Trip of a Lifetime
Italy
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Sep 12 - Sep 20, 2026
The hotels were fantastic, the itinerary was well thought out and organized, and Anita and the whole KimKim team were very responsive. Could not have planned it this well by myself. The other plus is that KimKim and Anita struck the right balance between organized excursions and free time so that we did not feel like we always had to be somewhere at a certain time. Highly recommended.
Hotel Reviews
First class rooms and service
Small but very well appointed rooms making full use of the space, with ample closet space, a couch, small fridge and balcony
Well kept, wonderful views, pool and nice clean rooms. Room was not as thoughtfully laid out as the Hotel Svizzero and our window looked out right on the well trodden path where lots of guests were walking, so privacy was an issue. Breakfast buffet options not as varied as those of Hotel Svizzero. Also, pool was nice but mostly inside so not ideal for lounging around it. Finally, meal options not as good as restaurants in town. All in all, a very good hotel but these issues prevent me from giving it 5 stars.
Activity Reviews
Nocciola producer was a fantastic experience. Lovely family and great products. Highly recommended. Would have liked at least a quick tour of the trees / orchard but otherwise great. The cheese producer was very quaint, polite and excellent selection of cheeses. Nice family and informative lecture. Would have appreciated a closer view of the sheep (which were very far) or the goats (which were in a field that was not visible) but this is a nit. Ran into the producers in the Alba Farmers Market on Saturday also.
The views from the Ape tour were amazing as we toured the Barolo countryside. Driver also was informative. The description referenced a stop for "local delicacies" but that was a little misleading: while we did stop at the entrance to a vineyard, I expected we would go inside and sample the wine and some snacks. Instead, we were sat down at a picnic table and given hazelnuts, some hard crackers, and some wine. The snack stop could be improved and should, in my opinion, include sampling at an actual vineyard. By the way, not sure whether this is the place for this comment, but we discovered that the recommended walking tour of the vineyards for the following day was an almost exact duplicate of what we saw on the Ape, so we of course varied from the recommendation. Would suggest including the Castle of Count Covour and the nocciola sculptor (Pine?). Thanks.
Good tips. Would recommend more information about the autostrada and payment techniques.