Kimkim Trip Reviews for Greece

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 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 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 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 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 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 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!

If you want to take a trip - book with someone else - if you want to experience the life, culture and country - book with Kimkim TODAY! There is not a better organization who deeply connects with you and makes this the absolute experience of a lifetime! So much thought and time and care goes into the planning of your experience - I would never travel again without checking to see if kimkim is able to arrange my vacation! Every ride, every experience - everything - was amazing- I will never forget the Greek experience or Tasos and his amazing team!

All the bus drivers, each and everyone were wonderful. They were conscience of our time schedule and making sure we connected with the appropriate guides. Demistris the first person at Athens was kind and cordial and provided me with the phone and crucial information. He also greeted me again and my group just before we left to Meteora, which as breathtaking. All the guides were also fabulous, They all shared stories both personal and factual which made the information more enjoyable. All the hotels were excellent and loved taking advantage of the spa services at Santorini, absolutely loved the Catamaran tour and mineral springs, they even played music from Mamma Mia and my group were Dan I g and singing to the music as we entered the docks as we embarked and those who were on shore were clapping at us.
By the way he tour guide at the Oracle was great, she told stories like nobody else could😊
The workshop and the guide who escorted us to the soap making, ancient Olive tree and wine tasting event was outstanding! The woman who provided the workshop were great and my group bought a lot of soap from them and a lot of olive oil etc from the wine tasting tour. My artist gave our tour guide a special drawing of the ancient tree to him and he provided myself with a sketch and my assistant, so personal.😊 My group fell in love with Crete, and the family that took us on Easter Day were so very special, they were outstanding and provided us with Easter bread and Raku(sp). And written information about the tradition of your Easter, super special.
Botanical Garden and special meal was excellent!
All the hotels excellent, food and boat rides. The first boat ride (ferry) to Santorini though was a bit tough, as it took an extra hour and half due to weather, but the other two was great. The only issue with Jeremy on the last overnight ride, but u all are taking care of that. Of course the Olympia was extraordinary, My students had the opportunity to stand on the ancient blocks in the field and I even raced against my husband on the field, didn’t realize others were watching we received a clapping from those who were watching when we finished as I won😊
Communication with myself an some of those I encounter my have been a bit difficult at times, but with this communication and the phonetic provided along with the detail agenda for me, it all helped. Everyone you provided for us were kind, patient and courteous.
Confusion on what tickets were included and not was mostly the issues, but we resolved it. On past trips, that was always included. The only issue that I had was the lunch at Olympia, I thought it was part of the amount, but I was good once I spoke with Tasos. The place the bus driver recommended was excellent and the husband and wife (owners) went out of there way to provide special plates they my group enjoyed.
I would definitely use Tasos again, for he did an excellent job working with me to make this an extraordinary adventure, learning experience for my students

We had a wonderful trip to Greece and loved every minute of it. The kimkim team, Tasos and the team at Travel12 were all very helpful and professional. The accommodations were lovely and the guides on the tour were extremely knowledgeable and so personable. We could not have asked for a better vacation and will certainly use kimkim again for future travel! Thank you all for helping us make some beautiful memories!

The trip was excellent! Everything was so well organized. I enjoyed all the events and the hotels. Thank you so much for a memorable trip. I will definitely use your services again.

I highly recommend booking a trip with kimkim and with Tasos!!

From the first point of contact, Tasos was extremely helpful, prompt and always available which is very important when you are traveling in a foreign country. You want to feel like if you have any difficulties that someone will be there to help you at a drop of a hat.
When we contacted kimkim, Tasos called immediately to get a feel for what kind of trip we were wanting, our budget and any specifics. He then put together a very personalized itinerary that had several different options and suggestions to help meet our needs and desires. He had no problem making changes and adjustments as we felt needed. Our trip to Athens and central Greece was incredible!! Tasos also treated us to a welcome dinner and a goodbye dinner in some incredible restaurants which we thought was so thoughtful and kind and very enjoyable. I cannot say enough good things about Tasos and the trip he prepared for us. Booking through a secure site like kimkim was also very reassuring.
If you want a great trip-Tasos is your man!

We traveled as a family group of 3 seniors and had a wonderful trip to Greece. Tasos arranged visits to Athens and 4 islands with tours and activities included, as well as transportation and tix. We especially enjoyed our tour with Katerina on Naxos and our guide Danai in Athens. The catamaran sailing day was great fun and something we never would have thought of ourselves. Thanks to all our drivers, esp Lampros in Athens, and guides. All the people in Greece were very friendly and welcoming. And the food and wine were delicious.