Italy Bespoke Tours

We used KimKim to help plan our 30th anniversary trip to Italy, and we could not have asked for a better experience. From the very beginning, our planning specialist, Fabio, was exceptional. He truly listened to what we wanted from our trip and was incredibly patient as we explored different ideas and made decisions. He provided thoughtful suggestions, helped us find wonderful places to stay, and created an itinerary that felt personal and perfectly suited to us.
Our journey took us to Lake Como, Venice, Florence (including a wine tasting experience in the Tuscany region), and Positano. Each destination was made even more special by the amazing guides and drivers who helped us experience Italy in such a meaningful way. Our tour guides were extremely knowledgeable, sharing the history, culture, and stories of each area we visited. They helped bring each location to life and gave us insights we would never have discovered on our own.
One of the highlights of our trip was the incredible drivers assigned to us in each location. We often had the same driver for multiple days, which allowed us to build a real connection and get to know each other. We spent many hours with them each day, and they became so much more than transportation providers. They shared stories about their families, their culture, and their lives in Italy, making our experience feel authentic and personal. They were also wonderful guides in their own right, telling us about the history and traditions of the places we traveled through.
Our drivers and guides were always friendly, helpful, and willing to customize our days whenever possible. When we wanted to make changes during the trip or add more time to explore certain areas, Fabio was always available and quickly helped make those adjustments happen. His flexibility allowed us to see even more and enjoy our time without stress.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime anniversary trip, and KimKim helped make it truly unforgettable. We are so grateful to Fabio, our guides, and our drivers for creating such a memorable and personal Italian adventure. We would highly recommend KimKim to anyone looking for a thoughtfully planned and customized travel experience.

We traveled to Florence and Lake Como to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, and working with Fabio made every moment of it truly epic.

From the very beginning, Fabio was responsive, attentive, and genuinely invested in making our trip special. Every provider he arranged — drivers, guides, and tour operators — was professional, friendly, and flexible throughout. The wine tastings were wonderful, and the private boat tour on Lake Como was the absolute highlight of the entire trip.

What truly set Fabio apart was how effortlessly he handled everything. We came in not quite knowing what to expect, and his expertise turned that uncertainty into complete confidence. When we needed a last-minute change to our itinerary, he accommodated our request without hesitation and without question. That kind of flexibility and grace under pressure is rare.

Fabio also went above and beyond with a truly special and thoughtful anniversary gift — a gesture that meant more than words can say and made our celebration even more memorable.

I would absolutely recommend Fabio and KimKim to anyone looking for an expert who will handle it all and make it amazing. If you want to hand everything over to someone you can trust completely and have it turn out epic — Fabio is your person.

Hotel Reviews

Palace Hotel

Como

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lake Como view from the room

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kraft

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location, walking distance from Arno river.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

From Lake Como to the Borromean Islands: A Day of Elegance and Discovery

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

4-Hour Boat Experience - Explore Lake Como

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuscany Day Trip to Siena & San Gimignano | Lunch & Wine Tasting Included

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Val D’Orcia & Brunello Wine Tour with Lunch and Two Wine Tastings

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Renaissance Walking Tour of Florence with David

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fabio did an excellent job in designing the perfect 13 day Italy trip for us based upon our requests. He gave helpful suggestions and guidance , responded quickly to our questions, and was available to help us with any need during our trip.
This was my second time using KimKim and it has been a smooth and easy process from planning to execution.

The transportation transfers and day trips were excellent and on time. The boutique hotels that Fabio selected were great.

Antonella, our walking tour guide in Florence was wonderful and we learned so much from her. The day trip to Siena and San Gimignano with a visit to a local winery was a highlight for us. Andrea, our driver, gave us so much history and background which helped us navigate each town. We thoroughly enjoyed the visit and lunch at the Winery in Tuscany.
We visited the Duomo, Santa Croce, The Leather School, The Academy, the Uffizi, and the Pitti Palace and the plaza de Michelangelo, the Ponte Vecchio, the markets and more! We also had a delicious Florentine steak at Casa Del Santo.

Our guide, Tanya, in Rome gave us an excellent tour of the Coliseum and Roman Forum. It was an amazing experience.
On our own, we strolled the streets of Trastevere and ate at Trattoria Lungaretta which was a 300 year old restaurant. Delicious. We stumbled upon a beautiful Botanical garden in Trastevere, and toured Basilica Di S. Maria. We walked all over Rome and saw the Plaza Novana, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps ( and ate lunch at the Hassler Hotel Terrace), the Mouth of Truth, the Vittriano. Tanya, our walking tour guide, gave us an excellent tour of the Coliseum and the Roman Forum. And she also guided us through the Vatican Museums. We learned so much from her. She was excellent.

After our three days in Rome, we set off for three days in Positano in the Amalfi Coast. Breathtakingly beautiful! We enjoyed our boat trip to Capri and rode the chair lift in Ana Capri. Our guide for Pompeii was excellent as well, and we enjoyed the winery and lunch sheduled that day as well. in Positano we enjoyed an excellent dinner at Rada down on the beachfront.

Overall, our trip to Italy was a trip of a lifetime.. one that we will treasure for the rest of our lives! Thank you, Fabio and Kim Kim!

Beth, Libba and Randy Sprinkle

Hotel Reviews

Ca' Nigra Lagoon Resort

Venice

A hotel with lots of character located in a great location. Friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Gabrisa

Positano

Beautiful boutique hotel with a friendly and helpful staff. Also had an excellent restaurant on site.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Baglioni Firenze

Florence

This hotel, which has been an icon for years, was a little dated and filled with convention people. Service was not great.

Authenticity & Character

it was dated--needs to be updated

Location

Close to the Duomo-

Staff

they needed to be friendlier and more responsive to requests

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius with Lunch and Wine Tasting at a Vineyard by the Volcano

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sorrento Coast and Capri Boat Tour from Positano

Italy

We enjoyed the boat trip to Capri- we only wish we had more time on Capri. We had only 3 hours instead of the 4-5 promised, but we thoroughly enjoyed the time we did have there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Rome

Tanya was an excellent guide

Quality of Experience

Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tuscany Day Trip to Siena & San Gimignano | Lunch & Wine Tasting Included

Florence

Andrea, our driver, was excellent and provided us with history and great insights which helped us navigate each town. The Lunch and winery visit was a highlight of our entire trip. The setting was absolutely beautiful and the hosts were most gracious and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

on time, informative and helpful

Renaissance Walking Tour of Florence with David

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kim Kim and especially Fabio made my first trip to Italy one to remember! The ability to tailor our tours and timing really made the trip practically stress free. All of our guides were prepared and made checking in and following along with the incredible history and local facts during the tours a pleasure. Being a wine & spirits professional and traveling with a non-drinker was no problem as our trip was curated to highlight both our wants and wishes. Moving from Rome to Florence (throughout Tuscany) and then on to Venice was exactly the right move for us and transfers were seemless.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Sant'Antonin

Venice

What a spectacular location! The water taxi was able to drop us at the front entrance and the staff went above and beyond during our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The front desk attendants helped us with tickets to the Vivaldi Concert and used an actual paper map to show us different dining options and attractions we were looking for.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Corte dei Sogni Boutique Hotel & Spa

We enjoyed the staff and the young lady who made us eggs and pancakes on different days in the breakfast room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We were very close to the Central Market and the train station but our street was so quaint and had many dining options and easy access to our rides.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cellini

Rome

The hotel staff was very accommodating when we arrived early morning. They took and held our bags and we were able to tour parts of Rome while our room was prepared.

Authenticity & Character

The room was large and well appointed.

Location

The hotel location was near everything we were there to experience and the street was busy but quiet enough for us to relax after touring.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Venice Food & Wine Tasting Tour

Venice

The food tour was one of the best of our trip. I was worried when Carlos started speaking as he talks very fast but it just added to the excitement of the tour. The food was excellent. The pace was great! Yummy!

Quality of Experience

Food

All the different cecchettis and local fare

Guides, Drivers and Staff

loved Carlos

Transport

Venice in a Day Combo Tour with Gondola Ride

Venice

I really enjoyed Venice. Marco is an encyclopedia of Venice history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jewish Heritage Walking Tour: Cannaregio and Venice’s Historic Ghetto

Venice

Being married to a Jewish woman, this was a very special tour for me. The history was fascinating as sometimes I don't equate Italy to the Jewish heritage we found there. Very moving experience.

Quality of Experience

see above

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Giada was very knowledgeable and was great at sharing the history and adding personal touches to keep us engaged. We even stopped at Le Sete for a glass of wine and I was able to speak with the staff about their owner and the wine selections there.

Transport

Tuscany Day Trip to Siena & San Gimignano | Lunch & Wine Tasting Included

Florence

This was one of the top experiences for me as the wine regions are what I was hoping to add to my personal repertoire and education as a Certified Specialist of Wine. Lunch on the side of the vineyard was spectacular. Tasting vinegar, Olive oil and all the incredible wines with food is the best way to learn. What a setting! It was so special to tour the vineyards and winery of Patrizia Cencioni and then to taste (and purchase) her incredible wines of Montalcino. She was available for photos and to answer questions even while spending time with her granddaughter. My heart was full when we left for Florence. Sienna and San Gimignano were so quaint and inviting we enjoyed strolling through them both.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andrea knows Patrizia so we spent a little extra time chatting (using her daughter as translator) about life in the winery.

Transport

Florence Food Tour

Florence

We enjoyed this tour immensely. All the local foods and wine were spectacular. I really enjoyed the Wine Windows and even had tripe for the first time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ezgi is a star! She really made the tempo of the tour feel relaxed and still gave us so many personalized tips throughout night.

Transport

Skip-The-Line Uffizi Gallery Ticket

Florence

We did this on our own and skip the line was great. People should know that window #2 is also window #3. After we figured that out we went on our way. We used a recorded guide to go through the museum.

Quality of Experience

Florence Cooking Class and Lunch at a Farmhouse in Tuscany with Local Market Tour

Florence

This was soo much fun! Going to the Central Mercato and meeting with the vendors was fantastic! We all got to do most of the cooking and making pasta was a gas! The bus ride was quick and easy both going and coming from the estate kitchen.

Quality of Experience

Food

Fresh pasta and homemade sauce. We made bruschetta when we got home just to relive the dish! Very fun and a special experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luca and Erika are a team that made the whole experience one of the highlights of our trip!

Transport

Val D’Orcia & Brunello Wine Tour with Lunch and Two Wine Tastings

Italy

I can't say enough about the experience in both locations. Having the right driver was imperative. I am a retired wine & spirits specialist and had plenty of knowledge coming in, but we all know visiting and tasting where the wines are made add to the education and romance of the wines.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Anrdea is a gem! I would come back to go truffle hunting or bird-watching with him.

Transport

Best of Florence and David by Michelangelo | Small Group

Florence

I'm so glad this was a small group (and not us trying to do it alone). There were plenty of people inside but being organized and listening to Valentina's guidance made it a wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Valentina was very engaging and obviously knew her stuff!

Transport

Trastevere Local Food Tour

Rome

Hillaria was on time and very knowledgeable. The amount of food was just right and the variety was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome in a Day Tour with Colosseum and Vatican Museums

Rome

Having Bogden as our first tour guide set a high bar for our experiences. He was ready and organized and kept our attention through a long day in Rome. His dry humor and extensive knowledge made the tour a pleasure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bogden was our guide for "Rome in a Day" and Hillaria took us on a wonderful food tour. The little bit of rain wasn't even a factor as all the spots were prepared for us/the group.

Transport

Having a ride to Vatican City from our hotel made the start of the day a bvreeze.

We had an incredible trip to Italy!!! Every guide we had- Giarda in Venice, Ezgi in Florence, Jessica in Florence, Francisco at Pompei- were all fantastic. They were knowledgeable and engaging and so much fun!! All of our drivers were prompt and courteous and the Tuscany wine tour with Andrea was absolutely breathtaking and delicious!!! Fabio, our trip planner, was perfect. He was thorough and so responsive when we had any questions. He was always helpful and our trip was flawlessly planned and exactly what we wanted. I would recommend his services to anyone traveling to Italy 1000%!!!!

Activity Reviews

Sorrento Coast and Capri Boat Tour from Positano

Italy

Antonio and Giovanni were absolutely the best first mate and captain!! We had so much fun and learned a lot while touring on the boat to Capri! Interesting and very entertaining!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Private Tour of Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius, with Lunch at a Winery at the Foot of the Volcano

Italy

Excellent day trip! Francisco was a great guide at Pompei and so knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch at the winery was exceptional as were the wines!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Val D’Orcia & Brunello Wine Tour with Lunch and Two Wine Tastings

Italy

The entire day was absolutely beautiful and the wineries were spectacular. Andrea was charming and so very knowledgeable. Highly recommend this adventure- magnifico!!

Quality of Experience

The tastings and knowledge of the winery staff were exceptional.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andrea was so knowledgeable and interesting- perfect driver and guide

Transport

Renaissance Walking Tour of Florence with David

Florence

Jessica was very knowledgeable about the city history and art. Very good walking tour and very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Food Tour

Florence

Ezgi was very fun and the food was delicious!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Gondola Ride

Venice

My only complaint is it was too short!! Had a great time!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venice Food Tour

Venice

Giada was so much fun and the tour was interesting and very tasty!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome in a Day Tour with Colosseum and Vatican Museums

Rome

We had an amazing tour and learned so much!! Carolina was so knowledgeable and so interesting!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everyone we had was great..Bogdan in Rome was so passionate and informative about the art and history, Hilaria introduced us to great Rome food, Valentina gave us a excellent intro to Florence art, Ezgi's private food, Gelato and wine windows tour really highlighted the Best of Florence, Marco showed us Venice with great tips, Guida shared so many hidden gems during our private tour and took time to map out out places for us to go, and Carlos' food tour of Venice was some of the best food of our trip! In addition, the two standouts for us were Luca and Erika's Tuscan cooking class and our private days with Andrea. He took so much time to explain everything to us and his personal connections to the area and wineries made it truly special.

Fabio's attention to detail made us feel so cared for and we loved that so many of our guides and pick up/transfers knew Fabio personally.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Sant'Antonin

Venice

Right on little waterway, beautiful garden meal area, close to St. Marco square in the Castello neighborhood with lots of restaurants. Front desk helpful with concert tickets.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Issue with bath toilet and shower but staff quickly fixed it

Corte dei Sogni Boutique Hotel & Spa

Lots of USB charging ports, modern feel but in quaint older location, close to train station, near Mercado and restaurants

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Fresh made scrambled eggs to order

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cellini

Rome

Great hotel in good location, nice buffet breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quieter street, close to train area and central to most sites

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Venice Food & Wine Tasting Tour

Venice

Carlos was great! You could tell he loved his city and the food. Best food of our tours.

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything and best Gelato of our whole trip!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Venice in a Day Combo Tour with Gondola Ride

Venice

It was an informative tour of Venice. Some of our group got lost so you have to keep up. Marco was great about taking photos of us during the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jewish Heritage Walking Tour: Cannaregio and Venice’s Historic Ghetto

Venice

We weren't able to take this exact tour as it wasn't available but our private time with Guida was so informative and we felt like we were in on the secreta of Venice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tuscany Day Trip to Siena & San Gimignano | Lunch & Wine Tasting Included

Florence

Andrea again showed us amazing Tuscany. He gave us tips for our self guided walks through Siena and San Gimignano. The winery lunch was out of a fairy tale.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Food Tour

Florence

Ezgi was great. She took the time to make the perfect tour combining our love of Gelato and wine! It would be great to get a written list of places we visited or are suggested at end of tour as it is hard to write as we go.

Quality of Experience

Personal

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Skip-The-Line Uffizi Gallery Ticket

Florence

It was hard to figure out at first as there is no longer a door 3 and no need to find it. We just needed to get in line

Florence Cooking Class and Lunch at a Farmhouse in Tuscany with Local Market Tour

Florence

Luca was so animated and really brought the Mercado to life. We learned so much during the class and the food was great!

Quality of Experience

Food

All of it! Bruschetta was so fresh and we still talk about it. We plan to make several dishes now at home!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Val D’Orcia & Brunello Wine Tour with Lunch and Two Wine Tastings

Italy

Andrea was great, so knowledgeable and personable. We loved Pienza. The winery tours were great. Well organized and professional and was good for someone from the wine industry as well as for someone who doesn't drink.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andrea was superb. He was a highlight of our trip!

Transport

I am a nervous passenger and always felt safe.

Best of Florence and David by Michelangelo | Small Group

Florence

Valentina was very personable and made the art and artists come alive

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rome in a Day Tour with Colosseum and Vatican Museums

Rome

This was a great intro to Roman art and history but was exhausting! Bogdan was very passionate and informative

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

One of the drivers was stuck in traffic and late

Trastevere Local Food Tour

Rome

It would be great to get a written list of places we visited or are suggested at end of tour as it is hard to write as we go

Quality of Experience

Food

The Gelato was a bit icey for us

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I think my review would be more succinct using bullets:
*Overall: Fabio Ilardi did many things that preceded the final plan and were crucial to its success. He was knowledgeable, patient, he LISTENED to all my suggestions and concerns, he conveyed an enthusiasm for the task following through at every juncture resulting in a near flawless itinerary that was easy to navigate and access.

*Transportation: From planes to trains to vans, all went so smooth. Even though he had nothing to do with the airline reservations, he knew the details and incorporated into the itinerary. Vans were there without fail and drivers clearly communicated pick-up locations when access to certain areas was restricted or inconvenient. Trains were great. Having been to Italy 9 times (most of those trips doing my own driving), I was really pleased with the convenience of train travel.

*Accommodations:
Venice, Ca Negra Lagoon Resort. convenient location although the difficulties in trying to convert a 400 year old villa to a modern hotel were evident. No air conditioning as we were told the city did not allow it until May. That made for a stuffy room so we opened windows where possible. Shower plumbing was difficult to figure out (I wish hotels everywhere would opt for the simplest plumbing fixtures instead of fancy and complex.)
Florence: Frame Hotel. Great place. Great location. Loved the provenance associated with the Mona Lisa, discovered there after its theft in 1911.
Naples. Eurostars Hotel Excelsior. What a jewel! Way past expectations. Beautiful rooms. Elegant throughout. While all the included breakfasts were very good to great, here it was over the top...... buffet was 75 long! Waterfront construction made it a little tricky to negotiate but when completed, this will be quite a gem on the waterfront in the shadow of Vesuvius .
Rome. Terrace Pantheon Relais. Again, great location. Convenient to many of the common sites. Rooftop lounge.

*Activities:
Mask painting in Venice. We all had a ball and the kids loved it. Nice people.
Gondola Ride: Wonderful guide (Giada, as I recall) who commented that the traffic on the Grand Canal was unusually light making for a very relaxing excursion. Lots of fun facts.
Murano: all enjoyed the tour and demonstration. Very pleased that a family run business continues to thrive.
Burano: an unexpected treat. Had never been there. Lonardo(?) was fun to be with and seemed to know everyone. The only disappointment was that we had no real time to spend in the beautiful and unusual shops. We did visit a lace making shop and were amazed at the short demonstration and the intracacies of the goods on display.
Truffle hunt in Florence: Probably the highlight of the trip especially for the kids. Out for close to two hours and back with 3-4 lbs of truffles. Guide was a lot of fun and informative. Roberto and his dog, Dora, stole the show and everyone got a shot with the shovel. The luncheon at La Cantina dei Tartufi was, hands down, the best meal we had on the trip. Beautifully presented with wine pairings and exquisite food. Paola and his wife were the kind of people you'd want to be friends with. It was clearly evident they love what they do. I would go back there in a heartbeat.
Leonardo Da Vinci Interactive Museum. This was described as an "interactive" exhibit and it was. Not as impressive as the one we visited in the town of Vinci but fascinating none the less.
Herculaneum: Having been to Pompei on two other occasions, this was the more perfect initial introduction to the tragedy of Vesuvius. It was much more manageable and not at all crowded. Our guide, Veronica, was terrific, a wellspring of information and great at fielding questions from the kids.
Galleria Spada in Rome: My wife and I had been here twice before. Even though this is not a typical stop on most itineraries, everyone found it fascinating.
Pizza and Tiramisu making in the "In Rome Cooking School" . Gianlucca was a talented, captivating host. Everyone's creation passed the test for deliciousness especially the Tiramisu. Would not have missed this for sure. Tricky to find. No signage, only a discreet number and an unmarked door. Walked right passed it twice.
Rome Tour: Definitely a marathon but worth the craziness. Did not expect the crowds. Giorgio, our guide, had his challenges. The Vatican was a zoo and they wouldn't accept the bar code for the group tour. We had to email all our individual tickets to each other's phones before they would allow entry. Different lines for different groups and we weren't the only ones caught in the confusion. Giorgio, an excellent guide, did his best despite the lack of accommodation on the part of the Vatican personnel. Can't imagine that place in the summer during high season. The first time I was in the Sistine, 56 years ago, I was able to lay down on the floor and photograph the ceiling. This time, I would have been crushed under foot. They wouldn't have found me until closing! Our other stops (Coliseum, etc.) were much less difficult.

All in all, a great trip enjoyed in different ways by a diverse family group. I don't believe any one of us will be forgetting this one any time soon. Thank you to Fabio for his patience, resourcefulness and for delivering the goods. I am blessed that I had the luxury of not having to be overly conscious of the total cost (including airfare, three times that of my first home). And you know the old saying, "You can't take it with you!"

Hotel Reviews

Terrace Pantheon Relais

Rome

This was a good fit. Close to a lot realizing Rome is a difficult city to navigate. The transportation people made that easy despite oppressive traffic everywhere.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eurostars Hotel Excelsior

Napoli NA

I asked for clean, comfortable, well located hotels in safe locations. This place was over the top. Luxury and provenance evident everywhere despite its age (108 years). Exquisite rooms and location, right on the water. Rooftop restaurant and bar with breathtaking views. Breakfast buffet was 75 feet long and delicious served in an elegant ballroom.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Frame Hotel Florence

Florence

The building was formerly an apartment hotel where Vincenzo Perugia (the Louvre employee who stole the Mona Lisa in 1911) hid the painting under his bed until 1917. The Mona Lisa was a repeated presence throughout the hotel. Great job converting this structure to a comfy modern hotel. Great location in the antique section of Florence, a stone's throw from the Duomo.

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the old section of Florence, a short walk to most of the high points.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ca' Nigra Lagoon Resort

Venice

Authenticity & Character

As I recall, this place was over 400 years old.

Location

Convenient to the arrival area. 20 minute walk, or less, to just about everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Luxury Tour: Explore Rome’s Wonders in a Day

Rome

full day, whirlwind tour but a must if you only have the one day like we had. Crowds were unexpected for this time of year (April). Lines everywhere but this is Rome so you have to deal with it or stay home.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Roman-Style Pizza Making Masterclas with Tiramisù

Rome

Making your own pizza and tiramisu with the guidance of a trained chef. Then, to dine on the results of your labors. What's not to love. Appetizers, wine, pizza and tiramisu.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Galleria Spada Timed Entry (self-guided), Including Borromini’s Perspective

Rome

This is an "off the beaten path" site which is not on any standard list but is fascinating none the less. The Boromini perspective is amazing and a shock to the viewer. You have to see it to appreciate it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No real staff or guide. Pretty much self guided.

Transport

They were always on time!

Afternoon Visit to Herculaneum Archaeological Site

Naples

A much smaller version of Pompei but much more easy to negotiate and not as overwhelming. Veronica was a great guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Truffle Hunting Experience With Lunch and Wine Tasting

Italy

Start to finish, this was great. It was good to be out in the country wandering between vineyards and olive groves. Our guide was informative and amusing with a great sense of humor. Roberto and his dog, Dora were the stars. 3-4 lbs of black truffles in and hour and a half. Kids loved it. The Luncheon at La Cantina dei Tartufi was the best food we had on the trip and that's saying a lot as we had some fabulous meals. The owner/host, Paolo and his wife, were perfect hosts.

Quality of Experience

The outdoors, exquisite countryside, a fun activity and a fabulous luncheon

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fun and educational at the same time

Transport

Evening Gondola Ride with Guided Tour

Venice

Our guide, Giada, was great, although while tooling down the Grand Canal with motor craft around, hearing her was a challenge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Murano and Burano Tour: Discover the Magic of Venice's Islands

Venice

Great to see a very old family business thriving. Beautiful factory and showrooms. Excellent explanations. Fascinating demonstration. Burano was an unexpected gem. Wish we had more time to explore the beautiful shops.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vaporetto ride was reasonably comfortable. Someone prone to seasickness might want to prepare.

Learn How To Decorate Venetian Masks - Families And Small Groups

Venice

Lots of fun. Helpful instruction. Many choices and the freedom to be creative. The introduction into the history of the Venetian mask was new to all of us and very interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Rome was wonderful and the itinerary Fabio put together for our family was so much fun. It was great to have the same private guide for our Coliseum and Vatican tours (Mirta was fantastic and so good with the kids!!) and for our car transfers. The Fiat tour with Daria was fantastic and our cooking class was the star of the trip. Thank you for a seamless travel experience!