Italy by Locals

Both local guides in Florence were very knowledgeable. Had to adjust some due to the heat and crowds at museum. But all in all great service provided.

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

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

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

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

from organizing to the real trip, everything is going smoothly

Every guide we had was special, as was each of the tours we partook in. We especially enjoyed boat ride to the Zingaro Reserve. Boat company the Lionel Ritchie was great!
We thought Lorenzo Capraro delivered a wonderful guided tour of Agrigento.
We loved Professor Onofrio Prestifilippo at the Casale of Villa Romana.
Our tour of Ortigia and the Neapolis Archaeological Park with was amazing with Fausto Mignelo
Our tour with Marco Saprenza was awesome on Mt. Etna.
We enjoyed the energy of Lara Guida Turistica on our very rainy excursion through Palermo.
All of our Hotel professionals were very capable, we especially loved Hotel Failla’s accommodation.
Overall we were very pleased with all the arrangements that were made by Marianne. It was especially comforting to be able to reach out to her whenever we were not sure of a given situation. Of course our drivers were timely and very professional as well.
We will definitely recommend Kim Kim and hope to do another excursion in the future ourselves.

Our trip to Italy was a long time coming! I worked with KimKim Travel and Marianne for over 2.5 years, through the cancellation and uncertainty of the pandemic. We finally were able to go in June 2022. We went to Venice, Florence, Rome, and Amalfi.
I most appreciated coordinating all of the transport among cities. We took trains, private cars, boats, taxis! We had a hiccup with one of our drivers and the employees on the ground helped us in real time to rebook our train. It's really amazing to have real time support when (not if) things don't go according to plan.

We loved the pace of the trip- I would definitely recommend spending 3 nights in each place, but definitely no fewer than 2 nights. Otherwise, you will really feel rushed. They scheduled tours of the Vatican museums (note- St. Peter's Basilica is no longer included in the Vatican Museum tour, so get separate skip-the-line tickets for that). Our tour guide Martina was amazing!
Our guides in general were all very good. We really enjoyed our golf cart tour of Rome- definitely a good way to see a lot in a short amount of time.
Our hotels were in very central locations and all included breakfast- a must when in Europe in my opinion.
Overall, I would highly recommend KimKim travel to book your Italian vacation!

This was our first time using KimKim, but we plan to use the service again in the future. It was so easy to communicate with out agent, Marianne, and we had a wonderful trip to Italy.

We were easily able to share what our desires/plans were, including specific dates and locations, and what types of activities we wanted to do. Marianne and her team put together a great itinerary that covered what we requested. We were able to stay in contact with Marianne even after booking to make small changes (our flights were changed so that we arrived earlier and were able to request an additional tour the afternoon we arrived). Additionally, when one tour was canceled due to the leader testing positive for COVID, Marianne immediately contacted me with new arrangements for another tour. We were greeted at our first hotel with our printed vouchers, itinerary, and even souvenir books for the two areas we visited in Italy. One of the easiest parts of the trip was that our hotels and train travel was booked, as well as private tours, so we didn't have to worry at all about these details once we were in the country. Additionally, with the private tours, we skipped the long lines, which in addition to the phenomenal tour guides, was well worth the cost. We look forward to using KimKim to book a similar trip in the future!

Hotel Reviews

Impero Hotel Rome

Rome

The location of the hotel was great- very close to the train station, and within walking distance of many of the central Rome attractions, and even had a variety of restaurants all around the block. The toilet didn't flush well, and didn't improve after we informed staff, but there happened to be an extra bathroom near our room for the meeting rooms, so it was fine. The breakfast was large, and erred on the side of boring and Americanized, but was good enough to start the day. The air conditioning was very welcome!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Centrally located

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

My husband thought the bed was lacking in softness.

Culture Hotel Centro Storico

Naples

We were so grateful to the helpful staff and the air conditioning! The breakfast was delicious, and the atmosphere of the hotel overall was welcoming and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Modern furnishings and bathroom

Location

Easy to get to the marina and the centro storico

Staff

Helpful and shared great information about Naples

Cleanliness & Comfort

We noticed ants the last day we were there

Activity Reviews

Visit the Vatican Museums and Sixtine Chapel with a private guide

Rome

Martina did an amazing job! We had a tour with Martina from RomeGuides the day before at the Colosseum and Forum, and touring with her a second time was a great experience. She was able to connect the history we had experienced at the Colosseum and Forum with all (SO much) we were seeing at the Vatican. Rather than just going through room by room and pointing out art, she wove a story that pulled everything together, culminating in the papal suites. We do wish we had had more time to see the modern art collection at the Vatican museums (which we didn't know existed until Martina briefly walked us through), but there was so much to take in, we would have probably needed another tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour the Colosseum and Forum area with a private guide

Rome

Martina from RomeGuides was phenomenal! Her husband, who we were originally scheduled with, had an emergency, so Martina conducted our tour. We are so happy she did! She was extremely knowledgable and engaging, and did a wonderful job of helping us better understand the history of Rome (there's SO much history!)

Quality of Experience

Everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Seeing and hearing the history and architecture

Transport

This kind of tour can only be enjoyed on foot!

Private guided tour on Naples

Naples

Ludovica was absolutely phenomenal! She was extremely knowledgeable and did a wonderful job showing us around the centro storico. She answered our questions and shared details about history and architecture that kept us readily engaged for the whole tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

There is no way to experience the heart of Naples except on foot.

This is my 2nd time using kimkim to book a trip and I am so glad I did! This was my first time to go to Italy and I wanted to do/see all the highlights. Marianne created the ideal itinerary for me and I was able to do everything I wanted and more. I had the most amazing 19 days touring Italy-Venice (Murano and Burano), Florence (Sienna, Pisa), Naples (Amalfi coast, Sorrento, Pompeii), and Rome-with great tours and days to saunter and wander on my own. I mean, it was PERFECT! I did have a few hiccups but Marianne was readily and immediately available via WhatsApp to help and get things sorted for me and she did. Everything from hotels, tours, and transportation (private car and train tickets) were all booked ahead of time and I received all of that information before I even headed to Italy. Not having to worry about those things allowed me to relax and enjoy my entire trip. Marianne even offered great suggestions for things to do in each location during my days I had to explore on my own. I'm really grateful that those exploration days were part of my itinerary. I was able to revisit some sites as well as see things I encountered along the way. I didn't feel like I missed out on anything! I highly recommend Marianne to help you plan your Italy trip!

We had an amazing trip to Italy. The planning went very smoothly with my contact taking into consideration the type of activities we were interested in and arranging for guides that were knowledgeable and excited to share their information. Marianne was a text or phone call away and very helpful in making last minute changes for us. We especially enjoyed Matilde’s pasta making class in Lecce, instructional and fun, delicious too! I think they could have done better with the mostly average accommodations. The two agriturismo stays we had were delightful. B & B Conti Luna in Sciacca, Hotel Palazzo Failla in Modica and Hotel Baia Delle Sirene in Taormina were among the better. The people we met along the way made our trip an adventure we will never forget! Thank you KimKim, overall, great job!

I took my 12 years old daughter to her Bat Mitzvah wish trip.. I was worried it’s just the two of us and couldn’t really find an organized tour that was right for us. We wanted to start in Milan and end it in Amalfi Coast in two full weeks. Carmelo was super helpful from day one.. I started clueless about where and how I’m going to tour Italy and I left the States confident with a fabulous, detailed trip plan! He helped me through step by step. If it’s to get private transportation when it’s more needed or to get the right train ticket from city to city!!! He booked me private tours in Venice and Rome which were so important since we would have had to wait the crazy long lines for hours in the hot water!! I must say that everything he booked for me was top quality! In between our trip we had a few changes and Carmelo was there to assist me. On the weekend when he was out of the office Alexandra was in touch with me and was great help!
To summarize this experience, I’m so grateful I chose Kimkim to assist with this once in a lifetime tour of great Italy!!!

We had a wonderful 17 days in Sicily. Marianne and Alexandra where great. Communication while in Sicily was immediate. The guides they booked for us were knowledgeable and made our tours interesting. Each place we went to were memorable in different ways. Palermo, was the capital. We spent 3 days there which was enough. Had a great food tour with Streaty Tours. Trapani was a great little Port Town with lots to see and do near by. We cycled to the Salt pans, went to a winery ‘Baguio Soria’. The service was not very good, as we waited for well over an hour for our tasting and when we went to buy wine, there was no one to sell us the wine. However we meet some really nice people at the wine tasting and decided to join them for a tasty lunch. One of our highlights was taking the ferry to Panarea and Stromboli. Two of the Aeolian Islands. On Stromboli there is an active volcano which we hiked part way up. Upon leaving, from the boat, we saw it shooting up lava. The captain waited along time for us to watch this. Amazing!! We also had a fun time at our cooking class in Taormina, at Ristorante Porta Messina. We loved!!! Taormina. We spent 4 days at Grand Hotel Miramare. The views from our room were spectacular! The itinerary that Marianne put together was very detailed. It was helpful to included how long, time wise and distance one place was from the next. Most of the accommodations were as expected. The tours we requested, had great guides. And if I had a question during our trip. A quick text via what’s app worked perfectly. I would definitely book with KimKim tours again. Thanks for planning our fun trip to Sicily Marianne.

Carmelo was absolutely INSTRUMENTAL in the booking of my vacation package. Everything was taken care of, from the reservations to the transfers between airports and hotels, and even the transfer from hotel to rental car pickup. He even revised the plan about 4 times cause I wasn't sure. The places were incredible, to say the least. Catania is worth a couple more days than I was able to be there, but I was strapped for time. The farmhouses (Agriturismo) I stayed in were more than accommodating, and I was able to survive with my limited Italian! My group and I got to feel like real locals, staying in these places. In the end, highly recommended service. Thanks for everything Carmelo!

This was a wonderful tour. Any glitches that came up were quickly resolved through the kimkim site. The guide for our tour in Naples was outstanding and our hotel in Maori was simply gorgeous. We did get stuck in a small elevator for about 10 minutes, perhaps the kind of thing that might happen in a three star hotel. The hotel in Naples was ok but not terrific. On the whole, a wonderful experience. I suggest that you add advice about taking the ferry from Amalfi to Positano, which is more expensive than the bus, but much less nerve- wracking. Overall, 8.5 out of 10.

All the guides were first rate , the gentleman who walked us round Palermo and the guide at Syracuse we’re particularly good , the latter was very knowledgeable on horticultural matters as well as history and archaeology. We had a series of excellent drivers who took us around the island. They were immensely helpful anddrovewithgreat care.

Carmelo, our tour organiser was excellent , we were delighted to meet up with him in Catania where we could thank him in person. He had enormous patience especially when our friend who was going to drive us had to dropout. He rearranged transport quite brilliantly. His command of English and his care and attention to detail as well as his kindness and thoughtfulness were remarkable. When he was engaged in examinations his supervisorMarianne was equally helpful.

As to memorable places , there really are too many to list ! Sicily is a treasurehouse of history and Archaeology with so many groups and civilisations leaving their mark. I was particularly interested in the Norman influence but theGreek , Roman and Arab civilisations were also very special and remarkable.

This first trip to Sicily was a truly wonderful experience for us. The suggestions of sites and locations to visit as well as the selection of accommodations throughout the trip have been great experiences, thank you Carmelo. We really liked the small accommodations in the rural country side (especially the Terra des Mezzo near Riposto) as well the amazing hotel Palazzo Failla in Modica. The food was truly amazing. It was always a pleasure to talk to people (most could speak English and we also understood a bit of Italian) and get their perspectives, tips and advice (about the excursion to Etna for example which we did ourselves). All local guides were fantastic: Katia di Dio in Piazza Armerina; Eva Greco in Syracuse; and Ambra in Catania who showed us around the markets and other special places and introduced us to a variety of local street foods. All three guides were very approachable, easy to talk to and full of insight of their topics. We can highly recommend them all. Through them we were able to get a deeper insight of history, local customs and food culture, so important for understanding a new country and their people. Thank you Carmelo!

Well what great organisation! Many congratulations Carmelo. We had a fab holiday thank you all very much.
Taxi was waiting at the airport, all the Hotels and B&B's were simply first class, the hosts were so friendly and so helpful, and the local guides were all excellent. We learnt so much from all of them.
The whole holiday was a joy and all places were memorable for their own reasons.
Katia was a particuarly instructive guide at Casale de Romana, her knowledge and manner was lovely.
It would be good for future customers to give more guidance about driving in to Ortigia. There is public car parking and a grid reference for this would have been helpful. As it was we had to ask locals to help us about how and where to park the car, due to the traffic zone car parking.
We will certainly use your services again and recommend you to others.

Kind Regards

Julia and Paul Vincent

Marianne was so easy to work with. Anytime I asked for changes or to fix something she did it with no hesitation. Marianne adapted my trip to my needs, she was so accomodating and managed to schedule a seamless trip for me. Before during and after my tours she took the time to ask me how things were going and she always made sure I was content with my days. At one point during the trip a company accidentally forgot my tour when I called Marianne to explain the situation she had everything fixed in minutes. I would definetly book another trip through kimkim and I suggest it to anyone who wants to feel at ease with their travels.

Awesome trip that covered the Amalfi Coast, Florence and Rome. Loved the accommodations arranged by Carmelo - its sometimes a challenge to travel as a family of 5 and the hotel, then apartment, then shared suite that he arranged for us were perfect! Each had great locations in easy walking distance to the town centers and attractions. Also had first rate drivers and guides in each location, and appreciated the way Carmelo checked in with us throughout the trip to make sure all was well. Things were smooth from start to finish.

Carmelo arranged an eBike tour for us in Tuscany, starting in San Gimignano, through to Siena and up to Montalcino. We finished it off with a couple of days on Lake Como. This was fabulous, and Carmelo organised everything perfectly. The bikes were waiting for us when we arrived, with very easy to follow route instructions. Drivers were there to pick up and carry our bags between towns when they said they be there. The accommodation Carmelo selected was perfect and the cycling route was exquisite - through rolling Chianti hills, with relatively little traffic. I can't recommend both KimKim and Carmelo enough.

I'm very grateful to Marianne and Carmello and the kimkim team behind them for their patience with my very specific interests and their continuing effort to find matches. Minori, on the Amalfi coast, was just the right size, the Hotel Lucia was simple and impeccable, local bus service to other coastal cities was as promised and their transfer arrangements spot on. I'm an experienced solo traveler but new to this part of Italy and wanted a little local insight beyond what's on the internet. I'll use kimkim again and recommend it to others.