Profile photo for Valeria Arcangeli
3818 messages
active 6 hours ago

Valeria Arcangeli

Hi, my name is Valeria Arcangeli and I am a travel designer at Your Custom Journey. I am an art historian and a restorer of fine arts (frescos and paintings). Arts and history are in my DNA!

I was born and raised in the amazing eternal city of Rome. Every morning, going to work, I have the privilege of stopping my scooter and sitting in front of Palatine Hill and Circus Maximus. The sunrise makes the Palatine’s ruins pink..it's so beautiful and it takes your breath away!

For many years I have been living abroad with my husband - Middle East and Belgium. Although it has been a fantastic adventure, I missed my archeological ruins and monuments, and as the legend says ”all the roads lead to Rome”…and so it was. For 5 years, I am back in my wonderful city, but with a changed soul: I grew up, I matured and I am even more passionate about my country and my city. The international experience and the love for art and history brought me into the tourism business.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"I specialise in central Italy, with a special attention on hidden places and experiences. Off of the beaten track is my motto. I also specialise in leisure travel, art & culture, food & wine, family tours, small groups, and luxury travel."

How did you get involved in travel?

"I started my career in the tourism industry almost 15 years ago. First living around the world, then moving back to Rome, my home city. I became a tour leader for small groups and then a local guide in Rome.

I started as a trip leader for an American tour operator, and then I became a professional local guide showing the incredible marvels that Rome has to offer to my special guests, families, and honeymooners.
I really love to let my clients' wishes become unique adventures: turning their dream vacation into reality."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"The first time I travelled on my own, I was in high school. I flew to the USA by myself for an exchange program with the Colombia ’s University in South Carolina. I got lost @ JFK, without knowing English or how to catch an international connection. My connection was already on the rolling track, and I was so desperate, that they let me run on that and catch the small plane. The aircraft stopped in the middle of the track and lowered the ladder to let me up. I felt like a princess. An adventure that I will never forget!"

Valeria is part of the following groups: France Travel Agents, Italy Travel Agents
Sunset over Venice's Grand Canal
Honeymoon in Italy: Cortina, Venice, Cinque Terre & Lake Como - 11 Days

From high in the Dolomites to the shores of Lake Como, romance is in the air on this unforgettable Italian honeymoon. In just 11 days you'll visit four of northern Italy's most spectacular locales, starting in the mountain resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo. With a private driver at your service, you can forget about the logistics and focus on making memories: touring the atmospheric canals of Venice, hiking between fishing villages in the Cinque Terre, and cruising past stately villas and stunning scenery on Lake Como.

Vineyards near Barolo, Piedmont.
A Wine-Lover’s Walking Tour: Piedmont & Tuscany - 8 Days

This 8-day itinerary takes you on a gastronomic adventure through two of Italy’s most spectacular landscapes and cuisines. Starting in the Piedmont hill town of La Morra, you’ll work your way south to Tuscany, ending in the medieval city of Montalcino. In between, you’ll explore picturesque villages, sample local dishes, and visit historic wineries. 

Typical house facade
Explore Tuscany: Florence, Siena, Pisa, & Lucca - 14 Days

Discover why Pisa's famous tower leans so much (and why it's not the only one!), plus much more on this exploration of Tuscany. Start in Florence to see Da Vinci's 'The Annunciation' and other famous Renaissance works in the Uffizi Gallery. Look for treasures in the San Lorenzo market, browse shops on the medieval Ponte Vecchio, and explore history in the medieval cities of Siena and Lucca. End your trip with sweeping ocean views on the Cinque Terre hiking trail.

Umbrian countryside outside of Spoleto
Self-Drive Italy: Hill Towns of Tuscany & Umbria - 8 Days

The medieval hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria take center stage on this relaxed, 8-day road trip through the Italian countryside. Starting in the ancient city-state of Cortona, you'll set out on day trips to the stunning fortified towns of Montepulciano and Arezzo, discovering a treasure trove of Renaissance art and architecture. Hop over to quieter Umbria for spectacular scenery and more magical hilltop locales, visiting historic fortresses, cathedrals, and cities from your base in beautiful Assisi.

Recent trip reviews for Valeria

Kimkim is awesome! I have discovered a treasure- thanks to my world traveling son!
Italy | Nov 27 - Dec 6, 2022

Beth
Beth R.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Dec 12, 2022

I personally had never used Kimkim, but my son Keith convinced me I need to and actually handled the majority of the online messaging for me.
Having said that, my personal interaction with the Kimkim travel professionals blew me away in a good way: SO accommodating, SO communicative, So knowledgeable! Wow.

My memory is legitimately poor after brain surgery in terms of remembering names, but I’m going to at least tell you what services I’m referencing. Our main guide there who met... read more

I personally had never used Kimkim, but my son Keith convinced me I need to and actually handled the majority of the online messaging for me.
Having said that, my personal interaction with the Kimkim travel professionals blew me away in a good way: SO accommodating, SO communicative, So knowledgeable! Wow.

My memory is legitimately poor after brain surgery in terms of remembering names, but I’m going to at least tell you what services I’m referencing. Our main guide there who met me in Naples, handled detains there, and throughout the 10 days in Italy checked in with me at least once a day was AWESOME. The assistant/guide who worked with me multiple days in Florence and was kind enough to accommodate some extra excursions I wanted to go on including the purchase of an Italian pocketbook was AWESOME. And our guide/ driver for much of the end of the trip was beyond helpful and incredibly knowledgeable of so much about Italy/ every time I had a special need or asked for an accommodation, she made it happen for me. LOVE that girl!!
I wish I could remember names; every driver and guide were so amazingly knowledgeable of their area and so helpful in accommodating us. I’ll never hesitate to use Kimkim again…

Hotel Review
Bonvecchiati Palace
Venice

Accommodations were beautiful and their breakfast was my favorite! Got spoiled! It was quite surprising to learn that 2 beds meant 2 twin beds pushed together, but that’s apparently a common thing since it happened at all 3 hotels. We managed! Also surprised that what I call a “washcloth” was not part of the towel package! Sorry for all the wet hand towels which were the smallest available! Room service was VERY helpful and punctual when we needed extra services. Was definitely pleased with accommodations and hotels!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Answer is really the same as noted below. One extra note: front desk support when my husband and then I became I’ll was very professional and greatly appreciated. Accommodations were beautiful and their breakfast was my favorite! Got spoiled! It was quite surprising to learn that 2 beds meant 2 twin beds pushed together, but that’s apparently a common thing since it happened at all 3 hotels. We managed! Also surprised that what I call a “washcloth” was not part of the towel package! Sorry for all the wet hand towels which were the smallest available! Room service was VERY helpful and punctual when we needed extra services. Was definitely pleased with accommodations and hotels
Staff
Already answered
Cleanliness & Comfort
Already answered
Local specialist: Valeria Arcangeli
Valeria
Valeria Arcangeli
Local specialist in Rome | Reviewed on Dec 13, 2022

Thanks, Beth...
really sweet of you!
I am glad that you enjoyed Italy and you had a lovely time in my country.
Hope in the near future to help you again...
ciao vale

we had a wonderful experience booking our ita...
Italy | Oct 8 - Oct 16, 2022

R
rashmi v.
Scottsdale, AZ | Reviewed on Nov 03, 2022

we had a wonderful experience booking our italy trip with kimkim. Valeria was very responsive and quick to maodify the trip based on our interests and made great suggestions for tours. All booking were made ahead of time and hotel tour and car reservations went smoothly. guides everywhere were awesome . I would totally book another tour with kimkim. Thansk Valeria and big thank you to all the local folks who made our trip fun and very memorable.

Local specialist: Valeria Arcangeli
Valeria
Valeria Arcangeli
Local specialist in Rome | Reviewed on Nov 07, 2022

Thanks, Rashmi
Was a pleasure working with you as well.
Hope I can meet you soon in Rome.
ciao valeria

We had a fabulous trip to Italy -- Rome, Napl...
Italy | Aug 9 - Aug 20, 2022

D
Deborah E.
Bethesda, MD | Reviewed on Aug 21, 2022

We had a fabulous trip to Italy -- Rome, Naples, Pompeii Sorrento and Amalfi - with the help of KimKim's services! Every planned excursion/tour that Valeria helped us plan went off without a hitch. All the guides were top notch too.

My only wish is that we planned a little more down-time. With so many great things to see, it was easy to want to do it all. While we enjoyed the e-bike ride on the Appian Way, especially getting out of the city a bit, we probably could have skipped that... read more

We had a fabulous trip to Italy -- Rome, Naples, Pompeii Sorrento and Amalfi - with the help of KimKim's services! Every planned excursion/tour that Valeria helped us plan went off without a hitch. All the guides were top notch too.

My only wish is that we planned a little more down-time. With so many great things to see, it was easy to want to do it all. While we enjoyed the e-bike ride on the Appian Way, especially getting out of the city a bit, we probably could have skipped that one.

We highly recommend the golf-cart tour as a way to see the highlights in Rome after arriving from the states. While it was too early to check into our VRBO, we were excited about seeing the city while not having to do too much walking. Marco, our guide, was terrific! Also, Daniela, who coordinated our efforts on the ground during the trip was great too. She was on top of our itinerary and was always available for question or two.

Activity Reviews
Private golf cart tour
Rome

Guide was GREAT! Perfect way to start a visit to Rome after flying all night.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Location to meet our driver was very convienant.
Private Trastevere & Jewish Ghetto Tour of Rome
Rome

Very knowledgeable guide. For some reason the guide thought the tour was 3 hours - not 2 - which meant she paced the tour a little more slowly than we would have liked - which was important since it took place before dinner on our second day in town and we were all a little hungry and tired. We ended the tour after about 2.25 hours - once we figured out the disconnect.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Small group tour of Vatican City , Sistine Chapel & saint Peter's Basilica
Rome

Very knowledgeable and friendly guide. Small group tour that only included two additional folks. We learned a lot.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private Colosseum, Forum Tour & Palatine hill
Rome

This is a GREAT tour for all, including teenagers! So much to see and learn about. Highly recommend. Exceeded my expectations.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Cycle the Appian Way - Bike or e-Bike tour
Rome

This experience was good - not great. Tour guide pointed out a few things along the way but otherwise it was mostly an enjoyable e-bike tour that gets one outside of city centro. Of all the excursions we went on, this one I would consider skipping and having the free afternoon instead. Teenagers enjoyed it.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Street Food Tour in Naples
Naples

This turned out to be a little different than I expected! While the food we tried was good and it was fun, it was less organized than I expected in terms of what to try, where to get it. The guide asked us what we wanted to try and we told her some things but it would have been more helpful if she had shown us a list of options so we knew what was out there. Also, there was long waits for some of the things we did want to try -- like pizza and pasta from Napoli - that took away from the overall experience.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private transfer to the Amalfi Coast via Pompeii UNESCO Archaeological Site
Italy

Our guide was SUPERB! We learned a lot from him during our two hour tour . He was one of the only guides that effectively adjusted how he presented information to engage the two teenagers.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Sorrento coast and Capri boat tour - max 12-14 people-free time in Capri
Italy

Boat ride guides were great but time on Amalfi not so great because it was SO crowded. Guide provided some helpful guidance about what to do on the island but it could have been clearer and a map of how to get back to the harbor from various locations on the island would have been helpful. He showed us this on his map but having our own copies would have been better. Guides made the trip on the boat a lot of fun and were engaging.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Valeria Arcangeli
Valeria
Valeria Arcangeli
Local specialist in Rome | Reviewed on Aug 22, 2022

Hey Deborah,
I am glad you had a wonderful time here in Italy.
Was such a pleasure working with you and I do hope to do it again...

Many thanks,
Valeria

Perfect Last Minute Planning
Italy | Jun 29 - Jul 12, 2022

Christina
Christina M.
Haltom City, TX | Reviewed on Aug 11, 2022

Vale was a dream to work with as we planned our trip only weeks before. She seamlessly moved us from Rome to Sicily and back to Rome and took my husband's medical restrictions into consideration for daily activities. All of the drivers and guides were top-notch. read more

Vale was a dream to work with as we planned our trip only weeks before. She seamlessly moved us from Rome to Sicily and back to Rome and took my husband's medical restrictions into consideration for daily activities. All of the drivers and guides were top-notch.

Activity Reviews
Etna Wine tasting
Italy

Our guide, Dennis, was one of a kind. Not only did he have personality for days, but he was also so very caring. My husband has a few medical issues and could not quite make it up to the top of our tour. Dennis ensured he was comfortable and safe as we continued our trek, always keeping my husband in sight. The winery...gorgeous! Everyone was so friendly, and the food and wine were superb.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Dennis!
Transport
Private Colosseum, Forum Tour & Palatine hill
Rome

Our guide was a scholar and kept us engaged for the entire 3 hours. She was so wonderful that we were spoiled, and no other guide after could quite compare.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Small group tour of Vatican City , Sistine Chapel & saint Peter's Basilica
Rome

The place is just dripping in art. It is very obvious that the guide had a script that she had to stick to, so asking questions was sometimes futile.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Rome Underground & Catacombs Tour
Rome

Super interesting tour.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private golf cart tour
Rome

This was a perfect way to the city. Our guide took us to locations we would never have seen if we had tried to walk or take individual tours. The cart was pleasant and quiet, which allowed us to ask questions quite easily.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Valeria Arcangeli
Valeria
Valeria Arcangeli
Local specialist in Rome | Reviewed on Aug 11, 2022

Hi Christine,
thanks for your kind words.
I really enjoyed planning your " almost last- minute" trip!
I am so sorry we couldn't meet and doing together the aperitivo tour.
Next time...!
Valeria

Amazing honeymoon!
Italy | Jun 29 - Jul 10, 2022

Colleen
Colleen Y.
Santa Monica, CA | Reviewed on Jul 27, 2022

We used kimkim to help us plan our honeymoon to Italy (Rome, Venice, Amalfi Coast). The entire process from start to finish was so easy for us - all thanks to Valeria! We had an initial consultation with her to discuss what we were hoping for out of the trip and the trip itinerary she created did not disappoint. We spent 12 magical days in Italy and every part of the trip was seamless. It felt like our trip was dummy proof, haha -- because it was so well organized. Our travel leader based on... read more

We used kimkim to help us plan our honeymoon to Italy (Rome, Venice, Amalfi Coast). The entire process from start to finish was so easy for us - all thanks to Valeria! We had an initial consultation with her to discuss what we were hoping for out of the trip and the trip itinerary she created did not disappoint. We spent 12 magical days in Italy and every part of the trip was seamless. It felt like our trip was dummy proof, haha -- because it was so well organized. Our travel leader based on Rome, Daniela, was so amazing - we were able to ask her any questions we had through Whatsapp while we were on our trip, which was so helpful. It was a wonderful honeymoon and we would 100% book through kimkim again in the future!

Hotel Reviews
Bonvecchiati Palace
Venice

Lovely hotel with nice staff. Great location!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Marina Riviera
Amalfi

Truly amazing. We got an oceanside room and the view was insane!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Della Conciliazione
Rome

Great location. Friendly staff and clean modern rooms.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Valeria Arcangeli
Valeria
Valeria Arcangeli
Local specialist in Rome | Reviewed on Jul 27, 2022

Hi Colleen,
thanks for your kind words...
I am so glad you enjoyed your time together with your husband.
It was my pleasure organizing everything... I loved it.
It was a very good itinerary.
I hope to help you organize another one again soon...

I am here anytime you need,
thanks, Valeria.

Amazing Experience with KimKim
Italy | Jun 15 - Jun 25, 2022

Molly
Molly S.
Minneapolis, MN | Reviewed on Jun 27, 2022

I can't state enough how happy I was with my KimKim experience. From start to finish, I was thrilled with our interaction and experience with KimKim. Vale, our trip planner, was thorough, friendly and extremely responsive. Lucia, our contact while in Italy, was amazing and always available whenever we needed her. All of our private transfers and coordinators (Lucia, Deborah and Daniela) were on time and knowledgeable, our tour guides were amazing and friendly (Gianluca, Deborah), and the... read more

I can't state enough how happy I was with my KimKim experience. From start to finish, I was thrilled with our interaction and experience with KimKim. Vale, our trip planner, was thorough, friendly and extremely responsive. Lucia, our contact while in Italy, was amazing and always available whenever we needed her. All of our private transfers and coordinators (Lucia, Deborah and Daniela) were on time and knowledgeable, our tour guides were amazing and friendly (Gianluca, Deborah), and the entire experience was made seamless because of the trip that was planned for us. Traveling is amazing but it can also be stressful, and KimKim took all of the stress away. Thank you KimKim (ans especially Vale) for a truly perfect trip.

Activity Reviews
Wanna be Italiano - Florence cooking class and market tour
Italy

Loved this experience. Our trip to the local market and the things we cooked were awesome!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Day visit to Siena and San Gimignano
Italy
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide was knowledgeable and friendly and we loved our driver!
Transport
Private golf cart tour
Rome

Gianluca was the best guide we had. Funny, friendly and showed us things that were off the beaten path, which is exactly what we wanted.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Full day Tour Amalfi coast
Italy

loved our driver and the experience

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Free Day in Rome
Rome

we were given great recos for our free day in Rome!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Valeria Arcangeli
Valeria
Valeria Arcangeli
Local specialist in Rome | Reviewed on Jun 28, 2022

Hi Molly,
thanks for your kind review.
Has been a pleasure being your trip planner and I am glad you could spend your birthday as you wished and dreamed.
I hope I can organize, many more vacations here in ITALY,
ciao vale.