Insiders Travel Experiences

Wow! This was my first trip using KimKim. My wife and I wanted a special trip in Sicily with our adult children to see the sights and connect with relatives in a remote part of the island. Our local specialist Chris was excellent in every way. My wife broke her leg in January so we had to put the trip planning on pause until we were confident she would be ready. Chris was very accommodating with this and with some minor last minute changes. Everything was excellent from the airport transfers to the local guides to the hotels (with the exception of the hotel in Palermo which was very noisy). We had a private cooking class in Taormina with Luca. 3 members of our group are gluten free. They had one station set up that was gluten free and another for gluten tolerant. Our guide for the Mount Etna hike to Vale de Bove was incredible. He is part of the Italian mountain search and rescue team. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. The drivers we had were professional and very personable.

Hotel Reviews

Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze

Catania

Great location. Very nice rooms. Be sure to enjoy the rooftop bar and restaurant with views of Mt. Etna

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Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relais Chiaramonte

Ragusa

Stunning views, Very clean and modern rooms. Beautiful pool. One of the best meals we had in Sicily.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Countryside relais

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Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Athena

Agrigento

This is probably top-10 in hotels we have stayed in. The views of the temples are incredible. Be sure to plan to enjoy a meal in the outdoor dining area.

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Location

Staff

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Saracen Sands Hotel & Congress Centre

Isola delle Femmine

We asked for a hotel near the PMO airport because we had a 0550 Flight in the morning. The hotel is a very large convention hotel. The room was clean but smelled strongly of mold and vinegar. The concrete was spalling on the wall. The worst problem was the *very* loud birthday party with DJ in the courtyard until 11 PM our first night. The desk staff promised there would be no party on our second night before our flight. They lied. There was a very loud DJ in the courtyard facing our room and the other courtyard had a party with loud music. At 10PM we insisted on a new room. The Staff accommodated us by moving us to a recently built villa but that required us packing and moving to a new building outside the hotel campus. … Less than 3 hours of sleep before a very long trip home. … FYI the beach was filled with garbage, very unappealing but not under the control of the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Positive: they moved us into a quiet room at 10 PM. Negative Staff lied to us by stating there would not be a party on Saturday night.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very loud, don’t stay if you want to sleep before midnight.

Activity Reviews

Full day excursion to Taormina with a Sicilian cooking class

Italy

The cooking class with Luca was a highlight of the entire trip. Half the group was gluten free. Luca had a separate gluten-free station set up for the pasta making portion of the class. Luca was fun and engaging and even experienced cooks learned a lot about Sicilian specialties. The class was super fun and the food was delicious and abundant. … Our guide for the Taormina was a solid “B” grade and was the weakest link of the trip. She was grumpy that our lunch ran late and started the tour with “I have a doctor’s appointment so it is OK if you want to have time to walk around.” She was technically ok but seemed rushed and distracted.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Etna hiking & wine tasting

Italy

Our guide Dario is a serious mountaineer. He was very fun, entertaining and informative. He is also a member of the Italian Search and Rescue team so we knew we were in good hands. We had a fantastic view of the Vale de Bove, a UNESCO heritage site. I have done lots of backpacking and climbed many mountains, but this was one of the most stunning sites I have seen.

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Agrigento - Scala dei Turchi - Valley of the Temples

Agrigento

Lorenzo was literally one of the best tour guides we have ever had. His deep knowledge of history gave context to the site. His style is extremely entertaining and he made the whole tour super fun. He talked for 2 hours and the tour went by in a flash. Lorenzo is one of the few people I would specifically seek out if I were to visit Sicily again. I wish I could give 6 stars

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Ragusa & Agricola Occhipinti guided tour

Ragusa

Ragusa is worth a quick visit. Our driver was amazing. He took us to a great spot on the superior village to get a view and then took us to the lower village. He dropped us in the Piazza, pointed out a great gelato shop and told us he would meet us by the garden. This gave us the perfect opportunity to stroll through the Main Street in an unhurried manner. Occhipinti gave an excellent tour and the wines were quite good. (We ordered a couple of cases to ship home). However, the vineyard is a bit out of the way and probably not worth a special trip unless you are in the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were very comfortable with all the guides and people helping us during the trip; our first guide, Mateo, was excellent and personable; our “food trip” guide (forgive me, lost her name) very knowledgeable; finally our Vatican guide, Danielle, was superb, making those few hours just breeze; liked choice of hotel, would definitely go back there; all the drivers professional and helpful.

Hotel Review

Kolbe Hotel Rome

Rome

Nice hotel walking distance close to all attractions , nice, friendly stuff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to all attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Basic Rome Tour by Electric Golf Cart

Rome

Excellent

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Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica

Rome

Excellent; hope we come again, this time to actually see Sistine Chapel

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I recently returned from an incredible family vacation to Italy, and I cannot recommend our travel consultant, Chris highly enough! As a single mom traveling with six kids, I often navigate the challenges of travel alone, but this experience was pretty easy, thanks to Chris and his counterpart, Maria.

What truly sets them apart is their 24/7 availability while we were in Italy. Having an emergency contact to turn to whenever we had questions or encountered a hiccup made a world of difference. It allowed me to relax and focus on making memories with my children instead of stressing about logistics.

The itinerary was nothing short of fantastic! In just eight days, we explored all the highlights we dreamed of, from the historical wonders of Rome to the captivating art in Florence, the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the enchanting canals of Venice. Every detail was thoughtfully planned, and we saw everything we wanted without feeling rushed.

If you're considering a trip to Italy, do yourself a favor and reach out to Chris. With their expertise and unwavering support, your travel experience will be seamless and unforgettable!

Thanos stood by us in the planning stages and all the way through, making sure all went as planned. He choose excellent accommodations, guides, and places to visit. The guides responded to our questions and showed a mastery of their training. An amazing gift to on visit was our driver Mr. Yannis. He truly understood our interests and needs. He accommodated everything and even went far beyond. We learned so much from him.

Hotel Reviews

Elena Hotel Mykonos

Mykonos

A small quaint hotel located an easy walk to the sea and to the downtown harbor. Excellent breakfast and very helpful staff. Part of the neighborhood.

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Xenon Inn Nafplio

Nafplio

The hotel is located in the middle of things. The cafe serves a great breakfast. We enjoyed watching the kids on the square play games and run about. It’s close to the harbor. The room was nice.

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The Bold Type Hotel

Patra, Greece

A quirky former mansion with beautifully renovated rooms, a large garden in the back and a staff that cares. A bit of a hike down to the square and shops and restaurants. It’s a college town and it’s interesting to watch student interactions.

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Activity Reviews

Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Guided Tour

Athens

A very special visit for us, made even more so by our excellent guide, Theano Pappaeoannou. She was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We really enjoyed our interaction with her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We really enjoyed the warmth of our interactions with the people, whether in restaurants, public places, hotels. We were surprised to find that some amount of English is almost universal.

Transport

Delphi Guided Tour

Greece

Fascinating visit. Mr Georgiu was an excellent guide. We employed visiting the beautiful museum and the oracle grounds.

I cannot recommend this travel agency enough! From the moment we arrived in Greece, every detail was perfectly arranged, making our trip truly unforgettable. The service was exceptional, and the guides and drivers were simply amazing.

Our Acropolis guide, Apollon, brought the history of the ancient site to life in such a captivating way. He had so much knowledge and passion that it was impossible not to get caught up in the wonder of the experience. When we traveled to Delphi, Yannis, our private driver, made the two-hour journey both enjoyable and comfortable. His friendly demeanor and expertise made the drive feel like part of the adventure. Once we arrived in Delphi, Giorgos, our private guide, expertly navigated us through the larger groups, ensuring we could get up close to the remarkable sculptures in the museum. His guidance helped us truly appreciate the history and beauty of the site.

In Naxos, we had the privilege of having Katia as our private guide, and Niko as our driver. They made the experience unforgettable. Katia was incredibly knowledgeable, and Niko’s smooth driving allowed her to focus entirely on us, guiding us through the island’s rich history and breathtaking sites.

One of the highlights of my trip was a last-minute request I made to Elen, asking for a drive through the mountains to visit the marble quarries. As an architect, this was one of the most memorable experiences of the trip. Elen arranged everything seamlessly, and Spiro, my driver, took me on a scenic route that added another layer of magic to my journey.

Throughout the entire trip, the agency made everything feel easy and effortless, all while staying within a reasonable budget and providing us with wonderful accommodations. The entire experience felt like first-class treatment but without the hefty price tag. If you’re planning a trip to Greece, I highly recommend booking with this agency—you’ll be in great hands!

I honestly can’t imagine anything I would have changed about this trip. Elen planned everything thoughtfully and the plan was executed with perfection. The personalized tours and guides were all outstanding and the cultural experiences that were booked were so fun! We loved the olive oil tasting and cooking class in Naxos! We will book with Kim Kim again without hesitation!!

Hotel Review

Argo Boutique Hotel Naxos

Naxos

Wonderful boutique hotel walking distance to town and the beach. Fantastic customer service

Authenticity & Character

Wonderful breakfast

Location

Close to town and the beach

Staff

Kiki

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything

Activity Reviews

Acropolis and Mythology Tour

Athens

Fabulous guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Divine Delphi Excursion

Greece

Fabulous and knowledgeable guide. Amazing lunch!

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Naxos Mythology Tour With Wine And Olive Oil Tasting

Naxos

Fantastic tour guide! Loved the olive oil experience

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Roots & Recipes: Greek Cooking Class With Family Farm Visit

Naxos

Such a fun experience!!!!

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Food

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