Irene Lappa

Irene planned my first trip to Greece. It's been my dream since I was a kid to visit Greece but when I finally was ready to make it happen the thought of planning this dream trip was too overwhelming to take on alone. That's where Irene came in. I gave her my expectations and my budget and she made my dream come true.

The tours were amazing. I had a mixture of self guided, small group, and private. There was a small hiccup with the meeting time on the first day but it was quickly resolved and we were able to arrive a little late with no problems. I was also impressed at the diversity of the companies we toured with. One in particular stood out to me because she started the company herself and I love that they are willing to use small companies like hers, not just big ones. Everyone was amazing and brought something different to each tour I was on.

The hotels were a wonderful surprise. I didn't give much guidance as far as what hotels/rooms I was looking for. I honestly wasn't looking for anything specific, just comfortable. But Irene more than exceeded my expectations. The hotels were conveniently located, comfortable, the staff were so helpful. The only complaint was the hotel in Avra Rafina Hotel. But that was partly my fault because I ended up booking an early morning flight and Irene had to put me somewhere close to the airport. The staff at Avra Rafina were very rude but having the free shuttle to the airport at 3am made staying there necessary and, again, this was at no fault of Irene's. She did everything right. Honorable mention to the Diapori Suites. AMAZING HOTEL! Seriously, so beautiful and super easy to walk to anything we might have needed in town.

Overall, this was truly the trip of a lifetime and the majority of my positive experience is entirely because of Irene and her amazing planning. I would not have thought to visit the Peloponnese, or the castles and that would have been heartbreaking because the area was truly beautiful getting to drive around those mountains. Thank you for introducing me to the majestic country that is Greece and I can't wait to return for more.

Hotel Reviews

Electra Palace Athens

Athens

Beautiful views, wonderful staff, convenient location. Overall an excellent experience staying at this hotel.

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Cleanliness & Comfort

Diapori Suites

240 22 Kardamyli, Messinia, Greece

I loved staying here. The location is beautiful and it's within walking distance of anything I needed. The staff were very friendly and I'm very grateful for the amazing experience.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avra Hotel Rafina

Rafina, Athens

The free shuttle to the airport at 3am is the main reason I stayed here. In the future I will plan for a later flight so I don't have to stay again. Overall the experience was okay.

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Activity Reviews

Acropolis Afternoon Tour

Athens

There was a small hiccup with the meeting time because of the travel company I used but it was quickly resolved and we were able to arrive a little late to meet our tour guide, Michael. It was a small group tour and I loved it. Michael did an amazing job showing us the Acropolis and we had a wonderful time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Delphi Day-trip

Athens

We were picked up at our hotel for the drive to Delphi. The drive (I'm so sorry, I forgot our driver's name) was very comfortable both going there and coming back. The driver was friendly and helpful. We were happy to have him get us where we needed to go that day. Georgia was our guide at Delphi and she did an amazing job showing up the museum and explaining many things that I didn't know about the place. Afterwards we walked through the archeological site and the views were amazing. Having a guide was beneficial though. I don't feel like I would have gotten as much out of the visit. After walking a little more by ourselves we met the driver to go to Mer Des Oliviers for lunch. Every one was so kind and welcoming. The food was delicious and it had a great cozy feeling to it. Especially getting to sit outside in the lovely weather. Overall great experience for the whole day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Kalamata private Food Tour

Greece

I 100% recommend Mama's Flavours because we had the best time. She uses all local food and has painstakingly chosen each and every place she took us too. We don't drink so having the ability to adjust our schedule accordingly was appreciated. We ended up spending longer with her than the 4 hours planned but it felt like hardly any time went by. It was like having lunch with a friend. I hope to see her again.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Private Mystras Guided Tour

Greece

Dimitris was our tour guide for Mystras Castle. I remember driving up to the town and seeing some ruins way high up on the mountain and thinking "I really hope it isn't that all the way up there." But it was lol. I was quickly relieved though when Dimitris told us that we would be going downhill, not uphill. We took our car to the top to park and made our way down, stopping at the sites a long the way. Alongside the history, which was fascinating, he also had a vast knowledge of the plants in the area and I loved hearing about all the different ones as we walked by them. It was a wonderful experience and I hope to go back when they finish renovating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Irene was fantastic. Was very easy to work out various details and modify the trip to our preferences with hotels, travel and different activities. The best part was the ease of travel as we visited various cities throughout Italy including Rome, Siena, Florence, Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi Coast. Between cities while we saw other folks trying to figure out how to get to hotels, waiting in line for taxi service we had private drivers already setup to take us from city to city. It not only made travel easy (but helped with the wife's luggage) :) !!
I know some people just plan the trip on their own, but it is nice to have a resource that knows the region you are traveling to and the worries are completely removed. I would absolutely recommend the travel service. We are already looking at where to go next year!
Ciao!!

We used Kimkim to plan our 30th wedding anniversary trip to Italy and they did not disappoint! Our travel specialist, Irene, did an excellent job selecting hotels, tours and experiences for us. In addition, all of the details like trains and transfers were booked for us. We received all the details about times, where to meet people and detailed itineraries prior to leaving for our trip and everything worked extremely well. When there were hiccups (only a couple over 3 weeks), the Kimkim team was right there to help. We were very well taken care of every step of the way.

One of the many highlights was arriving at in Venice to a private tour by water taxi to orient us. We arrived at our hotel, Corte di Gabriela, to a bottle of prosecco chilling in our room. The room was very comfortable, the staff was attentive and helpful, and the breakfasts were amazing. We had a wonderful walking tour of the city. Our guide from Liv Tours was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed learning about Venice's history and culture.

We chose to spend time in the Cinque Terre, which was very busy. Thankfully, Irene had recommended we stay in Levanto, a six-minute train ride from Monterroso. Levanto was much less crowded, but still full of history, beauty and things to do.

We loved Siena. The hotel, Residenza d'Epoca Palazzo Borghesi, was charming. We took two tours from there with Tuscan Escapes. Both were fantastic! We had an evening sunset tour of Tuscany, finishing with dinner at a winery. Danielo was an excellent guide, explaining the region and the wines. He was also a pleasure to talk with over dinner, as were the other guests. The next day we visited three Brunello di Montalcino wineries with Giorgia. We had lunch at one of the wineries, with all of the food made by the Mama--it was fantastic!

From there we went to Sorrento, which is lovely and a great jumping off point to visit Capri and the Amalfi coast. We hikes the Path of the Gods with Vincenzo. He was entertaining and very knowledgeable about the flora we encountered along the way. It was a joy to experience the passion he has for his work and to spend time with him.

We finished our trip with two days at the beach. It was the perfect end to a fabulous trip. We couldn't have done it all without Irene's help! We look forward to next time.

Hotel Reviews

Corte di Gabriela

Venice

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Orto De' Medici

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palazzo Vannoni

Levanto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Residenza d'Epoca Palazzo Borghesi

Siena

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Continental

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Grand Canal Private Orientation Tour

Italy

Venice Highlights Walking Tour

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Afternoon Florence Highlights Walking Tour (Semi-private)

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Monterosso Wine Tasting & Lunch in the vineyards

Italy

There was a little miscommunication about what this would entail. When we arrived, the staff seemed surprised to see us. When we explained what we thought we had arranged, they told us what we would get instead. Despite this, we had a very nice time and the wines were good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuscany Sunset Tour & Dinner

Siena

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brunello di Montalcino Wine Tour

Siena

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking the Path of Gods

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Amalfi Coast Driving Tour

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Aperitivo & Stroll around Sorrento

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best Sunset: Naxos from our balcony at Ippocampos in Naxos
Best Tour Guides: Sofia, both of her tours in Tinos were fun and informational. The tours were fabulous and she is a delight! Also, Katrina that gave us the cooking class in Naxos, we loved her, the food, her mother, the other people in the class, just wonderful.
Best Hotel Concierge: Anastasia at the Iris in Paros, she was a great resource for the most wonderful restaurants and beaches. She was precious.
Best Driver was also in Paros, Konstantinos, he was always prompt and so fun!
Best Breakfast: Athena Cypria
Best Views: East Coast of Naxos
Best Beach: Fandangas Beach
We can’t decide on a favorite island, they were all special in their own way. Irene and her team were great in organizing our transportation. We were always picked up and dropped off in a prompt manner. We loved having the free time to explore either on foot or in the rental car and get into the reality of Greek life. While in Naxos, we drove over the mountains, had a wonderful fish meal in a little village on the sea shore and saw the most amazing views of the trip. It made a big impression on us both. And I credit Irene and her team for giving us the flexibility to let us roam and explore.

Hotel Reviews

Iris Boutique Hotel Paros

Naousa

Best overall accomidations on our recent trip to Greece. We went to Athens, Tinos, Paros, and Naxos. Out of the hotels we stayed at at each location, The Iris Hotel was our favorite. The room is comfortable, clean, and well appointed. The Hotel Concierge, Anastasia was such a wonderful resource for restaurants and beaches. She was so pleasant and sweet, we enjoyed getting to know her.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the balcony and the sunset view. Breakfast was a Greek feast.

Location

Easy walking distance to shopping and restaurants in Naousa

Staff

Anastasia was our personal guide to good food and beaches.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable. Our favorite hotel we had on our trip.

Athens Cypria Hotel

Athens

The Athens Cypria Hotel was quite comfortable. The breakfast was fabulous, probably the best of all the hotels we stayed at. The air conditioning needed some adjustments, but the staff was prompt in setting it right for us. The location was great, close to everything we needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

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Cleanliness & Comfort

Voreades

Tinos

The Voreades Hotel in Tinos was nice and rustic. The bed sheets were a bit stiff and noisy. The air conditioning worked great and we did a lot of walking, which was good. The hotel staff was very nice.

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Ippokampos Beachfront Hotel

Naxos

We loved our stay at Ippokampos Beachfront Hotel. It was more resort-like, which was fine. The hotel had the best sunset views and the best shower of all the places we stayed at. We rented a car and enjoyed exploring the east side of the island.

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Activity Reviews

Food Tour of Tinos Town

Tinos

Sofia gave my husband and me a wonderful "taste" of Tinos. It was my birthday and she made me feel special as we indulged in bread, cheese, meats, fish, and desserts. She was very knowledgable and entertaining. It was a feast for the eyes and the stomach!

Quality of Experience

The food, the people, the places... the people were so welcoming and the food so delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I can't say enough about Sofia. She was just so open and entertaining as well as knowledable.

Transport

It was a walking tour and gave us a lay of the land.

Private Farm Tour with Lunch

Paros

The Farm Tour was an ok experience. My husband and I were expecting to see a lot of fig trees but they only had one. However, the view from the farm was amazing and one of the best we saw in Greece.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Cooking Class in Naxos Villages

Naxos

The Cooking Class was great. Catalina was our instructor and she made the class very fun. We cooked dinner for her and her mother, and we all participated in making the meal. It was a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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A Cultural Hike on Tinos

Tinos

The cultural Hike was a 3-hour adventure with views of the dovecotes and the terraced landscape of Tinos, our guide was a local expert (don’t recall his name). We had a lovely snack and got a taste of the beauty of Tinos.

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Tinos Villages Driving Tour

Tinos

The Cultural tour with Sofia was by car and we visited Volax where they weave beautiful baskets, Pyrgos, where there is marble excavation and a legacy of marble craftsman. We had a lovely lunch there. (Everything is made out of Marble, even the bus stop) And as we drove, Sofia filled us in on Tinos history, religion, and culture.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was great, and everything that Irene/KimKim prepared for us was absolutely amazing. I would recommend KimKim to anyone. Every detail of our trip was planned and executed without a problem. We will definitely be using KimKim on our next adventure.

The entire experience from start to finish was exceptional, from planning to the trip itself. Our tour guides and the tours themselves were excellent. This was our first trip to Europe and it could not have been better, despite the record number of visitors to Italy this time of year. Irene made this a wonderful experience and I plan to ask her assistance for future travel plans outside the U.S. I have recommended her and Kimkim to several friends already.

This trip is something that I will never forget especially with meeting my Dad’s family. It was so beautiful. Each place we stayed at was outstanding. The tour guides were amazing, explaining everything so beautifully. I thank my cousins Jeanne & Danny & his family for inviting me. I am truly blessed. I can’t stop telling everyone about my trip & showing all the pictures. It takes my breath away how so beautiful everything is. Thank you Irene for a beautiful trip. 🇮🇹🇮🇹🥰🙏🏻

Irene was INCREDIBLE. I do not have words to describe how well she planned this trip for us.

Our guides in Tuscany that drove us around were some of the best. We laughed and learned and they kept us safe.

Overall A+++