Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Our trip would have been better had we stayed in one town eg Ostuni and done day trips from there. It was quite exhausting moving every day. Our accommodation was excellent except for Alberobello where we were required to climb up a high staircase. As we had informed you, one of our group was incapacitated and this caused us much angst but luckily the 2 men in charge of the hotel came to the rescue & organised dinner for us in our rooms. Also none of our drivers had much English although I had asked for English speaking drivers. All our guides were wonderful. Also the only meal included was dinner on the first night, apart from breakfast every day. Don’t think I would rebook

From start to finish, working with the KimKim team was easy and personalized. Giulia was so incredibly informative, responsive, and helpful every step of the way. Once we were actually on the trip, Marta and Valentina were available 24/7 via WhatsApp and helped us with a couple of small issues that arose. Both were due to things that arose on our end and nothing to do with any problems with the travel plan. They helped us make some adjustments and correct some mistakes we made allowing us to enjoy our trip stress free. Every hotel Giulia booked for us was absolutely perfect. We wanted boutique style accommodations and each hotel was unique and intimate. The hotels were each staffed with attentive, friendly, and helpful people as well as being immaculate in their cleanliness. The private drivers were absolutely indulgent, allowing us to travel the new country from the back seat of a luxury car with zero concern. Each one was timely, professional, and hospitable. The tours Giulia selected for us were exactly what we wanted and skipping the lines at incredibly busy places helped us make the most of our time. The train tickets and other travel arrangements were perfectly plotted and explained in our paperwork making our transitions from one destination to the next exceptionally smooth. This was a first class experience. I have only one tiny wish and that is for an itemized invoice when booking. Even so, I would recommend KimKim to anyone asking for a luxurious and pampering travel experience!

From the start of planning this trip, Elisa was always pleasant, punctual in her response, attune to the things we wanted to do while in Italy and made the trip with the transport to the various places we visited very easy. While we were in Italy when I had a question, she was always prompt in her responses and gave me assurances about aspects of the trip when needed.
We visited Milan, Lake Como, the QC Terme Spa which is a must when visiting Milan, Naples, Pompeii, Capri, Amalfi, Positano and Rome. Our local guide, Anna Maria, was wonderful in showing us the main areas of Milan and its history. We missed the Verona day trip as it was the first full day of our trip and we were quite jet lagged. It would've been better to have a free morning on that day and visit the QC Terme Spa that afternoon and visit Verona on the second full day. So switching those two days around would have been a better option. I loved Lake Como and would love to one day go back and perhaps stay overnight 1 or 2 nights to explore the lake and perhaps take a boat to Switzerland for the day. The local guide, Tatianna, was excellent in explaining the history of the town of Como. We were 4 nights in Milan and that seemed like the right amount of time.
We next traveled to Naples by train. It made everything so much easier to have the transport to the train station and the train tickets arranged ahead of time. We were 3 nights in Naples - a very different city than Milan - but nice in its own way. We especially enjoyed our pizza making class. Our driver, Francesco, was excellent. A pizza making class in Naples is a must. We took a day trip to Capri - another must do if visiting Italy. While there, be sure to take a boat ride to the Blue Grotto - so beautiful! And either walk up the steps or take the funicular up the higher level to see the beautiful views.
From Naples, we went to Amalfi, by private driver, again Francesco! We stopped on the way at Pompeii, where our local guide, Ivan, gave us an in depth tour of the ruins of Pompeii - an amazing place to see - and massive! The drive from Pompeii to Amalfi took a little longer than usual due to the overcast and rainy day. There were points in the ride where there was so much fog you could not see the car in front. Francesco was a careful and skillful driver and got us there safely.
We were 3 nights in Amalfi, but I think 2 nights would have been enough. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Elisa had arranged for a tour and lunch of Le Vigne di Raito, a small winery owned by two sisters. Alfonso gave us a tour of the winery and a short tour of the vineyard since the weather was not cooperating. Then we went us to the sisters' home where they had the veranda set for a lovely, delicious lunch as we sampled some of their delicious wine. So glad Elisa suggested this as part of the itinerary. It was a wonderful day! On the drive back, my driver, Ciro, made a stop at his family's cafe for the most delicious, he said the best, lemon cake. He was right - the best I've had so far! The next day, we took a day trip to Positano - beautiful, but, for us, a full day was too long a time to be there, so we booked an earlier ferry back to Amalfi.
Since our flight was from Rome in the early afternoon, we stayed one night in Rome - so we only had an afternoon in Rome. For me that was fine since I'd been there before. My son would have liked more time there. If I had thought about it a little and done a little bit of research, I would have stayed 2 nights in Amalfi and 2 or 3 nights in Rome.
The hotels we stayed at were nice.
In Milan - the Antica Locanda Leonardo - was an older hotel with a lot of charm. I especially liked that we had a small balcony that overlooked a lush courtyard where you could hear the birds chirping. It was centrally located, and I would recommend this hotel.
The hotel in Naples - Hotel Piazza Bellini - was a very nice, up-to-date, funky hotel - very comfortable rooms. We would've like to have a room with a nice view or even a balcony. We had a window that overlooked an alley and the back of other buildings. The hotel was very centrally located and the courtyard was very nice, so I would recommend it, but ask for a room with a balcony or view of the courtyard.
The hotel in Amalfi - Hotel Floridiana - had by far the largest room and largest bathroom. It had a very small balcony that overlooked the street and shops below. It was in the middle of the town and a short, 3-minute walk, to the water. Perfect location.
The hotel in Rome - Hotel Raffaello - was in a quiet part of Rome, outside the center of the city, but close to the train station - a 10-minute walk - which was ideal. The people there were very nice as was the breakfast there, as it was in all the other hotels at which we stayed. But - the hotel was under renovation - this was not ideal. The shower door in the bathroom did not seal properly so water would leak on the floor. I would've opted for a different hotel, but it was only one night, so it wasn't really a big deal.
It was a wonderful, easy trip, and I owe that to Kimkim.com and to Elisa for helping me plan it. I recommend Elisa and Kimkim.com and would use them for future trips overseas.

Hotel Reviews

Antica Locanda Leonardo

Milan

Loved this hotel! We had a room with a view of the lush, relaxing courtyard. Everyone was so friendly and the breakfast was amazing!

Authenticity & Character

lots of charm

Location

Centrally located

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Piazza Bellini & Apartments

Naples

Modern, funky hotel. Very unique. Courtyard was very relaxing. Breakfast was great. Ask for a room with a view or a balcony.

Authenticity & Character

Very unique and modern with interesting decorations - different on each floor.

Location

Centrally located

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Floridiana

Amalfi

Centrally located. Large room. Updated bathroom. Had a room with small balcony which was a plus. Breakfast was wonderful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Raffaello Hotel Rome

Roma

Hotel was under renovation, but staff was very nice. Room was comfortable. Breakfast was excellent. Rooftop bar/lounge was very nice after an afternoon walking around.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Outside the busyness of Rome. Nice, quiet location.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided-walking tour

Milan

Anna Maria was excellent! She showed us all the highlights of Milan and shared some history of the Duomo. I highly recommend a tour by a local guide when visiting new cities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All the drivers and guides in Milan were excellent.

Transport

Como day trip and guided tour

Milan

Loved this trip. Very interesting history of Como that Tatianna shared. She was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Getting there by train was so easy. Tatianna met us right at the train station.

Pizza Cooking Class

Naples

This is a must do if traveling to Naples. So much fun learning about the history of pizza and that it originated in Naples.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Francesco was a great driver. Very personable and made sure we knew exactly where to go when we got there and picked us up on time.

Transport

Guided Tour of Pompeii

Italy

Amazing tour - amazing place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our Guide, Ivan, was excellent - very knowledgeable and offered a lot of history of Pompeii. Our driver, Francesco, was excellent. Glad he was our driver again.

Transport

Wine Tasting and Lunch in Amalfi Coast

Italy

This was one of my favorite experiences. Learned a lot about the process of making wine.

Quality of Experience

The owners of the winery made such a delicious lunch to go with the different wines we tasted. The table settings and setting in general was elegant and beautiful!

Food

Delicioso!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Alfonso, was excellent. It was an informative and fun experience.

Transport

Our driver, Ciro, was excellent and told me a little bit about the area.

Our local specialist, Eleni, was very knowledgeable about Italy and Greece and directed us to places we might not otherwise think to visit. She was quick with her responses and patient with all my questions. Our departing flight was canceled and we got delayed by a day...Eleni and KimKim took care of the changes we needed to make immediately and put together the documentation we'd need to file our insurance claim without me even asking. She knew exactly what to do. The local guides Eleni arranged were top-notch. Everything went exactly as planned and we didn't have any hiccups for two weeks of traveling. This was our second trip planned with KimKim. The thing we appreciate the most is the stress it removes from us during the trip. It's worth every penny to not wonder where to go or what to do. One of our favorite stops was at a small family vineyard in Nafplio, Greece. We also loved Pompeii...I'm so glad Eleni convinced me it was worth the stop.

Activity Reviews

Family Treasure Hunt in the Colosseum & the Roman Forum

Rome

This is one of the best tours we've ever had. There are some special surprises for the kids, adults also appreciate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pasta & Gelato Making Class

Rome

This was the best meal we had all week in Italy, and that's saying a lot since all the food in Rome is good. We remade the recipes as soon as we got back home. Homemade pasta is on regular rotation in our house now.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Athens Food Tour

Athens

Part of this tour was really interesting (olive oil tasting!) but a lot of it was not well executed. Our guide was very sweet and knowledgeable but other than the olive oil tasting didn't provide much of anything we could experience just by going to restaurants on our own. We were hoping for more tastings and possibly meeting the chefs.

Quality of Experience

The olive oil tasting was exactly what we had hoped for, but it was just one small part of the tour.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

More experienced guide and more tastings instead of just sitting at a restaurant and ordering food.

Greek Cookies making & farm lunch

Italy

We love spending time with locals more than anything else when traveling and being on this family's farm for the afternoon was amazing. We loved everything about it. It's worth the beautiful drive to the country.

Private Pompeii Tour for kids with light lunch

Pompeii

Pompeii was much larger and far more interesting than any of us expected. Our private guide was very knowledgeable and great with kids. We could've spent even more time here, we loved it so much.

Day 1: Thursday, May 16, 2024 Florence Hotel Berchielli
Arrival in Florence, Duomo Florence and Tour – Lucia was delightful and gave us a very in depth tour of the Duomo, its Baptistry, and Museum. As our first guide of the trip she provided a great introduction to Florence and the intersection of the history or the church and city. We ended up not climbing to the dome, because it started to rain when we were waiting in line for them to start entry, and I think because we were exhausted by that time.
Hotel Berchielli – We loved this hotel. It was so wonderful to open the windows and just watch the activity on the street and river below. The room was comfortable and beautifully decorated. Breakfast each morning had attentive wait staff and a great variety.
Day 2: Friday, May 17, 2024 Florence Hotel Berchielli
Florence small group guided walk including Accademia Gallery, Uffizi Gallery – Sabilla was our guide for all but the Uffizi Gallery. She was so knowledgeable about every aspect of Florence as well as the art we saw. It was very helpful to have the earbuds that enabled us to hear her from a distance.
Day 3: Saturday, May 18, 2024 Florence to Siena Hotel Santa Caterina
Time at your leisure in Greve in Chianti., and Montefioralle. As it turned out we spent very little time in Greve and Montefioralle. Stefano our wonderful driver, seemed to know these would be short stops, so took us to Castellina which we enjoyed quite a bit. A nice place to stop and have a drink and bite to eat, shop and great views.
Wine tasting with light lunch and winery visit Poggio Amorelli – While we didn’t enjoy the wine, we absolutely loved our guide there and the delicious lunch. And of course, the view.
Hotel Santa Caterina. While the room itself was very basic there were pluses to this hotel. The staff and owner were very nice. They made dinner reservations for us every night. Roberto was always there ready to make us drinks as we sat around with other guests.
There was quite a bit of road noise all day and night. The contrast was the pastoral view sitting in the back garden of the hotel. I realize this is a small hotel, but the breakfast choices were small. Best was its proximity to the walled city.
Day 4: Sunday, May 19, 2024 Siena Hotel Santa Caterina
Siena guided tour, Siena Cathedral entrance ticket. We spent the beginning of our day just relaxing in the hotel garden. Our tour with Roberta started promptly at 14:00. We really enjoyed this tour too! We loved learning everything about the 17 neighborhoods and the race. After our tour of the Duomo we did walk up to the dome and tower. Even for someone who has issues with heights, this was very easy.
Day 5: Monday, May 20, 2024 Siena Hotel Santa Caterina
Wine Day – Tenuta Vallocaia – We loved our afternoon at this winery. The winery was beautiful, the lunch was very creative and delicious. They provided a custom wine tasting. After each wine they would adjust the next provided based on our tastes. We do have a case being sent to us…
Ciacci Piccolomini – This was a smaller winery. The tasting was fine. The views were beautiful.
Pienza - Our driver Carlo, who we also loved, added a stop in Pienza. This too was a nice addition. Lovely shops and views.
Day 6: Tuesday, May 21, 2024 Siena to Cinque Terre Albergo Degli Amici
Lucca guided walk (private guide). We met our guide Lucia at the welcome center who took us on a detailed tour of Lucca, it history and walls. It was also interesting to learn about her family, spread between Italy and the US and the cross culture experiences she has had.
She also pointed us to an excellent pastry shop!
Cinque Terre time at your leisure. We learned right away about the hills of Cinque Terre, needing to bring our luggage a few blocks from above Monterosso to our hotel. Thankfully, Carlo and the hotel desk person helped us. We spent the remainder of the day relaxing in the tiered garden above the hotel. Just a gorgeous view surrounded by lemon, lime and olive trees.
The hotel Amici – The room was small as we expected, but very efficiently designed so it worked well. While our immediate view wasn’t of the water, walking around the corner of our patio provided a beautiful water view. The staff was very helpful especially Nadia, the desk person I mentioned. The breakfast was the best, offering a great variety.
Day 7: Wednesday, May 22, 2024 Cinque Terre Albergo Degli Amici
Cinque Terre Card, Cinque Terre visit - private guide. – Julia our guide met us at the hotel then walked us to the train. We visited Riomaggiore, Manarola and Vernazza.
Day 8: Thursday, May 23, 2024 Cinque Terre Albergo Degli Amici
Cinque Terre - Free day. Because the trains were so crowded we decided to stay in Monterosso. We walked a trail that started up the street from our hotel and ran into a beautiful winery and vineyard, Buranco. We came back at noon for a wine tasting. While we didn’t enjoy their wine, the people were lovely as was the view.
Our favorite restaurant – probably of the whole trip was L’Osteria in Monterosso. We went there two times.
Day 9: Friday, May 24, 2024 Cinque Terre to Florence Palazzo Alfieri
Stefano was great, going to the trouble to fill out paperwork so that he could pick us up in town. The ride was beautiful back to Florence.
As I told you before, the Palazzo Alfieri was very nice. Since it was Friday, Florence was more crowded than our first two days. So, we mostly stayed near the hotel which was close walking distance to Pitti Palace.
Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens guided visit. I cannot remember the name of our guide, but she was also very knowledgeable about the history and art within the Palace.
Day 10: Saturday May 25, 2024 Depart Florence Florence to Florence Airport (FLR)
Our driver for the airport ride was very prompt. At 5:30AM we had no problem getting through the city.

Summary: This trip absolutely met all the expectations that I had. Andrea's attentiveness to all the details in planning and willingness to make changes before and during our trip was the reason it was such a wonderful experience.
Thanks for everything…
Sue English-Kovar

Our family (me, my husband, and our two sons aged 21 and 27) travelled to Athens, Rome, and Sorrento May 22 through 30. 2024. This was a ‘once in a lifetime’ trip for all of us. Both of the boys have always been very interested in ancient history, so that informed our choices on this trip.

Everything in Athens was perfect! Hotel staff was friendly and helpful. The guides we got were very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. The sights were amazing, obviously. Food was good! Shopping was fun! Locals were lovely! Weather was gorgeous! Really, I couldn’t ask for any improvement. If I could find a Diet Pepsi in the city, I think I could move here.

We were rather disappointed with our time in Rome, although some of it was beyond anyone's control. On our first day there we had a tour scheduled for ‘Ancient Basilicas and the Catacombs.’ We were instructed to meet the tour guide in front of a hotel a ten-minute walk away. As we loitered around the front of the hotel for 15 minutes, (since we were told to arrive early), we spoke to one man who said he had the tour of the catacombs, but it started at 2:30, not 2:00 like we thought. So, we waited and wandered around some more. Finally figured out that was not our tour and found the correct guide. We were also told it was not a private tour, which is why we had to meet someplace that wasn’t our hotel, but we were the only people on the tour. The tour guide was lovely and interesting. The next day was a free day. It also happened to be the day of a cycling ‘tour of Italy’ event. Streets closed, crowds, grumpy taxi drivers. The third day we had a tour scheduled for the Colosseum, Palatine hill and the Forum. Got to the meeting place 15-20 minutes early and tried to figure out where we were supposed to be. There were tour guides there, but none of the names of the tour companies matched anything I had. The original tour guide didn’t show up. Finally figured it out and got underway. This tour was really not very pleasant. Maybe because she was late or was called in at the last moment, she moved like she was in a race. Barely time to take any pictures. Often she was so far away that the audio cut out on the headsets. “You see my scarf? Andiamo!!” Her commentary sounded like memorized bullet points from an index card. And then we got to the Colosseum. I could not believe the crowd. Impossible to see anything, impossible to hear the guide, really miserable. Looking back at my conversations with Emi, this is really where I would have hoped for a little more local insight. Maybe we shouldn’t have done the traditional tour of the Colosseum. Maybe we could have just done the floor tour. I would have appreciated her input here instead of just saying “you have to buy tickets for the floor tour yourself.” Pretty disappointed in the three days we spent here.

The next morning we were on the train to Naples. No problems on the trip and the driver met us even though we were about 45 minutes late. The hotel in Sorrento was amazing. I have never stayed in a hotel that nice and I’m sure I never will again. The tour guide for Pompeii was excellent. I wish we could have spent more time there – visited the museum and the gift shop. The boys went to Herculaneum the next day while my husband and I walked around Sorrento. (There was some confusion as the number of people on the tour was never changed from 4 to 2, as requested.) Again, the boys said the guide was excellent. Then back to Naples the next morning for our flight.

Overall it was a great trip. We saw so many amazing things and met some wonderful people. Since we are not big travelers and we are unlikely to ever do a trip like this again, I felt the pressure was on me to plan and execute a trip as close to perfect as possible. And it was, mostly. Just wish the days in Rome had worked out better.

We loved our May 2024 trip to Ital. The KimKim team did a great job curating our travel and everything was seamless. The app was easy to use and our tours and accommodations were excellent. Fantastico!!!

Hotel Reviews

Passpartout Boutique Palace

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Secret Garden

Florence

The owners were so lovely and accomdating. It was a very unique place to stay and close to everything in Florence.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Carnival Palace

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Horti 14 Borgo Trastevere Hotel Rome

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rome Walking tour: Squares & Historic center

Rome

Our tour guide was lovely and so much fun to be with!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient Wine Windows Tour

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Murano Island Excursion

Venice

Very fun and informative tour guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Typical Dining Experience in a Local Home with Aperitivo

Rome

Excellent hosts. Food was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Private Tour

Rome

Excellent guide. Very informative!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had several drivers and guides on our May 24- June 4 Sicily trip Our hotels were very nice, especially the last hotel in Ortigia, Algila Charme Hotel, which was lovely, and our room was large and beautiful. We had 3 wine tastings. the wineries of Firriato-Baglio Sorica and Principi di Butera were personal and great, but we did not like the Gambino wine tasting on Etna. The Gambino winery was in a pretty setting, but obviously catered to bus groups and was very commercialized and many tourists, We would suggest not to choose the Gambino winery again. There seemed to be other choices on Etna.
The cooking classes were nice, with just the 4 of us. I am stiil waiting for a recipe from our great cooking teacher in Ortiga, however.
The Palermo street food tour was done very well with just the 4 of us. However the Catania street food tour put us in a group of 10 people. I expected it would be just the 4 of us. I could not always hear the guide because it is a busy area and there were 10 in our group. So I would suggest you check the size of the group.
Overall, the trip was well planned for our requests. I would give it a 5 star.

Our trip to Sicily was terrific. The drivers were very punctual and the guides were pleasant and very knowledgeable. We loved our walking tour of Palermo with Donilla. Montreale and the Palatine Chapel were awe inspiring. Learning about Sicilian street food as we ate our way through the market was such fun. We enjoyed our cous cous cooking class followed by a delicious lunch and wine tasting at the wine resort in Trapani. The ruins at Agrigento and in Siracusa were excellently and thoroughly explained by our guides. It was interesting to compare the street food in Campania to that of Palermo- both yummy in their own way. The hotel in Agrigento and the one in Ortigia were exceptional. Our hotel in Palermo could benefit from some renovation but the location could not have been better. We gave our cooking class in Ortigia an A+. A great meal and an excellent chef. Noto was a pleasant surprise in terms of architecture. Our jeep ride to Mt. Etna with the very affable Giuseppe provided the perfect ending to our tour. The only “miss’ was the Gambino winery which was very commercial and not up to the standards of our 2 other winery experiences. All in all, a super vacation. Hats off to Melanie for her planning and assistance!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Principe di Villafranca

Palermo

Great location, helpful staff, needs a bit of updating

Authenticity & Character

Location

Across from the Theater

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel baglio della Luna

Valle dei Templi, Agrigento

A beautiful spot, gorgeous gardens, nice rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel

Siracusa

Excellent location, gorgeous room, very helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Palermo

Palermo

Donilla was an excellent guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Monreale

Italy

Awe inspiring

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour in Valley of the Temples

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sicilian Cooking Class + Wine Tasting

Palermo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine tasting

Agrigento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Syracuse - Ortigia food tour and baroque tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Village of Noto

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Etna Jeep excursion

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giuseppe was an excellent driver and guide!

Transport

Catania's Fish market tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had the best trip of my life thanks to Melanie. She guided my mom and I from A to Z to completely immerse us in Roman culture. She was very flexible with Zoom and answering our questions. She has lots of experience!

We went to Rome for 5 days and a day trip to Florence!

Activity Reviews

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Duomo skywalk

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historical Rome walking tour and Colosseum guided Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We worked with Thanos to plan our honeymoon to Greece and Italy. We had the best experience! He considered all our wants and needs in having a relaxed, but adventurous honeymoon. All the hotels were perfect and travel went smoothly. All drivers and pickups were on time. Our excursions were amazing. His itinerary was very clear and organized. I could not imagine having to do this without him after planning a wedding. Would absolutely recommend kimkim!

Activity Reviews

Capri Boat Tour

Italy

Matteo was great! It was just me and my husband for our trip and we were greeted at the dock and told which boat would be ours. We headed over to capri and Matteo pointed out all the things to see along the coast. The water was extra bumpy that day so he adjusted our trip to make it more enjoyable! He gave us the option of what we wanted to do, but we decided to take his advice as he is the expert and were very glad we did! we had plenty of time in capri and were able to see some of the grottos!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naxos Day Cruise

Naxos

We loved this boating experience! There were about five groups of people and it was super comfortable! The staff was extremely friendly and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the day! They served us homemade lunch and had plenty of drink options from soda to wine and beer. They went above and beyond when they found out if was my birthday and made a little cake. The water was amazing and they provided snorkeling gear for everyone if you wanted!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast: Amalfi, Positano & Ravello from Sorrento

Italy

This was a great way to see the whole Amalfi coast. We loved staying in Sorrento, but wanted to see the other towns and this was a great way to do so. Our guide was so informative and talked to us the whole drive pointing out different landmarks! She took us on two tours that were included with the trip and made lunch recommendations for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Wine Roads

Santorini

Our guide Hercules was super knowledgable! I felt like we got a great over view of the three wineries and really got to experience all the different options of wine. Our guide made us all feel comfortable and got all the different groups interacting with each other which was a nice touch!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis & Flavors Combo Tour

Athens

Apollo was our guide and wow can't recommend this enough! We were stuffed by the end of this! We felt like we tried every food there was to try and it was all amazing. He was super informative and made us comfortable throughout the whole day! He had so many tricks for navigating the Acropolis to deal with the crowds and heat which we really appreciated

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just came back from a 9 day trip to Italy and we had an amazing time. Elisa was the perfect trip planner and was an absolute pleasure to work with before the trip and when we were in Italy. She arranged for amazing tours while we were in Florence and Rome. We also took day trips to Tuscany and Tivoli which were fabulous suggestions. We had personal tour guides all throughout the trip which made the difference. We could see things at our own pace and got to ask a lot of questions to get a deeper sense of the history. As true of any trip, we had snafu with a tour, but Elisa was available to help us immediately. She emailed us on a Saturday night to make sure that everything was worked out. She went above and beyond to make sure that our trip was a fantastic one and we are so appreciative to Elisa for everything. We can't wait to plan another trip to Europe soon, and will definitely use Kim Kim again.

Kimkim meshed their two week portion of our trip to Venice, Florence and Rome with our four existing Airbnb reservations and our 8-day Vermont Biking Tour in the Alpine Valleys of Slovenia, Austria, and Italy that ended in Salzburg .

Most useful was Kimkim problem solving when the unexpected occurred and when we needed to alter our schedule due to unforeseen events.

We were able to maximize our vacation and reduce stress as Kimkim provided daily communication and support.

Every member of Italian team was absolutely great. Starting from Sonia, who penciled in our itinerary, to Valeria, who firmed up all the details, to Deborah, who painstakingly booked every detail and of course Francesca, who was absolutely invaluable to the success of our trip as a concierge.
When everything goes well, you do not feel the importance of the local representation, but when you have a blown tire in the middle of nowhere in the foreign country and you do not speak the language, having a local team who are totally dedicated to the success of your trip, help you deal with authorities, suppliers etc. become paramount. Well it happened to us. Francesca and Deborah dealt with everything, getting us a tow truck based on our gps location, negotiated with a rental company for a new car, reminding us about tours every day, giving us directions to the most convenient parking outside ZTL and making sure that every transfer that we booked is on time. Having a local agent booking a trip is wonderful, having concierge as Franchesca is absolutely priceless and only Kimkim offers it.

Hotel Reviews

Risorgimento Resort

Lecce

Luxury hotel, excellent staff and location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Luna Convento 4* Amalfi

Amalfi

amazing view, amazing location, wonderful rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Alcove Luxury Hotel nei Trulli

Alberobello

We arrived to this hotel after 11 pm due to mishap with a car, yet our concierge was in touch with the staff to make sure that there was an English speaking person there to help us with luggage, parking and arrange for us to have a dinner in the nearby restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Victoria Pescara

Pescara

Best hotel in Pescara, although just a bit dated, but the staff was amazing in every way, helping us with parking. Breakfast was wonderful, location 1st class.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Above and beyound every reasonable expectation.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dei Priori Boutique Hotel

ASSISI

Although the hotel and location were wonderful, the parking is pretty far away and nobody to help with the luggage.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Nobody there to help with the luggage

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relais Vignale & Spa

Radda in Chianti SI

Simply amazing...

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Venezia spa

Abano Terme ( PD)

Wonderful hotel, amazing, modern rooms, great location, breakfast so so in comparison to other hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Balestri

Florence

This little gem offers beautiful views of a river, wonderful location and modern, renovated rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit of The Amalfi coast Villages Full Day

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Assisi discovery

Assisi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day visit to Siena and San Gimignano - guide in Siena included

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of Chianti wine region

Italy

We had a half a day tour of two wineries. The larger was very nice, but a bit commercialized, the smaller winery was very unique in a private house and the lunch that they offered was truly spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private guided tour of Padova highlights

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

our guides were great
our concierge Franchesca was amazing
she made our trip the best trip we ever had

Our Trip to Italy was fantastic! We loved all of our private transfers and we loved our Guide Lucianna so much that we booked her another day on one of our free days.

We loved our agritourismo in Chianti and the small hotel in Sorrento was great!
We loved how we had access to asking questions along the way and a few hiccups we had were taken care of with the help of KimKim; we chose to cancel the Ebike in Rome and KimKim was able to cancel with full refund to us.
Overall, we would work through KimKim again in the future!

Hotel Reviews

Fattoria la Loggia

San Casciano in Val di pesa FI

We absolutely loved staying at Fattoria La Loggia. The owner, Evanna (not sure of spelling?) was fabulous; so warm and helpful. Property beautiful food wonderful pool lovely grounds kept up beautifully

Authenticity & Character

Evanna was warm and friendly and helpful and provided/made amazing breakfast items

Location

close to attractions but far enough to feel quiet and peaceful

Staff

helpers on property work hard and it shows

Cleanliness & Comfort

our unit had everything we needed

La Vue D'Or

Sorrento

We loved that this hotel is small and has somewhat of a 'cruise ship' vibe with very friendly worker in restaurant - Tony. Quaint, clean, up to date, lovely views, lovely pool, great bar, and it was so nice to have a restuarant for the 2 nights we were too tired to go to one of our 'foodie' restuarants off premises.

Authenticity & Character

friendly vibe

Location

beautiful views without being higher up the cliff

Staff

great

Cleanliness & Comfort

nothing constructive to say; all good!!!

Maison Tritone

Roma

Very good location; steps our not too steep into units feels very modern in an old building

Authenticity & Character

wonderful checkin experience

Location

walkable to everything including the great district of Sallustiano

Staff

the man we had was attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

beautiful unit/ very modern and on the fancy side

Activity Review

One Day on the Amalfi Coast with driver (Amalfi, Positano, Ravello)

Italy

excellent day with driver Maria. She was wonderful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful Italian adventure. We spent half of our time in Tuscany and the other half in Sorrento/Amalfi Coast.

The communication with Giulia our specialist has been great from day one. I contacted her on our first day in Italy asking for a change and it was made immediately.

Our private drivers/tour guides were wonderful. We loved Lucianna in Tuscany. We liked her so much, that we hired her for a second day to be our driver and tour guide. We would highly recommend her.

We also liked our tour guide Gianne Lucca in Pompei. Our driver for the Amalfi Coast, Maria was excellent. She did an amazing job finding us a place for lunch that was not touristy or busy but with an amazing view and food. We were actually in Scala which looked over to Ravello which we visited after lunch.

The choice of wineries was very nice and we enjoyed all of them.

Our tour in Sorrento to the lemon, olive oil, and wine farm was great. A lovely family owned farm that truly exemplifies the farm to table concept. We had a wonderful lunch there as well.

Our accommodations were perfect in both spots. We always felt like we were coming home to our Agriturismo Frattoria La Loggio and Ivanna was such a nice host and so accommodating. She helped us make dinner reservations a couple of times and a couple of times, we just had our wine and cheese and meat in there since it was so beautiful.

We also really enjoyed our Hotel in Sorrento Vue di Ore. We had balcony views of the sea and Mount Vesuvious. The pool, bar, and restaurant were nice when we wanted to relax after a long day of touring.

Our hotel in Rome was also so lovely but we were there for only on night. I would definitely stay there again as the location is nice but tucked away a bit. Maison Tritone.

The only "glitch" we had was returning our rental car back in Florence. The address was for the office which was closed on Sunday morning and not for the Garage to return. We ended up driving around and around trying to avoid the restricted streets (which we ended up on multiple times). We dropped the car 15 minutes before our train was leaving so we ran to the train station to make it. Unfortunately, our travel companions were waiting for us at the train station with all of the luggage and our communication failed. My husband and I made it on the train with a minute to spare, but our other couple did not. They were re-ticketed for a later train so we all met up again in Naples. It did shorten the amount of time we could spend in Pompei, but everyone was so friendly and accommodating trying to make everything work.

This is our second time using KimKim for travel. I would definitely use them again!

We had a fantastic trip to Napoli and Amalfi.

We started our vacation in Napoli with a guided walking tour. We loved the hustle and bustle of the city, and, thanks to our guide Simone, we were able to see things that would pass normal tourists by. From Napoli we travelled to Amafi via Pompeii. We expected Pompeii to be good but 'good' doesn't even begin to describe the wonderfully informative visit provided by our guide Paola - her passion for her subect shone through!

The Amalfi coast was stunning. The highlight of our time on the Amalfi Coast was a Fiat 500 Tour from Amalfi to Positano. Andrea, our host, took some amazing photos of us amidst wonderful scenery.

All of the above was only possible thanks to the hard work & dedication of our tour organiser, Martina. Her advice as we were planning our vacation was excellent. Her organisation was first class and, during our trip, she was always on hand to ensure that we had a problem free vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Piazza Bellini & Apartments

Naples

Great City Centre location. Very comfortable room and a great breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Residence

Amalfi

Very centrally located and within walking distance of all that Amalfi has to offer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Naples Underground

Naples

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wine Tasting and Lunch in Amalfi Coast

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Walking Tour of Napoli

Naples

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fiat 500 Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I cannot recommend Lorenza and my experience with kimkim enough! Lorenza planned an exceptional dream vacation for my husband and I for our 20th wedding anniversary in Italy. Lorenza took the time to first understand what we were looking for in a vacation, what our interests were and what level of service we required. Armed with that information she carefully curated an experience that surpassed our wildest expectations. From every detail of our transport to carefully selected hotels to knowledgeable and friendly guides, each experience was thoughtful and detailed. We particularly enjoyed our time in Cinque Terre and the lovely couple who operated the Hotel Marina Piccola. We were also charmed by the Tuscan countryside where we stayed at the beautiful Relais Osteria dell'Orcia and relished our tour of Montepulciano and Pienza with our outstanding local guide Serena! In addition we treasured the truffle hunt and cooking class operated by three generations of the Loghi family. If I sound like I'm gushing, its because I am! If you are interested in visiting Italy, you absolutely will not regret using Lorenza. 10 out of 10!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Spadari Al Duomo

Milan

The rooms were very large, the breakfast was outstanding and the location was central.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Marina Piccola

Manarola

This hotel was a treasure. The couple who owns and operates it are so kind and welcoming. We really enjoyed the delicious breakfast spread each morning which included eggs or pancakes made fresh to order. The location was great and the people even better!

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the heart of Cinque Terre

Staff

Some of the most welcoming and kind people we met in all of Italy

Cleanliness & Comfort

Corte dei Sogni Boutique Hotel & spa

The rooms are nice and very spacious. The location is in the heart of the city and cant be beat. The morning breakfast was a plus.

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the middle of all the sites and a quick walk to the train station or rental cars.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wine and food tour in Florence

Florence

This was a fun experience that enabled us to try so much delicious local fare.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence private guided walk

Florence

Our guide was very intelligent and knowledgeable. She was a native to the community and offered a very in depth and personal perspective.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pienza and Montepulciano guided tour

Italy

We loved our guide Serena and appreciated how connected she was with the community. This was by far one of the best tours we went on in Italy and cannot recommend it more highly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Serena was a local and introduced us to so many lovely people, traditions and customs. She knows her stuff!

Transport

Truffle Hunt and Cooking Class in Tuscany Countryside

Italy

We had a wonderful experience with the Loghi family. It was such a treat to meet all 3 generations working the land. The truffle hunt was fun and informative and the cooking class after was delicious and informative. The entire team was welcoming and hospitable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It's a little tough to find but the directions provided by Lorenza our travel agent were spot on

Spa in Bagno Vignoni hot springs

Italy

A unique experience to vacation like a local! The hot springs were divine, the grounds stunning and the people kind.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class

Italy

This was a neat experience. It began with a walk to the local market to shop for the food we will cook. The guide grew up in the neighborhood and so you feel like a part of the community. We were then welcomed back into their home where we engaged in a cooking class and delicious meal. We really enjoyed spending time with locals in their home and learning about their customs, beliefs and ideas.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a much better experience than I could have ever hoped for by having local guides take us to the highlights of Rome and Naples. Our guide in Rome for the first two days, Mariapaula, was trained as an archeologist, her knowledge helped us appreciate the history (and her English was easy for us to understand!). We had skip the line tickets for the pantheon and the Vatican. After talking to other tourists who went through the Vatican, a guide and skip the line tickets are really worth it! I added an ebike ride in Frascati, outside of Rome. Our biker is a local and showed us amazing archeological sites..while not strenuous, it’s best if you’ve mountained biked before. We ended the ride with a wine tasting, then lunch at a gorgeous palazzo. Our final day was again in Rome with a private tour of the colosseum. Other tourists we talked to had a hard time figuring out how to get into the colosseum but our guide whisked us in and then took us to the palatine hill where she interpreted the ruins for us. Our hotel in Rome, the antico Albergo del pantheon was our favorite hotel of the trip!
Again we had a great private guide, Lydia, for Pompeii then spent the night in Naples. Walk the pedestrian only street, it’s so vibrant and full of life! Our private guide took us down interesting alleyways and to one of the best pizza places that I’d heard about!
We spent 4 nights in amalfi on the amalfi coast. Amalfi was good for us because it was an easy walk from our hotel to the central piazza, but if you’re willing to walk the stairs there are other beautiful towns to stay at. Our driver, Vincenzo drove us to ravello and Positano, two must-see areas. His English was very easy to understand and he was like a private guide as he was so knowledgeable about his home town. He made a lunch reservation for us at the Garden restaurant which had a picturesque view. We were recommended to go to the isle of Capri. It was our only disappointment. The boat ride stopped at 3 grottos which were not that enjoyable because you’re in line with other boats and all the drivers are vying for spots, plus it was too crowded for the blue grotto ( but no worries, we saw two later- see below). Once on the island we had less than 4 hours to explore. If you don't know beforehand how to get transported away from the hoards of crowds to the other side of the island, it can cost valuable time. We took a half hour walk uphill to the closest piazza, which was a beautiful walk but once in the piazza it was more of the same hoards of people so we didn’t enjoy that. The boat ride back was more enjoyable because we didn’t stop and the driver had Prosecco and aperitivi for us! Our last day I opted for kayaking out of minori. We had a charming guide who took us to the Pandora’s box grotto- amazing! Then limoncello spritzers on the beach! The other grotto that we saw , the emerald grotto was with our driver Vincenzo.
We got home less than 24 hours ago so it’s been fun to write about the highlights and I hope some of this info is helpful!

Activity Reviews

Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel skip the line ticket

Rome

Definitely worth it to skip the line

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide

Rome

A private guide helps you see what’s important and you can also go at a pace that is comfortable for you.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

Best way to see Pompeii. We had two hours which was a good amount of time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Colosseum & Roman Forum skip the line ticket

Rome

Best way to see the colosseum and Roman forum!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

E-Bike ride in the Roman Castles area with winery - Frascati (Private)

Italy

If you’ve mountained or e-bikes biked before you’ll be ready to go on this amazing tour of gorgeous palazzos, views, and ruins of an ancient city. Our guide/bike rider was fun. At the end of our bike ride, the winery and restaurant were a real treat, Tenuta di Pietra Porzia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport