Kimkim Trip Reviews

We were very fortunate to finally go on this trip as our original booking was in June 2020. Julia remained in contact over the past two years answering any questions we had. The rebooking of our original itinerary was without issue.

Our trip to Norway was fantastic. The hotels were great and the transportation was seamless. Although we found the entire country very beautiful our most memorable places were Geiranger for its views and hiking and the Lofoten island chain for its incredible scenic drive.

Our trip was the trip of a lifetime! After our long day of flying we were met at hotel du vin by the unbelievable staff! Ben actually parked our car in their disabled parking for us so that my mom wouldn’t have to walk back and forth from the qpark. He was an exceptional human and I hope to pass on his kindness!
Our driver guides, Stuart for Edinburgh and Ian for The Isle of Skye were nothing short of amazing! They were so kind and knowledgeable and generally good people. I highly recommend them both for anyone wishing for a guided tour of the area! Stuart took us to Blackness Castle, where part of Outlander was filmed and Ian went off of his way to take us to Skye Skyns. It was the best!
Driving through Edinburgh was a bit rough just due to the unbelievable amount of people and traffic, but eventually we got the hang of it!
Owen was wonderful during this entire process and really planned a trip tailored to us! He even had a Scottish history book sent to our hotel! It was a wonderful heartfelt surprise!
I will absolutely use Owen and KimKim for all trips we plan in the future!

Everything is well planned. Johanna is very helpful, respectful and very knowledgeable in everything .
She surprised me with her ability to answer questions and call any time of the day.
My family enjoyed our trip to Peru. All the amazing places that we wanted to see, we’ve visited at no time! Our tour guide Luiz of Cusi Travel is very helpful and smart! He was always ready to provide us his hiking sticks to help us while hiking, he was very helpful. . He kept us focus to what he was trying to explain to us. We leaned so much about Peru because of Luiz . Our visit to Salt Mines we’re fantastic! The person ( I forgot his name) who tour us and guide us at Mountain View was very nice. We enjoyed our food and the people ate fantastic at Mountain View. Our ATV ride was awesome the view of the mountain is so awesome and the Llmas and the Alpacas are so cute. We love everything about our Peru trip. We will definitely refer Johanna and Kimkim to our friends and family. Thank you guys for making our Peru trip so memorable! Machu Picchu, Cusco, Maras, Inca Trail, Rainbow Mountain, Perurail, and the Peruvian people we will never forget you. ❤️❤️❤️

Hotel Reviews

Tierra Viva Valle Sagrado Urubamba

Urubamba

The hotel is beautiful! The breakfast is great! The staff is very welcoming. I love the architecture of the hotel it’s very homey. And the view is so wonderful! You are surrounded by the magnificent view of teh mountains !

Tips for future travelers

I am not so sure if this hotel is near to any restaurants, busy streets, etc. because we only stayed for a night but who cares, a day or 2 of quietness is great for our body.

Authenticity & Character

I like the architecture and the design of the rooms. It’s wonderful and clean.

Location

Surrounded by the beautiful mountains. Tranquility of this place is heavenly.

Staff

The staff are very welcoming and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well maintained. Very clean. The garden is beautifull.

Casa Andina Standard Cusco San Blas

Cusco

The hotel is always clean. The staff are very helpful and respectful. The location is so great! It very near to the center of Cusco. Walking distance to everything. The hotel breakfast was nice. I love that it is very near to the Plaza where restaurants, grocery store, transportation, money changers and so on … everything you need is just steps away. Here you can meet and see local and be amaze of their community.

Authenticity & Character

The totality of it.

Location

Staff

They are always ready to serve you and welcome you anytime of the day.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I love that our room is always kept clean everyday. You will be surprise that when you come home after a long day of journey, you will be welcome with your room so organize and clean again.

Tierra Viva Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

The location is great! Very convenient, near to train and bus station, restaurants, market and everything! The breakfast is great. The view from the breakfast table is very nice. Clean and very accommodating.

Tips for future travelers

You would love to stay at this hotel. It’s conveniently located to anything. The hotel is clean and well maintained. The staff is helpful and trustworthy they gave us back the things that we left in our hotel room. So very kind of them!

Authenticity & Character

The hotel is beautiful and clean. The paintings at the lobby is nice. The restaurant and the hotel lobby are well ventilated and nice.

Location

Perfectly located at the center of Machu Picchu town .

Staff

Ahhh,,,, the staff are wonderful and very helpful at all times!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room and the totality of the hotel is great. Well maintained.

Activity Reviews

Moray & Maras, and ATV Tour

Peru

The mountain view experience is so wonderful! The staffs are friendly. The food is so yummy! Our tour guide is so helpful and friendly and very respectful to their guests! The place is beautiful and the mountain view is so amazing!!! It’s like you are in a postcard. It so wonderful here.

Quality of Experience

Wonderful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide is very helpful. He is a wonder person and very friendly and sincere in what he is doing. I can tell that he loves what he is doing. And very proud of his district..

Transport

Our ATV tour/ ride is one of teh highlights of our Maras tour. Wonderful experience.

Fly from Lima to Cusco, Explore the City

Peru

We had a great experience. Peru ha so much to see and learn. Cusco is beautiful! It was an amazing experience. The people , the food, the richness of their history there is so Much to absorb and learn. Our whole family was amaze by the beauty of it and the surprised by the charm of Peruvian people.

Quality of Experience

Everything! As in everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver ( I forgot his name) is great. Our tour guide Luiz and our driver were fantastic ! They are lovely people. We are like family! We created friendship during our stay. Our trip have become memorable because of them and to all people we met and helped us starting with the 2 people (a man and a woman) who welcomed us from the airport and they were the ones who transported us back to the airport at the end of our trip. So helpful of them to return our passport when we accidentally left them in the van, totally my fault., argh!

Transport

On time all the time! The drivers and the staff are very patient, helpful. I was surprised by the ability of our driver ( I forgot his name) he is one of the best driver I’ve met in my whole life. I even joke my husband that he met his counterpart, he is as good as him when driving. He drives carefully and cares about his passengers and his van.

Half Day Cusco Tour

Peru

Everything that we experienced here is priceless! The people, the food, the city is so wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide Luiz is very patient and knowledgeable with everything, the whole family enjoyed his story of how rich the history of Peru and richness of Peru itself. Our driver is amazing. He drives careful and cares about his passenger hai his van. Our mountain view guides are great as well. He was very calm and gracious to us. The staff at mountain view restaurants are very friendly and the food was so yummy. We love the view of the mountain and the alpacas. We love how we are surrounded by the goats, alpaca and the Llmas while eating. They are so cute and friendly animals!

Transport

Starting from the airport transports to our tour drivers and vans were fanstastic! From beginning to end is wonderful!

From the start Antonia was efficient! Everything was planned perfectly and any changes I wanted to make in the itinerary she took care of. She literally left no detail out for the trip. The best part is that she came to meet us with some treats and was available to us 24 hours a day. I would recommend Antonia to everyone because she was easy to work with and very responsive to our needs.

This was the first time we have used kimkim.com. I have to say Sarah was absolutely wonderful. She was always very responsive if any questions arose. The entire trip that she planed for us on the Dalmatia Coast was perfect. All of the hotel's were 4-5 star. We did a walking food tour in Split, visited Krka National Park plus lunch (our driver was great as well as the lunch), day long boat ride from Hvar to Vis Island and Pakleni with another fabulous lunch, a biking and vineyard tour on Korcula Island, had awesome lunch at a farm outside of Cavtat (cute little seaside village and then on to Dubrovnik, Old Town was very cool and the restaurants food and service was over the moon. Then things turned crazy when my wife tested positive for Covid for the return to the USA. Sarah was so helpful in rearranging our schedule and making sure we were good and taken care of. That really means a lot when your in County you're not familiar with. Sarah, you are an angel!

This was an excellent trip from start to finish. James was instrumental in giving us choices for our time in Portugal and easily amended the trip when we added side adventures to the original itinerary.
Hotels were beautiful with friendly staff, comfortable rooms and wonderful morning breakfasts. The restaurants that we chose for each of the three main cities had excellent cuisine, great service and atmosphere. And, of course, first-rate Portuguese wines!
Our guides and drivers on this trip were very knowledgable and friendly. Even entertaining! They love showing off their incredible country.
We had a bit of a problem at the end of the trip, but James' team came to the rescue and all was resolved in short order.
All in all, a fantastic trip, well-designed and gave us a great taste of Portugal. We'll have many pleasant memories for years to come.

Our 12-day mother/daughter trip to Italy in May was AMAZING and it was all because of Andrea, our travel specialist from kimkim! We went to Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, Castellina in Chianti and Amalfi! Andrea listened to what we wanted and planned everything down to the last detail perfectly! From a laid-back walking tour in Rome to a fantastic cooking class and lunch on an organic farm/winery in Tuscany - it was like he read our minds! The hotels he chose were perfect for us and it was so great to have all the days planned out, the private cars arranged, and the train tickets purchased in advance! I never would have been able to plan that all myself! He went above and beyond and even called me as we arrived in Italy to make sure we found our driver at the airport and gave me restaurant recommendations throughout the trip! It was so personalized - we couldn't have had a better experience! I highly recommend kimkim (and Andrea!) to anyone looking for a great travel experience!

The tours were great! Informative and interesting especially of the Parthenon and the Medieval City in Rhodes. Amber Light Villas in Santorini was simply beautiful. Greece was just amazing and we all had a wonderful time!

Overall this was a fantastic trip. Accommodations were very nice and the trips took us to places that helped my kids and I form some amazing memories. Planning was easy, Jenny was always accessible before the trip and responded quickly to my inquiries, I would definitely work with her and Kimkim again. The last hotel did not have our booking (or really just couldn't find it) and Michele from Kimkim resolved the matter quickly.

The only thing that was disappointing is that there was no way we were awake enough after traveling for almost 24 hours to do the first event that was planned for us. We were really looking forward to snorkeling but having almost fallen asleep behind the wheel on the way there, it was not possible. I take some responsibility in not really thinking this through, however I'm also not sure how many people would be up for snorkeling after being awake/traveling through the night.

Of note: Google maps, was unreliable in some pretty significant ways. Make sure the option "rerouting to save time" is off on your preferences, but even when that is off, double check your destination with Waze or some other mapping program. There were at least 5 instances (that I can think of right now) where google took us the wrong way. Once, it actually put us in a somewhat dangerous situation that would have been very problematic had I continued on the road it recommended. I loved having the destinations mapped out, but after the first wrong directions I was constantly checking Waze. One time it literally had us turn right when we should have turned left and because there's often not a convenient/safe place to turn around, we had to travel 20 minutes in the wrong direction which again, is no one's fault but terribly annoying.

Despite these issues, this was a fantastic trip and I would work with Kimkim again.

Lorena was fantastic at (a) tailoring the trip to my preferences; (b) taking on feedback and adjusting the schedule dynamically; (c) highly responsive and going above and beyond on service.
Thoroughly recommend!

Our trip was amazing! We went to Rome, Cinque Terre, and Florence. The care, thought and planning that went into our hotel stays, activities, and private transportation was phenomenal. Ina's recommendations for site-seeing and food were spot on, our favorite moment was visiting Brac bookstore/restaurant in Florence because she wrote about it- it was a favorite experience of mine (vegetarian food in Florence!).

If you are going to Italy- Kimkim is your way to go. They made the process so simple and easy to follow, and when I did have questions (for example, confusion on when we were doing a Vatican museum tour) they were responsive on Whatsapp every time.

We just arrived back from an amazing vacation experience in Costa Rica. Yuliana planned the perfect trip for our family. We enjoyed the white-water rafting, amazing tours to see wildlife, zip-lining...really everything. The highest praise came from my husband who signed up with kimkim while we were in Costa Rica to travel to another destination! Thank you for the wonderful vacation!
Amy

Harris was so helpful and available to us whenever we needed, not to mention the itinerary he made us was beautiful! The locations of the hotels were unbeatable, and the prices were very good, I would absolutely recommend kimkim and Harris if you want a beautiful experience!

Fantastic trip in Jordan. The highlights were Jerash, Petra and Wadi Rum. Guides were knowledgeable and provided useful insights on the places we visited. Everything was well organized - good job, Samir!

Hotel Reviews

Memories Aicha Luxury Camp

Wadi Rum

Luxury in the middle of desert! Very clean even if remote location and high turnout of travellers (most travellers stay 1 night) makes keeping cleanliness difficult. The only suggestion I have is to find a way to provide Internet access (I know it is extremely difficult due to remote location, but maybe a solution can be found.

Tips for future travelers

Book this hotel if you need to syay overnight in Wadi Rum.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petra Marriott Hotel

Wadi Musa

Fantastic location, excellent breakfast (including very good cappuccino which was not available at Crowne Plaza on Dead Sea) - the best hotel on Petra area even if it is not close to the Petra site - you can see a magical sunset from hotel’s backyard or terrace.

Tips for future travelers

Book this hotel if you need to stay overnight in Petra.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fantastic sunset,

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crowne Plaza Jordan Dead Sea Resort & Spa, an IHG Hotel

Sweimeh

Good hotel, but a little bit too crowded - especially at breakfast, In 2 days we were not able to get a capuchins at breakfast - we asked but they said they don’t have - for a 5 star hotel I don’t think this is acceptable. Another issue was the beach - it was not well prepared - especially the entrance in the water - based on the layout there is a lot of work which needs to be done to bring the beach at 5 star hotel level.

Tips for future travelers

I suggest to go to another hotel such as Movenpick.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crowne Plaza Amman

Amman

Decent hotel, but room was a little tired and also we had issues with toilet flushing - it did not have enough power and water so it clogged at some point. Every time we had to flush we were concerned it might get clogged again (we would prefer to relax in vacation not getting stressed each time we had to go to toilet).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Toilet flushing

Activity Reviews

Trip to Masada & Qumran

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wadi Rum (2-3 Hrs Jeep ride)

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Little Petra ( Beidha)

Jordan

Quality of Experience

There were less beggars than on main site, but we still met a few.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Petra

Quality of Experience

Too many beggars - government should not allow them inside Petra site. You have to constantly fend off or hassle with beggars. The site is spectacular, but experience is marred by beggars and dirtiness of certain places - we tried to enter one of the caves carved in the mountain and there was an awful smell of urine.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shoback Castle

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Karak Citadel

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bethany ( Baptism site)

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Madaba & Mount Nebo Visit

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman-Umm Qais-Jarash-Ajloun-Amman

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman half day City tour

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Meet & Assist - Queen Alia Airport

Jordan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was fantastic. Everything went so smoothly. We saw a lot and learned so much about Morocco. Our driver, Sallam, was awesome. He went above and beyond to make our trip special. He was knowledgeable and very fun! We were travelling with our young adult kids (21 and 24 years old) who really enjoyed travelling with and learning from Sallam. Other local guides (sorry I forgot names) were also excellent and very open to sharing their life experiences with us so we could experience more of the culture.

Linda had to plan our trip not once but three times thanks to COVID. It was well worth the wait! The best part for us was the local touch. While other folks walked around in groups of 20 struggling to hear one guide tell stories, our family had one guide all to ourselves. They provided great insight and a personal touch I don't think we would have had with another company.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Byporten

Oslo

Awesome central location and fun decor. But the rooms are very cramped.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Midtnes Hotel

Balestrand

The view from the hotel was fantastic! But the hotel itself is old and lacking any amenities. If you know that going in, you'll be fine. The owner is lovely and attentive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Byparken

Bergen

Perfect location, great breakfast. The rooms were a bit small and could use some updating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

It was amazing how much Stig knew about Oslo's history. He was very thoughtful about including our whole family in the experience and even sent a photo after the tour was over.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Scenic Boat Trip to Fjærland

Norway

Captain Tor was fantastic. He made sure each of us was able to see or do something we wanted or didn't even know we wanted. My son had a special request to fish and he let him cast a little bit even though we weren't on a fishing cruise. He let my daughter drive - something she was nervous about at first but ultimately loved.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Bergen with a Local

Bergen

Vilde was lovely - lots of great history of Bergen as well as tips for just about anything we wanted to do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Every single guide was so passionate and informed and hospitable! We especially liked Alexander. He was very personable, fun and kind.

I do not even know where to begin! When we first discovered the Lofoten Islands, we knew we had to get there but didn't know the first thing about how. Julia was incredibly helpful with mapping out the best way to get there and what to see. Her suggestion to see more than just the Lofoten Islands was so appreciated as we were able to explore so much more of northern Norway and see places we'd never heard of it nor would we have ever known about if it were not for Julia. We flew into Tromso and drove to Sommaroy for a night's stay at the wonderful Artic Hotel. Then we were off to Senja Island which was AMAZING! We stayed at the Hamn I Senja with the most incredible views. We were a little concerned about taking ferries but they turned out to be no issue--just make sure you get there early to avoid any anxiety. We didn't need tickets ahead of time except for the final ferry to Bodo from Moskenes. Staying in the Lofoten Islands was so wonderful as we go kayaked in Reine and explore the "big" city of Svolvaer. My only compliant is that we had to leave!

Thank you! It was an amazing trip.

All the flights worked out. Very smooth.
Lucas in Rio was awesome. And the tours were great. The bike tour was dangerous to be on busy city streets. Along the beach was fine. But my 12 year old got bumped by a truck on the busy streets with no bike lane. Got a bruise. Luckily it wasn’t worse. Carlos was great on the Corcovado tour. Unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate. Lots of rain and clouds. But we had a memorable time.

Orico was great at Iguaçu Falls. Very knowledgeable and definitely indispensable in the process to get over to the Argentina side of the falls. Again that bike trip was dangerous. The should is not very wide on that highway and my 15 year old was inches from getting hit by a bus. Very scary. But besides that we had a great time.

I would not recommend the bike tours next time. Or at least 18 and older and very competent on a bike if you’re going to do it.

Dalia is the best trip coordinator that we have ever worked with. A true all-star in her profession. We were trying to give our sons a 10-day overview of the south of Spain. We told her that we were going to have an aggressive schedule and that we wanted to cover as much as possible. From zip lining in Toledo to riding camels in Tangiers, Morrocco; from hot air ballooning in Cordoba to olive oil tastings and wine tastings in Montilla.....Dalia had us covered every step of the way. The lodging she recommended was exceptional. Every apartment and hotel exceeded expectations. And what can we say about the tour guides? Daniel in Toledo was like a long-lost older brother to our sons. Juan brought royal Madrid to life. And there was Said in Tangiers.....making certain that the city was magical and going the extra mile to ensure we did not miss our ferry home. We cannot wait to come back to explore in greater detail. I would recommend working with Dalia to anyone looking to visit the region.

Activity Reviews

Day trip: Montilla Hot air Balloon, Olive Oil & Wine Region Day Trip

Spain

What a day!!!! I always say that the people you meet and the experiences that you allow yourself to have are what make trips memorable. This will be a day that will stay with my kids forever. From our hot air balloon captain to our friends at Juan Colin (the kings of olive oil) to the winemakers at Montilla Moriles...you won't encounter finer people. And to top it off, you get to spend time with one of nicest people walking the earth in Dalia.....who opens this world of sensory experiences to all.

Quality of Experience

An experience that we will remember forever. A true sensory experience!!!!

Food

Olive oil, wine, Iberico ham........do I need to say more. Mind blowing!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dalia is the nicest, kindest person that we encountered on our trip. I cannot wait to come back to Spain and work with her again

Transport

The van was extremely comfortable!!!!

Toledo Day Trip with Private City Tour & ziplining (Self-drive)

Madrid

Is there a more energetic and passionate guide than Daniel? He is charisma personified. If so, I need to see it to believe it. By the end of the tour my teenage boys thought he was their long-lost older brother that we never told them about. His love for his hometown of Toledo is worn on his sleeve. The walking tour of the old city was a true walk through history. We loved every step. If you are coming to Toledo, Daniel is your guy hands down!!!!!

Quality of Experience

Daniel is the gold standard for all future guides!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

What I said about.....Daniel is a rock star!!!

Madrid Guided Tour with Royal Palace

Madrid

Juan was unbelievably knowledgeable and engaging. His passion for Madrid is worn on his proverbial sleeve. He recounted the history of bullfighting to my teenage boys and took them to the Madrid bullring. The tour of the royal palace was spectacular. But best of all was walking the streets and asking questions. Juan is a one-man encyclopedia. He took us to a special market that locals frequent for lunch. So much fun!!! He even helped us set up our own walking tour back to the hotel once our tour was over. Juan is an all-star guide and an all-star person!!

Quality of Experience

Juan Juan Juan

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As I said above, Juan was an all-star. His knowledge and passion is unmatched

Transport

Juan got us a comfortable taxi to ride around in

Day trip to Tangiers

Spain

First and foremost, Said and Said (our Moroccan host and guide) made certain that we filled every minute of our day trip to Tangiers. The driving tour of the city was breathtaking. RIding camels on the beach was a once in a lifetime experience. The lunch in the old city was off the charts (don't miss the soup....even on a hot day!!!). Walking the markets, the spice stores, the synagogues of the old city was magical. My younger son had lots of questions and Said answered everything. We can't wait to explore Morocco further.

Quality of Experience

Everything

Food

The soup, the soup, the soup!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Said was the omniscient guru of Morocco!!!

Transport

Comfortable ride