Kimkim Trip Reviews

We traveled throughout Portugal for 14 days visiting Lisbon, Sintra, Obidos, Nazare, Porto, Evora, Lagos and Cascais in celebration of our 2nd wedding anniversary. Across Portugal and Joao were amazing to work with from planning through navigation during our two-week visit. Joao (and Diana) checked in with us daily via WhatsApp to provide a daily itinerary (even though we also had access via the portal). We've worked with other agencies through KimKim and Across Portugal was the first to check in on a daily basis. They seemed very much invested in our experience and provided excellence customer services. We received a wonderful welcome box with local Portuguese treats!

Joao worked with us to customize our trip to fit our interests and made tweaks along the way. We were also able to add a last-minute experience during our last couple of days of the trip. The trip was the perfect balance of excursion/experiences and rest/relaxation. All of the tour guides and drivers were very kind and both knowledgeable and proud of their country's history and heritage. Claudia (Lisbon) and Sara (Porto) were very knowledgeable and provided us with a wealth of information during our walking tours. L

In particular, Evo (and Ricardo) who was our guide/driver for several days in Porto and beyond, was particularly exceptional! He loves his city of Porto and Portugal and became like family by the end of the trip. Our experience to the Douro Valley (so unlike any other wine territory I've visited) was amazing an Evo was able to truly personalize the experience for us. Dinner with Locals was also a highlight for us as we were able to share an amazing meal prepared by Evo's mother. The food was amazing and the company even better! Porto was amazing and would recommend any trip to Portugal include 3-4 days in Porto. Luis- driver in Lisbon was also very friendly and accommodating.

Some highlights include: (1) Day trip to Sintra (Pena Palace was beautiful) (2) Fado dinner in Lisbon was such uniquely intimate and amazing experience. Despite some previous reviews, we thought the food was very good and the Port freely flowing! The Fado music was dramatic and moving. We loved it (3) Lisbon Winery (Vinho Verde) (4) Sandemann Port Tasting Tour was amazing (Joao even surprised us with a charcuterie board to the envy of other attendees- we shared with the table (5) Douro Valley day trip (6) Dinner with Locals in Porto (6) Lagos boat tour Ponta da Piedade and the boardwalk views along the coastline an (6) Comporta horseback riding day trip. Obidos was also lovely--loved the Ginjinha!

Food was amazing. Cataplana was incredible, sea bass and other fresh fish....and my new favorite pastry the Pastel de Nata (I may be having withdrawals)

All in all, it was an amazing trip and experience! Thanks to Joao and team for making it so personal!

Angela and Douglas

Overall our trip was amazing! All the transportation service drivers were excellent, especially Ralph in Paris! We had a glitch in Paris with our meeting spot for one outing, the driver had one address, we had another and the ticket had yet another. The driver went above and beyond to get us to the right spot, even went in to make sure we were ok. In London we had some difficulties as there was a strike with the tube- underground. We had the wrong meeting spot for the Tower tour, caused us to miss that tour and had to get an Uber and pay for new tickets ourselves at the right spot. Kim Kim did re-imberse us for the uber which was great! Since the strike was planned and publicized well in advance, we would have appreciated a heads up as getting anywhere was a nightmare! At one point the Toot bus just stopped and took itself out of service for awhile because of gridlock. Our hotels in both London and Paris were wonderful! All of our tours were outstanding!

Anders and the team did a great job taking care of us. Things went very well and we had an amazing time! A couple issues were solved immediately by contacting the KimKim team on WhatsApp. We will use them again…

Kind regards

Gregg

Hotel Reviews

Radisson RED Hotel, Oslo Airport

Ullensaker

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Byporten

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel

ÅNDALSNES

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

We stayed in the vintage cabins and it was amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Royal Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Hotel The Hub

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near the train station and downtown

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Romsdalsgondolen - Romsdalen Cable Car (round-trip)

Åndalsnes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Past & Present City Walk

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Culture & Nature Excursion by Electric Minibus

Flåm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The KimKim team helped us with a 10 days trip to Greece and it was absolutely amazing! All our of activities were exactly what we were looking for, the accommodations were adorable boutique hotels in perfect locations for exploring the local scene. We visited four different locations (3 islands) so there were a lot of logistics involved between taxis, ferries and flights and everything incredibly smooth. When I did have a question on meeting location mid trip our POC had an answer for me in under 15 minutes. We would do this trip again and again! Can’t wait to plan our next trip via KimKim.

Thank you to the Greece team of Ioannis (in country local planner, he nailed it!) and Lea (trip coordinator and POC) you guys were fabulous! Yama!

I thought the Kim Kim team were very responsive and offered good advice in the main. The planning was good and everything worked quite well. Follow up requests and assistance were all handled really well. We enjoyed our Norwegian holiday a lot, so thanks to Anders and Jacob.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Great hotel in a great location. Excellent staff who upgraded our room when they saw how crowded we were and with my wife's mobility difficulties. They could do with handing out a clear guide to the parking situation, I got lost trying to get back from leaving the car when in fact I was only 5 minutes away!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

This hotel is pretty old and the public areas are very nice, but the room we had was old and tired and although the bathroom had been updated the beds were poor and the room too cold.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Flåm Railway Round-Trip Experience

Flåm

Amazing views in places and just exciting to go up and down so steeply, albeit very slowly.

Quality of Experience

Njardarheimr Viking Village Day Trip with Nærøyfjord Cruise & Bus Transfer

Norway

Great cruise on an electrical powered carbon fibre boat. Getting back on the shuttle bus was a bit confusing and there is no where to site while waiting outdoors for the bus. Viking village was very good, interesting with nice faux Vikings to talk to. Axe throwing definitely top fun. Good restaurant at the village.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jane was an excellent resource. She really made the planning of our trip easy from start to finish. Jane was always available to make changes and help us make the most of our time. We made a few adjustments to our plans while in Scotland and Jane and KimKim were always available and happy to help.
This was a Perfect 10 trip.
Thanks Jane!!
We will definitely use KimKim when planning our next trip.

Hotel Reviews

Clayton Hotel

Glasgow

This is fantastic hotel. It blends the best of the old world charm with New world amenities and modern features. Excellent new large elevators. Great view from the higher floors. Clean and comfortable rooms that felt newly remodeled. Friendly helpful staff. Excellent Bar and restaurant with a great complimentary breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Great blend of old world charm and elegance with model features and new world amenities.

Location

Really good location to get around Glasgow.

Staff

The staff could not have been any nicer or more helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room 1108 was immaculate, comfortable, well stocked. The view was beautiful from our room.

Glenmoriston Townhouse Hotel

Inverness

Wonderful staff in a great location. Rooms are very inconsistent and some are really rundown. The location is very nice but the hotel rooms need to be completely redone. There is no AC and our room was damp and very musty. There are No lifts, porters and it’s a 3 story hotel with no handicap accessibility.

Authenticity & Character

Older hotel that needs a major refresh.

Location

Excellent location

Staff

The staff could not have been nicer or more accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The staff did as best as they could but they can’t make the old carpet better or dry rooms that are humid and musty. This is no place for people with limited motility or asthma.

The Scotsman Hotel

Edinburgh

Scotsman is in a perfect location to the Royal Mile and the train station. The stay was fantastic and very helpful. They provided great recommendations and service. The breakfast was good and the room was very clean and comfortable. Don’t bring oversized bags the lifts are typical small European lifts. Overall a very nice hotel

Authenticity & Character

Great location with old world charm.

Location

Great location very nice hotel

Staff

The staff is the best in Edinburgh.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean room with very comfortable beds.

Activity Reviews

A Fully Bespoke Tour Day with a Private Driver Guide

Scotland

Glasgow is a wonderful city with a tremendous amount to see. Our driver Robert changed our tour to a full day in Glasgow and we were happy he did. We saw Glasgow Cathedral, the burial grounds and he took us all around town. We ended the day at the Kelvingrove Museum. You could kill 4 hours there easy.

Quality of Experience

Our driver Robert was a wonderful part of our trip . We could not have asked for a more Authentic Scot to help us experience Glasgow.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Robert was a true professional showing us the best of Glasgow!

Transport

Robert helped us see the best of Glasgow.

The Isle of Skye & Eilean Donan Castle

Inverness

Isle of Skye was amazing. Donnan Castle is a Must see Castle. The scenery and castle are fabulous. I would highly recommend a private tour with a small group in a Sprinter Van. This is a trip that is far better with the visibility you get in a smaller van without worrying about driving

Quality of Experience

Donan Castle was incredible. They did an amazing job rebuilding it .

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Keith made a few u planned stops that made our visit even better.

Transport

Keith was a very knowledgeable, organized and patient guide.

Outlander tour from Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Great tour with lots to see and do. Castle, Coos, Sheep and Hay bales!

Quality of Experience

Great day.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Derek was a real authentic Scot. Hard to understand at times but truly excellent guide.

Transport

Great driver and a wonderful private Sprinter van. I highly recommend small group tours.

Uilebheist Distillery Discovery Tour

Inverness

Nice spot for a drink. No need for the tour.

Quality of Experience

Not awesome but a nice spot for drink or /

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nice staff. We walked there.

Transport

We walked there

Boat Ride Around the Canal & Loch Ness including a Visit to Urquhart Castle

Scotland

Beautiful views. Urquhart Castle is not a must see. Loch Ness is a nice Lake but also not a must see in my opinion. Spend the day in Stirling or St Andrews. Watch Rick Steve’s episode and skip this if you’re strapped for time. We would skip it had we known.

Quality of Experience

Just not a must see.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Typical bus tour. Nothing special, too many people.

Transport

Typical bus tour. Nothing special

Fishing Villages of Fife & St Andrews from Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Great trip. I would tell anyone to spend 1 Full day in St Andrews. There is too much to see in a few hours. The day was great. Fife and the Castles and site are a must see.

Quality of Experience

Great Day

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Derek was a fantastic Driver and made our trip special.

Transport

Derek was our driver. Fantastic guy.

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

It’s a fantastic castle with incredible history. Our guide was awesome.

Quality of Experience

All good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide makes the most of the Castle visit.

Transport

We walked to the Castle from the Scotsman Hotel.

My husband and I just returned from a week in Iceland. It was a great trip and we felt in safe hands with the help from both teams, here in the US and in Iceland.
Everything was very easy and without any real issues at all.
Here’s a shout out to all of you! Thanks so very much for allowing us to travel with ease and have a super time!

Hotel Review

Hótel Fransiskus Stykkishólmi

Stykkishólmur

Daniel was our favorite person we met on our trip! Thanks Daniel for greeting us like old friends and taking such good care of us!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Sólheimajökull Glacier Walk

Iceland

This was probably the best part of our trip! If you want to climb a glacier , this is the place to go ! Hurry though…. The ice is indeed melting!

Angela (Aggeliki) is the ultimate professional for planning a vacation! Her communication skills are excellent and very timely. It seems no matter when we had a question she'd reply quickly. Our trip to Greece was spectacular! We had just the right amount of activities and free time each day of our 10 day trip. Her ability to customize according to our desires is unmatched for any vacation I have ever had. The accommodations, transfers, excursions, restaurants and overall advice were spot on. We visited Athens, Kalabaka, Naxos and Santorini. Many locals were impressed with our visit to Kalabaka (Meteora) because so many people visit the islands and, besides Athens, forget about the rest of the mainland. There, with the amazing driver/guide, we visited incredible monasteries, did an awesome Hermit Caves Sunset Hiking Tour and a fun truffle hunting excursion. This cool dog hunts for truffles, digs them up and brings them to its owner. This was super cool! They had a whole set up in the brush where a chef prepared a penne, mushroom, garlic, white truffle oil meal with truffle shaving from the ones "we" found! In Athens, we did a great Mythology tour, visited the Acropolis and ate incredible food. Our Aegean Lush Bike tour in Naxos was such a blast! We rode electric bikes and toured all over this fantastic island which is largely self sustaining. That evening we had an amazing tour of old town Naxos and ate phenomenal food. On day 2 in Naxos, our private cruise was so cool! We visited Antiparos and Paros and our guide was so nice and informative, as all of guides were. In Santorini, we experienced an awesome sunset kayaking tour of the coastline. Our guide was simply astounding! Finally, our 8 hour tour of Santorini was so fun and we learned so much! All in all, this was our favorite vacation ever! We have been many places. In hindsight, it was Angela's skillful set up that made it so amazing! Greece is a special place with wonderful people and even better food! Angela lives there and is the premiere travel guide for anyone who is planning to visit Greece!

Reda was the absolute best guide I have ever had! My friend and I were taking a birthday trip and selected Morocco as our destination. From the moment we met Reda, we knew he was an excellent match for our style of travel. As experienced travelers, we knew what we wanted to focus on and what we could skip. Between KimKim's booking center and Reda's advice, we customized the trip to end all trips. We saw so much, were able to immerse ourselves with the people, and culture and got to see some hidden gems that you don't get with a big tour. It's been six months and I am still raving about the awesomeness of it all!

My husband and I, along with my two daughters and their spouses, just spent 2 weeks in Croatia and we had the most amazing time! Robi could not have organized a more perfect trip for us. Planning was so easy with Robi - always extremely responsive, thorough and communications were very clear and detailed. He organized all of our local travel. connections, accommadions as well as local guides for tours in Split and Dubrovnik (Peter and Paulina respectively, were also so knowledgeable, helpful and fun!). We loved the complete flexibility in the schedule, activities and personalized itinerary he created for us.

Highlight of our trip was definitely the 6 days we spent sailing and exploring the Dalmation coast on a catamaran with Robi and Borna visiting Ston, Mali Ston, Slano and the islands of Mljet (with its beautiful National Park), Sipan and Lopud to name a few. We visited wineries in the Peljesac wine region and discovered many incredible wines that we enjoyed throughout our trip. Lots of hiking, biking, walking and climbing countless fortress walls, tasting fresh oysters right out of the sea and soaking in the sun and spectacular scenery. Robi is an incredibly skilled captain and guide, taking us to many “hidden gems” along the coast for swimming, paddle boarding and exploring.

Great food was a priority for us and Robi made sure that we enjoyed a wide range of the best Croatian culinary experiences. His restaurant and food recommendations were fabulous. We sampled so many wonderful regional dishes (oysters, mussels, octopus, calamari, peka, black risotto, pasticada, cevapi, brodetto, and of course Ston cake!), at both charming local and fine dining establishments.

We have so many wonderful memories, we cannot thank Robi enough. He is so personable, fun, professional and passionate with such in-depth knowledge of Croatian history and culture. His top priority was for us to have a fun filled, stress free and safe holiday. We thoroughly enjoyed every single minute and we would strongly recommend kimkim and Robi's services and catamaran tour.

The trip was great and we had an amazing time. Everything was organized very well. The private and small group tours were excellent. I like to send special Thanks to Caroline one of our private tour guides. She was very helpful even the day after our tour. She gave us excellent recommendations.
I also like to Thank Liz for all her help in planning a great trip that was specific to us. She was very thoughtful and understanding and planned a great trip.
It was a pleasure to work with Liz. The other person I like to Thank is Greg. We appreciated his quick responses to our requests. He was great to work with and very helpful. Another quick shout out to Summer who immediately got back to us regarding a change of Hotel request.
Overall, this was a wonderful trip,very organized and enjoyable. This was our second trip planned through Kimmim team. I highly recommend them and look forward to planning our next trip with them!
Thank you everyone!!

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel La Villa Nice Victor Hugo

Nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was very clean and organized.

Riviera Marriott La Porte de Monaco

Cap d'Ail

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Concorde

Aix-en-Provence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel needs to be cleaned. They need more lighting and staff who know how to help .

Activity Reviews

Luberon Markets & Villages Day Trip

Aix-en-Provence

The small villeges are very charming.

Quality of Experience

Experiencing the market day and walking around the villages

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgable guide, but not very flexible.

Transport

Very nice and comfortable car.

Cassis Village, Calanques Boat Ride & Provence Wines Day Trip

Aix-en-Provence

The trip was scheduled on a day when there was major storm warning by local authorities to close all schools. This tour should have been canceled, but they refused to cancel and reschedule our tour. We did not get to do anything that was listed on the tour and just sat in a restaurant and watch the heavy storm and was brought back.

Quality of Experience

Cancel the tour if there is a storm warning

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide wax excellent.

Transport

Very comfortable car

Self-Guided Free Day

Aix-en-Provence

Quality of Experience

Melanie was our trip planner and she did a fabulous job of listening to our needs, suggesting options, and finalizing a fabulous itinerary. Unfortunately, she left the company before we left for our trip, so we had some bumps along the way in final days. Overall, I was very pleased with our KimKim experience and would return to help plan our next trip

Hotel Reviews

Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa

Interlaken

One of the most beautiful hotels we’ve ever stayed in. Gorgeous views, perfect location in the heart of Interlaken

Authenticity & Character

Room and view fantastic and comfy, gorgeous spa, lovely bar and excellent restaurants

Location

Beautiful views

Staff

helpful, friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bellevue Palace Hotel

Bern

Absolutely beautiful, perfect location right in the heart of Bern, wonderful restaurants, and incredibly friendly service

Authenticity & Character

Great views, beautiful interior

Location

Right in the heart of Bern

Staff

So friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pfingstegg Hike & Glacier Canyon Experience in Grindelwald

Switzerland

Because of the weather, we had to make some last-minute adjustments to our plans that day. Luckily, Richard was once again up to the task and we had a delightful day in spite of the weather. Highly recommend Richard and Grindelwald Tours

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike in Lauterbrunnen!

Switzerland

Richard was a wonderful guide and we could not have been more pleased with our experience hiking from Lauterbrunnen to Murren. He helped us navigate all the various modes of transportation, educated us about the area, and ultimately delivered us to our fabulous lunch at Piz Gloria. An absolutely magical day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bern Food Tour!

Bern

We had a wonderful time with our food tour guide Jonathan. We stopped in three different places to enjoy Swiss delicacies, and learned about Bern and Swiss culture along the way. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was our first time using KimKim and I had my fingers crossed that everything would run smoothly. Our trip to Türkiye was amazing! It started off wonderfully with Yigit waiting for us at the Istanbul airport after our 13 1/2 hour flight. He was so friendly and welcoming and we were driven to The Bank Hotel. A great first impression! Exhausted from our travels, they invited us inside and handled all of our luggage and immediately served us a drink of our choice in the lobby while they finished readying our room and ushered our bags up stairs. This level of service continued throughout the entire trip.

Our guide, Volkan, met us in the hotel lobby the next morning and while we sat he gave us a 45 minute brief historical introduction to Türkiye. We loved this! We really wanted to learn on this trip, and I wish we could have had Volkan as our guide for the entire trip. Not only was he knowledgeable, but he did a beautiful job of balancing guiding and directing us and talking with also giving us some time to wander and explore the sites at our own pace. When it came to the food, we would have been lost without him. He gave suggestions and there were many opportunities to try the various foods. We weren't quite prepared for the amount of hills and walking we would be doing in the city, but in hindsight it would be challenging to tour Istanbul by car, and we are so glad to have done it this way. Volkan also was familiar for good picture spots and invited our family to pose while he took several pictures of us with our camera. We really enjoyed him teaching us while we toured Topkapi palace so we could learn about the life of the sultans. The mosques were incredible and beautiful. Be prepared for motorcycles driving on sidewalks! :-D Volkan was very aware of his surroundings and did a great job guiding us through the busy places. We also bypassed the long lines because we had a guide with us. Super!

Berat and Murat communicated with us daily on our trip. This was so reassuring. The day before they would provide us with driver names, vehicle license, phone number, and times for each pickup. I was impressed at how everyone was on time and we were not left waiting. When we had a small bit of trouble at one hotel, Murat contacted them and smoothed things over, and the hotel even had wine and snacks waiting for us that day!

Our favorite place to visit was Cappadocia. After the masses of people in Istanbul, it was refreshing to see those views, and lunch at The Dream Spot took my breath away. What a way to start off Cappadicia! When we visited the Underground City, Volkan asked us if we had claustrophobia, and I told him I was mildly affected, and I didn't want to be trapped in the tunnels. He did a great job of making sure the tunnels ahead were cleared of people before having us walk through, and that made it very enjoyable with no moments of panic bent over in a passage waiting for people ahead to move. The hot air balloon ride was unlike anything we have ever done, and we were so glad the weather cooperated.

The only place we could have skipped was Izmir... it's a modern city. We think it was probably a necessary connection point for our travel day where we flew from Cappadocia back to the west coast. We met Ozan as our guide for Izmir, Ephasus, and Sirence. He was knowledgeable and friendly. We loved the mussels stuffed with rice that we sampled from a street vendor! I honestly didn't think I would like them, but I'm willing to try just about anything. When he found out we ran a math learning center, he took us to a summer camp/school/univercity in Sirence! This was an unexpected surprise, and it was the first time Ozan had been there as well. My only wish is that Ozan gave us a bit of time to explore on our own. At the museums he was excited to have us see certain things, but I would have liked a little unstructured time to view things at our own pace as well without being overly directed.

Our private boat tour in Bodrum was beautiful! I thought 6 hours might be too long, but with four stops for swimming (we were only promised three) and lunch served, it was a relaxing day towards the end of our trip. Bodrum was also wonderful for walking in the evenings.

A few notes below on our lodgings:

The Bank Hotel - amazing. Gorgeous architecture and this family loved the complimentary chocolates! The breakfast was so good. No complaints.
Hotel Taskonaklar Cappadocia - How exciting to have a hotel built into ancient ruins! Gorgeous accommodations. Our daughter's mattress had springs pushing into her and she ended up sleeping on the couch. When I found out, I flipped her mattress and all was well the second night. Be prepared for quite a few stairs outside. Again, the breakfast was amazing.
Mövenpick Izmir - nothing of note. Nice modern hotel.
Nisanyan Houses - This was a visual treat. The hospitality was wonderful and the food was so good, as was the view. The artistry in the rooms was lovely. All that said, we were glad we only spent one night here. The large bed had an uncomfortable, flat mattress, and my husband had to climb over me to get into and out of bed with the way it was framed and oriented against the wall. It was lacking in linens and only had a flat quilt (not a duvet) to cover us. The second bedroom had two beds. Our daughter had the larger bed and she said it was comfortable, but the other bed was only big enough for a child. Our 6 foot tall son and to sleep on the couch downstairs. The spiral staircase was treacherous without a handrail, and I was worried I'd accidentally fall into the sunken shower when using the bathroom during the night, so I left that light on. I attempted to make coffee, but when I turned the dial for the counter-top plug-in stove, I got an electric shock. The toilet ran non-stop, and we switched the water off between uses. (There was no phone to contact the lobby, and I didn't feel like navigating the walk up the stairs to tell them, so we waited until we left to report it. ) The stairs on the grounds were also very challenging with rough-hewn stone and no hand rails. It was a hike to get to the pool. It was a beautiful place for photos, visually delightful, and the owner was so nice I hate to say anything critical, but not somewhere I'd stay again. They could improve it by taking care of some of these issues, such as adding handrails.
Divan Bodrum Palmira - Very comfortable hotel! We ran into a few minor issues, but they were taken care of.

We would definitely use KimKim again for planning a trip like this to an unfamiliar country!

Hotel Reviews

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

This was a visual treat, and I want to give it a higher rating, as I think some people would love it here. The hospitality was wonderful and the food was so good, as was the view... the view was truly unmatched. The artistry in the rooms was lovely. All that said, we were glad we only spent one night here. The large bed had an uncomfortable, flat mattress, and my husband had to climb over me to get into and out of bed with the way it was framed and oriented against the wall. It was lacking in linens and only had a flat quilt (not a duvet) to cover us. The second bedroom had two beds. Our daughter had the larger bed and she said it was comfortable, but the other bed was only big enough for a child. Our 6 foot tall son and to sleep on the couch downstairs, and there were no extra linens. The spiral staircase was treacherous without a handrail, and I was worried I'd accidentally fall into the sunken shower when using the bathroom during the night, so I left that light on. I attempted to make coffee, but when I turned the dial for the counter-top plug-in stove, I got an electric shock. The toilet ran non-stop, and we switched the water off between uses. (There was no phone to contact the lobby, and I didn't feel like navigating the walk up the stairs to tell them, so we waited until we left to report it. ) The stairs on the grounds were also very challenging with rough-hewn stone and no hand rails. It was a hike to get to the pool. It was a beautiful place for photos, visually delightful, and the owner was so nice I hate to say anything critical, but not somewhere I'd stay again. We did not have a chance to enjoy the wonderful bread and jams they put in the fridge for us, but that was a lovely added touch. They could improve it by taking care of some of these issues, such as adding handrails and putting in a new mattress and enough linens. With handrails and a more comfortable bed and a safety barrier rail added to the shower, I would love to visit again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Uncomfortable beds and treacherous stairs. It was very clean, but not comfortable or safe.

Hotel Taskonaklar Cappadocia

Nevsehir

How exciting to have a hotel built into ancient ruins! Gorgeous accommodations. Our daughter's mattress had springs pushing into her and she ended up sleeping on the couch. When I found out, I flipped her mattress and all was well the second night. Be prepared for quite a few stairs outside. Again, the breakfast was amazing. Incredible views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had to flip a mattress, and there were also two different leaks we reported. It took a while to get the AC to cool everything down and dehumidfy everything.

The Bank Hotel

Istanbul

The Bank Hotel - amazing. Gorgeous architecture and this family loved the complimentary chocolates! The breakfast was so good with many selections. No complaints. Great location for walking tours of the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Boat Tour at Bodrum

Bodrum

The Private Boat Tour at Bodrum was enjoyable overall, but we faced an issue when the driver was not present at the expected pickup location upon return. Thankfully, the boat captain was very helpful and sorted the situation out, which showcased his commitment to our experience.

Guided Tour of Izmir: The Beautiful Port City of the Aegean Sea

İzmir

The Guided Tour of Izmir didn't quite meet the expectations. The city felt like a standard modern place, and it seemed to be more of a necessary stop due to travel logistics rather than a highlight of the itinerary.

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

This was a lovely change of pace after some tough walking tours of Istanbul. Just the right length boat tour.

Food Tour in Istanbul

İstanbul

We can't really fit a food tour all in one day, because you can only eat so much! Volkan did a wonderful job of spreading this out and including it during our three full days in Istanbul.

Istanbul Archaeological Museum Tour

İstanbul

How was this museum not packed with people! So much to see an learn.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Another world! So much character and history. Just hearing the calls to prayer was so different for an American. The palace was fascinating, and the mosques were beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Volkan was the best! We couldn't have imagined a better guide. He really does a wonderful job of ensuring we had a full experience, but also gave us time to explore on our own and meet back up with him.

Transport

We loved our driver, Said. He was very personable. He did seem to have a little trouble with time management. (He liked to stop for coffee breaks). But I suppose this is probably coming from me being American and him being Moroccan. I was disappointed to hear that the Casablanca mosque was closed on Friday because of a holiday. I feel that you should have known that it was a holiday and communicated that to us. You could have asked if our dates were flexible. We would have liked the opportunity to adjust our trip One day earlier or later to be able to visit the mosque. Zahra, in Fes, was amazing!! Wish she could’ve been our guide the entire trip. Visiting the artisan shops in Fez was one of the highlights of the trip for me. Our camel ride ended up being about an hour and a half. This was a too long. I think we might have enjoyed a Small ride around the camp and then getting there in a Jeep or ATV better. The trip was very fast paced, but could not be helped in order to see everything that we wanted to see. Wish we could’ve spent a second night in Ourzazate. That Kasbah would’ve been a great place to relax and maybe have a chance to visit the studios. Thank you for your understanding about the airport transfers and taking care of that.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Karmela

Marrakech

Beautiful hotel, but horrible water pressure. My shower just barely trickled. It was also very warm to dine in the evening on the rooftop terrace. We were there the second week of September.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very little water pressure for the shower.

Kasbah Isfoula

Ait Ben Haddou

Ismail so friendly and helpful. He was the check-in clerk, Porter, server, and bartender. He did such a great job! We wished we were able to spend a second night here because it seems so relaxing after our hectic trip.

Authenticity & Character

Love, the fact that all the rooms were named after movies made in the area and had props from those movies.

Location

it was the only hotel we stayed in that we parked right in front and did not have any difficulties bringing our luggage inside.

Staff

Ismail was the best!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxury Camp Chebbi

Merzouga

We were never told what time we had to leave the next morning. We were told that breakfast was from 7 to 9 a. We figured we had time to shower and pack after that. We were thinking that we would leave the camp around 10 AM. However,We were rushed out right after breakfast. Staff started asking us at 8:30 AM if we were ready to leave.

Authenticity & Character

Can’t believe we had a tiled bathroom in the middle of the desert

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Sayeda Alhora

Fes

Beautiful spacious rooms, high ceiling in courtyard. Our triple room had a seating area that accommodated the five of us which was very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Mehdi went out of his way to make sure we had everything we asked for, even if it was late at night.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Meziana

Chefchaouene

Authenticity & Character

Location

Sometimes confusing to find our way back to it since it was in the middle of the medina

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shower did not get very hot. Only turned on hot water to have a lukewarm shower.

Riad Majorelle

Rabat

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast spread was amazing! Too much food.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring the Medina and Historical Sites Of Marrakesh

Marrakesh

I think it was just getting too hot to enjoy it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Royal pizza

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ahmed was very flexible and let us shop when we wanted to, get cold drinks when we were melting

Transport

Morning Hot Air Balloon Ride

Marrakesh

Arthur was our pilot. Very knowledgeable and frank.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Food Tour in Marrakesh

Marrakesh

Got to try lots of different things. Became full very fast. Wish we could’ve tried more local pastries.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight in the Sahara Desert with Sunset Camel Ride

Morocco

Our camel ride was about an hour and a half, not the 45 minutes that was advertised. This was about one hour too long. I was sitting too far forward in the saddle, which is a metal frame, and was not told until about halfway through the trip. Also, we were never told what time we had to leave the camp the next morning. We were rushed out immediately after breakfast. We thought we had time to shower and pack after waking up for sunrise and then having breakfast immediately after. If we had known, we could’ve planned accordingly.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Imperial City and Medieval Medina of Fes

Fes

Zahra was the BEST!! Wish she could have been with us for more of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hammam Visit: Traditional Body Scrub & Massage

Morocco

We felt a little rushed. Three of us were in the scrub room together. Habiba was amazing! She was the highlight of this experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Said was amazing! We loved Zara, in Fes.

Transport

Had a flat tire driving into Fes. Spare tire could not be removed because screw was stripped. Had to wait for someone to deliver a tire. Maintenance of equipment is a MUST!

Bonjour Sebastian!
Our trip was exceptional! Thank you for all the planning. We loved everything! The wine tour to Beaune with Stefan was spectacular- beautiful countryside tour and 2 winery visits/tastings. Highlight to the trip was the cooking class in Beaune with Adaline. She was amazing and the four course meal we cooked and ate was above and beyond. Loved our hotel in Dijon - The Grand Hotel La Cloche. Great location, lovely lobby lounge & restaurant. The room was spacious with a big bathroom and French balcony.
The e-bike with Vincent in Aix-En-Provence was spectacular as well as the Vintage side car tour with Eric. Great tour guides. Our hotel in Aix wasn’t great (I chose it because it had a lift.) The lift was out of order, so 4 flights up was a lot of work! The suite was just ok. Very dark with black walls, black tile and not much lighting. No balcony. The location was great if you want to be in the hustle and bustle of things. I went to the hotels Nuxe spa for a massage and relaxation, which was fantastic and exceeded my expectations.
We will certainly reach out to you for our next visit to France.
Vive la France! 🇫🇷 Love this country ❤️
Aurevoir!

Hotel Reviews

Negrecoste Hotel and Spa

Aix en Provence

I chose this hotel because it had a lift. The lift was out of order. Our suite was on the 2nd floor, but it’s 4 flights up. This was tough on my knee and my ankle. Hotel staff was kind enough to hold our luggage and deliver it to our room for an early check in. But upon departure at 7am, we had to take our 4 large heavy pieces of luggage down the stairs ourselves.

Authenticity & Character

We had the suite - very modern and dark. Black tile everywhere, black glass dividing walls made the room very dark. Shower with no door makes for a wet experience. No good lighting over vanity. The make up mirrors didn’t work - they had a usb port but couldn’t make it work. Hair dryer was tough to use as you have to press the handle with your palm to make it work. Not easy for long, thick hair. 2 windows let in some light, but overall very dark & modern. There is a step up to the vanity shower area. I almost slipped on the wet floor from the shower.

Location

Literally in the hustle and bustle of things. Lots of restaurants & shops. Walked every and really enjoyed the town on foot.

Staff

Everyone spoke English. Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lobby restrooms were always dirty. Tiled floors on stairs chipped.

Grand Hotel La Cloche Dijon MGallery

Dijon

Great location! Staff is lovely, everyone speaks English, which was helpful. Beautiful lounge for cocktails and light menu. Lovely restaurant. Spacious suite with double vanity, big shower, French balcony with great view.

Authenticity & Character

French balconies, great lounge

Location

Walking distance to train, restaurants and shops

Staff

Very kind, attentive and English speaking

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vintage Side car Wine tour in the Luberon

Aix-en-Provence

Great day with Eric! Fun adventure. Visited a cute town, Loumarin. Charming village & a big market. 2 stops at beautiful wineries.

Quality of Experience

Scenic drive, charming villages

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Eric a great guide

Transport

It was fun!

E-MountainBike tour of Sainte Victoire Mountain

Aix-en-Provence

Great adventure. Vincent made me feel very comfortable and took a lot of time to explain how to use the pedal assist going up the hills. Beautiful scenery and he explained a lot about the area. The ride was a combination of roads, trails, some rocky terrain, but all very easy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Restaurant | Food & Wine Pairing in Aix en Provence (4 dauphins menu)

Aix-en-Provence

Restaurant is lovely, staff lovely and English speaking. It’s not. Food and wine pairing - you get a credit toward your check at the end. Pay the difference if you went over.

Quality of Experience

Food

Steak was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Walking Tour of Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

Learned about Aix en Provence on this walking tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cook and Taste Burgundian Cuisine

Beaune

Highlight of our trip! Adaline was amaze along with Cals her sound chef. We cooked, tasted wine and ate in a beautiful setting!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Easy train ride from Dijon.

Burgundy Wine Tasting Tour : from Côte de Beaune to Côtes de Nuits

France

Great day with Stefan. He really knew about wine and gave us a great countryside tour with stops at 2 wineries.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stefan was very knowledgeable

Transport

Nice big clean van

Morocco was incredible & KimKim made everything effortless. Our driver, Mohamed, was fantastic! He made sure we were taken care of & showed us places off the beaten path. The hotels KimKim booked for us were amazing, as were the experiences. I will definitely be using KimKim again & if/when I return to Morocco, I will ask for Mohamed to drive.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel La Tour Hassan Palace

Rabat

Rooms were small but overall nice hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kniza

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Madu Desert Camps

Merzouga

Incredible experience. Very attentive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Casablanca Hotel

Casablanca

Beautiful & great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

Incredible. Beautiful hotel, comfortable rooms, attentive staff, excellent restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Ksar Ighnda

Ait Benhaddou

Beautiful hotel but the AC was not working adequately in our room. I called the front desk 2 different times. Ended up having to sleep outside on the balcony which was not what I had planned for.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Volubilis

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Hammam & Massage

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quad Bike Activity

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

E-Bike Ride

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Merzouga Sunset Camel Ride and Overnight in the Desert via Ifrane, Azrou, Midelt & Erfoud

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Workshop & Local Food

Morocco

Highly highly recommend this experience! We had a great time & the food we cooked was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doris did an excellent job. I appreciated her diligence, responsiveness - and the nuance she provided (e.g., conservative attire in sacred spaces). She was also quite patient with our small group as we weren’t always on the same page.

As for our local guide Richard Thuan was extraordinary. He ranks in our top 1% as we’ve traveled around the globe with private guides. Richard exceded all expectations with everything from a Buddhist deep dive on differences between practices to helping us find local art.! Richard was enthusiastic, energetic and always incredibly thoughtful, especially when navigating my dietary restrictions. Our time with him gave additional insight to life in Vietnam since the “American War.” We definitely hope to return.

We loved our trip to Paris and Normandy. Travel was almost seamless… Paris is such a beautiful city. I would highly recommend staying on the Isle de St. Louis. Bayeux was lovely… if you go don't miss Selma Alabama…. And Mont Saint. Michele was incredible… everyone should walk in the sand….

Hotel Reviews

Le Relais Saint-Michel

Le Mont Saint-Michel

Perfect location for staying at Mont Saint Michel… Clean, with helpful staff…. The hotel is older…delicious breakfast buffet. The coffee was fair…. The best part of the hotel was the view and easy access .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

of course, no air conditioning…. But there were fans and as it was September we cooled the room by opening windows for awhile

Le Clos de la Chapelle B&B

Bayeux

To be honest, this stay was a highlight of our trip. Selma and Gregory were wonderful hosts. The food at Selma Alabama was delicious , best yogurt bowl ever!!! The room was adorable… although we did not realize ahead of time that we would be walking 4 flights of stairs…it was no problem. The location was perfect! Everything was clean… and I cannot thank Gregory enough for carrying our luggage to our room…. We bought cheese, wine and bread to eat in the garden and Selma was kind enough to bring plate, cutlery and glasses to us… this B&B is a very special place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel des Deux-Iles - Notre-Dame

Paris

Perfect location…. Beautiful lobby… the room was small, but clean and large bathroom. The breakfast was delicious and the Michael ( I believe) was just wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Mostly helpful and pleasant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Guided Mont Saint-Michel Day Trip (Self Drive and Mont Guest)

Mont-Saint-Michel

We had a fabulous tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private WWII Jeep Experience

Bayeux

We had already been to where she had planned and wanted to go to the Juno and Gold beaches… and our tourguide was so veery flexible and created a new plan! I would recommend this tour to anyone. You got a feeling of the country…

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Honfleur, Beuvron & Calvados Tasting Day Trip

France

Quality of Experience

Tourguide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Omaha & Utah Beach War History Day Trip

Bayeux

We took this trip because my husband is historian. We have family in the 101st airborne and this was an important destination for us. The tour guide talked as much about what stars from the movie and come and revisited has he did the battle of D-Day. There was no discussion of the enormity of the event…little discussion of what the beaches looked like as our soldiers approached. We did see important sights.

Quality of Experience

Better history of the events… less talk of the movie…. Maybe just referring to movies so people know what they are seeing,

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

the van, easy access from our hotel

Montmartre

Paris

I felt having a certified guide was important . The insight she provided was important to understanding the history

Quality of Experience

Our guide ….

Versailles Essentials – Half-Day Tour

Paris

I felt we should see Versailles, and it certainly does not disappoint. The crowds are ridiculous. There are people taking information photo shoots everywhere, which was simply rude.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Notre-Dame & Sainte-Chapelle Visit

Paris

Lovely guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Louvre Murders & Mysteries Experience

Paris

Expect the Lourvre to be crowded, I should have prepared myself first… I am not sure why this was a Murders and Mysteries Experience… the guide was knowledgeable, but I dont feel we did anything speical

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-Guided Exploration around Notre Dame Cathedrale and Île de la Cité (Tickets are not included)

Paris

Quality of Experience

Lovely guile

Impressionists in Normandy: Private day trip to Monet's gardens in Giverny & Rouen From Paris

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip of a lifetime thanks to Duncan! This was our first trip using Kimkim and I will not travel without it going forward. Traveling from North America to Iceland I was extremely nervous on planning this trip and making sure we fit it all in. I was paired up with Duncan and he took the stress out of everything! From coming up with our itinerary, to scheduling our tours (whale watching, lava cave tour, Blue Lagoon) and hotels along with giving us our driving routes for the day(s) it was seamless. I appreciated that while planning this trip I reached out to Duncan with miscellaneous questions/concerns about traveling overseas and he promptly replied. While in Iceland I reached out and he guided me on how we could squeeze one more event in. Thank you Duncan! You did an amazing job! My husband and I thanked you many times during our trip! :)

Our trip to Vietnam will be a memory we'll talk about forever. Our guides, our drivers - the stunning scenery, the wonderful local sights, the fantastic food, the comfortable hotels and the friendly people were beyond our expectations. Thanks to everyone for making this a once-in-lifetime trip. We'll be back! Kyra Lindemann

Hotel Reviews

Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Stunning vistas

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Nikko Saigon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Au Co Cruise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Peridot Gallery Classic Boutique Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ho Tram - Ho Chi Minh - Depart

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Tram Free Day

Vung Tau

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh - Ho Tram

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta, Explore Ben Tre - Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Halong Bay - Hanoi - Fly to Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Tuan Chau - Lan Hạ Bay - Cat Ba (Au Co Cruise)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Hoa Lu, Ancient Capital - Tam Coc Boat Trip - Hanoi

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport