Kimkim Trip Reviews for Turkey

My 2 sisters and I planned a trip to Turkey through KimKim and worked directly with Berat. We provided some overall criteria (cultural and historical) but left most of the planning up to Berat with a few changes. She did a terrific job meeting our expectations. At one point I had an unexpected surgery and we were able to easily postphone our trip for a year. The trip was 16 days, 6 of it in Istanbul with a guide for two days and the rest was with a guide and a couple of drivers. Communication was excellent, including all detailed information. We were met at airports (twice), drivers were all professional and had very good vehicles (one brand new) and always on time. We had a Hamam visit planned and were dropped off and picked up with no worries. One driver we had for 5 days even brought coffee and tea in thermoses for a long drive. Both guides were exceptional. The guide we had for most of the trip 9/10 days provided many spontaneous extra diversions ie: natural potato storage facility, women cooking down molasses and tomatoes by the side of the road etc and provided excellent overviews before visiting a place . And the ice cream we ate with a knife and fork!! We felt priviledged to have him.
All the places we visited were impressive. and memorable ...there were so many! Probably the most was the 9,000 year old Catalhukuk, the underground caves, Caravanseri on the silk road, Mosques for me.
Our hotels were exactly what we wanted .... lots of character and with comfort as well. Very memorable. The communication via the app was great. Everything was very timely and smooth. We had booked a balloon ride in Cappadocia for the first day but weather cancelled it. We were able to rebook for the day we were leaving but again it was cancelled due to weather. Then we were offered to book at Pamukkale if we wanted, which we did and were able to do. So easy to have it all arranged for us. And any changes fit in easily. A wonderful trip!!!

Hotel Reviews

Armada Hotel

Istanbul

We enjoyed this hotel with views of the Bosphorus and the Blue Mosque. We visited the rooftop garden with herbs and fruit trees every morning and afternoon. The breakfast buffet was large with a great view and open windows. The turtles were also an added interest in the lobby. We were able to walk to places easily. We were there 6 nights and were very satisfied.

Location

We quickly learned our way around.

Kale Konak Hotel

We were looking for unique places with character to stay on our trip. This fit the bill! So many things to look at and every day you saw more. So much character. Lots of cats, as there are everywhere. A beautiful view. Wonderful breakfast and cake in the afternoon.

Hich Hotel Konya

Konya

An excellent location with a view of the Mosques. A focus onbooks. We expected a restaurant for supper but a very small menu so we went out. Easy to find lots of restaurants close by. Lots of character. A good breakafst.

Doğa Thermal Hotel & Spa

Denizli

We had asked for a spa hotel to have a rest day near the end of our trip so this fit the bill. This hotel is used for large tour groups so is very large, has a huge dinner buffet and good size breakfast buffet. Licensed. The simming pool with hot water is nice and not crowded. I did not bother with the cold one which apeared empty. I did use the Hamam for a turkish bath. It was not up to the one in Istanbul which was terrific. The staff were all good. WE didn'tleave thehotel except for our tour,ballon ride so I do not know about the area.

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Our last hotel. And what a special place. We did have the cooking class in a stone house with openfire/oven. when we arrived which was fun ...and then we ate the food which was great. I stayed in a little stone cottage which was really cool! The stars were very bright ...not something you see anymore. Lots of cats which we enjoyed. A very quaint beautiful spot. And wonderful people/staff. Lots of character but very different from all the other places. Gardens, fuit and olive trees. A really nice place to end our trip.

Activity Reviews

Explore the Basilica Cistern

İstanbul

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

This is an amazing place that I don't think you would find elswhere. A definite highlight for me.

Ceramic Tradition in Avanos + Light Hiking in the Love Valley

Cappadocia

This was interesting and the work is impressive. I bought a couple of very small dishes and when I got home I realized how exceptional they are.

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

I was prepared to be disappointed with the terraces but was not. We were able to put our feet in and walk a bit. So there is still enough of it left to be beautiful and worthwhile. Hierapolis was impressive as well. One could imagine why the Romans settled here.

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

This Ancient City is quite Impressive. As it was the last day of our tour we were getting a bit overloaded. I liked how you could really see what it would have been like . And the library is very impressive.

Explore the Sultanahmet Square, Blue Mosque + Hagia Sophia

İstanbul

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Beautiful Cappadocian Valleys: Zelve, Paşabağ and Uçhisar Fortress

Cappadocia

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Esrefoglu: A Unique Wooden Mosque from the 13th Century

Konya

Visit Beautiful Red Valley + Çavuşin

Cappadocia

Cooking Workshop at Nisanyan Houses

Şirince

This was really fun and in such a nice place. The food which you get to eat is good too!

Visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum + House of Virgin Mary

Turkey

Explore the heritage of the wonderful Topkapi Palace + Harem

İstanbul

This was our first experience with KimKim or any private travel company and we would say it was excellent. Their recommendations were all good, including what tours to take and in what hotels to stay, the guides they provided were always knowledgable (some were superb) and their Corbieco Travel's communication to us was always timely and helpful.
Emrah, our local specialist was more than patient with our many questions and trying to accommodate our needs. He was an excellent resource and a wonderful person. Our guide in Cappadocia, Canon was superb as was Umut in Ephesus.

Overall, we had a great and memorable experience and would use KimKim again and we have already recommended the Turkey team to others

We absolutely loved our trip to Turkey! Everything was seamless - transfers, meals, hotels - no problems. Our guides were tremendous- Zekiye in Istanbul, Efe in Cappadocia, and Mr. Ozan in Izmir. Zekiye whizzed us through lines and found wonderful local experiences for us. Efe gave us excellent historical context, and Ozan's enthusiasm for his home city and the historical sites was infectious. Every minute of this trip was a delight - we are already talking about returning to Turkey soon!

Activity Reviews

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Zekiye was the best guide! She zipped our way through the city - her knowledge helped us quickly navigate crowds and find wonderful local experiences.

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

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

Wow - that's all I can say. We were speechless throughout this amazing ride through the cliffs and valleys of Cappadocia. The ride was exceptionally well organized and run - we had the most precise landing on a small trailer and the coffee and pastries before takeoff and the champagne after landing were a wonderful touch. Truly we were in awe the entire time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

What a fascinating place! Efe showed us all the best spots and navigated the nooks and crannies beautifully.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Priene: A beautiful ancient Ionian town

Turkey

Mr. Ozan brought us to this hidden gem... what an incredible spot with glorious Greek ruins! I can't believe more people weren't clamoring to see this amazing site!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of our guides, we had 4, were very helpful, they were especially helpful negotiating around weather and certain locations where there was mass tourism. The trip was well laid out and planned. Our contact in Turkey kept us up to date about each step of the way. We knew each tour guide, driver, including telephone numbers, as well as well as license plate numbers of drivers car. The hotels selected were all very good, with good locations. Well done.

Hotel Reviews

Perlacia Adatepe Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room not up to snuff. Bathroom tiny.

Gullu Konaklari Sirince

Izmir

Millstone Cave Suites

The Bank Hotel

Istanbul

Bengodi Boutique Hotel

Hotel Komana

Activity Reviews

Explore the Sultanahmet Square, Blue Mosque + Hagia Sophia

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

İstanbul

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

Poor weather. Balloon ride canceled. We hiked thru the valley in place of ride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Troy: Explore Homer's Epic City

Turkey

Amazing history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ceramic Tradition in Avanos + Light Hiking in the Love Valley

Cappadocia

Very lovely tour through facility, but not into buying.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Crossing between Continents: Explore Kadıköy and Moda

İstanbul

Lovely experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had very good one week trip to Turkey. Our local guides were knowledgable and spoke excellent English. Polat and Gigi were excellent. Both had some good suggestions for maximizing our trip enjoyment. For the most part the trip plan was very good. We did have one very long day (Canakale to Kusadasi) that included three stops that was very long and the visits to the sites seemed a bit rushed but otherwise the itinerary was very good. The hotels were also very good. especically the hotel in Cappadocia. We especially enjoyed the balloon flight in Cappadocia. This was our fourth trip planned by Kimkim and we would use them again. Zehra was very accomodating with regards to our interests and timing.

Hotel Reviews

DoubleTree by Hilton Çanakkale

Çanakkale

Very comfortable hotel. Good location and excellent breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doubletree by Hilton Kusadasi

Kusadasi

Excellent hotel in a good location. Very comfortable and with a good breakfast. Nice spa area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Yunak Cave Hotel

Ürgüp/Nevşehir

This was a fantastic hotel! As the name implies the rooms are in caves yet are very comfortable. Excellent breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Rooms set in caves.

Location

Nice area to walk around. Lots of nearby restaurants.

Staff

Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Canakkale to Kusadasi via Troy & Pergamum

Turkey

This was a long day of driving and siteseeing. Troy, a legendary location, was very interesting but the ruins there are not spectacular. Pergamum is a fascinating site with an interesting history. The Pergamum Altar is an important site in Berlin but it was very interesting to see the town from where it was removed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Emre was very knowledgeable.

Transport

Very good driver.

This was one of my favorite trips. My husband and I were completely overwhelmed with the care and enthusiasm provided by the kimkim team. Berat and Murat put together a stunning itinerary and Hulya and Murat were on point to have it flawlessly executed.

Our guides Zekiye, Efe, and Ozan were truly some the highlights of the trip. Their warm concern and enthusiasm about showing us the best of Turkiye and its outstanding history made us feel like we were apart of the family. I hope other travelers get a chance to meet these amazing hosts. The drivers were all puctional and kind and the mode of transportation was luxurious.

The hotels were top notch , the Ciragan Palce, the Hotel Taskonaklar,, the Swiss hotel Izmir, and especially the Caresse Resort and Spa.

The restaurants chose for us to enjoy dinner were sublime

The tremedous archeolgical ruins and palaces and Mosques were breathtaking. We were allowed to spend ample time at each to really learn about the history.

Hotel Reviews

Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Taskonaklar Cappadocia

Nevsehir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swissotel Buyuk Efes Izmir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Caresse Resort + Spa, Bodrum

BODRUM

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Akra Antalya Hotel

Antalya

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

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

Ceramic Tradition in Avanos + Light Hiking in the Love Valley

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Roman Theater of Aspendos and the Ancient Town of Perge

Antalya

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Dolmabahçe Palace

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Bodrum: Bodrum Castle, Underwater Archaeology Museum and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

Bodrum

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Priene: A beautiful ancient Ionian town

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Bodrum to Antalya via Euromos + Aphrodisias

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Eternal Flame of Chimera

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Urla: History and Gastronomy

Turkey

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

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum + House of Virgin Mary

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beautiful Antalya: Explore the Old Town

Antalya

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Göreme-Uçhisar Hike

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Wine + Romance in Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beautiful Cappadocian Valleys: Zelve, Paşabağ and Uçhisar Fortress

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the ancient sites of Miletus and Didyma

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing journey to Turkey prepared by Berat Ornek of Trail Travel. During the course of 14 days Berat had us visiting Istanbul, the Aegean coast and Cappadocia and selected excellent guides, transportation and hotels for each destination.. Her recommendations were not only memorable but perhaps the best we have experienced in visiting more than 70 countries to date. Thank you Berat for a great experience.

Polat and Gigi (their preferred nicknames with us) were wonderful guides. I feel lucky to have been shepherded around by them. Both helped us avoid huge tourist mobs; big cruise liners and large travel groups. They both were extremely knowledgeable and helped us eat at superb restaurants. Maybe it’s easier to suggest restaurants for only 6 people.
Our guide for Gallipoli and Troy would clearly be an excellent guide for large groups. He insisted on not answering questions, but rather for everyone to wait until we were at a site, listening to his information. This strategy would work well for large groups. However, our group was small and wanted more in depth information and discussion. In fact, our guide, forgot to get back to us about a question regarding viaducts we saw from the road.

Hotel Reviews

DoubleTree by Hilton Çanakkale

Çanakkale

Had all the amenities but I prefer less generic, smaller places with more character and personality. The steam room was nice and the Turkish bath interesting. The buffet breakfast was very nice, except cappuccino had to be paid for. I went to the restaurant for dinner. The food was good, but it took an hour to get served. It seems that someone had to go catch the fish. Or the cook went home thinking there was no one else to serve.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doubletree by Hilton Kusadasi

Kusadasi

Well located near the water and excellent restaurants. It was a bit generic. I prefer smaller and more character. We had to have a breakfast to go because we left for the airport before breakfast was served. There is a lot of room for improvement if they are going to give out takeout breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Yunak Cave Hotel

Ürgüp/Nevşehir

For such a unique experience, I was happy to overlook some uncomfortable mattresses. I don’t think the scorpion that stung my roommate is something that could be avoided; just bad luck.

Authenticity & Character

Location

I’m very glad we were in the smaller town and not in the midst of a crowded intense tourist city.

Staff

Very attentive when my roommate was stung by the scorpion. Plus, the cleaning staff were just plain friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Except for the scorpion sting

Activity Reviews

Canakkale to Kusadasi via Troy & Pergamum

Turkey

The driving was formidable and certainly cut into a more leisurely and thorough experience. It was sad to have such a short, rushed time at the museum at Troy. A drive from the top of Gallipoli was unnecessarily, aggressive, causing much motion sickness in the van. After the driver was asked to tone it down, the next day we went very slowly, uphill being passed by all other vehicles on the road. This was either passive aggressive, or the van was underpowered – making the voyage longer.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A better powered van and less aggressive, driving down the long, steep windy road from the top of the Gallipoli war site.

Full Day Tour of Ephesus and Region

Turkey

Tour of the frescos, living sites and tile mosaics was a highlight. We almost missed it because it wasn’t offered. The small museum was also a highlight and could have been easily missed. The drive to the hotel from which we embarked to Ephesus, was another long agonizing drive. Without knowing the degree of time spent in vans, we were robbed of choice to change the itinerary

Quality of Experience

I would have loved our guide for the entire Turkey excursion. Once he understood our groups likes and interests, he responded. But by the time he understood us, he wasn’t our guide any longer

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drivers were all skilled. But the time in vans was a definite minus.

Full Day Tour to Pamukkale & Hierapolis

Turkey

Enjoy a Hot Air Balloon Ride in Cappadocia

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore The Landmarks of Cappadocia

Cappadocia

The experience would have been fantastic- and our guide was exceptional. But, there is no excuse for us having to get up at the crack of dawn to fly to Istanbul and then Cappadocia. The second flight was late and we were exhausted. Therefore, we couldn’t get the maximum enjoyment. Our itinerary had us going directly to Cappadocia (until the day before we were given our flights- a communication came that direct flights were only on some days and we might need to go through Istanbul). It was unbelievably insulting to say the that a direct flight to Cappadocia might not happen well before the flight due to weather. As a pilot, I can tell you that flights will not be cancelled a week before a flight because of weather. I think your local specialist didn’t book our flights until the direct flights were full. We knew the schedule well in advance. She should have booked us promptly so we could get a direct flight. If, indeed the direct flights didn’t go that day, we should have been informed well in advance so we could have choice to make itinerary changes. After all the grueling driving, having a grueling day of flights was particularly unwelcome

Visit to Kaymakli Underground City & Explore area

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide knew exactly when to take us so the underground city wasn’t mobbed with large tour groups. There isn’t much space down there and it would have been difficult to navigate it it was full of people.

Transport

Visit to Derinkuyu Underground City

Cappadocia

We couldn’t go, primarily due to the fact our KimKim contact didn’t get us on a direct flight to Cappadocia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A direct flight to Cappadocia so we could go

Our agent, Zehra, did a wonderful job helping us plan our 3 days in Istanbul. We were picked up and taken to the airport. Our hotel was charming and in a wonderful location. The staff and breakfast were great. We did two days of walking tours with a lovely guide named Eda. She was very knowledgeable and very helpful. We had such fun with her- we invited her to visit us in America.

This was my second trip with Kim Kim- and both were flawlessly executed! I plan to travel with them again in the future.

Wonderful guides, an amazing experience. Would love to go back to Turkiye !

We had a very well organized trip with lots of activity planned in just a 3 day time frame. Our tour guide Mehmet was very knowledgable and easy to be with for 3 whole days! Buse was at our finger tips if we needed her. The drivers were on time and the rides clean and comfortable.

Hotel Review

The Artisan Hotel Istanbul

Nice spacious room. Good breakfast. Located close to Taksim Square. Staff was very polite.

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel with nice rooms

Location

Close to Taksim square and the Bosphorus

Staff

Friendly and accomodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Istiklal Street Food Tour with Galata Tower

İstanbul

Enjoyed getting to know a bit more about culture of Istanbul and seeing the Tower.

Quality of Experience

Food

My personal taste that some items were not too tasty.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Old City Tour with Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace

İstanbul

Very busy day to see all this together, but worth seeing them.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Two Continents tour with Dolmabahce Palace

İstanbul

Palace gets quite busy, having a guide and pushing through is helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Mehmet helped to plan our day so I could actually step onto the Asia continent by taking us to a look out point park. Got to add another continent visited to my list LOL the park look out was great.

Transport

Bosphorus Dinner Cruise

İstanbul

Enjoyed the entertainment. The food and timing by the staff was on point. Something you should do once while visiting Istanbul. Enjoyed having transportation to and from the event.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was fine for serving over 100 people at one time. Offered a variety of Turkish dishes and a choice of 1 of 3 main courses.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Buse Nur was not who I interacted with as local specialist. But Emrah Pat, local specialist, who I was in constant contact with was totally awesome!!!! He was so patient with me and stayed in constant contact. He set up tours and drivers and guides that were phenomenal - everything was handled so professional, without delays, stress or any headaches. In an unfamiliar country that I don't speak the language, he was comforting, reassuring, and made me feel safe to know he was always there.
I cannot thank Emrah enough, or Kimkim, for working with my desires, budget and sporadic changes along the 10 day adventure. This is the second tour I've been able to use Kimkim and they have been consistently pleasing to work with. They are my go-to guides!

Activity Reviews

Pamukkale Tour

Turkey

This day was absolutely amazing in such a geological and historical perspective. Our guide was excellent and really knew his stuff! He could answer all of our questions and knew the location and Hieropolis stories extremely well. The driver as well was safe, clean van, and professional. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

All of it.

Food

No food was offered, but it was not necessary as we could eat on out own

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very professional and knowledgeable.

Transport

Very comfortable, treated like royalty

Old City Tour with Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace

İstanbul

Could not have improved, everything perfect/

Quality of Experience

Tour guide was proficient in English, professional and knowledgeable.

Food

Food was not included on this tour but had time to grab a bite to eat.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone knows what they're doing, what they're talking about, and do it right.

Transport

Vans were comfortable, drivers safe. Would help if they knew some English but wasn't really necessary.

Istiklal Street Food Tour with Galata Tower

İstanbul

Don't know how how you could improve this strreet tour. Guide was excellent, knowlegable, and charming. She made the trip fun and enlightening.

Quality of Experience

the guide and her choice of food to introduce us to.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Just charming people!

Whirling Dervish Show in Istanbul

İstanbul

A very spiritual and informative and interesting experience. Who knew??? It is unbelieveable how they can do that.

Quality of Experience

Well planned. Easy and interesting to explorethe area nearby.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was on-spot! Although would have liked extra time to explore the area.

Transport

Punctional, clean, safe

This was part 2 of our trip to Turkiye in the professional hands of Berat and her team - please see my comments on 19 September. Once again , every detail was planned and executed perfectly and I highly recommend them.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Begonvil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aspen Hotel

Antalya

Great location in the old city and it has a lovely pool for relaxing . However the room we had overlooked a venue that played loud music into the night. When I raised this matter the next day we were immediately moved to another quieter room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Be sure to ask for a quiet part of the hotel.

Activity Reviews

Boat Tour Through Kekova Bay

Turkey

I had not expected to enjoy this as much as I did. We were taken by minibus and we boarded a boat at Kekova. The day was spent viewing the underwater and above water ruins of Kekova Island and 5 swims in the aquamarine waters of the area. We also stopped at Simena Castle where people could climb to the top for spectacular views. We were also given a lovely lunch . All in all a great day!

Quality of Experience

Discover Roman Theater of Aspendos and the Ancient Town of Perge

Antalya

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As always Volkan shared his knowledge which gave so much more context to a visit.

Transport

The driver did a slight detour to show me the aquaduct in the area.

This trip was superb in every respect: Berat was incredibly patient and helpful when we did the planning . Nothing seemed too much trouble. Our guide, Volkan (who was with us for 8 days), was amazingly knowledgeable about the layers of history of the places we visited and he also gave us insights into Turkye today. He also knew just the places to stop for coffee and cake or a scenic lunch break! He was sensitive to our needs and tailored the trip accordingly. Murat and Hulya were great support people providing attention to detail and making sure every aspect of our trip went smoothly. A highlight was when Volkan recognised that Andrew might struggle with the steep roads in Sirince and he arranged for us to shift accommodation to a wonderful alternative. We appreciated that so much. I cant recommend Berat and her team highly enough!

Hotel Reviews

Armada Hotel

Istanbul

Good location. Lovely rooftop for meals and/or a drink with views of the Blue Mosque - especially nice at night

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy walk to the places we were to visit and nice waterside views.

Staff

The rooftop people were very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Assos Troy Port Hotel

The hotel overlooks the small harbor and has a real buzz about it. We were able to swim in the sea which was a bonus. The staff were friendly and helpful. We ate at the hotel restaurant next to the water and which had an overwhelming choice of meze.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Liman Hotel Gumusluk

Lovely small boutique hotel with friendly and helpful staff. It has a great outlook over the waterfront.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Gumusluk is a great place to stay if visiting Bodrum. It is out of the busy-ness of Bodrum and has a lovely waterfront area with nicely decorated restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Pergamon and the Ancient Healing Center Asclepion

Turkey

We took the cable car up to the top which was an adventure in itself . In the Hellenistic and Roman period Pergamon was a major centre with a far -reaching kingdom and we learned so much from Volkan. The theatre is incredibly steep and could house 10000 people. Going through a 'subway' to enter it be careful not to bump your head . Because it was extremely hot we didn't spend as much time as we would have liked.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore the Sultanahmet Square, Blue Mosque + Hagia Sophia

İstanbul

This was our first day with Volkan as our guide. He expertly took us to the various locations rescheduling flexibly as it was terribly hot and we waned to avoid big crowds. His knowledge throughout our trip astounded us! We enjoyed all the sites that day : Hippodrome , Grand Bazaar , The Sultans Palace, Hagia Sophia and finally the Basilica Cisterns which was definitely a highlight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

İstanbul

This was our second day in Istanbul encompassing the Spice Bazaar and the boat trip along the Bosphorus. The highlight was definitely a visit to The Blue Mosque which is astonishing in its architecture and decoration.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Explore the heritage of the wonderful Topkapi Palace + Harem

İstanbul

Explore the Basilica Cistern

İstanbul

It was amazing to walk through this site and imagine its construction in the 6th century by the Romans. Our guide gave us interesting facts and pointed out the Medusa heads used as column bases!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Assos: Temple of Athena and the Beautiful Scenery of the Aegean Coast

Turkey

There was a short walk through the quaint village and up to the top . The view at the site of the temple was quite spectacular - the view of the Aegean and Lesbos. One can imagine that was why they chose that spot to construct it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver was always available when we needed him - especially to escape the heat of the day.

Discover the ancient sites of Miletus and Didyma

Turkey

A highlight was learning about the Maeander River ( from which we get the word 'meander') and how it silted up over time thus preventing access to the sea which had been Miletus's key advantage. It is well-known as a home of many Greek philosophers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We visited 2 places in Türkiye.
Our guide Ismael was very knowledgeable and helpful during our time in Istanbul.
Cappadocia was a surreal experience it was beautiful, the landscape balloon rides fairy chimneys and caves . Everything was amazing! Our guide Jannan was also amazing !!
Our trip was well planned the accommodations and transportation were perfect.

Worked with Emrah who helped link our trip together. My wife and I booked our own hotels in Istanbul , bodrum, fethiye and Kas. The Kim Kim team helped organize seamless private transfers and guided tours in Istanbul and other stops along the way . The guides we met were very knowledgable and went out of their way to show us a good time and gave us some great local experiences and shopping advice that were more quality and less mass market . Overall had a great experience and would recommend using their services.

Thank you for everything. Overall, everything was very well organized, and we had a wonderful trip. My family really enjoyed the experience, and it was truly one of the nicest and most unforgettable trips we have taken.

I just wanted to share a few comments that may be helpful for future trips.

Cappadocia:
We felt that three days in Cappadocia was a little too long. The third day was very short and there was not much scheduled before our evening flight. It may have been better to leave Cappadocia earlier that day and travel to Bodrum, or leave even a night before

We also would not recommend the Turkey Night show in Cappadocia. Unfortunately, we found the show boring and the food was not very good It seemed as though the food had been prepared much earlier in the day usually we love the turkish food ,
We left early and ended up having dinner at the hotel instead. Perhaps this type of experience could be arranged in another location or replaced with another activity.

The Utopia Cave Hotel was also a disappointing experience for us. The air conditioning was not working properly on the first night. We changed rooms, but unfortunately the air conditioning in the new room was still not working well. The breakfast and dinner options were also quite limited and simple. I would recommend considering other hotel options in Cappadocia in the future.
Based on our experience, I would suggest keeping Cappadocia to a maximum of two nights.
My family actually kept saying that they wished they had stayed longer in Bodrum.

Things We Loved:
The hot-air balloon experience was fantastic, and the horse riding was amazing. The tour guide was also one of the nicest guide we have ever met and made the experience even better.
Istanbul:
I know I selected the Marmara Taksim Hotel, and the location was excellent, but in our opinion it did not feel like a five-star hotel. In comparison, the Barceló Istanbul and Le Méridien Bodrum were perfect and met our expectations very well.
We also really enjoyed all of the tours in Istanbul. The guide was excellent, and everything was very well organized.
Overall, we truly enjoyed our trip and appreciate all the work that went into organizing it. These comments are simply intended as constructive feedback that may help improve the experience for future travelers.
Thank you again for everything!

Activity Reviews

North Cappadocia Tour

Cappadocia

Amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best people we met in this trip

Transport

South Cappadocia Tour

Cappadocia

No much difference from the day before

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Two Continents tour with Dolmabahce Palace

İstanbul

We enjoyed it

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mustafapasa Village Tour

Cappadocia

We enjoyed the lunch there

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Istiklal Street Food Tour with Galata Tower

İstanbul

Very food , but was early morning, we started it just after the breakfast, so we could not try the food options May Was better if you make it after the blue mosque tour

Old City Tour with Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace

İstanbul

We loved it

Bosphorus Dinner Cruise

İstanbul

We loved it

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Horseback Riding at Sunset

Cappadocia

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Turkish Night Show in a Cave Restaurant

Cappadocia

Food

Transport

We had wanted to visit Turkey for a long time. Berat put together a wonderful two week trip for us, two people in our mid 70s. The sites were amazing, especially if you are interested in ancient Greek and Roman ruins. We also had some rest time in Kas and Bodrum, both beautiful seaside resort towns. We were a little hesitant about participating in the Hot Air Balloon ride in Cappadoccia, but we are glad we did. It was an amazing experience that everyone should enjoy. All of our guides were smart, engaging, and knowledgeable. We could not have enjoyed the trip more. This was our sixth Kim Kim trip, and we plan to continue to have them plan future trips for us.

Working with Berat was so helpful! She planned an amazing trip that our family loved!
Our favorite part was the guides! They were knowledgeable and so helpful!

A friend and I had a very enjoyable time during our visit to Turkey. We were both surprised by the modernity of the country as a whole, but in particular Istanbul. The people we met on the street were always very friendly. we felt safe. Kimkim and Unison did not let us down. Our local specialist, Burcu, could not have been nicer or more helpful. She promptly answered many questions from us, made reservations and was just very responsive and helpful no matter what the issue was. We had three guides that were all very knowledgeable of their areas and were with us the whole time each day. Our favorite place that we spent time in was Cappadocia. It was fascinating to see how people created by hand their cave homes and lived successfully for millennia in the area. My overall impression of the trip was that it was enjoyable well executed and memorable. Highly recommend Kimkim and Unison for travel to Turkey.