Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

From the first greeting at the airport in Venice to the last goodbye at the airport in Rome our mother/daughter trip to Italy was expertly planned and perfectly executed. The entire team of KimKim staff, local guides and drivers were absolutely exceptional. Alessia Carraro, our personal concierge, was a great guide in Venice for our bacari tour and kept us organized and updated each of the 10 days of our trip. Her communication and timeliness was unprecedented. Mrs. Lucia Monetti helped us navigate Florence and get to our train on time even in challenging traffic conditions. Valeria Arcangeli was a fantastic guide for the aperitivo tour in Rome and took us to special local places while also sharing details about the rich history of Rome. The pizza making class at Pizzeria al Grottino was fun, education and fantastic. Thank you for creating an unforgettably special trip for us. We are singing KimKim's praises!

Hotel Reviews

Bonvecchiati Palace

Venice

Great and conveniently located hotel in the heart of Venice. The backdoor pick up/drop offs at the canal are great fun.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Cavour

Florence

Great location. Beautiful hotel property with a beautifully presented breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Corallo

Sorrento

Exceptional views. Great location. Attentive staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

47 Boutique Hotel

Rome

Great property with a nice location near the river.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

"Bacari" local street food tour

Italy

Alessia was an exceptional guide. She made it fun and conversational.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Chianti Wine region

Florence

Our driver was incredible and took us a more scenic route with a stop in Greve in another village. Such a fun and special day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sorrento Coast & Capri Boat Tour

Italy

Unforgettable day on the water and in Capri.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Aperitivo Tour

Rome

A fun taste of Rome with history and culture added in.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Pizza-making class

Rome

This was an incredible experience. We learned a lot and the pizza was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I have always planned on going on my first trip to Europe since 2020. But with the pandemic, it was very difficult with planning. It wasn’t until this year, I made the final decision to go on a solo trip to Europe for the very first time. Not knowing how I would go about planning my trip, I went on the kimkim website and reached out to Chris. He has been helpful from the very beginning, and put together an amazing itinerary! I expressed that I wanted to go to Greece and Italy, and the types of excursions I was looking for in each country. Chris was able to quickly customize and put together the perfect itinerary for me. It was easy to follow and included dates and times for each destination, as well as transportation, hotel stays, description of each excursions, and restaurant suggestions. While reading the customized itinerary, I thought it was too good to be true! Days prior to my trip, Chris always reached out to me with any updates on my trip and asked if I had any questions prior. He was very helpful with answering questions on what to expect for each destination.

My 10-day trip included 5 days in Greece and 5 days in Italy! Nadia, who also works with Chris, followed through with me during my Greece destination. My first arrival to Greece was Athens. Traveling solo internationally for the first time was nerve-racking and I was anxious in the beginning not know what to expect. But just as stated in the customized itinerary, everything went smoothly with transportation from the airport to checking into my hotel! Nadia reached out to make sure I arrived safely. On the first day of my arrival, my first excursion was the Acropolis Guided Tour where I met my guide and enjoyed the wonderful walking tour. My guide was a wealth of information teaching me the history of the Acropolis and Parthenon as well as the greek civilization. I enjoyed the beautiful archaeological sites, temples and Parthenon. It was a great way to start my first excursion in Greece. The following trip in Greece included 2 nights in Mykonos and 2 nights in Santorini. I enjoy the beach very much, and experiencing the beautiful beaches of Mykonos and Santorini was like being in paradise! The beautiful island of Santorini has breathtaking views, where I admired the beautiful architecture and islands of the volcano! I ended my last day in Santorini with a gorgeous sunset view on the cliff during my wine tasting tour!

My destination in Italy included 2 nights in Rome, 2 nights in Florence and 1 night in Venice.
Upon my arrival to Rome, Chris followed up with me through video chat and discussed my itinerary and excursions of what to expect while in Italy! Of course, I had to explore one of Italy’s most attractions of the Vatican and world famous Sistine Chapel! Then I went on a walking tour viewing the stunning ruins of the Colosseum and Roman Forum! After my planned excursions, I explored more of the beautiful city of Rome such as the Piazza Di Spagna and tried authentic italian cuisine, pizza and gelato! From Rome, I took a trip to Florence known for its beautiful architecture and Renaissance art. This included a bus tour to Siena, San gimignano, Monteriggioni and Chianti tour where I got to view beautiful Gothic architecture, chapels, breathtaking landscapes, and ended the tour with wine tasting with our tour guide! I couldn’t end my Italy trip without viewing the beautiful city of Venice! It was so surreal being able to get a rooftop panoramic view of the enchanting city with the marvelous canals and renaissance palaces. I took in every moment of the glorious city. The next morning, I ended my last day in Venice taking a water taxi where I got to go through the canals of the lagoon and Adriatic coast seeing the last views of the bridges and enchanting city making my last day memorable!!

I had the time of my life and enjoyed my vacation very much! Being able to visit two beautiful countries and experience a trip of a lifetime was like a dream come true! In Greece, I enjoyed being under the sun and enjoyed swimming in the beautiful beaches and seas of Mykonos and Santorini! And in Italy, I enjoyed the guided tours while experiencing the cultural and countryside of each city! I am truly grateful for Chris for making all of this possible and putting together a beautiful itinerary for my first European trip! I highly recommend him and would definitely go back to him again when I visit Italy and Greece in the future!

Hotel Reviews

Mykonos View

Mykonos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acropolis Hill Hotel

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blue Dolphins Apartments & Suites

Firostefani, Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Diana Roof Garden

Roma

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Executive

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Antiche Figure

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Acropolis Guided Tour

Athens

Restaurants in Athens

Athens

Welcome to Mykonos

Mykonos

Mykonos South Coast Sailing Trip

Mykonos

The cruise to each beach was beautiful and so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santorini

Santorini

Restaurant Suggestions in Mykonos

Mykonos

Sunset Cheers & Dine

Santorini

Restaurant Suggestions in Santorini

Santorini

Welcome to Rome

Rome

Restaurant Suggestions in Rome

Rome

Early Morning Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel guided tour

Italy

Colosseum and Roman Forum guided tour with Arena entrance

Rome

Best of Florence walking tour

Florence

Restaurant Suggestions in Florence

Florence

Siena, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni & Chianti with wine tasting

Florence

Welcome to Venice

Venice

Essential Venice

Venice

Restaurant Suggestions in Venice

Venice

Departure day

Italy

Our entire experience with KimKim Travel was excellent from start to finish. Our local specialist Andrea was amazing. He was responsive to all our questions, proactive with his communication and patient with all our changes. He also went out of his way to help us with one of our group members who had some issues walking. His instructions and suggestions made each day an adventure.

We had a minor hiccup upon arrival that Andrea immediately fixed. We started our trip in Venice at the hotel Gardena. Peter, the concierge was so friendly and helpful. Our first guide was Giovanni who took us on a cicchetti tour of the city. We got to learn some local history, like the Jewish Ghetto, and to taste some local foods and wine. He brought us to a local restaurant for a dinner of pasta and seafood.

The next day we visited Murano and Burano on our own and then met Enrique at the Doge Palace and St. Mark Basilica. His passion for the history of the area and understanding of Venice made the day incredibly enjoyable. Enrique helped us find a good spot for a gondola ride and another local restaurant for dinner.

After a train ride to Rome, we checked into the Hotel Raffaello which is centrally located and convenient to everything. We met our guide Maria Paula who took us on a tour of the city highlights including the Imperial Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. She share granitas with us and helped us find a great spot for wine and appetizers.

The next day Colosseum and Roman Forum. Maria Paula is so well educated in the local history and made the day a so enjoyable and fascinating for us. She was responsive to all our requests and questions. We ended our day visiting the Jewish Ghetto and enjoying wine and food.

Our last day in Rome with Maria Paula was a visit to the Vatican and Sistine Chapel. She met us at the Vatican Cafe where we had an unbelievable lunch before starting our tour. Maria Paula was so helpful to our companion who could not walk well and took her through some guide only paths to easily visit what she was able. Words cannot describe the majesty of the Vatican and Chapel. Maria Paula made it an experience we will never forget.

The next day our driver Enzo took us to Pompeii. Enzo was so gracious to our injured friend who could not tour with us. Our guide Antonio is from a family of guides and was so excited to give us a 3 hour tour of Pompeii and show us the off the main path areas and explain the unbelievable history of this historic location. Enzo then took us for the best pizza we had ever eaten before dropping us at the Amalfi coast and Hotel Amalfi. The hotel was located in the center of town.

Amalfi is a truly colorful and unique area of Italy and we highly recommend a visit. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and we had to cancel our trip to Capri. Andrea called us about the cancellation and helped us fill our day with other highlights of the area.

Ginaro then drove us to the Naples train station and then Valerio met us in Rome to take us to our yoga retreat in Tuscany. Both drivers shared information on local sites with us and were very helpful.

The next 6 days were a yoga retreat we planned on our own in Tuscany. I will say the area is worth the visit.

Our driver Luca picked us up in Tuscany to take us to Florence. Luca was such an positive, friendly personality. He pointed out all the highlights on our drive, stopped in the town where he went to school for a bathroom break and gave us a quick tour before handing us off to our guide Simona in Florence.

We only had a few hours in Florence and Simona filled them with history, art and fun. She took us to see the David, the Ponte Vecchio and recommended restaurants and her favorite gelato place.

Everyone we interacted with exceeded our expectations. They were all helpful, well educated, informative, respectful and fun. We would happily visit with any of them again and would recommend KimKim to plan your travel. We will use them again for our next trip.

Hotel Reviews

Raffaello Hotel Rome

Roma

Centrally located, safe. clean neighborhood. Helpful staff. Clean rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Nice rooms

Location

Near the sites and good restaurants.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Amalfi

Amalfi

Very nice hotel in the center of town. Back way in is easier to access than off the main road. Clean and comfortable rooms, centrally located, helpful staff, great breakfast room.

Authenticity & Character

Nice design with beautiful balconies

Location

Close to everything

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience

Italy

A unique introduction to the city locations and the food. So much history to learn. All the cichetti locations were friendly and welcoming.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giovanni was so friendly and fun, really helping us enjoy the experience

Transport

Walking through Venice is easy and the best way to see the city.

St. Peter's, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter Basilica - private guide

Rome

Words cannot describe the beauty of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maria Paula is so well informed and a fun guide to spend time with.

We could not have asked for a better trip. Kimkim organized the perfect accommodations, sight visits and it was a breeze getting between each location. Our concierge, Alessia, was beyond amazing and helpful. We all got spoiled by the check ins, the reminders of our next steps, and the organized drivers. We will certainly be booking with KimKim again.

Hotel Reviews

Bonvecchiati Palace

Venice

Very nice and clean!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Cavour

Florence

This was a beautiful property and the location was perfect!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Corallo

Sorrento

What a view we had! We felt like we were in a movie with the views and accommodations. The staff was very kind and helpful every day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

47 Boutique Hotel

Rome

Perfect location for sight seeing all over Rome! Room was very nice and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore the Chianti Wine region

Florence

This was a picture perfect day. Michaela took us the back way through the region and we got to see the most beautiful sights. The wineries she selected were perfect and we enjoyed our day to the fullest.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We wanted to take Michaela with us every where else we went! She was amazing!

Transport

Sorrento Coast & Capri Boat Tour

Italy

It was beyond magical to swim in the sea not once but twice. Transportation on the island was a bit annoying at the end of the day, but this excursion will live in my memory forever.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Pizza-making class

Rome

Wow! What else can I say! We learned so much from Tony and Julia. They were so welcoming, kind, and fun to work with. We learned that we make pizza all wrong in America. Everyone who goes to Rome, should experience this fun class.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Harris was wonderful to plan with, and he and Evyenia were there anytime we needed them during the trip! All of our guides were amazing during the trips as well - I wish I could remember all of their names. Every driver was nice and punctual, though Toni with iCareLimo was exceptional. We enjoyed every single city and accommodations, though Naples was a place that we would have rather traded for an extra night in Sorrento or Rome. The pizza was spectacular, but the city itself was not particularly tourist or honeymoon friendly. We absolutely LOVED and enjoyed every second of our trip and thank Harris for coordinating everything for us so we could just follow the plans and enjoy our honeymoon

Hotel Reviews

Aenea Superior Inn

Rome

The rooms are clean, beds are comfortable, bathrooms are great, and the service was absolutely wonderful. Great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa di Sorrento

Sorrento

We loved it here. The most perfect location, wonderful staff, clean, modern, and comfortable rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Il Moro di Positano

Positano

Helpful staff, spacious and clean room, beautiful city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Residenza Borbonica Naples

Naples

Activity Reviews

Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Spectacular. Our guide, Josie, was so great. Can’t say enough good things about her character and knowledge - we loved the experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quick walk from our hotel.

Vatican Semi Private Tour

Rome

We loved this experience. Our guide was wonderful, though we unfortunately cannot remember her name. So knowledgeable, kind, and she made the tour very enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hiking the Path of Gods

Sorrento

Our hiking guide Elizabeth was spectacular. So knowledgeable, friendly, and made our hike even more enjoyable. We love hiking and the views were amazing, though the 1500 steps back down to Positano really did our legs in! So so happy we had this experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Pompeii Tour

Pompeii

Could have stayed in Pompeii for hours and hours. Our guide, Danilo was fabulous. I could go on and on. One of our favorite experiences.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything was great - the pace was just about right for us - with more guidance and hand-holding at the beginning of the trip - when we needed it most! We had several outstanding guides - Sandra was wonderful in the hills outside of Florence, Francesca was outstanding in the Coliseum - she was studying archaeology and her enthusiasm was amazing - made a 4 hour tour seem like an hour or so...
Venice was incredible - the experience of getting off a train and jumping into a boat/taxi to get to the hotel was memorable.
Jessica and her team were always available via text - and when there were minor connections issues (driver late - we couldn't find each other) - they were taken care of within a couple of minutes - excellent support.
We didn't know what to expect from 'pizza school' - but it ended up being one of the highlights of the trip - I thought it might be a bit 'touristy', but it was a wonderful experience. Would recommend it to anyone.
The day on the Amalfi coast was great - our guide was wonderful - and did not make us feel hurried.
The only minor issue was that we had 2 different drivers that did not have the exact address of the hotel. In one case (at the beginning) in Florence - the driver let us off without verifying that we were at the right place - and in Sorrento, the driver pointed us to the wrong street - fortunately we insisted that he stay with us until we entered the hotel. Please make sure the drivers have the exact address of the hotel - instead of just the hotel name.

Please note that the hotel breakfasts were perfect - enough variety to satisfy anyone.

Hotel Reviews

Raffaello Hotel Rome

Roma

Nice hotel - closest to an older American hotel near the Train station and Coliseum

Authenticity & Character

Hotel was old-style hotel with heavy carpeting - quiet.

Location

All was OK - we just stayed the night before catching our plane

Staff

Very helpful - great breakfast staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

King Bed - English speaking TV stations!

Residenza D'Epoca Palazzo Galletti

Florence

Terrific location - Staff insisted that the A/C was working when it clearly was not. Great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

The open courtyard to the center of the building and the patio.

Location

Close enough to walk everywhere - but quiet enough at night.

Staff

Better resolution of room/AC issues.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mattress was not great - A/C

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

Authenticity & Character

A more modern hotel - tucked away - wonderful and clean

Location

Close to the train station - and close enough to Realto -too far from San Marcos square

Staff

Welcoming staff - breakfast attendant was perfect.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The cleanest hotel we stayed

Aenea Superior Inn

Rome

Small room - close to coloseum - Breakfast in a basket delivered to our room

Authenticity & Character

Size of the room - breakfast was just croissants - would have preferred a heavier breafast.

Location

Within about 5 blocks from Coliseum

Staff

Staff generally not visible - but good response to room setup fix (we were given a twin instead of a double - fixed immediately)

Cleanliness & Comfort

The size of the room made the room seem 'messy' because there was no storage.

Sorrento City Hotel

Sorrento

Rooftop balcony was the best thing about the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

We would have liked to have been able to sleep together -

Location

Too loud - not in the 'better side' of the Sorrento main square.

Staff

Breakfast staff and Rooftop Bar staff were great. Lobby staff were polite but disinterested.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Twin beds - with a bunk bed was not comfortable. Thin walls.

Activity Review

Private Colosseum Tour Including Roman Forum

Rome

Our 4 hour tour with Francesca was amazing. She became a friend during that time. Her enthusiasm was infectious - and helped us appreciate what we were seeing. At the end, we couldn't believe that 4 hours had passed - it seemed like an hour - maybe two. We are so glad we got to meet her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monica helped me begin planning the trip over a year ago. Sonia helped with last part. So organized and outstanding communication. I had never used a company like this. I was so pleased with how everything worked. Alessia was our Concierge assistant that met us at airport in Venice and escorted us to beautiful hotel. She also took us out for food tour on the evening. She checked in with us daily .
around 5 by Whats App to assure we had plan for the next day. Communication was outstanding. It was such a stress reliever. Our drivers were great. Michela came to hotel in Florence to pick us up and also our guide for Tuscany. So fun having lady private driver. Boat ride to Capri was beautiful . Peppe and Luca did a wonderful job explaining sites. Serving drinks, and snacks. It was such a great day.
We enjoyed each city. Venice, Florence, Sorrento, Rome. All so different. In Rome we had Apertivo tour with Valeria to Jewish Ghetto area and Pizza making class arranged by Kim Kim at Grotinno's. In business 35 years.Both so fun and educational. Train transfers went smoothly with help of drivers and Lucia. Marino, Deborah and Daniela to meet us and or get on. Next train. I can not imagine planning a trip like this without Kim Kim. It allowed three women to feel safe and have less stress. A mothers dream come true and Kim Kim and others above helped make it happen. We will be using Kim Kim again to plan a trip. Thank you.

Hotel Reviews

Bonvecchiati Palace

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Vaporetto pulled up to door of our hotel to take us to train station

Location

Easy walk to all sites. Central location

Staff

Polite

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Cavour

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful entry and restaurant breakfast area.

Location

Loved the view from roof bar. Also central location for enter city

Staff

Answered many questions. Patient and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had extra Bed in room. Some of slats fell out when I turned overr in the night.

Hotel Corallo

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful views

Location

Had shuttle since not in easy walking gdistance of town

Staff

Spoke English well bit did not understand and try to meet me on concern I had on bill. Marianna very helpful to get shuttle to lemon farm for us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

47 Boutique Hotel

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to Jewish Ghetto, Collesium

Staff

Kind of stuffy. Didn't go the extra mile to help with questions re walk and restaurants. Good view from roof top bar. Service and bill very slow

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

"Bacari" local street food tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Alessia was fun, shared good info.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking

Explore the Chianti Wine region

Florence

Quality of Experience

Food

Wine tasting and food at each location

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Michala was excellent. Took us back wY into Tuscany. Beautiful scenery. Fun to be with. Dropped us for walk through of small village about e Greve .

Transport

Mercedes van very comfortable. Easy to see out

Sorrento Coast & Capri Boat Tour

Italy

Beautiful boat ride with Peppi and Luca and app 10 others to Capri. Tour of shoreline and explanations of sites. Swam in water before and after Capri. Was not aware of15$ bus to Anicapri. Very organized. It was not part of KimKim. Drinks and snacks and sandwich provided along the boat ride. Day was a dream.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Aperitivo Tour

Rome

Valeria was our tour guide. Very informative. Since I follow WW II history, I liked the tour of Jewish Ghetto.

Quality of Experience

Valeria was very knowlegabke

Food

Liked trying artichokes and stuffed zucchini blooms

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Pizza-making class

Rome

Tony made our experience so authentic. He had owned business 35 years. He and sister are partners. His business is in a Residential area with large market outside door. He was so patient with us. Explained details of Ingredients and temp, time and chemistry. We made 10 pizza between my two daughters and I. His assistant was so nice to make the experience move along by assuring supplies available . She took pics for us. His wife daughter and grandbaby dropped by.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed touring Rome with Maria. She was very knowledgeable and interesting as she explained the history and pertinent details of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Vittoriano Monument, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and Vatican. The Hotel Raffaello was a beautiful and quiet hotel that was centrally located in a safe neighborhood. We enjoyed the breakfasts at the hotel and were treated well by the hotel staff. Our rooms were clean, spacious, and comfortable. The small shower was the only challenge we encountered.
We loved our trip to the Amalfi Coast. Luigi picked us up at the Naples Train Station to drive us to Amalfi, and he is a safe driver who is kind and easy to talk to. On the way, we stopped at Pompeii for a tour with Antonio. We enjoyed him very much. He explained everything so well, but was also hilarious in doing so with lots of laughs and jokes throughout.
We arrived at La Bussola hotel in Amalfi and loved our stay here with a beautiful view of the coastline and harbor. We loved our boat trip to the island of Capri and had a wonderful captain who informed us of the various landmarks along the coast and would drive the boat up into caves and grottos so we could get a better look. The island of Capri is beautiful and our only complaint is the lines were so long with people waiting on cabs, buses, or tram tickets to get to the city center. It seemed like everyone had arrived at the island at the same time, and the accommodations for transportation were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people. We ended up just renting some beach chairs and enjoying the sea because it was such a hot day, instead of traveling to the city center. If we come back and it's possible, we'd like to have our tickets to the tram ahead of time so we don't spend hours waiting in line on the island.
Our free day on the Amalfi coast was spent enjoying the beach. We rented chairs with umbrellas and enjoyed cooling off in the water and skipping rocks.
Thank goodness for Andrea! There was a train strike on the day we were supposed to travel from Naples to Rome, and then Florence. Andrea arranged for our driver, Fabio, to pick us up at our hotel and then drive us to Rome to drop off our sons, who were flying home the next day. Fabio then drove us to Florence. He was a safe driver who did so well managing the steep and curving road leaving Amalfi, even though the roads were slippery and wet. We were really grateful that he drove us all that way, knowing he had had a long day starting from and returning to Naples.
Florence was beautiful, and we were grateful our guide, Lucia, was able to get us in to see the David sculpture at the Academia Gallery. There was some question that this might not be possible due to the strike. We walked around Florence, and she did a great job of detailing the history and landmarks of this marvelous city. The next day we rented a car and drove to Pisa and throughout the Tuscan region to see the beautiful countryside. Driving outside of Florence was easy, but it was a little nerve wracking trying to leave Florence and avoid the no-auto zones. We hope we did it right, and dont' receive a surprise ticket sometime in the future.
We took the train to Venice the next day and met our guide Natasha for our behind-the-scenes Venice tour and Cinchetti. We enjoyed this walking tour so much and Natasha was a fantastic guide teaching us about the history and interesting landmarks of Venice. We, especially loved St. Mark's Square and the view from the bell tower. The next day we cooked with Gioia in her private apartment, and made homemade Tiramisu and pasta with tomato/bell pepper sauce. It was delicious, and we enjoyed talking with Gioia and learning more about Venice and Italian culture. We took a gondola ride later in the day, and then rode the water ferry to tour Venice.
We returned to Rome by train the next day, and took a walking tour to see the famous sites once again. This time, we took the lift on the Vittoriano Monument to see the city from above. Well worth it, even though we climbed many, many steps.
Our driver picked us up the next day and took us to the airport, and we headed back to Texas.
Andrea did a wonderful job in planning our trip. He picked wonderful hotels and we really enjoyed our personal guides. We were so grateful for his personal attention before and during our trip, letting us know when schedules were altered, and arranging a car with driver for us when we couldn't use the train. Italy is a beautiful country with so much to see and do. We look forward to returning soon!

Hotel Reviews

Raffaello Hotel Rome

Roma

We enjoyed our stay at this lovely and conveniently located hotel. Our only criticism is the very small shower. The ladies that served and worked the breakfast buffet were so exceptional. They kept everything neat, tidy, and well-supplied, and were so kind and helpful each morning.

Authenticity & Character

The decor seemed appropriate for the age and period of the building.

Location

We enjoyed that we were in walking distance to many great restaurants and sites.

Staff

Very helpful at the desk and with the breakfast buffet.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our rooms were nice and cool with comfortable beds.

Hotel La Bussola

Amalfi

We loved the breakfast buffet with so many wonderful choices. The upstairs bar area was so comfortable and inviting. Our balcony view was spectacular.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We loved the view of the coastline and harbor and were in easy walking distance to the shops and restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our rooms were clean, comfortable, and spacious.

Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

We loved our quiet hotel in a good central location.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and neat room with plenty of space.

Location

Staff

Very kind and helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rome Private Guided Walk

Rome

So much detailed history. Maria was kind, professional, and thorough in her explanations.

Quality of Experience

Loved the history and beautiful architecture.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seeing so many sights

Colosseum and Roman Forum - Private guide

Rome

Loved the amazing history of this area!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide

Rome

We loved seeing this amazing city and country! What a beautiful and holy area! The amazing artwork and architecture were exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Wonderful tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great job Maria on educating us about the Vatican!

Transport

We took a cab, and our driver was aggressive. We arrived safely after a thrilling ride!

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

We loved Pompeii. Amazing archeaological site! Antonio was fun and humorous as he educated us in Pompeii's history, archaeology and culture.

Quality of Experience

So cool to see this amazing city preserved throughout the centuries by volcanic ash.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved Antonio's sense of humor and instruction method. He does a great job!

Transport

Luigi was a kind and safe driver. Enjoyed talking to him and learning more about Italy!

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

Italy

This was our favorite day because we loved being on the water and the coastline is so beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Loved the water, coastline, and island. Got to see the coast up close with our captain driving the boat into some caves.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He pointed out local landmarks and drove the boat to interesting points along the coast and island.

Transport

Loved the boat ride - safe and relaxing

Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Florence

Florence is beautiful with so many wonderful sites to see! Most things were in easy walking distance.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lucia was easy to listen to and so informative! Great job!

Transport

Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience

Italy

Loved seeing areas of Venice that were less familiar.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Natasha was great! Very informative and interesting.

Cooking Class

Italy

Loved getting to see a local's apartment and visiting with Gioia as we cooked.

Quality of Experience

Loved getting to make Tiramisu and homemade pasta!

Food

Delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gioia is very knowledgeable and kind. Her home is lovely, and our lunch was delicious.

Everything was seamless. Harris is an amazing local
Specialist! Drivers were always on time and courteous. The only struggle was the train from Rome to Naples - but it’s only because the train system is a bit nutty and we’re new.

We loved our tours with LivTours as well. We suggest the Vatican and Colosseum tour with them. Six people max for each tour. So you really get a chance to ask questions and hear what’s going on.

We really liked the location of our hotel in Rome (Campo de Fiori) although we would have preferred to stay in the main part of the hotel instead of the apartment. Excellent breakfast in a really beautiful hotel.

Our time in Sorrento was lovely. The hotel was very uniquely located - down on the beach at the Marina - and the view was fantastic.

The hotel was very nice and the staff were excellent! Marina Picolla 73. I wasn’t sure at first, the beach isn’t swimmable out front because it’s a marina - but the beach clubs were a quick walk. And this hotel is in a quiet area compared to the hustle and bustle up top in town. We needed a quieter place to come back to. If you like the busyness of the square, you might prefer a hotel up top.

There’s a lift to get you up there, staff will fill you in on this.

Again, the tours were very good. We took an all day boat tour of the Amalfi Coast (8 hours stopping at Amalfi and Positano and then a swim). It was great, but a bit long. The boat was overcrowded and we were told we needed to lie down on the bow of the boat while in transit so the captain could see. That wasn’t ok with us - so we figured out a way to prop ourselves up. The boat wasn’t comfortable and there were too many of us. That was a miss. But we do suggest a trip down the coast.

Also a few hours on Capri is a must. The ferry is an easy ride. Expect LOTS of people everywhere. We were definitely peopled-out by the end of our time in Italy.

There is a lot of walking to be done in Italy. Bring comfortable shoes.

A home run by Harris. Both Greece and Italy were well organized and everything met and exceeded our hopes and expectations.

Hotel Reviews

Marina Piccola 73

Sorrento

Liked the location and the staff were excellent. Food was quite good. Silly rules about not being able to drink our own wine on the rooftop terrace. Room was quite nice. But the bed was very uncomfortable. Kind of like sleeping on concrete and made for some very long nights. A hotel in this price point should have better beds. We wouldn’t stay here again because of the beds.

Authenticity & Character

A really unique and lovely hotel.

Location

Unique location away from the busyness of the main area of Sorrento.

Staff

Helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

While it was clean, the bed was very uncomfortable. This is a huge miss on the part of the hotel.

Boutique Hotel Campo de' Fiori

Rome

The location of this hotel, right in the market is fantastic. The roof top terrace is wonderful! The main hotel is absolutely stunning with so much character and charm. We didn’t see the rooms in the main hotel because we had booked a suite. Oddly, the suites are in a different beholding across the square. And that building deserves a 3/5. While it was nice to have a bit more space, the suite lacked character and charm. The three flights up to our room were ridiculous and the lighting in the place meant we did the stairs with our phone flashlights. If you have any mobility issues at all this part of the hotel is not for you. Honestly, it was very frustrating. No real view and located in a dirty back alley. Limited hot water was also a problem. The bed was comfortable though, which is important to us. Breakfast was held in the basement of the main hotel and it was excellent. A beautiful building and perfectly located. While we recommend this hotel, we advise against the suites in the other building.

Authenticity & Character

The main building is lovely. The suites lacked character or convenience.

Location

Right in the market. So much to do and see.

Staff

Pleasant. Professional.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel was clean. Access to and from our suite was uncomfortable.

Activity Reviews

Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Excellent. A must do! Our tour guide Juicey was amazing! Wear very comfortable shoes and be prepared for weather.

Quality of Experience

Easy to find out tour guide. Excellent information.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Professional and pleasant.

Transport

We walked to and from this tour from our hotel.

Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

Maria was amazing! This tour was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Sorrento

Quite a pretty tour of the coast. Adequate time in each location.. The boat was too small for our group. And it was an uncomfortable 8 hours.

Quality of Experience

Smaller group.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lovely staff.

Transport

Bigger boats or less people per trip.

Wow! Words cannot quite articulate our experience- from conception to execution. As my father stated, it is extremely difficult to exceed your expectations and that is what Fabio curated for our trip! We had extremely short notice for a super in demand time of year to visit Rome, Sorrento & the Amalfi Coast. Each of our four hotels was absolutely perfect as far as cleanliness, location and staff - most notably our accommodations in the heart of Positano at the height of season! Every single private transfer was on time with exceptional and passionate knowledge to share everything about what we were seeing and the cities along the way. We never had any delays and had true 5 star treatment. The restaurants were fabulous and all of our tour guides in country were art historians whose knowledge was exceptional and made our visits truly noteworthy. We saw so much of Italy in 8 short days and still had time to relax and do our own thing- which can be a challenge when planning. It was my parents & I first trip to Italy and a process that can be so overwhelming to “see and do it all” and the right way was made so simple! Moving forward, there isn’t a doubt we wouldn’t use Fabio specifically for our next travels. He was always available, always going above and beyond prior to the trip and while in country. We felt safe and taken care of- like celebrities! Thank you so much to Fabio & Kim Kim for the trip of a lifetime!!

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Aminta

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Magia Positano

Positano

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Alabardieri Hotel Napoli

Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Vespasiano

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tour of the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights & Hidden Gems of Rome | Walking Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Amalfi Coast & Capri Island Boat Excursion | Guided Capri

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I planned to do two weeks in Italy for our honeymoon. Since we were in the middle of moving across the country, we didn't have time to plan it ourselves, and really didn't know where to begin since neither of us had been to Europe. Kimkim took all the headache out of planning, and our specialist, Chiara, was incredible.

However, I began to doubt the amount of money we spent on the trip. The hotels weren't quite as nice as I'd hoped. There were still tours and fees that we needed to pay out of pocket.

Some of the planned excursions were not as described. For the boat rides, more people were on the boat, they only served bread instead of a whole menu, and didn't stop at as many locations as listed. Our boat excursion to Capri was more of a ferry, yet was hundreds of dollars. Our Colosseum tour did not include the Underground even though it was listed in the itinerary description.

There were several difficulties with the private transfers and meeting points. The expected meeting points for drivers and passengers are different in every city and were difficult to figure out. A call to the number listed for the driver took you to a dispatcher and made finding the driver complicated. The most important transfer, the one to our home-bound flight at 3 am, did not show, and we had to scramble to book a taxi.

Kimkim is a great service for those who don't have the time or energy to spend researching a trip. We could have spent more time working with our specialist to hone in the details. It was really nice that she checked in with us periodically. We also had an emergency contact to help us if there were issues. But at the end of the day, you're really better off saving the extra money and learning what you need to know about your destination for yourself. That way, all of the trip will be to your tastes.

Regardless, using kimkim was exactly what we needed for our situation, so thank you for an overall smooth experience.

Hotel Reviews

Aenea Superior Inn

Rome

The location in Monti was fantastic. The room was comfortable. We wished there was a better breakfast offering, but the espresso machine in the room was amazing. We were also the room right next to the main entrance and office so it didn't feel very private.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Solo Experience Hotel

Florence

We had a wonderful view of the streets of Florence. The breakfast was incredible. Definitely a highlight of our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Da Baranin

Manarola SP

The bedroom was small but comfortable. But the bathroom was impossibly small. My husband could barely sit on the toilet or fit in the shower. Keep in mind this hotel is at the top of the hill in Manarola, so you'll be climbing a lot of stairs to go to restaurants and get to and from the water.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Prestige 4* Sorrento

Sorrento (NA)

The view of Sorrento is beautiful, and you're up high enough to be out of the line of smoke from the people burning trash in the valley... The hotel was very lovely, with open terraces and a quiet rooftop with an even better view. But... the pool was way too cold, the breakfast was mediocre, and the rooms have cheap plastic finishes and the worst brick beds to ever have disgraced my back. Be aware that the hotel taxi is not complimentary. The same two girls that serve breakfast and poolside lunch also serve dinner at the hotel restaurant. I was worried they work them all day. It was an interesting stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Horrible gd beds

Palazzo Alabardieri Hotel Napoli

Naples

This is a beautiful hotel in Naples and is super close to the most amazing restaurants we visited on our trip. The bed was so comfortable which was a relief. It was the biggest bathroom we had out of our five Italian hotel experiences. Big issue was that even though we changed the thermostat, the AC seemed to do nothing, which made for an uncomfortable summer night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vatican Tour with Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica

Rome

We got lucky and had our own guide. She was amazing, well versed, and knowledgeable. The tour was stunning, but it was a lot of walking. We did the Colosseum the same day and that was too much. Apparently every first Sunday of the month, entrance to national museums is free. We went the day after. It would have been nice if kimkim told us that so we could have saved some money... But that's the game.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Florence

We got lucky and had this tour all to ourselves. Our guide Mateo was incredible and friendly. We know nothing about wine, and don't even really enjoy it all that much, but we still loved this tour. The 900 year old winery was our favorite. We tasted amazing olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cinque Terre Sunset Boat Tour

Italy

Our guide Christian was very nice and fun. We enjoyed the tour to see all of Cinque Terre and its villages. There were more people on the boat than mentioned in the description. We almost didn't get picked up. We were at the meeting point early, and no boat. We called the number and they told us they were booked but we said we were on the list. They had to send a boat to pick us up. We were served focaccia and prosecco, nothing else.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food not as described, and they almost left us.

Cinque Terre Train Card

Italy

This was a great way to explore. Vernazza and Monterosso were our favorite villages.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum Tour with Underground, Arena & Gladiator Gate with Roman Forum

Rome

The Colosseum is breathtaking, of course. However, the description says the tour includes the Underground, which our tour did not. Our guide would not hear it. Also it was not an agile group of 8. It was around 20 people, and it was very hot, and a little bit miserable. But worth seeing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour by Sorrento

Italy

We found out from the other couples in the boat just how much this "tour" costs... It's hundreds. And if this "8 hr" tour, we spent most of it stranded on Capri. The boat ride was most just a really expensive ferry to the island. They did let us stop at Blue Grotto where some of us paid the ferrymen extra to get inside the grotto in a canoe. When they dumped us at Capri for 5 hours, we had to pay for a bus to get around. We all really just wanted to be on the water. On the way back, they let us swim at one spot. But it was much less than the boat tour I was expecting. They also did not serve the level of food I was expecting based on the description.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Experience from Sorrento (shared group)

Italy

This was fun but you don't get much time at each town. Our group was big, and so was our bus. It got stuck a few times on the narrow coastal roads. I'd rather just take a taxi or something instead of a tour bus so you aren't on someone else's clock the whole day. And spend more time in Ravello.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

As someone who has never used a travel agent before to book a trip, booking through KimKim was VERY easy!
We booked our honeymoon with the goal of having a relaxing tour or Italy and we got just that. We started in the Amalfi Coast, then went to Sorrento, and ended in Rome! The Amalfi Coast had to be our favorite place to be in. It felt the most authentic to the culture! We took a boat tour of the Capri Island and would recommend that same tour to anyone. If you are looking for an even more intimate version of it, see if your agent can book it to be completely privet for you. Our tour was not privet but only had 6 people on the boat and we still had a great time! Our first day in the Amalfi Coast it rained. Which meant that our boat tour had to be canceled. The agency worked very fast to fix this for us and make sure we got to experience everything that we had planned. It actually worked out for us because it gave us the chance to explore and enjoy the area.
In Sorrento we did a Pompeii and Herculaneum tour in the same day. If you decide to do something like this, my suggestion to you would be to either chose one to do or do them in two separate days. It was A LOT of walking in VERY hot weather. Neither location has much coverage in terms of shade. Bring an umbrella to help! We saw so many people who did that and we wished we had thought of doing the same. Between the two tours I personally enjoyed the Herculaneum tour most. There felt like there was more to see of what remained, but both were an amazing experience. Our tour guide and bus driver that picked us up at the meeting location to bring us on our tours were great. Only thing I wished they had done was keep the AC on or did something to make sure that the bus was cooled off for our transport between the two tours. The other thing we did while in Sorrento was a tour of a vineyard. It was called Cantina Del Vesuvio. Highly recommend if you enjoy wine. The experience was amazing. We did a very brief tour and then sat on an outdoor patio that overlooked the city (Great view) and they served us food to eat that paired well with their wine!
Lastly we ended our trip with four days in Rome. I was a little confused when we checked into our hotel room, as I thought when booking I had requested a specific room, and we did not end up in said room. I may not have explained my desire for the specific room well enough and by the time we got to the hotel the room was unavailable.
We did a full day private tour of the Colosseum and Vatican. This was fully private, it was just my husband, myself, and our tour guide. He knew his stuff! Very friendly and knowledgeable. We had a slight confusion with the guide when it came to lunch and transportation to the Vatican from the Colosseum, but it was sorted out! The next day we had a private Borghese Gallery and Garden tour. Our itinerary had it listed however it was not private. It was a small group of less than 15 people. We just figured that it would have been private the same way the previous day's tour was. The art in that museum was well worth the tour and the tour guide was really awesome! Our last day in Rome was for us to explore at our leisure. Looking back I may have made it so that we used our extra day in the Amalfi Coast instead. But overall, the trip was an experience of a lifetime. I would 100% use KimKim again for our next trip! Another great thing about using KimKim is your agent is available to you at all times. Moreno was so quick to respond anytime I messaged him with questions or concerns. No corners felt cut and we walked away very happy!
Great experience.

Activity Reviews

Capri and the Amalfi coast boat tour with the Blu Grotto

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marisa Cuomo Vineyard tour and wine tasting

Italy

This was an experience that I did not know what to expect. It did not disappoint. We tasted so much wine and ate such amazing food! Even got to meet with one of the owners.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pompeii and Herculaneum Day Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Galleria Borghese Tour

Rome

SO worth the trip just to see all the art and history if you are into that kind of thing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseo and Roman forums adventure + Vatican museum

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing Italy trip

We traveled around Italy for 11 days with my wife and everything was perfect thanks to Kimkim and Stephania. It was a long planning process during which we changed our minds quite frequently, but I appreciate Stephania for sticking with us and in the end, it was wonderful.

All of our drivers were right on time, everything went according to plan with hotels and activities, and we did not have any problems during our trip. Activities based on our preferences ended up being awesome, so I would like to thank kimkim for making a perfect Italy trip possible.

Hotel Reviews

Milu Hotel

Florence

Great location, great staff, very clean hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Monte Cenci

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Badia Sorrento

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Florence Food Tour & Dinner

Florence

Great experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cinque Terre and Pisa Day Trip

Florence

Good experience seeing these wonderful villages

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Especially thanks to our driver, was a great man.

Transport

Comfortable

Tuscany Wine and Olive tour

Florence

Unbelievably good!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver (and guide) was really knowledgeable. Special thanks to her

Transport

Trastevere Afternoon Aperitivo & Food Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was amazing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was perfect, so sad we could not leave her a tip as we did not have any cash with us

Transport

Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

It was nice seeing the underground/private areas of the Colosseum

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked to Colosseum so there was no transport

Rome With Ape Calessino

Rome

Hands down our best activity of the trip. Our driver was really nice and Rome is fascinating at sunset.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

Nice tour

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pizza Cooking Class in Napoli

Naples

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local transfer in Amalfi Coast

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was wonderful from start to finish. Monica and Sonia were very responsive and helped us pick the best itinerary for us. We also added a 5th traveler fairly late into the planning, a development that they were able to accommodate without any fuss. We had great tour guides in Como (Silvia), Cinque Terre (Laura), and Pisa (Chiara). Because of illness, our sunset tour of Cinque Terre was canceled. Laura was able to book us on a daytime cruise so that we could see the villages from the water. It was just perfect! Our drivers were all fantastic and the vehicles comfortable. When there was a miscommunication about visiting one site, the driver added stop so that we could see as much of the Piemonte countryside as possible. It was fantastic! The vineyards chosen for us in Alba were great because they were quite different - one small, family operated and the other large and historic. We had such a perfect, personal experience at Ca' del Baio (including the very best lunch recommendation!). We stays in four great hotels and had the most amazing breakfasts. Thank you, Monica and Sonia for planning such a great itinerary! (And thanks for Barbara for serving as concierge while we were there!)

We were very disappointed that about 10 days before our trip, our hotel in Cinque Terre was downgraded significantly. The only way I was notified was when our final travel documents and train tickets were sent to us via email, there was one small line in the itinerary that said "Hotel changed to....." Then the description proceeded to describe the other, nicer hotel we had supposedly booked at for the agreed-upon price. When we attempted to reach Matthew multiple times and ways, we got no reply. Thus for our honeymoon delayed from 2020, 3 nights out of 7 were at a very average hotel. As 50-something professionals, we would not have chosen that hotel for our honeymoon. Also, when we got to Rome for our "VIP tour," with a private tour guide, we had to wait in line for over 30 minutes and I noticed our guide had tickets that said "last minute tickets." We had planned this trip for over 2 years, so there shouldn't have been any "last minute" tickets at all. Our guide, while nice and funny, had only a 6/10 command of English (acknowledging his English is better than my Italian, but for a tour guide.....) Some questions he simply didn't answer because he didn't understand. We used Google translate when necessary. On the plus side, Sabrina, from KimKim in the US, did try to rectify the situation for us and did comp us a meal out for the less than great service provided by Matthew and Bellarome travel.

Highlight of the experience:
- Meet & Greet responded fastly and efficiently when I needed to cancel and then shortly after rebook the whole trip because of a personal accident I suffered on the day I was supposed to fly to Italy. They were very understanding of the situation and reacted to my input as quickly as possible. Rosanna was the contact through all this challenge an she was very good.

Points for improvement:
- Cecilia took too long to disclose the names of the hotels for my appraisal. I became uncomfortable and decided to do my own research. I picked hotels for Rome and for Taormina, but when I communicated these to her she told me the hotels had already been selected and I would have to pay a penalty fee for changing hotels (even though she had not disclosed which hotels she picked at that time).
- In the Rome hotel, I asked Cecilia to make sure breakfast was added to the booking. After the booking was made I asked her to reconfirm breakfast had been added, which she did. When I finally received the detailed itinerary I discovered the breakfast had not been added after all. On the upside, after having been informed what happened (Cecilia was on holiday), Rosanna agreed that Meet & Greet would include breakfast and take care of the associated costs as compensation for Cecilia's mistake.
- The hotel in Sorrento was too far away from city center - I suppose this was intentional in order to provide the guest with a privileged view of the city, which in my case was not nearly worth it. I tried to walk to city center but the way there is not safe as there are no sidewalks and the pedestrians need to dispute space with cars on the road.
- Once again I felt that the travel plan was made by putting together pre-packaged activities, but apparently, there was no concern to see how these pieces would fit together, and how would the final product impact the user experience. As an example, for some activities hotel pick-up was included, while for others it was not. Because of the issue around the location of the hotel, transfers from and back to the hotel were important. I asked Meet & Greet and they said the reason for the disparity was the fact that the hotel pick-up was already included by a supplier of a certain activity, but the same did not happen in other activities. They therefore took no ownership of the user experience as if it were not their problem, just a matter of supplier selection.

Three tour guides were great. Drive through rural Italy was outstanding, Valle d'Italia. Matera very interesting as was Alberabello. Lecce was not as interesting. Old Town in Bari was very interesting as was Polignano aMere
.

Hotel Reviews

Ai Terrazzini

Matera

This booking was changed to La Dodici Lune. Very nice. Would recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Once at location very nice.

Casale Ramunno

Ostuni

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

..

B&B Palazzo Bernardini Suite

Lecce

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

..

Hotel Zodiacus

Bari

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

..

Activity Reviews

Matera Guided Walk

Italy

Guide terrific

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

.

Alberobello self-guided exploration

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lecce guided walk

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

.

Bari guided walk

Italy

Quality of Experience

⁹

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Although he was not our original planner, Chris hopped right in and did a wonderful job of creating our Italian adventure. He communicated with us from the get go and always answered our questions/concerns timely. Transportation, tours and accommodations all went well. Athough the time was short, we felt like we were able to get a good feel for Florence, Lake Como and Venice, all special places that we would visit again.

Tours: We only had a few tours planned (unfortunately the museums were closed on Mondays in Florence) and Chris arranged several - one to the Accademia Gallery to see the David Statue and a walking tour of the city. I especially liked Deborah, the guide who lead the walking tour. She was very knowledgable and seemed to enjoy what she was doing. We were on our own in Lake Como which was nice not to have to adhere to a schedule. The food and wine tour in Venice was interesting but we felt the guide rushed through it as if she wished she were someplace else...

Transportation:
We had personal drivers for much of our trip. Cars were clean and comfortable. The bottled water provided was much appreciated. The drivers were all on time (actually early, for the most part) and even tho some did not speak much English, they had apps on their phones to help with communication. Our water taxi in Venice to the airport was a fun(and a little wet) ride. Maneuvering the train from Florence to Milan was a little tricky because nowhere on the board in the train station did it say Milan, but we went with the train number and time so we were ok. We had 2nd class tickets and the seats were quite comfortable. We thoroughly enjoyed our boat ride from Venice to Murano (extra charge) and tho we did not see a glass blowing demonstration, we found a gallery and made some beautiful purchases. We wish we had had more time there and also to go to the island of Burano.
We did not take a gondola ride, but used the city boat transportation both days we were there.
The ferry that took us from Como to Varenna was at times crowded but the scenery made it worth it.

Accommodations:
All were spectacular. I had changed a couple that Chris picked out initially based on my budget and they were well worth the upgrade. The Plaza Hotel Lucchesi in Florence had a most spectacular rooftop view of the city. The Palace Hotel in Como had a wonderful view of the lake from our room. The Hotel Antiche Figure in Venice was a small boutique hotel (no view from rooms) that was a personal favorite of Chris's and the couple who ran it was so kind and helpful.
Although we are not big breakfast eaters, all of the hotels provided abundant and delicious spreads each morning. And they thankfully all had A/C!!

Hotel Reviews

Palace Hotel Lake Como

Como

Perfect location overlooking the lake.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lakeside view was beautiful. Short walk to everything.

Staff

There was a mixup with the number of rooms we and our friend were to have but it got straightened out with no issue.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfy bed and bathroom shower. Not the step up kind that we see so often in Europe, but a walk in shower that is more to our liking.

Hotel Antiche Figure

Venice

This is a small boutique hotel with helpful and friendly staff who went out of their way to assist.

Authenticity & Character

I loved the Venetian mirrors and light fixtures in the breakfast room.

Location

It is directly across from the train station and one of the water transportation stops. Walkable to just about everything.

Staff

Could not have been any more helpful and friendly. The owners really seem to enjoy all of their guests!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room had everything we needed but the view was lacking (we faced the side of the building next door). Also, not a fan of the two single beds pushed together. Also, not a fan of the handheld shower wand.

Plaza Hotel Lucchesi

Florence

Our room was spacious and modern. Lots of closet space. We overlooked the river and the rooftop bar/small plates had a most spectacular rooftop view of the city. Bartender in the lobby bar was delightful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Away from the crowds

Staff

All friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed comfortable, good A/C and lots of room

Activity Reviews

Afternoon guided tour to Accademia

Florence

It was good, but very crowded at the Accademia making it a little hard to focus on what our tour guide was saying.

Best of Florence walking tour

Florence

I thought our tour guide Deborah was great! She was quite enthusiastic and informative about her city and I loved her accent.

Cicchetti & Wine Tour

Venice

This was a private tour, just me and my husband and the tour guide. She took us to several small bars and we sampled small plates/tapas and wine in the busy Rialto (?) section of town. The food was a bit exotic for our taste - anchovies, octupus, creamed cod etc but that was described to us when we chose it. Wine pours were generous. Although we enjoyed it, we felt a little rushed through this tour and it seemed like the tour guide wished she were someplace else.

Departure day

Italy

Our driver didn't arrive at the specified time, but the hotel owners quickly got a hold of him and he was there within 5 minutes. It was a fun ride to the airport. Once we departed the boat, there was a person at the dock to help us with our luggage, since the airport is a good ten minute walk away. This was helpful since we had a lot of luggage.

Welcome to Lake Como

Lake Como

We had free time in Como to explore on our own. We took the Funnicular up the mountain for the most spectacular view of the lake and the town. The line to get in was long and it was hot and the bathrooms were a bit shady, but overall we enjoyed the excursion. The ferry to Varenna was very long but relaxing. There were multiple stops along the way but we opted to stop in Varenna, which was awesome!

We are so grateful to Maria Grazia, who helped us plan the perfect family trip to Italy and to Jessica for answering any questions immediately while we were there! The tours and tour guides with Liv Tours added so much history and life to our experiences! SaraG in Florence was particularly wonderful. The transportation arrangements were seamless and the accommodations each offered something special for our family! We can’t thank this team enough for helping provide a lifetime of memories!

KimKim organized an amazing trip for our family of four to Italy. Sonia, our travel agent, attended to our every request, and Daniela, our personal concierge, made sure that all of our transfers went seamlessly. The tours arranged (mainly LivTours) in Rome were outstanding. Our family was often alone or with one other couple so our tours were private and efficient. The tour guides, Jonathan, Elena and Gio, were knowledgeable and friendly. Our transfer from Rome to Sorrento was smooth and quick. We had a wonderful tour with Jean Luc in Pompei and very intimate local tours throughout Sorrento and the Amalfi coast of a winery, lemon grove, cheese farm and pizzeria. Every outing felt intimate and authentic. Overall, I would give KimKim 5 stars for exceeding our expectations. I will, without question, use their services for future travel.

Hotel Reviews

47 Boutique Hotel

Rome

Clean, attention to detail, every amenity available

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Corallo

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private golf cart tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sorrento Coast & Capri Boat Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lemon Grove- Mozzarella Farm in Sorrento area

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport