Maria Grazia Rubino

Maria was excellent to work with - she helped us to plan an amazing 3 week honeymoon to Italy! She and the team at Storywalking were friendly, organized and easy to reach. All of our scheduled activities were fantastic and we were able to optimize our time together instead of waiting in lineups for attractions and tours. We have many special memories from our travels. Thanks again for everything!!

Activity Reviews

Typical Dining Experience with Aperitivo & Cooking Demo

Rome

Roberta and her daughter were so welcoming to us and the food was amazing! We are very glad that we were able to join them in their home for this experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gnocchi cooking class in the heart of Verona

Verona

Aurora and Francesca were great to work with!! They were very friendly and ensured that we had a great meal and learning experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Naples Street Food Tour (food included)

Naples

This was excellent!! Not only was the food amazing, but our guide, Alessandro, was very knowledgeable and fun. It was a highlight of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip to Italy proved to be almost trouble free. Kikkim set us up with drivers and guides throughout our trip and not having to worry about how to get somewhere was wonderful. We had a little glitch when we first arrived when we flew into one airport and Kimkim driver was waiting for us at another airport. A quick call to Maria's team was made and another driver at our airport was quickly found. Problem solvers were readily available and they always took care of things quickly. Our biggest mess up was of our own doing. We were unaware that more then one train company operated at the train stations and on the same tracks. We ran to a train that was loading on our specific site , got on it, and miles down the track we were told we were on another company train. That cost us $50 for another ticket and a fine of$50 for being on the train without a ticket. If we would have paid attention to the train number that wouldn't have happened. Our train was a few minutes late and I think the train we boarded was late leaving the boarding spot.

The reservations worked out great. When I passed the lines going into the coliseum that were probably 2 blocks long we were very grateful we had that reservation. We also saw how important it was to have drivers pick us up at our hotels when we tried to hail a cab on our own in Rome and no one would stop. All our guides were outstanding . When one of our tours had to be cancelled due to weather conditions Kimkim came up with a great alternative and a wonderful driver to drive us down the Amalfi Coast.

My favorite place to see was not on the regular tourist list of must sees. We reserved a hotel in Verenzo (a small city near Verona) In the old section of Verenzo there is a theater called the Olympica. It is the oldest indoor theater in Italy and it was built in the mid 1500's. It has an amazing permanent back scene. If you like theater you will want to see this. No crowds in this city. Our guide to the Rome Coliseum was so well informed as was the guide in Pompeii

The reason I give the overall planning experience only an average rating is because I would have liked an idea what each part of our trip was going to cost rather then throwing out a dollar amount we were willing to pay and not knowing if we were spending our money wisely.

Hotel Review

Atelier Inès Arts & Suites

Napoli

Quirky but lovely. We got a tour of the sculpture workshop, and enjoyed a comfortable room. The hotel was in the heart of the city!

Authenticity & Character

Villa with artistic sculptures and a lovely garde/patio area.

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless. Bathroom was amazing.

Activity Reviews

Cooking class at farm

Italy

The chef was delightful and patient with us. We were surprised to have made such a delicious meal!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum Tour | Ancient Rome With Exclusive Arena Access

Rome

Our tour guide was a hiustory teacher who made the ruins come to life.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lake Maggiore Tour from Milan with its Borromeo's Islands

Milan

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and delightful. Isola Bella was amazing and beeautiful. Our guide was an expert in naming the plants!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thank you all so much! This has been a dream trip come true and we couldn’t have made it or enjoyed it half as much without your experienced guidance, planning, and support of our specific interests in this beautiful country! From the car rental, to first rate accommodations in Tuscany at a working vineyard/resort; a cooking class with a professional chef; tours in Florence at the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia (The David is an amazing must see!); a walking tour of the best sights, local food and wine restaurants (all of them a WOW!), the Kimkim company, through Maria, arranged the top tour guides—local, professional experts whose passion and insight made each tour personally engaging (each spoke to us not at us) which ultimately gave us both an added appreciation for their subject and them as people with whom we enjoyed spending quality time!
Each aspect of our trip was communicated and documented well in advance. This was our first trip to Florence and Tuscany so we had lots of questions. So Maria arranged (2) Zoom meetings with us and she completely and confidently answered all our questions. She also sent us restaurant suggestions and Google maps to assist us with our self guided side trips through Tuscany.
However, once a trip begins there are always factors and circumstances that need attention— sometimes immediately! Our trip was no exception! Several details needed some slight unexpected modification, and the Kimkim team and resources were able to communicate, and accommodate our needs in and on time. These people and this company are the real deal and both my wife and I give them our highest recommendation. We will use them again for sure! Don’t miss out on the very best this team has to offer (because they are the best)!

Dear Maria
I can honestly say that Italy is an amazing place to visit. The three guided tours, the first in Sorrento and the second and third in Rome, were so interesting and I can't say enough about the guides you assigned to us. Our 8-hr Amalfi Coast/Positano tour was so beautiful and our guide explained everything to us and helped us understand the history of this awesome countryside. Not to mention he entertained us with his singing and his colorful personality.

In Rome, our experience with Laura who explained the history of the ancient Colosseum in such a passionate way was amazing. She related facts to us that amazed us and we came away from the Colosseum with a better understanding of life back then. All this despite the fact that she was feeling poorly and we hope she has recovered.

And of course our tour with Tiziana (not sure of the spelling) of the Vatican and St. Peters was truly magical and inspirational. Her knowledge of the history and her manner of imparting all this amazing history was so appreciated.
All in all, this trip created memories that will be with us for a long time to come.

Our only issue was that I wished you would have suggested flying one way to Naples to see the Amalfi coast and Positano and then go to Rome and leave to come home from Rome. While it would have involved two one-way flights, it would have been less tiresome, especially the first leg of the trip when we arrived in Rome and were then brought to the train station (which was very crowded and confusing), and then the so-called "high speed" ride to Sorrento which was one hour late in leaving and was anything but high speed.

I am sure Lori and Lisa will agree that we created memories that will last a lifetime. Perhaps our next trip will include more of Italy. I want to thank you for your suggestions and for helping make our trip so beautiful.

I had a blast working with Maria to design this trip, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. We absolutely loved the bed and breakfast we stayed at (Cima Rosa). This is why you engage with local experts!

Barbara from Storywalking provided excellent service throughout our trip -- she knew when our plans had changed before we did and was amazingly quick to solve issues. We leaned heavily upon her help several times -- and were very happy to have the team to rely upon when our flights changed, our cruise changed, etc. Her frequent communication and problem-solving skills inspired confidence.

We learned so much from Romy in our walking tour of the City on our first night -- she really set us up for success over the next few days.

Nicoletta was extremely knowledgeable. We feel lucky to have had a day with her to explore so much of the city and surrounds.

Hotel Review

Cima Rosa

Venice

Authentic, historic, tastefully decorated bed-and-breakfast, with truly gracious staff. Staying here gave us a sense of Venice's history and present.

Authenticity & Character

Fully restored (on the inside) 15th century palazzo, with beautifully decorated, comfortable public spaces (indoor and outdoor), and well-appointed rooms. Air conditioning in each room.

Location

Its location on the Grand Canal within a quiet neighborhood was the perfect mix -- easily accessible to all of the major sites and wonderful restaurants, without the craziness of the tourist areas.

Staff

They were so helpful in arranging reservations for dinner, coordinating with our guides, and offering suggestions of locations to visit to add to the trip. They made you feel comfortable from the minute you got there.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were spotless, as were the public spaces.

Activity Reviews

Venice Food Tour with Rialto Market Visit

Venice

This group tour took us through the Rialto area to try foods and experiences we wouldn't have otherwise tried. Our guide was delightful, and it was fun to experience this with a group of interesting (and interested) people.

Murano Excursion

Venice

We got to see a master of the glass-making art develop a centerpiece while we were there, which was truly amazing. Wish we could have afforded to buy it. ;)

Explore St. Mark's Basilica and The Doge's Palace

Venice

We were only able to see the Doge's Palace (and the exterior of St Marks) as our schedule changed. But it is totally worth having a private guide through this remarkable building.

Private Evening Gondola Ride Venice & City Stroll

Venice

Seeing Venice from the water at night is incredibly special. Our gondolier was very friendly and an expert at navigating the canals.

A terrific trip! We worked closely with Maria to plan an itinerary for a family of 4 (college age kids) that allowed for exploration and activity. Storywalking Italy were extremely helpful. When one person in our group injured their ankle, everyone at kimkim went out of their way to help us figure out where to be seen and get medical supplies, re-organize our trip, and even contacted the hotels they had booked for us to make sure we were in ground floor rooms! And the scheduled activities were wonderful - highlights included a food tour of Bari with Giorgio of Apulia Tours and a day-long bike trip from Lecce with Gonzalo of Salento Bici Tour. Highly recommend!

Our trip was so amazing! Everything was perfectly planned out and went so smoothly. Everyone we worked with was so helpful and we are so happy with our experience. We recommend 100% and will be using Kimkim again for our next trip!

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo delle Grazie

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Cavour

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cooking class at farm

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi coast boat tour from Sorrento (Amalfi & Positano)

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chianti Full Immersive Wine & Olive Oil Experience

Florence

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Walking Tour and Accademia Visit

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide, Maria, helped plan every step of the trip. She was responsive and knowledgeable about the different cities we were visiting. She also incorporated activities that we suggested.

KimKim is a fantastic service that takes the guesswork out of booking travel. You get personalized accommodations and the ability to communicate with them during your trip in case you need to make any changes.

Highly recommend this service!

Activity Review

Excursion on Lake Como with Private Skipper

Lake Como

Amazing way to see the towns and villas of Lake Como! Well worth it and one of our favorite activities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Picked us up from the hotel dock. So convenient.

We are so grateful for Maria’s help in planning our trip to Sicily. In addition, the responsiveness of Maria, Barbara and Jessica (from Storywalking) when we decided within a few days to cancel and then changed our minds to go on with the trip with about 36 hours notice. We literally called them in the middle of the night to rebook everything and within a few hours they did it. We were on the fence to going due to the fires and the airport issues but everything went so well. We are so appreciative of every little detail they put into our trip and their continuous check ins with us. And to have a cooking lesson in a home was over the top wonderful. Thank you!!!

Hotel Reviews

Apartment in Catania

Catania

It was a little small but overall we really liked the location.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful.

Location

Loved having the breakfast place nearby and good restaurants below.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were very comfortable.

Apartment in the historic center of Palermo

Palermo

Loved the spaciousness of the apartment, it is huge!! The location was also amazing right within walking distance of everything!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect walk to everything.

Staff

We asked for a lot of recommendations and Roberto was helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apartment in Taormina with Panoramic Views

Taormina

Loved the location and the views!

Authenticity & Character

Spot on!

Location

Loved walking down the hill a bit for breakfast.

Staff

Great communications.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fishing Experience near Catania

Italy

The weather conditions prevented us from doing the fishing trip. No fault of anyone!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

N/a

Transport

N/a

Arancino Cooking Class

Taormina

We were running late and missed the class!

Quality of Experience

We had a hard time finding the right door.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

N/a

Transport

Cooking Class at a local's home in Catania

Catania

The best meal we had in Catania and Sicily! To be welcomed into someone’s home and then to enjoy the food making and get to eat it all at a local’s home was the best! Angelou was perfect teaching our 12 year old, too. He was comfortable learning in her home.

Quality of Experience

Being in a locals home and learning more about life in Palermo was unique. So much better than a cooking experience in a classroom type setting. Plus it was a private experience so we were able to relax.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Palermo Street Food Tour

Palermo

We added a few people to the overall tour and it worked out great! Plenty of food experience for all! A great sampling of local street food.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Palermo Private Walking Tour

Palermo

We had so much fun with Marilu. She was fantastic, knowledgeable and was flexible with the tour as it was so hot. She brought us to her favorite coffee place, poked our heads in the door of a shoemaker and more. It was history in motion with the tour of sights and sounds.

Quality of Experience

Marilu’s insights and knowledge were perfect. She knew it was hot and adjusted with almond granita!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking and listening and learning along the way.

Private Mount Etna Guided Jeep Tour

Italy

Our tour was great and tour guide was super knowledgeable and knows everything about Mount Etna. You could tell Marco grew up with the volcano and loved sharing what he knows. The kids listened to what he was teaching!

Quality of Experience

Perfect guide and tour

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He answered questions and we felt safe with his experience level.

Transport

I had the most wonderfully memorable vacation in Italy and all credits go to Maria and her exceptionally talented team. Every single activity Maria and her team selected for me went without glitches and far exceeded my expectations. Maria and her first class team were instrumental in helpong me experienced and created indelible memories that will last me a lifetime and beyond. Thank you again Maria from the bottom of my heart. I do plan on returning to Italy in a near future and I will not hesitate to hire the services of arguably the best travel planner in the entire hemisphere, Maria Grazia Rubimo, and her talented team. Krazie Mille.

Activity Review

Napoli Vespa Tour

Naples

The guide was super nice, friendly, adaptable, and very accommodating. He took me to amazing places with incredible views of the city of Naples. I highly recommend his services for anyone wanting to discover hidden gems from the city of Naples.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was thrilling yet very safe. The guide took me places I would not have been able to discover on my own.

We had a fantastic two week trip to Souther Italy which we arranged with Maria Grazia. She was very knowledgeable and adjusted our trip for us several times to ensure we got to see everything we were interested in. Out trip started in Sicily in Catania, moved to Palermo via Train, then a small flight hop to Sorento and Amafi Coast and then another train ending in Rome.

Our hotels were are very nice and the staff was excellent. They were perfectly located in each area and allowed us to walk to everything we wanted to see. They were also very convenient to local restaurants and all had fabulous breakfasts provided!

The Kim Kim team arranged transportation for everything. Not having to deal with driving made our trip much more relaxing. All the drivers were very good and provided us interesting information about the areas. I usually drive everywhere we go, but was surprised how nice this made the trip. Not worry about how to get to places and dealing with parking and the other issues.

As far as activities we did my favorite were the Story Walking tours in the towns and the private walking tour of the Path of Gods. We also had a great boat trip off Sorrento coast, Positano and Amalfi boat tour with Ieranto bay.

I should also mention that we had a local contact Jessica who provided us her personal number and was immediately responsive to any questions we had. She confirmed our drivers and helped with one issue we had. Best service I have ever had on a trip!

Thank you Maria and Jessica for a wonderful trip!

Hotel Reviews

History Suite

Rome

Location was very interesting, had to prearrange meet time so we could get keys and get in. Owner was great though. The location is fantastic, basically in the middle of all the places you will want to visit. Room was very nice and we enjoyed our stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Owner and breakfast staff were very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Rivoli

Sorrento

Was a very nice hotel, room was small but comfortable. Easy walk to everything. Nice breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Had an issue with hot water, staff wasn't very helpful. Otherwise they were very nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Principe di Lampedusa

Palermo

Great location. Easy walk to many attractions. Staff was very friendly and breakfast was great. Very comfortable room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Duomo Suites and Spa

Catania

Beautiful hotel in the perfect location for getting around town. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Breakfast was fantastic. And the view from the top was great. Would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Bomarzo & Orvieto Day Trip from Rome

Italy

Orvieto is a beautiful little town with fantastic views, if you have the time it is worth the trip. And the Bomarzo stop was very nice as well. A very peaceful walk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver on this trip was exceptional, very friendly! Some great recommendations for future vacations.

Transport

Rome walking tour by night

Rome

Nice tour. We had done a lot of sightseeing on our own before the tour so they customized it a bit for us. Guide was very knowledgeable and took us to see some things we had missed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum Tour with Underground, Arena & Gladiator Gate with Roman Forum

Rome

The colosseum is an amazing structure. Getting to go under and get a real view into what it was like there was amazing. Without the underground tour you miss so much. We really enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking tour Path of Gods

Italy

Don't miss this tour, it was beautiful! Just a fantastic walk along the coast. Our guide was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sorrento coast, Positano and Amalfi boat tour with Ieranto bay

Italy

Loved this boat tour, we had a great crews and made some nice stops. Positano was our favorite little town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Palermo Private Walking Tour

Palermo

Our guide was very knowledgeable and customized the tour a bit for us since we had already wondered around quite a bit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marilu was a great tour guide

Transport

Walking tour, but we covered a lot of area

Private Valley of the Temples Agrigento Tour

Palermo

Our guide was great and very knowledgeable! Valley was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved our guide

Transport

E-bike tour of Etna along Magma Trail

Catania

I don't think this tour was run well. It start out with us getting pickup up and then stopping to get gas before we went to another location to pickup his friend that was going to drive the truck back. We wasted a lot of time before we even headed to the mountain. This should have been done before picking us up. The ride itself was beautiful though unfortunately we would up having heavy rain and thunderstorms. We tried to group through but the guide was not prepared for the weather and kept telling us we should have been more prepared. We are travelers and can't pack tons of gear, he should have provided weather gear for us. Because of the weather and lack of gear we had to cut the trip short. We sat in a restaurant dripping wet and waited for an hour for someone to bring the truck to pick us up. A waitress felt so bad for us she brought us some towels and gave a blow dryer to try to warm up a little. He should have known he had to cut it short since he kept telling us we weren't prepared for the weather and planned ahead so we didn't have to sit shaking wet. I think this would have been a good trip if it had been planned better. Even with the weather if he had just had some rain gear for us it would have been fun.

Quality of Experience

Mountain was beautiful, ride would have been great. Would definitely find a similar tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Didn't plan well, blamed us for not be prepared. Unprofessional.

Transport

Crammed into a truck with gear, stopping for gas, picking up friends. No pleasant.

Our trip from start to finish was positively amazing! Maria Grazia and team did a superb job of balancing our interests in hiking, with cultural interests in cooking/sight-seeing and traveling the countryside. The few guides we had were very knowledgeable, friendly and engaging--always on time and ready to listen to what we were most interested in learning. Our drivers couldn't have been more friendly (and always so prompt!). Our accommodations were spot on, within the historic centers of the locations we stayed, and easy walking distance to just about everything. We had one guide in particular (Lorenzo) at the Valley of the Temples) who was SUPER fantastic and a perfect guide for one of the most important historical sites in Sicily (in Agrigento). His flair for language, history and animated story-telling made our tour so incredibly special.

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Rosaria Boutique Hotel

VALLETTA

wonderfully located in the central historic district; friendly staff and fabulous accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

Not a particularly "authentic" hotel as it is fairly modern, but nonetheless a wonderful location.

Location

Staff

Very helpful/friendly staff that even got up early to make us breakfast for a 5 am departure!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Ducale

Taormina

Spectacular views from atop the hillside, my only criticism is of the pool. If you are looking to "lounge" by the pool after a hot day of walking/sight seeing or boating, etc., there are no places to sit, only a pool by which to take a dip. Food here is fantastic, and because of its' location, the staff provide a free shuttle service to the main part of town, so its location (while way atop the hill) doesn't pose any difficulties for those that may be challenged walking up and down the 700+ stairs to get to town!

Authenticity & Character

Loved that this is a villa converted to a hotel, lends an amazing amount of charm/character to the experience.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze

Catania

This hotel is wonderfully central, easy access to everything, as well as lovely amenities. Breakfast is wonderful, staff is helpful/friendly!

Authenticity & Character

Location.

Location

Easy to access all relevant historical and cultural sites, easy to get to restaurants, etc.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel

Syracuse

Fabulous location on the sea! Fabulous breakfasts, great staff and wonderful recommendations by staff for dinner/lunch and activities!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location is central within Ortigia and easy walking distance to all important sites!

Staff

Staff were amazing, wonderfully warm and super helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Sant'Alfonso

Agrigento

Wonderful location in the heart of Agrigento, but very glad we did not have a car as there is no easy access to this hotel. The staff were amazing, and arranged for us to have all our laundry taken to a local launderer (and returned beautifully, cleaned, folded and pressed...almost too lovely to disturb!). The proprietor goes to the pasticerria each morning to pick up fresh pastries which are a positive delight!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy access to everything in Agrigento, except the Valley of the Temples (which required an easy taxi ride).

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B&B Khalisah

Palermo

Location seemed a little sketchy when we arrived late at night, but the historic ambiance is amazing; the owners are very friendly, accommodations and View were spectacular, but most of all the morning breakfast of homemade pastries and cakes is positively to die for!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The area seems a little sketchy (poor area of the historic district), but this can be overcome by the hospitality of the staff.

Staff

Activity Reviews

Fresh Pasta Making Class in Taormina

Taormina

This was a very special class, as we were the only "participants", so enjoyed a hands-on pasta making class with three different types of pastas and sauces, enjoying the meal with the chef after making the dishes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Not applicable for this activity.

Transport

Not applicable, as we walked.

Etna Trekking & Tasting with Masterclass Wines Doc Etna

Italy

The trekking was just a little disappointing in length, though our guide was quite good/knowledgeable! We had hoped for more trekking/less driving. The lunch is definitely the highlight of the trip, as Barbara made a spectacular meal for us, sharing the bounty of her garden, freshly made pasta and pairing local wines with each course. This was such a memorable part of our trip and something we will remember forever. She shared her recipes with me, and as an avid cook, I cannot wait to try them!

Quality of Experience

The lunch was the highlight!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valley of the Temples Tour

Agrigento

This was one of the highlights of our trip to Sicily! This is a fantastic, soul-touching site that is vast and worth exploring every inch. Our guide, Lorenzo was highly animated, telling story after story and making the history of the site come alive. TIP: Visit the site early in the morning before either the heat or the hordes of crowds, definitely worth an early rise to see this amazing historical landmark.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Palermo Private Walking Tour

Palermo

Very informative, friendly guide (substitute for the guide we were supposed to have had). Gauged our interest in various historical/cultural aspects of Palermo and adjusted accordingly. Loved the "stories" she wove in about the love affairs/politics/etc behind the historical points of interest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I want to thank Maria for making all the bookings, including changes and adjustments to meet our needs. From the pick up at the airport upon arrival throughout the whole trip, everything worked out great. We had to make changes in the itinerary due to unforeseen weather and Jessica in the Customer service took care of the cancellation and refund. When there was a change in the hotel in Florence they booked us a ride for $59, when the hotel was literary across the road from the train station. When we checked the location, we called the office to advise that no transfer is needed. It was cancelled and refunded, but, it should have been checked by your office first before booking.
Other than that, every pickup and transfer was good and on time. (only Yael's transfer to the airport was late). I will comment the driver that took us from Naples to Sorento. He was knowledgeable and very friendly. The driver that took us to the Amalfi coast tour was excellent. He was experienced drier on those roads, professional, knew where to stop for beautiful viewpoints and made the day very pleasant. The hotels were good. Their location in every city was excellent.
We enjoyed out trip and will recommend Maria and the KimKIm team for other travelers.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Quirinale

Rome

Already submitted a review to the hotel and TripAdvisor.

Authenticity & Character

WE liked the furniture and decoration of the hotel, really in style

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

C-hotels Ambasciatori

Florence

The location was perfect. Just across from the train station. It was convenient when we arrived and easy to leave. The rooms were nice, the breakfast was good. The staff was very helpful. We need to change a room where we asked for 2 separate beds, and they fulfilled the request.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Starace

Sorrento

The location of the hotel was perfect, close to everywhere. The rooms were comfortable, the breakfast was very good. The staff was very friendly, nice atmosphere.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Best of Florence Walking Tour with David & the Duomo

Florence

This tour was mediocre. WE walked the night before most of the places, but the guide didn't add much to our knowledge. She explained on the main stops and then during the walking from place to place, it was silence. When was asked question, she didn't have answers. In general, we expected to hear more about the city, history and have more interaction. This was the feeling of most of the participants on the tour. She did take two travelers to a public bathroom, which was out of the way and it was very appreciated. For this service she needs to be commented.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour and Blue Grotto by Sorrento

Italy

Due to the weather, it was cancelled. We were disappointed but there is nothing you can do.

Transfer from FCO Airport to Rome city center

Rome

The drivers were on time to pick us up and transfer to the hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour Amalfi Coast: Positano, Amalfi and Ravello

Italy

We loved Sorento and then the trip along the coast was one of our highlights of the trip. Great driver, breathtaking views we enjoyed every minute

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum Tour with Underground, Arena & Gladiator Gate with Roman Forum

Rome

This tour was amazing. To see the past coming to life in front of your eyes, was very impressive

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maria did a great job organizing our trip. The hotels were all great and in great locations. The trips and tours we did were amazing. I would recommend using the train as much as possible where we can because traffic is so bad. Jessica with the story walk app was amazing! She got back to us right away and made everything we need happen quickly. Overall a great experience. We did some tours on our own too with some downtime so that was nice to have the options.

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Starace

Sorrento

Great location in sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

On the strip great location and close to train station too

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

C-hotels Ambasciatori

Florence

Great location. Smelt kind of funny. First room wasn’t great 2nd room better. Staff was nice and breakfast was good with gluten free options

Authenticity & Character

Location

Across from train station is perfect and not to far to main areas

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Had a funny sewer smell on our floor

Hotel Quirinale

Rome

Great hotel, great location, great breakfast that had gluten free. Would definitely stay here again

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to train station and not a far walk to different piazzas

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The last night we could hear everything in the room next door was very annoying

Activity Reviews

Best of Florence Walking Tour with David & the Duomo

Florence

The guide was not great. Didn’t give us too much information and if you asked her stuff outside the tour info she didn’t know. The whole group agreed wasn’t the best experience. The guide we had to academia museum was better but even with tickets we still waited over an hour to get in to only be there maybe 30mins

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Exclusive Capri Boat Tour and Blue Grotto by Sorrento

Italy

It rained did not do it

Full Day Tour Amalfi Coast: Positano, Amalfi and Ravello

Italy

Driver was amazing! Drive carefully and took us to all the great spots at the right time despite the rainy day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum Tour with Underground, Arena & Gladiator Gate with Roman Forum

Rome

This was a great experience and we had a great guide would recommend it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from FCO Airport to Rome city center

Rome

Driver was great

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Extremely satisfied with KimKim Travel for our trip to Italy. Maria Grazia was fantastic throughout the entire booking process. Before departing for our trip Maria had us download an app to keep all of our trip details, train tickets and tour vouchers readily accessible on our phones. The app also allowed us to message each other and our local travel representative, Jessica. Jessica always replied promptly to our questions and requests.

The hotels in Rome and Florence were well located and although our Sorrento hotel was not walkable to the city center they did provide a shuttle. Our tours of the Vatican and the Colosseum in Rome were fabulous as was our Pompeii tour and e-bike trip through Tuscany.

We did experience a couple of rainy days in Sorrento which resulted in our boat excursion being cancelled. Our credit card was refunded for the cancelled tour within 48 hours.

I highly encourage you to use KimKim Travel for your next worry free vacation!

We had the dreamiest trip planned for us across Italy. Everything exceeded out exceptions! Every tour and activity planned out was done with amazing companies and family owned operations. I could’ve never booked the same trip on my own. One of the days we messed up by thinking our tour for the colosseum started at a later time. Because of this we were fifteen mins later and the colosseum has a hard start time. We thought we missed it and there were no more tickets for the colosseum available for purchase but Jessica, Barbara, and Maria were able to still get us in with our tour we just joined a little late. We were over the moon and so grateful! I have never used a travel agent to help plan a trip but after this trip I’ll never do another trip without the help of KimKim.

The Boutique Hotel Galatea was fantastic! Everyone greeted us warmly and the accommodations were comfortable. Our waiter at the complimentary breakfast was most helpful with providing restaurant recommendations for the Florence segment of our trip. Veronik with the Vatican tour and Martina from the Travestere Food Tour were excellent guides and Michela from Michela Home Restaurant gave us the most memorable experience.
The highlight of Florence was most definitely the Tuscany Vespa Tour and the wine/olive oil tasting at Castello di Poppiano! Ben and Alessandro were wonderful guides and made the experience even more special.
Our private transfer driver from Salerno to Sorrento, Massimo, was so very generous and helpful. We made a special request to make a quick visit to the small town of Colliano before being taken to Sorrento. Massimo went above and beyond our expectations for that side jaunt.
Sorrento was breathtakingly beautiful! Unfortunately, bad weather prevented us from enjoying some of our activities. The full day driving along the Amafli coast was absolutely gorgeous, though not an experience I would recommend, due to the extreme traffic and lack of time that we were able to spend exploring each of the towns. However, our driver Angelo was wonderful and made the 9 hours more pleasant with his positive attitude and serenades.

Hotel Reviews

Aquae Romanae Bed and Breakfast Sorrento

Sorrento

Although this was the largest of the rooms and the proprietor was extremely friendly and helpful, this was our least favorite accommodation. The facility is listed as a Bed and Breakfast, but they no longer provide breakfast since COVID. The bathroom was only separated from the bedroom by a floor to ceiling glass partition. A portion of the glass was frosted to provide some privacy, however, it was still rather uncomfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful. Gave restaurant suggestions. Immediately came when we had a slight issue with the key at the gate.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The shower area was not as clean as other accommodations and the lack of private bathroom was noticeable.

Dedo Boutique Hotel

Florence

Compared to our experience in Rome, the staff was not as friendly. We did have a couple of maintenance issues, which were resolved to our satisfaction. There was a lot of variety for breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very near the Arno River and quite walkable.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Galatea

Rome

The staff was soooo welcoming, friendly. and helpful. The breakfast was good and the personalized service was outstanding. The gentleman waiter from the morning breakfast service personally wrote down restaurant recommendations for us for the next city on our trip. The room was small but clean and comfortable. We would definitely stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Tour Amalfi Coast: Positano, Amalfi and Ravello

Italy

This was our least favorite activity. The extreme traffic and lack of time we were able to spend exploring the towns of Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello detracted from the overall experience. Our driver, Angelo, made the experience much more pleasant.

Quality of Experience

Due to the traffic, one day just wasn't enough time to fully explore what each town had to offer. More than half of the day was spent in the car.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Angelo was so genuinely nice and joyful. He made the ride through chaotic traffic as enjoyable as possible.

Transport

The car was clean and comfortable. Angelo takes pride in his work and it shows!

Secrets Walks of Sorrento, Street food by Locals

Italy

Our guide, Hugo, was fantastic and very knowledgeable. We would have preferred that more of the street food we sampled was savory, and not all sweet.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Uffizi and Accademia - Skip the line tickets

Florence

The Birth of Venus and David truly were magnificent! The skip the line tickets are essential.

Quality of Experience

Tuscany Vespa Tours

Florence

Best day in Florence!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ben and Alessandro were fantastic!

Transport

Market Tour & Cooking lesson

Rome

Best day ever!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Michela was so wonderful! She made us feel like life-long friends.

Transport

Rome Food Tour

Rome

We had the guide all to ourselves!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum & Ancient Rome Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

Rome

We don't recall our guide's name, but she was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of the Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour

Rome

Veronika was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everybody involved in this trip were excellent.

The KimKim Team was great to work with in planning our Athens/Rome/Florence vacation - our family of 4 was me and my husband and our 20 and 23 year old children. They booked some wonderful tours with experienced guides and all the hotels were centrally located so we walked to almost everything. It gave us great comfort knowing we could reach out to the KimKim team during our visit but everything went so smoothly we had no issues. We highly recommend this company for planning trips. Thank you!