Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Beautiful memories!
Our first trip to Italy went very smoothly due to the planning and organizing from our specialist Eirini!
Highlights of the trip included our Pizza Class at a family farm in the hills of Sorrento, Limoncello class/lunch at Bona del Capo in the Amalfi Coast and our Tuscan castle wine tour/ lunch in Montalcino!
We definitely enjoyed these fun small group activities, met some great people! The private sunset cruise was not overly romantic with the Captain and Skipper directly behind us. Would have been bettter with a small group and different type of boat.
Our favourite walking tour was with Babi in Florence! It was so convenient having skip the line tickets into the Gallerie Academy to view Michaelangelo ‘s ‘David’!
The Kim Kim service was a little more than we wanted to spend as we had already booked our own hotels but overall we really enjoyed all our activities! Lastly the private transfers we had from hotels, train stations and airports was excellent with no stress. Especially our drive from Sorrento to Concha dei Marini!

Activity Reviews

Pizza School at Agriturismo

Italy

Wonderful experience! Enjoyed being up in the hills on a farm! The family was so hospitable and informative. Not only did we really learn how to make pizza, we also enjoyed homemade wine , cheese and panna cotta! Great evening!

Quality of Experience

The organization, the food and the hosts!

Food

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were professional but very friendly and fun

Transport

Got there safely

Private sunset cruise along the Sorrento coast

Italy

We didn’t enjoy this experience as much as if we would have been in a group. The front of the boast had no seats, just a platform do not very comfortable. Also the Captain and Skipper were directly behind us so not very romantic. It was nice sailing along the coastline, relaxing.

Quality of Experience

More comfortable boat, better snacks

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly

Transport

They were late picking us up and we had to call our Italy liaison to connect

Limoncello Tour & Tasting

Amalfi Coast

Our host, Giusy, was so much fun and charismatic! Enjoyed picking lemons and taking pictures before heading into the restaurant for our limoncello class. An interactive and fun experience making the limoncello, followed by drinking limoncello spritz. Having a beautiful long lunch with a stunning view finished off a fantastic day!

Quality of Experience

The host, the property, the class and the food

Food

The pasta and fish

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Easy and organized

Transport

Close to our hotel

Wine Tasting & Cooking class in Montalcino

Italy

Very interesting and informative tour of the winery! Enjoyed a delicious lunch afterwards!

Quality of Experience

Learning the history of the Winery along with type of grapes grown in the region.

Food

The Antipasti board was delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable

Rome Walking tour: Squares & Historic center

Rome

Went to some interesting churches and piazzas on our tour. Our guide very knowledgeable

Secrets Walks of Sorrento: Street food by Locals

Italy

Enjoyed our walk through Sorrento. Our guide very knowledgeable. Had a nice coffee and cake at a little restaurant.

Quality of Experience

Our guide was flexible to walk to other areas Nice to stop for coffee!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She was informative and clear

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

Florence

We really enjoyed our tour with Babi! She really took the time to explain things in an interesting way! The details on the sculptures and buildings she gave made us appreciate them even more! Having skip the line tickets was wonderful!

Quality of Experience

The combination of walking through the city along with specific sights like the Gallery Academy ( David) and the Duomo made it a complete package. Skip the line tickets bought ahead saved a lot of time.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Babi had a great personality! Very knowledgeable and personable!

Transport

She knew how to avoid crowds

We highly recommend using kimkim to plan your trip to Sicily. Moreno was able to answer all our questions during the booking process and throughout our trip. It was great to have a local person help us since they know the area the best. We enjoyed a wonderful cooking class, a great boat ride, a fun day exploring scenes from the Godfather, an adventurous day at Mt. Etna, and a delicious chocolate tasting class. All of our tour guides were wonderful, and we were thankful to have tours with less than 12 people and sometimes even private tours! All the hotels booked through kimkim were beautiful and in great walking distance to all the attractions and restaurants we planned.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Villa Paradiso Taormina

Taormina

This hotel is in a wonderful location! The staff was friendly and the views were great.

Location

Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel

Siracusa

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze

Catania

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cooking Class in Taormina

Taormina

We had a wonderful cooking class with Massimo. It was a fun experience and it was nice working with the others in our group. The food was delicious! We love that we were sent the recipes after our class.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boat Trip along the Taormina Coast

Taormina

Our trip was nice and relaxing.

Godfather Movie Set Tour

Taormina

Wonderful experience going to the Bar Vitelli, the church where Michael and Apollonia got married, and the Castle where many scenes were filmed. Savoca is a lovely town to walk around as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Modica, chocolate workshop and Sicilian passito wine tasting in a local family winery

Italy

Informative, fun, and delicious!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Etna Jeep Tour

Taormina

More hiking than we anticipated, but beautiful views and cooler temperatures!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Just finished our 2nd trip with kimkim.
Irene was our planner and she exceeded in all aspects. Revised the intierary perfectly to accommodate our needs was always accommodating. All hotels choosen for us were in comfortable and in amazing locations, walking distance to anything we wanted too see or do.
Activities throughout the trip provided knowledge, amazing sites and all food tours had excellent selections.
Overall a great vaction with amazing tour sites, delicous food/drinks, picture perfect beachs. Memories for a lifetime. Thanks again kimkim and to Irene!

Hotel Reviews

SanSal Boutique Hotel

Chania

Great location with awesome rooftop bar and infinite pool.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heliotopos Hotel

Santorini

Amazing balcony view, could of stayed on it all day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Residenza Il Hotel Campanile Sorrento

Sorrento

In a amazing location, right across the street from the best Gelato to finished every night

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very nice lady

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sorrento Sunset Sea Kayak Tour

Sorrento

Was a cool experience, that ended with a amazing sunset. Definitely happy I was familiar with a kayak. The ocean is a little rough and I could see how some would of been anxious paddling through the rockinlet to the swim area.

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Sorrento

Provide plenty of drinks, picture perfect swimming spots. Even served us raw sea orcants.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pizza Cooking Class in Napoli

Naples

Was cool but maybe I had my hopes up a little for a pizza class in Naples. don't really due much to making the pizza besides the dough that you don't use "dough has to rise"

Trastevere Afternoon Food Tour & Wine Experience

Rome

Food selections and wines were great

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly

Driving Tour in Chania Mountains

Chania

Was nice to see the moutinan side of chania, the highlight of the trip is the local resturant they brought us to that was run by a family with no electricity and only used firebeds to cook. The owner was amazing and made sure we're having a good time. He served us a overwhelming amounts of diffent meats. Best goat I ever had.

Quality of Experience

Food

Very good meats

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver very friendly and resturants owner was awesome,

Transport

Balos & Falassarna Beach Tour with Lunch

Chania

View point of balos is very cool, this day was one of our favorites. Falassarma beach was super chill with the right amount of wave action to have some fun in the water. Very nice day that ended with delicious food

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Olive Farm Visit & Lunch in Archanes

Heraklion

Nice to learn a little bit about the process and how to read olive oil labels. Owenr is very passionate

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Highlights with Wine

Italy

The tour guide made this enjoyable. Would of been nicer to maybe visit more vineyards. Sight seeing spots are nice though.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caldera Cruise & Volcano Visit

Santorini

Very cool day, nice swimming spots on a nice boat with delicious food.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Christina in Rome and Cristina in Verona were both GREAT! We also loved Daniel in Venice / Murano. I really appreciated how transportation was included and well planned for us. Made the trip seamless . Andrea was very patient with us when we called with questions.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Indigo Rome - St. George

Rome

So close to everything. Great roof top bar/ restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

In an older part of Rome

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Roma

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oasi Boutique Hotel Cinque Terre by Best Western

Levanto

Air conditioning marginal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rome Private Golf Cart tour

Rome

ChristinA the guide was great. Pantheon was my favorite but she hit any spot we wanted

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Colosseum Underground Tour with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

Rome

The tour guide for underground tour was very hard to understand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel skip the line ticket

Rome

Quality of Experience

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pizza Making Class

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike ride in Tuscany Countryside from Florence (small group)

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pisa guided walk

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Verona guided walk - private guide

Verona

Quality of Experience

No

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Murano & Burano islands visit (private service)

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided tour Doge's Palace and St Mark (small group)

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, Italy was great. Communication between us, KimKim, and the tour guides/companies was somewhat difficult and unclear at times. We had a couple of instances in which the specific company that was used to book the tour was unclear and we ended up with the wrong tour for a time because of confusion.

We were able to get a partial refund for an event due to weather issues and not being able to go on a private vineyard tour, but the refund was initially refused and I had to argue to get the refund.

This was our second time planning and booking a trip through kimkim. We had a large group of 11 people and overall we had a lovely trip. The planning was a little more onerous for this trip, partly I suspect due to the size of the group and a busy time of year but I think also there were points where communication from Chris could have been better and possibly the information/communications he was receiving from local partners. In particular, it was hard to understand the details of the Lake Como planning and there were points where information had already been discussed or sent but was overlooked. While on the trip, the Lake Como and Venice portions of the trip were great. Donatella was a good guide in Lake Como (although we felt like we were being rushed through in Bellagio and Villa Carlotta only to end up with extra time on the back end of each location). Luccia and Caterina in Venice were wonderful and so great with the kids and our transfers in Venice were also wonderful. We enjoyed Hotel Centrale in Cernobbio and the town of Cernobbio was lovely. The hotel in Venice was mediocre - the A/C did not work in 2 of the 3 rooms we had, there was likely mold issues , and we kept finding dead bugs/mosquitoes on our beds, and the water in shower would unpredictably become scalding hot requiring one to step out of the water every few seconds and creating a dangerous situation with young kids. The location of the hotel in Venice was great.

We had a lot of frustrations and poor experiences in Florence with poor communication, issues with transfers to and from the train station, issues with transfer to one of the activities (a cooking class), and the cooking class itself was not what was described. Our day trip to Sienna, San Gigamano, and Pisa with guide Silvia was great and Silvia and the driver Vladimir were both wonderful.

While on the trip, Chris really came through in problem-solving and communicating to help smooth over the problematic parts of the vacation. The central number we had additionally been provided for more immediate service was terrible and incredibly frustrating to deal with.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Centrale Cernobbio

Cernobbio

Clean, spacious hotel with nice staff, great location near bus station and short walk to ferry terminal and near restaurants in a charming town. Breakfast was also good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ca Dei Conti Venice

Venice

Hotel is perfectly located with a 5 minute walk to San Marco Square, the main walking strip along water, and a 10 minute walk to the Rialto Bridge. However the cleanliness/comfort of the hotel as well as the breakfast were mediocre. 2 of the 3 rooms we had did not have working A/C -- one of the rooms we had changed and then did get working A/C. In at least one room, we kept finding dead mosquitoes on the bed and there was mold in the bathroom. In all rooms, the water would suddenly become scalding hot requiring one to step out of the water in the shower every few seconds and being very dangerous with kids.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

functioning a/c, water temperature fluctuations to dangerously hot, mold/mosquito/bug issues

Palazzo Alfani al David

Florence

Lovely apartment style accommodation directly across from Accademia, 5 minutes from Duomo and near great restaurants. Host Francesca also lovely and easy to communicate with.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pizza & Gelato Making - Cooking Class

Florence

While we had a lovely time with the couple who provided the class in a beautiful location -- there was no gelato making which was a huge disappointment as we had been telling the kids all day we would make gelato. In addition, the class was nothing like described on the itinerary - no culture/history was discussed and no traditional oven was used.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

terrible experience with drivers and poor communication about who would be picking us up and where leading to confusion. I was not given phone numbers and drivers were not given my number. Also, the walk to host house was uphill and not well communicated when I had two adults in their mid-70s in our group.

Transport

Full day Lake Como Tour

Italy

Donatella was a lovely guide, engaging kids and adults while on the ferry. Once in Bellagio and again at Lake Carlotta, the communication of plan and distribution of time were less clear and we felt rushed through both locations only to then end up with a lot of extra time in both locations that we would have preferred to use to explore a little more. The amount and difficulty of walking in all locations was also not clearly provided in planning the trip which would have been important given we had a 5 year old and two adults in their mid-70s.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tuscany Grand Tour - Best of Siena, San Gimignano, Chianti and Pisa

Florence

It would have been helpful to know the length of each walking tour and options for alternate routes to accommodate oldest/youngest members of family both in the planning portion and on day of tour. Siena was beautiful but the tour was a bit long for members of our group. Silvia was amazing in accommodating people and being considerate of the grandparents and young 5 year old.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore St. Mark's Basilica and The Doge's Palace, Gondola ride

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Just came back from our trip to Italy. ‘Sonia’ was the organizer for our trip. She did a fantastic job preparing the itinerary and arranging guides and transport. ‘Daniela’ was our point of contact. She was super, went above and beyond to make sure that we had a smooth and pleasurable experience. Guides were local and had plethora of knowledge about focal points to take pics and shop around. This was our 2nd trip with ‘Kimkim’ and we continue to be impressed. A big ‘thank you’ to Sonia/Daniela and their team. We are already thinking about our next adventure with them.🙏🏼

We traveled to Italy in June with my husband and two boys ages 5 and 7. We planned and coordinated our trip along side my sister and her family as well as a friend and her family. Valeria coordinated the whole trip for all 3 families providing transportation, family friendly tours, and memorable experiences. Our transportation and drivers were always timely and the cars were spacious and comfortable. The tours and guides were excellent and held the attention of the children. She made everything easy and it required no additional planning or coordination on our part which made for a stress free and wonderful vacation. We would absolutely use Valeria and Kim Kim for future trips and look forward to visiting this beautiful country again!

Activity Reviews

Naples City tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sorrento Coast & Capri Boat Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit of The Amalfi coast Villages Full Day

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Street Food Tour in Naples

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Pizza-making class

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private golf cart tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Vatican Museums –treasure hunt family tour ( private)

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Emi and Francesco were invaluable in planning my trip to Italy. As a single mom traveling with two teenage boys I was overwhelmed by the planning and needed help. It was easy to communicate with Emi and Francesco through the KimKim platform throughout the entire process. They were attentive to my requests and always replied in a timely manner. I was satisfied with the hotels and transportation chosen for us. I had requested to splurge a little at our last destination (Sorrento) and the hotel did not disappoint! The high speed train transport in business class was comfortable and easy to navigate. The tours they chose in each city were lead by friendly and informative tour guides. The only change I would make is to the private gondola ride in Venice. It was a lovely ride but departed from one of the main tourist areas and was very crowded. There were other gondola rides we saw that were off the beaten path which I would have preferred. I was able to use WhatsApp to contact the team a couple of times during the trip with questions which was very helpful. Our tours of the Colosseum, Palantine Hill, and Roman Forum and of Pompeii were AMAZING and will be remembered for a lifetime. I would advise to arrive at the tour meeting locations early. I used Google maps to find my way and it got me close to some of the locations but I had to spend some extra time finding the right place. Also, bring your own wired earbuds because the ones provided for the tours hurt our ears. We attended a pizza and gelato making class in Florence which resulted in the best gelato we had the whole trip (and we had a lot). This was the favorite activity of my teenage boys. This is the first trip I've taken that I did not plan entirely myself and I am looking forward to using KimKim again for my next adventure. I would recommend Emi and Francesco to anyone traveling to Italy.

Activity Reviews

Best of Venice guided walking tour with gondola ride

Italy

I loved seeing the city and learning about the architecture. I did not like the earbuds provided for the tour. They hurt our ears which made my kids take them out and ask me questions instead of listening to the guide. We came across a funeral for a gondolier that had died and got t see the special gondola that was being used.

Pizza and gelato making class

Florence

This experience was perfect. Everyone loved the pizza and gelato. We were so hungry after preparing everything. I even tried anchovies on my pizza. Drinks including wine and soft drinks were provided too and we socialized with another American family which all made for a lovely evening.

Quality of Experience

Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hill

Rome

Wonderful tour with amazing sights to see. Earbuds hurt our ears, would like to have better quality listening devices.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pompeii Excavations half-day Tour

Italy

Guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. I liked how our guide was slow and relaxed and even spent some extra time there. We were able to see a lot without rushing. He made sure we stopped in the shade a lot too. Again, the earbuds were uncomfortable and hard to keep in my ear. It was interesting to see all the archaeologists working on the site while we were there.

Day at leisure in Sorrento

Sorrento

We were able to hike to Bagni Regina Giovanna from our hotel. Enjoyed a day of sunbathing and swimming in the Bay of Naples. The kids enjoyed jumping off the rocks.

Our trip from start to finish was positively amazing! Maria Grazia and team did a superb job of balancing our interests in hiking, with cultural interests in cooking/sight-seeing and traveling the countryside. The few guides we had were very knowledgeable, friendly and engaging--always on time and ready to listen to what we were most interested in learning. Our drivers couldn't have been more friendly (and always so prompt!). Our accommodations were spot on, within the historic centers of the locations we stayed, and easy walking distance to just about everything. We had one guide in particular (Lorenzo) at the Valley of the Temples) who was SUPER fantastic and a perfect guide for one of the most important historical sites in Sicily (in Agrigento). His flair for language, history and animated story-telling made our tour so incredibly special.

Hotel Reviews

B&B Khalisah

Palermo

Location seemed a little sketchy when we arrived late at night, but the historic ambiance is amazing; the owners are very friendly, accommodations and View were spectacular, but most of all the morning breakfast of homemade pastries and cakes is positively to die for!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The area seems a little sketchy (poor area of the historic district), but this can be overcome by the hospitality of the staff.

Staff

B&B Sant'Alfonso

Agrigento

Wonderful location in the heart of Agrigento, but very glad we did not have a car as there is no easy access to this hotel. The staff were amazing, and arranged for us to have all our laundry taken to a local launderer (and returned beautifully, cleaned, folded and pressed...almost too lovely to disturb!). The proprietor goes to the pasticerria each morning to pick up fresh pastries which are a positive delight!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy access to everything in Agrigento, except the Valley of the Temples (which required an easy taxi ride).

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel

Syracuse

Fabulous location on the sea! Fabulous breakfasts, great staff and wonderful recommendations by staff for dinner/lunch and activities!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location is central within Ortigia and easy walking distance to all important sites!

Staff

Staff were amazing, wonderfully warm and super helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze

Catania

This hotel is wonderfully central, easy access to everything, as well as lovely amenities. Breakfast is wonderful, staff is helpful/friendly!

Authenticity & Character

Location.

Location

Easy to access all relevant historical and cultural sites, easy to get to restaurants, etc.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Ducale

Taormina

Spectacular views from atop the hillside, my only criticism is of the pool. If you are looking to "lounge" by the pool after a hot day of walking/sight seeing or boating, etc., there are no places to sit, only a pool by which to take a dip. Food here is fantastic, and because of its' location, the staff provide a free shuttle service to the main part of town, so its location (while way atop the hill) doesn't pose any difficulties for those that may be challenged walking up and down the 700+ stairs to get to town!

Authenticity & Character

Loved that this is a villa converted to a hotel, lends an amazing amount of charm/character to the experience.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Rosaria Boutique Hotel

VALLETTA

wonderfully located in the central historic district; friendly staff and fabulous accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

Not a particularly "authentic" hotel as it is fairly modern, but nonetheless a wonderful location.

Location

Staff

Very helpful/friendly staff that even got up early to make us breakfast for a 5 am departure!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Palermo Private Walking Tour

Palermo

Very informative, friendly guide (substitute for the guide we were supposed to have had). Gauged our interest in various historical/cultural aspects of Palermo and adjusted accordingly. Loved the "stories" she wove in about the love affairs/politics/etc behind the historical points of interest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valley of the Temples Tour

Palermo

This was one of the highlights of our trip to Sicily! This is a fantastic, soul-touching site that is vast and worth exploring every inch. Our guide, Lorenzo was highly animated, telling story after story and making the history of the site come alive. TIP: Visit the site early in the morning before either the heat or the hordes of crowds, definitely worth an early rise to see this amazing historical landmark.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Etna Trekking & Tasting with Masterclass Wines Doc Etna

Italy

The trekking was just a little disappointing in length, though our guide was quite good/knowledgeable! We had hoped for more trekking/less driving. The lunch is definitely the highlight of the trip, as Barbara made a spectacular meal for us, sharing the bounty of her garden, freshly made pasta and pairing local wines with each course. This was such a memorable part of our trip and something we will remember forever. She shared her recipes with me, and as an avid cook, I cannot wait to try them!

Quality of Experience

The lunch was the highlight!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fresh Pasta Making Class in Taormina

Taormina

This was a very special class, as we were the only "participants", so enjoyed a hands-on pasta making class with three different types of pastas and sauces, enjoying the meal with the chef after making the dishes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Not applicable for this activity.

Transport

Not applicable, as we walked.

We had the most wonderful time in Italy! We owe a huge thank you to our trip planner, problem fixer and behind the scenes guide Fabio. He took all the stressful pieces of our trip, such a booking trains, scheduling private transfers, finding wonderful tours, etc and planned it all out for us meticulously. While in Italy, he kept in contact with us checking in, asking for feedback, and was always available anytime of the day to troubleshoot. Fabio also found wonderful food and dinner reservations for us, both before the trip and during. If we were unable to communicate with a restaurant or running behind due to events like the Tour de Italy bike race, he communicated with tour guides and helped cancel or change restaurant reservations. While in Rome, I suffered from sun poisoning, he was quick to find a physician that would come to me for assistance and when there was a language barrier with the agency, he immediately called and helped translate. During the trip, he took feedback from us and when he got to know our group more, he made suggestions to our future drivers and tour hosts to accommodate our preferences, such a wine tastings and food suggestions. Lastly, my husband and I had asked Fabio last minute before leaving for Italy, if he might coordinate a photographer for some belated wedding pictures, as we did not have a our wedding due to Covid-19. Fabio was able to find an amazing photographer for us last minute and made the whole day very special for us in and around Lake Como. We had a trip of a lifetime in Italy, our travels were seamless in and between the different cities and this was all due to and thanks to Fabio. I would hands down use him again if we were to go back and would also highly recommend him to anyone else going to Italy anytime soon!

The trip was amazing! Our main contact, Barbara, in Venice was wonderful and so helpful. She checked in with us every few days and was a pleasure to meet.

Hotel Reviews

HOTEL CA' AMADI

venice

The room was nice and big, right on a canal. It was fun to hang out at the window and watch the gondolas go by. But, it was also loud throughout the night being right on a thoroughfare. The breakfast was very basic and the reception desk was rarely staffed. If we had to choose again we would not stay here.

Authenticity & Character

It was relatively basic with some nice chandeliers

Location

Noisy at night

Staff

The reception desk was rarely staffed and breakfast service was lacking

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Cavour

Florence

Centrally located and well staffed. Breakfast was wonderful. Rooms were small and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Corallo

Sorrento

Ver nice hotel with beautiful views. Food was very average. It is not easy to get from the hotel to the town of Sorrento - either a 30-min walk or a scheduled shuttle from the hotel. We would have preferred to be more centrally located in Sorrento since we were only there for two nights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Residence

Amalfi

Nicest hotel of our vacation. Located right off the main square and easy to walk around Amalfi. Across the street from the beach and a beautiful town.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful spiral staircase and terrace for breakfast

Location

Right off of the main square in Amalfi

Staff

Welcoming and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relais Dei Papi

Rome

One step up from a hostel

Authenticity & Character

Felt like an office building

Location

Rome is a big city and this is a 20-30 min walk to most attractions

Staff

Nice but not English speaking and kitchen staff were reluctantly helpful in the morning

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds felt like box springs, not mattresses

Activity Reviews

Full day excursion to Pisa and Lucca

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Gondola Ride

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Venice walking tour

Italy

Silvia was a great guide and helped us navigate the large crowds

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private guided tour of the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries (4 hours)

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sorrento Coast & Capri Boat Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit of The Amalfi coast Villages Full Day

Italy

Loved having time in Positano

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Small group tour of Vatican City , Sistine Chapel & saint Peter's Basilica

Rome

Small group tour of max 6 people became a large group of 12 when we arrived. As a concession the tour agency gave us vouchers for 200 euros per person to book “our next tour” which they knew we wouldn’t be able to use because all their tours were overbooked. Felt like a scam.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Small Group tour of Colosseum underground, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum ( max 6 people)

Rome

Great guide and we remained a small group regardless of the crowds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Andrea did an excellent job planning the trip. Everything went smoothly, and he was available to help and communicate throughout the trip as needed. We enjoyed all of the accommodations, excursions, and tour guides and drivers we met along the way. It was a special first visit to Italy and we hope to someday return!

Activity Reviews

Rome Private Guided Walk

Rome

We loved our guide Alexandra! She was knowledgeable and was able to show us so much. We saw the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and so much more. It was a great way to begin our visit to Italy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pizza Making Class

Italy

We loved the pizza making class. It was in Emanuela’s private residence, so we got to know her and learn so much from her in this unique experience. We would absolutely recommend this experience to others.

Quality of Experience

Food

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

Pompeii was a fantastic experience. It was amazing to see the ruins and learn from our guide. Simona was very knowledgeable and she was able to show us so much during our visit. We never knew how large Pompeii actually is until our visit, but we felt that we got to experience all of it thanks to our guide. We would recommend anyone visiting to stop by Pompeii!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Simona taught us a lot about Pompeii and gave us an excellent experience by ensuring we saw as much as possible during our visit.

Transport

Our driver Guiseppe was excellent. He was punctual and friendly and drove us to multiple locations throughout the day.

Winery visit and wine tasting in Pompeii area including light lunch

Italy

The winery visit was a wonderful experience, especially after spending time at Pompeii in the hot sun! We immediately were given a quick tour of the winery upon arrival, and shortly after we were seated for wine tasting and lunch. The location was beautiful, the wine was good, and we enjoyed the food. It was a great experience that we would recommend to others!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was friendly!

Transport

Day trip to Capri Island from The Amalfi Coast - small group

Italy

We had a wonderful time on this excursion to Capri. The boat ride was scenic and our driver was quick to explain the many sights along the way. Capri is a beautiful island with many breathtaking views. We visited the gardens and explored the shops. On the way back, we enjoyed a swim in the water, which was a wonderful way to end the day’

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our boat driver was friendly and showed us many parts of the island from the boat. He found many opportunities for the guests to take good photos with the scenery. Although the Blue Grotto was closed and we did not get to go, he took us to a swimming spot instead and we loved that experience!

Transport

We took a water taxi to our boat dock (about 15 minutes) and it was smooth both ways. The drivers were friendly and punctual.

Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel skip the line ticket

Rome

The Vatican and Sistine Chapel was a beautiful experience. We saw so many ancient artifacts and pieces of artwork. We did a self guided tour and we were happy with that experience. The skip-the-line ticket was absolutely worth it!

Quality of Experience

Colosseum & Roman Forum skip the line ticket

Rome

The Colosseum was very impressive and we were glad we got to see it! We also visited the Roman Forum, but we spent less time there due to the size. We did the self guided tour and enjoyed that. We would recommend visiting to others!

Quality of Experience

This was a 12-day Family and Friends cross-country expedition in Italy to key places the group wanted to explore that they hadn't done in the past. This included Florence, Siena, Pisa/Lucca, Italian Riviera (Cinque Terre, Portofino), Lake Como, and Venice :o) Eleni, our travel specialist from KimKim, worked with me for almost 2 years on this trip! She was the most amazing person to brainstorm with! She took my base ideas and crafted an incredible itinerary for our group of 12 family/friends! It was sooooo much fun working with Eleni on this trip and finally getting to meet her after both our Italy trip and our follow-on cruise that ended in Greece - where we then continued the 2nd trip that Eleni crafted for our group in Greece ;o)

Honestly, everything went so smoothly - all our transfers, the group meals, our hotel stays, and the numerous unique experiences Eleni orchestrated for our group during this 12-day period. There were soooo many highlights of this trip, one of which included all the various winetasting excursions that Eleni masterfully integrated into the itinerary as we explored the Tuscany region. Additional highlights included a sunset dinner outside of San Gimignano at an organic farm pairing our meal with wine tasting from the famous Chianti region. During our 3 days in the Italian Riviera, we had 2 boating excursions where we were able to explore the Italian Riviera from the sea and another where we not only explored Cinque Terra Villages from the land but also saw this UNESCO site from the sea. We had an awesome private day trip in and around Portofino including a unique culinary experience where we learned to make Pesto and enjoyed a lunch with regional specialties paired with beer and wine. Another highlight of this trip was our stay in Lake Como that included a hike in the hills and a picnic lunch in a hilltop village overlooking Lake Como - then we continued our hike down the hills for a boating excursion around Lake Como. On our way to Venice, we stopped at a winery, explored their cellars and winemaking processes then enjoyed a winetasting session and lunch! Once in Venice - we had a great walking tour and ended with a gondola ride on the grand canal. After our time in Venice we were then transported to the Chioggia Cruise Terminal to begin our "Empires of the Mediterranean" Viking Cruise that ended in Greece.

AGAIN - Eleni and her team (Travel 12 Team) were awesome. The Travel 12 Team kept in contact with me daily and were there for me if ever I needed assistance or had a question!

THANK YOU for a most memorable vacation!
- Linda and Steve

Deborah really listened to what we wanted and planned a wonderful trip. We stayed in Rome for 3 nights and Sorrento for 5 nights. All of the drivers that we had were WONDERFUL! One of the best activities we did was a cooking class in Sorrento with Chef Martina. It was one of the best things we have ever done! We also had a great time in Ravello at a wine tasting and vineyard tour. Hotel Corallo in Sorrento (Sant'Angello) was a perfect location away from the crowds, but close to everything with beautiful views. I tried several travel agents before deciding to use Deborah, and none of them really listened to what I wanted. Deborah was a great listener, patient, and communicative!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Della Conciliazione

Rome

Our stay at Hotel Della Conciliazione in Rome was fantastic. The location was close to everything, and the hotel was clean with a friendly staff. The hotel seemed to be located in a neighborhood with a lot of locals, which added to the authentic feel of our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Corallo

Sorrento

Our stay at Hotel Corallo on the Amalfi Coast was also fantastic. The hotel had a beautiful view of the water and the staff was very friendly and accommodating. Despite initially getting a room off the lobby without a balcony or terrace, we found our stay to be excellent. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting the Amalfi Coast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Evening Aperitivo Tour

Rome

Valeria was our guide through the foods and neighborhoods in Rome. We were exhausted from our travels, but she was fabulous. Valeria was knowledgeable, kind, warm, and fun! We had a great experience trying food that the locals ate. She also helped us get oriented to where we were in Rome so that we knew the area on the first day.

Quality of Experience

Really felt like a local

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Small group tour of Vatican City , Sistine Chapel & saint Peter's Basilica

Rome

We had Sylvia as our tour guide. She was an art history major so she had a true passion for what she was showing us, but she made it easy for all of us to understand. Highly recommend Sylvia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class in Amalfi Coast

Italy

Best thing we did on our whole trip! Chef Martina is amazing. You go directly to her home and actually cook in her kitchen. The views from her home are amazing! She has such a passion for what she is doing. There are not words to describe this wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit of the Amalfi Coast villages with wine tasting and lunch at Tenuta di San Francesco

Italy

Our driver was Tony. Tony was warm, friendly, and knowledgeable. He was so much fun! He made the drive around the Amalfi coast so much fun. The wine tasting was great. The family who runs the vineyard were so kind and humble. The food and wine were great. It says it is a light lunch. We were STUFFED!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tony is fabulous!

Small group tour of Colosseum with Arena access, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum

Rome

The Colosseum tour was also great. Our guide was fantastic and the small group size made the experience enjoyable. The historical sites were breathtaking and our guide made them come alive with interesting facts and stories.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just returned from a custom self-driving tour of Sicily. We had a wonderful time as we circled Sicily. Andrea Gambino arranged the entire trip and his knowledge and experience translanted into a trip that we will never forget. We not only had wonderful accommodations but one of the best rooms in each hotel visited. We loved staying in the heart of the old towns that allowed us to really experience the vib of each town.
We really enjoy self-driving tours as that allows us to allocate out time for what we want to see and skip the rest.
We love to travel and have visited over 90 countries.

Hotel Review

Giardino sul Duomo

Ragusa Ibla

Amazing hotel and location. We really appreciated being able to park our car close by. From our balcony we could see for miles in most directions.

Authenticity & Character

The view

Location

Great views without the city bustle.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Mount Etna half-day trip (group experience)

Italy

Sold as a 4 wheel drive Jeep tour but in reality we were stuck in the back road of a 9 passenger van with extremely limited views. We were lead to believe that we were to visit the "Volcano" only to learn that they only drive halfway up and take the group an a circular hike around the side of mountain.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Don't call the trip a Jeep trip if there is no Jeep.

Fabio was amazing! He planned the perfect anniversary trip for us and he always responded immediately if we had questions. Everything he scheduled was amazing and seamless. All of the drivers, hotels and tour guides were top notch and we’re waiting for us on the times he scheduled on our itinerary. It was such an amazing experience that we will be using KimKim again for international travel and we highly recommend Fabio for organizing your trip to Italy!!

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Alabardieri Hotel Napoli

Naples

Room was small but the location was perfect. Probably one of the best locations in Naples. Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Badia Sorrento

Sorrento

Some of the best views of the gulf of Naples and Sorrento. Only a short 20 minute scenic walk to downtown. The staff was very incredibly friendly and helpful. The rooms could be updated but were spacious nonetheless. Breakfast every morning on the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean will be in my mind forever.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

THE ONE Boutique Hotel & SPA Rome

Rome

The location and quality of this hotel was incredible. Very updated and modern and just minutes away from some of the most popular attractions in Rome. However some of the staff were rude especially at breakfast in the morning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff were very rude and we observed overt racism towards an Indian family while eating breakfast. The manager in charge of the restaurant was incredibly inappropriate and should not interact with customers.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sorrento Coast, Capri & Blue Grotto Boat Tour | From Sorrento

Italy

Great experience but could have done better planning to ensure we could get into the Blue Grotto as advertised. Everything else was great and highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Italy

This entire experience was awesome. Pompeii was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen. The winery was beautiful and the food was delicious. I loved getting to the top of mount vesuvius, but would recommend moving that part to before the winery as it was tough to climb after drinking a lot of wine and eating a lot of delicious food. However the entire experience was top notch.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of the Colosseum & Roman Forum

Rome

The tour guide was great and glad we did this instead of going by ourselves. It was a bit unorganized when we arrived and the employees didn’t give clear directions on where we needed to go or do. The rest of the experience was amazing and recommend seeing when you’re in Rome!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip was absolutely amazing and checked off all the boxes we wanted! First off, Fabio can’t be recommended enough. He was professional, made traveling easy (even for first timers) and created an overall once in a lifetime experience. We really felt like we got to experience a deep dive into all the food and culture Italy has to offer. From the history in Rome to the vineyards in Tuscany to the waters of Venice, Fabio’s recommendations never disappointed! The top of the list were definitely the Vespa tour through the Tuscany hills, the cooking tour, the Vatican tour (would highly recommend as early as possible) and of course our wedding photos in beautiful Lake Como! If we had any hiccups throughout the trip he would graciously help and have solutions for us in no time. I’d also highly recommend food tours to start off each city, we learned so much about each area through the food and got a lot of inside information about where to go and what to see during our stay there. Again we can not thank you enough for our wonderful trip and highly encourage anyone to request Fabio from ItalyBespokeTours to create an experience you’ll never forget!

Activity Reviews

Tuscany Sunset Vespa Tour with Wine Tasting

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Florence

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sunset Boat Trip along the Cinque Terre with Aperitif

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fabio did an outstanding job with helping us with both with a 4nt land tour as well as day tours during our cruise in Italy ports of call. He was a great communicator, listened to what our needs and wants were and put together an itinerary that was perfect for us. He was always available when I needed him while we were in Italy and he always had constant communications with our drivers and their locations. I was SO impressed and will be using Fabio again!!

From the beginning of our planning all the way until the very end of our trip, Irene and the whole kimkim team, including Travel12 in Greece, were absolutely wonderful. Irene took care and was very responsive during the planning process to make sure our trip was exactly what we wanted... and it was! She thought of everything and covered every little detail to ensure our holiday was safe and stress free. My daughter and I packed a lot into our 2 week trip in Italy and Greece. Irene made sure we saw and did everything we could without being overwhelmed or exhausted. Our itinerary was the perfect balance of planned/scheduled tours and time to explore on our own. I appreciated how the team would check in with us from time to time. The couple of times I had questions, they responded within minutes and made certain my question was answered fully. We had an especially incredible day in Naples - exploring Pompeii and Vesuvius - thanks to our very fun driver, Mauro, and the absolute best guide to walk through Pompeii, Fabio!