Kimkim Trip Reviews

Beatriz was very flexible and accommodating with the numerous changes to the itinerary. She was also very prompt and responsive to all our questions and needs. Beatriz also had many wonderful restaurant recommendations and things of interest to do while visiting the various cities.

Luis worked with us extensively to craft a trip that met our unique needs – in terms of the cities we wanted to visit, the activities & sites we wanted to see, and modes of transportation. He was incredibly responsive throughout the entire planning process, and and while we were in Spain, he called us several times to check in, and was there if we had any questions at all! On the itinerary itself, we certainly were able to have the local experience – both the sites we saw, and the guides that Luis connected us with. A lot of the tours were private which was great, though the group ones were always with a lovely crowd. The quality of the tours / guides sometimes was better than others, and for non-Spanish speakers I think language barrier was a challenge sometimes, but nevertheless we had a great experience on all. One thing to note is that when booking, an itemized price breakdown is not available for hotels, activities, etc – but Luis will work with you to make sure the trip is within your budget. Overall, I would absolutely recommend using Luis and Hidden in Spain for any future travels – his thoughtful touches certainly made for an unforgettable experience!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Regina

Madrid

Hotel Palacio de Santa Inés

Granada

Parador de Ronda

Ronda

Casa Romana Hotel Boutique

Sevilla

Barceló Raval

Barcelona

Activity Reviews

Tapas in Malasaña

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour: Ronda & White villages

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Off-the-beaten-path City Tour

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montserrat Tour & Boy's Choir (escolanía) & Light Hike

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Gaudi tour (SF & PG)

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nick, our tour guide, did a fantastic job showing us his beautiful country. At our request, this was a personalized tour with some new destinations which sometimes presented challenges. Nick was always able to handle well any unexpected circumstances. The ride in the tour bus was at times a bit rough, but that is to be expected when traveling some not so good roads in a four wheel drive vehicle. The food was excellent, specially the salads and local ice cream. The pace of the trip was perfect for two retired couples and Nick was ready to assist with any question or necessity. Great experience. Thank You.

Our delayed trip to Morocco from 2020 finally materialized in 2022, and was definitely worth the wait! Throughout the entire process, our personal agent, Hakim, was so incredibly responsive and helpful. He answered all of our questions immediately and in friendly and useful manner. He put together an extremely memorable trip for us with amazing sites, hotels and guides. Our driver, Mohammed, was THE BEST. He was so nice and knowledgeable and drove the streets and highways of Morocco so skillfully. I'm often nervous in passing cars on the highway, but he did so with such experience that I never felt stressed or afraid. Our local guides were great as well. Yaseen, Hafid, Yousef, and even our camel guide, Hamid, were all so welcoming and knowledgeable.

We visited Chefchaouen ("The Blue City"), the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the old medina in Fez, the Atlas Mountains where we saw macaques, and nomads with their flocks of sheep, the Sahara Desert where we rode camels to our luxury tent camp (simply amazing!), a wonderful riad in Ait Benhaddou, and the historic sites of Marrakech. Each experience was its own highlight, making it difficult to say which we liked best.

This was definitely one of the best trip experiences we have ever had, thanks to the great work of Hakim and kimkim. We have already recommended them to friends wanting to travel abroad (we were working with kimkim for another trip to Costa Rica also in 2020 and the agents there were quite helpful as well). But we strongly recommend anyone considering a trip to Morocco to choose kimkim and request Hakim as your personal agent. You'll be glad you did!

Exempting the natural beauty of Peru, nice people and cuisine, the highlight(s) of our trip were our local guides: Blanca in Lima, Gabi in Cusco and Elizabeth in Arequipa. Those ladies were absolutely amazing. Their knowledge, attentiveness and understanding were only matched by their kindness. Thank you ladies for a trip we will surely not forget. Thanks go also to Anne who was working behind the scenes. Tea and Dom

Wow - another fantastic personalized trip planned by Kimkim! Marina helped design a trip for 3 couples with a focus on culture, food, and experience. Highlights included city walking tours of Porto and Lisbon, a very rich cultural food tour in Lisbon, wine country visit, and an interactive cooking class. Hard to say which was the favorite - we all loved it.

Hotel Reviews

Exe Almada Porto

Porto

Clean, comfortable, and well appointed rooms. Really had everything we needed and close to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Modern rooms in an older building, very well appointed

Location

Seemed to be close to everything for us - we walked the city and our events from the hotel. Quiet at night.

Staff

Everyone was so nice!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dear Lisbon Bordalo House

Lisboa

Charming boutique hotel in the historic district. We loved the location and the rooms were comfortable and spacious. The breakfast location was lovely - blue tile everywhere. The food was great, and so was the coffee.

Authenticity & Character

Very charming, and the rooms had fantastic views

Location

Walking to everything we wanted to see - it's in the historic area. Safe, clean, convenient

Staff

attentive and available as needed

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Our guide picked us up at our hotel and stayed with us the day as we visited a couple wineries and the Douro Valley area. Our guide was very fun, engaging, and helpful. The Douro Valley is very scenic and the little wineries we visited were charming and boutique. The river cruise was not that great - I would skip that. We felt we saw all the countryside by driving to the little wineries in the valley. We should have gone to another winery instead! The guide was great though, and made up for any short-comings of the river cruise. I gave it 4 stars because of the river cruise - otherwise the wine tasting was a 5/5!

The Soul of Lisbon: Fado Dinner Experience

Portugal

It's a great experience - the location was in an old part of the city, the music was interesting and beautiful. The evening included dinner and that was good too - I had a traditional dish. Our waiter really made our night - he was fun to interact with and really added to our experience here.

Private Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Definitely a great way to learn the history of the city and see it on foot. Our guide was a native English speaking but was raised in Porto. He was informative, and showed us some secret nooks and crannies of the city we wouldn't have found on our own. He also provided us with some options for other sites and restaurants to visit. I highly recommend this tour - especially on your first or second day in Porto.

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

A must-do to get the history of the city, better understand the culture, and get tips on where to dine and other sites to see.

From Market to Table: Hands-On Cooking Class with a Local Chef

Porto

Truly a trip highlight! This ended up lasting most of the day - market tour, interactive cooking class, eating and drinking. Our group was 6 and it was perfect for mixing up the cooking, prepping, and visiting. We all loved this. Would definitely recommend anyone interested in food or culture to book this - I would do it again!

Lisbon Foodie Experience

Lisbon

LOVED THIS! Book this event! Its a small group - I think we had 9 total. It was fun, cultural, and a great introduction to the city and its foods. We visited different neighborhoods and got a feel for their vibes. Our tour guide was so much fun and she knew everyone in town (native of Lisbon). Truly a fantastic experience for our group of 6.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very enthusiastic, fun, and provided so much history

The best trip ever! Great planning, communication, accomodations and experiences. And of course, the best driver, Tarik!
Highly recommend!

Hotel Reviews

Villa Quieta Essaouira

Essaouira

Wonderful place to relax and enjoy Essaouira. It is a bit of a walk to the Medina.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

It was in a quiet part of town, that was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Casa Hassan

Chefchaoeun

Great location!!! Beautiful rooms, private. One of my favorite hotels on the trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Ghita

Fes

Very nice location, authentic space, delicious breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

Absolutely my favorite hotel in the entire trip. Cute rooms. Ours has a balcony. The view was spectacular. The food was delicious and the staff so friendly.

Tips for future travelers

Bring cash...no credit cards.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Amazing experience! Highly recommend the staff and the tents are amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Passali

Marrakech

Perfect for our family with young kids. Easy walk to major sites. Pool for littles.

Tips for future travelers

Cash is always preferred. In fact many places do not take credit cards.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kids' Exploration of Fes with Donkeys

Fes

Wonderful experience and the donkey owner was super kind and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Fes Medina

Fes

Fun, fun, fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boumalne Dades to Merzouga Sunset Camel Ride via Tinerhir & Rissani

Morocco

Don't miss!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Carpet Weaving With Berber Women

Morocco

This wasn't at all what I expected. It was just a carpet sale. Still fun, but we didn't meet any women or weave any carpet.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike through Berber Villages

Morocco

Highly recommend you do this!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Marrakech to Boumalne Dades: Through Atlas Mountains, Aït Benhaddou & Rose Valley

Morocco

Our guided walk and lunch with a local family was wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Usually, when we travel, I do all the research, book everything, etc. but, with two kids under four in the house and work schedule, I went ahead and checked out KimKim to book a trip to Costa Rica. We ended up using Bryan with Serendipity Adventures, which worked out quite well.

We stayed in Liberia for a couple days, a couple days a Rincon de la Vieja, and then a couple days at Playa Portero. Honestly, our least favorite part was Liberia. However, the night we arrived, Bryan arranged for us to have a coffee experience with Tierras Altas. This was incredible. It was informative and fun. We learned lots about the different type of beans, methods of brewing, and even the about the coffee industry world-wide. We have already ordered coffee beans from Tierras Altas back to the States. Rincon de la Vieja was action-packed- rappelling into canyons, tubing, zip-lining, horseback riding. And, then food was incredible! Those certainly were our favorite days. But, the accommodations at Bahia del Sol at Playa Portero were phenomenal: swim up bar, incredible beach access, and the rooms were great for us as a couple.

We loved Costa Rica! I'm thankful for Bryan putting this together. The best part of working with Bryan was that there were a few times during the week we wanted to make tweaks, and Bryan was quick to contact drivers to make sure we could get it all done. Bryan worked quickly and efficiently to make sure all was smooth.

Hotel Review

Bahia del Sol Hotel

Guanacaste

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day - Deep Sea Fishing Charter

Costa Rica

Palo Verde National Park Boat Exploration

Costa Rica

Coffee Experience in Liberia

Costa Rica

Informative, personal, casual

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had the pleasure of booking our trip with KimKim/Alex for our recent 10 day trip to England. She was very helpful and patient with all my questions and helped organize our trip in such a short notice. Everything was so easy, from pickups to tours to last day drop off at the airport.

Hotel Reviews

Park Plaza London Riverbank

London

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Georgian House Hotel

Pimlico

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

St Paul's Cathedral

London

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Westminster Abbey

London

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring London on a Hop On Hop Off Bus (48 hrs)

London

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Warner Bros Studio Tour with Coach Transfer

London

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Bath and Stonehenge

England

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Broadway to Bath, via Cotswold Villages

England

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Airport Transfer

London

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing time in beautiful Croatia. Anna-Maria put together an great adventure for us tailored to our wishes. Throughout the process she was extremely helpful, friendly and very responsive. We can´t thank her enough for all here assistance and give her our best compliments. Johann and Maria

Activity Review

Elaphite Islands Day Trip with Lunch from Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just returned from a magnificent vacation in Colombia planned by the amazing local specialist, Wendy. Wendy planned the perfect itinerary for us in Medellin, Zona Cafetera (coffee region) and Cali. She was so easy to communicate with leading up to the trip and checked in all the time during the trip to make sure all was going well. She coordinated amazing tours for us with local guides Samuel and John who had so much passion as guides me helped us truly appreciate the beauty of Colombia. I have to admit I was a bit nervous using an unknown specialist on the internet but after this trip and everything Wendy planned for us I would 100% definitely use KimKim again for future travel! Thank you for a truly memorable trip!

Julia was great in planning our trip. Sonia, as our guide, was also great. Always available to help with questions.

How lucky we were to find Marina!!! I was not familiar with kimkim prior to this trip but it was a blessing to find and work with Marina. She has a lot of first hand knowledge of both cities and she was patient as we worked through organizing various groups of family members in both places.

Our time in Paris was exceptional. In addition to seeing the usual sites we had a day trip to Versailles and Giverny. The tour guide was wonderful and the driver gave us a nice stress-free ride during a very busy traffic time. Our accommodations were fun and different - the hotel was actually a barge on the Seine River. We would not have found that ourselves.

The bullet train to Barcelona was fantastic - totally the way to go. It was comfortable and a good way to see the countryside. Our accommodations just off Las Ramblas were top notch and the tapas tour for our group of eight was delicious and fun.

Thank you, Marina!! We look forward to many more trips in the future and will look first to kimkim for planning.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

Very comfortable rooms, excellent breakfast and terrific location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel OFF Paris Seine 4*

Paris

Comfortable accommodations and convenient location. It was a fun place to stay and very different from the large impersonal hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Taste Barcelona: Authentic Tapas & Neighborhood Walk

Barcelona

Wonderful three hour tour with four stops. The food was fabulous, the restaurants all had a different ambiance and no one left hungry!!! Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Inside Versailles and Monet’s World

Paris

Wonderful guide and terrific driver. Perfect day for our group of four. Loved both Giverny - truly a highlight for Monet admirers - and, of course, Versailles is amazing. Many of the fountains were running and the palace was crowded but beautiful. Our guide navigated us through expertly!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montmartre: In the Footsteps of Parisian Artists

Paris

Terrific tour and wonderful guide. There was a mix-up on the timing and she ended up coming back later in the day. Recommend having a guide for the section of Paris - so much history around the artists and of course the beautiful Sacre Coeur!!

Paris Uncovered with a Local Guide

Paris

Highly recommend a guided tour of the area surrounding Notre Dame. We learned a lot about the history of Paris and saw parts of the city we would not have seen on our own.

Seine River Cruise at Sunset

Paris

Marina suggested taking this tour around sunset, 10 PM when we were there, and I concur. To see the Eiffel Tower lit up a night is fantastic!!!

Eleni was very responsive! She made sure we had all the tickets we needed for travel and followed up with us after our travels. Highly recommend using KimKim and Eleni as your travel agency and agent!

What a fabulous trip to Morocco! KimKim was an excellent company to work with. Great advice throughout our experience with KimKim. Perfectly organized trip with lovely accommodations, professional guides and activities!

Hotel Review

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Tiziri Camp is amazing!! I loved everything about our experience at the camp. The fabulous food, outings during the day, music at night! Perfect

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Guided Tour of Fes Medina

Fes

We loved having a personal guide for this area as there is so much to see and it would be so easy to miss highlights or get lost without a guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Heart of Skoura: Pottery, Palm Groves & Local Life

Skoura

Skoura is a wonderful area! I enjoyed the interaction with the local family that opened their home to us for an amazing lunch.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mohamad is so kind! He stopped for me to take photos along the way and gave us interesting information about all of the areas we visited!

Robert did an amazing job planning our trip! He listened to our interests and set up the perfect combination of breathtaking nature and interesting, historic cities. His directions to our planned destinations were spot on. He was readily available to provide followup directions and answer questions. The guides he chose for us for city tours and a boat excursion were knowledgeable and friendly. We had an amazing trip, largely due to Robert's hard work, familiarity with his country and care.

Hotel Review

Grand Villa Argentina

Dubrovnik

Hotel facilities (room, pool, view, balacony) were beautiful. Location was wonderful. Special care from staff at all times.

Location

Near enough old city, but quiet. Breathtaking views.

Staff

Went out of way to provide assistance.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Dubrovnik

Guide clearly loved city. She knew the city's history inside and out. Her english was impeccable. Very warm and friendly

Quality of Experience

Let me just start off by saying that this was arguably the most fuss-free, curated tour arrangement I've ever made. The platform was brilliant, and the team was so warm and professional.

Karim who was our driver (and unofficial guide) during car rides was beyond fantastic. He himself has such an inspiring life story, speaks perfect English and coming from a nomadic Berber family himself has wonderful insight into the country.

I had a couple of experiences planned and they were done with quality partners. Our guide for exploring Marrakesh, Hanan, was excellent as well.

At no point on the entirely trip were we brought to any tourist traps or made to feel like we had to buy something.

It was my first time in Morocco and I'll certainly be back and arranging something with these guys.

Karim - see you in the real desert soon!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Le Medina Essaouira Thalassa Sea & Spa MGallery

Essaouira

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inara Desert Camp

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Marrakech to Agafay Desert with a Traditional Lunch in the Atlas Mountains

Morocco

Bring comfortable shoes and you'll have a great time. Our guide was brilliant and we had a wonderful lunch in a Berber home in the hillside. Food was absolutely delicious. Waterfalls, mule rides, seeing villagers walk their cattle.. Quite an experience!

Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride in Marrakech

Marrakesh

It'll get cold so dress appropriately. The entire experience was wonderful and quite novel.

Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

Hammam & Spa Experience Marrakech

Morocco

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Visit Majorelle Gardens

Morocco

Having Hanan there to provide more context and detail was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Argan Oil Women's Cooperative

Morocco

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We are back home in Maine with our two cats, the gardens are in late Spring bloom and we have many, many photos to be edited and posted.

We sincerely thank Tom Christer and the KimKim team for their guidance throughout the trip, from framing our itinerary to our final days in Oslo. Tom was not only a guide but a friend in times of uncertainty when we tested positive.

Times and technology have altered the nature of travel on many levels and a new set of challenges often await at every turn, not the least a global pandemic.

Tom and KimKim offered not only a link to some of the best things to do, places to visit stay but also connected us to excellent guides, Stig in Oslo and Fartein in Bergen, who both added so much to our understanding and appreciation of each city.

Our personal tour up the Esefjjorden with Capt. Thor remains a highlight of our trip.

The hotels were exceptional. No one serves a better breakfast buffet that the Hotel Bristol, they set the standard.

On our next trip KimKim will be our first consideration and we will highly recommend KimKim to anyone looking to travel.

We personally and sincerely thank Tom Christer and the KimKim team for a great journey and travel
experience and wish you all continued success.

Kenny and Sally Gilbride

I was skeptical at first, having never heard of KimKim before but Andrea was very reassuring and responsive to all my questions throughout the planning. Oscar was a phenomenal guide! He is so knowledgeable, interesting, and not boring at all! We had an awesome time. The activities were also really great. Colombia is such a beautiful country and the food is magnificent! We also had an awesome and relaxing time at Punta Faro, everyone was so attentive and accommodating. I was especially glad we didn't have to worry about food there. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. Will definitely be back!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Punta Faro

Isla Mucura

The perfect relaxation spot. Awesome food. Amazing staff. Excellent service.

Tips for future travelers

Brush up on your Spanish - although, Google Translate saved me.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like an islander.

Location

The isolation. It was perfect for quiet relaxation.

Staff

Amazing people. Made some great friends.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything.

Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena

Cartagena

Excellent service. Beautiful accommodation. Awesome staff.

Authenticity & Character

Loved they kept the original structure. Made you feel like you were part of history.

Location

Close to pretty much everything.

Staff

Everyone was super nice and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything.

Activity Reviews

Drum Safari - Sounds of Cartagena

Cartagena

We had the absolute best time!!!!!! We drummed, we sang, we danced! Whoo! What an experience!

Quality of Experience

The school.

Food

PHENOMENAL.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oscar was amazing.

Transport

Comfortable.

Wander Cartagena’s Storied Streets & Discover the Art of Getsemaní

Cartagena

Getsemani was a dream! I mean the murals, the colors, the art! So beautiful!

Quality of Experience

The art everywhere.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oscar was amazing.

Transport

Very comfortable.

Afternoon-Night Walking Tour

Cartagena

Oscar is such an excellent guide! He was intentional about changing misconceptions about Colombia but was also very honest about some of its brutal past. I learned a lot and enjoyed touring the City.

Quality of Experience

The beautiful city.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oscar was amazing.

Transport

We walked. It was perfect.

Our trip was indeed AMAZING and we got what we wanted from it. We had a wide experience of the main highlights that Norway has to offer.......including the calm of Oslo, the history of Bergen, and why or what is Trondheim. We had a "great railway trip" from Oslo to the Flam, met up with over peopled Cruise Ships (not for us), cruised the coast and the fjords through rain and sun, fell in awe at Geiranger fjord, and got very wet on the Atlantic Highway.
The wide selection of hotels KimKim booked us into were all fascinating and we enjoyed the quality and of course the breakfasts at each one.
We found our way around quite well and most of the arrangements clicked into place easily.......however there were some inevitable hiccups that always occur on these trips: 1. Anyone going to Bergen via the Flam must be on the 6.25am train (KimKim nearly had us on a later train that wouldn't have worked) (TIP ALWAYS CHECK EVERYTHING THAT KIMKIM ARRANGE) 2. The Hurtigertun boat is not a cruise ship and we found it overcrowded and uncomfortable particularly given KimKim couldnt get us beds/cabins (We feel strongly that KimKim should have shared the email they received from the shipping co on 3rd May: if we had seen it we would probably have changed the itinery (TIP TO KIMKIM IF THERE IS A PROBLEM THEN SHARE IT WITH THE CUSTOMER : THE EARLIER THEY KNOW ABOUT IT THE BETTER).