Arianna Zampieri

Balance of activities and free time was perfect. Recommended and scheduled activities were ideal for us. Could not be happier with the service and really enjoyed working with Arianna!

Activity Review

Private Truffle Cooking Class with Hunt

Italy

Highly recommend the truffle hunt, whether you know anything about truffles or not. Hosts were excellent. Cooking class and wine tasting was a blast.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mostly fantastic!
Pros: Planning was easy and Adriana was very responsive. Most guides were amazing (Marcus from colosseum and Silvia (Sissi) from Vatican). Having the transportation taken care of was great and all drivers were very professional. The app did make things easy (except for some itinerary discrepancies - see cons) and the team was super responsive in the app when I had questions or couldn’t find something.
Cons: mostly small things. The itinerary times on Kim Kim didn’t always match the agenda in the app leading to some confusion. Our driver one day skipped a section of the itinerary (hike up mt. Vesuvius) so room for clarity there. Hotels were just ok. I would have prioritized $$ differently and done one or two fewer tours to stay in nicer places had I realized how sub-par the hotels were (3-star places that felt more like 2-star).

Hotel Reviews

The Guardian Hotel

Rome

The hotel is “fine.” It does the trick if you don’t care about nice accommodations. The bottles in the shower had broken nozzles that were not fixed the entire time we stayed. Room was humid in April.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Starace

Sorrento

Great location. Friendly staff. Good breakfast. Room temp would not go below 22 Celsius. Staff checked on it and it was “set” to winter and could only heat. Dated interior. Broken toilet seat. Fine, not great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No conditioner. Broken toilet seat. Very dated.

Activity Reviews

Colosseum & Ancient Rome Tour with Roman Forum

Rome

Marcus with LivTours was great. Kept the kids entertained.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Storywalking Experience: Truffle Hunt & Wine Tasting in Umbria from Rome

Italy

Bruno the truffle hunter and his dogs were very authentic. This tour/experience lacked some engagement and direction.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of the Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour

Rome

Silvia / Sissi was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour and Blue Grotto by Sorrento

Italy

Boat section was nice - good to go around the island. Blue grotto was interesting but felt super touristy. The whole experience felt like we were getting nickel and dimed. Eg. boat guide dropped us on Capri and highly recommend we all take a shuttle at €100 for our family to Anacapri and then to Capri. Time was too short on the island so we didn’t really enjoy it - much spent on travel times. Very little direction on where to go in these towns (shopping, food, sights??) or what to do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pizza School in Sorrento

Italy

Very fun

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pompeii & Volcanic Wine Experience with Transfer

Italy

Pompeii was the least interesting and the tour guide didn’t really educate us the way others had. She also seemed to contradict herself.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall an excellent trip.

Hotels were excellent - except for the Sheraton at Mahlpensa. The room was beat up and furniture did not match.

The Siena tour was fabulous - guide Kathleen was great.

All the wine tastings were fantastic, especially Alfieri.

We would not recommend the luncheon after the wine tasting. The truffles were tasteless and the rest of the food unremarkable.

The Hazelnut farm was somewhat interesting but the location is hard to get to.

The country roads with many sharp turns were challenging. They etracted from our experience, but the travel agent had nothing to do with that.

The rental car was excellent.

The only request we would have is more guidance on how to reach parking in the various towns.. especially when the towns are crowded.

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

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

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

Thanks Arianna, Jessica, and Barbara !!

Hotel Reviews

Lancaster Hotel

Milan

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

Authenticity & Character

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

Location

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

Staff

Very friendly staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Marina

Monterosso al Mare

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Davanzati Hotel Florence

Florence

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

Authenticity & Character

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

Location

So close to everything !!

Staff

Staff was the best - Leonardo

Cleanliness & Comfort

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

Agriturismo Il Cerreto

Pomarance

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

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds. Wish we had another day here.

Location

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

Staff

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

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vannucci

Città della Pieve (PG)

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

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

Staff

Staff was very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Metropolitan Hotel Bologna

Bologna

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

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

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wine Experience in Cinque Terre

Italy

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

Quality of Experience

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

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Transport

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

Milan Last Supper Tour with City Highlights & Duomo (outside)

Milan

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

Quality of Experience

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

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgable and friendly.

Transport

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

Cinque Terre Trekking & Train Card

Italy

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

Quality of Experience

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

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Transport

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

Florence Traditional Food tour

Florence

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Transport

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

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

Florence

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

Quality of Experience

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

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Transport

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

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

Florence

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

Quality of Experience

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

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Transport

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

Wine Tasting & Cooking class with Lunch in Montalcino

Italy

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

Quality of Experience

Made for an enjoyable day

Food

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

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff, especially the chef, was friendly and fun.

Transport

We drove ourselves.

Private Cooking Experience at Local's Homes

Italy

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

Quality of Experience

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

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Transport

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hotel Reviews

White Rooms

Reggio Calabria

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze

Catania

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B A tonnara

Cefalu

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Khalisah

Palermo

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

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

Best Western Hotel Rome Airport

Fiumicino

Perfect for the night before a flight home

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer from Reggio Calabria to Catanzaro

Italy

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day with Driver at disposal - Private group

Italy

Fabri. Same As on Oct 11

Catania Tour - City Highlights Walk

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Mount Etna Guided Jeep Tour

Italy

Francisco was outstanding

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ortigia Walking Tour: The Heart of Syracuse

Syracuse

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taormina Highlights Walking Tour

Italy

The walking tour guide was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Palermo Private Walking Tour

Palermo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marilou was excellent.

Transport

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

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

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

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

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

Hotel Reviews

Albergo Terminus

Como

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

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

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Solo Experience Hotel

Florence

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

Location

Staff

Palazzo Starace

Sorrento

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

Location

Abelonas Retreat

Santorini

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

Activity Reviews

San Lorenzo Food Market & Tuscan Cooking Class

Florence

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luxury Catamaran Cruise around Santorini

Santorini

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Limoncello Tour & Tasting

Amalfi Coast

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our first trip to Sicilia - Taormina and Ortigia/Siracusa - was wonderful because of the planning from Arianna and the Storywalking team! Arianna listened to our feedback and planned a trip that balanced some guided tours and a lot of free time. She shared detailed suggestions on site seeing and places to visit in the free time, so we always had ideas on how to spend our time. We aren't really big on lots of tours, so she created an itinerary that incorporated a few planned activities including Mt. Etna/wine tasting, a boat excursion and a cooking class. The only one we didn't love was the cooking class, but in general we had a great time with the other tours and just wandering around the cities eating amazing food.

The access to the app and Barbara and Jessica once we were in Sicily was a game changer. They were extremely responsive, problem solved our minor issues very quickly (mostly about directions and meeting the guides). It was so helpful to know there was a person we could reach if needed. Luckily the upfront planning and information from Arianna was enough, but in the moments of immediate need Barbara and Jessica were right there to help.

I'd definitely recommend Storywalking and KimKim for trip planning! Grazie mille!

Our trip to Italy with KimKim travel was nothing short of fabulous. We started our planning with Arianna, who I would highly recommend. She pays close attention to detail and I could tell she truly cared about us. She told us the truth about her opinions on things while also respecting our ideas.
Once we got to Italy, we ended up checking in fairly late to our first hotel as we were spending time with family that lived there. The hotel even contact KimKim to check on us and Barbara texted us to be sure we were ok. It really showed how much they were going to be there for us and made me feel super safe. All of our transportation to and from places was so clean and the drivers were knowledgeable. I also LOVED every place we stayed in. Our hotel hosts were kind, supportive, answered our questions and went above and beyond for us. We even made so many friends through them!
Jessica was also very helpful in working to help us add a last minute adventure while we were there.
I cannot recommend KimKim enough. Thank you a million!