Kimkim Trip Reviews

The KimKim Team was great to work with in planning our Athens/Rome/Florence vacation - our family of 4 was me and my husband and our 20 and 23 year old children. They booked some wonderful tours with experienced guides and all the hotels were centrally located so we walked to almost everything. It gave us great comfort knowing we could reach out to the KimKim team during our visit but everything went so smoothly we had no issues. We highly recommend this company for planning trips. Thank you!

Wonderful service , I never used to book through an agency but Lucy really changed that for us… the recommendations the support and service all throughout our travels was on the highest levels and worth every penny paid..

Highly recommended

Our twelve day trip was simply amazing. Helena and team were wonderful to work with. Especially since we started planning our trip in 2019 and then had to delay it due to COVID. So this was a much anticipated trip. The team was responsive, friendly and helpful with all our questions and thought through even the smallest details. Once we told them a little bit about what we thought we'd like to do, they planned a fantastic itinerary. We had the perfect balance of busy tours to enough "free" time to wander and explore on our own. From tickets to museums and trains to city tours, everything was just perfect.

Regarding the tour guides, they were all wonderful in their own way. Our Madrid walking city tour guide was very knowledgeable about the city, and during our private tour was able to share lots of history that I don't think we would have gotten from a standard tourist tour. He was patient, loved answering our questions and shared information about local habits. We had a day trip to Toledo and our private guide, Sonia, was perfect. She had a passion for the city, because she lives there and was a history major in college, was incredibly knowledgeable about the city's history and how today is a reflection of that history. Sonia was so delightful, she seemed like a genuine friend. We had another private tour in Granada, with our day trip to Las Alpujarras Mountains. Marta was our guide here and again, she had a background in history and a deep love of this mountain and the many communities. She was also able to pivot easily because while we came prepared for a hike, she had to explain that our time would be spend driving from village to village with some walking at each place, not an actual hike with an easy or hard route as was stated in our Trip Plan. We didn't mind it either and because the villages were so steep, we still got in some hiking! :-)

We had another tour guide, this time it was a small group tour in Sevilla. The guide was wonderfully knowledgeable about the city history and our fellow tourists were delightful and we really enjoyed their company. We also had a lovely tour guide in Tangiers, Morocco. All of the tour guides we had were simply amazing and the highlight of our trip. Well done with selecting these professional tour guides.

Other highlights were the flamenco show in the cave. That was an amazing and spiritual experience, something where we thought we just be entertained, but the performance was way beyond that. This experience surprised us both and we loved it.

Lastly, a note about our hotels. We stayed in four different hotels and they were all great. The staff at the Granada hotel and the tower room was probably the most unique stay with great hotel staff. And of course the staff at Hotel Alcazar in Sevilla were wonderful as they worked with you to get my bag back that was left on the train. Thank you for the upgraded room! The balcony room was simply stunning - looking out over the park across the street. It was amazing and we could have stayed there forever.

Thank you thank you thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Only YOU Hotel Atocha

Madrid

Fantastic room and rooftop restaurant. Staff was very friendly and location was near lots of activities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alcázar

Seville

Great location near lots of things to do and see. our 6th floor room had an large balcony that faced a city park. Perfect for sitting with a glass of wine and watching the activity go by. The room was large and very comfy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gar Anat Boutique Hotel

Granada

The history of this inn alone was amazing. The staff was super friendly and helpful, warm and engaging. We stayed in the tower room which had views of the Alhambra.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petit Palace Posada del Peine

Madrid

Great location in the middle of lots of activities. Hotel staff was fine. Our 1st floor room was clean and neat, though very small. A large person would struggle using the toilet room as it was very narrow.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tapas & Tradition: A Madrileño Evening

Madrid

Our tour guide was great and chose 4 places to visit, carefully explaining the differences at each.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

People:

Driver Mohammed was very good. Also guides in Fes and Marrakech. People were friendly and helpful when we got lost in the medinas.

Hotel Reviews

Barceló Anfa Casablanca

Casablanca

Good modern hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

OK I guess, but we weren't there long enough to walk around.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Tiwaline

Marrakesh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Caravane

Ouarzazate

Good hotel in isolated area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Away from noisy city.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxury Camp Chebbi

Merzouga

Camel ride to the camp was great experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Edge of Sahara desert.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxurious for a tent.

Riad Mazar Fes

Fes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Within walking distance of good restaurants.

Staff

Staff friendly and helpful with directions through medina and miscellaneous minor difficulties.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

Authenticity & Character

Location

Convenient to walk to a recommended restaurant.

Staff

Helpful with directions.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to Ourika Valley: Hike to a Waterfall

Morocco

Did not do this. Went to an alternative location that was recommended. This survey is too long. I will not go further.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight in the Sahara Desert with Sunset Camel Ride

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Never would have been able to put this together myself. When I tried to determine where to go/what to do on my own I just got overwhelmed, but Yuliana put together an unforgettable trip. We had a great time with Mauricio (guide) and Fernando (transport). Really appreciate the expertise of all involved in planning and execution of this trip. Thanks so much!

Hotel Reviews

Parque del Lago Boutique Hotel

San José

Cute little hotel for an overnight stay. Didn't get the opportunity to explore the area, so unable to report anything outside of rooms, receptions, and restaurant. Rooms were a little small for the amount of furniture in the room, but not a significant negative, just an opinion. Dinner in the restaurant was REALLY GOOD!!

Authenticity & Character

Staff

kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Had a good night sleep and was clean

Parador Nature Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Was everything you wanted in a vacation stay -- food, drinks, pool, beach access, central to other places you might want to visit

Authenticity & Character

It was very comfortable even for a large "upscale" environment

Location

Central to area places to visit

Staff

Very kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable

Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

Loved the atmosphere and the individual cabins. Walking the hills to the cabins was the only drawback, when you were already sore from hiking.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the atmosphere and the individual cabins

Location

seemed pretty centrally located to the activities that were planned

Staff

all were very kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

were very clean, beds creaked a little and the hills to walk to the cabins were a little steep when sore from hiking

Activity Reviews

Visit to Costa Rica Animal Rescue Center

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Although it is stated that drivers may not be bilingual, if the tour group is not bilingual, would be great to try to be sure there was a way to communicate. Makes it difficult to know what is going on when you can't converse with the person driving you to and from locations.

Transport

There was a mishap with the transport from the hotel where we were ready to go at the designated time and got picked up 45 minutes later. I had the hotel call to find out what was going on and had we known we could have stayed in the air conditioned room vs waiting in the open air (pretty warm) reception area. That transport took us to the Rescue, then we changed to another transport that was unmarked -- a little creepy when neither driver was biligual and we were not, so we really didn't know what was going on.

Catamaran Adventure with Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

Always love these...so relaxing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal 1968 Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

The hot springs were awesome and relaxing, especially after 2 days of hiking. Was less impressed with the Arenal 1968 Hike, if I had know what it was fully, I would not have opted to do it, but thought it was a "had to do" activity....spent most of the time watching my steps to make sure I didn't slip and fall so even if there was a lot to see (which I don't think there was) I wasn't seeing anything but my feet. One of the younger member of our group did fall

Quality of Experience

Hot Springs was fun; 1968 Hike, not so much

Food

Dinner was good, but wasn't fully ready for a 6pm dinner (we had not eaten since breakfast) and some items were not at a proper temperature.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mauricio and Fernando were great!

Transport

Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was my favorite feature although the steps to get there and return were intimidating, it was worth it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The amount of knowledge of the area and the history....it was an educational experience

Transport

Fernando our driver

Our 15 day cruise was amazing! We enjoyed many islands and an abundance of wildlife. Birds, tortoises, sea lions, iguanas, lizards, whales, dolphins, penguins. Our naturalist, Pablo, was an encyclopedia of information. Excellent English, and very personable. The crew on the Monserrat always had a smile on their faces, and were very helpful. Most crew spoke Spanish only, which did create some communication breakdowns at times. The meals were delicious with a lot of variety. Our boat did have a bug problem however. (Roaches) Never having been on a Galapagos cruise, we do not know if this is common on most boats. Our local specialist, Tamer, with KimKim, seemed to be available 24/7. He was always very responsive with answers to our questions. Tamar did a fantastic job keeping us informed each step of the way with our planning. We would highly recommend the services of KimKim . We cannot emphasize enough the beauty of the Galapagos Islands. It is definitely a large piece of paradise.

This was such an amazing trip!

We really enjoyed the hotels in both Lisbon and Evora. The staff in each were friendly and accommodating.

Every tour guide was incredible. They were all willing to share about themselves and their culture, making each one truly special.

We had Gisella for the walking tour. We really connected with her, and she showed us a TON of Lisbon. She gave us tips and ideas for food and drink that we used during our free time. She was friendly, and easy to understand.

On Monday, we had Vitor for the day. He added a lot of personal details, and took us to some of his favorite spots near Setubal. He gave us a great intro to Evora as well. He was super friendly and accommodating.

Telma gave us a very informative walking tour through Évora. She really knew her stuff, and it was wonderful to learn about the area through her knowledge and experience.

Daniella on the Food Tour in Lisbon was captivating. She has such a way about her, and gave us so much more info and history about the area AND the food/drink. We wish we had more time with her. She made a small group tour seem super friendly, and encouraged connection between the other guests.

We really enjoyed getting to know Nuno on our Sintra/Cascais day trip. He was so much fun, and shared not only info about the amazing areas we were visiting, but about himself and his family. There was a great connection there as well. He was a lot of fun, and gave us great suggestions.

We spent our last night in the home of Sofia and Carlos in Lisbon. That was such a fantastic way to end this trip. They were warm, funny, and the food/drink was incredible as well. While it’s hard to pick a favorite thing for the week, getting to spend time with them in their home was something we will never forget.

Beatriz was very easy to work with through all of it, and super responsive. We always felt like we had our own, personal team working to make this trip a fantastic experience before and during the week. She planned such great things for us, we would absolutely use the service again.

We had an excellent trip to Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto. Carmen was very helpful, professional, and easy to communicate with. If you prefer not dealing with trip planning, feel more comfortable having someone taking care of connections and logistical details, or need someone to coordinate with multiple parties, Carmen and her team will do a great job in both putting together your trip and supporting you while traveling.

A great taste of Morocco for our family of 6 adults. All aspects of the trip were good. Particularly memorable were: (1) our stay and morning walk with Salam at the riad Kasbah Roseville who took us through the roses and around town, (2) our cooking class and visit to a home in the Valley of the Roses where we cooked and enjoyed Berber pizza on a wood-fired oven in the with the family, (3) touring Fez with our extraordinary guide Said, and (4) our riad in Fez was a beautiful place and great guys with an extensive breakfast.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Al Makan

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Very beautiful place.

Location

Right where you want to be.

Staff

Consumate hosts that helped with everything and prepared extraordinary breakfasts!

Cleanliness & Comfort

well-appointed recently remodeled place

Kasbah Roseville

Kalaat M'Gouna

Fantastic. The host Salam is a wonderful and gracious human. He took us on a lovely walk through the roses, countryside and about town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Quality of Experience

The alleys and markets of Fez are extraordinary, particularly when paired with our most excellent guide Said.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Said was the best guide ever. Extremely articulate, thoughtful and informative.

Transport

9 fantastic days with Florin! Travels through Bulgaria , Romania and Hungary were very spacious & comfortable in his large passenger van, we named “Bluey!” Florin is very knowledgeable with the history of the castle & citadels & the beautiful cities we got to explore. We began to feel like he was more a friend / younger brother than tour guide! We shared dinners together, stories of places we’ve traveled & yet to visit! He was mindful of my getting carsick, stopped at all the best gas stations for restroom, coffee, & a coke! Oh and lots of stops if I wanted a photo of flowers!!! Also, found me the best asiago cheese bread for snacks on the road trip between cities!
Florin is the “BEST TOUR GUIDE” in our experience! We hit 71 while on this trip. Already talking with him about our next adventure! He only works with top notch drivers & local guides if he needs someone with more expertise of a city than he.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Tresor le Palais

Timisoara

The Hotel Tresor le Palais in Timisoara was extremely nice and upscale. We had a great stay there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Noblesse Boutique Hotel

sibiu

Florin booked us at the Noblesse Boutique Hotel which was very clean. We enjoyed our stay there and had no problems.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Yantra Hotel

Veliko Tarnovo

The Yantra Hotel was in the heart of Veliko Tarnovo and was very luxurious. We loved our stay there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Marvel at the Citadel of Veliko Tarnovo

Romania

The Citadel of Veliko Tarnovo was fabulous! The town is built into a mountain and is full of quaint stores and restaurants. We really enjoyed our time there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from the airport and Sofia tour

Hungary

Florin picked us up from the airport and gave us a tour of Sofia. He was very attentive and informative, making it a great start to our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On the way from Brasov to Sibiu visit the Bran Castle Sighisoara Citadel

Hungary

Florin took us to Sibiu and we were amazed by the beautiful, storybook-like village. We really enjoyed our time there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bucharest city tour

Bucharest

Florin took us on a city tour of Bucharest and specifically catered to our interests in the communist history of the country. We even visited Ceausescu's mansion which was fascinating!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bucharest to Brasov with Peles Castle, Bran Castle and Brasov walking tour

Romania

Florin heard me say I collect rock everywhere we go, especially ones that are shaped like a heart! When we came down from exploring the castle, he handed me a rock that had a heart on the rock!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alvaro was great in the organization of the trip. The team on the ground was very attentive, committed and pretty well organized (albeit some Latin American habits never change like not being on-time for your fist meeting :) ) and showed us how great is Ecuador. The Galapagos are fantastic and highly recommended - make sure you spend enough time there and book the right visits. Thank you!

We had a great experience working with Maria. Our trip was amazing!! This was our first time overseas and Maria and her team made the trip easy and seamless. They scheduled all our private transfers, train tickets, hotels and tours. We added some additional private transfers while in Italy and had no problem getting in touch with their local contact. I'd highly recommend Maria and will use KimKim again for any other trips we take.

Hotel Reviews

The Independent Hotel

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Aminta

Sorrento

Great hotel with friendly and helpful staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kraft

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Early Morning Vatican Tour: Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica

Italy

Amazing tour! Our guide was very informative on all areas of the Vatican. Can't imagine visiting the Vatican on our own. We would have missed so much of the history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Top Tuscan E-Bike Tour with Lunch from Florence to Chianti

Italy

This was the favorite part of our trip. Our guide was very knowledgeable of the local area. He answered all our questions about the region and made the trip fun. HIGHLY recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you Raquel for a well planned itinerary- we enjoyed everywhere we went, hotel was in a safe neighborhood with excellent amenities and fabulous buffet breakfast including gluten free and vegan options. We knew it would be a super busy 5 days but easily got to our timed destinations. We started with going on our own to Montejuic funicular before La Sagrada Familia. Loved Parc Guell and Casa Batlló, the gold ticket was wonderful. We loved the private tour of the Gothic area with Albert, he was fantastic. Our long day trip with Matt to Girona and Figueres to see the Dali museum was excellent and especially enjoyed our hike to Montserrat with Jordo, he was very informative and got us down the mountain before it rained!! Wonderful trip to the Algarve, it was sunny during the day and rained in late afternoon and evening in spots. We are now on Lisbon. Thanks for all your help. We will recommend and use Kimkim again, best, Emilie

Hotel Review

Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Great Breakfast, safe neighboorhood

Authenticity & Character

Great modern amenities, gym, fabulous breakfast

Location

La Sagrada Familia within walking distance

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great beds and pillows

Activity Reviews

Discover Girona & Dalí’s World

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Matt was wonderful driver and had so much more information about Girona and especially about Dali!

Transport

Clean, 8 people were all comfortable

Explore Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter with a Local Guide

Barcelona

Albert was so knowledgeable in history and language, very personable from his hometown, Barcelona. Went to Picasso museum afterwards!! Bonus

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thank you KimKim for making my life easier when it came to travel planning! I wanted to gift my mom a trip to Spain for her birthday and after months of planning, I really had no idea where to start. A lot of the package tours I came across online either didn’t have the dates I wanted for my trip or already had a pre-planned itinerary that didn’t suit my interests. I came across KimKim travels on Instagram and I was so surprised how easy planning a trip can be when I saw how customizable it was. What I enjoyed about booking with KimKim was that depending on the interests/sites you want for your trip, you can easily adjust the price of your trip as well. Big thanks to Yuri and Adam, they were very clear when it came to addressing my questions and concerns. They both really helped me a lot with organizing my Spain trip from start to finish and everything worked out perfectly. Both my mom and I were in Spain for 5 days around Barcelona and Girona regions and although our stay wasn’t for very long, we surely did a lot within those days and had an amazing time. I highly recommend KimKim for those who don’t know where to start when booking their trip, their formula will help you save so much time, stress and money. Can’t wait to use KimKim again for my next destination.

Hotel Review

Hotel Regina

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full-Day City Highlights Experience

Barcelona

Both my mom and I did this tour on our very first day in Barcelona. Originally, we wanted to stick to just Sagrada Familia and Park Guell but this highlights tour was so much more worth it because we were able to see and do so much more within the city. Besides Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, we were able to see the Gothic Quarter, Barcelona Cathedral, El Born District and Montjuic Hill. Shoutout to our tour guide Marlon! He did an excellent job assisting us tourists within the city and was very knowledgeable on the places we went to. He even gave us free time to explore on our own and also gave us enough time to take pictures :) I highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our recent trip to Portugal was amazing and exceeded our expectations! The trip started in Porto, and our hotel was nice, our city/culinary tour with Angela was great! We enjoyed the market, oldest restaurant in Porto, and all the food and knowledge that Angela shared with us. Emanuel was a great follow up and shared his perspective of the city , allowing us to explore on our own afterwards. Wilson and the Douro Valley tour was a true highlight with lunch at Maos vineyard. We can hardly wait for our wine to be shipped!
Marina really listened to what we wanted and the Portugal Boutique Hotel was a pleasure to stay in. Tony took us to Fatima on the way which we really appreciated. While in Lisbon, we had a great tour of the city, explored on our own, and were taken by Marta to the castle, stopped to look at cork trees, and finished the day at a roadside restaurant for a delicious lunch. With Marta, we felt as if we were with a friend showing us her country.
Final trip to Lagos in our rental was without incident, and we marveled at the landscape. Our final hotel was just gorgeous and we could not have been happier! Food, wine, and catamaran trip just highlighted the beautiful country of Portugal.
Final review? This trip was absolutely beyond our expectations on all levels! It checked all the boxes for us and we were sad to leave! Thank you to Marina for making it happen for us!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Melia Lisbon Airport

Lisbon

Walkable from airport, nice quiet room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Vivenda Miranda

Lagos

What a beautiful hotel and perfect location!

Authenticity & Character

Great good, great service, beautiful rooms!

Location

The views were incredible!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Portugal Boutique City Hotel

Lisbon

Great large room with all the comfort of home!

Authenticity & Character

Location

One block from square. Near everything.

Staff

Helpful, prompt!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Editory House Ribeira

Porto

Nice minimalistic hotel. Very helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Good walk about in Lisbon with a stop to taste some Eduardino!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Portugal

We changed the stop and visited Fatima instead. Tony was a good driver who was very agreeable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Boat to Benagil Caves

Portugal

Nice ride, attentive crew, great views of the caves from the ocean. Little bit too cold for us to swim but others took advantage.

Quality of Experience

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Great trip to Peña Palace, Sintra and lunch at roadside cafe!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marta was excellent, very knowledgeable about the towns, the surrounding area. She shared her life story with us, made us feel like friends, and made stops along the way to look at cork trees, visit a fire station, and enjoy a regional lunch. Great day!

Transport

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Nelson was a lot of fun and knowledgeable. He changed our Douro River Cruise to happen prior to our tastings which was fine but the boat was full and we had to sit inside. Still great views though. Our tastings were wonderful and lunch at Maos Vineyard was beyond expectations! The owner Rafael joined us in his dining room and the food and wine was excellent! Can’t say enough about the whole experience! Fantastic!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

No need for dinner after this experience. Wonderful, great tour all around!

Quality of Experience

So much to see, do, eat and drink !

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Angela was a great guide and took really good care of us. She shared life experiences and was very knowledgeable!

We had a super trip, thanks to our brilliant guide, Pemba Sherpa and of course Ngima who pulled the trip together for us!

The planning was easy, as all we wanted was a straightforward trek into Lantang Valley, but Ngima also organised an excellent day’s outing in Kathmandu for us.

The airport pickups and drop-offs were flawless and Ngima’s recommended choice of hotels in Kathmandu worked really well.

On the jeep ride to Langtang Valley, the car had a small mechanical problem, but within the hour a replacement car had arrived and we were back on our way, with hardly any time at all lost.

Pemba proved to be a great guide on the trek- very accommodating to small changes in the itinerary, very patient and caring with the slower walker of the team and with a great sense of humour. We stayed in lovely tea houses and he made sure that we were as comfortable as we could be, with spare blankets to keep us warm and a steady flow of black tea to keep us going! Our porter, Nyima was also good company and a very steady chap.

We were super-lucky with the weather and hit a fantastic "window" on the day we wanted to walk up Kyanjin Ri- great photos, great scenery! Maybe next time we'd do this trek, we'd plan in an extra day at Kyanjin Gompa, so we could see a little more of the fascinating valley.

We’d be delighted to use the crew again in future trips and we’ve already recommended them to our friends and family!

Tamer is the most amazing travel consultant I have ever worked with for a trip - I've been to over 60 countries and I have to say, hands down, Tamer ensured ever aspect of the trip was covered. He asked questions before we had an opportunity to think about the topic. Thank you so much for making our retirement trip a dream come true!

Our experience with Maria and her team was great! It was our first trip to Europe and not sure what to expect. Maria took care of every detail of our trip so that we could relax and explore Italy.
We were able to ask questions at any time while we on our trip & the response time was quick from Maria and Jessica.
We would highly recommend using Maria to help plan your trip to Italy!

Activity Reviews

Colosseum Tour with Underground, Arena & Gladiator Gate with Roman Forum

Rome

Our guide, Julia, was amazing! So friendly and knowledgeable. Very impressive and highly recommend her!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Top Tuscan E-Bike Tour with Lunch from Florence to Chianti

Italy

Loved this private tour of the country side and winery!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Steph was our guide and she was amazing!

Transport

My husband and I could never have planned this vacation without KimKim-specifically Beatriz De Pablo from Espiritu Travel. At the outset, I tried organizing the trip myself utilizing online services but I instinctively knew professional help was needed to maximize this travel experience.
Our 16-day trip began in Barcelona with travel to Girona, Tarragona ending in Madrid. KimKim arranged all of our train tickets, hotel stays, and tours and provided background support via the Trip Plans App which placed all information at our fingertips and access to support from Beatriz's team 24/7. Initially, I was skeptical but now I would not plan such an ambitious trip without relying on KimKim.
All of the hotels we stayed at were well-located smaller boutique properties with top-notch service that frankly exceeded the service levels we have experienced in large name-brand luxury hotels. And I fully admit I would never have selected these hotels on my own just by reading reviews on the internet--that is the value added provided by KimKim.
The Petit Palace Icon Barcelona was well located. It was extremely clean, and comfortable, with nice amenities in the well-appointed rooms. The breakfasts (included) were very good. They also offered food service with a bar. Everything was within easy walking distance and more importantly, it was quiet--Barcelona can get noisy! In Girona we stayed at the Carlemany which again was a very nice and well-located hotel; it was newer and more modern but the rooms were very comfortable (the bed was exceptionally comfortable!). We could quickly walk over the bridge to the old Girona or to the Plaza Independencia. Our hotel in Tarragona was more spectacular in terms of views-we stayed at the H10 Imperial Tarraco and had a view of the ocean/beach and the Roman Amphitheatre. Again, the property was very nice with a good restaurant and bar. By far our favorite hotel was the Hotel Catalonia Las Cortes in Madrid. You would never know it was there! Again, the location was perfect for tourists like us. The staff was very friendly and attentive, the room was very nice, quiet, and spacious again with great amenities. The breakfast at Hotel Catalonia Las Cortes was probably the best of all of the properties we stayed at plus in the afternoons they offered complimentary snacks, and coffee which was very welcomed after a long day of sightseeing.
As for guides and tours:
Barcelona
On our first night of the trip, we had the best Tapas Tour imaginable. It was a small group led by Bryan, a food critic who knew and understood the food scene in Barcelona and graciously shared his wealth of experience. We visited 3 restaurants and enjoyed great food and wine plus met some interesting people.
Day 2 : Dani (Gaudi Tour)
Dani was so knowledgeable about Gaudi and the overall history of Barcelona and its unique architecture. We learned so much from this walking tour.
Day 3: Montserrat & Penedes Tour (Joan & Roger from Llopart Winery)
We wished we had more time in Montserrat; what a spectacular site. I would definitely revisit this site. After Montserrat, we visited Llopart Winery and received quite a comprehensive lesson on wines in the region and tasted exceptional wine.
We spent days 4/5 doing self-guided tours using the wealth of information provided by Beatriz. What a great city to explore.
Girona (GUIDE: Laura)
Once again we were lucky to have such a knowledgeable and friendly guide. She really explained the overall history of the area and shared her academic expertise. We really appreciated Laura's tour of Girona. In fact, if we were to return to Girona/Barcelona we would definitely want to arrange tours with her.
Tarragona (GUIDE: Carmen)
Another friendly expert. We enjoyed our afternoon with Carmen and appreciated her suggestions for other things to see in the area.
Tarragona (Priorat Wine Tour-)
Our private driver took us to two wineries. At the first winery, Mervm Priorati, we were lucky to have Ania guide us through the wines and provide a tour of the property and wine-making operation. The wines were very good. In fact, we shipped some home! The second winery was also nice although I cannot recall the name of the guide. But we did prefer the first winery.
Madrid ( Madrid Walking Tour/ Toldedo)
Brad was such a charming and friendly guide. We really enjoyed the walking tour which proved to be very helpful over the duration of our stay in Madrid. Toledo was an unexpected surprise! Our guide Victor Rodriguez was excellent and really shared his deep knowledge of this incredible UNESCO site.

No review of this trip would be complete without acknowledging the value of the direct communication with KimKim afforded by the App. We used this so much. With a click of a button and you are sending a message to your travel consultant and receiving a reply immediately. We received confirmations for all of our guides, and excursions through the App. When we were considering additional excursions or purchasing tickets for a museum we communicated through the App and everything was arranged. When we decided we wanted to leave on an earlier train from Toledo (on a Sunday of a holiday weekend) we utilized the App and were told how to exchange our train tickets. Beatriz advised us who would be our contact on her days off. It was fabulous! We always felt like we had someone to reach out to if necessary.

Hotel Reviews

Catalonia Las Cortes

Madrid

What a delightful property; Loved the location and the rooms. It was charming...the people who worked there were so nice and helpful. The breakfast service was excellent; nice buffet but you could also get made-to-order omelets, eggs etc. In the afternoon, they have snacks (finger sandwiches, coffee, and other items)

Authenticity & Character

Just a charming property with charming rooms. They have maintained the character of the original building while incorporating the hotel function.

Location

Hidden gem; You would not know this hotel was even there...but it was right off of Santa Ana Square and easy to get to everywhere you wanted to go

Staff

The staff was friendly and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

The entire property was very clean; Best towels ever!

H10 Imperial Tarraco

Tarragona

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel but very nice

Location

The view from this hotel was stunning; Overlooking the beach and the Roman ruins; Easy to walk to restaurants

Staff

The gentleman who was at the front desk was so nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfortable...the only minus was that the shower (which was clearly remodeled) got the floor really wet everytime you used it but other than that it was great

Hotel Carlemany Girona

Girona

Nice location ; easy access to the old part of Girona

Authenticity & Character

Very nice clean and modern

Location

quick walk to the bridges to the old city and to the main square

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

best mattress!

ICON BCN by Petit Palace

Barcelona

The Icon is a lovely boutique hotel in a perfect location. Its small size allows the staff to provide excellent service. The rooms and the entire property are VERY clean. Breakfast is extremely good. Nothing like the typical fare at a Hampton Inn in the USA. The hotel also has a nice little bar that serves food plus a charming outdoor space with a pool. Right across the street is a 5-star hotel--go ahead and enjoy the rooftop bar on that property but I doubt the experience of staying there would exceed the service we received at the intimate and quiet Icon.

Authenticity & Character

Old architecture; the rooms were not overly huge but they were very comfortable. Did not feel like cookie-cutter brand hotel rooms

Location

We liked the fact it was off the main street but close enough to get where you wanted to go fast. Restaurants etc nearby

Staff

The staff knew who you were by name and what room you were in;

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice amenities (Molton & Brown); comfortable bed; very prompt cleaning your room each day

Activity Reviews

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

Madrid

Toledo was a surprise; So much to see and so much history. The basilica was beyond expectation

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Victor Rodriguez was excellent

Transport

Easy train trip from Madrid to Toledo.

Highlights Walk of Old Madrid

Madrid

It is always nice to take a walking tour when you first get to a city to get the lay of the land and understand where everything is in relation to where you are staying. Our guide was very personable and very helpful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Brian, was very insightful and shared the interesting history of Madrid on our walking tour

Inside the Prado: A Private Experience

Madrid

This is not a place to miss. You could spend a number of days here taking all of it in.

Quality of Experience

Our guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Linda our guide really focused on the Spanish Masters and gave us quite an Art History course. We were able to use our new found knowledge of the Spanish painters when visiting Toledo!

Privately Guided Tour of Girona

Girona

An expert/academic tour guide is really a benefit for this site; There is so much history here. I would revisit Girona again

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Laura was fantastic; her academic background really helped

Small-Group Montserrat & Penedès Region Winery Excursion

Barcelona

Montserrat probably deserves a day on its own. So fascinating and spectacular; The trip to Llopart winery was also exceptional;

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Joan our guide at Montserrat clearly had great affection for the monastery. Roger at Llopart was excellent.

Transport

A larger van is needed for the 6 tour participants plus a driver. It was very cramped

Barcelona & Gaudí: Walking Among Gaudi's Iconic Works

Barcelona

Dani really shared his depth of knowledge which reflected years of experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dani was so friendly and nice

Taste Barcelona: Authentic Tapas & Neighborhood Walk

Barcelona

Our first night in Barcelona we were guided on a tapas adventure with a true expert, Bryan, a food critic and so knowledgeable about the food scene in Barcelona. Besides taking us to 3 great restaurants he also provided recommendations we utilized for our entire stay in the city. He is a great conversationalist and really engaged with the group. So much fun

Quality of Experience

Bryan the guide!

Food

Everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bryan facilitated spirited conversation among our small diverse group. Very fun

This Italy trip was fantastic. We travel and speak directly with Valentina, Jessica, and Barbara as Italy experts to make this trip go smoothly and exciting. Our private's guides, Manuela in Florence, Sara in Venice, and Selenia in Rome, were outstanding. They are competitive and knowledgeable.

Siena was a surprise because we didn't know that we would like it so much. In "la Bellissima Florencia," we have a great time taking Tuscan cooking classes with our chef Tomasso and his incredible team of chefs. Venice- St. Marks Basilica was astounding. Venice's food is excellent. I eat at Agli Alboretti Hotel, and the chef is excellent. Gondola thru canals and the vias were terrific, wonderful time for shopping.

We love it, and our next personal trip will be retaken with KimKim. Thank you, guys, for this beautiful travel time.

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Hotel Galatea

Rome

It is like a secret place deep inside Rome. Walking distance to everything. Cozy, charming, clean, and accessible.

Authenticity & Character

Cozy and charming. It is like we live in a Rome neighborhood.

Location

Walking distance to everything

Staff

Knowledgeable. Take care of everything. We like the service a lot.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Hotel agli Alboretti

Venice

Old building with authentic decoration of Venice Bay. Cozy, charming, and excellent restaurant. The restaurant annex to the hotel is terrific. One of the best food I ever taste. The fish soup is terrific. Really delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Charming, authentic old Venice building.

Location

Quiet location. Near everything at the same time.

Staff

The staff was great. Attentive, responsive. The restaurant staff was excellent.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean.

B&B Hotel Firenze City Center

Florence

Good, but they allocated us to a handicapped room with water excess outside the shower door thru the floor.

Authenticity & Character

Bathroom

Location

Accessible to so many places within walking distance.

Staff

Attentive but not responsive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Water excess outside the shower door thru the floor.

Il Battistero Siena

Siena

Cozy, personal, private, quiet, great view, excellent host. Perfect!!

Authenticity & Character

This hotel has an old aqueduct and storage for wine downstairs which have a fantastic story about its construction. Go to check.

Location

Walking distance to everything and, at the same time quiet neighborhood.

Staff

Attentive, responsive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It's a medieval building with suppressive accommodation. It was fantastic.

Activity Reviews

Colosseum Tour with Underground, Arena & Gladiator Gate with Roman Forum

Rome

Fantastic tour with guide Selenia providing detailed explanations and descriptions of sites; perfectly knowledgeable, energetic, and well-expressed guide, willing to answer all questions, big and small.

Quality of Experience

Selenia has a deep knowledge of history and she brings it to life. We got so much more than we would have if we had simply walked through as tourists. She answered questions and added interesting historical facts. She made our trip perfect.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fantastic tour with guide Selenia providing detailed explanations and descriptions of sites; perfectly knowledgeable, energetic, and well-expressed guide, willing to answer all questions, big and small.

Transport

high-quality transportation

Dine. Taste. Learn

Rome

Great Time. Excellent food. We love the wines.

Quality of Experience

Very good food and the quality of the "tapas", fantastic.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The host was terrific. Very knowledgeable and charming.

Transport

High-quality transportation

Venice Walking Tour with St. Marks Basilica and Gondola Ride

Italy

This is a pretty good trip. Venice was outstanding. Our guide (Sara) was excellent. A combination of knowledgeable, personable, and humorous at the same time. It was well worth seeing the Square and the Basilica. I learned a lot and was on a private tour avoiding lines on a crowded day. So, it was perfect.

Quality of Experience

This is a pretty good trip. It was well worth seeing the St. Marks Basilica. OMG, what a place. I learned a lot and was on a private tour, avoiding lines on a crowded day. So, it was perfect.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide (Sara) was excellent—a combination of knowledgeable, personable, and humorous at the same time.

Transport

High-quality transportation.

Giotto Bell Tower Tickets

Florence

Good trip. Excellent views of the city.

Quality of Experience

Good trip. Excellent views of the city.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very respectful and attentive.

Transport

High-quality transportation.

Central Food Market & Tuscan Cooking Class

Florence

It was perfect. I love to cook, and this experience was fantastic—easy techniques to perform some Tuscan recipes.

Quality of Experience

Beginning with the market to pick the ingredients was terrific. The whole class was straightforward to follow. The interactions with the chefs were excellent.

Food

Terrific. The best Ragu sauce I ever taste.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of them are great. Respectful and knowledgeable.

Transport

High-quality transportation

Guided Tour of Florence Duomo with access to the Dome

Florence

Special place. Botticelli's work is outstanding

Quality of Experience

Amazing place. Impressive work of art.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of them are great. Respectful and knowledgeable.

Transport

High-quality transportation

Best of Florence Walking Tour with David & the Duomo

Italy

Great visit with amazing detailed information from our guide Manuela, and even the occasional joke. Perfect also because you get to skip the long lines.

Quality of Experience

The academy surprises me. I never tough the David sculpture is so awesome.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of them were very respectful and attentive. Very professional and knowledgeable.

Transport

High-quality transportation.