Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Our guides in Matera, Alberobello and Lecce were excellent. Enthusiastic and well informed about the history and other more mundane things we showed interest in.
We loved Matera, Bari, Alberobello and Lecce and we were very happy with our hotels. The stay at the masseria was particularly notable for the wonderful food.

Andrea did a great job helping us plan this trip. He had to endure our frequent changes and our last minute decision to take the tour despite Covid warnings. We managed to get through from Sicily and Puglia without getting sick. It was a most memorable experience.

Hotel Review

Ai Terrazzini

Matera

The site of this hotel was perfect. The view from the windows and the terrace outside our room added to the magic of this amazing town.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms set in the old caves.

Location

The views.

Staff

Friendly, helpful service.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Matera Guided Walk

Italy

A very knowledgeable guide who made occasional stops to talk to us as our older group wound our way up the hills. He also pointed out trips in the town that we should do on our own.

Quality of Experience

The amazing history and the rehabilitation of the town.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My mom and I had an amazing time in Sicily! Our trip planner, Andrea, was outstanding. We were definitely in good hands. He was there every step of the way in case we had any troubles or questions at all. Every one of his hotel, restaurant, etc. suggestions were superb. We would have had a lot less enjoyable trip without him.

Andrea arranged the most phenomenal guides on this trip. Lilly showed us around Catania, Taormina, and Ortigia. She's so knowledgeable and incredibly friendly. Also Alessandro was our guide in Siracusa, Noto, and Ragusa. He knows his history! It was like having a college professor taking you around Sicily. We learned so much from him. Lorenzo led us through The Valley of the Temples. His presentation was so inspiring. Maria did a great job as well in Selinunte. She's got so much knowledge as well. I was honestly so impressed by how knowledgeable all of our guides were as well as how incredibly kind and hospitable. I would highly recommend them to anyone who wishes to learn more about the culture and history of Sicily.

Overall this was an outstanding trip that we will never forget.

Andrea was wonderful and patient to work with during these turbulent times. Always responsive and flexible regarding our requests and changes. Our drivers were great except for the one from Ostuni to Lecce who needs to have a hands free visable phone so not to take his eyes off the road. In comparison to our OAT trip in Sicily prior to Puglia the Puglia guides were very knowledgable, but seemed less “into it”/passionate. Overall we were very happy with the trip and really enjoyed Puglia. No reservation about making recommendation for kim kim , Puglia,and especially Andrea.

Hotel Review

Boutique Hotel Palazzo Calo'

Bari

Wonderful location, wish there had been a typical breakfast but breakfast room not open. They left breakfast items in the room (kitchenette) Be aware that our bed was in loft accessed by a flight of stairs- could be an issue for some. No English tv station

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Matera Guided Walk

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Matera Guided Walk

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We new the company through our search in the internet, and started planning with Jesseca

Our planning although took a long time and emails back and forth, Jessicca provided us with a very detailed plan that reflected what we wanted and more. Her suggestions were really what we wanted and we enjoyed all the activities with no exception.

From day one in all the activities, the services were as she said they would be, all the drivers were on time, professional and extremely nice and helpful. Everything was planned to its every detail except for the meal time, because Italy closes at 2 for the lunch we faced some difficulty planning our lunch in time of the activity and I think this should be taken into consideration when planing the activities.

All the activities were amazing and they provided us with the best services and treatment. The people that we met became our friends from the drivers to the tour guides.

I felt safe with all the tour guides and drivers and they all provided us with information on the places and the history of it.

I did find the prices for the tours higher than the tour’s prices normally when I asked and compared with the local prices around in the country.

Many thanks to Kimkim the company that turn our dreams to reality.

Best wishes

Activity Review

Explore Pompeii Walking Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Simply amazing! Our trip was everything I wished And More. Since I started designing the trip with Andrea he got a quick idea of what I was looking for and given that there were so many possibilities he helped me narrow down ideas and design an amazing experience specially that would cater to our seven and thirteen year old kids.
Even before departing Andrea took care of us and made sure we were set to enter Italy. Once we arrived at the airport in Rome, Mateo received us and took us to our hotel everything went on smoothly and every guide we encountered was incredible. Kiara in Rome was the best Roman guide we could have ever asked for! Then our amazing cooking class in Tuscany was my dream come true. The cooking experience in such an amazing place was a life-changing experience for me and my children.
Lucia in Florence and Enrico y Venice we also great. We enjoyed every detail they had with us specially the scavenger hunt in Venice which was a very different way of learning and touring the city. The hotels we were booked in we’re extremely good and complied with everything I requested I would definitely stay in those places again and recommend them. I wish Andrea could be our travel designer for all our trips!!
Looking forward to our return to Italy❤️❤️

Hotel Review

Lh Royal Suites

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Rome Private Golf Cart tour

Rome

Chiara was amazing and pleasing! Amazing guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Andrea was a pleasure to deal with , no detail was left out and the clients wishes were all taken into account each step of the way.
I would not hesitate to recommend anyone to deal with Andrea no request is too small and he really goes the extra mile for your clients.
I look forward to working with Andrea again in the near future

We figured this might be a once in a lifetime trip so we included as much we could in our 10 day itinerary. Our itinerary included the Amalfi Coast (including Pompeii), Florence, Cinque Terre, Rome, and Venice. These were all great places to visit and we would we would not change a thing with the benefit of hindsight.

The COVID pandemic and Italian rail strikes complicated an ambitious trip that would have been challenging even under ideal conditions, but our local travel contract (Alessandro) expertly handled all of the planning details and dealt with unexpected issues that came up during the trip (such as 3 cancelled trains due to rail strikes). He called or texted us a number of times during the trip to ensure that things were going well and was very responsive to any inquires that we had. It was very comforting for us to know that he was a just call/text away.

The end result is that this was a fantastic trip with many experiences that will last a lifetime. We deeply appreciate the work that Alessandro and his team put into making this such a memorable vacation for us. He was extremely patient and responsive during the planning stage, but perhaps more importantly, was on really on top of things and readily accessible during the trip . I can't say enough about Alessandro and his attention to detail.

This was our first experience with KimKim and we were originally a little nervous about using them for planning and booking our vacation but now that it is over and was a huge success (probably our best vacation ever) we would not hesitate to use KimKim again.

Andrijana made this trip as memorable as possible with careful planning. She was very responsive each time from the beginning of our contact to the end of the trip. The transfers were so easy; the hotels in great locations, the recommendations for dining were exceptional.
Andrijana is the best, and Mariana stepped when needed.
Nice group of people and highly recommended.

Andrea put together a great personalized trip for us to Sicily. We strongly recommend his services. We were very happy with the locations and activities he picked for us and the time he allotted for each location. His advice and suggestions were exactly what we needed and he was always available and very responsive to any challenges or questions along the way. The local guides he selected were fantastic and the accommodations were outstanding. He jumped in quickly to solve COVID testing issues for us and was consistently looking for ways to aid our trip while we were in Sicily.

Hotel Reviews

Asmundo di Gisira

Catania

Wonderful welcoming staff. Glorious location. Room was amazing and breakfast fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa La Lumia B&B Suites & Apartments

Agrigento

Loved the location and views. We recommend taking in the family meal here. The room was fantastic and unique.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Temple valley guided visit

Italy

Lorenzo was wonderful. He is local and really did an amazing job of recreating an image of 460 BC Sicily. We strongly recommend him as a guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lorenzo is amazing.

Cooking Class

Italy

Daniella provided a very special experience for us. She welcomed us to her Baglio (17th century fortified farm house) like family. We had a great time learning about and preparing and eating Sicilian food. WE STRONGLY recommend this experience.

Quality of Experience

Daniella really is fantastic. The whole experience was fantastic.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent trip. The planning was very smooth and Monica thought of everything. My favourite part was the beautiful hotels and the easy transfers. I highly recommend using KimKim as they've got loal guides who can help with all the planning and then the transfers between cities if that's what you're doing.
Loved every minute!

Hotel Review

Hotel Corona D'oro

Bologna

From the minute I stepped inside I felt like I was a movie star. The staff were incredibly helpful and catered to us the whole time. The room was incredibly lavish and huge and there was a free bar for Spritz's etc. I wanted to stay forever and live there. The breakfast was incredible with cold cuts from Bologna and parmesan cheese. I didn't even think I liked parmesan cheese until Bologna. The location is excellent and you're so close to all the action yet it was quiet in the rooms. The bathrooms were beautiful although the toilet was particularly high (my son even fell off one time). I honestly can't wait to go back and would leave 100 stars if I could!

Tips for future travelers

Definitely stay there if you can!!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful room and the ceilings were incredible

Location

So close to all the action!

Staff

Lovely check in and check out

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed could have been softer but it was all so beautiful that I didn't mind

Activity Review

Tour of Pisa

Florence

Our tour guide was fantastic and knowledgeable and spoke perfect English. He made me fall in love with the region and what we saw. The tower of Pisa was quite incredible to see as well. I wanted to stay with the tour guide and have him show me all of Italy!

Quality of Experience

Tour guide!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Absolutely excellent

Transport

Loved our driver!! Loved having a private van.

Our family of 5 adults had a terrific trip to Italy with the help of Kimkim and our travel planners Sonia and Barbara. Our trip was very customized to fit everyone's interests. The first part of our trip was hut-to-hut hiking in the Dolomites. We had assistance planning our hiking route, and Sonia arranged for all the lodging and transfer details. After the 4 days of hiking, we spend 4 days in Lake Garda area for wine tasting, cooking class, city tours, and relaxation. It was a perfect trip for our family - a mix of adventure and culture. We had a couple of small glitches and Sonia/Barbara were a phone call away with quick fixes. We are so impressed with Kimkim and plan to use their travel services again.

We really enjoyed the pickup at the airport and delivery to our hotel in Venice at the start of our custom journey to Italy and the pickup and delivery from the hotel to the airport at the end in Rome. Kimkim even had drivers delivered us from hotel to the train station with tickets on time in the morning between all the cities we visited. The hotels were all first rate and either 4-5 star with exceptional free breakfast included. The first hotel Bauer II Palazzo in Venice the was perfectly located and only a few blocks from Saint Marks Square and made it easy to walk everywhere and for us to pick up the water bus system to visit different islands like Murano for glass blowing and Burano for lace making items. Alessia our Concierge in Venice was amazing. She made sure we saw the sites and had a great experience in Venice and made sure of all our other visits to Bologna, Florence and Rome all went with out any problems. Our tour guide Dennis for the Colosseum and Roman Forum in Rome was amazing. His fold out pictures of the Colosseum and Roman Forum before and after and clear explanations made it very interesting. When it is time for us to return to visit Italy with the rest of the family we will be sure to use Kimkim again.

We cannot say enough about Jessica, our local specialist for Italy with Kimkim, and Storywalking. We are seasoned travellers but with this being our first international trip since the pandemic, we decided to use KimKim for the first time. It was wonderful!

With a short interactive questionnaire to start the process, we were able to dialogue back and forth with Jessica including a zoom call, to exchange ideas and options to make our trip perfect. Jessica found the perfect matches for us including private airport transportation, hotel, city tours, excursions outside the city, a trip to a local farmer and formaggio maker, an olive oil tasting, and fine dining.

We hit the streets with a night walking tour with Susanna, a private cooking glass in the Ghetto, and walk with Sarah around Trastervere.

Not only where things organized well, on time and secure, Jessica kept in touch with us throughout the week to see if we wanted any modifications, any additions, etc. She was truly someone we felt we could reach out to in a minute if necessary. We even asked for what seemed like the impossible, a reservation at a fine restaurant that we had not booked in advance and was booked up. Jessica must have good connections because we were in (we were also flexible which is important) and had a wonderful afternoon on an otherwise wet afternoon.

Thank you so much Jessica! We had a wonderful trip thanks to you.

Hotel Review

47 Boutique Hotel

Rome

Great location, staff and hotel rooms!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Michelin restaurant: a day trip from Rome

Italy

This was an amazing day! The visit with local cheese maker and sheep farmer was quite interesting and the couple (3rd generation family owners) were the sweetest! The olive oil tasting was new to us and certainly opened our eyes to another tasting besides food and wine. The restaurant, La Trota, was amazing: we completed a wine pairing of local wines with each course. The staff were great, the atmosphere lovely and we had a wonderful experience. And our driver was very professional and courteous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you Eleni! I wrote a review on another email for this, I hope I'm not doubling up, just wanted to make sure you saw it. Our trip was wonderful and we couldn't have done it without your help!

The goal of our honeymoon was to spend 3 weeks in Italy, starting in Florence and ending on the Amalfi Coast. But we needed help to organize a trip that would ensure we could truly experience Italy, spend quality time in each location, have smooth transitions from place to place, and incorporate down time along with the activities. We called it the “Slow Travel Honeymoon in Italy” and from the first day we were in contact to the final day of our amazing trip, Kimkim did a spectacular job for us balancing the activities with the leisurely pace we desired.
The specific criteria, besides the start and end locations mentioned above, were 1) we preferred boutique hotels; 2) we wanted to experience the food, the culture, the wine (all of which are obvious for Italy, but still worth mentioning); 3) we wanted some tours scheduled, but mostly preferred to be self-guided with recommendations; and 4) we wanted to be worry-free with regard to transportation between venues.

Upon arrival, we were connected to the local Kimkim team via WhatsApp – this is an incredibly reassuring and comforting aspect of Kimkim. Whenever we had any sort of question or minor glitch (which were few and not worth mentioning because they did not impact our enjoyment at all) the Kimkim team was there to answer questions, clarify any planning, and resolve issues. We can’t say enough good things about their service during the trip. Kimkim provided a detailed itinerary with great information about all the places we were to visit, plus all the transfers they arranged (some via train, some private cars) with tickets, phone numbers/names of drivers, hotel addresses, etc. The itinerary was in a PDF, which we printed out and then had bound together like a booklet.

Our overall itinerary included: Florence, Cinque Terre, Sienna, Amalfi Coast, Naples

Florence – We landed in Rome and were met at the airport by our driver (Andrea), who drove the 3 hours to Florence – he was pleasant and informative throughout. Upon arrival, we spent a few days in the city before our wedding. Kimkim booked us in the Hotel Continentale, which is on the River Arno next to Ponte Vecchio and a perfect fit. In addition to the great location and extremely attentive service staff, the room was large and had a really nice romantic feel to it. Breakfast is included each day at an outdoor café a couple doors down, where you can people-watch along the Arno and really soak in that part of Florence. In addition, their spa services were outstanding – we both took advantage of several of their spa treatments, including massages. The roof deck is a great place to get a late afternoon drink, and the views of the Arno and Piazza del Signoria are awesome. After the wedding, which was in the hills of northern Florence, we were back on our Kimkim itinerary – back into the city for a couple nights to stay at the Palazzo Niccolini al Duomo, which as you might imagine is right next to the hustle and bustle of the Piazza del Duomo. This 4-Star hotel was much more of an elegant property – whereas Continentale is more modern, this hotel is in a historical structure. Its location was wonderful, the staff terrific, and included was breakfast top notch, but the room was a bit of a disappointment in comparison to Continentale – i.e. although it was perfectly fine, the room did not possess the charm and romance of the former.
Cinque Terre – we took the train from Florence to La Spezia and then a taxi to our accommodation in Levanto: La Sosta di Ottone III. This boutique hotel is set atop a hill with beautiful views of the surrounding hills and of the sea not too far in the distance. The room was comfortable and romantic. The staff were incredibly accommodating and friendly. The restaurant is not to be missed – only a few tables, and the service is top notch, with delicious food and excellent regional wines to choose from. We spent 4 days and 3 nights in the Cinque Terre region, doing day-trips to visit the five villages and we took advantage of both the trains and boats that ferry tourists between Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Monterossa and Corniglia. We shopped, walked, and dined along the way in perfect October weather. The one standout experience was a wine tour in Manarola (arranged by Kimkim) in which we were guided by a local winemaker, as he talked about the history of wine in Manarola, the process of winemaking, etc. He walked us through his vineyard and at the end we tasted some of his excellent local wine.

Siena – From Cinque Terra we took a private transfer back to La Spezia train station and then to Pisa, where we were picked up and driven to our accommodation in Sienna. The drive was great, through the Tuscan countryside, as our driver (Massimo) described some sites in the distance that we would eventually visit a couple days later: Monteriggioni and San Gimignano. We stayed at Il Battistero, a beautiful hotel in Piazza San Giovanni. There’s so much in Sienna to do – we wished we’d spent more time there and can’t wait to go back. Kimkim arranged two really nice tours for us here: a wine tasting at the Tuscan Wine School, where Georgia talked to us about five excellent regional wines, incorporating some points around food pairings as well. The next day, Georgia’s colleague Davide drove us on a tour through the hills of Chianti, to Monteriggioni, San Gimignano and finally to Volterra where we met Omero, an aged alabaster sculptor who exuded such warmth and charm that we still talk about him. Between San Gimignano (which is not to be missed!) and Volterra, Davide brought us to Il Castagnolino, an organic farm where they grow saffron and olives. Their olive oil is special—we brought some home. We had lunch there, prepared especially for us by the proprietor, and learned a lot about saffron. The views of the Tuscan countryside all day were breathtaking.

Amalfi – from Siena we headed south to the Amalfi coast. We had a private transfer to Florence train station, where we boarded the train for Naples. From there our driver Giuseppe (who would also drive us from Naples to Rome a few days later) delivered us on the only rainy day of our 3 weeks in Italy to our accommodation in Porto d’Amalfi – Residenza Luce, which is situated in the heart of the village. The proprietor Vincenzo was great, and immediately made us a dinner reservation at a nearby restaurant L’Abside (which happens to be owned by his sister) – dinner was fantastic, and we were given a great table by the window overlooking the piazza. Our days in Amalfi were spent walking, exploring, eating, shopping. All of it was great, and we found a particular restaurant worth mentioning simply because the food was outstanding and the owners (a husband and wife – Antonio and Adele) are just wonderful. Enoteca e Gastronomia il Protontino is a 3 minute walk from Luce, and has both great food and an amazing wine selection. We had dinner there two nights in a row, and we drank some great wines. We also purchased a mixed case of Chiantis, which Adele shipped to us within a couple weeks of our return to the States. Every single bottle so far has been outstanding.

Naples – we took a private transfer from Amalfi to Naples as our trip finally was nearing the end. Pasquale drove us out over the mountainous terrain of Amalfi on a beautiful sunny day. As we drove north through the winding roads with hairpin turns, we were greeted by the site of Vesuvius on a clear day. Even from a distance it’s an amazing and somewhat foreboding site to see – given we were heading first to Pompeii on our way to Naples. We spent 2 hours exploring Pompeii, which for anyone who is interested in history and archeology is a must-do. From there we had lunch at Cantina del Vesuvio, which is the restaurant run by the Russo family on the grounds of their vineyard. We had great food and tasted their excellent wines. From here, Pasquale drove us to our accommodation in Naples, the Caruso Place Hotel. This is a nice hotel, but the one note of caution is its location relative to the nearby street traffic and restaurant. Our particular room was street level, and we were just feet from tables of people enjoying their meals and motor scooters driving by. The staff, as with all the hotels, were great and we enjoyed massages in our room. We were met early morning of our departure by Giuseppe who safely drove us to Rome – a long drive to be sure, but easiest for us to do the roundtrip from Boston to Rome.

Covid – although the pandemic was obviously part of the experience, it didn’t deter from our enjoyment of Italy. We felt safe at all times, and appreciated the consistent safe measures taken at most restaurants and all museums we visited. Kimkim also arranged for our pre-departure Covid test, making an appointment for us in a nearby Naples location. Everything worked out great.

Summary - If you’re still reading this long review, then the last and most important point I’d like to make is that our Kimkim team, led by Eleni Fotiou (who is the best!) was great all the way. We can’t wait to plan another trip with Kimkim.

I highly recommend Kim Kim and specifically Jessica with “Storywalking”. We are a well traveled couple and will definitely use this agency again. Jessica helped us navigate the COVID requirements and kept in touch with us the whole time. She even filled out a form for us that we couldn’t figure out.
All hotel and car rental arrangements went smoothly and we were very pleased with everything. She made great suggestions as we went along our journey. She was not intrusive (which we liked) but offered just enough help at make everything very nice.

Hotel Review

Hotel Centro Florence

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Big Bus Rome: Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus - Ticket 48h

Rome

Quality of Experience

Hard to findb

Andrijana planned us an unforgettable honeymoon in Italy. Our week in Rome and week in Tuscany were absolutely fantastic. The private tour guides were some of the best I've ever experienced, and we learned a lot of insider knowledge directly from locals. Our accommodations were perfectly located in each location, and the drivers they hired for us were reliable and professional. Every detail was worked out ahead of time, and they were there to support us when we had questions.

She even helped us get COVID tested for our return trip per US requirements, making what could have been a difficult trip stress free.

Everything was perfect and I would highly recommend both Andrijana and Kimkim.

I have to say this was the best trip I have taken. My friend and I planned this trip to Sicily over two years ago and due to covid had to postpone twice. The team at Kimkim were amazing to work with us and get us back on track. We spent two weeks driving all over Sicily planned out perfectly by Kimkim. We were never disappointed in anything planned. I do have to say the hi light of the trip for me was the cooking class...it was wonderful!

Every hotel and B&B we stayed at were fabulous, our tour guides were great and so helpful. Milena and Mario... Any time I had any questions I could call Simeon and it was taken care of. I will definitely recommend Kimkim to anyone traveling and looking for a trip designed just for them...I will use them again!
Vince Santo

Sonia put together a fabulous trip for us. We were particularly interested in Italian wine, and she was able to secure personal tastings at local wineries specializing in Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello, and Nero d’Avola. The wine is Sicily was a particular treat, as we were not as familiar with it prior to the trip. The Gambino winery on Mt Etna was the biggest surprise. I even joined the wine club.

Our trip covered the north (Piedmont) to the south (Sicily and Sorrento) over 18 well-spaced days. Accommodations were interesting and excellent. No chain hotels. Drivers were always on time, spoke good English, and often provided helpful local knowledge. Our virtual concierge Mara was always available by phone when we wanted to reschedule an activity on our itinerary.

What a God send Andrea was ! We had never taken a trip to Europe before when we decided to just do it ! Once we purchased our plane tickets we realized we had no idea where to start next and how to get the most out of only 12 days. That is when we turned to Andrea for help. Within 2 days he had a perfect itinerary set up for us flying into Rome and from there to the Amalfi Coast-Florence and then Venice.
Andrea took care of everything! He purchased our passes to all the private tours, booked our first class train tickets and arranged private first class private transportation to and from all destinations ( not once was a driver late) as well as top notch hotels.. He even recommended which restaurants to try as he had personally tried them himself. The truly amazing factor was Andrea himself. He literally messaged us daily to notify us of recommendations and to ensure all was going well
We highly recommend his services to you ! He made our trip a complete success