FAQ

How does kimkim work?

Kimkim works in 3 simple steps:
1. Select your destination and then go through a quick, fun onboarding process to tell us what kind of experience you are looking for
2. We will connect you with a knowledgeable travel specialist via our messaging system who will put together a tailor-made trip plan based on your input
3. Once you're 100% happy with the plan, you can book your trip via our secure payment system

Read more about how kimkim works here: How kimkim Trips Work

How much does it cost to use kimkim?

Kimkim connects you directly to local, knowledgeable travel specialists. We don’t charge anything until you decide to book your trip with us. A service fee is added to the total price of the trip. This fee helps to provide a secure payment platform and excellent customer service. A small portion of the fee also goes toward our climate initiative.

What if I find cheaper prices elsewhere on the web?

Our local specialists organize highly personalized trips tailored to your unique preferences and travel style. Although we will always aim to offer competitive rates, kimkim focuses on creating high-quality trips with carefully vetted hotels, activities, and transportation. We aim to provide the best possible value for your trip, including the service of your local specialist and on-the-ground support while you are traveling to ensure your trip goes smoothly.

How do I know that your advice is unbiased?

We are successful if, and only if, our travelers are happy with their experience. Thus, we’re focused day in and day out on providing the best possible advice and trip plans tailored to each traveler’s unique requirements. We don’t favor certain hotels, tour guides, or destinations; rather, we make sure that what we propose is the best fit for you.

We also value transparency. Our website displays all traveler reviews for our specialists so you’ll have as much information as you need to make sure kimkim is right for you. You can also find reviews for our services and specialists on Trustpilot, Google, and Yelp

Who are the specialists?

Our specialists have extensive experience in the travel industry, often running their own travel operations, and have all been thoroughly vetted by kimkim prior to joining the platform. Most of our specialists live in the same destination where they provide trip planning services, while others are global nomads. You can read more about our specialists here.

How do I know I can trust a specialist on kimkim?

Specialists are central to the kimkim experience. We take great care in making sure we have knowledgeable, experienced and passionate people on our platform. Our specialists go through a rigorous interview and training process, and most of them have many years of successful experience planning and booking trips and tours. Additionally, we show ratings and reviews for our specialists on their profiles.

Who is the team behind kimkim?

Kimkim was founded by a team of experienced travel entrepreneurs. Before founding kimkim, we worked on other travel products, including TripAdvisor. We started kimkim because we felt frustrated with the current state of travel planning and booking products and we wanted to bring the personal touch back to travel planning.

The kimkim global office is located in California, with satellite offices in Lima and Amsterdam. Our team members are from all over the world: the Netherlands, France, Canada, Australia, Peru, and beyond. Learn more about our team here.

Are you like a traditional travel agent?

We love the personal touch that great travel agents bring to the travel planning and booking process, but we are not “just another travel agent”. We aim to combine the best of both worlds: the high-touch service and excellent destination knowledge of a traditional travel agent with state-of-the-art messaging technology and trip planning tools.

Does kimkim help book international flights?

No, we currently focus on the in-destination experience only: hotels, transport, and activities. Travelers are responsible for booking their own international flights. However, our specialists are happy to answer any questions or advise on what airport to fly to, what times work best, etc.

Why was my credit card declined?

If your credit card was declined during payment, this is often due to your bank protecting your account against unusual payments. Please call your bank directly to see if this is the case. If so, you can approve this transaction and then submit your payment on kimkim again.

In the event that I am unable to travel, will I lose what I paid for my trip?

In most cases, you can postpone your trip at no additional cost if you give your specialist at least two weeks' notice before the start of your trip. You do not need to commit to any firm timeline to reschedule your trip until you’re ready to travel again. Please reach out to your specialist for more details.

How does payment work? Do I pay for my entire trip at once?

We require a 30% non-refundable deposit for your trip at the time of booking. The remainder of the balance is typically due, and the trip is fully non-refundable two months prior to the start of your trip. If you prefer a different payment schedule, you can discuss this with your specialist. If your departure date is within two months, we require a non-refundable payment in full at the time of booking to secure all confirmations.

What happens if unexpected, last-minute changes occur? Does kimkim provide travel insurance?

Our services do not include travel insurance; however, we highly recommend purchasing third-party travel insurance to cover any cancellations/changes that are not in your control. While we will always do our best to recover funds paid to suppliers or to reschedule affected services when unexpected situations arise, travel insurance adds extra coverage in cases where that is not possible.

In the event that you are unable to travel, in most cases, you can postpone your trip at no additional cost with at least two weeks’ notice before the start of your trip. You won’t need to pick new dates until you are ready to travel again. Please check with your specialist for more details.

Deposits, kimkim service fees, and planning fees are generally non-refundable. If you have to cancel your trip, your specialist will make a reasonable effort to recoup any recoverable costs, but the following cancellation charges apply based on the date we receive written notification of your cancellation request:

More than 2 months prior to departure → Loss of deposit, service fee, and any planning fees paid
Less than 2 months prior to departure → No refund

How much time is needed to plan a trip through kimkim?

Our specialists focus on creating fully custom and personalized trips, and the process can take a bit of time: generally a minimum of 3 to 4 weeks. There are exceptions, but it greatly depends on the destination and the time of year.

I have already booked all of my accommodations, can I just use kimkim for other portions of my trip?

Kimkim specialists focus on creating complete itineraries, meaning that they arrange in-country transportation, accommodations, as well as activities and tours for travelers. They generally cannot to support the creation of partial itineraries where travelers have already arranged certain portions of these things themselves. The planning process can get complicated quickly when more than one person is arranging various elements of a trip!

Does kimkim organize day trips?

Unfortunately, kimkim is not able to organize day trips. Kimkim specialists focus on creating itineraries for trips of 5 days or more. However, occasionally there are exceptions, so do not hesitate to reach out!

Can I see a price breakdown upon booking?

Each trip is sold as a package price that includes your activities, transportation, and hotels, as well as the service of your local specialist and on-the-ground support during your travels. Other than our climate initiative and kimkim service fee, which are separate line items, we are unable to provide an itemized breakdown. Your specialist will share the details around everything that is included and excluded in the package price.

What currency and payment methods do you accept?

While kimkim organizes trips for travelers to and from various countries worldwide, we are a US-based company, so we require payment in US dollars. We accept all major credit cards, including American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.