Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

My husband and I have been travelling together since 1967 and have travelled all over the world. Usually we traveled independently and I booked everything myself; even when there was no internet. However, as we have aged and are disabled we recognized the need for a private tour. I was amazed at how Anita, our local travel specialist, listened to our needs. She understood our needs and she came through with a fabulous trip that went off without a hitch. All our hotels were small boutique hotels(3-5 stars) near many restaurants so that we could access them ourselves for dinner. All hotels had elevators or were ground level. The ones in the old city centres had some old world charm but had beautiful modern bathrooms, comfortable beds and were fairly large for European hotels. I got to approve them before we finished the trip planning.
As my husband and I can't walk more than 200 metres, Anita arranged private drivers and private guides for all our site seeing and city transfers. All the cars were luxury Mercedes. All the drivers were well dressed and exceedingly polite and helpful. We had lots of interesting and fun discussions with them on long drives but that was our choice. We enjoyed talking with Luca from Palermo to Agrigento and with Stephano who took us to Modica. Piero who took care of us in Taormina was superb, a real professional. He added a lot to our trips to Mount Etna.
Our tours were all sensitive to our capabilities and our likes and dislikes. The highlights were the cooking classes outside Palermo and in Ortigia. The chefs were very knowledgeable and we had a fun time and wonderful food that we actually made! The best site seeing was at the Cathedral in Monreale and the Roman Villa Del Casale in Piazza Armerina.
The most disappointing plans were the Ape Calessino rides in Ortigia and Taormina. We thought they would be able to go in areas that cars were not allowed, but it turned out that was not the case. They were fun and unique to ride in but did not fulfil our purpose which was to go to pedestrianized areas without having to walk.
The Trip Plans app was great. We always knew who was coming to pick us up, their name and phone number and we were able to easily communicate through WhatsApp. I highly recommend KimKim and Espiritu for excellent service. Thank you for a very memorable trip.

Hotel Reviews

Doric Boutique Hotel

Agrigento

This hotel is world class. The grounds were exquiste. The view of the Temples and the sea were extraordinary. The restaurant had an interesting menu. The room itself was small, but attached to the room is a private plunge pool so it is hard to complain. The staff was very happy to pick us up in golf carts if we found it too long a walk. There is nothing nearby so you have to eat at the restaurant or take a cab elsewhere.

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel focusing on being sensitive to the environment.

Location

Amazing for the view and the gardens. Not so good if you want to be independent.

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Prepare to be wowed.

Hotel Casa Adele

Taormina

The room we had was very large with many windows. We had a king-size bed that was very comfortable. Our room had a very large private outdoor furnished terrace with a wonderful view. The bathroom was beautiful and very modern. There was a private garage which our drivers could pull into. This was very helpful as the street was very narrow with lots of traffic. There were many good restaurants in close proximity. The managers were very helpful and provided us with a shower seat upon request. They also had a cane to loan us. My only criticism would be to get a smart TV that we could either use Mirroring or something that would allow guests to sign into Netflix.

Authenticity & Character

The room decor was elegant

Location

Close to restaurants and pedestrianized shopping street

Staff

They were always happy to help. The breakfast staff was also very cheerful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

If you don't get the room with the private terrace there is another rooftop terrace for everyone to enjoy.

Activity Reviews

Bread & Pizza Making Experience at Rustic Farmhouse

Italy

This was different than originally planned due to our abilities. We did not go to the Rustic Farmhouse but stayed in Ortigia. We had a snack at the market and then went through the food part of the market with the Chef, Allissia. Then she sent us back to her town villa via Velocar and we cooked and ate there. She was delightful and very knowledgeable. It was amazing how much we cooked in a short period of time. We couldn't eat all the food!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the UNESCO Villa Romana del Casale

Italy

Without the private guide we would not have truly appreciated this site. We have seen mosaics in other places but this villa was so impressive. Each mosaic told a different story and our guide explained them all to us and put them in context for the time. She pointed out many details that we would never have noticed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Sicily’s Olive Oil Traditions at a Family Mill

Italy

This was one of the highlights of the trip. We actually made cannellonis including the shells and filling. My husband is lactose intollerant and Carlo had lactose free ricotta cheese and also lactose free buffalo mozzerella for his lunch. I was able to take the walk through his farm garden but unfortunately it was too difficult for my husband . there was another couple there and we had a lot of fun with them. We made pasta as well and then we had a magnificent lunch. Carlo was a good teacher and has a beautiful home and setting for this experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Giulia quickly understood the type of experience we wanted. Then she worked hard to deliver it. She succeeded. She and Andrea are outstanding.

Everything was so well organized and flawless. The tripp went as smooth as it could of possibly gone.

Hotel Reviews

Villa Poggiano 

Montepulciano

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sentho Rome

Rome

Well located and very helpful staff. The rooms are modern and clean. Rooftop and garden in the middle of Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

25hours Hotel Florence Piazza San Paolino

Florence

Well situated and staff was very helpful! lots of amenities and cool design.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Certosa Di Maggiano Siena

Siena

The staff and place was just amazing! I highly recommend for a getaway close to Siena.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

We loved our tour guide. Was friendly and knew a lot about the Forum and Art.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Semi Private Tour

Rome

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and helped us move through the crowds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Car Rental Drop-off

Italy

Dropping off the car in Rome was a bit complicated because we had not been warned there is a dedicated parking for rental cars and we kep trying to go to the rental office. If you know about the dedicated parking, it is no issue, but if you don't, you might turn in circles a bit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Car Rental Pick-up

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I have nothing but great things to say about Arianna and Kim Kim. I am so happy I came across this company to help plan our 14 day trip to Italy. We started North and worked our way across the country to the South. From the first step to the last step Arianna was a dream to work with. She took into consideration every detail from budget, to our likes to dislikes, and making our time worth every second. The hotels were great location, clean, and friendly staff. Our excursions were perfect for our needs. We aren't huge history fans but Arianna made sure we saw the most important ones and signed us up for tours that didn't take up to much of our time but informed us with the important details. She fit in the perfect time for down time for us to explore on our own. She had transportation set up perfectly weather it was a private transportation, a water taxi or high speed train we always knew exactly what time and where to meet and go. Arianna was great with giving us suggestions on things to do on our own during our free time and then places to eat as well. I also LOVED having the gently reminders everyday through the WhatsApp. They text you the night before with the plans of the next day along with the tickets if any are needed and the meeting points of the transportation or tours. The text line is great to have during the trip with any questions that may pop up during your trip, they always had someone to respond to my message. Like I have said from the beginning I have nothing but great things to say about this company and Arianna. I cant wait to work with them in the future on our next trip :)

Hotel Reviews

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

LOVED this hotel, great location, great breakfast, room was comfy and clean, and loved the set up of the hotel parts of it was outside just neat set up.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

N4U Guest House

Florence

Great location! Staff was good but dont speak much English. The breakfast was good and room was very comfy and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bettoja Massimo d'Azeglio

Roma

Larger hotel but great location to train station but kinda far from the stores.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Naplesuite B&B

Naples

This hotel was great location, super friendly staff, and clean. Also loved the breakfast choices, you ordered the day before what food you wanted from the menu and they would deliver it to your room at the time you request.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maison Kalea

Sorrento

Staff wasn't the friendliest and the beds they only put two twins together but they didn't have a great bridging system to connect to two beds so they would easily split apart. Breakfast was good but kind of awkward as they sat there and watched you eat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Venice Walking Tour with St. Marks Basilica Access

Italy

This was so informative and didn't realize we were the only ones in the group so it was nice that it was small and we got to ask all the questions. It was so nice to skip all the lines too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chianti Full Immersive Wine & Olive Oil Experience

Florence

Loved exploring all 3 wineries and learning about the olive oil process.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train Tickets Florence > Bologna and viceversa

Italy

Transportation was smooth and was able to do it on our just fine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bologna City Center Food Tour

Italy

Loved this food tour but the portions were huge so was very stuffed after and you feel bad leaving any food behind. It was a great tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum & Ancient Rome Tour with Roman Forum

Rome

This is a very cool experience you must do! Lots of history given during this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Rome

This was a great experience but beware your mind will be mush at the end with all the information you are given.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naples Pizza Making Class

Naples

This was an okay class I didn't love it as we all had to make the same pizza you didn't get to customize the pizza.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Pompeii and Vesuvius from Sorrento

Italy

This was a very cool experience to walk the active volcano Vesuvius but beware its not an easy hike at all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour from Sorrento

Italy

Loved everything about this excursion. Make sure you bring cash or card to do the grottos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall the trip was good. i liked the pace of the trip. Couple of things which did not go well.
1 : Did not understand why you were not flexible in letting me book hotels.
2 : Hotel in Rome was not very nice, very small room and was far away from all pick up spots.

Hotel Review

Hotel Trevi Rome

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Too congested

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hill

Rome

Discover Christian Catacombs and ancient Basilicas

Rome

Make Authentic Neapolitan Pizza with a Pizzaiolo

Sorrento

Amalfi coast discovery tour with Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello

Italy

Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius walking tour

Italy

4h car disposal & entrance to the leaning tower of Pisa

Venice

Murano, Burano and Torcello Excursion

Venice

Private Gondola Ride

Venice

Guided visit to Doge's Palace and Saint Mark's Basilica

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first time using kimkim and Chiara was nothing less than an exceptional guide. Given this was our first trip to Italy, we wanted explore as many of the country’s key sites as possible. In nine glorious days, we managed to visit Venice, Florence, Tuscany hillside, Amalfi Coast and Rome. We never really felt rushed and every day our drivers and tour guides were prompt and extremely knowledgeable. Venice was fantastic to walk and see most of the island. Our guide graciously added a trip to Murano and a guided tour by a representative of the original glass maker. I highly recommend San Gimingnano and the wine and food tasting at Tenuta Torciano Winery. Our wine order was shipped promptly and delivered to us the day after we returned. For summer wine drinkers, highly recommend the locally produced Vernaccia! Focus your Amalfi Coast tour to Sorrento, Ravello and Positano. Rome was better than our initial expectations - cleaner and very walkable. Our tour of the colosseum with Goia was very hands on and a spectacular engineering achievement for the times. Cannot wait to get back to Italy again. I wanted to use more of my broken Italian but found everyone spoke English quite well!

The whole KimKim team was amazing, very knowledgeable about the area and set up wonderful excursions and experiences as well as great tips for down time. We did have one encounter where on of the vendors no showed but KimKim rallied and found us another similar experience in no time. Overall I am very happy with my experience with KimKim and will definitely use them again for future trips.

Hotel Reviews

Ca' dei Proverbi Suites

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Una Villa - Amalfi Boutique B&B

Amalfi

Amazing staff who made our honeymoon so special. We have nothing but positive things to say about our time at Una Villa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relais Della Rovere

Colle di Val d'Elsa

Great hotel restaurant and beautiful ground, only real issue we had was the lack of air conditioning on a night- rooms got rather hot.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Orto de' Medici

Florence

Great room, beautiful garden, great breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very centrally located in Florence, only 15 mins from Duomo

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat tour to Li Galli islands and Capri from Amalfi

Italy

What was originally supposed to be a boat day with opportunity to swim just turned into a ferry ride to Capri. The boat never stopped in any of the swimming areas that were advertised and no one else on the boat had planned to swim. Felt like a missed opportunity on an otherwise good day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Winery visits with Driver at disposal in Tuscany

Chianti

We had a wonderful time visiting wineries. All the staff were extremely knowledgeable and helpful. We also had a driver for the day and he was very courteous and cordial. Overall a great experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I’m

Transport

A Guided Hiking Adventure in the Heart of Chianti

Italy

Our guide was wonderful and so friendly. She certainly put us through our paces over a 4.5 mile hike through all different types of terrain and landscape. We really enjoyed this whole experience and loved the passion and knowledge that our guide had for all things nature.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hand-made Pasta & Typical Dessert Cooking Class

Florence

We were originally supposed to have a private market tour and cooking class but when our original vendor cancelled. Kim Kim found us a group class in very short time. Overall an enjoyable experience and the chef, Frederico, was an absolute delight.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Gondola Ride with Prosecco

Venice

Loved our gondolier, he was so nice and welcoming as well as knowledgeable about the area and architecture

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything went so smoothly between transports, tours, and hotels. The accommodations were beyond our expectations. All of the tours were amazing. Having a private guide for those tours made it so much better as well as skipping the long lines. Very happy with location and quality of hotels. Eirini did a great job. Always responsive and created a itinerary perfect for our liking. All of the guides and transport drivers were friendly and great. Will recommend to friends for future vacations.
Being able to see 4 different Italian cities all were unique and different in their owns ways made this trip always exciting with never knowing what the next location would entail.

My brothers and I had a amazing trip to Italy, beautiful Italy with its historical sites, amazing food, and incredible coastal and mountain views. The tour guides were very knowlegeable and were very interesting. The drivers and boat captain were very professional and always on time. The hotels that were selected met our needs and were clean and were located strategically so our tours were close by.

Irene (KimKim) did an amazing job of planning our trip, tickets were purchased ahead of time so we could skip the line. Tour guides and drivers were all on time and pleasant to deal with. The hotels chosen were perfect for our needs. Overall I would give it a 9.5 out of 10.

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Rome Airport Hotel

Fiumicino

Nice hotel but they were supposed to just hold our credit card but they actually charged it and we had to wait 2 weeks to see it get off our pending charge.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

staff charged our credit card but was just supposed to hold it.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Pupetto Positano

Positano SA

Great location on the water but a lot of stairs if you want to go up to the road. However, nice easy path to get to Positano.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Guardati Hotel Sorrento

Sorrento

great location right in the middle of Sorreto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Modigliani

Roma

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Useful Information

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Pompeii Tour

Pompeii

Tour guide was very interesting telling us all about Pompeii and the history. One of our favorite stops.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local transfer in Amalfi Coast

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Sorrento

Beautiful boat tour along the coast. It was a beautiful day weather wise. The captain was professional and knowledeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trastevere Afternoon Food Tour & Wine Experience

Rome

Food and drinks were amazing. Tour guide too.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Drinks & Golf Cart Tour

Rome

This was our first day/night in Italy and it gave us a good sample of Rome has to offer. Tour guide gave us some good restaurant recommendations. He was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Express Colosseum Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

Tour guide very knowlegeable and spoke very good English

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aperitivo & Stroll around Sorrento

Sorrento

This was probably our best memory of our trip. Sorrento is such a beautiful small town on the coast. The shopping was really nice cheap and good stuff. The tour guide was very knowlegeable and interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

professional, knowlegable, spoke very good english

Transport

When I started trying to plan my first international trip, I was overwhelmed to say the least. How many days, how many stops, what activities to do? Finding the KimKim website was just whatI needed! I started exploring premade trips for inspiration, then a quiz about the things we like to do, to receiving a custom trip itinerary from Rita. After the initial itinerary, working with Rita to get our trip into the price range we wanted, the dates that worked best, and all the stops and activities we could fit was a breeze (even with time zone difference).

There is so much history in Italy, and so many places to see. We started in Lake Como, which was calmer and helped us to get ready for the rest of the trip.

In Venice we started with a food and wine tour with Beatrice from Streaty Venice. These food/drink tours have become a must do on our trips going forward. Trying the local food, in this case cicchetti, and seeing the area with a guide that is excited to tell you about where they live can't be beat. The food was plentiful and the pairings were nicely done and everyone should be eating (and drinking if you partake) like a local!

In Florence, exploring the city and the wine windows was a blast. Florence was bigger and busier than our previous stops. I can't tell you how nice it was to have our guides pick us up from our hotel. A day trip to the Tuscan hills, Siena and San Gimignano was beautiful and worth a view--maybe even worth a day or two! Hearing the history of the city while walking around and seeing "David" was more of an experience than I expected. (even for an artist). Possibly my favorite activity of Florence was a private (advertised as a small group) Tuscan cooking class, in the home of a local woman named Donatella. Learning to make food like a local is something we will talk about for a long time, and the recipes we look forward to recreating over and over now that we are home.

Making a traditional Neapolitan Pizza from dough to wood oven in Naples, another "small group" that ended up as a private class is another highlight of our foodie, with a side of history trip. We saw Pompeii, had lunch at a winery, and hiked Mt Vesuvius. (don't be fooled in the heat, this is a hike. Wear appropriate clothing and know what to expect-there is little shade in Pompeii or on Mt Vesuvius). Pompeii was a surprise, it was so much more interesting and grand than I could have imagined. Paestum is another interesting spot, though a much longer drive than Pompeii from Naples, but worth it if you like ruins.

Sorrento weather was beautiful and the views and lemons are to die for. We did a Limoncello and Lemon Marmalade activity in Positano with Valenti that was a highlight. Again learning to make limoncello and lemon marmalade was really fun, but learning about the family history and trying some many other lemon flavored goods was out of this world. I can't wait for my delicious treats to arrive from the amazing little shot, we can't wait to make limoncello at home too!

So many memories made, and I can't thank everyone we met or the KimKim team enough. We'll definitely be reaching out for a future trip, but until that happens, it's off to sleep in our bed dreaming of pasta and spritz. Grazie Mille!

Activity Reviews

A Day Along the Amalfi Coast

Italy

This is a fun idea and I did enjoy the trip, but keep in mind how long it will take to get where you are going. We spent a lot of time in the car. The roads are narrow and speeds are low so it takes twice as long to go a short distance. We stopped for an hour which was nice to look in shops and get a feel for these buildings on the side of the mountain. We also did a limoncello experience (which I recommend and have reviewed separately) but that took 2 hours from our day so we didn't go to the 3rd stop on this tour. Additionally the only way home is the same way you came, so it took us roughly 2 hours to get home after our last stop. Even though we were not driving the say felt long, with a lot of sitting in the car.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our drive was safe and clearly comfortable on the road. He kept the car nice and cold for us so we didn't get car sick.

Transport

The car was clean, and cool.

Florence on Foot: Michelangelo’s David & Duomo

Italy

This was a nice walk that took us a few blocks from our starting point and showed use some history of Florence. Seeing the David and hearing about about that was probably the highlight. I think it was the perfect length for the walk, at the right pace, as well as the time we needed to see what we saw.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very nice and accommodating when a person needed to find a restroom in the middle of the tour.

Explore Pompeii & Mount Vesuvius with Wine Tasting

Naples

Pompeii was so much larger than I expected! Amazing historical site. Our tour guide, I think might have been Mike, was great. The wine tasting was a nice break between larger experiences. The food was very good, but not too much to feel overly full. The grounds were very nice. Mount Vesuvius was more of a hike than I expected, but the guide was interesting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Good food, nothing that blew my socks off. Multiple tours ended up in the space at the same time and it was very cramped. I felt stuck at my seat and couldn't get out because of how close the tables were.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Guides were nice, and did the best they could. Our guide in Pompeii was very knowledgeable and did the best he could with a group of people that all spoke different languages.

Transport

The bus felt cramped for 18 people and the AC didn't reach the back where we happened to be.

Naples Revealed: From Ancient Streets to Underground Ruins

Naples

A great activity to see Naples. We met Clemente at Neptune's fountain and started our tour by heading to see the Castle Nuova from the outside because it wasn't open yet, Galleria Umbero I, with all it's beautiful details (being restored to a sparkling white marble), walking by the theater where the Opera was held. Next to the Royle Palace, with statues in every archway. As we continued to walk we went through the narrow streets, hearing history and dodging shoppers. The tour ended at the underground ruins which was really interesting and worth a trip--it doesn't take too long, but it's a good place to cool off it's it's getting warm outside. A nice 3 hour trip taking it all in and hearing stories from a local who loved to show off his city.

Quality of Experience

A nice walk, with enough history to be interesting but not feel rushed or overwhelmed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Clemente was our guide, telling us the history and offering recommendations -- we couldn't have been happier.

Tuscan Excursion: Siena & San Gimignano with Wine Tasting & Lunch

Italy

The drive takes a little over an hour to go to Siena (our first stop) where we got about an hour and 15 minutes to explore before heading off to the winery for lunch and our tasting. After lunch we went to San Gimignano where we had about and hour and a half to explore before heading back to our starting location. Both stops were really nice, with beautiful views and architecture to admire. We got a pastry and some stuff to take home while window shopping in Siena. We had the biggest slice of pizza we've ever seen an a nice glass of a local wine. At the Winery we had a great table outside with a wonderful view. After a brief introduction to the winery and the wines we had our first tasting paired with bruschetta, cheeses and salami. For our meal we had a choice of pastas or a traditional tuscan stew (a vegetarian choice). The food was wonderful, and the wine paired nicely bringing our the fresh flavors in the food. Our last stop was San Gimignano, where we got a gelato while wondering through the streets and shops.

Quality of Experience

Timed pretty well, the winery was really relaxing and had both good wine and food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helpful, friendly, and safe.

Transport

Clean and comfortable ride.

Venice after Dark: A Cicchetti & Wine Experience

Venice

We have started to do a food and drink tour on all of our vacations because of how interesting they are and how well it's done. Our Venice experience did not disappoint and from start to finish Beatrice was an excellent guide, telling stories, and history and generally keeping our group engaged. At each stop everything was planned and ready to go and the food and pairing were excellent. As a vegetarian, each stop was able to accommodate my diet with substitutions that looked better than whatever one else was having (but I might be biased). From a Prosecco I had never had before (and loved) to wine (you choose white or red) and ending with a nice dessert wine to sip -- everything was delicious and felt very customizable. We left happy with the experience, getting an idea of the overall city of Venice which helped us to get around later. We also left stuffed, with no need to think about dinner.

Quality of Experience

Perfect pairings, pace, and people.

Food

Quality ingredients and each stops ability to accommodate my dietary needs. I never felt like it was a problem or difficult.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Beatrice was fantastic. We loved every minute of our tour.

Limoncello & Lemon Marmalade Experience

Italy

Really fun, hands on experience. I highly recommend. We helped to make, what turned out to be pretty simple, a small batch of limoncello and our instructor (Valentino) made it really fun. Playing that he had an injury so we had to do the work we peeled, shook, and combined all the ingredients. When it started to sprinkle, and we we went inside from our private view overlooking the water, they quickly got setup to show us how to use more of the lemon (no lemon goes to waste here) to make lemon marmalade. I was surprised how much I like it, and look forward to trying both recipes at home. This was an amazing experience with a friendly family run business, and I will not only buy from them in the future to ship, but I encourage everyone to to stop by for a tasting or to do the hands on experience. They love what they do and it shows.

Quality of Experience

This was an amazing experience with a friendly family run business, and I will not only buy from them in the future to ship, but I encourage everyone to to stop by for a tasting or to do the hands on experience. They love what they do and it shows.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our drive was prompt to pick us up and get us to our next stop.

Transport

Neapolitan Pizza Making Class

Naples

We had an amazing time learning how to make Neapolitan pizza. Our small group was just us (2 people), and we started by learning what simple ingredients are combined to make the pizza dough. After making our own dough, we were taken back to the pizza station in the kitchen, right next to the wood oven and made our own pizza. We watched the professional cook the pizza and then we got to take it to our table and dig in. A very fun experience, with a bonus friend pizza provided by the restaurant for us to try and take home. (too much good food is such a wonderful problem to have).

Quality of Experience

Food

Delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super friendly and helpful!

Ancient Paestum & Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese Farm Experience

Italy

This is up to a 1.5-2 hour drive from Naples each way. It's a long day of being in the car. We started at the Cheese farm for a short tour. We learned how they take care of the Buffalo, and got to see them up close and even got to pet them. After hearing about how the farm is run we tasted some cheese. It's so different in flavor and texture from cow mozzarella, you really can taste the difference. It's a nice place, beautiful grounds with coffee shop, restaurant and pastry shop on sight. (our paperwork said light lunch, and all there was for lunch was the cheese, so be aware and ask your guide to stop someone for food or grab a pastry) The ruins in Paestrum are really interesting, it was less crowded and had a very different from Pompeii if you decide to do that. We had a great guide named Mario who gave us history and commentary, taking us through the museum as well. Not as much to see due to the history of the ruins overall, which again is different from Pompeii but if you like history it's really enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food was three balls of cheese. While it was good, and fun to try that was not a meal.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver Gino had a new car, and it gave us the ability to adjust the temperature as we needed to help with car sickness. He was friendly and talked for part of the trip, but also gave up time for some quiet.

Transport

Our driver Gino had a new car, and it gave us the ability to adjust the temperature as we needed to help with car sickness. He was friendly and talked for part of the trip, but also gave up time for some quiet.

An Exclusive Moment at the Medieval Castle of Castello Baradello

Italy

Our guide, Daniela, was on time and personable, providing history and commentary. We chatted on the hike up the hills and through the trees to the castle. (really more of a tower, but still very cool). We stopped and took pictures part way up, also a good time for a rest, drink and to cool off. Once at the top the views were amazing, but we continued on, going inside the tower and climbing to the top. At the top the 360 degree view as promised was worth the hike. It was so pretty. We could see up Milan in one direction, the Lake and valley in the other. We had a nice tasting of a Barbarossa wine and some crackers while enjoying the view before walking back down, and returning to our hotel.

Quality of Experience

Unique. Outdoors. Historical.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly. Knowledgeable. Punctual.

Cooking With Tradition: A Tuscan Culinary Experience

Florence

What an amazing experience this cooking class is. My husband and I have taken many cooking classes in the past and this was the most unique so far. We were not aware before arriving that the class would be in a locals home. We also expected a "small group" but for our class we were the only ones. A private class, learning from a local---making traditional food, that she has made her whole life, what could be better? We started by making pasta dough and letting it rest. Next was desert, each making a tiramisu for later. After that was a type of Tuscan dumpling made of spinach, a small amount of parmesan cheese, some salt and flour. I was so surprised how this turned out. Are you getting tired yet? Cause there is more...next was a potato filling for a tortellini, that we later made by rolling our pasta, cutting to size, piping the filling, and learning to fold into pillows of awesomeness! Donatella took over from there, giving us a glass of wine, water, and tomato and white bean bruschetta. She cooked the spinach dumplings with a simple tomato sauce with garlic, and the tortellini with olive oil, and sage. Simple ingredients, and unbelievable flavors. I was so surprised, and left full and very happy from the experience.

Quality of Experience

Authentic. Hands on. Unique.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Donatella is amazing. So helpful, and understanding while teaching.

The guides in all the locations were very knowledgeable (Bologna, Verona and Modena). The sites I visited were very interesting. The logistics were well planned and the interaction with Giorgia was very good during the planning process. The hotels were conveniently located and reasonable for the cities visited. I had plenty of free time which is always good on a vacation. The train travel was fun with the only exception being I wish I had more ability to change trains if I got to the station earlier.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Giulietta e Romeo

Verona

The Hotel Giulietta e Romeo in Verona was fantastic. It had excellent amenities and was very close to all the action and the beautiful old town sites. Though the train station was a bit further away, cabs were available if necessary, or it's a pleasant walk of about half an hour. This hotel definitely stood out as the best among the ones I stayed at during my trip.

Hotel Porta San Mamolo

Bologna

The Hotel Porta San Mamolo in Bologna was just alright for me. While it was a decent hotel, it required a bit of a walk to get to the downtown area, which took about ten minutes. It had a bit of a dated feel compared to the other hotels on my trip.

Palazzo Segreti

MILANO

Palazzo Segreti in Milan was good and had a charming historical feel as it seemed like a renovated older building. It was well-located, although getting to the airport turned out to be pricey due to the cab fares. Nothing negative, but the Verona hotel was a bit more accessible to sites.

Activity Reviews

Guided Walk Through Verona’s Historic Center

Verona

The guided visit of Verona was quite enjoyable. The city is beautiful, and the guide did a great job showing us around. It was one of the highlights of my trip.

Bologna Highlights & Market Walk

Italy

The guided visit of Bologna was a very enjoyable experience. It was a balanced mix of guided exploration and some free time. I'm glad I had the opportunity to join this tour.

We had the best trip in Italy for our 10 year anniversary thanks to the help of Manuela and her team! She helped us find the perfect balance of exploration and rest for our 6 day trip, visiting Rome, Florence and Cinque Terra. All of our tour guides she arranged for us; Gabriella at the Colosseum, Valentina at the Vatican, Emmanuela in Florence, and Tony at Cinque Terra were all amazing and so passionate and knowledgable about the history of the sites.
The hotels Manuela recommended and booked for us were perfect and incredibly located in the heart of Rome and Florence. The itinerary was flawless!
The trip plans app was easy to use, and if we had a question or concern the team was very responsive. Don't hesitate, use KimKim for your trip, you won't regret it!

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Cavour

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

47 Boutique Hotel

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Ligurian Excursion: A Full-Day Escape to Cinque Terre

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence on Foot: Michelangelo’s David & Duomo

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Vatican: From the Museums to the Sistine Chapel

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Taste of Italy Through Wine & Food

Rome

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walk Through the Colosseum & Ancient City

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gabriella from LivTours was Amazing!

Transport

We loved our half day with our guide, Saura. She gave us an interesting history lesson, a good overview of where to hike, great suggestions on how to get where we needed to be, and really useful tips on how to avoid crowds. Communicating with our local specialist was easy and she was very responsive. The hotel was amazing, the Cinque Terre card was a life saver, and the transportation a breeze. We had a fantastic trip. Thank you!!

Hotel Review

Hotel Bel Soggiorno

Genoa

Great location, thin walls, a little run down.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cinque Terre Trekking & Train Card

Italy

There is no way anyone should go to Cinque Terre without this card. Priceless.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cinque Terre Trekking Adventure

Italy

Our guide Saura was amazing. Sure not only led us on a trail, she explained the history and gave suggestions on other trails and transportation. She was very flexible and personable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My wife and I had a great time in Italy, and we're already planning our next trip. Bea did a fantastic job planning every last detail of our trip. The travel app made it super easy and convenient. The guides that KimKim set up for our the coliseum, the Vatican, Amalfi, and Pompeii were amazing! We plan to return again next year to Italy with our friends and will absolutely use KimKim to plan our entire trip!

Absolutely magical! Our Christmas trip to Italy with KimKim was truly the experience of a lifetime. From start to finish, every detail was thoughtfully planned by Caterina and perfectly executed by Martina and all the team.
Gianni was our guide in Naples. It was the perfect balance between iconic sights and hidden gems. His knowledge in Naples and Pompeii made it so much more interesting. Stefano was our guide in Mt Vesuvius. He went far and beyond with our son Lukas, making it the experience of a lifetime for him!.
We were received by Beatrice in Rome and did the Colosseum with Livitaly. Maura was our guide for all the historical monuments and made the day a very special one.
Beatrice escorted us to the train and Marta was waiting for us in Florence where Martina guided us through this wonderful city showing her knowledge and experience. How can we forget our day with Alessandro in Pisa! He made it more interesting since he is originally from there and knew all the stories!
Our last stop was Venice, where Beatrice met us and escorted us to the espectacular hotel! She also went with us to Murano and Burano for a magical day. We met Alessia for a wonderful tour around the city and spent New Years with fireworks overlooking the water! What a wonderful way to enjoy the season!
I want to mention our drivers, Carmine, Flavio, Giulio for being so nice and professional.

We spent 11 wonderful days with wonderful people. Every guide we met was friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about sharing their love for Italy. Special thanks to our drivers and guides-your enthusiasm, stories, and recommendations made each day unforgettable. The restaurants and gelato shop suggestions were spot on, and the private tours allowed us to skip the crowds and make the most of every moment.

What truly set this experience apart was the personal touch and flexibility. When we had a last-minute change or request, the team accommodated us with a smile, making us feel like family.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved-from the planners behind the scenes to our wonderful guides and drivers. You gave us a Christmas we’ll never forget and memories we’ll treasure forever. We can’t wait to return and explore more of beautiful Italy with you!

If you’re considering a trip, look no further, KimKim will make your Italian holiday dreams come true

I recently returned from a trip organized by Caterina, and I cannot recommend the service highly enough!
From the very first inquiry through my constant changes until the moment I returned home, the whole team provided outstanding service and attention to detail.

The planning process was seamless. Caterina listened carefully to my preferences and crafted an itinerary that perfectly matched my interests and budget. Every aspect was thoughtfully arranged. I especially appreciated the personalized touches, like restaurant recommendations and insider tips for each destination.

During the trip, everything went off without a hitch. We were met in Milano by our driver Alessandro and by Roberta who was always super responsive. Our tour guide Barbara was awesome! Her knowledge of the city and her personality made our day with her a very enjoyable one! Our transfer to Torino with our driver Michele was smooth and fast, same as the one from Torino to MIlano with our driver Francesco.

Transfers were punctual, guides were knowledgeable and friendly, and each activity exceeded my expectations. Once again It is clear that KimKim has strong relationships with local partners, which made the whole experience feel authentic and special.

I will definitely be booking my next adventure with them and recommending their services to friends and family!

Thank you for another unforgettable trip!

Activity Reviews

Private tour of Milan - Cleary Family

Milan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of Milan Highlights with La Scala theatre

Milan

Barbara was great! Lots of history and fun facts about the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were very comfortable with all the guides and people helping us during the trip; our first guide, Mateo, was excellent and personable; our “food trip” guide (forgive me, lost her name) very knowledgeable; finally our Vatican guide, Danielle, was superb, making those few hours just breeze; liked choice of hotel, would definitely go back there; all the drivers professional and helpful.

Hotel Review

Kolbe Hotel Rome

Rome

Nice hotel walking distance close to all attractions , nice, friendly stuff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to all attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica

Rome

Excellent; hope we come again, this time to actually see Sistine Chapel

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Basic Rome Tour by Electric Golf Cart

Rome

Excellent

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hi Jessica, 4.29.2025

I’ve wanted to send you a note to say what an amazing experience we had in using Kim-Kim for our recent trip to Italy. What we were most impressed with was how easy it was to work with Kim-Kim and you especially. From day one we knew you were only an email away to any questions or changes we wanted to make to our trip to Italy.
Our amazing trip started when we landed in Rome around 10am and our driver was already there to greet us and retrieve our bags. Tired from our long flight the private driver greeted us with chilled bottles of water and some sweet treats, a very nice touch to begin our adventure. After a 40-minute drive from the airport we arrived at the Monti Palace Hotel in Rome. After checking in we were led to our room and saw that it was smaller than expected but very clean and the hotel was beyond our expectations. The bathroom was extremely large with an oversized shower and plenty of space to lay out our travel gear. We were so excited after arriving, we dropped our bags and headed out to explore Rome, we wandered the streets and didn’t return till 8pm. The next morning, we had our first breakfast at the roof top café. The Cafe included everything one could want and more, the view of Rome from the terrace dining room was breathtaking. Day two was our first tour that you had suggested of the trip, the Colosseum and Roman Forum. We met our tour guide easily at a nearby park and waited for the others to arrive. All the guides from the entire trip were professional, friendly and spoke English well. Later that evening we had our walking food tour guided by Enzo who was born and raised in Campo and took us to many places that highlighted the food in Rome. Enzo was also an archologist, so he was able to give us a tremendous amount of background to the areas we were visiting throughout the tour. Day three was Highlights of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel we met our tour guide outside who gives tours the Vatican and Chapel daily, he was just as excited as we were to show us everything just as if it was his first tour ever given. His passion for history and arts really showed during the whole tour. Day three was one of the highlights from the trip, we made our short train ride to the Contadina Breakfast Farm Tour. I did not know what to expect to see on this tour but the views on the train ride were well worth the venture outside the city of Rome to Frascati. We were greeted by our host Oreste who was gracious and much of a Renaissance man, A baker, wine maker, guitar player and best of all an amazing storyteller. From the moment we entered his home we became part of his family, on the table they had an amazing breakfast of homemade cakes, cheeses, meats, wine and pastries. Oreste began to tell us about his family’s vineyard and his love of his country. He was soft-spoken and lived a simple life on his own terms. He told stories of harvesting grapes with his children during the day and sitting by the fire at night playing guitar and singing with family. After breakfast we hopped in his car and took a short drive to a nearby winery to tour the underground wine caves and take in the views from the hills overlooking the city of Rome, just an amazing experience for our last day in Rome! Now off to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast….
The next morning, we met our private driver who took us to the train station and again he arrived prompt, friendly and English speaking. We boarded our train, and we were off to Sorrento. We arrived at the Hotel Florida around 2 in the afternoon and had a free afternoon to explore. We asked the hotel front desk for some of the local’s favorite spots to eat nearby. We found ourselves at a small family run pizza shop and had a beautiful margarita pizza and soaked in the culture. Downtown Sorrento was close by, so we walked and explored the shops, ate gelato and walked the waterfront, the views were breathtaking and lots of pictures were taken. Waking up the next day we had our Capri boat ride and Blue Grotto tour. Our Captain greeted us, and we were off to Capri. It was breezy but the sun warmed us while we sailed across the water. We were dropped off and had the mid-morning to venture through the winding narrow streets of Capri. It was like stepping back in time and living in a different world. We headed back and boarded our boat for our trip around the island of Capri. Our captain had packed mozzarella and tomato sandwiches for lunch and refreshments to enjoy. Unfortunately, because of the high winds and rough water we could not enter the Blue Gratto, but we were able to look inside. We headed back and disembarked with another great day of memories.
The next day was a huge highlight of our trip when we met Enzo who would give us a private tour of the “Path of Lemons” in Ravello. We met Enzo at the top of the Ravello mountain and he would lead us 5000 steps down through the town to the ocean. Along the way he told stories of his childhood and gave us the history of living in the hills. He also pointed out plants and vegetables growing along the way. When we arrived at the small town below, we enjoyed Italian pastries and sipped expresso looking up at the mountain top where the day had started just a short time ago.
Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii were on day 8, we were joined by a group of 25-30 people then boarded a bus to head to Mount Vesuvius. We took in the view from the top of the mountain and looked down at the volcano from above. Lunch was at a nearby restaurant we were served a great lunch of pizza and then it was off to Pompeii.
Day 9 was a private tour with Ciro La Motta @taximistercabdriver, we explained that we had toured much of the area already and asked if we could stop at some other areas, which he thought would be interesting and beautiful. Ciro stopped at many churches, cliffs, waterways and beaches along the way that we had not seen before. But the highlight of the trip was when we were asked what kind of music we liked, I mentioned the Bee Gees and just like that Ciro cued up the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, he would have made all the Bee Gees happy with his cover. Ciro finished our tour with his rendition of Elvis’s Suspicious Minds. Another amazing Day!!!
The next morning, we headed back to Rome for our last night before heading back to the States. Jessica, I would just like to thank you and your whole team for everything you did. The hotels, transfers, tours and amazing people were all perfect, this is a trip that we will never forget. Please express to everyone how thrilled we were with their hospitality, kindness and the love they showed us.
We will be using Kim-Kim in the future for sure!!!!!
Thank You,
Carolle and Rich
Arrivederci!!!!

Overall, we enjoyed the trip. It was a bit busy with making transfers every 2 days .

It would have been much easier to have our hotel stays closer to the attractions that were scheduled. We had to arrange for taxi/Uber due to the distance.

The hotels were nice but not always clean.

La Tonnarella was wonderful, clean and we would go again.

Hotel Liassidi was not clean and not very special. Super basic and had bed bugs.

Pitti Palace was nice, but not very close to the attractions that were scheduled.

Trevi Palace was nice, but again, it was across town from the colloseum and the Vatican.

Our tour guides, Sarah in Florence, Alex in Rome and Luca in florence were great !

We actuallly did not get a tour of the Royal Gardens in Venice. wondering what happened here ? We did not have vouchers for this .

Luca was wonderful in helping us with this trip and was very responsive.

Ciao'

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I recently returned from an incredible family vacation to Italy, and I cannot recommend our travel consultant, Chris highly enough! As a single mom traveling with six kids, I often navigate the challenges of travel alone, but this experience was pretty easy, thanks to Chris and his counterpart, Maria.

What truly sets them apart is their 24/7 availability while we were in Italy. Having an emergency contact to turn to whenever we had questions or encountered a hiccup made a world of difference. It allowed me to relax and focus on making memories with my children instead of stressing about logistics.

The itinerary was nothing short of fantastic! In just eight days, we explored all the highlights we dreamed of, from the historical wonders of Rome to the captivating art in Florence, the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the enchanting canals of Venice. Every detail was thoughtfully planned, and we saw everything we wanted without feeling rushed.

If you're considering a trip to Italy, do yourself a favor and reach out to Chris. With their expertise and unwavering support, your travel experience will be seamless and unforgettable!