Kimkim Trip Reviews

This was such an amazing trip!

We really enjoyed the hotels in both Lisbon and Evora. The staff in each were friendly and accommodating.

Every tour guide was incredible. They were all willing to share about themselves and their culture, making each one truly special.

We had Gisella for the walking tour. We really connected with her, and she showed us a TON of Lisbon. She gave us tips and ideas for food and drink that we used during our free time. She was friendly, and easy to understand.

On Monday, we had Vitor for the day. He added a lot of personal details, and took us to some of his favorite spots near Setubal. He gave us a great intro to Evora as well. He was super friendly and accommodating.

Telma gave us a very informative walking tour through Évora. She really knew her stuff, and it was wonderful to learn about the area through her knowledge and experience.

Daniella on the Food Tour in Lisbon was captivating. She has such a way about her, and gave us so much more info and history about the area AND the food/drink. We wish we had more time with her. She made a small group tour seem super friendly, and encouraged connection between the other guests.

We really enjoyed getting to know Nuno on our Sintra/Cascais day trip. He was so much fun, and shared not only info about the amazing areas we were visiting, but about himself and his family. There was a great connection there as well. He was a lot of fun, and gave us great suggestions.

We spent our last night in the home of Sofia and Carlos in Lisbon. That was such a fantastic way to end this trip. They were warm, funny, and the food/drink was incredible as well. While it’s hard to pick a favorite thing for the week, getting to spend time with them in their home was something we will never forget.

Beatriz was very easy to work with through all of it, and super responsive. We always felt like we had our own, personal team working to make this trip a fantastic experience before and during the week. She planned such great things for us, we would absolutely use the service again.

We had an excellent trip to Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto. Carmen was very helpful, professional, and easy to communicate with. If you prefer not dealing with trip planning, feel more comfortable having someone taking care of connections and logistical details, or need someone to coordinate with multiple parties, Carmen and her team will do a great job in both putting together your trip and supporting you while traveling.

A great taste of Morocco for our family of 6 adults. All aspects of the trip were good. Particularly memorable were: (1) our stay and morning walk with Salam at the riad Kasbah Roseville who took us through the roses and around town, (2) our cooking class and visit to a home in the Valley of the Roses where we cooked and enjoyed Berber pizza on a wood-fired oven in the with the family, (3) touring Fez with our extraordinary guide Said, and (4) our riad in Fez was a beautiful place and great guys with an extensive breakfast.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Al Makan

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Very beautiful place.

Location

Right where you want to be.

Staff

Consumate hosts that helped with everything and prepared extraordinary breakfasts!

Cleanliness & Comfort

well-appointed recently remodeled place

Kasbah Roseville

Kalaat M'Gouna

Fantastic. The host Salam is a wonderful and gracious human. He took us on a lovely walk through the roses, countryside and about town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Quality of Experience

The alleys and markets of Fez are extraordinary, particularly when paired with our most excellent guide Said.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Said was the best guide ever. Extremely articulate, thoughtful and informative.

Transport

9 fantastic days with Florin! Travels through Bulgaria , Romania and Hungary were very spacious & comfortable in his large passenger van, we named “Bluey!” Florin is very knowledgeable with the history of the castle & citadels & the beautiful cities we got to explore. We began to feel like he was more a friend / younger brother than tour guide! We shared dinners together, stories of places we’ve traveled & yet to visit! He was mindful of my getting carsick, stopped at all the best gas stations for restroom, coffee, & a coke! Oh and lots of stops if I wanted a photo of flowers!!! Also, found me the best asiago cheese bread for snacks on the road trip between cities!
Florin is the “BEST TOUR GUIDE” in our experience! We hit 71 while on this trip. Already talking with him about our next adventure! He only works with top notch drivers & local guides if he needs someone with more expertise of a city than he.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Tresor le Palais

Timisoara

The Hotel Tresor le Palais in Timisoara was extremely nice and upscale. We had a great stay there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Noblesse Boutique Hotel

sibiu

Florin booked us at the Noblesse Boutique Hotel which was very clean. We enjoyed our stay there and had no problems.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Yantra Hotel

Veliko Tarnovo

The Yantra Hotel was in the heart of Veliko Tarnovo and was very luxurious. We loved our stay there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Marvel at the Citadel of Veliko Tarnovo

Romania

The Citadel of Veliko Tarnovo was fabulous! The town is built into a mountain and is full of quaint stores and restaurants. We really enjoyed our time there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from the airport and Sofia tour

Hungary

Florin picked us up from the airport and gave us a tour of Sofia. He was very attentive and informative, making it a great start to our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On the way from Brasov to Sibiu visit the Bran Castle Sighisoara Citadel

Hungary

Florin took us to Sibiu and we were amazed by the beautiful, storybook-like village. We really enjoyed our time there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bucharest city tour

Bucharest

Florin took us on a city tour of Bucharest and specifically catered to our interests in the communist history of the country. We even visited Ceausescu's mansion which was fascinating!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bucharest to Brasov with Peles Castle, Bran Castle and Brasov walking tour

Romania

Florin heard me say I collect rock everywhere we go, especially ones that are shaped like a heart! When we came down from exploring the castle, he handed me a rock that had a heart on the rock!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alvaro was great in the organization of the trip. The team on the ground was very attentive, committed and pretty well organized (albeit some Latin American habits never change like not being on-time for your fist meeting :) ) and showed us how great is Ecuador. The Galapagos are fantastic and highly recommended - make sure you spend enough time there and book the right visits. Thank you!

We had a great experience working with Maria. Our trip was amazing!! This was our first time overseas and Maria and her team made the trip easy and seamless. They scheduled all our private transfers, train tickets, hotels and tours. We added some additional private transfers while in Italy and had no problem getting in touch with their local contact. I'd highly recommend Maria and will use KimKim again for any other trips we take.

Hotel Reviews

The Independent Hotel

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Aminta

Sorrento

Great hotel with friendly and helpful staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kraft

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Early Morning Vatican Tour: Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica

Italy

Amazing tour! Our guide was very informative on all areas of the Vatican. Can't imagine visiting the Vatican on our own. We would have missed so much of the history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Top Tuscan E-Bike Tour with Lunch from Florence to Chianti

Italy

This was the favorite part of our trip. Our guide was very knowledgeable of the local area. He answered all our questions about the region and made the trip fun. HIGHLY recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you Raquel for a well planned itinerary- we enjoyed everywhere we went, hotel was in a safe neighborhood with excellent amenities and fabulous buffet breakfast including gluten free and vegan options. We knew it would be a super busy 5 days but easily got to our timed destinations. We started with going on our own to Montejuic funicular before La Sagrada Familia. Loved Parc Guell and Casa Batlló, the gold ticket was wonderful. We loved the private tour of the Gothic area with Albert, he was fantastic. Our long day trip with Matt to Girona and Figueres to see the Dali museum was excellent and especially enjoyed our hike to Montserrat with Jordo, he was very informative and got us down the mountain before it rained!! Wonderful trip to the Algarve, it was sunny during the day and rained in late afternoon and evening in spots. We are now on Lisbon. Thanks for all your help. We will recommend and use Kimkim again, best, Emilie

Hotel Review

Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Great Breakfast, safe neighboorhood

Authenticity & Character

Great modern amenities, gym, fabulous breakfast

Location

La Sagrada Familia within walking distance

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great beds and pillows

Activity Reviews

Discover Girona & Dalí’s World

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Matt was wonderful driver and had so much more information about Girona and especially about Dali!

Transport

Clean, 8 people were all comfortable

Explore Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter with a Local Guide

Barcelona

Albert was so knowledgeable in history and language, very personable from his hometown, Barcelona. Went to Picasso museum afterwards!! Bonus

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thank you KimKim for making my life easier when it came to travel planning! I wanted to gift my mom a trip to Spain for her birthday and after months of planning, I really had no idea where to start. A lot of the package tours I came across online either didn’t have the dates I wanted for my trip or already had a pre-planned itinerary that didn’t suit my interests. I came across KimKim travels on Instagram and I was so surprised how easy planning a trip can be when I saw how customizable it was. What I enjoyed about booking with KimKim was that depending on the interests/sites you want for your trip, you can easily adjust the price of your trip as well. Big thanks to Yuri and Adam, they were very clear when it came to addressing my questions and concerns. They both really helped me a lot with organizing my Spain trip from start to finish and everything worked out perfectly. Both my mom and I were in Spain for 5 days around Barcelona and Girona regions and although our stay wasn’t for very long, we surely did a lot within those days and had an amazing time. I highly recommend KimKim for those who don’t know where to start when booking their trip, their formula will help you save so much time, stress and money. Can’t wait to use KimKim again for my next destination.

Hotel Review

Hotel Regina

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full-Day City Highlights Experience

Barcelona

Both my mom and I did this tour on our very first day in Barcelona. Originally, we wanted to stick to just Sagrada Familia and Park Guell but this highlights tour was so much more worth it because we were able to see and do so much more within the city. Besides Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, we were able to see the Gothic Quarter, Barcelona Cathedral, El Born District and Montjuic Hill. Shoutout to our tour guide Marlon! He did an excellent job assisting us tourists within the city and was very knowledgeable on the places we went to. He even gave us free time to explore on our own and also gave us enough time to take pictures :) I highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our recent trip to Portugal was amazing and exceeded our expectations! The trip started in Porto, and our hotel was nice, our city/culinary tour with Angela was great! We enjoyed the market, oldest restaurant in Porto, and all the food and knowledge that Angela shared with us. Emanuel was a great follow up and shared his perspective of the city , allowing us to explore on our own afterwards. Wilson and the Douro Valley tour was a true highlight with lunch at Maos vineyard. We can hardly wait for our wine to be shipped!
Marina really listened to what we wanted and the Portugal Boutique Hotel was a pleasure to stay in. Tony took us to Fatima on the way which we really appreciated. While in Lisbon, we had a great tour of the city, explored on our own, and were taken by Marta to the castle, stopped to look at cork trees, and finished the day at a roadside restaurant for a delicious lunch. With Marta, we felt as if we were with a friend showing us her country.
Final trip to Lagos in our rental was without incident, and we marveled at the landscape. Our final hotel was just gorgeous and we could not have been happier! Food, wine, and catamaran trip just highlighted the beautiful country of Portugal.
Final review? This trip was absolutely beyond our expectations on all levels! It checked all the boxes for us and we were sad to leave! Thank you to Marina for making it happen for us!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Melia Lisbon Airport

Lisbon

Walkable from airport, nice quiet room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Vivenda Miranda

Lagos

What a beautiful hotel and perfect location!

Authenticity & Character

Great good, great service, beautiful rooms!

Location

The views were incredible!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Portugal Boutique City Hotel

Lisbon

Great large room with all the comfort of home!

Authenticity & Character

Location

One block from square. Near everything.

Staff

Helpful, prompt!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Editory House Ribeira

Porto

Nice minimalistic hotel. Very helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Good walk about in Lisbon with a stop to taste some Eduardino!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Coimbra

Portugal

We changed the stop and visited Fatima instead. Tony was a good driver who was very agreeable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Boat to Benagil Caves

Portugal

Nice ride, attentive crew, great views of the caves from the ocean. Little bit too cold for us to swim but others took advantage.

Quality of Experience

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Great trip to Peña Palace, Sintra and lunch at roadside cafe!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marta was excellent, very knowledgeable about the towns, the surrounding area. She shared her life story with us, made us feel like friends, and made stops along the way to look at cork trees, visit a fire station, and enjoy a regional lunch. Great day!

Transport

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Nelson was a lot of fun and knowledgeable. He changed our Douro River Cruise to happen prior to our tastings which was fine but the boat was full and we had to sit inside. Still great views though. Our tastings were wonderful and lunch at Maos Vineyard was beyond expectations! The owner Rafael joined us in his dining room and the food and wine was excellent! Can’t say enough about the whole experience! Fantastic!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

No need for dinner after this experience. Wonderful, great tour all around!

Quality of Experience

So much to see, do, eat and drink !

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Angela was a great guide and took really good care of us. She shared life experiences and was very knowledgeable!

We had a super trip, thanks to our brilliant guide, Pemba Sherpa and of course Ngima who pulled the trip together for us!

The planning was easy, as all we wanted was a straightforward trek into Lantang Valley, but Ngima also organised an excellent day’s outing in Kathmandu for us.

The airport pickups and drop-offs were flawless and Ngima’s recommended choice of hotels in Kathmandu worked really well.

On the jeep ride to Langtang Valley, the car had a small mechanical problem, but within the hour a replacement car had arrived and we were back on our way, with hardly any time at all lost.

Pemba proved to be a great guide on the trek- very accommodating to small changes in the itinerary, very patient and caring with the slower walker of the team and with a great sense of humour. We stayed in lovely tea houses and he made sure that we were as comfortable as we could be, with spare blankets to keep us warm and a steady flow of black tea to keep us going! Our porter, Nyima was also good company and a very steady chap.

We were super-lucky with the weather and hit a fantastic "window" on the day we wanted to walk up Kyanjin Ri- great photos, great scenery! Maybe next time we'd do this trek, we'd plan in an extra day at Kyanjin Gompa, so we could see a little more of the fascinating valley.

We’d be delighted to use the crew again in future trips and we’ve already recommended them to our friends and family!

Tamer is the most amazing travel consultant I have ever worked with for a trip - I've been to over 60 countries and I have to say, hands down, Tamer ensured ever aspect of the trip was covered. He asked questions before we had an opportunity to think about the topic. Thank you so much for making our retirement trip a dream come true!

Our experience with Maria and her team was great! It was our first trip to Europe and not sure what to expect. Maria took care of every detail of our trip so that we could relax and explore Italy.
We were able to ask questions at any time while we on our trip & the response time was quick from Maria and Jessica.
We would highly recommend using Maria to help plan your trip to Italy!

Activity Reviews

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

Rome

Our guide, Julia, was amazing! So friendly and knowledgeable. Very impressive and highly recommend her!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Top Tuscan E-Bike Tour with Lunch from Florence to Chianti

Italy

Loved this private tour of the country side and winery!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Steph was our guide and she was amazing!

Transport

My husband and I could never have planned this vacation without KimKim-specifically Beatriz De Pablo from Espiritu Travel. At the outset, I tried organizing the trip myself utilizing online services but I instinctively knew professional help was needed to maximize this travel experience.
Our 16-day trip began in Barcelona with travel to Girona, Tarragona ending in Madrid. KimKim arranged all of our train tickets, hotel stays, and tours and provided background support via the Trip Plans App which placed all information at our fingertips and access to support from Beatriz's team 24/7. Initially, I was skeptical but now I would not plan such an ambitious trip without relying on KimKim.
All of the hotels we stayed at were well-located smaller boutique properties with top-notch service that frankly exceeded the service levels we have experienced in large name-brand luxury hotels. And I fully admit I would never have selected these hotels on my own just by reading reviews on the internet--that is the value added provided by KimKim.
The Petit Palace Icon Barcelona was well located. It was extremely clean, and comfortable, with nice amenities in the well-appointed rooms. The breakfasts (included) were very good. They also offered food service with a bar. Everything was within easy walking distance and more importantly, it was quiet--Barcelona can get noisy! In Girona we stayed at the Carlemany which again was a very nice and well-located hotel; it was newer and more modern but the rooms were very comfortable (the bed was exceptionally comfortable!). We could quickly walk over the bridge to the old Girona or to the Plaza Independencia. Our hotel in Tarragona was more spectacular in terms of views-we stayed at the H10 Imperial Tarraco and had a view of the ocean/beach and the Roman Amphitheatre. Again, the property was very nice with a good restaurant and bar. By far our favorite hotel was the Hotel Catalonia Las Cortes in Madrid. You would never know it was there! Again, the location was perfect for tourists like us. The staff was very friendly and attentive, the room was very nice, quiet, and spacious again with great amenities. The breakfast at Hotel Catalonia Las Cortes was probably the best of all of the properties we stayed at plus in the afternoons they offered complimentary snacks, and coffee which was very welcomed after a long day of sightseeing.
As for guides and tours:
Barcelona
On our first night of the trip, we had the best Tapas Tour imaginable. It was a small group led by Bryan, a food critic who knew and understood the food scene in Barcelona and graciously shared his wealth of experience. We visited 3 restaurants and enjoyed great food and wine plus met some interesting people.
Day 2 : Dani (Gaudi Tour)
Dani was so knowledgeable about Gaudi and the overall history of Barcelona and its unique architecture. We learned so much from this walking tour.
Day 3: Montserrat & Penedes Tour (Joan & Roger from Llopart Winery)
We wished we had more time in Montserrat; what a spectacular site. I would definitely revisit this site. After Montserrat, we visited Llopart Winery and received quite a comprehensive lesson on wines in the region and tasted exceptional wine.
We spent days 4/5 doing self-guided tours using the wealth of information provided by Beatriz. What a great city to explore.
Girona (GUIDE: Laura)
Once again we were lucky to have such a knowledgeable and friendly guide. She really explained the overall history of the area and shared her academic expertise. We really appreciated Laura's tour of Girona. In fact, if we were to return to Girona/Barcelona we would definitely want to arrange tours with her.
Tarragona (GUIDE: Carmen)
Another friendly expert. We enjoyed our afternoon with Carmen and appreciated her suggestions for other things to see in the area.
Tarragona (Priorat Wine Tour-)
Our private driver took us to two wineries. At the first winery, Mervm Priorati, we were lucky to have Ania guide us through the wines and provide a tour of the property and wine-making operation. The wines were very good. In fact, we shipped some home! The second winery was also nice although I cannot recall the name of the guide. But we did prefer the first winery.
Madrid ( Madrid Walking Tour/ Toldedo)
Brad was such a charming and friendly guide. We really enjoyed the walking tour which proved to be very helpful over the duration of our stay in Madrid. Toledo was an unexpected surprise! Our guide Victor Rodriguez was excellent and really shared his deep knowledge of this incredible UNESCO site.

No review of this trip would be complete without acknowledging the value of the direct communication with KimKim afforded by the App. We used this so much. With a click of a button and you are sending a message to your travel consultant and receiving a reply immediately. We received confirmations for all of our guides, and excursions through the App. When we were considering additional excursions or purchasing tickets for a museum we communicated through the App and everything was arranged. When we decided we wanted to leave on an earlier train from Toledo (on a Sunday of a holiday weekend) we utilized the App and were told how to exchange our train tickets. Beatriz advised us who would be our contact on her days off. It was fabulous! We always felt like we had someone to reach out to if necessary.

Hotel Reviews

Catalonia Las Cortes

Madrid

What a delightful property; Loved the location and the rooms. It was charming...the people who worked there were so nice and helpful. The breakfast service was excellent; nice buffet but you could also get made-to-order omelets, eggs etc. In the afternoon, they have snacks (finger sandwiches, coffee, and other items)

Authenticity & Character

Just a charming property with charming rooms. They have maintained the character of the original building while incorporating the hotel function.

Location

Hidden gem; You would not know this hotel was even there...but it was right off of Santa Ana Square and easy to get to everywhere you wanted to go

Staff

The staff was friendly and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

The entire property was very clean; Best towels ever!

H10 Imperial Tarraco

Tarragona

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel but very nice

Location

The view from this hotel was stunning; Overlooking the beach and the Roman ruins; Easy to walk to restaurants

Staff

The gentleman who was at the front desk was so nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfortable...the only minus was that the shower (which was clearly remodeled) got the floor really wet everytime you used it but other than that it was great

Hotel Carlemany Girona

Girona

Nice location ; easy access to the old part of Girona

Authenticity & Character

Very nice clean and modern

Location

quick walk to the bridges to the old city and to the main square

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

best mattress!

ICON BCN by Petit Palace

Barcelona

The Icon is a lovely boutique hotel in a perfect location. Its small size allows the staff to provide excellent service. The rooms and the entire property are VERY clean. Breakfast is extremely good. Nothing like the typical fare at a Hampton Inn in the USA. The hotel also has a nice little bar that serves food plus a charming outdoor space with a pool. Right across the street is a 5-star hotel--go ahead and enjoy the rooftop bar on that property but I doubt the experience of staying there would exceed the service we received at the intimate and quiet Icon.

Authenticity & Character

Old architecture; the rooms were not overly huge but they were very comfortable. Did not feel like cookie-cutter brand hotel rooms

Location

We liked the fact it was off the main street but close enough to get where you wanted to go fast. Restaurants etc nearby

Staff

The staff knew who you were by name and what room you were in;

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice amenities (Molton & Brown); comfortable bed; very prompt cleaning your room each day

Activity Reviews

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

Madrid

Toledo was a surprise; So much to see and so much history. The basilica was beyond expectation

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Victor Rodriguez was excellent

Transport

Easy train trip from Madrid to Toledo.

Highlights Walk of Old Madrid

Madrid

It is always nice to take a walking tour when you first get to a city to get the lay of the land and understand where everything is in relation to where you are staying. Our guide was very personable and very helpful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Brian, was very insightful and shared the interesting history of Madrid on our walking tour

Inside the Prado: A Private Experience

Madrid

This is not a place to miss. You could spend a number of days here taking all of it in.

Quality of Experience

Our guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Linda our guide really focused on the Spanish Masters and gave us quite an Art History course. We were able to use our new found knowledge of the Spanish painters when visiting Toledo!

Privately Guided Tour of Girona

Girona

An expert/academic tour guide is really a benefit for this site; There is so much history here. I would revisit Girona again

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Laura was fantastic; her academic background really helped

Small-Group Montserrat & Penedès Region Winery Excursion

Barcelona

Montserrat probably deserves a day on its own. So fascinating and spectacular; The trip to Llopart winery was also exceptional;

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Joan our guide at Montserrat clearly had great affection for the monastery. Roger at Llopart was excellent.

Transport

A larger van is needed for the 6 tour participants plus a driver. It was very cramped

Barcelona & Gaudí: Walking Among Gaudi's Iconic Works

Barcelona

Dani really shared his depth of knowledge which reflected years of experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dani was so friendly and nice

Taste Barcelona: Authentic Tapas & Neighborhood Walk

Barcelona

Our first night in Barcelona we were guided on a tapas adventure with a true expert, Bryan, a food critic and so knowledgeable about the food scene in Barcelona. Besides taking us to 3 great restaurants he also provided recommendations we utilized for our entire stay in the city. He is a great conversationalist and really engaged with the group. So much fun

Quality of Experience

Bryan the guide!

Food

Everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bryan facilitated spirited conversation among our small diverse group. Very fun

This Italy trip was fantastic. We travel and speak directly with Valentina, Jessica, and Barbara as Italy experts to make this trip go smoothly and exciting. Our private's guides, Manuela in Florence, Sara in Venice, and Selenia in Rome, were outstanding. They are competitive and knowledgeable.

Siena was a surprise because we didn't know that we would like it so much. In "la Bellissima Florencia," we have a great time taking Tuscan cooking classes with our chef Tomasso and his incredible team of chefs. Venice- St. Marks Basilica was astounding. Venice's food is excellent. I eat at Agli Alboretti Hotel, and the chef is excellent. Gondola thru canals and the vias were terrific, wonderful time for shopping.

We love it, and our next personal trip will be retaken with KimKim. Thank you, guys, for this beautiful travel time.

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Hotel Galatea

Rome

It is like a secret place deep inside Rome. Walking distance to everything. Cozy, charming, clean, and accessible.

Authenticity & Character

Cozy and charming. It is like we live in a Rome neighborhood.

Location

Walking distance to everything

Staff

Knowledgeable. Take care of everything. We like the service a lot.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Hotel agli Alboretti

Venice

Old building with authentic decoration of Venice Bay. Cozy, charming, and excellent restaurant. The restaurant annex to the hotel is terrific. One of the best food I ever taste. The fish soup is terrific. Really delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Charming, authentic old Venice building.

Location

Quiet location. Near everything at the same time.

Staff

The staff was great. Attentive, responsive. The restaurant staff was excellent.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean.

B&B Hotel Firenze City Center

Florence

Good, but they allocated us to a handicapped room with water excess outside the shower door thru the floor.

Authenticity & Character

Bathroom

Location

Accessible to so many places within walking distance.

Staff

Attentive but not responsive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Water excess outside the shower door thru the floor.

Il Battistero Siena

Siena

Cozy, personal, private, quiet, great view, excellent host. Perfect!!

Authenticity & Character

This hotel has an old aqueduct and storage for wine downstairs which have a fantastic story about its construction. Go to check.

Location

Walking distance to everything and, at the same time quiet neighborhood.

Staff

Attentive, responsive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It's a medieval building with suppressive accommodation. It was fantastic.

Activity Reviews

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

Rome

Fantastic tour with guide Selenia providing detailed explanations and descriptions of sites; perfectly knowledgeable, energetic, and well-expressed guide, willing to answer all questions, big and small.

Quality of Experience

Selenia has a deep knowledge of history and she brings it to life. We got so much more than we would have if we had simply walked through as tourists. She answered questions and added interesting historical facts. She made our trip perfect.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fantastic tour with guide Selenia providing detailed explanations and descriptions of sites; perfectly knowledgeable, energetic, and well-expressed guide, willing to answer all questions, big and small.

Transport

high-quality transportation

Dine. Taste. Learn

Rome

Great Time. Excellent food. We love the wines.

Quality of Experience

Very good food and the quality of the "tapas", fantastic.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The host was terrific. Very knowledgeable and charming.

Transport

High-quality transportation

Venice Walking Tour with St. Marks Basilica and Gondola Ride

Italy

This is a pretty good trip. Venice was outstanding. Our guide (Sara) was excellent. A combination of knowledgeable, personable, and humorous at the same time. It was well worth seeing the Square and the Basilica. I learned a lot and was on a private tour avoiding lines on a crowded day. So, it was perfect.

Quality of Experience

This is a pretty good trip. It was well worth seeing the St. Marks Basilica. OMG, what a place. I learned a lot and was on a private tour, avoiding lines on a crowded day. So, it was perfect.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide (Sara) was excellent—a combination of knowledgeable, personable, and humorous at the same time.

Transport

High-quality transportation.

Giotto Bell Tower Tickets

Florence

Good trip. Excellent views of the city.

Quality of Experience

Good trip. Excellent views of the city.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very respectful and attentive.

Transport

High-quality transportation.

Central Food Market & Tuscan Cooking Class

Florence

It was perfect. I love to cook, and this experience was fantastic—easy techniques to perform some Tuscan recipes.

Quality of Experience

Beginning with the market to pick the ingredients was terrific. The whole class was straightforward to follow. The interactions with the chefs were excellent.

Food

Terrific. The best Ragu sauce I ever taste.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of them are great. Respectful and knowledgeable.

Transport

High-quality transportation

Guided Tour of Florence Duomo with access to the Dome

Florence

Special place. Botticelli's work is outstanding

Quality of Experience

Amazing place. Impressive work of art.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of them are great. Respectful and knowledgeable.

Transport

High-quality transportation

Best of Florence Walking Tour with David & the Duomo

Italy

Great visit with amazing detailed information from our guide Manuela, and even the occasional joke. Perfect also because you get to skip the long lines.

Quality of Experience

The academy surprises me. I never tough the David sculpture is so awesome.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of them were very respectful and attentive. Very professional and knowledgeable.

Transport

High-quality transportation.

Fabio was an excellent guide both during the planning process and while we were on our trip.
Our group of four wanted to visit Florence and the Amalfi Coast and Fabio did a great job reserving our hotels, arranging transportation and securing tickets for tours in Rome and in Florence.

Our hotels in Rome, Sorrento and Florence were first-rate! The locations were perfect, the rooms were excellent and the perks (complimentary breakfast and evening wine/snacks) were unbelievable!

Our drivers and guides were also outstanding. Our most memorable experience had to be our private tour of the Uffizi Gallery and the Academia in Florence. Our guide, Brenda, was amazing. She was passionate about the art and her insights made the tour really special.

The only difficulties we faced in our trip were due to our flight cancellation to Italy at the beginning of our trip. Fabio was right there to change our tour reservations and our hotel reservations. (He must be awake 24/7 monitoring messages!)

We would recommend kimkim highly, especially if you get a chance to work with Fabio!

Chris did an awesome job planning our trip. He understood clearly what we wanted and helped us understand what we didn’t know we wanted. We didn’t know rental cars could be delivered/picked up at your hotel. GENIUS!!! The local support team was very helpful and comforting. They answered any questions, effortlessly made slight timing changes we wanted, and caught schedule changes (ferry) that we would have missed completely.

Hotel Reviews

Amymone Suites

Nafplio

Amymone Suites had a great location in downtown Nafplio, but the hotel itself was not particularly special. It was a little small, but that is to be expected in a downtown location. Overall, it was a good option given the location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Salvatore Monastery

Chania

Location, Location, Location of a fantastic hotel. The hotel is directly across from the Lighthouse. We were in the superior suite which means our terrace overlooked the entire port and a sunrise view. The patio out our door has a beautiful sunset view. Irene was fantastic taking care of everything. I recommend the bed and breakfast options with the Greek breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel was formerly a Monastery. It has been in the owners family since the Monastery was auctioned off at the end of the Ottoman's rule. Verify with Irene (owner) when you stay there.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Orizontes View Hotel

Pyrgos Ilia

The view from Orizontes View Hotel was stunning. The hotel itself was nice, but the location and view were the main highlights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Noble Suites

Athens

Noble Suites was a fantastic place to start our trip. Our suite had a big picture window with a view of the lit-up Acropolis, which was an incredible sight to see upon arrival.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Catamaran Caldera Cruise

Santorini

The sunset catamaran cruise was amazing. The catamaran, crew, and other guests were all great. The food and drinks were excellent, and they even had a barbecue on the boat, serving fresh fish. The weather was perfect, and it was an overall fantastic experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting and lunch in a winery in Nemea

Greece

The wine tasting and lunch at the winery in Nemea were excellent. The lunch was a delicious three-course meal, and the wine tasting was informative and enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis of Mycenae Guided Tour 

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch with Olive Grove View

Greece

We expected a lunch and olive oil tasting at a farm, but it turned out to be at a campsite. We only got to taste one olive oil, and there wasn't much of a tour or explanation of the production process. On the bright side, the olive oil we tasted was good enough that we bought some to take home.

Quality of Experience

Food

No lunch was provided

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis & Flavors of Athens

Athens

The guided tour of the Acropolis and the food and drink walk around Athens were fantastic. The tour guide was very personable and knowledgeable, quickly adapting to our interests and preferences. It was great having a private tour, as it allowed us to personalize the experience and have more in-depth conversations.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first time booking with KimKim and it was an excellent experience all around. Tom especially did a great job with planning. He was also incredibly helpful during the trip, rescheduling taxi rides and helping us get a refund when we accidentally got overcharged by one of the drivers. All of our planned activities were excellent and our hotels were some of the most amazing places we have ever stayed. We were so happy with our experience.

Hotel Reviews

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Beautiful old hotel with modern amenities. The Bar on the 3rd floor was a great experience and worth a special trip. If you want to get into the restaurant, you probably need to book a long ways ahead. Breakfast buffet was excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Especially loved the bar on the 3rd floor

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

One of the most beautiful and stunning hotels. Absolutely worth staying in the more expensive Swiss Chalet portion of the hotel. The Buffet was excellent if a bit pricy. Definitely an evocative experience.

Authenticity & Character

I have never stayed in a hotel with more character. It felt like you had dropped back in time while maintaining all the modern luxuries

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri

Aurland

Overall the hotel was incredible. The restaurant was a little less impressive although still decent. It is a little difficult to get around if you don't have a car although we were able to figure out the electric bikes and the bus.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great but hard to get around without a car

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bristol

Oslo

Incredible. Very nice hotel with amazing breakfast buffet! Worth every penny.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer from Aurland to Flåm

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer Borgund-Aurland

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer Aurland-Borgund

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Flåm to Aurland

Norway

Driver didn't know we had already paid. However, our KimKim guide was able to get our money refunded quickly!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

A very fun walk through the town that brought us to many beautiful places. I think it would be amazing if we stopped off at some places along the way to try local foods, or see some local craftsmen etc. Also would have loved just a bit more history. Overall a great morning.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lifestyle: Balestrand Fjord Angling & Trolling Excursion

Balestrand

This was a great experience. We especially loved hearing about Thor's experiences growing up and some of the history of Balestrand. I think we had wished for just a bit more history mixed in such as of the vikings and of Norway as a whole. Fishing was fun too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thor was an amazing personality

Transport

Fjord Safari Taste

Norway

I went into this thinking it would be a bit of a tourist trap nightmare. However, it ended up being one of the prettier and more enjoyable experiences of the trip. I loved stopping off to get some goat cheese and I almost wish we could do a second stop as well. Paulina was excellent!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Borgund Stave Church & Walk Kings Road - Vindhellavegen

Norway

Absolutely worth a special trip. A gorgeous church although it is smaller than it looks in the photos. We had our taxi wait on the other side of the Vindhellavegen and walked up and over the top. It was not a difficult walk and was a very cool experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

A wonderful walk through the city that gave a lot of character. We especially loved stopping off at the coffee shop and might have actually enjoyed a few more stops along the way. Also enjoyed the personal take although we wished for just a bit more history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was my first time using KimKim to plan my trip and I travel to over 20 countries so far.
Pros: I can say there is a huge advantage by using KimKim cause they connect you with a local travel specialist who knows the county very well and can advise on best things to do, best tours to take and get you the best deals!
Nuria, is a great specialist and she takes the time to customize your trip to what you like and want to do and tries her best to accommodate all your needs. We went back and forth several times to update and customize my itinerary and she replied very quickly in short notice and without any hesitation to help me plan my trip and answered every question I had. If you are lucky enough to work with her, I highly recommend her.

Cons: the only main downside I see with KimKim and honestly only thing that might prevent me from using it again is that they do not allow the travel specialist to provide the cost break down of your trip. This was a huge downside for me as it would not allow me to make informative decisions as what I would think is worth for the activities or tours I want to do. All I see is a package deal and cannot make informative decisions. For example, we love to do ziplining, but there would be decision making that I would want to do it, if I know the activity is $50 or $200! However, you can't see the breakdown, therefore you are making decisions blindly.

Tips: We loved the "El Tiger Waterfalls" in Monteverde and is a most see! As Nuria suggested, we did a by ourselves and did not get a guided tour. Because you want to take your time and really enjoy this wonderful place as you go through ~6 large waterfalls and several mini ones. Do the complete tour which comes with a 3km hours back ride at the end which is wonderful.
We also loved the "Manuel Antonio National Park", however, we felt a little rushed by using a guide. I would preferred doing by myself to take my time and really enjoy the amazing park. Although, having a guide is nice and they explain many things you counter, I would just suggest if you do use the guided tour just leave them at the "Manuel Antonio Beach" and do not continue with them the rest of the way back as it will be a rush walk back anyway. 10 to 15 min beach time at this wonderful beach does not do the justice and you want to kick back and relax and enjoy it.
Lastly, I suggest making it further south to the "Parque Nacional Marino Ballena". This National park has an beautiful very large beach that you can enjoy (check out the pictures on Google for yourself".

Pura Vida!

Hotel Reviews

Espadilla Gardens Hotel

Manuel Antonio

We absolutely loved it. Very friendly staff. Clean room and amazing service. Not that many people and the pool area was great. Had everything we needed and could chill 24/7 by the pool if we wanted to, so a late night deep in the water was no issue and very enjoyable cause the water remained nice and warm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right next to the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio. Also a short walk to the beach, etc.

Staff

Leo was great and answered every question we had!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Diana our room service was great. She would make animal shaped with towels or do little surprises for us everyday!

Cala Lodge

Monteverde

Over all great. Clean and nice rooms. Views were great and loved how the building was made. Loved the breakfast area and the view as well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kokoro Mineral Hot Springs

La Fortuna

Amazing and friendly staff and service. Loved the view and how this wonderful hotel looks and how the rooms are set up. Breakfast was local and very good as well. Hot Springs were daily filled, the hot spring water would be pumped from the underground to fill up the nice springs and then they dump it later on after midnight and get it ready for next day, which was great. Overall great hotel and loved it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the down and all other activities you would want to do.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Felt little rushed by using a guided tour. Would have loved to enjoy more time specially at the beach.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

Amazing zip lines and hanging bridges! You even get to do a Tarzan swing! Go Big or Go Home!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Amazing, and you need a guide to explain you about the importance of these forest and all it has to offer.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Experience and Nighttime Nature Walk

Monteverde

The tour guide was great, however the season was not right as we could not see all the coffee making in action. Also, we were not lucky enough to see many things at the Nature Walk and you never know what you get to see, but overall was good experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boating in Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge

Arenal/La Fortuna

Amazing, and you get to see so many animals. If you came to Costa Rica to see different animals and spices, this tour is for you.

Quality of Experience

Food

I really enjoyed the testing after lunch and get to try the locally made Guaro, which is stronger but much smother what you can get at the stores. You get to learn about it too!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

You really don't need a guide for this hike. Do it by yourself and take your time to enjoy this amazing waterfall.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was a great person, however there is not much to explain for this area and does not require a guided tour.

Private Arenal Volcano & 1968 Reserve Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great hike and the tour guide was nice to explain to use regarding the area and show us all the cool things.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mieke was a great agent. She listened to what we liked and delivered exactly the trip we wanted. It was a great mix of hiking and culture, and spa. She was extremely easy and efficient to work with and she really knew the details about traveling to and in Bhutan. Would highly recommend her.

We had a great trip to Turkey in May. Berat did an excellent job with our itinerary and was very flexible when we had to change our dates. She was a pleasure to work with. Berat very organized and each step of our trip was planned perfectly. She was able to combine all the sights we wanted to see including Istanbul, Capodoccia, Ephesus, and the Mediterranean coast into a 10 day trip for 4 family members. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and allowed us to do everything in our itinerary. The guides and drivers were very good as were the accommodations that Berat recommended. I wholeheartedly recommend Berat as a trip planner when considering traveling to Turkey.