Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

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

Tour To Capri From Sorrento

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

We had the most wonderful time in Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Polignano a Mare. Fabio took such wonderful care of us. He was very accessible and informative. Some highlights:
- The boat ride around Capril was wonderful! Our skipper, Luigi, was fantastic
- Our hike on the Path of the Gods was beautiful. It was a little more difficult than I expected, but our guide, Roberto, was great and was patient with us. Our driver that day, Ciro was wonderful.
- One of our favorite days was the road trip, and in particular - Ravello. What a beautiful town! Our driver that day, Marcello, was great!!!
- The cooking class at Chez Barone was so much fun - and yummy! We all had a really special time there
- In Polignano a Mare, the Masseria Aquaterrae was stunning. We were so pleasantly surprised. All of the staff were so kind and thoughtful and attentive. The rooms were beautiful and the grounds were amazing. The whole thing was so peaceful and enjoyable. One thing to note is that the location is not within walking distance of the town, but the front desk is more than happy to arrange for cabs.
- Our bike trip was definitely a highlight! Nico was a wonderful and friendly guide.
Thank you so much for everything!!!

Good morning Arianna,
This is Alfredo Vichot writing to you about the fabulous trip that you tailored for us. It was a wonderful experience on all counts. Hotels, selections of villas and drivers were outstanding. The guides were superb. All three gave us a lot of information. Even the free time we had matched perfectly to discover more of Milan and Lake Como.
Valeria picked us on time and talked not only about the Lugano region and sites we visited, but added history and anecdotes which made her a jewel when you put all her knowledge together.
Both Katerina and Barbara gave us an excellent tour touching on certain points of interest and also history. Both spoke with intensity and emotion in their voices proud of their heritage and Italy.
The drivers were courteous and on time. Tino was very good in handling curves and avoiding possible accidents on our way to Monte Bre. I must mention Stefano, who was our driver from Milan to Como and back. He was engaging, pleasant and time flew by fast.
The Hotels were perfect. The Palace Hotel was centrally located--walking distance to the ferry boats piers, Plaza Cavour, restaurants and the Duomo. The staff was friendly and helpful. The breakfast room was outstanding, as well as, the breakfast selections.
The Lancaster hotel was located in a very nice neighborhood. It was clean and the staff was always willing to help. The young man at the front desk in the am, who speaks Spanish, was exceptional. He managed to get us a taxi when an unsuspected taxi strike was declared the morning we were supposed to see The Last Supper. Thanks to him we were able to get there on time. Kudos to him.
The Lancaster hotel was also 20 minutes away through a pleasant walk to the Duomo, going through the Arco, Parco Sempione and the Castello Sforziano. There were excellent restaurants a few blocks away on Corso Sempione. We would definitely will stay again at the Lancaster.
Finally, we would like to thank you for making our vacation an unforgettable experience. We are planning a trip to Puglia in a not so distant future and we hope to enjoy that trip with the same intensity that we enjoyed this adventure.
Grazie mille!

Hotel Reviews

Palace Hotel Lake Como

Como

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lancaster Hotel

Milan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Villas of the Lake Boat Tour with departure from Como - ONLY TICKETS

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lugano and Monte Bre' Day - Trip from Lake Como

Lake Como

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Express Milan Duomo Tour with Terrace Access

Milan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milan Last Supper Tour with City Highlights

Milan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The hotels were spot on: great locations, excellent service, and not places I would have likely found on my own.
The itinerary exceeded our expectations. Giulia was responsive while setting it all up and the agency was responsive the few times I needed help during the trip. Thank you.

This was the first time using KimKim and generally, the experience was very good. The initial questionnaire was very thorough and the planner (Ina) obviously used the answers to customize our trip including specific hotels and private tours that met our requirements. I don't think we could have put together an equivalent vacation ourselves, which made the higher price we spent that much more worthwhile. The 30+ page schedule they put together included suggested restaurants, most train tickets and most suggested private day excursions. However, there were several items missing from the schedule that we felt were an oversight. Several days were free and gave a link to suggested walking tours - but when it came time to see the link it was empty. We were also missing a couple of train tickets. Luckily, their 24/7 support is excellent and provided the information when requested. But it added a level of pressure during our trip that was unnecessary. Would we use KimKim again - absolutely. It was a great vacation.

We just returned from a 9 night adventure in Italy and Greece and I couldn't wait to write a review to dote on our travel specialist, Irene. The only information we gave her was we like food and wine and a budget and WOW did she come through. Every accommodation felt perfect for us, the drivers were all on time and professional and the tours were top notch. I never one time had to even think about how we would get somewhere or where to be. IF we would have had any issues I had confidence we could have easily resolved them but we never had anything come up. Irene was so thorough she even made sure we planned / booked the tours we were booking on our own in time so we got the right tours to best accommodate the schedule. I truthfully was blown away at how great this was planned and will use this company (and hopefully Irene specifically) for adventures in the future. Very happy!

Hotel Reviews

Kasimatis by La Perla

Santorini

We had the best time at this hotel!! We had a suite on the bottom side of the hiking path so it was much more private, the view was so amazing that we canceled our afternoon driver to just enjoy the room and view! The pool was too cold to get in but it was nice to sit by it. We had a hot tub on our balcony and enjoyed that too (a little cold for the chilly evenings but refreshing after hiking) the location was IDEAL. It was far enough from Fira and Oia to not deal with the crowds but close enough to walk there when wanted. The breakfast each morning was amazing. I miss it already!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Athens Cypria Hotel

Athens

This hotel was so kind to have a nice bottle of Greek wine and Baklava for us to celebrate with! We loved the view of the Parthenon from the roof top restaurant and as a bonus- hotel guests get a discount! The room was comfortable and the breakfast was really nice!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Isolani Piazza Maggiore Bologna

Bologna

We had the top floor and it had amazing sweeping views! Everything was clean and the hotel reception was accommodating and helpful. The only few tiny drawbacks- it wasn't easy to find (but luckily the hotel was expecting us and saw my husband looking lost in the courtyard, ha!) The windows all open for a nice breeze but there were some small red bugs so we didn't leave them open much. But it was very central, it was a neat building and the view was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Super old staircase, really great room

Location

Right in the center of so much!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Modigliani

Roma

We had a beautiful room with the cutest balcony ! We loved this room and it was very spacious to spread out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Parma Tour With Parmigiano, Prosciutto & Balsamico

Italy

This tour was absolutely fantastic. We started with a visit to a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese factory, followed by a Parma ham factory tour, and then headed to Modena for a balsamic vinegar tasting. Our guide, Georgia, was exceptional—she answered all our questions and never made us feel rushed. George, our driver, though his English was not as fluent, was very engaging and informative during our drive. We learned so much and enjoyed tasting the cheese. It was a really fun and informative day.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Trastevere Afternoon Food Tour & Wine Experience

Rome

This was probably my favorite part of Rome. The food and wine walking tour of Trastevere was fantastic. The area felt up-and-coming and hip, which was a nice change from the crowded tourist spots. We got to explore the neighborhood while tasting delicious food and wine. It was a really enjoyable and relaxing experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Premium Sunset Catamaran Cruise in the Caldera lagoon

Santorini

The catamaran cruise in Santorini was absolutely amazing. They went above and beyond to make my birthday special by surprising me with an entire cake and singing to me. The thoughtful touches were incredibly impressive. The cruise itself was beautiful, and we even got to take the cake home. It was a memorable and delightful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were traveling to Italy for the first time. We knew the locations where we wanted to go but did not know the best way to get to each city, where to stay and activities to consider. We decided to use KimKim to reduce the stress of booking the trip on our own and it was a great decision. Martina helped us plan out the trip and gave us options and advice as we finalized our plans. During the trip, we had two issues come up, a canceled train and a hotel having incorrect payment information. In both cases, we called Martina and she quickly helped solve the issues. She was also able to help us book a last minute tour in Rome. Just as we had hoped, Martina helped make this a low stress trip so we could enjoy the experience. We would highly recommend KimKim and Martina.

Amazing experience! Planning our mother/daughter trip to Italy was a breeze with Andrea. And the trip itself? Wonderful! Andrea did such a superb job of choosing experiences, lodging, and the general flow/schedule of things. We had just the right amount of time in each location (Venice, Florence, and Sorrento). And he scheduled things so that we had activities, travel, and time at our leisure in a way that made for a great pace. Multiple times during our trip we commented to each other that Andrea really hit the mark! Accommodation locations were perfect, activities were great quality, and details were taken care of that we would not have even realized were needed.

Hotel Reviews

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

Great location; easy walk to bus stops and train station. Pleasant staff, tidy room, and good breakfast. Would definitely stay here again.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Corte dei Sogni Boutique Hotel & spa

Great locations and amazingly comfortable beds. Set up if the bathroom was a bit odd (more style over function).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy walk from train station and close to bus stops, shops, and restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sorrento Maison Lurò

Sorrento

Perfect B and B other than very loud traffic if windows open. The host of this BnB, Luigi, was the absolute nicest person and couldn't be better in his role. Cleanliness of the room was amazing. Massive, nice bathroom. Cute patio to eat breakfast on. Tasty breakfast delivered daily. A bit of a hike to the main area of town (15 minutes), but definitely manageable. There were soundproof doors for the patio so when closed there was no issue, but if open the traffic on the street was really really loud. All in all I would probably stay here again as the noise and long walk were only minor inconveniences.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chianti Full Immersive Wine & Olive Oil Experience from Florence (small group)

Florence

Amazing. Simply amazing. Getting out of the city and into the Tuscan countryside was a highlight of our time in the area. Van was comfortable, our guide, Christina, was great, and the vineyard tours and tastings were wonderful. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience

Italy

Highly recommend this activity! Our guide gave a nice overview of Venice history and culture and then brought us to multiple locations where we learned interesting history, then stopped for wine and cicchetti. We learned so much inside info from our guide that made the rest of our time in Venice better. She helped us to know how to navigate the city, where to go to get a more authentic Venice experience, and provided us with tips and pointers we utilized that vastly improved our time in the city. The tour was private, for just us, and that allowed for a nice pace and personalized experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Accademia Gallery - skip the line entrance

Florence

Was an efficient way for us to be able to take in this site. Recommended.

Quality of Experience

Winery visit and wine tasting in Pompeii area including light lunch

Italy

Greeted with a glass if wine the second we stepped on to the property! Nice unique location with beautiful view of Vesuvius. Lunch and tastings were delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day trip to Capri Island from Sorrento - small group

Italy

Highlight experience for us. Staff were simply amazing. So glad we didn't opt for a simple ferry ride to Capri, as time best part of the trip was the views and stops along the way. Swimming in the Mediterranean Sea!! Several on the boat did get seasick so I strongly recommend some meds if you are prone to that. We had a few hours to explore Capri, but like I said that was the least enjoyable part of the trip. I cannot say enough good about this operation and their staff. Would do this again in a heartbeat even with the seasickness!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff