Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Melanie from Kimkim made planning our niece’s 16th birthday trip a breeze. From start to finish Melanie was quick to respond and flexible with our many change requests. Once on the ground in Italy, Giovanna kept in touch daily to make sure we knew the plan for transfers and excursions. When we ran into a surprise, which only happened once or twice, Giovanna and the team resolved the issue quickly. We had great private guides (Stefano in Cinque Terre, Rafaela in Pompeii, and Paolo at the Colosseum in Rome were stand outs). The group tours were a bit of a let down after the private guide experience. Our transfer drivers were all early and efficient. Overall our KimKim experience was as fabulous and we will use them again!

Hotel Reviews

Relais Le Clarisse Rome

Rome

Great location, comfortable rooms, and very friendly staff. The breakfast was hearty and a great way to start our busy days.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great restaurants and sights nearby.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Nazionale

Levanto

Easy walk from the train station and near the beach. The restaurant across the street was one of the best we tried in Italy. Loved that the hotel offered free beach towels and bike usage.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alfieri9 Boutique Hotel

Florence

A little out of the way but walkable to all the sights. Hotel check in is across the street at another property which was a little confusing but we figured it out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Montestella

Salerno

Location is good for exploring Salerno but the property is aging. Our room had water damage on the walls and a shower that leaked. Breakfast was good. Lots of street noise at times from our room. Staff was efficient but aloof compared to staff at other properties.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pesto making class

Cinque Terre

This experience was a little weak. We enjoyed that it was a private experience but it was quick. We were just told the ingredients, instructed how to make it and then ate it. Enjoyed the local wine.

Quality of Experience

Food

Average pesto in a paper bowl.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved Stefano

Colosseo and Roman forums adventure

Rome

Incredible sights made all the more spectacular by our wonderful private guide Paolo. He made the place come to life and delivered his tour with passion and care. Wonderful experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour

Rome

The group tour of the Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel was very impersonal. The guide did not connect and the entire experience seemed rote and without feeling. The guide company was not real clear about what we were doing and were slow to get things started. Overall this was a painful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private driver was great. Group guide was subpar

Transport

The Accademia Gallery tour - skip the line

Florence

Loved the private guide who got us in quickly. He was a little had to understand but it was helpful to have his insights

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lemon tour and cooking class

Italy

This was one of our favorite experiences in Italy. Incredible staff, amazing views, delicious food. This was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On time and personable.

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

Rafaela was incredibly knowledgeable and fun to be with. Pompeii is incredible and she made it even better. There was a mixup on the times of our tour so she was rushed and we didn’t get a full 2 hours but we made the most of it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The city tour of Genoa with our guide Laura gave us so much insight to the history and age of the city! We’re glad we did not miss out of that!

Our Guide, Falu, drove us to Pontinvrea and provided us with all the translations with the local municipality to discover the address where my grandfather was born!!
It was so exciting and delightful to see the engagement of everyone helping us find my familial roots!! A true highlight.

Next, Gabby took us on the wonderful and exhilarating hike to Vernazza! She was a complete pleasure to spend the day with.

All the drivers were professional and punctual. We appreciate all of them as well!

Lastly, we’d like to express our appreciation for Catrina. She made the process of creating our trip to Italy seamless. Thank you for pulling this wonderful trip together for us. We enjoyed every bit of it.

Grazie,
Tom and Linda

Francesco was responsive and patient and willing to work with me and my budget. We made several changes to the itinerary to ensure the absolute most diverse experiences possible.

I had a hard time deciding on how many stars to rate the service we received through Valeria (per Kimkim). On one hand, Valeria was at all times professional, responsive, friendly and thorough. She helped us plan a trip to Rome and Tuscany. And, for the most part she delivered on what we asked for. However she made one very big mistake - our rental in Tuscany. We asked for a house that was walking distance to town, as we would not have a rental car. We like to bike and said we’d be happy biking into town as well. Valeria booked us into the Villa Monica which is only 2K from Greve (the nearest town). She said it was walkable and we could ride the bikes at the villa. However, the road to town is a main highway with cars going very fast and no sidewalk or walking path. No one walks on it as it is too dangerous. She also assured us there was taxi service in Greve but that is not true. There was no taxi service and no Uber, Lyft or other rideshare. This made going into town almost an impossibility. There is a bus but the schedule is unreliable. For example, one evening my daughters took the bus to pick up food only to find there was no return bus so they had to walk along the dangerous road carrying all the food. My husband tried riding one of the bikes into town but, again, the roads were very dangerous with blind turns and the bike was in terrible condition with the brakes barely working. So, with a dangerous road, no rental car and a town without taxis we were unable to go into town to have dinner or coffee etc. and grocery shopping was a huge challenge. The other problem with Villa Monica is that the photos Valeria sent did not match the reality of the home. The main floor rooms are dark with old, shabby, uncomfortable furniture and the house has a very moldy, musty smell. Luckily it was sunny enough to keep the doors open so we could air out the top two floors but the lower floors were impossible to be in due to the awful smell. The best rooms were the kitchen and sunroom. As to the bedrooms, the photos showed a room with bunk beds which we were expecting but there were only single beds so our guests had to share, 2 to a bed. Another disappointment was that the house was not well supplied so we had to buy toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, dishwashing soap and detergent for the dishwasher. That is not something I expect in a luxury rental. The gardens outside were beautiful and we enjoyed being outside. The pool was nice but the photo of the tennis court does not match the reality. It looks new in the photo but in fact it is quite old with big cracks in the concrete and clearly has not been maintained well. In sum, Villa Monica was not the luxury Tuscan villa we had expected, very inconvenient for vacationers without a rental car.

Valeria is based in Rome and it was clear she knows the accommodations there. She booked us in the Fortyseven Hotel which is centrally located, very comfortable with excellent service. We enjoyed our time there very much. Also, all the tours she arranged were excellent and we loved our guides: Marco on the golf cart, Claudia at the Vatican and Alicia on the bike trip. We learned so much and had a great time. The tours in Tuscany were fabulous. Leonardo led us on an amazing bike tour, we loved having lunch at La Piaggia as well as the farm tour and cheese tasting at Il Podele. Eleanora was our guide for truffle hunting and the cooking class and it was so interesting to talk with her about Tuscany and her love of languages. Guissepe was an amazing truffle hunter with his dog Bibi who we all loved. And the cooking class with Andrea and Eliza was incredible as well as the tour of Sandro’s vineyards and wine making operation.

Also all our transfers worked out perfectly. All drivers were punctual, professional and friendly and we are grateful for their service. We especially loved Manuel who drove us 3 times and helped us immensely.

So, Valeria did many things wonderfully well however it was offset by the poor advice on Tuscan lodging. We use travel agents specifically to avoid situations like that so it was quite a disappointment when we realized she was not familiar with Greve transportation, with the state of the villa or with anticipating how difficult it would be for - 7 people with no reliable transportation to buy food or go to restaurants, sight see in town, etc.

Hotel Reviews

Villa Monica

Greve in Chianti

Do not rent this unless you have a rental car! We asked for a house that was walking distance to town, as we would not have a rental car. We like to bike and said we’d be happy biking into town as well. Villa Monica is only 2K from Greve however, the road to town is a main highway with cars going very fast and no sidewalk or walking path. No one walks on it as it is too dangerous. Also there is no taxi service in Greve and no Uber, Lyft or other rideshare. This made going into town almost an impossibility. There is a bus but the schedule is unreliable. For example, one evening my daughters took the bus to pick up food only to find there was no return bus so they had to walk along the dangerous road carrying all the food. My husband tried riding one of the bikes into town but, again, the roads were very dangerous with blind turns and the bike was in terrible condition with the brakes barely working. So, with a dangerous road, no rental car and a town without taxis we were unable to go into town to have dinner or coffee etc. and grocery shopping was a huge challenge. The other problem with Villa Monica is that the photos do not match the reality of the home. The main floor rooms are dark with old, shabby, uncomfortable furniture and the house has a very moldy, musty smell. Luckily it was sunny enough to keep the doors open so we could air out the top two floors but the lower floors were impossible to be in due to the awful smell. The best rooms were the kitchen and sunroom. As to the bedrooms, the photos showed a room with bunk beds which we were expecting but there were only single beds so our guests had to share, 2 to a bed. Another disappointment was that the house was not well supplied so we had to buy toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, dishwashing soap and detergent for the dishwasher. That is not something I expect in a luxury rental. The gardens outside were beautiful and we enjoyed being outside. The pool was nice but the photo of the tennis court does not match the reality. It looks new in the photo but in fact it is quite old with big cracks in the concrete and clearly has not been maintained well. In sum, Villa Monica was not the luxury Tuscan villa we had expected, very inconvenient for vacationers without a rental car.

Authenticity & Character

Purchase newer more comfortable furniture in the common rooms

Location

Need a car to get into town

Cleanliness & Comfort

Get rid of the moldy smell

47 Boutique Hotel

Rome

Excellent location near the Forum, very comfortable with top rate service

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Rome Airport Hotel

Fiumicino

Great hotel services: pool, gym, restaurant - comfortable, clean rooms - good vibes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy walk to airport terminal

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Day visit to Siena and San Gimignano - guide in Siena included

Italy

The day visit to Siena and San Gimignano was just okay. Our guide in Siena, unfortunately, spent too much time inside a church despite the tour being advertised as mostly outdoors. We were eager to explore on our own, and this slowed the experience down.

Everything about our trip to Italy was absolutely AMAZING! Andrea was so knowledgeable and wonderful! 😃🙌💜
We spent time in Rome, Florence, and Naples! All of our tour guides were experts in sharing incredible information about the various tours we participated in! I highly recommend KimKim, Inc. for anyone who wants an awesome and memorable trip/vacation!! 😃

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Floridiana

Amalfi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Corte dei Sogni Boutique Hotel & spa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Navona Essence Hotel

Roma

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - small group

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Florence

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome Private Guided Walk

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Accademia Gallery - skip the line entrance

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum and Roman Forum - small group guided tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the most incredible trip. Marta communicated with us almost weekly until we left for the trip so were informed and felt prepared. We collaborated to create the itinerary, but she picked great hotels and tours that made our trip even more special. Some of the highlights were our private tour guide in Siena, our apartment in Florence, Mariel & the food tour in Rome, and our farm stay hotel outside of Sorrento. We felt that we were able to see and do so much, while having the perfect amount of days in each city. Throughout our trip, Marta and Jessica were proactive in sending our driver details for the next day and their contact details information. We will definitely be using this service on future trips. Thank you again for giving my family the trip of a lifetime!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Dell'Opera

Venice

The staff was incredibly friendly and the included breakfast each morning was delicious. Great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to walk to dinner spots and tours destinations

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relais Regina Giovanna

Sorrento (Na)

The property is so so gorgeous. All of the staff were very professional and eager to help. The only downside was that dinners weren’t great, but breakfast service was delicious and they have a free hourly shuttle to Sorrento where you could grab dinner instead.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Alfani al David

Florence

Right across from the accademia. A little loud during the day, but quiet at night. Valeria and Francesca met us upon check in and gave us some great local recommendations. Large space, yet very homey.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Group Tour

Rome

It’s a must do, but that place is really crowded. Would have liked longer to explore the museum, but they keep people moving - not a flaw of the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Small Group Tour of Colosseum Underground, Arena and Forum

Rome

You definitely need to be in shape to do this tour. It is a fast paced walk around the Roman forum, but there is so much to see in a short amount of time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gondola ride

Venice

Must do in venice

Quality of Experience

Hidden Venice Walking Tour

Venice

To be honest, this was fine for us. We didn’t really remember it after the fact, but enjoyed ourselves during it.

Rome: Foodie Walking Tour of Campo de Fiori Market and Roman Neighborhoods

Rome

Definitely a highlight of the trip. The guide was really informative and took us to some great stops. They had a cookbook and restaurant guide that they sent afterwards too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Capri in a Day by boat

Italy

This was so much fun, but if you have a big group, would be better to get your own boat instead of sharing with others as it does get a bit cramped.

Tuscany: San Gimignano & Siena Day Trip

Italy

Wish we had more time in Siena, what a hidden gem! Our tour guide was a local and had so much knowledge to share. Definitely a highlight of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The overall trip was smooth and hassle-free—just the way I had envisioned it. Arianna was incredibly patient and accommodating, customizing the itinerary to fit my preferences perfectly. The local agents stayed in constant touch throughout, which allowed me to focus on enjoying the experience rather than managing logistics or the daily schedule. They were also flexible with last-minute adjustments, which was a huge help as I was traveling with my two kids who needed extra attention. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience—this is my second time planning a trip with KimKim, and it’s always a delight. If you’re looking for a stress-free, well-organized vacation that still lets you see and do as much as possible in a short time, KimKim is the way to go. It’s something I’ll always cherish!

Hotel Reviews

The Guardian Hotel

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Cesare Augusto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Canaletto

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Residenza Fiorentina

Firenze

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Condominio Monti Boutique Hotel

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B L'Orto Delle Terme Bagno Vignoni

Bagno Vignoni

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lunch and wine experience in Montepulciano*

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano with Lunch & Wine Tasting

Florence

It was a group of about 80 people. While the experience was good overall, it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for—I was expecting a more relaxed pace and a deeper opportunity to explore the place. But with time we had the places we covered in a day..I would say it was a good tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Excursion to Cinque Terre: the Scent of the Sea

Florence

Rome Pasta-Making Class

Rome

Amalfi coast boat tour from Sorrento (Amalfi & Positano)

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Rome

Half-day Capri Boat tour from Sorrento*

Amalfi Coast

The tour guide Nicola was awesome !!!!!

The airport transfers were awesome. The hotel was ok. It was one block off a major avenue near a hospital. So, we heard sirens day and night. Paid extra for a balcony and rooftop bar. Being one block off major streets, we were surrounded by taller buildings blocking all views from balcony and roof top bar. No one ever used the rooftop bar in the evenings. Also, no severs were visible to order drinks from, ie useless. Never used! The rooftop bar area was used for breakfast area which was ok. However, breakfast buffet was the same exact food every single morning. No variety or other options given.
The scheduled tours were provided by Liv Tours. All the guides and drivers were excellent and went above and beyond. One guide Ribal who was amazing, remembered us from our tour with him and came over to say « Hi » the following day when we were with another guide from Liv Tours. He (Lou name?) was also great and at the end of our Collosseum tour with him , he summed up our time perfectly ´It was like spending time with family!’
Our Day Trip to Pompeii and Positano was a delight. We were impressed by our guide’s knowledge of Pompeii and could tell she really enjoyed sharing her knowledge and experience with us. We were disappointed kimkim could not book us and advised us against a long day trip by van to Florence & Pisa. I personally don’t like the opaque pricing but I understand it’s typical of travel agencies.

Hotel Review

Hotel Monte Cenci

Rome

It is a nice boutique hotel. I would not say it was 5 stars but charge as one. It is located in a central location. Everything is walkable. However, the hotel has no views from balcony or rooftops bar. No one ever used rooftop bar as it had no servers. The breakfast buffet was identical every day. Staff was excellent! We had room serviced every day and turn down service too. Close to a hospital so sirens noise 24/7.

Authenticity & Character

Small but elevator limited to two guests at a time. Some long wait times.

Location

Walkable but no views!

Staff

Awesome staff and very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleaning public areas all the time.

Activity Reviews

Private Guided Visit of Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Rome

Private tour is the way to visit. More time to ask questions and can spend more time in areas you enjoy. Very crowded so small group is easier to navigate around huge groups.

Quality of Experience

We could ask to see or find items that were of interest to us.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ribal our guide was very knowledgeable and knew where to stand to take the best photos.

Private Pompeii & Amalfi Coast Day Tour from Rome

Rome

As a private tour we could go at our own pasce and select where to stop for pictures.

Quality of Experience

Pompeii is huge could spent a whole day there.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver and guide were excellent and experienced. Made everything run smoothly.

Transport

Top notch Mercedes-Benz van. Very spacious and comfortable. Expert driver on tiny little roads.

Colosseum & Roman Forum Visit: Arena Access, Gladiators Gate & Ancient City

Italy

Awesome inside and out. Our guide was excellent and treated us like family. Also suggested the best spots for that prefect picture.

Quality of Experience

Just awesome!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very knowledgeable and brought along a slide deck (paper PowerPoint) too help explain some items in more detail. I loved it!

Kimkim made our Italy trip (honeymoon) wonderful. The small Boutique hotels were so nice. Melanie planned everything wonderfully. She kept in touch with us all the way. Agota messaged us every evening, remining us of the plans for the next day and what to expect.
The tour in Venice (Ganna our guide) were knowledgeable and a joy to know. Daniele was our guide in Lake Como, he took us on an unforgettable tour through the backlands of the lake, up to a Grotto for lunch that was absolutely wonderful.
In Rome we took a private drive to a vineyard outside the city. We made pasta that they cooked for our lunch. Took a tour of the Vineyard. What a wonderful Day
I definitely recommend this team and will be using them again in the future...

I have to tell you that I have never had such an experience that actually exceeded my expectations. This was a 10th year anniversary .the Kim Kim TEAM made it an absolute dream. Prior to going to on the trip my assistant Melanie was helpful in choosing the destinations. We wanted to go to gave me other advice, including what not to pack into a day, tip information other questions I had during the trip once in ItalyI was contacted daily by WhatsApp my guide in Italy, who made sure that everything was perfect from Beginning to end. She texted me every day to see how my day went and to provide the passes for the tours for the next day. Assured that we were picked up, we were supposed to. What I could not believe that every single pick up and drop off an activity was exactly as planned. We had some wonderful guides along the way.Agota from Lee Italian side of the tour and one of the guy, Sarah, who drove us to a few places in one day was very pleasant. In fact, I left something in the car and she was kind enough to bring it to a hotel where I could pick it up the next day. I have never been so happy in a foreign country. We went to so many places Florence Venice the Amalfi Coast Sorrento I couldn’t have asked for better weather better a trip organization and I was happy to have the free days that we could wander around and get lost. Incredibly Google maps worked fantastically. We had a great meal everywhere. We went in Italy, which was of course expected Rome was wonderful. We had a great meal at Lampa, which I cannot_more. I had fun wandering to the Trevi fountain, which make sure you know what days of the week they’re cleaning it because I was surprised on a Monday morning when it was the water was off, but check the Internet and explained that it would be on later so we went back and had a great time. I cannot_how fantastic and easy the store company made it. We would certainly use them again my husband, who never left the country I was worried about going was very relaxed and comfortable The the entire time and we felt very taken care of. He’s actually wanting to go back to Italy next year, so this was an enormous prize for all of us thank you so much for all what you did for us .

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Villa Pinciana

Rome

We stayed at the Hotel Villa Pinciana for our first and last nights in Rome. The room itself was very small, reminiscent of a cruise ship, with just enough space for a king-sized bed and two side tables. Although it felt cramped, I was pleasantly surprised by the large patio that accompanied the room—it was as big as the room itself and beautifully adorned with flowers and seating. I heard the hotel used to be an embassy of some sort, which is interesting. Despite its small size, there were no issues with water or bugs. Overall, a decent stay, but not exceptional in terms of room size.

Hotel Porta Faenza

Florence

The hotel in Florence, Hotel Porta Faenza, was absolutely lovely. The room, though not massive, was very comfortable and sported a beautiful and spacious bathroom. It felt like a welcoming place to return to after a day exploring Florence. Definitely one of the highlights of our accommodations during the trip.

Activity Reviews

Deep wine Chianti and San Gimignano

Florence

The Deep Wine Chianti and San Gimignano tour was a delightful experience. The vineyard itself was beautiful, and the lunch provided was very nice. The only drawback was that the sales pitch for the wine was quite heavy, which led me to purchasing more than I initially intended. Apart from that, it was quite enjoyable—just be prepared for the sales part!

Boat tour along the Amalfi Coast

Sorrento

The Boat tour along the Amalfi Coast was absolutely wonderful. The views were stunning, and the experience was truly one-of-a-kind. It's the kind of tour that makes you love Italy even more. A definite highlight of our trip!

The Ruins of Pompeii & Winery on the Vesuvius

Italy

Unfortunately, the tour of The Ruins of Pompeii was a bit disappointing. Our guide was rather unengaging and made the tour less enjoyable than I had hoped. We did have a nice lunch afterward, which improved the overall experience a bit.

Arianna spent almost nine months working with me on a specialized tour of Northern Italy, that offered us flexibility to visit family as well as unusual, less toursity areas of the country. Over that time, significant changes occurred requiring alterations to our trip plan (e.g., number of people traveling, exact dates, locations to visit, accommodations needed, availability of direct flights, etc.) Arianna professionally and graciously lept into action to cooperatively problem-solve. When I needed suggestions, she delivered helpful information, but there was never any pressure or inflexibility. Every traveler need is thoughtfully addressed, with patience and aptitude, and the things you don't even know you want are delivered.

The accommodations she secured for us in Sirmione and Cortina d’Ampezzo were spectacular. We expressed our overall travel preferences and budget and Arianna found lodging that far exceeded our expectations in some locations, while meeting expectations in the others.

Tours and experiences Arianna booked offered us unique, high-quality, individualized access to information and places we would never have found on our own. We wished we booked more!

Hotel Reviews

Gombit Hotel

Bergamo

The hotel was a marvel of renovation and in a great, central location in the upper città. Bed was comfortable, service was excellent, breakfast was good. The only notes I would offer for fellow travelers to this location are that it is adjacent to a tourist destination (park and fountain) over which our room faced, so it was quite loud. The nightly cost to park a car is quite high.

Authenticity & Character

A renovated historic building in an ancient corridor within the limited traffic zone, requiring a specialized permit.

Location

The proximity to the funicolare and many historic sites was perfect. Dozens of wonderful markets, stores, bars, and restaurants exist within a 10-minute walk. We were easily able to walk to the lower city and back from the hotel.

Staff

I wish I could remember them all by name, but the staff with whom we interacted were consistently warm, pleasant, and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was spotless and the towels were good quality. Everything felt new.

HOTEL de LEN

Cortina d'Ampezzo BL

If I had to live in a hotel, this would be the one. Everything about its unique character and exceptional delighted my soul, but the location and staff make it even more special than the architect and interior designer could have envisioned. Every glorious concept is so thoughtfully executed. The rooftop spa is something magical. Truly. I cannot wait to get back to it.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel should be winning design awards, and does, because it's stunning. I fear that after the winter olympics in 2026 bring more focus on this place, this hotel may become so well-known that it is impossible to maintain its current perfect character. The natural wood offers a rustic marriage to a modern, sometimes industrial, interior design. The communal spaces are welcoming, sleek, open, yet private. The transparency of the spa offered an authenticity and character that took my breath away several times.

Location

Staff

Unbelievably kind and considerate staff. They were "waiting for us" when we arrived, later than expected, after long drive. They offered us refreshments during a quiet and personalized check-in process on another floor, which was such a nice touch. People knew us by name and checked on us regularly during our stay. The spa staff, especially Francesca, were extraordinary.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms are appointed in simple, tasteful decor. Bathroom with double sink was a nice touch. Everything was spotless. From a comfort standpoint, we found the inability to control room temperature or towel heating rack, lack of a refrigerator, and absence of extra bedding (lighter blanket to adjust to the fluctuations in temperature), downsides. Towels and bathrobes were high quality. Balcony was large, but with so much construction happening in the town, it was hard to enjoy being outside or having the windows open.

Lancaster Hotel

Milan

The hotel is an older accommodation in a decent location. Its staff are shining stars, however, and had the attitude and approach of a high-end place. It was relatively quiet and comfortable, with a typical breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

It is clearly an older facility, with some character and charm in its bones. Tiny elevator, old fashioned decor.

Location

If you like walking, which we do, this,was a great distance from the main attractions. There isn't much in the immediate vicinity, but it keeps it quieter outside.

Staff

Every person was kind and professional. The breakfast and front desk team were top notch, but special shout out to the guy who made us cappuccino at 4:50AM the day we departed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

While it definitely felt clean in our room and breakfast room, the common areas were quite run down in places. The walls in our room had paint peeling, scuffs, scratches, and the baseboards were badly damaged. The antiques in the room match the general decor and were a nice touch, but need better care. We could hear a lot of interior noise (neighbors above and along our hallway), although outside was quiet.

Hotel Ocelle Thermae & Spa

Sirmione

A resort and spa with a very luxe look and feel. Staff were impeccably dressed to indicate their role and function, underground parking was available, including electric charging, the entire facility was gated and closely controlled. The breakfast filled two rooms and included every option imaginable, including accommodating various dietary restrictions. The location was stellar--only a five-minute walk to Scaliger castle. But the spa facilities themselves were amazing. We sadly had little time to enjoy many aspects, as we were doing tours and visiting with family, but we wished we could have booked a few more days to enjoy the thermal baths and spa services. Notes: it is adults only, and the thermal spa comfortably accommodates a small number of guests at a time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Milan Last Supper Tour with City Highlights

Milan

Wonderful, moving experience to the the Last Supper and fully-appreciate how remarkable it is that the piece has survived, and restoration of this meticulous sort, has been achieved. The other highlights of the tour were also fantastic--ancient historical buildings, artworks, culture, politics--across thousands of years. Deborah was patient and excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sirmione Walking and Boat Tour & Scaliger Castle

Italy

Wonderful, knowledgeable tour guide who showed us the highlights of Sirmione by walking and private boat ride. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat tour was great! Wish it was longer...

Cooking Class in the Dolomites

Italy

The chef we worked with was passionate about his craft and taught us special techniques for making homemade pasta, unique to the region. It felt odd cooking in the dining room so near the entrance, using a portable stovetop, and not in a kitchen, but it was still a great experience. A bit rushed.

Quality of Experience

Salvo and Petre (Our driver for all things Sicily) were incredible.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Griffe

Rome

Loved the bartender!! He was fun! The shower was extremely small but used to American bathroons

Authenticity & Character

Location

great to be a part of the action in central Rome but was a bit noisy at night

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Residenza Fiorentina

Firenze

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Reception staff not seen unless checking in or out. When had a question about the room temperature was dismissed as that’s just the way it has to be

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Livingston

Syracuse

Everything about this hotel was amazing from location to staff!

Authenticity & Character

the view of the sea from our room made the stay so enjoyable.

Location

we liked it because it was just far enough away from the hustle.

Staff

every single person was attentive and wanted to make sure everything was perfecto!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Rome Airport Hotel

Fiumicino

A nice Segway to getting back to American life.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Beach day in Noto area

Syracuse

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was so amazing

Transport

Our driver for 3 days was absolutely amazing. He went above and beyond.

Central Food Market & Tuscan Cooking Class

Florence

The whole experience from the market to the class was 5 star all the way

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our chef was fun!! The wine flowed as we were waiting for the pasta to cook!

Ortigia Walking Tour: The Heart of Syracuse

Italy

This honestly was a GREAT EXPERIENCE with Salvo! He knows the history of not just this area but all of Syracuse.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Rome

I mean it’s the Vatican!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Frascati Tour: Enjoy Wine Tasting & Visit "Castelli Romani" area

Italy

Such great knowledge of the area. The wine is spectacular ordered a lot and they graciously are shipping direct to us

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide and staff were very knowledgeable about the area

Transport

Colosseum & Ancient Rome Tour with Roman Forum

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Winery tour in Chianti Area

Italy

The winery itself is beautiful, it’s big production!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

very quiet

Private driver at disposal

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I cannot say enough good things about this trip. Kimkim's questionnaire process made the planning aspect easy to begin and Arianna handled everything else with excellence. The information given to us beforehand as far as cultural tips, food recommendations, etc. was all so helpful. Once we finally arrived to Italy and began our trip, everything worked out perfectly and my first time traveling abroad could not have been made any easier on myself. All of our reservations went off without a hitch, all drivers were on time, all instructions easy to follow, etc. We were even able to check in early to each accommodation -- a bonus! And each accommodation exceeded our expectations. It is hard to pick out one experience as our favorite... We loved every single one of our tour guides and each big group excursion we did turned out fabulous. Our Italian Travel Ambassador was easily accessible during business hours and quick to respond to any questions or concerns we had. I loved how she checked in at the end of everyday as well as provide details of the following day's itinerary and important information so that we did not have to frequently check our actual itinerary. I will not travel without Kimkim again!

Let’s start with the good. The visit to Ostia Antiqua was amazing. Our guide was the best and very engaging. We also very much enjoyed the trip to San Gimignano, Siena and Chianti was enjoyable with the wine tasting.

Here are areas of improvement:
The level of information provided on exactly what we were getting or not getting at each site was not sufficient.
More detail on timing of events was needed.
Getting the some details of our trip more than 2-3 weeks before departure would have enabled more planning.

Our plane was delayed in arriving to Rome and we missed our first train ride to Florence and had to purchase new tickets for $444.35 . I felt like we should have been advised to wait to purchase the train ticket to Florence upon arrival. Instead we had a significant unexpected expense at the beginning of our trip.

The hotels we stayed at were good but not outstanding. Probably the one in Assisi was the best. Our reservations were incorrect in two of the hotels as they had the reservation as all one queen beds when one of the rooms were 2 twin beds. The shower in our room in Rome did not work correctly.

We did not have enough information on how to get back from Ostia Antiqua nor how long the trip would last.

Not having the English guide for the Vatican gardens nor the Scavi tour at St. Peter’s scheduled were disappointments as planning a year in advance, I would have expected those could have been arranged.

We did appreciate having other items offered to compensate for not getting what we had been planning for, but when paying a premium for travel services we would have expected more.

Hope these comments can be accepted as constructive feedback.

We enjoyed Italy very much and in the end had a wonderful trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Ginori al Duomo

Florence

Nice mid-level hotel. Images over stated the

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Il Palazzo

Assisi

Great location but need to know that it takes effort to walk there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trevi Palace Luxury Inn

Rome

Road was a bit too crowded. Shower had mold in our room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shower to work correctly and no dirty moldy grout in shower

Activity Reviews

Uffizi Gallery and Accademia Gallery

Florence

Great but crowd control is over whelming

Quality of Experience

Private tour in San Gimignano, Siena and Chianti

Italy

Enjoyed this trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free afternoon in Assisi

Assisi

Enjoyed going to Basilica. Sam Domiano, and walking from tops of hill down to the Basilica

Quality of Experience

Assisi Walking Tour

Assisi

We did this on our own

Caterina did a great job with the planning of our trip. I had to make many changes along the way due to constantly changing family schedules, etc, and she was very flexible. all of our drivers for our excursions and transfers were great and communicated really well with us. This is our 4th time using Kimkim and we have referred many friends to your company who have in turn been happy with their trips. We will definitely use Kimkim again for our future travel!

My wife and I went to Italy, Vatican & Switzerland. We used the high speed trains to go between cities and regions which was exciting and clean. We both wanted a custom trip tailored to what we wanted to do, see and experience. KimKim took all our ideas and they suggested a few more. They checked-up on us with What’s App text each day. They put the trip all together with our train tickets, private drivers/transfers, clean 4 star boutique hotels that were within walking distance of must-see’s. They don’t do air travel. They suggest restaurants or you find your own. We had cooking class and dinner in people’s homes because we wanted to learn their culture and dishes. We had an experienced as a couple, and not the cookie-cutter herd feeling. We were not listening to other Americans, we were hearing locals speak different languages and we had fun trying to communicate and thankfully most know some English. Our trip was seamless and our drivers were always there to pick us up and our tours were all private as we requested. Let your travel budget be your guide. We saw more places and did more things than we could have using the”package” deals. Hats off to them; I have to recommend them because they deserve it!

Hotel Reviews

Agriturismo Il Colle

Bellagio

We had a veranda view of Lake Como that wowed us. The veranda was big. We loved the room and service.

Authenticity & Character

The view and service. Breakfast is great. It’s on a hill so walking is challenging. You might want a cab to restaurants.

Location

It is near the Gardens of Villa Melzi.

Staff

Mary was attentive to our needs

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, roomy, The big windows and doors open for fantastic views. Also has a small washing machine and veranda dry rack.

Casa Montani Hotel

Rome

Andrea was incredibly helpful. His restaurant suggestions are the best. It’s within steps of everything important to see.

Authenticity & Character

It doesn’t look like a hotel. It’s got eight rooms that are well kept and a little turn of the century looking elevator I loved.

Location

Centrally located, quiet and very clean.

Staff

Andrea makes the stay great!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Not your regular hotel. You get a key to a large front door where there are little offices and you walk to the elevator and up to your room. Simple,clean, smart location in a good area.

Hotel Steffani

St. Moritz

Swiss feel with a close view of the Matterhorn out of your balcony!

Authenticity & Character

Very Swiss

Location

Close to everything, we took the gondola up to the top of the mountain, had lunch and came back down!

Staff

Always available

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very good

Activity Reviews

Dinner Experience in a Local Home Restaurant

Rome

We can’t say enough about going to these people’s homes and making pasta,cooking it including tiramisu!

Quality of Experience

Wonderful people

Food

Authentic homemade food!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Rome in one day: Golf cart, Colosseum & Vatican Private guided tour

Rome

This is how you see it all and save your feet! Jacomo put us in the right spot everytime.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour: Positano, Amalfi & Ravello

Italy

Our private driver Francisco knew the area and all the views. We would get spots and no one else was around. That meant he had greater knowledge and gave us an extra advantage. He brought us to an incredible restaurant with the best water view.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of the Villas with local guide from Bellagio

Lake Como

Fantastic guide, we saw more views and sites on this one trip than several put together.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We simply had a wonderful time. Major highlights include Ivan's tour of Pompeii and Elisabetta's cooking class, although the other tours and the mosaic class were also very good. It would have been helpful to know in advance which tours were large groups and which were private, but all worked out very well. We would use Kimkim again.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Piazza Bellini & Apartments

Naples

Huge room, charming place, good service. The piazza and balconies offered ways to be outside if the mood struck. I recommend the place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Navona Colors Hotel

The room was on the small side, but I didn't spend any time in there, so no problem. Service was great, breakfast buffet was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Capuchins Crypt: Sacred Music in the Heart of Rome

Rome

This activity was so-so. Could be a one night thing, but the soloist was not into performing.

Julius Caesar & the Emperors’ Stories private walking tour

Rome

Guide was knowledgeable. Peace altar was the most memorable part of the tour. Overall, very good experience.

Welcome to Rome!

Rome

We had no problem meeting our driver and getting to the hotel.

Early entrance tour of Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter Basilica

Rome

Beautiful, but we needed a lot more time.

Private guided tour of Haercolanum

Italy

Anna was knowledgeable and fun.

Mosaic workshop with a local micro-mosaic artisan

Rome

Good experience. She didn't seem to mind that we ran overtime.

Guided Visit to the Colosseum, Palatin Hill and Roman Forum

Rome

The guide was good, but she was hard to keep up with. I felt like she could have stopped to count us more often. Also, a small thing, but her stick was hard to follow--instead of a flag or scarf, she just had a tiny stuffed animal on the end of it and it was hard to see in the crowd.

Private Neapolitan Cooking Class

Naples

This is an activity not to be missed. Elisabetta shared produce and olive oil directly from her farm so we could make a delicious, authentic meal. Also, the setting for this class is gorgeous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided tour of Pompeii and Bosco Reale

Italy

Ivan was an exceptionally good guide. He modified where we went based on our interests and answered a whole slew of questions.

Wow! This was my first trip using KimKim. My wife and I wanted a special trip in Sicily with our adult children to see the sights and connect with relatives in a remote part of the island. Our local specialist Chris was excellent in every way. My wife broke her leg in January so we had to put the trip planning on pause until we were confident she would be ready. Chris was very accommodating with this and with some minor last minute changes. Everything was excellent from the airport transfers to the local guides to the hotels (with the exception of the hotel in Palermo which was very noisy). We had a private cooking class in Taormina with Luca. 3 members of our group are gluten free. They had one station set up that was gluten free and another for gluten tolerant. Our guide for the Mount Etna hike to Vale de Bove was incredible. He is part of the Italian mountain search and rescue team. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. The drivers we had were professional and very personable.

Hotel Reviews

Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze

Catania

Great location. Very nice rooms. Be sure to enjoy the rooftop bar and restaurant with views of Mt. Etna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relais Chiaramonte

Ragusa

Stunning views, Very clean and modern rooms. Beautiful pool. One of the best meals we had in Sicily.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Countryside relais

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Athena

Agrigento

This is probably top-10 in hotels we have stayed in. The views of the temples are incredible. Be sure to plan to enjoy a meal in the outdoor dining area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Saracen Sands Hotel & Congress Centre

Isola delle Femmine

We asked for a hotel near the PMO airport because we had a 0550 Flight in the morning. The hotel is a very large convention hotel. The room was clean but smelled strongly of mold and vinegar. The concrete was spalling on the wall. The worst problem was the *very* loud birthday party with DJ in the courtyard until 11 PM our first night. The desk staff promised there would be no party on our second night before our flight. They lied. There was a very loud DJ in the courtyard facing our room and the other courtyard had a party with loud music. At 10PM we insisted on a new room. The Staff accommodated us by moving us to a recently built villa but that required us packing and moving to a new building outside the hotel campus. … Less than 3 hours of sleep before a very long trip home. … FYI the beach was filled with garbage, very unappealing but not under the control of the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Positive: they moved us into a quiet room at 10 PM. Negative Staff lied to us by stating there would not be a party on Saturday night.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very loud, don’t stay if you want to sleep before midnight.

Activity Reviews

Full day excursion to Taormina with a Sicilian cooking class

Italy

The cooking class with Luca was a highlight of the entire trip. Half the group was gluten free. Luca had a separate gluten-free station set up for the pasta making portion of the class. Luca was fun and engaging and even experienced cooks learned a lot about Sicilian specialties. The class was super fun and the food was delicious and abundant. … Our guide for the Taormina was a solid “B” grade and was the weakest link of the trip. She was grumpy that our lunch ran late and started the tour with “I have a doctor’s appointment so it is OK if you want to have time to walk around.” She was technically ok but seemed rushed and distracted.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Etna hiking & wine tasting

Italy

Our guide Dario is a serious mountaineer. He was very fun, entertaining and informative. He is also a member of the Italian Search and Rescue team so we knew we were in good hands. We had a fantastic view of the Vale de Bove, a UNESCO heritage site. I have done lots of backpacking and climbed many mountains, but this was one of the most stunning sites I have seen.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Agrigento - Scala dei Turchi - Valley of the Temples

Agrigento

Lorenzo was literally one of the best tour guides we have ever had. His deep knowledge of history gave context to the site. His style is extremely entertaining and he made the whole tour super fun. He talked for 2 hours and the tour went by in a flash. Lorenzo is one of the few people I would specifically seek out if I were to visit Sicily again. I wish I could give 6 stars

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ragusa & Agricola Occhipinti guided tour

Ragusa

Ragusa is worth a quick visit. Our driver was amazing. He took us to a great spot on the superior village to get a view and then took us to the lower village. He dropped us in the Piazza, pointed out a great gelato shop and told us he would meet us by the garden. This gave us the perfect opportunity to stroll through the Main Street in an unhurried manner. Occhipinti gave an excellent tour and the wines were quite good. (We ordered a couple of cases to ship home). However, the vineyard is a bit out of the way and probably not worth a special trip unless you are in the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

They were very detailed and everything went so smoothly. I loved getting the daily reminders of our itinerary. The guides and drivers were all great and professional. I would definitely recommend KimKim for anyone who wants a hassle free vacation planned

Hotel Reviews

Harmony Hotel Mykonos

Mýkonos City

Loved this hotel and the breakfast was amazing. It was in a great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Montani Hotel

Rome

Easy check in and the room was beautiful. This room was in the perfect location to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adamant Suites Santorini

Santorini

This property was beautiful just wish we knew what exact room we were getting. Our trip advisor told us we were getting upgraded and that wasn’t the case so we were very disappointed. The hotel handled it very professionally though and it wasn’t their fault. They were very helpful with luggage etc.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maison il Conservatorio

Sorrento

Beautiful property but the fan in the room caused the lights to bang against the wall. This hotel was in a great location and breakfast was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albergo Terminus

Como

Such a great property such a charming room with an amazing view of lake como

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Veneziano Venice

Venice

Great location and very nice rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Venice Walking Tour with St. Marks Basilica Access

Italy

She was amazing very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Gondola Ride

Venice

Just ok didn’t interact or offer to take pics etc.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Evening Rome Walking Tour

Rome

She cared more about the little details in a building etc and skipped over some of the big tourist things saying oh that’s to crowded. We were tourists and wanted to see the Spanish steps trevi fountain etc. She didn’t gear it to what we wanted to see and do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Best of Colosseum & Ancient Rome With Exclusive Arena Access

Rome

She was amazing very intuitive to her group - kept things moving offered to take pics etc.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pasta Making and Tiramisu Class

Rome

So fun total highlight of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour from Sorrento

Italy

This was great the boat driver was awesome and patient while we went to the blue grotto.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour Amalfi Coast: Positano & Amalfi

Italy

Great driver very knowledgeable and courteous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Luxury Catamaran Cruise around Santorini

Santorini

Didn’t get to get bc of winds

Sardinia is beautiful and we loved the activities scheduled for us. The hotels were lovely and well situated. The guides for all our activities were knowledgeable and personable. There were a few minor glitches-our driver was given the wrong address for the car rental center which caused some stress. Our driver from the airport had some difficulty finding the hotel in Cagliari and did not speak any English so there were some communication challenges. We had previously booked a trip to Portugal with KimKim and it was flawless, so we were expecting the same for this trip. Overall the trip was great and we will likely book through KimKim again for future travel.