Kimkim Trip Reviews

When my partner and I decided we wanted to explore Vietnam but didn’t know where to start, we sent a message to KimKim - we are so glad we did.
After a short quiz and a few clarifying messages back and forth, Huyen perfectly comprised an intinerary that was exactly what we were looking for. She was also highly responsive and very kind.
Travelling, transfers, and all transportation was so simple, and each guide met us at the station with a sign of our names and took us to our accomodation!
Each of our guides was deeply knowledgeable and a pleasure to spend time with. Trung managed to fit Hanoi into one day, and we still felt like we saw so much of the city and everything that was previously recommended to us. He was also fun to talk with and knew so much about Hanoi and Vietnam.
Ly in Sapa took us on the most amazing hikes through the hill villages (Ma Tra & Ta Phin, then Lao Chai and Ta Van). Ly seemed to know everybody and everything in the area - so we not only learned so much about the land and distinct culture of each tribe, but we were put at ease being in an environment so different from our American city life. We had a great balance of popular attractions (Fansipan, etc.) and off-the-beaten path adventures - very hard to do but Huyen and Ly nailed it.
Our final guide Brian met us in Hanoi after the sleeper train from Sapa (actually a fun experience, + managed to get some sleep)! Brian managed to make a 3 hour car ride fun and interesting, as he knew so much about Vietnam and was so hospitable. The 2-day cruise in Ha Long Bay was the perfect way to end our trip with some relaxation.
Huyen stayed incredibly responsive throughout the whole trip and even checked in with us via Whatsapp in each city to make sure we were okay. We felt we had the perfect trip - great accomodations, intineraries, enough free time… KimKim really was the right call for us.
If you’re thinking of exploring Vietnam but aren’t sure what to do or where to start, I recommend at least messaging a specialist to see what they come up with for you - it can’t hurt!!

Overall our group of six enjoyed the trip and KimKim made it a lot easier to get around by providing transfers for us. Unfortunately, we hit several snags that took away from the enjoyment of the trip. Twice the transfer did not show up or didn't indicate they were there for our party. Kimkim got it straightened out but that was a rough start at the airport. Several times we didn't get the room we thought we were getting (twins instead of kings, etc.) and at one time in Cusco we were dropped off at the bottom of a set of stairs (with all our luggage) to get to our hotel because the driver said he couldn't go down our street. At the end of the trip we were asked to pay for our rooms because there was confusion about payment from KimKim.

I would like to say that Kimkim was very helpful in connecting us with a pharmacy when my husband forgot his insulin in the Amazon.

Activity Reviews

Lima Food Tour

Peru

Sacred Valley Tour: Chinchero - Maras - Lunch at MV

Peru

Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica Jungle Excursions

Puerto Maldonado

difficult to enjoy due to the extreme heat and humidity.

Discovering the Treasures of Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

PeruRail Titicaca Train: A Scenic Journey from Cusco to Puno

Peru

Lake Titicaca Tour: Uros Floating Islands & Taquile Island

Puno

Sangita was unbelievably brilliant from start to finish, from the first moment we enquired about going to EBC she responded immediately with advice and guidance on how to make our trek personalised for our family. She met us in Kathmandu at the start and at the end of the trek. Mitra our guide met us at the airport in Kathmandu and was the nicest, most knowledgeable and polite person. He knows the mountains and has family and so many friends in the Khumbu region so when we needed to change or alter our journey it was no problem. When trekking to EBC with altitude and weather as major factors you need a local guide that has the experience and can call on their contacts at a moments notice, for example the weather in Lukla has been terrible for the last week with no flights going in or out. We paid extra for a helicopter to take us in and out, many people have been stuck there for quite a while, having already paid for a helicopter to take us back to Kathmandu the weather came in , which meant the helicopter couldn’t land at Lukla so Mitra organised for us to walk an hour and a half down the valley to get the helicopter, this was a last minute decision but he had friends who we paid to carry our bags. A western guide had to send her group out in shifts on various helicopters and she ended up on our flight having no other way to get back. Mitra was utterly brilliant and we can’t recommend Sangita and Mitra enough.

Hotel Review

Barahi Kathmandu

Absolutely brilliant hotel and such a great way to start and finish our trek.

Authenticity & Character

Location

5 minutes walk from the shops to buy any extras you need.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Drive to Ramechhap. Fly to Lukla. Trek from Lukla to Phakding (2,610 m/3-4 hrs)

Phakding

Thank goodness we didn’t get to do this. We paid for a helicopter to take us direct from Kathmandu to Lukla. People we spoke to who did this journey said it was awful.

Fly from Lukla to Ramechhap(about 20 min). Drive to Kathmandu.

Kathmandu

Don’t do this pre book a helicopter as the weather is so unpredictable that you may be stuck in Lukla for days. Budget the price of a helicopter into your trek. The people we spoke to who had done this journey said the road trip was awful.

Our three weeks in Japan were fantastic. Our local guide Shona suggested locations and activities that we would have had difficulty finding on our own but that made the trip very memorable. The accommodations she found for us, particularly the Ryokan in Kawaji Onsen, were among the best hotels we have ever stayed at and were staffed by some of the nicest people we've ever met. We felt very pampered.
Shona was always available and prompt in responding to our inquiries and issues even with the substantial time difference between us. She would also send us our itinerary for the day on our trip itself which made things very easy.
The guides she booked for us were very friendly and shared a lot of interesting cultural knowledge about Japan with us. One of our drivers was kind enough to suggest alternative activities on a day when the weather was not cooperating with what was initially planned.
There were a couple of instances where we had a guide booked for us that felt somewhat unnecessary - like days where we went hiking and probably would have preferred to have just had a driver instead. This is also on us in that we could have communicated this preference to her a bit better.
On the whole, Shona was a great planner for our trip to Japan and we would recommend her and KimKim to other travelers in the future!

Tina was exceptional! Everything for our trip was so well organized, curated, and high end as expected. We had amazing excursions we would have never thought to book ourselves and boutique beautiful resorts. We could not be happier with the service and every part of our vacation. We are forever thankful to Tina and the KimKim team!!

Hotel Reviews

The Salil Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

TreeHouse Villas Villas Koh Yao Noi Luxury Beach Resort

Thailand

Beautiful, private, luxury resort perfect for couples wanting romance! Loved this part of our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Naka Phuket

Phuket

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is a bit out of town, but that is why it is private.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elephant Hills Camp

Khao Sok

Amazing experience! Perfect blend of excursions and luxury camping with relaxation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Enjoy Food Tasting in Chinatown!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Bangkok City Tour

Bangkok

Ton our tour guide really took care of us and made this a special experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

3 Day Jungle Lake Safari - Day 1

Khao Sok National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Romantic BBQ at the Beach!

Ko Yao Noi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A visit to Mae Klong Railway market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

3 Day Jungle Lake Safari - Day 2

Khao Sok National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

3 Day Jungle Lake Safari - Day 3

Khao Sok National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

John Gray's - Hong by Starlight

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A group of 6 friends just completed an unforgettable two weeks of immersion in Morocco. Starting with the planning stage with Sharon and Maryem, through the airport logistics, (we arrived and left at different times) , through the two weeks guided by our knowlegeable, professional and entertaining guide AbdouRahman and driven skillfully by Mustafa through the amazing Moroccan landscapes and ancient cities, our experience with Morocco Immersion Tours and Adventures more than met our high expectations.

The mix of local life — eating at the markets (buying meat at the butchers, taking them to the grill or Berber pizza “kitchen”) — and high end beautiful luxury hotels in Fez and Marrakesh and our luxurious desert camp gave us a glimpse into the span of real life in current Morocco that is unlikely to be found in other tours. We were very appreciative of our day in Sharon’s and Abdou’s home in the Valley of Roses, especially the opportunity to meet their family and neighbors.

We were very lucky to have AbdouRahman as our tour manager and guide. His deep knowledge and love of Moroccan history and culture and his running commentary and answers to our questions were invaluable. He was also great with coming up with Plan Bs when current events required some adjustments to our itinerary.

