Kimkim Trip Reviews

We have just returned from 11 days in Iceland and couldn't be happier with the trip. We are experienced travelers and were quite pleased with the attention and information and recommendations provided by our local specialist Adam, who was quite knowledgeable of Iceland and the wide variety of locations, sights and activities available . He listened to our likes, dislikes and created the perfect itinerary tailored to us. We visited 5 regions in the country, each with its own subtleties, and all combining to explain why Iceland is such a special place. The hotels and car were perfect for the price range we requested and no glitches with any of the reservations. The detailed trip plan had multiple recommendations for each day so we could adjust our activities pending mood and weather--and the plan had very nice links to Google Maps, which along with the GPS provided with the car, made navigation a breeze. What a pleasure to travel without worries and be free to experience and enjoy the country and it's people. We would highly recommend the Kim Kim travel experience and highly recommend Adam if Iceland is your destination.

Marissa our agent was very communicative as well as her colleagues. They helped us not only in our 10 day Portugal itinerary but helped get our daughters passport to us when she left it behind. We will be happy to use your company again.

We just returned from our vacation to Portugal. Words can’t describe how much we loved our time there. Everything was planned to perfection and everyday just got better and better. Our walking tour on our first day in Lisbon with Ricardo was incredible. He’s extremely knowledgeable about the areas and shared so much of Portugal’s history with us. Our drivers we had while there were equally as enjoyable. Luís Vicente drove us around a couple of days while staying in Lisbon and took us to incredible towns sharing his knowledge about each special area we visited. We were equally impressed with Jorge Amaral who we had the pleasure of meeting while staying in Porto. Jorge drove us around for exclusive tours through Duomo Valley and beyond. He was fantastic and even gave us recommendations for our next leg of the trip after we left Porto for Madeira. His guidance was above and beyond!! We are so thankful for the attention to detail each person provided. Our hotel experiences were great as well. We will definitely use KimKim again and recommend the services provided by Kim Kim to all of our family and friends. Thank you for a magical vacation!!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Savoy Palace – The Leading Hotels of the World | Savoy Signature

Funchal

Loved it!! Great rooms. Great breakfast everyday. Really nice staff….highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful location snd views

Location

Walk to do most things nearby!

Staff

Do nice!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean!

Bela Vista Hotel & Spa

Portimao

This hotel is perfection! It’s gorgeous!!! And the history is so interesting too. Awesome views and fantastic rooms. All of the hotel employees are so kind and generous with their time. We loved staying here and how to be fortunate enough to come back again someday. Loved it!!!

Authenticity & Character

The history is incredible!

Location

Views!!!!

Staff

So kind!! Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Exquisite!!

Activity Reviews

Exclusive Panoramic Boat Tour to the Ponta da Piedade Caves

Portugal

So fun! Touring the Grottoes in our own boat with two boat drivers was amazing! We loved this tour! The sights were so pretty and the caves were incredible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Portugal

This was quite an experience. The boat trip was very beautiful. The surrounding hillsides are so pretty with vineyards. Its a must see!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service

Portugal

This area is a must see! Its gorgeous!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was Jorge Amaral. He was fantastic.

Transport

Unraveling the Timeless Charms of Braga and Guimarães with a Private Driver

Porto

Loved this tour! Both areas are so interesting to see. Great day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Loved this tour and our driver. The palace is a must see! Our driver Luis Vicente was incredible and we had a wonderful time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis Vicente was fantastic. Very knowledge and very friendly.

Transport

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

We really enjoyed the food here and the Fado performance.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Lisbon

We really enjoyed our walking trip with Ricardo. It was very enjoyable and time well spent. Highly recommend this activity!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

walking was fun!

All our guides throughout our trip were wonderful! They were highly knowledgeable about the places we explored and were very engaging. One aspect of having drivers and guides from the countries we visited were
the personal interactions and perspectives of of local people from Croatia and Montenegro.

Planning and booking our trip on kimkim was seamless. I had never used, or even heard of the platform before, but I will forever now use kimkim when planning our vacations. Our Switzerland expert, Valentine, was amazing and put together the perfect trip for my mother and me. Valentine was thoughtful to tailoring our trip to our needs and was always responsive to my many questions. :) In addition, the final itinerary we received was extremely organized which made things very easy once we got to Switzerland. I would highly recommend Valentine and kimkim to anyone that is looking to travel abroad, and specifically, to Switzerland.

Our trip to Iceland with friends was excellent. We had a wonderful time. Duncan allowed us to have the very trip we wanted.

Our Specialist: Theresa
Theresa was so awesome from the beginning! As someone who lives in Bali herself, she was able to give us honest opinion on what the places are about and how long the wait time would be for pictures, and from there we were able to easily determine if it's worth our time. She created a perfect itinerary exactly what we wanted and covers all the things we wanted to see, even planned a small secret birthday celebration and massage for my gf and her best friend. Throughout the trip she always check up on us to make sure the trip is going as planned and that we're satisfied with everything! She is definitely the best specialist we could ask for on this Bali trip!

Our Driver: Agung
Agung from the very first time we met him, he's always with a smile. Despite driving us all day he never says no to any of our request if we all of a sudden need to go somewhere. No matter how early how late, he's always at the spot way early ready to take us on our everyday journey. He used to be a tour guide, so that's a huge bonus! He was able to suggest us different hidden spots and other things to explore on the go, but at the same time totally respect what we want. And that really made our already perfect trip even more perfect!! Not only that, he genuinely cares about us. In the middle one of us not feeling well he would go out of his way to find medicine for us, with his own money! Or provide whatever he had on him, like vitamins or cough drops. He was like a Bali dad to us taking care of us for 7 day straight which made this trip that much more special! We would always ask him to eat lunch and dinner with us, he didn't even try to take advantage, hed always say he's full or that's too expensive he doesn't want us to treat. We always have to force him haha. When we arrive at airport on departure day, we all even teared up a little that our journey with Agung came to an end. He is such a special driver that I'll never forget!

Theresa and Agung are both amazing that made our trip so wonderful!! I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for an unforgettable Bali trip!!!

I planned this trip through KimKim with Luis of Hidden in Spain. When any friends or family asked me how was it when I returned home, my answer was SPECTACULAR! We were a group of four traveling into Madrid from NYC area, and going up to Basque country and then into the Picos de Europa. Overall, I can't recommend visiting Basque country and Cantabria/Picos de Europa enough, but I want to make special mention to a few of our guides and tours.
- Madrid - E-bike tour was a great way to start our tour of the city. This is a European metropolis so it is hard to see all of it in 1-2 days, but the highlights were great and the guide was very informative. Make sure you also check out the San Miguel Market and get a great plate of tapas to share with your friends.
- Basque country - San Sebastian, Getaria, Guernica, Bilbao (among others!) where to start. The Basque people are very proud of their home and we learned why. The local culture is so rich in history, and we enjoyed learning about it from all of our guides. Here are some standouts:
- Hiking the Camino de Santiago - Our guide Guillermo took us on a great moderate intensity hike along a small portion of the Camino de Santiago leaving from San Sebastian and ending in a small town of San Juan in Pasaia for lunch.
- Pintxos tour - we went on a wonderful tour of some of the best Old Town pintxos stops with Nerea. This was a ton of food (& drink!) & she was very informative of the culture behind pintxos bar hopping.
- Rioja wine tour - wow. I did not know how spectacular this would be. It is worth the trip and it wasn't a boring one with our wonderful guide Andy. Three vineyard stops and a dreamy lunch in the actual vineyard, next to the river.
- Road trip between San Sebastian and Bilbao - Our guide Gorka was super fun to travel this coast with. He taught us a lot of the centuries of history,. Getaria, Guernica, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe were all stops, and we got to Bilbao in time for our tour of the Bilbao Guggenheim. Bilbao is a fabulous walkable city worth the quick stop on our trip.
- Picos de Europa National Park - probably the biggest highlight of the trip! If you are hikers (or climbers!) don't miss this. The fabulous Hotel de Oso is a perfect paradise in the valley to enjoy time in this area. We hiked around with guide Javi and enjoyed "mountain therapy" with life changing views. The restaurant at this hotel is Michelin rated and we would eat here multiple meals in a row if given the opportunity.
- Return to Madrid - Tapas tour with Theo was amazing. We loved exploring Malasana neighborhood after the tour.
Can't recommend Luis with Hidden in Spain enough - KimKim hit it out of the park once again.

Hotel Reviews

Catalonia Donosti

San Sebastián

This hotel was phenomenal, definitely the most luxurious/nicest amenities. We loved spending time on the rooftop terrace with a pool and plenty of seating. Wonderful location, walkable to the beach, the old town, and our local hiking. Absolutely fantastic daily breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel del Oso

Camaleño Cantabria

Our favorite hotel of the trip by far. The charm, quiet and peace of the neighboring river, and the staff were just wonderful. It helps that they have a Michelin reviewed restaurant on site-do not miss eating here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Barceló Bilbao Nervión

Bilbao

This hotel was a great location for our short stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, odd layout to the room made using the bathroom somewhat awkward, but over all not a deal breaker.

Eurostars Hotel Plaza Mayor

Madrid

Great location in the city center near Plaza Mayor. We did not need a taxi to explore.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Michelin starred restaurant

Spain

Arzak was truly lovely. Three star food, atmosphere, experience - the whole package. Does not feel stuffy, or rushed. Easy to relax and truly enjoy a once in a lifetime meal here. Eskerrik asko to the whole staff.

Quality of Experience

Food

My friend and I had a wonderful trip to Greece in May 2023. Our trip was planned by Thanos, our local Greek travel specialist using KimKim and was very specific to what we were interested in. We had a private tour of Athens and the Acropolis. Our tour guide, Alexandria, was knowledgeable, easy to talk to and very accommodating. She took us on a culinary tour of Athens, one of the highlights of our trip, as we got to eat baklava in a local Greek Taverna, watch cheese and other pies being made--then sample them fresh and hot--eating the best Giro sandwiches in Athens and sample fresh olives, nuts and other products at the fresh market. We enjoyed driving to Mystras to see the UNESCO site (fabulous ruins) and visiting ancient Corinth where the apostle Paul preached. Other highlights of our trip were our visit to Chania on the island of Crete and staying on Santorini for 3 days. Near Chania we had a Greek cooking class at a farmhouse where we made our own dinner and learned to appreciate the multiple uses of olives and olive oil. We stayed in a cozy boutique hotel in Chania and in a hotel on the cliff in Santorini with an amazing view of the sunsets and cruise ships. We have to give a major shoutout to Thanos, our travel specialist. Before we left he worked closely with us to pick the tours, hotels and activities that were the best for us and within our budget--he gave us great suggestions of things to do that we didn't know about. We actually got to meet him in Athens and he checked on us almost daily. We messaged him when we had questions about the itinerary or needed help and he always responded quickly.
I highly recommend KimKim and their travel specialists. Their platform that produces the itinerary is easy to use and included ideas for restaurants and what to see in each city we visited.

Hotel Reviews

DOM Boutique Hotel

Heraklion

This is a good hotel near the main market area and the port. The rooms are nice and the breakfast buffet was excellent--they opened it early just for us because we had an early ferry to catch. It's within walking distance of the main places to visit in town.

Authenticity & Character

More of a modern hotel but cute.

Location

Near the port and the main market.

Staff

They arranged for us to get an early breakfast.

Cleanliness & Comfort

A little patio overlooking the street which made it very comfortable, clean towels every day.

Sofitel Athens Airport

Athens

We flew in at 8 pm and left at 3:30 am to catch our flight. The hotel is very convenient, right across the street from the airport. Staff were kind and efficient. Didn't get to try the food. Very nice hotel with great beds, big bathrooms, all the amenities you would have in a big city hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Not an issue, the location was the most important thing.

Location

Next to the airport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cliff Side Suites

Firostefani, Santorini

The white-splashed hotel was on the side of the cliff with amazing views of the bay, the island and all boats going by, including cruise ships that docked right below us. Sunsets were great. And the views at night are wonderful. It's about a 10 minute walk from the town but has restaurants and amenities nearby. Also, you could walk along the cliff in both directions to see churches, shops, restaurants, etc. We had a deck with chairs we could sit on to relax and take in the view. You do have to walk down and up stairs to get to the pools and restaurant for the breakfast buffet--which was very good. There is no elevator so you get your exercise going up and down the stairs--be sure to watch where you are going instead of the view!

Authenticity & Character

The rooms were built into the cliff so it was like being in a cave. Very creative way of of staging the pools, rooms and outside decks.

Location

Amazing views, just like what you see in movies. If you value being closer to the town, you may not like this location as much.

Staff

Since there are no elevators, the valets carried your luggage down and up around 100 stairs. When we left our valet put our 2 back packs on his front and back and carried a small and medium suitcase on each shoulder and practically ran up the stairs. Wow! The front office staff were very kind, responsive and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elia Ermou Athens Hotel

Athens

Great downtown location with an amazing view of the Acropolis. The breakfast buffet is very good and you can view the Acropolis as you eat. Rooms are clean, beds are comfortable. Very attentive hotel staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

View of the Acropolis and location is near many sights.

Staff

Helpful, friendly, quick to respond

Cleanliness & Comfort

Consolato Boutique

Chania Town

This hotel is very clean, the location in the old part of Chania close to the water and central to the shops and restaurants. The room we were in was spacious and we had a little balcony that looked out on the street. The hotel is like an apartment next to restaurants and shops. We ate breakfast (part of the room rate) at a nearby restaurant and the food was amazing. Be sure to try the Crete breakfast if you stay there.

Authenticity & Character

Cozy and part of the neighborhood. Wasn't a hotel with a lobby, more like an apartment.

Location

Close to everything--the old city, the port and the new city.

Staff

The manager was waiting for us to arrive and very accessible. She arranged a box breakfast one morning because we had a tour that started before breakfast began.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Good beds, nice bathroom with shower that didn't leak onto the rest of the floor.

Activity Reviews

Platinum Morning Caldera Cruise

Santorini

The catamaran was very nice and the views and food were amazing. There were only 10 of us on board and our group meshed will together. The only problem was that it was too cold to get in the water. Not anyone's fault, many locals told us it was the coldest May in their memory.

Quality of Experience

Only downside was the cold--it was sunny but not that warm.

Food

Our cook brought her own herbs and made the best salad, pita bread and grilled meat.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff on the boat were very customer service oriented and fun to talk to.

Transport

All Time Classic Santorini

Santorini

We went to a museum and learned about the history of Santorini, the Red Beach and to the ruins of the town Akrotiri, that are still being excavated and pieced together. Next was lunch that included delicious baked fish/veggies and a pana cotta with beetroot topping. Truly amazing food. We spent an hour at the Black Beach and shopping area, visited a church at the north end of the island and then ended the day watching the sunset from a restaurant on the tip of the island. It was beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great and talked to us personally.

Transport

Chania Local Cooking Class

Chania

We drove to a family farmhouse in Fres where we had our own workstation and learned how to make stuffed zucchini, peppers and tomatoes, cheese pies and a kind of bruschetta. In between we feed sheep, learned about the local history and saw tools and implements they used on the farm in the past. After the food was all cooked we had a huge meal and enjoyed each other's company. The setting was beautiful--our work tables were outside and we could see the mountains and countryside until the sun went down. The food, company and ambiance were amazing.

Quality of Experience

We met some great people on the tour with us--we saw some of them later on other tours and in the airport and it was fun to greet them.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The 7 Villages of Apokoronas Tour

Greece

There were only 6 of us in the group so we got a lot of personal attention. It was fun to visit the little villages in the countryside. First we visited a park-like preserve with fruit trees and local flora. We saw an ancient Greek church and ate hot cheese pies/fresh squeezed OJ in a little town called Stylos. Next we toured a local cheese factory and sampled their cheese with local honey--so delicious. In another town we visited a local bakery, watched some of their processes and ate fresh bread with local olive oil. We visited some other local sites before ending at a Fres where we ate local cuisine at Koyvaros Taverna. Their Greek salad was the best!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver and guide were excellent--knowledgeable and helpful.

Transport

Ancient Corinth Guided Tour

Greece

The ruins are a work in progress, but still interesting. And there is a good museum that is a part of the tour. We were able to stand where the Apostle Paul probably preached and visualize what it would have looked like. We coupled this tour with the tour of Mystras, which was a good combo and use of time since it was on our way back to Athens. There were not many other people there--it was nice to get off the beaten track.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mystras and Ancient Sparta guided tour

Greece

Mystras is an amazing place that I didn't know about before. There is a lot to see and I recommend walking to the very top, which we didn't do. There isn't an "Ancient Sparta", so I think that is misleading. It was great to stop at Corinth on the way back to Athens.

Quality of Experience

The tour guide Alexandria

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide and driver were excellent--very personable and knowledgeable.

Transport

The vehicle was very comfortable, we were given water and it was nice having our own transport.

Acropolis & Flavors Combo Tour

Athens

This was an excellent tour of the Acropolis--our guide was very knowledgeable and personalized the tour for the two of us. Then she took us around Athens describing the local cuisine and giving us the opportunity to try everything from baklava (the best I've every eaten, in a local taverna) to gyro sandwiches, with cheese pies, fresh olives and dried fruits and nuts in between. I was so stuffed I didn't eat the rest of the day.

Quality of Experience

Alexandria, our tour guide made it so good.

Food

The variety and quality of food was amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We walked, no driver. Our guide was great

Transport

No transport. I can't change it to no stars

We visited 3 places whilst in Costa Rica; La Fortuna, Monteverde and finally Manuel Antonio.

Each of these three places had their unique charm as did the people that guided us through. Jason was amazing with his knowledge at Arenal. The hike was extremely informative and interesting. The hot springs were heavenly.

In Monteverde the hotel that Olman picked was incredible. The views were amazing and the hotel staff at El Establo we’re great. Very helpful. The zip lines were breathtaking as was seeing an actual tarantula just happily walking across my path in the forest. I did not scream.

Makanda at Manuel Antonio was the perfect end to our amazing stay in Costa Rica. Such an amazing place in such an amazing country. The wildlife we saw whilst at breakfast and lounging by the pool was incredible. The hotel staff were all so friendly and accommodating even when an iguana unexpectedly decided to join us for breakfast.

Thank you Olman for organising an unforgettable experience for us. It was a delayed 50 birthday present to my husband from the days of restriction so it was that much more special. Thank you thank you :)

Vishal worked tirelessly to make changes to my itinerary as my circumstances changed. Nim (guide) and Cool (driver) were both incredibly professional, personable, and knowledgeable. My trip to Bhutan was a great experience.

Our trip to Greece was fantastic. Chris did a wonderful job organizing our large group. He is responsive and very informative. All the tours were well done by experienced and knowledgable guides.

Even when the weather foiled our hike at the Samaritan Gorge, or guides - Andreus and George, shifted the plans in the moment to a cave church, olive oil factory, and wine tasting at a monastery. It was a memorable day in Chania.

The tour at the Knossos Palace was spectacular. The professional tour guide who met us at the museum was very knowledgable. We appreciated learning about one of the oldest civilizations. It was interesting to see the museum and then go to the archeologic site. Alena also was very personable.

Food was great (fresh and health… accommodating several vegetarians) and accommodations were clean and comfortable.

Drivers were prompt and friendly…and very skillful in navigating the narrow roads.

A very positive experience using KimKim and especially Chris and his colleagues.

Hotel Reviews

Avra Hotel

Rafina, Attica

Hotel had good food and friendly staff. The location was 25 min to airport and near a ferry port. I would not consider this a tourist destination, but a transfer point. There was a nice beach but the weather and time of year -May- everything was closed. Rooms were clean and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Clean and comfortable

Location

25 min to airport

Staff

Friendly staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Food was very good.

Aquila Atlantis Hotel

Heraklion – Crete

Good location. Nice rooms and comfortable beds Breakfast buffet was had a lot of variety.

Authenticity & Character

Nicely decorated and comfortable

Location

Close to the ferry

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were clean and comfortable

Activity Reviews

Acropolis & Flavors Combo Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Time Classic Santorini

Santorini

We stayed in Oia and enjoyed the quaint town… great food and spectacular views. We took a self-guided hike from Oia to Capitol Rock. And we stopped for lunch. While it was a bit crowded to get to the iconic vistas…. But you can’t go to Santorini without seeing them. People were friendly and food was good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Fresh

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Safe and friendly

Transport

Clean and comfortable

The private tour of Knossos Minoan palace

Greece

Guide was knowledgable and friendly. The museum was well done. It was great to see the site after the indoor exhibits. A must see

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Safe and friendly

Transport

Clean and comfortable

The Unique Samaria Gorge hike

Greece

Rained out… but the guides took us on an alternative adventure. Cave church, olive oil factory and a wine tasting at a monastery. Will return for this

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Safe and friendly

Transport

Clean and comfortable

Drive towards Heraklion - Short stop at Rethymno

Greece

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Safe and friendly

Transport

Clean and comfortable

It's taken me a week to recover from my vacation, but it was worth every moment.

We were well taken care of by the Jess and the KimKim team during set up. All of our guides and drivers in Peru with the were incredible and punctual as hell. If our flight changed numbers before we arrived, we were contacted. When it seemed a guide was running late, we had three different people in correspondence with us over it, and still got where we were going in great time.

Biggest shout outs to Daniel at SkyLodge/Ziplining and Edwin from our Machu Picchu/Aztek Trail trips for openly keeping my 70 year old father alive doing activities that may have been outside his capabilities. All guides made sure he still got an incredible experience and they took incredible care of all of us. Adjustments were made and we're grateful for every single second.

Word to the wise, the Ziplining/Via Ferrata has a child climbing on its website, which I think deceived us as to the intensity of this hike. This was a next-level climb up a mountain. Vertical cliffs, metal bars, a "bridge" that was two cords over a valley. We were caught a little off guard, but that's on us for not doing a deeper research dive on the hike.

I could have spent days just at the Mountain View lodge and restaurant.

And finally, I can't go without mentioning that my guides, Miracle and Edwin got a CAKE UP TO THE TOP OF A GLACIER LAKE for me for my 39th Birthday. Incredibly special and grateful for all the special touches.

Thanks to everyone. Can I go back now?

First of all, we would like to thank Robi and Daniela Pinčević in helping us develop the trip itinerary and in managing our stay in country. In particular, the total attention to detail and helpfulness of Robi throughout our travels was invaluable and greatly exceeded our expectations! Robi even took the time to meet with us in our travels (Thank you!). We spent 2 weeks driving through Croatia and fell in love with the history, the variety of architecture and (yum!) the food! We did quite a bit of research before the trip and had a good idea of what we wanted to see. Daniela helped us with some specific sights to see. Croatia is a beautiful and very clean country and the people who live there are the most hospitable people we have ever encountered (we have traveled to over 30 countries). We began the trip in Zagreb and our wonderful guide, Bruno, showed us the city and spent the following day with us as we toured castles and an open air museum of late 19th/early 20th century rural buildings & homes. From Zagreb we drove ourselves to Istria and visited several towns (including Motovun, Groznjan, Oprtalj, Porec (3rd century Euphrasian Basillica )and Pula where we loved the Roman amphitheater, visited the olive oil museum and did the olive oil tasting (very informative). From Istria, we drove southward, staying at several cities (Zadar, Split, Hvar Town in Hvar Island, Ston, and Dubrovnik). Along the way, we visited Krka National Park and Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina). For every location we visited, Robi was kind to guide us to the closest parking places, ticket offices, ferry offices, etc. Our favorite city was Rovinj – it was thoroughly charming! For the best foods, it was Zagreb’s LaStruk for their delicious strukli, the homemade pasta and the creamed risotto, both with black truffles at the Konoba Mondo in Motovun, the black risotto (with several types of seafood) at Kapetanova Kuca in Mali Ston, and the slow roasted octopus with vegetables dinner for two at the Jerolim in Hvar Town. In Split, Robi recommended we dine at Bajamonti where we enjoyed a delicious seabass dinner for two. We drank local wine every night for dinner and enjoyed them all! We had great fun winetasting at the Madirazza Winery on the Pelješac peninsula where the pours were generous and hostess very charming. In Dubrovnik, we had a wonderful Bosnian meal at the lovely restaurant, Taj Mahal. We had excellent private city guides in Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik who also recommended places to visit such as the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb or the oldest continuously operating pharmacy in Europe (Dubrovnik). Aside from learning the history of those places, we learned about the people of this terrific country. We visited museums, cathedrals, and country roads with vistas. In short, we packed as much as we could into a two week driving tour. Because of our age, we asked for car parking and ground floors or elevators at all the hotels (they were all very good hotels; most with wonderful breakfast selections!) The only recommendation we would make is to have is a little primer on how to use Croatian gas stations (pay after pumping) and the different nozzle sizes (large diesel nozzle is for trucks, not cars). Almost all parking lots require payment and some places you pay first, some places when you leave, and sometimes you need your rental car license plate number (take a picture with the cell phone). Speaking of cell phones, it was a breeze communicating with the Kimkim team via WhatsApp. We walked about 141,000 steps – what a blast! April and May was an excellent time to visit! Thank you Robi, Daniela & Kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

Ostrea

Mali Ston

Room was a little small but comfortable. Breakfast was limited but the hotel had few guests at the time, so this was understandable. Breakfast attendant made us the best coffee in Croatia! (And she was very nice). Desk receptionist could have been more pleasant when we arrived. In all the places we visited and saw, she was the exception to great hospitality.

Teatro Verdi Boutique Hotel

Zadar

Small hotel but friendly staff and comfortable room. The floral scent in the common area was a nice, happy surprise. Parking next to hotel.

Hotel Dubrovnik

Zagreb

Comfortable room, great breakfast, and very convenient to city sights and restaurants. This was the nicest hotel we stayed in.

Palazzo

Poreč

Nice room, outstanding breakfast, and courteous staff. Had to park a short distance away but hotel provided shuttle service. (This hotel had the nicest breakfast and a beautiful view of the harbor).

Apartment Zicara

Dubrovnik

Spacious apartment with well appointed kitchenette and a washing machine, which we put to good use. Location just outside city wall so convenient to old city. The terrace and garden was a nice place to rest and relax. We were thankful we could store our bags there for several hours until we departed the city.

Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort

Hvar

Excellent room and breakfast. Parking close in. Short walk to town.

Hotel Marul

Split

Room was comfortable but outside noise was annoying at night. Breakfast was very good. Staff friendly.

Activity Reviews

Krka National Park

Croatia

Nice boat ride to visit the beautiful falls at the park. Also drove to upstream portion of river to see other falls (not quite as nice). The signage at the park was limited and at one point, we did a lot of extra walking, and ended up at the cafe instead of water falls. The maps handed out by the park were pretty substandard (in detail for walking trails).

Explore Hvar

Croatia

Not a lot to explore in Hvar city but enjoyed a drink by the harbor and one of the best meals of the trip. We also visited the fortress on the hill for a great view of the town. There wasn't a lot to do, but that was due to the time of the year and weather being cool/overcast. Swimming was not feasible.

Mostar ( Bosnia and Herzegovina) 1 Day Trip From Ston- overnight Dubrovnik

Croatia

Day trip to Mostar. We enjoyed the old part of town and its renowned bridge but could have done without the large tourist crowds. Did have a nice lunch overlooking the bridge. We also enjoyed talking to the lady at the bookstore that Robi recommended. She gave us a concise, but excellent history of the events leading to the war and her experiences in the war. She humanized and brought the scenes we witnessed on television to life.

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace city tour

Split

Lots of history in Split. Great city tour. Nice restaurants. We really enjoyed Split as the sun was setting; the crowds were less.

Zagorje region and castles visit and Zagreb overnight

Zagreb

Great day trip visiting two castles and birth place of Marshall Tito. Bruno went with us this day and gave us a lot of insight about Marshall Tito. He also took us to an excellent country restaurant where we had a huge lunch. The beans in this meal were superb! We really appreciated the time Bruno took with us.

Explore Zagreb and City tour

Zagreb

We really enjoyed Zagreb with its buildings and history. Bruno, our guide, was excellent! Learned so much about the city, culture, history, and food! We also talked about schools, education, economy, etc. Bruno recommended an excellent restaurant, LeStruk; we enjoyed it a lot!

Visit to Rovinj and Pula

Croatia

Two of our favorite places, especially Rovinj with its charm and restaurants by the harbor. The Roman coliseum in Pula was amazing in its almost original 2000 year old state. We really enjoyed the olive oil museum and the olive oil tasting.

Goodbye Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Pick up and delivery to airport was great.

Dubrovnik Old Town tour, and the City Walls

Croatia

Old City Dubrovnik is a fascinating place with its buildings, restaurants, and wall. Excellent city tour to explain some of the city history. City wall walk was interesting but fairly difficult to walk in places (steps) and overpriced at 35 Euros. Speaking of steps - about 120 to get from old city to apartment. Wear comfortable shoes!

Explore Pelješac Penisula and Ston - Triple Atraction

Ston

Ston is charming town with extensive walls and salt pans. Also some great wineries which we visited one, Midirazza, for wine tasting.

Leaving Hvar and drive to Ston & Pelješac penisula

Hvar

Short ferry ride back to the mainland and beautiful vistas on way to Ston.

Visit to Zadar

Croatia

Interesting city with old churches and nice restaurants. By the harbor the Sea Organ and Sun Salutation Light Show (at sunset) were fascinating.

Motovun, Grožnjan, Oprtalj - inland of Istria and overnight in Poreč

Croatia

Exploring the old city towns was interesting. Cobble stones and hills were a challenge though. Had one of our best meals in Motovun.

Zagreb - Arrival Day / Evening

Zagreb

Matej, our driver, was waiting for us at Zagreb airport. Great conversation with him as we drove into the city. Check-in was breeze.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip was my first experience with kimkim. I was traveling to Greece for the first time for business and wanted to see Athens. I did not have the knowledge or energy to plan tours. I discovered the kimkim web site on google noting that they had a local Greek trip planner, Amalia. I was not disappointed. Transportation, lodging, restaurant suggestions were all provided. Thanasis Lymperopoulos met us at the airport and drove us to the Royalty Hotel Athens. The hotel is centrally and conveniently located. It was clean, comfortable, friendly, safe. Thanasis drove us the next afternoon to Cape Sounio to see the coast and the temple of Poseidon. This tour was spectacular. The sunset on the water was beautiful. Thanasis is an excellent driver and tour guide. He made the drive interesting and seamless.
The next day we toured the Acropolis and Acropolis museum as arranged by Amalia with Athens Walking Tour. The guide, Alex, was extremely knowledgeable. We learned so much. We followed this tour with a food tour conducted by Marina. She filled us with food and culture. Both tours are highly recommended.
Thanasis picked us up the next morning and drove us to Delphi and Arachova. It is a long drive but again, Thanasis made it interesting. He is such a good driver we did not even look at the road- only the scenery. We lunched in Arachova at a wonderful restaurant, Patriko Mas.
Finally, we left Athens with an on time transport to the airport arranged by Amalia. The Athens experience via Amalia and KimKim is excellent. I will use kim kim again for a future destination.
Thank you, Amalia, Alex, Marina, and especially Thanasis.

Kim Kim arranged our trip to Costa Rica and it was flawless. Nuria, our Kim Kim organizer was exceptional and provided excellent suggestions and accommodated last minute requests with a smile. Highly recommend them and look forward to using them for our future holidays around the globe

Hotel Reviews

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nestled within acred of natural beauty

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villas Sol Hotel And Beach Resort

Playa Hermosa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice rooms and staff

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Ceaser, our guide and paddle boat operator was so engrossed in helping us appreciate the experience and uniqueness and history of the area. Helped us spot many wonderful wild life

Quality of Experience

Calming experience to close out our trip

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Gerardo was such a wonderful guide. Was very accommodative to go slow as my wife was not 100% on this day. Highlight was the lunch at Jackaman restaurant which grows its own ingredients

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Helen our guide was a sweet person and kept explaining things about the area and the wildlife around the falls with passion. Even helped us spot a sloth

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TreeTram, Hanging Bridges & Zipline Adventure

Monteverde

We were scared to do zipline but the staff was very encouraging and at the end wanted to do it agai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Experience and Nighttime Nature Walk

Monteverde

Jose our guide was so well equipped to create a wonderful learning expetience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chris did an outstanding job working with our group of 11 people traveling to Greece. We had people flying in at different times, leaving etc and he managed it all! We had a fabulous itinerary at each place we stayed, with free time built in as well., guides were very knowledgeable and friendly, transportation in very nice luxury vans was the cherry on top!
Chris ‘s communication prior to the trip was very consistent, explaining things and accommodating our needs. He kept in touch during the trip and when rain canceled a gorge hike we were planning, he quickly pivoted and made alternate plan we thoroughly enjoyed! We were able to experience local things, street fare food, small olive oil factory, monastery with wine tasting etc.

We also met up with Chri# on the trip and it was so fun to meet him after all he planning. Thank you Chris!

We had a fabulous trip and will use Kim Kim in the future, no doubt. Worth every penny! A memorable trip with friends.

Activity Reviews

The private tour of Knossos Minoan palace

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive towards Heraklion - Short stop at Rethymno

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Acropolis & Flavors Combo Tour

Athens

Knowledgeable guide said she could focus on our interests too, history, mythology etc. best tour guide I have ever had! Food tasting and wines small local restaurants inside and out was so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Time Classic Santorini

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Robi, who was our local specialist\guide did an amazing job planning a custom itinerary for our 10 day stay in Croatia. Robi drew from intimate local knowledge and created a trip plan that fulfilled everything we hope it would while we were in Croatia. He was always friendly, available, and responsive by phone whenever we had questions during our trip. I really couldn't have asked for more from our guide. I would recommend Robi to my family and closest friends.

Cain and Monika

Great experience using KimKim for our trip to Iceland. Emanuela was helpful obtaining hotel reservations we were unable to get on our own. She seemed to get the best rooms at the best hotels for us. Daily itineraries including maps, travel times, sights to see and places to eat were so helpful. This gave us the confidence to go out on our own to explore instead with a tour group. I would definitely use again when a first time traveler to another region of the world.

John wrote:
Andreas, our driver, was a fount of information that we were not expecting. Absolutely brilliant!

Susan wrote:
Title: Outstanding organisation and people.

"I can't speak highly enough of Thanos. He had organised for us an excellent journey which he ensured worked smoothly throughout the whole time, from beginning of our planning to the very end. Thanos was most personable and caring and it was a delight meeting him in person.

The other person I can't speak highly enough of either, was our driver, Andreas. Throughout the four days with him, his driving was fantastic, he was great company, thoughtful, helpful and was there for us every step of the way. We gained from Andreas a lot of knowledge about modern Greece.

All the guides were superb, especially Alex, who guided us through the Acropolis.

We appreciated the great hotels chosen for us.

Thank you Thanos and Kimkim."