Soul of Croatia

Robi was very helpful and responsive. This includes a last minute schedule change. Robi also sent information every night which was helpful in orienting to a new city. Everything went smoothly. Arranged transport was on time with nice cars and friendly drivers and hotels were close to citi center. Would recommend the service.

My wife and I The planning and booking process was so smooth and easy via Kimkim. We weren't sure what to expect, as this was our first time using Kimkim, or even with a travel agent. We were connected with Robi, who asked some clarifying questions, and was quick to respond to each correspondence. We had a LOT of back-and-forth here, uncertainties, and waffling, entirely on our side - the reason we used Kimkim was that we were both under a lot of work and personal stress at this time, so it was difficult making timely responses and decisions. Robi was so patient and helpful during this time, even as we pushed up against the 60-day deadline for booking.

We started by flying in to Pula, where Robi had arranged for a rental car to be ready for us. There was some confusion with the handoff, but it was quickly solved by messaging Robi.

Our first hotel was the Grand Hotel Brioni Pula, which was gorgeous! We especially loved the infinite pool with pool-side bar, the saunas, and the relaxation rooms, which were all included in the stay. Breakfast was delicious, and we were on our way. Robi sent us a list of recommended locations, including sights, restaurants, best places to park, etc - this was a constant throughout our trip, and very helpful! Pula was great, the amphitheater is a must-see, and the Olive Oil Museum "Oleum Histriae" was fun and informative.

We had originally planned to move on to Poreč, but the Istria 300 bicycle race was taking place there during our planned dates. Robi instead recommended us to stay in Rovinj at Hotel Lone, and we were so glad he did. This hotel was just as lovely as the last, the room he got us was even more spacious and comfortable, again we had included pool/sauna/relaxation areas, and breakfast was even better than the last. We spent a few days here exploring Istria, including the city of Rovinj, Motovun (breathtaking) with a highly recommended truffle hunting experience, Poreč, the smallest town in the world Hum, and our favorite - Grožnjan. We also stopped at Cattunar Winery, which Robi recommended to us - wow! Excellent wines, a lovely spread was included in our tasting, and the views were beautiful. We loved it; if you enjoy wine at all, you must try their varieties of Malvazija (Malvasia)!

Next on our itinerary was traveling south to Plitvice Lakes. We stayed overnight at Hotel Degenija, another beautiful spot. As the above, included sauna (though we didn't have time to enjoy it) and delicious breakfast. We took a couple bananas along with us after breakfast to enjoy in the park during our hike. We woke up early to get to the National Park as close to opening as possible per Robi's recommendation, and arrived at 0815. This was perfect, as the crowds were very light and with a little effort/timing we had much of the park to ourselves. Plitvice Lakes are amongst the most beautiful places I have ever seen. This was the highlight of the trip for me, though it truly speaks to the overall beauty of Croatia that I had a hard time deciding that.

After Plitvice, we moved on to Zadar. We stayed at Hotel Bastion in the middle of the Old Town, built into the remains of an historic fortress. Again, the room and grounds were excellent, though a slight disappointment that neither parking nor sauna/jacuzzi were included unlike previous stays, both incurring separate charges. That said, they didn't end up charging us for parking when we checked out. Robi had arranged for a city tour with a guide named Sonja, whom we absolutely loved. She was extremely personable, so thorough, and excited to answer all of our questions.

Our final location was Split, and we stayed there at Hotel Marul. The hotel didn't measure up to the prior hotels' standards. I don't blame Robi for this; sounds like there was a recent change in ownership/management and the quality has lapsed since. Split was otherwise amazing. Again, Robi had arranged for a tour of the old town and Diocletian's Palace with a local guide named Ivica, and again the guide was excellent. Finally, Robi also arranged for transportation to the airport from our hotel, which was smooth and easy.

Overall, we were very pleased with our experience, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend Robi most highly. Robi was always available via WhatsApp and was quick to provide help, advice, or suggestions as needed, which really made the trip feel effortless. Thank you, Robi! Hvala!

For complete transparency, here is what was included at $7831 for two adults:
Accommodations
1 night stay at Grand Hotel Brioni Pula (Pula)
3 nights stay at Hotel Lone (Rovinj)
1 night stay at Hotel Degenija (Plitvice Lakes)
2 nights stay at Bastion Heritage Hotel—Relais & Châteaux (Zadar)
2 nights stay at Hotel Marul (Split)
Other details
Rental car from day 1 to day 8 with delivery and pick up
All accommodations with breakfast
Entrance tickets for Plitvice Lakes National Park
Private city tour in Zadar
Private city tour of Diocletian's Palace in Split
Local tax and fees
Sojorun tax
VAT
Departure airport transfer
Planing and coordination along the way
Daily communication and support through WhatsApp

The kimkim website and communication tool worked extremely easily for us. Four of use were involved in planning and we could all see all everyone's questions and planning requests.
Robi was extremely helpful throughout our planning process for our 2 weeks in Croatia. He answered our endless questions and tried hard to make all the arrangements to meet our requests for activities and our financial request. We were able to spend 5 days bike riding on the islands with an excellent support person (Borna) traveling with us on our rides and helping out with flat tires and needed assistance. Robi provided excellent detailed recommendations throughout our travels with "pins" dropped throughout to help us navigate easily. We never felt on our own as we moved around the country starting in Zagreb and made our way through the national parks down the coast to Split and then the islands and Dubrovnik.

Hotel Reviews

Skradinski buk

Skradin

Degenija Annex rooms

Rakovica

Hotel Marul

Split

Pharos Hvar Bayhill Hotel

Hvar

Marko Polo Hotel

Korcula

Villa Radić

Ston

Hotel Adria

Dubrovnik

Activity Reviews

Explore Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

Adventure on Zrmanja river and overnight in Skradin

Croatia

Hiking in National Park Paklenica

Croatia

Krka National Park

Croatia

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace

Split

Hvar island and town

Hvar

Cycling on Korčula island with options

Korčula

Cycling on Korčula island -Day 2

Korčula

Cycling Mljet island and National Park

Croatia

This day was a bit of a disappointment. We took a very early ferry, but then our bike ride was quite short. We had been told we would have options but on the day we were just given the shorter ride option. The kayaking on the lake was quite dull and we ended up with time that could have been much better used on a longer bike ride or other activities on the island. That said, the island is lovely and the monastery was fun to explore.

Cycling On Pelješac Penisula To Ston

Croatia

Cycling from Ston to Dubrovnik hinterlands and littoral

Croatia

Most beautiful ride. Needs an e-bike!

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Croatia

Visit to Zadar

Croatia

Worth a short visit - cool Roman ruins in the middle of the town.

Walking/Hiking Marjan hill

Split

Great views of the city. Worth the climb.

OPTIONAL: Sea Kayaking Hvar

Hvar

Nice kayak ride out but very tough getting back to shore. There was too much big boat traffic to make it enjoyable kayaking much of the time.

Don't waste your time on Zagreb, two days max. Korcula!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Corner

Split

OK for short stay

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aminess Liburna Hotel

Korčula

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Valamar Collection Dubrovnik President Hotel

Dubrovnik

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Bonaca

Skradin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

OPTIONAL : Oyster tasting in Mali Ston

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our recent trip to Croatia, arranged by Robi , was amazing! We had a perfect balance of activity with cycling, hiking and walking and kayaking with Tours of the city, which were fun and interesting. We had asked for some off days to relax and he gave us tips and recommendations on those as well, which were optional. Robi was very attentive, and I spoke with him daily about the plans and modified some that I thought would work better with our schedule. Our guides were great from Zagreb with Andrey and Stephen to Sofia and Zadar and Perro in split. They were all engaging and informative. We spent three days with Goran and he took us cycling, wine tasting, and island hopping on a speedboat and we had a blast. He has a great sense of humor and my husband really bonded with him over cycling and music and those few days were super special. I don’t have one criticism about the trip as it was executed perfectly. All of the guides and Transportation people were on time and friendly. We rented a car and that was seamless. So if you’re going to Croatia, which I highly recommend, use Robi at kimkim and you will not be disappointed. We travel a lot, and I feel confident to say this was our best trip ever!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cavtat

Cavtat

Adorable town and relaxing. The hotel is right across from cute restaurant and beach. Loved it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room had terrace with view of ocean and road

Hotel Dubrovnik

Zagreb

Amazing breakfast. Best on our trip. Good location modern hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bastion Heritage Hotel—Relais & Châteaux

Zadar

Cool hotel in historic building

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Marul

Split

Great breakfast and location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Devecchi rooms

Hvar

Adorable old building in great neighborhood with great harbor view. Made to order breakfast just for us in the dining room. Small hotel really a house into air bnb.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aminess Liburna Hotel

Korčula

Modern hotel on water with a small seal tester pool. Beautiful view across to old town. Walk easy .45 minutes to old town on a path next to water. Rented bikes and went wine tasting and to lumbarda and sandy beach. Easy to get around.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

https://www.facebook.com/VillaRadicSton/

Ston

Good location and good breakfast. Small town but relaxed setting for our activities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Valamar Collection Dubrovnik President Hotel

Dubrovnik

We are soooo glad stayed here instead of old town. Last stop or first depending on direction on bus to and from old town so very convenient. Fabulous brunch. Big hotel on big beach with loungers included. A great place to come after seeing g old town and walking the walls.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Split area - Trogir and Klis

Split

Trogir was very crowded since it was a little drizzly so usually not like that I’ve heard. Very cute and my husband really loved it. Had great meal at Casa del Dino. Relaxing day once we sat down.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hvar island and town

Hvar

Adorable old town. We kayaked to islands and spent the day there. Did speed boat tour and loved out Skipper named Dario. Kinoba boat tours or something like that stopped and swam many spots and saw blue cave.

Quality of Experience

Explore Hvar, active or leisure day

Hvar

See prior review

Explore Hvar or boat trip to Blue cave and neighbouring islands and coves

Hvar

See prior review

Zagorje region and castles visit and Zagreb overnight

Zagreb

The guide Stjepan was good and drive pretty. My husband loved the area to put the history in to perspective. Personally I could have skipped the day but just because I loved the Dalmatian coast much more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very friendly guide

Explore Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

We did 8 am entry. I wish we had done 7 am. It’s beautiful but very crowded so earlier start a few less people. Enter as early as possible. Stay overnight in the area

Quality of Experience

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace

Split

Great guide and he was funny. Whe organized the tour so we saw Klapa singers and we loved them.

Quality of Experience

Klapa singers

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable. We loved he is a marine biologist and could laugh about the Seinfeld episode.

Transport

We drove ourselves and it was easy

Visit to Korčula island and town

Korčula

Loved old town and our hotel location

Quality of Experience

Pelješac peninsula and Ston- triple atraction.

Croatia

Rode e-bikes in amazing nearly car free roads and went to great winery something like Matusko. Took car ferry tour Mljet and beautiful ride to park with “lakes” actually sea water still but warmer.

Quality of Experience

Our guide Goran was amazing. Fun smart flexible and really bonded with my husband as a new friend.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling Mljet island and National Park

Croatia

See prior

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Croatia

We walked the walls at 8 am. Hot but beat the cruisers another good time would be 6 pm if cruise leave at 8 which you can google. Very crowded in day but lovely at night. Take cable car to Panorama restaurant and make reservations 6 months ahead if possible for good table.

Quality of Experience

Private boat trip to Elafiti islands

Croatia

Great day. Flexible. Walked across one island with Goran and heard stories of his youth there. Had lunch at another island and swam different coves. Great day.

Quality of Experience

Visit to Šibenik

Croatia

I could have skipped but my husband really liked seeing the 3 fortresses high on the hills.

Quality of Experience

Explore Cavtat

Croatia

We loved this cute relaxing city. We had a great meal and overall experience at restaurant recommended by our Dubrovnik guide Annie. She was very good I may have forgotten to mention

Quality of Experience

Wine tasting on Pelješac peninsula

Croatia

Cycling On Pelješac Penisula To Ston

Croatia

Robi planned the most amazing 5 week itinerary. he listened to me, what type of trip I was looking for, how we like to travel, the places we wanted to see and the type of accommodations. he made great recommendations, as I would see something in a guide book or online and he would give honest feedback as to what the place was like and if it made sense. all of the details were handled flawlessly. he created a trip where we really felt like we were local, he gave daily WhatsApp messages for the next days itinerary, hotels, directions and restaurant recommendations of where the locals eat. when we were in country he was always available if we had questions. I felt the pricing was very fair based on the accommodations we stayed in. some of the highlights were Plitvice Lakes, Lake Bled, Mljet, Porec, Ston, Postojna cave and castle and for me as an equestrian the Lipica stud farm. he arranged the itinerary so I could see a performance. but there are so many more incredible places based on how long you have to travel. you will be very happy if you get matched with Robi.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Park Bled

Bled

We stayed at Hotel Park Bled and had an amazing experience. We were upgraded to the biggest room in the hotel, which had a huge bedroom, a large living room with a kitchen table, a balcony, and a private sun-up area. The view of Bled lake with the castle, church, and island was spectacular. We enjoyed sitting on the lanai listening to live music and watching people go by. The location was great, close to the promenade and food booths. We also enjoyed walking around and doing some hikes to get different views of the lake. It was truly a spectacular stay.

AS Boutique Hotel

Ljubljana

We stayed at the AS Boutique Hotel in Ljubljana. The accommodations themselves were fine, but the parking situation was quite challenging and confusing. We had difficulty finding where to park and eventually had to use a parking garage. It was also hard to find the hotel initially. Clearer instructions about parking would have been helpful. Other than that, the hotel was okay.

Hotel Mangart

Bovec

We stayed at Hotel Mangart in Bovec, which is in a very recreational area popular for rafting, hiking, skiing, and biking. The hotel was not as high-end as some of the other places we stayed, and I was warned about this in advance. While the hotel itself was not perfect for our preferences, the people there were very nice and friendly, which made up for it. Overall, it worked out for the itinerary.

Activity Reviews

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Croatia

We did a city tour in Dubrovnik, and it was fabulous. The guide was very knowledgeable, accommodating, and spoke excellent English with little accent. They were enthusiastic about showing their country and made sure not to repeat information we already knew. It felt like we got more than what we paid for, and the experience was very engaging.

Visit Pula

Croatia

We took a city tour in Pula, which was fantastic. The guide was very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. We felt like we got a lot of value from the tour, and the guide was very accommodating and engaging. It was a highlight of the trip, especially since we had recently visited Rome and the Colosseum, so it was interesting to compare.

Vintgar gorge

Slovenia

This was an unexpected Gem. there are amazing cliffs and the gorge is cut out of the mountain. there is a path way cut right into the mountain. With the most beautiful water flowing below in waterfalls and rapids. And finished with a pastoral walk thru the forest and where the cows graze.

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace

Split

The city tour in Split was also excellent. The guide was very knowledgeable and accommodating, though maybe a little more time-conscious than the others. The English was great, and the guide was excited to share the history and culture. Overall, it was a very positive experience. if you do this tour make sure to pay for the visit below the Diocletian's palace. it was one of the highlights for us.

Excursion to Mostar ( Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Ston

We did an excursion to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Honestly, it was just okay. It was during a heat dome, so it was very hot and crowded with tourists, especially cruise ship visitors. The main street felt like a tourist bazaar, and there wasn't much water for the usual activities like jumping off bridges. It felt very touristy and not as authentic as I had hoped. I might not recommend it unless you really want to see it, but I would have preferred spending more time in other places like Zadar or the Istrian Peninsula. This is obviously my personal opinion as many people loved it there.

Cycling Pelješac

Croatia

One unexpected highlight was a two-hour hinterland tour of Ston given by Robbie himself, who lives there. It was not part of the original itinerary, but it was a wonderful, authentic experience. Robbie shared local knowledge, gave us homemade olive oil and honey, and showed us local spots. It felt very personal and genuine, and I highly recommend this kind of local insight for an authentic Croatian experience.

If you are planning a trip to Croatia, I enthusiastically recommend local Croatian travel agent Roberto (Robi) Pincevic. We traveled with family members ranging from age 25 to 88, and Robi listened to what we liked to do and suggested great activities and restaurants. His communication was excellent throughout planning and travel. While we were in Croatia, he checked in with us every day to see how things were going. When our flight to Rome was canceled at 6:30pm and we risked missing our niece's wedding, Robi tapped his network and solved the problem: two drivers to tag-team the 3.5 hour drive to our new flight, a hotel room on short notice, and transport from the hotel to the new airport. Every piece fell into place, and Robi saved the day.

The land tour through Istria was tailored to our small group’s travel priorities. The itinerary balanced natural sojourns through national parks with cultural and arts interests in the historical old towns. Our personal driver was a pleasant and knowledgeable docent through town and country.

Robert was determined to get to know us and our travel wishes and needs as we were planning this trip. He helped me put together exactly the trip we wanted for the limited time that we had. Additionally, he found excellent accommodations that matched our expectations. We stayed in Split for 3 nights in a tiny hotel inside the walls of the palace. It was so comfortable, and the hosts were most accommodating. I felt like I was staying with friends. Our city guide in Split, Petar (or Pero) was most informative, amusing and well able to roll with the bored teenager. Our city guide in Dubrovnik, Marko, was also very interesting and engaging, and this time we let the teenager stay at the pool.
We had very friendly and knowledgeable drivers who showed up right on time, and Robi made sure we had the tickets we needed for the ferries and for the National Park, When I found I had left behind an important ticket, Robi took care of the problem somehow.
I feel that we were very fortunate to find such a caring and capable local specialist for our trip. We highly recommend working with Robi.

Robi was our local travel planner. He is amazing - kept us informed every day. He would let us know what time and where our guide/driver would meet us. The itinerary delivered. I was very thankful for all the little details - for example the electric golf cart to take us from the ferry port to our hotel in Korcula. His recommendations for places to eat - were spot on. He sent pins on maps for places to visit and also where to meet the guide/driver. He even sent us photos and pins for the ferry port so that we would not miss the catamaran.. Such attention to detail. Also there were a couple of occasions where we deviated from the original planned itinerary but Robi was gracious and took care of everything!

We had two separate pick-ups and drop-off for airport. He coordinated that well - informed us where we would be picked up. We were worried for our daughters are their pick up time was very very early. But he told us the make, model, license plate number, name of driver and driver's phone number. He understood our concern! Thank you!

Mario - our driver/guide for the first half of our trip was very good. He guided us and shared interesting facts. On the hike around Plitivice Lakes he was patient and guided us to better photo spots.
For Krka National Park we changed our minds about exploring the upper part of the park, the Robi worked with the guide in coordinating our last minute desire to go the monastery! It was smoothly handled.
I forget the name of the driver who took us from Krka to Split. Since we had time he offered to take us on a detour to see Trigor! What a delight!

So a big THANK YOU to Robi for putting together a memorable trip - all the hotels, drivers, guides and places we visited were just amazing.