Kimkim Trip Reviews

Joel did a great job helping us plan our trip to France in early June. We were a little late getting started and had a number of changes and complications on our end (adding my son and his friend to the trip mid-way through) and Joel was very helpful and patient with us. We hade great experiences in Paris, Bordeaux and Cassis. Joel arranged great guides and experiences and arranged the travel in a manner that worked perfectly. He seemed to think of everything and made the trip stress free and wonderful!
Thanks to Kim Kim and especially to Joel!
Mark and Debi

Hotel Reviews

Best Western Aramis Saint Germain

Paris

Great location! Very helpful people at the front desk! Comfortable and they provide a very nice breakfast. Just steps away from the Metro stop and an easy walk to the Luxembourg Gardens (and just a little further to the river and Notre Dame.

Authenticity & Character

We had a small balcony where we could sit and watch people coming and going to work and school. Charming!

Location

Easy access to the Metro, and within walking distance of a lot of downtown Paris.

Staff

The people working at the hotel seemed very happy to be helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Met or exceeded our expectations

Hôtel Majestic

Bordeaux

Great location, very nice rooms and a great breakfast. You really felt you were somewhere else while you were staying there (it was much more authentic that being at a standard chain-hotel). The room was very comfortable and just a short walk from the main square area of the town.

Authenticity & Character

Its not a chain-style place. The rooms have character and our was very large!

Location

Its just around the corner from the Opera House square - easy walk to the main parts of the town and the riverfront and the metro line.

Staff

Everyone was so friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Met or exceeded our expectations

Une Terrasse sur la Mer

Cassis

Fantastic view! This is a private apartment, not a hotel, but the main room has fantastic views of the bay.

Tips for future travelers

It is located on a hillside above the town - which results in fantastic views but also some significant stairs/hillside walks.

Location

The views of the bay.

Activity Reviews

Paris Macaron Baking Class

Paris

Just a fantastic experience! Fun, and instructive, and the other participants were all so friendly!

Quality of Experience

A nice break from the usual activities of a Paris vacation.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly and also very informative!

Sainte Chapelle and Notre-Dame

Paris

Our guide was very pleasant and knowledgeable, and seemed very interested in sharing what she knew about the locations we visited.

Quality of Experience

We saw a number of things we would otherwise have missed, and learned a lot!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly.

Skip the line visit of the Louvre with audioguide (tickets only)

Paris

Obviously any trip to the Louvre is fantastic, but calling this a "skip the line" visit is a bit of an overstatement. Even with these tickets there was a significant line, but it was much better that if we just tried to get tickets that day. We found the audio guide to be cumbersome at first, but that may just be our inexperience with this type of technology.

Landmarks of Bordeaux - Private Walking Tour

Bordeaux

Very pleasant and informative. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. In just a few hours we learned so much about the city and its history! It really improved our whole stay in Bordeaux!

Quality of Experience

Our guide so knowledgeable and nice, and provided so much information on the city and its history.

Saint-Emilion Afternoon Wine Tour

France

A wonderful tour of the Sant Emilion city and the surrounding vineyards and very nice stops at two Chateaus/wineries! Travel in a comfortable van with a very friendly and knowledgeable guide.

A kayak trip in the Calanques (inlets)

France

Beautify location! The experience of paddling into the calanques and taking a little swim in one of them was great!

First of all Yvonne, with Curated Greece in Athens, was outstanding. Kim Kim put us in touch with her 2 1/2 years ago when we first planned our trip. Then Covid happened and everything stopped. Yvonne stayed with us through the delay and helped us prepare an amazing tour of Athens, Crete and Santorini, about a week total. She arranged all of the transfers, tours, hotels and flights/ferries while abroad. The last morning in Santorini there was a knock on our door and our luggage removed and boarding passes handed to me. Took all the worry away... We visited the Acropolis, the Temple of Poseidon, and Knossos Palace. Had a wonderful walking food tour in Athens as well as an outstanding authentic Cretan cooking lesson at a farm in the hills. Wine tasting in Santorini delicious, and our last maybe best day was spent on a sunset fishing trip where we ate the fish we caught right on board. Best vacation ever!

Everything was good. Recommended place were very good.

The best: Waterfalls, Whale watching in Husavik, the canyons, Iceberg Lagoon, Jeep tour (terrific.) Also -- the Blue Lagoon. Touristy? Yes. But fun and worth seeing. Good experiene. Good way to start the trip. And.... Rejkavic restaurants..... Pricy, but very good. Skal, in partcular. Very good.

The not so good: Geysir: Touristy and boring. Skip it. IcelandAir hotel by Rejkavik marina. Noisy and not so good.

Service from Andres Ulfur: 5-star. Super. Responsive. Always available.

Overall: Very good. Expensive. But, if you can afford it, worth it.

Andres Ulfur service.

Hotel Reviews

Alda Hotel Reykjavík

Reykjavík

Tips for future travelers

Don't go there if you have a car! Otherwise, hotel is good.

Authenticity & Character

Hotel staff friendly, talkative, and helpful.

Location

Hotel is good. Location great. Could improve or make available PARKING. Many guests have cars!!

Staff

Hotel staff great. "Happy hour" staff terrible. Didn't know drinks. Came across as stupid and non-caring. Hostile, which was so unlike the normally friendly and helpful Icelander. The "hostess" should instead clean rooms. Job as a maid may be too difficult for such a person, but it may be only job she's qualified for.

Cleanliness & Comfort

"Happy hour." Overpriced crap. Poor service. So bad that hotel management should do something about it.

Fosshótel Mývatn

Myvatn

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Núpar

Kálfafell

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Non-caring staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Lækur

Hella

Small, funky hotel with great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Breakfast and overall service.

Staff

Staff talkative and friendly. Accomodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

small rooms. But breakfast space good.

Reykjavík Marina - Berjaya Iceland Hotels

Reykjavík

Noisy, no parking. TV didn't work! Staff no help.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The bar.

Staff

No TV!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blow it up and start again.

Activity Review

Fjallabak Nature Reserve- Superjeep tour in the highlands

Iceland

Jeep driver and guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was great. "Tate" Ulfarsson. Friendly, knowledgeable, and brought us to unusual and awesome places. Only a Jeep could get there. Snow, waterfalls, hot springs. etc. Great day. Picked us up and dropped us off at hotel. From 9:30 to 4.. One of the highlights of the whole trip.

Transport

$-wheel drive vehicle with 48 inch wheels. Necessary for the places we went.

Wonderful experience. Chris did a great job planning a trip for our family to Crete and understood the types of trips we like and lodging we like. Lina who gave us a tour of Knossos was excellent The hospitality at our lodgings in Archanes and Milia was superb. This is my first time using a travel agent. I usually plan all of our trips but due to my busy work schedule I used an agent for the first time which turned out to be a good thing. My husband had an injury hiking and this required a last minute change to travel plans (we rented a car with stick and my husband is only the only person who drives stick but was unable to after his injury). Irene from the travel agency promptly helped come up with a solution. I would have spent hours on the phone trying to make changes with a language barrier but fortunately she was able to make adjustments for me with a few texts exchanged between us. It was worth the use of travel agency.

Patricia put together an amazing trip! Everything was literally perfect. Every hotel was amazing, every guide was polite, knowledgeable, and punctual, and every excursion was an awesome experience.

I cannot give a stronger recommendation for her services.

What a trip!

Beatriz was SENSATIONAL planning every part of the trip and no request was too difficult for her to accommodate...and she always did it with a smile. She stayed in touch with us via text throughout the trip and was able to make some helpful suggestions. She was always responsive to our questions and concerns. Most importantly, the tours she arranged were memorable and the team she established made the trip memorable. For example, the Fada experience in Lisbon was awesome and the restaurant gave us front row seats. The Lisbon walking tour with Maria was perfect-she was fully prepared, arrived on time and provided a fascinating history of the Jewish Portuguese experience that we had requested. Likewise, our guide Paula led us on a Portuguese food tasting tour that was so much fun with a few other couples. All the hotels Beatriz suggested were great, particularly the Penha Longa Ritz Carlton where we enjoyed a fabulous round of golf-and all the arrangements tee times, for clubs and cart were perfect. At the beautiful Yeatman Hotel, overlooking the Douro in Porto, we experienced first class treatment along with a tasting experience that was "beyond beyond. " We ran into some rain in Douro but our guide brought us inside to the winery where we had a wonderful learning (and drinking!) experience. Finally, Porto was both beautiful and charming and our guide Daniel was charming and knowledgeable about history and in particular, the history of the Jewish people in Porto. All in all, a fabulous and memorable experience and Bea was with us every step of the way. Obrigado! Eric and Susan

Hotel Reviews

Penha Longa Resort

Sintra, Linhó

Fabulous staff, beautiful rooms and gorgeous golf course.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palácio Ludovice Wine Experience Hotel

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MW Douro Wine & Spa by TRIUS Hotels

Santa Marta de Penaguião, Cumieira

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Yeatman Hotel

Vila Nova de Gaia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Soul of Lisbon: Fado Dinner Experience

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Food and wine!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides Maria, Paula, Daniel were outstanding. Rai was good but we had bad weather in Douro, no fault of his

Transport

Transport was fine. Our driver to pick up at the airport in Lisbon was a half hour late as was the driver who picked us up in Lisbon to go to Sintra.

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Foodie Experience

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Arrival on time to our hotel in Lisbon to go to Sintra. Driver was a half hour late.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour of the palace with a guide who is knowledgeable of the palace. our guide dropped us off at the park and we got somewhat lost on our way to the palace and. had no guide for the palace itself.

Transport

Transfer from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}, via Belmonte

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great time on our trip! Our vacation guide was very well put together and was full of information. We really appreciated not having to worry about bookings.

Great hotel locations and suggestions — looking forward to the next one!

Rinolda at KimKim did a great job in planning our trip. We had a wonderful trip because of the suggestions and the itinerary that Rinolda did for us, Hikes, restaurants, fjords, hot baths, ice lagoon in zodiac all were excellent. thank you Rinolda!

Eleni was amazing and responded to changes in our itinerary even during our trip. She strongly recommended the Mythology Tour in Athens and our guide Alex was phenomenal. We made some great memories, ad really enjoyed our trip.

Our guided tour of the acropolis and the acropolis museum was wonderful. Also enjoyed our time in Naxos with Speros hiking through some parts of the more remote parts of the island and seeing the marble mines. And, of course Santorini was very special even though we felt like mountain goats with all the steps. Our hotel at Above Blue Suites overlooking the caldera with our own private pool was fabulous.

Hotel Reviews

Ava Hotel & Suites

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Galaxy Hotel Naxos

Naxos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Above Blue Suites

Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location overlooking the Caldera!

Staff

Woman at front desk was very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Size of the Villa and the private pool.

Activity Reviews

Private Acropolis Hill & Museum Tour

Athens

Very knowledgeable guide and since it was so warn out she paced the climb so it wasn’t quite so tiring. Of course the Acropolis museum was wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delphi Day Trip from Athens

Athens

The Delphi experience was not something we expected. Such an interesting place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

There was a mixup about where the guide at the museum was supposed to meet us. Just a short 15 minute delay.

Transport

Our son became sick on the drive back and our driver was very kind to stop every so often.

Hike & Cook in Naxos Villages

Naxos

We drove to the hiking area. The path was pretty rocky and my husband fell 2 times. The statues we saw still partially buried were very neat though. Just be prepared for the steep slippery trail.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sailing Tour around Naxos

Naxos

We sailed in a catamaran around Naxos. Our teen age boys just loved it. It was the highlight of their trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Catamaran Caldera Cruise

Santorini

This actually turned out to be a single haul vessel. But because of that we were able to get into some more shallow areas.

Quality of Experience

Food

It would have been nice to have something to nibble on earlier in the trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Highlights & Akrotiri

Santorini

Could not take this tour because 3 people on our trip were I’ll.

From beginning to end, KimKim did an amazing job. Tasos was knowledgeable, helpful, patient (with my many questions), and spot on with his suggestions. He truly listened to our wants and provided much information.

As soon as we were picked up from Athens, our journey began…and on time. Our drivers were always on time, and we had many. They were friendly on every island. Especially Manos in Santorini.

The boutique hotels were great. NLH was comfortable and in a hip area. Antoni from Bay Bees, In Mykonos, was a fantastic host and extremely welcoming and helpful. The location was walking distance to the best beach. Kastro Suites had amazing views and welcoming staff. All hotels were clean with great views.

Our Athens Food Tour with Pavlina was spectacular. We tried many different foods and walked the many unique neighborhoods.

Tatiana and Thomas were the best Captains for the South Beach Cruise. Again, super friendly. They brought us to a few beautiful beaches. We swam as they cooked up a yummy Greek lunch.

We also had a highlight and wine tour in Santorini with Vasiliy. He was spectacular. It was like walking with a history guide, as he had so much knowledge and was so courteous and nice.

While we relaxed and played, the KimKim Greece 12 Travel Team worked behind the scenes. Answered our questions, sent our tickets to us and the hotel for printing. I never had to ask for anything, everything just appeared in my in box. One of our travelers was a day delayed due to a canceled flight and the KimKim team worked to get her transportation to pick her up and bring her to us!

I put all our trust in the KimKim team to create a memorable vacation and they did not let us down. They are truly the best and I will use their services again.

Cathy

I'm deeply grateful to Anne for arranging our beautiful trip including a couple of extra-special homestay experiences while we traveled a fairly typical route through gorgeous Peru.

We had wonderful local guides including Gaby who shared her passion and knowledge in the Sacred Valley. Eddy, in Machu Picchu was very accommodating to my bad knee, and patient as we navigated the terrain there. Richard, who was our guide on and around Lake Titicaca was also very thorough and passionate as a guide. Our drivers were all amazing--I always felt safe! One thing that stood out on this trip compared to others I've taken is that our guide was allowed and interested in participating in our adventures. I really appreciated and enjoyed that they broke bread with us, as I wanted to know our guides as much as the places they were teaching us about.

I would happily work with Peruvian Soul in the future! Thank you, Anne for showing up at midnight when we arrived in Lima to welcome us and make sure we made it to our hotel!

As a super-planner, I wish that especially toward the end there was daily communication about how plans were coming along. I was nervous at times as our trip was coming near and I wasn't sure if hotels or train were confirmed, for example. A bit of reassurance would have been helpful. That said, it all worked out, so I know I can trust Peruvian Soul going forward. :o)

There were some problems with the Kimkim platform sending me alerts that I had a new message which hampered communications with Anne, so I tended to rely on Whatsapp. I hope Kimkim can work through this bug/experience issue.

If I had one wish, I would wish that I had some guidance on shopping. I didn't ask for any upfront, so I don't know what information might have been offered, and as such it's not a ding on Peruvian Soul by any stretch. I learned the hard way that there are a lot of touts selling "original" art, that is not original. I also should have saved every bit of money to spend on Taquile island where there are gorgeous, authentic textiles at fixed prices. I see an opportunity for a shopping guide to be added to the other helpful guides provided for the trip.

Thank you for facilitating such a memorable trip! <3 <3

All in all it was a good experience. The trip was all booked for me and all i needed to do was show up.
I liked the insider tips provided.

Activity Reviews

The Craft Beer Side of Porto: Tastes & Surprises

Porto

Very good tour guide. Knowledgeable and passionate. Good tour

Quality of Experience

Service

Food

The places we went to

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

Too many people on the tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Ebike was not properly maintained. Seat too high for female rider

Explore Lisbon by Electric Tuk-Tuk

Portugal

Nice was to see Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The lady driver was lovely however her English wasn’t good so I couldn’t understand her well

Transport

Sunset Sail on a Traditional Wooden Boat

Lisbon

Couldn’t go on this trip due to rain and winds

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

My personal guide Susana was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Food

The guide cooked a Keto meal for me which was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I had an amazing trip to Greece. This was our honeymoon and we could not have been to a more beautiful destination to celebrate. We had a tour of the acropolis with our awesome guide, Alex who did a great job explaining the history of Athens to us. We did a food and wine tour in Santorini where our guide, Ana helped us cook traditional greek cuisine and explained the history of wine making on the Island. For a trip so far from home we only had a few hiccups. Our seats for both trips on the Ferry to and from Santorini were not next to each other, since we were on our honeymoon we were hoping to be together on such a long trip (6 hours), we also were late to one of our pickups for a tour, the time listed on our itinerary was 15 minutes later than the actual pick up time. This is not to take away from the other seamless transitions and pickups, which if we had planned this on our own would have been much more chaotic! Overall, we had a 10/10 experience and would go back and use Kimkim in a heart beat! Will definitely be using for future trips abroad!

My mother wanted to see the Rolling Stones in Madrid. I stumbled upon kimkim online trying to figure out how many days to spend in Madrid if we decided to go. I was feeling overwhelmed with work and other commitments and did feel like I had time to plan a trip. I looked at the reviews and thought this sounds a little too good to be true. Then I looked at reviews of kimkim overall. I thought I'll fill out this questionnaire and see. Much to my surprise I got an immediate response from Marina.
I appreciated Marina setting up 2 calls prior to the trip to discuss the itinerary and make some slight adjustments. The calls also helped clarify a couple of potential mistakes we might have made with regards to pick up points, trains, etc.
Our driver, Ivan reached out to me before we left the U.S. with details on where he would be in the airport to pick us up. I thought that was very nice.
We arrived at Hotel Oscar and the staff was so friendly and helpful. The hotel room was much larger than we expected. It was clean. The breakfasts were wonderful. It seemed to be in a great location. It was perfect for us.
We did a Tapa's tour the first evening. We had a bit of trouble getting to the meeting location. However, it was our first time in Madrid and in hindsight we should have taken a taxi. We were late, but between Marina and our fabulous guide, Lindsey we caught right up with the group. We had such a fun group. It was the perfect introduction to Madrid. Not only did we enjoy great tapas and drinks we got to visit with other tourists. Lindsey was full of useful information about Madrid. I feel like she really went out of her way to show everyone a good time.
We had the good fortune of being in Madrid the night Real Madrid became the champions!!!
The following day we had a walking tour of Madrid with Geza. Geza was outstanding. He was exceptionally knowledgeable and such a wonderful person. He told us about Saint Isidro, the Patron Saint of Madrid. Since it was a Jubilee Year marking the 400th anniversary of the canonization of the patron saint of Madrid his remains were on display in the Collegiate Church.
He said the lines to see him would be long, but he checked on them anyway. Much to our surprise the line was not bad, and we decided to go into the Cathedral and see him. This was such a treat and the last day he was to be on display. Later we walked upon a breathtaking procession for St. Isidro. It was something special. Geza suggested a restaurant for us that was wonderful at the end of the tour. Later that afternoon we were lucky enough to see The Real Madrid show the winning cup at Plaza Mayor. Geza told us they would be there later in the day. We did not think we would make it back there, but when we got out of Mass we were in the heart of the celebrations. It was very exciting.
The next day was our day trip to Toledo. We fell in love with our guide, Manuel. He was a wealth of information. Having grown up in Toledo he added a personal touch. I am glad we toured the Royal Palace and went to the Prado later in the week because Manuel’s history made those come to life when we went there. We did the zip line which I highly recommend.
We went to an olive grove for an olive oil tasting. Honestly, I expected this to be a small store with them “selling us” superior olive oils. The olive grove excursion could not have been more different. This is a truly authentic experience. Laura is amazing and we certainly have a greater appreciation for good olive oil now.
I sound like a broken record when it comes to our guides, but they were truly incredible.
Unfortunately, we could not make our trip to Segovia. We let Marina know and she invited us to a rooftop bar for a drink for my mother’s birthday. It was a beautiful evening, and we appreciate Marina’s thoughtful gesture. Marina also assisted us in insuring we got the right Covid tests to return to the U.S.
I could continue, but I will never get this posted.
I have recommended kimkim to friends and family. I look forward to returning to Spain and hopefully Portugal using kimkim.

Hotel Review

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

We stayed at Roommate Oscar.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit of Toledo

Spain

We had a wonderful day. Lunch was delicious. The Cathedral is a must if you are anywhere close to Toledo. See my full review for more commentary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Manuel is the best!!!

Transport

Private Tapas Experience in Madrid

Madrid

Fun night out and great start to trip. Enjoyed learning about the different tapas and how to order them.

Quality of Experience

Food

Walking Madrid’s Old Town

Madrid

Geza was a delight! He is extremely intelligent and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit a Family Owned Olive Grove & Tasting

Spain

This is an authentic working olive grove. We found it very interesting. We have a whole new respect for quality olive oil.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip to France and are so glad we used KimKim to help plan. Joel took into account everything that we wanted to try to do while we were in France and planned a truly incredible trip for us. While we lost a day due to flight delays on the front end of our trip, we were able to get a wonderful taste of Paris and Versailles. Our favorite tour while in Paris was the Murders and Mysteries of the Louvre tour with David. The next stop was the Alsace region and we can’t stop telling people about how much we enjoyed the area. With Ana and Erik of Alsace Safari, we toured the adorable towns in the region along the wine road, tried some wine at a couple wineries, visited a castle, and drove up into the Vosges mountain range. The Alsace region is a must see! Dijon and Beaune were our next stops and we enjoyed trying the wines in the region, seeing the vineyards, and taking in the beauty of the area. Our final stop was Aix en Provence where we took part in an amazing cooking class experience with Gilles of Provence Gourmet and have been sold on trying cooking classes whenever we travel from here on out. We also loved seeing the villages and countryside in the Luberon region near France. This trip was filled with so many positive memories and we will not hesitate to use KimKim in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Le Saint-Grégoire

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

James Boutique Hôtel

Colmar

The breakfast was excellent. The room was modern and comfortable. The hotel was walking distance to quite a bit in Colmar.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Philippe Le Bon

Dijon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Cezanne

Aix-en-Provence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur Walking Tour

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day guided tour of the Palace of Versailles with priority access in a small group (1 to 15 people)

Paris

We got stuck in traffic on the way there, so our half day was rushed. We also expected the tour to be a small group but it was more like 30 people. I enjoyed our guide. Knowing what I know now, I’d rather have done a full day at Versailles so that we could take our time on the grounds and in the town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Murders and Mysteries of the Louvre

Paris

This was such a fun tour. David was an excellent guide. It was definitely a fast walking tour to the various spots within the museum, but we got to see a lot and David provided us with a lot of interesting and cool information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walking tour in the old town of Strasbourg

France

I enjoyed our walking tour of Strasbourg and we really were able to make the tour our own since it was just us and our guide. I enjoyed learning the history of Strasbourg.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Iconic Full day Tour in Alsace from Colmar

Colmar

Loved, loved, loved this tour. The towns along the wine road were incredible. I’d never seen a stork until we traveled to the Alsace region and they were everywhere. The castle was incredible and the wine tasting was fabulous. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Munster Valley Full-Day Tour

Colmar

Fun day in the Vosges mountain range. We got to see the villagers in the area herd the cows up the roads of the Vosges Mountains. We enjoyed tasting wine and having cheese from the region.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exceptional wines & a stroll through Beaune (Passion Day)

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Picturesque Villages & Countryside in Burgundy

Dijon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class, Provencal Lunch and Local Market Tour in the Alpilles

France

Such a fun experience and I highly recommend it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Luberon Markets & Villages

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip was wonderful. Christos picked great hotels with perfect locations. Drivers waiting for us made things so easy! Bike trip in Athens was very fun and we got to see so much!

Hotel Reviews

Sweet Home Hotel

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ippokampos Beachfront Hotel

Naxos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avra Hotel

Rafina, Attica

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Athens Sunset Electric Bike Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I loved our trip to Quito! Our guide, Dario, and our driver, Ivan, were excellent and took good care of us. Jacqueline went above and beyond to help us have a safe and memorable trip.

Jessica is a wonderful specialist with whom to work. She was flexible, adaptable, knowledgeable, and planned a great trip. We had a whirlwind time in Italy--visiting 5 cities in 8 days--so a lot of the exhausting parts were based on our own desired itinerary, not something Jessica suggested. We lost a half-day in Venezia due to a late train out of Verona, so please be mindful of tight connections (we had a 22-minute window, but the train was 15 minutes late, meaning 7 minutes to de-train and run through throngs of people, literally to the furthest possible platform away...train pulling away as we arrived). Cost an extra $250 to rebook a later train. Had a less than ideal tour guide for the Colosseum and Forum in Roma (hard to hear, very difficult to follow), but that is the fault of the tour company, not KimKim or Jessica. On our food tour of Napoli, we were asked to purchase food and drinks, which we did not even want. When doing KimKim tours previously in Greece and Croatia, the guides covered all expenses, including tips, so we hadn't planned for that in Napoli. The guide was good, and we had been delayed to meet her, so we didn't complain about paying for the food.

Best parts of Italia adventure were: (1) in Napoli, the Hop On Hop Off Bus is a great resource; the panoramic line is beautiful and takes you to a lot right next to the Nuevo Castle. Highly recommend taking a tour of the castle. We ate at Antonio y Antonio in Napoli and hadca fantastic experience. (2) Roma--the private tour of the Vatican was incredible, but be absolutely certain you report to the Museum area! We were responsible for finding transportation to the tour that started at 830AM that morning. We couldn't get a cab for almost 25 minutes and then were dropped off a full mile from where we were supposed to be...we were a full hour late to the tour, and thought we'd missed the opportunity, but fortunately, another guide was available. Our 87 year-old father is very mobility challenged, but the Vatican gave him a wheelchair and wonderful treatment, so he could experience his lifelong dream. Also, highly recommend a golfcart tour of Rome! We left at sunset, and saw the majestic city with a fantastic guide in the cool evening air, with the lights illuminating the hostoric sights. (3) Elba's Hotel Fabricia. Take a boat tour with Claudio and relax inside a secluded, lushly tropical, historic resort. Paradise once you arrive. But, please note that ferries are not ADA accessible and all luggage must be carried by passengers up and down multiple flights of stairs. This part of the trip was harrowing for the mobility-challenged member of our party and I ended up very injured by a terrible fall, trying to manage both the bags and my father-in-law. (4) Verona. Everything about Verona is magical. We managed our own tours while there and recommend the cathedral package which allows you access to several stunning historic buildings, including the Duomo. Dining at Osterio il Bertoldo with Italian family was the highlight of our stay. Also, the room at Hotel Mastino wss a superb choice for anyone traveling with a child(ren); they get their own room and TV in the suite. (5) Venezia- We were again responsible for making our own way to the Hotel Carnival Palace, which quite a way from the train station. A porter transited over bridges and cobblestone streets with our bags ($30), but for the mobility-challenged, water movement is easiest. We used water taxis and a gondola (both very costly ($70-180), but necessary) to do most sightseeing and to get to the airport.

All-in-all, a trip of a lifetime. Although sometimes harrowing, over-budget, exhausting, and while still sporting some serious bruises from my fall on the ferry, I would do it all again in a minute.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Piazza Bellini & Apartments

Naples

Absolutely perfect for families. Our teen son had a loft with his own bathroom, table, fridge and AC. Our room had a large bed, bathroom and balcony. Breakfast was excellent. Location is not great. Would rather have been near the water, but overall lovely experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Windrose

Rome

Very average. Located right near the train station, the room was very small, bathroom was inadequate for three people's belongings, and AC leaked excessively. Breakfast was okay. Best part was the staff.

Tips for future travelers

If you are a couple or solo traveler, this might better suit your needs

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fabricia

Portoferraio

If you don't have a car, plan to be here 24/7.

Tips for future travelers

You will have to eat all meals at the hotel. Budget accordingly. They have an exceptional laundry service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mastino

Verona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Carnival Palace

Venice

Tips for future travelers

Not great for mobility-challenged unless water transport is booked

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

City Sightseeing in Naples - Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus

Naples

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Naples Walking Tour with Food Tastings

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mini Private Rome Tour in Golf Cart

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour - Visit itinerary without barriers

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome in a Day Tour with Vatican, Colosseum & Historic Center

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private excursion by boat

Elba island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Claudio was superb

Transport

Everything