Kimkim Trip Reviews for Greece

Our tour consisted of Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. Harris and the rest of the Kimkim team was very responsive in answering our questions as we built our itinerary. The only thing we didn't really get any value out of was the visit to the farm, prior to the delicious home-cooked meal that the cooking class made. We also didn't agree that the caged rabbits should be picked up by their ears, which the tour guide assured us was okay. We also didn't like seeing that the eight rabbits were... read more

Our tour consisted of Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. Harris and the rest of the Kimkim team was very responsive in answering our questions as we built our itinerary. The only thing we didn't really get any value out of was the visit to the farm, prior to the delicious home-cooked meal that the cooking class made. We also didn't agree that the caged rabbits should be picked up by their ears, which the tour guide assured us was okay. We also didn't like seeing that the eight rabbits were in a small caged, all cramped together.

Other than this, the rest of the trip and the accommodations were great! Although the hotel in Athens was a typical, small European hotel, it was very close to Acropolis Hill and the major sites. The Mykronos hotel was great, other than the Air Conditioning didn't work well, so we had to open the windows at night. The staff at the Mykonos hotel was top notch!!! Lastly, the hotel in Santorini had a great view and nice hospitality, but would have been nice to been in one with a small pool, as many hotels beside us had.

Overall, a great trip!!!! Would definitely use Kimkim, again, as they were very easy to plan our trip, based on our wants/needs.

This was the trip of a lifetime! We are very grateful to Travel12 for putting together a very detail oriented and authentic tour of Greece, the whole team is so professional and absolutely fantastic.

Our first day landing in Athens we were met at the airport and transferred to our hotel in Athens without any issues. Our driver was very courteous and knowledgeable about Athens. On our way to the hotel we caught site of the Parthenon and that was it! We were awestruck and ready to take in all... read more

This was the trip of a lifetime! We are very grateful to Travel12 for putting together a very detail oriented and authentic tour of Greece, the whole team is so professional and absolutely fantastic.

Our first day landing in Athens we were met at the airport and transferred to our hotel in Athens without any issues. Our driver was very courteous and knowledgeable about Athens. On our way to the hotel we caught site of the Parthenon and that was it! We were awestruck and ready to take in all we could of Greece! Tasos booked a comfortable central lodging close to many restaurants, bars, nightlife and lots of people from all over the world. It was very easy to find a nice restaurant with live music and awesome food.
It was a short walk from the hotel to the Parthenon, where we went on our second day. Our tour guide Alex was very down to earth and it was very nice morning spent with him touring the Acropolis and making our way up to the Parthenon. We had the afternoon to explore Athens on our own and Alex quickly setup a plan to see the most of Athens in the time we had. We visited the Acropolis Museum, Hadrian's Arch, the National Gardens, and walked the beautiful streets of Plaka where we had the best pizza of our lives!
Next we were off with Key Tours to the Corinth Canal, Epidaurus, Mycenae and Nafplio where we had a nice seaside lunch before ending our day in the town of Olympia where we enjoyed spectacular views from our hotel.
The historical site of Olympia is a must see. Our half day tour of the historical site Olympia was made all the better by our tour guide Demetrius, who was an actual archaeologist! The grounds here are amazing and filled with enchantment. After our tour Demetrius also had some suggestions for us to explore the town of Olympia. We hopped over to the Archimedes Museum, which looks simple at first but has lots great information about the inventions of Archimedes, some inventions are even hands on! After that we checked out the shops and had some delicious fresh fish at Taverna Orestis. We decided to hike up the mountain back to our room at the Arty Grand. Good thing they have a nice spa because we were absolutely winded by the time we made it back! I don't regret it though because we earned the gorgeous views you can only enjoy walking. After some relaxation we headed back to Olympia for some shopping and gyros. We met a nice shop owner who explained that he also had a farm where he grew all kinds of chiles including habanero, anahiem and the carolina reaper!
The next day we were taken by private driver to the fantastic Temple of Apollo at Bassae. Nicolas was very friendly, he stopped a few times in some nice spots along the way to take photos. Little did we know Nikolas was not only very friendly and a family man but also a Greek national hero for saving a woman tourist from drowning! After the tour he took us to the bus station, made sure we were taken care of and also gave us some olive oil from his family farm.
Day 6 we took the train to Meteora which is absolutely amazing and one of my most cherished memories from the trip. It is so amazing what the Monks did there and the views are out of this world.
Day 7 On to Delphi where we had a traditional Greek lunch provided at a nice restaurant with the best view ever at the top of the mountain. Private tour of Delphi. Our tour guide was very nice and shared some extra secrets with us (hopefully soon she will make it to Mexico!). Next our driver Lampros, who was excellent (we wish him luck and a wonderful life with his soon to be bride!) took us to the port, and made sure everything was in order for our boarding of the ferry to Chania which was like a mini cruise ship.
Chania is a beautiful island where we traveled with GS tours to visit 7 local villages and got to try out local cheeses as well as see the process of how they make it, a delicious traditional lunch made by Maria, toured a family tskoudia distillery with the best tskoudia in Chania, our tour guide was the best and a local who had lived there his whole life, I cannot remember his name but I wish to give him the highest kudos I can in this review, he was great and knew so much of the history, was so friendly and down to earth, he climbed up this wall and picked us some blackberries off a tree at one point. We visited Gramvoussa beach as well as our favorite Balos Beach with crystal clear waters!
After that we transferred back to beautiful Athens and swiftly whisked away back to our home in Houston, Texas.
It's really hard to describe in words the goodness of all the Greek people we encountered and the beauty of their country, they have a word Philotimo though that I think describes them perfectly.
At one point my credit card came out of my pocket on the bus and a nice lady returned it to me, a taxi driver got us out of a jam, our tour guide helped us get into one of the monastaries when we didn't have any cash.
Thanks to KimKim and Travel12, especially Tasos we were able to go on an adventure and enjoy Greece for 11 days. Tasos and his team were always available to help with any questions or concerns we had. We will definitely be using their services when we return to Greece

The Kimkim team was amazing! The personal touch makes all the difference. We felt well cared-for and thoroughly enjoyed our adventure. Kudos to Christos, Dimitris and all the team. Thanks to my experience with Kimkim I will definitely visit Greece again!

Overall our trip to Greece was wonderful! Dimitris was very responsive during our planning phase and while we were there. He put together a good itinerary that included accommodations, travel to/from islands, tours based on what we like, car rental and a driver to pick us up during our travels. (The driver, Stavos made our trip particularly enjoyable as he drove us to various sites as part of our journey. He was very knowledgeable and so kind.) Dimitris recommended a smaller less inhabited... read more

Overall our trip to Greece was wonderful! Dimitris was very responsive during our planning phase and while we were there. He put together a good itinerary that included accommodations, travel to/from islands, tours based on what we like, car rental and a driver to pick us up during our travels. (The driver, Stavos made our trip particularly enjoyable as he drove us to various sites as part of our journey. He was very knowledgeable and so kind.) Dimitris recommended a smaller less inhabited island Tinos that turned out to be the highlight of our trip.
Thank you Dimitris for helping to create such a good memory!

We enjoyed every place we visited in Greece for different reasons. We experienced beauty, history and culture. Most of our guides were excellent, but I did not write down their names so I can’t give specific input on certain ones. The one at Delphi seemed to be in a hurry so we felt a little rushed there. The experience our last night at the fish restaurant was especially nice. The people connected with the the farm tour and meal were very gracious and made a lasting impression. The... read more

We enjoyed every place we visited in Greece for different reasons. We experienced beauty, history and culture. Most of our guides were excellent, but I did not write down their names so I can’t give specific input on certain ones. The one at Delphi seemed to be in a hurry so we felt a little rushed there. The experience our last night at the fish restaurant was especially nice. The people connected with the the farm tour and meal were very gracious and made a lasting impression. The worst experience was with Mykonian Mare. The people related to food service were very accommodating, but the reception staff was not, especially the night they left us in Mykonos and the lady I called would not give us a time that they would be there to get us. She hung up on me the second time and did not answer the third. Therefore, we had to stand and wait for 11/2 hours for the shuttle to arrive. When we told the manager, all we got was excuses. Other than that, we enjoyed our stay immensely. The last day of our trip there seemed to be a lapse in planning. We even had to pay to go to the Temple of Poseidon. This should have been included in the information given to us. Overall though, we were very satisfied with the trip and gave the trip and you 5 stars.

Overall our Greece trip and experience was great. Some highlights in my opinion:
On Crete: Tour to villages and particularly the distillery, Knossos Museum, Dinner in small town of Archanes
On Santorini: Hidden Gems and Wine Tasting tour (guide was very fun), sunset sailing
On Mykonos: Farm tour/dinner (very friendly hosts), hanging out at the Dublin pub
In Athens: Hotel roof top restaurant, every historic site/museum, farewell dinner arranged by Travel12
Overall: fact that almost all our... read more

Overall our Greece trip and experience was great. Some highlights in my opinion:
On Crete: Tour to villages and particularly the distillery, Knossos Museum, Dinner in small town of Archanes
On Santorini: Hidden Gems and Wine Tasting tour (guide was very fun), sunset sailing
On Mykonos: Farm tour/dinner (very friendly hosts), hanging out at the Dublin pub
In Athens: Hotel roof top restaurant, every historic site/museum, farewell dinner arranged by Travel12
Overall: fact that almost all our tours and transfers were private to our group (a benefit from having 8 persons)

On hotels:
Ambassador's Residence - very good to excellent
Kalimera Archanes Village - our stay too short to appreciate, but excellent host and transfers on Crete
Kasimatas Suites - very good, met our expectations, older property with some quirks
Mykonian Mare - good and bad, large variation in rooms between the group, hotel was performing water system work while we were there which was unfortunate
Athens Gate - good, location great, but we were given rooms on low floors so no views from rooms and fair amount of traffic noise, great rooftop restaurant

Guides/tours/transfers in general were very good, on time, and informative of the area and its history.
Travel12 provided us very good itinerary information with all contacts etc and made sure we had their support when we were in Greece, although everything went so well we did not really need much help.

We all had a great time, the trip had excellent value for dollars spent.

I found Kimkim on the internt when i was looking at going to Greece for a holiday.
I dealt with Chris and he listened to what i wanted to visit and as a woman travelling on her own, safety was too of this list.
Not only did Chris put together a fantastic itinery he sent draft copy to me first to peruse, along with some excellent comments on due to his knowledge of the area.
From start to finish everything rang like clockwork, the best was having someone there to pick me up at airport or... read more

I found Kimkim on the internt when i was looking at going to Greece for a holiday.
I dealt with Chris and he listened to what i wanted to visit and as a woman travelling on her own, safety was too of this list.
Not only did Chris put together a fantastic itinery he sent draft copy to me first to peruse, along with some excellent comments on due to his knowledge of the area.
From start to finish everything rang like clockwork, the best was having someone there to pick me up at airport or cruise port do deliver me to my hotel or pick me up at hotel to take me somewhere else. Everyone was so accommodating and lovely.
I started in NZ ..Auckland 10 hour stop over at Dubai then onto Athens. From there to Crete for 4 days, awesome beaches outside my door. Then onto Sanorini for 6 days, went on day cruise to other sights around island.
On to 4 days on Naxos, such beautiful beaches, ideal to relax. Back to Athens then home.
Once again a huge thank you to Chris and his tem.
Will be referring them to all my friends and will use them .

Our trip to Greece exceeded my expectations. From the first interactions with kimkim I was very pleased as I was having difficulty finding a good balance between relaxation, luxury and adventure from one source. The initial survey made me feel I finally found a source that understood that there was more than a single goal in vacation planning. With limited time available, Dimitris with Personality Journeys was able to fit all three goals into a 9-day tip with a one-month lead time. With... read more

Our trip to Greece exceeded my expectations. From the first interactions with kimkim I was very pleased as I was having difficulty finding a good balance between relaxation, luxury and adventure from one source. The initial survey made me feel I finally found a source that understood that there was more than a single goal in vacation planning. With limited time available, Dimitris with Personality Journeys was able to fit all three goals into a 9-day tip with a one-month lead time. With the added bonus of being thousands of dollars less than another quote I received from a travel specialist I've used before.

The interaction through the website was seamless. Being able to reliably communicate online is important to me with a busy full-time job and the time difference using a local expert. Knowing that Dimitris was local made me feel at ease with his recommendations. I also found it very refreshing that he was not pushing for the most expensive options and was considerate of value vs. convenience. Having never been to Greece, Dimitris was patient with my requests, changes and need for clarification prior to the trip. Throughout the entire trip Dimitris was available through Whatsapp to answer questions or communicate any changes.

Together we planned 9-days full of rest as well as adventure in 3 very different locations in Greece: Athens, Naxos and Santorini, Naxos being a recommendation and my favorite of the 3. The New Hotel in Athens was artisitic, beautiful and the provided the top service from the security greeting at the front door, through check-in and everything in between. Warm, friendly and highly professional. It was in walking distance of many of the tourist spots but far enough that I didn't feel overwhelmed and crowded leaving the hotel. With only two days in Athens the pre-arranged activity was a tour of Acropolis Hill and Acropolis museum. Our guide was well versed and patient with our group. However, completely from personal preference, while I very much enjoyed visiting the locations I would have preferred a private guide. The group was larger than expected, it took long for the tour to begin and with a group of several families the guide needed to cover a lot of detail to cater to the different interests. I prefer more personal interaction.

We transferred to Naxos via ferry (the Greek Ferry system is very impressive and efficient) and made our way to Naxos Rock Villas which was simply stunning! I had never heard of Naxos prior to Dimitris' recommendation and it was our favorite fr the laid back island atmosphere. I specifically asked for a balcony and private pool and was pleasantly surprised with a completely private Villa with not only the requested but full kitchen and two baths. I fell in love with these accommodations. We were briefed by the owner on the Villa and the island. "Breakfast included" referred to a stocked fridge which was a very nice change of pace to prepare our own meal. Local snacks, wine and beer were also stocked for our enjoyment. The Rock Villas took our breath away as did the day of sailing that Dimitris arranged for us. Naxos Yachting Giannis and his crew were friendly, professional and engaging. The home cooked meal, the stop at Paros and 2 swim spots were out of a dream. I've traveled around the world but if I ever run away you'll find me here. I would have loved to stay longer. The only change I would make our next visit is to rent a car as the Villas are hillside away from the heart of the town and taxis are not cheap in Greece.

Finally, on Santorini, we were located at Del Sol. Del Sol is about a 30-minute walk from the tourist heart of Santorini or a 5-minute cab ride. Our room was somewhat "stand alone" which we prefer. The rooms were well appointed and the restaurant staff was very friendly and accommodating. The front desk staff was friendly and quick to help us when asked. We also managed to squeeze in a visit to the spa, a last minute request that I am glad we made. In Santorini our acitivities included a wine tour of Argyros Estate winery, sea kayaking and a hike. The winery was very modern but steeped in history. The tour was brief but the tasting was wonderful, including pairings with local fare, rich and plentiful. Our guide gave us a lot of input and suggestions as well as time alone to enjoy the experience and eachother company in private. The best of many wine tastings that I have experienced in my lifetime.

Our second adventure in Santorini was sea kayaking with Adonis. Due to weather conditions, we had to be re-routed. I was a little disappointed as I was very interested in the original route but was happy that the guide made safety the number one priority. The tour was a little late to start but we felt well supported throughout the activity and we were happy that they could accommodate and not have to cancel per previous days. They took a lot of pictures that were e-mailed to us a week later so we could focus on being in the moment. They were very open to feedback and Adonis was very entertaining while explaining the history of Greece and the islands.

Tied with sailing as our favorite activity was the hike from Santorini to Oia our last day in Santorini. It is not to be missed. Intimidated at first looking at the distance we were about to cover, we were in complete awe! Our guides Thanos and Mariana were absolutely wonderful. They were so knowledgeable and yet had the enthusiasm as if they were seeing it for the first time with us. The picnic they prepared of local favorites was perfect. By the end of the experience they felt like friends spending the day with us. While many people were completing the hike independently, I was so happy to have experienced it with our guides. This was the perfect way to end our adventures.

Outside of all the scheduled activities, the itinerary allowed for plenty of relaxation and independent exploration. Our trip couldn't have been more perfect.

We booked a vacation that included me, my husband and our adult children and children in law. Tasos made it all so easy. We arrived and departed at different times. Pickups and drop offs were perfectly executed.

Tasos's recommendations were excellent. We had a wonderful combination of historical exploration, guided cultural experiences, beach days and time to explore on our own.

Highlights included: welcome dinner at Zillers, our guides in Athens, our guided trip to Delos, our full... read more

We booked a vacation that included me, my husband and our adult children and children in law. Tasos made it all so easy. We arrived and departed at different times. Pickups and drop offs were perfectly executed.

Tasos's recommendations were excellent. We had a wonderful combination of historical exploration, guided cultural experiences, beach days and time to explore on our own.

Highlights included: welcome dinner at Zillers, our guides in Athens, our guided trip to Delos, our full day exploring Naxos with Katerina of Vioma (do not go to Naxos without meeting her), our car trip to the Temple of Poseidon during the time between arriving in Athens by air from Naxos and leaving by ferry for Hydra, and our brief respite on Hydra at the Four Seasons (no relationship to the chain).

The process of planning was efficient and painless.

Already planning our next KimKim vacation.

Chris did a great job and the trip to Greece was one of our best vacations. Everything was handled and all the staff were professional and wonderful to deal with.
I would definitely recommend kimkim to handle your travel needs.

My family went to Athens, Mykonos and Crete in Mid May of this year. It was a fantastic trip from start to finish. Christos , I am sorry this is so late. I cant thank you enough for the terrific Itinerary you put together for us. All the Accomodations were wonderful with a special shout out to Aletro Cottage Houses. The location, pool, view, breakfast and rooms were all amazing. The owners were great and when my daughter needed something for some insect bites they quickly came to the rescue.... read more

My family went to Athens, Mykonos and Crete in Mid May of this year. It was a fantastic trip from start to finish. Christos , I am sorry this is so late. I cant thank you enough for the terrific Itinerary you put together for us. All the Accomodations were wonderful with a special shout out to Aletro Cottage Houses. The location, pool, view, breakfast and rooms were all amazing. The owners were great and when my daughter needed something for some insect bites they quickly came to the rescue.
The tours set up by Christos and all transportation were 5 star . The drivers always had water available to us and gave us lot of info. Shout out to Alternative Athens for the tours especially our Tour guide Alex on our Mythology walking tour in Athens. He was so passionate about his job!
Our boat rides between islands were fun and the views unbelievable. Just make sure you have some Euros as the internet went down on our day trip to Balos and couldn't buy food on the boat!!
KImKim was available around the clock to answer questions and were quick to answer,.
I will be using KimKim again for our next European travel!!

Tasos was great in planning our trip. We got to see everything my grandson wanted to see and more. The guides he booked were great, everyone of them. The driver, Nikos , he booked for the Olympia, Vasse, and Mycenae trip was the most professional diver we could ask for. He was very accommodating to our every need. Very engaging in conversation and went out of his way many times to makes us happy. We felt like we met as strangers but parted as friends. The boat trip with Socrates... read more

Tasos was great in planning our trip. We got to see everything my grandson wanted to see and more. The guides he booked were great, everyone of them. The driver, Nikos , he booked for the Olympia, Vasse, and Mycenae trip was the most professional diver we could ask for. He was very accommodating to our every need. Very engaging in conversation and went out of his way many times to makes us happy. We felt like we met as strangers but parted as friends. The boat trip with Socrates was special as he cooked on the boat, which was great, and let my grandson steer the boat under his supervision. We had a very nice experience. Dimitri and Maria were also very good in handling our trip when Tasos was off having a baby.

Two things could be improved. The reservation for the retreat in Abeliona got messed up so we had no place to stay Between Maria and Nikos we found a suitable replacement place to stay but required an extra 1.5 hours of driving. Thanks to Maria and especially Nikos for handling this.
Suggestion would be for someone to confirm reservations the day before we arrive so as not to have too many issues. Plus the retreat in Abeliona, appears to be past its prime especially seeing that not a single person or staff was there when we arrived Think twice about booking that again.

Second area for improvement was the Pi Athens hotel. It was ok but not quite what we expected.. located in a run down area of the city and not near enough outlets where needed especially in the bathrooms by the one and only mirror. You can tell they are trying but not quite up to my standards anyway. The staff was excellent and very accommodating but the hotel itself is lacking somewhat. We still had a very good time though.

Thanks to all for their help and making our experience an enjoyable one.
Bruce and Jenny Zemba

I can’t say enough about Christos, Maria, Angeliki and Dimitris and the whole travel12 team. Wow! They planned a wonderful and seamless trip for my teens and me. Anything went perfectly and if it didn’t the travel12 team make it right AND gave us something to make up for the trouble. In Skopelos our favorite island we had the team schedule us a mamma Mia tour. But on the day the tour company did not show up and didn’t have our reservation. Travel12 got right on it and got us scheduled for... read more

I can’t say enough about Christos, Maria, Angeliki and Dimitris and the whole travel12 team. Wow! They planned a wonderful and seamless trip for my teens and me. Anything went perfectly and if it didn’t the travel12 team make it right AND gave us something to make up for the trouble. In Skopelos our favorite island we had the team schedule us a mamma Mia tour. But on the day the tour company did not show up and didn’t have our reservation. Travel12 got right on it and got us scheduled for the next day. And to make up for our disappointment they scheduled a boat tour of the island. That might have ended up being one of our favorite tours! Everything was so wonderful and exactly what we wanted. We asked to be slightly immersed into Greek culture and boy to christos and travel12 deliver. We had an awesome cooking class with a Greek family on Naxos. It was just us and the family and it was wonderful!! When I go back to Greece I am contacting christos and travel12. Thank you so much!!!!

Our holiday inGreece was remarkable. Chris planned an interesting and outstanding itinerary and arranged great hotel accommodations as well. I especially enjoyed our suites in Athens, Rethynmo,, and Mykonos Town! The Catamaran Cruise in Santorini was delightful and so much fun. Made acqpanitiness with several other travelers . Also wanted you to know that our private drivers were all wonderful ! They were attentive to your needs and polite, and extremely knowledgeable which made our... read more

Our holiday inGreece was remarkable. Chris planned an interesting and outstanding itinerary and arranged great hotel accommodations as well. I especially enjoyed our suites in Athens, Rethynmo,, and Mykonos Town! The Catamaran Cruise in Santorini was delightful and so much fun. Made acqpanitiness with several other travelers . Also wanted you to know that our private drivers were all wonderful ! They were attentive to your needs and polite, and extremely knowledgeable which made our travel time with then educational and allowed for interesting discourse with then. My son, Kenny and I will continue to relive our fabulous holiday that Chris planned for us in such detail to assure we were able to visit all the historic places I wanted my son to see. We have many happy memories which we’ll cherish forever. Thanks again, for an exciting and wonderful experience in Greece!!!

In one word - AMAZING!

Tasos and his team helped us plan a trip of a lifetime. Beginning in Athens with our driver, Lampros, who took us to the Sounio Temple and an impromptu dinner, which was wonderful. We then did an Acropolis tour, which was fascinating and awe inspiring.

Our next stop was Tinos. Our accommodations at Favie Suzanne were great, but the personal service we got from both Yannis and Fabio was above and beyond - they were so helpful. Tinos is a beautiful island, which we... read more

In one word - AMAZING!

Tasos and his team helped us plan a trip of a lifetime. Beginning in Athens with our driver, Lampros, who took us to the Sounio Temple and an impromptu dinner, which was wonderful. We then did an Acropolis tour, which was fascinating and awe inspiring.

Our next stop was Tinos. Our accommodations at Favie Suzanne were great, but the personal service we got from both Yannis and Fabio was above and beyond - they were so helpful. Tinos is a beautiful island, which we were able to enjoy as we took the Marble Route tour with Katia and a driver. Katia and the driver were very informative and showed us a part of Tinos that we never would have seen without the tour. When we were arranging our trip, we asked Tasos to give us the “real Greece” and that is wha we had every step of the way.

Next we went to Naxos, where we stayed at Nastasia Village. Emma, who owns the hotel with hr family was so warm and accommodating . She helped make our stay so very special. The breakfast at the hotel was amazing - real Greek food - homemade and delicious. Naxos is a beautiful island with fewer tourists. After having the food tour, which was amazing with Yannis and Irini, we learned so much about Naxian cheese, Kitron, and Greek foods in general. We also had a fabulous tour of the island and were given an opportunity to visit many villages. Naxos has great Easter he’s and we had a lovely beach day and then we went shopping in Chora. It is quaint and lovely and became our favorite stop on our amazing tour!

Santorini was our last stop. Luckily we were booked at the Makris hotel In Kamari, which was much quieter than either Fira or Oia, but there was plenty to do and it was a lovely beach (black sand/stone) and shopping area. We were able to take an island tour to Pyrgos, the wine museum and winery tour with tasting and Oia at sunset, which was beautiful, but crowded. Our favorite part of Santorini was the old boat tour on the Bella Aurora, which was amazing. The crew was fabulous. We hiked the volcano, swam in the hot springs, went to a secluded beach area and had a lovely authentic Greek barbecue and then we watched the sunset from the water. If that wasn’t enough, while the sun was setting, one of the crew members, Yannis, played the saxophone. It was a great end to our island tour!

Back to Athens for a night and Tasos had planned a goodbye dinner for us at The Black Sheep restaurant, which was delicious. Travel 12 was always there when we needed them and I would highly recommend their travel service. I would also highly recommend Lampros as a driver in Athens as he will go above and beyond what is asked of him and when you say you would like to have a bit of breakfast - he will take you to the most amazing bakery. My friend had a bit of a problem at the end of our trip and both Travel 12 and Lampros were there to help.

We can’t thank you all enough for an amazing adventure.....it was better than we could have ever imagined.

We had an extraordinary trip to Greece, in large part because of the excellent guidance we received from Nicky. We found that our vacation very much matched our sensibilities in terms of our destinations, accommodations, and the activities that were planned for us. The pre-trip planning process went very smoothly and communication was prompt and very helpful.

Despite a few glitches that were quickly remedied, the logistics of drivers and ferries was handled smoothly. I’m pretty sure the... read more

We had an extraordinary trip to Greece, in large part because of the excellent guidance we received from Nicky. We found that our vacation very much matched our sensibilities in terms of our destinations, accommodations, and the activities that were planned for us. The pre-trip planning process went very smoothly and communication was prompt and very helpful.

Despite a few glitches that were quickly remedied, the logistics of drivers and ferries was handled smoothly. I’m pretty sure the process without KimKim/Travel21 would’ve been substantially more difficult. Instead we were able to focus on enjoying the beauty of Greece.

Highlights of our trip included touring and hiking the beautiful and unspoiled island of Tinos. Our stay at the lovely Onar hotel was very pleasant and the breakfast was phenomenal.

Our visit to Naxos was also very pleasant and we enjoyed the archeology museum in the castle, as well as touring the beautiful interior part of the island.

Everybody’s heard of Santorini, and it’s a truly unique place, but also teaming with tourists and assaulted by day-trippers from cruise ships. Based on what we’ve learned from the locals, I’d say that cruise ships are ruining things for just about everyone - better to go with a plan that helps the local economy and gives you the best experience.

Our accommodations at Santorini were perfect - a small boutique hotel away from the maddening crowds. We could easily walk down to the local village and were lucky to experience a “name-day” celebration at the church, which featured excellent music and dancing. An eBike tour was fantastic - highly recommended.

Our trip was bookended by visits to the Acropolis and the National Archeology Museum in Athens- both highly recommended.

Thanks again to Nicky!

In planning my trip to Greece, Vasilis was very attentive. He adjusted my itinerary many times to meet our needs. Our anniversary dinner he planned at Point A was outstanding. However, our travel documents were not received until May 9th for a May 13th departure. I feel that was cutting it close just in case there were any issues. As a whole, the trip was outstanding. Lampros, the driver in Athens, was excellent. Our tour guides in Santorini, Gustos and Paris, were fabulous. Costos and... read more

In planning my trip to Greece, Vasilis was very attentive. He adjusted my itinerary many times to meet our needs. Our anniversary dinner he planned at Point A was outstanding. However, our travel documents were not received until May 9th for a May 13th departure. I feel that was cutting it close just in case there were any issues. As a whole, the trip was outstanding. Lampros, the driver in Athens, was excellent. Our tour guides in Santorini, Gustos and Paris, were fabulous. Costos and Tasos from Travel 12 were very helpful while we were in Greece. Vasilis checked in with us , as well. When we had an issue with our phone charger it was taken care of immediately. Our Catamaran tour in Santorini was cancelled at the last minute. We, however, were not notified of this cancellation until I called Travel 12 when no one came to pick us up. Tasos gave us a driver for 4 hours to take us to the beaches where we would have gone with the tour to compensate for the missed tour. Tasos made it right. Travel 12 was at our disposal before, during and after our trip. I would definitely use them and KimKim again.

This trip was a blast. Except for a problem with a late driver picking us up at a ferry dock, the whole trip was very smooth! The accommodations were very nice and the excursions were terrific. We felt we got a great introduction to Greece and the islands we visited. I especially enjoyed the local tours of the bell maker, cheese makers, distillery, winery, and tannery. --and of course all the ruins we visited. Our guides were wonderful, knowledgeable, and really went out of their way to... read more

This trip was a blast. Except for a problem with a late driver picking us up at a ferry dock, the whole trip was very smooth! The accommodations were very nice and the excursions were terrific. We felt we got a great introduction to Greece and the islands we visited. I especially enjoyed the local tours of the bell maker, cheese makers, distillery, winery, and tannery. --and of course all the ruins we visited. Our guides were wonderful, knowledgeable, and really went out of their way to make our tours exceptional. The thing I'll miss most is the food! Greek yogurt will never taste the same...

I would highly recommend Tasos and the entire Kimkim /Travel 12 team to everyone. Everyone we dealt with was very professional. Tasos put us with drivers that took us places we didn't even know existed. Every tour was right on point. The tours of ancient Athens, Meteora, Delphi and Messinia were incredible. Mykonos was fantastic and Santorini was wonderful. In Athens of course you must see the Acropolis. The meal arranged by Tasos was unbelievable. Meteroa is like something from another... read more

I would highly recommend Tasos and the entire Kimkim /Travel 12 team to everyone. Everyone we dealt with was very professional. Tasos put us with drivers that took us places we didn't even know existed. Every tour was right on point. The tours of ancient Athens, Meteora, Delphi and Messinia were incredible. Mykonos was fantastic and Santorini was wonderful. In Athens of course you must see the Acropolis. The meal arranged by Tasos was unbelievable. Meteroa is like something from another world, the beauty is breathtaking. Visiting the Oracle of Delphi is an experience you must have . Messinia is a treasure we didn't know about, thankfully Tasos and his team did. It is a very ancient city still under excavation, We had a tour with one of the people excavating the ancient city and found an ancient coin which we turned into the museum. Included with the tour of Messinia we met the last bell maker in the region as well as the last leather tanner. Once again our driver provided a few little side trips that were fantastic. The ferry ride to Mykonos was pretty cool. Mykonos is an incredible place. We needed this time in Mykonos to catch our breath. Delos is a sacred island in mythology with many ancient ruins but honestly by this point we were pretty tired so I don't thing we could really appreciate the magic of the island. On to Santorini. The island is a beautiful place and the catamaran tour Tasos set up was truly one of the highlights of the trip. Do not skip the catamaran trip! All of our transfers were right on time. Our driver in Athens was incredible. We feel like we made some friend. I will use Kimkim from now on when making vacation plans. My Mother-in-law, Wife and I just spent 2 weeks in Greece and I have nothing to complain about. Think about that! Thank you Tasos and your team, you truly provided the trip of a lifetime.

The trip was amazing. All except 1 individual were on-time for pickups and twice when he was involved our ride was late. Every other interaction was smooth as silk. It was a wonderful balance of guided tours and free time to roam on our own. I enjoyed that most of our tours weren't the traditional touristy thing. The accommodations were nice at each place and the staff was friendly and very helpful at each location. I have recommended Kimkim several times since returning from our adventure and will continue to do so.

Thanks for the wonderful time!

We planned this for a couple of generations of family, us (in our 40s) and our parents (ranging from 70 to 80). This overall was a great trip which allowed us to combine everyone's interest and also cater to some of the activities we wanted to do on certain days. At every hotel, the breakfasts were fantastic!

Most memorable - the first night restaurant. Although a tiny bit of a walk to get there (for our parents), it was beautiful, food delicious, and gorgeous view of the Acropolis. Pi... read more

We planned this for a couple of generations of family, us (in our 40s) and our parents (ranging from 70 to 80). This overall was a great trip which allowed us to combine everyone's interest and also cater to some of the activities we wanted to do on certain days. At every hotel, the breakfasts were fantastic!

Most memorable - the first night restaurant. Although a tiny bit of a walk to get there (for our parents), it was beautiful, food delicious, and gorgeous view of the Acropolis. Pi Athens our hotel, although initially we were skeptical, the service and the rooms were great.

In Santorini - everything worked out wonderfully. Everyone really enjoyed the hotel we stayed (Fileria Suites). I really didn't miss the fact that we didn't have the views because we could go right across the street and enjoy them. Service was perfect.

In Archanes, the city was quaint, very quiet and didn't feel it was built for tourists yet. We had an extremely difficult time in finding the Kalimera Hotel and I had to call the hotel for them to meet us at a church (which was steps away from the entrance). We loved this hotel in its history, beauty, and service (again impeccable)... however, since we had seniors with us, we would have preferred to stay at a typical hotel without so many steps in the actual room. Although I know in Greece we did end up walking up and down quite a few staircases and uphills.... if we could have had the option in our hotel to do without we would have paid extra. Our parents did fine, but this would have been a good option for us to know about. Archanes, as much as we liked it, I know my parents would have loved to had a little touristy area to shop. So maybe a few more options of where to stay since we only had the one tour here and it sounds like we could have stayed in Heraklion, more built for tourists.

Chania - hands down this was the favorite of everyone in terms of the rooms, location, and also the elevator! Loved Chania in general - happy to walk around and explore on our own. The local tour was fantastic - loved the lunch, Raki making, cheese making, and bread making stops. Definite highlights.

Some pointers for our transfer from Chania to the ferry and to Athens. Our driver picked us up around 8:30 and we arrived at the ferry port around 9:30 or so - no problem. We thought we would be boarding the ferry immediately, but the ferry that was docked was for 10:00 PM or so. We found out that they ferry didn't arrive until 11:30 with a departure of 12:00 AM. So we ended up going to a cafe across the way and waited for a couple of hours. This was probably the low point of the trip as we were not expecting this wait. We would have rather waited in the hotel lobby a bit longer or at least know of the wait.

The overnight ferry ride was awesome - wish it could have been longer! But our transfer to Athens and our final day tour with Inside Athens was fantastic with Giannis as our tour guide.

Pick up to the airport worked everyone was able to depart on time!

Our trip and experience in Greece was fantastic. We have Tasos and his team to thank, the itinerary was planned to suit our interests. The communication during the planning phase and while we were on our trip was exceptional. We were able to contact Travel 12 anytime, we had been provided with a sim, and there was always someone on the end of the phone to help. In one instance we were not able to locate a restaurant we were to go to and were helped to find it. The guides during our visit were... read more

Our trip and experience in Greece was fantastic. We have Tasos and his team to thank, the itinerary was planned to suit our interests. The communication during the planning phase and while we were on our trip was exceptional. We were able to contact Travel 12 anytime, we had been provided with a sim, and there was always someone on the end of the phone to help. In one instance we were not able to locate a restaurant we were to go to and were helped to find it. The guides during our visit were informative and as our trips were in small groups or private you were able to learn more and had opportunity to have conversations. Our accommodation was lovely in all places and suited our budget and needs. We visited Athens and three islands which were very different and went to Tinos which was suggested by Tasos, this was a good choice as it was so different from
Santorini and Mykonos. The scenery was stunning and history, gave us adifferent view of the islands. I thank Tasos and his team for a wonderful trip and would recommend to anyone planning a trip to Greece you will love it.

We had such a wonderful experience for our Greece trip. I would highly recommend using kimkim services to plan any vacation. Harris, our specialist, was absolutely amazing every step of the way. He skillfully planned an itinerary that was exactly what we were looking for. In our two week trip, we experienced city life, cliffs, beaches, mountains, beautiful waters and of course delicious food. We were able to visit Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and Crete and every single detail was taken... read more

We had such a wonderful experience for our Greece trip. I would highly recommend using kimkim services to plan any vacation. Harris, our specialist, was absolutely amazing every step of the way. He skillfully planned an itinerary that was exactly what we were looking for. In our two week trip, we experienced city life, cliffs, beaches, mountains, beautiful waters and of course delicious food. We were able to visit Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and Crete and every single detail was taken care of every step of the way. From transportation, to hotels, to excursions, Harris meticulously arranged everything. All we had to do was show up. I cannot say enough about this service. Going to Greece was one of our top 3 bucket-list trips and we wanted it to be perfect. Harris did that for us in such a wonderful way. We did not have any stress on planning the trip, making bookings, ensuring times line-up for ferries, excursions, etc. All of the excursions that were booked also were so wonderful. Our walking tour and hidden gems tour in Santorini was spectacular. We could not have covered so many things in one day. Kostas, our guide took us to the best places all in one day. The sunset catamaran cruise was also so amazing. Getting to swim in the hot springs was also wonderful. In Crete, we visited two places, Heraklion and Chania, both wonderful places. We did a food tour to highlight the Cretan diet that was tasty and informative. We had a chance to sample home-made food with local ingredients. The botantical gardens tour in Chania was so beautiful and a wonderful way to spend the day, enjoying nature and of course great food. I also wanted to callout our driver in Athens, Lampros. He was so professional, timely and so helpful to us. Even on the way to the airport, he took us for one last sight-seeing adventure to a hilltop where we could see the city of Athens. It was a marvelous view!

This trip was simply an amazing experience. I cannot say enough about Harris and the wonderful service he provided. He was responsive throughout the planning process, advising and guiding us every step of the way. He took out all the stress of planning and coordinating this trip, allowing us to just come to the beautiful country of Greece and enjoy all the wonderful things it has to offer. We were delighted! Thank you Harris for such a wonderful trip!

Sincerely,
Namrata and Andy.

All the guides (sorry, we don't remember names) from Alternatives Athens were very good. We enjoyed the fact that all our hotels were in mid town and we were able to explore and walk everywhere in our free time.
On Delos, the sights were good but there was not enough time to explore the ruins and go to the museum. To us the organized tours were not necessary.
In Santorini the Villa was beautiful and would have been a perfect place for a relaxing vacation but for our first time in... read more

All the guides (sorry, we don't remember names) from Alternatives Athens were very good. We enjoyed the fact that all our hotels were in mid town and we were able to explore and walk everywhere in our free time.
On Delos, the sights were good but there was not enough time to explore the ruins and go to the museum. To us the organized tours were not necessary.
In Santorini the Villa was beautiful and would have been a perfect place for a relaxing vacation but for our first time in Santorini, we felt it was too remote for the schedule we had and it would have been better for us to be in a hotel in the town center. Sophia was great and did her best to make us comfortable ( the electricity kept cutting off when we got there and the safe never worked) and welcome. The guide, Costas was excellent. The CATAMARAN Sunset cruise was the best and all the crew on the boat were fantastic.
The Palace of Knossos guide was very good too.
We enjoyed the 7 villages tour in Chania and the driver/guide who took us was also very good.

We had an amazing family vacation thanks to Christos. Greece is a beautiful country and thanks to Christos and his team (Kostas, Sophie, Spiro just to mention a few) we were able to enjoy all that it had to offer. In addition to excellent tours and experiences, Christos's team went out of their way to help us to surprise and celebrate by dad for his 70th birthday in Santorini. It was a memorable experience for everyone and a fantastic vacation!

This is the first time we’ve used a travel agency and it was a great experience! The hotels were excellent, with the exception of the location of one hotel in Crete, close to an outdoor party area, it was noisy and bright in the room. The tours they booked for us were excellent, every guide was so knowledgeable and very engaging. Christos personally came to our hotel in Athens to hand deliver a SIM card for our phone. We had only one incident of a driver not actually waiting for us getting... read more

This is the first time we’ve used a travel agency and it was a great experience! The hotels were excellent, with the exception of the location of one hotel in Crete, close to an outdoor party area, it was noisy and bright in the room. The tours they booked for us were excellent, every guide was so knowledgeable and very engaging. Christos personally came to our hotel in Athens to hand deliver a SIM card for our phone. We had only one incident of a driver not actually waiting for us getting off the ferry in Mykonos. We called KimKim and someone was there to get us within 20 minutes. We would not hesitate to use KimKim again, a very good experience.

We had a fantastic time in Greece and thought it was a great trip. The welcome dinner at ManiMani was superb, each dish better than the one before. The tour of Santorini's farm produce and wines with Anna was terrific; our trip to Delphi with Effie was also fabulous. Another highlight of the trip was the hotel in Ornus -- it was so delightful just to be there. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about it and the staff was great. We also had lovely people running the hotel in Kamari -- Mary... read more

We had a fantastic time in Greece and thought it was a great trip. The welcome dinner at ManiMani was superb, each dish better than the one before. The tour of Santorini's farm produce and wines with Anna was terrific; our trip to Delphi with Effie was also fabulous. Another highlight of the trip was the hotel in Ornus -- it was so delightful just to be there. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about it and the staff was great. We also had lovely people running the hotel in Kamari -- Mary was really delightful. We had some really great guides -- Kostas was wonderful at the Acropolis and very understanding when Marvin was having his spell. I also really enjoyed the tour of Akrotiri and the Palace at Knossos, and found the guides knowledgeable and capable of handling questions. I would suggest that perhaps more time be allotted to both of those sites, however, since it was very rushed and we didn't really get to savor things. I do understand that there are so many visitors and our guides were trying to stay ahead of the crowds -- this may not be something that could be fixed during a tour in May, but I offer it just in case. The museum in Knossos was fantastic, as was the National Archaeological museum (we visited it on our own). I had been told how great the Parthenon museum was and it did not disappoint. We took the suggestion of a friend and had lunch there, overlooking the Acropolis. That was really delightful and I recommend it to others.
One complaint i have, however, was our tour in Delos. I found the guide, Athena, was not particularly responsive to the group. Her accent was such that we had a great deal of difficulty understanding her, and hearing was also a problem. I would suggest that for a group of anything over 10, Assisted Listening Devices be used. I work in an art museum and that is our policy and it really makes it a much better experience. Everyone can hear; guides don't need to raise their voices to be heard. I would suggest that a Delos visit be longer, or at least people should be told that they could take the later ferry if they wanted. Since we had someone meeting us after the tour, I didn't realize that was an option.
I don't want my review to end on an extended complaint, however, since for the most part it was a wonderful trip and we enjoyed it immensely. We found the KimKim staff, as well as some of the local agencies, very responsive and for the most part, things went smoothly and we had a terrific vacation.

We started the trip with a free day in Mykonos and spent it at the Kahlua beach club, dinner at Busulas and out at Semeli that night. The next day was a trip to Delos Island. We had the most fabulous, authentic, amazing guide named Toula. We wanted to take her home and have her be our very own Greek grandmother. Took the speed ferry to Santorini and had a hidden Gem and Wine tour hosted by Manos, another great local guide and a tour we very much loved. Our favorite activity the following day... read more

We started the trip with a free day in Mykonos and spent it at the Kahlua beach club, dinner at Busulas and out at Semeli that night. The next day was a trip to Delos Island. We had the most fabulous, authentic, amazing guide named Toula. We wanted to take her home and have her be our very own Greek grandmother. Took the speed ferry to Santorini and had a hidden Gem and Wine tour hosted by Manos, another great local guide and a tour we very much loved. Our favorite activity the following day was our Catamaran cruise hosted by Spiros & Spiros (yes two men on the same boat with the same name!). Spent the rest of the night with the locals after hours at Vineyart and enjoyed a local flight of wines. In Athens, we enjoyed a very tasty food tour and found our new love of Greek coffee + Freddos. Had a nice meal at Feedel and had our most authentic meal of the trip at "The Traditional". Stopped by Clumsies, Baba Au Rum and Noel for some cocktails along with Oinoscent wine bar to round out the trip. Had an amazing views in Meteora and could not get over the tranquility of the perfectly preserved monasteries. Overall we had zero hiccups, all of our drivers were on time, hotels reserved, tour guides punctual, and a great experience. It was a nice touch to get a welcome call once Travel 12 new we arrived. Will use this service again!

Ginger, David, and Judy will be providing their own reviews; their memory of the specifics (guides' names, in particular) is much better than mine.

I'd just like to express my thanks to KimKim and Christos for putting together such a wonderful and memorable trip. There were really no downsides. One suggestion for improvement, though, concerns the occasional lack of detail, on the schedule/ itinerary, regarding ferry transfers. It wasn't always clear where we needed to be and what to expect.... read more

Ginger, David, and Judy will be providing their own reviews; their memory of the specifics (guides' names, in particular) is much better than mine.

I'd just like to express my thanks to KimKim and Christos for putting together such a wonderful and memorable trip. There were really no downsides. One suggestion for improvement, though, concerns the occasional lack of detail, on the schedule/ itinerary, regarding ferry transfers. It wasn't always clear where we needed to be and what to expect. Again, the others will likely be providing more specifics in this regard. Also, it might have been more sensible to have us in a hotel near the airport upon our late return from Heraklion on the final night. Presumably, availability and cost dictated the decision to have us in downtown Athens, at the Pi Hotel. This, by the way, was the least impressive of our hotels, although it was certainly acceptable.

I can assure you that we'll be recommending KimKim to friends and acquaintances. Thanks again for everything!

We had an Amazing Trip. Dimitris did a great job with our itinerary and when we made some last minute changes he had great advice and helped us switch around our reservations. The Boat Charter was Amazing. The only negative would be the Hotel room for the first few nights in Athens. the room had 3 very small single beds. but at the end of the trip we stayed at the same hotel and got a better room with a real bed. The Rest of the Hotels were amazing and Greece is beautiful.
thank you
Shawn

This was our first overseas trip ever and it turned out amazing! Dimitris planned our trip out within our budget and the lodging was fantastic. Our favorite hotel was the Corfos Bay Hotel in Mykonos for its genuine beauty and true Island architecture. All of our ferry transportation was booked for us and spot on. The private transfer on our second day via Mr. Stavros was perfect, he even took the time to show us around Athens as we had extra time before the ferry departed. Dimitris... read more

This was our first overseas trip ever and it turned out amazing! Dimitris planned our trip out within our budget and the lodging was fantastic. Our favorite hotel was the Corfos Bay Hotel in Mykonos for its genuine beauty and true Island architecture. All of our ferry transportation was booked for us and spot on. The private transfer on our second day via Mr. Stavros was perfect, he even took the time to show us around Athens as we had extra time before the ferry departed. Dimitris hooked us up with an amazing local friend and guide in Santorini. Thanos. He provided us a cultural experience we will never forget and a lasting friendship from afar. We would not hesitate to book another trip through Dimitris! Thanks for a wonderful 10th anniversary honey moon!

Great trip! It was all very memorable ,but if I have to say, the places that were most memorable: Acropolis, Delos Island, and the food/wine tasting on the farm in Santorini. On Mykonos: the Hotel Dorion was fabulous! We also loved the dinner the first night at Manimani --a splendid meal! Of our many guides, I think Effie at Delphi was the most knowledgeable. We also very much enjoyed our male guide in Santorini but I forget his name, unfortunately. Our driver in Santorini was also terrific--very friendly and eager to talk about the terrain, the architecture, the history of the island.

Some good parts, such as the mythology tour and the farm experience and the Mycenae tour, some mediocre -- the amphytrion hotel -- and some poor, like the foothills trek.

We really enjoyed the rock climbing in Napflio with Kostas and Nadine perhaps most of all. Sofia was great on the Santorini Oia, monastery and wine tasting tour. Really helped to make us feel at home. And Katherine was super knowledgable of ancient Greek history and mythology. Brought the museum and Acropolis to life for us.

Napflio and Naxos stand out as the more interactive and fun destinations with a wide variety of things to see and be more spontaneously involved in. Athens, with its... read more

We really enjoyed the rock climbing in Napflio with Kostas and Nadine perhaps most of all. Sofia was great on the Santorini Oia, monastery and wine tasting tour. Really helped to make us feel at home. And Katherine was super knowledgable of ancient Greek history and mythology. Brought the museum and Acropolis to life for us.

Napflio and Naxos stand out as the more interactive and fun destinations with a wide variety of things to see and be more spontaneously involved in. Athens, with its diverse historical sites and nightlife, was very engaging and we felt like we could have spent longer. Santorini was a little touristy, but we're glad we went. The caldera tour offset the commercial feel, and some of the smaller towns looked like good places to spend time away from the crowds.

We traveled with another couple and had a wonderful vacation in Greece, thanks to the itinerary we created with Tasos and the support we got from the Travel12 team during our trip. Tasos was a pleasure to work with and very responsive in answering our questions as we developed the itinerary. Pre-arranged car transfers, ferry and flight tickets, and guided tours enabled us to relax and enjoy the rich history, beautiful landscapes and delicious food Greece has to offer. When ferry schedules... read more

We traveled with another couple and had a wonderful vacation in Greece, thanks to the itinerary we created with Tasos and the support we got from the Travel12 team during our trip. Tasos was a pleasure to work with and very responsive in answering our questions as we developed the itinerary. Pre-arranged car transfers, ferry and flight tickets, and guided tours enabled us to relax and enjoy the rich history, beautiful landscapes and delicious food Greece has to offer. When ferry schedules changed twice, Travel12 informed us and took care of the details. We were delighted to meet Tasos the evening we arrived in Athens and the morning before we returned to the US. We highly recommend kimkim, Tasos, and Travel12!

Here are a few highlights from our 16-day trip:

Athens - Our enthusiastic guide Maria led us on an excellent food tour. We walked through the Plaka, Monastriaki, and Psyri neighborhoods while sampling pastries, Greek coffee, souvlaki and other treats. We also recommend the Mythology Tour through the Acropolis and ancient Athens. Although the drive to Delphi was long, we enjoyed the scenery and the visit to the ancient site.

Crete - Our five days in and around Chania, Vamos/Douliana, and Heraklion/Archanes were a good introduction to the island. The guides and drivers were friendly and helpful, especially Christos who met us at the airport and drove and guided us to Elafonissi Beach, Vamos and Heraklion. Our guide Clio at the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion and at Knossos was very knowledgeable…we were fascinated by the sophistication of the Minoan civilization. We left Crete having learned there is still a lot more to see!

Santorini - While many people are drawn to Santorini because of the pictures of brilliant white buildings and blue-domed churches, we thoroughly enjoyed exploring ancient Thera and Akrotiri, which are a respite from the cruise ship crowds in Fira and Oia. Our guide Anna was engaging and knowledgeable about ancient Greek history and current aspects of life on the island. We also enjoyed a sunny, windy hike along the caldera rim from Fira to Oia led by our wonderful guide Denise. An added bonus to our visit were the many wildflowers in bloom all over the island due to the unusually wet and cool spring. And the view of the caldera from our room was spectacular!

Naxos - We welcomed the warmer weather when we arrived so we could enjoy the beach and swimming in the Aegean Sea, which were only steps away from our hotel. We had fun exploring Naxos town, and visiting the villages of Halki and Apeiranthos. Although our guided hike through the hills was a bit more rugged than we expected, the mountain views and wildflowers were fabulous, and we enjoyed visiting a unique, remote monastery and strolling through picturesque Apeiranthos.

We hope to explore more of Greece in the future!
Barbara and Skip

Harris did a great job coordinating all the crazy-busy days we asked for while in Greece! And an added bonus? We got to meet one of our coordinators, Angeliki, in person on one of our day tours, and it made our day that much more fun. What a great group of folks! I would call them up in a heartbeat to coordinate our next trip to Greece. Thanks, guys, for making our stay so memorable!

Christos was meticulous, responsive and patient in the planning process.
All logistics were taken care of with and all went smoothly.
It was great to have contact with him whilst in Greece and to know that he was available to assist with any queries. I would highly recommend him to plan a trip to Greece.
Thank you Christos!

I have traveled a lot internationally but this was the first trip that Christos from Kim Kim planed for me and three friends. It was the most amazing experience. The trip was planned very well and was pretty much worry free. Christos was available day and night to answer questions and help when needed. Best experience and customer service. Would recommend Christos and his company to friends and family!

I always use local guides and drivers when I travel. This is the first time I used kimkim online without using a travel agent from where I live. I was skeptical and a bit nervous at first. It turned out to be one of the best decisions. The best things about kimkim is that its' travel agents are living in the places that you want to travel so they have the most up-to-date info of where and when to go. My local agent, Chris is very knowledgeable of Greece. He listened to my unique... read more

I always use local guides and drivers when I travel. This is the first time I used kimkim online without using a travel agent from where I live. I was skeptical and a bit nervous at first. It turned out to be one of the best decisions. The best things about kimkim is that its' travel agents are living in the places that you want to travel so they have the most up-to-date info of where and when to go. My local agent, Chris is very knowledgeable of Greece. He listened to my unique requirements and custom built an itinerary for four people in my group. We all loved the schedule and places that we visited. We visited the must see archaeological sites and enjoyed the peaceful Naxos island. Chris was able to find me rooms where I had a direct view of the sunset in Santorini and Aegean sea from my room in Naxos. Local guides for the "Taste of Athens" walking tour and Acropolis were very friendly and accommodating. Eva, the local guide for the "Taste of Athens" tour changed the itinerary throughout the day to accommodate our needs. She is the best. Chris was always in contact with us to make sure everything was ok. Although there were problems in transportation, Chris resolved the problem to my satisfaction. One suggestion for Chris is to provide acknowledgement and update to changes or requests within 24 hours. This is very important especially to clients who have never used Chris before. Overall, I am still very satisfy with the services provided by kimkim staff and Chris.

Wow! I have so much to write. My trip was amazing and so was KimKim. I actually met a couple while on a tour that had also used KimKim. Small world! About half of my tours ended up being just me instead of a group, which ended up being completely fine, but was unexpected at first.

Athens Mythology tour through Alternative Athens: Very interesting! Loved my tour guide (I can't remember her name exactly, Demetria maybe?). She was interesting, kept us engaged and very knowledgeable. She... read more

Wow! I have so much to write. My trip was amazing and so was KimKim. I actually met a couple while on a tour that had also used KimKim. Small world! About half of my tours ended up being just me instead of a group, which ended up being completely fine, but was unexpected at first.

Athens Mythology tour through Alternative Athens: Very interesting! Loved my tour guide (I can't remember her name exactly, Demetria maybe?). She was interesting, kept us engaged and very knowledgeable. She clearly loves what she does. I would definitely recommend this tour.

The ferry I took to Tinos was nice. It was on time and the staff helped me carry my way too heavy luggage up the stairs and were very accommodating if I had questions. The announcements were mostly clear. Unfortunately, I do not remember this ferry's name but it was NOT the blue star, it was the smaller one.

Favie Suzanne Hotel: I had to look for the hotel name on the vans in the parking lot but was able to find my ride pretty quickly. The van that picks you up is pretty run down but the brothers who drive you and run the front desk are amazing! So helpful and kind in planning out days and any other questions I had. The room was very comfortable and breakfast was sufficient.

The island of Tinos: Small very quiet island. The shops and restaurants along the port are nice to see and delicious to eat at but other than that, there is not much else to do within walking distance. I was a bit bored on my free day and ended up taking the bus to various villages. Because I went in what is technically off season, the bus did not run very often and therefore I was at the liberty of their schedule. I took cabs in between villages and then in order to see another village after the last bus, I had to find my own cab. Thank goodness for the kindness of Greece because I found probably the only cafe tucked away in the middle of houses to help me call a cab. People could not have been nicer. Depending on the village, there was not much to do besides walk the streets and look at the views and houses. My second full day (technically third and also the day I left) there was much better. I had my Tinian culinary workshop with Aldo and his wife Katia. Some of the nicest most welcoming people I have ever met in my life. I wish I had met them the day before because not only did we make a delicious meal together, they offered to take me around just a bit to see some things I haven't seen before. The weather was pretty chilly so I did not go to the beach and there was interspersed rainfall but it did not last long.

Ferry to Naxos was very late, which I guess is to be expected. Luckily the restaurants were near by and I was able to have a delicious ice cream and use wifi to entertain myself while waiting. Again, this smaller ferry helped me with luggage.

Arrival in Naxos: All my drivers except in Tinos had a sign with my name on it and were all ready and waiting for me. Since I arrived so late in Naxos, I went straight to the hotel, Nastasia Village Hotel, which was very very cute. It was traditional and almost cottage like. It was however, very noisy in the mornings and very cold at night. Great central location though! There was so much to do in Naxos and the vibe was completely different from Tinos. I found it very difficult however, to get to the places I wanted to see as the signs were not the clearest on/around the attractions. Asking for help is definitely your best bet as people are so kind! I was disappointed about the miscommunication for my biking tour with Naxos Bikes. My tour was scheduled for the morning but he was unable to take me until late afternoon. I did not go on the cycling tour because I spent the entire day walking around and was exhausted with old injuries acting up that would have made the tour less than enjoyable.

Ferry to Santorini: I don't remember much about this one. I think it was late and I believe it was a bigger ferry, which had an escalator to take the baggage up but NOT down. I did not know this and was definitely not expecting it. The fellow tourists were not the nicest as I tried to maneuver my bags down a lot of steep steps without falling to my demise. I am certain there is an elevator somewhere that I should have used.

Santorini: My driver, Costas with Agyros Tours, was awesome. So friendly and helpful with bags. There was a group of us he picked up and took to our respective hotels.

Makris Hotel was probably my favorite because of Vasiliki, the evening receptionist and also the view. I could literally hear and see the ocean from my room as well as the black beach and a mountain. Vasiliki went above and beyond for me multiple times during my stay. She was seriously the best!!! I ended up booking a tour with Kamari Tours because I did not have a way to see the Volcano or hot springs otherwise. I would not recommend this company. They were very unorganized once we got to the port and they were very late getting back, which resulted in me being late for my afternoon tour I scheduled with KimKim. The Kamri Tour with Jason Boats was a 4 hour tour to the hot springs and up the volcano. The trip description and items to bring need to be adjusted as well as more time for delays. Additionally, my tour guide was nice but not very engaging and I didn't feel like I learned as much as I should/could have. Christos from KimKim came to my rescue here as I was a bit frantic because I got back too late to make it to my hotel to be picked up for my Argyros Tour. We found a new place for me to join the tour and all was well.

Santorini Highlights and Wine Tour: I went with 4 other people in my group and the guide, Paris (I am not sure of the correct spelling). This tour was not exactly what I expected but overall I think I would recommend it. A couple did not make it so we got a late start. We adjusted the route a bit, and all the stops were enjoyable but very quick. No time to really take it all in or shopping if that was your plan. Definitely eat before as there isn't really time to stop for food. We were literally chasing the sunset so every stop was more and more rushed. The winery we went to, we were there for literally 20-25 minutes. There were 3 wines, cheese, pretzel type sticks, meat, and a paste, with a quick explanation. Inside the building was really cool but there was no explanation or tour for that whole area, which was really disappointing. The view was pretty but not spectacular and again, it was all very rushed. I didn't particularly enjoy any of the wines either. Only one white wine was just ok. Their dessert wine was terrible. The location we ended up at for the sunset was great though. Beautiful and not the normally crowded area. If only it hadn't been overcast.

My last day in Santorini I spent the morning sight seeing and then got picked up with my luggage to be taken to Fira. 5 hours in Fira was way to long for me and it was cold and I was exhausted and just wanted to rest. If I could do it again, I would have taken an earlier ferry to Athens.

Ferry to Athens: This one was giant and one time. It was overnight and the cabin was a necessity as I was completely exhausted. We got in about 30 minutes early and my hotel was not ready, which was torture because I was very hungry and very tired. I did go sight see for a few hours and then came back to the hotel. My room was not ready until about 2pm. This hotel, Pi Athens was also nice and in a central location. The pillows were incredibly lumpy but everything else was great. They even made sure I had breakfast because I was checking out so early. So appreciated!! My driver in Athens, Lampros, was always on time, very nice and helpful and took the time to take the scenic routes for me when time allowed.

Food tour with Alternative Athens: Great and delicious!!! I made the mistake of eating breakfast before hand, which was not necessary because even though it was just a taste at each stop, it was all delicious and filling! Maria was an awesome guide!

Sorry this is so long but I wanted it to be thorough. I hope this helps someone! Greece is SPECTACULAR!

We have decided to break our review down into a review of Kimkim.com and Travel12, our local agent in Greece.

Kimkim.com

Pros: feeling of security from an American company and guarantee; beautiful itinerary provided free of charge; great communication platform.

Cons: no breakdown of cost provided; chance of being arranged with a bad travel agent; some judgment when questioning the cost.

Booked and completed a 10-day tour in Greece. Overall happy with the service. They put us in touch with... read more

We have decided to break our review down into a review of Kimkim.com and Travel12, our local agent in Greece.

Kimkim.com

Pros: feeling of security from an American company and guarantee; beautiful itinerary provided free of charge; great communication platform.

Cons: no breakdown of cost provided; chance of being arranged with a bad travel agent; some judgment when questioning the cost.

Booked and completed a 10-day tour in Greece. Overall happy with the service. They put us in touch with a local agent. Kimkim reached out in our first few days to see how things were going. Our first agent was not helpful in explaining the price break down or in getting the price cheaper. The Kimkim agency helped us get a new agent. I did feel a little judged by the Kimkim agent when we explained we were not happy with the cost estimate provided. When you first start you take a short survey to provide the local agent with an idea of what you want. We chose the “mid-budget” option (other options budget and luxury). I forget the exact amount but around 100-150 a day. So we were expecting/hoping for around $1250 but we were provided a cost of $2000 and only 8 days of activities. This was a bit of a shock; when we tried to get a cost break down to see where the money was going to so that we could cut cost, we were told this would not be provided. When kimkim reached out we told them we were not happy with this. They at first tried to see if we could work with our first agent but we wanted to switch after some negative exchanges and unwanted/unauthorized changes to our itinerary. The kimkim rep was okay but they did make us feel a little judged by emphasizing that this was a custom tour but they did switch for us. We ended up paying around $1800 with 7 days of activities and 10 nights of hotel (3 travel days to different islands). The next travel agent provided a better breakdown but we never got a complete breakdown. We had a lovely vacation. Unsure if the travel agent treated us better because of kimkim but overall happy and will use the service again because of the guarantee and the assistance in finding a new agent.

Travel 12.

Pros: Responsive, cost-conscious, and flexible.

Tasos, was very responsive to our needs. He took the time to call us from Greece so we can understand what we were looking for and met us in person on our first day. One of the greatest benefit with Tasos is that you get access to the whole Travel 12 team. We could send them a What’s Up message or an email with any questions, double check tour times, and they did the same.

Tasos created a great itinerary that was customized to us. One of the experiences we were looking for were local Easter celebrations, and Tasos arranged for a private driver to take us to ancient Monastery in Pyrgos were the most beautiful celebrations were taking place.

Tasos was very cost conscious and took into consideration how much we wanted to spend on certain activities. On top of that, Travel 12 assumed all costs for any changes in the itinerary that were beyond our control (like a local protect that required Tasos to cancel our ferry ride and book a flight instead at no cost to us).

Travel 12’s professional driver Lampros was very nice, dressed very well, gave us a bunch of tips and local info, and even made a detour on our last day to show us a beautiful view of Athens. The whole team of Travel 12 was very caring and it was a great feeling of comfort.

Cons: The only con we could think of was that not all possibilities for upgrades were not communicated to us. We would have upgraded our ferry ride from Athens to Santorini if we knew that was an option.

It was wonderful well organized and everything we had asked for was there I would especially like to mention and thank Nicky, Mr Lampros and Mr Tasso for going out of their way to come pick us up from the port when the ferry got canceled (due to bad weather) and putting us on a flight to Naxos so that we would not miss any part of our tour. I would certainly use them again and have recommended them to all my friends and family

The amount of attention to detail and care that Travel team 12 and Tasos put towards my customized trip was outstanding! I loved the experiences that they put together for me since I love learning about culture through food- the gastronomic tours, wine tours, and a cooking class allowed me to learn about Greece in such a special way that I will never forget. The boutique hotels that were chosen were such great options that I would have never known of without the help from this team. I have nothing but good memories from this trip and now a part of my heart remains in Greece.

They have planned everything well in advance. They were very courteous and always available for questions and queries. Will definitely recommend and use them again.

Planning the trip was great! Christos gave us quite a few plans to pick from and tried to stay within our budget. We ended up picking a great package to Greece!

Our time in Athens was fantastic. We had an afternoon to check out the city. The following day, was our Mythology tour which included visits to the Temple of Zeus, the Acropolis, and the Agora. Our guide Marika was amazing! Very detailed tour and she stopped often to talk, so it was nice to give our legs a bit of a break. The only... read more

Planning the trip was great! Christos gave us quite a few plans to pick from and tried to stay within our budget. We ended up picking a great package to Greece!

Our time in Athens was fantastic. We had an afternoon to check out the city. The following day, was our Mythology tour which included visits to the Temple of Zeus, the Acropolis, and the Agora. Our guide Marika was amazing! Very detailed tour and she stopped often to talk, so it was nice to give our legs a bit of a break. The only downfall was that although our breakfast was included at the hotel, we couldn't take advantage of it because our tour started early and then our ferry was leaving early the next day before we could have breakfast.

Then we went to Milos by ferry. We were in Milos on the weekend, so most places were closed. We were close to some shops and restaurants, but a little ways from Plaka. We ended up walking from our hotel to Plaka (an hour and a half walk, one way) which was a nice walk, but a lot of the shops were closed. Our hotel there was great though! Panos brought us breakfast in our room both mornings, a very nice spread of some traditional Greek foods as well as fresh orange juice and coffee. He also picked us up and dropped us off at the port and gave us tips on where to eat and how to get there.

Ferry to Santorini was pretty rough due to the enormous waves and high winds. Most of the passengers were sick on this ride, myself included. But we had reserved a shuttle from the port to our hotel, which was very close to the beach and many restaurants and shops. Not overcrowded. Our suite there was big, with a kitchenette and living room. Breakfast was also included which we got to enjoy only one morning since we were leaving early the second morning. We had a free morning on our first day in Santorini, so we enjoyed gift shopping and walking around. In the afternoon we had a Gems of Santorini and Wine Tour. This tour was fantastic! We got picked up just steps away from our hotel, and we were just a small group (only 6 of us). Our guide Sophia talked to us about the history of the island and brought us to the popular spots (Oia, Thira, the monastery, etc) and other places she believes get overlooked. Our driver would drop us off and we would walk around the towns to see some interesting buildings, and he would pick us up at a different spot (our guide wanted to make sure we didn't see the same thing twice). Our last stop was the winery. By this time I think we were all starving (since the tour started around 3 and lasted 5 hours) so I would recommend bringing a couple of snacks. Sophia gave us the scoop on the winery and how it all began. Then we enjoyed a wine tasting along with a charcuterie board. Perfect timing, as we then went up to watch the sunset and take lots of photos. It was a great way to end our trip. We were then dropped off again near our hotel.

I have already recommended Christos to my friends and family since we had such a wonderful experience planning our trip with him, and I will continue to rave about the hard work he put in to put together the perfect plan for us.

Thank you so much for Christos and the tour guides that made this trip so memorable!