Eleni Fotiou

What an amazing adventure! I cannot express enough gratitude for the OUTSTANDING AND MIRACULOUS trip that was planned by KimKim and Travel 12 Greece teams.
My family and I had a trip of a lifetime during our 3-week stay in Greece in May 2023.

I want to express my deepest thanks to Eleni Fotiou--our trip EXPERT from KimKim and Travel 12!
Eleni went far, far above and beyond to create a dream vacation for us. Eleni is professional, very friendly, and so supportive.
I cannot tell you the... read more

What an amazing adventure! I cannot express enough gratitude for the OUTSTANDING AND MIRACULOUS trip that was planned by KimKim and Travel 12 Greece teams.
My family and I had a trip of a lifetime during our 3-week stay in Greece in May 2023.

I want to express my deepest thanks to Eleni Fotiou--our trip EXPERT from KimKim and Travel 12!
Eleni went far, far above and beyond to create a dream vacation for us. Eleni is professional, very friendly, and so supportive.
I cannot tell you the countless emails and phone calls Eleni handled in more than a year's time while we crafted and re-created the trip itinerary to perfection.
Eleni was always patient and had great ideas, offered needed reassurance and many expert tips for the vacation.
Everything was handled with expert care, compassion and extreme attention to detail.
We enjoyed a fantastic time in Athens, the Peloponnese, Mykonos, Santorini and Crete.
Eleni even went so far as to help us contact our Greek family and to arrange a full day visit in a tiny village in Greece with our relatives. It was a miraculous and blessed day for sure! We are forever grateful to Eleni!

In addition, all of the private local drivers that Eleni set up for our trip were equally amazing! Special thanks to Christos and Georgia who helped us get to very, very remote places in Greece---up mountains! We were able to go to both of our grandparents' villages in Greece and meet family members. Both Christos and Georgia (local private drivers) were patient, kind, supportive and were able to offer translation services for us. Just incredible!

Furthermore, all of the local team members working with Eleni were outstanding. During the trip, we were able to communicate at any time day or night via the What's App Business app on my cell phone. This was so helpful for last minute questions and schedule changes--all of which were quickly addressed to my satisfaction.

We saw the most beautiful, historical, heart-warming, and breath-taking places in Greece.
We took over 1500 photos to prove it!

I have only one "complaint"---that the trip had to end! :)

Leave your dream Greece vacation in the hands of experts! The money spent will be so worth the incredible benefits of a perfectly curated vacation that far surpasses your expectations!
I would HIGHLY recommend booking your vacation to Greece with Eleni Fotiou and KimKim/Travel 12 teams.
You will be so glad that you did!

Thanks again from the bottom of my heart to Eleni and her spectacular team!

Eleni, you will hold a special place in our hearts, and hope that we will meet someday--in Greece, of course!

All the best to Eleni and her expert team.

Hotel Reviews

Herodion Hotel

Acropolis, Athens

Great location, incredible service and outstanding breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Margo Beach Hotel

East Mani

Lovely beach setting, staff was truly wonderful and very attentive to personal needs. Great breakfast! Perfect location to go to villages in the Peloponnese.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vencia Boutique Hotel

Mykonos

Gorgeous! Fantastic location to walk to Mykonos Old Town. AMAZING breakfast. Staff were very helpful and kind.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kasimatis by La Perla

Santorini

What's not to love? An ocean view of the caldera and a very walkable location between Oia and Fira. Made to order BREAKFAST WAS GREAT, SERVICE TO YOUR PRIVATE ROOM! Nothing better than sitting in your private jacuzzi watching a Santorini sunset. Female clerk at the front desk was one of the nicest and most attentive hotel staff members I have ever met.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Really nice, less crowded, and walkable to other Santorini cities.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GDM Megaron

Heraklion

OK, seriously, the breakfast here was THE MOST AMAZING I have ever seen in a hotel. The variety of food was unbelievable. PERFECT HOTEL ROOM AND LOCATION. Worth the 5-star rating. Spend the money, you will be glad that you did. Great attention to detail. Room was just lovely! Location is very walkable to local sites.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avra Hotel Rafina

Rafina, Athens

Great view from room. Nice breakfast and easy location to get on hotel shuttle for airport.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Acropolis Guided Tour

Athens

INCREDIBLE. Our guide Alexi was knowledgeable and so helpful. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delos & Rhenia Day Cruise

Mykonos

Super fantastic experience! Swam in the Aegan Sea, chilly but so gorgeous. Great time at Delos! Amazing! Crew was OUTSTANDING! Made every effort to host a memorable day and beautiful lunch with special attention to dietary restrictions on board the boat.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Transfer in Santorini

Santorini

Great driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Useful Information

Greece

OUTSTANDING! AMAZING! Sparta, East Mani, the Mystras Castle were just incredible!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caldera Cruise & Volcano Visit

Santorini

Beautiful experience to see the volcano. Ship was so cool! Swimming in the hot springs was really fun! The dinner prepared was AMAZING! So delicious!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Santorini

Santorini

Great time seeing a tiny Greek village, black sand beach, and local Winery with wine tasting. Very nice day with small group. Hercules was a great guide. Thanks!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Round trip transfer to Knossos

Heraklion

Guide and driver were both so sweet and helpful. They even brought Greek pastries for us on the trip. Thank you!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Palace of Knossos Private Tour

Heraklion

Guide was very well informed, talkative and helped us to navigate the crowd while seeing everything in detail. Wonderful historical Greek site. Worth the visit!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Riviera & Cape Sounion Sunset Tour

Greece

Gorgeous location! Just an amazing place to see. Worth the drive! Driver was very professional, helpful and kind. Enjoyed the lovely Greek taverna dinner at the conclusion of the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The guides and drivers were excellent read more

The guides and drivers were excellent

Local guides were quite wonderful and very knowledgeable. Giuseppe, who was our guide for Roman Colosseum, Amalfi coast and Pompeii and Vesuvius was beyond great. Paolo was knowledgeable but challenging to understand. Roberto, who gave us our tour of the Vatican Museum, was just okay. Darrio, who gave us Roman food tour, was outstanding.
Communication from Eleni could have been more timely (we got info like a day or two before) in terms of final tour details. We also felt we should have been... read more

Local guides were quite wonderful and very knowledgeable. Giuseppe, who was our guide for Roman Colosseum, Amalfi coast and Pompeii and Vesuvius was beyond great. Paolo was knowledgeable but challenging to understand. Roberto, who gave us our tour of the Vatican Museum, was just okay. Darrio, who gave us Roman food tour, was outstanding.
Communication from Eleni could have been more timely (we got info like a day or two before) in terms of final tour details. We also felt we should have been better informed about long walks to hotels. We DID NOT get bus drivers to/from Rome who gave us details on the trip as the itinerary suggested.
Overall, we felt it was well-planned but lacking in those "special" details that would have really made a difference.

Hotel Reviews

Aenea Superior Inn

Rome

Staff was fine, but hotel facility was less than ideal. Shower was very small. Breakfast that was promised was some rolls and pastries in a bag on our hotel door. This was not a breakfast - not even a Continental bkfst.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Michelangelo

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good access to town and activities but did not like looking out window at train tracks.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Decumani Hotel de Charme

Naples

If in a large group, your van or bus will not be able to bring you to hotel. You will need to walk a fair distance, uphill, on cobblestone roads, to arrive. Breakfast was high quality. Reception staff could have been more helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Lighting and heat in rooms

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Capo d'Africa - Colosseo

Rome

Giuseppe, at front desk, was amazingly helpful and knowledgeable. Room was high quality. Comfy bed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great access to Colosseum and other historical areas.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Local transfer in Rome

Rome

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome Food Tour

Rome

Guide was excellent and so were the food choices.

Quality of Experience

Food

Fried artichokes! So yummy.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

This guide was so knowledgeable and friendly, well-adapted to dealing with issues as they arose, sensitive to our group's needs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

The Vatican Museum, St. Peter's Basilica, and contents are simply breathtaking. Having a guide is worth the cost just for the opportunity to skip lines.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was knowledgeable about specific stops he was prepared to make, but we spent a lot of time just walking between stops. We noticed other guides continued explaining info between stops in the museum. Also, our guide did not use whispers, so we missed a lot of what he had to say.

Transport

Private Custom Amalfi Coast Driving tour with Lunch at a Lemon Grove

Sorrento

Lemon Grove experience is not to be missed

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Pompeii

Pompeii and Vesuvius were great. The winery experience was just okay, a bit basic. I would have preferred a quick lunch somewhere and more time at Pompeii, Vesuvius and Herculaneum.

Quality of Experience

Food

Winery's food was just okay.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Incredibly challenging drive and the driver had nerves of steel.

Transport

Napoli Custom Walking Food Tour of Spaccanapoli with San Severo Chapel & the Archaeological Museum

Naples

The San Severo Chapel and Duomo are not to be missed. The Veiled Christ may be one of the most amazing art items you will ever see. The walking food tour could be better organized in terms of what food we received - less touristy and more of the food that locals would eat.

Quality of Experience

San Savero Chapel and Duomo.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very knowledgeable

Private Pizza making class in Rome

Rome

Pizza guide, Claudio, was simply amazing. He was kind, engaging, knowledgeable, funny, comfortable and inspiring. You might think you know how to make a pizza, but you have much to learn from this experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was our first time using a service like kimkim, and we are very glad we did!! Without their service, we wouldn't have been able to do all the things we wanted to do during our trip. We're also glad we were chauffeured by professional drivers in streets of Italy. Eleni and her local counterpart were extremely responsive to our questions and requests. All the drivers and guides showed up almost precisely 10 minutes before our agreed times. A huge shoutout to all the guides, who were... read more

This was our first time using a service like kimkim, and we are very glad we did!! Without their service, we wouldn't have been able to do all the things we wanted to do during our trip. We're also glad we were chauffeured by professional drivers in streets of Italy. Eleni and her local counterpart were extremely responsive to our questions and requests. All the drivers and guides showed up almost precisely 10 minutes before our agreed times. A huge shoutout to all the guides, who were extremely professional and added so much to our trip--in particular, we truly enjoyed our time with Antonella in Firenze, Giuseppe in Sorrento/Amalfi Coast, and Sabrina in Rome!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Alessandra

Florence

We had a family room with beds for 4. Worked out great. Tucked in a street near Ponte Vecchio with small artisan shops. Delightful!

Authenticity & Character

The owner and his staff were delightful hosts.

Location

Close to Ponte Vecchio. Small shops and restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The best shower during our entire trip.

Maison La Minervetta

Sorrento

Truly a splurge! The views from our rooms were breathtaking. Unique and original decor. Lovely breakfast spread.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view, the view, the view!

Staff

The front desk staff were professional and welcoming. We didn't feel particularly welcomed in our interactions during the breakfast, but it could have been due to the language barrier. It took time for our coffee orders to arrive and they were variable in quality.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Splendor Suite Roma

Rome

This hotel was a bit disappointing because all other hotels during our trip to Italy were wonderful. It felt like an airbnb as opposed to a hotel--self check-in outside regular business hours. We were traveling with our two teenage sons. We found out we didn't need a second room, because there was a sofa bed in the family suite that they could have used, which was not clear from their website or when we were presented with the proposal. More to our frustration, we were woken up a few times during the night because of the hallway noise. Our room (106A) was adjacent to 106B, from which we could hear everything, and the occupants in 106B were unpleasantly loud late at night. Since there was no one at the front desk in the evening, we could not ask for timely intervention. Perhaps, they should have given 106B as our second room to avoid this. At least one time, the noise source seemed to be the staff; in the morning, there were bags of laundry right outside our door.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff didn't come across as if they were interested in making the guests feel welcomed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Florence Highlights Walking Tour

Florence

Antonella, our guide, was fantastic. She laid out the basics of the city's history first, which made the other explanations logically hold together. Her love of her city made it all the more special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Pompeii

The Pompeii tour was fascinating--thank you, Natalia! There is travel distance between Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, and the lunch site, so we were glad we had the entire day arranged and coordinated. The view of Bay of Naples from Mount Vesuvius is very worth it!!

Quality of Experience

Food

The restaurant/winery seemed all catered to the tour groups.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Grazie, Natalia and Fabio!

Transport

Private Amalfi Coast Driving Tour

Italy

The highlight of the driving tour was the stop for us to hike the Path of Gods trail. It was fantastico!! Because we fit the hike in, things got quite late in the day, and by the time we got to Ravello, everything was closed. The weather was gorgeous during our hike and by the time we were leaving Positano, it started to rain and the visibility fell. We're so grateful that Giuseppe drove us safely throughout our tour, because the road is curvy to say the least. He was also extremely knowledgeable about farming in the region, which we appreciated.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were lucky to have Giuseppe in charge of us! So professional, knowledgeable, and pleasant. Thank you for everything!!

Transport

Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Wow, the inside of Colosseum was facinating beyond our imagination. There was so much to learn about Roman Forum, too. We feel so lucky to have done this tour with Sabrina. Her explanation painted vividly how the lives in Colosseum and the Forum might have been.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sabrina with LivTours was fantastic!!

Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

With so many visitors and so many things to see, it was a very full three-hour tour. We gained much knowledge about Vatican and the artwork that adorns their buildings.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giovanna with LivTours was extremely knowledgeable!

KimKim arranged and managed our trip to Greece with the utmost in customer service and professionalism. The transfers to and from airports and ferries were flawless. We were picked up on time and driven in very nice cars by friendly drivers. The hotel in Athens was small but clean and conveniently located. KimKim arranged for Christina, a lovely, bright and fun tour guide to take us through the Plaka and to see the Acropolis. We’d planned to connect ferries at Syros traveling on to Naxos the... read more

KimKim arranged and managed our trip to Greece with the utmost in customer service and professionalism. The transfers to and from airports and ferries were flawless. We were picked up on time and driven in very nice cars by friendly drivers. The hotel in Athens was small but clean and conveniently located. KimKim arranged for Christina, a lovely, bright and fun tour guide to take us through the Plaka and to see the Acropolis. We’d planned to connect ferries at Syros traveling on to Naxos the same night, but high winds shut the ferries down. KimKim contacted us about the ferries, arranged for us to stay 2 nights at a very nice and nicely located hotel in Syros and then sail on to Naxos 2 days later. The glitch was unfortunate but KimKim showed their expertise in handling the unexpected, even arranging refunds from the two missed nights at the Naxos hotel and a refund for a boat trip we’d booked. We were happy to see Syros and made the best of our day on Naxos. The room in Naxos (Cyano Suites) was spectacular but was strangely disconnected from the hotel, our only complaint. Travel to and transportation in Santorini was also seamless. The hotel, Petit Palace, was extraordinary. With a plunge pool, good food, exceptional service, jaw dropping beauty, and a fantastic catamaran trip, we couldn’t have been happier. We will definitely call on KimKim again.

Activity Reviews

Acropolis & Flavors of Athens

Athens

Christina was a smart, fun and very capable tour guide. She introduced us to Greek pies and had lots of interesting stories about Athens and Greek history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Transfer in Athens

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sailing Trip around Naxos & Small Cyclades islands

Naxos

Had to be cancelled because the ferries were grounded because of high wind. KimKim arranged a refund.

Local Transfer in Santorini

Santorini

On time, nice car, courteous driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Catamaran Caldera Cruise

Santorini

Convenient, on time pickup, comfortable boat, good selection of snacks, lunch and drinks aboard. We didn’t swim, but several other guests did and enjoyed it. Very nice trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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... read more

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

Hotel Antiche Figure

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

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

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.

Relais Le Clarisse

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

fantastic location in trastevere neighboorhood

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

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

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.

Afternoon 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.

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.

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.

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.

The trip to Italy and Greece is one of our most memorable trips. Eleni understood our requirements perfectly and arrange the stays, travel and other arrangements to perfection.

We were given choices of unique farm stays, borgos which we would not have found otherwise. Especially in Greece, we would have never ventured into Meteora and Zagori region without Eleni's inputs. That part of the world is magical and is one which we would have never figured out without the advice of a local... read more

The trip to Italy and Greece is one of our most memorable trips. Eleni understood our requirements perfectly and arrange the stays, travel and other arrangements to perfection.

We were given choices of unique farm stays, borgos which we would not have found otherwise. Especially in Greece, we would have never ventured into Meteora and Zagori region without Eleni's inputs. That part of the world is magical and is one which we would have never figured out without the advice of a local specialist like Eleni.

She was very patient with my multiple queries and made changes as needed.

Would love to travel to Greece and Italy again with her support.

Best wishes

Eleni did a wonderful job providing great lodging, locations, and experiences during our trip to Greece. We had a family of four with two teenagers and got to experience a little bit of everything. We had a couple hiccups with car rentals, but that didn't take away from how well organized the whole vacation was. The team was incredibly responsive during our trip 24/7 and every guide we interacted with was the best! If I ever go to Greece again, I would be happy to work with Eleni and her... read more

Eleni did a wonderful job providing great lodging, locations, and experiences during our trip to Greece. We had a family of four with two teenagers and got to experience a little bit of everything. We had a couple hiccups with car rentals, but that didn't take away from how well organized the whole vacation was. The team was incredibly responsive during our trip 24/7 and every guide we interacted with was the best! If I ever go to Greece again, I would be happy to work with Eleni and her team! Thank you for the memories.

Hotel Reviews

NLH Monastiraki

Athens

It's very close to the Plaka district and within walking distance of most shopping and restaurants. The room was pretty basic, but quiet. Really the staff was the highlight of this location. Pretty amazing customer service.

Authenticity & Character

It's a fairly basic hotel room. Not bad in any way.

Location

It doesn't have the best curb appeal in the alleys of Athens city. But inside is secure and lovely.

Staff

Staff was amazing! They recommended good places to eat and were great at making us feel at home.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thanos Village

Gialova

Our family all loved this location. Quiet. Private. Stunning views in all directions. I enjoyed being surrounded by all the plants. Air conditioning worked well, close to beaches, shopping, and food. Loved the balcony and pool.

Authenticity & Character

The surrounding area.

Location

The ocean views and easy access to shopping.

Staff

I never saw the staff. We never needed anyone for anything.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Klymeni Traditional Homes

Nafplio

Probably one of the coolest places I've ever stayed. The homes are so neat with all the stone, marble, and wood. Beautiful views from the balconies of the castle, town, ocean, churches, and lime trees. Very magical. Our whole family loved it. Quiet, safe, peaceful, romantic, cozy, and you have easy access to anything you want to do in the area.

Authenticity & Character

The design of the villas is magical.

Location

The views are amazing!

Staff

The staff could not have been nicer or more helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable. Totally felt comfortable walking around barefoot

Activity Reviews

Private Sailing trip to Proti Island

Greece

Captain Nikos ensured that this trip would be a favorite for the entire family! The blues of the ocean were to die for! The sea was so calm and clear. The company and snacks were awesome. We didn't even make it to Proti island... We were having way too much fun getting a customized private route through the bay. Would do again 100%

Quality of Experience

Favorite for the entire family!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Captain Nikos was the best!

Transport

We've never been on a sailboat before. Super relaxing and fun.

Kalamata private Food Tour

Greece

A cant-miss highlight for a trip to Kalamata! The tour combined great food, wine, coffee, company, city sights, and history with memorable local interactions. Maria was like an immediate best friend to our entire family. You could tell she was incredibly passionate about the food tour and making sure we all had a blast. I would recommend her food tour to everyone!!!

Quality of Experience

Maria was the best!

Food

All of the food was delicious. Had to pace ourselves because the is so much and you want to eat it all.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sea Kayak Above Epidaurus Sunken City

Nafplio

A wonderful combination of beauty, activity, history, fun, relaxation, good food, and good company. Kayaking on the sea was therapeutic. The water was so calm and beautiful. Very laid back. Snorkeling over the sunken city was a magical experience. Loved every minute of it!

Quality of Experience

The tropical feel and snorkeling

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides had very different personalities and were all fun.

Transport

Easy drive in. Easy to park. Easy to find. Great location.

Epidaurus Theater and Sanctuary Guided Tour

Greece

Unless you're a big history buff... This location is just okay. We liked our guide and all, but for the amount of time it took to drive out there and then walk around in the heat... I don't know that it was worth it. Also, so much of it is covered with or surrounded by modern construction equipment.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking the Secret Path to Palamidi Castle

Nafplio

So we had a private guide who took us up the back way through the forest to the castle which we thought was cool until we realized we could have just driven and parked at the castle. Also, by the time we got up there, the castle was closing in 30 min so we didn't get to see a lot of it before getting kicked out. And our guide didn't really tell us anything about the castle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The only negative was that our guide seemed really tired or out of shape and we're a pretty athletic family that wanted to get up the mountain quickly.

Transport

Horse Riding in Nafplio

Nafplio

The horseback riding would have been better if it hadn't just been around the town... I'm use to horseback riding being an opportunity to see countryside you normally wouldn't see by foot or car. Also these particular horses were difficult. They were either bitter or slow. However, our guide was terrific. The best part of the edventure was when we stopped riding horses and just hung out at his place for drinks and fruit.

Quality of Experience

Better horses and location

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was friendly and generous

Transport

Private Athens Mythology Tour for Families

Athens

The ruins took a backseat to our guide Maria who was really fun, funny, and the best part of the experience. Our family arents really big on history so we mostly just wanted to see the pantheon for photos. As cool as it was, the only negative were the crowds. We liked that our guide has photos of what the structures use to look like. :)

Quality of Experience

Maria, our guide was the highlight for sure!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver to the Acropolis was awesome!

Local Sunset Dinner

Greece

Our two weeks spent in Italy were absolutely amazing! Kim Kim and our guide Eleni handled all the details big and small from transportation, tours, and hotels. This made everything so easy knowing that everything was pre-arranged and handled for us. We highly recommend using KimKim for your travel. While in Italy the team was very responsive and kept us up to date if anything changed. The tours we had arranged were absolutely fantastic and all of our guides were wonderful and made sure we had a great time and experience.

Eleni is amazing!!! We will defintly use her on our next rtip. The whole team is great. Great follow up. I have already recommended them to several friends

We had a wonderful family trip to Greece! Eleni was very helpful and responsive when booking the trip. We enjoyed all of the private tours that were booked. My family truly had an experience of a lifetime. We especially enjoyed the farm tour in Santorini (Ana did a wonderful job during our cooking class and farm to table meal) and the catamaran tour in the caldera. Petit Palace was incredible and service was excellent. The only feedback I would give is just have the travel team confirm with... read more

We had a wonderful family trip to Greece! Eleni was very helpful and responsive when booking the trip. We enjoyed all of the private tours that were booked. My family truly had an experience of a lifetime. We especially enjoyed the farm tour in Santorini (Ana did a wonderful job during our cooking class and farm to table meal) and the catamaran tour in the caldera. Petit Palace was incredible and service was excellent. The only feedback I would give is just have the travel team confirm with vendors/ restaurants when costs are included. There was a little confusion at one of the restaurants about if it was pre-paid or not. Overall a wonderful trip. Thank you!

Our 12-day trip to Italy was wonderful! I recommend Eleni at kimkim 100%.

Our Group:
We had four kids (aged 5, 6, 7, & 8) plus two sets of parents, and three grandparents. So we had a total of 11 people. One of the adults had limited mobility in walking. The tour was very personalized to our group. There was a special focus on engaging the kids so they would enjoy the tour.

Our Specialist:
Eleni was our specialist and she really knew exactly how to plan a trip for our specific... read more

Our 12-day trip to Italy was wonderful! I recommend Eleni at kimkim 100%.

Our Group:
We had four kids (aged 5, 6, 7, & 8) plus two sets of parents, and three grandparents. So we had a total of 11 people. One of the adults had limited mobility in walking. The tour was very personalized to our group. There was a special focus on engaging the kids so they would enjoy the tour.

Our Specialist:
Eleni was our specialist and she really knew exactly how to plan a trip for our specific groups. She took into consideration our budget, our needs, and our interests. It didn't feel like a generic tour, it felt very personalized to us. She was very responsive and helpful at all times. I can't imagine a better person to plan our trip. She took care of everything.

The Hotels:
We stayed in hotels in Venice, Florence, and Rome. All three were excellent, with fantastic rooms, fantastic breakfast, and fantastic service!

The Experience:
We had a series of tour experiences in each location. Every tour guide was knowledgeable, helpful, accommodating to the needs and interests of our group, and kid-friendly. We especially loved day trips, the scavenger hunt-style tours for our kids, and the activities we had in each location: Mask making in Venice, Gelato making in Florence, and Mosaic making and pasta making in Rome. The transfers were seamless.

Overall:
Members of our group regularly looked at each other and said, "Can you believe how fantastic this tour is?!" We loved every aspect of it. The kimkim team was super responsive. When we had questions or little issues we could contact them and get help immediately. Once we got off the plane in Venice, up until the final transfers to the airport in Rome on the very last day, everything was so smooth. We were completely taken care of every step of the way, through three major cities and multiple day trips. We had no stress. The tour was the perfect pace for our group. We all loved it!!! Additionally, I priced out a 12-day Italian tour for our group through several tour companies before choosing kimkim, This tour was the best value of all those I priced out. Kimkim is now my go-to tour company.

kimkim and Eleni provided our family of five with an outstanding, life-changing travel experience. We started in Athens and then drove to Kalamata with stops along the way to sightsee, eat, and swim. Our kids ages span from 17 to 6 and Eleni was able to set up an itinerary that had something for all of them to enjoy and remember for the rest of their lives. This was one of the main reasons we booked through kimkim and Eleni nailed it! The accommodations were perfectly located and made us... read more

kimkim and Eleni provided our family of five with an outstanding, life-changing travel experience. We started in Athens and then drove to Kalamata with stops along the way to sightsee, eat, and swim. Our kids ages span from 17 to 6 and Eleni was able to set up an itinerary that had something for all of them to enjoy and remember for the rest of their lives. This was one of the main reasons we booked through kimkim and Eleni nailed it! The accommodations were perfectly located and made us feel like royalty. She gave us a number of different options and advice throughout the entire process. Her recommendations for restaurants, beaches, and self-guided tours never disappointed. Besides the breathtaking locations and savory food, the highlights of our trip were the tours Eleni set up for us - The Olympic Game Workout, Athens Mythology for Families, Waterfalls & Archery at Polylimnio, and SUP & Snorkeling in Voidokilia. We would wholeheartedly recommend booking with kimkim (and Eleni) and have already told many of our friends and family! We will definitely book with them in the future!

Hotel Reviews

Athens Manor Houses

Athens

Perfect location, new, clean, friendly, with an excellent breakfast every morning. Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

walk to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zoe Resort

Gialova

Great beachside location, free cabanas, beautiful grounds and pool. Very good food

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avra Hotel Rafina

Rafina, Athens

Perfect for a one night stop that is close to the airport, with a free shuttle!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Olympic Athlete for a Day

Athens

Our guide and trainer was fantastic. A very cool experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Athens Mythology Tour for Families

Athens

Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and great with our two younger boys. She was prepared with pictures and activities to make the site come to life!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Riviera & Cape Sounio for Families

Athens

The Sea Turtle rescue tour was very interesting and all of our boys (ages 17-6) loved it. Cape Sounio was breathtaking.

Waterfalls & Archery in Polylimnio

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides from Explore Messinia were great!

SUP & Snorkeling in Voidokilia

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide from Explore Messinia was amazing.

Eleni planned an amazing trip to Italy for my family! Everything from the planning stages to the spectacular trip start to finish was superb. The experiences were so enjoyable and engaging for the whole family (4 teenagers included)- especially the private tour guides through Rome (Giovanni and Lorenzo), Pompeii (Mina), and Naples (Frederica). Each one had great personality and local insight. We learned so much, laughed a lot, and had a ball. My favorite part was a stunning and breathtaking... read more

Eleni planned an amazing trip to Italy for my family! Everything from the planning stages to the spectacular trip start to finish was superb. The experiences were so enjoyable and engaging for the whole family (4 teenagers included)- especially the private tour guides through Rome (Giovanni and Lorenzo), Pompeii (Mina), and Naples (Frederica). Each one had great personality and local insight. We learned so much, laughed a lot, and had a ball. My favorite part was a stunning and breathtaking boat tour of the Sorrento and Amalfi Coasts with our skipper, Paolo. Another highlight was the pasta making class with our wonderful chef, Leo. Each hotel was perfect and unique with an attentive and helpful staff. Our drivers were always on time, pleasant, and had lots of local insight. We had a little mixup on our trip back but the KimKim team handled it immediately. It was so helpful to have extra people from the team available to help if we needed anything during the trip. I would not want to plan another trip without Eleni and the team. Thank you for the trip of a lifetime!

Hotel Reviews

Relais Le Clarisse

Rome

Amazing hotel with lots of history, character, and charm in the Trastevere section of Rome. Staff was excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Murrano Beach

Vico Equense

A beautiful and immaculate hotel in quaint fishing village. The hotel manager (Tomas) was so attentive, knowledgeable, and very helpful when planning our activities and meals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Residenza Borbonica

Naples

A perfect place to stay in Naples, right in the middle of things but on a pedestrian only street. The rooms were so unique and beautiful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Family-Friendly Rome By Golf Cart

Rome

Giovanni was friendly, outgoing, and clearly has a love and passion for Rome!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

We loved our tour guide, Lorenzo. We all learned so much. It was especially engaging as we got to go underground the Colosseum.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pasta & Gelato Or Tiramisu Making Class

Rome

We had a wonderful teacher, Leo and a fantastic experience. After learning how to make fresh pasta and gelato, we all sat down to dinner and enjoyed the finished product. Leo was fun, charismatic, and so personable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Pompei and Wine Tasting Vesuvius

Italy

Mima was the best tour guide we could ask for, she had my teenagers thoroughly engaged and asking questions. She was funny and so knowledgeable and we all learned so much. To top it off, we headed to the beautiful winery with gorgeous views and even more delicious food and wine!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Sorrento

This was definitely the highlight of my trip. Paolo was our skipper and he was fantastic. We spent the whole day on the boat with spectacular views, spent time in Amalfi and Positano, and went swimming in the deep blue crystal clear water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naples Street Food Tour

Naples

The perfect way to see and experience Naples. We all loved Frederica. She was so genuine, funny, and knowledgeable. She took us off the beaten path to see a true glimpse of Naples, old and new. The street food was delicious, especially the gelato from the chocolate store. Her love and passion for the city shines through her!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eleni worked with us to create a memorable trip. She answered every question we asked and provided us with all of the assistance we needed. The KimKim team was quick to respond to our questions. During the entirety of our trip, we felt that the team was there to offer guidance and support. We are already recommending KimKim to our friends.

It was a fantastic trip! Eleni is very knowledgeable

And the The team on ground was very responsive ❤️❤️

Our trip was amazing thanks to Eleni! She made all the accommodations and thought of everything ahead of time. She is a pleasure to work with and I would definitely recommend her! This is our second trip with kimkim and we will continue to use them for all our needs! read more

Our trip was amazing thanks to Eleni! She made all the accommodations and thought of everything ahead of time. She is a pleasure to work with and I would definitely recommend her! This is our second trip with kimkim and we will continue to use them for all our needs!

No complaints! I explained the general "Feeling" I was hoping to have and experience while in Greece for a week with my preteen daughter. "Not too touristy, but not isolated. Connect with locals, eat amazing food, relax but have things to explore." Eleni came up with an itinerary on the first go round that we made only made one small adjustment to. Otherwise the trip was great. We specifically loved a full-day boat excursion on a private sailboat with a chef and stops at various caves and... read more

No complaints! I explained the general "Feeling" I was hoping to have and experience while in Greece for a week with my preteen daughter. "Not too touristy, but not isolated. Connect with locals, eat amazing food, relax but have things to explore." Eleni came up with an itinerary on the first go round that we made only made one small adjustment to. Otherwise the trip was great. We specifically loved a full-day boat excursion on a private sailboat with a chef and stops at various caves and islands, as well as the Petra farm tour in Paros run by a local family. The tour was so beautiful and then we had a family dinner with them- all made from their farm bounty. WOW. Ate at amazing restaurants, explored plenty. Any questions or issues we encountered, the KimKim team was almost immediate in their response at any hour. This process was literally so easy from start to finish. Everything was sorted, drivers, trains, airport pickups... We loved it! Only missing one star because we would have preferred a slightly different hotel setup (but also might be my fault for not being specific enough) and could have used more detailed directions with the places we were going as the islands don't have street names like the US, so it was hard to find several spots. OVERALL it was a fabulous trip! :)

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

The goal of our honeymoon was to spend 3 weeks in Italy, starting in Florence and ending on the Amalfi Coast. But we needed help to organize a trip that would ensure we could truly experience Italy, spend quality time in each location, have smooth transitions from place to place, and incorporate down time along with the activities. We called it the “Slow Travel Honeymoon in Italy” and from the first day we were in contact to the final day of our amazing trip, Kimkim did a spectacular job for... read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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