Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had an incredible trip to Paris and London! Justine provided an itinerary that gave us the perfect balance of privately guided tours, cultural experiences, and downtime to explore on our own. Our boutique hotels were located in beautiful areas that were walking distance to sightseeing, restaurants, and shopping. The drivers for our private transfers were professional and courteous. I would highly recommend KimKim and Justine in particular for any travel planning! I will go into detail below, providing names of individuals that deserve recognition and highlighting the wonderful experiences we had.

Day One: We checked into Hotel Parc Saint Severin! Ludovic welcomed us with champagne, ensured our comfort throughout our stay, and provided exceptional service. He helped us learn how to navigate the city and provided many recommendations for restaurants and sightseeing in the area. If we return to Paris, I will stay here again! Our first booked activity was a 2CV private car tour to explore Paris. I highly recommend this car tour as an introduction to Paris - we were able to see all of the Parisian highlights. It gave us a feel for where everything was located, gave us ideas for our free time and showed us areas we wanted to explore. The driver was knowledgeable and informative about the city. He was engaged in the history of this beautiful city and shared his excitement with us!

Day Two: We enjoyed a wine and cheese tasting in a Parisian cellar at Musee Vivant du fromage. This activity took us into a quaint Parisian neighborhood we would not have otherwise explored. We were able to taste a selection of French cheeses and wine and learn about the geographical regions of France.

Day Three: We began with a privately guided tour at the Louvre. This was the best way to explore the museum! Our guide Pat was booked through Toorers. She was fluent in English and loved the history of the museum. She was able to take us to unique parts of the Louvre - her ability to navigate the museum and show us the highlights, all while engaging us in the history of France, was incredible. We followed the Louvre with a walking tour of Montmartre guided by Mathias, also booked through Toorers. We are glad Justine encouraged us to explore this part of France as we might not have otherwise experienced this area. Mathias was very well informed and tied history to engaging stories as we walked this beautiful area and learned more about the country of France. Our tour ended at Moulin Rouge! What a fun experience and a great way to wrap up our day! A must see for anyone visiting Paris!! Justine booked us at the best table - we had front row seats to the show. The acrobatics and entertainment are unmatched! Our experience was wonderful - she reserved champagne with the meal and the service was exceptional.

Day Four: We had a macaron cooking class at La Cuisine de Paris - it was such a fun and cultural experience to make a favorite Parisian treat from scratch! We were sent home with plenty of macarons to enjoy for the rest of our trip. We then had free time to explore the city followed by our night time Seine River Cruise with dining. We arrived early to get daytime pictures near the Eiffel Tower before making our way to the river. This was a top favorite experience! We were able to see all of the historical buildings and museums from the river, while enjoying champagne, dinner, and live music. The food was delicious, service excellent, and Justine again booked us with a window table with the very best views! The cruise ended with us watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night!

Day Five: Gigi, our tour guide picked us up at our hotel for the drive to Giverny. He was an incredible conversationalist and the car time flew by as we talked about the country and history of France on our drive. He stopped at a quaint bakery on our drive for coffee and croissants - we loved the cafe so much that he stopped for us again on our drive back so we could have freshly baked bread and sandwiches for lunch. Monet's gardens were breathtaking. Gigi knew so much about the life of Monet that he made history come alive for us on the tour. We were in awe of the beauty and preservation of Monet's inspiration. Following this tour we drove to Versailles, still with Gigi. He did an excellent job navigating the grounds, bypassing the lines, and giving us historical stories and information about the beauty of Versailles and the surrounding gardens. We wrapped up the day by watching the sunset from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Paris is a beautiful city. We had such a wonderful time and would love to return.

Day Six: Transfer day! Again, our drivers were professional and timely. They helped with our luggage and took us right to where we needed to check in for our first class seats on the Eurostar. Justine took care of every detail for us. We checked into Montague On The Gardens for our stay in London. It is a beautiful hotel, a great location, and very attentive and helpful staff. Justine ensured that all of the stay included breakfast - which consisted of fresh bakery, eggs, a selection of cheeses, and fruit.

Day Seven: We enjoyed free time exploring London before our afternoon tea at the Shard! The Shard is the tallest building in London offering beautiful views of the city. The tea includes unlimited sampling of the best teas England has to offer along with a delicious array of tea sandwiches, finger foods, and delectable desserts.

Day Eight: One of our favorite days! We felt very fortunate to have David Mildon as our blue badge guide for the day. He met us at our hotel and we embarked on a day-long adventure exploring the best of London. He was engaging, knowledgeable, entertaining, and flexible in his desire to give us the best possible experience. We took the Underground to Buckingham Palace, but due to a garden party we were not able to get close or see the changing of the guard. David quickly pivoted, took us to see King Charles' home and while walking with us through the park realized that if we detoured we would be able to watch the Trouping of the Color rehearsal for King Charles' birthday. It was one of the neatest experiences on our trip and so unexpected. We then toured Westminster Abbey and learned so much! From there we took a sightseeing river cruise on the Thames, and disembarked at the Tower of London. David knew how to best use our time so that we did not wait in line at all to see the Crown Jewels. He was delightful to spend the day with and unbelievably well informed! We ended our day with a sunset visit on the London Eye! What a neat experience and the best way to take in the beauty of London.

Day Nine: We met our blue badge guide, Alexandre Davy, early in the morning for our drive to Windsor Castle. I would highly recommend a privately guided tour of Windsor Castle and St. George's Chapel following the Best of London walking tour. This tied all of the history of England and the monarchy together. The stories Alexandre told and the historical knowledge he provided perfectly complemented what we had learned the prior day from David. We ended the day feeling like we had truly learned about London and had such a renewed appreciation for the history of the monarchy.

Our final day ended in the very best way! We saw The Devil Wears Prada in the West End. It was the best musical I have ever seen - we absolutely loved it!! The cast was perfect, the music incredible, and the performance as a whole was highly entertaining. Justine again got front row tickets for us, so we had an unobstructed view.

We had the best trip of our lives and are so grateful for everything Justine/KimKim did to put it together for us. You thought of every detail: we had the best guides, the best seats, and simply the best experience. Thank you.

Hotel Reviews

The Montague On The Gardens

London

The hotel was located in a great area. It was walking distance to shopping, restaurants, public transportation, parks, and in a beautiful neighborhood. The staff was kind and helpful, the service excellent. The concierge was able to help navigate public transportation and provide recommendations. We enjoyed the Leopard Bar many evenings and found the staff to be delightful! The head bartender took pride in a wide selection of craft cocktails that were uniquely delicious!

Authenticity & Character

Each room was unique. They offered many seating areas, had a beautiful breakfast room overlooking the gardens, a leopard bar with a few different separate seating areas, and a fun outdoor tiki bar/beach area!

Location

Beautiful neighborhood, safe and walking distance to dining, shopping, public transportation, and tourist destinations.

Staff

Everyone was kind and helpful and ensured our needs were not only met but exceeded expectations.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Parc Saint Séverin

Paris

I highly recommend this pristine boutique hotel! It is located in a beautiful area that is walking distance to sightseeing, restaurants, and shopping. Ludovic welcomed us with champagne, ensured our comfort throughout our stay, and provided exceptional service. He helped us learn how to navigate the city and provided many recommendations for restaurants and sightseeing in the area. Although, I mention Ludovic specifically because his service was truly outstanding, all of the front desk staff were kind and helpful. If we return to Paris, I will stay here again! The hotel was clean and well cared for. The daily breakfast included fresh bakery, fruit, a selection of yogurts and cheeses, eggs, and sausage/bacon. The chef and staff were polite and the service was excellent. Our rooms were clean. The hotel was very safe and the staff attentive to everyone who entered.

Authenticity & Character

It is a beautifully authentic Parisian boutique hotel.

Location

Walking distance to historical attractions, such as Notre Dame, shopping, restaurants, and markets. Also walking distance to public transportation.

Staff

The staff was kind and helpful, service was excellent. They gave every client who walked through the door a personalized greeting and ensured their happiness and comfort.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel was clean and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Excursion to Windsor Castle

London

We met our blue badge guide, Alexandre Davy, early in the morning for our drive to Windsor Castle. I would highly recommend a privately guided tour of Windsor Castle and St George's Chapel following the best of London walking tour. This tied all of the history of England and the monarchy together. The stories Alexandre told and the historical knowledge he provided perfectly complemented what we had learned the prior day from David. We ended the day feeling like we had truly learned about London and had such a renewed appreciation for the history of the monarchy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best of London Walking tour

London

One of our favorite days! We felt very fortunate to have David Mildon as our blue badge guide for the day. He met us at our hotel and we embarked on a day-long adventure exploring the best of London. He was engaging, knowledgeable, entertaining, and flexible in his desire to give us the best possible experience. We took the Underground to Buckingham Palace, but due to a garden party we were not able to get close or see the changing of the guard. David quickly pivoted, took us to see King Charles home and while walking with us through the park realized that if we detoured we would be able to watch the Trouping of the Color rehearsal for King Charles' birthday. It was one of the neatest experiences on our trip and so unexpected. We then toured Westminster Abbey and learned so much! From there we took a sightseeing river cruise on the Thames, and disembarked at the Tower of London. David knew how to best use our time so that we did not wait in line at all to see the Crown Jewels. He was delightful to spend the day with and unbelievably well informed!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Giverny and Versailles from Paris

France

Gigi, our tour guide picked us up at our hotel for the drive to Giverny. He was an incredible conversationalist and the car time flew by as we talked about the country and history of France on our drive. He stopped at a quaint bakery on our drive for coffee and croissants - we loved the cafe so much that he stopped for us again on our drive back so we could have freshly baked bread and sandwiches for lunch. Monet's gardens were breathtaking. Gigi knew so much about the life of Monet that he made history come alive for us on the tour. We were in awe of the beauty and preservation of Monet's inspiration. Following this tour we drove to Versailles, still with Gigi. He did an excellent job navigating the grounds, bypassing the lines, and giving us historical stories and information about the beauty of Versailles and the surrounding gardens.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

We arrived early to get daytime pictures near the Eiffel Tower before making our way to the river. This was a top favorite experience! We were able to see all of the historical buildings and museums from the river, while enjoying champagne, dinner, and live music. The food was delicious, service excellent, and Justine again booked us with a window table with the very best views! The cruise ended with us watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paris Macaron Baking Class

Paris

We had a macaron cooking class at La Cuisine de Paris - it was such a fun and cultural experience to make a favorite Parian treat from scratch! We were sent home with plenty of macarons to enjoy for the rest of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner show at the Moulin Rouge

Paris

What a fun experience and a great way to wrap up our day! A must see for anyone visiting Paris!! Justine booked us at the best table - we had front row seats to the show. The acrobatics and entertainment are unmatched! Our experience was wonderful - she reserved champagne with the meal and the service was exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur walking tour

Paris

We followed the Louvre with a walking tour of Montmartre guided by Mathias, also booked through Toorers. We are glad Justine encouraged us to explore this part of France as we might not have otherwise experienced this area. Mathias was very well informed and tied history to engaging stories as we walked this beautiful area and learned more about the country of France.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Louvre Museum Private Tour

Paris

We had a privately guided tour at the Louvre. This was the best way to explore the museum! Our guide Pat was booked through Toorers. She was fluent in English and loved the history of the museum. She was able to take us to unique parts of the Louvre - her ability to navigate the museum and show us the highlights, all while engaging us in the history of France, was incredible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cheese and wine tasting in a Parisian cellar in the Marais

Paris

We enjoyed a wine and cheese tasting in a Parisian cellar at Musee Vivant du fromage. This activity took us into a quaint Parisian neighborhood we would not have otherwise explored. We were able to taste a selection of French cheeses and wine and learn about the geographical regions of France.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

2CV Private Tour Paris Highlights

Paris

Our first activity was a 2CV private car tour to explore Paris. I highly recommend this car tour as an introduction to Paris - we were able to see all of the Parisian highlights. It gave us a feel for where everything was located, gave us ideas for our free time and showed us areas we wanted to explore. The driver was knowledgeable and informative about the city. He was engaged in the history of this beautiful city and shared his excitement with us!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oldman did a great job getting everything booked. Our Arenal guide, Monica, was amazing and knowledgeable. Our driver/guide for Poas was also great. We really enjoyed the entire trip, especially the stay in Samara. We don’t usually do beach vacations, but two slow days at the end of this trip, away from the tourists (like us), really fit our needs greatly that we didn’t even know we needed. I will definitely recommend Kimkim to friends

Hotel Review

Nammbú Beachfront Bungalows

Sámara

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close access to the beach and nice views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

El Silencio Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

We loved the El Silencio hike and our guide Monica. Ecotermales was a fun hot spring, but we’ve been to several so this was not new for us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Outstanding experience across the board. Venice was pleasantly surprising thanks to staying in the Canareggio region of Venice - super close to walk to all the major highlights, with plenty of great food around, but not filled with tourists, or in the region where the university is in, "Dosorduro". Water taxis are FAR superior to gondola rides. My only regret was only doing the St Marks Basilica Tour (SUPER BEAUTIFUL), rather than the combo tour that includes Doge's Palace after.

Como was truly magical. I highly suggest allocating funds for fun towards the private boat day! Staying in Como city was much better than friends told me, I thought Menaggio & Bellagio were a tad overrated and too small to spend more than a day, whereas Como had plenty of shops to explore, waterfront to relax by, the funicular railway to go above Lake Como to a panoramic viewing area, and lots of lovely restaurants to indulge in aperitivo!

Milan was not awesome for 3 days. I'd say 1-2 nights TOPS. The Duomo di Milano is ridiculously gorgeous and the Galleria Vittorio is the most beautiful shopping center ever, but you can do those in a couple of hours (including the Skywalk above the Galleria Vittorio for a better, uncrowded, side-view of the Duomo). If you're a soccer fan, you can spend time going to San Siro to see where Milan plays, but other than the two landmarks that are next to each other that I mentioned, or going to the Navigli district to eat at one of the dozens of great happy hour spots along the canal, leave Milan and go to the more beautiful parts of Italy. Fun fact - aperitivo (happy hour where you buy a drink and get free snacks with the drink) was invented in Milan!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Charly Hotel

Milan

Not great, kind of reflected the city. Family owned, but they were abrassive upon entry, clearly not happy to see Americans because they treated the other American couple the same, but were very happy to speak with the German couple before us. No elevator, and the first floor of rooms is up one flight of stairs, only a luggage elevator. We had to move rooms because the A/C didn't work, and Milan was going through a heat wave. I am a very big guy, and extensively well trained in self-defense - this location at night made me very uncomfortable while having my fiancée with me, and it was a boring street far away from any city highlights or tour meeting points during the day. We had to taxi everywhere. The reason this gets a 2-star and not a 0/1-star is because they have a cute dog that you can play with, a lovely little garden at the dining area for breakfast (one of the worst breakfast-included experiences), and it's only a few blocks from the metro and main Milan train station, which was convenient when we left the city.

Authenticity & Character

Italian aesthetic, but weirdly designed rooms, they had us in an attic, which wasn't expected.

Location

Way too far from tour meeting points or cultural landmarks.

Staff

Unkind upon entry. Neutral/unfriendly during every interaction.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nothing wrong with the cleanliness, but they advertise "double" beds, but use French Double beds which are smaller than typically Euro Double beds - which are more similar to an American Queen bed.

Hotel Barchetta Excelsior Como

Como

Best hotel throughout my entire trip. Every room apparently has a city or lake view. The kindest staff - my fiancée & I showed when there was a HUGE crowd of angry spanish-speaking folks and rude americans, but the staff were polite and calm with every single person before us, and after as we waited for the elevator. Beautiful room, STUNNNNNNIINNNNNGGGGGG LAKE COMO VIEW. Breakfast was the best buffet I've ever had at a hotel in Italy - they literally have self-serve mimosas. The buffet staff had the oldest lady in the room pop the bottle to celebrate the start of the day, everyone's mood was so fun!

Authenticity & Character

True Italian feel. The interior design aesthetic was lovely, the bar and hotel restaurant were great with wonderful cuisine, the staff were superb and kind as you'd expect Italians to be.

Location

Literally steps away from Lake Como and the ferry terminal to visit the other parts of the Lake.

Staff

20/10 - the best people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Daily bed-making and room tidying. I felt ashamed but they even folded my dirty laundry and left it in a neat pile when we came back from exploring the town.

Hotel ai Mori d'Oriente

Venice

Fantastic location. The staff was very friendly the moment I walked through the door, and gave my fiancée and me a house-drink voucher for each of us to enjoy as a welcome before we went out to explore, along with a fruit basket in our room! The breakfast buffet was great, and they have outdoor seating in the cutest little courtyard to enjoy on a nice-weather morning!

Authenticity & Character

Locally owned hotel that doesn't have a ton of rooms, so it's a home-like feel with a lot of comfort. Great showers!

Location

Perfectly located for a water taxi to drop you off, or a less than 15-minute walk from the train station where you only cross 2-bridges, both have ramps rather than just stairs for suitcases to be pulled with ease

Staff

So sweet from the moment we entered, to the moment we left :)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Top tier.

Activity Reviews

Private Lake Como Experience by Boat

Como

5,000,000,000,000,000,000/5 experience. Can't say enough about this, but Francesco is the man. Super insightful, from Como, has a home you can rent on Lake Como, you get bottles of prosecco. He knows how to engage with you and have fun, but also give you space to feel like VIP's in the back of the boat. Stopped in Bellagio and it was fun, but being on the boat was way better. Stopped in the middle of a cove to jump off the boat and swim with ducks & swans!

Quality of Experience

The best day ever with my fiancée.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Francesco is the best Italian guide I've ever met. We're so lucky to have hung out with him, but he owns the company and is the only driver, so you'll get him and love it.

Transport

Day Trip to Murano, Burano & Torcello

Venice

Gianfranco was our guide, and he was fantastic. My fiancée & I were the only 2 who booked the tour for that day, yet he made it a really great experience anyway. Gianfranco likes to become friends with the people he tours with, rather than just talking at you. Burano is so fun & beautiful! Murano is a little overrated and just filled with glass shops, but the tour of the glass making is TOTALLY cool and worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

St. Mark's Basilica Visit with Terrace Access

Venice

Outstanding tour. Our guide was wonderful, Martina. Small group experience, perfect to keep us altogether and to answer everyone's questions thoroughly, didn't feel rushed at all. Super kind and knowledgeable. She ensured we took plenty of pictures and took pictures of us on the Terrace!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We generally liked the hotels that were booked, with the Brittania in Trondheim and the Hamn I Senja our favorites. We had to change plans a few times because of two Norwegian national holidays that occurred during our trip (not known to us - we might have rerouted our trip a bit since many places were closed. The ongoing hospitality strike impacted our stays in the larger cities - Bodo, Tromso and Oslo. Most hotel restaurants and bars in those cities are closed (except for breakfast buffets).

Valentine was excellent she was quick to respond to our requests, gave some great recommendations and provided a well balanced itinerary where we achieved so much but didn’t feel rushed.

Hotel Reviews

La Caserne Chanzy Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection

Reims

This hotel didn’t feel like a 5 start hotel. I was a perfect location and staff was friendly easy check in and check out. The rooms were very small but had a nice view. The breakfast wasn’t great, although plentiful but to get hot food seemed to be a challenge. Our stay was fine but my score is more for the 5 start experience to what we felt.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

breakfast wasn’t great in order to get hot food ordered.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are small

Le Domaine de Bayeux

Bayeux

Really great location. Only a quick walk into town so you got a pleasant stay away from street noise, garden setting and quaint hotel. The breakfast was well done. Rooms were a nice size and comfortable. I only wish we had bigger bath towels for the bathroom. The hotel staff was excellent and very attentive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover the Veuve Clicquot Wine

Reims

My favorite Champagne house because of the story and tour really was thoughtful and shared a lot about Madam Clicquot. The tasting in the cave was wonderful and very detailed as well. Time well spent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ruinart guided visit with Tastings & UNESCO Champagne caves

Reims

Very beautiful grounds, luxury feel to the tasting. The Caves were spectacular and our guide was enjoyable and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Vranken-Pommery Estate with Tasting 'Champagne & Heritage'

Reims

Excellent experience and tour. Really enjoyed the caves and tasting. Perfect amount of time and good tour guide to share the story.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Champagne Vineyards with Electric Bike & Lunch

Reims

Loved this tour and experience. It was a perfect way to experience the vineyards and navigate around the towns and canal. The winery tour and tasting with lunch was a great way to end. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and enjoyable to be with for the day. He drove up and down Champagne Avenue which was great to see.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Giverny House & Gardens of Claude Monet (Entrance Tickets)

France

Beautiful grounds. Early arrival was a must so we could avoid the crowds in the afternoon. We enjoyed lunch on the property which was lovely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mont-Saint-Michel Tour - Small Group Tour

Bayeux

Guide was very knowledgeable and made our day enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

American D-Day tour

Bayeux

Amazing day, detailed enough to see multiple locations in one day. Guide was very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day to Honfleur & Pays d'Auge (from Bayeux)

Bayeux

Visiting different towns along the way to Honfluer and having the cheese tasting was nice.

Our trip to Croatia was an amazing experience in no small measure due to the work of Sarah and Ivan. From the time we arrived in Zagreb to our departure from Dubrovnik, our trip was flawless. We were met at the airports and ferry ports, and our transfers from hotels to said ports were perfectly timed. Our driver to Plitvice and Split, Zoran, was particularly wonderful and went above and beyond for us.❤️ The hotels were well-situated and each one possessed unique qualities that made our stay fun/interesting. The activities on our itinerary were a perfect mix of adventures and yet left us with adequate time for relaxation and shopping. Communication with Sarah and Ivan was easy, and any questions we had were promptly answered. I think we are now spoiled (in the very best way) by having had Sarah plan/execute our trip for us. We highly highly recommend!

Beyond our wildest dreams in covering all aspects of our trip that we spent much time planning before coming to Kim Kim. Raquel and her team made it even better! Each place we stayed along the Northern Coast from Spain (Vigo to Barcelona) was spectacular in both location and views. The attention to all details and rapid replies to questions from us by Raquel and her team were exemplary. The suggested stops in between cities were mostly unknown treasures even to locals of Spain! The guides chosen were all knowledgeable and fun. We will continue to use Kim Kim for all of our travels going forward. This was a third trip through Kim Kim and it’s been a perfect experience every time in every country!!! Thank you Kim Kim, Raquel and Team❣️😎😄

Adam and his colleagues at Icelandoffbeat were fantastic. Adam prepared a detailed trip plan based on our discussions that included hotels, sites, driving plans for each day, tickets for activities and food suggestions. Everything was mapped out. When our plans had to change because our ferry to the Westland Islands was cancelled, he adjusted our plans in real time, switching hotels and ticketed activities while sending us new itineraries so that we didn’t miss a single thing we had planned to see. He checked in throughout the trip. His prep work allowed us to focus on the sites, which were all stunning. And the activities that he booked - an ice cave, lava cave, boat ride on a glacier lagoon, two geothermal baths - all were excellent. It was an entirely stress free trip because of his planning.

Hotel Review

Fosshotel Núpar

Kálfafell

Well situated for South Coast sites. Plenty of room and great breakfast and dinner

Activity Reviews

Laugaras Lagoon

Iceland

It was so relaxing to soak in the lagoon with a drink in hand after a long of sightseeing.

Quality of Experience

Katla Ice Cave Tour

Iceland

One of our favorite activities. So amazing to see. The hike up the glacier to the cave wasn’t too hard. Just one steep portion but we had crampons so we felt comfortable. Our guide was fantastic. Kinda fun to drive off-road to get there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon amphibian boat tour

Iceland

Visually stunning to see blue icebergs floating in the lagoon. The guide was very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Whale Watching Tour

Iceland

Everything went smoothly but we saw no whales.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Nice to soak in the lagoon after our flight.

Quality of Experience

We had a fantastic trip to Spain visiting Madrid, Segovia, Seville, Cadiz and Vejer de la Frontera. Having local guides is a great way to learn history and they share recommendations for dining. We especially liked Maria in Madrid and both Maria and Lola in Seville. We enjoyed the Flamenco show and tapas tour as well as the tour of the cathedral and royal palace. The private transportation was comfortable and always timely. Jesus and Pedro Lozano were professional and enjoyable to travel with.

Janelle was easy to work with and helped us put together a trip that worked for us. She is very knowledgeable of the area and offered great suggestions. We loved the boutique hotels and dining recommendations provided.

Hotel Reviews

Radisson RED Madrid

Madrid

Hotel was clean Standard room. Just not our preference. Staff was very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very busy part of the city. Just not our preference.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Unusual decor

La Casa del Califa

Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz

Beautiful hotel. A bit noisy late night due to restaurant diners.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parador de Cádiz

Cádiz

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Romana Hotel Boutique

Sevilla

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room Mate Alba

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Monumental Seville on Foot & Visit Real Alcázar

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lola was a great guide. Offered a lot of information at a nice pace.

Seville Flamenco Experience & Tapas

Seville

Great to see the show. The tapas tour introduced us to food we would not have known to try. Maria was a fantastic guide!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Segovia Highlights Day Excursion: a Fairy Tale Getaway

Madrid

Definitely worth the trip. Beautiful city and nice train ride from Madrid.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train was easy to navigate and comfortable

Walking Madrid’s Old Town

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dalia put together an incredibe and tailored tour for me and my family. Both my Dad and I are huge military history buffs and Dalia managed to find some amazing tour guides that could walk the Battlefields with us and give us so much incredible history. Special shout out to Raul of El Primar Edecan, he was an AMAZING guide! We had him for the tours at Somosierra and Salamanca and they were the highlights of the trip!

Activity Reviews

Transfer from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} with Somosierra day trip

Spain

I would give this one 6 stars if I could. Walking the road where the legendary Polish charge occured was awe inspiring! Raul, our guide was incredible. Honestly my absolute favorite tour in Spain.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I cannot give enough props to Raul!

Transport

Salamanca Historic City & Battlefield Day Trip with Private Guide

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Raul was top notch. Incredibly knowledgeable and an amazing story teller. Made the history come to life!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hi, My friend Dave did most of the planning and decision making with Krista, our local specialist. For the most part, the trip was incredible. Though we only spent 1 night in Oslo, we enjoyed walking around seeing the sights and ate a delicious dinner. Our long drive to Odda was smooth. The Hotel Trolltunga was very nice. We liked the small town and restaurants. When our hike to Trolltunga was cancelled due to a rockslide, Krista immediately scheduled us another hike to Queen Sonya's trailhead. Next, we traveled to Stavanger, which was a great place to walk around and eat more delicious food. Absolutely loved the hike to Pulpit Rock. Unfortunately, our hike the following day to Kjeragbotten was a bust. They were to pick us up at the Clarion Hotel and never showed up. Dave was very disappointed as he is an avid hiker. Krista did manage to book us on a Fjord cruise instead. We absolutely loved Bergen. So walkable, pretty area near the water, delicious food and friendly people. We enjoyed another Fjord cruise and the Funicular ride. Didn't get to enjoy the view as it was rainy and cloudy that day. Would love a return trip to Bergen!

We had a fantastic time. Diving for Sea Urchins was incredible and super tasty!

Robert was unavailable due to an injury. This should have been communicated prior to the night before the trip. Robert's cousin, Goran, ran the trip. Logistics were not well communicated. Information regarding availability of bathrooms, water, lunch should have been communicated the night before so that we could have planned better. There was an unexpected heatwave, and while there was water provided along the way, it was warm and maybe the biking more difficult. It would have been nice if there was a cooler, with ice, water or coca cola. Additionally, the van had no air conditioning making the day even hotter when we were shuttled to beginning or end points.

Furthermore, we were required to have an app downloaded to our phones for biking route navigation. We did not know about this and were told we would need to have either a data plan and sufficient battery packs to work. We found out the morning of the first bike route. We did not bring extra battery packs because we didn't know. So each day after a few hours, the app was no longer usable for us and we had to guess the rest of our route.

The first hotel was the Marko Polo on Korcula and it was in rough shape. Our room was in the basement, it smelled of mildew and animal feces, there was a hole in the ceiling and a constant dripping sound from the bathroom. There were no other rooms to switch to per the hotel. Goran traded his room for ours. This was much appreciated. While smaller and no patio, it smelled significantly better, albeit still very dark. The entire hallway smelled horrible of mildew and animal feces. We were there for 2 nights.

Our other 2 accommodations were significantly better. The Sorgo Palace in Ston was lovely and our hostess was amazing. She prepared breakfast for us "to go" for our early morning ferry ride. She also provided us with beach towels when we realized we might need them the night before - again, this should have been communicated ahead of time so that we didn't have to scramble to find them.

Hotel Adria was very nice. Had beautiful views, and an amazing pool.

Robert did arrange for transport for us, first in Split from our hotel instead of the airport to the ferry -- actually much closer than the airport. Also, from Hotel Adria to our accommodations in Old Town in Dubrovnik and finally from Old Town to the Dubrovnik airport - all very much appreciated.

Overall -- logistics should have been better. Communication should have been better. No one should stay at the Marko Polo - ever. There is no way that is a 4 star hotel.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Adria

Dubrovnik

Nice hotel with beautiful views of the port. Comfortable and clean. Friendly staff. Very nice pool area.

Authenticity & Character

It's more of a chain hotel - not a bad thing - but authenticity and character are not words I would use.

Location

Not Old Town, but easy to get to from there

Staff

Very nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean rooms. Nice balcony views and relaxing.

Sorgo Palace

Ston

This hotel was lovely. The owner was amazing. Highly recommend staying here. The rooms were beautiful (although no elevator) so smaller luggage is suggested for climbing stairs.

Authenticity & Character

The owner

Location

Right in the center of town.

Staff

Sanja was wonderful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Very comfortable.

Marko Polo Hotel

Korcula

Do not stay at this hotel. Our room was in the basement of another part of the hotel. The room smelled of rat feces and mildew. The carpet was probably the original from the early 70's. There was a hole in the ceiling with exposed pipes/wires. The bathroom had water dripping from somewhere. The staff were like "nothing we can do".

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Better service.

Cleanliness & Comfort

update everything. have an exterminator fumigate. replace the carpets. fix the air conditioning.

Activity Review

Visit to Korčula island and town

Korčula

Except for the Marko Polo hotel...and the surrounding area - Korcula was very beautiful and the town was lovely. We were on a self-guided tour -- so we just wandered down all sorts of streets and alleys. It was great stumbling across new areas.

We had a fabulous time with our 12 year old granddaughter on our recent trip to Paris and Amboise in the Loire Valley. Sebastian selected some wonderful activities for us beyond the 4 art museums that we expected and enjoyed. Our favorites were a wonderful Patisserie cooking class with Chef Mattieu, an amazing private tour of the Marais with Livia and a very special trip to the charming town of Amboise to see the Chateau de Clos-Lucé (home of Leonardo da Vinci) and a great visit to Chenonceau & lunch at a chateau cooked by the Countess. On that tour, our guide Alexane, was so engaging and full of fascinating facts. All of the private transfers went off without a hitch! We could never have planned such a great trip on our own. Sebastian listened to what we were interested in seeing and was responsive to our feedback. We would definitely use Kim Kim again.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Littéraire Marcel Aymé, BW Premier Collection

PARIS

Charming hotel in the lively and interesting area of Montmartre. Our room was small but clean, comfortable, and quiet. The staff was super helpful and nice. And, the breakfast was an amazing with a delicious selection of patisserie and hot and cold items. There isn't a lot of closet/hook space for three people, but we were fine and the staff and service made up for it. The plus is that it's in a very cool area with numerous cafes and tiny shops. The minus is that it's a bit far from the center of the city with most of the museums and attractions. We enjoyed our stay.

Staff

La Maison Rabelais

Amboise

So beautiful and we had a great room with a private patio and hot tub and kitchenette. Wish we could have stayed more than one night!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful gardens. Rooms are well appointed and furnished.

Location

Easily walkable to town.

Staff

Very welcoming.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chambord, Chenonceau & lunch at a chateau - Full-day

France

Fabulous. Wish we could have stayed for the entire tour, but we had to leave after lunch to catch our train back to Paris. Our guide Alexane was phenomenal. She was very knowledgeable, funny, and had all sorts of stories and history. She really engaged our granddaughter as well as the adults. The Chateaus and gardens were amazing. We really enjoyed our special lunch at Villesavin Castle. Highly recommend this experience. Thanks to Sebastian, we were able to get through at least 2/3 of it and he arranged a private driver to take us to the hotel and the train that made it possible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paris Museum Pass

Paris

Great - covers all the bases. Sebastian arranged timed entry for those we wanted that require it.

Palace of Versailles Half day trip (Skip the line, audioguided & gardens) by minivan from Paris

Paris

Long trip in and out of town, but worth seeing. Our driver, Gabriel, was a charming young man, but unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to guide us inside the grounds as he had planned. He didn't have the proper credentials. The Palace was quite full of visitors. The audio guide was a bit perplexing to use, but we got the hang of it. I wish we'd spent less time in the Palace, especially the first floor, and more time in the gardens which are amazing!

Quality of Experience

The "Pletzl", The Jewish District Marais Private Tour

Paris

Again, this was one of our favorite activities. Our guide, Livia, was friendly, engaging and very knowledgeable. She was great in interacting with our granddaughter. She gave us so much interesting history about the area and the history of the Jews in France. We had a wonderful visit to the Holocaust Museum and the memorials in the area. She also recommended several places to eat that we enjoyed on a later visit, especially La Du Felafel. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

French Boulangerie Class in Paris

Paris

This was one of our favorite activities enjoyed by all of us. The chef, Matthieu, was energetic, engaging and a great teacher. And we ended up with bags of delicious pastries after the class. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guided tour of Paris and secret Montmartre in a Citroën 2CV

Paris

Very fun. Our driver, Niko, took us not just in Montmartre, but he took us by other things that we had not yet seen like the Moulin Rouge, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Pantheon. He also stopped the car and took a sweet photo of us popped up through the top of the car with the Eiffel Tower in the background. We thought that the "tour" would have a set agenda, but he wanted us to tell him what we wanted to see and we weren't quite prepared for that. He ended in Saint-Germain-des-Prés at a restaurant that he recommended and we had dinner there, but we had to find our way by taxi back to the hotel afterward. It was fun buzzing around and taking photos through the top of the car.

Entrance ticket and Audioguide to the "Musée de l'Orangerie"

Paris

Of course we love the collection here, but once we entered, they said that our tickets did NOT include an audio guide. However, it was still lovely to see the Monet water lilies and there was a super exhibit of Rousseau and other artists on the lower level.

Paris: Illuminations Seine River Cruise

Paris

Great way to start our trip - relaxing

Everything about the trip was outstanding from a planning, support, and vendor perspective. Angela was on top of every aspect throughout the trip with boarding passes, drivers, and lodging preparation. The app with the agenda was a tremendous help.

Hotel Reviews

Sole d'oro Luxury Suites

Santorini

Hot tubs on roof were amazing and used nightly! In our two bedroom suite, bathrooms were outside the rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance from Oia town center.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Antony Suites

Naxos

The multi-levels within the room was a bit tricky. 3 steps between bed and bathroom and bed and shower.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near town and beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eiriana Suites

Milos

Beautiful hotel, no extra frills, but perfect for our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sweet Home Hotel

Athens

Easy walk to key sites.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Size of the party was too big for the guide to adapt for needs of individuals. Left a member of our party behind when they went to the WC. They never caught back up with the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore the South Coastline of Santorini with kayaks - Sunset including dinner in a Taverna!

Santorini

Incredible tour. The guide was fun and elevated the trip to the capabilities of the guests.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caldera Hike (Day or Sunset) with meal 2026

Santorini

This and the kayak tour were the highlights of the trip. The guide was amazing and tremendous fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aegean Lush Bike tour

Naxos

Beautiful scenery

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Naxos Town Food Tour - afternoon with dinner

Naxos

Guide was the highlight of this activity. Scenery was great, food good, walk fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide's stories and experience were much of the fun.

Full Day Sailing Tour Around Milos (Catamaran from Adamas)

Greece

Great staff that tried real hard. Very rough seas made the trip very tough for half our party.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gummi was an excellent coordinator of our trip and took personal interest as we started our adventure. He stayed in touch and reached out quickly when we hit a snag or two. Not only professional but someone who genuinely cared that our trip was a positive one .
Iceland was amazing and the itinerary fit our needs .

Our trip to Japan was very enjoyable and we learned a lot. We found our local specialist to be very responsive and helpful. All the transfers worked really well. Some drivers were particularly memorable such as the one who took us to the falls and Mount Fuji. Our most impressive driver/guide was in Takayama and Shirakawa-go . She was outstanding as a guide and was an excellent driver. The guides were generally quite knowledgeable for the most part. One improvement would be more complete descriptions of what to expect on the guided tours. For example, a gentle hike to see the 10,000 Toriis was anything but.

Accommodations varied. For the most they were fine. Our biggest challenges were the size of the rooms sometimes and features of a room that were difficult to navigate for older travelers such as the one in Kanazawa, Soki, due to the configuration of the beds and extremely small room,

The attractions and the historical sites were memorable and educational. The notable ones were the tea ceremony, the Buddhist Zen experience, and the visit to Shirakawa-go, and in general just exploring the different cities. We found traveling via mass transit from the local subways to the Shinkansen to be easy to navigate.

Overall, a good experience with no significant regrets. Happy we went.

We loved the private tour to Windsor Castle and Hampton Court with David. And, actually the free day the we were given by accident in both London and Paris were wonderful. Next trip we will schedule a free day intentionally. Paris was a blast. The D' Orsea was not to be missed. We could have gone back for a second day.

Tatiana was ever attentive and super positive. Next up, Venice!

B

I thought a long time about this review. It was an absolutely awesome trip.
Berlin is the city of my heart. I did not want to leave. It is clean, safe, friendly, and beautiful. We did have to walk a LOT because our phones did not work outside the hotel. I had thought this would likely be the case but also thought there would be prepaid phone stores with travel phones. We never found those. Our amazing walking tour guide, Lee Evan, told us we could get a SIM at the O2 store in the subway. The SIMs don’t work with iPhones but one of us has a Samsung android. It was only data so gave us GPS but not the ability to call a taxi or verify a phone number to use a rideshare app. If we didn’t find anyone to call a cab we just walked. We did find a pharmacy and got Neurofen (ibuprofen) and a generic for Volteran pain creme to rub on our feet. The pharmacist was very helpful.
Dresden is pretty with amazing architecture.
We had a Prague 1 and Prague 2. Because we had to stay an extra night we got a different hotel on a different side of Prague and it was the Prague I had imagined.
To explain, and this has no impact on this review but when moving our luggage from Dresden to Prague I left a small bag on the train. It had my passport. I didn’t bring a purse or crossbody bag because I had heard thieves cut the strap and take them. (We had no encounters like that at all and lots of people carry crossbody bags there). I would suggest when moving luggage from place to place to use a crossbody bag or a waist pouch (bum bag or fanny pack depending on the country) for the passport so it isn’t part of the luggage you have to gather and always of course keep your drivers license and credit card in a small wallet in your front pocket like at home.
So Prague part 1. The lift at the Prague Season hotel wasn’t working so we had to take our luggage up five levels of stairs. They said it would be repaired that evening. It was not. That day was a one day heatwave. We went out anyway. The area was dirty and had graffiti. There were penis things just out in display windows. Penis candles, giant stuffed penis, little plastic figures having sex, and every marajuana themed thing you can imagine. We walked to the astronomical clock, took some pictures there but while we were waiting at the clock I started to get sick from the heat so we headed back to the hotel. By the time I got up five floors I was throwing up. Fortunately ONE of our rooms had air conditioning so we all went in there. I forget what activity we had because we had to cancel. We all spent the night in the room with air conditioning both nights we were there. We all thought we hated Prague.
The little village where the Sedlac Ossuary is located is cute. The person who really wanted to see the bone church was awestruck by it. I was enchanted by the village. It was much cooler that day and we spent a lot of time at the little cafe across from the church having lunch and drinks. None of us wanted to go back to Prague.
Prague part 2. The lift at the hotel did get fixed but even though we had to stay an extra day because of the passport issues we did not want to stay there! We got an air conditioned room at a hotel called The Golden Wheel. The area around there is everything we thought Prague would be! We nearly walked our feet off trying to see it all and at night there is a horror movie themed pub and a real goth bar. There was also an amazing music festival coming up but sadly, we had to go home. 😢

Hotel Reviews

Prague Season Hotel

Prague

I might give it better if the lift had not been broken but maybe not.

Authenticity & Character

Honestly I don’t remember if it was “authentic”. I do know only one of our two rooms had air conditioning so we all slept in there and it was tiny.

Location

If you enjoy penis shaped everything, marijuana themed everything and graffiti, this is the area for you!

Staff

I think the service would have been fine if the lift worked

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean yes, also up five flights without a lift because it was broken and ONE of our two rooms had air conditioning so we all slept in there.

Star G Hotel Premium Dresden Altmarkt

Dresden

It is nice. Plenty of room, amazing view. You can walk all over the central part of Dresden from here

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albrechtshof Hotel

Berlin

It is a bit of a walk and across the river from everything you came here to see but there are cafes nearby so if you just want to chill in the area it’s fine. It’s very nice, clean, no air conditioning but you do get a large fan. The breakfast is amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It’s a pretty good walk to get to the other side of the river. Everything Berlin is famous for is over there.

Staff

So helpful with directions, calling cabs, explaining things

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Berlin Introduction

Berlin

I love Berlin! It’s clean, safe, friendly, and beautiful! There is so much to enjoy. No matter who you are there is something you will like.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Had a great tour, driver Housanie was great, saw many new sites and enjoyed my time in Morroco.