Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our trip planner, Guilia, was excellent. Her responses on text and e-mail were immediate and she was able to orchestrate many moving parts seamlessly. I loved the personalized travel application for each family member since we had a number of schedules to manage. I loved the kimkim communication platform which help me organize my thoughts and respond quickly for answers I knew and later for things I had to delay. It would have been helpful to know in advance the walking times to our various tour destination points. A preprinted map with meeting points, restaurants and bars may have been useful. Our cooking class was delightful but it was scheduled at 7pm and the pasta was finished and served at 9pm. It was also not enough to be considered dinner for six people. It was a snack and would have been a nice light lunch or day activity. Our tour guides were very sweet and knowledgeable but we suffered from tour guide fatigue and had to cut our last (4th) tour short. Also, next time I will ask the planner to add restaurant recommendations to use as a starting point for planning. Hotel location on the water was perfect for our family of adults with plenty of cafes and space for gathering. We loved our sunny weekend in the fascinating city of Venice. Thank you!

We really did have such a wonderful time! The only feedback I would offer is that it would be helpful for the guides to have a deeper knowledge of the specific tours they’re leading.

Our most incredible guide was Yukiko—she was so knowledgeable, engaging, and just a joy to be around. We truly loved her! Takashi and Mayomi were also great, but Yukiko really stood out. She taught us so much, and it made the experience even more fun and meaningful.

Thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into planning everything—it truly was an incredible experience. The hotels were amazing as well, especially the last one—The Patina…wow, it was so beautiful.

I also absolutely loved the hot springs. Such a unique and memorable experience, and we felt amazing afterward!

This was our first time using KimKim and we could not have been more pleased with the arrangements that were made for us. Shona made all the plans and booked all of the activities for us. She booked activities such as a cooking class, foodie tour, digital art museum, Shibuya Sky observation deck, etc. These were activities that I didn't know about, or would not have thought of, but each one was enjoyed. She, of course, also booked all transportation, tour guides, and hotels.
The tour guides made our lives easier because they know their way around and speak the language. We could have made this trip without using KimKim, but it would not have been as good and as easy as it was with KimKim.
I highly recommend using KimKim, you will not be disappointed.

Flor is the best!! Kind, helpful, efficient!
She made everything so easy, so patient with all my questions and changes!! Our trip was amazing!!

Kimkim did an amazing job with our trip. During our trip, we had a few snags (not by them) but the team was there to help guide us during a difficult time during our trip. Once everything got corrected , we got back on track, with no worries if something else came up unexpectedly. We knew they would be there!
I will be booking my next vacation through this company and many more.

I found Kimkim while looking to book a birding trip to Costa Rica. I love that they put us in touch with local experts while providing an easy-to-use planning platform. We just got back from a Costa Rica birding trip planned by Yuliana and I can say that she put together a thoughtful, well-planned out trip that delivered exactly what we were looking for - birding experiences, off-the-tourist track, ecolodges, and the feel of Costa Rica, on a limited budget. The trip included a well, thought-out driving schedule and pre-booked birding guides along with enough free time to do some hiking or extra tours on our own if we felt like it at the time. Yuliana answered my questions that I dropped in the chat box in a timely manner. The only negative that I had was that I did not get the detailed package drop as soon as I would have liked. I think at least 2 weeks before a trip would be a better timeline than one week.

Guide Joao in Evora was amazing. He had lots of good information and we learned alot about the history of the city. We took a tour of a wine estate that was also superior. The guide there drove us around the estate, telling in detail about cork production and olive oil production, showing us the animals on the estate and capping the visit off with a wine tasting that was truly one of the nicest wine tasting I've ever participated in. We were seated outside with a gorgeous view, tasted numerous wines and had delicious cheeses to sample We also had a walnut tasting as the nuts are also raised in the vineyard.
OUr guide in Belem was named Rui. He had a vast store of knowledge of not only the monument, Belem tower and the Monastery but also the history of portugal and its role in Europe's wars.
Upon the advice of Coraima we drove through Arrabida Park on our way to Lisbon. The views were breathtaking. Well worth the extra time it took.
Finally our food tour was fun and educational. Our guide (can't remember her name) was great at explaining the food but also the history of the neighborhoods we were walking through.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MouraSuites Hotel

Largo da Porta de Moura, 7000-647 Évora, Portugal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Private Alfama Walk & Fado Dinner Performance

Lisbon

Driver made us late to dinner The restaurant owner sat us in a corner and didn't ignored us for the most part. We didn't eat or drink till almost 10 pm. The food was OK. I would not recommend this particular restaurant or driver.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Portuguese Food Walk

Lisbon

great guide fun couple that we shared the food tour with

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

From Palaces to the Edge of Europe – Sintra & Cabo da Roca

Lisbon

The interaction between our local guide and the guide inside the Pena Palace was awkward. They had just changed the "rules" and weren't allowing the local guides to conduct the tour inside. There was obvious resentment about the change and it was a bit uncomfortable. Otherwise our guide tried very hard to accommodate us and show us everything we wanted to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Alentejo Farm and Winery Experience

Évora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From beginning to end our recent trip to Japan exceeded our expectations,

Bella, our Travel Specialist, designed and coordinated our dream trip. She was extremely knowledgeable of Japan, very responsive to the myriad of questions we posed to her, professional, and very personable. She made the planning of this trip very easy. Bella coordinated all the transfers and tickets and we never felt alone in Japan.

From the moment we set foot in Japan our guides Roy and Hiroshi were very knowledgeable of the history, culture, country, cities, and places we visited. We had many questions of what it was like to live in Japan and as well as the customs and practices of the Japanese people. They shared their knowledge and experience of their life in Japan in an easy and personable manner. We invited them to dine with us and they were superlative dinner guests. They made themselves available to us even after they dropped us off at the hotel. They watched over us to the point of assisting Larry with walking and carrying his backpack. Roy, just before our Go Kart experience in Tokyo, turned to Larry and said "Take care of Patty".

We have used Viking cruises and Viator to travel in Europe but by far KimKim provides the easiest, most immersive experience, fun, and pleasurable experience! ,

All the transportation and guide services we used were excellent. Two of the three lodgings arranged for us were perfect. Big thumbs up for Erini!

Amazing itinerary! Michelle was professional and always customer-focused. Highly recommended.

Our family of four (two adults, two kids ages 11 and 12) just returned from an 8-day trip to Costa Rica — our first time — and it was incredible. Elena, Nancy & Adrian at Serendipity Adventures planned everything: airports transfers, two fantastic properties (Arenal Springs Resort and Hotel La Mariposa), and a full slate of daily adventures across Arenal/La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio.

The itinerary was perfectly paced. We hiked Arenal Volcano and the La Fortuna Waterfall and walked the hanging bridges above the rainforest canopy with our excellent and personable guide Mariano, we went whitewater rafting on the Sarapiquí River (Flow Trips was great!), flew through the trees on Sky Adventures zip lines, explored Manuel Antonio National Park with a guide (big shoutout to Soccio and his son/CR's next best guide, Luther, from Endemic Birds), and wrapped up with a catamaran cruise. Every activity was age-appropriate and kept the whole family engaged. All pickups, transfers, and logistics were handled seamlessly — we never had to figure anything out on our own.

There was one minor hiccup on our first full day where a miscommunication about pickup time caused us to miss an excursion, but Elena and Adrian jumped on it immediately and made adjustments to make it right. That was the only issue across the entire trip, and how they handled it actually reinforced our confidence in them.

If you're considering Costa Rica and don't want to deal with the stress of coordinating everything yourself, I'd highly recommend Serendipity Adventures. Elena was responsive, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and clearly knows the country inside and out. We'd book with them again without hesitation.

Our week in Seoul was more than we ever could have imagined. Prior to our trip, we had lots of questions and Jessica answered every question thoroughly and completely. From the moment we arrived at the airport, we were picked up and driven to our hotel which was perfect! It was so nice and perfectly located to everything we could want or need. Our private guide, Hera Kim, picked us up on our first day and we were off and running. Gyeongbokgung Palace and hanbok rental was our first adventure and she guided us through and explained the history behind it all. Everything we did and everywhere we went, she gave us detailed information and descriptions. I felt super comfortable with her and we became good friends! Also, our private cooking class with Yum2Lab, Esda, was incredible. We were lucky enough to be in the class by ourselves so she gave us her undivided attention and we learned so much. The meal we prepared was delicious and she explained everything and was so sweet and friendly.

If we ever return to Seoul, we will definitely go through kimkim again and request the services of Hera. She was absolutely incredible! She took all the pictures we could have asked for without having to ask! Our day at the DMZ was amazing. Although fast paced and busy, we could not have navigated that without her. We learned so much from her and hope anyone who visits Seoul can have someone like her to guide them through. It's always a challenge traveling to a foreign place but she made us feel right at home and like a great friend!

Hotel Review

Stanford Hotel Myeongdong

We enjoyed the hotel very much. The staff was super helpful and friendly. We spent a little time in the hotel bar and the lovely young lady who waited on us both times was incredible. So sweet and friendly!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect location! Steps away from anything you could wish for!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Korean DMZ and Hongdae Shopping Street Tour

Seoul

Hera Kim gave us a quick history recap before we left and was right by our side for the entire day. We could not have done it without her help!

Seoul City Tour with Cherry Blossom Spots: Yeouido Park and Namsan

Seoul

The day was perfect! Thanks to our guide, Hera Kim!

Korean Full-Course Meal Cooking Class at Local Home with Local Market Experience

Seoul

We

Quality of Experience

Food

It was delicious! We ate all of it!! Definitely the best meal of the entire trip!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Esda was incredible. We took taxi and he was a little hard to communicate with and had trouble finding the place but we eventually made it.

Transport

It was a bit confusing trying to get to the location. We were not aware that we had to arrange our travel on our own. The hotel called the taxi for us but the driver had some trouble locating the address. Thankfully, our cooking instructor was waiting for us and even called to make sure we were coming.

We started working with Doris over a year before our trip and had to postpone until March 2026 due to family illness. Doris told us no-problem and picked up our trip planning as soon as we were able to travel - and she did a FANTASTIC job for us! Our trip was very active with many different cities, flights, hotels, and activities - everything was flawlessly organized. Using an in-country expert makes a huge difference as we wouldn't have had the expertise or contacts to organize the trip. Our hotels, while not chain's known to us were all very nice - much cleaner and more luxurious than an average US Marriottt. The food was equally high quality and the service outstanding - warm and welcoming. Our tour guides - 3 of them during the trip - were all knowledgeable and eager to assist us and to showcase their home region. Transportation was easy with a dedicated driver in clean and safe vehicles always available to maneuver chaotic streets carefully and calmly. It's really nice to come off a 14-hour flight and have someone with a sign waiting for you to help with your bags and take you to your hotel! Overall, I can't say enough good things about Doris and about KimKim. I highly recommend both!

Hotel Reviews

La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa

Very nice rooms and good location. Close enough to walk into town but not right in the middle of the madness.

Pilgrimage Village Hue

Hue

Clean beautiful rooms in a resort environment. Pool area was quite busy but overall experience was very nice.

Emperor Cruises Halong

Ha Long Bay

very nice room. we would have liked to "cruise" more as we were mostly anchored in the bay but overall enjoyed it very much. Food and service were excellent.

Peridot Grand Luxury Boutique Hotel

Hanoi

Cool hotel in a chaotic part of Hanoi. Near train street. Very clean with great service and food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Hoa Lu, Ancient Capital - Tam Coc Boat Trip

Vietnam

The trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, including the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and the Tam Coc Boat Trip, was a beautiful experience. The long drive was a bit tiring, but the spectacular scenery on the boat trip made it worthwhile. Despite the hectic travel, we appreciated the chance to see such a stunning part of Vietnam.

Hue: Thuy Bieu Ecovillage, Cooking Class & Imperial Citadel

Hue

The day trip to the Thuy Bieu EcoVillage was probably our least favorite activity. While it was nice to experience more of the local area, we felt like it took us away from the relaxing atmosphere of Ha Long Bay. We would have preferred to spend more time on the cruise enjoying the scenery rather than packing our itinerary with more activities.

My every request was met and every wish that I had while in Fes, was fulfilled. What more can I say. Great job with the communication. Wonderful accommodations. Safe and informative (and accommodating) guide. I would definitely contact Hassan and KimKim for my future travel in that part of the world.

Hotel Review

Riad Farouzi Fes

Fes

The Riad is beautiful. The staff are accommodating and extremely polite. Ibram is the best!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fes walking guided tour : No drive

Fes

Mind blowing! The history .. the architecture. The people and their skill. All was made possible and enjoyable for me. My guide, Ayoub listened to what was of interest to me and surprised me often with getting to experience it all.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pottery & Mosaïc workshop

Morocco

It was even more than I ever dreamed it could be. I had been fascinated with zellige for many many years and saw a video that convinced me that I had to go. I almost cried when I saw it. I cried later watching the video and I may even cry now as the memory of it all has resurfaced as I write this. These are tears of joy! Thank you to all who made it possible for me to do this.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A really incredible trip and very well organised by Sangita and team. They were very attentive at all times and the guide and porter were good company on our 3 day hike. I would definitely like to work with them again on our next trip to a rap, which hopefully won’t be too far in the future.

I traveled to Chile for three weeks in March. I spent the first week on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), the second in the Atacama Desert, and in the third week, three friends joined me for a trip to Patagonia.

I have to say, the experience was truly exceptional—far beyond my expectations. I was constantly in awe of the breathtaking scenery and the sheer beauty of the landscapes. I was also deeply impressed by the outstanding service and attention to detail provided by the local specialists, especially Lorena and Vale, as well as the local operators.

What I cherished most was the sense of being fully immersed in nature and present in each moment. I am so glad I made this journey to Chile—it was an unforgettable experience.

This trip to Mexico was amazing! The ruins were fascinating and the beaches and lagoons were spectacular! The staff at Rancho Encantado in Bacalar were particularly friendly and helpful. They were great at helping us get transportation when we needed it and helped us plan our day to make our son’s birthday a wonderful day!

Our favorite parts of the trip were floating in the Sian Ka’an and going to see the ruins in Calakmul. Being so far out in the rainforest. Seeing monkeys swing from the trees, and climbing up the ruins to see the amazing views from above is something we will never forget! My one critique is that a couple of the activities that we had planned on the itinerary were not what was described for us. We were put in a large group tour to Chichén itza when we were told it would just be a small group tour and it felt very rushed that whole day. Other than a couple discrepancies like that between the itinerary and what really happened, the trip went smoothly and kimkim did a great job helping us plan it. Thank you kimkim!

The very best of Costa Rica!
Meeting our driver Esteban at the airport was very convenient. He was very accommodating and friendly. He gave our group valuable advice and recommendations. The hotel in La Fortuna was very clean and within easy walking distance to the town square. Included daily breakfast was good. Kids enjoyed the pool.
All activities were awesome - the horseback riding, hike to Fortuna waterfall, chocolate tour, cooking class, Ecotermales hot springs (the best buffet dinner ever!), hanging bridges, zip lining, and the catamaran cruise in Tamarindo. What a great variety of experiences! Costa Rica is the best. Pura vida!

Hotel Review

Hotel Arenal Montechiari

La Fortuna

Very clean, comfortable. Friendly staff. Good breakfast included daily. Close to the town square.

Authenticity & Character

Cute individual cabins surrounded by beautiful greenery.

Location

Easy walking distance

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Sailing Excursion

Costa Rica

This sailing excursion was more than I anticipated! Good drinks, great food, friendly crew.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Cooking Class - Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

So much fun! The cooking class was well-organized. Doña Rosa and her assistant were very good with the kids by letting them take part in the preparations.

Rainforest Chocolate Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Fun and informative! Kids loved our presenter.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Guided Hanging Bridges & Aerial Tram

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very friendly and knowledgeable guide. Interesting hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very clean pools. Awesome buffet meal included.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Horseback Riding Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Horses were well-trained trail horses. Staff were very helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Decided to go to Portugal with about a month's notice. João listened to my rambling because I was unsure about anything other than when we would arrive and depart Portugal. João patiently adjusted the plans as I added people, removed people, added requests, and changed my mind. Once our group finally arrived, we really appreciated João's daily report on what to expect and the details for the following day. João arranged for Richardo to drive us from Lisbon to Porto and around, and back to Lisbon. Ricardo was a wonderful driver and guide over the few days we spent with him. Ricardo was so kind and made many wonderful suggestions. We also spent time with Carlos as we toured from Lisbon to Sintra to Oeiras. My husband, who always sits in the front passenger seat, really enjoyed the discussion and the perspective on Portugal's history and current events. Carlos made food recommendations that were spot on. We also spent most of one day on a walking tour with Claudia. We loved learning about a day in the life of the average Portuguese living in the capital city, surrounded by so much history and beautiful structures. We laughed so much with Claudia as her sense of humor aligned perfectly with ours. Everyone with Kimkim proudly shared their beloved hometowns and country with our group, making our time in Portugal feel like more than just a spur-of-the-moment getaway. I highly recommend and trust Kimkim to make all of our trip arrangements in the future, including when we, one day, return to Portugal.

Activity Reviews

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Portugal

The food was delicious. The performance was moving. The venue was incredible. I would have liked the venue to provide some history of the establishment, the performance, and the artist, as well as a timeline of the evening.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dropped us off at the front door

The Essence of Douro - A River, Wine, and Gastronomy Experience with a Private Driver

Portugal

Everyone loved the drive, the boat ride, and the lunch at the winery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ricardo was amazing

Transport

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour with Ginjinha & Pastel de Nata

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Claudia was amazing

Transport

We walked and rode the public elevators.

Our guide the first day was very good and responsive to our requests, however she said that we could not go to Sacre Coeur as it was too far out for that tour. She did help us buy our passes for public transportation that day which was helpful and took us to a very nice ice cream place near Notre Dame for scrumptious ice cream before heading out to our hotel. The luncheon cruise on the Seine was very nice. The later visit to the Eiffel Tour was set for 6:30 pm and probably could have been made for an earlier time as the luncheon cruise was over about 3:30 pm. We were not allowed to enter the tower until our time, and it was cold and windy that day with not many options for waiting inside in a warmer place. We did not spend much time at the tower once it was our turn to go up. Wednesday was a tour to Giverny and Versailles with lunch included. I do not know much about what might be available to book from where we were staying at the Marriott Village Disney, but it seems it would have made more sense to book us a tour that left from near our hotel rather than one leaving from Paris at 8:15 am requesting us to be there 15 minutes early. We decided we needed a driver to pick us up at 6 am from our hotel rather than using the public transportation to get there on time. He got us there in plenty of time. We even had time to go to a nearby cafe and have a drink and some food. The booking place was not too impressive. No one was there even after our cafe visit, and we had to stand around on the sidewalk until someone got there who unlocked the door. There were several people also waiting, and each group was given a different color card to designate what van they would take. Our driver was OK, but we encountered a detour that went quite a bit out of the way, so we were late to the restaurant for lunch, and the food (chicken) was very dry. Then the van did not start right away after lunch, but he got it going and we headed to Versailles. The tour of the palace was OK but lots of other tourists and crowded. He told us some things different from what our tour guide three years ago told us. The afternoon was rainy and cold, so we did not go into the gardens. There was not much of a place to get a warm drink and wait out the time until we were to meet at the van. Then we got back to the booking company (Paris Trip, I think was the name. It was located in a small store front.) and no driver to take us back to our hotel was waiting. We had thought we had booked a driver for to and from the hotel, but evidently that is not what Lucie had understood, so my niece got us an Uber which was 100 Euros. Thankfully he was close and got there quickly. Overall, it seemed that Lucie and her colleagues were not as responsive to our needs as the KimKim representative we had 3 years ago was when my sister and I visited Paris.