Kimkim Trip Reviews

Pre trip planning was excellent. Mar and Fenne were responsive to all my questions and made adjustments based on my needs.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Great hotel right in the center of everything which allowed for walking. Would have been helpful to know where to park before arriving.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

The hotel and room was very nice. I just happened to have a cruise ship directly out the window which ruined the view.

Authenticity & Character

Liked the rustic feel

Location

Easy walk to train and harbor

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fjærland Fjordstove Hotel

Fjærland

The view from my window was spectacular. Dinner with the wine pairing was great.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the old house

Location

Most remote location I stayed but by far my favorite.

Staff

Very knowledgeable and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loenfjord hotel

Loen

The hotel was nice but full of very large tourist groups coming in on buses. It made finding a time for breakfast a little difficult.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Utsikten

Geiranger

First rate food and meal. A bit of a hike from the town

Authenticity & Character

Location

Outstanding view but have to drive everywhere from here.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quality Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

Decent hotel within walking distance of everything. Again it would have been good to know about the parking situation before arrival.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Summer RIB boat Safari Local Taste of Undredal

Flåm

The boat tour guide was very fun and knowledgeable. The cheese tasting was underwhelming, not bad just wasn’t as involved as I expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a much more intimate experience in a small boat as we were able to get up closer to the sites.

Ride the Ulriken Cable Car

Bergen

The walk from the center of town to the cable car was very nice. I took the ride up and walked down which I definitely felt for the next two days.

Quality of Experience

Luckily I had good weather. This probably isn’t worth it if it rainy and foggy.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bergen: A Walk Through Past and Present

Bergen

Fabiola did great job of weaving history and modern culture into her tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Summer Adventure day in Flåm with Zipline and Bicycle trip

Flåm

Although the weather was a little rainy I was still able to zip line. I got wet on the bike ride back into town but it was still worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Car ferry between Geiranger and Hellesylt

Norway

While you can get to Geiranger by car, the ferry trip is worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Kayaking Geirangerfjord

Geiranger

Because it was cold, rainy and windy we weren’t able to get as far as I would have liked. It was fun and the guide was great but the weather was a damper.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip planning was seemless. The local guides were amazing and the itinerary was perfect for our family. We truly enjoyed our experience with KimKim.

We appreciated having someone that could arrange tours and hotels for us. We found that the descriptions and photos of the tours were more glowing than our experience. Also, the hotel photos were incorrect in one instance. All of the guides and drivers were punctual and polite. We especially enjoyed our guide/driver Seong in Penang, he did an excellent job showing us the important sights as well as offering us choices of what we wanted to see.
The guide in Cameron Highlands was knowledgable about the tea farms and the Mossy Forest. The tea shop was very crowded with families and we had a long wait to order our tea and didn't get to have the tour.

Our tour Guide for the Harry Potter location sites was excellent. She was knowledgeable, she had clips of the various scenes that related to the sites, she pasted the tour so that we all survived. And she was fun and very personable.

Our driver for our auto. Tour was also very knowledgeable friendly was delightful with our seven and 10-year-old boys. He introduced them to the telephone in a red iconic london phone booth. He had the phone number of that particular booth so when they were in there, he called the number and the boys, who had never seen a telephone like that, didn’t know what to do. He told him to answer it. They didn’t know how. It was a delightful event for everybody. He also took us to Buckingham Palace and we saw the guards and the parade. We went to a number of famous stores and were cordially invited in. Also our driver gave recommendations for restaurants and made sure that we were safely dropped off and heading in the right direction for our next event. The next event was the tower of London. Which was OK. It was a simple tour with a lot of stories, which were interesting, humorous, and gory. In order to see the Crown Jewels, We had to stand on a conveyor belt that moved us right along, so everyone had a chance to see the jewels, but you could not take time to look at them. We rode the London Eye. The boys played in the park across the walk from the eye. We took a Luncheon cruise on THAMES. That was interesting and fun for the boys, especially when the people from the bridge threw peanut at us, and the food was pretty good too. We spent time in Hyde Park at DIANA’s playground, we rode the paddleboats, we did the canals in Little Venice, Camden market, a couple of pubs, a day at Harry Potter studio, and many trips on the underground.
We took the train to Edinburgh, meet another family member, then vusted many castles and “Outlander” shooting locations. One really fun thing KimKim planned for us was High Tea at a prestigious Country club. The seven and 10-year-old had never been to such a place. It was such fun to watch their eyes when the trays came out with the tea service. It was also fun for them to see the hairy cows out front. We Rented cars, went from Edinburgh to Inverness to Fort William, and then back to the Train to London.
It was nice to have Kim Kim set the bases for our trip and we could deviate from it as we saw fit. There was plenty of activities, free time and downtime so that everyone had a delightful time and no problems. The places where we stayed and we comfortable for all of us. Our trip wasn’t easy to plan. Our age range,of family, went from 7years old to 80 years old, and for a group of 5 and 6 people.
Thank you Kim Kim.

Hotel Reviews

Black Sheep Hotels Cabins

Spean Bridge

Very comfortable. Very nice place right on the Loch Lochsley. High marks. Good food.

Authenticity & Character

Upscale.

Location

Right on the Loch. Kids could skip rocks on the Loch. Kim Kim hired a private boat tour for the young folks.

Staff

They were unfazed by having young children to dinner.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very nice.

Notting Hill Residences

We enjoyed the location. Apt #3 There was one bathroom for 5 people. The shower was a tub /shower. A dangerous tub shower with a deep step down to get out if the tub. I would not recommend for someone my age 80. Chances of falling were great. I’m pretty agile and could manage. But many other seniors Or handicapped people would not be able to do it without falling. There were ants and the ceiling leaked onto the pull out bed in the living room/kitchen. Other wise beds were comfortable and rooms were small but adequate . Apt#1 same lay out as #3, but walk in shower. MUCH BETTET! we now had 6 people to one bathroom, but only for two nights. No other issues.

Authenticity & Character

The location,

Location

Not far from tube stop, many restaurant choices nearby, laundromat next door, easy in and out , relatively quiet. Girls elementary school next door. 8 AM student arrival would wake up people, but we were up. They wear straw hats. Very cute.

Staff

Bathroom

Cleanliness & Comfort

You let yourself in with a code. You are on your own.

Cairn hotel & Appartment

Edinburgh

Two bathrooms. 6 people - much better showers. . Comfortable. Easy access, to trolley, walking distance to Royal Mile, good location, great towels,

Authenticity & Character

It was comfortable.

Location

Easy walking distance to main attractions and trolleys

Staff

No just the key.

Cleanliness & Comfort

All good

Bunchrew House Hotel

IV3 8TA

Nice. Each hotel room had a bath room. Great towels. Comfortable. Lounges, breakfast very good.

Authenticity & Character

Appearance and interior.

Location

On our route and iconic building

Staff

They were very pleasant and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very nice

Activity Reviews

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

Read my review from the beginning. This guy was great. Very good with the kids, many interesting stops and good advice for the rest of our trip.

Quality of Experience

We enjoyed it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was great.

Transport

Comfortable.

Tower of London Beefeater Welcome & Crown Jewels

London

The was less then I expected. The beefeater was fun. He had great stories. He did his job well but we didn’t do anything more than walk from location to location.. we were on a conveyor belt to look at the Crown jewels.

Quality of Experience

Great stories

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Funny and entertaining

Transport

There wasn’t any

Thames Cruise with Lunch

London

Food was quite good. It was well organized. The stories were fun and entertaining. It was a relaxing way to see a part of London and we didn’t get hit by any peanuts. People throw things ontothis boat. from the bridge. We didn’t believe it until they threw peanuts at us. The guide said it usually is a milkshake.

Quality of Experience

It was fun

Food

Surprisingly, much better than I thought it would be.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Entertaining and efficient

Transport

Comfortable

Rosslyn Chapel & Glenkinchie Distillery Private Tour

Edinburgh

This was interesting. It gave us a look into a slice of Scottish life that otherwise we wouldn’t of known plus the ride out to the chapel was quite interesting. The scenery and our driver for the TAxi was great and stories.

Quality of Experience

It’s a delightful old Chapel with a history.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our cab driver was great

Transport

The cab picked us up and the driver was fabulous

Explore Harry Potter's London Tour

London

Our guide was very knowledgeable. She took us to a number of different sites. She had clips of the videos for us to see she was very thorough. I give her high marks.

Quality of Experience

The guide was delightful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again, the guide was delightful

Transport

It was a walking tour

Seal Spotting Loch Linnhe Cruise

England

This was fun for the kids they could run up and down the stairs on the ship. They could see the different places and we did get very very close to some seals.

Quality of Experience

It was a good idea for a seven and 10-year-old to be entertained

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The captain of the boat, let the kids steer on the way back.

Transport

Boat was fine

My husband and I had a great time touring Scotland on our own via car. Justine worked with us to customize our trip and made all arrangements including the rental car and transfer via train to Manchester, England on our final day.
In the Trossachs National Park we stayed at Cameron House on Loch Lomond. We explored the nearby conservation village of Luss and despite the rain, enjoyed a beautiful view of the lake while dining at Colquhoun's.
The village of Glencoe and Eilean Donan Castle were interesting stops enroute to the Isle of Skye. We loved our two-night stay at Ullinish House with views of Loch Bracadale and the Cuillin Mtns. Blue skies prevailed for our exploration of the Trotternish Loop which included a whiskey tasting and sunset on the black sand, Talisker Beach.
During our drive to the Cairngorms National Park/Fife Arms at Braemar, we stopped at the amazing Clava Cairns, a prehistoric burial site just outside of Inverness. Two highlights of our time in Braemar are a four-mile hike on the "Braemar Circular via Queen's Drive" and a leisurely afternoon stroll around the grounds of Balmoral Castle.
Our final destination in Scotland was Edinburgh. We started with a fantastic private walking tour of the city with our guide Robert; he was exceptional! In the evening we enjoyed the Johnnie Walker Tasting Experience followed with dinner in their 1820 Rooftop Bar with wonderful views of the city and Edinburgh Castle. After touring the historic castle the next morning , we departed Scotland on our Manchester bound train. Our Scottish Adventure was perfect!

Hotel Review

Ullinish House

Isle of Skye

Wonderful hosts! Helpful and accommodating. Our room was perfect and the breakfast was very tasty. A beautiful and relaxing rural experience with views of Loch Bracadale and the Cuillin Mountains.

Authenticity & Character

You feel like you are a guest in someone's home.

Location

It is located off the beaten path and has beautiful views of the countryside, the lake, and the mountains.

Staff

Both hosts - wife and husband

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was clean and the bed was comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

Robert was an exceptional guide! He asked us a couple questions about our backgrounds and the customized the tour to include our interests... and still shared the traditional sites of the city with their interesting stories. In my opinion, Robert should be your go-to Edinburgh guide.

Johnnie Walker Tasting Experience - Whisky Explorers

Edinburgh

Interesting and Entertaining!

Ada was very accommodating and helped us plan a very personalized trip. We are very pleased with the results of her planning efforts, suggestions, and local guide selections and had an amazing time while exploring Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Thank you, Ada!!

Kim Kim was fantastic. Very helpful with some minor and not so minor traveling hiccups. VERY responsive. I would highly recommend.

Hotel Reviews

Albergo Firenze

Como

Location

Located right in the center of town. Easy to access and navigate...plus they had an ice machine!

Alfieri9 Boutique Hotel Florence

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Was a bit off the beaten path

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Starace

Sorrento

Quaint B&B right in the heart of downtown sorrento

Authenticity & Character

The staff were fantastic

Location

Fantastic

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daily room service was great

Relais Le Clarisse Rome

Rome

Quaint hotel centrally located. Nice green space to enjoy morning coffee out doors

Authenticity & Character

⁹

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Como Food & Wine Tour

Lake Como

The guide Michela (sp?) was exceptional. A lovely experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Lake Como Boat Tour on a Venetian Limousine

Lake Como

Guide was fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cinque Terre Day Trip from Florence

Florence

LONG drive.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch was so so

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff were great.

Transport

Punctual

Chianti Wine & Olive Oil Tour from Florence

Florence

Guide was fantastic. The rather intimate small group we had made it more fun

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch at the tuscany villa was awesome

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very punctual

Transport

Morning Florence Highlights Walking Tour

Florence

Very good tour. Helped to see more of Florence and ubderstand its history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pasta and Gelato Making Class in Florence

Florence

Absolutely loved this class. Super fun. Great chef/teacher

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Sorrento

Fantastic day trip around amalfi coast

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very personable

Transport

Capri Island & Grottos Boat Tour from Sorrento

Sorrento

I'm glad I went there but probably wouldn't ho back

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local transfer in Rome

Rome

Very punctual

We're a group of 6 who are very knowledgeable about wines. Bastien (our local specialist) and our 2 guides (Nicholas - Chablis; Christophe - Champagne) were all incredibly helpful in the trip planning and our tasting locations during the 4-5 months before the trip. They were very gracious about the many ideas and requests we had, and educated us that tastings schedules often are booked only a week (or less) at the smaller wineries/champagne houses. We also used transportation services through Kimkim from Paris to Chablis and Champagne. The drivers were always on time and kept us aware of their timing. A big shout out in particular for our guide Nicholas in Chablis. He had a wealth of knowledge not just about the wineries but also the history of Chablis. He was a great storyteller.

Rita was highly organized, responsive, and service-oriented. Recent volcanic activity and weather conditions required minor adjustments to our plans. Rita was always on the ball when tweaks needed to be made. Would definitively work with kimkim and Rita again.

The food tour in Galway was fantastic as well as our guide!

The hotel and excursion selections were great, and we liked the timing and location of the stays, but two comments:

The experience at the Armani’s Country Hotel outside of Hofn was horrible. When we checked in the manager warned of sand flies and advised us that the windows had no screens. It was a warm day, so the room was exteremely warm, so that was a problem. Worse was the fact that despite only opening and closing the door once and keeping the window closed, it became evident that there were hundreds maybe thousands of tiny biting insects in the room already. Couldn’t do anything but hide under the heavy duvet- which was problematic since the room was so warm. By the time we left, we literally had hundreds (not an exaggeration!) of bites and dozens of bloody spots and dead flies on the bedsheet. Recommend you NOT send people to this hotel during sand fly season! I still have hundreds of swollen bites a week after and had to use medicine to control itching - really ruined a few days of the stay!

Also the Google map provided in the map didn’t include some of the listed itinerary stops on some days, causing us to miss some. I had to resort to creating my own map based on the written plan each night before.

Other than those two issues, we enjoyed the trip and the arrangements made. Also since one of our party got COVID early, she had to revise her trip. I am told that the Iceland offbeat office was very helpful to her in making the changes in her plan, so thanks for that.

Angela was absolutely amazing throughout the entire process. From the planning process all the way to the final pickup. She was always available within minutes. She adjusted our travel plan to meet our wants and needs. It was perfect!

Once our actual trip time came, Angela was readily available for any schedule changes to ensure the process was smooth.

We began our journey in Athens, it was HOT! Make sure to drink lots of water. We were able to explore the city on our own a bit. We loved the boutique hotel Classic by Athens Prime and the location was convenient. We did a tour our second day to the acropolis. This was very informative but very hot. Make sure to take lots of water, sunscreen and wear comfortable shoes.

The following morning we took a ferry to Paros. I think this was our favorite part of the trip. We were greeted at the Paros Bay Hotel by 3 dogs. The scenery of the beach and amazing pool. We went to the old town of Naousa that night. We had dinner by the water at Barbarossa, then walked through the cobblestone streets. It was not crowded. Absolutely beautiful. The following day we had a boat tour scheduled to the surrounding island of Antiparos. Angela contacted us and said that due to low participation we had the option to upgrade to a sailing tour. We agreed. The next morning we boarding Parian and we were the only 2 on board. An entire day to ourselves on Parian. We were treated like royalty and the scenery was like nothing I have ever scene before. Highly recommend.

The final leg of our journey, we took a ferry over to Santorini. The day was a bit breezy so the ride was rough and the ferry was stuffy. We stayed at the Above Blue Suites in Imerovigli. The room was amazing with a hot tub on the balcony and caldera view. This village is situated between Thira and Oia, so it wasn’t as busy but convenient to both. We had dinner at Oia Gefsis. Food and staff were amazing and the sunset views were wonderful, despite a bit of hazy weather. The following day we had free time in the morning. We had breakfast on our balcony, the lunch at Avacado in Imerovigli, which we highly recommend. Great food and friendly staff. Then we took the sunset cruise. It was the perfect way to end our trip! Breathtaking! The only improvement I could make for the sunset cruise , was the transportation dropped us off about 2 blocks from our hotel at 10pm at night. That made me a bit uncomfortable.

Overall, our trip was amazing! I cannot wait to plan our next one!

Hotel Reviews

Classic Hotel by Athens Prime Hotels

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paros Bay Hotel

Paros, Cyclades

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Above Blue Suites Santorini

Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reservation at Oia Gefsis (no meal included - only a reserved table)

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

HS Catamaran Sunset Cruise MD

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Return driver dropped is off about 2 blocks from our hotel at 10 pm. We were lost.

The guides we had were all exceptional and very knowlegable and fun to be with. They made our trip very special. The hotels were beautiful and spacious with the exception of the hotel Vintage Pestana which was a bit dated. Although the location was good. We especially loved the Palacio Ludivice in Lisbon, The Octant in Duoro and the Sensi in Azores. I would hightly recommend these hotels and would stay there again. I would take extra time to also stay more in the eastern part of the Duoro in addition to staying at the Octant to be closer to the wineries. Raquel put together an amazing trip.

Hotel Reviews

Palácio Ludovice Wine Experience Hotel

Lisboa

beautiful hotel. exemplary staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Quinta das Lágrimas

Coimbra

beautiful. a few of rooms were musty so had to move to differnt rooms. upgraded to big suite Would never stay in the new addition. extremely ugly

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

two rooms they offered were musty/moldy

Octant Douro

Douro

Fabulous, want to go back

Authenticity & Character

Location

although not close to many wineries

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pestana Vintage Porto Hotel & World Heritage Site

Porto

a bit dated and small rooms and bathrooms

Authenticity & Character

update the rooms

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

updated rooms

Sensi Azores Nature and SPA

Ponta Delgada

Will someday go back. loved everything about the hotel. Ate dinner there 3 times. superb

Authenticity & Character

Location

a bit far from Ponta Delgada

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Architectural & Historical Highlights of Lisbon

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

loved sintra and our guide was exceptional. Had lunch at his family restaurant and met his wife. Best guide on the trip

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner With Locals at a Local Home

Lisbon

One of highlights of trip. Loved spending toime with a local family. they were lovely. Best food in Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

hard to find. took a taxi

Guided Visit of Historic Coimbra

Portugal

very interesting. beuatiful buildings

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wine Experience in the Douro Valley & River Cruise

Douro Valley

amazing guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

good guide

Vintage Car Tour of Porto

Porto

it was good but short in the car

Quality of Experience

more sights to see

Guides, Drivers and Staff

enthusiastic

Transport

could have been longer in car to see more sights

Valentine curated the most amazing experience! Best of all, she and the KimKim team were available throughout the trip to address any issues we had. I will definitely be booking another KimKim experience!

Activity Review

Treasure Hunt at the Louvre

Paris

Alexandra was awesome. She was the perfect tour guide for our family and so wonderful with the kids. The amount of info was perfect to keep their attention and the game she created kept them engaged.

The whole team at Kimkim was amazing. Krista, Fenne and Olivia worked with us at the planning stage, and David and Rufo helped us out while in Norway. All interactions with all of the members were very helpful. All the planned activities were excellent, and so were the private guides. The car transfers between airport and hotels were on time and very good. We had a plane cancelation during the last leg of our trip, but we got immediate help and reassurance on what to do and expect from the Norway airlines.
We will use Kimkim again for our future trips.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Oslo City

Oslo

Friendly staff, great location for taking earlier trains, a little noisy Great breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to the train station

Staff

Very helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Friendly service, great rooms, great views, great location Both buffet and a la carte dinner available

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heimly Pensjonat

Flåm

Good and friendly service. Good breakfast and dinner

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fabulous view. A bit away from the main street which was good for us

Staff

Friendly staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Neptun

Bergen

We had a renovated room which made it good, but not a good view. The hotel was a bit too big for our liking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Brosundet

Ålesund

A very nice boutique hotel! Great breakfast! Excellent a la carte restaurant within the hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Svolvær

Svolvær

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Oslo Airport

Gardermoen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Oslo private tour

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise

Oslo

A must for any visitor to Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cidertasting & Lunch/Snack

Balestrand

Really enjoyed this activity - Great hosts

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Bergen with a local

Bergen

Despite the rain and cold, we had a great experience. Synnøve, the guide was so friendly and knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Synnøve was great!

Fløibanen

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very modern funicular

Fjordcruise Ålesund - Geiranger (Return)

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cruise in Trollfjorden

Svolvær

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our Athens guides were both excellent. They were easy to understand, were very knowledgeable and very friendly. We enjoyed all of our tours on the mainland. The hotel was centrally located and the staff were genuinely happy to have us staying. They were helpful with any needs we had. The hotel room was large enough for us to sleep, but there wasn't any space for us to congregate. Luckily, the rooftop was available and easily accessible for us to congregate. My only complaint was we were not allowed to use the AC, It was necessary for us to keep the windows open to keep air circulating. This made nights a little noisy and caused us some sleep issues.

Our Santorini guides were not as good as the guides we had on the rest of our trip. Some of that was due to the tours that we took and also the mix up with the cooking excursion. They were friendly and easy to understand. We did enjoy the hiking guide. The hotel in Santorini was by far our favorite of the trip. It was very spacious, well located, and the staff was again very cordial. Outside of the hike, cooking class, and the scheduled restaurants, I would probably have just left our time free. We were not impressed with Lost Atlantis.

The guides in Crete were excellent. They were very friendly, very knowledgeable, and were able to make changes to our itinerary on the fly, which was much appreciated. The tour we had scheduled on the first day was spectacular. The second day we switched up the schedule and got the opportunity to go to the beach, our only opportunity to do this. We were happy that the guides made the suggestion to make the change. The hotel in Crete was too cramped for five people. One bedroom, one bathroom and three people sleeping in the living area was less than ideal. I would suggest not using this hotel for more than three people. Also, we all wondered why we stayed in Rethymno rather than in Heraklion. We spent a lot of time on the highway between these two towns.

Overall, we were very happy with our trip, We have been asked what our favorite part of the trip was, but we have a very difficult time answering the question. The three areas we visited were all so different and we felt like we were visiting three different countries.

I would recommend your services to others. I think that we got a good taste of Greece and the knowledge that Angela had of the country and how to match our desired experiences with good options. Our trip was almost two weeks long and we had only one hiccup, which was impressive.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Argolis with licensed Guide (Epidaurus – Mycenae – Nafplion)

Athens

This was probably the sight we knew the least about before our tour. It was very interesting,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It was nice to have the same guide and driver. We got to know each other better.

Transport

Reservation at Oia Gefsis (no meal included - only a reserved table)

Greece

Beautiful sunset and very nice meal.

Quality of Experience

Cooking, Hiking, Snorkeling in Santorini! 2023

Santorini

We enjoyed the hiking and cooking class, but there was a snafu in timing. The hiking took place in the morning and we were taken back to hotel. We were contacted about the cooking class about five hours later. We were told they were on their way to pick us up. This was the same night we had reservations Oia Gefsis and the cooking class would have interfered with our reservation. We were able to schedule this excursion the next day prior to our ferry ride to Crete. Unfortunately, we were unable to go snorkeling.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very nice guide, but the tour really didn't provide us a whole lot of information.

Transport

Sunset Cheers & Dine 2024

Greece

My family made a decision to be more adventurous with our food choices while on vacation. We tried a number of different foods that we would not normally eat at home. We are not a family that eats much from the water, because we live so far from water. We were surprised that we ended up eating at a sushi restaurant. We ate almost all of the meal. We probably won't make sushi a regular option now, but I can say that this will be one of our memories from our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

We just aren't big fans of seafood.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Knossos Palace & Authentic Crete with Local Experiences from East P9

Greece

This was our best guide. She was basically a teacher providing us with a lesson about the site. We learned more about Knossos Palace than any other site we visited. We ended up eating at a very nice restaurant and spent two hours eating and drinking. I felt bad for the guide and driver who had to wait on us.

Quality of Experience

Learning experience and a wonderful meal.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis, Museum & Mythology Tour

Greece

Very impressive historical sight. Guide did a wonderful job of teaching us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Delphi & Arachova full-day tour from Athens

Greece

Very impressed with our guide. He knew the site history and also the area, which allowed us to eat at a very nice restaurant.

Quality of Experience

Guide was very friendly.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On time and took us to the "front door".

Majid was an excellent travel agent who listened to all our requests and made them all happen, in addition to a surprise anniversary party with special monogrammed cakes and delicious wine . He went above and beyond to make sure our trip was wonderful. When we wrote to him he answered in record time, even though it was in the middle of the night sometimes. Our accommodations were excellent and the tour fabulous. We were very lucky to have this knowledgeable, warm friendly man as our travel agent.

Hotel Reviews

Dar Laman

Chefchaouen

We loved the view from our bedroom overlooking the city. The host was helpful and very friendly. The room was comfortable and clean. Breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Delightful rooms

Location

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was comfortable

Le Village du Toubkal

Imlil

This was an oasis high in the mountains and we loved it! Our room had the largest bathtub in it that I’ve ever seen! And after hiking in the Atlas Mountains, we totally enjoyed our soak! The view from our bedroom overlooking the mountains was magnificent. The food the cook made for our dinners was some of the best food we ate in Morocco. We throughly enjoyed our stay there!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Yacout

meknes

Beautiful tile and lovely room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Touda

Marrakech

Very nice and comfortable with caring helpful staff. I got very sick with traveling stomach bug and they brought me tea and herbs to help with my recovery. They went over and beyond making sure I was well cared for. It was quite and tucked away in a nice spot.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful Riad

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Mimouna

Essaouira

This gem of a hotel was right on the water with a beautiful view of the ocean and the waves bouncing off the rocks. It was beautiful and the view from our bedroom breathtaking! Staff was nice and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful view of the ocean

Location

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Farouzi Fes

Fes

This Riad was beautiful and very comfortable. The service was excellent. We felt very safe and taken care of by the host. The breakfast was great and when we wanted extra coffee in our room they provided it. Every request was immediately taken care of. The location was right near the Medina and a delicious restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful tile work and a great view of the city from the rooftop

Location

Staff

Extremely warm and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pottery & Mosaïc workshop

Morocco

Very interesting seeing how the beautiful pottery was made

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Arrive in Fes

Morocco

We got picked up by Majid and our driver. It was great to have Majid because our driver spoke French but almost no English

Quality of Experience

Majid greeted us

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was excellent

Transport

He was an excellent driver

Guided Tour of Fes' Jewish Quarter and Medina

Fes

We loved being led through the Medina smelling all the local food and seeing the city in action. It was a fascinating tour. Our guide stopped and bought food for us to taste in several places. He was well informed and very friendly and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dinner with a local Family in Fes

Fes

Spending the afternoon and evening with this delightful family was one of the highlights of our trip! I can’t say enough good things about our time together. We left there feeling like we were leaving our friends! The shopping experience, cooking, eating and later our henna party all were so much fun! The food was fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chefchaouen Walk and Sunset

Chefchaouen

We loved this delightful city with its beautiful blue buildings and all the stairs!

Quality of Experience

Jewish stars above some of the doors were awesome

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent guide. Very knowledgeable

Family Hike to Akchour Waterfall Lunch by the river

Chefchaouen

We didn’t go on the hike to the waterfall.. instead they said we were going to a bridge. The path was very difficult going across slippery rocks and slipping into the stream. My husband turned around but instead of having him stay at a place near the water, the guide ushered him all the way back to a restaurant where they failed to give him lunch. 3 of us chose to wait by a restaurant for the 4 who went all the way. I was stressed because I knew my husband had gone back and was alone. The communication on this outing was not good and it was very stressful.

Quality of Experience

Better communication and making sure that my husband was taken care of when he returned

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Better communication

Transport

Excellent driver

Private tranfer from Fes To Chefchaouen

Morocco

Driver is very good

Guided Tour of Volubilis

Morocco

Very interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided tour of Meknes

Meknes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I liked the activities the days were well spent it hi j for the price I could t have gotten more as it was 8500 per person for 11 days

Excellent trip to Japan and China. Carol made it very easy to complete schedule according to our like and adjusted itinerary favorable to us. Tour guides in Japan and China were very good communicators, knowledgeable of the sites visited, and again adjusted itinerary to complete an amazing trip.

Hanna was so nice to work with and really responsive to us through the planning of our trip to Iceland and through a surprise June snow storm in the middle of our trip. She included sights and hikes geared to our liking. She even provided an optional itinerary just in case we had extra time or wanted to pivot. When the snow storm hit, she handled the change in hotel bookings and kept on top of the weather forecast and road conditions. She was proactive in getting us refunds from a hotel and an activity we were not able get to. What more can one ask for in a travel agent?

Activity Reviews

Katla Ice Cave Superjeep tour

Iceland

I really enjoyed the Katla Ice Cave tour. It was an incredible experience, but I want to mention that it's not for everyone. There was a 77-year-old woman in our group who fell and didn't feel comfortable continuing, so she had to wait for us at the bottom. It's a bit strenuous, so just be aware if you have older people in your group. That said, we had no issues and found it to be a fantastic adventure.

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon Zodiac boat tour

Iceland

Unfortunately, we couldn't do the Jokulsarlon glacier boat tour due to high winds. However, I would still recommend it to others because even walking along the water and seeing the ice was really cool. We had friends who also missed the boat ride because of the weather, but just being in that area was worth it.