Kimkim Trip Reviews for Turkey

Berat, the local specialist for my tour masterfully customized an itinerary to fit my requests. He arranged and coordinated the guides, drivers, hotels and domestic flights for what turned out to be a flawless tour. I appreciated the reminders I received almost daily to inform me of the schedule and any action needed on my part.
In Istanbul, Mr. Volkan Akoluk was my terrific guide for two days. He quickly brought me up to speed on the history of the region and prepared me for the sights we were to visit. The two days never felt rushed yet we covered a lot of the historic sites.
In Ankara, Hattusa, and Cappadocia , Mr. Irfan did a wonderful job as we visited so many sites in four days. I especially enjoyed the fact that he had grown up in the area of Uchisar and with that he had personal stories of what life was like these last couple generations. My favorite experience was driving in at night my jaw dropping at the site of Cappodocia and my Kale Konak hotel bathed in a rosy glow.
In Izmir, with just one day left, I had the pleasure to enjoy Ephesus and Priene with Mr. Ozan Tokcan. As with the previous two guides, Mr. Ozan had incredible knowledge of the sites we visited as well as the history of the area.
And because I had just a taste of the beautiful area around Izmir, I will need to return.
Thank you for an amazing experience!

Hotel Reviews

Park Inn by Radisson Izmir

Izmir

Wonderful location with views of the harbor. Close proximity to the old section of the city and the piers.

Eyuboglu Hotel

Ankara

Very comfortable with a good location

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

Located in the old town. Very nice hotel with a lovely breakfast.

Kale Konak Hotel

Simply magical

Authenticity & Character

Renovated to reflect a “cave” character

Location

Adjacent to the Castle

Staff

Professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Priene: A beautiful ancient Ionian town

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover the Volcanic Valleys of Cappadocia: Zelve, Pasabag, and Avcılar

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit the Ancient city of Hattusa (Hattuşaş)

Turkey

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit the Anatolian Civilizations Museum and Panoramic City Tour

Ankara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

I

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

I

Istanbul: Bariş was amazing, knew everything and everyone, including most of the police officers.
Antalya: Gigi very sweet, didn't slow down at all, despite condition
Uraz: very physically fit, went lots of places, funny with Americanisms: "blah blah blah"

Zehra - what can I say she was amazing. Our group had made a mistake with the dates for our trip and Zehra worked all hours of the day and night to make our trip work with the new dates. Her recommendations were always spot on and the drivers and tour guides were amazing. We had the pleasure of having the expertise and guidance of tour guides Cengiz, Gökhan and Uraz. They all became our friends by the end of our time together. Zehra was available to us through out our trip and always answered our inquiries quickly. This is our second trip with KimKim and have been telling our friends about it. Thank you Zehra for your dedication to making our trip a special one.

Hotel Reviews

Pera Palace

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

METT Hotel & Beach Resort

Muğla

This hotel was good, breakfast buffet was very good. We stayed in a villa and it was nice but nothing special about it, not homey or comfy. The whole resort is very dark at night and stairs to restaurant and to villa were not lit and was quite dangerous. Our outdoor lights were not working and asked the hotel to fix them and they did not. There was a dead rat on the beach and the staff did nothing about it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Can not walk anywhere from the resort must take taxi into town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lighting and friendliness of breakfast staff

Ruin Adalia

Antalya

This hotel has the potential to be a 4 star but the rooms and breakfast were lacking. However I think it is one of the better ones in the area. It was just a let down after our fabulous hotel in Cappadocia.

Authenticity & Character

The Character is there they just need to tweek it to make it a special place

Location

Only two restaurants within walking distance

Staff

very friendly at the bar

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are lacking- thin small blanket on the bed, No coffee or tea in the room and breakfast buffet doesn’t start until 8:00. Buffet was not very good with limited choices and very weak coffee with no availability to order a latte etc.

Argos in Cappadocia

Nevsehir

Wow - absolutely breathtaking hotel- make sure you have dinner on the patio one night - if you have any mobility issues this is not a place for you. The cobble stone road is very steep, slippery when wet

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Soho House Istanbul

Istanbul

It was a great hotel and in a fabulous location. However I would not stay in rooms 1-9 during the weekend. (They are located downstairs close to the disco or party room. Friday night people kept leaving the hall door open people were coming down the hall until 3:00 am. We had asked the front desk to look into this and put a sign on the door to keep closed. They did nothing.

Location

Staff

Staff in restaurant were quite rude and dismissive so was the night desk manager

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amazing supplies and flat iron in the bathroom. Rooms 1-9 are very dark, they need more lights in the room

Activity Reviews

Exploring Antalya & Historical Sites

Antalya

Antalya was a great town it was a long day but we had a late lunch at a restaurant on the water and it was worth it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Pamukkale

Turkey

Really fun day -

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Ozkonak Underground City & Cavusin

Cappadocia

Very interesting I really enjoyed this

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bodrum: Black Island Boat Tour with Lunch

Bodrum

Such a lovely day- the captain and his staff were fabulous and trip included a fabulous lunch.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wasn’t overall impressed with this driver had a box and a sign for tips

Explore The Landmarks of Cappadocia

Cappadocia

Great day - the history and architecture unbelievable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ATV Sunset Ride in Cappadocia

Cappadocia

A lot of fun however the guides were a little obnoxious and kept doing stunts that just spread dust in the air and made it difficult to see

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Yacht Cruise Along Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Istanbul Walking Tour

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We have nothing but wonderful things to say about Burcu Kisakurek, Unison Travel, and the connection KimKim facilitated. Burcu was kind, attentive, and thorough from first contact to last, even though we didn't contact her to plan this trip until the last minute. She took great care of us, found us wonderful guides, made all adjustments necessary, and planned a fantastic trip, well beyond what we even knew to ask for. She stayed in close touch with us throughout our trip so that we knew we'd have help if we needed it (though we didn't because she'd done such a good job setting us up). Special shout-out to Cengiz Ozturk, who is a perfect and delightful guide of Istanbul and beyond.

This was our first time using KimKim and I had my fingers crossed that everything would run smoothly. Our trip to Türkiye was amazing! It started off wonderfully with Yigit waiting for us at the Istanbul airport after our 13 1/2 hour flight. He was so friendly and welcoming and we were driven to The Bank Hotel. A great first impression! Exhausted from our travels, they invited us inside and handled all of our luggage and immediately served us a drink of our choice in the lobby while they finished readying our room and ushered our bags up stairs. This level of service continued throughout the entire trip.

Our guide, Volkan, met us in the hotel lobby the next morning and while we sat he gave us a 45 minute brief historical introduction to Türkiye. We loved this! We really wanted to learn on this trip, and I wish we could have had Volkan as our guide for the entire trip. Not only was he knowledgeable, but he did a beautiful job of balancing guiding and directing us and talking with also giving us some time to wander and explore the sites at our own pace. When it came to the food, we would have been lost without him. He gave suggestions and there were many opportunities to try the various foods. We weren't quite prepared for the amount of hills and walking we would be doing in the city, but in hindsight it would be challenging to tour Istanbul by car, and we are so glad to have done it this way. Volkan also was familiar for good picture spots and invited our family to pose while he took several pictures of us with our camera. We really enjoyed him teaching us while we toured Topkapi palace so we could learn about the life of the sultans. The mosques were incredible and beautiful. Be prepared for motorcycles driving on sidewalks! :-D Volkan was very aware of his surroundings and did a great job guiding us through the busy places. We also bypassed the long lines because we had a guide with us. Super!

Berat and Murat communicated with us daily on our trip. This was so reassuring. The day before they would provide us with driver names, vehicle license, phone number, and times for each pickup. I was impressed at how everyone was on time and we were not left waiting. When we had a small bit of trouble at one hotel, Murat contacted them and smoothed things over, and the hotel even had wine and snacks waiting for us that day!

Our favorite place to visit was Cappadocia. After the masses of people in Istanbul, it was refreshing to see those views, and lunch at The Dream Spot took my breath away. What a way to start off Cappadicia! When we visited the Underground City, Volkan asked us if we had claustrophobia, and I told him I was mildly affected, and I didn't want to be trapped in the tunnels. He did a great job of making sure the tunnels ahead were cleared of people before having us walk through, and that made it very enjoyable with no moments of panic bent over in a passage waiting for people ahead to move. The hot air balloon ride was unlike anything we have ever done, and we were so glad the weather cooperated.

The only place we could have skipped was Izmir... it's a modern city. We think it was probably a necessary connection point for our travel day where we flew from Cappadocia back to the west coast. We met Ozan as our guide for Izmir, Ephasus, and Sirence. He was knowledgeable and friendly. We loved the mussels stuffed with rice that we sampled from a street vendor! I honestly didn't think I would like them, but I'm willing to try just about anything. When he found out we ran a math learning center, he took us to a summer camp/school/univercity in Sirence! This was an unexpected surprise, and it was the first time Ozan had been there as well. My only wish is that Ozan gave us a bit of time to explore on our own. At the museums he was excited to have us see certain things, but I would have liked a little unstructured time to view things at our own pace as well without being overly directed.

Our private boat tour in Bodrum was beautiful! I thought 6 hours might be too long, but with four stops for swimming (we were only promised three) and lunch served, it was a relaxing day towards the end of our trip. Bodrum was also wonderful for walking in the evenings.

A few notes below on our lodgings:

The Bank Hotel - amazing. Gorgeous architecture and this family loved the complimentary chocolates! The breakfast was so good. No complaints.
Hotel Taskonaklar Cappadocia - How exciting to have a hotel built into ancient ruins! Gorgeous accommodations. Our daughter's mattress had springs pushing into her and she ended up sleeping on the couch. When I found out, I flipped her mattress and all was well the second night. Be prepared for quite a few stairs outside. Again, the breakfast was amazing.
Mövenpick Izmir - nothing of note. Nice modern hotel.
Nisanyan Houses - This was a visual treat. The hospitality was wonderful and the food was so good, as was the view. The artistry in the rooms was lovely. All that said, we were glad we only spent one night here. The large bed had an uncomfortable, flat mattress, and my husband had to climb over me to get into and out of bed with the way it was framed and oriented against the wall. It was lacking in linens and only had a flat quilt (not a duvet) to cover us. The second bedroom had two beds. Our daughter had the larger bed and she said it was comfortable, but the other bed was only big enough for a child. Our 6 foot tall son and to sleep on the couch downstairs. The spiral staircase was treacherous without a handrail, and I was worried I'd accidentally fall into the sunken shower when using the bathroom during the night, so I left that light on. I attempted to make coffee, but when I turned the dial for the counter-top plug-in stove, I got an electric shock. The toilet ran non-stop, and we switched the water off between uses. (There was no phone to contact the lobby, and I didn't feel like navigating the walk up the stairs to tell them, so we waited until we left to report it. ) The stairs on the grounds were also very challenging with rough-hewn stone and no hand rails. It was a hike to get to the pool. It was a beautiful place for photos, visually delightful, and the owner was so nice I hate to say anything critical, but not somewhere I'd stay again. They could improve it by taking care of some of these issues, such as adding handrails.
Divan Bodrum Palmira - Very comfortable hotel! We ran into a few minor issues, but they were taken care of.

We would definitely use KimKim again for planning a trip like this to an unfamiliar country!

Hotel Reviews

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

This was a visual treat, and I want to give it a higher rating, as I think some people would love it here. The hospitality was wonderful and the food was so good, as was the view... the view was truly unmatched. The artistry in the rooms was lovely. All that said, we were glad we only spent one night here. The large bed had an uncomfortable, flat mattress, and my husband had to climb over me to get into and out of bed with the way it was framed and oriented against the wall. It was lacking in linens and only had a flat quilt (not a duvet) to cover us. The second bedroom had two beds. Our daughter had the larger bed and she said it was comfortable, but the other bed was only big enough for a child. Our 6 foot tall son and to sleep on the couch downstairs, and there were no extra linens. The spiral staircase was treacherous without a handrail, and I was worried I'd accidentally fall into the sunken shower when using the bathroom during the night, so I left that light on. I attempted to make coffee, but when I turned the dial for the counter-top plug-in stove, I got an electric shock. The toilet ran non-stop, and we switched the water off between uses. (There was no phone to contact the lobby, and I didn't feel like navigating the walk up the stairs to tell them, so we waited until we left to report it. ) The stairs on the grounds were also very challenging with rough-hewn stone and no hand rails. It was a hike to get to the pool. It was a beautiful place for photos, visually delightful, and the owner was so nice I hate to say anything critical, but not somewhere I'd stay again. We did not have a chance to enjoy the wonderful bread and jams they put in the fridge for us, but that was a lovely added touch. They could improve it by taking care of some of these issues, such as adding handrails and putting in a new mattress and enough linens. With handrails and a more comfortable bed and a safety barrier rail added to the shower, I would love to visit again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Uncomfortable beds and treacherous stairs. It was very clean, but not comfortable or safe.

Hotel Taskonaklar Cappadocia

Nevsehir

How exciting to have a hotel built into ancient ruins! Gorgeous accommodations. Our daughter's mattress had springs pushing into her and she ended up sleeping on the couch. When I found out, I flipped her mattress and all was well the second night. Be prepared for quite a few stairs outside. Again, the breakfast was amazing. Incredible views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had to flip a mattress, and there were also two different leaks we reported. It took a while to get the AC to cool everything down and dehumidfy everything.

The Bank Hotel

Istanbul

The Bank Hotel - amazing. Gorgeous architecture and this family loved the complimentary chocolates! The breakfast was so good with many selections. No complaints. Great location for walking tours of the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Boat Tour at Bodrum

Bodrum

The Private Boat Tour at Bodrum was enjoyable overall, but we faced an issue when the driver was not present at the expected pickup location upon return. Thankfully, the boat captain was very helpful and sorted the situation out, which showcased his commitment to our experience.

Guided Tour of Izmir: The Beautiful Port City of the Aegean Sea

İzmir

The Guided Tour of Izmir didn't quite meet the expectations. The city felt like a standard modern place, and it seemed to be more of a necessary stop due to travel logistics rather than a highlight of the itinerary.

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

This was a lovely change of pace after some tough walking tours of Istanbul. Just the right length boat tour.

Food Tour in Istanbul

İstanbul

We can't really fit a food tour all in one day, because you can only eat so much! Volkan did a wonderful job of spreading this out and including it during our three full days in Istanbul.

Istanbul Archaeological Museum Tour

İstanbul

How was this museum not packed with people! So much to see an learn.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Another world! So much character and history. Just hearing the calls to prayer was so different for an American. The palace was fascinating, and the mosques were beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Volkan was the best! We couldn't have imagined a better guide. He really does a wonderful job of ensuring we had a full experience, but also gave us time to explore on our own and meet back up with him.

Transport

Thank you Berat for planning a wonderful trip. We enjoyed our stay in Istanbul. Everything went smoothly. We had an excellent guide and a nice hotel.

Hotel Review

Armada Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Crossing between Continents: Explore Kadıköy and Moda

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Dolmabahçe Palace

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

I’m

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wonderful city and great to have things well planned in advance. With just two days, we were able to see the main sights plus a mosque that is off the beaten path. With Berat, we were able to have flexibility in our schedule which we appreciated. We loved this visit and will likely come back!

Hotel Review

Hagia Sofia Mansions Istanbul, Curio Collection by Hilton

Fatih Istanbul

We enjoyed this unique hotel perfectly located around the main sights to see. The staff were helpful and the room was great.

Authenticity & Character

Cute houses

Location

Perfect for a short stay in the city centre.

Staff

Everyone was very courteous and helpful for restaurant recommendations.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nothing to change. Keeping doing what you are doing.

Activity Reviews

Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

We really enjoyed being on the water and learning more about the land, the location of things, the buildings and history around the water way. We were somewhat surprised by the size of the boat for the private tour. The boat was amazing but we're not sure if there were smaller options available for private tours. Certainly felt like luxury :)

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

It was great to see the bazaars and learn more of the ottoman period. We are not big shoppers but our guide was able to point out high quality, specific places of interest to us.

Explore the Sultanahmet Square, Blue Mosque + Hagia Sophia

İstanbul

Berat was very informative and efficient to get all spots in yet not feeling rushed or crowded. The history was particularly interesting.

all of our guides were great - very knowledgeable and on time and respectful and the transportation arranged was ideal!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Taskonaklar Cappadocia

Nevsehir

great location - great views and super fun to be in this cave hotel

Pera Palace

Istanbul

great location history and a very accommodating and friendly staff

Authenticity & Character

the breakfast included was excellent - very authentic and over the top in selections and quality of food

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

the rooms were great and the common areas lovely in every way.

Activity Reviews

Wine Pairing Dinner at Revithia Cappadocia

Cappadocia

this restaurant had a great view and the staff was super friendly but the food didn't feel super authentic and was a bit fussy. that said, the plates, bowls and the serve ware was very artsy and amazing!

Cappadocia E-Bike Tour - Full Day

Cappadocia

Guides were great - bikes were great- super fun day!

This review is from Corinne. I did not receive the email asking for a review so Susan forwarded it to me.

It was an amazing trip. Turkey is such a beautiful country, so much history and some of the most hospitable people I have ever met. For a two week trip, Berat set up a schedule that allowed us to see so many places and enjoy many experiences. I got a taste of Turkey, and want to go back eventually to see the places that time just did not allow.

Our three guides, Volkan, Alp and Ozan were incredibly knowledgeable and were able to answer all of our questions. While they had very individual styles, it was clear that they loved their country and were happy to share their knowledge and impressions with us. They were very attentive and helpful. And the drivers also deserve praise--they drove some very long distances, maintained good attitudes and were quite helpful.

In summary, Berat planned a wonderful trip and everything went very smoothly. Thanks for a great time!

The two weeks I just spent in Turkey was immersive in the country’s rich history and culture as well as its modern day life. Berat provided an excellent itinerary that exposed me to some of the best Turkey has to offer. She booked us into boutique hotels, many of which had a rich history of its own, and the service and locations of each one was exceptional . At several, we were the only American guests, which was refreshing. As for our guides, my friend and I were lucky enough to have 3 diverse yet terrific guides. In Istanbul and Cappadocia we were beyond lucky to have Volkan Akoluk as our guide. He shared his passion for and knowledge of his country’s history and culture in a way that was more like telling us a story than merely reciting facts. He never rushed us through any site and was very astute to when we needed a break or a cup of coffee or tea or ice cream. It was more like walking with a good friend and not a tour guide. Alp was more stoic and reserved but always had his hand out to help maneuver a climb up or big step down when climbing to see the ancient fires and walking among the ruins of Myra.. He did at times tell us more history than one can absorb in a day or two. Ozan, on the other hand, was so excited about each day and each site we visited that it was hard not to be excited as well. He was like a kid seeing the sites for the first time, be it Ephesus or the blue pools in travertine of Heliapolis, and his enthusiasm was contagious making the heat, crowds and humidity bearable. He too shows such passion for his host country. Seeing Turkey through the eyes of 3 different guides with 3 distinct personalties and approaches, and the people we met through them, made this trip overall one of my best travel experiences.

Hotel Review

Gül Konaklari Sinasos (Rose Mansions Sinasos)

Nevsehir

This was a lovely hotel located in a small village, a bit remote from the hubbub of Cappedocia. It had lovely grounds and the rooms were clean, spacious. However, my one complaint is that having arrived in the dark there was no light on in the room nor was I escorted into my room nor advised there was a platform once you step into the room. Thus, I fell into the room while trying to find a light switch. Having just had hip replacement surgery several months prior, this could have ended badly. Luckily, only my ego got bruised.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Explore the Basilica Cistern

İstanbul

Incredibly fascinating the engineering involved to create this water system. Beautiful art installed as well which creates a juxtaposition between history and modern times.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I cannot express how much of a good time I had in Turkey. Although I did get a bad cold half way through it proved even MORE how great the arrangement with KIMKIM was. My guide and driver took exceptional care of me for which I am so thankful. My guide was so knowledgeable, personable, patient, helpful. I asked his several arcane questions and he had a very good answer ever time. His level of knowledge was as remarkable as his hospitality. In case you cannot gather from my review I had a WONDERFUL TIME. KIMKIM has been EXTRAORDINARY in planning and execution of my Turkey vacation. The profile picture shows my guide: Mr. Yigit, me: Nolan Warner and the driver: Mr. Cumali

This was our first time using KimKim. In fact, it was the first time we had used any travel planning agency. There were times in the planning process that I felt a bit anxious there I gave the planning and booking experience only 4 stars. That said, the itinerary and arrangements that Zehra put together for us far exceeded our expectations! I had originally told Zehra that we wanted to see Troy, Pergamum, Ephesus, and Cappadocia. I later added Pamukkale to that list. Zehra expanded the trip to include Gallipoli, Aphrodiaias, Hierapolis, and Konya to that list. We knew of Gallipoli but the last 3 were places we had never even heard of and all turned out to be fascinating and memorable.
The guides Zehra hired were fabulous. Okan made the battle sites of the Gallipoli Peninsula come alive. We finished that day with an understanding of the importance of the geography of that peninsula and the important role it played in 20th century Turkish history. Okan also guided us patiently and carefully through the ruins of ancient Troy and Pergamum. He went beyond his role of tour guide by recommending an excellent fish restaurant for dinner and arranging a late lunch stop in Çanakkale so we could eat gözleme.
Senem gave us a very good understanding of the importance of Ephesus and took us through the excavation of the “mansions “ near the agora that are now open to the public at a small additional fee.
Rafet is a fabulous story teller! He entranced us with his telling of the Greek myths and their connections to the ancient cities of Aphrodisias and Hierapolis. He also found us good local eateries for lunch!
Gökhan gave us very clear explanations about the geology of Cappadocia and also about the role that the early Christians played in that area. He also steered us expertly through the crush of tourists in the Underground City.
Our itinerary was a private 11 day road trip with a car and driver. Okan, Rafet and Gökhan were each with us for more than one day and all 3 were also very good traveling companions on the drives from one site to another.
KimKim and Zehra truly put together a remarkable trip for us.

We had a wonderful 9-day trip to Turkey thanks to the efforts of Berat at Kimkim travel, and the knowledgeable guides she arranged, Volkan and Ozan, in Istanbul and Izmir.

My son and I wanted to do a history focused tour for this first trip to Turkey and with just that high level guidance, Berat produced an itinerary that covered successive periods all the way from Ancient Greek and Roman sites (Pirene, Ephesus) to Istanbul’s layers of empires (Roman to the Ottoman) and the after effects of the Turkish-Greek population exchange in Cyprus in 1923. We saw the main sights (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque etc), but also some unexpected gems with interesting side stories (observed Sunday mass at the seat of the Orthodox Church near Balat).

(It turns out tour-guiding is a major in college in Turkey, combining history, geography, art history, communication, archaeology and more. It totally makes sense: the serious focus produces high quality guides who lead tours for visitors to Turkey as well as Turkish groups visiting other countries.)

Towards the end of our trip, we wanted to see more modern art and our guide helped us fit in the Istanbul Modern, various artsy places in Kadikoy (Asian side) and art galleries back on the European side.

Hotels, planes, taxis and even metro rides were included in the trip cost, but lunch/dinner and guide tips were not paid ahead.

The trip was on the expensive side, but this was a solid introduction to Turkey and we left wanting to come back soon.

Thank you Berat for this memorable trip.

I highly recommend KimKim as a travel service. We received amazing individiualized attention to all of our travel needs during the two and half weeks in Turkey. Murat and Hulya provided overall management and were immediately responsive to issues that came up as well as providing detailed directions and communication at every stage of our trip. We had some concerns regarding cleanliness and suitability of the hotel room in Istanbul and Murat helped arrange for an upgrade the next day. The communication piece was really outstanding. She provided detailed information about drivers and tour guides and even checked us in on flights. All of this made our experience so comfortable when the logistics of travel can be overwhelming and confusing especially when you have multiple destinations as was our case. We were picked up and dropped off by dedicated and professional guides and drivers. We had three different guides; one for Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Izmir/Ephesus. All of our guides were friendly, responsive, punctual, interesting and most important, knowledgeable about the area toured, Turkish history and the sites visited. In Istanbul, Betul was clearly very experienced and knew the city extremely well. She took us to all of the important sites and we loved learning about the culture, city and especially the food from her. She even made a dinner reservation for us. In Cappadocia, we had an amazing guide, Esin. She was really awesome; her knowledge of the region and history was truly illuminating. Just a lovely human being who was flexible to our needs and enthusiastic and passionate with her guidance. For the last leg of our trip from Izmir to Bodrum, our guide Ecem provided clear information and was very helpful and accomodating. One of the advantages of this trip was that we were picked up and dropped off every day at our hotel and all travel was just so well coordinated. Thank you for all that was provided.

We had a wonderful time in Turkey and Berat and team made it seemless and easy. Working with Berat to plan the trip was easy as she gave great suggestions, had timely responses, and was there to help when needed. The focus of our trip was Istanbul and Cappadocia and the tour guides we had in both locations were stellar. Informative, bringing historical perspective to life, not overwhelming us with too much information, and helpful in recommending local places to visit, we really enjoyed our time with the guides. In Istanbul the highlights were the various mosques with historical context from Andrew and in Cappadocia the balloon ride was special as was the cooking class and walking tours through the various rock formations. Highly recommend this trip to others!

Hotel Reviews

Millstone Cave Suites

Loved this location and the embiance! Another great breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amira Hotel

Istanbul

Great location with very responsive staff. Breakfast was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cooking Class in Cappadocia

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Urban Hiking Tour: Strolling around Old City Walls, Fener + Balat

İstanbul

Really liked exploring this neighborhood. A more hip and modern side of Istanbul.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

A must do and Andrew was a fantastic guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver from and to airport were great. Hotel was nice but not many workers spoke English especially at the bar and restaurant. Had to use Google translate, surprising since most of people who stayed there were from US, Canada or Britain. Overcharged us for alcohol,a glass of prosecco was $30 and red wine was $20.

Sebil, our tour guide was good except walked fast and didn't check to see if we were always behind her. She also didn't always know answers to questions we asked about historical times.

Overall had fun with old college friends. Loved exploring the streets in the evening. Loved Turkish tea, coffee and sweets

Hotel Review

The Galata Istanbul Hotel - MGallery

Clean rooms but most workers didn't speak English. Wouldn't recommend restaurant, food on menu is not what you were given. Waiter didn't understand we were vegetarian and kept bringing us shrimp. Asparagus risotto didn't have asparagus. Overcharged for alcohol.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable to tram, stores, restaurants

Staff

Speak English

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Boat was late, many of us slept on tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore the Dolmabahçe Palace

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Zeyrek Cinili Hamam: Relaxing Turkish Bath + Beautiful Museum

İstanbul

Amazing experience, highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was walking fast and didn't always make sure we all together on streets of Istanbul

Transport

We spent 14 days touring Turkey with KimKim We had never done a privately guided trip before and found it to be very worthwhile. Zehra did an excellent job in suggesting an itinerary which included all the highlights of the country. She selected hotels in each locale, diverse and well located, each a different experience.. Our guides in each locale were excellent and knowledgable and adjust the schedule to avoid the crowds in the busy destinations. Lunches were in local restaurants highlighting the local cuisine . We would like to recognize Betul in Istanbul, Gozde in Cappadocia, Senem in Ephesus and Uraz in the southern coast and Antalya. Each provided a great tour in their respective locales.
In country travel, including 3 flights and transfers, was dependable and on schedule and Zehra quickly responded to questions during the trip.
Our trip included 3 days in Istanbul (we would recommend the Street food Tour and a visit to an Hammam), 2 days in Cappadocia (we would recommend the Hot air balloon ride and underground city tours), 2 days in Sirince with a tour of Ephesus and Pamukkale. Two relaxing days on the beach near Fethiye. A guided trip along the coast to Olympos and a day in Antalya.

Let's begin with the positives. Berat was prompt in her communication throughout the planning process. All scheduled transfers went off without a hitch, which we appreciate.

A special shoutout to our guides—Irfan in Cappadocia and Ozan in Izmir—for their deep knowledge, enthusiasm, and patience as they walked us through incredible sights. They were the highlight of the trip. On the other hand, Emir in Istanbul took a more by-the-book approach. His style felt rigid and lacked the warmth and flexibility we experienced with the other guides.

That said, I rarely write negative reviews—but our experience with Trail Travel (via Berat through Kimkim) was so egregiously underwhelming and overpriced that I feel compelled to warn fellow travelers. We paid an astronomical $$$$ for what was marketed as a premium 9-day private tour of Turkey, and what we got was mediocrity at prices that would make even luxury brands blush.

It all started when I realized our itinerary originated from Istanbul and ended in Izmir, despite clearly sharing that our international return flight was from Istanbul. This left us to book and pay for our own return. Having traveled widely across Europe and Asia, I expected more foresight—especially at this price point.

I first used Kimkim back in 2018. Now, at 60 and retired, I value ease and peace of mind while traveling, so my wife Sangeetha and I returned to the platform. Trusting Berat's 4.9-star reviews, I paid the quoted amount without hesitation. But after that Izmir-to-Istanbul surprise, I started scrutinizing the package—and realized we were charged approximately 1.5 times the market rate. My independent estimate was based on the premium rates for the same accommodations and services included in our package based on reputed travel portals and discussions with tour operators.

When I politely requested clarification about this price mismatch, instead of transparency, I received corporate doublespeak about "bundled services" and "personalized planning." Unprompted, a Kimkim rep was brought in to convince me about the professional planning, time savings, and support throughout the journey.

For our three nights in Istanbul, we followed an itinerary that involved walking in circles around Sultanahmet. The program conveniently avoided attractions requiring car transportation despite the premium we paid for a "private tour." A car service in Istanbul was too expensive to be included in our $$$$ package.

The hotels where we stayed were barely of 3-star quality:

The Istanbul Armada Hotel featured birds eating from the breakfast buffet (enjoy avian flu with your morning coffee!)
Our room at Kale Konak smelled of sewage
Basic, disappointing breakfasts throughout

The most detailed communication we received during the entire trip was a lengthy message about how much we should tip the guides and drivers, which we honored to the best of our abilities.

Turkey is a beautiful country. Hopefully, other reputable tour operators in Turkey will not treat your vacation budget like their personal ATM.
One star is too generous, but it's the minimum the review system allows.
A friend familiar with Turkish travel commented, "For this amount, you could have been chauffeured in a Rolls-Royce and stayed in a palace once owned by the Sultans."

Hotel Reviews

Kordon Hotel Çankaya

Çankaya, Konak, Izmir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kale Konak Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Armada Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum + House of Virgin Mary

Turkey

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Avanos: Discover the Centuries-Old Ceramic Tradition

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Volcanic Valleys of Cappadocia: Zelve, Pasabag, and Avcılar

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

Weather Gods were not kind to us

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Basilica Cistern

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the heritage of the wonderful Topkapi Palace

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Sultanahmet Square, Blue Mosque + Hagia Sophia

İstanbul

Discover the Historical Bazaars in Istanbul

İstanbul

Highly touristy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Berat was outstanding! Very professional and timely with her responses. She gave excellent recommendations and provided alternative solutions that we enjoyed.

A whirlwind five day trip to Turkey made possible by the organisational efforts of Berat and company. All activities and transfers went smoothly and the accomodation was of a high standard. The highlight was the Hot AirBalloons over Cappadocia, a magical experience and a definite bucket list tick. Shout out to our guides, Hatice in Cappadocia and Volkan in Istanbul, for the depth of their knowledge and patience in guiding us through the wonderful sights. We really wish we had more days to explore this beautiful country and are grateful for an introduction, hopefully we can see more in the future. Tesekkur 🙏