Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Superb - that was our experience with Chris and Maria Grazia of the Italy team.  Upon first reaching out to KimKim we were immediately connected to Chris.  He understood our hopes and preferences and compiled extraordinary hotel accommodations in four cities.  Along with Maria Grazia, he set up the right-fit tour guides and transportation for us.  Maria Grazia supplied daily detailed information with names and connections.  Midway through our two week Italy stay, we switched plans and Maria Grazia fully understood and reacted quickly to make other plans for us. Chris suggested an online meeting before we left our Boston home to review our specialized itinerary  which proved extremely worthwhile and allowed us to make a face-to-face connection.  Thanks to the Whatsapp application we had both Chris and Maria Graze in our pockets 24 hrs. per day.  We did have some off-hours communication that both Chris and Maria Graze accepted helpfully and graciously - they both possess a great sense of humor.  We could not more strongly recommend KimKim and the extraordinary Chris and Maria Grazia.

We enjoyed and appreciated the KimKim business model as a whole. It was nice to have local specialist help you plan the itinerary and I liked that you could book some things on your own such as hotels etc. Pricing for their service seemed a bit high but we did enjoy saving some personal planning and booking time. We covered Rome, Puglia, back up to Florence and Cinque Terre for 17 days so lots of miles. The trip went well as planned. Melanie was very responsive and a true pleasure to work with and a great attitude.

The experience organising the trip with Maria Grazia was excellent from start to finish. Beginning with the planning of the itinerary itself and going though several iterations before landing on the final version. We then had to change our dates quite late, which was taken care of very smoothly.

Each of the three hotels were excellent, really well located and met our expectations completely. The organised trips were all very good. For Palermo, we would like to mention Salvatore (Street Food Tour) and Marilu (Private Walking Tour). They were both highly knowledgable and very engaging.

In Catania the Street Food Cooking class with Paola at Tacchi e Sapori Factory was excellent. We did have some problems finding the exact location, and the "tinyurl" link was the most accurate, although we had to manually retype that into our browser to make it work.

In Taormina, the Walking Tour with Gracie was again excellent - great knowledge of the complex history of the area, and also really flexible with the tour itself.

We did make a change to the car hire by one day, which Barbara dealt with really well, the App was a great communication tool.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Taodomus

Taormina

Very central in the town, and just a 5 minute walk from a modern and secure car park. Great rooftop terrace for breakfast and sundowner drinks. The breakfast was wonderful with a big range on offer.

Authenticity & Character

Traditional hotel from the outside, but contemporary once inside.

Location

Very central. Great views of Mt Etna and the town itself.

Staff

Very helpful and attentive throughout our stay

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze

Catania

Very central. Great breakfast and amazing rooftop terrace with views of Mt Etna and the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful staff, particularly for organising additional tours

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B In Centro Palermo

Palermo

Very centrally located, modern and clean. Very friendly and helpful staff, particularly with our late check in. If using a hire car, it would be worth contacting the hotel ahead of time to get the exact address for parking and hotel access, given it's location on a pedestrian only street.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and clean, good sized rooms. Inside a very secure office block

Location

Very central

Staff

Very friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Taormina Highlights Walking Tour

Italy

Please see earlier comments in Summary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catania Street Food Cooking Class

Catania

Please see earlier comments in Summary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had some problems finding the location - please see earlier comments

Palermo Street Food Tour

Palermo

Please see earlier comments in summary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Palermo Private Walking Tour

Palermo

Please see previous comments in summary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fabio did an amazing job with planning our trip to Rome, Florence, and Naples. He made everything seamless, and was available to help very quickly via chat/email. We had the most time as a family of 6, and we are forever grateful to Fabio for helping us make the best memories.

Everything went so smoothly. From the initial planning stage, we enjoyed working with Sonia and collaborating together to get the perfect month long trip to Italy. Sonia was always very responsive to my emails and had great suggestions for the flow of the trip and our accommodations. One of the highlights Sonia arranged was a private cooking class in Tuscany. Throughout our trip, we had excellent help/guides: 1) Our private concierge, Barbara, was outstanding. She met us in Milan and helped secure our rental car and then checked in with us periodically to confirm our arrangements. She was very responsive to any requests we had. 2) In Venice, we were met by (another) Barbara who helped us get to/from our hotel. It really allowed us to enjoy the whole experience. 3) We had a 4 hour private tour in Venice with Silvia and she was fabulous. She was so knowledgeable and fun to be with. 4) We had a 4 hour private tour in Florence with Simona and she, too, was fabulous. She gave us a great overall view of Florence and its history (including art) which really added to our stay.
This is the second time we have worked with KimKim (first time in Norway) and, although we are independent travelers, their expertise and attention to detail allows you to fully experience your trip without having to worry about all the details such as transfers, rental car arrangements, and tours. We highly recommend their services.

Hotel Reviews

Corte di Gabriela

Venice

An intimate, charming hotel in a great location in Venice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was close to everything we wanted to see, but in a side alley so it was quiet.

Staff

Wonderful breakfasts!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Cavour

Florence

You cannot beat the location of this hotel, right in the heart of Florence. Our room was on the smaller side but was modern, clean and comfortable. Unfortunately it rained so we couldn't enjoy the rooftop terrace. Breakfast was very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Antica Corte Pallavicina

Polesine Parmense

A wonderful place in the countryside outside of Parma.

Authenticity & Character

A wonderfully restored castle. There were two restaurants to eat at with amazing food.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Forestis Dolomites

Bressanone BZ

An amazing place to stay in the Dolomites. Great service, great food and the location is unbeatable.

Authenticity & Character

It was very elegant in a simple, refined way. The spa was beautiful and the swimming pool was great.

Location

The view of the Dolomites.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private guided tour of the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries (4 hours)

Florence

Our guided tour with Simona was the best way to get introduced to Florence. She was so knowledgeable about Florence and gave us a great overview of the city's history. And her knowledge of art and art history were amazing. We could never have learned so much by ourselves as we did in 4 hours with Simona. She secured reservations to the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery so it made it a breeze to visit both. We were very impressed with Simona and the personalized guided tour that she gave us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Simona, was the best.

Private transfer from Rental Car office at Florence airport to hotel

Florence

Our driver, Maurilio, showed up early so we didn't have any wait time. He was courteous, friendly and gave us information as he drove us into Florence.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private cooking class at Podere il Casale in Pienza (self-drive)

Italy

This was one of the highlights of our trip. The Podere il Casale is a beautiful farm in the Tuscan countryside and Sandra, one of the owners, was our cooking instructor. Her hospitality was incredible and we had so much fun together. The food was delicious and the ingredients were farm fresh. In addition to the food we prepared during the class, we tasted the cheese they make on the farm and sampled their freshly pressed olive oil along with their homemade bread. We enjoyed this great lunch while sitting on the lovely terrace overlooking the rolling hills of Tuscany. It was one of the best meals of our entire trip and such a wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Sandra really showed us the essence of Italian country cooking.

Food

Everything!

Venice Gondola Ride

Venice

I wouldn't say this was a highlight as it felt a little touristy. But then, when in Venice ..... it was interesting to get to see all the buildings in the canals so the sightseeing did make it a worthwhile experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We arrived early and they were able to accommodate us without us waiting.

Transport

Gondola was beautiful.

Venice walking tour

Italy

Our guide, Silvia, was outstanding. She was so knowledgeable and fun to be with. She made all the reservations for our visit to San Marco basilica and Dogo's Palace so we skipped the lines. And she showed us some hidden treasures throughout the city. It was a great way to get to know Venice so that we could explore on our own the remaining days.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Overall an excellent trip.

Hotels were excellent - except for the Sheraton at Mahlpensa. The room was beat up and furniture did not match.

The Siena tour was fabulous - guide Kathleen was great.

All the wine tastings were fantastic, especially Alfieri.

We would not recommend the luncheon after the wine tasting. The truffles were tasteless and the rest of the food unremarkable.

The Hazelnut farm was somewhat interesting but the location is hard to get to.

The country roads with many sharp turns were challenging. They etracted from our experience, but the travel agent had nothing to do with that.

The rental car was excellent.

The only request we would have is more guidance on how to reach parking in the various towns.. especially when the towns are crowded.

Maria was excellent to work with - she helped us to plan an amazing 3 week honeymoon to Italy! She and the team at Storywalking were friendly, organized and easy to reach. All of our scheduled activities were fantastic and we were able to optimize our time together instead of waiting in lineups for attractions and tours. We have many special memories from our travels. Thanks again for everything!!

Activity Reviews

Typical Dining Experience with Aperitivo & Cooking Demo

Rome

Roberta and her daughter were so welcoming to us and the food was amazing! We are very glad that we were able to join them in their home for this experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gnocchi cooking class in the heart of Verona

Verona

Aurora and Francesca were great to work with!! They were very friendly and ensured that we had a great meal and learning experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Naples Street Food Tour

Italy

This was excellent!! Not only was the food amazing, but our guide, Alessandro, was very knowledgeable and fun. It was a highlight of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The entire trip was the best vacation my family has ever been on. The WhatsApp group really help us with last minute questions.

Hotel Reviews

Liassidi Palace

VENEZIA

the view was not good from the room. Also, there was no A/C which should have been ok if the weather was different, but it was still very warm every day which made the room hot at night. We were told to open the windows, but the mosquitos were so bad that we had to sleep with the sheets over our face to prevent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Castello di Gargonza

Arezzo

I highly suggest staying here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bettoja Hotel Massimo D'Azeglio

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Europa Palace

Sorrento

The hotel is in walking distance of everything. The entire staff was excellent. The view from the room was magical.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

AMALFI AND POSITANO DISCOVERY BOAT TOUR - SEMI PRIVATE (max 12)

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Venice Walking Tour

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day At leisure in your castel

Arezzo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

PRIORITY ACCESS TO DOGE'S PALACE TICKETS

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Murano, Burano and Torcello Excursion

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Gondola Ride

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pompeii Excavations half-day Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day at leisure in Sorrento

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome Walking Tour

Rome

He had a great since of humor and made the tour very fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hill

Rome

The tour guide was very knowledgably and made it the best of all of our tours

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Saint Peters Basilica

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Christian Catacombs and ancient Basilicas

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome - 2h Gladiator School

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arianna did a great job understanding what we wanted in our trip to Italy and we saw and did so many things while we were there, from truffle hunting to dinner with a cesarine. During the trip, Jessica and Barbara from Storywalking made sure we where we needed to be when we needed to be there. Having drivers to take us to from the hotels to the train station was a real convenience. The drivers were always there right on time. Even the rental car (we drove around for part of the trip) was easy and convenient. There were five of us on this trip and I think we all agreed that using KimKim made the trip special - getting us to places we would never had known we wanted to be.

We used KimKim earlier on a trip to Norway and found the same type of thing - easy, convenient, and finding unique places and activities that we would have never found on our own.

Anytime we go to a new country (or back to countries we've already been to), KimKim will be our first call.

Thanks Arianna, Jessica, and Barbara !!

Hotel Reviews

Metropolitan Hotel Bologna

Bologna

Very nice - right in the middle of everything. Rooftop bar with great views. Modern and old at the same time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

You can't get any closer to everything than this. Wish we had more time here.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Vannucci

Città della Pieve (PG)

Wow, this is a luxury hotel right where you want to be in Citta della Pieve. We only had one night here and wish we had more. Grounds were beautiful with easy parking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect for walking around town - near restaurants and sights to see.

Staff

Staff was very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Agriturismo Il Cerreto

Pomarance

Prior to Agriturismo Il Cerreto, we were in the hear of the cities. Now we're out in the country. What a wonderful change. Did a tour of the farm and then to San Giimignano - this is a very special place. Il Cerreto was a bit hard to find (we were driving on our own at this point in the trip), but worth it. A very unique experience. Once again, there was a set of steps to walk up to get to our rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds. Wish we had another day here.

Location

A bit out of the way, but it is a working farm.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful. We knew rudimentary Italian and they knew rudimentary English, so communication was a fun problem to solve.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Davanzati

Florence

Hotel Davanzali was great!! Staff was super friendly and helpful. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Breakfast and happy hour every day. Th only negative was you had to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the lobby. Some in our group were a bit out of shape, so they had a bit of trouble with this. That said, I'd stay here again next time I'm in Florence.

Authenticity & Character

We really enjoyed this hotel - happy hour every evening before going out to dinner.

Location

So close to everything !!

Staff

Staff was the best - Leonardo

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was great - only negative for comfort was that you had to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the lobby.

Hotel Marina

Monterosso al Mare

Small boutique hotel right in the middle of things. Can't get a car all the way there (narrow roads), but the walk isn't far. Near great restaurants, bars, and paths.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lancaster Hotel

Milan

Lancaster Hotel was very nice with a few quirks. The keys were like heavy Christmas ornaments that you had to leave with the front desk anytime you left the hotel. Staff was great and friendly. Breakfast included everyday. The only negative is that the location is a bit far to places you want to see such as the Duomo.

Authenticity & Character

Great old building. Some of the bathrooms were "unique".

Location

Not much to improve - location was ok, but a long walk to sites, especially in the rain.

Staff

Very friendly staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Cooking Experience at Local's Homes

Italy

Went to the home of the cesarine, Christina Rossi. Met her husband and daughter and the cooked our dinner with Christina's guidance and supervision. This was a lot of fun and great conversations and moments to practice our Italian.

Quality of Experience

What made this a quality experience was the personal touch. Felt like we got to know Christina and vice versa.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Christina is obviously knowledgeable, but also comfortable with herself and us, which made for a great evening.

Transport

We walked the 4 minutes from our hotel. KimKim always had us in great locations.

Wine Tasting & Cooking class in a Castle near Montalcino

Italy

A bit out of the way, but worth it. Took a tour of the castle and winery. Follow that up with a private chef for a cooking class to make bruschetta, tagliatelle Bolognese, a second main dish that I can't remember the name of, tiramisu and then eating everything al fresco overlooking the vineyards with th wine produced onsite. A really nice experience.

Quality of Experience

Made for an enjoyable day

Food

Freshly made by us with coaching by the chef. Fun and delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff, especially the chef, was friendly and fun.

Transport

We drove ourselves.

Florence in a Day | Semi-Private

Italy

This was an amazing day. A long walk but worth it. Our guide was just the best. Very knowledgable and open to all questions. You see so much in a day its can be overwhelming in the best possible way.

Quality of Experience

David, Uffizi, Duomo - so much. Was great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very knowledgable, answered all questions. The best.

Transport

Easy walk from the hotel - KimKim got us in the best hotel locations.

Wine tour from Florence: discover vineyards, olive groves, cellars and wineries

Florence

This place was a true experience - in a great way. Grounds are beautiful and KimKim added truffle hunting to this experience. Truffle hunting was one of the highlights of the trip. After truffle hunting we had wine tasting and lunch - everything was top notch. Food was wonderful - especially the lasagna. Wines were great - we ordered several bottles and they ship home for no additional charge.

Quality of Experience

This was our favorite activity - and we had lots of good one's.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Family owners really take care of you. Learning about and truffle hunting was the best.

Transport

We drove ourselves - since my wife was driving, I better give this a 5 star review

Florence Traditional Food tour

Florence

Easy to find the guide from the hotel. He was personable, knowledgable, and took us to places we have never known to go to. Food was delicious. Great insights into traditional Florentine food.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide knew what he was talking about and took us to great places.

Transport

Easy walk from the hotel and this was a walking tour.

Cinque Terre Trekking & Train Card

Italy

Well it rained the whole tie we were I Cinque Terra. Weather happens. So we didn't really get to walk the trails. We did use the train - easy walk from the hotel. Lots of restaurants and shops.

Quality of Experience

A four only because of the weather. Otherwise a five.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and knowledgeable. The drivers were always there on time.

Transport

Cinque Terra trains are easy and each town has a unique character.

Milan Last Supper Tour with City Highlights

Milan

Very crowded, but worth it. The location to meet our guide was just a few blocks from the hotel. Our guide took us through the skip the line and the museum was amazing.

Quality of Experience

This was our first experience in Italy and it exceeded expectations.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgable and friendly.

Transport

We walked and it was a great!! Things to see everywhere.

Wine Experience in Cinque Terre

Italy

This was not really worth the effort. Because of the rain, we didn't get to walk the vinyards. Staff was nice, but this was at a restaurant and not really setup for a wine tasting. They poured the wine, but no real insight given. Almost seemed like they were doing the minimum needed to meet their obligation.

Quality of Experience

Looking forward to this, but did not meet even minimum expectations.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff at the restaurant was nice, but no information or insights into the wine we tased.

Transport

We walked and this was the best part of the experience. Its very steep to get there and we needed that after our drive to Cinque Terra.

Our trip to Italy proved to be almost trouble free. Kikkim set us up with drivers and guides throughout our trip and not having to worry about how to get somewhere was wonderful. We had a little glitch when we first arrived when we flew into one airport and Kimkim driver was waiting for us at another airport. A quick call to Maria's team was made and another driver at our airport was quickly found. Problem solvers were readily available and they always took care of things quickly. Our biggest mess up was of our own doing. We were unaware that more then one train company operated at the train stations and on the same tracks. We ran to a train that was loading on our specific site , got on it, and miles down the track we were told we were on another company train. That cost us $50 for another ticket and a fine of$50 for being on the train without a ticket. If we would have paid attention to the train number that wouldn't have happened. Our train was a few minutes late and I think the train we boarded was late leaving the boarding spot.

The reservations worked out great. When I passed the lines going into the coliseum that were probably 2 blocks long we were very grateful we had that reservation. We also saw how important it was to have drivers pick us up at our hotels when we tried to hail a cab on our own in Rome and no one would stop. All our guides were outstanding . When one of our tours had to be cancelled due to weather conditions Kimkim came up with a great alternative and a wonderful driver to drive us down the Amalfi Coast.

My favorite place to see was not on the regular tourist list of must sees. We reserved a hotel in Verenzo (a small city near Verona) In the old section of Verenzo there is a theater called the Olympica. It is the oldest indoor theater in Italy and it was built in the mid 1500's. It has an amazing permanent back scene. If you like theater you will want to see this. No crowds in this city. Our guide to the Rome Coliseum was so well informed as was the guide in Pompeii

The reason I give the overall planning experience only an average rating is because I would have liked an idea what each part of our trip was going to cost rather then throwing out a dollar amount we were willing to pay and not knowing if we were spending our money wisely.

Hotel Review

Atelier Inès Arts & Suites

Napoli

Quirky but lovely. We got a tour of the sculpture workshop, and enjoyed a comfortable room. The hotel was in the heart of the city!

Authenticity & Character

Villa with artistic sculptures and a lovely garde/patio area.

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless. Bathroom was amazing.

Activity Reviews

Cooking class at farm

Italy

The chef was delightful and patient with us. We were surprised to have made such a delicious meal!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Best of Colosseum & Ancient Rome With Exclusive Arena Access

Rome

Our tour guide was a hiustory teacher who made the ruins come to life.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lake Maggiore Tour from Milan with its Borromeo's Islands

Milan

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and delightful. Isola Bella was amazing and beeautiful. Our guide was an expert in naming the plants!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thank you all so much! This has been a dream trip come true and we couldn’t have made it or enjoyed it half as much without your experienced guidance, planning, and support of our specific interests in this beautiful country! From the car rental, to first rate accommodations in Tuscany at a working vineyard/resort; a cooking class with a professional chef; tours in Florence at the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia (The David is an amazing must see!); a walking tour of the best sights, local food and wine restaurants (all of them a WOW!), the Kimkim company, through Maria, arranged the top tour guides—local, professional experts whose passion and insight made each tour personally engaging (each spoke to us not at us) which ultimately gave us both an added appreciation for their subject and them as people with whom we enjoyed spending quality time!
Each aspect of our trip was communicated and documented well in advance. This was our first trip to Florence and Tuscany so we had lots of questions. So Maria arranged (2) Zoom meetings with us and she completely and confidently answered all our questions. She also sent us restaurant suggestions and Google maps to assist us with our self guided side trips through Tuscany.
However, once a trip begins there are always factors and circumstances that need attention— sometimes immediately! Our trip was no exception! Several details needed some slight unexpected modification, and the Kimkim team and resources were able to communicate, and accommodate our needs in and on time. These people and this company are the real deal and both my wife and I give them our highest recommendation. We will use them again for sure! Don’t miss out on the very best this team has to offer (because they are the best)!

From the start of planning our trip to Italy through our return home, both Kimkim and our specialist, Guilia were amazingly helpful and friendly with great results. The trip planning was adjusted to meet our specific needs and budget.

Once we arrived in Italy, we were met by our guide. Throughout our trip, we had scheduled dates and times for guides and drivers. Everyone was where they were supposed to be, on time. They were all very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. In a few instances, due to weather conditions and in one case an unforeseen train delay, Kimkim was easily accessible and made changes as needed to support us.

The hotels were all well located and very nice. The staffs at all hotels were friendly.

We were very happy with the services provided by Kimkim and feel we got good value for what we paid. Next time we travel, we will use Kimkim and hopefully Guilia. We give them a 5 star review.

Kim Kim made it easy to crystallize our vacation plans and implement them. The lodgings they chose for us all exceeded expectations. Giulia did a great job arranging the details. She always responded quickly, and she always incorporated the changes we wanted. The tours and tour guides she picked for us were all first-rate. We especially appreciated her flexibility for us in Rome, when our visit coincided with very high hotel prices.

We would recommend Kimkim to anyone, and especially Giulia for anyone traveling to Italy. We had an amazing 2 weeks thanks to Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Santa Chiara

Venice

The location, super close to the bus & train terminals, was perfect for us. It was more clean, modern and spacious than we expected, too. Staff was great too.

Authenticity & Character

Not charming, old and authentic, but we were fine with it

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Il Parco

Simply a beautifully-kept and located place. A very convenient shuttle helped us up and down the hill. Very nice swimming pool too. The numerous, annoying flies (outside, NOT inside) weren’t their fault!

Authenticity & Character

Great landscaping

Location

Terrific views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Berchielli

Florence

Great location, respectful and efficient hotel staff, with very comfortable accommodations. They charge a heckuva lot for laundry, but they all probably do that! I recommend to all.

Authenticity & Character

Welcoming decor, everything was clean, lots of great things nearby

Location

Very close to Ponte Vecchio

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tuscany: Leonardo da Vinci, Oil & Wine discovery tour

Italy

A bit too much time spent sitting and eating, but the da Vinci museum and winery were terrific

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Group Tour

Rome

Big crowds, but our guide was really knowledgable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Logistics of meeting place were confusing and inaccurate. We almost missed the tour

Pasta & Tiramisù Cooking Class

Rome

Very fun, nice to meet others this way

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit to the Colosseum & Roman Forum

Rome

Excellent knowledgeable guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Can’t say enough good things about this company…they made our honeymoon vacation in Italy, seamless and stress free. Emi, our consultant from Rome, created a wonderful itinerary for us with great tours and accommodations, car service when needed and a timeline that kept us entertained but not overwhelmed. The couple of hiccups during the trip ( a train strike and mapping error) were handled quickly and easily. We will certainly be using this service again again and highly recommend it to others!

Hotel Reviews

Nord nuova roma hotel Rome

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close enough to the train station to walk there. Also easy walking distance to many attractions.

Staff

Very helpful but not the most approachable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, very comfortable and lots of little niceties thrown in

Hotel Ca' d'Oro

Venice

Great little hotel off the beaten path. Very clean and comfortable. Unfortunately we were only there for one night and had to leave early so didn’t get to take in the breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Off the beaten path so was nice and quiet. Just over 20 minute walk to the train station

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cosimo de' Medici

Florence

Great little hidden away gem!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Super close to the train station and very convenient to many attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pillows were very firm otherwise everything else was great

Unconventional Hotel Sorrento 3* Sant'Agnello

Sant'Agnello

Wonderful little hotel tucked away from the main hustle and bustle. Clean, nice view from our balcony, wonderful breakfast and very helpful and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tuscan Cooking class and S.Lorenzo Market

Florence

So much fun!! A must do!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stefano and Thomas were awesome. Wonderful teachers and made the whole experience so much fun!

Accademia Gallery Tour

Florence

This was an interesting tour but sometimes difficult to hear or follow with all the information. Nice to see but not a must

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day at leisure in Sorrento

Sorrento

Wonderful to have a day to wander and explore the area

Quality of Experience

Chianti colors and flavors: Tuscan countryside with wine tastings

Florence

Amazing!! This is a must do, even for a non wine drinker! Lol

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Antonia ( I believe), was terrific! So informative, understandable and friendly

Transport

Amalfi Coast experience from Sorrento

Sorrento

This area is a must see. Our guide was very informative. Wish we had more time in Amalfi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elena and her team helped my partner and I plan a wonderful trip to Florence, Cinque Terre, and Venice! We truly enjoyed it and felt that our experience was enhanced by going through Kimkim, as we would not have been able to know the details as well as they knew them. We highly recommend anyone book through them!

Hotel Review

Hotel Al Duca di Venezia

Venice

Location is very good and definitely recommend this neighborhood (Cannaregio), but the bathroom had a not so clean odor and was not very well ventilated

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Jewels of Venice (St. Mark & Doge Palace)

Venice

Cinque Terre Sunset cruise with aperitif (Private)

Cinque Terre

Florence private guided walk

Florence

Wine and food tour in Florence

Florence

Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience

Italy

The perfect itinerary for us!
If you are traveling to Italy we highly recommend Andrea Gambino to help create a wonderful trip for you. He customized our itinerary to meet our travel goals in Sicily. Andrea was available throughout our trip to keep us updated when anything changed. He also was able to make a few adjustments (we requested) on the fly,

All 5 guides listed below were fabulous.... knowledgeable, passionate, kind, easy-going, and friendly. We felt they went above and beyond to make sure that we connected with, and understood, the history and culture in each area we toured. Great job!

Guides:
Letteria - Ancient Theatre of Taormina
Peppe - Godfather Movie Set Private Tour
Corrado - Syracuse Neapolis Archaeological Park
Sabine - Ragusa
Allessandra - Temple valley

Drivers:
David (Catania) , David (Palermo), and Antonio (Palermo), were all very professional, courteous and always on time

Hotel Reviews

Eurostars Centrale Palace

Palermo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Baglio San Nicola

San Nicola, Naro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bedding could be upgraded

Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel

Siracusa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Carlotta and Apartments

Taormina

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Temple valley guided visit

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Val di Noto gems: Modica time at your leisure and Ragusa guided visit

Italy

Sabine is a great guide! Informative, funny and passionate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Syracuse Neapolis Archaeological Park - private guide

Italy

Corrado made this great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Godfather Movie Set Private Tour

Italy

Peppe made this tour extra special, very passionate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided visit to the Ancient Theatre of Taormina (private guide)

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From start to finish, booking and traveling with Kimkim was the best choice we could have made for our 14 day trip to Italy. Our plan was to have 3 locations to visit/stay at a leisurely pace with few activities to allow us to explore and experience Italy on our own. We had 3 “phases” dreamed up for our trip that including a countryside stay in Tuscany, Rome visit for a wedding, and Amalfi coast trip for beach and relaxing on the water.We initially decided to try using a travel company to assist with planning the Tuscany portion of our trip, mainly because we were having trouble figuring out where to stay in the countryside and how to get around without renting a car. It was also the first time we’ve planned an international trip and we were quite overwhelmed with all of the logistics and places to visit. Kimkim came highly recommended from a friend, so we decided to ask for recommendations for our entire trip.

All of our accommodations, transfers, planned activities and tours were just what we wanted. We had local guide (cannot remember her name) give us a private tour of Pompeii and she was fantastic! Special thanks to her, our driver for the day, and Alberto because we woke up late on the morning of the tour, and they were all in constant communication and so accommodating despite being an hour behind on activities. Alberto was in constant communication with us, checking in and making sure that everything was going smoothly. Cannot recommend Alberto and KimKim enough!

Our trip:
- 2 nights Siena
- 3 nights Tuscan wine resort/countryside B&B
- 3 nights in Rome
- 4 nights in Amalfi town on Amalfi coast
- 1 night Rome for flight home the next day

Planning and arrangements were very easy and flexible. Giulia our specialist was fantastic and very helpful. We could not have done this trip as well without her.

Our trip was a great success for the most part. Rainy weather is never great but we have enjoyed ourselves none the less.
We experienced significant travel delays on the high speed train from Florence to Naples (3 hour delay which nearly caused us to miss Pompei entirely). Thanks to Kimkim, this did not happen. In fact, we never felt alone or abandoned. They were always just a What'sAp message away and they responded quickly to whatever we had going on. Really top notch.

We had a nearly two hour delay traveling from Naples to Florence, which caused us to make our prescheduled Vatican tour within about ten minutes of the start time. Kudos to our drive and Kimkim for working with us as the delays mounted and for providing great assistance. We did not miss anything because of their attention to detail and staying in touch. Remember to download What'sAp--this was critical during challenging events.

I was, however, deeply disappointed with our tour guide on the day trip to San Gimignano and Volterra . Her driving was very fast and uneven, At least two or three of us were "car sick" from the style and type of driving--one of the more unpleasant car trips I have had in a long time. She was very efficient and we arrived and ended on time, but she was also very impatient, handled questions badly and was much too bossy. Not rude exactly, but not the temperament I would expect from someone running a tour.

Our hotel in Sorrento, Grand Hotel Aminata, was also a bit musty and probably the worst of the places we stayed. It had an excellent view of the harbor though which we loved. We are not fussy people, but our room had a slight, but distinct, smell that we did not like. Otherwise, the accommodations were excellent and well placed. The La Maison du Sage in Florence was particularly excellent and deserves special mention. Our stay at The Regency in Rome was also excellent (though we booked this directly).

Antonio, our driver (and guide) for the Sorrento and Amalfi Coast portion of our trip was excellent. He could not have been more courteous and friendly. He helped us deal with the delayed train and abbreviated Pompeii tour, and he drove us around the Amalfi Coast in style and comfort. P.S. Our guide Rafael at Pompeii was also excellent and we enjoyed his tour very much-if only it could have been longer but that was unavoidable.

We also highly recommend the EBIKE tour we took in Rome. Our guide Irina was excellent. Do this early in your stay if you can as it was a great way to survey the city and find points of interest.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Aminta

Sorrento

This hotel was a bit of a letdown. The room had a musty odor, and it was lackluster. However, the food was fantastic, and the shuttle service was convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Maison du Sage

Florence

This place was absolutely fantastic. The ambiance was so enchanting that we even bought a diffuser that smelled like the hotel. They brought us breakfast in our room, and everything was just perfect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Florence Food Tour

Florence

This trip was a bit of a letdown. Our tour guide was a bit rude and drove crazy. It was so bad that we had to stop to let people out because they were feeling sick. The guide wasn't very pleasant, and it felt like she didn't let the whole experience breathe.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome: E-Bike Evening Tour with Italian Dinner

Rome

The bike tour was one of the best things we did. Although we wished we had done it sooner in Rome to get a good feel for the city and then backfill the rest.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

This tour was fantastic! Our guide was great and managed to get us through as much as possible despite our delayed train.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim Feedback 10/10-10/21/23
Reggio, Calabria and Sicily
Paul and Esther Mackarey

We have used kimkim twice and recommend you to many friends, two of whom use you for Portugal recently. We like your service but thought you might want to know how to make it better.

Overall it is as a great trip. Our visit to my mother’s and grandparents home town of Martirano, Catanzaro, Calabria was special. Our driver, Fabri, went out of his way to ensure that we found the town and met some of the locals who knew my family. The overall itinerary, drivers, and walking tour guides were very good.
Special thanks for an exceptional job by:
Fabri. Driver in Reggio, Catanzaro and Messina
Francisco. Driver Mt Etna
All walking tour guides were very good… especially Marilu in Palermo

However, I do need to provide some feedback regarding accommodations. This information may prove to be valuable for your future travelers. While my wife and I are relatively fit, we are 65. And, while we don’t need to be pampered, a few conveniences are needed that White Rooms could not provide.

White Rooms in Reggio
I understand that Reggio is not a big tourist attraction but …
The B&B was under construction and all on the second floor to a landing, through a common staircase that serves another unrelated apartment, then into a small bedroom. It was good location but it was very noisy at night and at 6 am with garbage and street cleaning. It offered no breakfast onsite. A voucher for coffee and a biscuit was issued for a bar across the street. I think it is more appropriate for backpackers and short stays for those under 50/55

Khalisah in Palermo was very good and the location was easily accessible to the historical area.
It was clean, interesting decor and friendly staff. However, it is important to consider the age and physical conditions of the travelers carrying luggage up three floors … it was difficult. And, with self check in, no one was available to assist.

Additional information would be helpful For those renting cars and driving in Sicily:

Forewarn drivers about the difficulty parking. Especially when visiting Taormina (need to park just outside city in designated parking areas before entering). Google maps takes you through the old town and you will get a ticket. Similar in Cefalu, google takes you directly in the old town but parking just outside the old town, parking can be found but google will direct you into town. In Catania the streets are open to traffic but parking difficult. Parking guidelines (white, blue, yellow) would be helpful.

Hotel Reviews

Best Western Hotel Rome Airport

Fiumicino

Perfect for the night before a flight home

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Khalisah

Palermo

Interesting theme and decor. Good staff and location but… we were in the 3rd floor and checked in after 5 (so had a self check in). It was difficult to get our luggage up 3 steep and narrow flights of steps and no staff on site. It is not a good place for older travelers unless they get a first or second floor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean but not comfortable because of the 3 flights of stairs to our very very small room.

B&B A tonnara

Cefalu

Beautiful view of the sea. Good location but must be able to walk distances.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze

Catania

Beautiful. Clean. Great service and amenities. Great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

White Rooms

Reggio Calabria

Under construction/renovation. Very noisy in am. 2-3 floors and difficult with luggage. Good access to town and water.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Palermo Private Walking Tour

Palermo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marilou was excellent.

Transport

Taormina Highlights Walking Tour

Italy

The walking tour guide was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We rented a car and drove… our mistake. Parking was difficult.

Ortigia Walking Tour: The Heart of Syracuse

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Mount Etna Guided Jeep Tour

Italy

Francisco was outstanding

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catania Tour - City Highlights Walk

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day with Driver at disposal - Private group

Italy

Fabri. Same As on Oct 11

Private Transfer from Reggio Calabria to Catanzaro

Italy

Fabri was excellent. He helped us locate the village were my mother and grandparents were born in Martirano, Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

zurich, lucerne, interlaken, zermatt, saint moritz,, bellagio, milan, palermo, taormina and catania!!!!! 18 days of unforgettable experience thanks to fabio who arranged it all! excellent service and assistance of all the tour guides and drivers as well! i highly recommend kimkim specifically fabio💕
i’m looking forward to my next trip with you😁