Kimkim Trip Reviews

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

Athens Free Time: Restaurant Suggestions

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

What an amazing experience. Charlotte did a fantastic job of taking our wish list and making it come true. Everything was smooth from car rental and hotels to suggested detours and excursions. Thank you for making our dream vacation a reality. We will definitely turn to KimKim for our next vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Luna Hotel & Spa

La Fortuna

What a beautiful hotel! The grounds were amazing and the view of the volcano was perfect. The staff was incredibly kind and helpful. We loved our stay and will definitely suggest Case Luna Hotel & Spa to our friends!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The detail to the grounds. The plants were amazing and the morning birds were a sight (and sound) to experience.

Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa

Ballena

Paradise. The grounds, room, spa, restaurant, view and staff were amazing. And the Mix Massage was the best I've ever experienced. Thank you for turning our dream vacation into a reality.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Stand-Up Paddle Boarding on Lake Arenal

Costa Rica

Marcos was our favorite tour guide on our trip. His knowledge of the area was amazing and his passion for birds fun to hear about. I wasn't a bird lover at the start of this excursion, but listening to Marcos and seeing his passion for the birds made me realize beauty I have been missing. He even suggested some additional excursions to fill our trip AND on the return home stopped at the location to make sure we got signed up. He also took a few detours on our return trip to the hotel to point out restaurant and a few other locations we had inquired about.Thank you, Marcos!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyoning in the Arenal Area

Arenal/La Fortuna

I've never experienced anything like this and it was amazing. Fun, beautiful and exhilarating.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scuba Diving at Isla del Caño Biological Reserve

Uvita

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sea Kayak or Outrigger Tour in Playa Agujas

Costa Rica

Would have been 5 stars if the weather was better. It was a little too rainy and choppy for me and the water was dark from all the rain.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ecotermales Hotsprings

Arenal/La Fortuna

Most relaxing evening ever! And in a beautiful environment.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Hike in the Forest

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our guide's knowledge was amazing. Loved listening to the sounds of the jungle and seeing some amazing animals.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canopy Zip Lining Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

We had a great time. We ended up being the only two people on the tour and enjoyed getting to know our guides and learning more about the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I highly recommend booking a trip with Tiago! His love of Portugal (and its history) was apparent from the very beginning. He was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, whether we were in Lisbon, Cascais or Sintra. His logistical skills were next level, ensuring we had enough time to see/experience the things at the top of our list. Admittedly, this was a new way of traveling for our group and not only did he tailor the trip to our interests, but he also succeeded in meeting the needs of each of us individually. I am not one for completing reviews, but I (and my group) were so impressed and appreciative of Tiago’s time and expertise, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank him again! Looking forward to our next adventure in Portugal already!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Marina Atlântico

Ponta Delgada, São Miguel

Hotel Internacional

Porto

Hotel Dom Carlos Park

Lisbon

Activity Reviews

Sample Cozido das Furnas (Furnas stew)

Furnas

São Miguel: Furnas Valley Tour

São Miguel Island

Central São Miguel Guided Tour: Lagoa Fogo, Caldeira Velha, Ribeira Grande & Gorreana

São Miguel Island

Western São Miguel Guided Tour

São Miguel Island

Port Wine Tasting Tour

Porto

Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

Azulejo Tile Workshop

Lisbon

We had a fantastic mother/daughter trip to Spain. Marina and Kim Kim arrangements made it most enjoyable.

Tapas tour was great. Our guide Lindsey was accommodating, engaging and lots of fun!

Geza (our walking tour guide in Madrid) was terrific! We were on this tour the day after Real Madrid won the European championship —so excitement was in the air. He explained many historical facts and interesting nuggets of information we would have never known about on our own.

We took a train to Toledo for a city tour and zip line experience. Manolo, our guide, was also exceptional! City and cathedral were beautiful! He seemed to know almost everyone in the streets of Toledo. We especially enjoyed the many insights he had about the overwhelming artistry of the cathedral.
Our olive oil tasting gave us the opportunity to meet Laura (one of the most hard working moms in Spain😊). She and her husband work the olive grove that’s been in her family for many, many years. They’ve transitioned to organic and how “hands on” the complex process is to make organic Extra virgin olive oil.
I could go on and on it those are a few highlights of our 5-6 day tour.

Thank you Marina for all your patience, many helpful suggestions and tips.

Hotel Review

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

We stayed at roommate Oscar Nice large clean room Great breakfast Friendly accommodating staff Someone at front desk was fluent in English

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Guided Visit of Toledo

Spain

Quality of Experience

Most everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Previously mentioned

Transport

Prompt and pleasant

Isabelle put together a fantastic trip for us. It was a great mix of guided tours and museum visits on our own. The accomidations selected were nice and centrally located to each of the city centers of Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. While we are usually a Hilton family, it was nice to stay in two boutique properties and then one hilton property on our trip. Great variety.
Our guides Gregori and Sarah were amazing. Gregori expertly guided us around Versailles and Sarah showed us Brussels' city center and many hidden gems along the way. The day trip to Bruges and Ghent was a great experience when in Belgium.
We did experience an issue where our guide canceled on us for a day trip in Amsterdam. While we were disappointed, the guide woke up ill and tried everything to rearrange our trip with another guide, although unsucessful. Life happens. The guide refunded our money immediately and Isabelle worked hard to ensure that we were still all set for our airpirt transfer two days later with the same guide. Everything ran smooth thanks to great planning and immediate assistnace when needed.
This was my second trip planned with kimkim. I have used another, similar travel agency in the past for three trips as well, but kimkim surpasses everyone else with value and personalization. We will be back for our next adventure and our trip left us wanting to explore more of France.
Thank you Isabelle.

Sorry it's taken sooooooooo long to reply to this however ive only just found this email in my junk folder while looking up the old trip details... Hope it's still good with Randal and all you guys ?

Our guides were outstanding. Lucy in Prauge provided a detailed history of her country. We learned so much from her . Bernie in Salzburg was very informative as well and recommended many things to see and do as well as places to avoid. Our guide in Vienna was very excellent too. She spent extensive time with us and made sure we were comfortable with the transportation in the city. She was super smart on all of the history of Vienna. Our guide Alice in Budapest was very kind and took lots of time with us . All of them were so very good!!!

We had the best trip with the perfect mix of tours, activities and free time to explore with our teenage girls on their first trip to Europe. Our tour guide Sara in Venice, Giulia in Rome and Luiciano for the Capri tour were exceptional!
We LOVED the Limoncello day in Amalfi. The food tour and hotel roof top were definitely highlights in Naples, but if doing it over again we probably would skip Naples and stop in Florence instead.
Overall, great planning and we were so appreciative of Jessica being available quickly whenever we had questions.
Thank you for an amazing trip and a lifetime of memories!

Activity Review

Limoncello Tour & Tasting

Amalfi Coast

Our favorite activity of the trip! So fun, interactive and amazing food!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip was nothing less than spectacular! Harris and his team are always so amazing to work with. Harris found the perfect places for us to stay and he always keeps in mind the things we want to see or do. From 5 star resorts to suggestions on what to do during our free time Harris delivers! Harris even helped my husband set some surprises up for me on private chats. This trip was different from our last visit and it was just as enjoyable in a completely different way. This trip was more about relaxing, enjoying the scenery and just doing our own thing. We did have one guides tour with Lambros, he was great! Very knowledgeable and personable. Can’t wait for our next trip! Thank you everyone at KimKim!

We hadn't used an online travel agency before and were nervous about doing so, but our experience was great! Our specialist worked with us to plan a very customized trip and was very patient as we changed our mind on attendees and activities a couple times. That specialist left kimkim about a month before our trip, but kimkim quickly assigned another specialist who took great care of us.

With regard to our actual trip, it went very smoothly. We toured Venice, Florence, the Amalfi coast, and Rome. Our detailed itinerary contained almost everything we needed, and we were very pleased with almost all our accommodations. The few times we did have some questions or need clarification, we messaged kimkim and received quick and thoughtful responses.

The trip felt like it was very customized and personal rather than a package. Kimkim made helpful suggestions of what to see and do, and we have some great memories as a result!!

I'm glad we used KimKim! The site was interesting to use since it takes your interests, timeline and and budget and makes suggestions to get you started, but also allows you to make selections and modifications. It was great not having to book each transfer, hotel, and tour on our own. When we needed to make changes, Brittany was great at getting back to us quickly and making things happen.

Hotel Reviews

Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

This hotel was beautiful-online photos don't do it justice. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. The view of the volcano from our back patio couldn't be beat (room 503). The restaurant and bar had very good food and drinks. The pool area was very nice and relaxing. The covered jacuzzi was great to sit in during the evening rainstorms. The grounds were beautiful-it seemed the staff were tending to it throughout the day. The front desk staff were helpful with every question or need we had, and were very helpful in arranging transport into town. I would stay here again.

Tips for future travelers

If you want to be close to "the action" of town this is not the place for you-you'd need to take a taxi.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds

Location

Everything

Staff

Everyone was friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and beautiful

The Falls at Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio

It is unfortunate I cannot give 5 stars. The grounds are lovely with a nice pool and seating areas, and a great bar. The bar/restaurant staff were really great, and the food was excellent. The animals that came through the grounds in the afternoon were a real treat-Agouti, Iguana, and the squirrel monkeys. Most of the rooms in the back of the property seemed lovely, but we had a "front side" room. These rooms face the front of the building and the main road. The room was basic-not aesthetically pleasing or anywhere you'd want to spend any time. The lamps were broken. On our last night we came back to the room and found it flooded from a backup in the shower (we hadn't used the shower yet that day). Of course things happen sometimes, but the woman in charge did not know how to handle the situation. It took persistence on our part to get the management to set us up in another hotel for the night since they could not accommodate us with an equivalent room. They did end up moving us to another lovely hotel nearby for no charge and waived our food and beverage charges-which was nice. If we were in a better room, and had been taken care of promptly when the shower issue happened, then I would give 5 stars.

Tips for future travelers

do not pick the "front side" room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arenal Volcano Hike & Tabacón Hot Springs with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Nice hike around the 1968 lava field. The hot springs were nice, but the grounds were difficult to negotiate at night. The dinner provided was really good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Carla was a very nice naturalist guide. We were able to see several animals, and she was very informative and patient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Discovery Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

I can't review this tour because it was cancelled due to a lightning storm. Brittany with Kimkim handled the refund process for us with no problem.