Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Deborah planned a perfect trip for my sister and I to visit Italy together. We requested a more laid-back itinerary without visits to the usual sights because we had been there previously, and Deborah did an excellent job of planning alternative options like wine tastings, tours by boat, and opportunities to enjoy each place we visited. We visited Lake Como with a private tour of several locations on the lake, as well as Florence where we took a variety of day trips into surrounding Tuscany (including Siena, and San Gimignano, and Cince Terre). We also planned to attend a concert in Milan, and Deborah was able to incorporate our plans into her itinerary as well. Something really helpful was that she established "chaperones" in each city that met us at the airport, train station, or at our hotels to receive us when traveling from another city and help make sure we were settled. Deborah was thoughtful, friendly, and efficient with our trip plan, and even went so far as to book us a new tour when one of ours was canceled at the last minute while we were en route to Italy. We received a message when we arrived at the airport that she had booked us a new tour so that we didn't even have to worry about it which was amazing. We felt she took great care in making sure we were pleased with our trip before, during, and after. Thank you Deborah for a memorable trip!

We had the most beautiful trip to North Italy. Valeria planned the perfect summer vacation for us to Venice, Florence, Cinque Terra, Lake Como and Milan. The hotels were very nice and conveniently located. The guides were knowledgeable in art, architecture, history and culture. Our concierge Alessia ensured we always knew where to be next. We felt like we got a chance to immerse ourselves in Italian culture and see a lot! We enjoyed every minute of the trip.

Activity Review

Wanna be Italiano - Florence cooking class and market tour

Italy

Claudia's tours of Cinque Terre and Portfolio were fantastic; she was knowledgable and flexible with our needs.

Our guide in Venice (Grace) was so good! She did a fabulous job guiding us through the Doge Palace and the Basilica! Very friendly and knowledgeable. Will ing to take time to answer all of our questions.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cellai

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bonvecchiati Palace

Venice

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lago di Garda

Malcesine

Staff was great and breakfast was wonderful! The location was ideal.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to sights , shops and restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hand-made Pasta & Typical Dessert Cooking Class

Florence

This was a lot of fun! Learned a lot in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. The Chef was knowledgeable and fun .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Tour Inside St Mark's & Doge's Palace

Venice

Wonderful experience! Tour guide was great!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Venice Gondola Ride

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The trip turned out almost perfect if not for the heat wave we experienced during our trip. The Traveler Care team was amazing and responded to all my requests while traveling in a very timely manner making additions and modifications to the trip to account for situations like the weather.

This is our second trip planned using KimKim and would definitely consider using them again for another trip. You definitely pay a premium but its nice to have someone plan everything for you when visiting a foreign country for the first time.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Villa di Sorrento

Sorrento

The location of this hotel was perfect . It was within a 2 minute walking distance to the central area where all the taxis converge, and restaurants and shopping within a few minutes walking distance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was a little run down. They could use a little sprucing up but then again I think it was a 3 star hotel so maybe it was on par for the price.

Palazzo Alabardieri Hotel Napoli

Naples

Love love loved this hotel. The charm of it was one of our favorite places we stayed during our trip. Great breakfast. Rooms were super comfy and spacious.

Authenticity & Character

beautiful architecture and Italy charm

Location

great distance to all kinds of shopping and restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were spacious. Breakfast area was very nice.

Yes Hotel Rome

Rome

Cute little boutique hotel situated super close to the train station and some amazing restaurants. Nice breakfast in the morning with clean and comfortable rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

2 minute walk to the train station

Staff

Great restaurant recommendations.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean rooms and comfy beds.

Activity Reviews

Naples Street Food Tour

Naples

This was the one tour we could have done without. While the Naples food scene is interesting and different from other parts of Rome we felt like we walked for miles with no real destination in mind. 3 hours is WAY too long. And after the first few tastings you're so full you can't really eat anything more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Sorrento

It was a great experience. Long day on a boat so definitely take your Bonine if you tend to get boat sick. The seas get pretty rough with all the boats in the area. I loved that our stops were short (1.5 hours in Amalfi and 1.5 hours in Positano) and then we had 2 swimming stops. We really got a great tour of the entire Amalfi coast. I do wish the boat was a little more comfortable. For 12 people I felt like a few of us didn't have seats for the entire trip covered as most of us didn't want to be in the full sun for 8 hours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pasta & Tiramisu Making Class

Rome

Loved this class! The food was amazing. The instructors were terrific. I loved the experience of it all. The restaurant was very nice and cool (which was important with the heat wave we were experiencing). It was a bit far from our hotel but once we got there we loved the experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Pompeii Tour & Mount Vesuvius visit with lunch and wine tasting

Pompeii

This was one of our favorite tours however we did have to scrap the Mt Vesuvius hike as the temperatures were in the triple digits. I would say just do a longer Private Pompeii tour and skip the Mt Vesuvius hike or the lunch/wine tasting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved her stories and the things she showed us in Pompeii

Transport

Pizza Cooking Class in Napoli

Naples

Fun class and great tasting pizza but the restaurant didn't have AC and it was around lunchtime. Having to stand and cook near a hot pizza oven in a restaurant with no AC was brutal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Great tour, great stories but it was just hot hot hot!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

tour guide knew his stuff and made it very interesting.

Transport

Local transfer in Rome

Rome

iCareLimo services were amazing. We used them almost daily throughout our trip. They were always on time, communicated with me timely and at my disposal. The car was always nice and cool which was appreciated during the heat wave. Sometimes cold water was provided. I would say that should be a must for every time we used the service just as a suggestion.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

Our guide was very knowledgeable. It was a great tour however if I were to do it all over again I would try to find a shorter tour. 3 hours in the Vatican area is a lot. The amount of people being hoarded through is crazy. After a few hours its just a lot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comfy, on time

Fabio helped us plan a 10 day trip to Italy in the middle of July for my family of 5. Kids ages 20, 18 & 14.
Every flight pick up, train transportation, driver to/from worked out. No one cancelled or late in arriving and all super friendly and helpful. We stayed in four different hotels along our trip and all hotels had exceptional service and per our kids, the best breakfast options. 😊
We jammed in so many nice excursions from the walking tour in Venice with our guide, Roberta, who showed us local piazzas, streets that were empty of tourists, inside the Basilica of San Marco and where to get the best gelato! She was great.
We had exceptional drivers, Stefano and Marcelo, and very happy we chose not to drive ourselves. We were able to sit back and really enjoy the scenery during our drive to/from Tuscany for some wine tasting and visiting Sienna and San Gimignano.
The other long drive to Amalfi Coast had crazy curvy streets with narrow, two way traffic and driving that ourselves would have been horrible!! I highly recommend no one tackle that drive. Our driver, Marcelo, handled it with a breeze and we relaxed during that drive (we all took dramamine to be safe!) The views are truly spectacular and have great pictures from it.
Despite the crazy heat, we tried to make the best of it and the only excursion I could have done without was visiting the Sistine Chapel. It was super super crowded and hot inside which makes for a bad combo. Our entrance time was at 4p mid-week and it was crazy. We thought we could easily go under the ropes to work our way out but security didn’t like that and it almost caused us a fine. We explained how my daughter & I felt sick and had to exit and they let us go. Asking security for permission to exit is the better way to handle.
Lastly, our all day boat excursion in Sorrento to see the coast from the water and visit Island of Capri. We had captain David and co-captain Charlotte.
Waves were high and at first not sure we were able to even go boating but captain suggested a slightly larger boat would help ease the feeling (mind you my daughter and I both have weak stomachs 🤢) and it all worked out. At no extra cost to us, we were upgraded to 40’ boat and it was all ours for the day. We packed a lunch and had paninis and swam at our leisure. The stop to Capri was about 3hours and long enough to really explore and visit the Garden of Augusto at the top of the island via a lift. Kids really enjoyed that.
Overall, there are not enough words to explain the exceptional level of service we received from Fabio and KimKim. Sure it comes at a premium but all worth it to have a great planned out vacation that our family will remember for years.
Our hearts are full of wonderful memories of Italy, so thank you!

Andrea and the KIMKIM team was amazing to work with. I came across them while trying to plan my trip to Italy online and I am so glad that I did. They took over the entire process and made things simple. Andrea created the person itinerary to include everything my husband and I were interested in and omit things that that not matter to us. He was prompt to answer all of our questions prior to the trip. Our trip started off in Venice, with car service that brought us to the hotel. We had a tour guide for the evening who did a great job of showing us the off the beaten path look at Venice which we loved. We then traveled to Florence and again met with a knowledgeable tour guide. As the weather was getting hot, Andrea checked in and often changed times of our tours so that we would find it more pleasant. While leaving Florence, there was a train strike. Our trip to Pompeii was canceled. Andrea was super helpful in trying to get us to our next destination. He also refunded us the money as our plans had to be canceled. Every time we could not locate a guide or find a place, Andrea responded to our messages quickly and helped every step of the way. The guides were all knowledgeable and very professional and helpful. The drivers were also great. I will most definitely be using kimkim in the future and recommending them to everyone.

We usually plan our own travels and this is the first time getting help . And using Kimkim was the best decision we ever made. Irene our local specialist was phenomenal! She was really a pleasure to work with. She is patient, very responsive and was honest in her opinion. Together we discussed what I wanted in the trip and she helped us craft a perfect itinerary.
We had both guided and self guided tours. She gave great insights into the places we visited, where to go, what to look out for and even restaurant recomendations.

We packed a lot into our trip. We visited 4 cities and Irene helped plan the visits to each city/area. I can't decide which is the best because they are all different with different things to offer. Irene's plan was well thought out.

Throughout our trip, we felt truly cared for. The Travelcare team which is like a "virtual concierge" is really god-sent. They were available to answer any questions, help you if you have problems or encounter any problems. We truly felt that everyone on the team is there to make sure your trip runs smoothly and that we have the best travel experience.

I posted my travels on social media and had lots of my friends asking who helped me plan this amazing trip. I told them about Kimkim. I will definitely use Kimkim in my future travels!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel L'Orologio

This is a 5 star hotel! It felt very luxurious. From the moment you walk into the lobby till the room. Everything was exquisite! It’s just a 6 min walk from the Santa Maria Novella train station and a 4 min walk to the Duomo. Super convenient!

Authenticity & Character

Very classy hotel

Location

Near Duomo and train station

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxurious hotel

Hotel Antigo Trovatore Venice

Venice

Location was fantastic. Very near the water taxi station and San Marco Basilica. Rooms were clean. Bfast was adequate. Only reason I gave it a 4 star is bcos the air conditioner’s location was not ideal. It had cool air blown on my face the whole night which made it difficult to sleep . Otherwise the hotel is great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

3 mins walk fr San Marco square

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were clean

Hotel Modigliani

Roma

Hotel was conveniently located near the Spanish Steps. Don’t let the entrance fool you. The rooms are very clean, updated and we had a really good rest there.

Authenticity & Character

It’s a cute and quaint hotel

Location

5 mins fr Spanish Steps and the shopping area

Staff

Very friendly and efficient

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were comfy and rooms felt updated and clean. AC was cool. Bathroom was a little tight but we didn’t mind

Activity Review

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Sorrento

This was the most relaxing tour we had for our trip. We were glad we chose the boat tour rather than going buy car/bus as we were able to enjoy the scenic coastline up close!You wouldn’t hv had that experience if we traveled on the road. The captain of the boat was good. He made sure we were safe. The highlight was that we were able to swim in the sea. It was just breathtaking!

Quality of Experience

Very well planned tour. We got to visit Positano and Amalfi town n also get to enjoy the ride on the boat

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Captain of boat made sure safety comes first. He also told us what to look out for, places to see etc

Transport

Enjoy the sea rather than stuck in a car or bus going thru windy roads

Fabio was fantastic to work with from start to finish. Fabio worked with me to create a very memorable trip. I had a few ideas, but he gave great suggestions from excursions, restaurants, and money saving tips. I ended up taking two weeks spread amongst Rome, Florence, Sorrento and Venice with a few day trips to Capri, Cinque Terre, and Pompeii. That's a lot to coordinate by yourself so Fabio took all of the hassle out. All drivers and guides he booked for us were knowledgeable and friendly as well.

During the trip, Fabio was quick to respond to some issues that arose with our trains and Capri ferry, which was a huge help since we don't speak Italian. There was a massive train derailment outside of Florence, which would have made us lose a day of our trip - Fabio found a driver so we could keep moving within 30 minutes.

All in all, when you visit Italy you'll really appreciate Fabio as your agent.

Andreas is awesome. Entire trip was planned flawlessly right from guides to transfer/pickups and selection of activities. He was constantly checking on us and updating.

We’ve used Kim Kim before but this is the best experience we’ve had.

Thank you so much Andreas!

Overall an amazing trip. Well organized and fun for our family of 4 with 2 boys (8 and 15). It hit all the marks, history and architecture, food and fun excursions. Highlights included pasta making in Florence, balsamic vinegar tasting in Modena. You also accommodated special requests including touring the 2 Ferrari museums, and Papal General Audience. Staff in Italy was very responsive via text, making changes on the fly as needed.

Thanos was extremely helpful in sourcing and booking our accommodations and transportation whilst in Italy. The pre trip planning went smoothly and Thanos worked within our budget and desired locations to put together a really exciting itinerary. Despite a few hiccups with local vendors (out of KimKim's control), we thoroughly enjoyed our 10 days in Italy and would recommend using KimKim in the future. One of the BIG highlights of using KimKim was the availability of Thanos to ask last minute questions and and make any necessary changes. Having a 'virtual concierge' while travelling was new for us but enormously helpful. Thanks again.

A superb, 4 city vacation in Italy with a very customized itinerary with every travel detail and ticket clearly laid out with no work on our part. Every taxi/boat driver was available on time in every transfer point (8+) as soon as we got off the train/plane. Unique cooking experiences, private tours of the Vatican, and so much more. In a country where we didn't know the language and there were various unknowns, our travel reps (Jessica and Barbara) were available every step of the way giving us daily reminders. I 100% would use this service again as our experiences were one of a kind!

Activity Reviews

Private Evening Gondola Ride Venice & City Stroll

Venice

Our guide was fantastic (Ontavia I believe) who knew so much of the city. Personable, friendly, and knowledgeable. We learned so much about Venice along with the private walk that made it comfortable. Then the gondola ride was one of the best things we ever did while she dropped us off. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Market Tour & Cooking lesson (morning tour)

Rome

Fantastic!! Michaela took us to get the best, fresh food from the market. Outgoing, fun, and friendly telling us every step and asking every detail of what we like, what to try, etc. This felt like one of the most local experiences we ever had with a lot of fun. We learned to cook pasta with her, my wife and I while enjoying the best appetizers and meal. This was so personal, unique, and local that you can't miss out. Plus prosecco, wine, and a fantastic air conditioned apartment with a rustic feel that you can't replicate!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I can’t thank Emi enough for planning a spectacular vacation. Our hotels were great. Our private tours and events were spectacular! Cooking class! Boat tour! When I had a question while in Italy, I received a response to my text within minutes, I have told multiple friends that they have to use KimKim to help plan their vacation. I can’t wait to plan our next trip with them.

Activity Reviews

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

Sorrento

We actually had a private boat tour with Theodoro. He was wonderful! We couldn’t have asked for a better guide around the coast. He was so knowledgeable. This was one of our favorite days of our vacation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TUSCANY'S GEMS: PRIVATE TOUR TO PISA, SIENA AND SAN GIMIGNANO

Florence

Claudia was a wonderful driver for our day. We did not have a wine tour scheduled while we were in Tuscany, Claudia called immediately and got us scheduled for lunch and wine tasting. It was a fantastic day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Gondola Ride

Venice

This is something that we felt we needed to do in Venice. While it was nice, it felt like a Disney ride—they take you through a preset course with all the gondolas in a row. If you want to take a gondola ride, make sure to schedule in advance. The line to buy tickets was really long.

Pizza and gelato making class

Florence

Vierri was amazing! He made this more than a class—it was an experience. He is so knowledgeable and a wonderful teacher. I can’t say enough about this evening. This was one of our favorite events of the trip.. Our pizza and gelato was surprisingly fantastic considering our skill level.

Quality of Experience

Vierri!

I had the most wonderfully memorable vacation in Italy and all credits go to Maria and her exceptionally talented team. Every single activity Maria and her team selected for me went without glitches and far exceeded my expectations. Maria and her first class team were instrumental in helpong me experienced and created indelible memories that will last me a lifetime and beyond. Thank you again Maria from the bottom of my heart. I do plan on returning to Italy in a near future and I will not hesitate to hire the services of arguably the best travel planner in the entire hemisphere, Maria Grazia Rubimo, and her talented team. Krazie Mille.

Activity Review

Napoli Vespa Tour

Naples

The guide was super nice, friendly, adaptable, and very accommodating. He took me to amazing places with incredible views of the city of Naples. I highly recommend his services for anyone wanting to discover hidden gems from the city of Naples.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was thrilling yet very safe. The guide took me places I would not have been able to discover on my own.

We worked closely with Fabio who over-delivered. He was prompt and clear in his responses and he curated an incredible itinerary for us in Venice and the Dolomites. Moreover, when we hit a foreseeable snag — a guide running delayed or a country-wide airport strike — Fabio provided exceptional service and insights by cell phone, seemingly 24/7.

Both local guides in Florence were very knowledgeable. Had to adjust some due to the heat and crowds at museum. But all in all great service provided.

Aryiana was our trip specialist, and she did a perfect job. Each of the 3 boutique hotels were super clean and comfortable and very well located with helpful, friendly staff. And the included breakfasts were delicious.
Every driver and tour guide appeared exactly on time.
But Ariyana’s assistance to us when the train and air traffic controllers went on strike was the most amazing! We still can’t believe how fast she was able to make alternative transportation plans.
We will recommend kimkim to all of our friends and definitely use their services again!

My husband, daughter and I spent 9 days in Italy in early July 2023 and had an amazing experience. During this time we were in Florence, Amalfi and Rome. We also stopped at Pompeii, Vesuvius national park and did a quick city tour of Naples on the way to Amalfi. Andrea was phenomenal and worked with me to plan out a detailed itinerary. I am used to planning my own trips in the past and have very specific expectations. Andrea was able to meet and exceed all of those, including specific requests such as stopping by at a good pizzeria in Naples for lunch. He also had wonderful suggestions to make our overall experience better. We had a good balance of private guided tours and small group tours. All of our guides were excellent in terms of the information they provided and how they interacted with us. Special mentions to Guiseppe, our guide in Pompeii and Naples and MariaPaola, our guide in Rome. We had a pretty packed itinerary and everything was very seamless with no delays or misses, despite this being peak season in Italy. I would highly recommend using Kimkim/ Andrea to plan your vacation!

Activity Reviews

Colosseum & Roman Forum skip the line ticket

Rome

Rome Private Guided Walk

Rome

Quality of Experience

Colosseum and Roman Forum - Private guide

Rome

Quality of Experience

Naples guided walk

Italy

Guiseppe was great - learned a lot about the culture and history of Naples. And enjoyed good Napoli pizza for lunch

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide

Rome

Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel skip the line ticket

Rome

Quality of Experience

Vesuvius entrance ticket

Naples

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

Italy

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

Guide was excellent!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tuscany Day Trip from Florence with Chianti, Siena & San Gimignano

Florence

Excellent trip - lunch at the vineyard was so good, some of the best food we had in Italy.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Organisation and booking of the trip through Kimkim and the help of Stephania was easy and straight forward. Kimkim gives you the flexibility to personalise our trip and leave out activities that are either too expensive or not interesting to us.

We went on a 10 day trip to florence, tuscany and the italian riveria. Our favourite stay was in the bed and breakfast in tuscany at Villa di Capovento where the couple that runs the place prepares the best food we had during our trip, the house and surrounding environment was also so peaceful and I am so glad we got to experience their hospitality.

We were fortunate to also stay in Camogli, a small town along the italian riveria. Although this is not part of Cinque terre - we were honestly quite glad that we were booked to stay there instead. Cinque terre is a must visit but I will not recommend staying there as it is filled with tourist. Camgoli on the other hand has nice beaches and was a train ride away from St Margarita and Portofino which was worth a day visit each.

The only down side to our trip was the advice that we got from Kimkim on self driving in Italy . I felt that more local information could have been shared about the difficulty of driving around the italian riveria as we ended up just parking our rental car in Camogli for 2-3 days and taking the train around instead due to the extremely small roads and most roads were also not accessible to rental cars during the day. We only know about this when we arrived and was advised by the hotel staff and our guide when we were visiting Cinque terre. If this information was known beforehand, we could have saved a few days of car rental cost and take a train down from Florence instead.

Kimkim is unable to help you book your rental car, and in italy the other issue is car parking along the italian riveria is very limited - this also has to be booked in advance.