Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Arianna did a great job understanding what we wanted in our trip to Italy and we saw and did so many things while we were there, from truffle hunting to dinner with a cesarine. During the trip, Jessica and Barbara from Storywalking made sure we where we needed to be when we needed to be there. Having drivers to take us to from the hotels to the train station was a real convenience. The drivers were always there right on time. Even the rental car (we drove around for part of the trip) was easy and convenient. There were five of us on this trip and I think we all agreed that using KimKim made the trip special - getting us to places we would never had known we wanted to be.

We used KimKim earlier on a trip to Norway and found the same type of thing - easy, convenient, and finding unique places and activities that we would have never found on our own.

Anytime we go to a new country (or back to countries we've already been to), KimKim will be our first call.

Thanks Arianna, Jessica, and Barbara !!

Hotel Reviews

Lancaster Hotel

Milan

Lancaster Hotel was very nice with a few quirks. The keys were like heavy Christmas ornaments that you had to leave with the front desk anytime you left the hotel. Staff was great and friendly. Breakfast included everyday. The only negative is that the location is a bit far to places you want to see such as the Duomo.

Authenticity & Character

Great old building. Some of the bathrooms were "unique".

Location

Not much to improve - location was ok, but a long walk to sites, especially in the rain.

Staff

Very friendly staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Marina

Monterosso al Mare

Small boutique hotel right in the middle of things. Can't get a car all the way there (narrow roads), but the walk isn't far. Near great restaurants, bars, and paths.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Davanzati Hotel Florence

Florence

Hotel Davanzali was great!! Staff was super friendly and helpful. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Breakfast and happy hour every day. Th only negative was you had to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the lobby. Some in our group were a bit out of shape, so they had a bit of trouble with this. That said, I'd stay here again next time I'm in Florence.

Authenticity & Character

We really enjoyed this hotel - happy hour every evening before going out to dinner.

Location

So close to everything !!

Staff

Staff was the best - Leonardo

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was great - only negative for comfort was that you had to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the lobby.

Agriturismo Il Cerreto

Pomarance

Prior to Agriturismo Il Cerreto, we were in the hear of the cities. Now we're out in the country. What a wonderful change. Did a tour of the farm and then to San Giimignano - this is a very special place. Il Cerreto was a bit hard to find (we were driving on our own at this point in the trip), but worth it. A very unique experience. Once again, there was a set of steps to walk up to get to our rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds. Wish we had another day here.

Location

A bit out of the way, but it is a working farm.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful. We knew rudimentary Italian and they knew rudimentary English, so communication was a fun problem to solve.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vannucci

Città della Pieve (PG)

Wow, this is a luxury hotel right where you want to be in Citta della Pieve. We only had one night here and wish we had more. Grounds were beautiful with easy parking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect for walking around town - near restaurants and sights to see.

Staff

Staff was very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Metropolitan Hotel Bologna

Bologna

Very nice - right in the middle of everything. Rooftop bar with great views. Modern and old at the same time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

You can't get any closer to everything than this. Wish we had more time here.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wine Experience in Cinque Terre

Italy

This was not really worth the effort. Because of the rain, we didn't get to walk the vinyards. Staff was nice, but this was at a restaurant and not really setup for a wine tasting. They poured the wine, but no real insight given. Almost seemed like they were doing the minimum needed to meet their obligation.

Quality of Experience

Looking forward to this, but did not meet even minimum expectations.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff at the restaurant was nice, but no information or insights into the wine we tased.

Transport

We walked and this was the best part of the experience. Its very steep to get there and we needed that after our drive to Cinque Terra.

Milan Last Supper Tour with City Highlights

Milan

Very crowded, but worth it. The location to meet our guide was just a few blocks from the hotel. Our guide took us through the skip the line and the museum was amazing.

Quality of Experience

This was our first experience in Italy and it exceeded expectations.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgable and friendly.

Transport

We walked and it was a great!! Things to see everywhere.

Cinque Terre Trekking & Train Card

Italy

Well it rained the whole tie we were I Cinque Terra. Weather happens. So we didn't really get to walk the trails. We did use the train - easy walk from the hotel. Lots of restaurants and shops.

Quality of Experience

A four only because of the weather. Otherwise a five.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and knowledgeable. The drivers were always there on time.

Transport

Cinque Terra trains are easy and each town has a unique character.

Florence Traditional Food tour

Florence

Easy to find the guide from the hotel. He was personable, knowledgable, and took us to places we have never known to go to. Food was delicious. Great insights into traditional Florentine food.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide knew what he was talking about and took us to great places.

Transport

Easy walk from the hotel and this was a walking tour.

Wine tour from Florence: discover vineyards, olive groves, cellars and wineries

Florence

This place was a true experience - in a great way. Grounds are beautiful and KimKim added truffle hunting to this experience. Truffle hunting was one of the highlights of the trip. After truffle hunting we had wine tasting and lunch - everything was top notch. Food was wonderful - especially the lasagna. Wines were great - we ordered several bottles and they ship home for no additional charge.

Quality of Experience

This was our favorite activity - and we had lots of good one's.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Family owners really take care of you. Learning about and truffle hunting was the best.

Transport

We drove ourselves - since my wife was driving, I better give this a 5 star review

Florence in a Day | Semi-Private (Wed, Fri & Sun)

Florence

This was an amazing day. A long walk but worth it. Our guide was just the best. Very knowledgable and open to all questions. You see so much in a day its can be overwhelming in the best possible way.

Quality of Experience

David, Uffizi, Duomo - so much. Was great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very knowledgable, answered all questions. The best.

Transport

Easy walk from the hotel - KimKim got us in the best hotel locations.

Wine Tasting & Cooking class in Montalcino

Italy

A bit out of the way, but worth it. Took a tour of the castle and winery. Follow that up with a private chef for a cooking class to make bruschetta, tagliatelle Bolognese, a second main dish that I can't remember the name of, tiramisu and then eating everything al fresco overlooking the vineyards with th wine produced onsite. A really nice experience.

Quality of Experience

Made for an enjoyable day

Food

Freshly made by us with coaching by the chef. Fun and delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff, especially the chef, was friendly and fun.

Transport

We drove ourselves.

Private Cooking Experience at Local's Homes

Italy

Went to the home of the cesarine, Christina Rossi. Met her husband and daughter and the cooked our dinner with Christina's guidance and supervision. This was a lot of fun and great conversations and moments to practice our Italian.

Quality of Experience

What made this a quality experience was the personal touch. Felt like we got to know Christina and vice versa.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Christina is obviously knowledgeable, but also comfortable with herself and us, which made for a great evening.

Transport

We walked the 4 minutes from our hotel. KimKim always had us in great locations.

Our trip to Italy proved to be almost trouble free. Kikkim set us up with drivers and guides throughout our trip and not having to worry about how to get somewhere was wonderful. We had a little glitch when we first arrived when we flew into one airport and Kimkim driver was waiting for us at another airport. A quick call to Maria's team was made and another driver at our airport was quickly found. Problem solvers were readily available and they always took care of things quickly. Our biggest mess up was of our own doing. We were unaware that more then one train company operated at the train stations and on the same tracks. We ran to a train that was loading on our specific site , got on it, and miles down the track we were told we were on another company train. That cost us $50 for another ticket and a fine of$50 for being on the train without a ticket. If we would have paid attention to the train number that wouldn't have happened. Our train was a few minutes late and I think the train we boarded was late leaving the boarding spot.

The reservations worked out great. When I passed the lines going into the coliseum that were probably 2 blocks long we were very grateful we had that reservation. We also saw how important it was to have drivers pick us up at our hotels when we tried to hail a cab on our own in Rome and no one would stop. All our guides were outstanding . When one of our tours had to be cancelled due to weather conditions Kimkim came up with a great alternative and a wonderful driver to drive us down the Amalfi Coast.

My favorite place to see was not on the regular tourist list of must sees. We reserved a hotel in Verenzo (a small city near Verona) In the old section of Verenzo there is a theater called the Olympica. It is the oldest indoor theater in Italy and it was built in the mid 1500's. It has an amazing permanent back scene. If you like theater you will want to see this. No crowds in this city. Our guide to the Rome Coliseum was so well informed as was the guide in Pompeii

The reason I give the overall planning experience only an average rating is because I would have liked an idea what each part of our trip was going to cost rather then throwing out a dollar amount we were willing to pay and not knowing if we were spending our money wisely.

Hotel Review

Atelier Inès Arts & Suites

Napoli

Quirky but lovely. We got a tour of the sculpture workshop, and enjoyed a comfortable room. The hotel was in the heart of the city!

Authenticity & Character

Villa with artistic sculptures and a lovely garde/patio area.

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless. Bathroom was amazing.

Activity Reviews

The Best of Colosseum & Ancient Rome With Exclusive Arena Access

Rome

Our tour guide was a hiustory teacher who made the ruins come to life.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cooking class at farm

Italy

The chef was delightful and patient with us. We were surprised to have made such a delicious meal!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lake Maggiore Tour from Milan with its Borromeo's Islands

Milan

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and delightful. Isola Bella was amazing and beeautiful. Our guide was an expert in naming the plants!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thank you all so much! This has been a dream trip come true and we couldn’t have made it or enjoyed it half as much without your experienced guidance, planning, and support of our specific interests in this beautiful country! From the car rental, to first rate accommodations in Tuscany at a working vineyard/resort; a cooking class with a professional chef; tours in Florence at the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia (The David is an amazing must see!); a walking tour of the best sights, local food and wine restaurants (all of them a WOW!), the Kimkim company, through Maria, arranged the top tour guides—local, professional experts whose passion and insight made each tour personally engaging (each spoke to us not at us) which ultimately gave us both an added appreciation for their subject and them as people with whom we enjoyed spending quality time!
Each aspect of our trip was communicated and documented well in advance. This was our first trip to Florence and Tuscany so we had lots of questions. So Maria arranged (2) Zoom meetings with us and she completely and confidently answered all our questions. She also sent us restaurant suggestions and Google maps to assist us with our self guided side trips through Tuscany.
However, once a trip begins there are always factors and circumstances that need attention— sometimes immediately! Our trip was no exception! Several details needed some slight unexpected modification, and the Kimkim team and resources were able to communicate, and accommodate our needs in and on time. These people and this company are the real deal and both my wife and I give them our highest recommendation. We will use them again for sure! Don’t miss out on the very best this team has to offer (because they are the best)!

From the start of planning our trip to Italy through our return home, both Kimkim and our specialist, Guilia were amazingly helpful and friendly with great results. The trip planning was adjusted to meet our specific needs and budget.

Once we arrived in Italy, we were met by our guide. Throughout our trip, we had scheduled dates and times for guides and drivers. Everyone was where they were supposed to be, on time. They were all very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. In a few instances, due to weather conditions and in one case an unforeseen train delay, Kimkim was easily accessible and made changes as needed to support us.

The hotels were all well located and very nice. The staffs at all hotels were friendly.

We were very happy with the services provided by Kimkim and feel we got good value for what we paid. Next time we travel, we will use Kimkim and hopefully Guilia. We give them a 5 star review.

Kim Kim made it easy to crystallize our vacation plans and implement them. The lodgings they chose for us all exceeded expectations. Giulia did a great job arranging the details. She always responded quickly, and she always incorporated the changes we wanted. The tours and tour guides she picked for us were all first-rate. We especially appreciated her flexibility for us in Rome, when our visit coincided with very high hotel prices.

We would recommend Kimkim to anyone, and especially Giulia for anyone traveling to Italy. We had an amazing 2 weeks thanks to Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Berchielli

Florence

Great location, respectful and efficient hotel staff, with very comfortable accommodations. They charge a heckuva lot for laundry, but they all probably do that! I recommend to all.

Authenticity & Character

Welcoming decor, everything was clean, lots of great things nearby

Location

Very close to Ponte Vecchio

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Il Parco

Simply a beautifully-kept and located place. A very convenient shuttle helped us up and down the hill. Very nice swimming pool too. The numerous, annoying flies (outside, NOT inside) weren’t their fault!

Authenticity & Character

Great landscaping

Location

Terrific views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Santa Chiara

Venice

The location, super close to the bus & train terminals, was perfect for us. It was more clean, modern and spacious than we expected, too. Staff was great too.

Authenticity & Character

Not charming, old and authentic, but we were fine with it

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit to the Colosseum & Roman Forum

Rome

Excellent knowledgeable guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pasta & Tiramisù Cooking Class

Rome

Very fun, nice to meet others this way

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Group Tour

Rome

Big crowds, but our guide was really knowledgable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Logistics of meeting place were confusing and inaccurate. We almost missed the tour

Tuscany: Leonardo da Vinci, Oil & Wine discovery tour

Italy

A bit too much time spent sitting and eating, but the da Vinci museum and winery were terrific

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Can’t say enough good things about this company…they made our honeymoon vacation in Italy, seamless and stress free. Emi, our consultant from Rome, created a wonderful itinerary for us with great tours and accommodations, car service when needed and a timeline that kept us entertained but not overwhelmed. The couple of hiccups during the trip ( a train strike and mapping error) were handled quickly and easily. We will certainly be using this service again again and highly recommend it to others!

Hotel Reviews

Unconventional Hotel Sorrento 3* Sant'Agnello

Sant'Agnello

Wonderful little hotel tucked away from the main hustle and bustle. Clean, nice view from our balcony, wonderful breakfast and very helpful and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cosimo de' Medici

Florence

Great little hidden away gem!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Super close to the train station and very convenient to many attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pillows were very firm otherwise everything else was great

Hotel Ca' d'Oro

Venice

Great little hotel off the beaten path. Very clean and comfortable. Unfortunately we were only there for one night and had to leave early so didn’t get to take in the breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Off the beaten path so was nice and quiet. Just over 20 minute walk to the train station

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nord nuova roma hotel Rome

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close enough to the train station to walk there. Also easy walking distance to many attractions.

Staff

Very helpful but not the most approachable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, very comfortable and lots of little niceties thrown in

Activity Reviews

Amalfi Coast experience from Sorrento

Sorrento

This area is a must see. Our guide was very informative. Wish we had more time in Amalfi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chianti colors and flavors: Tuscan countryside with wine tastings

Florence

Amazing!! This is a must do, even for a non wine drinker! Lol

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Antonia ( I believe), was terrific! So informative, understandable and friendly

Transport

Day at leisure in Sorrento

Sorrento

Wonderful to have a day to wander and explore the area

Quality of Experience

Accademia Gallery Tour

Florence

This was an interesting tour but sometimes difficult to hear or follow with all the information. Nice to see but not a must

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tuscan Cooking class and S.Lorenzo Market

Florence

So much fun!! A must do!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stefano and Thomas were awesome. Wonderful teachers and made the whole experience so much fun!

Elena and her team helped my partner and I plan a wonderful trip to Florence, Cinque Terre, and Venice! We truly enjoyed it and felt that our experience was enhanced by going through Kimkim, as we would not have been able to know the details as well as they knew them. We highly recommend anyone book through them!

Hotel Review

Hotel Al Duca di Venezia

Venice

Location is very good and definitely recommend this neighborhood (Cannaregio), but the bathroom had a not so clean odor and was not very well ventilated

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience

Italy

Wine and food tour in Florence

Florence

Florence private guided walk

Florence

Cinque Terre Sunset cruise (Private)

Cinque Terre

The Jewels of Venice (St. Mark & Doge Palace)

Venice

The perfect itinerary for us!
If you are traveling to Italy we highly recommend Andrea Gambino to help create a wonderful trip for you. He customized our itinerary to meet our travel goals in Sicily. Andrea was available throughout our trip to keep us updated when anything changed. He also was able to make a few adjustments (we requested) on the fly,

All 5 guides listed below were fabulous.... knowledgeable, passionate, kind, easy-going, and friendly. We felt they went above and beyond to make sure that we connected with, and understood, the history and culture in each area we toured. Great job!

Guides:
Letteria - Ancient Theatre of Taormina
Peppe - Godfather Movie Set Private Tour
Corrado - Syracuse Neapolis Archaeological Park
Sabine - Ragusa
Allessandra - Temple valley

Drivers:
David (Catania) , David (Palermo), and Antonio (Palermo), were all very professional, courteous and always on time

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Villa Carlotta

Taormina

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel

Siracusa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Baglio San Nicola

San Nicola, Naro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bedding could be upgraded

Eurostars Centrale Palace

Palermo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided visit to the Ancient Theatre of Taormina (private guide)

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Godfather Movie Set Private Tour

Italy

Peppe made this tour extra special, very passionate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Syracuse Neapolis Archaeological Park - private guide

Italy

Corrado made this great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Val di Noto gems: Modica time at your leisure and Ragusa guided visit

Italy

Sabine is a great guide! Informative, funny and passionate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Temple valley guided visit

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From start to finish, booking and traveling with Kimkim was the best choice we could have made for our 14 day trip to Italy. Our plan was to have 3 locations to visit/stay at a leisurely pace with few activities to allow us to explore and experience Italy on our own. We had 3 “phases” dreamed up for our trip that including a countryside stay in Tuscany, Rome visit for a wedding, and Amalfi coast trip for beach and relaxing on the water.We initially decided to try using a travel company to assist with planning the Tuscany portion of our trip, mainly because we were having trouble figuring out where to stay in the countryside and how to get around without renting a car. It was also the first time we’ve planned an international trip and we were quite overwhelmed with all of the logistics and places to visit. Kimkim came highly recommended from a friend, so we decided to ask for recommendations for our entire trip.

All of our accommodations, transfers, planned activities and tours were just what we wanted. We had local guide (cannot remember her name) give us a private tour of Pompeii and she was fantastic! Special thanks to her, our driver for the day, and Alberto because we woke up late on the morning of the tour, and they were all in constant communication and so accommodating despite being an hour behind on activities. Alberto was in constant communication with us, checking in and making sure that everything was going smoothly. Cannot recommend Alberto and KimKim enough!

Our trip:
- 2 nights Siena
- 3 nights Tuscan wine resort/countryside B&B
- 3 nights in Rome
- 4 nights in Amalfi town on Amalfi coast
- 1 night Rome for flight home the next day

Planning and arrangements were very easy and flexible. Giulia our specialist was fantastic and very helpful. We could not have done this trip as well without her.

Our trip was a great success for the most part. Rainy weather is never great but we have enjoyed ourselves none the less.
We experienced significant travel delays on the high speed train from Florence to Naples (3 hour delay which nearly caused us to miss Pompei entirely). Thanks to Kimkim, this did not happen. In fact, we never felt alone or abandoned. They were always just a What'sAp message away and they responded quickly to whatever we had going on. Really top notch.

We had a nearly two hour delay traveling from Naples to Florence, which caused us to make our prescheduled Vatican tour within about ten minutes of the start time. Kudos to our drive and Kimkim for working with us as the delays mounted and for providing great assistance. We did not miss anything because of their attention to detail and staying in touch. Remember to download What'sAp--this was critical during challenging events.

I was, however, deeply disappointed with our tour guide on the day trip to San Gimignano and Volterra . Her driving was very fast and uneven, At least two or three of us were "car sick" from the style and type of driving--one of the more unpleasant car trips I have had in a long time. She was very efficient and we arrived and ended on time, but she was also very impatient, handled questions badly and was much too bossy. Not rude exactly, but not the temperament I would expect from someone running a tour.

Our hotel in Sorrento, Grand Hotel Aminata, was also a bit musty and probably the worst of the places we stayed. It had an excellent view of the harbor though which we loved. We are not fussy people, but our room had a slight, but distinct, smell that we did not like. Otherwise, the accommodations were excellent and well placed. The La Maison du Sage in Florence was particularly excellent and deserves special mention. Our stay at The Regency in Rome was also excellent (though we booked this directly).

Antonio, our driver (and guide) for the Sorrento and Amalfi Coast portion of our trip was excellent. He could not have been more courteous and friendly. He helped us deal with the delayed train and abbreviated Pompeii tour, and he drove us around the Amalfi Coast in style and comfort. P.S. Our guide Rafael at Pompeii was also excellent and we enjoyed his tour very much-if only it could have been longer but that was unavoidable.

We also highly recommend the EBIKE tour we took in Rome. Our guide Irina was excellent. Do this early in your stay if you can as it was a great way to survey the city and find points of interest.

Hotel Reviews

La Maison du Sage

Florence

This place was absolutely fantastic. The ambiance was so enchanting that we even bought a diffuser that smelled like the hotel. They brought us breakfast in our room, and everything was just perfect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Aminta

Sorrento

This hotel was a bit of a letdown. The room had a musty odor, and it was lackluster. However, the food was fantastic, and the shuttle service was convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

This tour was fantastic! Our guide was great and managed to get us through as much as possible despite our delayed train.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome: E-Bike Evening Tour with Italian Dinner

Rome

The bike tour was one of the best things we did. Although we wished we had done it sooner in Rome to get a good feel for the city and then backfill the rest.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Food Tour

Florence

This trip was a bit of a letdown. Our tour guide was a bit rude and drove crazy. It was so bad that we had to stop to let people out because they were feeling sick. The guide wasn't very pleasant, and it felt like she didn't let the whole experience breathe.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim Feedback 10/10-10/21/23
Reggio, Calabria and Sicily
Paul and Esther Mackarey

We have used kimkim twice and recommend you to many friends, two of whom use you for Portugal recently. We like your service but thought you might want to know how to make it better.

Overall it is as a great trip. Our visit to my mother’s and grandparents home town of Martirano, Catanzaro, Calabria was special. Our driver, Fabri, went out of his way to ensure that we found the town and met some of the locals who knew my family. The overall itinerary, drivers, and walking tour guides were very good.
Special thanks for an exceptional job by:
Fabri. Driver in Reggio, Catanzaro and Messina
Francisco. Driver Mt Etna
All walking tour guides were very good… especially Marilu in Palermo

However, I do need to provide some feedback regarding accommodations. This information may prove to be valuable for your future travelers. While my wife and I are relatively fit, we are 65. And, while we don’t need to be pampered, a few conveniences are needed that White Rooms could not provide.

White Rooms in Reggio
I understand that Reggio is not a big tourist attraction but …
The B&B was under construction and all on the second floor to a landing, through a common staircase that serves another unrelated apartment, then into a small bedroom. It was good location but it was very noisy at night and at 6 am with garbage and street cleaning. It offered no breakfast onsite. A voucher for coffee and a biscuit was issued for a bar across the street. I think it is more appropriate for backpackers and short stays for those under 50/55

Khalisah in Palermo was very good and the location was easily accessible to the historical area.
It was clean, interesting decor and friendly staff. However, it is important to consider the age and physical conditions of the travelers carrying luggage up three floors … it was difficult. And, with self check in, no one was available to assist.

Additional information would be helpful For those renting cars and driving in Sicily:

Forewarn drivers about the difficulty parking. Especially when visiting Taormina (need to park just outside city in designated parking areas before entering). Google maps takes you through the old town and you will get a ticket. Similar in Cefalu, google takes you directly in the old town but parking just outside the old town, parking can be found but google will direct you into town. In Catania the streets are open to traffic but parking difficult. Parking guidelines (white, blue, yellow) would be helpful.

Hotel Reviews

White Rooms

Reggio Calabria

Under construction/renovation. Very noisy in am. 2-3 floors and difficult with luggage. Good access to town and water.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze

Catania

Beautiful. Clean. Great service and amenities. Great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B A tonnara

Cefalu

Beautiful view of the sea. Good location but must be able to walk distances.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Khalisah

Palermo

Interesting theme and decor. Good staff and location but… we were in the 3rd floor and checked in after 5 (so had a self check in). It was difficult to get our luggage up 3 steep and narrow flights of steps and no staff on site. It is not a good place for older travelers unless they get a first or second floor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean but not comfortable because of the 3 flights of stairs to our very very small room.

Best Western Hotel Rome Airport

Fiumicino

Perfect for the night before a flight home

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Taormina Highlights Walking Tour

Italy

The walking tour guide was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We rented a car and drove… our mistake. Parking was difficult.

Private Transfer from Reggio Calabria to Catanzaro

Italy

Fabri was excellent. He helped us locate the village were my mother and grandparents were born in Martirano, Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day with Driver at disposal - Private group

Italy

Fabri. Same As on Oct 11

Catania Tour - City Highlights Walk

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Mount Etna Guided Jeep Tour

Italy

Francisco was outstanding

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ortigia Walking Tour: The Heart of Syracuse

Syracuse

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Palermo Private Walking Tour

Palermo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marilou was excellent.

Transport

zurich, lucerne, interlaken, zermatt, saint moritz,, bellagio, milan, palermo, taormina and catania!!!!! 18 days of unforgettable experience thanks to fabio who arranged it all! excellent service and assistance of all the tour guides and drivers as well! i highly recommend kimkim specifically fabio💕
i’m looking forward to my next trip with you😁

We had an amazing time celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in Italy (albeit two plus years late, thanks to COVID!). We worked with Andrea at KimKim and we could not have been happier. He was excellent! If we could give more than five stars, we would! We came to him with a rough idea of what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go: Venice, Florence, and Rome. He conducted a thorough survey right at the beginning to get much more detail about what we did and did not want to do. Then, he came back with the perfect plan for us. The individual guides with whom he set us up were fantastic - personable and friendly, and exceptionally knowledgeable. I highly recommend doing the individual tours with the skip the line tickets - we easily saved 10-15 hours of standing in lines over the course of our ten day trip. We have already referred many friends to Andrea and KimKim and will continue to do so. We will also be using them again. Cannot wait for our next trip.

Andrea - thank you SO MUCH for helping us to make this a trip we will never forget!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Antiche Figure

Venice

The entire staff at Hotel Antiche Figure was incredible. They were extremely friendly, helpful and courteous. Everywhere we went, people know the hotel and the staff, and everyone spoke very highly of them. They are well respected - and for good reason! Allessandro, Mikail, David, Gionni, Laura, Victoria . . . and everyone else there made our experience incredible.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful Old World Charm with modern conveniences!

Location

Right on the Grand Canal - perfectly located!

Staff

Allessandro, Mikail, David, Gionni, Laura, Victoria . . . and everyone else there made our experience incredible.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Corte dei Sogni Boutique Hotel & spa

Great location - close to everything, yet secluded enough to not be too loud!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Navona Essence Hotel

Roma

Great location and helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience

Italy

Very knowledgeable guide! Lots of fun and very interesting - a lot of great history! The cicchetti was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Florence

Fantastic! What else can I say? Our guides were great! The three wineries were great! The staff was amazing. The wine was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

VENICE MASTERCLASS: DOGE PALACE'S AND ST. MARK'S BASILICA AND EXCLUSIVE TERRACES WITH SKIP THE LINE VISIT

Venice

The guide was incredible - very knowledgeable and a great English speaker! Really helpful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Florence

Guide was amazing! Incredibly knowledgeable and very good at telling stories!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rome Private Guided Walk

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Colosseum and Roman Forum - Private guide

Rome

Best guide we had during our trip - and that is saying a LOT! Mariapaola was so knowledgeable, yet she checked with us on the areas we wanted to focus, and then hit those the most. When we found out we were going to have her the following day for the Vatican and Sistine Chapel tour as well, we were thrilled. Great personality! She clearly has found the right profession!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best guide we had during our trip - and that is saying a LOT! Mariapaola was so knowledgeable, yet she checked with us on the areas we wanted to focus, and then hit those the most. When we found out we were going to have her the following day for the Vatican and Sistine Chapel tour as well, we were thrilled. Great personality! She clearly has found the right profession!

Colosseum & Roman Forum skip the line ticket

Rome

The ONLY was to do it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best guide we had during our trip - and that is saying a LOT! Mariapaola was so knowledgeable, yet she checked with us on the areas we wanted to focus, and then hit those the most. When we found out we were going to have her the following day for the Vatican and Sistine Chapel tour as well, we were thrilled. Great personality! She clearly has found the right profession!

Transport

Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel skip the line ticket

Rome

Best guide we had during our trip - and that is saying a LOT! Coliseum was so knowledgeable, yet she checked with us on the areas we wanted to focus, and then hit those the most. When had her the day before for the Roman Forum and the Coliseum, and when we found out we were going to have her the following day for the Vatican and Sistine Chapel tour as well, we were thrilled. Great personality! She clearly has found the right profession!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best guide we had during our trip - and that is saying a LOT! Coliseum was so knowledgeable, yet she checked with us on the areas we wanted to focus, and then hit those the most. When had her the day before for the Roman Forum and the Coliseum, and when we found out we were going to have her the following day for the Vatican and Sistine Chapel tour as well, we were thrilled. Great personality! She clearly has found the right profession!

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide

Rome

Best guide we had during our trip - and that is saying a LOT! Coliseum was so knowledgeable, yet she checked with us on the areas we wanted to focus, and then hit those the most. When had her the day before for the Roman Forum and the Coliseum, and when we found out we were going to have her the following day for the Vatican and Sistine Chapel tour as well, we were thrilled. Great personality! She clearly has found the right profession!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best guide we had during our trip - and that is saying a LOT! Coliseum was so knowledgeable, yet she checked with us on the areas we wanted to focus, and then hit those the most. When had her the day before for the Roman Forum and the Coliseum, and when we found out we were going to have her the following day for the Vatican and Sistine Chapel tour as well, we were thrilled. Great personality! She clearly has found the right profession!

This is our third Kimkim trip and second to Italy. We highly recommend their service. Everything runs smoothly when booking through Kimkim and they provide recommendations for the best tour guides and experiences.

Hotel Review

Four Seasons Hotel Milano

Milan

Great service and the restaurant was fantastic. This was the best hotel on our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Market Visit & Cooking Class in Venice

Venice

This was absolutely the best experience of the trip. We really enjoyed getting to know Michael and the food we prepared was some of the best we have ever had.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arianna took all our wish list experiences and feedback and created a perfect trip for my mom, daughter and I.

Our on the ground support team of Jessica and Barbara were always responsive. The app provided was very helpful in keeping all details organized and quickly accessible.

Our driver from Naples to Sorrento (Angelo) was super fun and we really enjoyed our stop at the limoncello factory with him.

Ciro Jr. was our wonderful guide/driver for Positano, Amalfi and our limoncello lunch experience. He was so helpful with his suggestions to organize our stops to make the most of our time for the best experience. He happily offered to take photos for us and gave us a perfect restaurant recommendation for my daughter’s birthday. He even arranged to meet up with us after our tour when my daughter realized she had left a purchase behind in the vehicle!

I never would have been able to pull off all the logistics of this trip. Extremely grateful to Arianna for her thoughtful planning and execution. It was a trip of a lifetime for us! Grazie Mille!

Hotel Reviews

Albergo Terminus

Como

We loved this hotel! The location was perfect. The staff was so helpful and friendly and the breakfasts were top notch!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the lake across from ferry and close to square and shops.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Solo Experience Hotel

Florence

The staff and breakfast were very good. Convenient to activities.

Location

Staff

Palazzo Starace

Sorrento

The staff and breakfast were very good. Convenient to Piazza Tasso and shopping. 3 stars due to excessive noise from nearby nightclub until 3am every night and lots of stairs to navigate.

Location

Abelonas Retreat

Santorini

Staff was very nice. Beautiful views and pool. Breakfast is ordered day before and brought to your room. They even prepared a boxed breakfast for us the day we left due to an early flight. Be advised some rooms (like ours) have significant amount of outside steps.

Activity Reviews

Central Food Market & Tuscan Cooking Class

Florence

We absolutely loved this! So fun and the food was delicious!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luxury Catamaran Cruise around Santorini

Santorini

Loved this! End of season and only had 5 people on board with us so really got to enjoy the boat. The food was so good! We did the sunset tour. Be advised you can swim but there is no beach time as indicated.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Limoncello Tour & Tasting

Amalfi Coast

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the trip of a lifetime! Exploring Italy with our numerous drivers and guides made the travel easy and fun. Every detail was accounted for. We loved Valentina, Suzanne, Roberto and Elizabeth. They assured that we saw all there was to see and added an element of pure Italian hospitality. Our hotels were amazing and our tours were outstanding. Jessica's planning and hard work assured that we would have a great trip. The App was easy to use and made train transfers and meeting times and places a breeze. We look forward to using Kim Kim for another adventure. Well done!

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Salgar

Naples

Crowded lobby and small room. The breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Nothing special here

Location

There wasn't much to do near the hotel.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable

Star Hotel Rosa Grand

Milan

Great location, great breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Very upscale.

Location

Close to the Dumo and other attractions. Close to all things on our walking tour.

Staff

Very helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albergo Posta Marcucci

Bagno Vignoni

The spa was amazing but the room was hot and small. It. seemed a bit out dated. The breakfast was delicious!

Authenticity & Character

The spa area was FABULOUS! It made our stay exceptional.

Location

This was a great mid-point for us.

Staff

The waiter at the restaurant was rude. We were treated poorly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It seemed old and outdated. The rooms were hot.

Tree Charme Parliament Boutique Hotel & Bistrot

Rome

This hotel was a GREAT location. The breakfast was marginal and the rooms were small.

Authenticity & Character

This felt like Rome!

Location

Could not have been better!

Staff

They accommodated our schedule and packed us a breakfast for our early tour.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Conca Park 4* Sorrento

Sorrento

Great location. This hotel was beautiful! The breakfast was amazing as was the view! the grounds were immaculate and the amenities were superb. We loved this hotel. I am so glad that we spent multiple nights here.

Authenticity & Character

This was a beautiful hotel.

Location

Close to town and easy to walk to where we wanted to go.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Express Milan Duomo Tour with Terrace Access

Milan

Our guide was well-informed but spent too much time on the history and did not seem aware of our time constraints. We just barely fit the roof-top visit in and she seemed confused when we told her that we had an early departure for that day. Overall it was a good experience but we felt bad for our tour guide who seemed prepared for a much longer experience.

Quality of Experience

It is simply an exceptional place

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lake Como and Bellagio – Full Day Trip from Milan with Cruise

Italy

Elizabeth was amazing. She kept us on time and on task and allowed time for our own adventure in Bellagio. She recommended a fabulous lunch spot and joined us for a great outing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Elizabeth was outstanding!

Transport

Winery tour in Chianti Area

Italy

We loved our vineyard tours but especially appreciated Valentina taking us to a small town for the most authentic experience of our week. She found a lovely lunch spot and communicated in Italian with the owner to allow us to experience a very special lunch. Although it was only a fragment of our tour, it was most memorable. We adored Valentina!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Evening Rome Walking Tour

Rome

Vera did a good job of giving us the basics of Rome. She took us to some different places.....the Trevi Fountain and the old Hospital now University which was very interesting. I wish we had seen the castle and DiVinci museum. We were extremely tired and probably not the best audience. She did a great job.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vineyard Walk and Tasting in an Umbrian Vineyard

Italy

We had a fabulous tour and lunch at the Argillae vineyard. We loved the wine and really appreciated the time the owner (female/daughter) Julie? spent with us. She was so professional and fun and made our experience valuable. The lunch was amazing and was paired with the wines. This was a high point of our trip for sure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was pleasant and a very good driver.

Transport

on time and efficient.

Explore Rome in a Day

Rome

Wow! We saw so much and learned so much. The Vatican Museum and Sistene Chapel were amazing. We saw all the sites! Suzanne was wonderful! Very informative and fun. She took us to a great lunch spot and knew how to make the trip very authentic for us. She was one of our best guides. We loved her!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She was genuine and just a lovely person!

Naples to the Amalfi Coast or Amalfi Coast to Naples - Pompeii en Route

Italy

Good trip. Our driver was very nice. Our Pompeii tour was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nancy gave us a great tour of Pompeii. She had great information and was loads of fun.

Transport

Efficient, on time, we felt comfortable. Nice vehicle

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

Nancy gave a very good tour. She knew a lot about Pompeii but didn't overload us with too much information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour by Sorrento

Italy

This activity was cancelled due to strong winds and storms. We were so SAD! This was to be a highlight of our week. No one could help the circumstances. We will need to come back!

Full Day Tour: Positano, Amalfi & Ravello

Italy

We had torrential rain during part of this tour. Our drive Roberto was one of our favorite people on this tour, He took plenty of pictures and really seemed to enjoy his job. He made the day special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roberto was FABULOUS!

Transport

Limoncello Tour & Tasting

Amalfi Coast

This felt very authentic. We loved meeting the chef and had a wonderful lunch during our tasting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roberto took us to this event. The chef was adorable and so funny. He made the experience great!

Transport

Naples Pizza Making Class

Naples

This class was fun but seemed a bit commercialized and not authentic. There were so many groups at the same time. The pizza making was fun and the pizza was good but it was very hot and a bit uncomfortable.

Quality of Experience

Food

We had much better pizza earlier that day.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taxi

I can't begin to describe how amazing this trip was. Andrea thought of everything. He really listened to what we wanted: where we wanted to be, activities we wanted to do. He thought about and coordinated transportation, which was extremely important to us since we did not have a car. He told us the "must sees" and took care of all the details to make this trip the most memorable and romantic anniversary trip. We really enjoyed our personal guides, their knowledge of the cities they live in and love so much. The hotels were all beautiful and very accommodating. We are already thinking about and planning our next trip! Cannot recommend enough!

Hotel Reviews

Raffaello Hotel Rome

Roma

Perfect location, staff were very accommodating and friendly, helped us hold our luggage and get taxis. The room was comfortable, clean, everything we needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Piazza Bellini & Apartments

Naples

Very big room! The hotel was beautiful. Exactly what we needed. Very comfortable and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

There was only one instance where we were trying to rest where staff insisted to get in the room to clean, but it was not a big deal. Minor inconvenience.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Residence

Amalfi

This hotel was by far a favorite. Beautiful views, clean, comfortable. The staff were extremely nice and accommodating. The restaurant in the hotel was amazing, delicious and whimsical. Love!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Baglio di Scopello

Scopello

One of our most favorite experiences was here. The grounds are absolutely beautiful: the garden, the view, the pool, the outdoor bar and lounge all were incredible. We even took home some homemade olive oil!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Donna Teresa

Agrigento

We were only here a night, but we felt very taken care of and were greeted in the morning with a big breakfast and lovely conversation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Porta di Castro

Palermo

This hotel had the most friendly and accommodating staff of all. Right upon arrival, they took great care of us, gave us treats and coffee, gave us a map of the surrounding area. They upgraded our room with no additional fee. They gave the best recommendation for dinner and even made the reservation for us. The history of the building was captivating. They even gave us a souvenir when we left. Would definitely stay again!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rome Private Guided Walk

Rome

Vincenza is now one of my favorite people. I loved how much she loved her city, and she was so incredibly knowledgeable and excellent company.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naples guided walk

Italy

Daniella was magic! She is such an enchanting person, and we really enjoyed walking around Naples with her. She was so easy to chat with. It felt like we had been friends before. she gave the BEST pizza recommendation!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great guides, drivers and tours:
Elizabeth---Lake Como/Bellagio
Roberto--Amalfi coast
Nancy--Pompei
Suzanna/Faustra--Roma
Valentina--driver/Tuscany

Great overall experience--if anyone not mentioned, apologies as all arranged guidance was exceptional.

Hotel Reviews

NH Collection Milano President

Milan

in heart of Milano near Duomo and piazza. Very modern, clean, accommodating, Great breakfast. Staff helpful.

Authenticity & Character

its a modern building. Rooms were great, nothing wrong. Americans don't understand Europe shower in bathroom...made a water mess....LOL

Location

near restaurants and duomo piazza

Staff

accommodating and very good english

Cleanliness & Comfort

room, bath, lobby, restaurant bar

Albergo Posta Marcucci

Bagno Vignoni

Great character in hotel---very comfortable....loved the hot bath pools

Authenticity & Character

old charm feel to hotel lobby and bar. nice rooms, great view

Location

in Tuscany---with real hot bath pools

Staff

we did not feel welcome in the hotel restaurant at dinner. Waiter and (manager?) made us feel a bit not at ease. As if they did not care if we were there. We were late due to travel (drive called ahead and advised hotel). Breakfast staff was much more friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

spa and outdoor water baths/pool

Tree Charme Parliament Boutique Hotel & Bistrot

Rome

great location ... Like much of Roma--tight streets and access. Small reception area and restaurant. Close to eating options. Appeared to be a safe area. Hotel is in a 500 year old building that has been re-purposed---great rooms and good security. Great shower---American comfort.

Authenticity & Character

see above comment

Location

see above comment

Staff

front desk very accommodating for our group

Cleanliness & Comfort

room and bath very clean

Hotel Conca Park 4* Sorrento

Sorrento

wow!! from entrance via tunnels filled w/ art to modern lobby to great hotel room views of Sorrento. Excellent location and accommodation. Opera and jazz singer in bar area the first night--amazing only issue--3Euro per pool towel. really??

Authenticity & Character

its a modern hotel in an old historic city---another great bath and shower

Location

Walk to heart of Sorrento and activities

Staff

we were welcomed!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Salgar

Naples

we were only there one night---last of our tour. Nice modern hotel---small but comfortable room. Nice breakfast. A difficult shower---another wet floor LOL Would have preferred a hotel near waterfront area. We walked there and there were a number of options, but assume cost would be higher.

Authenticity & Character

its modern, little character. appeared to be a business trip hotel

Location

appeared not to be a desirable area of Napoli (??) not much to do around hotel---needed taxi to get to activity and restaurants

Staff

lobby staff very accommodating when we interacted

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean throughout.. lobby, restaurant, room

Activity Reviews

Lake Como and Bellagio – Full Day Trip from Milan with Cruise

Italy

great guide w Elizabeth. Beautiful boat ride...Bellagio fantastic. Guide took us to her favorite restaurant for lunch---amazing!

Quality of Experience

Beautiful area of Italy---Bellagio is a jewel

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great assistance, patient, informative, appreciative

Transport

its a local train from Milan--be prepared for a slow trip to Como

Winery tour in Chianti Area

Italy

nice tour of a large volume winery

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Valentia--great english, engaging personality--helped us find a great restaurant for lunch

Transport

the guide--Valentina

Vineyard Walk and Tasting in an Umbrian Vineyard

Italy

small, family winery. intimate. the owner was our guide ! Very welcoming--great lunch and hospitality!

Quality of Experience

enjoyed the small, intimate atmosphere

Guides, Drivers and Staff

a family member of the winery ownership was our personal guide at the winery!

Transport

got us there on time

Private Evening Rome Walking Tour

Rome

Our guide--Faustra (sp??) was extremely knowledgeable and personable. Very good english. Gave us a great tour and insight of Roma within the limited 2-hour tour. We saw places we wanted to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Rome in a Day

Rome

we saw what we needed to see in Roma. Fantastic guide...loved having headphones (provided) so we could hear the guide throughout the tour in very crowded areas. Our guide took us to a favorite restaurant and we had a great meal w/ her.

Quality of Experience

the guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

the transport from one area to another was prompt

Naples to the Amalfi Coast or Amalfi Coast to Naples - Pompeii en Route

Italy

Pompeii is a must see stop. Nancy was our guide--very informative

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour: Positano, Amalfi & Ravello

Italy

Beautiful area--sadly the weather was not good so the clouds and rain kept much of the beauty hidden

Quality of Experience

Roberto was a great driver/guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roberto was great--engaging and friendly

Transport

due to weather, Roberto scheduled a visit to an olive oil factory--totally on his own and to help our day be filled

Limoncello Tour & Tasting

Amalfi Coast

WOW!!---great experience. Hands on demonstration. Included our group members in the process. Conducted personally by the chef and restaurant owner! Engaging, funny and a fantastic lunch.

Quality of Experience

everything! People, food, view, kindness

Food

WOW!! one of best meals on our entire tour week

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Truly felt like they enjoyed our group being at their establishment

Transport

Roberto

Naples Pizza Making Class

Naples

fun and engaging

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

the pizza guide/instructor was very good

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour by Sorrento

Italy

unfortunately weather cancelled this tour

Quality of Experience

We had the greatest pleasure of embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime journey through Switzerland and Italy with Kimkim Travel, and it wouldn't have been the extraordinary adventure it was without the exceptional guidance of our tour guide, Fabio. From the moment we touched down in Zurich to the very last day in Taormina, Fabio's expertise and passion for what he does shone brightly.

Fabio's expert assistance in planning our IT from the get-go and all throughout the entire trip, his attention to detail, as well as his in-depth knowledge of the regions we visited were nothing short of remarkable. His insights into the history, culture, and popular sites to visit made the planning process easy and and added a layer of richness to every place we explored. From the picturesque cities of Zurich and Lucerne to the breathtaking landscapes of Interlaken, Zermatt, and the majestic Mt. Pilatus & Mt Gornegrat, Fabio made sure we not only saw these wonders but truly experienced them. When we needed help at a very short notice to secure a booking for paragliding in Zermatt, Fabio delivered outstandingly! He phoned the hotel in Zermatt and looked for the paragliding company. His careful planning and coordination ensured it went off without a hitch, giving us an adrenaline rush like no other. His attention to detail and safety gave us the confidence to enjoy every second of it. The paragliding experience was one of the unforgettable highlights in our trip - -and Fabio helped make it possible!!

Crossing over to Italy, we marveled at Milan's fashion and culture, the serene & enchanting beauty of Bellagio & Varenna in Como, and the stunning journey aboard the Bernina Express to the magical St. Moritz. Fabio's choice of stops, restaurants, and experiences reflected a deep understanding of what travelers like us truly appreciate.
One commendable thing that Fabio did for us was planning the trip to Lake Como. There were transpo-related changes due to an event that was happening at that time in Lake Como. Fabio informed us straight away and organized alternative ways to get to to Bellagio and Varenna, and even purchased for us the train and ferry tickets in advance, and recommended the restaurant along the way, & the sites that we should visit. Our van driver and tour guide - Paolo - was excellent.
Fabio made sure that nothing would get in the way of our plans to visit the enchanting Lake Como - and he really delivered!

The culmination of our journey was the enchanting island of Sicily. Fabio's expertise in Sicilian culture and history turned our time in Palermo, Taormina, and Catania into an authentic Sicilian experience. His recommendations for local delicacies and hidden gems enriched our adventure even further.

Throughout the trip, Fabio's professionalism, warmth, and enthusiasm made us feel like more than just tourists; we felt like friends exploring the world together.
His commitment to ensuring our journey was not just memorable but extraordinary was evident in every aspect of our trip - - from the train tickets, hotel & airport transfers to the hotels and restaurants.

All in all - Fabio's dedication, knowledge, flexibility and charismatic personality made this holiday in Switzerland and Italy an unforgettable and fabulous experience. We can't thank him enough for the cherished memories that we have built and bottled up in these incredible destinations.

On another note, we would like to give our feedback as well on a few things that can be done differently next time.
1. All the hotels that we stayed in were excellent. However, the choice of hotels in Zurich in Milan can be improved, in terms of quality and location. The hotel in Zurich did not have A/C, so it was not very comfortable at night due to the warm temperature. The hotel in Milan was not really centrally located so it was not that easy to go to the Milan center. We would always prefer a location close to the main public transpo.
2. In terms of planning the train schedules - it would be better next time if the gap between the time - especially for connecting train trips - should be sufficient enough to avoid undue stress. For example - the train schedule from Zermatt to Milan was too tight in terms of the lead time in between each transfer. Specifically the time gap between the train from Brig to Milan was just 7 minutes!! And the platforms were quite far from each other. We had to literally run - with all our heavy luggage - from Platform 4 to Platform 11 (if I remember correctly). That was very stressful & exhausting.
It would be better to plan the train trips in such way that there is enough time in between to get to the next platform without rushing too much, and to give allowance to delays (e.g: if the 1st train is delayed, then it will affect the subsequent trips).

Those are just the 2 things that we thought we would mention to further improve the planning process in the future.

In sum - if you're planning a trip with Kimkim Travel, make sure you request Fabio as your guide - he truly goes above and beyond to make your adventure extraordinary. Grazie mille, Fabio! Ti apprezziamo molto :)!

My wife and I just returned from a 16-day trip to Italy, which was arranged through KimKim and their local travel affiliate, Meet & Greet, Italia. Highlights included Venice, Florence, Assisi, Orvieto, Rome, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast region, and Pompeii. Thi trip was the first opportunity for my wife to experience the beautiful country, and for me, a special return after 40 years, when I lived in Rome for a year as an architecture student. Celebrating a special anniversary, l already had a good idea of the special regions and towns that would offer my wife a great sense of Italy’s beauty and ultimately enhance our romantic getaway. Working with Emi at KimKim hi later her business associate, Francesco, I could not have been happier with they expertise, courteous and friendly accommodations, and tremendous service over the course of 8 months, especially in our final weeks leading up to our departure. Emi continuously went out of her way to address my questions, concerns and/or changing itinerary priorities, in the most professional way. I never had to wait more than a day for updated responses / itinerary changes, and most times the response was immediate. Francesco’s efforts were equally impressive, including real-time updates to our online itinerary, which kept my mind at ease before and during the trip. Both Emi and Francesco were accommodating to our own requests, including one request to change our hotel in Sorrento, after reading FB posts from customers who were being relocated due to hotel renovations underway. They also changed a scheduled boat tour of the Amalfi coast to a driving tour at my request. In both cases, their accommodation was a huge help, especially when we confirmed the ongoing issues with the hotel, and realized that the original boat tour would have been canceled that day due to high winds. So Emi and Francesco planned the perfect getaway and the memories will last a lifetime! I highly recommend KimKim, especially Emi and Francesco for a beautiful taste of Italy!!