Kimkim Trip Reviews

what an unbelievable trip and what a great tour group! We had Faissal with us every day (and he was an excellent guide and driver) and then we had local guides with us at each specific location as well. All were extremely kind and knowledgeable. The walking tour of the medina in Marrakesh with Siad was a perfect start off with discussions of local customs and history. The hike up Mt. Toubkul with Youssef was extraordinary, and a great look into Berber life in the mountains. My personal favorite was the time in the Saraha (camels, Nomads, ATVs.....awesome) and finishing it up on the ocean in Essaouira was a perfect finish. All of the riads/hotels were exquisite, the food incredible and the people, amazing. If you are even a little hesitant about travelling in a new country I cannot recommend KimKim enough - I will DEFINATELY be using them again.

Amandine was absolutely the best when it came to planning our trip! We are so thrilled in our experience with her and the KimKim team, their attention to detail, and ability to work around our ideas to create the perfect honeymoon. Everything from our formal group tours to the days where we had self-guided experiences were outlined and given to us in our minute-by-minute itinerary. Amandine and her colleagues were also kind enough to check in on us during our trip to make sure everything was going to plan. All of our hotel stays and events matched and exceeded our expectations!

Manuel our guide in Cusco was fabulous! Very knowledgeable, helpful and a lot of fun.
We had a packed itinerary which suited our group.
The food tour in Barranco was very well organized and our tour guide was great.
The amazon experience was amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Our transfers were bang on. Everything was well organized. .
Thoroughly enjoyed Peru and it’s people

Our driver for our stay in Florence was Daniel and he was extremely helpful and professional. Our first guide was Mike in Florence and it was a walking tour. He was extremely knowledgeable and personable, and spoke very fluent English. There was a misunderstanding about how long the tour was and we didn't get to see the original David, but our Kimkim representative Melanie was able to get us booked for the next day. Unfortunately the audio was so poor that we couldn't understand what was being said. Charlotta was our group guide for the Chianti wine and olive tour and and she was amazing and spoke very good English, and this was a highlight of our stay in Tuscany. In Rome our guide to Vatican and Sistine chapel was Rich and he's lived in Italy for 26 years and has advanced degrees in theology and art history, his insights and knowledge about the art made the tour so interesting. We had a small group of 6 with Samona at the Colosseum and the Forum and she was very very knowledgeable and wonderful. She spoke very good English and was very good at timing the tour and found us places to sit down to take a break. We had private driver Marco and a private tour of Tivoli gardens with Katharina and we wouldn't have understood or appreciated the site without her information. Another highlight of our trip was the enogasgronomic/food tour in Sorento with Tamara, she was so connected with all of the places that we visited and she showed us amazing places that we wouldn't have known about. Out final tour was of Pompeii and Vesuvius with Theresa aka mother Theresa. It was a small group and she was so fun funny and knowledgeable.

This was an absolute trip of a lifetime. I will be recommending Kim Kim to all of my friends! Marta was amazing to plan with and every single excursion was flawlessly executed. Marta & her team were extremely accessible during our trip, which was so helpful when we had questions. Marta's help in planning allowed us to have a stress-free trip! The accommodations were fantastic as well, we loved every hotel.

Highlights included the farm tour in Tuscany and lunch on the saffron farm, the suggested visit to Orvieto which was the most magical town, and the Capri boat day!! I'll be dreaming about this trip forever. Cannot wait to plan our next adventure with Kim Kim!

Audrey was most helpful in planning our recent trip through the South of France including the Luberon and Camargue, driving up through Beaujolais and Burgundy, and finishing in Paris. She made great suggestions for places to stay and activities and made changes when needed.

Learned a great deal about French wine with a great private tour in Burgundy

I very much like Kimkim's approach of using local travel specialists and Audrey came through Beau Voyage.

On to Egypt and Jordan through Kimkim next fall.

Activity Review

Wine tasting tour

France

Thomas, our tour guide, was a sommelier in a Michelin 3 star restaurant in Lyon. How could you have a more knowledgeable guide?? Learned a lot about French wine and he facilitated our buying and shipping some home.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The local guides were incredible, especially Christian in Quito and Edwin in Galapagos. All the guides were knowledgeable and personable. Marina was also great on our hike to Cotopaxi base camp. That and Galapagos were the highlights for us. One disappointment was that I was told the hotels had fitness centers, but they did not. Very interesting and fun trip - I got to see and experience everything that I wanted to at a reasonable price.

We had a wonderful time on our way-too-short Wales trip...visited the seaside resort of Tenby, saw Puffins on Skomer Island, did a day hike along the beautiful Pembrokeshire Coast out of Fishguard, which is a wonderful town spend a day meandering. Our transfers went off without a hitch, the drivers were all prompt and professional. We ended the trip in central London with an evening walk around Big Ben, Westminster, Buckingham Palace. Such a wonderful experience all around and many thanks to Jane and Marine-Héloise for shaping this trip for us.

Our group of 8 had a wonderful time . Unfortunately four of us missed several tours and several people had to wait several days for their luggage but I spite of that we loved Portugal, found Nazare interesting and loved the convenience of all our transfers. Thanks to Rita and Karin for helping us get the documents we need to get reimbursed for hotel and tour expenses.

The entire trip was well organized and ran smoothly. Directions on where to meet and at what times accurate. Tours were well run and tour guides knowledgable.

Hotel Reviews

Platzl Hotel - Superior

München

Great location in the heart of Munich. Very welcoming and accommodating staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutiquehotel Am Dom

Salzburg

Adorable boutique hotel in the heart of Salzburg. Perfect location for all the sights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kaiserin Elisabeth

Vienna

Perfect location for all the sights in Vienna. Great, welcoming staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private guided tour of Munich

Munich

Thomas was knowledgeable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dachau Concentration Camp - guided tour

Munich

Liza was a fantastic tour guide. She was knowledgeable, friendly and passionate about sharing her knowledge of the Memorial Site.

Bavarian Beer and Food Evening Tour

Munich

Very fun tour sampling several beers and ending with a great meal. Sam was an outstanding tour guide.

Guided tour of Salzburg

Salzburg

Great tour of the Old Town in Salzburg. Terrific way to learn the history of the city.

Sound Of Music Tour Salzburg

Salzburg

Great overall tour of the important filming sites. We enjoyed getting out of "the city" and seeing the beautiful lakes in the countryside.

City Danube River Cruise

Vienna

We had expected to have some historical background, but there is none. The Cruise takes you up the canal and back on the same route, which is not the prettiest part of Vienna.

Vienna's Sweet and Savory Food Scene

Vienna

Michelle was a terrific guide who showed us "off the beaten path" parts of Vienna. She is incredibly knowledgable in her Vienna food history as well as general Vienna city history. We had samples of many different types of local foods, and our only complaint is that there was way more food than we could eat!

Angela was an amazing coordinator for our trip to Greece. We were especially impressed because we got in touch with her just three months before our travel dates, and she was still able to plan and organize an amazing itinerary that fit the budget we provided and met all of our requirements. The tour guides she selected were amazing, and the hotels she recommended and booked were better than any of the ones we would have found on our own. She is a wonderful communicator and was very responsive and available throughout the entire planning process and during the trip itself.

Angel was our local specialist who planned our 3 days in Kiso Valley in Japan. She was always very helpful, fast to respond and provided us lots of details to guide us through the trek. She arranged for Summer to transport us one day and we had a good time talking with her during the drive. We had a very positive experience working with KimKim on our trip.

Activity Review

Hike to Kiso-Hirasawa From Narai

Japan

This was more of a walk along roads, not a trek. It was not a long walk to the train station.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Really wonderful experience. Wealth of knowledge and resources. I should have started here and let them do all the planning. I typically research and try to make best travel decisions from internet. Don’t waste your time. This group knows every area, interesting sites, hotels, restaurants and travel modes. Amandine was always available and other consultants chimed in on ideas. We had an awesome adventure.

This was a fabulous trip. Of special note is the quality and flexibility of our guides. They were fantastic. Rachel was also flexible and responsive to all our questions and modifications. This was a great trip.

Hotel Review

Convento do Espinheiro, Historic Hotel & Spa

Evora

I am recommending this to friends. The hotel and spa is beautiful as were the grounds and the service was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

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Activity Reviews

Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

This was one of my favorite days. Our guide modified the trip by excluding the river cruise and it was the right call.

Quality of Experience

The visit to the winery and the wonderful meal

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sweet and Tasting Évora Tour

Évora

This was not my favorite experience . The sweets tended to be too much at once.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Evening of Fado

Lisbon

Going to Fado was really fun and the food was good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Our guide as excellent however the main was rainy and at times down pouring rain forced us to be indoors.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was on time and flexible.

Transport

Jeep Safari through a Cork Fork & Visit to an Olive Oil Estate

Portugal

The Cork Fork and Olive oil estate was amazing .

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

This was a really good experience. We were able to try a variety of foods.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

This was such a good day. We learned so much about Lisbon .

Quality of Experience

Seeing so much of the city in a short time period.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As I have said before , the quality, knowledge and flexibility of our guide made the difference.

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

This was our longest and for me my most exhilarating day.

Quality of Experience

Our guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was knowledgeable , flexible, and fun to be around

Transport

We had a wonderful time in Ecuador and the plan Alvaro put together for either side of our visit to the Galápagos Islands was just perfect!

All of our accommodation was excellent and we had great variety every day. We felt we had a very nice balance of culture and nature and although we had a busy itinerary, we never felt at all rushed.

The “icing on the cake” for us was our guide Marco Herrera. He was so kind and considerate of our needs. He was knowledgeable but never made us feel overwhelmed with facts and figures. He didn’t rush us at all, and made sure we had as much time as we needed for taking photos and “mooching about” at our leisure.

Jeferson from the Tour Company called to meet us at our hotel in Quito and he was regularly in touch throughout our stay in Ecuador, making sure we were enjoying ourselves.

We would highly recommend Ecuador to everyone and feel it’s a shame that so many tourists only visit to see the Galápagos Islands. This is most definitely the highlight of the country, but there is SO much more to experience and we are really pleased we decided to spend over 3 weeks here in total.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Las Plazas

Quito

What a gem this family run hotel is! Lucia is an absolute lady and all the staff did their utmost to make our stay perfect. The rooms were great and we slept very well thanks to the lovely mattresses, soft cotton sheets and comfortable pillows. Breakfast was a treat with fresh varied juices and fruits and eggs cooked to order. The location couldn’t be better. Just a few minutes walk from one of the delightful town squares. We will most definitely recommend this hotel to our friends.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Carvallo

Cuenca

Gorgeous old hotel with great character. Our room was stunning! It’s perfectly located close to the old centre of Cuenca and breakfast was very good. I would suggest asking for a room that doesn’t overlook the main street as we found it noisy at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Iguanazú Bed & Breakfast

Guayaquil

Wonderful old style hotel outside the centre of Guayaquil. We had a huge suite and we felt like a Honeymoon Couple! Food was lovely and the staff were very kind. It was so peaceful up on the hill and we slept really well. We would definitely recommend this hotel over those in the busy Malecon area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Termas de Papallacta

Papallacta

The hot spring pools were wonderful. Rooms were so comfortable and nicely decorated. Food was excellent and staff were all very friendly. Would definitely live to return here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Coffee lodge Cristal Glamping & Spa

Mindo

Very pleasant stay here for our 1 night in Mindo. It’s such a great place to “get away from it all”! Having dinner and breakfast on the balcony overlooking the treetops was wonderful. Staff were very kind and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda El Porvenir

Machachi

Very comfortable room and we found the food to be outstanding! Staff were so kind and welcoming and the location was magical!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Spa Casa Real

Riobamba

Lovely hotel. Very quiet and our room was huge! Staff were friendly and helpful and the meals were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda Pinsaqui

Otavalo

This was such a luxurious hotel and the grounds were incredible! Our room was beautiful and we loved our food at dinner and breakfast. Definitely a 10 out of 10!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Otavalo Market - Cuicocha Lagoon

Ecuador

Nice hike around the lake and it was pleasant to amble around the market for a while.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring San Pablo Lagoon & Encounter the Andean Condor at Parque Condor

Otavalo

Cóndor Park was very good. We were amazed at the variety of birds!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alpaca Encounter at Quilotoa Lagoon

Ecuador

Unfortunately the weather wasn’t in our favour the day we visited. We didn’t see any Alpacas, but the fog was so heavy we could hardly see our hand in front of our faces! The drive (until we hit the fog) was pleasant however and we had a lovely lunch in one of the small restaurants near to the lagoon.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Adventure Continues - Hiking Day at Cotopaxi National Park- Overnight at a Hacienda.

Ecuador

We had glimpses of Cotapaxi summit (and when we did see it, it was beautiful! The National Park was beautiful though and there’s lots to enjoy even if you don’t see the volcano that clearly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Chimborazo Wildlife Reserve

Riobamba

Again we had very poor visability the day we were to see Chimborazo peak. We asked the guide to turn back 10 minutes after we hit the dense fog (about 20 minutes before the summit) and instead we enjoyed the lower area close to Riobamba.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Cuenca and surroundings, Gualaceo, Chordeleg

Cuenca

We loved Cuenca! Very traditional and very walkable around the old centre. This was one of our favourite places in Ecuador.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From the Highlands to the Coast: Cajas National Park to Guayaquil

Ecuador

Enjoyable scenery but I was a bit underwhelmed to be honest! The photo stop at the top was good but I think perhaps I expected more from the National Park area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Pearl of the Pacific: Highlight Sites of the City of Guayaquil

Guayaquil

We enjoyed our time exploring Guayaquil. The Santa Ana area was lovely and we enjoyed the walk along the Malacon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Exploring Guayaquil's Local Wildlife at Parque Histórico

Guayaquil

Really enjoyed seeing the Iguanas in the park! Especially nice to see the babies who were only a couple of months old!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome Back to Quito

Ecuador

Wonderful time exploring the historic centre of Quito. We loved all the Churches and the big squares with the fabulous architecture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

Very enjoyable day. We loved the cultural aspect of it and the food at lunch was super!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mindo Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Highlight of our trip on Mainland Ecuador. The birds were just amazing. We saw several species of Toucans and the experience with the humming birds was phenomenal!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paul organised our trip, he was patient, very well informed and experienced in helping us to reach agreement to meet all our requirements for the holiday.
It was mainly focused on winery visits. However we had 3 days first in Buenos Aires, where we had two city tours with lovely guide Maria, and two evenings organised , one at the specular Fogon Restaurant and the other at Tango Rojo at Faena Hotel. Everything was perfect for us.
We then flew to Mendoza and met our new guide the delightful Augostina. We visited 4 wineries but the visit to Matervine Winery was the highlight of our Mendoza trip. We enjoyed a beautiful gourmet lunch at Susana Balbo Restaurant. Everything was organised with precision and once more it was perfect for us.
We then flew to Santiago where we were met by guide Roberto and driver Francesco. We had a three hour flight delay and they were so understanding it made a difficult day easier for us. Roberto spent the next 4 days with us. While travelling to and from the 7 wineries he shared all the information possible on the Country of Chile. The economy, the culture, the politics, the history, education, agriculture, industry, geography etc, etc.. He was so informative, a truly lovely man to share our experience with. The best guide we have ever had. The highlight of the Chilean wineries was Montes. A great tour. We also spent a lovely day with Roberto visiting Valparaiso and Vina del Mar.
As mature travellers we believe that leaving the organising to a professional tour operator like Kimkim gave us peace of mind and made travel much less stressful.

Hotel Reviews

Alvear Art Hotel

Buenos Aires

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Santiago El Bosque

Las Condes, Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hyatt Mendoza

Mendoza

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Excursion: Buenos Aires Sightseeing Experience - North Area

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango Show & Dinner (Tango Rojo) + Private Transfers

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fogon Closed-Door Asado Dinner Experience with Transfers

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lujan de Cuyo Wine Tour, Agrelo Region: Las Perdices, Matervini & Susana Balbo Wineries

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Casablanca Wine Route

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Viña del Mar & Valparaíso

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Excursion: Buenos Aires Sightseeing Experience - South Area

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine & Flavours of Maipu

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Experience Concha y Toro & Santa Rita Winery, Private Service

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We travelled to Costa Rica from the UK with our two children aged 11 and 8.

Bryan (and Nancy) did a fantastic job of recommending and organizing a range of hotels and activities for us over the two-week trip. Everywhere we stayed was brilliant in its own way -- Laguna Lodge in Tortuguero was rustic and remote, Las Lagos in Fortuna was family-friendly and fun, Costa Verde in Manuel Antonio was uniquely quirky, and La Mariposa was sleek and stylish with incredible views.

All of our trips were pitched perfectly for us & the kids. We absolutely loved the white water rafting and seeing all the amazing wildlife Costa Rica has to offer. All of our guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Shout out to Mariano and Alex for their hospitality on our drives, even stopping to show us the local crocodiles and buy us fruit.

Wilman was a great help as a point of contact while we were there and kept us on track with all of the details.

A special mention also for our guide in Manuel Antonio National Park who kept us all engaged with his infectious passion for the local flora and fauna!

It was a truly special trip which will stay with us for many years.

Really enjoyed the trip to Bolivia and Chile. Jimena Santos was an amazing tour guide in Bolivia!!! All the drivers were good, and we felt safe riding in all the vehicles. My favorite part of the trip was Uyuni and the salt flats. Hotel de Sal Luna Salada was quite an experience. The only negative thing about Hotel de Sal Luna Salada was that the dinners were horrible. They really need a new chef there.

All of the guides were very knowledgable and helpful. The drivers were also very good, friendly, shared information and were very helpful getting us to and from our destinations.

I had never visited Nepal before and Sangita and her team of trek guides, porters and city guides and drivers were faultless. Most importantly Sangita was always quick to reply to my questions and followed thru on all my requests and queries. I highly recommend her services