Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Our trip to Italy with KimKim travel was nothing short of fabulous. We started our planning with Arianna, who I would highly recommend. She pays close attention to detail and I could tell she truly cared about us. She told us the truth about her opinions on things while also respecting our ideas.
Once we got to Italy, we ended up checking in fairly late to our first hotel as we were spending time with family that lived there. The hotel even contact KimKim to check on us and Barbara texted us to be sure we were ok. It really showed how much they were going to be there for us and made me feel super safe. All of our transportation to and from places was so clean and the drivers were knowledgeable. I also LOVED every place we stayed in. Our hotel hosts were kind, supportive, answered our questions and went above and beyond for us. We even made so many friends through them!
Jessica was also very helpful in working to help us add a last minute adventure while we were there.
I cannot recommend KimKim enough. Thank you a million!

We were fortunate to have Deborah as our trip planner to northern Italy. She was beyond amazing in every way. She was always prompt when answering my (numerous!) questions and had great recommendations on tours, etc. She constantly stayed in contact with me during the trip to be sure that things were going smoothly. Our local tour guide, Enrico, went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect. He was informative and so helpful at every step, making sure all of our drivers were on time and that we were happy with everything. He was really incredible and I can't say enough good words about him. I knew that if I had a question or concern, I would get an immediate answer from him or Deborah-- they were that on top of things-- even on a weekend night!
I would highly recommend anyone who is thinking of traveling to use Deborah. This is my 2nd time using Kimkim and I will definitely use them again in the future. They are top notch all the way around. I would give them 10 stars if I could!

Activity Reviews

Private Boat Tour of Lake Como with guide

Italy

This was a 6 hour private tour of the Lake Como region. Our guide, Nathalie, was informative and they took us to several areas of the lake, pointing out important landmarks and villas along the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Langhe Winery Tour

Italy

We visited Tenute Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy and Azienda Agricola Marrone. Lunch was at Osteria Disguido and was really delicious! The wineries were excellent and the tours informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Murano & Burano Excursion

Venice

We toured Murano and Burano for a 1/2 day. It was the perfect amount of time. Very interesting and scenic islands and well worth the visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Truffle Hunting

Italy

This was a very fun and informative tour. we learned so much about truffles that we did not know. The owner clearly loved what he does. This was an enjoyable afternoon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Prosecco wine tour with 2 wine tasting sessions and lunch included

Italy

Both of the cantina's were lovely. The 1st stop was at Fasol Menin and they provided an incredible spread to have along with our Prosecco tasting. The lunch that Deborah set up for us was at Trattoria Alla Cima and was a beautiful and scenic restaurant and the lunch was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

We really enjoyed the tasting at Fasol Menin-- the food along with the Prosecco was perfect.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giorgio was a wonderful driver!

Transport

Our trip to Italy through Kim Kim was terrific. Kim Kim put together a great array of activities for us. We loved them all. Columba drove us along the Amalfi Coast and she was a great driver and fun companion for the day. Adriana was our knowledgeable guide at Pompeii and made the ancient volcanic city come alive for us. We had so much fun with Antonio, who guided us on our boat trip to Capri. We also enjoyed the hotel in Sorrento - it was beautiful and the service was great. And Melissa showed us the amazing delicacies of vibrant Naples on our food tour. Through it all, Alessandro was our incredibly responsive trip coordinator. We’re so grateful that he was there every step of the way. Highly recommend him and his team! Working with Kim Kim made our trip a dream come true!

Activity Reviews

SORRENTO-CAPRI: CAPRI BOAT SMALL GROUP TOUR

Sorrento

We had so much fun on beautiful Capri with Antonio. The days activities were fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

CAMPANIA: AMALFI COAST SCENIC TOUR WITH PRIVATE DRIVER

Sorrento

Columba was a flexible and lovely guide. She made the day terrific!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

SORRENTO-POMPEII: POMPEII 2-HOUR TOUR WITH A PRIVATE GUIDE (MORNING TOUR)

Sorrento

Adriana was a knowledgeable and fun guide. Highly recommend her!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

CAMPANIA: NAPOLI 3-HOUR WALKING TOUR WITH A PRIVATE GUIDE

Naples

We ate our way through Napoli with Melissa - so much fun! She was knowledgeable about all the great food and the city.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quick background - very experienced travelers, over 80+ countries at all sort of trip type/expense levels. Due to a variety of reasons we decided to rely almost exclusively on Martina /KimKim expertise and experience and take a fairly passive role in the specific trip planning. After relaying a detailed explanation of our desires/needs we let Martina set it up. She was earnest and attentive and overall did a respectable job but relied on some vendors whose performance was lacking which accounts for her rating. She apologized for the poor performance and attempted to take corrective action but damage already was done. Too many to relate but driver who spoke zero English, was late, etc; a hotel, the Dionoso Boutique Hotel in Syracusa that was among the worst I have stayed in in quite a while, from both an accommodations and performance standpoint, dining reservation made far in advance that was "cancelled". The major issue was the number of issues and the fact that they were basic performance issues, things that should go smoothly. Her reply to us "that has never happened before" was of no help.

The train system in Italy was very punctual and efficient. Lake Como, the Belvedere Hotel, and boat ride on Lake Como were amazing. The food tour in Florence with Aldo was mediocre, as was the Frame Hotel in Florence. Fabio, our travel agent, was extremely helpful and responded quickly to any issues we had.

Hotel Reviews

Hassler Roma

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Frame Hotel Florence

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Belvedere Bellagio

Bellagio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nolinski Venezia

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Food Tour

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

2-hour Boat Tour | Cruise Around Lake Como

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had a blast working with Maria to design this trip, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. We absolutely loved the bed and breakfast we stayed at (Cima Rosa). This is why you engage with local experts!

Barbara from Storywalking provided excellent service throughout our trip -- she knew when our plans had changed before we did and was amazingly quick to solve issues. We leaned heavily upon her help several times -- and were very happy to have the team to rely upon when our flights changed, our cruise changed, etc. Her frequent communication and problem-solving skills inspired confidence.

We learned so much from Romy in our walking tour of the City on our first night -- she really set us up for success over the next few days.

Nicoletta was extremely knowledgeable. We feel lucky to have had a day with her to explore so much of the city and surrounds.

Hotel Review

Cima Rosa Venice

Venice

Authentic, historic, tastefully decorated bed-and-breakfast, with truly gracious staff. Staying here gave us a sense of Venice's history and present.

Authenticity & Character

Fully restored (on the inside) 15th century palazzo, with beautifully decorated, comfortable public spaces (indoor and outdoor), and well-appointed rooms. Air conditioning in each room.

Location

Its location on the Grand Canal within a quiet neighborhood was the perfect mix -- easily accessible to all of the major sites and wonderful restaurants, without the craziness of the tourist areas.

Staff

They were so helpful in arranging reservations for dinner, coordinating with our guides, and offering suggestions of locations to visit to add to the trip. They made you feel comfortable from the minute you got there.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were spotless, as were the public spaces.

Activity Reviews

Market & Cicchetti Venice Food & Wine Tour | Semi-Private

Venice

This group tour took us through the Rialto area to try foods and experiences we wouldn't have otherwise tried. Our guide was delightful, and it was fun to experience this with a group of interesting (and interested) people.

Murano Island Excursion

Venice

We got to see a master of the glass-making art develop a centerpiece while we were there, which was truly amazing. Wish we could have afforded to buy it. ;)

Explore St. Mark's Basilica and The Doge's Palace

Venice

We were only able to see the Doge's Palace (and the exterior of St Marks) as our schedule changed. But it is totally worth having a private guide through this remarkable building.

Private Evening Gondola Ride Venice & City Stroll

Venice

Seeing Venice from the water at night is incredibly special. Our gondolier was very friendly and an expert at navigating the canals.

If you’re shopping and comparing agencies, look no further - KimKim/Fabio will customize an itinerary and accommodate your every need to make your trip memorable. Hotels and private tour options Fabio offered were superior compared to other competitively priced proposals I’ve reviewed.

Fabio is superb and you’re in good hands if you’re working with him. I have traveled both on my own and through agencies enough (over four continents and 30+ countries) to opine KimKim provides one of the best services and experiences. I would go through KimKim again for my future trips.

I can be meticulous and demanding at times when planning for trips, but Fabio took his time to answer every questions I had, and deliver any requests I made leading up to and throughout my trip to Italy. Fabio responds promptly, works efficiently, and will go out of his way to ensure you are able to relax and enjoy your trip. He is extremely knowledgeable (from Michelin restaurants to best local restaurants, and best choices for your site tours) so he will be able to provide you with insightful recommendations. Fabio is extremely professional and I would highly recommend him. Do yourself a favor and plan your Italy trip with Fabio - you will be glad that you did! :)

Everything was exceptional! The tours and the tour guides were all incredible. The two tours we had with the same company, called Tuscany 4 Explore were awesome. We had the owner of the company, Luciana for a private day trip and she was lovely. Also, the tour guides at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and Pompeii were also incredible. A couple of the hotels were hard to find, but all the hotels were incredible. Also, the trains and private drivers did an amazing job with being on time. We were never late or rushing for anything. I would definitely use private drivers for all my trips now. I would highly recommend using the Kimkim service and Liberty Travel in Italy. Thank you very much!

Hotel Reviews

Santa Chiara Boutique Hotel Naples

Naples

This was a beautiful hotel. We loved the architecture. It was very difficult to find though because the street is closed down, so we had to walk with our luggage down a very small street to find it. There needs to be a bigger sign or something because it took us about 30 minutes to find it. But the room was really nice and the hotel inside is beautiful. Also the staff was really nice. It is in a great spot in Naples. Right in the middle of all the action.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Extremely hard to find, especially if the street is closed.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Montemare

Positano

This was by far the highlight of our entire trip in Italy. Hotel is in a beautiful spot with gorgeous views. We were absolutely stunned to find out that our room was upgraded to have a private balcony with Jacuzzi tub overlooking the ocean. It was beautiful. Also, the two-hour free wine happy hour was incredible, and the breakfast buffet was the best one we had in Italy. The only issue with this hotel is that it can get very busy during check-in, and it took a long time before we got to our room, and we had to carry out own bags because there wasn't enough staff available to help us. But otherwise, this was a great experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Silvana Relais

Sorrento

This hotel is absolutely beautiful. With the private gate going in, we were stunned. Also the high ceilings in the room and everything just looked very beautiful! Also a great location near the center square. Staff was very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel L'Orologio Roma

Roma

We loved this hotel. Room was very nice and the roof deck bar is awesome. Very clean and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique B&B Torre de' Conti

Florence

Amazing hotel and friendly owners. Breakfast was great as well!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The one issue here is that the hotel was really hard to find. The airline lost our luggage and when they tried to deliver it they could not find the hotel. There needs to be a sign on the road or something so that it is more recognizable.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bye Bye, Italy!

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

Great tour guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Group Tour

Rome

It was great and tour guide was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cinque Terre Day Trip

Italy

This day trip was incredible. Luciana who is the owner of the company took us on this tour. Everything was great. We got to see 4 places instead of three and made it to Pisa. I think it was a little rushed, but we didn't mind. We could have just done 3 spots and spent a little more time in each of them instead of going to a 4th spot. I also liked how we took the boat at first and then switched to the trains, because the boat ride was very rocky and sometimes, we get seasick. The lunch was one of the best meals we had in Italy. Luciana is an extremely great tour guide and provides a great experience. We loved this day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuscan Castles Tour with Food & Wine - small group

Italy

This was an amazing tour. We loved Luciana, we actually had her for two of our tours this week. The Castle was amazing and we got a tour and wine tasting from the actual owner of the castle which was awesome. Highly recommend this tour. Also lunch and wine was very good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uffizi Galleries private guided Tour

Florence

Our tour guide was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sorrento Farm and Food Experience including Olive Oil, Limoncello, Wine tasting

Sorrento

This tour was one of the highlights of our trip. The owners of the farm were so funny and nice, and explained everything so well. The tour was awesome to learn about all the agriculture in Italy. The food and wine were amazing as well. The actual owner of the farm made all the food farm to table. It was so great. Also, the owners picked us up at the last minute near our hotel because we had to switch dates due to the weather, which was very nice of them. Highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was amazing! It was seamless from start to finish. Andrea was so communicative and planned the exact trip we wanted. Thank you so much! We made some great memories that we will cherish forever.

On a scale of 1-5 I would give KimKim a 20!!! They wildly exceeded my expectations. There was 7 of us in our group and everyone in the group could not have been more pleased with everything as well. They let us personalize our itinerary so we had free time when we wanted but every tour they scheduled for us was fantastic. It was an 8 day trip that had us staying 4 days in Sorrento, followed by 2 in Florence, and finishing up with 2 in Venice. The drivers, the tour guides, the people who greeted us were also fantastic. If there was a scheduling change we were notified immediately. The hotels we stayed at were all excellent as well. All of us kept commenting throughout the trip how well everything was going and what a great job KimKim did. At the outset of planning for this trip we gave them a targeted amount we were looking to spend and the package they delivered met our expectations and then some. I cannot recommend them highly enough. Will absolutely use them again in the future! If you make it to Capri it's a must to visit the Blue Grotto!!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel savoia & Jolanda

Venice

Location was perfect. Staff amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Orto de' Medici

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to El Duomo and the Central Market

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa di Sorrento

Sorrento

The only negative was shower in room was super small. Other than that everything was excellent

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right by the city center. Excellent location. Only a 10 min walk to the water

Staff

Nikola was very hospitable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Venice Private Evening Stroll with Gondola

Venice

Our tour guide Nico was excellent. He provided some many interesting facts about the city. It was obvious he loved what he was doing. I would recommend him highly!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chianti Wine & Olive Oil Tour from Florence

Florence

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Sorrento

What a great trip. Would highly recommend. Our captain Marcos did a wonderful job. After visiting Amalfi and Positano the ability to then swim in Mediterranean sea was a highlight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My wife & I, who live in suburb of Washington DC, took a two weeks trip to the beautiful Italy this month.
It was a wonderful trip in all the places we visited and stayed, including Rome, Venice, Florence, and the Amazing Amalfi coast . Italy is a fascinating and beautiful country and we are happy that we had a chance to explore it.

Thanks to wonderful Elena with KimKim Group, who arranged every step of our great trip, we had a lovely time.
All of our personal Tour guides were great, well educated and explained the museums, the cities and the rich Italian - no-wait-in-line tickets of historical sites. Several trips in high speed trains that were included in our package were amazing.

The majority of the hotels we stayed in, except maybe one, were great, in the center of the cities, and accessible to all planed destinations, including a couple of wine tasting beautiful sites. A day trip with a boat to and around the Island of Capri was just wonderful.
It was all an amazing experience that we'll never forget. Hope we will do it again soon.
Thank you Elena! Mr. & Mrs. Marham

(PS, travelers should closely guard their pockets, money, pouches, passports, etc.- but enjoy your trip)

Everything that Lorenzo coordinated for us was wonderful! The Hotel Doria Palace was in a great location. We had an easy walk to the Coliseum and to the Metro. Our tour guide MarioPaulo was very impressive. She had in depth historic knowledge of Rome. She was also very patient. I messed up my days and we ended up being very late for our Coliseum tour. She was able to get us a later entry. When we entered the Forum we came across a women who was in distress. MarioPaulo was very quick on her feet and was able to get emergency assistance. Last, she gave us great restaurant recommendations. All of our travel coordination, trains and drivers made the trip to easy. When we arrived in Pompeii we had a delicious lunch and again had a private tour by a very knowledgeable Alessandro. When we arrived in Amalfi it was a breeze. The Hotel Residenza Luce greeted us at the main square and provided assistance to get our bags up the hill and stairs to our rooms. Everyone at Residenza Luce was warm and inviting. I would highly recommend KimKim travel for your next adventure!!!

Hotel Reviews

Residenza Luce

Amalfi

Rooms are large, clean. Bathroom was extravagant with a huge soaking tub. The views from our room were breathtaking. The staff was so nice and accommodating, they made me feel like I was family. The hotel is located it a great location which made it easy for us to walk and see the sites. I would absolutely stay at Residenza Luce again!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doria Palace Boutique Hotel

Rome

Great location, wonderful staff. Rooms were so comfortable and clean. Breakfast was superb. I would absolutely stay at this hotel again!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to many historic sites.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

We were there midday in Sept and it was very hot. Our tour guide made sure we had plenty of stops to rest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum & Roman Forum skip the line ticket

Rome

The only way to go!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum and Roman Forum - Private guide

Rome

WOW! We learned so much about the historical site. 4 hours is not enough.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

St. Peter's, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter Basilica - private guide

Rome

What an incredible experience! It’s like visiting the worlds oldest museum. Getting to see masterpieces is something I will never forget.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

As a first time KimKim client, I didn’t know what to expect, however, I would highly recommend their service! Not only was the planning aspect easy and thorough; what really impressed me was the support we received while we were traveling, and how quickly we could access help when weather disrupted our plans. Additionally, the transportation vendors and guides they used were exceptionally prompt, kind and fun! Our Santorini drivers and especially our Amalfi coast driver, Rino, were some of the nicest people
we encountered! We especially appreciated our Botantical Garden tour and cooking lesson in Crete and the recommendation to go to Ergon in Athens…top notch experiences. Lina, our Knossos guide, stood out for her depth of knowledge and her ability to educate us so efficiently.
The Travel12 crew were at our fingertips via What’s App and also called me to make sure we had gotten and received messages. This was much appreciated.

Irene did a fabulous job introducing us to parts of the world we knew nothing about (Crete!) while incorporating some of the bucket list places we wanted to visit. We will use her again for any return visit to Greece!

Activity Review

Chania SUP Tour

Chania

Not to be missed!! This was a very special way to visit and experience the gorgeous waters and natural beauty of Crete. The guides were fun, caring and made everyone feel comfortable.

Our Travel Specialist- Chiara did a great job understanding our plan needs and then creating a plan than covered many needs before and after our cruise from Ravenna to our Milan departure.

Driver-specifically Stefano was excellent in meeting and welcoming us to Bologna and then being our driver for Parmesan Reggiano dairy and full day touring to Milan … he was on time and very professional with his driving.

Hotels — all were excellent and met our needs very well for being close to city centers, 3-4 stars and clean. We especially enjoyed the Bologna Hotel Metropolitan for the balcony/terrace on our room and then the rooftop lounge was wonderful evening spot. Milan Hotel De Spadari was outstanding for service and proximity to all of the key areas of Milan.

Guides— in Ravenna our guide Sylvia was very knowledgeable and comfortable to be with and was helpful about good restaurants in area.
Bologna- our walking food tour guide Mattea was great to walk us through the city area and provide explanations about food and traditions. We appreciated his concern about Gluten Free for Mary and providing options.
Parmesan Reggiano-Franseca was excellent in explaining and answering our questions about cheese making.
Modena Balsamic Vinegar-Magadelena did a wonderful job explaining and her best work was tasting/sampling Balsamic Vinegars.
Milan - Lara was our best guide because of her true passion for the history and helping us understand what and why are seeing the items. She was a genuine person that asked us questions and was enthusiastic along with being engaging.

We enjoyed our work with Storytelling and appreciated the daily check in’s. At first I was apprehensive not to have phone #’s for drivers and guides….but I let go of that concern after I saw how “on time” and drivers/guides show up where and when they were supposed to be!! Big point for us! We hope to use Kim Kim in the future for planning! Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Spadari Al Duomo

Milan

Loved the decor and location. Great hotel close to the city center

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Helpful front desk

Cleanliness & Comfort

Metropolitan Hotel Bologna

Bologna

Excellent location, excellent balcony and great breakfast. Best of all was the Rooftop lounge and service

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful upon checkin

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean bathroom area

Palazzo Bezzi

Ravenna

Authenticity & Character

Clean

Location

Close to City Center

Staff

Helpful with restaurants and reservations

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese tasting tour (private)

Italy

The cheese tasting tour was very cool. It was great to be part of it and see all the processes. I really enjoyed it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bologna Walking Tour - Food & Wine

Bologna

The food and wine tour in Bologna was fantastic. It was great to have those personal experiences and see everything firsthand. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide Andrea was helpful throughout the panning process. He was responsive to last minute and on-the-ground changes to our itinerary. His knowledge of local attractions and restaurants was extremely helpful.

We had Emi as our agent and she was beyond amazing. First, she as patient with us as we had started our planning and we were figuring out our different options. Once we finalized that it looked like she found the best hotels for our needs. We have never gone to Europe and were hesitant about using and agent, but we are SO glad we did. We will be using KimKim for future travel!

We had a great time on our trip but there are a few things we feel should be addressed -As far as we knew all the hotel payments were pre-paid -However the first hotel we stayed at told us we never paid and wouldn’t let us leave until the matter was straightened out -finally that was resolved but we almost missed our pre-paid ferry . Each hotel charged us additional fees for city taxes-these should have been prepaid as well but we had to pay them-if we did owe that to them it should have been arranged earlier-Also the guides on our tour to Pompei and Naples were horrible-They spoke English poorly and we got very little out of them -it’s a shame because we may not be back here again and there was a lot to learn -also the limoncello Factory tour was 5 minutes of learning about limoncello and the rest was the owner who marketing his products- In addition our boat tour which highlighted the Blue Grato-should have taken place when the tide was low enough for us to see it-I realize you don’t control the tides but it is well known when low and high tide takes place- Also the boat was not fully equipped for snorkeling and had some but not enough portable floating devices for swimming.

Hotel Review

Hotel Palazzo Murat Positano

Positano

A beautiful hotel. Pool had a great view , breakfast was delicious and the staff was very eager to help.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Always friendly and eager to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Activity Review

Limoncello Experience & Tasting

Italy

Not much to it. Finished in a short amount of time and then was brought into the store to buy products

Quality of Experience

It’s difficult to know where to begin , since we had nothing but one excellent experience after another. From the first planning sessions with our specialist, Valeria, to each and every local guide, driver, recommendation and suggestion on ways to make our trip a lifetime’s experience.

Barbara in Milan was our first local contact on the ground and set the tone for the 9 days that followed with a wonderful tour that exuded her love for her work. She was then our daily contact who checked on with us each evening to make sure all was going well and to review the following day’s itinerary.

The cooking class in the Tuscan countryside was incredible. Alesia in Venice was fun and shared her love of her home city. Florence was a dream and our driver, Nath, made it a perfect 2 days there. Not that our guide, Lucia, should go without special mention. She had an incredible knowledge of art and architecture in a city that is steeped in centuries of beauty. Jaw dropping insights were continuously shared with us by her.

We loved the small towns of Pienza and Montepulciano, the vineyards, cheese tastings and exposure to small family owned businesses could never have happened without Kimkim resources and expertise.

And then there was Rome- perhaps the culmination of why we appreciate using Kimkim for our trip. Our tour of the Vatican could never be duplicated unless, of course, we had Francesco as a guide again. When I show people photos they marvel at how we were able to navigate such a popular attraction and yet seem to have been alone among the vast, treasure filled halls and rooms of the Vatican Museum. Truly a lifetime experience.

And we were able to share a wonderful goodbye walk with our original tour specialist, Valeria, through local neighborhoods and eat where the Romans eat along the way.

The greatest compliment we can give is the conversation at the conclusion of a vacation that centers around planning our next trip with Kimkim.

Best,
Brian and Melissa

Activity Reviews

Early morning private Vatican Tour

Rome

I can't tell you how impressive this tour was. Our guide, Francesco, was absolutely incredible. His knowledge about the Vatican was outstanding and he managed to guide us around the museum and the Sistine Chapel avoiding the crowd. His dedication and passion about his job and his hometown was palpable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private cooking class at Podere il Casale in Pienza

Italy

This was such a fun experience. The cooking class was a full five hours, but it flew by because we were having such a great time. It was hands-on, and we learned so much about Italian cuisine. The class was definitely one of the highlights of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of Milan Highlights with La Scala theatre

Milan

The tour was absolutely phenomenal. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the city, and we learned so much in just three hours. The highlight was definitely the La Scala Theatre. Our guide was passionate about Milan and gave us some restaurant recommendations that turned out to be fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip made possible by Stephania and her associates!! Stephania customized an itinerary that we requested within the budget we set and picked fabulous hotels and tours. The hotels were all perfectly located to walk anywhere we wanted and were classy, beautiful, with extraordinary staff. The three tours she selected were fun, informative, in spectacular settings. The most amazing part is the convenience of all our transfers and never experiencing any problems or delays. We met other travelers that complained of not being picked up or not being able to find their drivers. When we arrived in Italy, we were given a new set of travel associates (Travel12) to answer any questions or concerns we may have when we arrive. One of our tours changed a meeting point to which I received a text from that organization and within two minutes the travel 12 group texted me to inform me of the change as well! I really can’t say enough about Stephania and her team to be able to arrange a dream trip! The service is very affordable and worth every penny!

We had the best time on this trip through Italy, largely due to the excellent planning and coordination provided by the team at Your Custom Journey. The planning with Valeria was fairly simple to do via KimKim. Honestly, the hardest parts were choosing between all of the great city destinations/excursions and committing to a budget. Luckily Valeria was very patient with me as I tried to get my group to come to a consensus.

Our in-country contact, Barbara was fantastic at keeping us in the loop with possible itinerary changes, reminders for the upcoming day, transportation, and checking to make sure we were enjoying everything as we'd hoped. She even was our tour guide a few times in Venice. The other guides were great as well, particularly Gianni, who led our tour of the Palace of Caserta and Valeria, who took us on a walking food tour of Rome. All of the guides were local to the regions we were touring, and most of them were born and raised in Italy, and I think that really made the difference. Not having a lot of familiarity with the Italian language ourselves (despite studying all spring and summer), it was a relief not to have to worry as much about the language barrier since all of our guides were fluent English speakers. Plus, at all of the church and palace tours we were able to skip the long lines.

The excursions were interesting and thoughtfully prepared. Highlights included a lunch and wine tasting at a hillside winery on the Amalfi Coast, the Venice walking tour that ended with the Doge Palace and San Marco Basilica, seeing Pompeii and the Vatican, and the stunning views in Sorrento. This trip was everything to me and my family, and I'm so glad I had the help to plan it as well as the local support so that I could enjoy it as much as everyone else did.