Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had a great experience working with Michael from Chaska Tours. He was very helpful in creating the perfect itinerary for our family with 5 little one (ages 1-7), and 4 adults. He answered all our questions and was very patient. We enjoyed a city tour, a Rosario Island tour/beach club (definitely a highlight), chocolate making workshop, and family photos with an amazing photographer, Rafael. We had Gabo as our guide the whole trip - he was so great, especially with the kids (they still ask about him). It was nice to have everything pre-arranged. The team was very responsive while we were there. Our family would definitely recommend Michael and his team!

Sue and I could not be happier with the service Lucy and Kim Kim provided. From the initial itinerary Lucy provided, through the final draft, which really consisted of two changes, Lucy was attentive and very very responsive. We basically travelled north to south. Our hotel accommodations were absolutely top shelf. Transfers between locations were effortless and well planned in advance. From the moment we landed in Hanoi until the time we departed Ho Chi Minh City, we worried about NOTHING! Our guides exceptional! Dak in Hanoi, Bao highlighted all the beauty of the terraced rice paddy’s in Sapa. We hiked 10k with her through the local villages and we were even able to spend a short time in a local villagers home. Ha Long Bay/Capella Cruise a true spectacle of beauty. Our personal guide in Hoi An, Hoa provided a city tour we’ll remember forever. Tien, our fishing day guide was an absolute hoot! Then we flew to Ho Chi Minh City where Diem stepped up and provided two full days of a non stop unforgettable experience taking us from the inner city highlites to the Mekong Delta. All guides were friendly, fluent and extremely accommodating to all of our needs. We thank Lucy and the Kim Kim team for a truly unforgettable and wonderful holiday! Thank you to everyone!

Our trip to Berlin was perfectly organized from start to finish. Upon arrival, we received a message from Sergey, who picked us up right in front of the airport in his newer Mercedes van. It was a great feeling to know someone was waiting to take us to our destination.

The next morning, we had a walking tour with Miha, who bonded well with my two teenage boys (13 and 16 years old). He knew exactly how to keep their attention as he explained the history behind each of the sites we visited. One of the highlights was our visit to Brandenburg Gate. It was incredible to stand in such a historically significant place, where so much action took place. We also explored the city by walking and taking the underground tram.

We had also booked a tour of the Sachsenhausen Memorial, and Sergey was there again the next morning to take us. The tour guide, Daniel, was incredibly passionate about the history of the Memorial and shared a wealth of knowledge. His dedication to explaining the significance of the site made the experience even more memorable.

Activity Reviews

Guided tour of Berlin

Berlin

Miha showed us around and was really excited about the city. You could tell that this wasn't just a job for him, he was passionate about the city. He was able to bond with us and not make it seem like a lecture. He moved at our pace and took us to a great bistro for a break.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Happy Driver

Transport

Newer clean vehicles.

Berliner Unterwelten

Berlin

Go through the subway station to get to the actual tunnels. It's amazing things like this exist within everyday life. The guide was full of energy and knowledge and we went from one room to another. Seeing how life was and actual pictures and furniture from that era really made this experience real.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-day trip to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial

Berlin

Most of the structures are rebuilt and a lot of imagination is required to see where everything stood. This place was completely destroyed and rebuilt for historic purposes. There is a lot to take in and it gives you chills when you hear about what humans are capable of.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided tour of Prague

Prague

Pawel did an amazing job showing us around the city with the perfect amount of details for everything we visited. He didn't make it sound like a lecture and casually showed us everything and explained it all. We got in over 15000 steps during the tour, but it went by fast because he was really good at what he was doing. Seeing the Strahov Library was magical!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided walking tour of Vienna

Vienna

Mojca is very passionate about Vienna. A lot to see and take in all over. Amazing architecture and history all around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Trip to Terezin

Prague

Trip with Pawel, he drove us there in his Mercedes van. He showed us around Terezin and explained all the exhibits within the museum. Very educated and excited to share his wealth of knowledge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hospital in the rock in Budapest

Budapest

Amazing! Great guided tour inside the hospital. Full of history and well kept. The dummies that are there really shows how life could have been within those tunnels.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Andrada was amazing. She was our Colosseum tour guide. You can tell she loves her job!

All of our limousine drivers were friendly, those standing out were Massimo, Roberto, Tomaso. There were so many and they were all very good.

Hotel Reviews

B&B Sperlonga

Sperlonga

It had everything we needed for a great stay although the bed and pillows were hard and the bed didn’t have a top sheet, which was odd. All in all, I would stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

It is so close to everything and is really nice for a family. Kitchen, soda bed, TVs. It was very nice.

Location

Across from the beach and everything we needed, including old Sperlonga.

Staff

Only meant one person who was very nice. Only saw him on the first and last day.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean and had a washer and clothes line if you want to wash a few things.

Il Campo Marzio

Rome

Staff was great and attentive. The first room we stayed in for 4 nights was amazing - Room 207, good size, great view, good air conditioning. We returned to this hotel on our last day and stayed in Room 204. It seemed like it was half the size, no view, no air conditioning and a tile on the floor in front of the bathroom wobbled every time it was walked on. The full length mirror was facing a wall so you could not get between the wall and the mirror to see yourself. It was odd. All in all, I would stay there again because it was conveniently located.

Authenticity & Character

It was charming although needs some work

Location

It was near everything including a square that had lots of places for dinner.

Staff

They were all very attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean and comfortable.

Hotel Bristol

Sorrento

Lovely, lovely, lovely. Everybody and everything was lovely.

Authenticity & Character

All of it. It is superb.

Location

Amazing view of Vesuvius and an old quaint fishing village that was the set of a movie Sophia Loren stared in when she was young.

Staff

The best! Especially the wait staff for breakfast and the bar/lounge.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colosseum & Roman Forum Visit: Arena Access, Gladiators Gate & Ancient City

Italy

Andrade from Livtours was exceptional. So enjoyed her and her knowlegdge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We got a taxi from our hotel and walked back after the tour. It was perfect.

Explore Sorrento

Italy

We wish we had booked a tour of Pompeii. We went but on our own. It was wonderful but I’m sure we missed out on a lot.

Private Full Day Amalfi Experience

Italy

Our driver/guide was great. I think his name was Fuvio. He was a lot of fun. Wish we could have stayed longer.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bryan and Nancy did a great job managing the trip. Their local partner Serendipity Adventures and our local rep Wilman were fantastic. Checking in every day with helpful tips, summaries, suggestions and just making sure everything was going well. I would 100% recommend and would definitely use again.

Hotel Reviews

Baldi Hot Springs Resort, Hotel & Spa

Fortuna

My kids loved the water park. Food was ok but everything else was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

hilltop location was great. food in the restaurant was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Río Balsa Whitewater Rafting Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

We had a great time and the rafting was better than expected.

Quality of Experience

Food

provided a fruit snack which was good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano & 1968 Reserve Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Hike was nice but a little short. would have liked to hike longer. maybe took an hour or slightly more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Excursion in Rainforest and Wild Frog Sanctuary

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was good, but there were a lot of people there with us. saw some cool frogs other things but not a lot else. it was worth doing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience (English Tour)

Monteverde

Great experience. i would highly recommend. Got to see chocolate making, sugar cane and coffee all on the same trip. Well done and our guide was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

This was a highlight. great experience overall. Probably the best zip lining i've done anywhere. Really a high quality experience. I would strongly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip to Costa Rica! The coordination between Kimkim & our local Costa Rican specialist of Serendipity Adventures, Elena, created a great itinerary for us. We split our time between the La Fortuna & Manuel Antonio areas. Our accommodations in both locations were terrific, as well as the activities that were booked for us by Elena and Wilman of Serendipity Adventures. The transfers to and from the airport, as well as to activities, were seamless. Our guides, including Mariano, Alex, and others were all very helpful & knowledgeable.
We would recommend Kimkim & Serendipity without hesitation to create a great itinerary for anybody travelling to Costa Rica.
Pura Vida
Isaac & Shari Harris

Camila and the guides Christian and David were fantastic! La Paz on Foot coordinated everything down to adjusting breakfast times with the hotels depending on the flight times. They did this better than most travel companies out there!

The team did an amazing job proposing itineraries based on our interests, timeframes and budget. The trip was incredibly! The guides were very friendly and knowledgable. The accommodations were wonderful.

Sandy was an outstanding specialist. We iteratively developed a perfect 3 week trip to Japan. She well assessed our interests and experience and sculpted a trip that we thoroughly enjoyed. Throughout the trip she would send details of the upcoming days' logistics and would check in with us regarding how things were going. Also, in response to feedback along the way Sandy suggested additional things of interest. One in particular was a spectacularly insightful suggestion. (She knew I liked the author Haruki Murakami and after hearing that we'd enjoyed seeing buildings designed by architect Kengo Kuma, she pointed out that the Murakami Library at Waseda University was designed by Kuma.. that settled our decision to visit and it was awesome!). Our guides selected by Sandy were terrific. In particular, we spent three days with Yuki Yamazaki and feel like she is now one of our new best friends! All of our guides (Yumi, Jun, Yuki and Naoko) exhibited tremendous knowledge and competence in their respective geographies. It was an incredible trip and will be treasured by us forever.

Hotel Reviews

Centara Grand Hotel Osaka

Osaka

The Centara Grand Hotel Osaka was a revelation. I had never heard of this Thailand-based hotel group, but the hotel was stunning, especially the club floor where we stayed. The room was impeccable, and the club floor amenities were top-notch. It was a delightful experience overall.

Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu

Hakone

Staying at Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu was a highlight of our trip. The hot springs resort was fabulous. It wasn't what I expected from a typical hotel; it was more of a resort hotel popular with Japanese tourists. Both my wife and I wished we had an extra full day and night there to soak in the experience. It was a refreshing change from the usual business hotels.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi Tour with Hakone Tozan Railway

Japan

The Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi Tour with Hakone Tozan Railway was spectacular. Our guide, Naoko, was excellent, and the Open-Air Museum unexpectedly delighted us. Though initially on our list as a 'if you have time' option, it became a highlight. I even bought a book about the museum afterwards—just fascinating!

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour

Kyoto

The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour was a standout experience. Our guide, Kaori, shared deeply personal family stories about her mother's experiences during World War II, enhancing our understanding immensely. Her ability to weave history with the surroundings was incredibly impactful, making the tour unforgettable.

Erin and Nara were extremely helpful with everything we needed.

Hotel Reviews

Refugio Grey

Torres del Paine National Park

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Refugio Paine Grande

Puerto Natales, Chile

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alto Andino Hotel

Ushuaia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ismael

Santiago

Great location, comfy bed, not so great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vendaval

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Casablanca Valley Wine Tour

Patagonia

Matetich was amazong, wonderful story and tour and getting to see an organic vineyard. The other vineyard Casa Marin was also very nice but seemed kind of rushed and our guide not so into the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Carbajal Valley Lakes Tour

Ushuaia

The tour doesnt really stop at the lakes, it is more of a 4x4 road trip. Nice lunch but not really as outdoorsy as we expected. Great guides though and overall a nice experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip Briefing at Dittmar Adventures

Puerto Natales

Very helpful and Nara was extremely nice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day of Hiking in Tierra del Fuego National Park

Ushuaia

We were with another group in the tour who took the train, we didnt so we had about an hour and a half of lost time. Great lancscapes and views, tour guide was nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ice Hike on Glacier Grey

Patagonia

Absolutely amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Trek to Laguna Esmeralda

Ushuaia

Absolutamente espectacular. Vale cada centavo.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camila was very responsive, checking in with us almost on a daily basis and sometimes more often than that.
When problems arose with our Atacama portion of the trip she attempted to deal with our local tour operator Ckamuria Agency as best she could. The local provider in San Pedro de Atacama was either incompetent or lazy and one afternoon's activities were canceled due to lying about road conditions. We did obtain a refund for the tour to the Lagoons but I was very disappointed by missing this tour and alternative tours such as bicycling in 90 heat were absurd.

However, we realized that in our attempt to see as much as we could in Chile we tried to pack in too much in a short window. We lost days traveling and a more careful review of our tour with better oversight of our flight plans would have been appreciated. Perhaps she or Tamir (Who we spoke to by Zoom call once and never again) could have been more forthright in assessing what we were trying to accomplish in our travels.

The Hotel Jirah in San Pedro de Atacama was clean but tired with a poor breakfast. I suggest it not be used in the future.
We didn't think that Punto Arenas was worth a stop over and we wish we could have gone direction to Puerto Natales.
Penguins were cute but we had seen them in Argentina and the city itself did not offer much. We much enjoyed Valparaiso and a wine tour but found Vina del Mar boring and the restaurant recommended in the tour underwhelming. I would have preferred the option of more wine tasting and no Vina Del Mar.

Our guide in Patagonia, Nachogonia "Nacho" Lysis Casanova was remarkably knowledgeable and experienced and I would strongly recommend him. On the other hand, our guide in Rapa Nui was lovely but her English could have been better and in comparison to other guides we overheard leading other tour groups her knowledge base was just so-so.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Jireh

San Pedro de Atacama

Rooms clean but tired. Poor breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alma Sur

Punta Arenas

Nice rooms. Good location and breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best Western Patagonia / Hotel Borde Glaciar

Puerto Natales

Lovely hotel with good breakfast and good staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Too far from town. Long walk or had to take an Uber to get to town for shopping and restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa

Santiago

Comfortable hotel with good amenities and good restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

neighborhood boring but safe, No place to walk to.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique La Perouse

Isla de Pascua

Nice B&B. Staff very good. Very good breakfast. Good location in town. Not a 4 star hotel but for a B&B very accommodating and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rano Raraku Volcano & Anakena White Sand Beach

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guide needs better knowledge and English

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting, Valparaiso and Viña del Mar- Private Tour

Chile

Valparaiso was very interesting, but Val de Mar was boring More wineries and less Val de Mar!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Laguna Cejar, Ojos del Salar y Laguna Tebiquinche

Chile

Never got a chance to see this. Tour company canceled without notice!

Quality of Experience

Visit the Tatio Geysers - Morning Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Magdalena Island - Penguin Encounter Half Day Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Transport

Hike to Mirador Base Torres del Paine - Full Day Tour

Chile

Toughest hike I've ever done but worth it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grey Glacier Round Trip Navigation

Chile

Glaciers are awesome

Quality of Experience

Snorkeling Tour in Easter Island

Easter Island

Reef was terrific but not many fish or wildlife

Quality of Experience

French Valley Trek

Chile

Cancelled due to extreme wind conditions (gusts 80-100 km/hr) Took a lovely driving tour around the park to see the extent of the mountains and lakes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Orongo Volcano Hike & Visit the Village of the Birdman Ceremony - Private Tour

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip Lucy put together for our group exceeded our expectations! The trip had just the right amount of adventure and down time. She was very accommodating when we made slight changes in our itinerary (ie adding a stop at a brewery we heard about)! The guides were helpful, informative, easy to understand and prompt. Transportation was always on schedule. We look forward to more travel in Asia with Kim Kim!

We have traveled all over the world with various travel agencies. Camila and her team at La Paz on Foot were absolutely exemplary. Everything was seamless, and communication was perfect! The guides and drivers were fantastic as well.

I plan many of my trips on my own. But to get the experience that I wanted in Finland, I used the services of Kimkim. I could not have been happier!! I was able to express what I wanted and they put a package together that surpassed my expectations. The resort and excursions were top notch. Moonika checked in with me along the way and had excellent communication. I will definitely use this service again. Thanks for being a part of this once in a lifetime trip!

Hotel Review

Northern Lights Ranch

Köngäs

If you are looking for a Northen Lights experience, this is the place! The cabins were perfect for seeing the lights. The food was excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

15 min outside of Levi with limited light pollution

Staff

The staff were super friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Levi Fell Snowmobile Adventure

Levi

Great experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reindeer Adventure

Levi

Janita is a 2nd generation reindeer rancher and she cares about these animals. This was a genuine experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Husky Safari (10km)

Levi

This was a magical ride through the Finland Forest. I could not have been happier with this experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great time and did not need to worry about nearly anything. Almost every detail was well thought out, and Sandy had good ideas for activity replacements if we did not want to do something that was initially suggested. Travel was smooth and communication was great

Kimkim is a WinWin
Out arranged drivers and guides all showed up and did good jobs. May took us to Mt. Fuji; we had a lovely time with him. Aki took us to Mehajima Island and was great. Kimmie took us around Kyoto for a very fun day. Shonna contacted us daily to remind us who our guides/drivers would be for the next day. That was an asset. Also, KimKim provided us detailed instructions of how to get to places we were going on our own.

Hotel Review

THE KNOT HIROSHIMA

Hiroshima

The location was perfect. It had the best breakfasts.

Authenticity & Character

It was boutique-ish

Location

It is walkable to the Peace Memorial Park.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tokyo: Sumo Show Experience with Chicken Hot Pot and a Photo

Tokyo

It was a fun show with audience participation.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Miyajima Island Tour

Hiroshima

Kimkim should know that this tour needs more than 1/2 day. OR we should have started the day much earlier. We had to practically run to get back to the ferry and we are not runners. But your guide couldn’t have been more knowledgeable or sweeter.

My guide was Quoc. He was very friendly and certainly tried his best to make sure I had a great time. He even took me a long way out of his way to get me to an ATM after one of our touring days was over. The Kho Muong Cave (Bat Cave) was easily the most memorable thing I saw on my trip. I have been raving to all my friends about it.

Hotel Review

Gateway Inn Pu Luong

The people who work there are lovely. They are always happy, friendly and helpful. The views from the restaurant are amazing, even on foggy days. My room was comfortable but I did trip over the little ledge going into the bathroom a couple of times. It might be a good idea to put a throw rug over the ledge for safety.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The views!

Staff

Smiles, always friendly and helpful. Just lovely people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The restaurant can be a bit cold in the cooler months. I took a blanket with me to keep warm.

Activity Reviews

Pu Luong Explore Village Life Water Wheels & Rafting (Excursions)

Vietnam

This was a nice, relaxing day. Floating on the dam in the bamboo boat was very serene.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pu Luong Full Day Easy Rider - Caving | Riding | Swimming

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

The Kho Muong Cave was beyond outstanding. I have never seen anything like it. It was easily the highlight of my two weeks in Vietnam.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just returned from our 2 week family vacation to Columbia. Michael Gold worked with us for months prior on our itinerary, and he did not disappoint! Everything went off without a hitch! Michael arranged all of our flights, drivers and guides who were always on time, and very knowledgable. Our family wanted a mix of city, beach and nature, and Michael was always happy to modify our itinerary if we changed our minds. Michael was also always available to us while on the trip via Whatsapp if we had a question. We loved the horseback riding in Pereira, and the fruit-tasting there is a must! The scenery in Cocora Valley is not to be missed. Hotel Quadrifolio in Cartegena was a unique, restored hotel that was a gem to stay in and is perfectly located to stroll in the old city. Our kids even enjoyed the Bolero Museum in Bogota and wandering around the city. We would highly recommend visiting Columbia, and we will definitely be using KimKim again in the future!

Day 1
Bellevue Hotel was very nice; comfortable room with scenic view, central location, excellent breakfasts. Street noise fairly minor.
Day 2
Tour guide Celio Marquez (not sure of spelling) was charismatic and he was very interesting to talk with. Highlight of the day was Blausee, a small lake in a forest near Thun. Very clear water with many trout swimming.
Day 3
We found a good hike near the hotel, and Liam and Alan climbed about 350 m above the town for fantastic views. Wendy took a flatter walk along the river to Brienzersee. In both cases the trails and paths were very nice. It was great to have a full day unstructured. By the way there is a lovely gelateria and sandwich shop near the hotel called Bella Ciao where we had lunch – we highly recommend it!
Day 4
Ivo was a really nice tour guide. The tour itself was also good but entailed a lot of driving. We loved visiting a small family-run goat cheese factory , the village of Gruyere, and wine-tasting at a very scenic vineyard looking down on Lake Geneva. There are two things we would change however. First, the Cailler factory chocolate tour was rather disappointing. During most of it we were held captive (literally!) in a series of rooms that each described an episode from in the 1000-year (?) history of chocolate. Only at the end did we get close to any actual chocolate that we could taste, and by then we were just looking to escape (although we did appreciate being able to view a small example of a production line just before the tasting).
The second thing we would change is the large amount of driving. We first drove north at least an hour from Interlaken to Dallenwil for the cheese factory (Odermatt Käserei). We then headed first northwest and then southwest, passing Otten, Bern, and Fribourg on our way to Gruyere – a drive of about 2.5 hours. We then had another 45 minutes drive to the winery (Domaine du Daley, near Lausanne), and at the end of the day 1.75 hours back north to Bern again and southeast to Interlaken in darkness). The total driving was around 6 hours. For the future it might work better to package this differently. We would have enjoyed having more time at the hilltop village of Gruyere and the cheese factory tour might have been paired better with the Day 7 activities closer to Zurich. I think that just the southern stops could be done from Interlaken with about 4 hours driving?
Day 5
We loved the Jungfraujoch! It would have been helpful to have a bit more description in the details about what to expect at the Grindelwald Terminal. We ended up following the crowd and taking the cable car up to Eiger Glacier station to meet the cogwheel train. It worked out fine in the end.
Day 6
It was hard to leave Interlaken – we really enjoyed our stay there. Travel to Zurich went smoothly. Helmhaus Hotel was quite nice, the staff was fantastic, and they did come through with a sofa bed for Liam. The hotel is at the corner of a busy plaza which made it a bit noisy during the weekend, but the tradeoff was a great central location.
Day 7
The tour with Richard was interesting, but we would have appreciated a bit more discussion of the history around the stops we made. We did have a great conversation about comparisons between Switzerland and US governmental structure on the drive.
Day 8
The tour with Robert was fantastic, the best of our trip! He is extremely knowledgeable about the area also very charismatic and an interesting conversationalist. It was worth the tour just to meet him. The organization of the tour was also perfect, culminating in a ferry ride to Kilchberg, Lindt chocolate factory visit, and cable-car up to Felsenegg restaurant for fondue and a spectacular view. Wow!
The Lindt factory is much, much better than Cailler. Self-paced, beautiful building, ample sampling, and a view of an impressive pilot factory.
Day 9
Burgenstock spa was excellent, with spectacular views of Lucerne area. It is a little complicated getting there with all the different modes of transportation, but we were able to work it out with the instructions you gave us. Thank you for reorganizing this for a different day from what was originally planned.
Day 10
Alan’s departure went smoothly; airport transfer driver showed up as planned.
Wendy enjoyed an afternoon at the Zurich Zoo and it is very easy to get to form central Zurich.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Bellevue Interlaken

Interlaken-WEST

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Helmhaus

Zürich

Central location is great, but can be noisy

Authenticity & Character

Location

city center

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Zurich Old Town, Cruise and Lindt Home of Chocolate

Switzerland

The Lindt tour was truly a delight! Unlike the other factory tour we did, it provided the freedom to explore at our own pace and spend as much time as we wanted in each section. The exhibit was well-organized and allowed for a more personalized experience without the long waits. I would definitely recommend this tour to other travelers!

Cheese, chocolate and wine tour in Gruyeres!

Switzerland

The cheese and wine portions of this tour were wonderful, with an insightful tour and enjoyable tastings at a small regional cheese producer. The drive was quite long due to the location being in the opposite direction of other attractions, but the experience was worth the journey. However, the chocolate factory was not our favorite as it was crowded and we weren't able to do it at our own pace. A lovely spot that I wished I could have spent more time visiting was the charming Old Town Village of Gruyere.

Half-day wellness break at Bürgenstock Alpine Spa

Lucerne

The half-day wellness break at Bürgenstock Alpine Spa was an unforgettable experience. The spa itself was gorgeous, and the staff did a great job of accommodating last-minute changes to our itinerary so we could enjoy hiking and the spa on different days.

We recently returned from an unforgettable trip through Southern France, and using Audrey from Kimkim was hands down one of the best travel decisions we’ve made.

Normally, I plan highly detailed itineraries myself, but I was having a hard time creating one that truly maximized our time in the region—so I turned to Audrey. From our very first conversation, she took the time to understand both mine and my wife's interests, and then built an itinerary that aligned perfectly with what we enjoy. Every aspect of the trip—hotels, restaurants, tours, vineyards, shopping—reflected that initial conversation and was perfectly curated.

What made the experience even more special was Audrey’s local insight. Having someone who actually lives in the area made all the difference and allowed us to discover places and experiences we wouldn't have found on our own. We had just one small issue during the trip, and Audrey resolved it quickly and smoothly, giving us real peace of mind.

This trip exceeded all our expectations, and we’re so grateful for Audrey’s help in making it so special. I can’t recommend her highly enough!