Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

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 and Mt. Vesuvius, with Lunch at a Winery at the Foot of the Volcano

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!

Andrea put together a fabulous trip for us in Italy. His responsiveness, attention to detail, and follow through made for an amazing trip. We would highly recommend Andrea without any reservations whatsoever!

Our favorite driver/guide was Luciana out of Siena. She helped us plan our day when the private tour was cancelled in Florence and the time was changed. We truly relaxed in Siena and felt very safe. Rome and the Amalfi coast plus Florence were memorable as well

I truly feel like we were able to see more and do more at a more personalized level due to Kimkim! This will transform your trip!

Hotel Review

Hotel Palazzo Ravizza Siena

Siena

The staff was super helpful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wine Tasting in Montalcino

Italy

Such a cool experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine & Food Experience in the Tuscan Countryside

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Walking Tour of Rome

Rome

Our guide was amazing! So much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Went on a 12 day Italy trip before we got on a viking ship in Venice. We had a group of 12 and Kim Kim scheduled the whole Italy leg of our journey. They picked us up at the airport and transported us to each hotel and on the last day took us to the ship. We never had to worry about anything because they did it all for us. Transportation, accommodations, food, tours, etc. Had a wonderful trip. I highly recommend going through Kim Kim and especially working with Eleni. She was great. We went to Florence, Seina, Italian Riveria, Lake como and Venice. Stayed in 5 hotels and did tours everyday. Loved the hiking, boat rides, walking tours, restaurants. It was all fantastic.

Hotel Reviews

Alfieri9 Boutique Hotel Florence

Florence

We only got to stay here for 1 night because we had a canceled flight from Paris. But the hotel was perfect. Great location and big comfortable bed and bathroom. The breakfast was so yummy. Loved it

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Il Battistero Siena

Siena

The hotel was great and in a perfect location. I only wish we would have had our own room. We ended up getting a room with our friends and had to share a bathroom. I would have rather paid more and gotten our own room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

My friend loss her luggage for 5 days and the front desk lady was so nice to talk to the Florence airport and we were able to understand that they had her luggage back at the airport.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cenobio Dei Dogi Camogli

Camogli

The best hotel we stayed in. I absolutely loved this hotel. Nice room and bathroom. The breakfast was amazing and the shared areas were beautiful with ocean views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff helped my husband get some medical help for an infected finger which was really nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Borgo Antico Como

Como

The room we were given had a really bad smell in it. I tried to get another room but none were available. I had to go get a candle and burn it all night. The smell never went away, but with the candle burning I was able to tolerate it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Olimpia

Venice

We were given a beautiful room and we loved it

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Gondola Ride

Venice

I got to sit in the King/Queen seats. It was really nice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Highlights Walking Tour

Venice

The guide was ok, but not great. The walking was fine, but it was alittle hard to understand her

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of Villages, Vineyards & a Wine Cellar

Cinque Terre

Another amazing day. It was beautiful weather and the guide was great. The boat ride was awesome and the lunch was so good. Loved this area and it was a great day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Art Tour: Uffizi & Accademia

Florence

Did not go on this tour because our flight was cancelled so we missed this tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Welcome Stroll & Gelato

Assisi

Was unable to go on this tour because our flight was cancelled

Follow the Book "Inferno" by Dan Brown through the Secret Sights of Florence

Florence

Loved this tour and the beautiful roof top terrace we had some coffee on. Very imformative tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siena Food Tour

Italy

Our guide was the BEST. She was so smart and provided a ton of great information about the area and wine and olive oil. I highly recommend this tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuscany Sunset Tour & Dinner

Siena

Great guides and went to lots of fun places. Loved the area and the guide told us so much about the region. The dinner was outstanding and the wine was so good

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Pisa and Lucca Afternoon Tour

Florence

The bus driver was the best. He detoured our bus so we could go pick up our friends luggage that was lost for 5 days. We still got to see Pisa and Lucca which were so cute.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best driver ever!!!!

Transport

Private Day Trip to Portofino with Cooking Class, Lunch & Boat Trip

Italian Riviera

Best tour ever. We so loved doing this tour. Had so much fun driving up to the cooking class. It was crazy scary and fun at the same time. The lunch was great and the boat ride was awesome. There was alittle mix up with the boat driver not knowing that we were supposed to be able to swim and we were supposed to be dropped off by our hotel. But it was still awesome to experience the boat ride

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Como Food & Wine Tour

Lake Como

This was a fun day. Wine was good and the ice cream was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Slow Travel In Como, Brunate & Torno

Lake Como

Had a great guide...Dannee we had a wonderful ride up the funicular, did an incredible hike and had an amazing lunch up on the mountain. There was alittle issue with timing and we were late to our boat ride so we ended up not being able to do the whole boat ride and we ended up getting just a ride back to our hotel area. It was alittle disappointing because I would have loved to experience the boat for a couple of hours, instead we only got 30 minutes.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Como, Bellagio & Villas Boat Tour

Lake Como

This is the boat ride we did not get to experience. The tour right before it went long so we missed be able to do this tour. Very sad because I was looking forward to this one. The good news is at least we were able to pick up a ferry to take us back to our hotel area, otherwise we would have had to walk back about 10 miles to get to hote.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lake Como to Venice with winery visit and lunch in Valpolicella

Italy

The winery was beautiful and very clean. Loved the tastings and the food was good

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lorenza was great! Not only she helped us plan our trip, she was available once we were on our trip which was so nice. If we had any questions she would respond promptly.
The hotels we stayed at were in perfect locations.
We loved Residenza Luce (a boutique hotel) in Amalfi the best! Family owned and managed. We had "Nona" cooking breakfast for us everyday of our stay and several members of the family were present and so caring.
The hotel in Trastevere Rome was in a great location, but we did not luck it very much (Tree Charm). There was nobody available after 2:30 pm, so if you needed a towel or anything else you just couldn't get it...
Best,
DR

Fabio was the ultimate travel planner and host. I have traveled to different countries for 15 plus years with travel specialists and Fabio is by far the best. He not only helped one of my sister’s find care and called a doctor for her, he also helped with my other sister’s lost luggage and getting her a free transport to and from to get her bag and contacted the airport directly to make sure it was there for her.

Fabio was able to coordinate 5 family members all with different flights and arrival/departure times. We didn’t have a single mishap with our crazy travel schedules because he was so organized and on top of our dates.

He called each of our tour operators the day of to explain our family style and to coordinate with them to make sure we had the best experience. Not only did we love him, but each tour operator has formed a trusting relationship with him and speaks so highly of him. He only books tours/excursions with the best companies. That goes along way, especially when stopping in 5 cities like we did and having so much knowledge of each city, the different things to do there and who to book through.

He met us in Lake Como and went so far as to buy us a few beverages and to host us.

My older sister asked for last minute photographs of her and her recent husband and Fabio came through with the best photographer.

A few of my flights were canceled and I had to switch to a different city to fly out and he was able to cancel those train/excursion tickets and transition to a new city with the same money paid.

I work in sales and his attention to detail and ability to understand the family dynamic was amazing. He is so good at what he does and his understanding of the different tour operators in Italy helped us have the best time.

I wish I could plan all my trips with him across the world. I don’t think I will ever get as wonderful of a travel specialist as him. He really is fantastic.

Activity Reviews

Trastevere Local Food Tour

Rome

We loved Dimitri. Amazing host and so knowledge of the city and food.

Quality of Experience

No

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights & Hidden Gems of Rome | Walking Tour

Rome

Absolutely fantastic and our guide was a pleasure to meet.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuscany Sunset Vespa Tour with Wine Tasting

Italy

This was our most favorite activity of the trip. Such a cool experience and breathtaking views of the countryside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Florence

Our driver was amazing. He took such great care of us and even stopped by the airport, out of his way with no extra charge, to grab my sister’s bag that was delayed a few days.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Florence

Carmela is amazing. She made this cooking class so much fun. We couldn’t stop laughing throughout the experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Boat Trip along the Cinque Terre with Aperitif

Italy

Such an amazing way to see the different cities. Our boat operator was fantastic and added so many different touches with his knowledge of the area. We had a blast.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Food Tour

Venice

Giada was a pleasure to meet. Fun, witty and she knows the local spots for food. It was really nice to met someone from the city and to ask her questions about Venice throughout her life there. We loved her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

[TRANSPORT] Venice Airport Private Water Taxi Transfer

Venice

The taxi service was very accommodating. I asked to leave earlier and they helped me make that happen without any extra fees.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tour

Rome

Our guide was very knowledgeable and really helped us with more knowledge and background info.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I was skeptical of the value of using KimKim to book a recent trip to Italy, but I am taking the time to write this review because my experience was overwhelmingly positive.

Our guide, Fabio, did an amazing job helping us plan and execute our trip. There were five people on my trip, and four unique schedules. I appreciated that Fabio had no issue with us booking our own lodging. It provided nice flexibility. Fabio seamlessly coordinated our various schedules (e.g., people flew in and out on different days, some people visited five cities, some visited three or four, etc.), and the travel between various cities was worry-free. Every driver was professional, punctual, and extremely courteous.

Similarly, the activities recommended and planned by Fabio were varied and enjoyable. I didn’t feel that any of the tours or excursions were overly touristy, and most of the groups were comfortably small. Additionally, I felt that Fabio did an excellent job scheduling toward our specific interests rather than recommending cookie-cutter options. While some events and activities were particularly memorable, all of the activities were enjoyable.

Finally, I’d be remiss not to specifically mention the most outstanding part of Fabio’s service: his real-time availability and problem-solving abilities during our trip. We experienced a variety of minor issues that would have been much bigger headaches without Fabio. For example, my wife’s luggage was lost upon our arrival in Florence and she had an extremely difficult time arranging for its pickup. One call from Fabio remedied the situation. Similarly, another member of my group experienced sun poisoning and Fabio was able to obtain prescription medication for her within a day. We also found that Fabio was an excellent resource for finding/making/changing restaurant reservations and making real-time changes to our daily schedule. It is difficult to overstate the value of having someone that speaks the relevant language and knows the region readily available to troubleshoot issues both big and small. It brought a peace of mind that is hard to properly articulate.

The bottomline is I never thought I’d use, much less recommend, a service like KimKim, but if its agents are half as good as Fabio I will be using it for all future trips abroad.

Our trip itself was incredible for the most part. We started off a bit rocky with Kimkim as it took much longer than they said to get us in touch with the local travel agency. I think it was close to a week before I had the discussion with a Kimkim employee and then another 5ish days before getting in contact with the local agency. From everything I read, it said 2-3 days, which was misleading. We had booked our own hotel, but needed assistance with the tours and planning / coordinating everything. Sonia did an awesome job scheduling everything out and even recommended one tour (Tivoli), which we absolutely loved. We also loved the other activities that she suggested (pizza making class, which was much better than we expected, food tour, and winery). All of the tours and tour guides booked were top notch. There wasn’t a single one that was even just “good”. They were phenomenal. All of our cars and transfers were nearly seamless as well. I was told that i would receive a welcome packet upon arrival and so I didn’t need to print anything. Our concierge did not have that for us, so we had no printed documents. This wasn’t ideal and I would have printed everything on my own had I know. Our concierge then said she would message us every morning with our plans, tickets, vouchers, etc for that day. She didn’t. I had to constantly sign into Kimkim and check times, meeting points, schedules, etc, which was not convenient, especially when we were in places with lower quality cell service. We did experience an issue during the trip, as the agency was to book us an overnight stay in Naples (while we kept our main hotel in Rome). We arrived at the hotel after a long day to learn that the agency messed up and booked it for the night before. Understandably, I was irritated and embarrassed. We had a long, hot, sweaty day and were looking forward to relaxing in a luxury hotel with a sea view. The hotel offered to accommodate us in an inferior room, which we did not accept. I had tried to text and call our concierge so she could look into it, but by the time she got back to me, we were in a taxi on the way back to the train station. Upon arrival at the train station, we went to the customer service desk to change our tickets, which were scheduled for the next day. Our concierge was irritated that I handled the ticket change myself, but I was not going to stand around the train station waiting for somebody else to do something, especially when we had a short window of time to catch the next train. I communicated with her before and during of my intentions and what I was doing, so there would be no duplication of effort. After she confirmed the hotel error and got in touch with the agency, I didn’t hear from her for the rest of our trip. She did not add anything to our trip. (We did receive a refund for the room and transfers that needed to get cancelled). Overall, our trip was amazing and our tours were awesome, but many of the conveniences that I was told we would have and that I would have expected were lacking. And the mistakes made were unfortunate, annoying, and not in line with “luxury” service.

Hotel Review

Hotel Eurostar Excelsior

Naples

As mentioned in the main review, the agency made our hotel reservation for the day before we were to arrive and as such, we did not stay. The staff at the hotel was amazing. They were patient and understanding as we tried to get our concierge on the line to figure it out, eventually printing us a train schedule and getting us a taxi. Also, before we left, they gave us a bottle of water each. I would 100% recommend the hotel based on the service we received in a trying time.

Staff

Activity Reviews

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

Rome

This tour was amazing and our guide was great! She had so much history and knowledge to share and I felt enriched. That said, the Vatican museums are absolutely crazy, packed, hot, and difficult to enjoy with thousand upon thousands of other people and the current of the herd.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Group pizza making class

Italy

Monica was our chef and was awesome. I could not have asked for anybody better. She was fun, engaging, and entertaining. Fabio was great and full of personality. We enjoyed this so much more than we thought we would. We are so excited to use the lessons we learned at home with our kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rome Underground & Catacombs Tour

Rome

This was one of our favorite tours / activities. Our guide was Andy the Aussie. He might be one of the best guides I’ve ever had at any activity ever. I learned so much from him and his experience and knowledge made this tour what it was. I would not hesitate to take any future tour from him and might even pay a premium for him! He was great and it was awesome seeing the Roman lasagna layers with him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport