Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

I elected on this trip to use kimkim rather than book things myself as I generally do. It was a very good decision. Irene curated an excellent 16 day tour of Tuscany and the Italian Riviera. Their partner in Italy, Travel 12 was very responsive to any questions that surfaced during the trip. One example, there was a rail strike on the last day of our trip. Travel 12 researched and rebooked us on a train that would not be impacted by the strike. Irene and I had numerous exchanges about the itinerary, she listened to my needs and crafted a truly outstanding experience. Her intimate knowledge of the area was particularly helpful in finalizing our itinerary. Every driver was either on time or early and extremely professional. The tours, particularly the Uffizi, the city walking tours, the Brunello winery tour and Cinque Terre tour were outstanding. All private and all with outstanding guides. Finally, I feel pretty certain that due to kimkim's and Travel 12's relationships with hotels and local tour operators that we received the best rooms and guides. I highly recommend both Irene and their local partner Travel 12 if you are planning a trip to Italy.

Activity Reviews

Brunello di Montalcino Wine Tour

Italy

We are both wine lovers, and the Brunello winery tour was fantastic. We visited two wineries and had an amazing private lunch at Violetta which was one of the best meals we had on our entire trip. Our guide added a bonus, a short visit to Pienza which we both wanted to see and certainly appreciated his flexibility.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Walking Tour

Florence

We always like to get some orientation to a city when we arrive and the walking tour of Florence was excellent.

LOCAL SPECIALIST Erini. Very good but could have made clear about time between drop-off and check-in. Ciara. Very quick attention to our needs. ACCOMMODATIONS: Alberobello 5/5 stars. Gorgeous interior, clean, newly renovated, all amenities, great communication with host. Only negative was spotty wifi. Lecce 3/5 stars. Room was not ready for us. Sofa bed was not made up. No drinking glasses. No kleenex. Only one trash can. Not particularly clean. Ants on the dresser. Could not check in until 4 pm. We arrived at 2 pm. Host was not on the premises. We were on the sidewalk with our luggage. Luckily a guest was leaving and she let us in and we left our luggage unattended in the foyer. Only positive was a nice large terrace at the back of the building. Would never stay there again. Bari 4/5 stars. Nice interior, clean, all amenities. Room was not ready for us. Sofa bed was not made up. AC not working and they came right away to fix. Good communication with host. Stairs very narrow and steep. GUIDES/EXPERIENCES: Alberobello Annarita B+. Matera Luigi A. Bread baking experience C (could have skipped it). Bottega Lucano liqueur - was skipped why? We had to pay to see a typical cave home Casa Grotta, why? Lecce Simona B. Cooking class B. Egnazia archeological park Luca A+. Bari Enzo? B. Grottaglie (my addition to the itinary) A. DRIVERS. Generally okay. English capability varied greatly. Driver (Sept 29) did not speak English! It was difficult to communicate. Most drivers did not give us their cell number. It would have made mid-route stops easier. Driver (Oct 3 leaving Bari) did not park near our accommodation to pick us up. We had to walk 10 mins to where he parked. He rolled Donna's suitcase and I had to roll my own over cobble streets. Do not understand why, since Driver (Sep 29 arriving Bari) parked close by and the host walked there to meet us.

Hotel Reviews

Porta Piccola Luxury Home

Bari

4/5 stars. Nice interior, clean, all amenities. Room was not ready for us. Sofa bed was not made up. AC not working and they came right away to fix. Good communication with host. Stairs very narrow and steep.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo dei Dondoli - Luxury Room & Apartments

Lecce

3/5 stars. Room was not ready for us. Sofa bed was not made up. No drinking glasses. No kleenex. Only one trash can. Not particularly clean. Ants on the dresser. Could not check in until 4 pm. We arrived at 2 pm. Host was not on the premises. We were on the sidewalk with our luggage. Luckily a guest was leaving and she let us in and we left our luggage unattended in the foyer. Only positive was a nice large terrace at the back of the building. Would never stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chiancole Trulli Experience

Alberobello

5/5 stars. Gorgeous interior, clean, newly renovated, all amenities, great communication with host. Only negative was spotty wifi.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour of Bari

Bari

Good tour but guide did not seem enthusiastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided tour of the Archaeological park of Egnazia

Italy

Egnazia archeological park Luca A+. One of the true highlights of this trip. Luca was awesome and gave us a 1.5 hour tour not 1.0 hour. Wish we had budgeted more time there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Driver at your disposal to Grottaglie *

Italy

A gentleman. Very helpful. Very good English

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pasta Cooking Class and Wine Tasting in Lecce

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Tour in Lecce

Lecce

Lecce Simona B.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Storywalking Experience: A guided walk exploring Matera's history and food traditions from Alberobello

Italy

Matera Luigi A. Bread baking experience C (could have skipped it). Bottega Lucano liqueur - was skipped why? We had to pay to see a typical cave home Casa Grotta, why?

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alberobello Guided Tour

Italy

Alberobello Annarita B+.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Awesome trip in Rome! We had a great time and many very good memories were made!

Very much enjoyed the Appian way, Rooftop opera, Testaccio taste tour, Catacombs, and Three Basicals Private
Tour along with Museo Capitolini. All in 4 days! What an experience!

Hotel Review

Hotel Navona Colors

Rome

The hotel is in a great location and has an intimate feel. Staff are helpful. That bathtub/shower situation is a bit intimidating for people our age and with some of our mobility issues.

Authenticity & Character

While somewhat austere it had a charming hreakfast

Location

Excellent. Located near so many things to see and great restaurants. Taxis easily accrssed

Staff

Staff were helpful and friendly. Although they seem to speak clear English a few of them appear to have some comprehension issues with the language

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds are very comfortable. There is a store next door that sells most things people would need. Restaurants in walking distance. They can make arrangements for you

Activity Reviews

Small group Testaccio Market food tour

Rome

Great guide, fun tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We did not have a transport arranged which would have been nice. We arranged Ourselves to have a cab

Rooftop bar Opera show

Rome

Pleasant show

Quality of Experience

Appertizers and wine were the bomb

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We walked there

Private golf cart tour along the Appian Way and small group tour of the Catacombs

Rome

Very informative and interesting. Relaxed day and learned a lot

Quality of Experience

Fascinating history

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very professional

Transport

On time, prompt. But there was a problem with the guide’s Golf cart. It kept dying. He was great to take us back to our hotel though

The Jubilee tour of Rome: three major Basilicas private guided tour

Rome

Guide was very good. Hotel pickup awesome. My only complaint would be we needdd some method to get back to our hotel rather than walking. We tried to walk but after the tour it was too much and I was in too much pain with my feet. Eventually we were able to hail a taxi

Quality of Experience

So informative and interesting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Prompt and professional

Overall, our Italy trip was wonderful. Our itinerary was packed but allowed enough down time to relax and explore each destination. Alessia, our concierge, was very attentive and did all she could to make sure everything went smoothly. We enjoyed spending time with her in Venice; she took special care selecting locations for the food tour so that we could try different local specialties. We also enjoyed the Venice walking tour. In Florence, the Tuscany tour was amazing! There was a communication problem regarding our transfer from Florence to Rome, the driver notified the hotel staff that he was waiting for us at the entrance but apparently didn’t communicate with the local concierge who was not yet at the hotel. The driver took us to the train station without the concierge, which led to some confusion and frustration. The concierge met us at the train station; we made our train without any issue. Once in Rome, the Colosseum tour was disappointing. The guide was unprepared and disorganized. It was a very hot day but didn’t try to find shade, spent an especially long time on Palatine Hill, leaving everyone on the tour wandering around. The tour ended about 30 mins early in the middle of the Colosseum, didn’t give us the opportunity to climb the stairs or go to the bottom floor. After this tour, there was another communication problem with the driver. Alessia contacted us with a driver change about 30 mins before the tour was to end (we were already dismissed and exploring), then a few minutes later a driver also contacted us, saying he was there. We then hurried to exit, he asked where we were, we did our best to describe our surroundings and sent pictures but failed to find him, after about 45mins of back and forth messages with the driver, struggling with WhatsApp to try to figure out how to send photos and receive phone calls, we cancelled the ride and walked back to the hotel. The Vatican City tour the following day was much better, despite being very crowded, our guide did a good job managing the group and was organized and knowledgeable. Our transfers to Sorrento and Sicily went smoothly. At our request, Alessia was able to reschedule our Capri boat tour which saved us from a rainy day. We loved the tour in Palermo, the crypts were extraordinary, and we had fun learning about the unique attractions. The guide was well educated and eager to show us around the city.
Except for some communication issues and a bad tour experience, our trip was great. One suggestion would be for drivers to communicate through the concierge and not directly with clients. This may have saved us some frustration. WhatsApp works well for text messaging, but I was unable to accept phone calls, perhaps more instruction is needed prior to travel.

Hotel Review

Hotel Artemis

Cefalu

The room was spacious and had the best shower of all of the Italian hotels we visited. Most importantly, the staff was amazing! They helped us navigate the area and recommend restaurants. One of the team members went out of his way to lend us his personal luggage scale when we were unable to find a way to ship purchased items home!

Authenticity & Character

Our room had a balcony, large enough to do yoga in the morning, there was also a roof deck with a nice view.

Location

Very centrally located, 5 min walk to the beach and restaurants or train station.

Staff

They went above and beyond to accommodate our needs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Guided Tour of Palermo: the unknown side

Italy

We loved the tour in Palermo, the crypts were extraordinary, and we had fun learning about the unique attractions. The guide was well educated and eager to show us around the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Small group tour of Vatican City , Sistine Chapel & saint Peter's Basilica

Rome

Despite being very crowded, our guide did a good job managing the group and was organized and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Small group tour of Colosseum with Arena access, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum

Rome

This tour was disappointing. The guide was unprepared and disorganized. It was a very hot day but we spent an especially long time on Palatine Hill, without the guide making any effort to find shade and leaving everyone on the tour wandering around wondering when we would move on. The guide did show us one of the special exhibits in the Forum that featured Egyptian art but didn't have much else to offer during the tour of the Forum. We were excited to explore the colosseum, she mentioned climbing the stairs but dismissed the tour group about 30 mins early in the middle of the Colosseum, without giving us the opportunity or showing us where to climb the stairs or go to the bottom floor (which she said was a separate ticket).

Quality of Experience

A guide who is energetic and personable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Small group Tour of Tuscany Oil & Wine Tasting with a personal sommelier

Florence

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

"Bacari" local street food tour

Italy

Alessia took note of our food and wine preferences and what we had already tried to carefully selecting locations for the food tour so that we could try different local specialties. We were able to try things we probably wouldn't have without her guidance. The salted cod was unique surprise, that we never would've found or been brave enough to try on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had fun with Alessia, like having a friend to show us around.

Absolute Venice: group tour of the highlights including the Saint Mark's Basilica and the Doge's palace

Italy

Our guide was knowledgeable on all things Venice and very patient, making sure to keep the group together and allow time to enjoy the sights without lingering too long. Her flag was very helpful in crowded places to make it easy to find her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The trip was fantastic and a big shout out to Beatriz on her coordination of the trip. Every guide and driver was always on time and did a great job during our visits to Northern Italy and Portugal. The hike in the Dolomites and the guided tour to the Douro Valley were two of the highlights of the trip. The choice of the hotels set up by Beatriz were perfect as well. Based on our experience with KimKim, I have recommended them to friends/family and we are working with KimKim on another trip in 2026.

Hotel Reviews

Dear Lisbon - Gallery House

Lisbon

The staff at this hotel was some of nicest people of any hotel we stayed at and would go out of their way to assist you. The rooms and beds were very nice. Breakfast was excellent as well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Overall location was fine but for most activities in Lisbon it took 20+ minutes to get to many of the main areas and restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Editory Garden Porto Hotel

Porto

The hotel was very nice and we would recommend it to others . Staff was very professional and breakfast was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Malpensa

Vizzola Ticino

Vey nice hotel and recommend it if you need a hotel close to the airport.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Figl

Bolzano

The hotel was a great location and the staff was outstanding. Great breakfast. The one minor issue, the temperatures outside were warm and the hotel rooms just did not cool down and the rooms stayed warm for all of our traveling party, even during sleeping hours.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dinner with Locals at a Local Home

Lisbon

Our host did a very nice job and the food she prepared was excellent!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Very informative tour and our guide did an excellent job. We learned a lot about the history of Lisbon and would recommend it to others.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

One of our highlights of the trip was the visit to the Douro Valley. Our guide did an outstanding job and always was making sure our experience was 1st class.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Secret Porto Walking Experience

Porto

Our guide was excellent and we learned a lot about Porto and its history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Culinary Highlights of Porto: Food Delights & Bolhão Market

Porto

Our guide was excellent and recommend it to everyone visiting Porto.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bolzano Street Food Experience

Italy

Really enjoyed our guide and it was a great way to kick off our visit to Bolzano.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My mom and I had the most amazing trip together. Everything was so well planned, from our transportation, to our private guided tours, to our lovely hotels, we could not have been happier! Daniela, our private tour guide at Pompeii, has been an archeologist there for over 20 years. Her knowledge created an amazing experience for us, that was a huge highlight of our trip. The street food tour of Naples was a great way to see the city and experience the culture. The boat tour of Capri was a beautiful experience. The tour of the lemon grove in Amalfi was such a unique and educational experience, and in such a gorgeous setting. The rooftop opera in Rome was wonderful. Everything was so perfect!

Activity Reviews

Visit a traditional lemon grove & taste local Limoncello

Italy

Quality of Experience

Street Food Tour around Naples

Naples

Hello Giulia,

This was an outstanding vacation. Thank you for asking the right questions originally, and then adjusting the itinerary. We thoroughly enjoyed the excursions that were scheduled as well as the free time suggestions. The accommodations were top notch. We will recommend you to our friends! Until next time.

Eric D

Fabio planned out a fantastic trip for us (6 people) and we all saw some wonderful sights and had an excellent experience.
Highlights were the boat tour of the Cinque Terre, wine tours and our stay in Tuscany. All of the drivers were very prompt and courteous and safely and efficiently took care of us.
Fabio was extremely responsive and helpful and should we return to Italy we would not hesitate to work with him again.

Hotel Reviews

Salvadonica - Borgo del Chianti

San Casciano in Val di pesa

Beautiful small villa in the Tuscan hills. So tranquil and enjoyable. Breakfast was excellent and the dinners we had were fabulous.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The location is beautiful but it is a bit remote, there are no stores or restaurants that you can walk to. Be sure to have a car, we had to rent one when we got there.

Staff

Very efficient and friendly, particularly our waiter Vincenzo.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Villa Balbi

Sestri Levante

Hotel was very grand in its day but certainly very dated now. Breakfast was very extensive and tasty. The grounds were very nice and the pool was also nice. We were not informed that the beach was shut down the weekend before we arrived and as such no chairs or umbrellas available. The bed was very firm and not particularly comfortable, no wine glasses or corkscrew available.

Authenticity & Character

Obviously very grand at one time but showing the effects of time.

Location

Centrally located across from the beach.

Staff

Generally nice, bartender was snobbish and unpleasant

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dusty in the room, uncomfortable bed.

Opera Relais De Charme - Aparthotel

Verona

Very comfortable and excellent location.

Authenticity & Character

Comfortable and exceptionally clean

Location

Staff

Helpful and courteous

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tuscany Day Trip to Siena & San Gimignano with Lunch and Wine Tasting

Tuscany

Sienna and San G are wonderful, wine tasting mediocre at best.

Quality of Experience

The wine tasting was a mediocre lunch and wine but a 2 minute description of the wines before a small pour was very underwhelming

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Cinque Terre Boat Tour | From Sestri Levante

Sestri Levante

Best way to see Cinque Terra and Matteo was fantastic

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip from Verona: Riva del Garda, Monte Baldo, and Southern Lake Garda

Verona

Great experience and views but very long lineup for the cable car meant most of our visit to Mt. Baldo was in a lineup both getting up and getting down

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Taste of Valpolicella: Wine, Scenery, and Local Flavors

Verona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

the trip was wonderful! The attention to detail was what we had hoped for. Wonderful divers at ever location. Each hotel was nice. A few of the hotels we would have liked closer to the main part of the city, but other than that the service at each location was great. And Eirini was great. And the lady who helped us each day.
We will definitely use KimKim again on our next overseas trip!

God Bless you all

Thanks, Gary Swoffer

All of our guides were wonderful! We enjoyed all of their knowledge and passion that they had for their jobs.

Meeting the guides in hotel lobby was the easiest and least confusing . Really enjoyed the private or small group tours the best.

All of our drivers were on time and very polite. We arrived on time to all of our destination's.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel dei Borgognoni

Rome

This hotel had a great location- Just steps away from the Spanish steps and Trevi fountain. The rooms are in need of updating but they were clean. Over all probably our least favorite hotel of the trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Continental

Sorrento

The breakfast was wonderful! The room was beautiful and the staff was very attentive. Food choices were over the top!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Orto de' Medici

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Argentina Residenza Style Hotel Rome

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bye Bye, Italy!

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Group Tour

Rome

Alessandro was the best! Our group was on 6 people, I strongly recommend seeing this venue with a small group. There is so much to see and all of it is almost too much to take in. Alessandro was very good at explaining the things that we were seeing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit to the Colosseum & Roman Forum

Rome

We were not able to locate our guide for this tour so we missed it. We arrived 30 minuets early and asked directions from several different people and still were not able to find the meeting place.

Pasta & Tiramisù Cooking Class

Rome

FUN! Our Chef was a ball of fire- Enjoyed making the pasta and terimisu

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

One Day on the Amalfi Coast with driver (Amalfi, Positano, Ravello)

Italy

We had a great time with our guide- Germano (not sure of spelling) Really enjoyed seeing the Amalfi Coast

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

This was our second time in Pompeii, the tour guide was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed seeing things that we didn’t on our first trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chianti - Small group guided Tour with Tuscan Wine Tasting

Italy

Luciana was a great guide- She was very informative and we has a great day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Food Tour

Florence

This was not exactly what we thought it was going to be like. The people in the group were all fun but we were disappointed in some of the food choices.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uffizi Galleries private guided Tour

Florence

Once again Sara was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Walking Tour and Accademia Visit

Florence

Sarah was our guide and she had a great passion for her job. We really enjoyed spending the day with her. She was a fountain of information!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome by night in Golf Cart

Rome

We had a perfect night to see the sights of Roam by night. We enjoyed our guide and the sites that he took us to.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Every guide was amazing!!

Initial pick up at Bologna airport: unsatisfactory - driver late, had wrong name, told us on the way he hated Bologna, and then dropped us off blocks from our airport.

The rest of the trip went very well. Hotel Brun was lovely and within walking distance of downtown. The arrangements for the cooking class and the class itself were excellent and we loved getting out in the countryside.

Car rental was easy, drive through Modena to Levanto lovely. Hotel in Levanto was a gem - great choice.

Had trouble with the car on the way to Alba. The company was unresponsive and refused to assist us. Everything was in Italian and we were left to solve ourselves. It was completely unacceptable.
Our host at the Mi Clara Relais hotel intervened, arranged for a tow, and we ended up renting from another car agency for the balance of the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Crowne Plaza Milan Malpensa Airport

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to airport - that was very helpful

Mi Clara Relais

Alba

Clara, her mom Monica and father Paulo were wonderful hosts. Setting gorgeous, and their wine the best in the region

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Clara went above and beyond. When we had car trouble, is was Clara, not the rental car company, that arranged for our pickups. arranged to get the tow, and helped us find a rental car for the balance of the trip.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hotel Argento

Levanto

First class, lovely setting, walkable to downtown, they helped us rent bikes, arrange transportation to the train station, and book reservations for dinner. Great breakfast included!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Particularly Frank and Martina (?) - very helpful and knowledgeable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Brun

Bologna

lovely and great location.

Activity Reviews

From The Vegetable Garden to Table: Cooking class with Locals

Italy

lovely setting, organic gardening. Very informative and knowledgeable instructor. There was just one item we learned to prepare - pasta. And we had to share the pasta making activity- and there was not It might have been a little more valuable if we each had our own pasta activity. Also, it would be more valuable is we had learned how to make the sauce. She had everything else (Caprese, pasta sauce, etc) premade.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

N/a

Transport

we drove ourselves, once we had a different rental car

Cooking Class at a Farmhouse in Bologna Countryside

Italy

Elizabet and Roberto were marvelous - got a full 4 hour class. and then had a lovely dinner with other guests.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I started touring Europe 45 years ago and one way or the other always had to delay my start due to time constraints (work) and so never made Italy as it was always the start of these summer trips where I chaperoned high school students. The teacher in charge of these trips had been every year for 20+ years and was thus knowledgeable and thorough in their highlights and sites to visit. Each student would cover a subject in their respective city so it was quite informative.
Giulia has managed to put all that together for my wife and I as though she was actually on the tour with us, what with flawless transportation and guided tours with the most informative locals who prefer small groups (like just the 2 of us) over the larger tours with people wandering around tethered to listening devices.
In Milan the Duomo was handled by Emanuela who was easy going, knowledgeable and enthusiastic in our tour. You know your guide is good when other guides stop to ask advice!
In Venice for our cicchetti tour we had Lorenzo who was born and raised in Venice so knew every story, side street and place of interest from a personal connection. By the end of the trip we felt as we had known each other for years and actually enjoyed each other’s company for some time after the tour had officially ended. Excellent experience!
In Bologna we had Riccardo who used to be a professor, now you talk about passion for all things Bologna this man has it! He knows everyone and even got us into places that were already closed so you talk about a personal experience this was it! I highly recommend him and suggest to Giulia that you’d like him as your Bologna guide!
We also got to meet Giulia and we had a wonderful lunch where we learned all about the different cold cuts and cheeses! Such a treat for us!
We felt guided, safe and cared for with Giulia and her team, communication was great, recommendations were superb and we moved flawlessly through Northern Italy.
Though a bit more expensive than other tours or attempting to do it yourself my experience has always shown that having a travel expert who lives in the areas you are visiting is a very valuable and worthwhile investment!
Thank you Giulia for a wonderful experience, my wife is only crying intermittently now as she didn’t wish the trip to end! Hope to use you again soon!
Grazie,
Bobby and CeeCee

The planning process with Anita was thoughtful and responsive to our preferences.

All three destinations - Bologna, Levanto, and Alba - proved to be excellent and not over-touristed. The three accommodations were first-rate, and the cooking classes were fun.

When we experienced a car problem, Anita and the KimKim team were available and helpful in resolving it.

All in all, we were very satisfied with the experience of working with KimKim, and will be back for future trips!

Activity Reviews

From The Vegetable Garden to Table: Cooking class with Locals

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cooking Class at a Farmhouse in Bologna Countryside

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our recent trip to Italy was wonderful. The amazing KimKim team helped us plan the trip and assisted us with our transportation, hotels, restaurant reservations as well as tours in 3 different cities. Our travel specialist, Valeria Arcangeli, was awesome and so very helpful in helping to plan the itinerary. She even helped us with reservations for restaurants in the 3 cities we visited (which we learned later was outside of her normal scope).

We unfortunately lost luggage on flight from Geneva to Florence, however our contact Marta in Florence was very helpful in giving us the correct way to handle retrieving the luggage. She also was so kind in her instructions for our train trip to Venice, even coming to station to make sure we got on the correct train. We always had people waiting for us to transport us from trains to hotels and everyone was so kind and helpful. We loved the walking tour we had in Venice, our guide was exceptional.

The entire experience was amazing. We have used KimKim for previous trips and have recommended them to our friends and plan to continue to use them in the future. Thank you to all for the wonderful Italian experience.

Gloria Tudor

Activity Reviews

Milan Duomo Rooftop Terraces Guided Tour

Milan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private walking guided tour of Venice highlights

Venice

We had the very best guide for this walking tour - Alyssa! she was so knowledgeable and helpful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence and Accademia City Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip to Italy was our third experience using kimkim. We had a wonderful trip. We enjoyed the two hotels, in Venice and in Florence, which were well-located and accommodated the three of us women in one room really well. Where I feel improvement could have been made was in planning that went beyond the usual tours to allow us to see more off-the-beaten path parts of Florence and its surrounding areas, in particular. Our tour guides for our small group tours were very good, especially the two guides who work for Walks. Francesca, our daily contact, was good in touching base the night before (missed a day or two), and answered questions as needed. Overall, we appreciated the structure provided by kimkim and especially the choice of accommodations that put us in the center of things.

Hotel Reviews

La Maison du Sage

Florence

From check-in to help with dinner reservations to complimentary evening bubbly in the courtyard to ample breakfast in a beautiful room, the Maison du Sage was top-notch. Our room was comfortable for three women in a king bed and single bed, with additional space on the balcony and the shared living areas of the flat. Beautiful decor and authentic details of the vintage building enhanced the experience. Great location within a 20-minute walk to key Florence sites.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Daniel and everyone on staff were helpful with securing dinner reservations throughout our stay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Staff does a great job daily.

Hotel Ca' d'Oro

Venice

Well-located, nice room with high, beamed ceilings and wonderful canal views. The three of us were very comfortable in the queen bed and single bed. Breakfast was nicely presented and filling. The hotel is a short walk from the Ca ‘d’Oro stop on the Grand Canal and walking distance to others. Great local restaurant at the corner, which was recommended by hotel front desk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to everything, or the water taxi stop that will take you there.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daily room cleaning was appreciated.

Activity Reviews

Half Day-Trip to Pisa from Florence

Florence

While we enjoyed our trip to Pisa, and our driver was personable and prompt, we felt we could have used the train to get here. The tower is exactly as you’ve seen in photos. The surrounding park quite crowded. The highlight for me was the cemetery building adjacent, which is lined with frescoes and Roman sarcophagi, and the floor, with beautiful, but sad, graves, engraved with likenesses and inscribed with Latin verses.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Masterpieces of the Renaissance: Uffizi Gallery Tour

Florence

A highlight of our stay in Florence, the Uffizi Gallery building alone is worth the visit. The art displayed includes well-known paintings and sculptures you will not want to miss. Our guide was knowledgeable and put the works we saw in context. She was helpful in navigating the entry and security lines which were abundant and mystifying. The art and the building are worth lingering over. We stopped in the rooftop cafe for lunch just as a heavy rain shower broke out, so sat under umbrellas, enjoyed our spritzes and sandwiches and waited for it to blow over.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best of Florence Walking Tour with David & the Duomo

Florence

Our group tour with 16 people and a guide was very good. The “Walks” guide, Alma, studied art in Florence and never left so she had many stories and experiences to share. We had fast entry tickets to The Academia, where we visited Michelangelo’s David, one of the highlights of my Italy trip. The museum/school is set up so you approach David down a long gallery where other significant marble statues helped her explain the process of carving and finishing these works. At the end, you see David under a dome, beautifully lit, where you can approach very closely. The tour continued to the exterior of Duomo, the Baptistery, and the Ponte Vecchio, finishing at the historic central point of Florence, so most of the highlights of central Florence were included. Great tour made better by an enthusiastic guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walks tour guide was very informative and interesting

Murano Excursion with boat

Venice

A guide met us at our hotel and walked us to the water taxi dock on the northern edge of Venice, about a 10-minute walk. We were ushered onto a beautiful motor launch and zipped across the lagoon to Murano. We were deposited at the dock of Venier, the glass blower, where a guide seated us in the glassblowing room where we watched a demonstration of their craft. A tour of their showroom followed. Pretty strong sales push by our guide and I did buy a pitcher and glasses they will ship to me. When we left the studio, their launch took us to the lighthouse water taxi stop and we jumped on another boat to Burano where we had lunch.

Quality of Experience

I enjoyed the glassblowing demonstrations and the showroom tour. Most of the glass was unaffordable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Professional and accommodating.

Transport

Beautiful trip across the Venice Lagoon in a classic wooden craft.

Visit to a Peggy Guggenheim Museum and Palace

Venice

A beautiful palazzo on the Grand Canal, filled with amazing, historic, important art, as well as the ghosts of the famous artists and patrons who frequented it when Ms. Guggenheim was alive. Great view of the Grand Canal from her front entrance. Charming garden where she and her pets are laid to rest.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Welcome Walking Tour to Venice: The comprehensive view of the Floating City

Venice

Very pleased with this overview of Venice’s highlights and the insights lent by our guide, a native Venetian. Loved learning about the gondoliers and their craft. Enjoyed the gondola ride at the end so much.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A gondola ride concludes the tour!

A heartfelt thank you to Tasos, our outstanding travel consultant, for crafting a flawless and enriching journey through Milan, Lake Como, and Lake Maggiore. Every detail—from accommodations to transfers—was seamlessly executed, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the experience.

We were especially impressed by the local tour guides, whose deep expertise, warmth, and captivating storytelling brought each destination to life. Their insights added layers of meaning to every site we visited, making the “Last Supper” and the Armani/Silos Museum true highlights of Milan.

At Lake Como, the Charming Bellagio Boutique Hotel lived up to its name—intimate, elegant, and staffed by genuinely helpful professionals. And at Lake Maggiore, the Grand Hotel Des Iles Borromées was nothing short of spectacular, offering timeless grandeur and breathtaking views.
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Tasos, your meticulous planning and thoughtful recommendations made this trip unforgettable. Many thanks for rearranging two days at Lake Como due to rain. We’re deeply grateful for your guidance and look forward to the next adventure you help us create. Mille grazie!

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Des Iles Borromees

Stresa

Beautiful hotel from the mid-19th century. Gorgeous in every way. Staff and service were exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Charming Bellagio Boutique Hotel 

Bellagio

Such a beautiful hotel, well appointed, and gorgeous gardens, pool, and gazebo. The staff was exceptional in every way!! Breakfast was delicious and well presented.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk to all places of interest in town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Senato Hotel Milan

Milano

Lovely place, great location and exceptional front desk service! Delicious breakfast spread!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Driving Tour of Lake Maggiore

Lake Maggiore

We visited the Suisse towns Locarno and Escona and drove back to Italy to visit Canobio. Our driver Roberto was on time, attentive and enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of the Borromean Islands

Lake Maggiore

Carolyn our fabulous tour guide walked us through each of the islands and was thoroughly knowledgeable about each one.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Tour of Varenna

Lake Como

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Tour of Como and Brunate

Lake Como

Such a fun day. The funicular took us up to the top of the mountain where we toured Brunate, the most charming and beautiful village. Don't miss this event. Carolyn our tour guide was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Lake Como Boat Tour

Lake Como

This was such a fun experience not only because of the wonderful and beautiful sites but because our tour guide Pietro was the best.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Last Supper & La Scala Museum Tour

Milan

An unforgettable experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Armani Silos Museum Tour

Milan

Outstanding experience. Lorella who was a certified Armani docent provided us with an amazing tour. An experience I'll never forget.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Tour Duomo and Sforza Castle

Milan

Our guide Merilena guided us through the rooftop and Duomo tours. The elevator to the rooftop was a blessing. Don't miss these views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Museum of Science and Technology Tour

Milan

Worth seeing this! Very educational.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of Brera District

Milan

Our guide Lorella was amazing, knowledgeable, and personable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local transfer in Milan

Milan

All tranfers were on time, vehicles were clean, spacious and well cared for. Drivers were pleasant, enjoyable, and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an incredible trip in Italy thanks to Marina! She helped make some decisions for us on where to go, and provided great excursions to make an it an immersible experience.

All in all we had a trip of a lifetime. We had so many guides, all of which were phenomenal!! Fabio put together a memorable trip for us, responsive, caring and enthusiastic. Thank you and would highly recommend going with Fabio!!!

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Ambasciatori

Sorrento

phenomenal location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

U-Visionary Roma Hotel

Rome

modern and dark

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Golden Tower Hotel & Spa

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cà Bonfadini Historic Experience

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Free afternoon in Rome

Rome

Quality of Experience

get used to people

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Road Trip - Visit Amalfi & Positano | Private Tour

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Private Tour of Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius, with Lunch at a Winery at the Foot of the Volcano

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Art and Flavors of the Amalfi Coast: A Full-Day Immersive Experience

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walter was with us for several days. Very kind and patient!!

Transport

Private Tour of the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Laura is brilliant

Transport

Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuscany Day Trip to Siena & San Gimignano | Lunch & Wine Tasting Included

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enea is a rockstar

Transport

Val D’Orcia & Brunello Wine Tour with Lunch and Two Wine Tastings

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Renaissance Walking Tour of Florence with David

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Food Tour

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great trip. It was good to have the driver meet us at the airport so that we would know where to go. All of the transportation connections were excellent. The representative took us from the hotel to the train station so that we were at the right train and right car for the next train we knew what to do and did not need help. The boat trip from the airport to the hotel in Venice was a great experience. We enjoyed walking around Venice and the tour guides were excellent. The tours were excellent as we learned more being a group of three than a group of 20. We could ask questions at leisure. Sorrento was nice even though it rained each day for three hours as we got rain slickers for 2 dollars and an umbrella and walked about like everybody else did. The trip to Pompey and the trip to the winery were fun. There was so much history to learn. The trip to Rome was great by train, comfortable, had wifi and served snacks. The food was great in all places. It was tasty and flavorful to the last bite. We had a tour of the Vatican and the Colosseum that were great. All of the hotel accommodations were what we expected. We had a great trip and look forward to using Andrea again as the process was seamless and without any stress for me to figure out what we should see, when and how. This was a great trip that we enjoyed very much.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Smeraldo

Rome

We had a water leak from upstairs and it drained into my suitcase so they immediately changed the room and had my clothing cleaned.

Authenticity & Character

nice hotel

Location

close to everything

Staff

very attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean

Hotel Continental

Sorrento

very classy hotel

Authenticity & Character

classic

Location

close to the center of Sorrento with shopping

Staff

very attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean

Hotel Flora Venice

Venice

pretty hotel located right in the middle of Venice near all of the shopping.

Authenticity & Character

pretty hotel very rustic

Location

Staff

very attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

impeccably clean

Activity Reviews

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide

Rome

Great to be in the place where you can imagine being out in the crowd where the Pope had been in the balcony out welcoming the crowds of people to the Vatican.

Quality of Experience

so much history that was very rich

Guides, Drivers and Staff

attentive

Transport

on point

Colosseum and Roman Forum - Private guide

Rome

Great history to learn how Rome was built on multiple levels

Quality of Experience

The colosseum is an amazing place to see

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very helpful

Transport

clean and comfortable

Rome Private Guided Walk

Rome

It gave an orientation of Rome so that over the next three days, we were able to navigate independently.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

perfect The train was amazing, clean, comfortable

Day trip to Capri Island from Sorrento - small group

Italy

It rained so we did not experience.

Quality of Experience

weather did not permit this activity

Guides, Drivers and Staff

weather did not permit this activity

Transport

weather did not permit this activity

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

He was very insightful about the ruins and how life actually was at the time.

Quality of Experience

definite learning experience, very knowledgeable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

On time and took care of her belongings while we enjoyed the tour

Transport

informational as well

Wine tasting in Pompeii area including light lunch

Italy

The food was great and flavorful and the wine was delicious.

Quality of Experience

everybody was treated as if they were the only patron present

Food

flavorful to the last bite, not sure I will be able to eat an American pizza again

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The mercedes transport vans were comfortable and roomy.

Transport

It was good to have somebody looking for us.

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

Venice

Interesting to learn how Italy transformed to a unified country.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

punctual and on point

Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience

Italy

It was fun to eat like everyday Italians do.

Quality of Experience

food was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

excellent, punctual and responsive

Transport

very punctual and got us to the right place at the right time with no stress