In addition, we appreciated the knowledge and experience of the local guides especially in Rabat and Fes. They were also deeply knowledgeable and enthusiastic interpreters of the historical and cutural contexts of the sites we visited. And a special mention goes to Hussein and Khadija for the wonderful day we enjoyed in their home, learning about their lives, while we participated in a hands on cooking class, making two tagines, breads and salads.

In sum, our eye opening and enjoyable experience with Morocco Immersion was superb. From planning to execution, they were, professional, flexible, responsive, and informative . Choukran!!

We were blown away by this trip, the country itself, but mostly by the amazing people you connected with: our driver/tour expert Nourredine, our guides Mustafa and Ishmael, our cooking class leader Bouchra and the reservation help provided by Sara via WhatsApp. They were all generous, kind, interested, well-educated experts who truly seemed to have our family's needs and interests at heart. So fantastic!

Hotel Reviews

Dar Victoria

Fez

Incredible original atmosphere, great location, clean rooms and fantastically friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Was down a secret alley, in a non-touristy zone, but we all felt safe and welcome

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plumbing in bathrooms was a bit rickety

Meteorites Boulaajoul

Zaida

This was a surreal and dramatic overnight stop on the way to the desert: we met other travellers en route to the Sahara, or some returning. And the staff (Omar!) was funny and warm and welcoming. We liked how quiet it was, the pool, and the feeling on being on the edge of a rugged landscape. Not fancy, but clean and quiet, like a motel. Our kids loved it too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

On the edge of some very rugged land, in view of the Atlas mtns

Staff

Omar and the other assistants were funny, jokey with our kids, and put us all at ease. Also very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great beds, huge king

Riad Madu Luxury Camp

Merzouga

An incredible oasis on the edge of the sand dunes. We should have stayed more than one night! Could have stayed 3.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Lyon-Mogador

Essaouira

A classy and quiet spot with a great rooftop view and gorgeous beachy design rooms,

Authenticity & Character

Wonderful classy beach vibe and decor, cusions, wood, excellent cotton sheets and blankets.

Location

Staff

Queit and frienfly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Nasreen

Marrakech

Unhelpful staff, chauvinistic toward women, and unavailable to help us when we needed them.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Condescending attitude, unhelpful with basic requests, no owner or Manager in sight

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathroom fan wouldn't turn off, hot water tap fell off, room was tiny, pool on rooftop in disrepair

La Perle du Dadès

Boumalne

This had a lovely pool and a warm friendly feel from the owners and staff, but the rooms were cluttered and didn't feel 100% clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms had too many knick knacks in them, a challenge when unpacking.

Activity Reviews

Leather Slipper Workshop

Marrakesh

Was a great father-son workshop. However I'm glad my other kid (10) didn't attend as it was quite technical! But our teenager and his dad loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Roman Ruins of Volubilis

Morocco

Excellent history from our guide, however our kids got hot and tired halfway in, and there was no shade on site.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch with a local family

Morocco

Really lovely to see and experience a real home, with a local person. It gave us a chance to ask questions, and our boys learned a lot.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Was good, tho would have been Amazing if our kids had met/eaten with kids, or the family was a similar make up to ours

Transport

Wine Tasting in Meknes

Morocco

Was not really a favorite for us. We learned a bit, but will save wine tastings for other countries where it is a focal point.

Quality of Experience

Also, we didn't know in advance what was included, and they brought us LOTS of cheese and wine, which we didn't eat or drink or need.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide at the winery, very knowledgable

Transport

Nourredinne was so great getting us on time to ALL our scheduled activities.

Sand Boarding

Morocco

Was just kind of tacked on to the ATV riding. Felt like an afterthought. No instruction, which is fine. We could have all used boards (4) rather than just having one. Would skip this next time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Riding in the Sahara

Morocco

Loved this but we wanted to ride more. The guide seemed to think we only wanted photos of ourselves on the horses, when really we all wanted to gallop and go riding a bit more freely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Erg Chebbi Dunes to Boumalne Dades

Morocco

We liked stopping at the rosewater factory, but noticed the prices were very high, aimed at tourists and cost more than at home!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour

Marrakesh

Loved this tour at night with Ishmael!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ismael was generous, warm, shared his story, and connected well with our sons. We loved spending time with him and would do this again!

Transport

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

Excellent tour w Mustafa!

Quality of Experience

Food

I don't think we ate on the tour

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class

Morocco

By far a highlight of our family trip!

Quality of Experience

Location and going to the souk first, to get the ingredients. Plus the dance party we had with the staff, on the spur of the moment!

Food

The tea ceremony, learning how to do the cooking without needing to prep the vegetables!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bouchra was amazing, as were the rest of the people at the Riad

Transport

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

So cool, the best

Quality of Experience

Food

n/a

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Marrakech with a private guide

Marrakesh

Awesome! Such a vibrant city

Quality of Experience

Was excellent however our Riad Nasreen was sub-par in terms of rooms and staff.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nourredinne and Ishmael knew the city well, and were great at getting us around it! They shared their knowledge, and kept us safe from the motorbikes!

Transport

Kitesurfing Lesson in Essaouira

Essaouira

Was a great location, but we would have liked to know that kitesurfing lesson #1 doesn't include any time in the water actually kitesurfing. So that would have been helpful. However we had a fun day at the beach, and our kids surfed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super nice, professional crew at Kitesurfing company

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

We had an amazing trip to Vietnam! Doris was very helpful in organizing our iternerary and communication from beginning to end was excellent. Hotels were fantastic and tour guides very knowledgeable. So many beautiful moments. We enjoyed it all!! Thank you!

Activity Review

Hanoi - Halong Bay - Overnight on Paradise Elegance Cruise

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

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.

Vicky , you arranged our Australia and New Zealand trip very well. Hotel stays were very good except Fable where the service was moderate. Tours were very well organized, pickups were efficient and good and friendly.Ayer’s rock was amazing. Except the evening arranged dinner was so so for us vegetarians and atmosphere was full of bugs at night which the organizers could have controlled better. Cairns is beautiful. Seeing Great Barrier Reef was wonderful. On the whole an amazing trip and experience. Thank you Vicky.

Hotel Reviews

Sir Stamford at Circular Quay

Sydney

Old charm. Very centrally located. Good service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Polite and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fable Auckland

Auckland

Many staff spoke English poorly and communication was difficult.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Poor cleaning. Bathroom sink poorly designed.

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crystalbrook Flynn

Cairns

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Langham, Melbourne

Southbank

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel St. Moritz

Queenstown

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Field of Light Dinner | Indulge in a feast for the soul

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Food

Better vegetarian options.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the mysteries of the outback sky

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great Ocean Road Full Day Private Experience

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Sound – Coach Cruise Fly

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Waiheke Island - Exclusive Tours - STANDARD DAY (Private Tour)

Auckland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Debra was excellent.

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Freedom - Cruise to Outer Edge of Upolu Reef and Upolu Cay Reef (Departs from Cairns)

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Private Melbourne City Highlights

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TSS Earnslaw and BBQ Buffet Lunch in Queenstown

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Full Day - Private Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uluru Sunrise (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta Half Day Trip

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Daintree Wanderer Tour

Australia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Full-Day Rotorua Tour

Auckland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Sights 4 hours - Private Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything was top shelf. From the airport to the hotel(s) and all the excursions and private tours, everything was awesome! Everyone work together to provide us with a great experience!

Hotel Review

Agali Houses Santorini

Firostefani, Santorini

Beautiful views from our balcony. Excellent breakfast as well

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

The Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Private Guided Tour

Athens

This is a must when in Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Australia was fabulous. Asko was easily reachable when we had questions. First, all the hotels we stayed in were great and in excellent locations making it easy for us to get around. The excursions were well thought out. We got premium seats for the Penguin Parade, that was unexpected. The Great Ocean Road was stunning. Our guides for the Penguin Parade and Great Ocean Road were professional, polite and funny. Hobart was lovely. Uluru was next and beautiful. The sunset dinner, show and sunrise at Ayer's Rock. I can't say enough. Barrier Reef was next. We spent a relaxing day at Moore's Reef. For those that didn't go in the water there was the glass bottom boat and the submarine. Our last days were spent in Sydney. The Dream World Tour was exceptional. We learned a lot, we wanted to leave with more information about the First Nation than when we came. Our trip Wildlife, Waterfall and Wine tour was a nice change. Our driver, "the other Steve", made that tour enjoyable and he provided a lot of information. Then we had a free day in Sydney to shop and relax. It couldn't have been better. Thank you for an unforgettable journey!

We had an amazing trip and Hakim did an excellent job. As this was our first experience with KimKim, we were nervous whether the arrangements would work out as promised. But everything was great, and I'm glad we relied on Hakim's excellent reviews and expertise.

Since I had very little time to plan and book a trip to Switzerland , I decided to give kimkim a try. In 7 weeks, Mathilde put together a suggested itinerary, worked with me on zoom calls to add and subtract destination cities, and purchased/booked travel passes and hotels.

While I might have done a few things differently (like staying in Wengen rather than Grindlewald), all in all I think it was money well spent with kimkim. The directions for each stop were thorough and clear and the online vouchers and schedules were easy to access.

If I find myself in a similar situation with short lead time, and no knowledge of the destination country, I would use kimkim again.

Helena and KimKim were amazing in helping us plan our first two week trip to Spain. The trip was wonderful and went seamlessly without a single hiccup. Helena gave us everything we asked for and more and was able to foresee details we would not have thought of. She found the perfect hotels, tours, activities and transportation for us and planned it in a way that flowed so well. She also provided multiple suggestions on the best things to do, places to eat etc. in our downtime. Our tour guides were well informed and friendly and made sure we got the most of the experience. They knew how to avoid the crowds without missing out on anything. We learned so much of the history and culture of Spain and saw beautiful scenery, cathedrals, palaces, fortresses, old towns, city streets and more. Our drivers were also friendly and fun to talk to. We loved the trip app that KimKim provided, giving us a very detailed outline of every day that Helena had organized - hotels, drivers and their contact number, tours and guides, train rides and tickets etc. Additionally it included information about each city and site, where to go, what to see and where to eat. We found it to be invaluable. Everywhere we went we were expected and welcomed warmly. We are very grateful for Helena and KimKim and will definitely use again and recommend to others.

Hotel Reviews

Urban

Madrid

Beautiful hotel in a great location. Staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was great! We enjoyed our stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Colón Gran Meliá

Seville

We really enjoyed this hotel! The staff were friendly, it was a great location and the food was good. It was a pretty hotel and we enjoyed our stay here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Meliá Granada

Granada

We loved our stay at the Melia. The rooftop had an amazing view of the city, our room was nice and the food was good! The staff were friendly and very helpful with every detail of our stay. The location was great too and we had no problem walking everywhere we needed to go.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Only YOU Hotel Malaga

Málaga

We loved the Only You hotel. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, the location was amazing, the views from the room and the top of the hotel (where we ate breakfast) were beautiful. We really enjoyed staying at the Only You in Malaga.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

We loved this tour! It was our first night in Madrid and the perfect introduction. Our guide was fun and very informative, the food and drinks were really good and we had a great group and met some cool people. We really loved this tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit of Madrid: History, Culture & Architecture of the Capital of Spain

Madrid

Wow! So many beautiful sights, cultural and history in Madrid. Our guide, Javi was great! He was very informative and friendly and took us to some neat places and a few out of the way shops in Old Town that we loved. We really enjoyed this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Visit of Toledo, Train Toledo to Madrid

Madrid

Wow! Toledo is such an amazing place full of history and cultural and very unique as well. We loved our guide Sonia. She taught us so much about Toledo and the history, art, architecture and so much more there. She knew. how to take the side roads to avoid the busy and more crowded areas and got us right up front for prime views of everything. She knew so much about every aspect of the city and all of its history. She was fun and went out of her way to give us additional suggestions of places to eat and see and even got us a taxi back to the train station. Toledo is a place where I wish we'd been able to stay longer.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

We loved our private tour of Seville with Lita! Wow, what a beautiful city with so much to see and so much history. Lita was so informative and we had a great tour with her. We learned so much about Seville and saw so many beautiful sights, history and buildings. It was a wonderful tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate

Seville

We really loved this tour of the Olive Oil Estate. Alberto our driver to the estate was a lot of fun and taught us a lot as well. Sarah, who led our private tour of the estate was great! We learned so much that we didn't know about the types of olives and the process of making olive oil both in the present and the past. A bonus was the carriage collection that the owner had - it was amazing to see and we got to pet the horses. We also enjoyed the tasting at the end. Sarah made the tour a fun experience and we really enjoyed it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train Seville to Córdoba, Guided Visit of Córdoba, Train Córdoba to Seville

Seville

Wow! Cordoba is such a neat city with so much to see! We had a great tour with Jose who was so informative! We loved the old Roman bridge and of course the Mezquita, the enormous mosque-cathedral. That was pretty amazing and there was so much in there to take in! It is such an interesting history. We had an excellent lunch while there and some free time to explore.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Show in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

What a great Flamenco show in Granada! We even enjoyed the walk up the hill to the Sacromonte area where the Flamenco show was held in the cave. It was a lot of fun and the performers were so talented from the dancers to the singers to the guitar player. We had a great experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Wow! The Alhambra and gardens are amazing! There was so much to see and it was beautiful! Christina was a great guide and very informative and made the tour fun. The views were incredible as well as the beautiful gardens and of course the palaces. The old fortress and the old roman aqueduct and ruins were very cool. There is a museum onsite that had some very neat artifacts. There were so many different parts to this tour and each part was spectacular! We really enjoyed this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Ronda

Spain

We enjoyed the views of the countryside on this private drive with Rafael who was very nice to Rhonda and when we got there, WOW! What an amazing place! The views and cliff are just incredible and the town of Rhonda was fun too. We had an excellent lunch at a cafe in the city and enjoyed walking around. But really it's all about the views. Wow!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Málaga

Málaga

Malaga is another beautiful city in Spain and we had a great private tour with Nahuel. He was a great guide and very informative! We enjoyed this tour and learning the history of Malaga. The Roman Theater was very cool and we learned how the Cathedral of Malaga was unfinished but they are working on finishing it now. It was also at the time of Picasso's birthday which is the same day as mine and so we learned more about his history with Malaga. Nahuel also gave us some great suggestions for places to go eat and to see while we were there. This was a great tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self Guided Day Trip to Marbella

Spain

We enjoyed the beautiful drive to Marbella with Angel who was informative and so friendly. Marbella old town was beautiful and really neat! We had a delicious lunch there and enjoyed looking at the pretty flower lined streets and visiting the shops. Overall we had a fun trip to Marbella.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Planning a trip to a distant destination is never easy, but the experience and guidance we received for Japan was perfect. Our guides Johnny & Lia had great knowledge and showed their love for the visitor experience in their home country. Travel within Japan was expertly handled, hotels were perfect and sites visited gave us a glimpse into the culture of the country.

Our trip went very well overall. The guides and tours were very good, especially the Day Trip to Sintra with Nuno and the substitute Food Tour with Daniella. The hotels worked out nicely and were in perfect locations. And the train transfers went smoothly. I really enjoyed having everything available in the Trip Plan app, and the recommendations on sites and restaurants were helpful.

Only three things didn't work out, none of which were due to the agency. And they were very responsive in each case.

Our driver left the Lisbon airport before we arrived--but we had been delayed an hour and half getting through passport control. The agency offered to reimburse our cab ride. Also, our first tour (Food Tour) canceled at the last minute but the agency found another (and likely much nicer) tour with Daniella. And lastly, our Walking Tour of Lisbon wasn't able to go because the guide had just slipped and injured herself, all understandable and the agency issued a refund.

Hotel Reviews

Lisboa Prata Boutique Hotel

Lisboa

Excellent location.

Authenticity & Character

Adaptive use of an old building

Location

Easy to get most everywhere

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Could use some sprucing up (stains, etc.)

Mercure Porto Centro Santa Catarina

PORTO

Excellent location

Authenticity & Character

Typical for brand hotel

Location

Easy to get everywhere

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well kept

Activity Reviews

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Amazing time with Nuno. Very helpful and informative with a personal touch.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Culinary Food Experience

Lisbon

Excellent tour and narrative with Daniella. Food was great and the history really added to the experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an excellent 10 days in Rome and Sorrento. Everything worked well with great transfers, good hotels and excursions. The excursions we went on were all good but in hindsight private tours in Rome would have been better for us. Rome is extremely busy and in groups of 12 plus it’s often hard to hear the guide. The accommodation was as described, clean and of a good standard. Sorrento was an excellent base to explore the Amalfi coast and Pompeii.

Hotel Reviews

Royal Suite Trinita dei Monti

Rome

The hotel is in a great location on the Spanish Steps. Drinks in the courtyard at sunset was fantastic. However it is hard to access with luggage via a tiny elevator. The rooms whilst very nice were all quite different eg: our room had an extremely small bathroom but a big bedroom. The hotel only has eight rooms and is one floor is a residential building.

Authenticity & Character

Bathroom in unit 27

Location

Proximity to many attractions and Metro

Staff

Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Continental

Sorrento

Great location close to the old town and the beach/port area. Rooms were spacious, clean, and staff were very helpful. Very quiet of a night to sleeping was easy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room Mate Filippo

Rome

An excellent B&B in the Barberini area. Modern, clean comfortable rooms. Staff were very caring and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Modern, clean, quiet and well located.

Location

Close to plenty of attractions and the Metro.

Staff

My partner injured her knee travelling to Rome and the staff were very caring and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The place was spotless.

Activity Reviews

Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hill

Rome

The tour was too big and it was hard to hear the guide. Going to the Coliseum at 11 was too late on the day as the coliseum gets very crowded. We visited the Forum and Palatine Hill before and this could have been done first

Quality of Experience

Smaller groups

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Better audio systems.

Vatican & Sistine Chapel - Small Group Tour

Rome

The guide was knowledgeable and spoke well. We only passed by the art in the Vatican Museum with little time to appreciate it. We did not see the Raphael room or the Caravaggio’s. It felt like the Vatican Museum was the conveyor belt to the Sistine Chapel. The crush in the Sistine Chapel was awful. The tour of St Peters was good. Having been to Rome previously and seen the Museum etc, I know how good the experience can be. Too many people in small spaces.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Better audio

Pompeii Excavations half-day Tour

Italy

Great guide and transport. The guide wasvery knowledgeable and funny. we arrived as the gates opened, so we beat the crowds. Pompeii was an amazing experience and 1/2 say was plenty of time to see the key things.

Quality of Experience

Knowledge of the guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly and knowledgeable

Transport

Great driver on very narrow roads

AMALFI AND POSITANO DISCOVERY BOAT TOUR IN A SMALL GROUP

Sorrento

What a wonderful way to see the Amalfi coast and the towns of Positano and Amalfi. The boat was excellent for 10-12 people. The time we had in both Amalfi and Positano was enough to get a taste of both places. We every had a couple of beers/wines on the trip and this was much appreciated. However a hotel pickup would have been appreciated as we had a 20 minute walk to from the pick up point.

Quality of Experience

The boat, the driver, the guide and the hospitality.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They loved their jobs.

Transport

Capri self guided day-trip with hydrofoil tickets

Sorrento

At best it’s a fast ferry not a hydrofoil. The trip to Capri was fine but timing of the return trip changed without notice. At one stage we were wondering how we would get home. In the end we got a later ferry. While Capri is nice, it’s very expensive to eat and drink. The Blue Grotto closed in the early afternoon allegedly due to high tide but we suspect it closed due to lack of people.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day at leisure in Sorrento

Sorrento

We organised a cooking class and we had a wonderful day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The pace was just right! The tour guides all excellent for pier private service tours and in the end the Mikos of Mt Etna and Catania, Elise for the shared tours where phenomenal in understanding and appreciating all that we see. Private pick up service, on time and excellent and helpful to see the sights. I’m so happy to have chosen Kimkim.