Kimkim Trip Reviews for China

We had a great 2 weeks in China, with the highlights in Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Yangshou and Zhangjiajie.
Our guides in each city were great. All had excellent knowledge of the history and culture. The guides took my vacation from a standard foreigners visit to an experience.
I appreciated that each guide warm transferred us onto the next guide and city. We had started to develop the relationship with the next guide even before we arrived.
All logistics went well. It’s an awesome benefit having the personalized touch. I experienced China in the moment as I didn’t need to think ahead on timing or logistics. I’m thankful for Tina, Mervyn, William and Bree. William went well beyond our expectations, he was my favorite guide.

There was a breakdown in communication with Carol and I. In hindsight I should’ve changed specialist as the dissatisfaction was felt immediately.
I would’ve liked to have been presented a wider selection of activities. At times I felt that I was on a ‘vanilla’ packaged tour (Yuk); Hot air balloon flights, motor bike, seats at the front with the 270 degrees view on the Li River cruise are a couple of examples which I would’ve been very happy to spend additional $$$. I was cost focused with Carol so to remove the 5 star hotels. I will always pay extra to for the experience, this wasn’t qualified as a necessity.
I booked 1 activity using GetYourGuide as it wasn’t an option thru KimKim which was weird.
Whilst I signed off on the itinerary, I failed to notice an activity we requested to be removed was still there, caves visit in Guilin. We didn’t do this activity, rather went on the search for antiques. Summer Palace boats activity was included in the itinerary, as it turns out the boats only available in the summer months, our visit was in November.

As I’ve used KimKim previously I know how great it is to have an online catch up with the specialist so the itinerary can be customized. Whilst my wider family and I will continue to use KimKim, I truly understand the criticality of the local specialist relationship. I feel disappointed that we had the plan and simple itinerary rather than something tailored to us. Of course this wasn’t known until we were in each city.

Our guides all made a difference!

We’ll be making the next booking or the next vacation; same time and place as this year.

My hopes for an epic trip to China and Japan were realized thanks to
蒋海丽 (Heidi). She gave me alot of her time and energy to help me plan the trip, and she was with me every step of the way during the trip.

I was a little anxious about traveling to China on my own but Heidi was a reassuring influence as I planned the trip with her through convos on KK Platform and phone calls. Typically, I would send her a lot of questions and she always answered promptly with great options and solutions.

The several tours arranged by Heidi were excellent, especially the tour guides. She selected great hotels for me and booked the train rides I needed to see both countries.

Halfway through trip planning, I needed to switch from another Asian country to Japan. Heidi sent me an itinerary and plan for Japan the very next day!

It is always good to balance a review like this with some positive criticism, but I have none. I am so pleased with how smoothly the trip played out, which allowed me to experience both countries to the max. Thanks again Heidi!

Activity Reviews

A Glimpse into China's Imperial Past: the Fobidden City

Beijing

Angela tour guide in Beijing Wu Qiong (Angela) really took care of me in my visit to Beijing. She is an outstanding tour guide, reassuring, and very fun to be with. If you like to grow and learn about the history and culture of China, Angela is like an encyclopedia. Angela led me on two unforgettable days in Beijing, which covered the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall. Angela made sure to ride the gondola with me at the Great Wall, which was a scary ride for me. When not touring with her, she recommended and arranged reservations in interesting local restaurants when I was not on the tour. The time with Angela in Beijing went by way too fast. I could have spent many more days exploring the city with her and learning from her.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of Shanghai with Yu Garden and the Bund

Shanghai

JJ, Shanghai tour guide During my tour of Shanghai, JJ (ChenJie陈杰) shared her incredible insight into China and its relationship to the rest of the world. I will remember those experiences as much as the Shanghai that she introduced me to. Although it was a whirlwind couple of days in the busy city of 25 million people, JJ made it all enormously fun and stimulating. JJ always let me set the comfortable pace for me. I appreciate so much how she was so flexible and creative when I asked for changes in the itinerary. There was so much to see and talk about and think about, and JJ made it all very easy. Go see Shanghai for yourself, and try to get JJ for a guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All the guides were very good. I enjoyed Xi’an and Shanghai more than Beijing were we spent too much time in traffic. The cars and drivers were good.
The cruise was enjoyable because of the scenery and the friendly crew but the food was mediocre and the cabin too small

Hotel Reviews

Novotel Peace Beijing

Beijing

Old hotel n need of renovations. Marginal air conditioning. Old furniture in need of replacement. Shoddy workmanship. Breakfast was ok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eastern House Boutique Hotel

Clean hotel. Professional staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Victoria Katarina

Tiny room . The smallest closet I ever saw. No drawers to store anything. The food is buffet style and is served tepid. Overall the food was mediocre. Upon embarking we had to buy the dinner because it was not included. Big mistake! It was horrendous.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sunrise On The Bund

The air conditioning doesn’t always work. Very small closet. Nice big bathroom

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff was not friendly but they did their job

Cleanliness & Comfort

Air conditioning!!!

Activity Reviews

A Glimpse into China's Imperial Past: the Fobidden City

Beijing

Interesting site

Quality of Experience

Food

Loud and busy restaurant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Better car than the old VW provided

Hutongs Exploration: Pedicab Ride and Local Family Visit

Beijing

Nothing special. We didn’t visit any family

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day with Great Wall and Changling Tomb in Beijing

Beijing

The Great Wall is a must see. It is impressive but it’s a long drive from Beijing. The wall is very crowded. The tomb excursion is not worth the time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chinese dumpling dinner

Xi'an

The show was good. The dinner and service were poor

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day with Terracotta Warriors and Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Xi'an

Very interesting site with some remarkable historical pieces

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina Cruise Day 4

Chongqing

A waste of time

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of Shanghai with Yu Garden and the Bund

Shanghai

Very nice excursion thanks to our excellent guide

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Temple of Heaven

Beijing

Nice excursion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Picturesque Summer Palace

Beijing

Nice excursion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Tang Dynasty Show (1hour)

Xi'an

A good show.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina cruise Day 1

Chongqing

The embarkation process was chaotic. The dinner that we had to buy on board was the terrible.

Quality of Experience

Food

Eat on shore

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina Cruise Day 2

Chongqing

A pleasant excursion

Quality of Experience

Food

Flavor and temperature

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Suzhou and Tongli Water Town City Tour

Shanghai

A very nice excursion

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Katarina Cruise Day 3

Chongqing

Very nice excursion on small boats

Quality of Experience

Food

Flavor and temperature

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Each of our guides were warm and welcoming. They were very knowledgable about the history and the current status of their respective cities. Drivers and guides coordinated the transportation aspects very well which provided smooth and relaxing transitions for us.
Restaurant choices were excellent, including the breakfast buffets at each of our hotels.
The Yangtze River cruise was unbelievable. Not only is the scenery outstandingly beautiful, but the staff was congenial and provided a couple of delightful entertainment shows with song and dance.
Our stay in Shanghai was especially enjoyable at Sunrise on the Bund hotel, and our guide JayJay made our time together very special in spite of rain from a typhoon that passed through.

All services are great, we really appreciate everyone effort for making our trip enjoyable...all the guides, drivers are good & tentative...will continue to use KimKim services with our next tour & will recommended to family & friends 😀
All the best!
Mary & Edmund Ko

"Our trip arranged by KimKim exceeded all expectations!
Each day, we enjoyed:
- Dedicated tour guides (Edward and Li Da) who were exceptional, caring, patient and knowledgeable
- Personal drivers, eliminating parking and waiting hassles
- Seamless hotel arrangements
- Insider tips on top restaurants for our free time

We're thoroughly impressed and grateful for the unforgettable experience.

We wholeheartedly recommend KimKim to friends and look forward to our next adventure together!"

Trip was amazing and we had a great time.

Our experience from start to finish was truly amazing. Our local specialist, Heidi, did a great job accomodating all our requests, including requirements from our 2 year old, and planned us an unforgettable experience. Both our guides for each city were very knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. They went above and beyond for our needs. Thank you so much to all the team!

Fantastic Tour of the highlights of Eastern China

My husband and I took a one-week tour of Shanghai, Xi-An, and Beijing and I can't recommend enough. First, China is not an easy country to navigate if you don't have the local apps or speak Chinese, so we felt very comfortable being guided and having someone else figure out our ticketing, lines, etc. I honestly don't think we would have figured out how to see the Terracotta Warriors without them! The guides were all fantastic, and I was particularly touched by Edward's help in finding great vegetarian restaurants for us in Beijing. The hotels were all very nice and comfortable. Heidi is super responsive and communicative and I felt very supported and comfortable throughout the entire trip end to end. Next time I would love to go to Western China with Kim Kim!

Hotel Reviews

Sunrise On The Bund

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice hotel, but a little far from the Bund

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Xi'an Eastern House Boutique Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Peace Beijing

Beijing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Shanghai City Tour with the Jade Buddha Temple, Jin Mao Tower and the Bund

Shanghai

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch stop was not part of the tour, so had to request it when we got hungry

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Glimpse into China's Imperial Past: the Fobidden City

Beijing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day with Terracotta Warriors and Muslim Street in Xi'an

Xi'an

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour through the Hutongs

Beijing

Though it was nice to meet a local community, I wouldn't have selected this tour. I found it a little boring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Temple of Heaven

Beijing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day with Great Wall and Changling Tomb in Beijing

Beijing

This was my favorite tour. I especially enjoyed the Changeling Tomb as the museum is very nice and it was not so crowded. And of course, the Great Wall!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoyable, well-organized tour with friendly and knowledgeable guides. My wife and I had a great time and would highly recommend.l this service.

Excellent trip to Japan and China. Carol made it very easy to complete schedule according to our like and adjusted itinerary favorable to us. Tour guides in Japan and China were very good communicators, knowledgeable of the sites visited, and again adjusted itinerary to complete an amazing trip.

I had a truly wonderful and unforgettable trip to China. As a solo traveler with limited time and no knowledge of the language, I was initially worried. However, Heidi was incredibly patient and accommodated all my requests to visit Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai, ensuring that the hotels met both my quality and budget needs.

In each city, I was met by a driver and guide promptly at the airport and taken to my hotel for much-needed rest. In Beijing, my guide Ms. Niki gave me an amazing tour, sharing the history in a fascinating way. In Xi'an, my guide Zoe provided an excellent tour of the Terracotta Warriors and explained their significance wonderfully. In Shanghai, my guide Mr. Run Liu took me to various exciting spots around the city.

Throughout my trip, Heidi consistently checked in to ensure I was having a great time. I had an absolute blast and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the trip. I highly recommend this experience to others."

This is my first time booking with Kim Kim and by all means it WON'T be the last. Heidi did an excellent job on making sure everything was in point, answering all the questions and always be there when needed.
Heidi THANK YOU so much for such outstanding job. my family and I brought all these great memories from the trip and in a great part thanks to you.
we'll talk again very soon...
Julio Cesar.

Had an amazing well organised trip, Heidi did a great job of suggesting hotels and excursion ideas, overall preparation and ongoing support was very strong. China is a beautiful country, people were lovely and friendly. Also appreciated all my local guides Alice (Beijing), Tracy (Xian), Kevin (Chengdu), Eric Fan (Guilin) and Run Liu (Shanghai). Would recommend.

I had a great time in China. My tour guides were great! Shout out to the guides Yan, Fish Lee, and Run for the great service. Also, the drivers got us to each location safe and sound and they are very much appreciated. I really enjoyed all of our sightseeing locations. One of my most memorable activities was the dumpling making class in Xi’an. The local family was very nice and cooked some very delicious dishes for us. Great hospitality! Overall, I had a very positive experience booking with KimKim, who referred us to Peicy, our travel consultant, and I am looking forward to our next trip!

Peicy helped us organized a fantastic 4 weeks trip to China. This was not an easy task as there were 7 of us in the group, ages 11 to 91. We covered four provinces with one plane ride and many train journeys including an over night train. It was flawless. We loved the hotels that she arranged for us in many great places. They were all unique and allowed for very easy walk to food and sites. I speak fluent Chinese, so do my parents who came in the trip. Her recommendation for places where we should still have a guide was excellent. The whole plan was slow enough for the grandparents and interesting enough for us and the kids. All the guides were very knowledgable and patient with our big family, especially Alvin in Kunming and Baima in Shangrila. All the drivers were very punctual and helpful, especially the one in later part of Yunnan. We couldn't thank Peicy enough for her help! Thank you so much for helping us with such a wonderful once in a life time experience! Kim Kim is very good at finding local experts to make your trip fantastic.

Hello Kim Kim
The trip in itself was unusual to the places where general visitors go to .that said the trip schedule was excellent in its execution. From arriving at Beijing Four days of non stop activity with our Guide Tom. to the Bullet Train to Zibo ( I have to compliment the Chinese railway , a pleasure to ride on a fantastic train in total comfort ) Meeting Chris who was the most enlightened guide that my Grandson has met .
Then to Qingdao where we met Eden , I personally had an excellent time with him as he is a teacher and we spoke about the way he could get his students to understand English better .
Then to Shenyang , all of the train trips and Internal flights were great.
Wherever we went we met the most courteous children , good for the future .
The places we visited for my grandson were the best he had ever seen ( thankyou for that ).
The hotels were pretty ok , The Shangri la was TOP SHOP. Food was interesting but we entered into the spirit and eat a lot of what was on offer.
Kim Kim Thank you for a well organised Holiday with excellent representatives at each city to meet us .
Paul Baker

I have recently returned from the 4 day Chengdu tour and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
The service provided by KimKim was first class from the minute I enquired about the tour on-line, Lemon my first point of contact was very helpful with any questions or concerns I had,
Andie the tour guide and my driver were both excellent and their local knowledge made the trip extra enjoyable.
The highlights were definitely seeing the Giant Pandas which I personally feel was one of the best experiences I've had, the Giant Leshan Buddha was also immensely impressive and well worth seeing. Finally a massive bonus for me was the Sichuan food which is very flavoursome if somewhat spicy and the tour guides knowledge of local eateries was unquestionable. 5*

Could not recommend Kim Kim enough, service start to finish was 1st class

It made things so much easier to be met and have our visits organised and explained, when in a foreign country and you don't speak the language it is often difficult to know shown how things work even train stations!

The guides Max arranged were helpful and welcoming, and keen to answer questions and give us a glimpse into life in China as well as just the 'sights'. The mountains in Zhangjajie and Guilin and the incredible Terracotta Warriors also played their parts!

The cooking class in Guilin was fun and the aubergine (eggplant) dish especially tasty, but the spread we had during the dumpling class in Xi'an was the biggest highlight, and the conversation (almost all translated by our guide) was fascinating.