Guestbook

Our time with Arianna, Alessio and her entire team were the highlight of our trip to Italy. Arianna worked with me for literally years to plan a trip custom tailored to our wishes. Every detail was executed with perfection. We loved our time in Tuscany so much that I am not only planning another trip to the region, but another trip perfectly crafted by Arianna and her team. Thank you Arianna...what you do comes from the heart and your passion for your country is infectious. We can't wait to see you again! Angela & Scott Padgett

Our trip to Italy was one that had been long waited for and KM Zero Tours delivered everything I had hoped for during our time in the Tuscany region! Arianna, Alessio,, and their team could not have been more informative, gracious, and perfect hosts! From the beginning of my experience with Arianna via online, to the personal interaction with them on each excursion, it was wonderful! We experienced amazing projects including: lunch with the owner and tour of the largest cashmere goat farm in Europe, an in-depth look into Olive Oil production at a family owned and operated Olive Farm culminating with a fantastic dinner in their home, multiple visits to picturesque hamlets, villages, and a Monastery, an unbelievable cooking class with a Master Chef followed by a beautiful opera concert, a tour and fantastic lunch at a local Vineyard with breathtaking views, and a lovely experience at a local cheese farm. We stayed for three nights in a wonderful B&B that was first-rate… You truly could not experience The Chianti region any better way! If you want to really get to know the Tuscany region, fall in love with the people, and take in the beauty of the land and culture, I highly recommend KM Zero Tours! !

Arianna and Alessio are amazing! We spent three days with them in beautiful Tuscany. Arianna planned our days perfectly. We experienced how Chianti is made in this region at a local winery, a cashmere goat farm with the amazing owner, and an Italian cooking class (with opera singer)! Our accommodations were selected perfectly to meet our needs. The landscape is like a painting and the food is exceptional. Arianna and Alessio bring the culture, people, food, and wine to life. They are passionate about this region and even more passionate about showing travelers this piece of heaven! If planning a trip to Tuscany, reach out to kmzero tours. Arianna and Alessio will not disappoint! Thank you from New Jersey!

Our day was extraordinary! Arianna and Alessio, who operate KM Zero tours - “slow travel” based in the Chianti/Tuscany region picked us up with their tour- operator-in training Francesco and spent 8 hours taking us to local producers in the region. We started at an organic goat cheese farm where new parents Matteo and Michela welcomed us not as tourists, but family. They care for their 100+ goats as you care for your family dog. We sampled numerous cheeses and wine in their grainery-turned tasting room, followed by homemade spaghetti al pomodora, made by his mother in-law. We were eating in a painting. From there, we went to il Bacio, one of the first biodynamic wineries in Tuscany. Franco, the owner was so happy to have us and the wine matched his lust for life. I recommend, urge, and would call you foolish to pass up spending a day with these people - who have an appetite and love for the simplicity and flavor of life that I have never seen - we have bottled it up to bring home.

We recently enjoyed a week-long, semi-private, “Living Flavours” tour of the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany with Arianna and Alessio of KM Zero Tours. We have travelled extensively throughout Europe over the past several years and this was one of our favorite experiences. If you are looking for crowds, long waits, large tour buses, and impersonal site visits with the masses of tourists, avoid KM Zero Tours! Instead, if you enjoy being catered to in all respects, residing at a country cottage, meeting artisans who will spend hours demonstrating and discussing their passions, meeting and eating intimate meals with organic and sustainable wine, cheese, and cashmere producers where you learn their personal stories, successes, and challenges, all accompanied by a lovely Italian couple who are passionate and knowledgeable, then you must contact KM Zero Tours. Arianna and Alessio provided a detailed plan for our visit and were very flexible in making changes to personalize our visit. From the moment that Alessio picked us up at the airport until our departure, this was a first class operation. Despite packing in multiple activities each day, the pace felt very relaxed and we were never rushed to get to the next event. For all but 2 days, we enjoyed a private tour with Arianna and Alessio and we really felt like we were visiting friends who were showing us their neighborhood and introducing us to their friends. For the other 2 days, a lovely couple from New York joined us, which really just added to our enjoyment of the trip. Each activity and meal was wonderful. The agriturismo we stayed at was simply amazing. By the end of the week, we felt like Arianna and Alessio had become close friends. As we parted, some tears were passed, but we certainly plan on returning for another visit in the not-to-distant-future.

"The Trip of a Lifetime" is the best descriptor for the experience we had in Tuscany with KMZero! Our family was absolutely awed with the beauty, warmth, generosity, hospitality of the Tuscan people -- all brought to us through the tireless efforts of Arianna, Alessio and Michael of KMZero. We never expected to be welcomed into the homes of the great artisans they connected us with -- but that is exactly what occurred! We feasted on the local lifestyle and became immersed in this unforgettable part of the world. It is hard to say what we enjoyed most... the winery experiences? breadmaking in the backyard? cashmere goats? homecooked gourmet meal under the pergola of the incredibly talented couple that hosted us in their home? Sienna? San Gimingnano? or the beautiful Stefania coming to our villa to teach/prepare with us a traditional 4-course Tuscan meal? Suffice to say that we loved ALL of these opportunities. The villa itself was perfect, with the most breathtaking views imaginable.... Eternal thanks to Arianna, Alessio and Michael for putting all of this together for us, for attending to our every need (and believe me, we had some pretty extreme allergies/sensitivities that required attention and they did so with the greatest compassion and patience), and for now being part of our family! We look forward to coming back soon to Bella Italia!!!! Grazie mille!!!!

Dear Arianna,Alessio & Michael Maybe you guys feel our energy because we are constantly thinking and talking about you. Our conversations- so far- are only about Tuscany and everybody are ready to go back. We can not thank you enough for your hospitality your kindness and perfect arrangements,( we wake cup in the morning and everything was ready for us, perfect breakfast great trips always with lunch and fantastic dinners). All the special people whom we meet will stay in our memory forever . Now we know much more about wine, olive and of course about honey. This was only possible, because of you. !!!!!!! Vi ringrazio molto Arianna , you guys are doing excellent job - bringing your beautiful and beloved Tuscany to others. I always loved Italy - ora mi sono innamorato con la Toscana. We may have a lot of friends but in seven days in Tuscany we meet new peoples who became our friends and will stay in our memory forever. Margaret and the rest of the Polish/Ukrainian group.

Our time in Tuscany with KMZero tours was the most memorable and in the moment travel experience I have ever had. I touched real people living lives with passion about what they believe and do. They shared their homes, lives, and livelihoods with us on a personal level that connected us with the craft, food, wine, history, and people that live and do life in the Chianti region of Tuscany. I spent my 60th birthday on the most lovely tour of an olive farm with the most wonderful food, wine, and conversation all thanks to KMZero tours and perfect planning. The memories and thoughts that grew from this experience will be with me the remainder of my time in this journey we call life. I will always think of the Italian way of life at a greater and fonder depth due to our experience with KM Zero tours. Thanks to this time well spent I will eat, drink, and live differently forever. Grazie mille to you Arianna, Allesio, and Michael!

Wow, where can I even begin? When friends and family ask me about my one week trip to the Chianti region of Tuscany my response is usually something along the lines of: "Words can’t do it justice…" followed by a descriptor of "Authentic” to try and find somewhere to start. Hi! Amanda and Ross here!! We signed up with KM Zero tours for a one week trip to the Chianti region of Tuscany in October 2016, it was clear from the very beginning that the trip was going to be unreal! Before our flights were even booked, Arianna was making sure that arrangements were suitable for us, as well as planning menus around the multiple allergies Ross was blessed with. Allergies were not the only flexibility that KMZero tours provided us: when we couldn't find an arriving flight that would fit within the pick-up times outlined by KMZ, they offered to pick us up at a later time as a welcoming present! They also provided us with multiple solutions to our departure flight when we ran into the same problem. This alleviated a lot of potential stress that could have been added to the trip. We stayed at Arianna's childhood home, a beautiful 13th century, countryside villa that had been upgraded with plumbing, electricity and beautiful Tuscan décor in the 80s. Seriously...13th century brick flooring everyone!! Weathered from the centuries of people who stood there before us! The villa is plunked right in the middle of the Tuscan countryside. Our room was like its own little retreat, with calming colours and beautiful views. We were immediately swept up in the slow paced, relaxed lifestyle. To kick off the trip Arianna, along with her boyfriend Alessio and his brother Michael hosted a beautiful pizza supper. Alessio wowed us all with his innate cooking talents, making many different types of pizzas in a homemade outdoor pizza oven. This is where we were first introduced to the slow and relaxing ways of the Tuscan people, we were encouraged to take our time and enjoy the fresh local ingredients on each pizza, along with a beautiful white wine. It was a great welcoming supper event. I would describe travelling through the Chianti region of Tuscany as “a breeze”. For real, we did not have to consider one detail, everything was taken care of, including, but not limited to: transportation (with Michael and Alessio acting as our own personal chauffeurs), hydration, and meals. Our typical day consisted of breakfast in the villa (all local foods, including hand delivered baked goods from the local Paniao) two major tour events a “light” lunch and a delicious supper. Here is a brief breakdown of our the tours we got to experience: A walking tour of Arianna’s home town of Mercatale as well as the surrounding villages and countryside, hosted by two men from Mercatale: Roberto and the local Panaio, Beppe. Their route ended with a tour of a local goat cheese farm where we had the pleasure of learning all about goat cheese, how it’s made, how it tastes, and the importance of sustainable and organic farming; A really cool cooking class where we learned how to cook a traditional Tuscan meal with local ingredients, and then enjoyed the meal that we took part in producing; A visit to a local, family owned terracotta workshop where we learned all about what it takes to make a piece of true terracotta pottery as well as how to spot a fake; A visit to the actual olive oil producer that Arianna and Alessio personally bring their olives to during the harvest season, which included a professional olive oil tasting and learning about how much work goes into producing a high quality olive oil, and what to take into consideration when shopping for a tasty oil at the supermarket; A visit to an artisanal pasta factory, stressing the importance of time in the creation of pasta products, and the proper way to cook various types of pasta; Visits to both a local red, and white winery: the former in production for centuries, with a beautiful 15th century estate, the latter, a vineyard taken over by a young family producing the only white wine variety in the Chianti region; Picturesque walking tours of the cute little town of Montefioralle, the Town of Fine Towers San Gimignano, and Greve in Chianti, all beautiful local towns with historical importance and gorgeous views; A walking tour of San Frediano district in Florence, including crossing the famous Ponte Vecchio over the beautiful Arno River, and displaying the side of Florence that had a more relaxed community feel, rather than the hustle and bustle of typical city life; and finally a biking tour of the village where we gathered the ingredients for the final meal of the week Steak Florentine. And now to the food! I think it’s fair to describe it as PHENOMINAL! Truely, each meal was an experience: from picnic lunches to full out 5 course meals, not one repeated dish, and many new tastes! Many of our tours included a “light” lunch, Arianna explained to us that a light meal in Italy means a meal without a meat main… so don’t be fooled! Both winery tours included one of these so called light lunches where we were given the opportunity to taste some of their wines along with some delicious eats, the pasta factory also provided a delightful lunch allowing us to sample some of their “Priest Choker” pasta, finishing off with their cantucci and some vin santo! The lunches were all great, but for us, the dinners were really the star of the show! I have already described the initial pizza night which was amazing, the next night we were invited into the home of Arianna and Alessio’s close friends who prepared for us a delicious meal which was cooked in their outdoor oven, it was such a welcoming experience, we felt like we were personally part of their friend group. On a few other nights we ate twice at a local eco-tourisimo and once at a local restaurant where we were served, again, multiple courses of traditional Tuscan cuisine, which were all created using locally produced ingredients from organic and sustainable sources and paired with local and organic wines. Our favorite meals though, were the ones that were carefully and skillfully prepared by KMZ’s own Alessio, a very talented cook. The second meal that Alessio prepared for us after pizza night was Polenta all’Abruzzese a delightful traditional meal from Alessio and Michaels hometown which is typically reserved for family celebrations and gatherings, a meal that I think everyone should have the chance to experience, and on the final night a glorious meal of Steak Florentine cooked outside on their home made brick barbeque, Amazing! Another part of each meal that we appreciated was that before we ate the chef of the meal or Arianna would explain the importance or historical value of each dish and how it was eaten, and a little about the vineyard the wine we would be enjoying came from, it really added to the educational value of the trip. A few things amazed us about these tours #1 Arianna’s immaculate knowledge of local history, sustainable farming, wine production, olive oil production and more… she was a great source of information and hard to stump with any questions we had #2 The total community vibe of sustainable eco-tourism, it was like Arianna, Alessio and Michael were employees at each place we stopped! They were always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone, anywhere we went: dealing with compost on one winery, selling bottles at another, serving meals at dinner in other people’s homes and more! #3 The history of the country is unbelievable, from reinforcements on buildings as a result of assaults from WWII, to the realization that the age of a vineyard / olive tree grove is older than the country that you come from! The whole trip was just fantastic, we didn’t want to leave! Thank you so much to Arianna, Alessio, and Michael for providing us with such an amazing experience, we will never forget it!

We spent a memorable day with Arianna and Alesio visiting an organic farm that produces wine, olives and honey. We loved the farm experience -- the owner is so knowledgeable and passionate about what he does. We really felt we were closer to authentic Italy during this excursion. Arianna and Alesio are very gracious hosts -- they were so friendly and conversational throughout the day! We would certainly book another tour with them if we have an opportunity to return to Italy.