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Tomaz Martinek

I knew I want to work in travel industry since my high school years. I was born in Slovenia's capital and spend my youth dreaming about showing other people our lovely country and travelling the world. That's why in 2006 together with Mojca I opened my own travel agency. Since then we are working enthusiastically on preparing new itineraries and we are completely dedicated to our clients' needs. I love my job!

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"We do multi-country sightseeing tours, combined with different activities from culinary experiences to hiking tours."

How did you get involved in travel?

"Travel has always been my passion. I considered myself lucky that finally I was able to combine my passion and work and become a travel agent. It was pretty easy for me to decide about by studies, as I knew I wanted to work in tourism. I studied tourism planning and in 2006 I opened my own travel agency together with my colleague Mojca. We have been working hard so that we can now happily say that we are confident in our services and we look forward to planning new trips for our beloved clients."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"Truffle hunting in Slovenia with a local hunter and his dog. I really like that. It is such a great filling when dog finds the truffle and you can smell it fresh! And of course eat it later with pasta.

One of the thing that is also amazing and I will never forget it is winter skiing on the Morteratsch Glacier, Switzerland’s longest glacier run. Perfect activity for all advanced skiers."

Heldenplatz Square and the Museum of Natural History dome in Vienna
How Many Days to Spend in Austria

With its pastoral landscapes, lively viticulture and gastronomy, and renowned art and music scene, Austria offers something for every traveler. A 10-day trip is ideal to fully experience Austria's top cities, from the country's capital, Vienna, to Innsbruck in the historic Tyrol region. In a week, you can still see much of the country by basing out of a major city and taking strategic day trips into the countryside. For a more condensed five-day getaway, focus on one or two regions to get the most out of your trip.

Salzburg's Old Town lights up with their annual Christmas market
Austria in December: Travel Tips, Weather & More

December is winter in Austria, which means snow, skiing (and other snow sports), and Christmas markets. Short days might impact on sightseeing but there are plenty of museums, galleries, cafes, and other indoor attractions to enjoy. Expect crowds in the ski resorts and bustle in the cities around the festive season. Find out more about traveling to Austria in December below.

Tour Vienna's cultural attractions, like St. Michael's Square, in November
Austria in November: Travel Tips, Weather & More

November is the end of fall in Austria, and the weather is likely to be cold, damp, and a bit dark. The country doesn't see many visitors this month, but that makes it a great time to get in some early Christmas shopping at a market, relax in a thermal spa in the mountains without the crowds, or go sightseeing in an uncharacteristically quiet month in Salzburg. Read on to find out where to go and what to do in Austria in November.

Hike in the High Tauern National Park in August
Austria in August: Travel Tips, Weather & More

August is the height of summer in Austria and the peak season for travel. But with warm weather, pleasant conditions for outdoor activities in the mountains, and a vast range of music and cultural festivals across the country, it's not surprising Austria is so popular this month. Whether you want to embark on a hike in the Alps or enjoy a classical music concert, read on to find out more.

Recent trip reviews for Tomaz

Berlin, Munich and Neuschwanstein the last week of Dec 2022
Germany | Dec 26 - Jan 1, 2023

Liza
Liza L.
Shaw, DC | Reviewed on Jan 02, 2023

Zala and Tomaz planned an excellent, detailed itinerary with transportation, tours and lodging. Hotel Mio in Munich was the best. Located in the old city on a pedestrian shopping zone, rooms were quiet and one had a view of an old church clock tower. The rooms had espresso machines. Berlin's Hotel 38 rooms were very small and the bathrooms were tiny- similar to a train, but the breakfast was superior with plentiful offerings and fantastic staff. It would have been nice to have had... read more

Zala and Tomaz planned an excellent, detailed itinerary with transportation, tours and lodging. Hotel Mio in Munich was the best. Located in the old city on a pedestrian shopping zone, rooms were quiet and one had a view of an old church clock tower. The rooms had espresso machines. Berlin's Hotel 38 rooms were very small and the bathrooms were tiny- similar to a train, but the breakfast was superior with plentiful offerings and fantastic staff. It would have been nice to have had lotion in the hotel rooms in both Munich and Berlin but they did have water bottles. The one night we were at Ruby Louise Hotel in Frankfurt was good- there was lotion in the rooms, but no water bottles. Breakfast didn't start until 7am which was a little tight since our airport ride was scheduled for 7:30am. The restaurant that was booked for us on New Year's Eve, Zu den 12 Aposteln, was perfect and tasty, like eating in a cozy wine cellar. We would not have found this on our own.
High-speed trains were efficient, stress-free and a great way to travel- much more comfortable and better than renting a car.
Mr. Harald Zawuski was an exceptional guide! He was very knowledgeable, engaging, compassionate and thorough as he walked us for 6 hours around Berlin. Time really flew by and we gained a rich appreciation for the history and culture and were lucky enough to even see famous people- Angela Merkel and Christoph Waltz!
In Munich, Mr Thomas was great and took us to places we would not have known to go to on our own, such as inside the Preysing Palais.
The Neuschwanstein bus tour was excellent- we saw Linderhof, Oberammergau and Neuschwanstein. Our guide Barbara and driver were attentive and informative with a reasonable number of about 30 people with bananas, apples, cookies, peanuts, and snack pretzels on the bus as well as a bathroom. They also offered us a local bottle of beer on the way back to Munich. We walked the strenuous trail from the start of the visitor center to Marienbrucke and further up to the overlook at Neuschwanstein. Not for the faint of heart, it was an invigorating work-out but with amazing panoramic views.
This was a nicely organized adventure and I was happy to have their planning expertise. This was a rewarding time-saver for a memorable holiday family trip with our college son and teenage daughter.

Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Jan 04, 2023

Hi Liza, thank you for your kind review. We look forward to seeing you travel with us in the future.

Tomaz

Excellent, had a very merry Swiss Christmas!
Switzerland | Dec 20 - Dec 27, 2022

A
Anne A.
Shively, KY | Reviewed on Dec 28, 2022

We had a really good time in Switzerland.
It was a wonderful experience!
Interlaken and Zermatt were absolutely memorable! We loved all the Christmas markets as well which was incorporated into the visit. Basel Christmas market was especially amazing!

Excellent communication and quick response from the local tour specialists, when we needed questions answered while in 🇨🇭
Very good sense of responsibility demonstrated by the local tour guide/team, which is much appreciated. We... read more

We had a really good time in Switzerland.
It was a wonderful experience!
Interlaken and Zermatt were absolutely memorable! We loved all the Christmas markets as well which was incorporated into the visit. Basel Christmas market was especially amazing!

Excellent communication and quick response from the local tour specialists, when we needed questions answered while in 🇨🇭
Very good sense of responsibility demonstrated by the local tour guide/team, which is much appreciated. We predominately worked with Tomaz & Zala. Melita & Ester helped too.
The hotels arranged for us were pretty good too with excellent customer service.

Overall, it was a lovely experience and great Christmas spent in Switzerland this year.
So THANK YOU for making it happen.

Hotel Reviews
Boutique Hotel Wellenberg
Zurich

Excellent customer service

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Interlaken
3800
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Edelweiss
Geneva
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Review
Basel Christmas Market
Switzerland

Amazing cheese fondue!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Dec 29, 2022

Hi Anne,

thank you for your kind words. I look forward to seeing you travelling with us again. Tomaz

Me and my husband are returning customers to ...
Switzerland | Oct 14 - Oct 18, 2022

M
Manasa G.
Morrisville, NC | Reviewed on Oct 25, 2022

Me and my husband are returning customers to Kimkim and we are glad that we trusted Kimkim again for our aniversary celebrations. Tomaz and team planned a perfect vacation for us in Switzerland. Tomaz paid attention to all our needs, interests and incorporated each and every detail into our trip. We were there in Switzerland for just 5 days and we managed to explore all the must see attractions in St Moritz, Zermatt, Interlaken and Luzern. This was only possible due to the excellent planning... read more

Me and my husband are returning customers to Kimkim and we are glad that we trusted Kimkim again for our aniversary celebrations. Tomaz and team planned a perfect vacation for us in Switzerland. Tomaz paid attention to all our needs, interests and incorporated each and every detail into our trip. We were there in Switzerland for just 5 days and we managed to explore all the must see attractions in St Moritz, Zermatt, Interlaken and Luzern. This was only possible due to the excellent planning done by Tomaz and team. Every last detail of our trip was planned to perfection. All the accomodations and activities booked by them were excellent. We never had any complaint throughout the entire trip. I will definitely recommend Tomaz to anyone visiting Switzerland and we will definitely contact Kimkim again for travel in the future.

Hotel Reviews
Cascada Hotel 4*
Lucerne
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Romantik Hotel Julen
Zermatt
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Interlaken
3800
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Nov 14, 2022

Hi Manasa, thank you for your kind words and we are looking forward to seeing you travelling with us in the future.
Tomaz

This is my second trip booked through Kimkim ...
Czech Republic | Oct 2 - Oct 13, 2022

Mark
Mark S.
Manhasset, NY | Reviewed on Oct 14, 2022

This is my second trip booked through Kimkim (1st time was to Ecuador). It’s similarly been a great experience. It’s definitely the service to use if you have very specific itinerary and style of travel in mind that doesn’t fit into a prepackaged standard tourist format. As a very experienced traveler, this is essential for me. This time we wanted a very specific 2-week itinerary covering major and lesser known Jewish heritage sites throughout Vienna, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic,... read more

This is my second trip booked through Kimkim (1st time was to Ecuador). It’s similarly been a great experience. It’s definitely the service to use if you have very specific itinerary and style of travel in mind that doesn’t fit into a prepackaged standard tourist format. As a very experienced traveler, this is essential for me. This time we wanted a very specific 2-week itinerary covering major and lesser known Jewish heritage sites throughout Vienna, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, while also enjoying the sumptuous palaces and castles of this region in deluxe style. Tomaz and Zala took care to book every detail exactly as requested and were available and responsive to all specific requests and changes.

All the local guides and drivers were excellent. They were all extremely knowledgeable and had a lot to offer—a rarity these days when traveling where guides oftentimes know little more than you do if you’ve done your research. I want to call out a special mention to Eva and Milos in Bratislava, and most heartfelt appreciation to Lenka who guided us throughout the Czech Republic.

Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Oct 25, 2022

Hi Mark, thank you for your kind words. I hope to see you travelling with KimKim soon.
Tomaz

Perfect trip to the Czech Republic
Czech Republic | Sep 13 - Sep 21, 2022

B
Brenda D.
Nashville, TN | Reviewed on Oct 04, 2022

My husband and I had an amazing trip to the Czech Republic. The itinerary was perfect. We can not single out one place that was memorable. It was all so interesting , beautiful and welcoming. Each accommodation was unique and very special. We especially enjoyed our stay at the Aria Hotel in Prague. The staff was welcoming and very professional and the location was ideal. Henry the concierge, was particularly helpful and gracious. Lenka, our driver and guild (for our entire stay), was... read more

My husband and I had an amazing trip to the Czech Republic. The itinerary was perfect. We can not single out one place that was memorable. It was all so interesting , beautiful and welcoming. Each accommodation was unique and very special. We especially enjoyed our stay at the Aria Hotel in Prague. The staff was welcoming and very professional and the location was ideal. Henry the concierge, was particularly helpful and gracious. Lenka, our driver and guild (for our entire stay), was super knowledgeable and went beyond our expectations in insuring our stay to be full of happy memories. She took a genuine interest in customizing our trip specifically for us. We highly recommend her. Next trip we will definitely reach out to Kim Kim .

Hotel Reviews
Aria Hotel Prague
Prague
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Villa Beatika
Cesky Krumlov
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Breakfast was amazing and prepared with a lot of love.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Oct 12, 2022

Hi Brenda, thank you. I look forward to seeing you on another trip with us. Kind regards, Tomaz

This was our first trip to Germany .
Germany | Sep 26 - Oct 1, 2022

naveen
naveen R.
Seattle, WA | Reviewed on Oct 02, 2022

This was our first trip to Germany . We used Tomaz help to plan a trip in Bavaria . We had three days planned and each day the plan was really well scheduled .
First day we met Karl . We loved Karl . This man is full of patience , is so good with kids and gave us so much information . We did not want to leave his side so as not to miss any information . He is so kind and helpful. A very honest person who did not push any of his ideas and gave frank reviews of hotels and restaurants . We... read more

This was our first trip to Germany . We used Tomaz help to plan a trip in Bavaria . We had three days planned and each day the plan was really well scheduled .
First day we met Karl . We loved Karl . This man is full of patience , is so good with kids and gave us so much information . We did not want to leave his side so as not to miss any information . He is so kind and helpful. A very honest person who did not push any of his ideas and gave frank reviews of hotels and restaurants . We went to chiemsee lake the first days . On our way back he showed us a lot of Munich and even was kind enough to take us centre of city and show us the Marienplatz on our way to hotel . He got us umbrellas and asked us to keep them for the trip . Thanks to him we call a sweatshirt we bought “ monster t shirt “
Next day we went to rothenberg with Thomas . Another very kind and patient person . Very detail oriented . A very caring fatherly figure and he never gave us attitude for any detours esp when my wife started having headache he was kind enough to drive to a pharamcy . We talked a lot about history politics movies Oktoberfest food and he gave us some really good options of good Bavarian cuisine which was very affordable .
Karl took is to castles in Bavaria which was an awesome experience and he thendropped to Garmisch and again gave us a detailed plan on what all we could do. He could have just taken us to the castle and dropped us back and be done with it but he took his time and took us to these beautiful detours showing places you could not see if you did not have a private tour .

Thomas dropped us back to Munich airport and despite delay due to accident he kept his calm and was very reassuring all the way back .

We had a minor issue with the Train from Berlin to Munich as our seats were not reserved so we had to sit on the floor for 2 hours before we could find a spot .
Zala was very helpful all the way . Her emails are very well detailed with all the information and the trip went very smooth . The hotels booked very nice and very comfortable accommodations .
In all a very well planned trip . Looking forward for many more trips together

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Mercure Munich City Centre
Munich
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Zugspitze
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Oct 12, 2022

Hi Naveen, thank you. I look forward to seeing you on another trip with us. Kind regards, Tomaz

Tomaz worked tirelessly to organize our trip ...
Italy | Sep 8 - Sep 24, 2022

M
Marissa C.
Bozeman, MT | Reviewed on Sep 28, 2022

Tomaz worked tirelessly to organize our trip the way we wanted and Grand Cuvee Tours managed it. Given the complexity of the trip for 3 countries over more than 2 weeks there were a few snafus which were well managed by the GCT team, but in all everything went extremely well. Italy was awesome and some of the hotels we stayed at were fantastic. In particular, the guide we had at the Uffizi gallery was very helpful and knowledgeable and the lady who guided us around Salzburg easily adapted to... read more

Tomaz worked tirelessly to organize our trip the way we wanted and Grand Cuvee Tours managed it. Given the complexity of the trip for 3 countries over more than 2 weeks there were a few snafus which were well managed by the GCT team, but in all everything went extremely well. Italy was awesome and some of the hotels we stayed at were fantastic. In particular, the guide we had at the Uffizi gallery was very helpful and knowledgeable and the lady who guided us around Salzburg easily adapted to what we wanted to see and went out of her way to ensure we managed our way through the atrocious weather. We also had some great drivers, including Vincenzo who managed our visit to Pompeii and had an infectious sense of humor. This was the first time my adopted daughter visited Europe and she loved every day of it. Thank you everyone who helped make this a memorable vacation.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Spadai
Florence

Very accommodating staff, pleasant room, and astounding breakfast, the best I have ever seen.

Authenticity & Character
Style
Location
Staff
Their can do and pleasant attitudes.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Lovely room
Hotel Monte Cenci
Rome

This is a lovely, quiet hotel close to many attractions, with many restaurants within walking distance.

Authenticity & Character
Loved the top floor where we could hang out.
Location
Fun neighborhood.
Staff
Incredibly helpful and easy to work with.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Small room but pleasant.
Das Tigra Hotel
Vienna

Quiet hotel close to many Viennese attractions, nice rooms.

Authenticity & Character
Nice style. Nice little touches.
Location
Walking distance to everything we saw.
Staff
Very helpful and engaging.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Realky liked the room. Good breakfast.
Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Oct 12, 2022

Hi Marissa, thank you. I look forward to seeing you on another trip with us. Kind regards, Tomaz

Excellent Service from Kim Kim
Germany | Sep 8 - Sep 17, 2022

R
Robert B.
Manhattan, NY | Reviewed on Sep 24, 2022

We were very pleased with the service we received from Tomasz and others. You arranged for hotels and guides that fit our requests, and we had a wonderful trip. One minor matter was that on our rental car return to Sixt in Munich, we were given the address of the office for Sizt and it should have been their rental return in a nearby (but hard to get to) location. The local manager made the problem go away for us. read more

We were very pleased with the service we received from Tomasz and others. You arranged for hotels and guides that fit our requests, and we had a wonderful trip. One minor matter was that on our rental car return to Sixt in Munich, we were given the address of the office for Sizt and it should have been their rental return in a nearby (but hard to get to) location. The local manager made the problem go away for us.

Hotel Review
Hotel Mercure Munich City Centre
Munich

Great location and outstanding breakfast. We received very helpful information from the front desk staff, especially Loretta. Small but cozy room.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Very helpful front desk staff.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Guided tour of Bremen
Bremen

Our guide was super and very knowledgeable. We had a fine tour. She was a native English speaker, which helps.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Old town tour
Heidelberg

Our guide, a young man who was a student was knowledgeable and friendly. He gave us a great "inside information" restaurant recommendation and set us up for a wonderful visit to Heidelberg.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
We had fun with our youngish guide
Tour to Wissembourg, Alsace, France
Heidelberg

We had a wonderful and memorable day in Alsace. The guide tailored the tour to our interests and adapted well when we encountered a charity run that caused plans to be changed.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide with excellent communication skills.
Private Nuremberg nazi party rally grounds and old town tour
Nuremberg

Natsha is a marvel. She is knowledgeable, charming and fun to be with. She cared for us well along the way and was great at both providing information and answering questions. It felt like having a good friend guide you around their city.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Natasha
Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Oct 12, 2022

Hi Robert, thank you. I look forward to seeing you on another trip with us. Kind regards, Tomaz

Switzerland in September
Switzerland | Sep 12 - Sep 19, 2022

M
Megan D.
Canada | Reviewed on Sep 20, 2022

Tomaz and Zala did a fantastic job planning our trip to Switzerland. Every detail was taken care of and everything worked out without any issues. The trip plan was exactly what we had in mind- great hikes, beautiful scenery, very great accommodations which were all very well located and clean, cozy and with great breakfasts! We would highly recommend Tomaz and Zala to anyone interested in exploring Switzerland. Thank you both!! read more

Tomaz and Zala did a fantastic job planning our trip to Switzerland. Every detail was taken care of and everything worked out without any issues. The trip plan was exactly what we had in mind- great hikes, beautiful scenery, very great accommodations which were all very well located and clean, cozy and with great breakfasts! We would highly recommend Tomaz and Zala to anyone interested in exploring Switzerland. Thank you both!!

Hotel Reviews
Cascada Hotel 4*
Lucerne
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Interlaken
3800
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Backstage Hotel Vernissage
Zermatt
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Angleterre & Résidence
Lausanne
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Review
Cheese Tuk-tuk tour
Luzern
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Sep 23, 2022

Hi Megan, thank you for your feedback. I am happy to hear you enjoyed your trip and hopefully we can see you soon travelling with us. Kind regards, Tomaz

Nice trip. Had wonderful time.
Germany | Aug 26 - Sep 6, 2022

J
Joseph K.
Alexandria, MN | Reviewed on Sep 07, 2022

Nice trip. Had wonderful time. read more

Nice trip. Had wonderful time.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Kaiserin Elisabeth
Vienna

Very nice. Convenient. No bar or outside sitting area.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
IMLAUER HOTEL PITTER Salzburg
Salzburg
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Dachau Concentration Camp
Munich
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Guided walking tour of Salzburg
Salzburg

Had Peter, he was AMAZING!!!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Castle with fortress above Salzburg
Salzburg

Self tour.

Quality of Experience
Biking in Wachau Valley
Vienna

Good ride. Great guide.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Small-group Nuremberg nazi party rally grounds and old town tour
Germany

Really not a small group. Like 16.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Informative
Transport
Train great but tour longer then scheduled so missed train. Had to rebook which is difficult when you don’t know the system.
Segway tour
Munich
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Visit Eagle's nest
Salzburg

Leopold out driver guide was AMAZING.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Guided private walking tour of Hallstatt
Austria

ANNA from Atlanta was amazing. Great tour.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
LEOPOLD!!!
Hallstatt Salt Mine
Austria

Private tour with LEOPOLD again.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Guided walking tour of Vienna City Highlights
Vienna
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Schönbrunn Palace & Gardens
Vienna

Self tour.

Guided tour of Spanish Riding School
Vienna

Self tour.

Concert at Kursalon
Vienna
Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Sep 09, 2022

Hi Joseph, thank you for your wonderful review, I hope to see you soon travelling with us. Tomaz

Tour guide and bus driver was very go
Switzerland | Jul 27 - Aug 4, 2022

K
kevin p.
Panama City, FL | Reviewed on Aug 05, 2022

Tour guide and bus driver was very good

Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek

Fantastic Austrian vacation
Austria | Jul 14 - Jul 23, 2022

J
Jamie O.
Canada | Reviewed on Jul 24, 2022

We had a fantastic trip. Everything was planned out perfectly and there were no problems at all with all the planned activities. Wolfy, our guide on the walking food tour of Vienna was outstanding and I would highly recommend both this tour and him as a guide.

Thank you to Tomaz and the team for all the planning. We thoroughly enjoyed the vacation.

Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek

Great Planning, Horrible Execution KimKim w...
Switzerland | Jun 4 - Jun 15, 2022

J
Jessica R.
Westmont, IL | Reviewed on Jul 23, 2022

Great Planning, Horrible Execution

KimKim was a wonderful service to use. However the Switzerland extension they used to execute the planned activities was poor and obviously over priced.

Won’t be using again.

Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek

Trip of a lifetime!
Switzerland | Jun 4 - Jun 15, 2022

D
Daniella G.
Addison, IL | Reviewed on Jun 19, 2022

Once booking with Tomaz and KimKim, my friend and I were given to a local company with Zala helping us. Overall, the trip and recommendations were amazing. Day by day feedback to follow.

We had great directions from Zala regarding transportation and luckily the train was easy to get the hang of. Our first hotel was Hotel Josef. Very cute hotel and close to the train as promised. What we didn't know however, was that there was no front desk at this hotel. Check in was a bit difficult,... read more

Once booking with Tomaz and KimKim, my friend and I were given to a local company with Zala helping us. Overall, the trip and recommendations were amazing. Day by day feedback to follow.

We had great directions from Zala regarding transportation and luckily the train was easy to get the hang of. Our first hotel was Hotel Josef. Very cute hotel and close to the train as promised. What we didn't know however, was that there was no front desk at this hotel. Check in was a bit difficult, especially after a full day of travel. Written on the locked hotel's door was a note to walk to a nearby hotel after 9pm. We arrived around 7:30pm on a Saturday. We called the number on the door as well as the number provided in our paperwork. Neither number worked. We took it upon ourselves to walk to the nearby hotel and ask for some assistance. Turns out check in was via a kiosk inside the restaurant and we needed a code to get in the main door. This would have been helpful information to know before arrival.

The Limmat River cruise ticket was covered with the Swiss pass. Suggestions on where to get off and walk around would have been helpful. The Zurich Small Group Tour is not something I would recommend. There was no explanation of what was on the tour (i.e. number of stops, type of food or type of drink) prior to booking it. The first stop was for beer, meat, and cheese. There was no alternative to the beer, which neither of us drink so that was a huge waste of beer and our money. I expected information from the tour guide about the types of cheeses and meats available. There was only information about the beer from the waiter at the restaurant. The tour guide, unfortunately, didn't know any information. Next, the weather didn't cooperate and there was a big downpour preventing us from getting to our next stop. We improvised and stopped for a drink at a nearby bar to wait out the rain. Because we stopped here and because supposedly the third (and final) stop was closed, our guide provided 5 CHF toward the wine, and we covered the rest. She seemed unsure of her budget and considering there was no backup plan for rain or for a closed final stop, I don't think we should have had to cover our own glass of wine. The final stop was for fondue. This was a cute place, but again, not much information. The other people on the tour booked the tour on their own and cost about 150 CAD, about $115. This tour was NOT worth anywhere close to that. Quite a disappointment.

Mt. Pilatus was amazing. Absolutely worth every penny and all the time! It was very cloudy, so we did not get the panoramic views, but a risk you must take. What we were not told about was that there is a stop on the descent with fantastic activities including a ropes course, zip line, glider, and toboggan. Because we didn’t know these existed, by the time we got down to this part, we could not do the ropes course, which is something that we would have loved to do. We were able to do the zip line and toboggan, which were very fun! I highly recommend them.

Lucerne was adorable. There was a lot to see and do. Hotel Central Luzern was such a cute hotel. The front desk staff was fantastic. In fact, everyone was. The room was teeny tiny though. Barely room to walk around and the bathroom door was a frosted glass door with the toilet right in front of it, so there was no privacy. The space was not so much the issue because we were only there to sleep, but the lack of privacy would have been an issue if we needed to stay more than 1 night. Hotel Château Gütsch was not recommended to us, but we saw it in the skyline and is worth the time.

We stayed in Interlaken for quite a while. I’m guessing because it was central to a lot of the big activities we had planned. The downside, the area was small with not much to do. Even with suggestions from the hotel, everything was closed after the activities we had planned for the day, so the evenings were very boring. The higher altitude activities required a heavier jacket, which we were warned about before the trip. I had arranged with Zala to rent a jacket by asking the hotel staff as there was supposed to be somewhere to rent nearby our hotel. Unfortunately, after asking multiple people, they were all unaware of places to rent during the summer. This induced a bit of a panic. We called the number provided and were able to speak to Tomaz. He was not aware of anywhere either. Within about an hour, Zala had emailed with alternative locations. Some of which I had already explored, but ultimately, the rental location on the way to Jungfrau worked out. Having specific details already planned into the itinerary about the rental location would have eased some unnecessary stress. With all that said, Zala was very attentive through email with all my questions while we were local. The Funky Chocolate Club was amazing. The experience was fun and there was a lot of information, and everything was hands-on plus goodies to take away. A friend suggested the Staubbach falls, which were beautiful. There is also panoramic hotel nearby that we discovered while walking around and that is also something I would recommend.

It could have been mentioned, but there was a ton of rainy days everywhere we went except for Lausanne. I did bring a light rain jacket, but it was a lot of rain and ended up with soaking wet shoes because we did not want to miss out on exploring. Luckily the rain was intermittent. St. Beatus Caves and Oberhofen Castle is worth the visit. The caves were spectacular. Hotel Interlaken was great. Spacious and good breakfast.

The trip to Grindelwald was easy to navigate. The mountain carts were a blast! To get to the carts was a trek though. When booking our trip, we did pick the mountain carts, however, we were not told that we could bundle and do more than one activity for a discounted price. The trek was long to get to the activities and the carts lasted only a few minutes of fun, so we instantly wanted to do more. To do that though, we would have had to buy the activity and the gondola. We were incredibly disappointed to learn it would have cost a tremendous amount to do that instead of pre-bundling.

Zermatt was a bit of a disappointment. We did not realize that going to the Matterhorn would cost anything let alone 71 CHF with the Swiss Pass. We did not end up doing that. The town was cute, but we did not stay long.

Lausanne was so cute! There was so much to do. Beau-Rivage Palace in Ouchy was absolutely worth the visit as well as the Cathedral. Hotel de l'Angleterre was right next door to the Palace, but I was not able to go in and walk around. And of course, the Olympic Museum. Vevey and especially Montreux are also worth the visit. Chillon Castle was a gorgeous true castle. So much history and beauty. We chose to go paddle boarding in Vevey instead of doing museums. We had intended to do the winery but did not get to it.

Geneva city tour with a bus and boat cruise was also not something I would recommend. The bus tour did allow us to see quite a few attractions but even while driving slowly, it was a different experience than seeing it walking. I did like the couple times we got off the bus. After the bus we took a tramway. They did a good job trying to allow you to see everything, but you could not fully appreciate the beauty of the structures while still moving. The boat cruise was in no way a tour. We just sat on a very hot boat for an hour. The Fondue cooking class was a great experience. I do recommend that. As much as I liked Lausanne, it would have been nice to stay in Geneva at least for the last night.

In general, suggestions for what to do and see during our downtime would have been helpful. In addition, knowing that stores and every day activities are closed on Sundays was important information we did not have. The Olympic Museum was closed on Mondays, and the Monday after we arrived was a holiday and therefore a lot of stores were also closed. More information regarding the guided tours is also necessary as I don’t think these were worth the money. Overall, the trip was great and I would recommend Switzerland to anyone.

Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Jul 06, 2022

Hi Daniella,

thank you for your comprehensive review. We did our best to stay within your budget, that's why some of the options for hotels and activities were replaced or taken out for you. That was all discussed in our initial planning phases. I look forward to welcome you in Europe once more. Kind regards, Tomaz

Best trip ever!
Switzerland | May 29 - Jun 9, 2022

Norma
Norma S.
Stevens, PA | Reviewed on Jun 10, 2022

From start to finish, KimKim was so attentive to our wishes and responded to all our inquiries in a prompt manner. We gave them
some of our ideas, and they filled in the days with places we did not know existed. We could not have been more pleased with their service. Their attention to the details of train schedules, passes, hotel reservations, etc took away a great deal of the stress of traveling in a foreign country with an unfamiliar language. They were also respectful of our budget. We would highly recommend this firm to anyone wanting to plan a stress-free getaway.

Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Jun 13, 2022

Hi Norma, thank you for your kind words. I hope to see you again travelling with us soon! Kind regards, Tomaz

Exceeded Our Expectations in Every Aspect
Switzerland | May 29 - Jun 1, 2022

Jack
Jack R.
Lancaster, PA | Reviewed on Jun 02, 2022

Our three days and nights in Salzburg exceeded our expectations , which were quite high to begin with. Mitch, the guide who provided two days of tours (one for Salzburg and one to drive us to Hallstatt) was an excellent fit for our group of 8 persons. He knew Salzburg details but did not flood us with information, however, when we asked questions he could provide interesting details in response. Clearly, his 30 years of living in Salzburg and his highly developed social skills were key... read more

Our three days and nights in Salzburg exceeded our expectations , which were quite high to begin with. Mitch, the guide who provided two days of tours (one for Salzburg and one to drive us to Hallstatt) was an excellent fit for our group of 8 persons. He knew Salzburg details but did not flood us with information, however, when we asked questions he could provide interesting details in response. Clearly, his 30 years of living in Salzburg and his highly developed social skills were key factors in providing us with one of the best guided tour experiences we have ever had.

In Hallstatt, Tomaz connected us with Brigitta, a guide with 20 years of experience leading tours. She is a local woman who knew the history of Hallstatt well and could explain why the town became a World Heritage Site. For a walking tour guide, Brigitta was the best we have ever experienced.

The lodging accommodations provided by Hof Wirt were fully worthy of its 3-Star status, if not more. Clean, comfortable, staff-friendly and the breakfast spread was amazing.

Thanks, Tomaz, for arranging an extraordinary experience for us in Salzburg.

Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Jun 13, 2022

Hi Jack, thank you for such a nice feedback! I am happy that you liked the tour! See you soon back in Europe.

Kind regards, Tomaz

Wonderful 9 day itinerary across Switzerland…...
Switzerland | May 20 - May 30, 2022

Garth
Garth R.
Frederick, MD | Reviewed on May 31, 2022

Wonderful 9 day itinerary across Switzerland…mountains, lakes and valleys with city sites as well. Kimkim (Tomaz in particular) was very helpful laying out the initial plan, and the local company that worked the logistics was extremely detailed, accurate in all facets of the final plans with great maps and possible train connections. Overall couldn’t be happier with this experience.

Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Jun 15, 2022

Hi Garth, I am happy that you liked the tour so much! Switzerland is indeed fantastic country.
Tomaz

George arranged it allVery niceTom was grea...
Germany | May 23 - May 27, 2022

G
George H.
Phoenix, AZ | Reviewed on May 28, 2022

George arranged it all
Very nice
Tom was great on the transfers and side trips

Tell any non German speakers to buy the translation. Booklet for the Passion Play
Available in many shops in Oberammergau
Made the play much better when we had them for the second half

Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on May 30, 2022

Hi George, thank you so much for your review, we appreciate it and we hope to see you again travelling with us. Kind regards, Tomaz

An Amazing Autumn in Slovenia!
Slovenia | Oct 11 - Oct 18, 2021

Chris
Chris M.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Jan 04, 2022

Had a wonderful time in Slovenia's spectacular autumnal colours! A great way to get back into adventure travelling after having been unable to for so long. Local specialists Tomaz and Jala were both excellent in helping piecing together an excellent itinerary which included the places I wanted to see (Lake Bled, the Julian Alps etc) and the activities I wanted experience including hiking, paragliding and whitewater rafting. The Seven Lakes trek through the Julian Alps was both challenging and... read more

Had a wonderful time in Slovenia's spectacular autumnal colours! A great way to get back into adventure travelling after having been unable to for so long. Local specialists Tomaz and Jala were both excellent in helping piecing together an excellent itinerary which included the places I wanted to see (Lake Bled, the Julian Alps etc) and the activities I wanted experience including hiking, paragliding and whitewater rafting. The Seven Lakes trek through the Julian Alps was both challenging and spectacular, just the way I like it to be. Highlight of the trek for me was Lake Krn, coloured green by the minerals and surrounded by the reddish brown autumnal leaves. Jala did a brilliant job helping me find my hostel by phone when returning to Bled after finishing the trek. All local guides were brilliant in helping me find my way around as well as assisting with the local covid protocols. Paragliding above Lake Bohijn's reflections was amazing while lake Bled, the Jewel in Slovenia's Crown, was so relaxing, especially while enjoying the delicious Bled cakes! Finally, the capital, Ljubljana was very pleasant, especially when colourfully lit up at night. From Ljubljana, I had enough to time explore how spectacular Slovenia is underneath with a day trip to Postojna Cave. My first ever KimKim trip was both and exciting and relaxing experience, so well done during very difficult times in which to travel with the pandemic. Hoping for some more such memorable experiences in 2022.

Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Jan 05, 2022

Hi Chris,

thank you for your nice words and we are really happy that you were travelling with us! I hope to see you again soon!

Tomaz

This was our second time using Kimkim to help...
Austria | Aug 18 - Aug 22, 2021

I
Inge H.
Washington, DC | Reviewed on Aug 23, 2021

This was our second time using Kimkim to help with our trip and as before everything was great. Maria, who provided the walking tour, was charming , informative and fun to spend the time with. The Wachau wine tour with Iolo was perfect. Wonderful wines, a special spot for lunch , all in all an enjoyable day. Both restaurant recommended were excellent. Zala responded immediately when we reached out with questions. We wished we were able to stay longer, but we will be back!

Thank you, Tomaz

Local specialist: Tomaz Martinek
Tomaz
Tomaz Martinek
Local specialist in Slovenia | Reviewed on Aug 25, 2021

Hi Inge, thank you for your review. I hope to see you travelling again with us!
Tomaz