Kimkim Trip Reviews for South Korea

We LOVED our trip! Jessica did a wonderful job of organizing our trip to include all of our interests we had shared with her. And Song, our guide who was with us through out the trip, went out of her way to accommodate needs we had. She was knowledgeable and fun, and by the time we were done we thought of her as a friend not just our guide. We had never traveled this way before, using a travel company like this and were hesitant to do so. However, KimKim really came through. We not only will use KimKim again if we travel, but we have already recommended them to our friends, this took the stress our of travel while still giving us a personalized trip that focused on the things we were interested in! Thank you, Jessica and Song! And Aloha to both of you!!!

Hotel Reviews

LE SEOUL HOTEL

Seoul

Very comfortable, and a great location. The breakfast was certainly adequate but not exciting!

Sea Cruise Hotel

Sokcho

Wonderful view and great location, and the view was incredible. The breakfast was amazing! The only drawback to this hotel is that there are. It enough elevators to get people up and down quickly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gyeongju Shilla Boutique Hotel Premium

This hotel was comfortable and certainly adequate, but we had to go outside to get to breakfast, which was ok but nothing special. And the staff at the hotel did not seem as friendly as elsewhere; this may have been a language issue in part.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Seoul Highlights

Seoul

We didn’t expect to be so delighted with dressing up in Hanbok clothes, but that was really fun, and the markets were incredible

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Garden of Morning Calm, Nami Island, and Gangchon Rail Park Tour

South Korea

The Garden of Morning Calm might be my favorite experience of the trip! It poured on NAMI Island but we had fun anyway,and the Rail Park Tour was an unexpected delight!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Song made every experience a great adventure!

Transport

Hiking in Seoraksan National Park - Gwongeumseong Fortress Course

Sokcho

We love hiking and it is beautiful! The changing of the leaves was wonderful! And, as always, Song made sure we had a delicious meal,

Full Day Gyeongju Tour with Bulguksa Temple and National Museum

South Korea

Private Transfer to Gyeongju with Andong Hahoe Village and Traditional Market Tour

South Korea

We don’t actually get to the market because the travel time was so long, I also wish we could have wandered around a bit more in Andong. Still it was a great day!

Christine was very helpful in helping us create an itinerary that accommodated our needs. She took all our ideas into consideration and helped us plan the perfect trip!

Hotel Reviews

ENA Suite Hotel Namdaemun

Seoul

This hotel was great. The staff was very kind and helpful and the room was perfect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shilla Stay Busan Haeundae

This hotel was beautiful! The room was a little small, but overall a great experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Seoul Highlights

Seoul

This was such a fun day! Seeing the palace was especially wonderful. We loved learning about the culture of Seoul from our amazing tour guide, Jung.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jung was amazing. She was so knowledgeable and catered to our needs, which at times was hard because we traveled with our 3 month old. Jung was so accommodating and kind! Our driver was also very kind and transported us safely.

Transport

Discovery of Gangnam: K-Star Road, Garosu-gil, and COEX Mall

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Busan Highlights: Culture, Nature, Local Life & Cafe

Busan

We loved our time in Busan! We had an amazing tour guide, Sunni, who helped us see so many incredible things in the short time we had there. She was so knowledgeable and very accommodating to our needs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Family Felxible Day in Seoul with Seoul Forest

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Relaxing & Flexible Time with Seoul Korea Temple (with 8-hour Private Car & Driver Service)

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My daughter's Sweet 16 trip was amazing thanks to KimKim.

First off, I did not expect all that received. Our driver picking us up in a luxury van and made us feel like queens. He was helpful, kind, and polite. A great first impression.

I was pleasantly surprised when our tour guide, Christina arrived and purchased a cake for my daughter as a gift from KimKim. That was such a beautiful surprise and we were so appreciative.

I have so much to say about our tour guide, but I will try to keep it brief. Christine and her husband, Young were truly the best. Christine not only showed us around, and planned a perfect tour, but also educated us so well. We were not sure we wanted to the Hanbok dress up, but Christine suggested we both do it, and we were so happy she did. Not only did she guide us around the area, but the amount of details she knew about Korean and other Asian history was beyond impressive.

I try to make sure my daughter learns during her experiences, but we both learned so much from Christine in that two days. Not just about history, but about trends, cultural norms, and we even discussed places we all attended in the U.S.

Christine and Young made sure we were able to do everything we wanted, and more. She gave us appropriate time alone, as well. It was perfectly balanced.

Honestly, I was disappointed with the kpop dance experience. I don't see that as a fault on KimKim. I see it as a fault on the dance company. They had reached out to me months before my trip and asked which song we wanted to dance to, I told them one of my daughter's favorite k-pop songs. They never responded. Then when we arrived, they somehow had no clue we were coming. They started late, and of course ended on time. Luckily, Christine and Young did handle the situation and kept reassuring us throughout this terrible experience. And while the instructor was very sweet, I was so upset that it was clearly just thrown together. And of all the amazing kpop songs and groups, they chose a song/group my daughter dislikes instead of the song I requested. This was the one disappointment, but it was a big one as my daughter knows so many kpop dances so this was to be a highlight of her trip, but it was a major failure.

But back to KimKim. This was such a seamless experience outside of the dance studio making it less than stellar. My daughter now wants to study abroad in Seoul thanks to the amazing experience this agency put together. I must also give special thanks to the others who provided assistance including the driver that took us to the airport. And last, but not least, Jessica, my local specialist. Jessica communicated so well. She was so flexible during this entire process. And everyone I have communicated with at KimKim provided customer service very timely. Thank you so much!

Hotel Review

voco Seoul Myeongdong By IHG

Seoul

The hotel was so clean and the staff was so nice. They greeted us whenever we walked by. They were so helpful. At checkin, they gave us each boxes of treats to celebrate my daughter's birthday. As someone that only speaks English, I had no problem communicating with the staff. They were so helpful whenever I needed them. The included breakfast was great. There were so many options for us. The wifi was a good speed. I had no issues connecting. Since I am a status member of the hotel, they did allow me late checkout which was perfect timing to keep my room later before heading back to the airport. I am beyond happy with my stay.

Authenticity & Character

It almost felt like a home away from home.

Location

Right near transportation

Staff

Everyone was so nice and communicated well.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bedding was very comfortable and the room was clean.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Gyeongbokgung Hanbok Dressing & Namsan Tower

Seoul

My daughter and I felt like princesses! The dress rental was so easy. And we learned so much.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seoul Modern Culture Day: Han River Cruise & K-Pop Experience

Seoul

We got lots of pictures! My daughter so much of her kpop idols and was able to get merch which was at the top of her list. The cruise was so peaceful and beautiful that it made my daughter want to study abroad.

Quality of Experience

It was a calm day, yet full of things to see.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides, Christine and Young, are amazing.

Transport

Our guides had transportation. One stayed in the car for fast and easy pick up and drop off. It was so convenient and saved a lot of time.

K-Pop Dance Class & Short Video Shooting

Seoul

I was very disappointed. They clearly had not planned for us to show up despite having contacted me and asking which song my daughter wanted to dance to. When I told them, they never responded. And were obviously unprepared. They finally got everything situated thanks to my tour guide. But we started late and ended on time. So we lost time we paid for. And the dance almost thrown together at the last second. Long story short, we danced to a song/group my daughter dislikes when this was supposed to the best part of her trip. She loves plenty of kpop artists, but we had to dance to something we weren't feeling at all. While the choreographer was sweet and the camera experience was cool, I was highly upset at this experience. We were not feeling this music, or this experience as a whole.

Quality of Experience

Follow up to find out if the customer is showing up.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The choreographer was nice. But the experience would be better if the staff was prepared for us to show up.

Transport

Christine and Young did great getting us in and out of there. They even came in to translate and get the matter of the studio not expecting us handled. They also came in and cheered us on at the end.

Christine did an excellent job coordinating and organizing our trip. We had a handful of issues related to weather that she helped to mitigate by providing updated itineraries, additional suggestions, and getting us in touch with guides with minimal notice. She's a highly skilled professional

Hotel Reviews

Imperial Palace Boutique Hotel Itaewon

Great place, very modern amenities and centrally located. The only issue is the bathroom was strangely designed and was essentially a wall-to-wall glass cube!

Authenticity & Character

Centrally located; easy to access

Location

About 7-10min walk to the subway

Staff

The staff was very kind and spoke good English, especially the breakfast crew!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The size of the room was perfect for two travelers

Benikea Hotel Seosan

Seosan

Great place, very modern amenities and centrally located. The only issue is the bathroom was strangely designed and had a large window in it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff went out of their way to ensure my wife and I had extra pillows, which was great for our rest!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Mt. Hallasan, Tea Plantation and Spirited Garden Tour

Jeju Island

We only did a portion of this tour because the weather was so bad. Our guide did a great job repositioning what we did during the day, but I don't feel comfortable providing a full scale rating of the experience simply because we didn't see much of the island.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Excursion to Korean DMZ + Suspension Bridge Tour

Seoul

Our guide did an excellent job coordinating with other tour groups to get us into the DMZ, and we enjoyed exploring this borderland between North and South Korea with his guidance. The suspension bridge tour was less compelling to us, but that's okay.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Go on a Hiking Tour of Bukhansan and Ancient Seunggasa Temple

Seoul

This was an incredible hike and tour of the temple and was probably the highlight of the trip for me. It is a large scale temple complex with a Buddha at the very top and a lovely little temple cat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing in Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village & N Seoul Tower

Seoul

Largely this ended up being a photography tour for me and my group and the girls dressed up in hanboks for when we were on the palace grounds. It was gorgeous and a lot of fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had 3 guides:
1) Sophia Kim: An absolutely incredible guide. Helpful, knowledgeable, supportive, funny. Her only weak spot was a lack of knowledge of wildlife, which was the entire focus for this portion of the trip. She did the absolute best she could, calling experts, checking the internet for good spots, so she made the best of it. But do try and pick a wildlife expert next time a client requests a wildlife tour.

2) Danny Kim: He put up with the chaos of our group very well. He was patient, and thoughtful and helpful and accommodating. When people didn't want to do a particular event, he made sure we were safe and entertained while the rest of the group went off with him. Other than 4 of us catching the flu, we had a very fun time with Danny.

3) Mickey Park: We only had 1 day with him, and with the typhoon weather we had to drastically change the itinerary, but he handled it like a pro, and made sure we did cool indoor stuff the whole day, even as several of us were succumbing to the flu exhaustion.

Favorite parts:
* Walking amongst the farm fields with Sophia Kim spotting spoon bills and geese and storks and praying mantises.
* Solo walking through Seoul Forest Park and spotting all the birds and bugs
* Being introduced to Tteokbokki by Sophia Kim and wanting to eat it every day now
* Experiencing the underground market on Jeju and eating black pork.
* Having the best burger of my life at Welcome Burger on Jeju Island.

Least Favorite Parts:
* Not focusing on wildlife at the DMZ the first day.
* Discovering that the giant park west of the hotel was entirely walled off by the US government.
* Being told that the hike for Ancient Seunggasa Temple was "Easy". NOTHING about that was easy. That is an advanced, all uphill hike. OMG exhausting!
* Getting rained out of all the outdoor activities on Jeju

All in all it was a fantastic experience and I am very thankful to Christine for organizing it all and making run as smoothly as she could.

Next time, I need to return to Jeju when it's sunny, and experience Busan as well!

Our driver guide in Seoul, Taylor was very good and our driver guide in Busan/Gyeonju was great

Hotel Reviews

SIGNIEL BUSAN

Busan

Top shelf

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

SIGNIEL SEOUL

Top shelf

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hwangnamgwan Hanok Guesthouse

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day with Gyeongju National Museum, Tumuli Park, Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond

Gyeongju

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Haedong Yonggungsa, Haewundae Beach and Traditional Market Tour

Busan

Danny our driver and guide was the highlight

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Seoul Highlights

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

a lot of traffic in Seoul......not something that could be improved

Personal Color Analysis experience in Seoul

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-Day Gyeongju Highlights: Bulguksa, Seokguram & Folk Craft Village

Gyeongju

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Korean DMZ Tour

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Gamcheon Culture Village, Songdo Skywalk and Jagalchi Market

Busan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Same as before: Danny , our guide and driver was great

Transport

Kim Kim did a great job introducing us to Korea. Organization was superb as were the experiences and customization to our requests. The local guides were superb! Highly recommend! did

We had a great experience in Korea! Our local guides, Sebastian, felt like a host! He was so kind and knowledgeable, both about Korea and about the logistics we needed to get where we were going with great views. The food was so fun, our cooking class with Hello K was amazing upstanding and street food was so fun we did it for dinner several nights! Jessica was helpful and easy to work with. We went to 2 countries on our trip and Jessica helped make sure we had what we needed when, to make things easy! The logistics all went very smooth which is a real benifit for big trips!

Hotel Reviews

L7 Myeongdong by LOTTE

A lot to love about location, getting there was a journey but once there you are in the heart of it all! Not 5 star because it’s a very busy hotel with only 3 elevators, it was quite common to have an elevator arrive already over full and having to wait for 2 or 3 rounds. There are not accessible stairs so there were times we needed to factor 10min into transit time just to get though the elevators!

Authenticity & Character

Fun place, nice beds! The roof top access was fun!

Location

Staff

Overall staff was helpful and kind. Needed help with laundry and one staff members was unkind and unhelpful. Not a language barrier just unhelpful and ultimately we went to 7-11 to get change as the machine was broken.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Not every room has carpet but we stayed in 2 that did and it was visibly gross and stained. Slippers were provided and used!

Cassia Sokcho

Sokcho

What a unique place! The views were so unique! The hotel was huge and expensive. Pool access was an extra charge, as were most of the unique features. The finishes to the hotel were interesting, there was a leak in our bath tub and one of the other rooms the tub didn’t fully drain and was wet upon check in, like it wasn’t level so water pooled on one side. Our stay was safe and we had a lot of fun, but there was a premium cost for anything beyond just the room and the resort style location was not ideal to explore beyond the property, even to eat.

Authenticity & Character

The views were unique, the food was good. It was a resort and felt like one!

Location

Not near anything, a pro and a con. Nice if you want the feeling of exclusivity and being on a reesort, con if you want to explore or see a new area.

Staff

Staff was helpful, we needed to have the early breakfast even though it was already full and they worked to get us settled, even bringing the tickets to our room after check in.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Korean Full-Course Meal Cooking Class at Local Home with Local Market Experience

Seoul

This was son outstanding experience! The host was so kind, the tour through the market was fun, we got a few snacks to try! The cooking itself was an introduction in language and culture as we got to connect with authentic cooking with the idea that we could do this in our own homes later!

Quality of Experience

Outstanding! It was fun and accessible, even if you don’t normally cook

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Host was outstanding! Kind, fun and upbeat! Her passion was clear!

Transport

Transport was self arranged and harder to navigate than expected. We had planned an hour to get there, all predictions said 30min and we got there 3min late! No one’s fault and it was not ideal.

Visit the Picturesque Seoraksan National Park with Shinheungsa Temple

Sokcho

This was outstanding! Beautiful park, we loved the views and the cultural experience at the temple.

Quality of Experience

We. Pyle the used another 1/2 a day here! We only hit the highlights of the park with little extra time to explore.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastián knew when we needed to be where so we we had a great time!

Transport

All the logistics went very smoothly!

Explore Nature on the Way to Sokcho: Garden of Morning Calm, Nami Island, Gangchon Rail Park

South Korea

These should all be separate reviews! We had a great day! Garden of Morning Calm: This garden was a delight! We could have used more time here to explore and enjoy the garden! Lots of great spots to appreciate the garden with benches and lovely paths to walk down! Nami Island: What a fun and unique place! We didn’t know much before going, just there for the nature and it was so nice! We needed more time to explore. The ferry ride over was nice but for logistics we were only able to spend about 90min actually looking either. Lots of lovely nature spots, statues, art and of course little shops and restaurants. Rail park: this was our least favorite of the 3 activities. We had fun, lots of laughter and smiles. It was a little hokey and we would have preferred more time in our other spots but it was fun and I would recommend the experience! Overall a great day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korean Folk Village, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, Icheon Ceramic Experience Tour

South Korea

We had a great time and this day was not what we thought it would be. Fortress . The fortress was a nice piece of haired and gave context to Seoul. Glad to have seen it and enjoyed the tour but was more of an extension of the previous tour where we had gone to the palace. Village: The village was nice, it was during October so there were ghost decorations and lots of kids and families there enjoying the day. Lines were long and crowds were high. Our guide did a great job of finding less busy spots to share about the history and show unique things.I had not realized this was more of a historial theme park, part entertainment part history. Reminded me of a renaissance festival. Nice but not what I had in mind, probably should have done more research. Ceramics: this was great fun and it felt like we were a last minute addition. We enjoyed making our clay pieces and we’re disappointed to learn they were going to be broken down, you don’t get to take it home (or ship it home) so it was just the experience of creating, fun, worth doing and not what we had expected. We also did not learn much about pottery or ceramics or the significance of pottery to the region. Just made clay art! We had a great time, would recommend it and you don’t get to keep the piece you make and the experiment is all about making the piece.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastián was great! Took us to a great BBQ place! The pottery people were kind and accommodating! We had some laugh out loud lunate barrier moments that everyone managed with grace!

Transport

Explore Seoul Highlights

Seoul

This was a busy day! We saw so much and still feel like we only scratched the surface! We had been told we might not go up the tower but we did and I would highly recommend going up!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a very active trip. We saw a good deal of Korea from north to south and learned about Korean history beginning with the Silla dynasty to the Korean war which divided the peninsula.
Our guides were very knowledgable and especially liked our guide on Jeju Island, Eric.

A review our trip to S Korea: Thank you for flawless arrangements, transportation and interesting activities. The hotels were excellent with each having special advantages. The Hotel BOTANIK was close to markets and we loved the roof top garden. The La Valse had great views and was close to the downtown. Whistle Lark had a pool that was good for lap swimming, but too cool for lounging. The Nine Tree had the Insadong market right out the door. The hotels were so nice I am glad we did not opt for 5 star hotels. We enjoyed the K Cooking class and market tours in Seoul, Busan and Jeju. We missed the Gyeongbokgung Palace because it was closed on Tuesday. Climbing the Seongsan Ilchulbong crater in Jeju was great. The restaurant in Busan on the second floor of the fish market was over hyped. We enjoyed seeing the Gamcheon village in Busan and hearing its history. Great photos there. The Manjanggul lava tunnel was better than expected. But the DMZ third tunnel was arduous for Linda..
Our guides each presented unique Korean perspectives. Kory sincerely sought to impart a good impression to the visitor. Jade gave an honest and complete view of life as a young Korean. Sarah told us when we return next time we will be friends and not tourists - so sweet!

I just completed a private tour of South Korea organized by Christine of Kimkim. The trip fulfilled all my expectations and was an excellent introduction for a first visit to a country I've always wanted to visit. As usual with Kimkim the arrangements were first rate, from airport transfers, hotel pick ups, and private and group tours.

Seoul was a great beginning, and I had a private tour of the city highlights with Hera, who was informative, lively and flexible. She rearranged our schedule on the fly to accommodate both crowded venues as our tour fell on a major holiday, the Korean Thanksgiving, as well as rain in the afternoon. Hera knows the city well and easily found parking at Namsan Park and Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was my favorite place as I enjoy history. We also visited Bukchon Hanok Village and later Kwangiang Food Market where Hera described the various dishes available. She also recommended a resturant for lunch were I had an excellent local dish, Samgyetang, a ginger soup with a small whole chicken stuffed with rice.

The next day I visited the DMZ on an all group tour with Julie. It was fascinating. Julie was knowledge and she made the historical reality of a divided Korea relatable. We crept thru a tunnel leading from the DMC into South Korea, viewed North Korea across the DMZ, and meet a North Korean defector and heard her story.

From Seoul I took the train to the city of Gyeongju. A driver picked me up at my hotel and drove me to Seoul Station and walked me inside and ensured I knew which platform my train departed from.

At Gyeonjgu my driver/guide, Luke was waiting for me, and we spend the afternoon visiting various Silla Dynasty locations, from Tumuli Park with their curious royal tombs, to the Gyeongju National Museum with a first-rate collection of Silla artifacts and an excellent narrative of Silla history. We visited the beautiful Woljeonggyo Bride and the interesting Cheomseongdae Observatory. Luke provided detailed explanations with historical background on each place.

The next day Luke took me to Bulguksa Temple, and Seokguram Grotto. Both Buddhist sites dating back to the 8th Century CE. Both were located in beautiful settings and the buildings lovely. We drove to Busan that afternoon and on the way to my hotel Luke took me to a spa where I enjoyed a bathhouse experience that is part of Korean culture. We also took a walk around parts of the city.

Our guides were great. Nicole was really amazing and fun to be with on our tour of the Fortress in Suwon. We wanted to detour to Osan to take some pics of my old base but wasn’t able to do so but everything else went well. Billy our guide for our trip from Seoul to Gwangju, Daegu, Cheongju, and Pusan was extremely well versed in the history of the different dynasties and period of Korean history. He did everything to ensure we had a great time as we journeyed through the land of South Korea. Christine was always available to help and to fix anything that went wrong or keep us informed of any changes or updates to our itinerary. We love the Hotel arrangements and the food offerings at each location. Our tour in Daegu and Cheongju as well as Pusan were great. The people we met were so warm and attentive to our being able to have a wonderful experience in South Korea. We were able to visit the Language Institute in Seoul and Pusan and attended church on two Sabbaths and met some wonderful people of our faith. We enjoyed the spiritual fellowship with them and great food as well. Our trip to Jeju had a small hiccup with airport security but Christine came to the rescue and remedied the situation. Thanks for all your help Christine. You were great. We plan to visit again in 2030. Hope to stay in touch with Billy(Lee Kyung Jong), so we can see him again soon. Thanks to everyone involved in making our trip to South Korea so enjoyable and such a memorable success.

The planning phase was super - we were hoping to trust kimkim to interpret our requests and preferences into an itinerary that met our needs and would make our travel experience smooth and enjoyable. They delivered. Every day was thoughtfully planned with the right amount of activity and also room to improvise when we decided in the moment we wanted to do something different. We had support from private guides and scheduled activities so we didn't have to figure out many logistics, but also flexibility to explore or simply skip things based on our energy levels. The only challenge was overcoming the time difference and a bit of a language barrier negotiating some of the details.

The guides were all excellent in different ways, and I would recommend them all. They were funny, enthusiastic, and friendly and truly enhanced our experience in all of the places we visited. The Hello K cooking class and the Jinyeon traditional music performance were especially notable, but we found so much to enjoy every day. I also recommend the National Museum of Korea, the United Nations Peace Memorial, and the charming Hotel 28 Myeongdong where we stayed during our first leg in Seoul.

This is the first international family trip that we have done, and it was a stellar experience. We had a beautiful and memorable visit to Korea that we will remember for years to come.

Hotel Reviews

Maison Glad Jeju

Jeju

Felt luxe, and everything was quite nice, but lacked personality. Good location and an excellent breakfast.

Hotel 28 Myeongdong

Seoul

We LOVED this charming little hotel. It was a perfect place to spend our first nights halfway across the world.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We could walk to many restaurants, shops, and sites

Staff

Very kind, polite, and attentive, They spoke English extremely well.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great amenities and exceptionally well maintained

Shilla Stay Busan Haeundae

For a huge hotel they did a good job. Beach town vibes. Not fancy, and some of the choices in the rooms were odd, but pleasant enough, and well situated.

Activity Reviews

Explore Seoul Highlights

Seoul

Sebastian was amazing!

Go on a Hiking Tour of Bukhansan and Ancient Seunggasa Temple

Seoul

This is a challenging hike! We enjoyed it but it was VERY hot and we probably shouldn't have done it during the heat wave.

Korean Full-Course Meal Cooking Class at Local Home with Local Market Experience

Seoul

Perfectly lovely in every way

Jinyeon: Korean Traditional Music Performance with Modern vibes

Seoul

Unexpectedly moving. Loved learning about Korea from a musical lens.

Discover the Culture of Busan with Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

Busan

Jino was a delight. Such a kind and sweet young man. We loved seeing Busan with his perspective.

Family-Friendly Mt. Hallasan, Tea Plantation, and Arte Museum Tour

Jeju Island

Jimmie was fun and interesting - loved hearing about his mother's diving, and appreciated all of his recommendations. The Arte Museum was an unexpectedly awesome experience.

We had an amazing eight days in Korea, and much of the credit goes to Christine at KimKim. From the beginning, she listened to what we wanted and created a thoughtful schedule that was not only well designed, but actually honored throughout our trip. Every transfer was prompt, communication was excellent, and we always knew what to expect next.
That level of organization made the trip remarkably stress-free. We had only one hiccup during our eight days, and Christine resolved it immediately. Her attention to detail, responsiveness, and genuine care made us feel that we were in very good hands.
A real highlight was having Kory in Seoul and Lucy in Busan as both our drivers and guides. This was an enormous advantage. Navigating the traffic and parking in two major cities would have added a great deal of stress, and instead we could simply enjoy the experience.
Kory brought Seoul’s history to life with his storytelling and knowledge. Our day at the DMZ was especially moving and became a true core memory for us. He clearly loves his country and city, and that enthusiasm was contagious.
Lucy was a wonderful ambassador for Busan. Her love for her city was infectious, and her knowledge, storytelling, and joyful personality made every stop enjoyable. Her timing was also exceptional—we seemed to arrive everywhere just before the crowds.
We also enjoyed a phenomenal Korean cooking class, along with many other experiences that gave us a wonderful mix of history, culture, food, and everyday Korean life.
A note for other travelers: We are an active retired American couple in our 60s and 70s, and this itinerary was very manageable for us. That said, it does involve a fair amount of walking on uneven surfaces, getting in and out of cars and trains, and navigating some smaller hotel rooms compared with typical American accommodations. We knew this going in, so we packed light, wore good, durable walking shoes, and managed our expectations. With that preparation, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
What impressed us most about KimKim was that the trip worked exactly as planned. The schedule was honored, transfers were prompt, communication was excellent, and when something unexpected happened, it was handled immediately.
Christine, Kory, and Lucy each played an important role in making our eight days in Korea exceptional. We came home with wonderful memories and a much deeper appreciation for Korea. We would highly recommend KimKim to anyone looking for a well-planned, personalized, and worry-free experience.

Hannie did such a great job planning our tours in Korea and picked the best guides and drivers for our family. She was also always available whenever we had questions, both before and during our trip, which we really appreciated.

For our guided day in Busan, our guide was Ms. Son Eunjeong, and she was absolutely wonderful. She was so good with our kids and made the day fun and interesting for everyone. We explored the market, visited Gamcheon Culture Village, rode the beach train, and learned so much about the history of Busan. She knew all the best photo spots and took lots of family pictures for us throughout the day, which we really appreciated. She also recommended some great ice cream that the kids loved. At the market, she even helped my husband find a pair of shoes he was looking for.

Our driver in Busan was wonderful too. She was a very safe and careful driver, and we really appreciated that she had a car seat ready for our child. We felt very comfortable with her driving us around all day.

In Seoul, Hannie booked a food tour for us with Jay, who was also fantastic. He was flexible, great with the kids, and had so many good recommendations. Our kids still talk about the donuts he got for them and the dried strawberries we found at the market! He even arranged a stop at an art museum for our kids, which was such a thoughtful addition to the day.

We really appreciated how well Hannie matched us with guides and drivers who understood what works for a family traveling with kids. Everything felt personal and well planned, and knowing Hannie was always available if we needed anything made the trip that much easier. We had a great experience in both Busan and Seoul and would definitely recommend her.

Excellent service throughout the entire process. From the planning stages to the final day of the trip, the team was attentive and helpful. When I missed the pickup time for a scheduled tour, my advisor was quick to help me catch up with it. Every driver was polite and took the extra time to not only get me to my destination but also guide me through an unfamiliar country. I could not have hoped for better help.

Hotel Review

Lemong Hotel

Very helpful staff and I placed perfectly in Seoul. You are only ever a few minutes walk from any convenience you could need, and a great market Street only a few blocks to the north.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to anything you might need.

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Gyeongju UNESCO Highlights Tour with Local Ryan

Gyeongju

Very helpful guide with an intimate knowledge of gyeongju and its history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Gyeongju National Museum and Tumuli Park Tour with Night View

Gyeongju

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seoul Highlights: Gyeongbok Palace, Insadong & N Seoul Tower

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jun was our guide for four days in Seoul. He was lovely, very friendly and knowledgeable. He humored all of our requests, including driving us to an obscure part of Seoul with very NARROW streets to see where our mom used to live (in the 50’s).! I would say he became a friend during our time with him. Jiyoung
was our guide in Jeju and drove us all over, showing us the things that only a resident of Jeju could know. The trip was well planned and the hotels were spectacular! The Parnas on Jeju had an outstanding pool with a view of the ocean and the Lotte and Conrad in Seoul had extensive and excellent breakfast buffets. Overall a most memorable trip that I will remember forever.

I planned & booked an international trip with Jessica, She made planning & booking of my trip to Seoul stress - less. What I like most about the planning process was that she listened to what I was looking for and what was important to me and just did exactly that. She guided me in the planning without pressure of doing what "most people do".... From day 1, she was interested in my goals of the trip which was - not bouncing from one place to the next and not going one day after another without any rest. Days were flexible where if I wanted a free day, I could have a free day. Her responses were prompt and if they weren't she assured when she would respond.

My two 20ish daughters and I loved our Kim Kim tour of South Korea. I had waited until the last minute to book our tour, and Jessica communicated back and forth with me in a timely manner to decide on the appropriate amount of activities in Seoul, Busan and Jeju. I needed help choosing hotels, and Jessica booked great ones for us! She also chose knowledgeable private tour guides who made our trip fabulous. We really enjoyed her help booking an intimate traditional music concert for us music lovers! We felt especially well taken care of because Jessica booked great transfers, internal flights, and tour guides for us. Thanks Kim Kim.

My two daughters and I loved our three days in Seoul with our Tour Guide Sebastian. Sebastian expertly guided us to the sites we had requested and advised us on the best views. He even took a bunch of photos for us so we have great family pics. Sebastian also gave us great restaurant suggestions. One day, we had outdoor plans, and we were discouraged because it was raining heavily. Sebastian suggested fabulous alternative options so we could make the best of our schedule. One of his ideas was a bird sanctuary. He’d been paying attention and knew we loved birds! He saved the day! Sebastian was fabulous!

Danny was a fabulous tour guide for my daughters and me in Gyeongyu and Busan, South Korea. Danny noticed our interest in some particular historical sites and guided us through a local museum so that we could fully understand the region. It was awesome. He ushered us into a fabulous beef soup restaurant that was both economical and delicious. On our final day in Busan, he made it possible for us to visit the three temples we wanted to see with appropriate pacing for all the hiking. Danny did a great job helping us focus our touring on what we really wanted to see. Danny was a kind, fabulous expert!

Jimmie was an excellent tour guide on Jeju Island. He grew up in Jeju, so he told us about both modern and historical Jeju! He got us addicted to Black Pork and helped us find fabulous restaurants to eat well. Each day, he remained flexible about our plans so that we could enjoy the best activities at the right times of day. Jimmie made us feel like we were his guests in his hometown.

Hotel Reviews

Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong

Seoul

Nice posh hotel with all the amenities to make you feel like you are in a busy city.

Authenticity & Character

Swanky. Liked it!

Location

Right near everything. Handy convenient store inside. Delicious breakfast.

Staff

Staff was very kind and helpful to us on many occasions. They took care of our every need.

Cleanliness & Comfort

All guest spaces were clean and sparkling!

GG Hotel

This is a nice hotel in a small town. It remained nice and cool during some sweltering days. Rooms were spacious.

Authenticity & Character

Nice, sparkling lobby.

Location

Good location. The coffee shop with extensive menue right next door was extremely helpful.

Staff

Very helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fairfield by Marriott Busan

Busan

Nice amenities. Cash machine and vending machines in lobby. Restaurant served extra snacks in the evening. Nice breakfast in the morning with very attentive staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fabulous location....close to the beach and shops.

Staff

Very nice staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean rooms with attentive room staff. Rooms were a bit snug.

Shilla Stay Jeju Airport

Lovely lobby and outstanding top floor restaurant that overlooked Jeju City. Delicious breakfast that we had trouble leaving.

Authenticity & Character

Cool atrium lobby with shiny marble. Very swanky.

Location

Shops directly outside the front door. Bus stop directly outside. Fabulous location.

Staff

Helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Roomy rooms with everything we needed!

Activity Reviews

Full day tour with N Seoul Tower

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastian expertly helped us fit in all the sites we wanted to see. He is an expert!

Transport

Garden of Morning Calm and Nami Island

South Korea

Nami Island is a must see. It's worth half of a day!

Quality of Experience

Nami Island is a unique place with lots of fun activities and a lovely forest.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jinyeon: Korean Traditional Music Performance with Modern vibes

Seoul

A lovely, intimate concert with friendly musicians. The musicians allowed us to ask them questions and take pictures with them. A great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Culture of Busan with Seokbulsa Temple

Busan

Busan temples are fabulous. We loved the cable car rides so we could see all the neighborhoods in Busan.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Jeju: Mt. Hallasan and Tea Plantation

Jeju Island

We viewed the mountain from many spots. It's gorgeous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jeju Discovery: Woljeongri Beach and Seongsan Ilchulbong

Jeju Island

Jeju is absolutely gorgeous. The beaches and neighboring cafes are friendly and wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Jeju is a unique place. You must eat the Black Pork yum!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jimmie was an excellent tour guide on Jeju Island. He grew up in Jeju, so he told us about both modern and historical Jeju! He got us addicted to Black Pork and helped us find fabulous restaurants to eat well. Each day, he remained flexible about our plans so that we could enjoy the best activities at the right times of day. Jimmie made us feel like we were his guests in his hometown.

Transport

Visit K-drama Locations in the Historic City of Gyeongju

Gyeongju

I'm so glad we visited Gyeoungju so that we could better understand the Silla kingdom's history. Our guide suggested we take time for the museum and we are SO glad we did. It had fascinating relics!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Danny was a fabulous tour guide for my daughters and me in Gyeongyu and Busan, South Korea. . Danny noticed our interest in some particular historical sites and guided us through a local museum so that we could fully understand the region. It was awesome. He ushered us into a fabulous beef soup restaurant that was both economical and delicious

Transport

Danny's care was roomy and comfortable. We appreciated it!

Gamcheon Village, BIFF Square and Jagalchi Market

Busan

Gamcheon Village and BIFF Square were a few of the highlights of trip to Busan. The quaint shops and friendly, arty atmosphere of Gamcheon Village were unique and fabulous. We got the shopping bug in BIFF square and loved the film sites.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seoul Highlights

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastian expertly guided us to the sites we had requested and advised us on the best views. He even took a bunch of photos for us so we have great family pics. Sebastian also gave us great restaurant suggestions. We feel fortunate to have had Sebastian with us on our first ays in the city.

Transport

The planning part was fine. The actual activities, guide, was the in some parts, unenjoyable.

My biggest disappointment was the confusion with Lotte world as I'm sure I got charged for the most expensive tickets but they were sold out of that level by the time they were able to locate my tickets. The park itself was also confusing, but I'm aware that wasn't Kimkim's fault. Also, Jones, the tour guide/driver for quite a few of our excursions was not enjoyable and made us uncomfortable to the point of us cutting short our days with him.

Jeju was our best part of the trip, thanks in part to our guide, Clover. She was interesting, knowledgeable and a joy to be with. She suggested activities to do on our free time, which we also enjoyed.

Overall, we enjoyed being in Korea, but I'm not sure I will use this company again.

Activity Reviews

Daegu Cultural Discovery: Dodong Seowon and Oriental Medicine Experience

Daegu

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seoul Euljiro Night Food Tour

Seoul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Gyeongbokgung Hanbok Dressing & Namsan Tower

Seoul

Our guide never offered or showed us where we could change into Hanboks, but the history of them was interesting. The your was good overall.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting K-Drama Filming Locations in Daegu: Keimyung University, Seomun Market, and More

Daegu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Mt. Hallasan and Spirited Garden Tour

Jeju Island

This was such a beautiful garden. Must see! Even got to meet the gentleman who started it all!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport