Kimkim Trip Reviews

Eva planned a very impressive itinerary which we very much enjoyed. The glacier hike was most impressive and our guide was very patient with my wife’s initial hesitation about the venture which she enjoyed and now has a memorable event.

We had a really great experience planning our trip with Bastien at KimKim. I like how the entire process was handled online through the chat in the KimKim website. We bounced ideas back and forth until we found the perfect blend of tours and transportation that fit our schedule and budget. Bastien was very knowledgeable about the areas we visited in London and in France. He was never pushy or trying to sell us anything we didn’t have an interest in. We really appreciated that.

We loved our guided “tour with a local” with Chris in London. Even our teens ages 13 & 19 enjoyed jesting about the history of the city during our 1.5 hour walk. Our favorite tour was the one to Versailles in Paris.

The best part for me was all of the train tickets that Bastien booked for us. He was very helpful in purchasing all the tickets and worked with me in deciding what times we wanted to leave, first class vs. coach, etc. Sure it’s something that I could have maybe figured out but he really saved me time and did a great job. The BEST part was when we had the unfortunate experience of all the trains in Paris being cancelled one day due to weather- we would have had NO CLUE how to find an alternative way to our south destination without Bastien to call!! Having someone who knows the language, and what options- he helped us look into flights, hotels, car rentals, and navigated the whole stressful situation for us!! We would have never survived without his help!! That alone would make me use him again on our next adventure!! Top notch service and he really cared to help us out!

I highly recommend Bastien and hope you give him the opportunity to plan your next adventure! I know we definitely will!

Activity Review

City Kickstart Tour: London with a Local (Private/1.5Hours)

London

Chris was our tour guide. He was a historian and knew fun and interesting facts about London. He was able to keep out teens interested too! Fun experience!

Quality of Experience

Fun day outside exploring London with local historian!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved walking outdoors, we met outside the Tube and was easy to find our guide.

There was good and bad. We were happy with each of our guides, who were all very good and personable and had different strengths. Overall, we were very satisfied and pleased with their knowledge, affability, and ability to pivot a bit based on our personal preferences.

KimKim was recommended by friends who'd worked with them previously and had a good experience. We liked their process of filling out a questionnaire to understand better our personal preferences, backgrounds, and vision for our holiday. However, we found the back-and-forth on the website with our first travel agent a bit challenging and cumbersome as she created an itinerary based on our responses. The first several proposals did not match our interests or requests. It took about four versions to arrive at an acceptable itinerary.

Unfortunately, just a few months before our trip, that agent left, and we were assigned a new one.

About a week before traveling, we noticed that one of our hotels had been changed without notification for one of lesser quality. (It was corrected after we asked.) We also found it difficult to understand some of the itinerary's processes, such as when we were responsible for our transportation and when we had a driver.

Lastly, the agency never notified us about an impending typhoon in Okinawa, which was our penultimate stop. We learned about it on the flight to the island from a random stranger. After landing in Okinawa, it took hours to reach the travel agency after numerous calls and messages, including calls to their emergency contact line. (We never did get our agent on the phone.)

Rather than four days in Okinawa, we got less than 48 hours and had to pay an additional $2,000 to return to Tokyo before the typhoon. Had we known about the typhoon, we wouldn't have traveled to Okinawa. The last issue in Okinawa was our hotel, which was the worst of our trip. Luckily, we were only there for two nights.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel New Otani Tokyo The Main

Tokyo

Lovely, older hotel that's popular with business people and small travel groups. The staff was extremely polite and friendly. It feels a bit out of the way, but it's actually close to many sites.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast restaurant overlooks beautiful gardens and koi ponds.

Location

Easy access to subway and easy to get taxis.

Staff

Wonderful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone

Phenomenal! Stunning! I wish we'd had another night at this beautiful, modern hotel with wonderful hot springs tucked into a mountainside. The dinner we enjoyed was one of the best of our trip. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful architecture

Location

Stunning location and views; quiet and lovely

Staff

Very lovely staff; not a lot of English, but it was fine.

