Kimkim Trip Reviews

I planned this trip through KimKim with Luis of Hidden in Spain. When any friends or family asked me how was it when I returned home, my answer was SPECTACULAR! We were a group of four traveling into Madrid from NYC area, and going up to Basque country and then into the Picos de Europa. Overall, I can't recommend visiting Basque country and Cantabria/Picos de Europa enough, but I want to make special mention to a few of our guides and tours.
- Madrid - E-bike tour was a great way to start our tour of the city. This is a European metropolis so it is hard to see all of it in 1-2 days, but the highlights were great and the guide was very informative. Make sure you also check out the San Miguel Market and get a great plate of tapas to share with your friends.
- Basque country - San Sebastian, Getaria, Guernica, Bilbao (among others!) where to start. The Basque people are very proud of their home and we learned why. The local culture is so rich in history, and we enjoyed learning about it from all of our guides. Here are some standouts:
- Hiking the Camino de Santiago - Our guide Guillermo took us on a great moderate intensity hike along a small portion of the Camino de Santiago leaving from San Sebastian and ending in a small town of San Juan in Pasaia for lunch.
- Pintxos tour - we went on a wonderful tour of some of the best Old Town pintxos stops with Nerea. This was a ton of food (& drink!) & she was very informative of the culture behind pintxos bar hopping.
- Rioja wine tour - wow. I did not know how spectacular this would be. It is worth the trip and it wasn't a boring one with our wonderful guide Andy. Three vineyard stops and a dreamy lunch in the actual vineyard, next to the river.
- Road trip between San Sebastian and Bilbao - Our guide Gorka was super fun to travel this coast with. He taught us a lot of the centuries of history,. Getaria, Guernica, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe were all stops, and we got to Bilbao in time for our tour of the Bilbao Guggenheim. Bilbao is a fabulous walkable city worth the quick stop on our trip.
- Picos de Europa National Park - probably the biggest highlight of the trip! If you are hikers (or climbers!) don't miss this. The fabulous Hotel de Oso is a perfect paradise in the valley to enjoy time in this area. We hiked around with guide Javi and enjoyed "mountain therapy" with life changing views. The restaurant at this hotel is Michelin rated and we would eat here multiple meals in a row if given the opportunity.
- Return to Madrid - Tapas tour with Theo was amazing. We loved exploring Malasana neighborhood after the tour.
Can't recommend Luis with Hidden in Spain enough - KimKim hit it out of the park once again.

Hotel Reviews

Catalonia Donosti

San Sebastián

This hotel was phenomenal, definitely the most luxurious/nicest amenities. We loved spending time on the rooftop terrace with a pool and plenty of seating. Wonderful location, walkable to the beach, the old town, and our local hiking. Absolutely fantastic daily breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel del Oso

Camaleño Cantabria

Our favorite hotel of the trip by far. The charm, quiet and peace of the neighboring river, and the staff were just wonderful. It helps that they have a Michelin reviewed restaurant on site-do not miss eating here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Barceló Bilbao Nervión

Bilbao

This hotel was a great location for our short stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, odd layout to the room made using the bathroom somewhat awkward, but over all not a deal breaker.

Eurostars Hotel Plaza Mayor

Madrid

Great location in the city center near Plaza Mayor. We did not need a taxi to explore.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Michelin starred restaurant

Spain

Arzak was truly lovely. Three star food, atmosphere, experience - the whole package. Does not feel stuffy, or rushed. Easy to relax and truly enjoy a once in a lifetime meal here. Eskerrik asko to the whole staff.

Quality of Experience

Food

My friend and I had a wonderful trip to Greece in May 2023. Our trip was planned by Thanos, our local Greek travel specialist using KimKim and was very specific to what we were interested in. We had a private tour of Athens and the Acropolis. Our tour guide, Alexandria, was knowledgeable, easy to talk to and very accommodating. She took us on a culinary tour of Athens, one of the highlights of our trip, as we got to eat baklava in a local Greek Taverna, watch cheese and other pies being made--then sample them fresh and hot--eating the best Giro sandwiches in Athens and sample fresh olives, nuts and other products at the fresh market. We enjoyed driving to Mystras to see the UNESCO site (fabulous ruins) and visiting ancient Corinth where the apostle Paul preached. Other highlights of our trip were our visit to Chania on the island of Crete and staying on Santorini for 3 days. Near Chania we had a Greek cooking class at a farmhouse where we made our own dinner and learned to appreciate the multiple uses of olives and olive oil. We stayed in a cozy boutique hotel in Chania and in a hotel on the cliff in Santorini with an amazing view of the sunsets and cruise ships. We have to give a major shoutout to Thanos, our travel specialist. Before we left he worked closely with us to pick the tours, hotels and activities that were the best for us and within our budget--he gave us great suggestions of things to do that we didn't know about. We actually got to meet him in Athens and he checked on us almost daily. We messaged him when we had questions about the itinerary or needed help and he always responded quickly.
I highly recommend KimKim and their travel specialists. Their platform that produces the itinerary is easy to use and included ideas for restaurants and what to see in each city we visited.

Hotel Reviews

DOM Boutique Hotel

Heraklion

This is a good hotel near the main market area and the port. The rooms are nice and the breakfast buffet was excellent--they opened it early just for us because we had an early ferry to catch. It's within walking distance of the main places to visit in town.

Authenticity & Character

More of a modern hotel but cute.

Location

Near the port and the main market.

Staff

They arranged for us to get an early breakfast.

Cleanliness & Comfort

A little patio overlooking the street which made it very comfortable, clean towels every day.

Sofitel Athens Airport

Athens

We flew in at 8 pm and left at 3:30 am to catch our flight. The hotel is very convenient, right across the street from the airport. Staff were kind and efficient. Didn't get to try the food. Very nice hotel with great beds, big bathrooms, all the amenities you would have in a big city hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Not an issue, the location was the most important thing.

Location

Next to the airport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cliff Side Suites

Firostefani, Santorini

The white-splashed hotel was on the side of the cliff with amazing views of the bay, the island and all boats going by, including cruise ships that docked right below us. Sunsets were great. And the views at night are wonderful. It's about a 10 minute walk from the town but has restaurants and amenities nearby. Also, you could walk along the cliff in both directions to see churches, shops, restaurants, etc. We had a deck with chairs we could sit on to relax and take in the view. You do have to walk down and up stairs to get to the pools and restaurant for the breakfast buffet--which was very good. There is no elevator so you get your exercise going up and down the stairs--be sure to watch where you are going instead of the view!

Authenticity & Character

The rooms were built into the cliff so it was like being in a cave. Very creative way of of staging the pools, rooms and outside decks.

Location

Amazing views, just like what you see in movies. If you value being closer to the town, you may not like this location as much.

Staff

Since there are no elevators, the valets carried your luggage down and up around 100 stairs. When we left our valet put our 2 back packs on his front and back and carried a small and medium suitcase on each shoulder and practically ran up the stairs. Wow! The front office staff were very kind, responsive and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elia Ermou Athens Hotel

Athens

Great downtown location with an amazing view of the Acropolis. The breakfast buffet is very good and you can view the Acropolis as you eat. Rooms are clean, beds are comfortable. Very attentive hotel staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

View of the Acropolis and location is near many sights.

Staff

Helpful, friendly, quick to respond

Cleanliness & Comfort

Consolato Boutique

Chania Town

This hotel is very clean, the location in the old part of Chania close to the water and central to the shops and restaurants. The room we were in was spacious and we had a little balcony that looked out on the street. The hotel is like an apartment next to restaurants and shops. We ate breakfast (part of the room rate) at a nearby restaurant and the food was amazing. Be sure to try the Crete breakfast if you stay there.

Authenticity & Character

Cozy and part of the neighborhood. Wasn't a hotel with a lobby, more like an apartment.

Location

Close to everything--the old city, the port and the new city.

Staff

The manager was waiting for us to arrive and very accessible. She arranged a box breakfast one morning because we had a tour that started before breakfast began.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Good beds, nice bathroom with shower that didn't leak onto the rest of the floor.

Activity Reviews

Platinum Morning Caldera Cruise

Santorini

The catamaran was very nice and the views and food were amazing. There were only 10 of us on board and our group meshed will together. The only problem was that it was too cold to get in the water. Not anyone's fault, many locals told us it was the coldest May in their memory.

Quality of Experience

Only downside was the cold--it was sunny but not that warm.

Food

Our cook brought her own herbs and made the best salad, pita bread and grilled meat.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff on the boat were very customer service oriented and fun to talk to.

Transport

All Time Classic Santorini

Santorini

We went to a museum and learned about the history of Santorini, the Red Beach and to the ruins of the town Akrotiri, that are still being excavated and pieced together. Next was lunch that included delicious baked fish/veggies and a pana cotta with beetroot topping. Truly amazing food. We spent an hour at the Black Beach and shopping area, visited a church at the north end of the island and then ended the day watching the sunset from a restaurant on the tip of the island. It was beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great and talked to us personally.

Transport

Chania Local Cooking Class

Chania

We drove to a family farmhouse in Fres where we had our own workstation and learned how to make stuffed zucchini, peppers and tomatoes, cheese pies and a kind of bruschetta. In between we feed sheep, learned about the local history and saw tools and implements they used on the farm in the past. After the food was all cooked we had a huge meal and enjoyed each other's company. The setting was beautiful--our work tables were outside and we could see the mountains and countryside until the sun went down. The food, company and ambiance were amazing.

Quality of Experience

We met some great people on the tour with us--we saw some of them later on other tours and in the airport and it was fun to greet them.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The 7 Villages of Apokoronas Tour

Greece

There were only 6 of us in the group so we got a lot of personal attention. It was fun to visit the little villages in the countryside. First we visited a park-like preserve with fruit trees and local flora. We saw an ancient Greek church and ate hot cheese pies/fresh squeezed OJ in a little town called Stylos. Next we toured a local cheese factory and sampled their cheese with local honey--so delicious. In another town we visited a local bakery, watched some of their processes and ate fresh bread with local olive oil. We visited some other local sites before ending at a Fres where we ate local cuisine at Koyvaros Taverna. Their Greek salad was the best!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver and guide were excellent--knowledgeable and helpful.

Transport

Ancient Corinth Guided Tour

Greece

The ruins are a work in progress, but still interesting. And there is a good museum that is a part of the tour. We were able to stand where the Apostle Paul probably preached and visualize what it would have looked like. We coupled this tour with the tour of Mystras, which was a good combo and use of time since it was on our way back to Athens. There were not many other people there--it was nice to get off the beaten track.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mystras and Ancient Sparta guided tour

Greece

Mystras is an amazing place that I didn't know about before. There is a lot to see and I recommend walking to the very top, which we didn't do. There isn't an "Ancient Sparta", so I think that is misleading. It was great to stop at Corinth on the way back to Athens.

Quality of Experience

The tour guide Alexandria

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide and driver were excellent--very personable and knowledgeable.

Transport

The vehicle was very comfortable, we were given water and it was nice having our own transport.

Acropolis & Flavors Combo Tour

Athens

This was an excellent tour of the Acropolis--our guide was very knowledgeable and personalized the tour for the two of us. Then she took us around Athens describing the local cuisine and giving us the opportunity to try everything from baklava (the best I've every eaten, in a local taverna) to gyro sandwiches, with cheese pies, fresh olives and dried fruits and nuts in between. I was so stuffed I didn't eat the rest of the day.

Quality of Experience

Alexandria, our tour guide made it so good.

Food

The variety and quality of food was amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We walked, no driver. Our guide was great

Transport

No transport. I can't change it to no stars

We visited 3 places whilst in Costa Rica; La Fortuna, Monteverde and finally Manuel Antonio.

Each of these three places had their unique charm as did the people that guided us through. Jason was amazing with his knowledge at Arenal. The hike was extremely informative and interesting. The hot springs were heavenly.

In Monteverde the hotel that Olman picked was incredible. The views were amazing and the hotel staff at El Establo we’re great. Very helpful. The zip lines were breathtaking as was seeing an actual tarantula just happily walking across my path in the forest. I did not scream.

Makanda at Manuel Antonio was the perfect end to our amazing stay in Costa Rica. Such an amazing place in such an amazing country. The wildlife we saw whilst at breakfast and lounging by the pool was incredible. The hotel staff were all so friendly and accommodating even when an iguana unexpectedly decided to join us for breakfast.

Thank you Olman for organising an unforgettable experience for us. It was a delayed 50 birthday present to my husband from the days of restriction so it was that much more special. Thank you thank you :)

Vishal worked tirelessly to make changes to my itinerary as my circumstances changed. Nim (guide) and Cool (driver) were both incredibly professional, personable, and knowledgeable. My trip to Bhutan was a great experience.

Our trip to Greece was fantastic. Chris did a wonderful job organizing our large group. He is responsive and very informative. All the tours were well done by experienced and knowledgable guides.

Even when the weather foiled our hike at the Samaritan Gorge, or guides - Andreus and George, shifted the plans in the moment to a cave church, olive oil factory, and wine tasting at a monastery. It was a memorable day in Chania.

The tour at the Knossos Palace was spectacular. The professional tour guide who met us at the museum was very knowledgable. We appreciated learning about one of the oldest civilizations. It was interesting to see the museum and then go to the archeologic site. Alena also was very personable.

Food was great (fresh and health… accommodating several vegetarians) and accommodations were clean and comfortable.

Drivers were prompt and friendly…and very skillful in navigating the narrow roads.

A very positive experience using KimKim and especially Chris and his colleagues.

Hotel Reviews

Avra Hotel

Rafina, Attica

Hotel had good food and friendly staff. The location was 25 min to airport and near a ferry port. I would not consider this a tourist destination, but a transfer point. There was a nice beach but the weather and time of year -May- everything was closed. Rooms were clean and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Clean and comfortable

Location

25 min to airport

Staff

Friendly staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Food was very good.

Aquila Atlantis Hotel

Heraklion – Crete

Good location. Nice rooms and comfortable beds Breakfast buffet was had a lot of variety.

Authenticity & Character

Nicely decorated and comfortable

Location

Close to the ferry

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were clean and comfortable

Activity Reviews

Acropolis & Flavors Combo Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Time Classic Santorini

Santorini

We stayed in Oia and enjoyed the quaint town… great food and spectacular views. We took a self-guided hike from Oia to Capitol Rock. And we stopped for lunch. While it was a bit crowded to get to the iconic vistas…. But you can’t go to Santorini without seeing them. People were friendly and food was good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Fresh

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Safe and friendly

Transport

Clean and comfortable

The private tour of Knossos Minoan palace

Greece

Guide was knowledgable and friendly. The museum was well done. It was great to see the site after the indoor exhibits. A must see

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Safe and friendly

Transport

Clean and comfortable

The Unique Samaria Gorge hike

Greece

Rained out… but the guides took us on an alternative adventure. Cave church, olive oil factory and a wine tasting at a monastery. Will return for this

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Safe and friendly

Transport

Clean and comfortable

Drive towards Heraklion - Short stop at Rethymno

Greece

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Safe and friendly

Transport

Clean and comfortable

It's taken me a week to recover from my vacation, but it was worth every moment.

We were well taken care of by the Jess and the KimKim team during set up. All of our guides and drivers in Peru with the were incredible and punctual as hell. If our flight changed numbers before we arrived, we were contacted. When it seemed a guide was running late, we had three different people in correspondence with us over it, and still got where we were going in great time.

Biggest shout outs to Daniel at SkyLodge/Ziplining and Edwin from our Machu Picchu/Aztek Trail trips for openly keeping my 70 year old father alive doing activities that may have been outside his capabilities. All guides made sure he still got an incredible experience and they took incredible care of all of us. Adjustments were made and we're grateful for every single second.

Word to the wise, the Ziplining/Via Ferrata has a child climbing on its website, which I think deceived us as to the intensity of this hike. This was a next-level climb up a mountain. Vertical cliffs, metal bars, a "bridge" that was two cords over a valley. We were caught a little off guard, but that's on us for not doing a deeper research dive on the hike.

I could have spent days just at the Mountain View lodge and restaurant.

And finally, I can't go without mentioning that my guides, Miracle and Edwin got a CAKE UP TO THE TOP OF A GLACIER LAKE for me for my 39th Birthday. Incredibly special and grateful for all the special touches.

Thanks to everyone. Can I go back now?

First of all, we would like to thank Robi and Daniela Pinčević in helping us develop the trip itinerary and in managing our stay in country. In particular, the total attention to detail and helpfulness of Robi throughout our travels was invaluable and greatly exceeded our expectations! Robi even took the time to meet with us in our travels (Thank you!). We spent 2 weeks driving through Croatia and fell in love with the history, the variety of architecture and (yum!) the food! We did quite a bit of research before the trip and had a good idea of what we wanted to see. Daniela helped us with some specific sights to see. Croatia is a beautiful and very clean country and the people who live there are the most hospitable people we have ever encountered (we have traveled to over 30 countries). We began the trip in Zagreb and our wonderful guide, Bruno, showed us the city and spent the following day with us as we toured castles and an open air museum of late 19th/early 20th century rural buildings & homes. From Zagreb we drove ourselves to Istria and visited several towns (including Motovun, Groznjan, Oprtalj, Porec (3rd century Euphrasian Basillica )and Pula where we loved the Roman amphitheater, visited the olive oil museum and did the olive oil tasting (very informative). From Istria, we drove southward, staying at several cities (Zadar, Split, Hvar Town in Hvar Island, Ston, and Dubrovnik). Along the way, we visited Krka National Park and Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina). For every location we visited, Robi was kind to guide us to the closest parking places, ticket offices, ferry offices, etc. Our favorite city was Rovinj – it was thoroughly charming! For the best foods, it was Zagreb’s LaStruk for their delicious strukli, the homemade pasta and the creamed risotto, both with black truffles at the Konoba Mondo in Motovun, the black risotto (with several types of seafood) at Kapetanova Kuca in Mali Ston, and the slow roasted octopus with vegetables dinner for two at the Jerolim in Hvar Town. In Split, Robi recommended we dine at Bajamonti where we enjoyed a delicious seabass dinner for two. We drank local wine every night for dinner and enjoyed them all! We had great fun winetasting at the Madirazza Winery on the Pelješac peninsula where the pours were generous and hostess very charming. In Dubrovnik, we had a wonderful Bosnian meal at the lovely restaurant, Taj Mahal. We had excellent private city guides in Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik who also recommended places to visit such as the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb or the oldest continuously operating pharmacy in Europe (Dubrovnik). Aside from learning the history of those places, we learned about the people of this terrific country. We visited museums, cathedrals, and country roads with vistas. In short, we packed as much as we could into a two week driving tour. Because of our age, we asked for car parking and ground floors or elevators at all the hotels (they were all very good hotels; most with wonderful breakfast selections!) The only recommendation we would make is to have is a little primer on how to use Croatian gas stations (pay after pumping) and the different nozzle sizes (large diesel nozzle is for trucks, not cars). Almost all parking lots require payment and some places you pay first, some places when you leave, and sometimes you need your rental car license plate number (take a picture with the cell phone). Speaking of cell phones, it was a breeze communicating with the Kimkim team via WhatsApp. We walked about 141,000 steps – what a blast! April and May was an excellent time to visit! Thank you Robi, Daniela & Kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

Ostrea

Mali Ston

Room was a little small but comfortable. Breakfast was limited but the hotel had few guests at the time, so this was understandable. Breakfast attendant made us the best coffee in Croatia! (And she was very nice). Desk receptionist could have been more pleasant when we arrived. In all the places we visited and saw, she was the exception to great hospitality.

Teatro Verdi Boutique Hotel

Zadar

Small hotel but friendly staff and comfortable room. The floral scent in the common area was a nice, happy surprise. Parking next to hotel.

Hotel Dubrovnik

Zagreb

Comfortable room, great breakfast, and very convenient to city sights and restaurants. This was the nicest hotel we stayed in.

Palazzo

Poreč

Nice room, outstanding breakfast, and courteous staff. Had to park a short distance away but hotel provided shuttle service. (This hotel had the nicest breakfast and a beautiful view of the harbor).

Apartment Zicara

Dubrovnik

Spacious apartment with well appointed kitchenette and a washing machine, which we put to good use. Location just outside city wall so convenient to old city. The terrace and garden was a nice place to rest and relax. We were thankful we could store our bags there for several hours until we departed the city.

Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort

Hvar

Excellent room and breakfast. Parking close in. Short walk to town.

Hotel Marul

Split

Room was comfortable but outside noise was annoying at night. Breakfast was very good. Staff friendly.

Activity Reviews

Krka National Park

Croatia

Nice boat ride to visit the beautiful falls at the park. Also drove to upstream portion of river to see other falls (not quite as nice). The signage at the park was limited and at one point, we did a lot of extra walking, and ended up at the cafe instead of water falls. The maps handed out by the park were pretty substandard (in detail for walking trails).

Explore Hvar

Croatia

Not a lot to explore in Hvar city but enjoyed a drink by the harbor and one of the best meals of the trip. We also visited the fortress on the hill for a great view of the town. There wasn't a lot to do, but that was due to the time of the year and weather being cool/overcast. Swimming was not feasible.

Mostar ( Bosnia and Herzegovina) 1 Day Trip From Ston- overnight Dubrovnik

Croatia

Day trip to Mostar. We enjoyed the old part of town and its renowned bridge but could have done without the large tourist crowds. Did have a nice lunch overlooking the bridge. We also enjoyed talking to the lady at the bookstore that Robi recommended. She gave us a concise, but excellent history of the events leading to the war and her experiences in the war. She humanized and brought the scenes we witnessed on television to life.

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace city tour

Split

Lots of history in Split. Great city tour. Nice restaurants. We really enjoyed Split as the sun was setting; the crowds were less.

Zagorje region and castles visit and Zagreb overnight

Zagreb

Great day trip visiting two castles and birth place of Marshall Tito. Bruno went with us this day and gave us a lot of insight about Marshall Tito. He also took us to an excellent country restaurant where we had a huge lunch. The beans in this meal were superb! We really appreciated the time Bruno took with us.

Explore Zagreb and City tour

Zagreb

We really enjoyed Zagreb with its buildings and history. Bruno, our guide, was excellent! Learned so much about the city, culture, history, and food! We also talked about schools, education, economy, etc. Bruno recommended an excellent restaurant, LeStruk; we enjoyed it a lot!

Visit to Rovinj and Pula

Croatia

Two of our favorite places, especially Rovinj with its charm and restaurants by the harbor. The Roman coliseum in Pula was amazing in its almost original 2000 year old state. We really enjoyed the olive oil museum and the olive oil tasting.

Goodbye Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Pick up and delivery to airport was great.

Dubrovnik Old Town tour, and the City Walls

Croatia

Old City Dubrovnik is a fascinating place with its buildings, restaurants, and wall. Excellent city tour to explain some of the city history. City wall walk was interesting but fairly difficult to walk in places (steps) and overpriced at 35 Euros. Speaking of steps - about 120 to get from old city to apartment. Wear comfortable shoes!

Explore Pelješac Penisula and Ston - Triple Atraction

Ston

Ston is charming town with extensive walls and salt pans. Also some great wineries which we visited one, Midirazza, for wine tasting.

Leaving Hvar and drive to Ston & Pelješac penisula

Hvar

Short ferry ride back to the mainland and beautiful vistas on way to Ston.

Visit to Zadar

Croatia

Interesting city with old churches and nice restaurants. By the harbor the Sea Organ and Sun Salutation Light Show (at sunset) were fascinating.

Motovun, Grožnjan, Oprtalj - inland of Istria and overnight in Poreč

Croatia

Exploring the old city towns was interesting. Cobble stones and hills were a challenge though. Had one of our best meals in Motovun.

Zagreb - Arrival Day / Evening

Zagreb

Matej, our driver, was waiting for us at Zagreb airport. Great conversation with him as we drove into the city. Check-in was breeze.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip was my first experience with kimkim. I was traveling to Greece for the first time for business and wanted to see Athens. I did not have the knowledge or energy to plan tours. I discovered the kimkim web site on google noting that they had a local Greek trip planner, Amalia. I was not disappointed. Transportation, lodging, restaurant suggestions were all provided. Thanasis Lymperopoulos met us at the airport and drove us to the Royalty Hotel Athens. The hotel is centrally and conveniently located. It was clean, comfortable, friendly, safe. Thanasis drove us the next afternoon to Cape Sounio to see the coast and the temple of Poseidon. This tour was spectacular. The sunset on the water was beautiful. Thanasis is an excellent driver and tour guide. He made the drive interesting and seamless.
The next day we toured the Acropolis and Acropolis museum as arranged by Amalia with Athens Walking Tour. The guide, Alex, was extremely knowledgeable. We learned so much. We followed this tour with a food tour conducted by Marina. She filled us with food and culture. Both tours are highly recommended.
Thanasis picked us up the next morning and drove us to Delphi and Arachova. It is a long drive but again, Thanasis made it interesting. He is such a good driver we did not even look at the road- only the scenery. We lunched in Arachova at a wonderful restaurant, Patriko Mas.
Finally, we left Athens with an on time transport to the airport arranged by Amalia. The Athens experience via Amalia and KimKim is excellent. I will use kim kim again for a future destination.
Thank you, Amalia, Alex, Marina, and especially Thanasis.

Kim Kim arranged our trip to Costa Rica and it was flawless. Nuria, our Kim Kim organizer was exceptional and provided excellent suggestions and accommodated last minute requests with a smile. Highly recommend them and look forward to using them for our future holidays around the globe

Hotel Reviews

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nestled within acred of natural beauty

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villas Sol Hotel And Beach Resort

Playa Hermosa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice rooms and staff

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Ceaser, our guide and paddle boat operator was so engrossed in helping us appreciate the experience and uniqueness and history of the area. Helped us spot many wonderful wild life

Quality of Experience

Calming experience to close out our trip

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Gerardo was such a wonderful guide. Was very accommodative to go slow as my wife was not 100% on this day. Highlight was the lunch at Jackaman restaurant which grows its own ingredients

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Helen our guide was a sweet person and kept explaining things about the area and the wildlife around the falls with passion. Even helped us spot a sloth

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TreeTram, Hanging Bridges & Zipline Adventure

Monteverde

We were scared to do zipline but the staff was very encouraging and at the end wanted to do it agai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Experience and Nighttime Nature Walk

Monteverde

Jose our guide was so well equipped to create a wonderful learning expetience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chris did an outstanding job working with our group of 11 people traveling to Greece. We had people flying in at different times, leaving etc and he managed it all! We had a fabulous itinerary at each place we stayed, with free time built in as well., guides were very knowledgeable and friendly, transportation in very nice luxury vans was the cherry on top!
Chris ‘s communication prior to the trip was very consistent, explaining things and accommodating our needs. He kept in touch during the trip and when rain canceled a gorge hike we were planning, he quickly pivoted and made alternate plan we thoroughly enjoyed! We were able to experience local things, street fare food, small olive oil factory, monastery with wine tasting etc.

We also met up with Chri# on the trip and it was so fun to meet him after all he planning. Thank you Chris!

We had a fabulous trip and will use Kim Kim in the future, no doubt. Worth every penny! A memorable trip with friends.

Activity Reviews

The private tour of Knossos Minoan palace

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive towards Heraklion - Short stop at Rethymno

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Acropolis & Flavors Combo Tour

Athens

Knowledgeable guide said she could focus on our interests too, history, mythology etc. best tour guide I have ever had! Food tasting and wines small local restaurants inside and out was so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Time Classic Santorini

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Robi, who was our local specialist\guide did an amazing job planning a custom itinerary for our 10 day stay in Croatia. Robi drew from intimate local knowledge and created a trip plan that fulfilled everything we hope it would while we were in Croatia. He was always friendly, available, and responsive by phone whenever we had questions during our trip. I really couldn't have asked for more from our guide. I would recommend Robi to my family and closest friends.

Cain and Monika

Great experience using KimKim for our trip to Iceland. Emanuela was helpful obtaining hotel reservations we were unable to get on our own. She seemed to get the best rooms at the best hotels for us. Daily itineraries including maps, travel times, sights to see and places to eat were so helpful. This gave us the confidence to go out on our own to explore instead with a tour group. I would definitely use again when a first time traveler to another region of the world.

John wrote:
Andreas, our driver, was a fount of information that we were not expecting. Absolutely brilliant!

Susan wrote:
Title: Outstanding organisation and people.

"I can't speak highly enough of Thanos. He had organised for us an excellent journey which he ensured worked smoothly throughout the whole time, from beginning of our planning to the very end. Thanos was most personable and caring and it was a delight meeting him in person.

The other person I can't speak highly enough of either, was our driver, Andreas. Throughout the four days with him, his driving was fantastic, he was great company, thoughtful, helpful and was there for us every step of the way. We gained from Andreas a lot of knowledge about modern Greece.

All the guides were superb, especially Alex, who guided us through the Acropolis.

We appreciated the great hotels chosen for us.

Thank you Thanos and Kimkim."

Dalia is a fabulous travel specialist. After talking to us through emails and phone calls, we were able to decide where we wanted to go for our 2 week trip to Spain, and what we wanted to do when we got there. We went to Madrid, Toledo, Sevilla, Granada, Cartegena, Valencia and Barcelona. With her help she booked us into super nice - but also within our budget - hotels that were very close to the city centers and the attractions we wanted to go to, which included museums, parks, Roman ruins, cultural events and good places to eat. Dalia lives in Spain and speaks perfect English as well, and was ALWAYS available to communicate with us before and during our trip, but the time difference to the US made it easier once we got to Spain. While we were there, she would instantly respond to any questions I had about language, customs, etc.
We were booked with several tours including the Alhambra in Granada, the Roman ruins at Italica, a winery tour and Toledo, and the Gaudi tour in Barcelona. I want to give a special mention to Enrique, our guide to Alhambra, who was the nicest person and so educated about his city in general. He was born there. We took his suggestion for a restaurent and had a wonderful meal there, and he was there with his wife. He even came over to our table and bought my appetizer! I'm glad we tip well in general but he didn't need to do that. Also, our guide in Italica (what was his name???) was fabulous and funny. And our guide in Toledo spent some free time showing us around the cathedral when he didn't have to before our wonderful winery tour.
With Dalia's help she rented a car for us, got us 2 sets of train tickets and timed tickets for the Prado. I absolutely always felt supported by her, as much as if I had a friend on hand who was able to answer all my questions.
This is our third trip booking through KimKim and they honestly do a really good job at finding the right people to help travelers get around an unfamiliar country on their own.

Activity Reviews

Barcelona: Sagrada Familia and Park Guell - Afternoon Tour

Barcelona

We went with a big tour and that is not so much our style. However, we did get to see everything - the Sagrada Familia and the Park Guell, and they are spectacular. I would suggest to either have a private tour or go on your own with information so you know what you are seeing because these are out of this world sights and emblematic of Barcelona. Once you see them, you will know what all the fuss is about, believe me.

Quality of Experience

smaller tour

Alhambra Private Guided Tour

Spain

Such an interesting palace with a rich history! Wear good walking shoes. Enrique was our guide and he was just the best. He grew up in Granada and told us about so much history, not just of Alhambra but also of Granada and it's people. He has been doing tours there for so long that every single person who worked there greeted us and I told him he was like the "Mayor of Alhambra". :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day trip to Italica

Seville

Such an interesting place and only a 1/2 hour outside of Sevilla! Really if you like Roman ruins you have to see this place. They filmed the last GOT episode here! Our guide, Alfonso Jose, was amazing. Funny, well-read and passionate about the subject. Great 1/2 day, worth the time and money.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Toledo group tour

Spain

Toledo was an interesting old city but the best part of our time there was our guide took us around the Cathedral and he was good, I think his name was Majed. Also we went to a winery afterwards and that was excellent. The woman was warm and funny and smart who showed us around and did the wine tasting with us. We bought some to take home and my husband told me I asked him what we can throw away in our carry on so we can get my wine home! It was a fun day all around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just returned from a 10 day trip to Peru. Jessica at Kim Kim was amazing throughout the booking process and all the way along. She was very attentive to our numerous questions and had great suggestions for hotels and timing of the entire trip.

We did the Cusco City Tour, the 4 day Inca Trail trek, Sacred Valley Tour and Rainbow Mountain hike. Edy was our local guide throughout and was fantastic- personable, kind, always prompt, and very knowledgeable. Edwin was our chef for the trick - unbelievable what he was able to cook while camping and our 9 Quechuas (porters) were all super sweet. It is incredible what they carry and how they run the trails.

The trek is challenging - but very doable if you are in shape. We only did a little bit of training - and oh, the views!!Spectacular - especially the view of Machu Pichu from the Sun Gate. And our last camp site was up high in the mountains - just gorgeous.

Rainbow Mountain is touristy - but really not that bad. We had reservations about how touristy it would be but the hike and views from the summit are well worth it. OUr drive was 2.5 hours there from Cusco and 3.5 hours back (traffic in Cusco is heavier at the end of the day). They break it up with breakfast on the way there and lunch on the way home so it didn’t seem that long.

I would highly recommend Peru for both a cultural and a hiking experience. We had no troubles at all with any political protests and felt safe the entire time - even walking in Cusco at night.

Hotel Reviews

Camping

We tent camped during the Inca Trail trek. The experience was good, despite the rain.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel

Cusco

The hotel was fantastic, and we wish we had more time to spend there. The location was great, right beside the train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Premium Cusco

Cusco

The Casa Andina Premium Cusco was a fantastic hotel with great service, good food, a lovely room, and a quiet location. Highly recommended.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport

Lima

The hotel was convenient, being right across the road from the airport. It was a good place to stay for a quick overnight due to our flight times.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rainbow Mountain Trek

Peru

The Rainbow Mountain Trek was better than anticipated. Although touristy, the actual hike was picturesque, and the snow on the mountains made it even more beautiful. We had a headache afterward due to the altitude, but it was worth it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at Mountainview

Peru

The lunch at Mountainview was unbelievable - both the food and the view were incredible.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacred Valley Tour (Ollantaytambo- Maras- Pisac )

Peru

The Sacred Valley Tour was fantastic, and the lunch at Mountainview was incredible. The view and the food were both amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Inca Trail Day 1/4: Cusco- Ollantaytambo to Wayllabamba

Peru

The Inca Trail trek was great, despite the rain. We had porters, who were essential, and all our meals were included. The only downside was the boxed breakfast on the last day, which was not very good. We recommend bringing your own snacks.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trek Briefing

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Cusco Tour

Peru

The Cusco City Tour was very good, and our guide was fantastic. We had him the entire time, which was a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly from Lima to Cusco, Explore the City

Peru

Cusco is an amazing city, although the altitude is intense. We definitely noticed it in our hotel, but overall, it was an enjoyable experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just got back from our honeymoon in Norway and the team here was nothing short of amazing. Within our 10 day trip we were able to see so much and go to so many places thanks to the help we received. Our local specialist was Krista and she was extremely helpful from the very beginning. There was a lot we wanted to do in a short amount of time and we were able to get so much done due to the planning she did. We also had help from Julia, Fenne, and Meree before our trip and during our trip when we had questions. One of the best things were the tours they helped us set up. Seeing the beauty of the fjords as close as we did is a memory we will never forget. Going to Cornelius restaurant was also a highlight of our trip. When we went there we were not sure what to expect but as soon as the food started coming out we got to try food that I probably would have never tried before and I am so glad I did. We still talk about how amazing the fish was. I tell anyone who asks to book through here because they are so knowledgeable and helpful. We are already talking about when we will be going back and how we will be using here again!

Activity Reviews

Day trip to Nærøyfjord, Flåm and Stegastein

Bergen

The scenery on this trip is beautiful. We had an amazing tour guide Steg, who kept us entertained and gave us so much information. When there was construction at a tunnel it messed our time line up a little and he rearranged our day a bit and you would have not even known the day was not as planned.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Steg was the perfect guide. I ended up sitting close to him and got to talk to him a lot throughout the trip. You can tell he truly loves his job.

Transport

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise

Bergen

The views from this cruise were some of the prettiest views I have ever seen. The captain made sure to slow the boat down and get up close to waterfalls and scenery he knew everyone would want pictures with.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience

Bergen

The food was fresh and delicious. Having Cornelius pick us up in his boat and bring us to the restaurant made it so special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our honeymoon trip to Portugal was absolutely amazing! I'm an event/travel planner in my day job, so I know I could've planned the trip on my own, but working with Kimkim and our specialist Beatriz made the planning experience SO much quicker and I appreciate all the time they saved me! I loved how we were able to customize our itinerary, ask specific questions, and tailor the whole experience to our interests + Beatriz was super responsive during our travels in case we had questions or last minute change requests (which was super reassuring). All of our onsite tour guides were all so friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about making sure we had the best time. A few stand out experiences that we highly recommend: Duomo valley tour (100% ask to book a Quintas lunch experience!!!), our private cooking class in Porto (huge shout out to Vitor!) , and our kayaking excursion to the Bengali caves in Algarves. The hotel recommendations were fantastic as well - all located in convenient, central locations and were usually walking distance to our tours. Thank you kimkim and Beatriz for an amazing experience and we look forward to planning our next trip with you soon!

Hotel Reviews

The Editory House Ribeira

Porto

AMAZING location and great breakfast! Appreciated the complimentary port glass upon check in. Rooms are a bit smaller, but didn't matter too much since we didn't spend much time there besides sleeping!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

Great location and clean rooms!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We had some issues with our wifi device being delivered and they were so helpful in rescheduling our delivery!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Octant Évora

Évora

Absolutely stunning resort property - we just wish we had more time to spend there since there is so much to do! Multiple pools, planned activities, onsite restaurant, farm/garden, hikes, the spa, etc.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We were late to the breakfast buffet and they had already cleaned it up, but their staff went above and beyond to fetch us two plates from the kitchen!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Vivenda Miranda

Lagos

Stunning views, convenient location! The decor has a bit of quirkiness to it, but still felt high end!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Rui was an amazing guide and really hooked us up with such a special, delicious lunch/wine tasting experience at a local quinta. A highlight of the trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hands-On Cooking Class with a Local Chef

Porto

Vitor was the best! Amazing company, laughs, and food. We have a new friend for life :)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Marta was absolutely amazing and beyond accommodating! She really knew all the secret back roads, local spots, and most interesting facts about all the locations we visited. We appreciated that we didn't have to wait in any lines and chose some of the "off the beaten path" places to visit - just our style! :)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hello- The sightseeing plan and accommodations arranged by Kim-Kim were done well. I gave four stars instead of five as I felt there were three events where we needed more insight to aid in our planning. First, May 1 was a holiday in Zurich so museums were closed. We did have a wonderful walking tour that morning but had limited options in the afternoon. Had we known this was a holiday we may have chosen to go to Lucerne first. Second, the mini cruise would have been better if we had known in advance to download the app so we could listen to a tour guide while taking our cruise. Lastly, the Top of Europe was wonderful but extremely crowded. Once there we saw that some guests had “Priority Boarding” and they were able skip the long line. We would have liked to have known about this option prior to our trip as we may have taken advantage of it.

Our tour guide (Albert) was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. We enjoyed him very much. We want to also acknowledge the excellent staff at our hotel in Lucerne (Hotel Restock). They were extremely friendly and helpful.

Hotel Reviews

Ruby Mimi Zurich

Zurich

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff often seemed to rushed to answer questions thoroughly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Rebstock

Luzern

Wonderful staff! Very helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Everyone on staff that we encountered was friendly, helpful and pleasant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Zürich city guided walking tour

Switzerland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We went on a five night trip to Oxford, the Cotswolds, Stratford upon Avon, and Bath. We had a wonderful time in each place, and realized we could go back and spend more time in Oxford and Bath, in particular. My very favorite memory of our whole trip was sitting on the balcony of our room at The Old Bank Hotel, at eye level with some amazing architecture (University Church of St. Mary the Virgin), drinking a glass of wine and listening to the bells chime. Rapturous!

The planning of the trip was really well done - good communication with the team, primarily with our #1 guide, Jane.
After looking back at all of the itinerary suggestions made by Jane, I actually wish we had followed her original advice at the very beginning. She definitely knew better than we did what should have been our priorities. :)

Jane was also a fantastic guide while we were actually on the trip. It was very much a comfort to be able to ask her a question via text whenever we needed to, about anything. She even rang us a couple of times, just for absolute clarity.

We had a few troubles with delayed or cancelled train trips and Jane was easily contacted and kindly supportive throughout.

If there is any suggestion I could make for better service, it would be to have someone on the team confirm the train schedule for the travelers on the day and then send a text to say “All is well” or “Things have changed”, so we could have planned accordingly.

Overall, we are very happy with our experience with KimKim and will be looking into working with them again on a future trip to Australia.

Morocco is an diverse and amazing country. We had great experiences with Salaam as our driver and Said as our tour guide in Fez. The trip was arduous. We traveled many miles over road construction over the Atlas Mountains bounced around for hours in the vehicle. Many of our hotels had difficult access and treacherous stairs to navigate. In the future, it might be advised you consider the ages of your tourist.