Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Beginning to the end , our trip exceeded our expectations.
The golf cart tour of Rome was perfect. Our Guide John Luca was interesting, knowledgeable and fun.!
Each wine tour experience was different and a great experience. We especially liked the small family owned winery in Tuscany. Luci .
Thoughtful detail was evident in the planning by Erica, that made this a trip of a lifetime!

I went to Florence and Rome with my adult son in October 2026 in a trip planned by Erica and KimKim. We had previously used KimKIm for a trip to Iceland in April 2025. Once again, the experience was fabulous. The booked tours were fun and sparked curiosity. The interactions with everyone, including the cab drivers was terrific. It was a completely worry free experience. My son and I both remarked that the pacing of the trip was excellent, with a good mix of scheduled activities and free time to explore on our own.

Want to specifically call out Manuel who was our guide on our hike in Fiesole. He was incredibly knowledgeable about flora and fauna, passionate about nature and just completely delightful. We like to hike and found this hike pleasant, moderately challenging and a nice break from being in cities.

I want to give a shoutout to Mattei who was the cab driver who rescued us when we got off the train in Rome at the wrong station. I texted him, said what happened and his reply was "be there in 10 mins." Amazing.

Our sunset food tour with John Paul was fabulous on multiple levels (suppli ... yum!) but he encouraged interaction among those on the tour and that proved delightful. He also recommended a hike up to Janinculum Hill for views of the city, which we did the next day.

Our tour of Florence with Erica, the Vatican with Gaia (who coped with bad weather and long lines with grace), and the Colisseum with Julia were also terrific.

We stayed at Antica Torre in Florence, which was ideally situated, historic and beautiful. Our room was on the small side but beautifully appointed with a view of the Duomo, so hard to complain. Also, the breakfast was outstanding and afforded a beautiful view of the city. In Rome we stayed at Hotel Colors Navona, which was more modern, featured a bigger room. It was well located, had less charm and the breakfast was a fairly typical hotel breakfast. But none of that should be construed as a complaint. It was more than fine.

Hotel Reviews

Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni

Florence

Hotel was charming, as is Florence in general. It featured a perfect location, staff was helpful. Room was a little on the small side but beautifully appointed. Breakfast was first rate, from the food, the service and the setting.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Navona Colors

Rome

A very nice more modern hotel well situated in Rome. Walkable to Pantheon (10 minutes); Trevi fountain (15 minutes), Vatican (30 minutes); Colosseum (30 minutes). Room was spacious, well appointed. We booked a cab through the front desk the day before to take us to the Vatican because we were worried about rain. But the morning of, the cab didn't show up and the clerk said there was nothing she could do. We wound up walking and that was fine but added stress to the morning. The breakfast was a typical hotel breakfast. Fine but nothing memorable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private City Walk with Michelangelo's David

Florence

Erica, the guide, was lovely and engaging. The way she navigated the Accademie was exceptional and in addition to getting us into see the David without a line, she showed us some other exceptional highlights, including the Stratovarius collection.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fiesole Hike with Wine & Lunch

Florence

Manuel was a wonderful guide, incredibly knowledgeable about flora and fauna and great about sharing his experiences with olive harvesting in his family. The hike was moderately challenging which was great for us (a 62-year-old woman and my 30-year-old son), the views breathtaking -- the secret bench is just beyond words. Lunch at Fattoria Di Maiano was one of our best meals, the setting was divine. This felt like a bit of an "off the beaten path" excursion and is highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Highlights with St. Peter's Basilica

Rome

Gaia the tour guide was very good in dealing with long lines and bad weather. The only downside of this tour was that Pope Leo was using St. Peter's so we did not get to go inside the basilica, but that is not an issue with the tour or the guide. Gaia's explanation of the amazing works of art in the Vatican museum was exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Colosseum & Roman Forum Visit with Arena Floor Access

Rome

This is was great. Julia was a knowledgeable and funny guide. I didn't realize that this tour would take us to Palatine Hill so that was an added bonus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Food & Wine Sunset Walk in Trastevere

Rome

John Paul was our guide for this tour which was a surprising highlight of the trip. He was incredibly knowledgeable about Rome, history, and food. He encouraged participants to interact with each other which added intimacy to the experience. He introduced us to suppli, which was incredible both in taste and in its story. He told us what to look for between authentic and "tourist trap" eateries. And he recommended the view from Janiculum Hill, which we did the next day during a free afternoon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of our drivers and guides were excellent: Marco, Bruno, Giuseppe, Fredricko, Steve, our driver in Malta that took us to Gozo. All get exceptional reviews.

There is so much history to learn in Italy. The arts, the beauty of the countryside, the food and the wine are all exceptional. Our tripped was well planned by KimKim! Every day I would receive a message on Whatsapp about the next day's activities. We were kept up to date and didn't have to panic. Each tour was very good. I particularly love the street food tours- they really had some good tasting bites of food. Coming from USA, I was shcoked at the amount of traffic in many places, but I always felt safe with the guides and private transfers- and even on the fast speed train. We would not have been able to manuever the roads and destination without them. I wish I could remember all the names of the people involved

Hotel Reviews

La Maison du Sage

Florence

It is close to a piazza that has a lot going on, but the rooms are still quiet when you're inside. Everything was comfortable and clean. One guy seemed new and not helpful, but everyone else was good. I loved the nice big shower!

Authenticity & Character

The buildings have history and character

Location

Somewhat close to a lot of things we wanted to do, but not too close. Uffizi gallery is about 20 minute walk.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed was comfortable and the room was clean

Hotel Florida

Sorrento

The room was very nice and clean. It was roomier than others we had in Italy, so that was nice. It is right across from a school, so trying to drive around in the morning was almost impossible. It is close enough walk to lots of things, but far enough that you don't feel in the mix. The pool was nice. The breakfasts were good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's on the hill, so you can walk downhill to the center of town. It's a safe area and relatively quiet at tnight.

Staff

The staff were very kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

The staff were very nice and accomadating. I like the area, but it would've been hard to find, if we didn't have a guide. The front is tucked away in an alley- but most of Venice is going through alleyways. Once you walk out of the alley, you are at the waterfront. Venice is all walk or boat- no cars or bikes. I really liked this hotel. The breakfast was very good and I liked that we could get cappuccino with breakfast. The only slight downfall would be that you shouldn't take a bath. I was sore from so much walking and the bath was perfect, but in Venice it doesn't drain well, so the water rose up from the drain in the floor of the bathroom. The staff took care of cleaning my clothes that got wet, and I'm sure they fixed the problem after we left, but because Venice is in water, I don't think it can handle tub drains.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything, but tucked out of the way.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relais Le Clarisse Rome

Rome

The room was clean and the bed comfortable. It is very small, though- we both stubbed toes trying to get around the bed, but we got used to it. The shower was also very small. They have a nice garden area and you can eat your breakfast there or inside. They don't have room keys, you have to use their website to unlock the doors. (that was difficult for me, since my phone was being used for directions etc during the day and the battery was almost dead each evening). There's plenty of nice places to walk around in the area, but the collosseum is about 45 minute walk.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Shared Murano and Burano Excursion

Italy

I cannot rate this activity because the arrangements were made for the wrong date, so we didn't get to go.

Chianti Full Immersive Wine & Olive Oil Experience

Florence

The drive to each place was very scenic. We got good descriptions of the areas and the wines etc. We even had some time for shopping. I think the wines were good, and the olive oils were very nice. Lots of people there purchased bottles to take home. We tasted Chianti, Chianti Classico, and Super Tuscan wines- and learned the difference between them. Fattoria di Bagnolo was the 1st stop. It is a family owned winery. We tasted their olive oil, Rose` and 2 Chiantis. It was such a beautiful place! Then we stopped to shop and walk around Greve In Chianti. We walked up a hill for a panoramic view, and it was awesome! Next stop was Luiano Winery. I like their wine the best! This is where we enjoyed a very nice lunch. Everything here was wonderful. 3rd winery was Diadema. we toured their olive oil making process and tasted their wines.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uffizi Gallery Visit

Florence

Daniela was our guide. She was enthusiastic about showing us the progession of art from medieval times to Baroque and further. Another couple had cancelled , so we were her only people on the tour, and it was fantastic. The gallery is a very busy place, but I felt like we were able to appreciate so much from this tour. It was definitely interesting and I would not have gotten much out of it, if I were to walk around on my own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour from Sorrento

Italy

Rafaelo was our guide. This was a wonderful tour on the boat, and we got to go on land for a few hours. We visited the blue grotto first (before it got extremely busy). It was very busy, but they move people fairly quick for a 5 minute tour into the grotto on a small boat. The water just glows a beautiful blue. Then we went on land. We decided to go to the top panoramic view. You take a bus to the area where you can wait in a long line to go on the Seggiovia Monte Solaro chairlift. It was quite a wait, but worth it. The scenery is fantastic. But, we couldn't stay there too long, becuase we had to use the chairlift to go back and the bus, etc. The bus is not labeled for where it goes, and often the people there will tell you the wrong bus to get on (we heard from many people complaining). But, we made it back and ate a sandwich and drank a beer on the boat. We got to see the natural arches and green grotto and more. It was really very nice!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Towns: Positano, Amalfi and Ravello

Italy

Just gorgeous. I really can't say enough good things about this tour. The guide was great, the places we stopped were beautiful and serene and the people were lovely. Although every place is filled with shops and souveniers- which is overwhelming. We ate lunch in Ravello. A rule of thumb for Italy is: if it has a beautiful scenic view, then they don't worry as much about the food quality. That was true everywhere we went. We opted for the scenic view, because it is spectacular. (the food was not). It was a lot of walking for the day -especially Positano, which has thousands of steps. At the end of the day we were very tired and it was nice to relax in the guide's vehicle on the way "home". I would do this tour again and again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Legendary Venice: St. Mark’s Basilica with Terraces & Doge’s Palace

Venice

There's so much to take in. There's a lot of history in this building- so many rulers have been through here and many years of change. It was a very good experience. The guide was very knowledgable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venetian Rowing Lesson

Venice

This is a great way to experience Venice. I really enjoyed the guide and a enjoyed the rowing. It is at times peaceful and at times busy. We did this on our first day in Italy and I think it set the pace for us and allowed us to appreciate Venice even more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice at Sunset: Cicchetti, Food & Wine Tour

Venice

We had a lot of tours in Italy and this was one of my very favorites! The guide was awesome. I think we had about 8 people total, so it was intimate and easy to walk around with such a small group. I appreciated all the food s we tasted and the drinks we had. Everyone loved the Spritz drinks- the Select Spritz is the local favorite, and it was my favorite also. It was a good amount of walking/exploring without being too much. Ending it with a gelatto, was the perfect touch! I would do this again!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient Appian Way E-Bike Excursion with Catacombs

Rome

Our guide was very helpful and knowledgable. I thought I would be uneasy riding among traffic, but it is easier than it looks. Once you're out of the busy traffic, it opens up to some nice scenery. We saw the giant walls taht created the aquaducts and got lessons on how the water made it to the city from the mountains. It is just astounding the architectural geniuses that the Romans were. The guide in the catacombs was interesting, too. I had no idea this area existed. Our excursion was supposed to be in the morning, but we had thunderstorms roll through, so it was rescheduled for the afternoon- and I'm glad. It was a great afternoon. I think we did 12 miles.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Tour from Florence to Pisa - including the Leaning Tower

Florence

It was a very nice half day. Our guide on the bus was good and told us a lot of things. Bags/purses are not allowed in the tower of Pisa, so if you want to climb it, leave your purse on the bus and take your wallet with you. One lady didn't understand that , even though the guide told us on the bus, so she complained afterwards -but she was the only one who didn't get the instructions, and I felt sorry for our guide. Anyways, we decided not to go inside the tower. The outside and the buildings were enough to please us. We had a spritz at the little restaurant there and enjoyed the views. Just remember that toilets in Italy cost money, so bring coins with you at all times.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome Street Food Tour

Rome

Yum! Just yum! It was a very nice walk through town to small venues with good food. I absolutely loved the Pinca Pizza . It is made with 3 different flours: wheat, soy and rice, and it is scrumptious! We went to another place for Suppli. That is very filling and delicious (so good, we went back the next day for more!!). Unfortunately, the 3rd place we went for pasta was not so good. Some people liked it, though. I didn't eat more than 2 bites. The place had no other customers, so that should tell you something. The pasta Carbonara was salty, the sauce was too thick, and the noodles were way too al dente for me (kinda crunchy). But, I was full enough from the other stuff. Then, we topped off the night with gelato, which was very good. Luca was our guide and he was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guided tours were wonderful and personal. Our train transfers were seamless. We enjoyed the suggestions put forth by Rita in each location. We opted for private transfers which I highly recommend! They were prompt and professional.
Loved loved our trip to Italy! Weather was perfect! Our hotels were all different, lovely, and in great locations.
Thank you for everything! Marsha

We got everything we asked for from KimKim on our recent Italy trip where we visited Rome, Venice, and Florence. Anita responded quickly to my questions as we began to build our itinerary and accommodated final changes when we wanted to build in more free days to slow down the pace. Anita was also very responsive to my questions ranging from tipping recommendations to how to use city buses and the metro in Rome to recommending restaurants and describing the differences between each type (trattoria, osteria, pizzaria, etc.). Nadia represented us once we landed in country and very quickly responded to questions we asked while we were in Italy, including a last minute hotel change that was offered to us. I knew we were well covered should we run into any difficulties.
Anita set us up for tours with Liv Tours for the Colosseum (forum and Palatine Hill included), the Vatican in Rome and St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace in Venice. The Liv Tours guides were excellent, providing just enough context and detail to what we were seeing to keep the tour moving at a good pace while not getting bogged down behind much larger tour groups. Our guides included Leonardo (Colosseum) and Sabrina (Vatican) who were both exceptional. We also did a half day tour of Pompeii with Natalia (don't know the company) that included a private transfer from Naples to Pompeii and back. Finally, we did an all day tour of Cinque Terre from Florence with Giovanni from Avventure Bellissime who arranged boat and train transportation between villages and let us enjoy each town at our pace.
Each hotel Anita reserved for us was excellent. Quiet, clean, very friendly and accommodating staff, and within walking distance of good restaurants and attractions.
We've very happy with the quality of service KimKim, Anita, and Nadia provided us. From start to finish they took care of our every need and gave us the opportunity to enjoy a stress-free once-in-a-lifetime Italy vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Glance in Rome

Rome

Well located for the Colosseum and Spanish Steps/Trevi Fountain. Excellent restaurant right outside the hotel entrance. Very friendly staff. Good breakfast but we needed to reserve a time block each day as the staff wanted to ensure that the dining room didn't become too crowded. We had a spacious room that allowed us to keep our luggage out of the way.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

We had a very nice room that had adequate space to get our luggage out of the way. Very good breakfast and it's location at the back of an alley meant it was very, very quiet. This hotel had 3-prong plug outlets (a Type L?) which we weren't prepared for but the front desk was able to provide us an adapter that worked. Excellent location away from the main tourist areas around the Basilica and Palace. Water buses were available right outside the hotel and a number of restaurants were a very short walk away.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Passpartout Boutique Palace

Rome

This was a very nice hotel just down the road from the Vatican. It had an excellent breakfast and a number of very good restaurants right outside the hotel entrance. There was plenty of room to keep our luggage out of the way and it was quiet. The only criticism is of the bathroom. There was a frosted floor to ceiling window directly in front of the toilet. It's a bit awkward. The shower stall also lacked anywhere to put razors, soap, etc. forcing us to put everything on the floor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Get Inside the Colosseum with Arena Access

Italy

We really enjoyed this tour which started with the forum, went to Palatine Hill, and ended at the Colosseum. It also included entrance into the Emperor's palace. Leonardo, our guide, provided a lot of detailed insight while keeping the tour moving, something we really appreciated since a tour like this should let the history speak for itself as much as possible. This was a small group tour that we shared with another couple and their son, giving us plenty of opportunity to stop and take pictures, ask questions, and make unplanned diversions to things that caught our interest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A Guided Visit Inside Pompeii’s Ancient Walls

Italy

This tour was just for us that involved a train from Rome to Naples, where a driver waited to take us to Pompeii where we met our guide, Natalia. Natalia provided very informative insight into what life in Pompeii was like before it was buried. We visited the forum with its temples, Roman bathhouses, bakeries, and several homes with wall murals and tiling preserved and gardens recreated. This was a fascinating tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Venice: From St. Mark's Basilica to the Doge’s Palace with Terrace Access

Italy

Great tour that started with the Doge's Palace and ended in the Basilica. The Palace included incredible ceiling frescoes, plenty of art work, and the tour of the jails. Our guide was very well informed who ensured we had plenty of time in each segment of the tour to take pictures and focus on whatever caught our attention. This was a small group tour that we shared with another couple that gave us plenty of opportunities to ask questions of our guide. St. Mark's takes your breath away from the moment you walk in.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Florence

This was the highlight of our trip. The transportation from Florence to Manarola brought some of the Italian alps into view. Manarola itself was everything we hoped to see on a Cinque Terre tour. Small town surrounded on 3 sides by steep hills covered in vineyards with the sea on the 4th side. Tightly packed, colorful homes and businesses in the town itself and the beginning of walking trails that provided panoramic views. The boat ride (ferry) to Monterosso provided stunning views of the coast, more villages, watch towers and church steeples. We took the train to Vernazza where we had lunch and some time to see the sights including the trail that connects the Cinque Terre towns. At this point our guide, Giovanni, left us to return to Manarola so he could get the van to meet us in La Spezia. Giovanni was awesome...more like a new found friend but he ensured we knew where we needed to be and when we needed to be there. Most importantly, once he got us to a town he let us go to experience it the way we wanted to. More a facilitator than a guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the City by Gondola

Venice

This is well worth the time just to say you experienced an iconic part of what it means to be in Venice. The tour took us from the busy waterside down much quieter and very narrow canals. But don't expect to be alone on the canal. The gondola tour companies, at least ours, follow the same route and there will be gondolas in front and behind you. Still, it's a quiet, captivating experience that makes great memories.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover the Vatican: From the Museums to the Sistine Chapel

Italy

This was a small group tour that we shared with 2 other couples. Sabrina, our guide, did a great job trying to keep us separated from the numerous large tour groups that you simply can't escape from on the Vatican tours. She provided great insight into the history of the museum, some of the Popes, and prepared us very well for our Sistine Chapel experience...which you have to experience in order to appreciate what Michelangelo accomplished. There is so much meaning to each of the ceiling's components that I would have never understood without Sabrina's help. We ended at St. Peter's where Sabrina cut us loose to experience on our own after giving us the history and recommendations for what to see inside the Basilica. A great tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Minor issues were handled quickly. Thank you.
1 - The app worked well, however, there seems to be issues with scrolling in that it stops and you have to scroll from the top of the page to reveal more text. This can be confusing as you may think there is no more info, but there is.
2 - The directions to one of the excursions (Pistachio farm) was not correct. The imbedded link took us to the center of town, but the meet up with the guide was at the actual farm about 20 minutes away.

Overall a very good experience from a first time customer.

I cannot speak highly enough about the service provided by KimKim. Having text support through our trip made the whole experience seamless! They took great care to curate an amazing honeymoon for us that we will never forget. The wine and olive oil tasting day in Tuscany is a must do! As was the boat tour of Capri. We also had a beautiful guided hike in Amalfi led by a local man named Enzo. We enjoyed the hike and the conversation so much we kind of wish we could have taken him out for a beer after!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Balestri

Florence

Beautiful older hotel, perfectly located on the edge of the historic city center. Breakfast in the morning was wonderful. Staff was attentive and pleasant. Only reason it didn’t get five stars is our room was pretty tight for two people. We did have a cute little balcony though.

Maison il Conservatorio

Sorrento

Cute older hotel between the shore and all the restaurants, shops, etc. The breakfast in the morning was wonderful. We loved being able to sit outside overlooking the gardens in the morning and evening. Our room was quite large. Only reason it didn’t get five stars was we had some issues with the thermostat in our room. We didn’t tell management so that’s also kind of on us though.

47 Boutique Hotel

Rome

Out of all the hotels we stayed in in Italy, this one felt the most familiar to the hotels back in the US (which could be good or bad depending how authentic you want). We had already stayed in two very authentic hotels so it wasn’t bad for us. Breakfasts were wonderful. Staff was so welcoming and attentive. Nicely appointed room. Location is convenient because you’re on one of the main drags in Rome. Being on a major road means it’s also not super quiet but that’s what white noise is for. This was also the only hotel we stayed in that had a GYM which I so appreciated after doing so much eating and drinking the previous week!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chianti Full Immersive Wine & Olive Oil Experience

Florence

Must do for wine lovers!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour from Sorrento

Italy

Absolutely gorgeous and so fun! Definitely take the chair lift to the top of Capri!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking in Valle delle Ferriere Reserve

Italy

We loved this beautiful hike and the conversation with our very knowledgeable guide, Enzo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Sorrento to Amalfi and back

Italy

This drive was the most memorable of my entire life. Absolutely breathtaking. And bonus - our driver stopped at several photo op points to let us get out and take pictures.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class with Dinner in the heart of Florence

Florence

We had a private class with a chef. So much fun and so much wonderful food at the end!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was Wonderful and everything went very smoothly. I credit Paraskevas for all he did to make sure our train and boat tickets and drivers were set up. Loved having the WhatsApp to communicate with during the trip. We had some good guides. Everyone was a pleasure. Luka for the Pompeii was probably the best w his knowledge and his English. But Nikola in Cilento gave us extra attention and Lorenzo needs to be mentioned as well. Drivers were great and hotels were perfect for us. Thank you! Karen and Bill

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Modigliani

Roma

Rooms Tiny but we were only there one night and we were very comfortable

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AC worked well. Shower was small but was hot and water pressure wonderful.

Hotel Villa di Sorrento

Sorrento

Good location. We had everything we needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thymus Residence nei Sassi

Matera

Staff was fantastic. Rooms unique and well equipped. AC never got cooled the way we like it but wouldn't change the stars. Breakfast was very nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Belmonte

Beautiful setting and grounds. Awesome staff.

Authenticity & Character

The setting and grounds -Charming!

Location

Staff

Bar and Breakfast staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AC never felt cool. Maybe filter needed to be changed. But this was an amazing place. Highly recommend.

Activity Reviews

Matera: Complete Sassi and Historic Center Walking Tour

Matera

Lorenzo was a great guide. Fascinating place

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Easy to understand and knowledgeable

Transport

Cilento Food & Wine Discovery

Cilento

Loved the whole day and experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food at the Buffalo farm and the winery were delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nikola is wonderful. Very enthusiastic about his home of Cilento

Transport

Nikola picked us up in his van the second day. We were much more comfortable. You could tell he cared about our comfort and enjoyment

Car Rental Pick-up

Italy

Easy pick up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Italy

Nice day

Ancient Cilento Heritage Discovery

Cilento

We felt like the long trip to Ansel Key museum was too far and too hard to reach with the curving roads in our small car. Fig factory was interesting but the food, while very nice was not for us. The food presentation was beautiful and the setting was suberb

Quality of Experience

Food

The quality of the food was good but we were not seafood lovers and it just wasn't for us

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nikola was great. Cared about our comfort.

Transport

We had a hard time w the curvy roads-got car sick

Car Rental Drop-off

Italy

Hard to find the drop off.

Alberobello: Enchanting Trulli Walking Tour

Italy

Interesting place

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Anthony was a pleasure but talked very fast and harder to understand at times

Transport

N/A. we drove

Private Sunset Rome Walking Tour & Orientation

Rome

We were tired at the end of trip but it was a good experience. Hard to understand accent but was a pleasure

The KimKim team of Leslie, who did the planning, Valentina who took care of logistics and Chiara, our ambassador provided a trip that reflected the things asked for when planning began. Each member of the team was very responsive and pleasant. We were very happy with each of the lodging selections. The excursions: e-biking in Tuscany and our guide Gabriel, truffle hunting (two guides were fantastic but I can’t recall their names) Florence in a Day with Castansa were excellent. Best of all was our private tour in Siena with Marta. She was just amazing.

We encountered two bits of confusion one at the beginning of our visit and one at the end. Both had to do with insufficient information. When we first arrived in Pisa the driver took us to the wrong address. There were two lodgings with very similar names. It was quickly sorted out by Chiara. The address of the hotel was close enough for us to walk. We recommend including the street address of destinations to avoid future mishaps. The second incident had to do with transit to the Venice airport. Our instructions were to meet the driver in front of our accommodation. The instructions were very similar to those for arrival at the Venice train station. There, however, we were met by an assistant who led us to the proper boat. We were expecting the same for departure as the instructions did not specify anything more than to wait in front of the hotel. Chiara put us in touch with someone who told us what boat to look for. The driver was unhappy about being kept waiting.

The other issue had to do with the Chianti e-bike excursion. We had to forfeit going on the outing because the cost to transportation to and from the meeting location was close to 400 Euros. In this instance the full cost of the excursion should have been shared before hand. I realize that it would have been wise to ask for the cost of each excursion to be itemized so better informed decisions could have been made.

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Veneziano Venice

Venice

Great location directly on the promenade fronting Venice’s main waterway, the Canale di Fusina. The hotel is nicely appointed and very well maintained. The staff is polite and helpful. The breakfast buffet offers a good selection of traditional European and American foods, and the staff working the breakfast room is very attentive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Residenza d'Epoca Palazzo Borghesi

Siena

Located within the old city. The hotel was once a private residence. Large wooden doors open directly onto the street. The hotel portion of the building occupies the upper floor and offers a roof deck (accessible only by stairs) that allows a view of sunrise over the city. The room had a very high arching ceiling with sleeping areas on two levels. Breakfast was served in what may have been the family’s formal living room. My brother and I were made very comfortable by the staff and enjoyed our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Old city not far from the Siena Cathedral.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Di Stefano

Pisa

All of the charm of a small European hotel. It is located close to the Basilica and Leaning Tower. The staff was very friendly and provided a useful map and tips for enjoyable walking in the area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A Palazzo Busdraghi Hotel Residenza d'Epoca

Lucca

Large wooden doors directly onto the street open to a small courtyard. The hotel is located on the second floor. A chairlift is used to move luggage and people who have difficulty up a long flight of stairs. The staff consists of only a few people and they were very cheerful and kind. One drawback:,The hotel is not staffed overnight. We had to depart early and the chairlift was not something guests could operate. We were able to get our luggage down the stairs but other persons may not be so capable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Balestri

Florence

This is a beautiful hotel located directly on the river.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pisa Leaning Tower Tickets & Square of Miracles Monuments - Only Tickets

Italy

The entry to the tower was orderly and efficient. Climbing the stairs to the top is challenging but worth the effort. The pitch of the tower becomes very evident once the top level is reached. This is a fairly open space where the bells are located.

Quality of Experience

Florence in a Day with David, Duomo, Uffizi & Walking Tour

Italy

Our guide, Castansa, did a fine job leading our group through the crowds. There is so much to see and she exposed the group to many amazing things. She provided great explanations about artists and pieces as well as insights into the Medici and the city they created.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike and Wine in Lucca

Lucca

Gabriel was our guide and took just my brother and me for the bike ride. I’m guessing the group was separated by language. Anyway, we had a great time touring and then at the winery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had to get cab transportation. To and from the venue, which added approximately 130 Euros.

Truffle & Home Lunch Experience

Italy

A wonderful adventure - terrific guides and dogs, and a beautiful setting followed by lunch with everything truffle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chianti Bike Adventure: Cycle and Savour through the Hills

Italy

We decided not to do this once we learned that round trip cab fare would be almost 400 Euros. We should have received more information about the distance/cost before the excursion was booked.

Biking through the scenic cypress trees of Val d'Orcia

Italy

We needed a down day and had to forego this excursion. I gave it a rating only to exit.

Driver at your disposal from Lucca to a Local Country Farm

Lucca

Siena Guided Walking Tour

Italy

This was a private tour for my brother and me. Our guide was Marta and she was fabulous. She met us at our hotel and we walked and talked like old friends. A native of Siena with a passion for art and the history and culture of the city, she gave us the best three hours I could ask for. Both my brother and I felt a real connection to her and wished we could have more time with her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pecorino Cheese Tasting Experience

Italy

This was part of the biking excursion that we decided not to undertake due to transportation costs.

Shared Murano and Burano Excursion

Italy

This was kind of a trip to the mall, Venice-style. We went directly to a glass factory on Murano and left the island from the factory. I’ve been to Murano before and it’s much more than one factory. Burano was pretty.

Driver at disposal in Tuscany

Italy

Please note, this was my second time planning a trip through kimkim. The first time was amazing, and our specialist Liz was the best. This time was different. It was harder to communicate with Rita. I think that she did her best, but I could only speak with her on certain days, during certain times, and most of the time her responses would be sent between 2-4am, I suspect due to her being in Spain. Therefore, we rarely communicated in "real" time. I would have appreciated if Rita would have reached out to me before finalizing the trip. Once the trip was finalized is when many of my concerns/issues occurred, and it was all based on times. The times of the train, times of the museum, etc. I also thought there was more transportation included. While my trip was great, I realized that I was sort of own my on with figuring a few things out, or rather, I felt like it would have been too hard to call kimkim. Right before my trip, I ended up reaching out to Liz again, who was really helpful, and specialist Nadia jumped in, who seemed to workout everything seamlessly. Once again, my trip was great, but the communication was more difficult this time around.

The Prosecco wine hills were beautiful, unfortunately, I don't remember our driver for this trip.
And when we went Chianti tasting, which was the best, and our guide Matteo was great. Although, I did find it strange that he conducted the first tasting, at the first vineyard. But the second vineyard we visited was the best, and the meal, I can go on and on.... The third vineyard was lovely as well.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cà Zusto Venice

VENEZIA

In general this hotel was fine, but it was very small. I was expecting small but a little smaller than I thought.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco

Florence

I love the charm of this hotel, and the staff was super nice!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Condominio Monti Boutique Hotel

Rome

This hotel was harder to get to and maneuver due to the location. I think it was trying to be more trendy, due to the restaurant and rooftop bar. It was loud.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Prosecco Excursion: Hilltowns, Heritage & Sparkling Wine

Italy

First off all this was a beautiful excursion, but I think adding another winery, instead of spending as much time in the town, should be an option

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chianti & Super Tuscan Wine Experience

Florence

I loved this experience, it was absolutely wonderful. And the fact that at our second winery, Tenuta Montiani, our host was so wonderful and gracious. His entire family contributed with the meal that we were served. Everything was from his vineyard or farm. It was the best.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Italy -Important Trip Information: Please Review Before Departure

Italy

Day-1: After meeting up with our driver Luca Borrini at the airport, the drive to the hotel was smooth. Mr Borrini was polite and a good driver. Hotel Kraft-the reception desk personnel were warm and welcoming. The rooms were spacious and nicely appointed. The hotel has a gym, a heated pool on the top floor & a roof top Restaurant Tarrazza Rossini with a beautiful view. The morning restaurant Manager's name is Roberto was warm, welcoming, and fun for our stay. We took pictures with him on the last day with our yellow cups to post on NBC Sunday Today Show. The evening restaurant Manager is Serafino. Serafino is a sommelier, and assisted us with pairing the foods with the special wines (Florentine & Super Tuscans). We received a lesson on the wines in the region. Serafino and his staff made it nice place to finish our evenings with a desert or night cap. For the evening we had dinner at Trattoriail Brindellone. The food was amazing, staff friendly and they advised us on the portions with the meal courses. Walking back to our hotel it was so nice to see the city lights and people out enjoying themselves.
Day-2 Shopping-We visited & purchased from Vintage Shop Momo's, and Mmega. Both store owners were friendly. On the central side close to the train station, we shopped at Barone Firenze Leather Shop. The 2 gentlemen were nice, and took the time to make sure all of the clothes fit. We shopped at Sephora at the train station and had our 1st run in with paying to use the restroom. We experienced our 1st pizza in Italy at TAV 65 and it was good. We went to dinner at Restaurant Santo Bevitore. The food was excellent and the staff was friendly.
Day-3: Morning culinary discovery walk: The tour was great with Diliana. The small groups were nice. The 97 year old female baker was nice to meet and try her food, the family business with the balsamic vinegar, the gentlemen conducting the wine tasting, the pastry shop, and the gelato were all great. The 2nd part of the day, we missed the scheduled cooking class because we had the old schedule. However, we did recover with a nice evening at our hotel restaurant.
Day 4: Day trip to Cinque Terre & Pisa: Another great tour with Gabriele from Towns of Italy. Gabriele is well informed on the history and the locations visited. We started in Manarola. There is a nice coffee shop next to the church. if you make a purchase you can use the restroom. The coffee and food were good. We went on a elevated path looking down on the village and water with beautiful views. On the path I would recommend not leaning on the wood railing because at some spots it has aged. There is a restroom near the building holding the cooking class that requires 1 euro to use. We did not have small bills or coins so we purchase a bottle of wine (white) to use the restroom before getting on the ferry to Vernazza. We ate launch at Ristorante Pizzeria Vulnetia sas, had gelato, did some shopping and sat on the stone seating next to the water. Vernazza is beautiful. Just before leaving we did not have any coins for the restroom. This time it was a bottle of red wine for use of the rest room. We traveled to Pisa and enjoyed the sights. There were a lot of people. The bathrooms are located behind the church and you can pay with card. We finished the day with a nice dinner at our hotel restaurant.
Day 5: Private San Gimignano & Siena Day Trip-another great tour with Mattea from Liv Tours. Mattea is well informed and was a lot of fun. The trip to Siena & the mid evil village visit was good with the sights, history and shopping. However, the prize of the day was the winery with the breathtaking views, the wine, the food and gentlemen conducting the tasting named Matteo. We did purchase wine & olive oil to be shipped home. it was a very enjoyable outing. After returning to the city, we went to Cafe Concerto Paszkowski which was recommended the restaurant manager. There is covered outdoor seating and well appointed wood work on the inside of the restaurant. There is live music and a really nice and comfortable way to enjoy the evening. We finished off the night with a night cap at our hotel restaurant.
Day 6: Nice breakfast, said our good byes to the staff and made our way to the airport. The transfer was smooth. The airport was crowded down stairs, but were able to secure a spot to eat & relax before boarding. We loved this trip, and already thinking when we can return. Thank you for working with me to make this happen for my family. Until the next time.

Overall, the experience exceeded our expectations. Emily put together a near perfect itinerary after a short conversation where I just brain dumped a bunch of ideas and was easy to work with to make adjustments at our request.

One thing to note is making the lemon grove experience would not have been possible with the original itinerary. The time to get a ferry from the hotel in Positano and make it to the lemon grove in Amalfi (or even a taxi) would not have been possible. I appreciate the flexibility and trying to fit everything we asked for but sometimes being told "no, this is too much" is better.

Highlights - cooking class in Tuscany, food tour in Florence, private boat tour in Positano, Vatican and Colosseum tours in Rome. All of the guides we had were remarkable - they were knowledgable, took time to answer any questions, and really helped us appreciate what we were looking at. We also really appreciated your support in Naples with the hotel situation.

The cooking class was our favorite experience of the entire trip with the private boat ride a close second. The chef was personable and made sure we had a lot of fun while we were there. The boat tour was the perfect way to end the trip - we got really lucky with the weather, the captain was great, and it was nice to sit and relax after 13 days of walking.

Misses - the self drive was a bit boring (we saw a lot of the scenery on the winery/olive oil tour) and if I were to plan this again I would have replaced this with another wine tour; going to the same vineyard for the wine tasting and the next day for the cooking class; Naples train station pickup and hotel; lemon grove experience.

For the transfer from the train station to the hotel in Naples, the driver was waiting for us across the street from the station instead of inside. It took 30 mins for me to get a hold of the company and driver to figure out where he was. When he saw us, he made no effort to come meet us to help with the bags. As we were crossing the street, my 70 year old aunt's bag got hung up on a manhole cover and she almost fell. And things went downhill from here.

The lemon grove experience was a bit boring. It was a lot of effort to get up to the orchard to only walk around for an hour and then leave. The staff was nice but the experience fell flat.

Overall, we really enjoyed the whole experience. Looking back, there will always be a few things we would have done differently or in a different order, or even cut a couple things out to go at a slower pace as we were all exhausted by the end. We will always look back fondly at this experience. Thank you for making this happen!

Details on each item:
Hotel Calimala Florence - great location, friendly staff. Only issue was street noise but hard to avoid this in a central location.
Accademia Gallery Visit with First Viewing of David - We really loved this. Getting into the museum before the crowds is the way to go and the guide was really good.
Uffizi Gallery Visit - the guide was very knowledgable about all the art and we learned a lot. Also good to do this in the afternoon as it's less crowded.
Morning Culinary Discovery Walk - This was the highlight of the Florence activities. The guide was great and all the food we got to try was really good.

Villa Lecchi - beautiful views, friendly staff. Our rooms were in the second building above the restaurant so it was noisy in the mornings and at night when there was activity in the kitchen. Overall, not a big deal but being in the main building would be quieter.
Self-Drive Through the Val d'Orcia: Vitaleta Chapel, Pienza & Tuscan Landscapes - If I were to cut one day from the trip it would be this day. The driving was enjoyable but and chapel was really cute (and a great spot for lunch) but doing a wine tour would have been a better option for us.
Private Tuscany Day Trip with Olive Oil Experience & Winery Lunch - Both were great and the driver, again, was really good.
Private Tuscan Countryside Cooking Experience - this was the highlight of our trip. Only downside was going back to the same winery we were at the day before. It would have been better to experience a different winery the day before for some variety.

Hotel Viminale - Good location, no complaints.
Wednesday Morning Sistine Chapel Visit - definitely the way to go for the chapel visit. The guide was really good and we beat the crowds. Would recommend.
Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Visit with Rooftop Aperitif - the guide was great, enjoyed this as well.
Private City Highlights Storytelling Walk - This was the least favorite activity in Rome but it wasn't bad. The guide usually does tours of the Vatican and felt a bit lost roaming the streets. She was much more comfortable inside the Pantheon and talked a lot about the art inside and the history of the building. We were also exhausted from the day before which didn't help.

Decumani Hotel de Charme - not anything like the photos. Thanks again for getting us out of here.
Private Day Trip to Pompeii - guide was an archaeologist who had been working at Pompeii for 15 years and knew everything. We really enjoyed this.

Hotel Conca D'oro - good views, really good breakfast, and friendly staff.
Lemon Grove Experience & Limoncello Tasting - least favorite of Amalfi coast.
Private Coastal Highlights by Boat with Snorkeling - perfect end to the trip

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Calimala Florence

Florence

Great location, friendly staff. Only issue was street noise (hard to avoid with a central location)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Lecchi

Tuscany

The views from the rooms are amazing and the breakfast was one of the best we had on the trip. Only downside was water pressure and sometimes lack of hot water when too many people were using the shower at the same time on the property.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Viminale

Rome

Good location. Had a small issue with mosquitos in the lobby and room as they keep the main doors open during the day.

Decumani Hotel de Charme

Naples

Hotel is very dated and photos are misleading. The rooms are in desperate need of a renovation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Conca D'oro

Positano

Great location and views, staff is very friendly, good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lemon Grove Experience & Limoncello Tasting

Italy

You see some lemon trees and have a taste of Limoncello. It was interesting but nothing too special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff was knowledgeable and friendly.

Accademia Gallery Visit with First Viewing of David

Florence

First visit to avoid the crowds is the way to go. Make sure you are there on time because if you are late, you'll miss the window and get stuck with the crowds. Sara (our guide) was knowledgeable and hustled us around crowds to get good photos.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Morning Culinary Discovery Walk

Florence

Highlight of our time in Florence. highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Tuscan Countryside Cooking Experience

Italy

The chef was great and the food we had us make was simple and delicious. Come hungry because there will be plenty to eat.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-Drive Through the Val d'Orcia: Vitaleta Chapel, Pienza & Tuscan Landscapes

Italy

The drive was enjoyable and the views were stunning but we saw a lot of the same going to wineries in the area. The highlight was the chapel and if there is an event planned on the day of your drive, you are out of luck. We were fortunate and it was open when we made the drive.

Quality of Experience

Private Tuscany Day Trip with Olive Oil Experience & Winery Lunch

Italy

Olive oil tasting was unique and we learned how to properly taste oil and got to experience how different the oils can taste depending on how they are blended together. The winery lunch and tasting were also good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Highlights Storytelling Walk

Rome

Overall, this was good. The guide (Anna) felt a bit lost during the walking part but excelled inside the Pantheon and another church she took us to.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Day Trip to Pompeii

Naples

The guide you have will make or break this experience. Our guide had been studying and working at Pompeii for over a decade and was able to give us a lot of insights on what life was like there and what happened when the volcano erupted.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wednesday Morning Sistine Chapel Visit

Rome

Great experience. Go early to avoid the crowds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Coastal Highlights by Boat with Snorkeling

Italy

Stunning views and a relaxing afternoon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Uffizi Gallery Visit

Florence

Going in the afternoon to avoid a lot of the crowds was a plus. We did run out of time and had to rush though the last few rooms as the museum was closing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide knew a lot about art history and gave good explanations on how religious art evolved through the centuries but we ran short on time towards the end

Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Visit with Rooftop Aperitif

Rome

A good way to see the Colosseum and Forum. Relaxed pace and the tour guide knew a lot about the history of both. He adjust the pace nicely as we were tired from a long day of touring but we didn't feel like we missed anything as he pointed out and explained a lot of the ruins in the Forum.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a terrific time on our trip - Giorgia was extremely helpful, and we did contact our assistant once on the trip for parking and dining recommendations in Sienna which turned out very well.

Paola was a terrific guide in Florence; we would recommend her to anyone.

The rental cars were easy to get as Giorgia had taken care of everything for us. Simple. The only issue here was that picking up in Florence the directions took us to the entrance to the train station, and we had to walk through the station and a couple of blocks away to the rental car place. It would have been nice to just have our uber drop us off right at the rental car agency.

The hotels and drivers were all wonderful.

We loved our day 5 excursion, visiting three different wineries in Tuscany. The driver/tour guide Niccolo is a great guy and extremely knowledgeable about the areas wines - we thoroughly enjoyed our day with him. The wineries we visited, especially the second winery and its owner, Misha, were all terrific.

The organic Tuscan Cooking Experience was very nice. We loved the farm, owners and employees, had a great time cooking and eating, although after seeing the place we would have really enjoyed eating at the restaurant there and enjoying their food. Not your fault at all, but it looked like a great restaurant; our food we cooked couldn't have compared to what they were setting out for the guests. We did buy a lot of their products after for our use at home and for gifts. Definitely keep sending people there.

Elisa also was an excellent guide in Todi, and we would have loved to have a little more time with her as there was so much information she was providing. Todi is a beautiful town.

Visiting the oldest winery in Montefalco was the only experience we didn't enjoy. They were very nice, but it was a pretty basic and bland tour, without much character, and we did no olive oil tasting like we thought we were going to do. I'd think twice about keeping that one on the list for future guests.

Our visit to Orvieto and the restaurant there was great. The caves underneath were spectacular, although the owner had a very large tour group come in for lunch the same time we were down in the caves eating our snacks, and she was distracted from taking much time for us. We loved it there, and even came back a couple hours later to eat a full meal, but were disappointed that they didn't have much time for us.

The home we stayed at in Cassino was a beautiful location and facility - loved the owners, had probably our best meal of the trip there that night (home cooking from the owner), and loved the setting. The rooms weren't the nicest, but we expected that as Giorgia was open about what was available in the area.

Our driver for Vesuvius was a great guy, telling us a lot about the area and history while we went up the mountain, and we very much enjoyed the climb.

Our tour guide for Pompeii, Mena, was spectacular also. Excellent knowledge on the city and history of the area, and she was full of energy. She kept us going for the full four hours which we loved.

Overall we loved our trip and experience with Giorgia and KimKim. This is the second time using you (we did Scotland with you a couple years ago) and we won't hesitate to use you again.

Tom Hall

Fabio went above and beyond to make this trip smooth and so special. Our drivers were always right where we expected and our guides were lovely. Nadir of Scarlett Services in Venice really took great pride in providing excellent service to us and taught a few things even though not an official tour guide per se. Private gondola ride, small group tours in Rome were exceptional. I will turn to KimKim in the future for my travel needs!

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of the Colosseum & Roman Forum

Rome

Guide was so interesting and informative. Walking pace was just right! Plenty of photo opportunities and a bathroom break midway through was greatly appreciated!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Venice Gondola Ride

Venice

Lovely sunset views, private ride with great operator.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tour

Rome

Knowledgeable and experienced guide! I struggled with the over ear version for communication but just held it in place

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our itinerary was curated with each of our hopes for travel accomplished. Every hotel was beautiful and well located. Transfers worked exactly as described. Each hotel offered breakfasts included and the food was lovely. Restaurant recommendations were reliable and well described. We wanted for nothing! Several occassions we reached out to our local guide for clarification on times and locations and the responses were almost immediate! I would HIGHLY recommend Kim Kim, Giorgia, and the team for future trip design. We visited Paris, Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano, Capri, Polignano a Mare, Alberobella, Ostuni, and more. We enjoyed tours of the Eifel Tower and Paris, and were able to easily meet with local guides. Our flight from Paris to Naples was seamless. Soaked up a local private boat tour to Amalfi and Positano, with a ferry transport for a day in Capri. We picked up a scheduled rental car in Sorrento, driving to Puglia using thoughtful directions. Spent one night and 2 fabulous days in Polignano a Mare - including a boat tour of the local caves. After driving to Ostuni for 3 nights, we visited Alberobello (UNESO site of Trullis), sunned on a local Adriatic Sea beach, savored an private wine and food tasting with a local vineyard and wine maker, and took a orecchiette cooking class. The accommodations were absolutely lovely, with all the amenities we could possible ask for. Locals were warm, kind, and friendly. We came home completely filled with joy about the entire travel experience. Perfecto!

Hotel Reviews

Holiday Inn Paris - Gare de Lyon Bastille

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Tirrenia

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aquamarea

Polignano a Mare

Authenticity & Character

Location

A little tricky to access, but worth every moment!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Masseria Cappuccini

Ostuni

Authenticity & Character

Location

Needed to drive to all experiences, but truly beautiful property and quiet retreat.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Caruso Place Boutique & Wellness Suites

Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sailing the Amalfi Coast: From Sorrento to Amalfi & Positano

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Family-Owned Winery Visit & Wine Tasting in the Itria Valley

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sail Along the Polignano a Mare Coast: Cliffs & Sea Caves

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Once again very happy with what Kim Kim lined up for us. The hotels, drivers and boat ride were wonderful. We were met at the airport by Roberta she also checked in with us throughout our time in Italy. Everything went perfectly we will definitely be using Kim Kim again.
Sharon Kuhlmann

Hotel Reviews

Palace Hotel

Como

The hotel, Staff, rooms breakfast were all great. Wonderful location in Como.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Such a great location to get around Como . Set back far enough that it was very quiet as well.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Spadari al Duomo

Milan

A beautiful hotel wish we were there longer. A very helpful staff got us into our room early and sent us a message when it was ready. Beautiful rooms and a great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right near everything but not too noisy even tho we were on the street.

Staff

Got us into our room early and sent us a message when it was ready.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Boat Tour of Lake Como - Explore Bellagio

Italy

A great tour that took us to where we wanted to go on the lake. Pointed out some sights and info about them. A driver came and got us to take us to the boat which was a very nice thing to have arranged, we could have walked but it was farther than originally planned.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had an amazing trip. Lorenzo did such a great job of planning exactly what we asked for! Her information and detail and quick response time was so good! Everything was done well.
Andrea (our specialist) was also incredible. He was very helpful in getting us all the fine details and maps in place. He checked on us daily to see how things were. Quick to respond and did a great job of pivoting when we asked! Our divers were wonderful as well. On time, polite, friendly.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cortina

Perfect location. The staff very helpful, especially Luca. The restaurant in the hotel was fabulous and the staff, jelly, was great!

Authenticity & Character

Lovation

Location

Right in center of town, walkable to everything.

Staff

Luca was so friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dibona Mountain Hut

Cortina d'Ampezzo

Clean, good food just hates the shared bathroom experience

Authenticity & Character

Location

The setting up in the mountains and watching the sunset was beautiful.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No shared bathrooms

Scotoni Mountain Hut

Sits in a beautiful valley, lots of space. Loved the llamas!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Hard hike to get there. Beautiful pristine setting.

Staff

Very friendly and fun to be around

Cleanliness & Comfort

So clean and comfortable

Fanes Mountain Hut

Quaint, beautiful setting. Friendly staff. Great food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Attentive, freindly

Cleanliness & Comfort

So clean with great showers. Even a hairdryer!

Malga Ra Stua Refuge

Pretty setting with horses and pigs! A creek running alongside of the valley.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Pretty valley setting

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The best towels and shower!

Antica Locanda Leonardo

Milan

It was difficult to find and for our driver to park and unload and load our luggage. Location was good and walkable. Lots of stairs and not as easily to navigate. Lots of keys and doors to get through.

Authenticity & Character

It was authentic

Location

Walkable to sites

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was stark, comfort ok, above the train . Bathroom small.

Activity Reviews

Hike to Rifugio Dibona

Dolomites

The hike there was hard, very uphill but in the forest!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Drivers were prompt, friendly, safe. Had water for us. The cars very clean and comfortable.

Transport

Cars clean and comfortable

Hike to Rifugio Scotoni

Dolomites

Getting here was the hardest thing we had ever done. Wish we knew there was an option to take the cable car to the top of Lagazuoi.

Quality of Experience

Very steep. Cable car option would have been nice.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Busy place in Laguzuio, very touristy.

Transport

Hike to Malga Ra Stua

Dolomites

The hike was very pretty going down. Cappuccino in the valley. However the switchbacks up the road was sooo very steep! 37% gradient! Thank goodness for poles!

Quality of Experience

Hike to Rifugio Fanes

Dolomites

The pivot was worth it! Pretty hike! Going back below the tree line

Quality of Experience

Kimkim is very flexible and willing to help improve your experience!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Return to Cortina

Dolomites

Great location and staff!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved Luca at the hotel!

Transport

Arrivederci Milan

Italy

Very far. But car and driver were great. Clean and comfortable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival in Cortina

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Kim Kim team and our incredible specialist, Erica made this process so incredibly easy! Not only easy but personalized. We truly had the time of our lives and I know this trip would not have been what it was if it wasn’t for the Kim Kim team. Thank you all!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel du Tasso

Sorrento

Best hotel we have ever stayed at!! The staff went above and beyond and truly became our friends. We promise to return and we stand by it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rinuccini Relais Hotel

Naples

Staff was incredible! It was a bit difficult to locate but that’s standard for a big city like Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to Positano & Amalfi by Boat

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Winery Visit & Tasting of 5 Wines

Sorrento

We absolutely adored Fabio!! He was so knowledgeable and fun. We ordered several bottles as a special souvenir!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Italy is a beautiful country with friendly caring people. We thoroughly enjoyed our three plus weeks of travel there. Upon the heartfelt recommendation of one of Kelly’s best friends, we welcomed KimKim’s help planning our road trip around southern Italy. Some of the accommodation and tour arrangements worked very well; others did not. Part of the issue may have been that we did not get an Italian SIM card (was that expected? If so, please clarify to future KimKim clients) We only had connectivity on lodging wifi. Perhaps hotel staff expected Linnea to need more help, special linens (rubber sheets?) or not be able to function as a regular guest. How did they get that impression?

Rather than review each hotel and tour in the app or on the website, because we cannot see our individual submissions after pressing send, we have chosen to submit all our feedback in one post. I would suggest KimKim fix that aspect of the detailed itinerary online.

Day 1:
Private transfer from airport to hotel worked well. Marco was a very professional and friendly driver. Meeting at the airport went smoothly and he mentioned that Rome is best enjoyed walking, which was already how we had planned to experience the city.
Parlamento Boutique Hotel was comfortable. Perfect location, good breakfast and Andrea, the concierge, was informative and greeted us warmly. Recommend.

Day 2:
Guided tour of Sistine Chapel: We got there early and the driver dropped us off with only an address where we felt lost because the meeting place was a small, hot storage locker establishment with no seating, so we chose to sit on a stoop outside to wait for the rest of the group to arrive. The audio aids did not stay on our ears and the guide was very hard to hear and understand. In such a crowded place as the Vatican museum, it was hard to keep up her pace and we felt rushed. We would have preferred a smaller group for the tour. There was also no communication about returning to our hotel which would have been helpful, so we walked, which ended up being wonderful.

Day 3:
The breakfasts at Parlamento were tasty.

Day 4&5:
Bacoli: Cala Moresca Hotel had beautiful views. The location was wonderful. Parking was good and the restaurant had delicious food. The staff was welcoming and friendly. Recommend.

Day 6:
Pompeii Hotel Maiuri: Good location to visit Mt. Vesuvio, Pompeii and Herculaneum. Friendly, helpful staff and good parking. But only a few restaurants within walking distance so had to dine at the sister restaurant across the street twice. The food was okay but nothing special.

Day 7:
Met Andrew who was an enthusiastic guide who, upon realizing that Linnea is a strong woman, helped us plan the rest of our exploration of Pompeii. Spent the entire day walking the ruins.

Day 8:
Both of us climbed Mount Vesuvio in the morning! Explored Herculaneum in the afternoon. The two museums with the boat and the jewelry (specifically recommended by who we thought might have been the manager/owner of Hotel Maiuiri) were interesting and we learned a lot about the difference in the eruption effects of Pompeii versus Herculaneum.

Day 9:
Pompeii to Salerno: Mediterranea Hotel and Convention Center. Parking easy and safe. We swam across the street at a beach club. 8 euro. Restaurant at Hotel was excellent! Highly recommend.

Day 10:
We took a ferry to Amalfi and Positano. Fun ride and beautiful views of the coast. Kelly preferred Positano over Amalfi due to the intense crowds.

Day 11:
Drove to Paestum which was incredible! Wondered why more people weren’t there. Amazing museum and intact Greek temples! One of the most memorable places we visited. Highly recommend for history and archeology buffs.
Our accommodation in Scalea (La Suite del Faro) that night was difficult to find and check into because we had no SIM card, thus had to ask neighbors for directions and once found, ask other guests to call manager. It would be helpful for KimKim to insist on or pay for an Italian SIM card for better/more consistent contact. Many mornings we would leave the hotel, not knowing we had texts from the next accommodation. That being said, La Suite del Faro had an excellent location, beautiful sunset, nice pool/breakfast area but we were in a small back room with no sea view. Why? Were they told Linnea could not handle stairs?

Day 12:
Tropea: Tropis Hotel. Arrived and were told by Kimkim that dinner is included but our print out said only breakfast. Called hotel reception which confirmed only breakfast. Wonderful sea view room on top floor of upper building.

Day 13:
Previously told by KimKim that we could not book a boat ride to Stromboli, due to Linnea’s age/medical reasons? Kelly had NO issues booking a “Stromboli by Night” tour the night before. Had a marvelous trip to Stromboli, walking around and then seeing the eruptions at night on the boat. One of the highlights of our trip. Perplexed and disappointed by KimKim not being able to arrange this for us.

Another confusion arose regarding meals at the Tropis Hotel. After we checked in, KimKim asked us “if they explained dinner to you” which the hotel had not, so Kelly called down to the lobby and asked if we had breakfast only or “half board”. We were informed we had breakfast only, which matched our detailed KimKim itinerary. We returned to the Tropis Hotel late the night of the Stromboli boat tour and were asked by the desk clerk why we had missed dinner the last two nights and we said because we called hotel reception the first night and he said that we had breakfast only. The KimKim print out we had listed breakfast only. So we tried to get the missed meals refunded and the staff said they would contact KimKim. We ate dinner at the Tropis Hotel the next night and the food, served buffet-style, was mediocre at best. Compared to all the other restaurants at which we ate, including the local seafood place within walking distance in Tropea (called Angelo’s which Kelly found the first night, while on WiFi) we would recommend breakfast ONLY at the Tropis Hotel. Kelly is grateful we only ate one dinner there and would appreciate the hotel kitchen be notified.

Day 14:
Enjoyed rest day at the Tropis Hotel pool. Recommend Hotel for lodging but NOT dinner.

Day 15:
Tropea to Rossano. El Castella was definitely worth a stop. Free entry, beautiful site. Tenuta Ciminata Greco. 5 stars. Historic building and grounds, located in Olive groves, vineyards with amazing view, pool area, easy parking. Emanueule explained everything and had many offsite dinner options detailed in print out. Would highly recommend this lodging, especially for extended visit. Saw Codex Purpureus and bought Licorice at the factory.

Day 16:
Drive to Matera. Agriturismo Nonna Rosa is located next to a working cement factory in an isolated dry, dusty area. Campers in an empty, old quarry. The restaurant was not open. Innkeeper could not find our reservation because it was under Lorenzo’s name. Why does KimKim not make the reservation under the traveler’s name? Few trees at the location, flies invaded our room; aside from overpopulation of cats, did not think it is still a working farm ,which is what we assumed an Agriturismo to be. Parking, yes but far from the Matera sites. We parked the next day near the Matera ZTL and walked around town, which was wonderful. Would highly recommend Matera to visit, but not stay at this lodging.

Day18:
Drive to Monopoli. Olive Oil tour at Oleificio Luigi was amazing. He is clearly passionate about his craft. Spent 4hrs exploring centuries old olive trees, mill used by Luigi’s ancestors followed by tour of current yet still outdated olive oil processing machines.Learned about all aspects of growing, processing and tasting olive oil from a third generation grower. Only two other folks on the tour which was finished with food, wine and the store. Only day it poured rain and he had spare umbrellas to share. Highly recommend!

Day 19 through 22:
Self guided visit via Ostuni to Santa Maria di Leuca. L’Approdo Hotel was wonderful.

Day 22:
Tivoli. MOM Apartments had a good location but was not a true B&B. When we arrived, we checked in at the associated restaurant whose employees spoke little english, were not overly welcoming and charged us for the stay. We did not know whether it was paid for by KimKim due to the fact that we only had connectivity on WiFi, which we could only access after paying for the room which had a complicated keypad plus card access system. The water in the bathroom only worked if the bright lights and loud fan were on. The window did not open wide so we were unable to open the wooden shades. We had to walk to the pasticceria on the way to Villa D’Este for our “breakfast” which consisted of a cappuccino and cornetto.None of the other breakfast options we had up until then been accustomed to such as: eggs, meat, cheese, yogurt, muesli, fresh fruit etc. Our room was not made up, which was not that important but we did not get more coffee pods or water for the second morning. Parking cost over 40 euro for our stay. Would not recommend this accommodation except for a fluent Italian speaker.

Day 24:
Tivoli to Rome. B&B Hotel. Could not find our booking since it was under “Lorenzo”. Second time this happened. Great location for returning car to the airport the day before our flight out.

Summary:
Thank you for helping us have a good trip. We suggest KimKim always use traveler’s names to book reservations.Total transparency that KimKim uses a sub-contractor (Italy Charme) to book reservations. Most hotels met or exceeded (Parlamento Boutique Hotel, Cala Moresca, Tenuta Ciminata Greco) our expectations, but would not recommend Agriturismo Nonna Rosa in Matera to anyone or MOM Apartments in Tivoli to non-italian speakers.

Also please do not make assumptions about someone’s gender or age. If it’s a legal problem, have travelers sign a waiver. Linnea walked from the Hotel to Villa Borghese on the day we arrived, back from St. Peters after our tour of the Vatican, to and around the Forum in heat. She walked around Pompeii for 8 hours and climbed Mt. Vesuvio. We took a ferry from Salerno to Amalfi and Positano and a “Stromboli by Night” tour from Tropea which we were told by KimKim was unavailable.

We will be happy to answer any questions KimKim has regarding this review. Use Linnea's number: +1 (305) 509-2732. KimKim's services must have worked well for Kelly's friend and other not as experienced travelers, but for us, after letting KimKim know we had booked a complete two week driving tour of Sicily by ourselves, we expected KimKim to come through for us with the specific accommodation and tour requests we had. Kelly is happy for the travelers for whom KimKim works, but we personally will not be using your service again.

Hotel Reviews

Parlamento Boutique Hotel

Rome

Authenticity & Character

No downsides. Definitely would recommend!

Location

Walked everywhere around Rome from here

Staff

Andrea more than welcoming and informative

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kettle in the room!

Cala Moresca Hotel

Bacoli

Beautiful View

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful views. Good Food. Make sure you know driving up the hill is non-trivial so expect to eat dinner there.

Location

Staff

Bartender awesome. Front end staff had assumptions re: octogenarian.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Weirdly large and sterile room. only an ottoman to sit on. But spectacular corner room with balcony.

Hotel Maiuri

Pompei

See detailed review

Authenticity & Character

Location

Could have been closer to restaurants within walking distance

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mediterranea Hotel & Convention Center

Salerno

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Suite del Faro

Scalea

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tropis Hotel

Tropea

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tenuta Ciminata Greco

Corigliano-Rossano

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Agriturismo Nonna Rosa

Matera

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mom Apartment Rooms&Suites

Tivoli

Authenticity & Character

Not a B&B

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B HOTEL Roma Fiumicino Aeroporto Fiera 1

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wine and olive oil tastings in the countryside!

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport