Kimkim Trip Reviews

Porto was our favorite destination. All
Of our guides were fantastic: Celia, Granado, Thelma, and Nuno.

i'm sure the spelling of names will be wrong? nick of e motion good historian and guide. chavier of the second tour to Fatima by e bike..... thanks for introducing me to google maps and whatsapp🤣 He also inspired me to do the tour alone, no one else signed up🤷‍♂️. Valez was very knowledgeable about the wine business, he owns one!
As usual i had Emily as backup for everything . Everyone showed up on time. I can't wait to use Kim Kim for my next adventure 👍😄

From start to finish this has been an amazing experience. Sarah put together a trip that suited us down to the ground, which is not easy. We are 60+ love adventure and need a day off here and there and our Philippines experience was just that. Our guide Edmond on Bohol island was awesome, super friendly and very knowledgeable we really enjoyed our time together. The we had island hopping, fireflies and underground river in Puerto Princesa, my apologies I have forgotten the guides names. Then El Nido where Jason took us on speedboat private tour A and B which were both top shelf and we could adopt Jason, he's a beautiful soul. Then to top it all off the ultimate adventure in Coron with Jen, curly, the most handsome captain and the crew was a great way to finish. Angela was always on hand to assist if needed which was a great backup to have. The itinerary and communication was on point for everything. I could not be more happy with KimKim tours. I look forward to them organising our next trip. Cheers, Jeff and Chris.

Our trip to Switzerland was amazing. We enjoyed where we were booked and our various tours. We had no problems with transfers and travel was easy.

Our agent, Clothilde, worked with me over several months and with many changing conditions to make this work. We originally had 4 travelers, then 5, then 6! She worked with all of this and made it all work nicely.

We spent four nights in Interlaken and then five in Zurich. Tours in each location were great and we had appropriate time to just "hang out". If I had to do it again, I think I would do five nights in Interlaken (this location is just so amazing) and four in Zurich, if only to spend a bit more time in Lauterbrunnen which is crazy awesome, imo. Also, I should note that the trip up to Jungfraujoch was completely whited out by snow; but it was still fun to ride the gondola, train, and then play in the snow and tour the complex, but maybe you should look at time of year (we were in May).

Our honeymoon trip to Morocco was truly unforgettable. In just 8 days, my wife and I explored four beautiful cities — Chefchaouen, Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakesh — and each one had its own unique charm and culture. From the blue streets of Chefchaouen to the vibrant energy of Marrakesh, every moment felt magical.

One of the highlights of our trip was our overnight stay in the Agafay Desert. The experience was absolutely incredible — peaceful landscapes, amazing food, beautiful sunsets, hospitality, and a night under the stars that we will never forget.

Morocco exceeded all our expectations with its rich culture, delicious cuisine, warm hospitality, and breathtaking scenery. It was the perfect honeymoon destination, and we created memories that will stay with us forever.

Our driver, Ziad, was absolutely amazing. Anyone traveling to Morocco should personally request him. From the moment he picked us up at the airport until our return flight back to the U.S., he was there every step of the way. I would recommend him 10/10 without hesitation.

Ziad has one of the best personalities and is one of the most humble people you could ever meet. He was incredibly knowledgeable about every city we visited and shared so much insight about the culture and history of Morocco.

Most importantly, he treated my wife and me like family. He always went out of his way to make sure we felt comfortable, safe, and were enjoying every moment of our trip. He even accommodated activities we had booked separately from our main itinerary, including dinners and shows, making everything seamless and stress-free.

Ziad truly made our honeymoon experience even more special and unforgettable.

Hotel Reviews

Elegancia Riad Boutique & SPA

Marrakech

Alkamar Camp

Marrakech

Alkamar Camp was absolutely amazing. From the camel rides to the ATV excursion, every experience was unforgettable. It was the perfect place to have fun while also being able to unwind and relax in the beautiful desert atmosphere. Our host, Mohammed, truly made the experience special for my wife and me. He went above and beyond to create a romantic, intimate, and personal honeymoon experience that we will always remember.

Mövenpick Hotel Casablanca

Casablanca

For a 5-star hotel, the experience did not meet expectations. The room lacked an updated TV and was not very clean, as I even found food remnants on the floor upon arrival. Additionally, the pool is located in the center of the restaurant area, which made it uncomfortable to fully relax and enjoy. The breakfast was also disappointing and did not live up to the standards expected from a hotel of this rating.

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Amazing Ryad to stay in. In the heart of the Blue City. Amazing private pool sessions to great rooftop overseeing the city.

Location

Activity Review

Explore the Blue City

Chefchaouen

The flying dress photoshoot experience for my wife was absolutely 10/10. The photographer, Mounir, was professional, respectful, and incredibly talented. He had extensive knowledge of the best locations and angles for capturing stunning shots, and the photos turned out amazing. He made the entire experience enjoyable, comfortable, and memorable for both of us. We highly recommend him to anyone looking to capture beautiful moments in Morocco.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All the tours by LivTours were excellent, the Venice guide Nico was great as was the guise for the Forum and the Vatican guide. Breakfast at the Rome hotel was very limited compared to the other hotels.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Le Clarisse al Pantheon

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

U

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa di Sorrento

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Duomo

Florence

Amazing location. The reception was on the 4th floor with rooms on 3rd or 5th floor which was a little awkward. Free gelato!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Al Theatro Palace

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lancaster Hotel

Milan

Great breakfast, good location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Local transfer in Milan

Milan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milan Highlights Private Tour with Last Supper & Duomo

Milan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Evening Aperitivo in Navigli

Milan

Not much food, more drinks

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The accommodations were great but the daily events were not well planned and the communication was poor. We had to frequently text our contact and ask where are our train tickets, or what is the plan tomorrow. Kimkim failed to get us the tour we wanted at Machu Pichu - we were able to get our guide to change it - thank goodness. One of the highlights for me was the train across the Andes which KimKim failed to book for the right day so we took a van and although we made some stops, our guide did not speak English and knew little about the sites we stopped at - clearly a last minute plan. I am 72 and will never return to Peru and will never have the opportunity to take that train.

My son and I planned a trip to Iguzu Falls and Buenos Aires before his planned study abroad. His Spanish is rusty and mine is non-existent, so I booked our trip through KimKim in the hopes we’d have an easier time of things working with an English-speaking team. I was consistently and pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to work with Mery from afar. I was also always impressed with the tours and activities we participated in. We did a group tour to both the Argentina and Brazil sides of Iguazu Falls, with Daniela, our tour guide. She went above and beyond to make sure we safely got across the border, coming and going, which made us feel much more confident navigating the language barrier. Daniela also helped my son practice his Spanish, which helped him feel more prepared to start school here at the end of our visit. When in Buenos Aires, we did a half-day walking tour with Natalia, who taught us both so much about the history, culture, and language of Argentina. She gave us recommendations for movies to watch, futbol teams to cheer for, and other resources to learn more about my son’s host country. All our experiences felt cultivated just for us, and that personalization greatly enhanced our experience in Argentina. I wholeheartedly recommend!

Activity Review

Half Day Buenos Aires Walking Tour

Buenos Aires

When in Buenos Aires, we did a half-day walking tour with Natalia, who taught us both so much about the history, culture, and language of Argentina. She gave us recommendations for movies to watch, futbol teams to cheer for, and other resources to learn more about my son’s host country. She showed my son, who would be going to school in Buenos Aires after my departure, how to use public transport and get his Sube card. We saw monuments to history and the religions that influenced the beautiful city and country, learned about Tango and Mafalda and Maradona, and countless other things that make Argentina and Buenos Aires unique. I loved every second we spent with her! I wholeheartedly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Natalia’s knowledge and enthusiasm made this experience for us!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Natalia went above and beyond to be responsive to questions and interests we had. She customized our experience.

Transport

Kimkim handled our much personalized trip flawlessly! Kateryna, our agent, was wonderful, she took the time to learn about my wife and my needs/expectations and devised our once in a lifetime trip. The local guides that she hired for us could not have been better. The highlight of our trip was a daytrip visit to our ancestors lands and the guide (Elaine) was simply amazing!!! She took an enormous amount of time pre-planning our day and included some amazing xtras too! We had several tour guides over our trip and they were all extremely knowledgeable and accomodating thank you all (John, John, Ritchie and Liberty) ! And again thank you Kimkim for this amazing experience!!

I have been very fortunate to have taken my grandchildren on 3 amazing trips through the help of KimKim and their amazing travel specialists. This trip we were just on was to Istanbul and Cappadocia. Both places we stayed in were beautiful and our accommodations were excellent thanks to Burcu, my travel specialist. She also made sure we ate well in wonderful restaurants. We couldn't ask for a better and most knowledgeable tour guide, Cengiz in Istanbul, showing us the Blue Mosque, The Topkapi Palace, the Bazaar, taking us on a Food Tour and explaining the history of each place we visited, making the trip even more enjoyable. The Turkish Bath was the hit of our tour in Istanbul as the girls absolutely loved it. We flew into Cappadocia to do the Air Balloon which was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. This did not matter as their tour in the Underground City and the Perfume making made up for it. Not only that but our accommodations in the Kayakapi Premium Cave Hotel was incredible and the sun came out for the kids to enjoy the pool and a swim before flying back to Istanbul. This trip was absolutely wonderful thanks to Burcu, our drivers, and our tour guides. I only wish we were their a few more days to enjoy this beautiful city!

The KimKim team was amazing to work with from planning to in country support. They guided us to great hotels, excursions and transportation while helping us stay within the budget we had set. I highly recommend KimKim for planning your dream vacation!

Audrey helped us plan the perfect vacation to celebrate our 20th Anniversary. My entire life I have wanted to visit the Camargue to experience the horses, bulls, and salt marshes. This trip did not disappoint. From the moment we stepped off the plain our agent Audrey planned a vacation / adventure perfectly balanced with self-guided excursions and pre-arranged activities. Our stay in Arles at the Maison Douce Arles was a quiet oasis located in the center of the city, within easy walking of Roman monuments and great restaurants. Our hosts at Maison Douce Arles had an incredible varied breakfast and gave good tips for our time in Arles including making reservations at the Mesa, an excellent relatively new restaurant with a daily changing menu.

We stayed at Mas de Peint in the Camargue for five nights. The staff at this country house were always available. The house grounds are set within a working ranch and farm with great walks past horse and bull pastures, along rice fields, apple orchards and all the way to the Rhône. We were often up early and needed to leave before the scheduled breakfast time and the kitchen staff accommodated our schedules by opening breakfast early and offering to prepare picnic lunches. The evening dinner by Chef Dan Rodrigues truly did reflect the country and I am sure the kitchen and chef will soon have their star.

The itinerary Audrey prepared was the perfect local experience. From activities like Kayaking with Manu on the Rhône, horse riding in Domaine de Pallisade, Les Carrières des Lumières, Parc Ornithologique and touring the olive estate Moulin de Castlelas we were amazed at each stop. We also attended the Course Camurgaise and cheered on the home team, Manade de Jacques Bon.

We could not have planned this trip without Audrey. It was an incredible celebration of the local Camargais culture and we thoroughly loved every second.

Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

La Bastide Bourrelly

Cabriès

Do not miss the incredible dinner at this starred restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very conveniently located close to the airport in a charming village of Provence.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Mas de Peint, Manade Jacques Bon

Arles

We stayed at Mas de Peint in the Camargue for five nights. The staff at this country house were always available. The house grounds are set within a working ranch and farm with great walks past horse and bull pastures, along rice fields, apple orchards and all the way to the Rhône. We were often up early and needed to leave before the scheduled breakfast time and the kitchen staff accommodated our schedules by opening breakfast early and offering to prepare picnic lunches. The evening dinner by Chef Dan Rodrigues truly did reflect the country and I am sure the kitchen and chef will soon have their star.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maison Douce Arles

Arles

Our stay in Arles at the Maison Douce Arles was a quiet oasis located in the center of the city, within easy walking of Roman monuments and great restaurants. Our hosts at Maison Douce Arles had an incredible varied breakfast and gave good tips for our time in Arles including making reservations at the Mesa, an excellent relatively new restaurant with a daily changing menu.

Authenticity & Character

The hosts were incredible, the rooms beautiful.

Location

It was perfectly located in its own quiet oasis in the city center.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Kayak Tour in the Camargue

France

Kayaking with Manu is incredible experience. He guided through a windy excursion the Rhône and while tailoring the adventure to our skill levels. He was a great guide and instructor and gave us inside view of the Rhône an estuaries.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Horseback Ride

France

I highly recommend this outfitter for horse riding in the Camargue. The guide Amelie is extremely knowledgeable and personable and led us on an incredible adventure through the Camargue.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We spent 7 days in Madrid and we could have stayed another 7 days. Julie and her team curated an incredible experience for my family. From the beginning, Julie listened and asked lots of questions about what we wanted from our trip. She then put together a detailed itinerary that hit all of our wants. From our perfectly situated hotel, to off the beaten path walking tours, amazing day trips, all while still getting in all the “must do” sights, Julie made our trip unforgettable. The best part was we were not over scheduled. We were able to enjoy time on our own to explore the city. We meet so many wonderful people on our tours and all of the tour operators were top notch. We are so happy to have had the opportunity to work with Julie and her team at KimKim. We can’t wait to book our next trip. Hasta luego.

Hotel Review

Hotel Regina

Madrid

Perfect location. Staff was amazing. Hotel is so clean. We loved our room, nice sitting area to spread out and relax after walking all day. Hotel has a nice rooftop lounge that is a little oasis. No bar, just shaded lounges and conversation areas and a water feature to just get a little peace and quiet.

Authenticity & Character

Very clean, modern design,

Location

City center near Puerta del Sol. Walking distance to all Madrid sites.

Staff

Staff were nice, helpful and patient with our Spanish.

Cleanliness & Comfort

So clean. It was impressive how clean it was.

Activity Reviews

Royal Palace Visit

Madrid

Great tour of this incredible palace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Toledo Cathedral Visit, History Walk and Self-Guided Experience by Train

Madrid

We took the high speed rail to Toledo. This is a must do. Don’t skip this tour. We learned so much. I would have liked more time on our own to explore the city itself after the guided tour finished. Pictures don’t do it justice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paella Cooking Class with Market Visit

Madrid

This was one of the best cooking classes we have ever taken. Loved this class! Chef was enthusiastic and so funny. Tour of the local markets was fantastic. Highly recommend this class.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Food

We made sangria, gazpacho and paella

Food

We made sangria, gazpacho and paella

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Flamenco & Tapas Night

Madrid

A must do in Madrid. Dancers are amazing.

Quality of Experience

Private Chueca Neighborhood Walk

Madrid

Our tour guide JC gave us a real locals tour of this interesting area of Madrid.

Quality of Experience

Great tour. Local guide was so engaging. Took us through some hidden gems of the neighborhood and gave a great history lesson on the area.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Madrid Wineries

Madrid

Wow! What a great way to learn about the history of wine making in Spain, met incredible people and drink some fantastic wine.

Quality of Experience

Loved to tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great tor guide

Transport

Easy bus ride to the bodegas. We visited three. One was in a 15th century converted monastery.

Evening Tapas, Taverns & History Walk

Madrid

Our tour guide Samantha was fantastic. We stopped at 4 incredibly unique tapas restaurants. Our tour group was great we continued the party after the tour and hit a few more bars.

Quality of Experience

Great way to learn about tapas and the culinary culture of Spain

Food

All the tapas were delicious. So many great stops on this tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour was amazing.

Prado Museum & Cultural Walk with Lunch at Botín

Madrid

Tour was good. Lots of information in a short amount of time. We went back on our own to explore more of the museum. The tour gives you about 90 minutes. No photos allowed in The Prado. Botin,is a must do. Pictures don’t do it justice, wine cellar alone is a marvel.

Quality of Experience

Tour was good. It hits the highlights, but it is short.

Food

Botin food was delicious. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour guide was great. She definitely keeps you on task.

Self-Guided El Centro Walk

Madrid

Great way to introduce yourself to the city. We grabbed coffee and walked to Plaza Mayor and just wondered around. So much to see in the area around the plaza.

Quality of Experience

Loved just walking around with no real goal, just exploring to area.

Our trip was really awesome! We had a great variety of cities and remote areas. We enjoyed all of our tours. Uluru and Kangaroo Island were our favorite places, as we felt that those places really depicted Australia for us.

Hotel Review

Longitude 131˚

Yulara

This lodge was absolutely awesome! We were so spoiled and pampered. The guides were so passionate about Uluru and the culture. We saw and learned so much that it made us feel like we understood a little bit about the history of Australia.

Authenticity & Character

The luxury tents were very comfortable, but still fit into landscape.

Location

Perfect location for seeing the most important places in the area. Also close to the airport.

Staff

They were all very friendly, polite and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect!

Activity Review

2 Days / 2 Nights Kangaroo Island in Style

Australia

Our guides were so passionate about their island! They both grew up on Kangaroo Island and knew a lot of insider information that we would never have found out alone. They took us to lots of places where koalas, wallabies and kangaroos lived in their natural habitat. We also heard lots of interesting stories about the island.

Quality of Experience

The variety of animals in their natural habitat was amazing.

Food

We had wonderful picnics in the bush

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very passionate about their Island

Transport

Small group in a small transporter.

We truly enjoyed the locations we visited with our favorite location being Provence. The choice of hotels was wonderful as they were all very quaint and memorable boutique places. The guides were very good with our favorites being Ocean and Coco.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel d’Europe

Avignon

This hotel has an amazing location right in the old town so it’s easy walking to the city. It’s very quiet and the staff were friendly and helpful. We had dinner in the gastronomic restaurant and it was very good and since it was a very small room it was more quiet and romantic and the food was very good.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel has the old world quaint boutique hotel.

Location

The location is right in the old city and so it’s an easy walk into the town.

Staff

They were very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Pigonnet

Aix-en-Provence

The hotel itself is beautiful and the grounds are lovely and they have the most amazing garden. Our room, however, was strange. We were supposed to have a garden view suite but they gave us a weird 2 bedroom room that had to bedrooms, one that was always very cold, and three bathroom rooms. It would have been nicer to have had a sitting area instead of two bedrooms since it was only the two of us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel is beautiful and very close to the town. The garden is lovely.

Staff

The staff were helpful but didn’t seem overly friendly but could have been that we didn’t get there until late in the evening.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean but one of the bedrooms was very cold no matter how much we turned up the heat. We had to just keep that door closed so it wouldn’t cool down the rest of the rooms.

La Pérouse 4*

Nice

This was a unique hotel. Upon check in there was an issue with our original room so they put us in the best suite with the most amazing balcony/patio with an almost 360 view of the ocean and the city of Nice. The location is quiet and perfectly situated and the staff are very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

This is an old hotel that has such a unique character that we truly enjoyed and would certainly stay there again.

Location

It’s quiet and has the most amazing view of the ocean.

Staff

The staff were very helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Wine Tour in the Hilltops of Nice

Nice

We enjoyed this wine tour but what added to it was that our driver/guide was so fun and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ocean was a great guide/driver. She added a stop in the village of St. Paul de Vence and also stopped at a winery that we we really wanted to visit.

Transport

Ocean was our driver and guide and did a great job.

Gourmet Stroll in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

This was a nice tour to get a taste of the specialties in the Aix with the stories behind them. Coco was knowledgeable, personable and accommodating. This day was market day so we were able to experience which was fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Coco was a great guide. She’s very personable and knowledgeable.

Transport

It was a walking tour so transport was walking, which we enjoyed.

Private City Walk Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

This was a great overview of the city and a very pleasant tour.

Quality of Experience

I recommend this tour as it gives a nice overview of Aix.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Erin was a wonderful guide. She is very pleasant and is originally from the U.S. so we got a different perspective of the area. She is extremely pleasant and knowledgeable.

Transport

It was a walking tour so no need for transport

Private Roman Highlights: Nîmes, Orange & Pont du Gard

Avignon

This was a nice tour of Avignon and Pont du Gard. Pont du Gard is a must see!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jeremy was a great guide. He was knowledgeable and easy to understand and very personable.

Transport

Our guide was our driver which is what we prefer

Full Day Exploration of St Remy and Arles

Avignon

We enjoyed our day with the guide exploring Arles, Saint Remy and Orange.

Quality of Experience

The tour allowed us to get a good overview of Arles, Saint Remy and Orange.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Matilda was an excellent guide. We wanted to see a town that was not on the original itinerary and she accommodated that and she was knowledgeable and very sweet.

Transport

Booked a trip last minute (2 weeks prior) and Sangita helped to arrange for everything within 2-3 days. Apart from that, she also managed to use her local connections to get me paragliding and silver making workshop at short notice whilst I was on the trip.

I had the opportunity to visit multiple cities (Kathmandu/Patan - cities, nagarkot/chisapani - mountain trek overnight stops and multiple other small villages)

The guides for my mountain trek (Bhim) and city tours (Rajiv) were also amazing. In particular, Rajiv was incredibly knowledgeable and managed to answer a lot of my random questions!!

To be very honest, I was really apprehensive about booking with them at first, especially since nepal isn't a common travel destination. However, by the end of my short 9 days trip, I was left wanting more.

In short, if you're thinking about visiting Nepal, dont hesitate!! Highly recommended country and book with this company :)

My first time to Korea was an absolute treat. After spit balling all my requests, Christine created the dream itinerary. All my tour guides were knowledgeable, warm, friendly, inviting, and personable (shout out to Lisa, Jade & Jimmie). I felt so spoiled in our private escorts! 5 stars all around. Thank you again!

Our trip was magnificent! Our guides, Rony Nikolai Henry Wilbur Franco were informative, fun and made our adventure the trip of a lifetime !

We just returned from Thailand and it was absolutely amazing. From the start of the planning of the trip to the day we returned. Elena my trip advisor had everything planned perfectly from the private car pick ups to the sight seeing tours, cultural experiences, and island jumping to Phuket. I actually broke my foot in the airportdeplaning the airline that took us to Phuket and although I didn't get to attend everything Elena had planned for us in the itinerary I still enjoyed the ambiance, environment and atmosphere. Our tour guide Pom was fantastic, I love his people personality. He was very informative, taking us to some great temples and eatery places. This was definitely one of my favorite trips thanks to Elena and pom.

A very well executed trip and we returned home ready to plan another international trip. Both guides in Rome from LivTours were Great and would highly recommend them to our friends. Colosseum, a lady..Solevia(?) and Giovani for the Vatican. Same with St. Marks & Doges Palace, Pizza class, Amalfi Coast with Vinny from New Jersey. In Naples & Veiled Chryst was a terrific local professor, she was great too. A hiccup for Pompeii with finding our now larger group ended up with another terrific guide in Thomas, Tom or Tomas so this also worked out although waiting for all the others in that group took an hour. Our Trekking in the Chianti Hills was an ‘experience’ and I should have asked more questions…we were not prepared for a 10 mile up/down hike so we called it early and were picked up after 6.4 miles. Dealing with trains was easy after the first one. Hotels were good, only hotel with a washer/dryer for laundry was our first stop…Numo. Not a big deal but we had read that some of our hotels had “laundry” but it ended up as a service only, to send clothes out to have laundered. So we did clothes in the sink and hung up to dry the rest of the trip to stay fresh. We searched & found several restaurants that did not have a ‘Carnival barker’ outside trying to bring you in. And we found good food and deserts. We did 15K - 25K steps each day and lug our two carry on suitcases over the streets and through neighborhoods so we got immersed in each city from the get-go.