were broken, and although it looks ok, the details were a bit sub-par. Sorry guys.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Casablanca to Chefchaouen via Rabat

Morocco

Love Samir!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wonderful trip planned with Arianna! she made sure that the kids would also enjoy it as well.
Since it was our first trip to Milan and Como, everything as planned well in order to visit most of important and nice places to visit.
We also had amazing guides such as Larissa in Milan and Christina in Como.
Thank you to Arianna for her patience in planning the trip :)

Hotel Review

Apartment in Duomo Area -- Airbnb

Milan

Nice cozy and quiet place to stay with kids.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Best of Lake Como by Boat - Central Lake Private

Italy

We spent a great day with our guide Christina, and again great patience handling the young kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Express Milan Duomo Tour with Terrace Access

Italy

Larissa is an amazing guide. She had great patience handling our 3 young boys

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I originally spoke to Chris when we were planning our honeymoon around 3 years ago, and he had arranged the most incredible trip to Greece full of island hopping and wine/food/cultural tours that we were so excited for! Unfortunately the pandemic stopped us from visiting Greece as we originally planned.

When we were finally ready to travel again, our circumstances had changed as we had a toddler and another baby on the way! Not only did Chris adapt our trip to make it child and bump friendly, he also somehow managed to retain the honeymoon glamour we always wanted. We visited Athens, Naxos and Santorini and had a cultural tour guide arranged in each place (all of which were fantastic!).

If anyone is looking to go to Greece anytime soon, please please use Chris - you will not regret it!

Thanks

Vinaya, Tom and Ruby

Our trip was great , made easy through Kim Kim who we didn’t know about prior to the trip and simply booked online with them.

Highlights were Jaresh (a surprise as we didn’t know anything about it), Petra (there is plenty of time to hike to the Monastery (definitely worth doing) and the Dead Sea (the Movenpick resort is an amazing resort too), plus our driver Mohammed who was particularly knowledgeable, kind, accommodating and a safe driver.

The only negative was the accommodation in Wadi Rum- mazayen camp which was very run down and disappointing. Described as luxury but far from it! Everything was falling apart. Personally, I would give Wadi Rum a miss and do an extra night at Movenpick Dead Sea.

Hotel Reviews

King David Hotel - Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Gorgeous hotel. We were there during Shabbat so limited meals etc but that’s part of the experience

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

So very accomodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Movenpick Dead Sea Spa & Resort

Sweimeh, Amman

Everything was amazing from our float in the Dead Sea and mud cover to the various pool areas and restaurants. Would have liked an extra night

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the Dead Sea. Gorgeous location and views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mazayen Rum Camp

Al Dissi

Old, run down and grubby. The jacuzzi didn’t work and the front of it was propped up by a chair. The toilet seat was askew and the bathroom was old, with missing grout and grubby. Light bulbs not working and the bed was very old and battered. Far from luxury as advertised. Maybe school camp level at best. Would definitely delete wadi rum from the itinerary and have an extra night at the Dead Sea’s Movenpick resort

Authenticity & Character

The place needs an entire refurbishment

Location

Staff

Not interested

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything. What a dump!

Old Village Resort

Wadi Musa

Lovely accomodation, spacious. Good massage and great pool area. Only negative - alcohol free.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

But abrupt

Cleanliness & Comfort

The House Boutique Hotel

Amman

Really nice. Plus drinks and nibbles on pool deck were nice, pre dinner. Good location - close to Rainbow street

Authenticity & Character

Nice location and plenty of room

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Jerusalem, Mount of Olives and Mt Zion

Jordan

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Old City Jerusalem

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Bethlehem

Jordan

Definitely worth the trip

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit JERICHO

Jordan

Not much to see folks. Don’t get conned into the lunch.

Wadi Rum (2-3 Hrs Jeep ride)

Jordan

Took about 45mins. Was fine but could have missed it and spent more time at the Dead Sea

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mohammed not driver who was totally disinterested!

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

Jordan

Outstanding experience. The trip says you won’t have time to hike to the monastery but you easily can and it is just as amazing as the treasury and less crowded. Awesome day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman-Madaba-Mount Nebo-Karak-Petra

Jordan

The day trips on this day really just provide some bathroom stops on the way to Petra. Definitely miss Karak castle!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman-Jarash-Ajloun-Amman city tour

Jordan

A surprise bonus. Definitely worth the visit

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Meet & Assist - Queen Alia Airport

Jordan

The person who meet us then disappeared to help other customers for some time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mohammed our driver was an absolute stand out. Really nice fellow and beautifully spoken with a good sense of humour. Helped find someone to fix my shoe. Safe driver

Transport

Our driver Mohammed and his very clean car!

Terry was incredibly helpful in planning a trip that met the different interests of four people . She was very responsive to the many questions we had about the planned itinerary. We requested changes, some at a late date, and she handled it all in a friendly and timely and professional manner that really impressed us! We have high praise for her ability to make people happy with their Kim Kim tour!