The Netherlands Travel Agents

Overall, the trip was good. We found Mieke very responsive during the planning stage and when on the trip there was 1 hotel issue on a Sunday Kim Kim's 24 hour hotline worked well. I think the error was more on the hotel's side and was resolved reasonable quickly. We found Amsterdam extremely crowded due to its overall destination desirability, Tulip season and travel right before Easter. In hindsight would have spent 1 less day in Amsterdam and another in Belgium.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel des Arts

Amsterdam-Centrum

Overall good. Location is nice being on a canal, however that comes with a lot more noise. Staff at the hotel were very accommodating, breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel FranQ

Antwerp

Had an issue checking in which I believe was the hotel's system issue as reservations were booked around 9 months prior. Along with responsive communication with Kim Kim's team we were able to resolve the issue without wasting too much time. Nice location, lovely hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Pand Hotel

Bruges

Excellent location, friendly staff, nice breakfast,

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel des Galeries

Brussels

Only stayed for 1 night but was very nice. Excellent location but very poor signage meant it was difficult to find the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right next to the Galeries, hence the name and just a couple blocks from the main square.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ghent - Gravensteen - Castle of the Counts

The Netherlands

Bruges - Hans Memling Collection at Sint-Janshospitaal

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Public Transport Pass Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Very convenient, worked as expected.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Amsterdam - Canal cruise (join in)

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

About a 25 minute walk from the hotel.

Amsterdam - Van Gogh Museum

The Netherlands

Ghent - Adoration of the Mystic Lamb

The Netherlands

This was perhaps the best experience of our trip. We had the high tech experience which was simply mind blowing, it was like having a personal art expert with you.

Quality of Experience

Amsterdam - Day trip to Haarlem

Amsterdam

Enjoyed the city much less crowded than Amsterdam. The flower garden was massively crowded, made Disneyland feel empty by comparison. Go early!

Quality of Experience

Transport

Better signage for the bike route.

Bruges - Halve Maan brewery visit

The Netherlands

Excellent quality beer.

Quality of Experience

Haarlem - self-guided cycling route to Keukenhof & through tulip fields

The Netherlands

Signage was poor.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Better signage.

Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Transport

Close to the tram line.

Amsterdam - Walking Dinner private guided tour

The Netherlands

Excellent experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was great we enjoyed this experience a lot.

Amsterdam - Daytrip to Marken, Volendam, Edam and Zaanse Schans

Amsterdam

Enjoyed the drive and ferry crossing. Zaanse Schans was extremely crowded and felt like a tourist trap. Did enjoy the museum however.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bruges - Private guided walking tour

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was overly focused on architecture, did not show us some of the churches.

Antwerp - Chocolate Nation

The Netherlands

Pretty much as expected, nice chocolate samples. Good experience.

Quality of Experience

Antwerp - Private guided walking tour

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was 15 minutes late.

Brussels card 48h

The Netherlands

Did not fully utilize. Actually converting the voucher to a card was somewhat difficult.

Quality of Experience

Brussels - Private guided walking tour: food

Belgium

Expected to hit more places for beer.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The hotel in Haarlem was very nice, but the proximity to the church and the frequent ringing of the church bells was difficult to get used to, especially in the evening when the bells ring non-stop from 9-9:30pm. The flower auction and the Keukenhof were highlights! We found both experiences to be enjoyable. It was important that we got to the Keukenhof early because it got very crowded by lunchtime time and the crowds became overwhelming. We loved Albert, our driver; he is very kind and personable. We enjoyed our time with him and learned a lot from him. If we had to do it over, we would skip the ferry ride from Marken to Volendam.

We really enjoyed both Delft and Leiden. We enjoyed the smaller size/feel of these towns and the local culture. We enjoyed wandering around and getting lost, window shopping in local boutiques, and having a drink or meal outside in the sun. Both our guides, Andre and Jeroen, are wonderful! They were both very engaging and made our time together fly by, and we learned and saw many interesting things.

Bruges was probably our least favorite place. It is a very beautiful town, but it felt very commercialized and overrun by tourism. The horse and carriage rides, huge tour groups, and the numerous cheap souvenir shops were a little off-putting. The hotel was very lovely and serene, but some staff were more welcoming than others. Our tour guide, Roland, was a very kind man, but his tour was a little boring. We felt like we saw and learned very little in the two hours we were with him. The chocolate workshop was fun, but it felt like the woman leading the workshop would have rather been anywhere else but there. Also, we recommend people arrive at least an hour before the workshop and walk through the museum first. There is no information, stories, or history given in the workshop itself.

Ghent was nice, but the size of the city was a bit overwhelming to my mom. Similar to Roland, our guide, Christien, was a very warm, kind woman. But her tour was also a bit boring, and we walked away feeling like we didn't learn/see much.

Leuven and Mechelen were our favorite places in Belgium. Like Delft and Leiden, they felt smaller, less touristy, and we enjoyed the slower pace and local culture. We enjoyed roaming the botanical garden in Leuven and strolling down the canal path in Mechelen. The hotel in Leuven was very unique and nice; it was a bit far from the train station, but the location on the canal and the garden made it very relaxing and enjoyable. The hotel breakfast was the best of all the hotels on the trip. One weird thing about the hotel room, the toilet was behind a privacy door, but the shower was open to the room with very little privacy. But despite that, this hotel was still one of our favorites.

Finally, our driver, who took us to the Brussels airport, said he didn't speak English, but he still seemed to understand us, so it wasn't a big deal. However, he was a smoker, so his car smelled very bad. That made the trip to the airport unpleasant, and our clothes smelled like cigarette smoke for a while after we got out of the car.

Overall, we enjoyed the trip! We will definitely return to the Netherlands someday, and we will definitely use KimKim again soon.

Hotel Reviews

Begijnhof Hotel

Leuven

We loved this hotel. The staff were kind, the breakfast was amazing, the rooms were very clean, the gardens and canal made it very relaxing. I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 because the lack of privacy for the shower is awkward. A curtain needs to be placed at the entrance of the shower.

Authenticity & Character

The history of the building makes for a unique hotel.

Location

It is a bit far from the train station, but the canal and the gardens are lovely.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable. However, there is a lack of privacy in the shower. It is too exposed, and a curtain needs to be placed at the entrance of the shower itself.

Hotel ML

Haarlem

We enjoyed this hotel. The proximity to the church caused the church bells to be very loud.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

BoutiqueHotel 't Fraeyhuis

BRUGGE

This hotel is very lovely, the setting is beautiful, and the rooms are clean and comfortable. Some staff seemed a bit haughty, and we felt a little unwelcome sometimes.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Royal Bridges

Delft

Nice hotel, the staff were very kind and welcoming.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Daytrip to Marken, Volendam, Edam and Zaanse Schans

The Netherlands

The windmills were interesting, and Edam was beautiful. But Marken, Volendam, and the ferry ride were not all that interesting or exciting for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Albert, again, is the best! He made the day much more fun.

Transport

Riding with Albert was great. Would skip the ferry.

Leuven - Botanical Gardens (Kruidtuin)

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Flower auction, bulb fields & Keukenhof excursion

The Netherlands

The flower auction is very informative and interesting. The Kenkenhof is, of course, amazingly beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Albert is the best!

Transport

Ghent - Scenic Boat Tour

The Netherlands

We skipped this.

Delft - Private guided walking Tour

The Netherlands

Andre was wonderful, very engaging. We saw many interesting things, learned a lot, and he provided many recommendations and tips for the rest of our stay in Delft.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andre was wonderful!

Transport

We walked?

Leiden - Private Guided city walk

The Netherlands

Jeroen was very engaging and kind. We saw many interesting things and learned a lot from him. We loved the city as a whole.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bruges - Private guided walking tour

The Netherlands

Roland was a very nice man, but the tour was a bit boring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bruges - Choco Story chocolate workshop (join in)

The Netherlands

Making the chocolate was fun, but the instructor was just okay. She didn't seem to want to be there or enjoy her job.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This is a missed opportunity for the instructors. They should have stories and share some history of chocolate to make the experience more engaging. We arrived early but not early enough to go through the museum prior to the workshop.

Bruges - Day trip to Damme

The Netherlands

We skipped this.

Explore Ghent with a CityCard

The Netherlands

Ghent is a very busy city and felt overwhelming.

Quality of Experience

Transport

The city card can be a bit overwhelming to figure out where to go and how to get there properly.

Public Transport Pass Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Ghent - Private guided walking tour

The Netherlands

Christien was very warm and friendly. The tour was a bit slow and boring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Leuven - Day trip to Mechelen

The Netherlands

We loved Mechelen. Smaller, quieter, lovely local culture.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Delft - Delft blue pottery

The Netherlands

Ghent - Waffles 'n Beer Workshop

The Netherlands

We skipped this because I wasn't feeling good.

The communication with Bas was very easy and efficient. I really had no difficulties with my itinerary.
Its hard to pick which activity was the best as all were pretty spectacular.
Starting with my tour of Amsterdam, Inbal was very informative and was easily able to weave the highlights of the city and the food stops.
The boat tour was great as it gave me a different, very interesting perspective of the city.
In fact I could have spent more time on the water and skipped the Rijksmuseum!
(I know that sounds crazy but the crowds were a bit much!)
The tour of Haarlem was also great. Thessa was quite informative and the amount of time spent was perfect.
Finally, the shining star of my trip was the bike ride. Alex was a fantastic guide as he was able to provide me a safe but spectacular route from Haarlem , through the surrounding tulip fields to Kuekenhof, then as an added bonus, a tour of the sand dunes. We actually ended up spending an extra 1 - 1/2 hours on this tour but Alex graciously didn't mind.
All in all, as with the other two KimKim trips, my experiences in the Netherlands was spectacular!

Mieke did a great job. She was thorough and responsive to our questions and needs and very easy to work with. The package she provided was excellent. We had a couple of issues (train schedules) that came up over the 2 weeks and they were quickly resolved. The work she did enabled us to enjoy our trip without a hitch. Hotels, guides, and activities were very well planned

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Mai Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Exceptional Hotel with a very good-sized room and location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boat accommodation for cycling tours: Fluvius

Amsterdam

The bike and boat Tulip tour was a lot of fun. The boat was very clean, the crew very accommodating, the food good, and the room while small (as expected) was nice and worked out very well.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was small as expected but big enough to be comfortable.

The Dominican

Bruxelles

Really nice hotel in a good location with a very helpful staff and a well appointed room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bike & Boat: Zaandam and Haarlem

The Netherlands

Our stop on the bike route at Zaanse Schans, was a very busy tourist location but was very interesing and worth the visit

Quality of Experience

Public Transport Pass Amsterdam

The Netherlands

The card was helpful and easy to use

Amsterdam - Anne Frank House

The Netherlands

To see the actual place where Ann Frank hid was very moving.

Quality of Experience

Bike & Boat: practical information

The Netherlands

Going into the bike and boat trip we were a little leery, but the boat wound up exceeding our expectations. The room was small as expected but worked out very well. The crew was really nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Keukenhof Gardens

The Netherlands

Amazingly beautiful gardens.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bike & Boat: from Oude Wetering back to Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Quality of Experience

Amsterdam - Canal cruise (join in)

The Netherlands

Fun time very informative guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bike & Boat: Amsterdam

Amsterdam

The bikes were very functional, and the guides made for a safe and enjoyable experience The activities along the routes were excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brussels - Waffle making workshop

The Netherlands

This was a lot of fun. It was a little difficult finding the location but once we arrived it was all good from there. The instructor was fun, and the instructions clear, thus the end result was a delicious batch of waffles made with our own hands.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Brussels - Day trip to Ghent by train

Brussels

We really enjoyed Ghent. A nice city with many interesting shops and sights

Quality of Experience

Transport

Amsterdam: hôtel excellent, tour to Kokunhof was disappointing because we were too early, tulips were not in bloom. Tour to Edam with Tickets and Travel was very interesting and our guide Pieter was very informative.
The Hague: super hotel interesting city. Trip to Rotterdam was OK with Spido
Antwerp: excellent hotel. Tour to Brussels with Florence very informative.
Ghent: nice and cosy hôtel. Tour of Bruges with Roland was excellent
All tickets for transportation for the whole trip was well planed.
Overhaul it was a well planed trip with very good accommodations and good sight seeing.
Thank you Bas
Amy and Marcel