Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Jessica was incredibly responsive and helpful.

Daniella was a great tour guide. I would recommend that she let folks know upfront how much food will be provided on the walk and tasting tour. We were all very full after eating our homemade pizza that it was difficult to try the other items.

Yulia was amazing! Mount Vesuvius, the wine tasting, and Pompeii were a highlight of my trip.

The boat tour was also a blast. No complaints.

Jessica did an excellent job booking this trip! She was attentive and there for us whenever we had questions or concerns. She booked all of our drivers and experiences. We started in Rome with a 8 hour tour with Paola. She was so good and very knowledgeable. Hotel was cute. We then took a train, which she also booked for us down to Salerno where we had a driver, Chico drive us down the Amalfi coast, stopping in Ravello, which was our favorite, then Amalfi, and ending in Positano. Most beautiful place I’ve ever been. Our guide was great! We then stayed in Sorrento. Such a cute town! We also enjoyed the hotel here too. Next day we went to Capri Island and Andrea was our guide for the day. He was excellent! So personal and also very knowledgeable about the area. We had a fantastic time and also did the blue grotto. Next day we went to Pompeii. I don’t remember our tour guides name but this was also a very good experience. We enjoyed this service very much and would recommend it to anyone who is traveling. Loved the private tours and guides and individual attention. My only suggestion is that we didn’t know about needing money for the bathrooms and it would have been nice on our car drives, we took a lot of them, to be offered water.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Montani Hotel

Rome

Concierge was great! So concerned about our luggage not making it. Call the airport and just truly wanted to make the situation not stressful. He very helpful with providing a map of where to go and places to eat.

Authenticity & Character

Cute little apartments.

Location

Centrally located

Staff

So caring

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean

Hotel Capo d'Africa—Colosseo

Rome

Nice hotel right next to the coliseum. Roof top restaurant with views of the coliseum.

Authenticity & Character

Rooftop restaurant

Location

Walking distance to all major monuments and museums.

Staff

Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean

La Casa dell'Orologio Sorrento

Sorrento

So cute in the middle of Sorrento Square. Walking distance to the pier, 15 minutes. Room had a cute balcony and nice decor.

Authenticity & Character

Decor was cute

Location

Near the square

Staff

Answered any questions we had

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Activity Reviews

Dine. Taste. Learn - Dinner

Rome

Fun to learn about the wine and cheese from the region.

Pompeii Private Morning Tour from Sorrento

Italy

Mario was a great tour guide! My only complaint is that I didn’t have enough time there

Private Deluxe Capri and Anacapri Island Trip

Italy

Andrea was our guide. He was friendly and knowledgeable, spoke good English. Capri was amazing and the views are breathtaking. We also did blue grotto which is definitely an experience. He even provided money for us when we didn’t have any to us the bathroom.

Half Day Tour from Salerno to Sorrento (Transfer) and Sorrento to Salerno

Italy

Chico was a great tour guide. We learned so much about this region of Italy. Ravello was our favorite and would have liked to spend more time there.

Quality of Experience

Great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So friendly and knowledgeable

Transport

I felt very safe

Explore Rome in a Day

Rome

Paola was our guide and she did great! Wish I had a little more time at some of the areas, like the Vatican.

Quality of Experience

Small group. There was 4 of us.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and knowledgeable

Transport

N/A

Sonia was very helpful in booking the trip and balancing everything we did so we didn't feel rushed. It was the trip of a lifetime for me!!
Daniella was our local concierge and made sure our trip went smoothly from day to day. She made a last minute change for us on a travel day so we could be in Florence an hour earlier! She was very friendly and helpful.
The drivers that picked us up for our transfers and tours were very nice for the most part. Rosanna especially was really wonderful! She was personable and picked us up on time from the airport and took us to Sorrento. The drivers like Luigi and Carmino were very knowledgeable and kind and spoke English really well!!
The tour guides were also very knowledgeable and had a sense of humor which I really loved. The Tuscany wine tour with Antonella and the Cooking class in Florence with Caterina stand out the most for me! However, all the tour guides were knowledgeable and helpful and again, spoke and understood English very well!
The accommodations for the most part were really great. Hotel Corallo in Sorrento and Hotel Concigliere in Rome were the best! The staff was friendly, professional and helpful.
Overall, it was a trip of lifetime and I was extremely happy with all of the services!!
Thank you so very much!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Della Conciliazione

Rome

Excellent location, the street was filled with very nice restaurants. The staff was wonderful! Especially Chiara at the front desk! We loved her! Very professional and personable. A very impressive young lady and an asset to the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Everything

Location

Right near Vatican on a nice street with great restaurants.

Staff

Staff was very friendly, professional and helpful with information in navigating throughout Rome!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overall loved the room, but beds could have been more comfortable

Hotel Delle Nazioni

Florence

Across from the train station and very loud. Scary elevator. Very loud argument between front desk and guest. Did not really feel especially safe in this location. Beds not comfortable. Front desk did not answer phone for information. Room was dingy and shower posed a big fall risk. The plumbing was loud and did not work at times. The breakfast was good. The person at the front desk when we first checked in was very helpful. The terrace from the room had space and the morning and evening views were pretty. Florence was my favorite city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Different location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were not comfortable.

Hotel Corallo

Sorrento

Stunning views. Shuttle to the city center. WONDERFUL STAFF!! Everyone was so friendly and very professional. Nice restaurants in the immediate surrounding area as well as the restaurant at the hotel itself.

Authenticity & Character

People and general geographic area.

Location

Staff

So friendly and also professional. Very helpful with requests.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean rooms,nice bathrooms, very comfortable beds!

Activity Reviews

Small Group tour of Colosseum underground, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum ( max 6 people)

Rome

Gio was a very knowledgeable and friendly guide! It was an amazing experience!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ask for Gio!! She was extremely knowledgeable and friendly and made sure we really enjoyed the tour.

Transport

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

Rome

Very knowledgeable guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wanna be Italiano - Florence cooking class and market tour

Italy

FUN!! Very educational experience! Caterina was knowledgeable and really had us all laughing! She was very patient and kind. She was very knowledgeable about the ingredients and the marketplace.

Quality of Experience

Food

Delicious!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ask for Caterina! She showed us so much and was really funny! Loved her!!

Transport

Walked to site.

Small group Tour of Tuscany & Wine and Olive oil tasting

Florence

Antonella was extremely knowledgeable about the region and the wines and even how the environment effects the grapes!! Definitely try to ask for her, she was fantastic!! The lunch at the winery at the end was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ask for Antonella! She was wonderful!!

Transport

Visit of The Amalfi coast Villages Full Day

Italy

Luigi the driver picked us up on time. His English was very good and he knew the area well. The Amalfi coast speaks for itself and is really breathtaking. We had ample time to explore and shop!! It was great!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sonia was wonderful! She listened to what we wanted, foresaw what we would need, and made sure all our wants and needs were met. She was personable and fun to work with. Everything went smoothly and while everyone we dealt with was helpful and informative, Filippo, our guide while biking certainly stood out. We spent the most time with him so got to know him best, but he added a lot to our trip. The other standouts would have to be the other guides we spent the most time with, Frank and Sandy who were both incredibly knowledgeable and interesting. We had a great time!

Taos did an amazing job. Everything (drivers, trains,flights) all came off without a clitch.. Our tours were amazing and our guides were outstanding. Our accommodations for the most part were excellent. We had a fabulous time and will recommend to our family and friends.

Regards and Thank you
Linda and Ken Orlowe

Hotel Review

Villa Poggiano 

Montepulciano

My favorite of the trip. The view was amazing and everyone was so helpful and friendly. The breakfasts’ were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Accomodations

Location

The view

Staff

Exceptional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and very comfortable

Activity Review

Private Val D’ Elsa Wine Tasting

Italy

Danny our guide was very informative, and made our tour a total success.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of them were very knowledgeable and interesting!

Transport

This was a relatively last minute trip to Italy for us, otherwise, I would have planned it myself. Based on this experience, I doubt I can trust a travel agent again.
While responsive, the planning experience was painful. It was like pulling teeth to get details on the trip, especially excursions. Example: You will be on an all day trip, leaving at 7 am, will have lunch and will return late that night. How long will it take to get there, how long will we be at each stop, what will we be doing, any free time, when eat dinner, etc.
When I initially discussed hotel preferences, my only request was we needed a bed to accommodate by 6'4" husband (and I'm 5'8/9". First hotel in Rome, his feet were hanging off the end of our Double bed by an easy foot and 1/2. The room was so small I had to hunch over to get by the bed or scrap my back against the TV. It was an unpleasant four nights. With that said, the location was excellent and the breakfast was good. In addition, Kim Kim made it up to us by making a tour in Venice private & ensured we had a King bed at our next two spots.
The location in Florence was poor - simply too far away with no uber/taxi options. Fortunately, the Venice hotel was changed and this location was excellent as well.
There was a real lack of consideration with the tours as well - who schedules a 4 hour Vatican tour and a 3 hour Coliseum tour back to back in the same day? It was miserable.
Who schedules an all day tour for EARLY morning knowing they also scheduled your all day tour the day before that did not arrive back until LATE at night?
What was excellent was the transportation that was arranged and the Kim Kim CEO follow up (when needed) during our trip, that was a very nice surprise and bonus so, thank you very much.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Ala

Venice

Great location. Annoyed the front desk failed to tell us there was a full breakfast at the main location while we ate fruit and bread at the secondary location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fortezza Florence

Florence

Great hotel, just was not a fan of the location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Al Manthia Hotel

Rome

Wonderful location and excellent breakfast. Room was uncomfortably small.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

warning on small room for big people!

Activity Reviews

Best of Venice tour: Murano Island & Guided Walking Tour with St. Mark's Basilica

Venice

This was one of our favorite tours, outside of our Rome Food Tour and Amalfi Coast/Pompeii Tour. The guide was EXCELLENT - what a wonderful way to learn about Venice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cinque Terre Day Trip From Florence

Florence

While a great experience - it was very rushed! It would have been nice to know what to expect before the tour started. Rushing between the 4 locations made the day hectic and provided no time to relax and enjoy the environment. The group was entirely too big and having to listen to the Tour Guide repeat everything in two languages wasted more of our time. Could have been more efficient and eliminate a stop. With this said, the guide did an excellent job with the limitations she had.

Quality of Experience

Food

While food was good - you could tell we were part of a "burn and churn" discount group meal. Were not greeted by anyone from the restaurant, food just tossed on the table (not sure what were eating), no refills, had to get own oil for bread, disappointing experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome in a Day Tour with Vatican, Colosseum & Historic Center

Rome

Personally do not think many people need a 4 hour tour of the Vatican. What made this worse was it was followed by the 3 hour Colosseum tour. Two other couples were on the same tour and everyone was miserable. While all the sights are magnificent, just too much walking and overkill of information. We tried to leave the Vatican tour early and guide became upset and "made" us stay. Another party went to the bathroom during the Colosseum tour and the guide "went off" on the person.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

There was none!

Tuscany day trip: Siena & San Gimignano (Regular Tour)

Florence

This was a wonderful tour and the guides were great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Italy was fantastic! Fabio helped us plan an excellent trip that included Rome, Florence, Siena and Cinque Terre. Fabio took care of all the details including arranging for: private tour guide for the Vatican, tours in Florence, private driver to Siena, tour of Cinque Terre. Our hotels were excellent and the restaurants recommended great. We look forward to visiting Italy again within the next year and will definitely use Kimkim and will request Fabio.

Thank you to Kimkim and especially Fabio!

I'm glad you didn't put a character limit on the review - this may take a while. I'll start by saying that we learned something new every day and had a great time doing it. The drivers (for the most part) were great and the tour guides amazed us with how easily they taught us about the history and every day living of the populace of centuries ago. The only downside we experienced on the trip was it forced us to realize we weren't 20 years old anymore. It would have been nice to not have to get up early nearly day and rush through breakfast to get to the tour - or to have more down time during an afternoon. We always had a good time, but we were getting tired by the end of our trip.
Villa Poggiano was the perfect first stop. Fantastic staff, grounds, and meals. There was a small field in our back yard with a farmer plowing up the ground with a small tractor and a 2 bottom plow. It took him 3 days. In the U.S. - that would have been done in about 5 hours. Just shows a different pace of living. Montepulciano was a lovely little town where we fell in love with a small little wine bar and the various shops. The staff at Villa Poggiano was great about calling a cab for us if we needed one. The taxi drivers were a little crazy, but we found that to be true all over Italy. Our driver - Danny - went out of his way to make sure one of our travelers was able to get a needed medication that was left at home, and in the mean time, kept us fully engaged with stories.
Palazzo Niccolini is in keeping with the small boutique hotels that sometimes gave us a "WOW" factor when we first walked in because of the paintings in the rooms. Supposedly original and untouched over the years, but maybe someone should "touch" them. It appeared as though there were water drips running down the walls and they needed some help. Again - meals were great and the people were fantastic! I'm sorry I don't remember the name of our guide (Livitaly Tours), but she was very good.
Train - Florence to Rome. Once we figured out how to read the train schedules, we were ok, but still managed to exit the train 1 station early. Louise was able to contact the driver and he picked us up with no problem.
Hotel Modigliani - location was great. Meals and staff were, once again very good. The room was way to small - to the point where it was uncomfortable and I wouldn't recommend it. Our sunset Rome walking tour, with Riccardo as our guide, was super. He was (in my mind) so typical "Italian", speaking with his hands so much, that I had to video him for about a minute. It was a great tour and while my preconceived notion was to not expect much, I'm glad to say it wrong and I would highly recommend this. The private Vatican tour with Sam gave me a lot of "wow's" because of the art, but I didn't feel this was exactly what I would consider a "private" tour, and Sam could have moved a bit more often. The constant standing in one place was starting to drain my knees and feet and it seemed his voice was becoming a constant monotone. It's a fabulous place and I think a different guide might be able to add more than I got out of it.
Our private Colosseum tour was probably the highlight of all the places we visited. I'm sorry to say I forget the name of our tour guide because she was really good! (Liv Italy tours) Walking through the bowels of the Colosseum gave me the chills wandering all tunnels and trying to imagine what it was like thousands of year ago. Really, really great!
Train to Naples. No problem. We got off when we were supposed to! 😉 Driver to the Caruso Place Hotel was jerk. He drove like a maniac (although it appears as though that is common in Naples), gave us a brief - and inaccurate - description of how to get to the hotel, and then asked for a tip! (so I told him to drive slower) We wandered around and helped by a local shop keeper who called the hotel and Alessandra came to our rescue. She led the way to the lobby and helped us get checked in. This was absolutely the nicest hotel we stayed in during our 3 week trip. The pizza making class turned out to be much more entertaining than I had anticipated - something fun for tourists to go to. The Pompeii tour was quite eye opening. I had no idea that the digging had to go down so far to find the artifacts and quite amazing at how well preserved they were. I can't remember the guides name (again), but she was just the opposite of Sam when we did the Vatican. She kept on going at a rapid pace, but still explained everything as we went along. Could have slowed down a little, but better than just standing around. Other than the Colosseum, Naples was probably my favorite city in Italy - but the drivers are crazy!! Glad I didn't rent a car while I was there.
On to Greece. An alphabet that I'll never figure out. We probably laughed more, and more often, than any one time in Italy. It wasn't that things were boring in Italy, it just happened that we clicked with our guides. Arrival to Athens was uneventful. Our first stop - Zillers Boutique Hotel. Great place, but the highlight was the view of the rooftop bar at night. There - in all its' glory, is the Acropolis all lit up. It's like seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time - all you can do is say "WOW!" Our tour guide the next day was Kiki. She was great at letting us catch our breath on the way up the hill, but still talking about the area or the ancient Greek society while resting. Somehow or other, she got us to the top but made it feel like we didn't work that hard. After that the rest of the tour was almost an afterthought. Kiki was one of the best guides we had if for no other reason than the pace she maintained. This was the one tour I was really looking forward to and it was overshadowed only by the Colosseum.
Our driver for the rest of the mainland was George. Always on time, always smiling, always a smooth and careful driver.
On our way to Olympia, we stopped at "My Precious Olive Tree". Ioanna was our guide. I thought this was just going to be a gimmick to sell us something, but we not only got lunch, we adopted an olive tree (thanks to Tasos). The best part was after lunch was over, we met Ioanna's father, mother, and the farm manager - Jimmy. Well, Jimmy is now my new best friend. He produced a small bottle of Tsipouro! Never had anything like it, and we drank and laughed and everyone had a great time! That was the hardest I've laughed in months. Great stop on the tour!! We finally made it to Olympia and while we weren't expecting a Marriott, but the Leonidaion certainly was step down from what the last couple weeks were. We all realized that we are not in a major hub, so the idea of a new, modern hotel was out of the question. It was clean, and breakfast was good, and Damion was a first class host always offering his help and giving us directions and making sure our dinner next door was taken care of. Great guy. The hotel? - you have to remember where you are. It was fine. The tour of Olympia was everything I was expecting. Nothing spectacular, but I wanted to see what it was like at the beginning. Lots of temples, statues, and pillars. Much the same as what we have already seen. Fortunately, our tour guide left time for us to sit and take pictures when we wanted. This tour might not be for everyone, but I'm glad we got to see it. Well worth the time. We also stopped at the Kilo Honey farm, met the owner, got a little tour and explained how it was all done. It took no effort and really wasn't out of the way, so I have no problem doing this.
Last stop on the mainland was Nafplio. What a cute little town. A big fortress on top of the hill to protect it years ago. Sitting right on the water, we had a front row seat to some extremely fancy yachts coming and going. Great little restaurants all over town. We stayed at the Amymone Suites hotel. No elevator to get our bags up to the 3rd floor, but we did have a balcony and breakfast next door at the Wild Duck was delicious. Our tour guide was Theo for evening and the next morning. There is more to be seen than meets the eye and while I wasn't thrilled with him in the evening, he earned his keep the next day. Our dinner the last night was from Alaloum restaurant (courtesy of Travel 12 - thank you) and it was fantastic! I had never had roast rooster before! Our final stop was a wine and farm tour at Venikos. Cate was our guide and by the end of the tour we were laughing like we were old best friends. The lunch was very good and they were kind enough to get me a beer when I told them I don't drink wine.
Last but not least - Santorini. The Ambassador Suites Hotel was listed as 5 star, and while it was nice, the up and down of all the steps (and there were many) would cause me to look for something else. ...but the view was great, the breakfasts were just about anything you want, and they have their own helipad - just in case. The second day was guided by Will from Argyros Travel, and he not only did a fantastic job showing us things that everyone wants to know about, by the end of the day he turned out to be everyone's best friend with a big group hug to say goodbye. Finally - our Catamaran cruise in the Caldera lagoon. What a perfect way to end the trip. The crew on board was top notch, and the food and drinks were never ending. We happen to be lucky in that we got a good group of people to help share the cruise with.

I was embarrassingly uninvolved in our trip planning to Florence and Tuscany, to the point that I was only vaguely aware of the itinerary. Andrea nailed it! He chose great accommodations that included excellent outings and guides. The 2 Tuscan countryside hotels, with their gorgeous views and superb restaurants, obviously required local knowledge to choose. Thanks so much!

Hotel Reviews

Relais Osteria Dell'Orcia Tuscany

Castiglione d'Orcia

Great restaurant. Owner is an amazing, relaxed character. Restaurant superb.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Castello La Leccia

Castellina in Chianti

Authenticity & Character

Location

Views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Santa Maria Novella

Florence

First time through nit the greatest room. Second time was better. Wonderful breakfasts.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

1st room had 2 levels, upper level cold.

Activity Reviews

Pienza guided walk (private guide)

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cheese farm visit and tasting in Pienza area

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siena guided walk - private guide

Italy

Great experience, but could have been an hour shorter.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine tasting in Tuscany countryside (1 winery)

Italy

Parking difficult. A bit of a mill. Wine was good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable and personable

Transport

So many terrific experiences and the care provided for our trip. All transfers, car services were timely and professional. The accommodations were all centrally located to each destination. The tour operators were informative and professional as well as fun. We highly recommend kim kim to our friends. Thank you for making our holiday memorable.

Hotel Reviews

Residenza Borbonica Naples

Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Residenza Luce

Amalfi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Jeraldo was so helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Davanzati Hotel Florence

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Marina

Monterosso al Mare

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aenea Superior Inn

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Morning Florence Highlights Walking Tour

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Francesca knowledgeable and loves what she does

Transport

Sunset Boat Trip

Italy

Trip was cancelled due to weather

Quality of Experience

Tbd

Food

Tbd

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tbd

Transport

Tbd

Local transfer in Rome

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Campo Dei Fiori Market Tour & Pasta Making Class

Rome

Quality of Experience

Food

Loved cooking class experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Leonardo was superb

Transport

Rome With Ape Calessino

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved marco

Transport

Local transfer in Amalfi Coast

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marianne, our agent with Kim Kim begin planning our trip to Sicily almost 3 years ago but then 2020 brought Covid and we were continually delayed. Through it all Marianne was very helpful, patient, kind and very understanding explaining how to work thru the delays and with our concerns even after travel was reopened.

I have to say ALL of our guides Captain Marco from Lionel Ritchie in Casslemare Del Golfo provided an amazing boat ride in the clear blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Lorenzo in Agrigento shared his incredible love and knowledge of his home town and of the Valley of the Temples, in Modica Professor Onofrio Prestifilippo’s exuberance sharing his knowledge of the excavation at the Villa Roamana Del Casale Villa’s and what’s more to be found was contagious, our guide in Syracuse was Fausto at the Archaeological Park where he shared his knowledge of the history of the caves and surrounding area, we had an amazing tour and lunch at the Tenuta San Michele winery then Marco Saprenza our guide at Mount Etna shared we were blessed because we could see Mount Vesuvius it was so clear, we couldn’t have had a more beautiful day and tour, we did a nice relaxing boat ride in Taromina in the Ionian Sea, we ended our travels in Palermo where our guide Lara Guida Turistica with her big smile and love of the city provided us a knowledgeable walking tour even though it was an unusually wet rainy day. Sicily is a MUST see destination!

“Trip of a lifetime” said one of my daughters during our amazing vacation. A good friend of ours recommended kimkim and we were blessed with having Andrea to help us plan our first trip to Italy. For the most complicated trip we have embarked on, including the first time to Italy, Andrea was exceptional. The entire process was very smooth. His recommendations on the itinerary to start us off provided a great foundation and his desire to put together a special trip for us was apparent from start to finish. The attention to details was comforting. The hotels he selected were perfect for us, centrally located, enabling us to explore by foot in every city. The vouchers he supplied for transfers to and from the airport, tickets for the high-speed trains and “skip the line” tickets for key venues were very helpful to have in advance. The tours he selected were perfect. His willingness to instantly respond to random questions throughout the entire trip was a huge help as we navigated Italy. The advice and recommendations he provided from beginning to end were so helpful. We are forever grateful for having Andrea as our planning partner for our “trip of a lifetime”. Thank you from all of us.

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Veneziano Venice

Venice

Beautiful hotel in an excellent location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albergo Del Senato

Rome

Beautiful hotel right next to the Pantheon. Location was exceptional. Staff was excellent. Rooms were very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Had a nice feel inside rooms and in lobby.

Location

Central location right across from Pantheon.

Staff

Everyone was always genuinely helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belvedere di San Leonino

Castellina in Chianti

Beautiful hotel in the countryside. Felt like we were in a different world.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Views were amazing. Location was very peaceful.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco

Florence

Beautiful hotel in the heart of Florence. Very neat place with exceptional front staff.

Authenticity & Character

Really cool place.

Location

Staff

Super helpful at all times.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colosseum and Roman Forum - Private guide

Rome

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

Venice

Truly enjoyed everything we saw. Three hours was a bit intense.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide

Rome

Rome Private Guided Walk

Rome

Great way to explore Rome. Our guide was very knowledgeable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Italy

Great way to explore Florence by foot. Really loved the city. Our guide was great.

Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience

Italy

Great way to learn about the nooks and crannies of Venice.

Wine tasting in Tuscany countryside with lunch (1 winery)

Italy

What a way to start our time in the Tuscan countryside. Location and views were amazing. Food and wine were top notch and the staff/family were all very nice and welcoming.

Fabio did an amazing job planning this trip for us. It was truly a vacation, since we did not have to deal with the stress of figuring out tickets, transfers, tours, and a myriad of other details that make a trip to cities as busy as Rome and Florence stressful.

The private tours were priceless, especially as we wove our way through unbelievable crowds at every turn. Having private transfers to and from the train stations and airport were life savers, something that we would not have even considered planning otherwise.

The day trip to Siena with lunch and wine tasting at La Marronaia, again planned by Fabio, was the best day in Italy.

It was also helpful to have someone to contact when we had a few issues - particularly lost luggage - because sometimes a translator is needed to explain and understand a complicated situation.

Both Kimkim and Fabio were the best!!!! We will definitely use them again.

Thank you.

We had an incredible trip to Greece! Harris did an incredible job working us to plan the right amount of activities and staying within our budget. He recommended we visit Naxos instead of Mykonos and it was the highlight of trip! Once we arrived to Greece we were impressed by the quality of the tours & lodging, and all of the logistics worked perfectly! We appreciate all Harris and the Travel12 team did to make our trip special!

Ina and her team worked with us to set up a trip that combined history, museums, biking, hiking and some free time as our son was in the region to which we were traveling. We were able to easily see what we wanted and travel (with all the details pre-arranged) between Venice, Florence, Levanto and Rome, Italy. The planning was a great collaborative experience, the attention to detail was excellent, and the guides that they set up for us were all among the best we have had (for tours and for bike tours). This is my second time using Kimkim and I will be back for the next big trip.

Hotel Reviews

Aenea Superior Inn

Rome

It was a convenient location and provided good access to what we needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palazzo Vannoni

Levanto

This was such a friendly hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was just a bit off the beach in Levanto and easy to navigate to and from. Also close to the train station.

Staff

Super helpful with directions, hiking suggestions, other activities and food!

Milu Hotel

Florence

This was our favorite of all the hotels because it was full of cool art and again, the staff were fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

It was in the fashion district and had a totally cool vibe about it.

Location

It was right in the midst of everything we wanted to do and so everything was a 10 minute walk.

Staff

They were also great at finding us places for dinner and we were comfortable enough to just let them pick and make the reservation.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Antiche Figure

Venice

They actually upgraded us to a junior suite at the sister hotel which was a 5 minute walk from this place. Both looked great but we stayed at the Canal Grande and loved it and the staff.

Authenticity & Character

It “fit” what we expected for Venice.

Location

Easy to get anywhere.

Staff

The staff were friendly, recommended places for dinner and made the reservations. Excellent service!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bike The Appian Way

Rome

I can’t believe Valentina actually got us to bike on some of those roads, but what a trip! It was a great way to see things a typical tour would not get to, she was wicked smart, and took good care of us as we went through some really busy places. We learned a lot and appreciated Rome so much more. The description mentioned a breakfast or lunch but that wasn’t actually included in the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

Really knowledgeable tour guide that made this more interesting than I expected it to be. But you can’t go to Rome and not see the Vatican. She made me glad I went.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sunset e-Bike Wine Tour

Italy

Sara and Matteo took us on an fun trip, were good at explaining the history, use of the bikes, and took lots of pictures and drone shots for us to enjoy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chianti Wine & Olive Oil Tour from Florence

Florence

Our guide for this was so personable and the small group was easy to get to know. Loved seeing and learning about all the places we went.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Gelato Making Class

Florence

He was hysterical, and excellent teacher, and so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bike Tour on Lido Island

Venice

Valerio took good care of us, adjusted the trip length and speed to our desired activity level, and had a ton of good info.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Market & Cicchetti Food Tour

Venice

Tour guide was knowledgeable, the food was amazing, and it was just us and another couple which was fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Monica from the KimKim affiliate Your Custom Journey began working with us at first. She was amazing. Love that we could say where we wanted to go and the kinds of things we wanted to do but at the same time have suggestions from Monica on other activities.
Booking was easy.
Near the start of our trip we had to switch consultants for a understandable reason and began working with Fabio who is Monica's boss. I think he is extremely busy with the number of travelers he is handling and he was harder to communicate with. Also Gloria was thrown in the mix so it was a little confusing.
The end result of our activities and accommodations and drivers was excellent. But it was a little nerve wracking trying to reach anyone including the concierge when we had questions. Again it all worked out in the end but I would have preferred a quicker response from most everyone.
It was a wonderful vacation.

Hotel Review

Grand Hotel Cavour

Florence

Great location with an amazing rooftop bar. Clean and a great breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to so many historical must sees.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cheese making demonstration& Row meal pecorino production - Self-explore Pienza-Turn in rental car

Cortona

Again a beautiful setting. Proprietor has an interesting life story and is obviously very passionate about his property and farming. Cheese and other food was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private transfer to Avignonesi. Small group cooking class, winery tour & Grand Lunch with wine tasting (6h)

Cortona

Maybe favorite part of the trip. The setting is beautiful. Very educational on vinyards. Cooking class so much fun. Lunch with wine tastings amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private truffle hunting, and lunch in the tuscan countryside - Explore Arezzo

Italy

I would suggest doing this in the morning. Afternoon experience runs a little late and could have a daunting drive in the dark back to accommodations.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had used Kim Kim in the past for a trip to Costa Rica. Everything from the activities to the accommodations, guides and support were exemplary. Unfortunately, our experience with our recent trip to Italy was not as great and I do not think I will be using Kim Kim or recommending Kim Kim in the future, which is sad given our first experience was so positive.

For starters the price was absurd. We paid $20,000 for a 2-week trip for 5 (3 children and my husband and I)-over $1,400 per day. This did not include food or flights and did not include most of our entertainment/activities. We stayed in 4-star hotels and had several activities and several train rides as well as multiple private transfers included. I understand this is expensive and I had thought the price may be reasonable at the time until I started asking our guides, transfers, and hotels for the amount they had been paid and compiling a spreadsheet of this. I understand there will be a premium going through a travel agency, but this was borderline fraudulent and not at all congruent with our prior Kim Kim experience. My family is from Sardinia and so we began planning our own activities using them as well as a family friend who is a local travel specialist in Italy who reviewed our prices and itinerary and basically concluded we were conned.

Second the planning was extremely sloppy. We did not receive the actual schedule with times in PDF format as we had before with costa Rica. Everything was through the app. Multiple links did not work so I had to frantically call Jessica from the train station in Venice when the train tickets Kim KIm had uploaded to the app had the wrong link and were not there (we almost missed our train). Jessica had EXCELLENT communication as was available 24/7, however I feel if that if the trip was planned better, I would not have to had to be contacting her so frequently. It was annoying and stressful to constantly be on What’s Ap instead of enjoying our vacation. Our schedule told us that in Venice our transfer back to the train station would meet us at the hotel this was not the case and we waited in the hotel until the driver called the hotel and told us to walk the quarter mile to the canal for the transfer. I would have been happy to do this if it had been communicated. Our driver in Florence was late to pick us up to the train station for the transfer. Our driver in Sorrento could not find our hotel, and again for our transfers given the hotel location it was not possible to be picked up at the hotel as the itinerary said, but we had to walk to a street corner, Jessica communicated this the day before, (again not a big deal, but helpful to know all of this ahead of time and put in the itinerary before we left so we knew what to expect and were not constantly having to check whats app, bother Jessica and clarify all the transfers) Our driver to drive us to the airport on departure to Rome was also 30 min late bc he had a 6:30 pick up despite the 6am pick up listed on our itinerary.

The planning was also not well thought out. We had 2 full days in Florence, one free day to visit Uffizi and dell’Academia etc and one day of a private bike tour. Kim Kim planned Monday for our free day to visit the major attractions including the Uffizi (listed in our itinerary) however did not take into consideration that these major museums and galleries are CLOSED on Mondays!!!! This made no sense and despite traveling all the way to Italy/Florence, we were unable to see the Uffizi. Seemed like a major oversight and not something I would expect using an Italian travel agency for a $20,000 trip. Sardinia was similar. A free day on Pelosa beach, however there was no mention that we needed to buy tickets to go to the beach, so again on our planned beach day we were unable to go bc there were no tickets!!!! It seems like this would have been important info to put in the itinerary, let us know about.

I have nothing but positive things to say about Jessica. She went above and beyond and was readily available and an excellent communicator. However, as wonderful as she was, I would’ve preferred to just enjoy our trip and not have to be in constant communication with her about details that were not well spelled out/thought out in the itinerary. Jessica was not assigned to us until after the trip was built, so I’m guessing most of this was all out of her control.

We enjoyed the chosen hotels/accommodations except for Florence (location of this one was too close to large amount of vagrants/beggars, and the kids were scared walking back to the hotel, the staff were also not friendly, and the room was stuffy and hot and did not have enough beds so 2 of our children had to share a twin bed). We enjoyed the planned activities (mask painting, scavenger hunt in Dodge’s palace were both excellent, gelato making excellent, bike tour in Florence excellent).

At the end of the day our trip was still amazing, and these were minor inconveniences, however the whole point of using a travel agency is to not have to worry about the minor details/logistics. And again, after a perfectly executed trip in Costa Rica (a much less developed country than Italy too!), the planning on this trip was extremely disappointing, between this and the price gauging, this will be our last Kim Kim trip. I hope a large portion of the $20,000 we paid goes to Jessica, because she is worth her weight in gold!

Hotel Reviews

Monti Palace Hotel Rome

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cuore di Sorrento Suites

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

hard to find, otherwise great location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alghero Resort Country Hotel

Alghero

loved it

Authenticity & Character

Location

not walking distance to anything, worked well for us bc we had a car

Staff

staff make this place. they go above and beyond. cannot say enough great things about the staff here

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Albani Firenze

Florence

not good for families

Authenticity & Character

Location

near area where vagrants hang out, kids were scared walking back to hotel, would NOT stay here again

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Giorgione Venice

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Tour: Positano, Amalfi & Ravello

Italy

Really liked our driver Rosario, however would probably not do this tour again. Was SOOOO crowded and most of our day was spent sitting in the van in traffic (likely the same of any of these tours).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkelling in the coves of the Bosa coastline

Italy

rained out/cold, didn't go

Downhill to San Gimignano: Family Biking tour

Italy

Piero was excellent, we really enjoyed our time with him. I had done bike tours in Tuscany in the past and only critique of this trip/route was there were some roads with cars and some street crossings which weren't ideal with the kids. Piero was extremely conscious of this and safety centered, the prior tours I'd done were all in the countryside. the lunch was the best meal we had in florence/tuscany. SO GOOD!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide 10/10

Transport

van was very comfortable and roomy.

Private Gelato Making Florence Class

Florence

not what we were expecting but still a good experience, we were in small room in back of gelato shop, very authentic experience and Tulio was great with the children. wasn't quite as hands on as we were expecting though.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Venetian Mask Painting & Family Scavenger Hunt in the Doge’s Palace

Venice

Rosana did excellent job engaging the kids and also teaching them about the history of Doge's palace. LOVED the mask painting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our agent from KimKim, Marianne was incredible and made our visit a seamless experience, we are so grateful. She provided wonderful suggestions, constant support, and coordination.

Vincent was our guide for our 3 days in Rome was nothing short of exceptional! Vincent’s enthusiasm and knowledge of the history of Rome plus his visible love and pride for his home made each day exciting and so worthwhile. We will never forget our experience with him.
Ciao for now Roma, we will see you again 🥰

We couldn't be happier with our 10 day honeymoon in Italy. We felt like our trip was tailored to us completely, with our preferences for activities, culture, food, activity level, etc. taken fully into account. We were able to give feedback and change anything we wanted until we were satisfied and everything fit in our budget. The most helpful parts of booking through kimkim were 1. having all of our transportation pre-booked ahead of time which made things incredibly easy and straight forward while traveling in a foreign country, and 2. registering for unique private and small group tours that we never would have found on our own. Our favorites were a private walking tour in Venice, a small group food tour in Florence, and a private ape callesino tour in Rome. Even when I got food poisoning halfway through the trip, the agency worked with us to help secure refunds and reschedule activities when possible. We would recommend kimkim to any of our family and friends.

Hotel Reviews

Relais Le Clarisse Rome

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

fantastic location in trastevere neighboorhood

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Sosta di Ottone III - Boutique Hotel & Restaurant

Levanto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Since the area we were in was so remote, we had to take taxis to get to and from the villages, which were 50 euro per round trip plus tip, so definitely added up and was time consuming as well. However, can't give too poor a score because the view was INCREDIBLE and it felt very special/unique to be removed from the hustle and bustle.

Staff

can't say enough good things about the sweet woman running this hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

our favorite place we stayed in terms of beautiful bathroom, luxury, restaurant, etc.

Alfieri9 Boutique Hotel

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

a bit far from anything we were heading out to do (30+ min walk everywhere). fine for us since we don't mind walking that much, but would have been more convenient to be closer to the main attractions.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Antiche Figure

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rome With Ape Calessino

Rome

10/10. Our tour guide was a young local who was extremely passionate about his city and the history around every corner. We learned a lot and really enjoyed the ape callesino since it was such a beautiful night out. He took a lot of cool pictures of us as well. We already sent the name of the company to friends of ours going to Rome next month and told them we highly recommend doing a tour.

Sunset Boat Trip

Italy

So much fun! The skipper was fantastic, a true local who taught us a lot about the region. The seafood they made on board was so fresh and tasty. A very cool and beautiful way to see the villages by water.

Private Transfer with a Visit to Pisa & Lucca

Italy

A very comfortable and convenient way to travel from city to city and we felt like we were able to add bonus destinations into our trip. Our driver was very nice and taught us a lot about each of the cities.

Morning Florence Highlights Walking Tour

Florence

Nothing specific that could be improved upon, it was just overwhelming at times since this was our largest tour and it was very crowded in Florence, so at times it was difficult to hear. Our guide definitely did her best. Our guide for the Accademia specifically was fantastic. She was very engaging and you could tell extremely knowledgeable.

Florence Food Tour & Dinner

Florence

Left the tour feeling like we learned a ton about the culture and foods that are specific to Florence. The restaurants were all great and the small group atmosphere was fun.

Cannaregio and Jewish ghetto private tour

Venice

Our guide was SO knowledgeable and personable. We enjoyed this tour so so much. recommend for anyone who really values history and/or wants to explore locations off the beaten path.

Quality of Experience

Private Sunset & Aperitivo Gondola Ride

Venice

Even though we arrived about 15 min late, they were so accommodating and let us on no problem. The prosecco is a special touch. this was overall a beautiful and peaceful experience, definitely essential for those visiting Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I am satisfied and appreciate all that Kimkim put together for our trip.My experience of the guides is they expressed interesting and quality knowledge of the places we visited. They appeared enthusiastic and connected to our group.
The drivers were great, helpful and friendly including personal stories of the places we were traveling through.
The hotels we stayed were responsive accommodating our needs. Thank you

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Amalfi

Amalfi

The hotel was cozy with nice view from rooftop breakfast place. They were helpful accommodating our needs.

Authenticity & Character

Cozy nice and view.

Location

Room comfort with porch to sit out.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Raffaello Hotel Rome

Roma

The hotel staff were helpful.Send me to day spa connected to a hotel so I was able to have massage, soak and do water aerobics in a pool then ate delicious meal at the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Needed a more modern upgrade on the interior.

Location

Staff

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

The hotel was clean, good beds with helpful employees.We just had over night there.

Authenticity & Character

The ease to water taxi and restaurant.

Location

There was a restaurant close by that was excellent with a great fun loving staff.

Staff

Friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds

Activity Review

Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience

Italy

The guide was friendly, enthusiastic and made the history interesting. I loved the cicchetti and wine at the place he took up. It was so special, so delicious. I would have loved to go there everyday to hang out.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff