Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Debra was amazing

The KimKim team did a flawless job for our recent trip to Italy. Every transfer, hotel, tour, ticketing and communication went exactly as it should have. Our private tour guide were all amazing and gave us the best experiences. It was a relief to have the support because Italy is so very busy and KimKim made it possible for us to enjoy our trip and not stress. I HIGHLY recommend Giorgia, Beatrice and Anita and all who helped us have an amazing vacation!

I honestly cannot say enough positive things about the service I received from Caterina and Anna at KimKim. I am disabled and they were incredibly thoughtful and forward-thinking about how to make my trip, and especially all of the transitions, remarkably stress-free. They truly went the extra mile for me and their kindness and professionalism made a positive impact on my experience! They partnered with Venice tour services provider, Your Custom Journey, which was truly the best and most knowledgeable tour support services I have every had. This trip was extremely important to me as I am becoming progressively disabled and so needed to take this trip at this time of my life and make the very best of it. They succeeded on ALL levels! I highly recommend them!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Firenze

Venice

Hotel Firenze in Venice was my absolute favorite! The deep soaking tub was a blessing for my chronic pain—allowing me to do much more after soaking. The location was perfect for easy access to come back and relax, and then head out again. The staff were over-the-top friendly, providing chocolates and biscuits and making the stay fantastic!

Hotel Ocelle Thermae & Spa

Sirmione

Staying at Hotel Ocelle Thermae & Spa was absolutely wonderful. The service was excellent and the Spa provided such a relaxing environment. Every aspect of my stay there helped to keep my stress levels down, which was incredibly important given my health conditions. Everything went seamlessly from arrival, and the staff were always attentive and considerate.

Activity Reviews

Murano Glass experience - Visit to a Glass Factory with blowing demonstration

Venice

The Murano Glass experience was incredible. I participated in glass blowing, and Angela even made a video for me, which was such a special touch. The demonstration was fascinating, and it was even more enjoyable with the company of a great guide who seemed to know everyone in the area.

Private walking guided tour of Sirmione highlights

Italy

The private walking guided tour of Sirmione highlights was fantastic. My tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and created such an enjoyable experience, even working on her own birthday! We even got out on the boat, which made me immensely happy as I love being on water.

Our guides for the colliseum, borghese, tivoli al very good but our guide for Pompeii was truly outstanding.

Paulo’s Sintra tour and Porto sunset cruise were wonderful! Lagos was our favorite but enjoyed all the cities. Negatives were that we felt misinformed with size of car rental. I checked with trip app reps prior to picking up vehicle to be sure we could fit large suitcase and four carry on bags and was told it should not be a problem. We ended up with two suitcases between our kid in back seat. The Lagos apartments were nice but there were issues. It is difficult to find the check in area, especially at night. No one could provide easy directions and it would have been easy to explain by giving us the name of sign to turn at. Guard had to come find us after 30 minutes. In addition, the apartment A\C leaked and floor was soaked. They moved us to another apartment for that evening and moved us back the following afternoon. It leaked again and maintenance came and fixed again. I thought KimKim would offer some sort of restitution but it seems that is something you don’t do.

Hotel Review

Palmares Signature Suites

Odiáxere, Lagos

While the Palmares Signature Suites offered spacious accommodations with wonderful views and good food, we faced multiple challenges. The directions to the property were unclear, leading to frustration, especially since we arrived at night. Additionally, we had issues with a leaking room, requiring us to move rooms multiple times. Overall, it was a beautiful place with shortcomings in communication and maintenance.

Activity Review

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Our Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril was a standout experience. The guide was fantastic and very knowledgeable, making the tour enjoyable and informative. Despite missing a planned activity due to circumstances beyond our control, we had a great time exploring the area and learning from the guide’s insights. It was a positive highlight of our trip.

Outstanding experience across the board. Venice was pleasantly surprising thanks to staying in the Canareggio region of Venice - super close to walk to all the major highlights, with plenty of great food around, but not filled with tourists, or in the region where the university is in, "Dosorduro". Water taxis are FAR superior to gondola rides. My only regret was only doing the St Marks Basilica Tour (SUPER BEAUTIFUL), rather than the combo tour that includes Doge's Palace after.

Como was truly magical. I highly suggest allocating funds for fun towards the private boat day! Staying in Como city was much better than friends told me, I thought Menaggio & Bellagio were a tad overrated and too small to spend more than a day, whereas Como had plenty of shops to explore, waterfront to relax by, the funicular railway to go above Lake Como to a panoramic viewing area, and lots of lovely restaurants to indulge in aperitivo!

Milan was not awesome for 3 days. I'd say 1-2 nights TOPS. The Duomo di Milano is ridiculously gorgeous and the Galleria Vittorio is the most beautiful shopping center ever, but you can do those in a couple of hours (including the Skywalk above the Galleria Vittorio for a better, uncrowded, side-view of the Duomo). If you're a soccer fan, you can spend time going to San Siro to see where Milan plays, but other than the two landmarks that are next to each other that I mentioned, or going to the Navigli district to eat at one of the dozens of great happy hour spots along the canal, leave Milan and go to the more beautiful parts of Italy. Fun fact - aperitivo (happy hour where you buy a drink and get free snacks with the drink) was invented in Milan!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Charly Hotel

Milan

Not great, kind of reflected the city. Family owned, but they were abrassive upon entry, clearly not happy to see Americans because they treated the other American couple the same, but were very happy to speak with the German couple before us. No elevator, and the first floor of rooms is up one flight of stairs, only a luggage elevator. We had to move rooms because the A/C didn't work, and Milan was going through a heat wave. I am a very big guy, and extensively well trained in self-defense - this location at night made me very uncomfortable while having my fiancée with me, and it was a boring street far away from any city highlights or tour meeting points during the day. We had to taxi everywhere. The reason this gets a 2-star and not a 0/1-star is because they have a cute dog that you can play with, a lovely little garden at the dining area for breakfast (one of the worst breakfast-included experiences), and it's only a few blocks from the metro and main Milan train station, which was convenient when we left the city.

Authenticity & Character

Italian aesthetic, but weirdly designed rooms, they had us in an attic, which wasn't expected.

Location

Way too far from tour meeting points or cultural landmarks.

Staff

Unkind upon entry. Neutral/unfriendly during every interaction.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nothing wrong with the cleanliness, but they advertise "double" beds, but use French Double beds which are smaller than typically Euro Double beds - which are more similar to an American Queen bed.

Hotel Barchetta Excelsior Como

Como

Best hotel throughout my entire trip. Every room apparently has a city or lake view. The kindest staff - my fiancée & I showed when there was a HUGE crowd of angry spanish-speaking folks and rude americans, but the staff were polite and calm with every single person before us, and after as we waited for the elevator. Beautiful room, STUNNNNNNIINNNNNGGGGGG LAKE COMO VIEW. Breakfast was the best buffet I've ever had at a hotel in Italy - they literally have self-serve mimosas. The buffet staff had the oldest lady in the room pop the bottle to celebrate the start of the day, everyone's mood was so fun!

Authenticity & Character

True Italian feel. The interior design aesthetic was lovely, the bar and hotel restaurant were great with wonderful cuisine, the staff were superb and kind as you'd expect Italians to be.

Location

Literally steps away from Lake Como and the ferry terminal to visit the other parts of the Lake.

Staff

20/10 - the best people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Daily bed-making and room tidying. I felt ashamed but they even folded my dirty laundry and left it in a neat pile when we came back from exploring the town.

Hotel ai Mori d'Oriente

Venice

Fantastic location. The staff was very friendly the moment I walked through the door, and gave my fiancée and me a house-drink voucher for each of us to enjoy as a welcome before we went out to explore, along with a fruit basket in our room! The breakfast buffet was great, and they have outdoor seating in the cutest little courtyard to enjoy on a nice-weather morning!

Authenticity & Character

Locally owned hotel that doesn't have a ton of rooms, so it's a home-like feel with a lot of comfort. Great showers!

Location

Perfectly located for a water taxi to drop you off, or a less than 15-minute walk from the train station where you only cross 2-bridges, both have ramps rather than just stairs for suitcases to be pulled with ease

Staff

So sweet from the moment we entered, to the moment we left :)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Top tier.

Activity Reviews

Private Lake Como Experience by Boat

Como

5,000,000,000,000,000,000/5 experience. Can't say enough about this, but Francesco is the man. Super insightful, from Como, has a home you can rent on Lake Como, you get bottles of prosecco. He knows how to engage with you and have fun, but also give you space to feel like VIP's in the back of the boat. Stopped in Bellagio and it was fun, but being on the boat was way better. Stopped in the middle of a cove to jump off the boat and swim with ducks & swans!

Quality of Experience

The best day ever with my fiancée.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Francesco is the best Italian guide I've ever met. We're so lucky to have hung out with him, but he owns the company and is the only driver, so you'll get him and love it.

Transport

Day Trip to Murano, Burano & Torcello

Venice

Gianfranco was our guide, and he was fantastic. My fiancée & I were the only 2 who booked the tour for that day, yet he made it a really great experience anyway. Gianfranco likes to become friends with the people he tours with, rather than just talking at you. Burano is so fun & beautiful! Murano is a little overrated and just filled with glass shops, but the tour of the glass making is TOTALLY cool and worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

St. Mark's Basilica Visit with Terrace Access

Venice

Outstanding tour. Our guide was wonderful, Martina. Small group experience, perfect to keep us altogether and to answer everyone's questions thoroughly, didn't feel rushed at all. Super kind and knowledgeable. She ensured we took plenty of pictures and took pictures of us on the Terrace!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Italy is amazing! The start of planning and booking with Irene was easy and Irene made sure to answer every question I had. Once the trip started, everything went as scheduled and we had constant communication with a travel team. Our guides through Liv Tours were awesome. They knew so much information and also engaged our teens through out. The cooking class with Towns of Italy in Florence was amazing and Lisa was an incredible instructor! Our food tour through Trastevere was so much fun. We enjoyed getting a tour of the neighborhood where the locals go and also tasting yummy food. Areulio (sp?) was amazing as well. Our favorite by far was Sorrento! We loved the Path of the Gods hike with Antonio through Leisure Italy. He was knowledgable and patient with us as we hiked. Dino, our driver was great as well for this hike! The boat day for our last day with Capitano Ago was just amazing. Our skipper, Orlando was great and we enjoyed the entire day seeing the coast and the blue waters. He recommended an awesome spot for lunch in Capri and even made the reservation for us! I can’t say enough about this trip, it was just incredible and our teens loved it as well! We can’t wait to go back!

We were overall very happy with the trip. The transfers for the most part and the stays were all great. And most of our tours were amazing. We also loved the details of little celebrations of our anniversary in each one of our lodgings. The ease of planning a multi stay trip in Italy was the best part, as all this planning would have taken us weeks on our own.
We had a couple of minor inconveniences, but otherwise were so pleased with the entire experience.
Our transfer to Cinque Terre could have been a bit smoother. We figured out easily how to get the car in Rome and then drive to Tuscany easily, based on instructions. After Tuscany, however ,there was some information we were missing. We needed to get the car to the drop off in La Spezia and then get on the train there to get to our lodging. None of this was mentioned in the transfer details. We also had to take a bus in La Spezia to the train station from the car drop off, also not mentioned. We managed this all fine, but would have been nice to know prior to the day of travel.
We were very grateful for the nice upgrade to rooms in Monterosso since we think the original hotel we were booked in was closed for repairs. This was a wonderful stay and we were treated so kindly there by the hostess Tamara.
Our other tours were very well done. The itinerary indicated that all the tour guides would be advised of my celiac disease and inability to eat gluten. The tours that included food were not all advised and on the boat tour in Cinque Terre the guide felt terrible as the boat had not loaded any GF items to make up for the appetizer, bread, or dessert for me. I was disappointed at this as was my husband as he was eating all the food and I could only eat the fish and salad. Lisa, our guide in Rome for our food tour was advised however and made sure that I had GF options for the majority of the tour. She was amazing as a first guide to start out the trip and we loved Rome even more because of her. Also our second food tour in Rome, dinner with a local, was in the same restaurant as one of our stops with Lisa. This would have been hard to predict, and overall did not take away from the experience, but it would have been nice to try a different restaurant. That guide, although I can't remember her name was amazing. She was a college student and had a great perspective on Italy.
The tour from Radda was a bit odd as the guide did not seem to know what our tour was supposed to entail and had some difficulty with English. We did a 10 k loop hiking which was fabulous and the scenery was amazing and the guide gave us a lot of good info about the area and local flora and fauna in English. However, that tour was supposed to include a wine tasting at the end and she did not have that as part of the tour.
Overall this was a lovely trip and having everything mostly planned for us was a life saver with our busy schedules. We also appreciated the detailed attention to the transfers at the beginning and end of the trip, as those long travel days are a lot.
Beatriz had great communication and going forward we have already planned on using KimKim for our next trip to Europe.

My husband and I had the best time in Italy! Tasos and the kimkim team did a fantastic job from start to finish. We stayed in beautiful hotels, usually tucked away on a quiet street but still in the heart of each city. The excursions booked were all with incredibly knowledgeable guides. My favorites were an ebike tour through the heart of Tuscany and a boat ride around the Amalfi Coast. The restaurant recommendations in each city were also great, kept us away from any tourist traps. The kimkim care team was super responsive during our trip as questions came up. The whole trip was so seamless, and we can't wait to use kimkim for future European travels.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Michelangelo

Sorrento

A very nice hotel in Sorrento! We stayed here three nights in one of the recently renovated suites. Beautiful balcony with a view, used the pools, and enjoyed drinks at the rooftop bar. Decent location, about 25 min walk to get down to the main marina.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Modigliani

Roma

Loved this hotel! It's tucked away on a quiet street in the heart of the city. We walked past the Trevi fountain every night on our way back to the hotel. The breakfast was decent, and the dry cleaning service was a huge plus after traveling for several days prior.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Residenza d'Epoca Palazzo Borghesi

Siena

This is the sweetest bed and breakfast in the heart of Siena! Very close to the Siena Cathedral and main piazza, with a beautiful view of the city. I would give this hotel 5 stars, but my husband had a hard time sleeping due to some festivities in the alley behind our room both nights of our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Olimpia

Venice

The best hotel breakfast! We stayed here for two nights. It's in a very better restaurants and museums, but didn't have to walk more than 25 minutes or so in any direction. convenient location, close to the train station and the part of Venice accessible by car. It did mean it was a bit further to walk to. Room was quaint and clean, and staff was very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

The best Euro breakfast!

Location

Close to train station and ferry station, but a bit further from the best restaurants.

Staff

Very friendly and knowledgeable about the city

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chianti E-Bike Tour with wine tasting

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Boat Tour by Night

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim did a wonderful job of helping us to plan our first trip to Italy. From creating an exciting itinerary to booking tours, they really planned a great trip for us. I loved that you could ask questions and make suggestions for each of the things they planned, before you even book the trip. And then a few weeks before we started our trip, Leslie was so patient with our last minute questions...and I asked a lot of them!

Once we left for Italy, their daily reminder of what was on our itinerary for the next day was so helpful and comforting. During the trip, they responded very quickly to real time questions during the day.

The meeting places were exactly where they said they would be. Each tour was wonderful. The driver who picked us up at the airport waited so patiently for us. The Naples food tour was so delicious and the portions were large. The guide, Sara was awesome! The driver from Naples to Sorrento was wonderful (GianFranco?) and the Pompeii tour guide was so informative and really customized our tour to what we were interested in. She knew everything about Pompeii!! Loved her! (sorry, can't remember her name). The Jewish Ghetto tour was perfect. The guide (Sara?) was so knowledgeable about everything. We loved her and the tour. The pasta making experience was so much fun. The instructors/chefs were fun and patient. Everything was so well organized. And I can't believe how easy they made it feel/seem as we made pasta. So enjoyable!! The Colosseum Tour and Sistine Chapel Tour were both well organized and informative. We loved the tour guides. The Oreste/Contadina Farm experience was lovely. Oreste was fascinating. We learned about our host and how he maintains his farm. The food was outstanding and delicious and generous.

The hotels were awesome! They were so clean and the breakfasts were all so full and delicious. An interesting thing happened when we checked into our first hotel, we entered our hotel room and there was no electricity. We called down to the front desk and found out you had to put your room card into the slot to make the electricity turn on. Ha ha!! The first hotel in Rome was lovely and charming. The Naples hotel was quirky in how you had to get into the courtyard and the pay to use the elevator. But it was so centrally located we loved it. The Sorrento hotel had the most beautiful view on its rooftop that it brought tears to my eyes!!! The hotel in Travestere was centrally located and we loved it. The courtyard to relax in was beautiful. We even liked how to use our phone to get into the hotel and to our room. And at each hotel the people were so friendly and helpful!!

Thank you Kimkim for helping make our first trip to Italy so very wonderful and memorable!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Relais Le Clarisse Rome

Rome

We loved this hotel. It was centrally located. The Travestere neighborhood is interesting and so close to the central part of Rome. We walked everywhere and even walked back to the Colosseum. The inside courtyard was peaceful and lovely. We sat there and read one afternoon.

Authenticity & Character

Liked using our phone to get into the hotel and into our room.

Location

Centrally located. Loved it.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Britannia Sorrento

Sorrento

We loved this hotel. The rooftop view was the most awesome sight!! It brought tears to my eyes. You could see so far. It was a 10 minute walk into Sorrento. When we checked in they asked us about if we needed tours etc. The boat tour they booked for us to Amalfi town and Positano was outstanding. It was a private dock and boat. The tour picked us up at the hotel and the whole experience was smooth and easy!! We had free time in both cities and we loved it. Thank you!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful rooftop view. Easy to walk into Sorrento.

Staff

The boat tour suggestion was awesome. Thanks!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rinuccini Relais Hotel

Naples

This is a great hotel in the middle of Naples. Great location. It was quirky regarding getting into the hotel and room but the staff was awesome in explaining all of the details.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Centrally located

Staff

So patient and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Degli Aranci

Rome

We loved this hotel. It was charming and in a quiet neighborhood outside of the main part of the city of Rome. It was a 45 minute walk into the city. The breakfast was delicious and had plenty of variety. The staff were very helpful. The room was clean and it was maintained well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quiet neighborhood

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rome: Jewish Ghetto, Great Synagogue & Trastevere Tour

Rome

This tour was our favorite! The guide was so knowledgeable. Her personal knowledge of the history of the Jews in Italy was helpful and real!! She was amazing! And we appreciated sitting in the Great Synagogue and hearing not just the history but also how the guide observes her Judaism today! Wonderful. Thank you!!

Quality of Experience

We learned so much about Judaism in Italy!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She knew experiences from her family also. And being Jewish was able to realistically share facts.

Private Transfer from Naples to Amalfi Coast with Pompeii en route

Italy

The driver was great. He was timely and informative. Enjoyed our conversation with him. The Pompeii tour was awesome. The guide customized our tour for our interests. She was so knowledgeable! Showed us the best areas and knew everything!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naples Street Food Tour

Italy

This tour was awesome. The guide was fun and informative. The food was plentiful and delicious. SO much food! Big portions and each was yummy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Contadina Breakfast at a Farm - 30 min from Rome

Italy

This experience was interesting and fun! The food was so delicious and plentiful. Oreste was an interesting man and was so welcoming. The experience was calming and informative. His wife drove us back to the train station.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrange for a driver from Rome to the farm or arrange for a taxi to and from Frascati train station to the farm.

Cooking Class in the Heart of Rome

Rome

This class was so much fun! The instructors/chefs were patient and friendly. They made the process seem so easy!! And the food was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

The pasta and ravioli were yummy. The sauces delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum & Ancient Rome Tour with Roman Forum

Rome

This tour was awesome. The guide was so informative. She knew so much information. Loved it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Highlights of the Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour

Italy

It was a great tour. The tour guide was knowledgeable and patient with our questions. She helped us to maneuver in all of the crowds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Caterina and our main guide/check in person Christine were wonderful. If we had a concern or question, Christine immediately responded and solved the issue, if any. We were so impressed with how on time and great all of our guides or transport people were that were all set up by KimKim. Thanks for everything! Can’t wait to do a follow up trip!

Had a phenomenal trip to Florence and Rome. We did all of the classics such as the colosseum and the Roman forum but also did many unique experiences such as our Roman food tour and our bike through Tuscany. All of our transfers were perfect and timed correctly. I never felt like we were rushed . All of our drivers were prompt and helpful. Service during the trip itself was also highly exceptional . Could not recommend more highly. Will be using again for sure.

Hotel Reviews

Eitch Borromini Palazzo Pamphilj

Rome

Luxury hotel in the heart of Rome. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Had some personal issues that we needed assistance with and the staff jumped right in, going above and beyond beyond to provide service.

Authenticity & Character

Balcony and rooftop were amazing

Location

Close to many of the premium areas

Staff

Responsive to all issues that arose.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very nice beds and room Temperature was great with nice AC!

Hotel Orto de' Medici

Florence

Luxurious hotel in the close to the action in Florence.

Authenticity & Character

Historic building itself

Location

Central to activities

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tour of San Gimignano & Monteriggioni

Italy

Great private tour of these Tuscan villages. it was nice to get away from the busyness of Florence itself. It felt like stepping back into history. She provided in depth information that could not be found in a guidebook, Only from a local.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Downhill To Florence Bike Tour

Italy

Nice activity with only some physical work needed at times to go up hills. Beautiful views of Tuscan countryside. There is some steep downhills and people need to feel very comfortable on a bike and handing it safely .

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We traveled to Florence and Lake Como to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, and working with Fabio made every moment of it truly epic.

From the very beginning, Fabio was responsive, attentive, and genuinely invested in making our trip special. Every provider he arranged — drivers, guides, and tour operators — was professional, friendly, and flexible throughout. The wine tastings were wonderful, and the private boat tour on Lake Como was the absolute highlight of the entire trip.

What truly set Fabio apart was how effortlessly he handled everything. We came in not quite knowing what to expect, and his expertise turned that uncertainty into complete confidence. When we needed a last-minute change to our itinerary, he accommodated our request without hesitation and without question. That kind of flexibility and grace under pressure is rare.

Fabio also went above and beyond with a truly special and thoughtful anniversary gift — a gesture that meant more than words can say and made our celebration even more memorable.

I would absolutely recommend Fabio and KimKim to anyone looking for an expert who will handle it all and make it amazing. If you want to hand everything over to someone you can trust completely and have it turn out epic — Fabio is your person.

Hotel Reviews

Palace Hotel

Como

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lake Como view from the room

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kraft

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location, walking distance from Arno river.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

From Lake Como to the Borromean Islands: A Day of Elegance and Discovery

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

4-Hour Boat Experience - Explore Lake Como

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Val D’Orcia & Brunello Wine Tour with Lunch and Two Wine Tastings

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Renaissance Walking Tour of Florence with David

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fabio did an excellent job in designing the perfect 13 day Italy trip for us based upon our requests. He gave helpful suggestions and guidance , responded quickly to our questions, and was available to help us with any need during our trip.
This was my second time using KimKim and it has been a smooth and easy process from planning to execution.

The transportation transfers and day trips were excellent and on time. The boutique hotels that Fabio selected were great.

Antonella, our walking tour guide in Florence was wonderful and we learned so much from her. The day trip to Siena and San Gimignano with a visit to a local winery was a highlight for us. Andrea, our driver, gave us so much history and background which helped us navigate each town. We thoroughly enjoyed the visit and lunch at the Winery in Tuscany.
We visited the Duomo, Santa Croce, The Leather School, The Academy, the Uffizi, and the Pitti Palace and the plaza de Michelangelo, the Ponte Vecchio, the markets and more! We also had a delicious Florentine steak at Casa Del Santo.

Our guide, Tanya, in Rome gave us an excellent tour of the Coliseum and Roman Forum. It was an amazing experience.
On our own, we strolled the streets of Trastevere and ate at Trattoria Lungaretta which was a 300 year old restaurant. Delicious. We stumbled upon a beautiful Botanical garden in Trastevere, and toured Basilica Di S. Maria. We walked all over Rome and saw the Plaza Novana, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps ( and ate lunch at the Hassler Hotel Terrace), the Mouth of Truth, the Vittriano. Tanya, our walking tour guide, gave us an excellent tour of the Coliseum and the Roman Forum. And she also guided us through the Vatican Museums. We learned so much from her. She was excellent.

After our three days in Rome, we set off for three days in Positano in the Amalfi Coast. Breathtakingly beautiful! We enjoyed our boat trip to Capri and rode the chair lift in Ana Capri. Our guide for Pompeii was excellent as well, and we enjoyed the winery and lunch sheduled that day as well. in Positano we enjoyed an excellent dinner at Rada down on the beachfront.

Overall, our trip to Italy was a trip of a lifetime.. one that we will treasure for the rest of our lives! Thank you, Fabio and Kim Kim!

Beth, Libba and Randy Sprinkle

Hotel Reviews

Ca' Nigra Lagoon Resort

Venice

A hotel with lots of character located in a great location. Friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Gabrisa

Positano

Beautiful boutique hotel with a friendly and helpful staff. Also had an excellent restaurant on site.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Baglioni Firenze

Florence

This hotel, which has been an icon for years, was a little dated and filled with convention people. Service was not great.

Authenticity & Character

it was dated--needs to be updated

Location

Close to the Duomo-

Staff

they needed to be friendlier and more responsive to requests

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius with Lunch and Wine Tasting at a Vineyard by the Volcano

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sorrento Coast and Capri Boat Tour from Positano

Italy

We enjoyed the boat trip to Capri- we only wish we had more time on Capri. We had only 3 hours instead of the 4-5 promised, but we thoroughly enjoyed the time we did have there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Rome

Tanya was an excellent guide

Quality of Experience

Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Florence

Andrea, our driver, was excellent and provided us with history and great insights which helped us navigate each town. The Lunch and winery visit was a highlight of our entire trip. The setting was absolutely beautiful and the hosts were most gracious and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

on time, informative and helpful

Renaissance Walking Tour of Florence with David

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kim Kim and especially Fabio made my first trip to Italy one to remember! The ability to tailor our tours and timing really made the trip practically stress free. All of our guides were prepared and made checking in and following along with the incredible history and local facts during the tours a pleasure. Being a wine & spirits professional and traveling with a non-drinker was no problem as our trip was curated to highlight both our wants and wishes. Moving from Rome to Florence (throughout Tuscany) and then on to Venice was exactly the right move for us and transfers were seemless.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Sant'Antonin

Venice

What a spectacular location! The water taxi was able to drop us at the front entrance and the staff went above and beyond during our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The front desk attendants helped us with tickets to the Vivaldi Concert and used an actual paper map to show us different dining options and attractions we were looking for.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Corte dei Sogni Boutique Hotel & Spa

We enjoyed the staff and the young lady who made us eggs and pancakes on different days in the breakfast room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We were very close to the Central Market and the train station but our street was so quaint and had many dining options and easy access to our rides.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cellini

Rome

The hotel staff was very accommodating when we arrived early morning. They took and held our bags and we were able to tour parts of Rome while our room was prepared.

Authenticity & Character

The room was large and well appointed.

Location

The hotel location was near everything we were there to experience and the street was busy but quiet enough for us to relax after touring.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Venice Food & Wine Tasting Tour

Venice

The food tour was one of the best of our trip. I was worried when Carlos started speaking as he talks very fast but it just added to the excitement of the tour. The food was excellent. The pace was great! Yummy!

Quality of Experience

Food

All the different cecchettis and local fare

Guides, Drivers and Staff

loved Carlos

Transport

Venice in a Day Combo Tour with Gondola Ride

Venice

I really enjoyed Venice. Marco is an encyclopedia of Venice history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jewish Heritage Walking Tour: Cannaregio and Venice’s Historic Ghetto

Venice

Being married to a Jewish woman, this was a very special tour for me. The history was fascinating as sometimes I don't equate Italy to the Jewish heritage we found there. Very moving experience.

Quality of Experience

see above

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giada was very knowledgeable and was great at sharing the history and adding personal touches to keep us engaged. We even stopped at Le Sete for a glass of wine and I was able to speak with the staff about their owner and the wine selections there.

Transport

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

Florence

This was one of the top experiences for me as the wine regions are what I was hoping to add to my personal repertoire and education as a Certified Specialist of Wine. Lunch on the side of the vineyard was spectacular. Tasting vinegar, Olive oil and all the incredible wines with food is the best way to learn. What a setting! It was so special to tour the vineyards and winery of Patrizia Cencioni and then to taste (and purchase) her incredible wines of Montalcino. She was available for photos and to answer questions even while spending time with her granddaughter. My heart was full when we left for Florence. Sienna and San Gimignano were so quaint and inviting we enjoyed strolling through them both.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andrea knows Patrizia so we spent a little extra time chatting (using her daughter as translator) about life in the winery.

Transport

Florence Food Tour

Florence

We enjoyed this tour immensely. All the local foods and wine were spectacular. I really enjoyed the Wine Windows and even had tripe for the first time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ezgi is a star! She really made the tempo of the tour feel relaxed and still gave us so many personalized tips throughout night.

Transport

Skip-The-Line Uffizi Gallery Ticket

Florence

We did this on our own and skip the line was great. People should know that window #2 is also window #3. After we figured that out we went on our way. We used a recorded guide to go through the museum.

Quality of Experience

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

Florence

This was soo much fun! Going to the Central Mercato and meeting with the vendors was fantastic! We all got to do most of the cooking and making pasta was a gas! The bus ride was quick and easy both going and coming from the estate kitchen.

Quality of Experience

Food

Fresh pasta and homemade sauce. We made bruschetta when we got home just to relive the dish! Very fun and a special experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luca and Erika are a team that made the whole experience one of the highlights of our trip!

Transport

Val D’Orcia & Brunello Wine Tour with Lunch and Two Wine Tastings

Italy

I can't say enough about the experience in both locations. Having the right driver was imperative. I am a retired wine & spirits specialist and had plenty of knowledge coming in, but we all know visiting and tasting where the wines are made add to the education and romance of the wines.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Anrdea is a gem! I would come back to go truffle hunting or bird-watching with him.

Transport

Best of Florence and David by Michelangelo | Small Group

Florence

I'm so glad this was a small group (and not us trying to do it alone). There were plenty of people inside but being organized and listening to Valentina's guidance made it a wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Valentina was very engaging and obviously knew her stuff!

Transport

Trastevere Local Food Tour

Rome

Hillaria was on time and very knowledgeable. The amount of food was just right and the variety was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome in a Day Tour with Colosseum and Vatican Museums

Rome

Having Bogden as our first tour guide set a high bar for our experiences. He was ready and organized and kept our attention through a long day in Rome. His dry humor and extensive knowledge made the tour a pleasure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bogden was our guide for "Rome in a Day" and Hillaria took us on a wonderful food tour. The little bit of rain wasn't even a factor as all the spots were prepared for us/the group.

Transport

Having a ride to Vatican City from our hotel made the start of the day a bvreeze.

We had a wonderful trip to Italy! We especially enjoyed our private food and wine tour in Florence. That was a definite highlight. Our tours of the Vatican and the Colosseum were also excellent. Our guide at the Vatican, Massimo, was extremely knowledgable and funny and made the experience that much more fun. The boat trip to the Isle of Capri was also a highlight. We were able to tour the island from the sea before docking to explore the island on land. Our crew was very informative, attentive and fun-loving.

Hotel Reviews

Residenza Il Hotel Campanile

Sorrento

While this hotel was in a good location, right in the city center, it was also very loud. Our room was beautiful with three balconies overlooking the street, however they were most unusable because passers-by could look right into the room. It was also a little difficult to find the hotel. The taxi cannot take you right to the door because its on a pedestrian street and there is only a small sign to the left of the main door indicating that it is a hotel.

Authenticity & Character

A beautiful room in a beautiful campanile. Very authentic.

Location

The location is great if you want to be right in the middle of things but be aware that it is very loud.

Staff

The only time we saw staff was at check in. There is no one on site unless someone is checking in. Any communication is via WhatsApp

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Scaletta al Ponte Vecchio

Firenze

This hotel is in a good location, easily walkable to the city center. We had a beautiful room overlooking a courtyard. There were many choices for breakfast and there is a rooftop patio with beautiful views to enjoy your breakfast or a cocktail in the evening.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful providing local information.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dei Mellini

Rome

This hotel was centrally located and an easy walk to the Vatican. The staff was very friendly and helpful and there were many breakfast choices.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Within walking distance to all attractions.

Staff

The staff assisted in making dinner reservations and providing local recommendations.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to Capri Island by Boat

Sorrento

The meeting point for this tour was very busy and a little hard to find our operator. Once we reached the boat everything was seamless and our boat crew was excellent!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Day Trip with Positano Boat Transfer

Sorrento

This is a busy excursion. You cover a lot of territory throughout the day but the guide is very knowledgable and moved at a slow pace so that all could keep up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The bus driver was awesome!

Private Florentine Foodie Walk & Market Visit

Florence

Amazing experience. So much food and drink and information about the city of Florence.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Colosseum & Roman Forum Visit with Arena Floor Access

Rome

A little hard to find the meeting point. Guide was very knowledgeable but a little too much like a college lecture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Rome

Massimo was amazing! Seeing the Vatican on a tour is imperative to save time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Italian Wine Tasting Essentials

Rome

Highly recommend this activity.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip to Italy was amazing. We explored Rome, Florence and Cinque Terre. The tours selected fit our needs perfectly. We loved all of the hotels. Every detail was covered. The response from the team was always prompt. They answered the tons of questions I had, provided local information and recommendations and truly made for a hassle free, stress free experience. They provided daily reminders of the next day’s itinerary along with any tickets/vouchers needed. I was surprised by how much I appreciated that, it kept me from spending time finding the info and making sure we had everything ready to go. They were quick to provide options and make alternate plans for us when a train strike affected our travel plans and when the weather impacted a scheduled boat tour. It really was a trip of a lifetime for us and I don’t think there’s anything I would change.

Hotel Reviews

GCF Luxury Suites

Roma

Fun decor, helpful hotel staff. They reached out to us ahead of time to take care of checkin requirements and give us checkin instructions in case we arrived after hours. I appreciated the extra effort to make sure checkin was smooth.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was a little further from some of the main tourist attractions but in a super fun area with tons of restaurants and shops…and still within walking distance to most attractions. The area had a less touristy feel.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Da Baranin

Manarola SP

Hotel was in a great location. Easy to get to with luggage, which is not common in Cinque Terre. Host was awesome…super friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Did not have to carry luggage all through town or up a ton of stairs.

Staff

Very helpful. Even gave us a pass that allowed us unlimited access to Via dell’ Amore on the days we had the Trek and Train pass.

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Residenza Fiorentina

Firenze

Room was nice and large for the three of us. Everyone was friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parlamento Boutique Hotel

Rome

Host was friendly and helpful. Rooms were clean and had fun decor. Breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Super convenient to the main tourist attractions.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cinque Terre Sunset Boat Tour

Italy

This is a beautiful way to Cinque Terre and learn about the towns and the region. The captain was friendly and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pesto Experience

Italy

Another of our favorite activities during our trip. The hosts were fantastic…a true Italian family. They were super friendly and so much fun! The pesto was fantastic. The lunch after was probably one of our best meals in Italy. The view was beautiful,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cinque Terre Trekking & Train Card

Italy

Easy to use and made getting around Cinque Terre easy and flexible.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Trains did get crowded but it was not an issue.

Truffle Hunting with Lunch

Italy

Probably one of our favorite experiences on our trip. Super informative and tons of fun watching the dog find the truffles! The lunch and wine pairing after was fantastic. We’re not big wine people but it was interesting to learn about the different wines and pairings. The food was fantastic. The winery itself is beautiful and welcoming!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver at disposal from Florence to Tuscany - Private

Florence

Driver was on time, professional and easy to communicate with and coordinate pickups.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hand-made Pasta & Typical Dessert Cooking Class

Florence

We enjoyed the pasta making class and love that they sent us home with recipes. It was a little larger group than our other experiences…really the only reason it only got 4 stars.

Quality of Experience

Food

The pasta and sauces were fantastic…fun to try three different pairings.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mini Private Rome Tour in Golf Cart

Rome

This is a great way to see and learn about Rome, especially if you only have a couple of days in Rome. Even if you have more time, it’s a great intro to Rome. The driver/guide was great. He even gave us recommendations for the rest of our time in Rome, from pizza to gelato to other tours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum & Ancient Rome Tour with Roman Forum

Rome

The tour was awesome. Guide was great…informative and humorous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everything was coordinated beautifully for a multi-city family vacation. All transfers were on time and the accommodations were amazing.

Activity Review

Cinque Terre Trekking & Train Card

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was prompt, friendly, and helpful

Transport

Enjoyed the overall experiences had. Letizia on the Cicchetti tour in Venice was fantastic.
The one caveat is the local company only uses guides/tour companies they have contracts with, so if you want to use a different company or do a tour they don't have a contract with, you'll have to research it and book it outside of the site. Even some things, like the Uffizi Gallery and Vasari Corridor tour, I had to ask to be booked after reading about it online, as it wasn't recommended in the initial itinerary.
Also note that even though you have a time scheduled ticket for the Academia in Florence, you still have to wait on line, so best to arrive earlier than the schedule time.
The accommodations were great for the most part. The Hotel Ai Cavalieri di Venezia in Venice was beautiful and a great location. I wouldn't recommend the hotel in Cinque Terre, Hotel la Colonnina, as the walls were incredibly thin and we could hear everything happening in the hotel room next to ours. Everything. I would also recommend staying closer to Siena than Chianti as we spent most days driving south to explore those areas, while only one day around Chianti. Salvondica was beautiful though would save on drive time in Tuscany.
Appreciated the ground transportation scheduled and the WhatsApp messages from Jessica informing us of the name and number of whom would be meeting us in each location.
Would prefer to receive an itemized list of what my money is paying for rather than just the aggregate sum. It's convenient to have someone draft the itinerary and book the accommodations, etc. though I believe this cost more than if I had done the research and bookings myself.

All the tours by LivTours were excellent, the Venice guide Nico was great as was the guise for the Forum and the Vatican guide. Breakfast at the Rome hotel was very limited compared to the other hotels.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Le Clarisse al Pantheon

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

U

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa di Sorrento

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Duomo

Florence

Amazing location. The reception was on the 4th floor with rooms on 3rd or 5th floor which was a little awkward. Free gelato!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Al Theatro Palace

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lancaster Hotel

Milan

Great breakfast, good location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Local transfer in Milan

Milan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milan Highlights Private Tour with Last Supper & Duomo

Milan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Evening Aperitivo in Navigli

Milan

Not much food, more drinks

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport