Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

The epitome of classic Italian Rivera elegance. The hotel, garden terraces and restaurants have amazing views across the ocean to Mount Vesuvius, with the occasional cruise ship on view in the bay. The hotel is beautifully dressed throughout in classic Italian decor. The rooms are classic, super comfy beds, very clean and well appointed with lots of storage and superb views. The hotel offers a good range of food, although somewhat limited but the food, especially breakfast and service was excellent and the bar staff very attentive. Overall the hotel has a magical/nostalgic quality, especially with it's outdoor lift that descends from the upper terraces down through the rock to a private beach/pontoon, right on the water's edge. Whilst the hotel is located on a road, it is quiet and you feel away 'from it all'. Yet the hotel is a short walk into Sorrento old town and so shopping and dining out for lunch and dinner is an easy option, with an abundance of local restaurants and bars offering authentic local cuisine. We loved staying here!

Fuore Grand Hotel, Amalfi Coast. WOW. A contemporary and exceptional hotel that made us feel that we were in a dream. All I can say is if you are looking for a base to explore the Amalfi coast and to feel that you have escaped the 'ordinary world', then stay here - you will not be disappointed! We didn't want to leave! Thank you to the team at FGH. We miss you! The hotel is contemporary and chic, understated enough to allow the stunning valley, views and natural surroundings to sing. The decor throughout is simple and elegant with great attention to detail using local materials and patterns, bringing warmth to the experience. The food at FGH is also exceptional; the breakfast alone is a wonder but the jewel in the crown, is the fine-dining experience. It is not hard to understand why the hotel/chef was awarded a Michelin star within 3 months of the hotel opening.

Very helpful staff and lovely rooms. We did run into a hot water issue when trying to shower in the morning, but overall a fantastic experience.

Very centrally located and very helpful staff. Beautiful panoramic view at breakfast.

Pantheon view was amazing! Shower was sizable and lovely.

Lovely guide and personalized tour. Very helpful and happy to answer any questions and customize tour.

Lovely personable guide. Entertaining and great information.

Lots of yummy food and fun to see more of the city. Very helpful and personable guide. My mom was knocked into and dropped her gelato, and Carlotta went back and got her more. It would have been nice to have time to purchase food from the outdoor markets.

Well organized and highly informative. Good balance of walking and riding in a car.

Beautiful and informative. It would have been nice to have fewer people. We had a group of about 10 and then 4 more were added because they messed up with their meeting place/time and missed their originally scheduled tour.

So much fun to be some of the first people in the colosseum for the day. Beautiful to be there around sunrise.

The chef was so personable and helpful and fun

Very thorough and informative

This is a quirky, fun, and very comfortable hotel in Levanto. They provide a whole panoply of extras that add to the appeal: a delicious and unique breakfast bar, an assortment of bikes to borrow for free, Netflix (in case of a rainy evening that you want to spend in rather than going out), a few jars of cookies available at any time, a piano and guitar in the reception area for anyone to play, and very friendly and helpful staff. A great place to hang out!

This hotel is quiet, centrally located, and comfortable. The rooms are small but adequate, and the breakfast buffet had a lot of variety and many delicious options.

This hotel is directly across from the train station, which is nice. However, it was quite dark and cramped, and the shower had barely any water or water pressure, so it was not our favorite hotel by any means. One of the lights in the room was out, and it took over a day to get it replaced, so the room was even darker than normal. The breakfast buffet, however, was delicious.

This was the largest hotel we stayed in while we were in Italy, and it is lovely. The rooms are comfortable, and there is a little more room to move around than in some other hotels. The train station is across the street, making it very convenient to travel to Venice. As with our other hotels, the breakfast buffet was remarkable--many delicious options to get the day started.

The Amalfi Coast, due to its popularity, is now bumper to bumper traffic, so the best way (in my opinion) to see it is on foot, hiking the Path of the Gods. It is utterly gorgeous scenery the whole way, and the trip is accompanied musically by grazing brown goats adorned with bells that echo throughout the mountains. The path is not difficult, although it is often rocky and alternates from climbing to descents the whole way. At the end, there are somewhere between 1500 to 1700 steps to get down to the road that leads to the incredible town of Positano. Once you get to Positano, the climbing is not done--you have to go down to get to the beach, and up to get anywhere else. I'm convinced that anyone who lives in Positano has remarkable glutes and quads.

Mount Vesuvius provides some incredible views of Napoli and the surrounding countryside. Pompeii is much bigger than I could imagine and our guide was so knowledgable about the history of the place and people who once inhabited the city. It's a stunning site that should not be missed, but the one thing that made it such a fantastic adventure was our guide. He added so much value to our experience.

Venice is an incredible place, but if you stick to St Mark's square, you have no idea of what Venice is all about. We had a guide who was from Venice and knew her way around the tiny streets and quiet piazzas, as well as informing us about the history of Venice and how it came to be built (on a swamp!) and what is happening now with the city and its inhabitants. The real Venice is outside of the heavily-trafficked tourist areas, and it is beautiful and quiet and utterly amazing.

Super fun! Our instructor was excellent! We got to eat the food we made, and it was one of the best meals we had during out whole trip.

As with any of the large tourist attractions in Italy, the guide is the key to full enjoyment. All of our guides were exceptional, and Matteo was no different. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and obviously knew all the ins and outs of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. Rome is a large, modern city, so it's a bit shocking to have the Colosseum and other Roman ruins pop up in the middle of all the accoutrements of modern life. The ruins are very crowded, so we had to adjust our expectations a bit, but although we were shoulder to shoulder with several thousand other tourists, it was fascinating to learn the history of ancient Rome.

As with our other tours, we had a fabulous guide to the Vatican. It was stunning to see the many treasures that the Vatican museums hold--statues, paintings, and of course, the majesty of the Sistine Chapel. Given the massive collection of masterpieces that the Vatican Museums hold, it would take months to fully explore the galleries, so we only saw a tiny fraction. The only downside was that there was no place to rest after hours on our feet, and the huge numbers of other tourists sharing the experience with us. Our guide, Alex, explained everything beautifully and was a great photographer to boot--offering to take our picture with impressive backgrounds around every corner. St Peter's Basilica is enormous, vast, immense--it's hard to process how big the space is; the piazza outside the cathedral is also gigantic. What an amazing place!

One of the best tours we took! The tourists hung out at the Duomo, which was spectacular, but our guide took us to the less-crowded, but historically significant places in Florence, including smaller churches, streets full of the most fashionable brands, and palaces that were not full of tourists.

The room was clean and comfortable. The breakfast was good. The desk staff was business only, not particularly friendly. The location was great!

Very very clean. Room was strange in that it was L shaped and the a/c was in the furthest location from the bedroom so it took a long time to cool down. It was clean, however, and the staff were all friendly and helpful. Breakfast was good, too. Location was great!

Loved the chic and boutiquey feel of this hotel. It was super clean and very convenient for walking the city. The breakfast was great and staff were all friendly. The elevator was not always convenient to use (often busy) but we didn't mind walking the stairs.

Our hotel room had the view of the bus depot so it was a little less charming than otherwise had expected. Room was very clean and staff was friendly. Breakfast was not great compared to the other 3 hotels and it was very crowded always. It was a 27 minute walk to the main square which was a bit long after an entire day of walking. We had gone back and forth on where to stay in Venice. Staying on the Grand Canal would have been too expensive I believe?

This was cancelled so we had a private driver. It was expensive but excellent.

Our guide was great. The crowds were horrific though.

Again huge crowds at this time of year but our guide helped steer us away from them. He was excellent.

This tour was excellent. We had a fabulous guide and the locations she took us to were fabulous.

This tour was also excellent. Our guide was fabulous and the areas she took us to were well worth it. Sienna was a disappointment as I had been there 26 years ago.. no real crowds then.

The guide was wonderful. We were only 2 couples which was fantastic.

LOVED LOVED our guide Sebastian. He was fabulous and even took us on the less traveled path to our locations where the scenery and the lack of crowds was greatly appreciated. The wineries were wonderful too.

We had a wonderful guide. There was only ONE other couple of this tour ( possibly due to weather ) which made it more personal.

Location is conveniently located with min walk to Roma terminal. It is also walkable to tourists attractions, shopping, eateries etc. City bus tour just round the corner. Nostalgia Room is spacious but lots of mosquitoes (think season not right in between Summer to Autumn). Elevator takes forever.

Clean and modern. Quiet even though facing the street.

Location is just min walk to tourist attractions, right by the pier. Room is clean. Service is excellent. Nice roof top bar for chilling.

The Hotel Pendini is located just off the Piazza della Repubblica and close to many sites. It’s a lovely old hotel with a lot of atmosphere and decorated with antiques. The breakfast is outstanding, and the front desk staff very helpful. The room was small which is pretty standard in Europe, but the bathroom was roomy. Even though our room faced a busy street, when the windows were shut, it was very quiet.

Lovely little hotel. Not that hard to find, but you need to keep an eye out for its entrance which is off the street and down a little alleyway. It has a security gate with a code. Room is small but serviceable. Only issue we had was the beds sit on a wooden platform and you can easily wack yourself in the shins! Our room had a lovely private courtyard. The hotel is very close to a water taxi stop which is very convenient.The breakfast is very good.

Lovely small hotel. Two entrances with one having an elevator so you don’t have to lug your suitcases up a lot of stairs! Clean and the room we occupied had a shower that could fit 10 people! 🤣 The hotel is extremely convenient and but a few steps away from the street that has all the restaurants and shopping but is very quiet. It’s about a 3 min. walk to the jetties where you catch the ferries to Isle of Capri, Positano, Sorrento, etc. for day trips. There’s a small beach to dip your toes into the Mediterranean. Also, they have a laundry service that is quick and reasonable.

This small hotel is off of a Piazza that sets up an open air market each day and there are restaurants and shopping there, also. It is down a narrow cobblestone alley/walkway. I know if you are from the US, you may have a little trepidation about these narrow alleyways but this is the norm in Rome. There are shop fronts along these along with service entrances. These are also dimly lit at night, but we never felt unsafe. Many people walk along these routes. Be aware that the taxi would not come down the narrow street and left us off on the main street and then we had to pull our suitcases down to the hotel. Our private driver when we left the hotel managed to get closer to the hotel, but he still had to pull our luggage down the narrow street. The hotel is convenient to a lot of shops and eateries.

Venice is a crumbling city of amazing beauty. The canals are its streets and so very different from other cities. It has its own charm like no other. Venice has an amazing water taxi system to get you from point A to point B.

We saw a glass blowing demonstration and went to the museum. Spectacular glass work. We really loved Burano. In fact, our guided tour allowed for a quick demonstration of the dying art of lace making and the a short period for lunch. We decided to not go back with the tour and spend the rest of the day having a leisurely lunch, shopping and snapping photos of the wonderfully brightly painted houses. Came back on the last ferry of the day.

What a magnificent cathedral. Photos just don’t do it justice.

It was raging cats and dogs, so even though we had skip the line tickets for a specific time, everything was running late. Was it worth the wait and chill? Absolutely!

Truly amazing how close the Tuscan region is to the heart of Florence. The landscape is picturesque and winding. Vineyards are generational and well run.

Wow. The Amalfi coast is stunning. The day we went to Capri, the Mediterranean was very choppy, but that didn’t stop us. We took a small tender out to the larger cabin cruiser and then toured the coastline of Amalfi and Positano before heading out to Capri. Capri, like Positano is steep and there is a lot of walking uphill if you want to get away from the beachfront areas. Well worth the climb for the marvelous views.

It was a fun gelato tasting tour. We got to sample some yummy stuff and then proceeded along taking in the sites. Rome is crowded even when it’s supposedly a little off season. The unfortunate part was that 2025 is a Jubilee year and many of the fountains were covered with scaffolding for spiffing up in anticipation of the Jubilee. The Pantheon is a must see. We saw Trevi Fountain but there was no water in it, so no tossing of the coins. We also walked to the Spanish Steps. There again, extremely crowded. However, that should not deter one from going. It’s still an amazing city to see.

One of the highlights. The photos you see in the magazines will never give you the full picture of how colossal this ruin is. Our guide was excellent in taking us to the perfect spots and explaining what actually happened there. The Forum so very interesting as well. The views from Palatine Hill were spectacular. The Forum is not to be missed.

The lines to get into the Vatican are extremely looooong if you are just winging it. Would HIGHLY recommend getting a skip the line ticket, even if you don’t do a tour.

If I could give 10 stars, I would. We took a private tour and our guide (MP) was amazing. Her knowledge made our walk through the Vatican so rich in understanding the history of the beginnings of Christianity. Her descriptions of the statues, paintings, tapestries and painted maps that lined great halls was outstanding. She reviewed the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel before we went in (since you cannot speak or take photos in the chapel) which was so informative so we were not only able to admire the glorious masterpieces but understand the symbology behind them. St. Peter’s Basilica is beyond description. Nothing can prepare you for it’s splendor.

Although our room did not have a great view, it was lovely and the staff was very helpful. The location was good.

Fabulous view down to the sea. Walking distance to just about everything. Very helpful staff.

Very comfortable room. Excellent location close to the many attractions including the Coliseum and the Vitoria Emanuel monument.

Pompeii was so amazing. Mt Vesuvius was fun to walk to the summit and to see the crater and the winery tour was great. The wine was good as was the food.

Marco, our boat captain was wonderful, friendly and enjoyable to be with. He was an excellent captain and got us into the Blue Grotto with minimal hassles in spite of the large number of people waiting to enter.

The road is very crooked and the traffic is intense, but it was worth it to see Amalfi and Ravello. Our driver was very good and there were lots of great sights to see.

Simona, our guide really enhanced this visit. She had a wealth of knowledge to share with us making the visit very enjoyable. We had been to the Colosseum many years before without a guide and this was so much better.

We had visited some crypts in Portugal and this was very similar and interesting. The tour of the crypt seemed a bit rushed, but the catacombs tour was outstanding.

One of the receptionists is very friendly.

The activity didn’t happen as planned until we contact the local support. We were informed it was cancelled. Then they arranged a noon activity to visit thr Duomo only.

Be prepared to have a big stomach as the food quantity is a lot. There are 1 big piece of focaccia bread, 1 big piece of la pia, then pesto pasta, then 2 kinds of mussels, the gelato. It is good to try local food but I think it is better to spread out the time to eat them.

I was against this activity originally. It turns out a fun thing to do.

The help at front hole in walk desk was not really helpful. Breakfast was yuk.

Wonderful and very helpful front desk. Breakfast was wonderful!! A lot of choices and plenty to start our day

The location of this accommodation is off putting. When we arrived, we were worried about safety. Once entering the accommodation, it was nice and clean. The staff was very friendly and helpful. It's not close to the city center, but is close to the train station. It's very loud at night with cars and people yelling.

This hotel is BEAUTIFUL. Wonderful location. Clean and comfortable. Wish I had more time here. The rooftop bar is great with beautiful views.

I LOVED this b&b. The owners were so sweet and very hospitable. The rooms were very clean, comfortable and felt like you were staying with family. They made wonderful breakfast for us every morning. They had filtered water available in the kitchen 24/7. The property was so beautiful, and I would definitely stay here again. The only con -- which for me -- wasn't much of a con is that in October, they do not use air conditioning. So, if you're hot natured, this may not be the best for you that time of year. As some of our days in Florence were nearly 80 degrees and we couldn't use the a/c. But overall, I was comfortable with the temperature most of the time. We loved this b&b.

This was a great tour. Our guide offered much history to the city of Florence and about the wine. She took us to many locations, and we had appetizers and wine at each stop. We had a blast.

Great space and very helpful hosts. Location in the Ancient part of the city was a plus for us getting around on foot, though it can be challenging for parking.

The perfect respite from the first four days of the urban experience of our trip.

Well located in Catania for easy pedestrian access.

Salvatore was an excellent guide.

Our guide was excellent! So enthusiastic and well versed in the history and the 2 hours flew by.

Marta was an excellent guide. Her knowledge and patience touring the Villa were very much appreciated.

Ignacio was a great driver and guide. We would have never seen all that we did beyond Taormina with Castelmola and Naxos without him.

Davide was an excellent guide for our Mt. Etna excursion...very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

A good wine tasting experience.

The ones paying the bills got the pull out couch but other then that very clean and nice 😂🥰

They have one room in all of the hotel that sinks like sewer and again the people paying for the rooms got that room. They should not rent that room to anyone but overall the hotel was wonderful and the other two rooms were great.

Best hotel for early morning flights

Staff super friendly

Our favorite, great staff, great food and service

Outstanding

We definitely wished we would’ve had a boat ride around all of Lake Como

Because of a rainy day, we changed our itinerary around a little which was wonderful and our driver was great

Our tour guide was amazing

One added bonus on the excursion is, I didn’t realize I sold their wine at my store in Minnesota and I got to meet the owner of the winery fantastic

Everyone should see this!!

Loved the multiple locations our guide took us to

Loved the setting, the wines and light lunch

Our guide was wonderful. The history and architecture shouldn’t be missed

Beautiful hotel with professional and accommodating staff. Lovely breakfast and great location.

We had a beautiful suite with a view of Piazza Santa Maria Novella.

Iurica Piccioli was a terrific guide, both knowledgable and entertaining!

Adored Elvira Politi! She was very knowledgeable, funny, professional and lovely!

Lovely small hotel, just 10 rooms. Very Italian breakfast - cappuccino, cheeses and cold meats, local cake/torta. Not good for those who struggle with stairs, especially on arrival as you have to carry your luggage up a steep staircase to reception.