Cleanliness & Comfort

flawless

THE HOTEL HIGASHIYAMA by Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

Kyoto

Lovely hotel and location and very nice staff. Note that the restaurant for breakfast can get very busy if you don't go early.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice area that's not very noisy or touristy.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel

Hiroshima

Great hotel that was the most "American" of all our hotels, so it felt a bit less "Japanese" in ambiance, but we liked it.

Authenticity & Character

More western in ambiance.

Location

Right at the train station, but very quiet

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort

Okinawa

I wouldn't return here. The hotel felt dated and needed renovation. The staff was very nice but not as friendly as others we experienced in other hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

You will need a car or taxi to get around. It's about an hour north of airport with very little around it.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Needs new carpet or flooring and updating

The Prince Park Tower Tokyo

Tokyo

This gorgeous, elegant luxury hotel is in an upscale area of Tokyo and is attached to luxury stores next door. The staff was friendly. The clientele appears to be a mix of tourists and business people. (I would have preferred to have stayed here when we first arrived in Tokyo. It's a good, walkable location.)

Authenticity & Character

Modern architecture

Location

Walkable area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flawless, clean, and very well appointed

Activity Reviews

Hiroshima Walking Tour--Peace Memorial Park & Shukkeien Garden

Hiroshima

Every world leader should visit this museum and park. It offers a vital history and moral lesson. It was very poignant to us as Americans.

Quality of Experience

They should time the ticket entrances for better crowd control. It was extremely busy, making it difficult to view and read some of the exhibits.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We thoroughly appreciated our guide and driver.

Transport

Very comfortable vans used throughout our trip.

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Osaka

We loved our guide and driver, but I'd suggest not spending much time in this part of Osaka (walking around the area with many restaurants and tourists; feels gritty and over-commercial) and asking to see other areas of Osaka. We did, however, appreciate our guide's knowledge of the area.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent, thoughtful, and friendly.

Transport

Comfortable and newer vehicle

Tokyo Discovery with Shibuya & Harajuku - West

Tokyo

We thoroughly enjoyed our first day of touring in Tokyo and appreciated our lovely guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent

Transport

Excellent

Our local specialist was Sara. She took the time to understand what we like to do and see on holiday. She then put together an amazing 2 week itinerary in and around Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The guides she choose were outstanding especially Alberto. We had a special request that had never been requested before but she was able to set up the event that day brilliantly. We wuld highly recommend Sara as a local specialist for Brazil and especially Rio.

Hotel Review

Pousada Apple House Paraty

Paraty

Pousada Apple House in Paraty was a unique special hotel. Each room has a personal pool which made the stay even lovelier.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is a short drive out of town but in a quiet neighborhood.

Staff

Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very nice rooms and grounds.

Activity Reviews

sewing and embroidery course

Rio de Janeiro

This was an amazing experience that was new to Sara and the team at Kimkim. She was able to arrange a day with an extraordinary seamstress.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Recipe Brazilian Cooking Class in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

We learned to cook many of the traditional dishes of Brazil. We have used many of them after we returned to the US.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Behind the scenes of the carnival

Rio de Janeiro

Carnival is a special event in Rio. We got not only a superb tour but also a samba demo and an understanding of one of the most iconic events of Rio.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day main City Tour: ¨Um dia no Rio¨

Rio de Janeiro

Alberto was our guide. He is the best. He knew the history and the best times to fully experience the main attractions of Rio.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tijuca Forest and Botanical Garden Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Again Alberto was the best.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a pleasure to work with Bastien and Ailene on our road-trip from Avignon to St. Remy, Aix en Provence, St. Tropez, and Cap D’Antibes. They were responsive, helpful and provided great guidance on structuring and scheduling our itinerary. We enjoyed the charming hotels suggested; and their help with train tickets, transfers and car rental made our journey seamless.

Activity Review

A Day Trip from Aix en Provence to Cassis Village, Calanques Boat Ride & Provence Wines (Small Group Tour/8Hours)

Aix-en-Provence

Our guide, Alex, we knowledgeable and entertaining. He relied on our group to determine the trajectory of our tour - within the general parameters set by the tour company - and made our day fee “custom-designed”.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

1. Alexandro the driver in Tuscany was superb. He was very friendly and helpful and always seemed happy to go above and beyond what was required. When he dropped us at the hotel in La Spezia he made sure we could get in. He should meet us with a sign with our name so he is easy to find when we first met him at the train station in Florence.

2. The guide, Elena, to the Uffizi gallery in Florence was wonderful. She was friendly and very knowledgeable and made the viewings much more meaningful than if we had been alone.

3. We should be instructed to have a cell phone with an Italian number or have roaming on our phone as it seems to be vital to communicate

4. We should be forewarned of hotel tourist taxes.

5. The First Hotel in La Spezia was not good. It is an electronic check in. There is no front desk. Your instructions were to go to the front desk and have them arrange a taxi. We tried calling the hotel and listened to a recording telling us that the next available operator would take our call. It then hung up. We tried several times as we also wanted to report that the air conditioning did not work. It made for a very uncomfortable two nights. It would appear that this hotel was not vetted before booking us there.

6. We also tried calling the 24 hour number for Espíritu and could not get an answer.

7. The driver who picked us up at the Naples train station was very difficult to find. Our train was approximately 15 minutes late. I naively assumed the driver would know this. When we got off the train there were approximately 10-12 people standing in the arrivals area with name cards. None had our names. We tried to call the number given in the Trip Plans app but it did not work at all. We looked around for a while and then contacted the Espíritu person via messenger. He sent us the location of the driver. As we were unfamiliar with the area we had great difficulty finding him. We had to message the Espíritu person several times. It seemed that it was somehow our job to find the driver rather than the other way around. When we finally found the driver, I asked him why he hadn’t been at the arrivals area. He said that instruction was not in his contract. He seemed to feel that it was our fault that he had to wait an hour. He was not aware that the train had been delayed which he could easily have known if he had gone inside and checked the arrivals board.

8. The hotel in Pompei was very nice!

9. The guide to Pompei and Herculaneum, Viviana, did an excellent job of showing us the important parts and explaining the history of the locations.

10. The hotel in Sorrento was good. The location allowed us to easily walk to where we wanted. There was difficulty finding our driver when it was time to leave Amalfi. He initially went to the incorrect location. He was then trying to call an incorrect number. We had earlier informed our Espíritu contact of the only number that should be used to reach us while we were in Italy. We naively assumed that he would pass along that information to all of our upcoming drivers, guides, etc. When we learned that our Amalfi driver was still using the incorrect number, we made the effort to instruct our Espíritu contact to make sure that he passed on that piece of information.

11. Some of the drivers often did not display the level of service we expected from a KimKim trip.

12. The trip to Capri was enjoyable although we found it to be very crowded in most areas.

13. The exclusive guide (Francesca) on our first night in Rome was very good and provided an excellent tour and historical background on some major sights.

14. The colosseum and Roman Forum were very interesting and the guide, Manny, was very good. He was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all of our questions.

15. The gastronomical tour went very well. Our guide kept the tour interesting by giving us commentary on the food we were eating as well as the history of the places we went. It would have been better if she had introduced herself as we never learned her name.

16. The Vatican including the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica are amazing but very crowded. Our guide hurried us through and had poor English. The radios we were given for the tour were not very good quality. She also did not introduce herself.

17. The location of our hotel in Rome was central to the places we visited and so was a good selection.

18. In every case on this trip where we had to meet a guide it would have been helpful if we knew the name of the guide and/or the tour company in advance. Several times we had to ask various guides if we were supposed to be with them. They would usually ask us for a registration number which we did not have.

19. When we investigated this trip with KimKim we were quoted a price which we agreed to pay. Later, we requested that additional items be added to the trip and were quoted an additional cost. We agreed to the quoted price. When we attempted to make a payment, the cost was found to have increased by $50 with no explanation. When we queried the additional cost, we found that the price had risen by another $6.52. A rather poor explanation was given for the price increase. Then the $6.52 disappeared but the additional $50 remained. We are very disappointed by this lack of professionalism. When we are quoted a price and agree to it, that is the price we expect to pay. This sudden switching of prices leaves us with a very bad impression of KimKim. If a mistake was made in the original price quote, it is too late to make a change. A professional organization would know this fact and ensure that the error was kept within KimKim. Because of this fact, there is little chance that we will choose KimKim services in the future or that we will recommend KimKim to others.

Hotel Reviews

La Spezia by The First

La Spezia

Very difficult to get into. No front desk. No person on duty. Impossible to reach anyone.

Authenticity & Character

Better signage

Location

Staff

It would have been helpful if there were staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The air conditioning did not work and the phone number of the hotel answered with a recorded message and then hung up.

Hotel del Sole

Pompei

Excellent hotel. A spacious room. A great location.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely and roomy with great decor.

Location

Close to the Pompei ruins

Staff

Friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel del Mare

Sorrento

Great location within easy walking distance of everywhere we wanted to go. This hotel caters to the North American traveller.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Helpful and always available.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Navona Colors

Rome

We did not stay at this hotel.

Activity Reviews

Visit of Uffizi Gallery with an Art Historian

Florence

A superb guide who knew the gallery and its art intimately.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver was superb

Tuscan Day Trip to Siena and San Gimignano with Lunch & Wine Tasting

Florence

The towns are nice and worth a visit. The wine at the vineyard was mediocre.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting and Typical Tuscan Lunch in San Gimignano

Italy

Lunch was good but the wine was mediocre

Quality of Experience

A better winery

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cinque Terre Sunset Cruise

Cinque Terre

A great experience. It included swimming in the Mediterranean and barbecued prawns and swordfish prepared on the boat. One of the best meals of the entire trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit to Pompeii with Archeaologist

Italy

A fascinating place with a tremendous amount of history learned. A knowledgable guide.

Quality of Experience

The guide observed that a cruise ship had docked that day and reversed the order of our excursion so that we were not so crowded.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Sunset Cruise

Italy

This was probably a great cruise for most but the sea was quite rough that day which made me seasick

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

After the trip the driver who came to pick us up went to the wrong location. He was trying to reach us at a number that was no longer in service even though we had instructed the trip organizer of the only correct number that should be used.

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

Rome

A good guide although we had difficult finding him as the meeting point is for several different tour groups and we were not given any information as to the name of the company or person leading the tour. The colosseum and Roman Forum are very interesting to see although both are quite crowded.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked

Guided Visit: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Rome

These are both amazing places but very crowded. We were rushed through much of the museums and did not get much time to appreciate all that was there to see. The Sistine Chapel is so crowded that it is difficult to move.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide did not introduce herself and spoke poor English. The radio transmitter/receiver systems we were given to use so that we could hear her explanations and instructions were poor quality.

Transport

We walked.

Exclusive Private Guided Visit of Rome Highlights

Rome

An excellent guide. On this occasion we were told the name of the company that was providing the tour and the guide met us at the designated location with a sign indicating who she was.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked.

Campo de’ Fiori, Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere Food Experience

Rome

Once again we were not given any information as to who our guide was or what company was providing the tour which made it difficult to find our guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

An interesting set of foods in various locations made this a worthwhile experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was wonderful as she gave us history lessons of the areas we visited as well as the food we were eating. She did not introduce herself.

Transport

We walked.

Very helpful and timely assistance.
Amazing experience!

Activity Reviews

Chef's Table Experiencie

Mexico City

Def highlight of the trip

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adventure in Tulum

Tulum

Epic

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the archaeological site of Teotihuacan

Mexico City

Very cultural rich

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip around Spain from Madrid through Rioja region to San Sebastian and Barcelona. We really enjoyed the recommendations made by our Kimkim guide Marina in each city, the restaurant recommendations came in especially handy! Each of our guides for various tours were wonderful. Manuel gave us a unique tour of Toledo that allowed us to see old hidden caves. In Rioja, Itziar provided us with a wealth of knowledge about wine and we loved the ability to have more private tastings at smaller vineyards. Jaime gave us a wonderful tour of some smaller towns along the Basque coast.

Activity Reviews

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

This was a very fun activity and we thought the guide was fun and engaging! It is a good activity to meet other travelers as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Good variety of food and good amount of food and drinks!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private La Rioja Wine Day Trip

Spain

We loved getting to do wine tastings in an intimate setting. It was also nice to tour smaller production wines and try some unique wines in addition to the traditional Rioja varietals. We also enjoyed getting to learn about the grapes and vines during harvest season!

Quality of Experience

Food

Our guide took us to a great local restaurant for lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Sebastian Pintxo Experience

San Sebastián

This was one of our favorite activities because we had a great guide and fun small group. Additionally, each of the pintxos we tried were delicious. Our guide Sarah was very sweet and prepared a further paper guide with recommendations for pintxos and things to do in San Sebastian

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gastronomy & Wine Tour with a Sommelier

Barcelona

Our guide in Barcelona was fun to walk around with and learn about different wines from all around Spain. She took us to lovely, less touristy part of Barcelona for samplings of a variety of different wine and food pairings.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Madrid

We had a lovely day being shown around Toledo. From driving around town for panoramic views to walking through various parts of town to tour old underground caves and churches, we really enjoyed the entire day with our guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The support I received from Eleanor and other people I spoke with at off hours time was great! Overall the package was excellent and well done and it provided us with nearly everything we needed. There are a couple of suggestions I have that may make travel for others coming to the UK a bit easier. I am open to having this discussion by phone so that we can more easily go over things. I am usually available around 10:00 AM Central Standard Time (Chicago) so if this is something that would be of value to you I would love to do that.

Hotel Reviews

Tuddenham Mill

Bury St Edumnds

Tuddenham Mill in Bury St Edmunds was a beautiful place to stay. The rooms were large and impressive, and it had a unique character being a renovated old mill. The apple juice from a local apple farm was fantastic. The only real drawback was the challenging walk with our luggage due to steps and stairs. But overall, it was a lovely experience with excellent service.

The Relais Henley

Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire

The Relais Henley was the most luxurious accommodation during our trip, with a spacious room and lovely bathroom. However, parking was quite challenging as the hotel had limited spaces, and we had to park several blocks away. Despite the inconvenience, the hotel itself was fantastic with excellent service.

Henrietta Hotel

Covent Garden

We stayed at the Henrietta Hotel in London and it was wonderful. It felt like a cozy bed and breakfast with excellent service and very nice facilities. The location was perfect, right in Covent Garden, allowing us to walk to many places and easily access public transportation. We were very happy with our stay there.

Activity Reviews

Hampton Court Palace

London

Our visit to Hampton Court Palace was really enjoyable and impressive. We loved exploring the historical aspects of the palace and the entire experience was worthwhile.

Visit The Victoria and Albert Museum

London

The Victoria and Albert Museum was a delightful surprise. Initially added as an afterthought, I found it more enjoyable than the British Museum with its impressive and beautifully laid-out exhibits. I'd love to return and spend more time there in the future.

Kadri was an absolute pleasure to collaborate with on my Norway itinerary. My experience was seamless and memorable in a way that would not have been possible without her assistance. There were many highlights of the trip, not least of which was catching the northern lights in Tromsø on the Aurora dinner cruise. No doubt I will utilize Kimkim again in the future!!

Abdellah was excellent. During the planning, he incorporated our requests, responded promptly and was always available.
We were very pleased with our driver, Illayce (excuse my misspelling). His driving was excellent, was always prompt and shared many interesting stories making a personal connection. Our guides-Hannan and Sharif were well informed and personable.
Our accommodations were very nice. The hotel in Boulmane Dades was adequate, but not as luxurious as other; however, the meal served was fabulous and the best we had.
The camel ride and evening in the desert was a highlight of the trip.
All in all, we were very happy with the plans and accommodations arranged by Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

The least luxurious of all of our hotels, but was clean and adequate. The best meal we had in Morocco!

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elegancia Riad Boutique & SPA

Marrakech

Lovely accommodations

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Evening entertainment was very nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Amani

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

Beautiful views--please advise travelers of the number of steps...well worth it, but better to be prepared for the over 100 steps!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Early morning departure and staff was quick to carry our luggage-and pack a to go breakfast!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Nature's Masterpieces: Discovering Todra Gorges and Erfoud on the Road to Merzouga

Morocco

Illyace made the drive enjoyable--stopped for authentic Barbeque lunch which was delicious

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour - A Stroll Through the Azure Dreams

Chefchaouen

Guide was personable, but he talked rapidly and was often difficult to understand

Explore the Magic of Marrakesh: A Guided Tour

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hannan was very informed and pleasant

Transport

Tasting Marrakesh: A Private Gastronomic Adventure

Marrakesh

A good variety of foods presented

Fes Unveiled: Unravel the Riches of Morocco's Ancient City

Fes

Sharif was well spoken and gave us good information.

Captivating Door-to-Port Transfer: Chefchaouen to Tangier Med Harbor

Morocco

Early morning departure and Illyace was on time and as always personable. He was a fantastic driver for our entire journey!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We originally booked a trip to Atacama as part of our Chile trip, but our plans changed after we discovered we were expecting a baby. Angel very kindly offered to take us around Santiago instead, having been our main point of contact for the original Atacama booking.
It was great to meet Angel. He was as enthusiastic in person as over email :) Our tour was informative, interesting and very fun!
We would happily recommend Kim Kim and Angel to others seeking a professional and friendly tour in Chile.

The goal of our trip was to celebrate our 30th anniversary in a way that would allow us to relax and experience the beauty and wonder of Portugal without worrying planning all the details. Once Marta understood what we enjoyed, she planned a fabulous vacation for us. Our accommodations allowed us to access desirable historic sights and walking paths, ocean beauty within several minutes. The tours Marta booked, like biking through Porto, visiting the Douro Valley, walking through Lisbon and visiting Sintra created memorable experiences as each guide was excellent, personable and well versed in their area of expertise.

We had an excellent time and will certainly my use KimKim again.
While initially we had to get aligned with Renata, she was great. Renata went out of her way to meet our needs before the trip and during the trip. Really appreciated her.
Our guide in Rio, Bruno was sensational. We loved having him. Would recommend him to anybody. Truly amazing.
The anavilhana lodge was truly beautiful. All the personnel there were excellent. Nothing but accolades.

Hotel Reviews

Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge

Manaus

Absolutely amazing!!! Loved all the personnel especially the guides.. Kendrick, Ramon, etc Truly an amazing experience e

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arena Ipanema

Rio de Janeiro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arena Copacabana Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Tour of Sitio Burle Marx, Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Simply amazing… truly awesome experience

Quality of Experience

Full Days at the Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge

The Amazon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything was super organized and the follow up made by the team was amazing and highly appreciated

Our trip was fabulous! All of the hotels were really nice and their locations were close to all the attractions. Our tour leaders were great, and very knowledgeable on the subjects at hand. All of our transfers were on time, and the drivers were very cordial. All of the sites that Martina suggested were great, and we loved the different wineries she selected for us to visit. We would definitely use kimkim again in the future.

Activity Review

Private boat tour of Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

This boat tour was one of our favorite activities of our whole trip. Our host was great, knew the area well, and his English was perfect. He even had bread, pesto, and wine made by his neighbor on the boat for us and it was all exceptional!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Susan and I had an amazing Italy experience. Our guides were so knowledgeable and very friendly. We were extremely lucky to have beautiful weather during our trip. All the excursions were so wonderful! The only thing I was taken back by was the amount of people in the Colosseum and the Vatican- it was difficult to listen to the guide, take pictures and stay with the group. But, I guess that’s to be expected… The only suggestion I have- would be to make visitors aware if they are going to the Vatican/Sistine Chapel, that they need to cover their shoulders and knees 😊..
I want to Thank you again, Francesco, for such an awesome adventure❣️🇮🇹

Hotel Review

Trevi Collection Hotel

Rome

Very helpful staff…Amazing breakfast…Great view

Authenticity & Character

Staff and views

Location

You are steps away from the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Gondola Ride

Venice

Just a wonderful way to go through the back alleys

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

On his phone the majority of time

Transport

MURANO, BURANO AND TORCELLO EXCURSION

Venice

Love, love, loved visiting all 3 islands

Quality of Experience

The guide was super! Walking through the streets, visiting the shops

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pizza and gelato making class

Florence

Never made pizza or gelato before. The ingredients were basic, but the end product was delicious!

Quality of Experience

The chefs

Explore Pompeii on the way to Naples

Italy

Can’t believe how much has survived over the centuries. How the people lived, the politics, the businesses and the design of the city.

Quality of Experience

The history

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Anna was a perfect guide and great sense of humor!

Transport

Amalfi Coast experience from Sorrento

Sorrento

So much beauty in one place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roberto was a great guide- full of history and humor- lived him!

Transport

Capri self guided day-trip with hydrofoil tickets

Sorrento

Beautiful, narrow roads-but they know hiw to maneuver them😳

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We didn’t crash or get run off the road😂

Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hill

Rome

Unbelievable! Glad we had a guide- lots of people going through and lots of steps- wear comfy shoes..

Quality of Experience

Vatican & Sistine Chapel - Small Group Tour

Rome

Just overwhelmed! The beauty within these walls.

Quality of Experience

Sooo many people- felt rushed and stressed

Guides, Drivers and Staff

What an amazing trip! Our specialist Dalia and her team did an awesome job of coordinating all aspects of our trip and satisfying our wishes of great food adventure and iconic sites. Our drivers Francesc and Ali were the best! They made the long drives to and from our destinations very enjoyable with stories and language tips. Our boat captain David was amazing. Took us to places that no other boat would’ve gone and showed us amazing sites.

Activity Reviews

Kayaking in Tossa de Mar

Costa Brava

Kayaking in Tossa de Mar was amazing! Our guide took a small group of us around the coast and into caves and coves for spectacular views, crystal blue waters and amazing stories!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sailing along the Costa Brava - Exploring its many coves and caves

Costa Brava

We had a private excursion with our captain David around the coast of amazing cliffs. He found secret caves and coves that made the day unforgettable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had booked what was to be a lux vacation, and paid $1200 per person for four nights. Included were hotel rooms and professional private your guides.
The trip started badly when we tried to check into our first hotel and the reservation was missing. The Kimkim team fixed this, but it caused unnecessary stress.
Likewise, there were no contact details for any of the guides, so getting in tough was always challenging, and wasting our tour time.
While the first hotel Olympion Asty was reasonably within the range of our expectations, the second hotel, Grove Seaside was a disaster. Dated, wrecked rooms, inedible food, sketchy neighborhood. How maintains a 4* rating is a mystery and should have been disqualified by Kimkim.
The third hotel Mystra Grand was very nice and should have been the standard for all the hotels we stayed in.
The last hotel, Elite City, was likewise not very acceptable. The lobby and the main building were OK, but the separate villas where the rooms were located were wrecked, dirty, even our door didn't close properly because someone had kicked the door in and it wasn't fixed.
The guides were all good. Professional, knowledgeable, prompt, pleasant, even entertaining.
Our biggest complaint is the price we were charged for the trip. If we had booked the hotels ourselves, we would have paid 550 euros per couple for the 4 nights. The tours would have been further 400 euros per couple. But we were charged 2200 euros per couple, which is a ridiculous upcharge for a very unsatisfactory experience full of hassles.
I would not recommend Kimkim to anyone, certainly not for anything that required some research and planning.

Hotel Reviews

Olympion Asty Olympia

Ancient Olympia

A good standard for a decent unpretentious hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Grove hotel Drepano Nafplio

Nafplio

Old, dirty and in a poor location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mystras Grand Palace

Sparta

Beautiful spot with amazing views. Decent and comfortable rooms. Great staff. Very acceptable and varied food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elite City Resort

Kalamata

Beaten up and unfriendly. Nice lobby, ok breakfast, terrible rooms. Our basement 'garden view' room looked out on a piece of weedy lawn. The door had been locked on and not repaired. The room had been flooded and all the baseboards and bottom of the furniture were swollen and buckled. Need I say more?

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit to Ancient Olympia

Greece

Maria was a very entertaining and knowledgeable guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-guided Day Trip to Mycenae, Epidaurus and Corinth

Nafplio

We had two guides. The first one was knowledgeable but a little boring. Because we wasted 30 mins locating him, we missed out on a lot of the tour. The second guide Patty was very interesting and fun.

Quality of Experience

Private Historic Walk & Visit to Palamidi Fortress

Nafplio

Patty was a knowledgeable and fun guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided History Walk in Sparta

Greece

Very nice and fun guides but not much to see. Sparta doesn't have much antiquity and the town is rather poor.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-guided Activity to Explore the Medieval Town of Mystras from Kalamata

Kalamata

Did not go Mystra. Kalamata is OK but nothing much to see.

Quality of Experience

Skip it.

Self-guided Exploration of Diros Caves

Kalamata

Did not get there.

Quality of Experience

No comment

Returned two days ago from an amazing trip to Morocco.
Mouad, our driver and main host was a delight. He was always cheerful, loved pleasing us and showed his pride in his culture, heritage and country every step of the way. He shared with us some insights on the native customs, products and sites. He was eager to please and made sure all our needs were met. No one could ask for a better host.
Majid, although it was always virtual, he was always responsive to any questions we had and checked on us throughout the trip to ensure everything was to our liking.
Truly gold medal service from these two gentleman.

Hotel Reviews

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

This hotel is a true treasure. The staff was so helpful and the food and accommodations were outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

The staff.

Location

The canyon is beautiful

Staff

See above

Cleanliness & Comfort

Recently renovated and absolutely beautiful.

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location, location, location.

Location

It is in the Sahara. No other place like it.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Just the whole glamping experience. The room was beautifully appointed and clean.

Elegancia Riad Boutique & SPA

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

I felt like I was staying in a Riad in days of yore. The roof top was perfect.

Location

Just steps away from the Medena.

Staff

So helpful and so patient with travel weary guest.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Private Sightseeing Tour in Rabat

Rabat

Love our guide, Joseph. Loved the Kashbar we visited.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes: Exploring the Imperial City

Fes

Our local guide, a native of the Medina, Hiram (sp?) was so knowledgeable about the city. He showed and acted with great care and concern when one of our party became ill. He also showed us knocks and crannies of the Medina that only a native could show us. Enjoyed local food and artisan crafts.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel trek to your luxury camp

Merzouga

Just so much fun. Wish we had more time there.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport