Kimkim Trip Reviews for Italy

Andrea was an absolute pleasure to work with, from start to finish. He is incredibly knowledgable, professional and flexible, offering different ideas of places to visit and tours to book. Andrea is also very kind and patient, which greatly enhanced our experience.

We thoroughly enjoyed our days in Rome, Siena and Florence and the side trips to Orvieto, Montepulciano, San Gimignano, Lucca and Pisa. We spent a full day traveling to Cinque Terre and found the coast and the trip there to be beautiful. The guides were very knowledgeable and interesting and shared much information we would not have otherwise known. The drivers were all professional and incredibly punctual.

The staff and accommodations at Palazzo Ripetta in Rome were spectacular. We received an upgrade to a lovely suite for our first four nights in Rome. Our suite at the Hotel Santa Maria Novella in Florence was lovely with an incredible view. Those hotels, as well as Relais degli Angeli in Siena, were in great locations.

One thing that stood out is how well regarded Andrea is by all of the people that work with him. It's quite a compliment when both your clients and the providers you book speak highly of you! Bravo Andrea!

It was a true pleasure to have such a stress free trip with all the transportation, accommodations and tours arranged and prepaid by Andrea so our only job was to show up. Everything was truly seamless. I'm afraid we are now spoiled and will not be able to travel any other way!

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Ripetta

Rome

Beautiful hotel with professional and accommodating staff. Lovely breakfast and great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was in a great location, with many things within walking distance.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Santa Maria Novella

Florence

We had a beautiful suite with a view of Piazza Santa Maria Novella.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to most things.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided walk at Piazza dei Miracoli and Leaning Tower in Pisa (2 hours)

Italy

Iurica Piccioli was a terrific guide, both knowledgable and entertaining!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Florence

Adored Elvira Politi! She was very knowledgeable, funny, professional and lovely!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Overall the trip was great. Booking through Kimkim, with Bea's advice and suggestions, made it possible for us to experience an amazing trip to Naples. The private transfers worked well. Having seen the Naples traffic, there is no way we could have driven ourselves on this holiday. Our pick up at Naples airport worked well, taking us up to Cellole for the wedding. Our return trip to Naples via the Reggia de Caserta was great. We enjoyed exploring both the palace and its gardens.
The Hotel Caruso Place was lovely, and our suite was great. We had a small balcony, allowing us to watch the lively Via Toledo below. The location was really good, close to lots of shops, pizzerias and the Toledo metro. Our only challenge was getting to and from the hotel with all of our luggage (we had more than usual due to the wedding). It's a 2 minute walk from the taxi drop off to the hotel, and once you arrive you have to carry your bags up some steep stairs to the 1st floor reception. There's a side entrance with only a couple of steps that worked well for us during our stay, but you have to be checked in to use it. The staff were friendly and helpful. It's a small hotel, with a small team. They were happy to bring us coffee, a bottle of wine etc on request and spoke English.
Our food tour was a great introduction to Naples and our guide was very good. I think he was Giovianni. We were with 2 other British couples and had a great 3 hours together, experiencing fantastic food.
Our trip to Pompeii was really good. Our guide was Carmine. Having a guide for just the 2 of us worked really well. I don't hear well, so I often miss out during larger group tours. With Carmine's knowledge we were able to cut through Pompeii, avoiding the other tour groups, and could chat to him, asking questions as we went. His love of Pompeii and knowledge were clear and made the visit really good.
We then went on to Mt Vesuvius, with Umberto as a guide. Again, the private guide worked well for us. Umberto explained the different types of volcanos and then took us up to the crater at the top. Our visit took longer than expected as Umberto knew everyone who works on Vesuvius, in all of the stalls and refreshment places, and he stopped to talk to them. He took time to show us different rocks and minerals, which was fine but we were concerned for our driver, as we knew we were due back and running late. Umberto also talked a lot (not always about the volcano) and in truth we found the tour a little tiring. He was a nice guide, but lacked focus at times.
We enjoyed the visit to the olive, lemon and mozzarella farm close to Sorrento. The experience was very nice, although it was further away from Naples than we'd expected and we spent a lot of time in the car for a relatively short visit. Elsa and Benedetto were great hosts, and the food was lovely. As were the views back to Naples.
Positives: private tours were very good. The food and people, including our drivers and tour guides were friendly and welcoming. When we requested an earlier airport pick up for departure, this was easy to do and our My Trip was updated straight away.
Negatives: the description of the activities did not always deliver what we expected: the tours of Pompeii and Vesuvius were described as 'with an archeaologist and vulcanologist' but in reality they were tour guides, knowledgeable in the site we were visiting, but not actually archeaologists or vulcanologists. At the Sorrento farm we thought we would make limoncello, but the description of the tour changed in My Trip after the event to remove this and just referred to the live mozzarella-making demonstration (which we saw). Also initially we thought we had a lunch between Pompeii and Vesuvius, but that disappeared at some point.
So overall a really good experience, and we're glad we booked via Kimkim. We couldn't have done all of these experiences without you pulling together the trip. We really appreciated the prosecco and fruit on arrival at the Caruso Place hotel too! Thanks.

Maria/Barbara of Kim Kim/Storywalking did an outstanding job of organizing our trip to Sicily. Accommodations were lovely and extremely well located.

Local guides, drivers and events were all punctual, very interesting and knowledgeable.

Storywalking was very attentive to any minor issues and questions that arose during the trip.

In summary, I highly recommend Kim Kim/Storywalking and would absolutely work with them in the future. We worked with Kim Kim last year for a trip to Portugal and were also very pleased, hence the booking for Sicily.

We had to make several changes to our trip (including dates of tours/hotel bookings) within a few weeks of travel and Tasos was great at sorting everything out without compromising our plans. Great restaurant recommendations too!

This was such a beautiful and memorable trip. Eirini included some wonderful ideas like the winery dinner, the cooking class, a food tour in Bologna with Darren etc. Our guide Marta was wonderful in Monterregioni and San G, we loved her! We had a driver that same day Paulo that was so wonderful, we adored him. Torciano Winery took great care of us!
Overrall lovely trip! The only thing we would consider is that the accommodation in Chianti was so beautiful but unfortunately not anything to do at the hotel itself. The staff was very kind but they weren't well versed in things to do, how to get around or anything to recommend in the nearby area or town (Colle). We had some extra days to ourselves but due to limited food options at hotel we would walk to the nearby town as it was too difficult to get a car at that time.
Also, we arranged through Barbara a last minute driver for Modena (lamborghini & ferrari factories). This was so fun! Thankfully the last minute request was fulfilled and that is the best part of KimKim -- you guys are available to help like this when we need!
Thank you again! Perhaps next time we will try another part of Italy! And I am sure we will continue to book through you!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Brun

Bologna

Beautiful hotel, perfect location & great staff!! LOVED the rooms!!! Also loved that minibar was free. THANK YOU!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Orto de' Medici

Florence

Great staff, beautiful rooms!! Wonderful location too Just wish their bar was open beyond 830pm (That's early for a hotel bar!)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relais Della Rovere

Colle di Val d'Elsa

Extremely enchanting hotel in Chianti. Large, spacious rooms. The staff was quite nice -- the kitchen/bar/restaurant staff Chef Luca and the other two gentlemen - the Italian person and the Moroccan man were wonderful too (sorry forgot their names). The ladies at breakfast were also great. Their heating/AC is on one system so unfortunately they turned the AC on to accommodate guests that were cold and wanted heat. This was a little uncomfortable for me but they provided a fan when I asked them why heat was on. The place was always clean and pleasant. A little activity would be nice -- perhaps a happy hour special with treats for guests or something else to give it a little oomph as it was very quiet with not a lot of activity so if you did not have things arranged with a car there was not much to do at this hotel (it was too cold for swimming). Amazing place!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Driver at disposal in Tuscany

Italy

This was Paulo! He was wonderful! So sweet and patient!! We tried to book him another day but his company then cancelled on us after we booked it. Too bad.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class in Chianti

Chianti

This was a fun experience. We loved Chef Luca! The one thing we would change is that after the class, the food was taken away, later cooked and then served to us at the restaurant. It would be nice to eat right after and have a special place to sit after to enjoy. Or perhaps maybe eat the antipasti first while the sauce and pasta are being cooked for us. We waited quite a bit to eat after as the restaurant was busy. I would probably take away the panzanella recipe for next time. We all used our hands and then when the food was taken away, we got it back later and it was served to us...it felt a little odd.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Tour of San Gimignano & Monteriggioni

Italy

We love Marta! She was smart, charismatic, patient and felt like a natural part of our group in fact! We recommend her again and again. She knew so much about wine too and we appreciated her!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Winery Cave Dinner & Tasting

Italy

Torciano Winery is so fun & amazing! I would recommend and also go there again. Letizia was very engaging through our cave dinner and so kind! Michela on the staff was also such a sweetheart and accommodating. We LOVED it!! The food was also delicious --- the truffle pasta and the LASAGNA!! WOW

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Secret Side of Florence Walking Tour

Florence

This was a great tour. The city was still quite full so it was hard to maneuver through everything but our guide did a good job,

Quality of Experience

Bologna Market & Food Tour

Bologna

Great tour with Chef Darren. He accommodated the vegetarians which was nice. He was informative. He did walk very fast. He was great though. Hope to see him again there!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I have to say i was skeptical about using a travel agency since i have not had good experiences in the past. But Kimkim/Travel 12 has changed my mind forever. We booked our honeymoon through KimKim and everything was taken care of which was such a relief of stress during wedding planning. I loved all of the hotels that were picked out for us. The locations were perfect as well as the staff and breakfasts. All of our private drivers were so friendly and even gave us facts about the places we were driving past. Every tour guide (which was all very small or private tours) was exceptional. We learned a lot and had so much fun while doing it. The food/restaurant recommendations were amazing. I loved that they booked all of our train tickets, tours, excursions, sent us PDF's of anything we needed. It seriously was the most stress free trip i have ever taken. I loved that there was 24/7 service line if we needed anything.

Irene, she is AMAZING. She picked out the best spots, the best hotels. Listened to what we wanted to do with our trip, and RAN WITH IT. She even was sweet enough to leave us a small surprise in our hotel in Athens. I would love to work with her again.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Olimpia

Venice

The staff are so friendly and the breakfast is amazing. We also have to say that the beds are so comfortable. If we ever go back to Venice we would love to stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Vasilicos Hotel Santorini

Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Modigliani

Roma

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Zillers Boutique Hotel

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Santorini Farm Tour: Food & Wine

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Highlights Walking Tour

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Express Colosseum Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pompeii & Mount Vesuvius Day Trip from Rome

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis Afternoon Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We have never worked with someone to plan a trip in Europe before. This was a special trip as we were celebrating my 70th birthday, so when I saw KimKim and read their reviews, I contacted them. I first worked with someone else, then Fabio. Some excellent suggestions were made and they always promptly answered any questions that I had. They helped me to make choices and made changes when I read something new and I changed my mind. We liked how they took care of the accommodations (with my approval of the hotels), rental car, train ticket, and all the drivers. They never pushed anything...just worked hand and hand with me to come up with an itinerary. Always gracious, and I felt "safe" knowing that Fabio was there to help when/if needed. We had no serious problems, and the hotels were wonderful (especially the one in Tuscany). The cooking class in Sorrento was lovely and so was the food and wine tour in Florence. Unfortunately, at my own mistake....we missed the food tour in Trastevere when I got the night wrong and failed to double check the itinerary.
All the drivers were great, especially the one from Sorrento to Rome. And, Fabio made sure to let our Amalfi Coast driver know that I might be a little nervous with all that I had heard about the drive along the Amalfi Coast. However, I actually had zero problems with that drive, even with the back and forth tight traffic. Believe me, that says a lot about our driver who did an excellent job.
All and all, we had a wonderful time in Italy. It is my favorite country to visit and we hope to go back again to explore other areas of Italy. Appreciated the care of consideration that Fabio showed throughout our trip.

Hotel Reviews

Salvadonica - Borgo del Chianti

San Casciano in Val di pesa

Oh my goodness....loved, loved, loved this place. It was so charming and the grounds were lovely and peaceful. We had a Junior Suite, which meant small bedroom with a separate sitting room. Everything was well appointed, clean and just lovely. We had a spectacular view from all three of our windows on the second floor.. Breakfast and late lunch food was excellent and the service was unbelievable. We never had dinner there. Would definitely go back to this location again, and have already recommended it to friends.

Authenticity & Character

Simply perfect with Tuscany charm and a touch of modern.

Location

It was easily accessible from Florence, and to the towns in the countryside.

Staff

Particularly liked how friendly the staff was, and the warm welcomes to morning breakfast.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, and functional. However, I would suggest a full length mirror on one wall.

Grand Hotel De La Ville

Sorrento

The hotel was immaculately clean and bright. My favorite area was the outdoor seating area for breakfast. Only went to the rooftop bar once to take in the view, but it was nice. The service thought out the hotel was exceptional and we had a nice view of the sea. Well appointed rooms and an easy walk to places of interest in Sorrento.

Authenticity & Character

Very pretty and nice. But, not sure what the decorating theme was....didn't seem coastal Italian. Kept meaning to ask, but forgot.

Location

Staff

Could not have been friendlier or more helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Florence Food Tour

Florence

Delightful guide as she was knowledgable and so sweet. Bless her heart...too much wine for me so she worried a bit about me on the uneven stone walkways.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Sorrento

Very happy that we saw a bit of the Amalfi Coast. Our favorite town was Ravello as it was beautiful and not as crowded. We missed seeing the town of Amalfi due to slow traffic and a slow lunch service in Ravello. It was a beautiful view of Ravello, but they completely forgot our order, until we finally asked. So that took away from our tour time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pizza & Pasta Masterclass in Sorrento

Sorrento

Delightful. The chef instructor was wonderful, the group was fun, and the view from the cooking school was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trastevere Local Food Tour

Rome

Sad to say that we missed this because I got my nights mixed up. My mistake! Sure that it would have need wonderful as it was something that we were looking forward to.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Melanie was so knowledgeable and helpful during all phases of our trip. The tours she selected all turned out wonderful, all our tour guides were welcoming, friendly, and highly knowledgeable in the local history. Highlights included Klaas for the e-bike tour of the aqueducts and our guide Elissabetta for our colosseum tour. Our hike for the path of the gods included a great stop at a shepherds farm for a cliff top meal which was an amazing experience!

First, I have to thank Martina, Elisa, Alessia, and the rest of the Authenticus Italy team for their guidance and patience in working with us to plan my 50th Birthday trip to Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast. It really was the trip of a lifetime. Martina was so attentive to my wants and needs and was so helpful in picking an ideal itinerary of experiences that were special and unique to our preferences. She even included extra-special touches like a special surprise rooftop concert!

The hotels chosen were all in fantastic areas close to major sites and activitites, and very clean and comfortable and the breakfasts included helped get our days off to a nice start. The car services we had also were nice and made it so much easier to navigate the longer journeys of our trip with ease. The tours we had were all so in-depth and educational and the guides we had were incredibly knowledgable and entertaining. They helped show us things we never would have been able to find or do on our own. The meals and wine tastings and other foodie experiences were also fantastic, giving us a taste of how the locals live. The Vespa food tour of Rome, the tour of Pompeii, wine tasting on Mt. Vesuvius, the hike in the Amalfi mountains, and the Fiat tour to Positano were just a few of the amazing things we experienced. We took so many pics and made so many memories to last a lifetime!

We did have a few miscommunications once we landed in Italy (mostly due to me not getting the correct kind of eSIM for phone service beyond just WiFi/data) but they were handled very swiftly and efficiently with no impact to our itinerary or the enjoyment of any of the activities. I have learned from my mistake and now know what to do in the future!

In the end, I would not hesitate to use Authenticus Italy's services again and have already recommended them to friends and colleagues who are thinking of planning trips to Italy.

Grazie mille!
James and Jake

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Manfredi Suite

Rome

Clean, comfortable and close to major attractions. The breakfast is also nice!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Santa Lucia Naples

Naples

Beautiful hotel with spacious rooms. It was clean, comfortable and the closeness to the waterfront was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Residence

Amalfi

Gorgeous hotel. Clean, comfortable, and being right on the beach was a huge plus.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit to the Colosseum, Palatin Hill and Roman Forum

Rome

Laura was a wonderful guide! So knowledgable and helpful in giving us a fantastic experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vespa Tour with Food Tasting

Rome

Pedro and Chris were so nice and helpful. They zipped us around Rome with speed and we got to taste delicious foods and see sites off the beaten path that we would not have been able to access as easily on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Early Access Tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel

Rome

Our guide Sev was a font of knowledge, guiding us through the often overwhelming halls of the Vatican with humor and his endless insight of the art and history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Premium wine tasting and dinner in Rome

Rome

Alessandro at Rimessa Roscioli was fantastic! His knowledge and passion for wine and food was infectious. The restaurant, especially the private wine tasting dining room, was super nice and homey. The wines and foods were also superb.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Walking Tour of Rome

Rome

Anna Maria was such a sweet guide. Since we had already done some walking around on our own, we skipped a few of the usual tourist spots and Anna Maria was grateful to get to go "off script" a bit and take us to some places she usually doesn't go to.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Surprise gift activity

Rome

The rooftop opera concert on the Terazza Borromino was such a thoughtful touch! It really was special and even the light sprinkle of rain didn't put a damper on the evening.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Walking Tour of Napoli

Naples

Ivan was a nice guide, taking us around to places we'd never thing to visit on our own or places that would be difficult for first-timers to get to. His knowledge of the history of Naples was so fascinating and impressive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting on Mount Vesuvius

Italy

This was such a treat! Everyone at the Cantina del Vesuvio was so enthusiastic about us making the most of the experience while serving up delicious wines and food in a stunning setting. A real highlight of the trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fiat 500 Tour

Italy

Andrea was great! It was tough for us 3 tall guys to fit in the tiny car but once we rolled the top down we were good to go! The sights along the winding road to Positano were incredible and Andrea took such fantastic pictures of us and the car in some of the most beautiful settings you could imagine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Limoncello Experience & Tasting

Italy

We love LaLa! She was so sweet and helpful in guiding us through the process of making limoncello and the tasting, giving us a glimpse into her family's business, Valenti Positano. Besides the limoncello, we got to sample many more of the tasty treats Valenti makes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was absolutely amazing and everything went flawlessly! We would 100% use KimKim again! The detailed itinerary made everything so easy!

Activity Reviews

Gelato & Pizza Making Class

Rome

Marco was the best!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Pompeii Tour with light lunch

Pompeii

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Express Colosseum Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local transfer in Rome

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great trip planned by our local specialist, Stephania and Klio. We wanted to see all of the main tourist attractions and not have to worry about lines, group tours, scheduling things ourselves. Everything was specified to our needs. They paid great attention to us traveling with our parents, needing something more slower pace but still being able to see as much as we could. We really enjoyed the diverse locations - Rome, Florence, and Venice! and got to experience parts of the cities which are also outside of the go-to tourist spots (which we really enjoyed!) Our individual tour guides, Roberto, Laura, and Christine, were also very helpful in providing recommendations for food spots, local recommendations for shopping and seeing things around our neighborhood. We cannot wait for our next trip to Italy.

We had a wonderful time visiting Italy and Andrea was a wonderful resource and planner for us! He was detail oriented and always replied promptly with any questions we had! All our guides and drivers were prompt and courteous and the guides were very knowledgeable and informative. Skipping the large lines for the Vatican and Colliseum was wonderful . It made our first trip to Italy so easy! We would use Kimkim again in a heartbeat!

Our trip to Italy was great! Fabio was fabulous! He answered all of our questions before we left and was fast to respond. Once we were in Italy, it was easy to contact him. He had great suggestions and recommendations of places to stay and things to do and see. I rate this trip five stars with Fabio and Kim Kim. Excellent service excellent trip. Excellent ITALY! !

I had a wonderful time in Italy. It was an amazing experience since it was my very first time to travel to Italy alone. I felt very safe. The planned tours were exceptional. The guides for these tours were very good, knows exactly what you need to see and explore. Alessia did a wonderful job in making sure my trip to Italy was memorable. The places she planned for me to visit were outstanding. Gabriele on the other hand was also very helpful especially when I cannot locate the scheduled tour that I have to attend. He made sure I get to my destination. Overall, the trip to Italy was outstanding and memorable. I will always remember the service I received from Alessia and Gabriele. You both were amazing. :)

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco

Florence

Authenticity & Character

The decor of the room.

Location

Close to all historical places you wanted to see

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Navona Colors

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo delle Grazie

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very pleasant & helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Piazza Bellini & Apartments

Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable

Activity Reviews

Market Tour & Cooking Class

Rome

Quality of Experience

Food

The pasta cooking

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The chef was very good, patient and gave you time to learn to cook.

Welcome to Florence!

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chianti Wine Tour

Italy

The tour guide was very good. He is able to describe the areas we went to see and help you understand the places and appreciate the beauty of each places.

Quality of Experience

Food

The wine tasting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowleageable

Transport

the type of vehicle used - very spacious and you feel safe in it

Welcome to Rome!

Rome

Rome is very busy and crowded. Lots of constructions. I enjoyed very much the cooking class. The chef was very good. Spent some time in the market. I would do the cooking class again if I go back to Rome for a visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A better instructions if you are to take the high speed train from Florence to Rome.

Welcome to Sorrento!

Sorrento

Sorrento is a very quaint place. The places, the people, the shopping and the food were outstanding. The lemon grove was also outstanding. The guide was very good in describing how the limoncello is taking care of .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver from Rome to Sorrento was very courteous.

Transport

The car was very comfortable.

Visit a traditional lemon grove & taste local Limoncello

Italy

The guide was very good. She was able to explain and show how the lemon were grown.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was very knowledgable

Transport

It was a challenge to get to the place. The instructions were not clear.

Day trip to the Amalfi Coast

Sorrento

It was a nice drive to the Amalfi coast. I particularly not like the driver that drove me around the coast. He was a bit presumptious knowing I am travelling alone.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

To make sure the driver knows what his role is, i.e to show and guide

Transport

The car is very good and you feel safe

Street Food Tour around Naples

Naples

The guide was very informative. He was able to show us the different types of food in Naples.

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything that the guide showed us from, fried fish, cheese platter, wine, beer, fried pizza and lastly the limoncello drink

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was very knowledgeable.

Free afternoon in Naples

Naples

Lots of historical places to see - National Archeological Museum. Also was able to go to a musical concertn - Napolitanata. This was an amazing and outstanding musical concert. This is one of the highlights of my trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Arrivederci, Italy!

Italy

This trip was an amazing experience.

Quality of Experience

All the planned tour and the people you meet.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Easy to communicate

Transport

All the transportations were outstanding.

Guided Walking Tour of Florence

Florence

Quality of Experience

Good choice of places to see

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was able to explain every aspect of the walking tour

Transport

This is a walking tour

The country of Italy is beautiful, however, we had a few issues. We had one amazing driver in Florence/Tuscany by the name of Alexssandro. He was not only a fabulous driver, historian and friendly face, he went out of his way to help us when there was an issue dropping us off at our next hotel.
We also had two amazing guides on separate days who were outstanding. An
Art Historian who took us to the Ufizzi Gallery; and on a separate day, another guide who took us to Herculaneum/Pompeii. Both of these guides were full of information and answered any questions we had regarding the venues/history. There were a couple of issues with drivers however (not Alexssandro). Pick up points were not always confirmed and confusion ensued as we attempted to navigate new cities in an effort to find our driver(s). A suggestion - perhaps when drivers pick up passengers at train stations or airports, they could be holding signs with the names of their passengers, and always be met inside the stations/airports. Also, accomodations could be vetted better; and the itinerary should include either the name of the company providing the tour/adventure, or some kind of confirmation number. We had several situations where we did not know what company to look for and had to approach different tour guides in an attempt to find the one(s) we were assigned to. On the financial end of it, we were quoted a price which we agreed to pay. Later, we requested additional items to be added to the trip, (at an additional cost), and we agreed to pay the new quoted price. When we attempted to make a payment, the cost had increased by $50.00 with no explanation. When we inquired about the additional cost, we discovered that the price had increased again by an additiona $6.52. A rather poor explanation was given for the price increase. The $6.52 disappeared but the additional $50.00 did not. We are very disappointed by this lack of professionalism. When we are quoted a price and agree to it, that is the price we expect to pay. This sudden switching of prices leaves us with a negative impression of KimKim. If a mistake in the original quoted price is made, that should be absorbed by the company. A professional company would know this and ensure that the error is kept within KimKIm. We may not book another trip with this company due to this error alone.

Our trip to Italy with KimKim was worth every single penny. We were a group of 4 travelers with a wide variety of preferences but Andrea managed to plan the most perfect time for us. Each hotel (and wow, the rooms we got!) was excellent in both service and location. Every driver and guide we had presented themselves with absolute most professionalism and knowledge in their areas. Our guide for Pompeii, Pasqualina, was the absolute star of the trip. Her story telling truly transported us in time, ensuring that we had a truly unforgettable experience. As for drives, Enzo also stood out with his friendliness and thoughtful routes throughout the trip. Our days were incredible from start to finish, no time was missed. Andrea exceeded all expectations by not only putting together an incredible itinerary but by also providing us with a roadbook with every details, amazing tips & recommendations, which made the trip truly stress free. We had everything we needed and as a result, had the most incredible trip.

The whole experience working with Arianna at KimKim and the team at Storywalking was extraordinary. Everyone worked hard to listen to our interests in activities and pace of travel and matched these to our itinerary. Our guides were friendly, knowledgeable and fun and the suggested activities for self-guided exploring matched what was scheduled.
I only have two small constructive suggestions:
Information about ZTL parking restrictions for each locality in Sicily needs to be more carefully explained and highlighted. It is only mentioned briefly in a general document about driving and parking regulations. I suggest highlighting ZTL rules separately so people can make more informed decisions about the restrictions and plan their driving and parking accordingly.
Also, in our itinerary, we had a scheduled pickup of our rental car one morning at the Palermo airport. The airport was crowded and the lines were long. We were frustrated but now understand that it couldn’t be helped. But our plan that day was to drive east to Cefalu, back through Palermo, making the drive longer than necessary. The following day, the suggestion was to drive west to Scopello. Both were self-guided trips and in retrospect we could have simply swapped the two day trips. But in the future, I would suggest switching the suggestions as better guidance for the next traveler.
That said, thank you! It was a trip of a lifetime! We will return!

Hotel Reviews

B&B Khalisah

Palermo

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was historic and charming, walking distance to many wonderful locations. The staff was so friendly and helpful, especially regarding places to eat and visit as well as details concerning ZTL rules. Breakfast was delicious and our accommodations perfect.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doric Boutique Hotel

Agrigento

We will definitely return! Staff was so friendly! Our accommodations were so luxurious!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze

Catania

This was a pleasant hotel in the center of everything. All staff was so helpful and friendly. It is a typical city hotel. Not recommended if you want a historic, authentic experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Palermo Street Food Tour

Palermo

This activity was a feast for the senses: the flavors, sounds, colors, aromas were all combined to create an unforgettable experience. Our guide, Salvo, also delivered knowledgeable and often humorous commentary about the history of daily life through food. This is a must-do activity for anyone visiting Palermo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Salvo was engaging and friendly and often funny.

Transport

Marsala Wine Tasting

Marsala

We arrived in Sicily with the intention to explore Sicilian wines. The tour itself of the facility was interesting but in the end, we didn’t see much. It was a quiet day. But the tasting expanded our knowledge of the wine producer. We will be shopping this wine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Valley of the Temples Tour

Agrigento

Wow! What a history lesson. We left this tour with such an appreciation of the unique ancient history of Sicily, and a greater understanding of how central Sicily was to the various civilizations that invaded/populated it. Our guide was clearly a student of ancient history and archaeology. His enthusiasm was contagious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Villa Romana del Casale

Italy

This was a marvel. To think that it was so casually discovered and over time how much was unearthed. The mosaics were an artistic achievement and what a miracle that so much of it remains to this day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Trip to Taormina with Driver

Catania

The stroll through Taormina was delightful but what made this extra special were the suggestions our driver made to visit Castelmora for lunch, Isola Bella and Naxos. A beautiful day though I wish we had time to spend at the beach

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Mount Etna Tour with Wine Tasting

Italy

This activity was a highlight of our trip to Sicily. What an extraordinary lesson in vulcanology, natural habitats, the history of people who live alongside it, micro climates and more. Our guide was a natural teacher. We were glad that he encouraged our enthusiasm to learn more. And the hike was a welcome physical activity that not only put us at the center of several craters but the effort was rewarded with extraordinary views. We were only slightly disappointed later when we realized we didn’t visit the reported extinct lava cave. The wine tasting, with views of the grape vines that were days from being harvested, was a pleasure. We couldn’t resist buying some wine to take home.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Italy was FABULOUS!! Melanie did an outstanding job planning our 40th anniversary trip. She was always available and right on top of things. She had wonderful recommendations and worked very hard to make our dream trip come true!!
Our tour guides were very knowledgeable, most especially Claudia at the Vatican, Katie at Pompei and Mina? in Venice. Each tour guide brought the specifics of Italy alive and left us wanting MORE. All of our guides and drives were friendly and accommodating, helping us manage a new experience. We loved sharing stories with them and hearing about how they ended up as guides or drivers
We will be recommending this company to friends and family in hopes that they have the same experience.
Thank you for a trip we will always remember and we WILL be back
Nina and Bob

Hotel Reviews

Ambrosio Relais

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Navona Colors

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour

Rome

Claudia was a wonderful guide, my anticipation of the Vatican experience was lessened just a bit by the crowds. Rather loud and too many. Maybe less people in the groups

Pasta & Tiramisù class

Rome

Outstanding, it was a wonderful learning experience and lots of fun. Friendly staff and the group number was perfect.

Special Colosseum tour: Colosseum, Arena Floor, Underground, Roman Forum

Rome

Katie did an outstanding job explaining the past history up to the present, like an enjoyable history class. :) The undergroud tour was amazing!! Thank you Melanie for making that happen.

Ravello, Amalfi & Positano

Sorrento

Could have used more time in each area to enjoy and investigate this beautiful area.

Olive and Wine Tasting in Tuscany Countryside

Italy

We very much enjoyed tasting at 3 different wineries. Lunch was delicious and our tour guide Chechi? did a fabulous job keeping us interested and entertained.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Walking and Gondola Tour

Venice

Again, the tour guide was outstanding, very knowledgeable and entertaining.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I highly recommend using KimKim for your next travel experience. Our planner, Lorenza, was exceptional. We spent two nights in Naples and seven nights in Sorrento, with Lorenza selecting a wonderful hotel in Naples that offered an ideal location.
She organized a variety of activities, including a tour of the Pompeii ruins, an outstanding pizza-making class, and an enjoyable winery visit. Additionally, Lorenza arranged a fantastic street food tour and a private boat tour of Capri. Lorenza also managed all transportation, including transfers to and from the airport and between Naples and Sorrento.
Lorenza's communication was always clear and prompt, ensuring a seamless experience. Lorenza often responded to emails within hours(Keep in mind the 6 hour time difference) and when I did need to call her for something she picked up her phone right away. When we requested a change to a four-star hotel with a sea view in Sorrento, she was very accommodating.
Overall, every aspect of our trip was top-notch. Their level of service and attention to detail exceeded my expectations.

Hotel Reviews

Melrose Naples

Naples

The online pictures do not do this place justice. This hotel was so cute and the service was excellent. It is also in the perfect location and a very safe neighborhood.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Corallo

Sorrento

We chose this hotel because a friend had stayed there and we are so glad we upgraded from what we originally booked. This hotel is beautiful and charming. and in a great location. We stayed in the deluxe room and had a fantastic view of the sea. Definitely walk down to the black beach for the day. Town is only a 30 minute walk or you can take the shuttle. The rooms very very clean, staff was A+++ and the view was absolutely amazing! I highly recommend this hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully decorated

Location

Close to town and lots of restaurants, the best view!

Staff

every single staff person went above and beyond to make sure our experience was top notch. They seemed to genuinely enjoy working at the htoel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfecto!

Activity Reviews

Street Food Tour

Italy

Daniella was the best tour guide. Her English was excellent, she made an effort to talk to our entire group, she also made sure we all stayed together, she brought ponchos for us in case in rained, she had wonderful stories and also gave us a lot of historic facts about Naples and the local food and was so cute and cheerful with little jokes. LOVED her! She seemed to really enjoy her job!

Quality of Experience

The excursions were of the highest quality

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Winery visit and wine tasting in Pompeii area including light lunch

Italy

Wow, this was one of the best experiences. A scenic location, quality wines, expert guidance and amazing food! We started out with a tour and then had lunch. I loved how they brought out several small plates. We sat, drank wine, enjoyed the beautiful scenery and they just kept bringing us plate after plate of delicious food. Together, these elements created a memorable and enriching experience that exemplifies what a top-notch winery should offer. I have high standards and this met my expectations 100%

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

Visiting the Pompeii ruins was an unforgettable experience that transported me back in time. As I walked through the ancient streets, I was struck by the remarkable preservation of the site, which vividly illustrates daily life during the Roman Empire. On a sad note, our tour guide was not the best. He often walked ahead of the group, didn't speak loud enough and often started talking before our entire group got together. At one point he started arguing with a security person because there were so many people cutting in front of us. We told him it was fine but he then said no it's not fine and they need to do something about it. He was more upset then we were. We didn't even know his name. He did seem to know a lot of the history and was very informative but was not in a good mood.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pizza Making Class

Italy

The pizza-making class was an absolute delight, filled with laughter and creativity from start to finish. Upon arrival, we were greeted by our enthusiastic instructors, Anna and Giuseppe who exuded passion for both pizza and Italian culture. We made Tiramisu with Anna and pizza with Giuseppe. The actual place was so nicely decorated. We made the Tiramisu, placed it in the fridge to cool and ate it at the end of the night. We each made a pizza, different kinds and shared each one. The best part was savoring our delicious creations together, sharing stories and laughter over each slice. This fun and interactive class not only taught us valuable culinary skills but also created lasting memories and a deeper appreciation for the art of pizza-making. Anna and Giuseppe had the best personalities, we all felt like we were at a friends house for dinner.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Anna and Giuseppe were such gracious hosts!!!!

Transport

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

Italy

The boat tour of the Isle of Capri was a breathtaking experience that offered stunning views and a sense of adventure from start to finish. We upgraded from a large group to just our group of 6 and I'm glad we did that as it was more personal. Our guide Francesco was great and he shared fascinating insights about Capri’s history and landmarks. The blue grotto was so busy that we decided to skip it but our guide took us to the white cave, the red cave and the love cave. At first I was very sad because the Blue Grotto is on my bucket list but I got to experience the beautiful blue water in the other caves as well. Maybe not as big but I did see it. Along the way, we enjoyed delicious local snacks and sipped on refreshing drinks, soaking in the sun and the beautiful scenery. Francesco made us a lunch reservation at Restaurante La Canzone Del Mare and the view was amazing and the food was delicious. We then took the chair lift up to the top of the mountain, a must do!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I could not have planned this trip without Fabio's help. He was so patient and answered every question I had. He tailored our itinerary perfectly and helped me secure the perfect the most amazing hotels and activities for our group. Fabio went above and beyond even while we were on our trip. The day before we left, Fabio let us know that there was a strike happening and that our trains were cancelled but not to worry he booked us a taxi instead and at no additional cost to us. Not having to deal with those unforeseen travel changes was a blessing. Fabio also helped me plan 2 separate events outside of my itinerary with a large group of my friends and graciously dealt with many last minute changes and updates.

Sabrina was our tour guide for our colosseum tour and she was absolutely amazing. We asked her so many questions about ancient Rome and the colosseum that we lost track of time and she so nicely stayed for an extra half hour. The tour of the colosseum was one of the most memorable parts of our trip.

Our drivers that took us to Florence and all around Tuscany, Stefano and Jury were wonderful. They were both very engaging and lovely to talk to and encouraged me to practice my Italian with them which I really appreciated. Stefano even walked us around each of the little towns he drove us to in Tuscany and shared some history and places of interest about each.

Another highlight was the truffle hunt. Our guide and his dog, Dora were wonderful company as we learned all out hunting for truffles. Dora found us many truffles.

Hotel Reviews

Otivm Hotel

Rome

I was delightfully surprised by this hotel. It's centrally located next all the main sites in the city center but it's located on a quieter side street. The rooms were very spacious and comfortable and the breakfast on the roof overlooking the city was amazing. The Front desk, and staff were very kind and welcoming.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable to all the most important sites in the city center but down a quieter side street

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mormoraia

San Gimignano

I highly recommend this hotel and to anyone staying in Tuscany or San Gimignano, the views around the property and from our hotel room were stunning. The rooms are very modern and chic. I shared a room with my mother and my aunt but I would say the rooms and the overall experience would be better suited for couples traveling. Most of the guests were younger, perhaps on their honeymoon or older couples. Breakfast was included and it was amazing every day. At night we ate at the restaurant on the property and that was also very delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doria Palace Boutique Hotel

Rome

This hotel is in a great location, very walkable to all the sites and right next to a Santa Maria maggiore Basilica. I was in Rome for a wedding and I asked to be closed to the hotel of the wedding party so that I could use the shuttle services. The hotel itself is very tiny /narrow. The elevator was a little scary as it only fits one person and barely any luggage. The rooms were on the smaller side but clean and comfortable. The rooftop bar served breakfast every day and drinks at night. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Sabrina was fantastic. She is so knowledgable and engaging, we loved our tour with her. We asked her so many questions that we actually missed going to 2 other scheduled sites during our tour because we were so fascinated by the colosseum. She graciously stayed for another half hour and quickly walked us through the palatine hill. I highly recommend Sabrina to anyone looking for a private tour of the Colosseum.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Truffle Hunting Experience With Lunch and Wine Tasting

Italy

This was a very unique and wonderful experience. We got a private transfer and tour with a truffle hunter and his wonderful dog, Dora. We were pleasantly surprised that we were able to find so many truffles and it was very to get to dig up our own. Poggia wine tasting and lunch was delicious and they were kind enough to cook up our truffles we found into a dish.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore The Val D’Orcia with Lunch and Wine Tasting

Italy

I wound up cancelling one of these tours for the day as we were worried about doing too many wine tasting. The one winery we did go to was beautiful and just recently renovated. We were given our own private room for the tasting and they served us lunch which was the best lasagna of my life. The space is huge and we were unfortunately the only ones there.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Rome

Unfortunately the Vatican was incredibly packed when we visited and we had to wait a while to actually go in to the sistine chapel, which of course was not the fault of the tour guide. However, at times it seemed like she was exasperated by the crowds, she was having a hard time engaging our large group. Her accent also made it harder to understand her over the audio speaker and all the noise. She did not accomopany us into St. Peter's but it would have been nice to have someone guide us through the basilica. Unfortunately much of the site is under construction and scaffolding, preparing for next years jubliee.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome Food Tour

Rome

Amazing! It was great to explore a new neighborhood and get out of the city center. Maurizio took us a wonderful assortment of shops all showcasing Rome's local cuisine. He also shared some Roman history and walked us through a basilica as a part of the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport