Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Very detailed, tons of auxiliary restaurants, attractions, and points of interest suggested. Constant communication and help during the trip.

It was a great memorable trip to Italy. Fabio managed our booking and helped organize the trip. He was available throughout the trip and kept us updated. Thank you Fabio! The guides were prompt and knowledgeable. The transportation from Rome to Napoli to Sorrento was seamless. The food tour with Mauricio was perfect. Cooking with Anna in Sorrento was a great experience. Looking forward to try the home made pasta with lemon sauce at home. The hotels especially Lorelei in Sorrento was amazing. Great views of sunrise and sunset everyday! We look forward to visit again!

Our guides in Bergamo, Verona/Padua, and Mantua were excellent. Our room at the Hotel Spadari (which we requested)in Milan was great as were the breakfasts and staff. We had some anxiety around making sure the train tickets were validated on the day we used them. A few questions:
1. What would have been the costs of having someone drive us to the cities vs taking trains plus the $40 round trip cab ride to the station?
2. We loved the opera in Verona and glad we asked about it. Paola didn’t suggest it. We wonder if there were other special events we should have known about.
3. The boat ride was nice but we had to ask the guide to translate. He was very accommodating and came to sit with us on the return leg. (It would have been better to have seen Palladian villas but, perhaps, that wasn’t convenient.)
4. The Indigo hotel was fine (they gave us a libretto and lent us cushions for the opera) but the breakfast was just so-so and they don’t greet at the curb to help with luggage.
5. Your write-up mentions a neighborhood in Verona with artisan workshops. No one seemed to know what it was.

We packed in a lot and enjoyed the trip. We especially enjoyed Turandot at the Arena in Verona and the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. (We also went from Milan to Varenna and St. Moritz with Viator which was excellent and priced reasonably. )

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Indigo Verona - Grand Hotel Des Arts

Verona

Room a little small. Shower bath a bit hard to get into. No help with luggage at the curb. Hotel was booked by the travel agency so we didn’t get our own IHG points. In addition, we were told breakfast was included and the hotel said we had to pay $12 each for each breakfast. We had to contact Paola to straighten it out. It would have been nice if the hotel had shuttle service to the train station. Taxis are expensive.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast room was not very elegant.

Location

Pretty near the center of town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Spadari al Duomo

Milan

Superb breakfast, friendly and helpful staff. Well located near the Duomo. 61 was a great room.

Authenticity & Character

Balconies. Decoration.

Location

Near La Scala and the Duomo

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless room.

Activity Reviews

Half day guided tour of Padua

Italy

Roberta was excellent again. Loved the Scrovegni Chapel and the traditional elegant coffee shop/cafe.

Quality of Experience

Our guide, Roberta, even in the rain.

Mini-cruise on the river in Mantova

Italy

Tour was all in Italian until we asked if the guide could tell us in English. He sat with us on the return leg and explained what we were seeing in English. Mostly saw wildlife especially birds.

Quality of Experience

Guide.

Half day guided tour of Mantova

Italy

We enjoyed a church (where a choir was signing) and the tremendous ducal palace.

Verona Walking Tour

Verona

Roberta was excellent. Very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No transport.

Half Day city tour of Bergamo

Italy

We enjoyed our guide and getting to know the history of Bergamo. The art in the large church was impressive.

Quality of Experience

The guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We took the train ourselves.

Our trip to Italy was a celebration of our granddaughters’ 10 th birthdays. My husband and I, their moms and the two girls traveled from Venice to the Amalfi coast with Florence, Cinque Terre, Pompeii, and Sorrento in between. I have planned many trips before so I know about the mountain of details there are. But with so many stops I felt I needed help with the planning. Tasos was great from the start - patiently fielding all our requests and changes. Also advising us on what was possible and what we should not try to do. Our accommodations were perfect - I know it’s difficult to find family rooms in Europe but we had a suite for the kids and a standard room for my husband and I with hot breakfasts included. The breakfast at the Magi House in Sorrento was exceptional! Every driver, every transfer was at the time and location described in our itinerary. We went by train to each city with reserved seats. The standout part of the trip, though, was the guides and the private tours. I loved the scavenger hunt in the Doges Palace in Venice - geared for kids but excellent for adults! Gondola paddling was a hoot. Pizza and gelato class in Florence was very informative and fun! Our Pompeii guide was excellent even though it was raining and thundering. Cleared out the crowds! The driver for the Amalfi coast, Pasquale, was full of information and stories. We were wishing we had a little more time in Ravello. The highlight of the trip was the private Capri Island & Grottos tour with Tony. He went above and beyond showing us around Capri, arranging a wonderful lunch and of course sailing us all around the island with music, snacks and conversation. I can’t thank Tasos and the Travel 12 group for their attention to detail, the clearness and completeness of our itinerary and the ease with which we could communicate with them before, during and now after the trip as we are struggling with lost luggage and out of pocket expenses for a delayed flight. I will definitely use Kimkim again for our next big trip.

Martina did an excellent job organizing the trip for us. We had a fantastic time! From the hotels to the tours/ day trips, our trip was truly unforgettable. Martina made great recommendations to help us make the right decisions being our first time to Italy. Truly appreciate her advice & guidance during the planning/ booking process.
Also, Gabriel was amazing as our main POC while we were in Italy to make sure everything was perfect. He helped guide us along the way & answered any questions/ concerns that came up. Both Martina & Gabriel were fantastic & we couldn’t have done this trip without them, thank you both!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Residence

Amalfi

Great location right on the sea, steps from the main strip, also near the ferries, & bus stop. Very nice hotel

Authenticity & Character

Super cute hotel

Location

Right by the main strip, beach, & transportation

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Hotel Navona Colors

Rome

Great location, excellent food, & located in the center of everything

Authenticity & Character

Super cute hotel

Location

Centralized in the

Staff

Staff was helpful & friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Sogno di Giulietta e Romeo

Venezia

Great hotel. Excellent food & Located in the center of everything!

Authenticity & Character

Very cute boutique hotel

Location

Staff

Staff was very nice & helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean hotel

Activity Reviews

Wine Tasting and Lunch in Amalfi Coast

Italy

Alfonso was extremely knowledgeable, beautiful scenery, delicious wine & food!

Quality of Experience

Organic ingredients are used & women owned business

Food

Amazing food! Technically a feast

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable staff, thanks Alfonso!

Guided Walking Tour of Rome

Rome

Quality of Experience

Very detailed, knowledgeable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable & personable

Transport

Wear good shoes, you will be walking a lot!

Guided Walking Tour of Venice

Venice

Daniela was great. She was knowledgeable and gave us an option on what we wanted to see. She took us all throughout Venice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Venice!

Venice

Our tour with Daniela was amazing! Highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniela!

Transport

Our transport was a little delayed in Venice

Our time in Rome was divided into three guided tour days, and a free day. We had two diifferent guides and stayed in a private apartment. Our overall impression is that the visit was educational and enjoyable. The big disappointment of our time in Rome was the very large crowds. Every location we visited had long lines and we had a hard time taking a photo without numerous other tourists in the scene. That is not something the tour company who scheduled us could have changed, but perhaps we should have been warned when we booked that crowds of tourists were the largest ever, and that it might have been better to book much later in the year.

First, our lodging. The tour company put us in a private apartment that was a ten minute walk from Piazza del Poppolo. We were thus able to walk to all of our tours. At the same time, we had good beds, a large living and diining room, a fully appointed kitchen, and four showers. What a nice place to stay for six days! Thank you for this! We were very happy with it.

For the first two days our guide was Mariapaola. She is a trained archeologist with a graduate degree. And she was able to answer all our questions professionally and put answers in historical context that was very refreshing. Our third guide was not as knowledgeable. We cannot recommend her.

Hotel Review

Rome Apartment Colosseum RIR 11

I have already mentioned our total satisfaction with our lodging. It had all the amenities of home, so we ended up eating breakfast and some dinners inn the apartment and were happy to be able to do so. The apartment had four showers, so each room's occupants had their own shower. The apartment also had a laundry, and we used the washing machine several times. But we could get the clothes drier to work, so that was a problem. We loved the apartment, and want to say thank you for arranging our stay there!

Location

Three blocks from Piazza del Poppolo..

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel skip the line ticket

Rome

Again, the fact that this is offered makes it clear that the number of tourists visiting the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel is enormous. You must buy this option if you are going to visit these sites, but the large number of tourists just detracted from the experience for me.

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide

Rome

The Vatican and Sistine Chapel are must-see sites for any visit to Rome. Must-see for tens of thousands of tourists in addition to you, regrettably, so you will spend your entire time shuffling through the museum and chapel dodging other tourists, trying to keep up with your guide, and trying to hear your guide describe what you hope to see through all the other tourists. I don't suppose there is any way to change this situation, but it detracts from the experience.

Colosseum & Roman Forum skip the line ticket

Rome

It says a lot about the large number of tourists at the Colosseum that this service is provided, but the truth is you would spend more time standing in ine than seeing the Colosseum and Forum if you did not take this option. By all means, take advantage of this.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again, Mariapaola was a knowledgeable guide aand a pleasant person to see the tourist sites of Rome with.

Colosseum and Roman Forum - Private guide

Rome

Again, a knowledgeable guide who was able to communicate well in English was an enormous benefit and we got a lot out of the tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mariapaola was an outstanding guide.

Pantheon Tickets

Rome

This is where a highly educated guide added a lot to the experience. She was able to describe the architecture of the Pantheon and how it used the natural movement of the sun to illustrate the progression of the seasons. She explained the structure of the building inside and out. As part of this tour, we also visited the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, and she was able to include a lot of history from those fountains in her explanation of their history. We were very pleased with her extensive knowledge and her pleasant demeaor.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rome Private Guided Walk

Rome

Our guide for this walking tour is a trained archeologist with extensive knowledge of the cultures and civilizations that created the magniicient monuments we were visiting. It would have been hard to find a better, more knowledgeable and qualified guide. We. were very happy with her and recommend her to other visitors.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Beatriz and her weekend support were wonderful. She was totally responsive the small things that come up and made sure everything went as planned. This is our second straight year with her and she has always been great. Looking forward to another trip with her in the future.

Bill Moody

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco

Florence

The only reason this isn’t 5 starts is that the breakfast was pretty weak compared to the other hotels and other hotels we have stayed at in italy. Overall it was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mozart Rome

Roma

The Mozart was and good hotel. We were k no it in the actual hotel as they have some rooms a couple of blocks down the street. No way for the travel company to know this when they booked. Where they had us was under construction so it was a little noisy during the day and construction materials where we had to walkthrough to get to our rooms. Shouldn’t be use for anyone with disabilities, as even though it had an elevator, you had to walk stairs to get to your room. Fine for our group but not for many.

Authenticity & Character

When the construction is done it will probably be fine. The base hotel was great and the breakfast was very good.

Location

In a great location and walking distance to most places you would want to see.

Staff

It depended on the shift. Most or the staff was very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Saturnia & International

Venice

This hotel had a good location and great people working there. Breakfast was great!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Venetian Lagoon Experience: Rowing Through Venice’s Quiet Canals

Venice

Once again, this was awesome. We were taught to row the boats, which was like a gondola, but made for two people to row. The operators were all women school teachers also doing this and they could row the boat without you if needed. Everyone got a chance to row both through the back canals in Venice and out in the open water. Everyone truly enjoyed the experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Venice

Guide was very good and St. Marks was close to our hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tuscany Day Trip to Siena and San Gimignano

Florence

Both cities were unique so there was no overlap in info. The guide was very good at telling both the historical fact of both places and stories to bring them to life. This was a very good day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Through the Renaissance: Florence & Michelangelo’s David

Florence

Quality of Experience

The guide was very knowledgeable and great with the whole group.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Florence from the Sky: Hot Air Balloon Ride at Sunrise

Italy

A must for anyone that hasn’t been in a hot air balloon. When I asked our group what was the favorite thing they did, almost all said the hot air balloon.

Quality of Experience

Once in a life experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone that worked there were very accommodating, friendly, informational, and very safety conscious.

Transport

The owner actually one of the vans so he could get to know our people better. He was wonderful.

Crafting Italian Gelato: A Hands-On Experience

Florence

This class is for a maximum of 7 people at a time and the owner was willing to do 2 sessions once we got there, but we decided not to spend the extra time. This fact should be noted when booking. The owner said the travel company knew and should have told us. Not Kim Kim, their supplier. But the kids, which is who we picked to attend, thought it was great!! The owner was very friendly and very accommodating.

Quality of Experience

Rome Unearthed: Guided Walk of Colosseum & Ancient City

Rome

The guide was great, very knowledgeable and good with people said all ages. but the directions where to find the guide need to be more specific. Either a transfer needs to be arranged or in the write up it needs to explain where the meeting actually, which was below the coliseum, not at the coliseum. Many taxi drivers don’t speak great English and many of our group had to walk about half a mile from taxi dropoff to the meeting place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was great.

Transport

Depending on where the hotel is, having transport instead of using a cab would be much easier.

In the Shadow of Vesuvius: Discovering Pompeii & Naples

Rome

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was the second trip we booked with Kimkim and they exceeded our expectations once again!! From my initial call with Valeria who was our travel agent to my last interaction with the driver taking us to the airport everything was fantastic!!!
Valeria took the time to listen and get a sense of what we wanted and a designed a trip based on that. What we decided to move forward with exceeded our expectations. Ilaria handled the logistics once the agenda was decided and she also was fantastic!!! Once we arrived in Rome we were met by our concierge Beatrice who was fantastic. She provided her contact information and was simply a text away for any questions. She was very responsive!! Can’t recommend her enough!! EVERYONE who helped us was fantastic! On the way to where we were staying in Monteroni D’Arbia we stopped in Orvieto for lunch. What a beautiful town! On the way back to Rome, Lucia met us in Florence to ensure we got to our train with no problem. Cristina met us in Rome and accompanied us to our hotel to ensure there our check in was smooth.
While in Rome we did 3 tours; Rome Golf Cart, Colosseum/Forum/Palatine Hill, and Vatican tours. All 3 I highly recommend. All 3 guides were great! Highly recommend Mattia out golf cart guide, and Sylvia who was our Vatican tour guide. She made the tour so enjoyable!!
While in the Siena area KimKim arranged a winery tour to Montepulciano. That was a fantastic tour!! Our driver Leonardo was wealth of information as we drove through the countryside. We visited Boscarelli and Bindella wineries. Both great wineries, Bindella is a must to visit. The town on Montepulciano is also a must visit.
Overall on this trip a lot of beautiful memories were made with family and loved ones that was in large part due to the work Kimkim did in putting this trip together! Thanks for everything!!

Just following up with a review. 15 months in the making. Arianna did an amazing job with everything. We typically don't use travel agencies or even give reviews, but we rolled the dice and took a gamble with KimKim. It paid off, our 1st trip to Europe(Italy)was amazing, and from the time we got off the plane, to the time we got back on. Everything was on point. Private transfers, boat rides, train rides, accomadations, tours etc..
If there was anything to point out, it would be our tour guide Claudia in Pompeii. Pompeii was amazing, but our tour guide was an extreme rush towards the end, and she basically was running out from us at the end. Didn't care to take a good picture of us. But no matter what, everything was still perfect and Pompeii was amazing to see!!
We will definitely be using KimKim in the future on our next trip to Europe, and would recommend KimKim to anyone and everyone!!

Hotel Reviews

Parlamento Boutique Hotel

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Corallo

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Residenza Fiorentina

Firenze

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ala

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Siena, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, Chianti: Fully Escorted Tour with guided Siena visit and Wine Tasting

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour from Sorrento

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Gondola Ride

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Walking Tour City Highlights with David & Duomo

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Shared Walking Tour with St. Marks Basilica & Doge's Palace

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome in a Day: Skip the Line Vatican Tour & Colosseum

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naples to the Amalfi Coast or Amalfi Coast to Naples - Pompeii en Route

Italy

Tour guide was an extreme rush. Could careless to take a decent picture of us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

When I started to plan my trip to Italy I was totally overwhelmed and stumbled across Kim Kim as a travel source. Elena asked questions on where we wanted to travel, type of hotels we wanted and activities we wanted to do. She built a perfect itinerary and supplied us with detailed steps on how to get around. She was also available via a messaging app during our trip and always very responsive. I would certainly use Kim Kim again for future trips and have already recommended to one person who also used Kim Kim and was satisfied too.

I am finally getting my life back to order after our whirlwind 10 day tour in Italy with our young adult grandchildren.
Overall, It was a good travel experience but there were some glitches.
Because we are seniors it was sometimes a challenge to do some activities together but we were able to find middle ground and had some wonderful experiences. The kids enjoyed having free time to explore the cities. We had wonderful dinners together and enjoyed taking in the unique architecture and vibe of each city.
On our arrival to Venice we had some confusion about how find the Water Taxi and had to walk very far with our baggage at the dock. But, it was finally resolved by a phone call to Maria. Thankfully our rooms were ready when we arrived! Time to rest before a private tour of the St Mark's area that was very good.
We had free time on the first evening and I had reserved tickets for the opera at Palazzo Musica. Fabulous . A highlight of our trip!! Also , traveling by Vaporetto and Seeing San Marco lit up at night is magical.
The Gondola ride was not what I would call romantic but, a lot of fun for all of us to experience once in one's life!
Our Private Tour guide, Frederica , in Venice was wonderful and had great rapport with all of us. Going to Murano, Burana and then a Bacari evening was especially good because of her knowledge of the area, her enthusiasm and flexibility.
The afternoon private tour at the Jewish Ghetto was very interesting and moving with a well informed docent. . Another guide accompanied us to go there on the water taxi and then she left. She never told us when or where to get the taxi back. A call to Maria resolved that.

On to Florence;
The train ride was comfortable and short. The hotel was well situated to walk to most things.
The tours in Florence to the Uffizi and Accademia would have been better if the groups were smaller. The museums were very crowded. My husband had trouble keeping up with the groups fast pace and had to drop out. We would have preferred private tours.
The dinner at which we had planned to celebrate our grandson's Birthday at the winery was not exactly what I had hoped for . The tour of the facility was interesting but it was a very big group and the dinner was very focused on the selling of wine with order blanks and pens at table settings. . Food was good but, the birthday cake I had ordered was served too late , after the sales pitch was over, and people had left the tables. The waiters had cut up the beautiful fruit tart for everyone and hardly anyone stayed to eat it. It was disappointingly served as an afterthought .
After our evening bus ride back to Florence we needed to get a Taxi which was a very far distance from where we were dropped off. It was quite late and very difficult , especially for my husband , to walk there. The tour guide showed us the way but she walked very fast. I think the bus should have dropped us off at the Bus station.

By comparison, the wine tasting lunch in Chianti ,where we met the kids on their Bike Tour bike tour stop, was delightful. We were a small group of 7 and there was no pressure to buy wine. Lunch was good and relaxing. It would have been a better venue to celebrate our grandson's birthday. They enjoyed the bike tour as well.
The next day , a planned private tour to Tuscany with a taxi driver was more focused on yet another wine tasting than seeing the area and towns of Sienna and San Gimignano in depth. The tour guide was with us for about an hour in Sienna. My granddaughter and I toured the interesting church while my grandson went to climb the tower and my husband sat alone in the Palio space. We were surprised that the guide did not continue with us on to Sean Gimignano. The driver left us to explore the souvenir shops on our own for about 40 minutes. I suspect there was more to see and know about than we did .
The food market tour and cooking class in Florence was fun. Nice people. Good teacher. We made great pasta . We were supposed to receive the recipes by e-mail but they have not yet come.
We visited the Ferragamo Museum on our own . It was just the right size , not crowded, and very interesting, especially for my designer granddaughter!
Unfortunately our last morning did not go well. We had written instructions to meet the driver to go the airport at 7:30 AM.
We gulped down fast cups of coffee and took our bags , one at a time , in a tiny elevator down 4 flights to the street.
The taxi didn't show up so I called Maria and she said it was scheduled for 8:30 pickup. She suggested we go back inside. That was not a good idea to make the difficult trip back up 4 flights. We were quite upset.
The Taxi finally did arrive at 8:30 .
Overall I think there needed to be better communication with the taxi services we used.

Our trip from the Dolomites to Venice was wonderful. We started in Bolzano with a stay at the Goldenstern, which is a very lovely and well situated hotel. After several days we drove to Ortisei in the Val Gardena. We stayed at an apartment within walking distance to all of the activities we wanted. After hiking for three days, and enjoying the wonderful mountains we drove to Padua. Here we stayed in an apartment that was centrally located for our tours. Lara was our guide around the city, she was very knowledgeable, and gave good suggestions for other attractions and restaurants. Our arranged cooking class in the countryside was wonderful - a garden tour, pasta making and chickens. Our next stop was Venice and our bed and breakfast, Cima Rosa, located on the Grand Canal was fantastic - wonderful people, good advice and a very good breakfast. It was great to skip the line for our arranged tour of St Marks and the Doges Palace. Venice is a very walkable city.

The trip was really outstanding overall. I was very impressed with how seamlessly everything went. All the drivers and guides were right on time and they were all polite, knowledgable and welcoming. Some of the highlights;

1) the location of the hotel in Capri -- while the room was quite small, the hotel itself and the location was outstanding.
2) The best hotel by far was Villa Mary in Positano! Great room and balcony, amazing breakfast brought right to the balcony, the view from the pool -- amazing hosts.
3) The boat trip in Capri was excellent -- the You Know group was fantastic -- especially Ross and Francisco. Liked that it was only 12 people. Need to provide a picture of where to meet the group though. We did not have the name of the tour group and was only told to meet at the white umbrella at Marina Grande -- there are tons of white umbrellas there! We almost missed our trip even though we were 20 minutes early. I sent Barbara a picture of where to meet and suggest you add it to the files like the picture of where to meet boat in Positano.
4) The Path of the Gods trip and our guide - both the hike and the guide were terrific
5) the guide at Pompeii was also great, but two hours was definitely NOT enough time in Pompeii -- would have liked to have had another two-three hours there with some time to explore on our own.
6) Loved Ravello - so glad our driver told us to spend more time there than Amalfi -- would highlight Ravello more.

Things that could have been better:
1) While we very much liked our boat captain in Positano, the trip to the "Hidden Beach" was not as advertised and was frankly disappointing. It was extremely crowded at the beach (packed us in like sardines) and we could not get lunch at the restaurant (they could not get us a table until 4:30 and our return trip was at 4:15...). We thought we would be going somewhere pretty quiet -- I was really pretty upset about it at the time given the extra expense of adding this experience. Very disappointing.
2) While the overall hotel in Sorrento was very good -- amazing location and breakfast, the actual mattress and linens were not up to the standards of the other places we stayed.
3) Pompeii - as described above - it was very disappointing not to have more time here. According to the itinerary, we thought we could have the driver stay longer if we were willing to pay, but when we asked, we were told it wasn't possible. Two hours is NOT enough time there -- especially with large crowds and lines to get into the more popular spaces.
4) the hotel in Naples -- while the hotel itself was quite lovely, the location in the building is quite rundown.
5) Didn't quite understand why we did not take the ferry directly from Capri to Positano? Why to Sorrento and then drive?

Hotel Reviews

Piazzetta Diefenbach

Capri

Great location and lovely hotel. Room was quite small though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rinuccini Relais Hotel

Naples

Actual hotel is lovely and kind of funky, but the overall building/elevator is a bit suspect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maison il Conservatorio

Sorrento

Loved the location and the breakfast! And, the staff was very friendly. The mattresses and the linens need an upgrade.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Need better mattresses, linens and towels. Also, USB port did now work and even popped/sparked one time --

Villa Mary Suites - Positano

Positano

LOVED everything about the Villa Mary! The wonderful location away from the craziness of Positano, the amazing view from the plunge pool, delicious breakfast on your private balcony and the warmth of the hotel staff. Stay here!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Tizania is a gracious, warm and incredible host!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Naples to the Amalfi Coast or Amalfi Coast to Naples - Pompeii en Route

Italy

Definitely NOT enough time in Pompeii -- was pretty disappointed we could not stay and explore more. There are huge lines with tour groups from Cruise ships so you need to build in more time to accomodate for this. Would have wanted more time on our own to explore after tour ended.

Quality of Experience

Great - but cut way too short.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pizza School at Agriturismo

Italy

Great family run business! Had a blast!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Tour to Amalfi and Ravello from Positano

Italy

Highlight by far was Ravello - glad the driver recommended to spend most of the time there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was great -- maybe Alessandro? Gave us great tips.

Beach Experience in Amalfi Coast

Amalfi Coast

Already wrote about it -- NOT a hidden bead -- totally overcrowded and not at all what was advertised.

Quality of Experience

The boat ride part was great -- the beach not so much

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The boat captain was excellent and felt badly we had not have a good experience at the beach -- and seemed surprised that the travel agent had not made us reservations at the beach restaurant when we told him we were able to get a good lunch at the beach. luckily there was a small snack bar so we got something to eat.

Transport

The Path of the Gods Hike with Private transfer

Amalfi Coast

Amazing hike -- tour guide was very knowlegable. Think his name was Guiseppe?

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The best of Capri – Around the island by boat

Italy

You Know is a great tour company -- Ross in particular did an amazing job.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vincenzo provided outstanding travel service, creating an amazing experience for our highly customized southern Italy journey (Sicily, Amalfi Coast, Puglia). He was very attentive to our desires and crafted a perfect itinerary to fulfill all our trip goals. We were extremely happy with the choice of destinations, the activities and the accommodations. He was very responsive to our inquiries before and during the trip, providing answers and solutions within a very short time, so we always felt well supported during the planning process and during the development of our journey. Vincenzo did an excellent job coordinating the local guides and hotels, and documented all local contact information for all activities providers. This was important for small adjustments during the itinerary, i.e. due to weather related changes. We are very thankful to Vincenzo and the local guides and activities providers and hotel staff that we encountered during our trip. Everything went as planned with zero issues. The kimkim travel service model is excellent and the app is very competent. We will be back with other trips for sure.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Piazza Bellini & Apartments

Naples

Professional and modern - young and fresh, no frills. Walking to the pedestrian historical zone and pizza places. Good breakfast in the open courtyard. I wish our balcony was renovated like others we saw, so was not really usable. Staff said no other was available. No parking and restricted driving zone.

Authenticity & Character

young and modern in the historical neighborhood

Location

next to historical town

Staff

courteous and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had one of the balconies which were not renovated, so its floor looked molded, ugly and run-down, not usable. Room inside was clean

Palazzo de Noha

Lecce

Amazing boutique hotel with very personalized treatment. In the Lecce historical town, this renovation yielded a great comfortable room and facilities. Art and designer objects. Minibar with water, soda and juice complimentary. Excellent breakfast with very fresh local food and juice. Rooftop bar with sun/shade lounge and mini pool. Valet parking.

Authenticity & Character

beautiful art, tasteful facilities

Location

in the historical heart of Lecce

Staff

the best we met in Italy, personalized caring

Cleanliness & Comfort

well kept and clean

Viacolvento Boutique Hotel

Marsala

A beautiful boutique hotel in the center of the pedestrian historical center and near restaurants. Excellent breakfast. Tight free parking in front of the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

a boutique hotel with great taste layout

Location

in the historical center and close to the pedestrian zone with restaurants

Staff

great touristic information and recommendations

Cleanliness & Comfort

well kept and clean

Hotel Politeama

Palermo

The hotel is very professional, in a perfect location next to the pedestrian zone and close to the main Palermo attractions (Norman palace, Duomo, Opera, Quatri-Canti). The breakfast is excellent, one of the best we experienced. Rooftop bar and restaurant overlooking the Politeama. Valet parking.

Authenticity & Character

professional

Location

a perfect location next to the pedestrian zone

Staff

great service

Cleanliness & Comfort

well kept and clean

Hotel La Pensione Svizzera

Taormina

Great Sea view room, walking distance to the pedestrian historical town full of restaurants. Rooms slightly dated, but not a detractor. Personalized very good breakfast service and happy hour. Coordinated parking nearby.

Authenticity & Character

Old fashioned Mediterranean flair

Location

Sea view, next to historical town, Greek theater, top of castle trail

Staff

all friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

well kept and clean

Ai Terrazzini

Matera

In the historical center, a beautiful renovation that brings you to the diverse past of Matera. Our apartment room was likely an old round ceiling grotto. Very good breakfast. Only parking garage outside the old city (walk to hotel 1 mile)

Authenticity & Character

perfect match of the town's white stone and grottos

Location

in the center of old Materal

Staff

friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

well kept and clean

Il Nido

Amalfi

A family and quaint hotel overlooking the sea. Room with enormous terrace with fantastic sea view. Walking to Amalfi center (1 mile). Very good breakfast. Parking on premises.

Authenticity & Character

a family hotel, old Mediterranean flair

Location

sea view, walking distance to historical center

Staff

Extremely friendly and courteous

Cleanliness & Comfort

well kept and clean

Hotel Miramare

Sorrento

Very tasteful boutique hotel, a huge apartment with sea view and private terrace. Swimming pool overlooking the sea. Walking possible to town and marina (1.2 miles). Good breakfast. Parking available on premises.

Authenticity & Character

boutique attributes, old flair feeling, marble checkered floor in the apartment

Location

Overlooking the sea

Staff

respectful and courteous

Cleanliness & Comfort

well kept, minor issue on the bed sheet, resolved immediately

Boutique Hotel Re Federico

Ortigia

A fantastic boutique hotel in the historical island of Ortigia, walking distance to waterfront and Duomo piazza. Great breakfast in the apartment or in the adjacent cafe. Valet parking

Authenticity & Character

a huge beautiful apartment with art and large terrace

Location

historical town and next to the waterfront of Ortigia

Staff

very helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

well kept and clean

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Lecce!

Lecce

Amazing historical town - it is called, deservedly, the Florence of the South. Towns to visit from this base include: Alberobello - home the Trulli Ostuni - the Citta Bianca Otranto - beautiful seaside Polignamo-al-Mare - another beautiful historical coast town. And drive the Adriatic blue sea view road from Santa Maria di Leuca to Otranto - beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Welcome to Puglia!

Italy

An incredible beautiful and interesting region, with still relatively low key tourism and without the crowds. Great service everywhere and high quality of boutique hotels and restaurants

Quality of Experience

Matera guided tour

Matera

This ancient grotto and white stone town is incredible and is perched on the hill overlooking the beautiful valley. It is a very unique destination with a history that dates back 8,000 years. Renato is a local and shared his family history, and made it interesting (though at times a little repetitive). It was interesting to say the least.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half day group boat tour of the Amalfi Coast

Italy

Beautiful boat trip, we hugged the coast all the way to Positano and learned about all the most significant places of this amazing coast. We go to take incredible pictures, especially from the sloped hill of Positano and its quaint houses.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Welcome to Sorrento!

Sorrento

Very interesting town, larger than the others in the coast, but less expensive, with an extensive street market (buy here rather than other places like Capri or Positano) and a nice beach and Marina area with great restaurants. Our hotel with sea view was excellent

Quality of Experience

Guided tour of Modica - the Baroque town of chocolate

Italy

Graziella was incredible. She is also a restaurant and Olive plantation owner and we learned so much not only about the town and churches history, but much about the wonderful Italian food (olives, pasta, capers, etc). What a creative way to show the local culture and history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boat Tour around Ortigia

Syracuse

Francesco and Gianni provided a wonderful experience. Due to weather we had to move the trip, which was accomplished flawless. An amazing way to see Ortigia and swim on the sea next to the Byzantine castle. Excellent boat and service!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Capri Boat Tour

Italy

Our captain Pepe was excellent - we visited all highlights around the island and got to sail through the Faraglione di Mezzo: The middle rock, which has an arch. Beautiful trip

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mount Etna Tour

Italy

We had a great hike and lunch with Emiliano and learned all about this active volcano. He is a local and a geologist and displayed his great knowledge and passion. They had a car trouble and much delay before we could start, but in the end all was well

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Tour of Syracuse

Syracuse

Thanks Giuzy for being flexible as we had to move the tour. Professional and efficient tour. Unfortunately we did not get to go inside many of the sites with her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided tour of Valle dei Templi

Italy

Enza was an incredible guide and provided a lot of the history and context for the greek culture in Agrigento and all around Sicily.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Trip to the Valle dei Templi

Italy

You get to walk around the awesome monuments

Quality of Experience

Guided Walking Tour of Palermo

Palermo

Martina is a local and she provided an amazing experience. She is very knowledgeable and was able to connect the diverse cultural history of Palermo (Phoenician, Roman, Arab, Norman, Modern) in a very thoughtful and witty manner. We visited all the historical highlights and market, and felt we got to know well this beautiful and interesting city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Welcome to Sicily!

Italy

Sicily was a Beautiful place. From Palermo be sure to visit CEFALU (incredible historical town, water and hike to the Castelo)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andrea planned the trip of a lifetime! Our guides, especially Lucia in Florence and Mariapaola in Rome were so knowledgeable and clearly had pride and love for their city! The winery and olive oil tour in Tuscany was fabulous, such a great experience. Our cooking class with Cecelia was so memorable, it was lovely to be warmly welcomed into her home to learn and share a meal. The boat to Capri, with Angelo as our captain, was lovely. He made sure we saw beautiful and interesting sites along the way.

Every transfer was seamless and on time. The detailed itinerary that Andrea provided ahead of time answered all our questions and was so accurate! We would recommend Kimkim highly!

Hotel Reviews

Martis Palace Hotel Rome

Rome

Friendly staff, beautiful room. Bathroom shower was a little difficult to figure out, as was the room temperature.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Spadai Florence

Florence

Beautiful room, great location, breakfast buffet was lavish and delicious!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Residence

Amalfi

Staff was so friendly, and service was wonderful. Room was cleaned twice daily. Location was beautiful. With terrace overlooking the water

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Veneziano Venice

Venice

Staff was friendly, breakfast buffet is absolutely amazing!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide

Rome

This was the most awe-inspiring visit ever. Our guide, Mariapaola, was so very knowledgeable, and took great care to make sure we got to see everything that was important to us. Truly a special visit

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Italy

Absolutely the way to see Capri, rather than the regular ferry boat. It was fun with a small group, had the opportunity to swim, saw beautiful sites along the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class

Italy

This was so special as we were warmly welcomed into the instructor’s home and the cooking class was just for us. We loved every minute of it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Colosseum and Roman Forum - Private guide

Rome

So incredible to actually see and hear about these area that you’ve always heard about. Our guide was so knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rome Private Guided Walk

Rome

Good way to start our time in Rome. The Parthenon especially was amazing. It gave us the sites before we really dug into the rest

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

Such an interesting side trip, definitely worth doing! It was a little tiring after the visit and lunch at the winery right before, but glad we did it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chianti Full Immersive Wine & Olive Oil Experience from Florence (small group)

Florence

Enjoyed this immensely! Our driver was excellent, and the wineries were beautiful, informative. Wine was delicious, as was the food. Small group was delightful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Italy

Must do! Seeing the statue of David was truly awe-inspiring. Lucia was a wonderful guide, knowledgeable, friendly, a pleasure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience

Italy

This was a fun activity to see the hidden streets and taste some local foods. Guide was a little difficult to understand.

Irene Lappa worked with me to create a wonderful trip for my granddaughter, her mother, and me. We visited Venice, Rome, and Sorrento in early June, 2024. Irene was always responsive to my many questions, listened to my ideas, and eventually a thorough and detailed itinerary for us. Every detailed was considered. The included train travel between our destinations, transfers, hotels, and guides, even restaurant and things to do suggestions. Our tours were either private or small group and the guides were wonderful. My granddaughter especially loved her glass blowing class on Murano, our cooking class in Rome, and our tour to Capri and swim. It was great having contact people in each place in case we had issues. The whole trip was perfect. The only thing I might have changed was not as many early morning tours! My many and heartfelt thanks to Irene and the KimKim team.

Hotel Review

Hotel Ai Reali di Venezia

Venice

Perfect! Getting dropped off at the hotel's dock off the Grand Canal in Venice was magical. The hotel was immaculate, breakfast yummy, and staff wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to everything

Staff

Answered all our questions and concerns.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Amalfi Coast Driving Tour

Italy

Although my husband and I have driven the Amalfi coast years ago it was wonderful having a driver for this tour. It was also a good way to see more of that area. The driver was great at finding places to park and making sure we had enough time in each stop. After very busy Positano and Amalfi it was lovely reaching quiet Ravello and having lunch.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Capri Island & Grottos Boat Tour from Sorrento

Sorrento

This was one of our favorite tours. Although the Blue Grotto was closed my granddaughter was able to swim from the boat. Drinks were served on the way back to Sorrento and it was a lovely day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Pompeii Tour

Pompeii

Again this was a private tour. We were met at the Naples train station by our guide and driver and transferred to Pompeii. Our guide did a great job bringing meaning to the huge area and keeping us out of the sun!

Pasta & Tiramisu Making Class

Rome

LOVED this

Express Colosseum Tour

Rome

This was a small group tour and our guide was, again, wonderful. My only complaint was our start time was very early and we missed breakfast again!

Early Morning Vatican Tour

Rome

Murano Glass Demonstration & Walking Tour

Venice

The real focus of this experience was the glass demonstration for my granddaughter, which she loved. The walking tour was fine.

Private St. Mark's Basilica & Doge’s Palace Tour with Exclusive Access to Secret Rooms

Venice

We had a private tour and our guide was wonderful.

Venice Night Walking Tour

Venice

I always think a walking tour in a new place is a great way to get a lay of the land. This is a good activity for arrival.

Grand Canal Private Orientation Tour

Italy

This was alright, but we were very tired and it was hard to take everything in.

Harris was helpful and listened to everything I wanted out of the trip. He even took the extra step to call and walk me through some questions I had

Hotel Reviews

Saint Andrea Sea Side Resort

Naousa

Beautiful room and ambiance throughout. Friendly staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit far from town but we had scheduled a private driver so it worked out

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Editor Hotel Athens

Athens

Great location and nice room. No view from our room though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Volcano View Hotel

Santorini

Amazing view and good !

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Acropolis Hill & Museum Tour

Athens

Knowledgable guide !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Catamaran Caldera Cruise

Santorini

Food was absolutely incredible ! Staff were friendly, fun, knowledgable, and engaging

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour in the Blue Lagoon

Paros

Food was absolutely incredible ! Staff were friendly, fun, knowledgable, and engaging

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Transfer in Paros

Paros

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved the agent who took our ideas for the trip.
Francesca and Maria were great! Lucy was amazing as were her friends who guided us in Pompeii and Naples.
Yes, Kimkim is expensive but ALL your needs, wants and every transfer is perfect!!
I used them for Madrid and Barcelona with the same perfect results.

Giulia was very responsive but I was not very happy with my trip.

- shuttles only run once an hour to/from the hotel, the shuttles stopped running at 23:30 so we had to pay 50+ euros if we wanted to enjoy a full night out. One morning our travel agency booked excursion was booked at an early morning time and the shuttles were not running yet so we had to pay for transportation
- the hotel itself catered to an much older crowd (average age was about 70 years old) this wasn’t ideal for two women in their 30s and I really wish there was more thought put into that since we relied on the travel agency to have a better idea of the ideal place based on what I shared with the company (this was the biggest point of frustration for us)
- the path of the gods were very far and I wish we knew how difficult and costly it would be just to get to the start of the path. It was mentioned that this would be a “half day” excursion but getting there and back plus the hike would have been 8+ hours.
- the boat excursion to Capri only shared a limited amount of alcohol. I could understand wanting to ensure no one was drunk or unsafe while swimming but there shouldn’t have been any limitations on the way back to Sorrento. If there is a set amount of drinks allowed per person with the excursion then that should be laid out beforehand.

Kim Kim was fantastic. Very helpful with some minor and not so minor traveling hiccups. VERY responsive. I would highly recommend.

Hotel Reviews

Relais Le Clarisse Rome

Rome

Quaint hotel centrally located. Nice green space to enjoy morning coffee out doors

Authenticity & Character

⁹

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Starace

Sorrento

Quaint B&B right in the heart of downtown sorrento

Authenticity & Character

The staff were fantastic

Location

Fantastic

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daily room service was great

Alfieri9 Boutique Hotel

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Was a bit off the beaten path

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albergo Firenze

Como

Location

Located right in the center of town. Easy to access and navigate...plus they had an ice machine!

Activity Reviews

Local transfer in Rome

Rome

Very punctual

Capri Island & Grottos Boat Tour from Sorrento

Sorrento

I'm glad I went there but probably wouldn't ho back

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Italy

Fantastic day trip around amalfi coast

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very personable

Transport

Pasta and Gelato Making Class in Florence

Florence

Absolutely loved this class. Super fun. Great chef/teacher

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Florence Highlights Walking Tour

Florence

Very good tour. Helped to see more of Florence and ubderstand its history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chianti Wine & Olive Oil Tour from Florence

Florence

Guide was fantastic. The rather intimate small group we had made it more fun

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch at the tuscany villa was awesome

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very punctual

Transport

Cinque Terre Day Trip from Florence

Florence

LONG drive.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch was so so

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff were great.

Transport

Punctual

Private Lake Como Boat Tour on a Venetian Limousine

Lake Como

Guide was fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Como Food & Wine Tour

Lake Como

The guide Michela (sp?) was exceptional. A lovely experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport