Kimkim Trip Reviews

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

La guía turística Sonia y el chofer Donato fueron muy excelentes, puntuales, amables y serviciales. Para mí fue muy memorable visitar machupichu, rainbow mountain, el valle sagrado, la vía Ferrara, en fin todo. Su organización y puntualidad fue muy sorprendente. Disfrutamos a millón.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Agustin Plaza

Cuscom

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Agustin Urubamba

Urubamba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel El Tambo

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fly from Cusco to Lima

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainbow Mountain Trek

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering the Treasures of Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Moray & Maras, and ATV Tour

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Via Ferrata & Ziplining

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacred Valley Tour

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Cusco Tour

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly from Lima to Cusco, Explore the City

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lima Food Tour

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paracas, Ballestas Islands, Winery Tour, and Desert Adventure Day Trip from Lima

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lucia helped us out so much after we had some inconvenience getting into Ecuador, and had to change our flights and plans at such short notice.
The itinerary was amazing, with lots of snorkeling, and day trips, with some free time to explore and do more ourselves.
The only minor inconvenience was that when it said that breakfast was included we were not sure if it was in the hotel or on the tour. It was in the hotel so we missed breakfast our first day
All the guides in the Galapagos were very knowledgeable and helpful.

Activity Reviews

Wildlife Tour on Isabela Island

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Pinzon Island & La Fé

Puerto Ayora

First snorkel spot was very wavy and tough to see much. Second snorkel spot was so clear as we swam with sea lions, turtles, sharks and more! Definitely worth it for the second snorkel alone. Did some fishing (didn't catch anything unfortunately), got a lovely lunch on the boat, and enjoyed both la fe and pinzon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Incredible snorkeling experiences, guide knew the best spots and was very accomodating to help get pictures and videos using the GoPro. Very knowledgeable on the local wildlife and surrounding area

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Speedboat to Santa Cruz Island & Kayaking on Tortuga Bay

Galapagos Islands

Our guide Viviana was great but we couldn't see much on the kayaks as the water was quite cloudy and dirty. Tortuga bay is a must visit on Santa Cruz island though!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Bay Tour & Afternoon at leisure in Santa Cruz

Puerto Ayora

Great snorkeling, some great videos and pictures from this experience, and our guide knew the best places to see turtles and other fish. The hike and swim were also incredible

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Great way to get to know the Galapagos and the local wildlife

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I would like to thank kimkim for making my honeymoon a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We had a lot of things going on prior to the honeymoon with our wedding, but Harris made sure our experience was amazing. From the very beginning, he followed up with any changes we asked him to make and he also made some last-minute changes for us in regard to some tour changes that needed to be made. During our two-week stay in Italy and Greece, all of our transfers not only came on time but they actually came a few minutes early. Every meeting spot was detailed perfectly and throughout our trip, we could reach out to the support team and they helped us answer any questions. All of our tickets were printed out by the hotels prior to when we had to leave and we were in constant communication throughout the trip. I have recommended kimkim to many other friends already and will continue to let others know what a wonderful job they did. I will definitely be using them again if I plan another trip. If you're looking to have an enjoyable trip without any disruption, I will guarantee you that both kimkim and Harris are worth every penny!

Othman was great to work with! He planned an amazing itinerary and we had the best trip ever! Othman really understands Iceland and tailored our trip perfectly with our family's needs and interests in mind. We especially loved the glacier lagoon tour, glacier hike, and horseback riding. In addition, he set us up with the perfect accommodations. Othman was always responsive to my questions, and answered in a timely manner. If you are planning a trip to Iceland, Othman is the man to help!

Hotel Reviews

Garður Apartments

Gardur

Quaint seaside village, walking distance to restaurant. Quiet neighborhood. Comfy beds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dalshöfði Guesthouse

Kirkjubaejarklaustur

Unique location, surprisingly modern accommodations. Very comfortable beds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hestheimar

Hella

Beautiful location. Friendly staff. Loved the horses! We could have stayed here forever.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stay Apartments Einholt

Reykjavik

Pros: great space and the beds were comfy Cons: run down, laundry facility in other building, and water really, really smelled like rotten eggs. Location was ok but would have preferred being closer to downtown area.

Tips for future travelers

basic accommodation - if you just need a place to sleep, this place will be fine.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon Zodiac boat tour

Iceland

This was a family fave!

Skaftafell Nature Preserve

Iceland

Solheimajokull glacier hike & ice climbing

Iceland

Super fun!

Gullfoss Waterfall

Iceland

Loved this!

Geysir Geothermal Area

Golden Circle

Amazing!

Kerið Crater

Iceland

Cool site!

Þingvellir National Park

Iceland

Interesting, although other sights were more amazing.

Quality of Experience

Horses and Hot Springs

Iceland

Fun to ride Icelandic horses, however some of our horses did not seem interested in following the commands given. Staff seemed on autopilot. Not super enthusiastic. Would maybe try a different horse riding experience next time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Loved the Blue Lagoon!

Quality of Experience

We had the most amazing trip to France because of Simon. He helped us plan out every detail. We enjoyed fantastic excursions, our favorites being a wine tour in Bandol & Cassis and a cooking course in Provence that was absolutely incredible in a Michelin starred kitchen! Simon was also available and incredibly responsive when I had a couple questions during our trip. I cannot say enough good things about Simon and the unforgettable trip he helped design for my family. Merci beaucoup Simon!!!!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Le Parisis Paris Tour Eiffel

Paris

We loved the location and our view of the Eiffel tower, the rooms are quite small and the bathrooms left a little to be desired (paint chipping in showers, a little unsightly).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Capelongue Bonnieux

Bonnieux

This hotel is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer from Paris hotel to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

France

On time and pleasant! Also were prepared with car seats for our children which was very appreciated!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

(DU) Evening Eiffel Tower Private Tour + tickets

Paris

Wow! The eiffel tower at sunset was unbelievable! It is a MUST DO!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private exclusive cooking class, Spa and Dinner in Joucas

France

This was our favorite excursion. We couldnt believe how hands on the chefs were and how much time they spent with us! Unfortunately there wasn’t enough time to use the spa, but the 7 course meal was amazing!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full-day Private Cassis & Bandol Rosé Wine Tour

France

So fun! Great trip and beautiful views! Our guide was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

DU Restaurant | Welcome gastronomic dinner in Aix en Provence

Aix-en-Provence

Of all of the restaurants we enjoyed on our trip, this one was one of our least favorites.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My husband and I knew we wanted to go to Peru for our honeymoon, but we weren't sure how to make the most of the time we had on our own. I found Kristy through Kimkim.com, and she was amazing from start to finish! She helped us to find the best balance of all the things we wanted to do within a budget that worked for us. She also got us connected with some really great guides through Lima Gourmet (Sylvia is a gem!) and Cusi Travel (Edy and Jose Luis are the best!). Our guides were very knowledgable and we are grateful to have gotten to see Peru history and culture from their local perspective.

We cannot recommend Kristy enough - we'll be talking about this trip for years to come!

My girlfriend and I work rather long days and by the time the night or weekends roll around, we don't want to be bothered with doing anything that requires effort. We made a few attempts at planning trips on our end (we both struggle to make decisions), kept going circles, months had passed, and finally we just decided to have someone else do all the work.

We found KimKim doing a quick google search, noticed that they wanted to ask you about what type of holiday you wanted, but then also had sample itineraries. We chose the first sample we saw for Costa Rica and was put in contact with Brittany. She reached out to us shortly after and was really responsive with any questions or concerns that we had.

She literally did everything for us including arranging our inbound transfer the day before our itinerary began and extending our stay one day beyond the planned itinerary.

I don't really remember any of the other guides names but I think Ride Costa Rica was the primary transportation provider that took us around. Each driver was punctual and chatty enough.

We would have missed quite a bit of the city of San Jose if we didn't choose to do the walking tour. The guy who took us around showed us several neighborhoods that we probably would not have found on our own.

All the hotels were nice. The hotel we chose in Arenal had individual hot tubs and a good restaurant on site. The hotel in Manuel Antonio had amazing views of the sea.

I can't really say I had a favorite place (each was as nice as the previous) but the ocean temperature was incredibly pleasant (I typically find most oceans to be too cold to swim in).

Overall, if you want someone else to do the legwork for you, consider booking with KimKim. We are already planning on booking another trip with them.

Thanks, Brittany!

Todd & Annie

Our accommodations were great and our Guide, Denis Beakey, was AMAZING!!! Extremely knowledgeable and pleasant. He was a five star guide for a five star experience.

We used Kimkim to help us arrange a 17 day tour of Greece. (We booked the trip in early March.) We wanted to see as much as possible since it was our first trip to Greece. We did 9 cities in total, including the islands Crete (Chania and Heraklion), Santorini, and Naxos. We also visited Meteora, Delphi, Olympia, Nafplio, and finally Athens. The arrangements included most of the hotels, transfers, ferries, a flight, a catamaran cruise, and rental cars in two locations. And some private tours and activities. But there was also plenty of unplanned time. The trip was perfect and all of the arrangements were delivered exactly as described. The transfers went like clockwork It was a wonderful experience and we were glad to have visited all the locations. Our favorite spot was Chania in Crete. We enjoyed Santorini, so dramatic, but would not go back. Too crowded, especially during the day when thousands of cruise ship passengers clog the narrow streets.

Interesting how Kimkim works. They seem to fill a role as broker. Our initial telephone interview was with Brittany Pettit (based in Oregon), the Kimkim Travel Specialist assigned to us based on the online questionnaire. Our conversation was about 15 minutes. Once she got a good idea of our travel goals, she set us up with an up with an in-country travel agent. We never heard from her again, even though we tried to phone her. For us the local travel agent was Travel12 (based in Athens) and their Chris Leontopoulous who did all the heavy lifting designing the trip. Chris was great and really understood the type of trip we were after. He chose smaller boutique hotels full of charm and personality. Once all the details are agreed on, you pay Kimkim directly, so Kimkim presumably collects a commission off the top. Kimkim has a cool website where your trip plan is posted (in outline form, followed by complete detail). All arrangements are provided by links in the website trip plan. Things like ferry and flight boarding passes, and rental car vouchers. They were outstanding in every respect.

After the basic structure of the trip was set by Chris, the Travel12 team handled all the details and answered any questions during the trip. A Travel 12 team member was always available to provide a prompt reply. Our thanks to Eirini and the rest of the team. The trip plan includes so many options for things to do in each location, as well as restaurant recommendations.

When we go back to Greece (and we definitely will) we will deal directly with Travel12. They also have a very nice website. I think we definitely paid a premium dealing with Kimkim, but the success of the trip speaks for itself. Where you don't know of a reliable local in-country travel agent, Kimkim is very useful. If we go to an unknown (to us) location I will try Kimkim.

Depending on the nature of your visit, of course it is possible to do make all the arrangements yourself, and save some real money. I think the trade-off is probably time and worry. You can be so much more efficient when the critical arrangements are laid out in advance. For us, the convenience of having someone to meet us at each location was worth the expense.

I worked with Isabelle on a 5 day trip to Cognac & Épernay, France for me, my husband, and two friends. I was confident in her planning until we arrived in France. Based on my experience, I would not recommend booking a trip through kimkim and here's why:

Sloppy planning: Three of the five nights of the trip, we discovered that we'd paid for a hotel room that should not have been booked. Initially five of us were traveling, but a couple of weeks before departure one person in our group dropped out of the trip. Isabelle should have canceled his hotel rooms. She didn't.
The itinerary also left too much wasted time. We found ourselves having to "figure out what to do" to stay occupied. Well that's the point for me of using a service like kimkim. I expect them to figure it out for me.
Then the day we visited Épernay, Isabelle suggested we visit the Mercier house. It was closed. How did she not know that?

Using questionable vendors: We had three drivers for our various transfers between airports and hotels. Two of them were great: Aimee in Bordeaux and Moh in Paris, but then there was Claude. He drove us from Cognac to Bordeaux (2 hrs). He didn't speak any English. We don't speak any French. When he arrived at our hotel, he didn't even come inside to alert us that he'd arrived. A half hour after he was supposed to pick us up, my friend walked outside, saw him and asked him if he was there for us. Then he wasn't a very good driver. At one point he slammed on brakes so hard it sent all of us flying forward in the van. Not the way you want to wake up.

Poor choice of accommodations: I was disappointed with the hotel options. When we arrived it was obvious that there were probably better choices that could have been made. I had communicated to Isabelle that price was not a concern. I'd rather she'd put us in better hotels as opposed to having us pay for rooms we didn't need . In Paris we stayed at Hotel Bellechasse. I don't recommend it. The rooms are trash. They're entirely too small for two people to be inside at the same time. There's no where to plug up anything. And I actually got sick after eating the breakfast there. The hotel in Cognac, Hotel Chais Monnet was wonderful. I highly recommend that one. La Briqueterie in Épernay was ok. I think we ended up there because other hotels in the area were booked. The restaurant was very good.

I will not work with kimkim again. I would not recommend them to anyone. We have always worked with a travel agency for travel to Europe and I've never had such a poor experience before.

This was my first trip using KimKim and I highly recommend it for anyone! We used Antonis for Greece. Not only was the trip organized precisely the way we wanted it, but Antonis was available via text during the duration of our stay to communicate flight changes, delayed ferries, etc. We especially loved our catamaran cruise in Santorini - truly felt 1st class with an excellent crew, the best food of the week grilled right on the boat, and amazing views. We also LOVED our time in Naxos. What a treasure of an island. Thank you Antonis for making our trip so easy to enjoy! We loved your country and hope to visit again soon!

Hotel Reviews

Elia Ermou Athens Hotel

Athens

Really nice breakfast spread, great location, and great room!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Naxos Island hotel

Naxos

Super friendly staff and great location. Would definitely not pay extra for room with a jacuzzi - no windows, musty and heard water through pipes all night). Second floor rooms had great view and hotel is short walk to the beach! Staff at the upstairs bar/restaurant went above and beyond to make our stay amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ilio Maris Hotel

Mykonos

Wow this was our favorite hotel of our trip (with 4 different hotels). Balconies were great, pool was amazing, breakfast was the best and had real peanut butter as well as free flowing fresh squeezed oj. Short walk to the city streets.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tzekos Villas

Santorini

Nice, hardworking staff. Rooms were clean but a little tired compared to the rest of our trip. Amazing views BUT LOTS of steps to carry luggage up and down to get to rooms. Off the beaten path so felt very safe.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Closer to Oiya

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cooking Class in Naxos

Naxos

Really enjoyed our guide. She seems to run the island - ha ha. She was super knowledgable and proud of Naxos. The cooking class was very fun and food was delicious. Come hungry! We were somewhat embarrassed because we'd had a late lunch and were 7 women so we didn't make a dent in all the food. I was worried we hurt the chef's feelings. Homeowner and her husband do not speak english but guide did a good job making us all feel comfortable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting at the Mykonian Farm

Mykonos

Loved the farm and surroundings but had a hard time hearing our sommelier. Wine and snacks were plentiful, but I feel like this could have been so much more. Hard to buy wine (can't ship and can't take credit cards). Wish I got more info about each wine and the farm itself.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sailing Yacht Cruise to Rhenia Island & Delos

Mykonos

Nice afternoon but water was super cold so we couldn't swim. Really enjoyed the time on Delos Island. Guide there was not particularly friendly and wouldn't answer any of our questions, but her spiel was interesting and the island was fascinating. Red pasta lunch and fresh greek salad were very good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Naxos by bike

Naxos

Really enjoyed this tour. Electric bikes were great - got some exercise but couldn't have done it without the power. Guide was a little young - super nice but not super knowledgable. Great way to view the countryside and loved stopping in the villages.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Tour of Acropolis and Plaka

Athens

Guide was super knowledgable. Learned alot. One member of our group was not able to walk all the steep steps to get there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sunset Cruise

Santorini

TOTALLY first class experience. Worth every penny. Best dinner of the week and crew members were friendly, knowledgable and attentive. Views were priceless.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My wife was sad ending vacation because our experience was so great. We couldn’t be more appreciative of our vacation planning experience with Chris on KimKim. We loved the KimKim platform as it gave us a place to collaborate, explore options, and share the robust itinerary with our travel group. We had the right balance of activity and chill time to make our vacation memorable.

Hotel Review

Avra Hotel

Rafina, Attica

My rating is more about the fit of the hotel for our needs and not a reflection of the hotel itself. It’s a nice hotel, very clean, modern styling, in an area close to the waterfront. But our stay was on the evening before our return back to the states and we got there after dark and had to leave to go to the airport by 3:30a. So our experience with he area around the hotel was minimal. The rooms are tiny economy rooms with single beds, the “double” rooms are two single beds pushed together, a quad room is two sets of two single beds pushed together. We stayed at the Athens Intercontinental Hotel when we first arrived in Athens and it met our needs substantially better than Agra Hotel Rafina. It had spacious rooms, better sleeping arrangements for families, etc. The rest of the places we stayed on our trip were AirBnB villas and residences where we had ample space.

Tips for future travelers

Beware of the tiny rooms and tiny beds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We didn’t experience the area much. Hard to rate. But not close to the airport and we stayed there the night before our early morning departure.

Staff

Helpful staff…

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Volcano Cruise on a wooden boat

Santorini

Sunset views were fantastic. We had smooth seas, clear skies and the perfect day. We actually went on a catamaran rather than a wooden boat. But I should warn that “semi-private” basically is a group trip of up to 20 people (or more on some of the catamarans). If you have ANY mobility issues please contact the guide first before booking and showing up. The way we had to get on the boat was a bit challenging and we watched a group of six elderly travelers turn away because they didn’t feel safe trying to navigate the slippery, rocky pier to hop into a rubber raft with a small motor that was shuttling passengers from the short to the catamaran that was docked 150-200 meters offshore. Then transferring in open water. I was expecting a marina or dock boarding. We got lucky and there were only 9 travelers (2 others besides our party of 7) so it was truly semi-private.

Quality of Experience

Food

Our food and entertainment wasn’t as advertised. The original description said we’d have bbq meats, seafood, and veggies… we had some pre-made pasta and shrimp, tomatoes and onions and whitefish. It was all cooked before we went out and warmed up on the ship. Adequate, not delicious. We had also read that we’d have jazz music on saxophone but that may have been on the original wooden boat booking and not on the catamaran.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Restaurant Suggestions in Santorini

Santorini

All Time Classic Santorini

Santorini

We LOVED the tour of ancient Akrotiri! It’s in a well ventilated covered area where the excavation is in place. It’s a wonderful model and experience for history archeology lovers.

Quality of Experience

Mykonos Beach Day

Mykonos

We did an audible and decided to stay at Elia beach where our villa was rather than going to another beach. We avoided extra drive time, built a good relationship with the server on the beach, and had a great time on a less crowded more reasonably priced beach.

Quality of Experience

Restaurant Suggestions in Mykonos

Mykonos

Great views and place to see the sunset while eating. Great ambience… gets crowded at night but nice scene. Terrific seafood and presentation across the board.

Quality of Experience

Traditional Cooking Class in Mykonos

Mykonos

I can’t recall our hosts name, but I believe she was the owner of the farm. She was engaging, entertaining, and educational. My entire family loved the experience and she created some great engagement through competition, etc.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food was fresh and great but we noticed that many things lacked salt. During our Greek experience we found this to be common and perhaps this is why it’s a blue zone?

Private chef cooking for you in your accommodation

Greece

These ladies made a terrific meal for the family and were able to accommodate some finicky eaters in the group. The food was delicious, they cleaned up well afterwords, and packaged up the leftovers for us in the refrigerator.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Welcome to Mykonos

Mykonos

Restaurants in Athens

Athens

Great restaurant, phenomenal views! Eat the local dishes. But if you’re from the US and are a steak lover, don’t eat the steak because it’s not what you’re accustomed to. The meals and drinks were great otherwise. love the open air rooftop and views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis for Families

Athens

Our guide knew the major sites, the history, the architecture, etc. I loved that experience. She was also able to engage with our children, 7 and 10 years old, and keep them excited. At some point we did need to move things on though because she could go much deeper than some of our group was willing to go, but that’s not on her… that’s just what happens with a large family group with mixed interests.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had private a private bus transfer. Highly recommend for large family groups if you can afford to do it.

Andrea was so helpful every step of the way. He planned what was truly a dream vacation for us. He took the time to understand the type of trip we were looking for and gave us great tips along the way. When our train travel was disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances he responded quickly and helped us find an alternate way to our next stop, and since our travel delay resulted in us missing one of our planned activities he came up with alternatives for us. Nothing can replace a local’s knowledge and wisdom and I highly recommend trusting Andrea with your trip if you’re coming to Italy!

Our trip to Norway was spectacular! The country is beautiful and people are really friendly. Julia is super amazing and gave us exactly what we were looking for. We booked and paid in full before the pandemic and had to delay the trip for 2 years. KimKim kept their word and there were no additional fees. Truly amazing and a welcome change!

My wife, Paula, and I knew we wanted to go to Italy for our first big post-Covid trip but had no idea where to begin. A Google search led us to kimkim, which led us to Andrea. I can't imagine planning this trip any other way. Andrea was so helpful in taking the time to get to know us and figure out what we would enjoy. He had answers to all of our questions and put together an itinerary that we were really excited for. Every detail was taken care of - hotels, train tickets, tour vouchers, private transfers - all of which were delivered to us in a beautiful PDF document that became our bible. The only thing we had to do was take care of the plane tickets and show up.

Not only was everything planned for us, but we received some much needed help on our trip in real time. Ready to take the train from Cinque Terre to Venice, we arrived to the train station to a fire and all trains were delayed. With a tour of Venice waiting for us upon arrival, Andrea put together a plan B and C in no less than 15 minutes to get us where we needed to go. The trains started running again in due time but we would have been clueless if we needed to figure something out on our own.

We had the trip of a lifetime thanks to kimkim and Andrea. We will definitely come back to kimkim for our next trip.

From the very first conversation with our guide, Nikola, we were immediately drawn to kimkim. He went above and beyond to customize our trip to be exactly what we hoped for- a mix of excursions, leisure time, and unique experiences. He was quick to answer all of our questions and worked to keep our trip within our budget. The kimkim platform makes it very easy to leave feedback on the itinerary so we were able to let him know the pieces we loved and those we wanted changed. It was a very individualized trip and we felt like more than just customers. Nikola was genuinely excited to share the beauty of his country with us and his expertise as a local was invaluable.

Upon arriving in Croatia, Nikola greeted us with a welcome gift and a printed copy of our itinerary. He stayed with us until we were set up in our rental car and ready to go. Our itinerary included Plitvice Lakes, Split, Korcula, and Dubrovnik. Our trip plan was complete with suggested stops to make along the way, like Rastoke, a quaint village with gorgeous waterfalls running through it. Recommended activities, sights, and restaurants at every destination were also included. Nikola was available at any point via WhatsApp with any questions and requests we had, like making dinner reservations for our last night in Split after a day trip to Bosnia.

Based on our conversations, Nikola knew our love for wine and local cuisine so we were thrilled when he booked us a private wine tour in Korčula and a culinary experience with a local family in Dubrovnik! Both became highlights of our entire trip. Additionally, every hotel accommodation we experienced was perfect and provided us with delightful breakfast each morning! We cannot say enough good things about Nikola and the experience we had with kimkim because of him. We have recommended it to everyone we’ve spoken to since coming home. We will be using these services in the future!

Hotel Review

Villa Toni Design Apartments

Split

Where do we even begin? From the moment we arrived in Split, Tonci greeted us with such warm hospitality that immediately made us feel at home. Not only did he assist us with parking and luggage, but he spent ample time providing us with a detailed overview of suggested activities, restaurants, & sights to see. The staff here genuinely care about your time and go above and beyond to ensure you have the best experience possible. As others have mentioned, breakfast packed in the early morning for ease was an added bonus. We were able to contact the staff easily at any time during our stay for questions and further recommendations. Every recommendation he gave was superb! It is apparent that he has immense pride in his beautiful hometown and absolutely loves to share that joy with all who visit. At the end of our visit, Tonci escorted us to the catamaran to safely see us off to our next destination. Like I said, above and beyond service! We will be staying here again should we be given the opportunity to return to Split!

Tips for future travelers

Just beware of the narrow street if you're driving there!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The host is seriously the absolute best and we were well-cared for during our stay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Konavle Region Culinary Experience (small group)

Croatia

This experience was a highlight of our trip. Learning about the family history, home, and culinary expertise was a delight. We loved harvesting fresh veggies from the garden and the meal we enjoyed was absolutely delicious. Ivo and his family are incredibly kind and welcoming and it was an honor to be welcomed into their home!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Game of Thrones Tour of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Ivana was extremely knowledgeable about Game of Thrones and the city. We felt like we were hanging out with a friend as we explored the streets of Dubrovnik. Highly recommend her services!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport