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active 3 hours ago

Aleksandra Shebaltseva

As a passionate traveler, my approach is anchored in the belief that every journey is an opportunity for exploration and growth. With a penchant for immersing myself in diverse cultures and seeking unique experiences, I thrive on the spontaneity of travel. Through my role, I aim to inspire others to embrace the unknown, fostering a sense of curiosity and appreciation for the beauty our world has to offer. From cityscapes to natural wonders, my travel philosophy centers on creating meaningful connections and lasting memories, weaving together a tapestry of experiences that transcend borders.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"My expertise spans the entire United Kingdom – from the captivating history of England to the breathtaking landscapes of Scotland, the unique cultural tapestry of Wales, and the charming allure of Northern Ireland. It's a boundless playground for exploration, and I thrive on curating activities tailored to any taste. Additionally, I'm an expert in traversing the captivating landscapes of Ireland, ensuring a seamless and unforgettable travel experience!
I specialise in green tourism and extreme activities, which can be adapted to families with children and solo travellers.
Let's embark on a journey that captures the essence of each corner of this diverse and enchanting kingdom!"

How did you get involved in travel?

"Travel is my lifeblood! I'm fueled by a profound passion for exploring new places, and the thrill of venturing into the unknown is an essential part of who I am. I simply can't imagine a life without constantly moving and discovering the wonders our world has to offer. Each new destination enriches me in ways beyond words!"

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"Every journey I embark on is a quest to make it truly unforgettable. I seek out new experiences, immerse myself in different cultures, and explore each destination from various angles. The richness of new feelings and perspectives makes every adventure unique and etches lasting memories in my heart. Travel, for me, is about creating a tapestry of extraordinary moments that I'll cherish forever."

Top itineraries and travel advice

Recent trip reviews for Aleksandra

Winter family trip to London & Amsterdam
England | Dec 25 - Jan 1, 2025

J
Jean Y.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Feb 04, 2025
The tours, attractions, and accommodations that Aleksandra helped us plan were all fabulous. In London, we particularly enjoyed the guided tour of Westminster Abbey, the high tea, and day trip to Oxford. Transportation to Amsterdam (as well as all transfers) went without a hitch. During the one hiccup in Amsterdam, where we went to the wrong location for our canal boat tour, Aleksandra responded immediately and helped us in the moment. It was truly a wonderful and memorable family trip! Read more

The tours, attractions, and accommodations that Aleksandra helped us plan were all fabulous. In London, we particularly enjoyed the guided tour of Westminster Abbey, the high tea, and day trip to Oxford. Transportation to Amsterdam (as well as all transfers) went without a hitch. During the one hiccup in Amsterdam, where we went to the wrong location for our canal boat tour, Aleksandra responded immediately and helped us in the moment. It was truly a wonderful and memorable family trip!

Hotel Reviews
The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences
London

The Athenaeum was a great location for visiting tourist sites, though at night the traffic noises were a bit loud. The food at the restaurant was particularly good!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam
Amsterdam

Beautiful hotel with exceptional service.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Aleksandra
Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Local specialist in England | Replied on Feb 07, 2025

Dear Jean,
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m absolutely delighted to hear that you and your family had a wonderful trip. It was truly a pleasure assisting you in planning your journey, and it’s fantastic to know that you enjoyed all activities.
Wishing you many more amazing adventures in the future, and I’d love to help plan your next trip whenever you’re ready!
Warmly,
Aleksandra

Olga was great! Very knowledgeable and d ple...
England | Feb 1 - Feb 1, 2025

R
RJ B.
Seattle, WA | Reviewed on Feb 02, 2025

Olga was great! Very knowledgeable and d pleasant!

Local specialist: Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Aleksandra
Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Local specialist in England | Replied on Feb 02, 2025

Thank you so much for your feedback! I’m delighted to hear that you had a great experience in London with Olga. I’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to her!
Warmly,
Aleksandra

Olga and Roman, tour of London and Windsor castle
England | Feb 1 - Feb 1, 2025

K
Ken & Marilyn O.
Canada | Reviewed on Feb 02, 2025
Olga was amazing, very informative, easy to understand. We thoroughly enjoyed our day with her
Roman was an excellent driver, very helpful with getting in and out of the van
Read more

Olga was amazing, very informative, easy to understand. We thoroughly enjoyed our day with her
Roman was an excellent driver, very helpful with getting in and out of the van

Activity Reviews
Discover London in a Private Black Cab
Discover London in a Private Black Cab
London

The tour was informative and hit all the important and interesting spots

Quality of Experience
Very nice, courteous tour guides. Easy to understand. Kept the points interesting and very informative. Answered all our questions
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Excellent interaction a with all the people in the tour
Transport
Windsor Castle Day Trip from London
Windsor Castle Day Trip from London
England

Loved seeing the castle, the grounds and the chapel

Quality of Experience
Appreciated the wealth of information given.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Olga was very organized and helpful
Transport
The transport was a little hard for some of our passengers to get in and out of the vehicle
Local specialist: Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Aleksandra
Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Local specialist in England | Replied on Feb 02, 2025

Dear Ken & Marilyn,

Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! I’m delighted to hear that you had such a fantastic experience exploring London and Windsor Castle with Olga and Roman. It’s great to know they made your tour both informative and enjoyable.

I’ll be sure to pass along your kind words—they will truly appreciate them! If there’s anything else I can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Wishing you many more amazing travels!

Best regards,
Aleksandra

Mother and daughter winter holidays!
United Kingdom | Dec 19 - Jan 3, 2025

Fernanda
Fernanda M.
Dallas, TX | Reviewed on Jan 08, 2025
This mother-daughter trip was organized by the awesome Aleksandra, who helped us in every step of the way with hotels, activities, tours, and everything we needed to have a great trip. We visited London, Edinburgh, Inverness, Glasgow and Dublin.
I will write as much as possible for each city.
- London: The hotel in London was comfortable, although the beds were very small, everything else was good, especially the room cleaning service. The breakfast was excellent. Our private Royal tour...
Read more

This mother-daughter trip was organized by the awesome Aleksandra, who helped us in every step of the way with hotels, activities, tours, and everything we needed to have a great trip. We visited London, Edinburgh, Inverness, Glasgow and Dublin.
I will write as much as possible for each city.
- London: The hotel in London was comfortable, although the beds were very small, everything else was good, especially the room cleaning service. The breakfast was excellent. Our private Royal tour with Diana in Spanish was very good, the walking pace was calm and she explained in a detailed way the places we visited. The Shakespeare's Stratford and Cotswolds tour was nice, however, the time in each place was short and the group was very large which made it difficult for us to follow the guide. The Afternoon tea at Fortum & Mason was amazing, we had a great time and the manager explained every single detail about this tradition to us.
- Edinburgh: The hotel in Edinburgh was nice, the room was comfortable, large, and clean. The breakfast was good but limited in the dishes that they offered. We asked for a decaf coffee and they reluctantly gave us a press full of coffee, it wasn't until we spoke to the manager that they brought a cup and apologized. The hotel's location is excellent, you only need to take a bus to get to the center and the hotel's area is calm. Please, warn others NOT to take the tram, it is too far from the hotel. The Old Town private tour was rushed, full of relevant information and interesting historical facts. Gains, our guide, is an amazing guide, and patient, he allowed me to translate to my mom the information he was sharing with us. Possibly not fully appreciated because we visited the old town at night. The St Andrews & Kingdom of Fife tour was very nice, our guide shared great information, and he gave us the correct amount of time for each stop without rushing. Many places, especially the cathedrals like St Giles and St Andrews were closed during the whole time we were there.
- Inverness: The Ness Walk Hotel is the best hotel we've ever visited. It is a gem of Scotland. Inverness is a really small town but the hotel has a great location. Everything about the hotel was amazing, from the customer service to the hotel room, simply wonderful. The Ultimate Isle of Skye Tour was great, Emma showed us relevant sites during the tour. The bus was full and it was kind of uncomfortable but everything we visited was amazing.
- Glasgow: The Adress Hotel has very basic and small rooms. The bathroom is too small, especially the shower. Service upon arrival was slow and the hotel keys were disabled when we wanted to go up to the room. Absolutely NO ONE helped us with our bags, we were just told “There is an elevator”. I recommend this hotel for a few days for its good location but everything else is bad, to be honest. We booked a free tour online in Spanish with "Somos Escocia", highly recommended.
- Dublin: We honestly didn't have enough time in Dublin. This city is amazing, the people are warm and nice, and the city is lively and fun. The Cliffs of Moher was a great tour, the weather was amazing that day but the description said "small group" and it was a big group! like 40 people in a big bus. The tour was not bad at all but it wasn't a small group tour.

Hotel Review
Ness Walk
Inverness

I had an unforgettable stay here! The service was impeccable, and the staff went above and beyond to ensure my comfort. From the moment I arrived, I felt like a VIP. The attention to detail and hospitality were exceptional. The facilities were top-notch, and the room was not only comfortable but beautifully designed. I could feel the quality in every corner. Your staff is incredible. They were friendly, attentive, and always ready to assist. It's rare to see such excellent customer service.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Walking distance to Inverness downtown
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Aleksandra
Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Local specialist in England | Replied on Jan 09, 2025
Dear Fernanda, Thank you so much for sharing your thoughtful and detailed feedback on the trip! I truly appreciate your honest comments about the group tours and hotels—they’re incredibly valuable and will certainly help me refine future trips. I truly hope that, even though not everything went perfectly, you and your mother still carry warm and cherished memories from this journey. It was an absolute pleasure working with you, and I’d love the opportunity to plan another amazing adventure... Read more

Dear Fernanda,

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughtful and detailed feedback on the trip! I truly appreciate your honest comments about the group tours and hotels—they’re incredibly valuable and will certainly help me refine future trips.

I truly hope that, even though not everything went perfectly, you and your mother still carry warm and cherished memories from this journey. It was an absolute pleasure working with you, and I’d love the opportunity to plan another amazing adventure for you in the future!

Wishing you many exciting discoveries and joyful moments ahead.

Warmly,
Aleksandra

Our trip was incredible Alexandra was so resp...
England | Nov 16 - Nov 30, 2024

Caroline
Caroline M.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Dec 02, 2024

Our trip was incredible Alexandra was so responsive whenever we needed help or had questions. The hotels and tours were also exceptional.

Local specialist: Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Aleksandra
Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Local specialist in England | Replied on Dec 03, 2024

Dear Caroline,
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m thrilled to hear that your trip was incredible and I could help make your journey memorable. If you ever need help planning another adventure, I’d be delighted to assist you again!

Warmly,
Aleksandra

Amazing trip. Alejandra was wonderful. Remi...
Ireland | May 19 - May 29, 2024

James
James S.
Columbia, MD | Reviewed on Nov 26, 2024
Amazing trip. Alejandra was wonderful. Reminded us of things as we went along so we would be in the right place. Worked with us on the itinerary which was great Read more

Amazing trip. Alejandra was wonderful. Reminded us of things as we went along so we would be in the right place. Worked with us on the itinerary which was great

Hotel Review
Lansdowne Hotel
Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

Not great. Very Quirky. But the show in the basement was fantastic and the restaurant food good

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Rooms too hot or cold. Our room was not good, had an additional space that was useless and the main area too small particularly the bathroom
Activity Review
Introducing Joyce’s Dublin Walking Tour
Introducing Joyce’s Dublin Walking Tour
Dublin

Fantastic. Our guide was great, knew James Joyce well.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Aleksandra
Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Local specialist in England | Replied on Dec 04, 2024

Dear James,

I’m so happy to hear you had such an amazing trip, and I’m delighted I could help make your experience seamless. Your kind feedback means a lot, and I look forward to helping you plan more unforgettable adventures in the future!

Best regards,
Aleksandra

Aleksandra was excellent! She took our specif...
England | Sep 26 - Oct 2, 2024

K
Ken T.
Newark, NJ | Reviewed on Oct 07, 2024
Aleksandra was excellent! She took our specific interests and likes and crafted them into a well planned eight day vacation in London. She gave us an excellent mix of the history and culture and Overall vibe of London. We changed our days of travel and she was right on top of moving scheduled tours to accommodate. Can’t give enough positive feedback for how quickly and professionally and pleasantly she and Kim Kim reacted to, our needs. A note to travelers – Apple Pay and the subway system... Read more

Aleksandra was excellent! She took our specific interests and likes and crafted them into a well planned eight day vacation in London. She gave us an excellent mix of the history and culture and Overall vibe of London. We changed our days of travel and she was right on top of moving scheduled tours to accommodate. Can’t give enough positive feedback for how quickly and professionally and pleasantly she and Kim Kim reacted to, our needs. A note to travelers – Apple Pay and the subway system are a must! Google maps was very helpful in navigating both walking and public transit. No need to do a currency exchange as long as you have Apple Pay or a credit card. Thank you again.

Hotel Review
NYX Hotel London Holborn by Leonardo Hotels
London
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason
Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason
London
Hampton Court and Hever Castle Tudor Tour
Hampton Court and Hever Castle Tudor Tour
London
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Tower of London Beefeater Welcome & Crown Jewels
Tower of London Beefeater Welcome & Crown Jewels
London
Quality of Experience
Hidden Pubs of London tour
Hidden Pubs of London tour
London

Wow!!! what a fun and informative night couldn’t have asked for a better guide than we had. would highly recommend this experience!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Six Course Michelin Star Dining with Champagne for Two at Angler Restaurant
Six Course Michelin Star Dining with Champagne for Two at Angler Restaurant
London
Local specialist: Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Aleksandra
Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Local specialist in England | Replied on Oct 08, 2024

Dear Ken,

Thank you so much for your fantastic feedback! I’m absolutely delighted to hear that your London trip was a success! It was such a pleasure working on your journey, and I’m thrilled that you found our service both quick and accommodating.

I truly appreciate your kind words and am excited about the possibility of helping you with your next adventure!

Sincerely,
Aleksandra

An English Adverture Tour
England | Sep 20 - Oct 2, 2024

John
John B.
Canada | Reviewed on Oct 03, 2024
We would like to say thank you to Aleksandra and Kim Kim for fine work done to give us a great trip to England! In the
past we have planned our own trips but given our lack of knowledge of Cornwall, we asked Aleksandra to provide us
help in picking each day of our trip, with her help we sketched out a way to see a bit of London, see some historical
and architectural sites of significance, and pursue our interest in filming locations for Doc Martin and Poldark.
Aleksandra worked on...
Read more

We would like to say thank you to Aleksandra and Kim Kim for fine work done to give us a great trip to England! In the
past we have planned our own trips but given our lack of knowledge of Cornwall, we asked Aleksandra to provide us
help in picking each day of our trip, with her help we sketched out a way to see a bit of London, see some historical
and architectural sites of significance, and pursue our interest in filming locations for Doc Martin and Poldark.
Aleksandra worked on our itinerary with us, counseling on what was possible to reasonably cover each day. She picked
great guides for us to see Oxford University (Jacob) and Salisbury Cathedral & area (Allison), got us booked for all of
the events we picked, even getting us good seats for Hamilton which was sold out at the performance we attended.

We were very pleased with Aleksandra's picks for places to stay. In all we stayed 12 nights spread over 9 locations. The White Hart Hotel was a very relaxing, enjoyable place to start our trip and get over our jet lag on arrival in London. Boscundle Manor was so comfortable I wished we were there more than 2 nights. The Three Tuns was another favorite as we were welcomed like family by other guests in the pub when we went down for dinner. After driving almost 6 hours
on Oct 1 we were very impressed with the Stan Hill Court Hotel. All of the places we stayed were well run, clean, and
had friendly staff and good food. Aleksandra provided a very comprehensive trip plan I could reference on my phone
with all the tickets, confirmation numbers etc

Things change given different events. In our case the weather was not totally cooperative to our plans and some of
the events needed to be rescheduled or dropped from our list. We managed to fill the gaps with trips to Gunwaloe
Beach and to Geevor Tin Mine. Aleksandra helped us with changes and even arranged some ticket refunds for the
events we could not attend. We are now back in Canada, very content with what we accomplished in the last two weeks.
We now contemplate doing this again. Aleksandra will be our first contact for another trip.
John & Sally Bell,
London, Ontario, Canada.

Hotel Reviews
The White Hart Hotel
Kingston upon Thames

very good food, very customer friendly

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Sturdys Castle
Kidlington

good clean room suitable for a night stay. good food

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The St George and Dragon by Innkeeper's Collection
Topsham
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Boscundle Manor
St Austell

very nice location, owner was quite helpful in ideas for doing things in area

Authenticity & Character
beautiful location
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
provided muffins to start the day in the room..nice idea
The Three Tuns
Helston

very nice old place with friendly staff. Really fun atmosphere at dinner in pub

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
No 12 Furze Croft
St Ives

This was not a hotel. It was a couple rooms in someone's house. The owner was very friendly and helpful with advice on the area. Good parking and access to building.

Authenticity & Character
Very comfortable stay but was a new house location, not a traditional old hotel
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Stanhill Court Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals
Charlwood

Really interesting old estate that was turned into a hotel. Very relaxing for last location of our trip.

Authenticity & Character
Beautiful property
Location
15 min from Gatwick Airport
Staff
Very amenable to moving us to a ground floor room at our request
Cleanliness & Comfort
Avonlea Guest House
Banbury

small room but very clean. Good food at breakfast

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Tintagel Arms Bed and Breakfast
Tintagel
Authenticity & Character
Location
good access to Tintagel Castle and Port Isaac.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Iconic Oxford  Private Walking Tour
Iconic Oxford Private Walking Tour
Oxford

Jacob was great...knew his material and made the walk fun and interesting

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Secrets of Salisbury Private Walking Expedition
Secrets of Salisbury Private Walking Expedition
England

Allison was very informative

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Aleksandra
Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Local specialist in England | Replied on Oct 04, 2024

Dear John and Sally,

Thank you so much for your wonderful message and kind words! It was a pleasure working with you both to plan your trip to England. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the experience and so happy to know that you’re already thinking about your next adventure!

I’d be delighted to help with your future journeys whenever you're ready. Until then, thank you once again for letting me be part of this special trip!

Sincerely and with warmest regards,
Aleksandra

I needed a few adjustments because I am trave...
Scotland | Aug 17 - Aug 24, 2024

A
Adelaide R.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Sep 15, 2024

I needed a few adjustments because I am traveling with a dog. Aleksandra was so helpful with finding excellent accommodations where my dog was treated well. Thank you!

Local specialist: Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Aleksandra
Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Local specialist in England | Replied on Sep 23, 2024

Dear Adelaide,

Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m really glad to hear that the accommodations worked out well for you and Blue. It was a pleasure assisting you with your trip, and I’m happy to continue working on your further adventures!

Sincerely,
Aleksandra

Perfect Travel Planning
United Kingdom | Jul 17 - Jul 30, 2024

J
jennifer l.
Dallas, TX | Reviewed on Aug 16, 2024
This trip was a dream and planned absolutely perfectly. Aleksandra at KimKim planned the perfect activities for our group and made everything so smooth and easy for us. We literally just had to show up. She took the stress out of traveling. We went to England, Scotland and Ireland and loved it all. Our favorite was Scotland, particularly the Inverness area, and it's due to the best travel guide I've ever experienced -- Sandy. He was so knowledgeable and entertaining, I wish he could have... Read more

This trip was a dream and planned absolutely perfectly. Aleksandra at KimKim planned the perfect activities for our group and made everything so smooth and easy for us. We literally just had to show up. She took the stress out of traveling. We went to England, Scotland and Ireland and loved it all. Our favorite was Scotland, particularly the Inverness area, and it's due to the best travel guide I've ever experienced -- Sandy. He was so knowledgeable and entertaining, I wish he could have stayed on for the whole trip. ha.

I would 100% recommend KimKim, and have already spread the word to anyone who will listen. I'm planning another trip for next year and will absolutely use them again then and in the future.

Local specialist: Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Aleksandra
Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Local specialist in England | Replied on Aug 19, 2024
Dear Jennifer, Thank you so much for your fantastic feedback! I’m thrilled to hear that your trip was stress-free and created warm memories for you and your family. I’ll be sure to let Sandy know how much his expertise contributed to making the Inverness area a highlight of your trip. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we’re excited about the possibility of working with you on your next adventure. We can’t wait to help make it just as amazing. If you have any specific destinations... Read more

Dear Jennifer,

Thank you so much for your fantastic feedback! I’m thrilled to hear that your trip was stress-free and created warm memories for you and your family.

I’ll be sure to let Sandy know how much his expertise contributed to making the Inverness area a highlight of your trip.

Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we’re excited about the possibility of working with you on your next adventure. We can’t wait to help make it just as amazing.

If you have any specific destinations or ideas in mind for next year, please feel free to share them whenever you’re ready.

Sincerely,
Aleksandra