Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Caterina and her team were beyond amazing in helping make our trip to Italy amazing. Caterina helped with making our planned activities special and accommodated various changes until our itinerary was exactly as we wanted. She picked three amazing hotels for us, each not only located in prime areas of the city, but with welcoming staff and phenomenal rooms. Francesco, was our “on the ground” main contact who kept in touch with us daily to make sure we knew the plans for the following day along with the names and contact numbers of both the local guide we would be with and the drivers contact information. Any questions or concerns we had he responded to rapidly. He even helped us add a site to visit on our last full day in Bologna that was spectacular.

All the guides we had were knowledgeable, experienced, and friendly. Each guide was helpful and went above and beyond helping to make our stay in their city memorable . Allessia, our assistant in Venice, however, was truly spectacular. Her friendliness, clear joy in sharing her city and country with us, her going above and beyond with shuffling tour times around, helping us add a last minute tour (thanks also goes to Caterina and Francesco for that), and providing many food recommendations for Venice and Bologna made this trip one we will never forget. She even went so far as to send us a video clip she made for us on exactly how to get to a meet up point for the additional tour we added! I loved that she did not just help us get from one activity to another, but spent her time with us sharing both facts and history as well as personal anecdotes and ‘random’ cultural information like Italian gestures and their meanings.

If more stars were an option in reviewing our experience we would have given them. We look forward to a return visit to Italy so we can work with Catarina and her team again! I would not hesitate to also use KimKim for travel in other parts of the world given our experience in Italy.

We've traveled many places around the US and the world and have never been to a place, like Sardinia that was more welcoming. The people were kind, helpful, generous and fun!

The travel team set up everything from the car... to hotels... to private tours. And someone was always available 24/7 when we had needs or even just questions. It made life so much easier.

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Doglio

Cagliari

The hotel itself was gorgeous! It was surround by a beautiful courtyard with 5 nice restaurants. Every member of the staff was kind and helpful. The snacks and drinks in the "American Bar" were super.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We arrived quickly from the hotel and were able to unload our bags right at the entrance and the park underneath the hotel. Easy!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms are large with small balconies that have a great view. The bed and linens are superb and the oversized soaking bathtub was unexpected, but well-loved.

Hotel Carlos V

Alghero

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albergo Diffuso Corte Fiorita

Bosa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Nora

Cagliari

The guide was so knowledgable - very patient with all of our questions - and flexilble to adjust the tour to our desires. We learned so much!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved having our own vehicle, but had to get used to finding locations that are not always simple to get to.

Private Food Tour in Cagliari

Cagliari

The guide (Rafa) was so kind and so much fun! Sheknew the area and all of the history of the buildings, etc. She communicated well with us (in English) and with the restaraunt staff at each location. She had already made plans for meals and accompanying drinks in advance. This was a super way to see parts of the city at night, while enjoying the people and food/drink.

Quality of Experience

Winery and Cellars Visit & Wine Tasting

Italy

We LOVED this tour. The scenery was beautiful. The drive to get their was gorgeous. Plus, add sheep being herded right before us... geese running a squawking along the way... Our host was a real delight, but the specialties of this particulare winery (including the clay pots) are exceptional. Don't skip this because you've done a wine tour before. We had as well - and this was special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was sweet, smart, well-spoken and actually very excited to share the history of this vineyard and winery, as well as the history of wine-making in general.

Private Guided Tour of Cagliari

Cagliari

Once again, our guide Rafa has more knowledge than we had taken in from books or Google. She was excited and willing to do everything and answer any questions. We never felt rushed, but spent a lot of time with our mouths open in awe of the history and beauty.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nuragic Sanctuary of Santa Vittoria - Self-guided (with audioguide)

Italy

We missed this tour (head-colds)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Light and Surprise at the End of the Tunnel

Cagliari

We missed this tour (slept-in due to jet lag)

Guided visit to the Sounding Stone Museum

Oristano

We missed this tour (messed up driving directions) - our fault.

Guided Visits of Archaeological Sites and Wine Tasting

Oristano

We missed this tour.

Vincenzo was excellent to work with on our Italy trip. Not only was he very attentive during the planning phase of our trip, but he was also very responsive to questions we had while on our trip and reached out often to ensure things were going smoothly. We were very impressed with the quality of hotels selected on our behalf. We also enjoyed all of the tours that Vincenzo set up for us, especially the wine tour in the Valpolicella region and our private boat tour on Lake Como. This was our second trip to Italy using KimKim, and we were very happy with our experience, especially this second time around with Vincenzo as our specialist.

Activity Reviews

Milano Aperitivo Street Food Tour

Milan

Lake Como boat tour

Italy

Guided Tour Bologna

Bologna

Modena Walking Tour

Italy

Day Trip to Parma: Parma Food Walking Tour with Parmesan and Balsamic Vinegar tasting

Italy

Private guided tour of Como

Italy

Amarone Wine Tour

Verona

Overall we had a wonderful experience planning and experiencing Rome. Our local specialist, Vincenzo was extremely responsive and patient. We made many adjustments throughout the planning process and he took it all in stride and adjusted as necessary. He was extremely responsive while we were in Italy and was truly on call throughout to handle any things that came up.

Specifically, a highlight was an Italian cooking class in Rome that he recommended. Also, a lovely wine-tasting dinner where we met several other travelers from the U.S. Our group tour of the Colosseum and Forum was terrific as was our private tour of Naples and Pompeii. The hotels that were recommended were very high quality (particularly in Amalfi) with good service and we also very much enjoyed the restaurants that were suggested. All of our transfers were on time and enjoyable.

We did unfortunately have one private tour guide on two days that we did not care for much and there was a little bit of confusion regarding our time in the Jewish district and at the Vatican. Overall, however, we enjoyed working with Vincenzo and his company.

We had a great time with no issues at any event! The only hiccup was when we first arrived and the driver was a couple of minutes late and not behind pole three. The Concept hotel had a lovely woman who checked us in and another lovely woman who made breakfast. It was an easy walk to the Spanish steps from there and when we returned for the last night felt like returning home! There was only one outlet in the room which made charging our devices challenging.
Our walking tour of Roma was great as it was just us so we could see what we wanted, linger for photos, and got into the collesium.
The hotel in Venice was also in a great location! The breakfast there was typical best western, meh. I am not in Italy to drink lousy coffee! We enjoyed the boat tour- the second island had little to offer on a cold cloudy day, but Murano and Burano were awesome.
The gondola ride was as expected- on a quiet night actually felt kind of creepy…
The Joy Hotel in Florence was close to the train station, and easy walk to everything, although the neighborhood itself felt sketchy. Joy hotel hands down had the best breakfast!! We truly enjoyed the street food tour. Would do that again !
To top off a wonderful trip, we were able to see the Christmas Eve Mass at the Vatican our last night.

After being married during the pandemic, I was not eager to plan a honeymoon trip after re-planning our wedding 3 times. This led to us procrastinating this trip until I worked with Fabio. From beginning to end, Fabio was incredible and I say this as a very Type A planner who would typically take on all the research and planning on my own. He was in tune to our requests, budget, and feedback and promptly put together itineraries that checked every box. This led to a trip that was perfectly curated to us and beyond my expectations. Thank you Fabio!

In Venice, I loved the Ca'Nigra Lagoon Resort. It was quaint and perfectly located for our excursions. We were fond of Venice but Florence quickly stole the show. I highly recommend the day trip to Sienna that Fabio booked for us. Our private driver, Michele, was so knowledgeable and made conversation easy. He was also the best photographer for all the scenic stops along our drive. The Florence Cooking Class and Lunch at a farmhouse with the local market tour was a blast! If you're thinking a taking any cooking class while in Italy, this is the one. We probably laughed more than we cooked.

As history nerds, the tours in Rome were some of our favorites but surprisingly second to the Rome Food Tour. Our stay at Hotel Centrale was fantastic. The concierge gave us recommendations for restaurants and hidden gems in the city, which was greatly appreciated. Our last leg of the trip in Naples included a private tour of Pompeii and our guide was yet again a perfect fit for us and catered the tour to our interests.

Overall, there was not a single part of our itinerary that we would have changed. The experience was everything we dreamed about and I would trust my trip planning to kimkim again in a heartbeat.

Hotel Reviews

Ca' Nigra Lagoon Resort

Venice

The rooms are stunning, the terrace was the perfect place to relax in the evening, and the location was perfect for all our excursions. We appreciated being able to quickly catch a water taxi while also feeling like we had a quiet corner of Venice to ourselves.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Firenze Capitale

Florence

Cute place that was away from the noise of the touristy center, but still walkable to everything you could want to see.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Centrale

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hart Boutique Hotel

Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tuscany Day Trip to Siena & San Gimignano | Lunch & Wine Tasting Included

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Michele was an incredible driver! We loved getting to spend our day with him. He took time to stop for my scenic photo request and also made a great photographer. Furthermore, he made suggestions at each stop, easy conversation for the longer portions of the driver, and overall was knowledgeable about each location.

Transport

Florence Cooking Class and Lunch at a Farmhouse in Tuscany with Local Market Tour

Florence

This class is all fun with a bonus of great food!

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything made was incredible!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bruno should have a comedy show! We laughed more than we cooked.

Transport

Rome Food Tour

Rome

This tour was foodie heaven! Make sure you show up hungry and ready to eat a variety of dishes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The walk from place to place was nice as our guide made sure to point out other hidden gems and we walked through backstreets like a true local.

Full-day Private Tour of Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius and a Local Winery

Naples

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved our trip to the Amalfi coast! Everything recommended by Valeria was better than what we expected. Our favorites were Sorrento, Boat day to Capri with a visit to the Blue Grotto, having a private driver to take us to Positano, Amalfi, Ravello , Maiori. We also enjoyed the Pompeii guided tour and Naples food tour.

Activity Reviews

Sorrento Coast & Capri Boat Tour

Italy

Best day of my trip! I loved cruising on the boat, walking around Capri and riding the single chairlift in Anacapri

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very attentive and fun

Transport

Visit of The Amalfi coast Villages Full Day

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of Pompeii half day

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naples City tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Street Food Tour in Naples

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our family had a great time! Arianna took care us through out the whole trip by making sure that our connections with our transportations and tour guides were on point during the entire trip. The tour guides were calm, patient and excited to share the site's information with us. We learned a lot. The kids want go back!
Thank you!

Overall our experience with KimKim was wonderful...though it did not start out that way.

We first were assigned Moreno, who while kind and seeming eager to assist, was not as attentive as I expected. There were numerous times where he failed to respond to my questions in a timely fashion, and one time where I asked some questions, only to not hear back in well over a week. At that point, I questioned KimKim as to whether I should receive a new local specialist. The result was that Moreno would remain with us. Once the trip was secure, we failed to hear from him. While that may be "normal", I didn't feel good about the complete lack of communication.

About 8 weeks prior to our trip however, Melanie came on the scene to "assist" Moreno. She contacted me, introducing herself and well, she was AMAZING!!! She was engaging, provided me plenty of opportunities to get excited about the trip. She communicated with me about a variety of topics regularly. She was extremely prompt with her responses, when I had questions as the trip grew closer. I felt as though she was a member of our TEAM ITALY trip!! She even told us about her favorite cake from Pansa, an Amalfi paneterria. Once she took over for Moreno, it was truly the first time I felt that KimKim deserved a 5 -Star rating....and I messaged that to Melanie via What's App.☺

Most of our guides were amazing including Ina...our Pompeii tour guide and especially Nino, our Path of Gods tour guide!!! Antonio, our driver for our Amalfi Coast tour (which was added to our trip after Melanie contacted us, sharing that the boat company had canceled their tours to Capri due to 'angry seas'), was delightful, kind, and drove those very windy roads with immaculate care and caution. He took us to some special spots along the drive to soak in the "perfect" views of the coast!!!

Our hotels were fabulous...situated in wonderful parts of their perspective cities. We definitely indulged in the fabulous food, drink and culture of the people that surrounded those hotels.

I have already shared Melanie's contact info with one couple friend of ours and plan to pass her name along to others as they ask about our journey. SHE was TOP NOTCH, always available and attentive, and truly excited for us to experience her homeland!!

Grazie mille a Melanie and KimKim for our new family memories!!

Hotel Reviews

Charme Spagna Boutique Hotel

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sorrento City Hotel

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Alabardieri Hotel Napoli

Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colosseo and Roman forums adventure + Vatican museum

Rome

It was a LONG day of listening (830-4pm minus an hour for lunch) Our guide was brilliant, but she didn't seem to notice whether all of us were listening or not. I would have preferred a guide who also could meet us where we were...asking what our interests were regarding the Vatican and Colosseo, so as to have been talked WITH rather than talked TO about what we wanted to know.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting Lunch

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic trail nicknamed The Path of the Gods + Transfer from Sorrento

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nino was incredible and our surprise lunch on the trail with Antonio the local herder on the mountain was simply THE BEST!!!

Transport

Our driver back from Amalfi to Sorrento was with Mario...who also happened to drive us from Naples Airport to Rome upon arrival. He was awful. He drove incredibly fast, making all 5 of us feel nauseous. We had done the same drive the day before with Antonio (as our trip to Capri was canceled) and none of us were nauseous with that driver. I honestly prayed that we would arrive back to the hotel safely. Please do not use him again!!!

Capri in a Day

Italy

CANCELED DUE TO ANGRY SEAS.....

We planned a shorter trip to Italy in October for a November departure and were expertly handled by our specialist, Fabio. Or should I call him Fabulouso? :) Our trip was effortless, fun, interesting, and so full of some of the best of Italy in 5 short days! We had great accommodations in three wonderful hotels, transportation, tickets, and two awesome experiences - a food tasting tour in Rome and a cooking class in Sorrento. Fabio was available all the time via text or whatsapp, and was super responsive throughout this whole process. It was a little nerve wracking book all of this online, but the experience was top notch. If you want to go explore the world and looking for something other than a tour bus or cruise ship, I would highly recommend KimKim. It was conceirge level service and made the vacation just a breeze.

Thank you, Fabio!! Shelly & Chris

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Nazionale

Rome

Great hotel. Central location and QUIET for Rome. Not on a busy street at night. Loved it. Staff was awesome. Room was nice and bed comfy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to everything

Staff

very helpful as we arrived early in the morning from our overnight flight

Cleanliness & Comfort

everything perfect

Palazzo Marziale Boutique Hotel Sorrento

Sorrento

Beautiful small hotel. We were in the Youth Room. Big comfy bed and nice bath. Sorrento is walkable and we loved this location.

Authenticity & Character

super neat place !

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Barberini Roma

Rome

Nice hotel, the room was smaller and it was noisy at night with traffic

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rome Food Tour

Rome

We learned about Rome, Italy and FOOD! Armando was an awesome guide and we visited some fun locations!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of the transport staff were really nice. Prompt, Clean vehicles. Awesome

Pizza & Pasta Masterclass in Sorrento

Sorrento

Fun time in Sorrento at the most beautiful location! We made pasta, pizza and tiramisu. Great time!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self Guided Visit to the Colosseum & Roman Forum | Skip-the-Line Tickets

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We could not have asked for a better trip planner. All of our transfer guides and our food tour guides were all very timely and professional. I would highly recommend Fabio for your next trip to Italy.

Activity Review

Pizza & Pasta Masterclass in Sorrento

Sorrento

So fun and what a beautiful view!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alessandro was the best local guide we could dream of. He was very patient with us right from the beginning to understand our desires and after numerous discussions came up with the perfect 14 day itinerary. It included the breathtaking coastline of southern Italy to the historical sites of Rome and wine country in Tuscany and Torino, all of this would not have been possible without his meticulous planning. All the car chauffeurs were were extremely courteous and informative. The hotels he booked were all very charming. Thank you Alessandro and KimKim.

We had the best time. First time traveling oversees with 6 people. 4 young adults (15-21) and 2 adults. Eirini planned a wonderful trip that was interactive and she was always quick to respond. The Skywalker app was fantastic and I was able to share the entire trip with our friends. Our tickets, instructions, and itinerary were on there. Barbara was our life saver during this journey. On one excursion, I had our family walk instead of waiting for our ride (I didn't read the entire description again and forgot), Barbara called the hotel to let them know and the tour guide so they could meet us. Another hotel, we had a room key error, she called them late at night to help us get into our rooms. She followed up on all our rides, encounters and tours. Our kids would tell me to ask Barbara and the other day asked how she was doing. Her customer service and caring attitude kept me going through the hiccups. Our guides were wonderful. Manuela, Mario, and our favorite Francesca made learning a lot of fun. We did planes, trains, and automobiles and through it all we made lots of wonderful memories, lots of lessons, and a lot of beautiful experiences that we are forever grateful for. This is the second time we used Kim Kim. There will for sure be many more times. Thank you again.

Hotel Reviews

Kraft Hotel Florence

Florence

This is such a beautiful hotel. We had such a great stay and everyone was so accommodating. The rooms were perfect for us and the breakfast was their favorites.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful and comfy beds.

Location

Close to everything and easy to get around.

Staff

Everyone was so kind and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were clean and sheets were comfy and clean.

Rinuccini Relais Hotel

Naples

Loved staying here. It's a hidden gem in the middle of the square. We were able to walk everywhere and loved it. So much history. They were accommodating and they were able to help us get around. The rooms were nice and our Young adults (15-21) were in the rooms right next door to us.

Authenticity & Character

Love the character!

Location

The best location! You have to go through the main door/gate, then up an elevator, then get to entrance.

Staff

Absolutely Accommodating! We ran into some hiccups and they helped us through it .

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and very comfortable.

Parlamento Boutique Hotel

Rome

Love this hotel and very accommodating! It was clean and they were so helpful with us. We are grateful for them and wish we would have stayed longer.

Authenticity & Character

Lot's of character and charm.

Location

The perfect location! We were close to everything and walked to everything to eat and shop and visit some museums. 30 min walk to the colosseum.

Staff

They were very accommodating. We were exhausted and came very early. He offered us food, to leave our bags, and told us where to go. Then we left early about 5 min. before breakfast and he offered us a croissant for the road.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were great and clean. They are on the smaller side but we slept great! Our young adults (15-21) stayed in a room that fit all 4 of them. We were in another room that was perfect for us.

Activity Reviews

Naples Street Food Tour (food included)

Italy

We had the best experience and Michele was so accommodating and knowledgeable. This is one of their favorite tours and we are grateful to have met him. He made it fun for all ages and great food we would have never tried without someone guiding us. The pizza was absolutely our favorite !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hotel was less than a block away so we met him at a starting point by hotel.

Learn how to make Pizza and Gelato

Florence

Lots of fun for the entire family. Great instructions and fun format to follow. The food, instructions, and time were perfect!

Quality of Experience

Explained everything really well. She helped when we needed help so we didn't feel left behind. There were about 12 in our group. Maybe next time have name tags so we could help learn who we were sitting next to.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We walked to location.

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Florence | City Highlights with David & Duomo

Italy

Manuela was absolutely amazing. It was personal, we learned so much and are grateful for her and her knowledge. The kids thought it was a great way to start our time in Florence.

Quality of Experience

She took her time, asked us questions, and involved us. She's very smart and knew a lot about the areas and history. Enjoyed listening and learning!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-day excursion to Pompei and Sorrento - PRIVATE

Naples

Pompeii was amazing. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable. We would want to use him again! We learned so much and it was a great private tour. The kids enjoyed it and so did we. It was a great drive and was nice for our large family to have a someone drive us. They were knowledgeable about the areas. We stopped and took pictures on the way to Sorrento. Our driver stopped and we had a frozen lemon dessert on the side or the road with a beautiful view and sweet dog. It was nice to look around then meet up afterwards.

Private Colosseum Tour Including Roman Forum

Rome

This was an amazing tour. Francesca was fantastic and we loved being with her. She was knowledgeable, engaging, and she helped us with all of our questions including getting a taxi. All of our tours were fantastic but we all enjoyed her stories the most. We were still tired and she helped us through that as well. We truly appreciate her!

Quality of Experience

Enthusiasm for her job and able to reach all age levels

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Giulia and her KimKim Team for arranging such an amazing trip to Italy. From the moment we stepped off the plane in Venice till the time we (regretfully) departed from Naples, we were met as promised by Giulia's tour guides & drivers. They were on time, knowlegeable, and displayed the utmost professionalism. They really made this trip special! It was all I expected and more. With familial roots in this beautiful coutry, I hope to return one day, and my first call will be to Giulia. Keep up the good work!!

Hotel Reviews

HOTEL AL PONTE MOCENIGO

Beautiful room, and I loved the bath!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Berchielli

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel L'Orologio Roma

Roma

Authenticity & Character

Location

Centrally located and easy access to all

Staff

Super friendly staff!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super comfortable room, great bathroom!

Hotel Continental

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful views from rooftop

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Meet & greet by our English-speaking assistant

Venice Airport (VCE)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuscany: San Gimignano & Volterra Day Trip with Food & Wine

Italy

Luciana was very vivacious, extremely knowlegable guide, great driver! This tour was one of my favorite of the trip

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gondola ride

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cicchetti and Wine tour

Venice

Very warm and friendly guide

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Group Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Walking Tour with guide

Italy

Very friendly and informative guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Italy

Absolutely my favorite part of the trip. Our driver was kind, patient, and an excellent driver!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer by watertaxi

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hi kimkim and Italian specialists,

I would like to thank kimkim and the Italian staff.
Especially my contact Deborah, for making this four-week trip to Italy an unforgettable experience for my wife and I.
It was worth the three-year delay due to COVID19.

There were two important elements of this trip for us.
The first was to visit and enjoy the wonderful Italian art, culture and history.
Secondly, to celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary through our trip to Italy.

Both of these came true and our long-held dream came true.
Above all, Deborah's communication skills and understanding of our needs were outstanding.
I would like to thank her first of all. Of course, it was good that Fabio first asked us what we wanted and then made a travel plan accordingly.
In the cities where we stayed, we were able to spend one or two days visiting the main sites and museums efficiently with a small group of people and a specialised guide arranged by local specialist.
We also had a free day to go around with our guidebook. The combination of guided and free days was also good.

The certified guides Local specialist arranged for us were excellent in their explanations and expertise.
In particular, the Japanese-speaking guide was very good and we learnt a lot.
Especially Luigia in Rome, Hiromi in Florence, Vania in Venice and Haruko in Verona and Haruko in Verona was very enthusiastic and professional.

The drivers and pick-up service were also excellent, punctual and friendly.
Beatrice, our concierge in Rome, was quick to respond and fix when we called her when we were delayed at Lake Como. Beatrice in Venice was very helpful with local information, including local restaurants.
We had been warned by friends to be careful at Italian train stations because of pickpockets, but these ladies made us feel safe and secure on the train. We had nothing to worry about. Everyday was excited and fun.

We received champagne at the hotels in Rome, Milan and Venice and drink vouchers at the hotel in Florence to celebrate our wedding. Thanks to local specialist for organising this.

All hotels had their own characteristics and good points. The hotels in Rome Milan and Venezia were well located and we were able to walk to most of the main sights.　The hotel in Asisi gave us outstanding quality, and fresh food in the restaurant. The Perugia hotel has history. The hotel in Florence was very comfortable with spacious and nice room. The staff at this hotel were the friendliest. We were also very happy with the hotels in Milan, Venezia and Ravenna with their excellent rooms.

We are very happy we chose kimkim ,local specialist as our travel agent.
Now we're hoping to visit Southern Italy and Sicily one day, and when we do, we'll use Kim Kim again.　
Thank to kimkim and all the Italian staff for our great trip to Italy.
Grazie
Takaaki and Ryoko

Visited the Amalfi Coast and Sicily in October. Deborah was a delight to work with, very quick to understand what we were looking for on our trip and super responsive to many changes along the way, even last minute ones. Hotels selected were all excellent, tours well organized and transfers always on time. We especially loved Lara's enthusiastic tour of Palermo. She clearly was proud of her Sicilian home! Small touches added in celebration of an anniversary while there made it very special.
Perhaps we could have organized some things at a lower cost, however the overall package (which we could not have duplicated without detailed prior knowledge of the regions) and stress free travel made it all worthwhile. Highly recommended.
Ian & Wendy

My husband and I used KimKim to plan our honeymoon in Italy. We had an incredible time! Everything was curated perfectly for us. Transportation was a breeze, exploring on our own was safe and easy, all of our hotels were lovely, and all of the guided activities were incredible as the guides were knowledgeable and fun. There was also a good balance between touristy activities and downtime for us to do anything else we wanted to do. Bring good shoes because there is so much to see and do within walking distance. We particularly enjoyed the tour of Vatican City, the Colosseum, and the drive through Chianti and Sienna. The food tour in Florence is also a must.

Eirini was our local specialist and made sure every part of our trip went smoothly. Thank you for making this a trip of a lifetime for us.

Superb - that was our experience with Chris and Maria Grazia of the Italy team.  Upon first reaching out to KimKim we were immediately connected to Chris.  He understood our hopes and preferences and compiled extraordinary hotel accommodations in four cities.  Along with Maria Grazia, he set up the right-fit tour guides and transportation for us.  Maria Grazia supplied daily detailed information with names and connections.  Midway through our two week Italy stay, we switched plans and Maria Grazia fully understood and reacted quickly to make other plans for us. Chris suggested an online meeting before we left our Boston home to review our specialized itinerary  which proved extremely worthwhile and allowed us to make a face-to-face connection.  Thanks to the Whatsapp application we had both Chris and Maria Graze in our pockets 24 hrs. per day.  We did have some off-hours communication that both Chris and Maria Graze accepted helpfully and graciously - they both possess a great sense of humor.  We could not more strongly recommend KimKim and the extraordinary Chris and Maria Grazia.

We enjoyed and appreciated the KimKim business model as a whole. It was nice to have local specialist help you plan the itinerary and I liked that you could book some things on your own such as hotels etc. Pricing for their service seemed a bit high but we did enjoy saving some personal planning and booking time. We covered Rome, Puglia, back up to Florence and Cinque Terre for 17 days so lots of miles. The trip went well as planned. Melanie was very responsive and a true pleasure to work with and a great attitude.

The experience organising the trip with Maria Grazia was excellent from start to finish. Beginning with the planning of the itinerary itself and going though several iterations before landing on the final version. We then had to change our dates quite late, which was taken care of very smoothly.

Each of the three hotels were excellent, really well located and met our expectations completely. The organised trips were all very good. For Palermo, we would like to mention Salvatore (Street Food Tour) and Marilu (Private Walking Tour). They were both highly knowledgable and very engaging.

In Catania the Street Food Cooking class with Paola at Tacchi e Sapori Factory was excellent. We did have some problems finding the exact location, and the "tinyurl" link was the most accurate, although we had to manually retype that into our browser to make it work.

In Taormina, the Walking Tour with Gracie was again excellent - great knowledge of the complex history of the area, and also really flexible with the tour itself.

We did make a change to the car hire by one day, which Barbara dealt with really well, the App was a great communication tool.

Hotel Reviews

B&B In Centro Palermo

Palermo

Very centrally located, modern and clean. Very friendly and helpful staff, particularly with our late check in. If using a hire car, it would be worth contacting the hotel ahead of time to get the exact address for parking and hotel access, given it's location on a pedestrian only street.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and clean, good sized rooms. Inside a very secure office block

Location

Very central

Staff

Very friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze

Catania

Very central. Great breakfast and amazing rooftop terrace with views of Mt Etna and the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful staff, particularly for organising additional tours

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Taodomus

Taormina

Very central in the town, and just a 5 minute walk from a modern and secure car park. Great rooftop terrace for breakfast and sundowner drinks. The breakfast was wonderful with a big range on offer.

Authenticity & Character

Traditional hotel from the outside, but contemporary once inside.

Location

Very central. Great views of Mt Etna and the town itself.

Staff

Very helpful and attentive throughout our stay

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Palermo Private Walking Tour

Palermo

Please see previous comments in summary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Palermo Street Food Tour

Palermo

Please see earlier comments in summary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catania Street Food Cooking Class

Catania

Please see earlier comments in Summary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had some problems finding the location - please see earlier comments

Taormina Highlights Walking Tour

Italy

Please see earlier comments in Summary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport