Kimkim Trip Reviews for Turkey

Our guides were both very knowledgeable, friendly, and flexible. They definitely added to the experience! The personal anecdotes and experiences of the guides enhanced our visit and helped gain a deeper understanding of the culture and history of Turkey. Would absolutely book again!

Our trip to Turkey was fabulous. Berat did a wonderful job of ensuring all the details were taken care of prior to our arrival and set us up for a great time. Our guides Ibrahim and Hatice were excellent and made sure we had a great experience. They were very knowledgeable about the history and used their wealth of experience to help us navigate all of the amazing attractions to avoid any unnecessary stress. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants a deep cultural experience in Turkey.

Overall a very good trip and experience. The highlight was clearly the ballon trip at Cappadocia. But the flights planning did not go well and the hotel at Instambul was bellow our fair expectations.

The guides and the people at the hotels took good care of us. Berat was very careful and responsive, specially when had a problem with the connections on our flights.

Hotel Reviews

Gül Konaklari Sinasos (Rose Mansions Sinasos)

Nevsehir

Nice hotel and good service. Value for money.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Recital Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quad Bike Tour at Sunset

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

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

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Avanos: Discover the Centuries-Old Ceramic Tradition

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I recently returned from a trip to Turkey using KimKim for the second time (Norway was the first).

Once again, they did not disappoint.

They connected me with Berat, my local contact and she was nothing short of amazing. She put together the perfect trip for my families interests and we had an absolutly amazing time. It was a trip containing both educational and historical moments, as well as outdoor adventure including ballooning, white water rafting, sea kayaking and biking. Berat was in constant contact with us, almost daily, confirming activites and transfers, as well as checking in to make sure we were happy and content. She was/is truly a gem and if you have the opportunity to have her plan/manage your trip, you won't be disappointed.

Hotel Reviews

Akra Antalya Hotel

Antalya

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Divan Çukurhan Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doğa Thermal Hotel & Spa

Denizli

The Doğa Thermal Hotel & Spa was a bit of a letdown. The air conditioning was not functioning well, which was uncomfortable given the heat. However, the staff was friendly and tried their best to accommodate us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Bank Hotel

Istanbul

The Bank Hotel was awesome. We had a two-bedroom apartment which was perfect for our family. The location was great, and the service was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kale Konak Hotel

The cave hotel was a unique experience. It was comfortable and well-appointed. The staff was friendly and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Suna Sun Hotel

Antalya

Hotel was wonderful. The rooms were comfortable, and the staff was helpful and friendly. The location was excellent.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Horseback Safari in Beautiful Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

The horseback ride was a great adventure. It was well organized, and the horses were well cared for. It was a fun and unique way to explore the beautiful Cappadocian Valleys.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rafting Adventure at Koprulu Canyon

Antalya

The whitewater rafting exceeded my expectations. It was a thrilling adventure, and the guides were friendly and experienced. The rafting company was very professional. This was one of the top activities of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sea Kayaking at Kekova

Kas

Sea kayaking was a wonderful experience. We loved getting up close to the ruins and the water was crystal clear. It was a great day out on the water.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

The hot air balloon ride was the highlight of our trip. It was an incredible experience, one that will stay with us forever. The views were surreal, and the entire experience was well organized.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I had an amazing two-week trip to Turkey. We like to plan our travel but were so happy that we made the decision to have Berat plan our trip. We gave her a rough itinerary, along with our interest and she took it from there. Recommending additions, and taking care of all of our in-country travel, hotels, transportation, and arrangements with the BEST tour guides. We can't say enough about how knowledgeable our tour guides were, our friendly drivers, and the attentiveness of Berat at every step of our trip.

Hotel Reviews

Gül Konaklari Sinasos (Rose Mansions Sinasos)

Nevsehir

The Gul Konaklari in Sinasos is a special property to stay at while in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. It is a beautiful former Greek Mansion that is quiet and beautiful. The staff is attentive and as friendly as they come. We enjoyed both the sumptuous breakfasts, as well as the delicious dinners. What we also appreciated about the hotel is its location, away from the touristy section of the region. The town of Sinasos is a lovely location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's quiet and in a lovely town to explore.

Staff

So attentive, genuinely kind, and always a big smile.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

A lovely small hotel on the hillside overlooking the town. An easy walk into the town to explore the market. Great views, attentive staff, and excellent meals. They were kind enough to offer to make us breakfasts to do when we had to depart at 4 am!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

A very depth tour of the heritage of the region and it's relict buildings.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide Damla was terrific

Transport

Overall, my family of four had a great trip to Turkey - we visited Cappadocia, Ephesus, Sirince, Pamukkale in 6 days. The trip was well-organized, with very good guides and drivers and solid communication / timing throughout. Irfan, our guide in Cappadocia was extremely knowledgeable and Ozan, in Ephesus and Pamukkale, was very energetic and engaging with our kids. Both guides were very flexible and able to tailor the days to our particular tastes.

There were a few details we didn't love - we have shared that feedback with Berat directly.

Our guide Rudy was awesome! His knowledge about history, art, culture, landscape and great places to eat was invaluable. He was fun and interesting too! Also, he was adept at tweaking the itinerary on the fly to ensure to maximize time spent at locations with the least amount of driving times. Beret was responsive to our requests and kept us updated on logistics. Amazing trip start to finish!

Hotel Reviews

Museum Hotel

Nevşehir

Super location. Interesting to stay inside a cave, but all the comforts available. Great food and atmosphere in a beautiful atmosphere.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kempinski Hotel Bodrum Barbaros Bay

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was outdated and dark, no character at all and the shower was darn right dangerous to get in and out of.

Activity Reviews

Sunset Wine + Romance in Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rudy was the best guide we could have asked for - fun and knowledgeable. His logistical sense made it an easy trip to see all of the important sites.

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

It’s an early morning start for an incredible adventure. Be advised, there is down time waiting for groups to assemble at a breakfast area. It wasn’t so warm and inviting at 4am, but once the balloon pilot and crew take over it’s an amazing experience that was top-notch!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Istanbul Archaeological Museum Tour

İstanbul

One of the best curated museums. Fascinating, a definite must!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Boat Tour at Bodrum

Bodrum

The boat tour and swimming opportunities were wonderful, but what it special was the Captain and crew that were warm and friendly. The lunch was simple, but fantastic - one of our favorite meals of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Cool areas and interesting history. The valleys with the chimney fairies are must-see places. Special places!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

We took our guide with us which made the sunset trip even better - learning about the areas by water and the development of the port area was interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip to Turkey where we enjoyed Istanbul and Cappadocia was very good. Our guide in Instanbul Burak was the best who was so knowledgable about the culture that made our trip the memorable. The balloon ride in Cappadocia was really memorable for us. Our group of 18 family members each enjoyed the trip to the maximum. Thanks for organizing the trip and getting things in place

This was our first trip to Turkey, it will not be our last, we have had it on our plans for many years and when we finally managed the trip it has been beyond our expectations.

From early on we had a fluid contact with Berat, who understood clearly what we were looking to gain from our visit. The trip went 100% according to plan and at every stage of the trip the logistics of flights, guides and transport were superb.

Our local guides Onder and Alp were extremely knowledgeable and attentive to our questions. We enjoyed greatly our experiences with them.

We look forward to planning with KimKim our future trips.

Hotel Reviews

Hagia Sofia Mansions Istanbul, Curio Collection by Hilton

Fatih Istanbul

Location is perfect and service was very attentive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Argos in Cappadocia

Nevsehir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Accessability to the rooms and common areas is difficult for people of limited mobility.

Akra Antalya Hotel

Antalya

Major US style resort hotel. The best breakfast I have ever had.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Changa Hotel

Antalya

Great people and very helpful, it is a rustic stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doğa Thermal Hotel & Spa

Denizli

Good location and an excellent Spa. Buffet style food plentiful but only average.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pera Palace

Istanbul

A true gem and peaceful in the middle of a buzzing Istanbul. 19th Century splendor at its best.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Food Tour in Istanbul

İstanbul

This tour could be improved.

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

We were unlucky with the rain, which may have influenced our review.

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

İstanbul

Everything you expect it to be.

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

Outstanding and must be experienced.

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Avanos: Discover the Centuries-Old Ceramic Tradition

Cappadocia

The hike was great, the ceramics was a commercial spot.

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Fantastic - hard to believe what you are experiencing and seeing. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and enhanced our visit to this amazing site.

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Sunset Wine + Romance in Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Was just what we needed and was extraordinary. A perfect end to our visit to Capaddocia.

Explore the Old Town and Antalya's Archaeological Heritage

Antalya

The museum and the guide Alp was outstanding.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Phaselis: Port city of the Lycian League

Turkey

The Eternal Flame of Chimera

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Cape Gelidonya Hike

Turkey

For the keen and experienced hikers. Views and experience are excellent of the Lycian Way. Our guide was enthusiastic and led the way with plenty of stops and hydration during the 9-hour hike.

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

A true thermal experience from the Roman times.

Turkey Trip:
ISTANBUL: has some beautiful sites of such historical relevance. We appreciated the tours by Hatice, who was very friendly and knowledgeable. The hotel selected by Berat was substandard, DINGY, and in desperate need of refreshing and updating. The Staff were great.
The food tour was lacking; the market was pretty but touristy and monotonous - are there no "real" markets for locals that would be far more intriguing?
CAPPADOCIA: was amazing. We were pleased with our hotel although it lacked some additional things like a soap dish and only one towel each. The only coffee in room and at bkft was Nescafe Instant - yuck!
ANTALYA: stop over for a night was a nice stay in a modern hotel. Then off at 6AM for a flight to get to Kas.
KAS: delightful town. The HOTEL THAT WAS SELECTED FOR US WAS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. We complained to Berat who thought it would be alright to suggest one of our two couples could move to a larger room. After much emphatic dialogue on our part, she came up with another hotel that we visited before approving. It was fantastic.
WE BELIEVE THAT BEFORE ANY TOUR COORDINATOR SUGGESTS ACCOMMODATION, THAT THEY CHECK THEM OUT FIRST-HAND/IN-PERSON. OUR LOCAL GUIDE HAD NEVER VISITED EITHER OF OUR HOTELS.
All-in-all it was a wonderful trip, but some quality aspects left us disappointed.

We had a great trip to Turkey in May. Berat did an excellent job with our itinerary and was very flexible when we had to change our dates. She was a pleasure to work with. Berat very organized and each step of our trip was planned perfectly. She was able to combine all the sights we wanted to see including Istanbul, Capodoccia, Ephesus, and the Mediterranean coast into a 10 day trip for 4 family members. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and allowed us to do everything in our itinerary. The guides and drivers were very good as were the accommodations that Berat recommended. I wholeheartedly recommend Berat as a trip planner when considering traveling to Turkey.

Sometimes, when you are most lucky, a trip becomes an indelible, lifetime memory. We chose Türkiye as our destination because of the amazing history and beautiful, varied geography of the region. Berat was our KimKim travel planner, and she organized an experience for us that we could have never arranged on our own. The itinerary she designed allotted the time we had to the cities/places we wanted to see in the perfect segments. The accommodations she chose for us were unparalleled for location, views, and service. The transportation was unfailingly top notch and professional. Berat recommended the perfect tours and she arranged a special request visit for us to a local business that is an area of particular interest and it was a highlight of our trip. (I am amazed at how she did this!) We did the balloon experience in Cappadocia (a bucket list item), and she chose, from the many options, a truly expert operation. This incredible memory will never dim!
The hospitality of the Turkish people is legendary. And the true magic of our trip was the assistance of the local guides. Hattie in Cappadocia, Erdem in Istanbul, and Alp in Antalya- all were amazing. Having the insight and the assistance of guides intimately familiar with everywhere and everything you will encounter enriches every precious moment. These special guides can take you exactly to the sites and experiences that will make your trip unforgettable.
Thank you to each individual who helped make our trip the amazing, seamless experience it was!

Our guide Hati was excellent. She was knowledgable and very attentive. She readily adjusted our itinerary in response to our needs and was very accommodating for one of our reluctant travelers :) KimKim made it easy to plan and Berat, our trip designer was extremely responsive and helpful. Two suggestions for travelers--be mindful to plan gratuity for guide and it seems in Turkey, the best way to get TL cash is to exchange US cash--but also can us US $ for gratuity. Wished we had known. Otherwise--all went very smoothly!

All of our guides were very knowledgeable and personable and really helped us get a much deeper understanding of the history and culture of Turkey. We had a lot of places we wanted to see in a short time (Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Cappadocia), but Berat and the team made it all run so smoothly (which was not easy because we took a lot of domestic flights) and helped take off a lot of the stress. All the places we saw were amazing, but we were blown away by Cappadocia! It was truly incredible to see the churches/monasteries and the underground city. And we were really lucky the weather held out so we could go on the hot air balloon ride. We enjoyed our hotel in Sirince the most (Nisanyan House) because it felt the most like a home and the setting in the mountains was so quiet and peaceful. The homemade breakfast was such a treat too! We are grateful Berat recommended this place! We would not recommend the hotel where we stayed at Hierapolis - one of us got bitten by a lot of bugs in the bed. Overall however, we were very pleased with our boutique hotel accommodations throughout the trip because they added a special touch to our trip. Turkey should definitely be on your bucket list, and we recommend experiencing it through Kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gül Konaklari Sinasos (Rose Mansions Sinasos)

Nevsehir

Authenticity & Character

Location

I think next time we would have stayed in one of the slightly bigger towns nearby

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pam Thermal Hotel

Pamukkale/Denizli

Authenticity & Character

Full of lots of other tourists

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

One of us got bit by bugs

Ansen Suites

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Only thing is it was pretty loud into the night on a saturday night because it seems like a party district

Staff

Served us tea while we waited for our room

Cleanliness & Comfort

Recital Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Could walk to the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Avanos: Discover the Centuries-Old Ceramic Tradition

Cappadocia

We really enjoyed our lunch in a little hut over the river in the Love Valley! Beautiful place for a quiet stroll too. Might skip the Ceramic Tradition as everything they were selling was beautiful but too expensive.

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide here was really funny and also really knowledgeable!

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

There are two groups of hot air balloons that go up and I would try to ask for the earlier one if possible so you can actually see the sunrise from the balloon! We went up a bit later so we missed the sunrise by a bit.

Kaymaklı Underground City + Light Hiking at Ihlara Valley + Selime Monastery

Cappadocia

Visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum + House of Virgin Mary

Turkey

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

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

İstanbul

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Incredible setting! Interesting opportunity to understand more about this religious tradition, though some travelers might find the performance a bit long.

This jam packed trip was incredible, and I can't speak highly enough of Berat and our full time guide Erdam.

The trip: Wow! Berat managed to squeeze 4 different locations filled with activities in 7 days for a family of 9. Our ages ranged from 10-70. We could not have been happier with the trip itself.

The service: Above and beyond!
Erdam had 9 people to rangle, and he was the kindest, most patient guide filled with knowledge and fun stories for both the kids and adults. He was flexible with our requests to add stops, and was all around a great guide. We ADORED him.

Berat: She actually came to lunch with us one day to surprise us, and she went way above and beyond trying to help track down a lost passport. (Which she found at a restaurant) She did WAY more than she was required to do, and we are so very thankful we were working with her. She had great communication with us, changed the schedule as needed, and she personally drove around one of us during the passport debacle to track it down. I don't know any other agency that would have done that.

Hotel Reviews

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

Great breakfast, and the location was perfect!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfectly located to walk right across the street to major attractions. It was even quiet at night for a city.

Staff

Really nice people and very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Helike Hotel

Nevsehir

Our favorite hotel. It was super unique and the heayed floors were amazing! The breakfast spread here was amazing too.

Authenticity & Character

The views!!!!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Beautiful and unique. We loved the character of the rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Best part about this place. Beautiful inside and gorgeous views!

Location

The hotel was great for the younger people in the party. For the grandparents in the group, the walks to the room and town were very steep, and there are not really other options to get around. We did fund super nice people in the village below to help drive them back up though.

Staff

Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pam Thermal Hotel

Pamukkale/Denizli

Nice hotel. Decent dinner offered, and had cool amenities.

Authenticity & Character

More like a resort, but still nice

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

We really enjoyed this tour. The Palace, Monique, and cistern were great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

The public boat tour was a little underwhelming. The day was drizzly, and without a guide, there was not much to it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Loves Cappadocia and everything here. This was our favorite place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Amazing! Loved this as well. We stopped at a rug making shop for a demonstration. We really enjoyed that.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

We did not get to do this due to the wind. Pretty bummed about that. Perhaps let future travelers know that this option only goes about 50% of the time and to be prepared for a back up option. We did the ATV tour at sunset, which was a great experience though. We appreciated Berat changing that out for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Really amazing! Loved this !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Avanos: Discover the Centuries-Old Ceramic Tradition

Cappadocia

Great little place who let us all try it. We enjoyed this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Great spot. And Erdam was a perfect guide. He even squeezed in Mary's house for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Again, great experience here. Appreciated the guides knowledge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guides Ibrahim in Istanbul, Hatice in Kapadokya and Onder in Ephesus and Pammukale were all excellent. The trip was wonderful over all covering many sites of historical places and we got to taste delicious local Turkish cuisines. Our guides also gave us ample time and very patient with us for our shopping pleasure. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get to ride balloons in Kapadokya due to weather and for that we definitely have to come back again in near future!

Hotel Reviews

Recital Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Helike Hotel

Nevsehir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pam Thermal Hotel

Pamukkale/Denizli

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

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

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

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

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Avanos: Discover the Centuries-Old Ceramic Tradition

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

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

We (family of 4, including 2 teenage boys) recently completed an 8-day trip to Turkey with Trail Travels and it was AMAZING! We visited 3 cities during this trip - Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Antalya.
The country is beautiful, rich with culture, history, and great food. I have been to Turkey before for work, but it was first time with family so was bit apprehensive how the experience would be.. but Trail Travel did a fantastic job taking care of us and customizing our daily itineraries to accommodate our interest and energy level. Berat (from Trail Travel) who I have been working with for a couple moths, found the time to come meet us in person in Antalya… that was a nice personal touch. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and easy to engage, especially our tour guide – Erdem in Istanbul, super nice guy.

In terms of the trip – given we had 2 active teenage boys, the hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia was certainly the highlight, followed by the impressive mosques and grand bazar in Istanbul. The weather wasn’t the best, but nothing we couldn’t manage with a light jacket. Kelebek Special Cave hotel and Goreme Open Air Museum in Cappadocia was great experience as well. On the other end – the food tour in Istanbul was bit disappointing and we would probably skip that in future. Another reason for this – since Turkey has so much great food you end up eating for lunch and dinner. the food tour doesn’t really make sense. Similarly, the Ramada Plaza hotel by Wyndham in Antalya, though great location was disappointing given they closed their pool and game room which the boys were looking forward to.

Overall, great trip and likely we will do it again... maybe only focus on 1-2 cities next time.
Irfan Siddiqui

We enjoyed our trip to Istanbul and Capadoccia.

We don't have any have complains, but would like to make some suggestions.

In the US and other countries there are very strict rules about smoking in restaurants or in public paces, however in Turkey it still is very common for people to smoke in restaurants or public spaces.
I understand that this is not under your control but I think you need to advice people visiting about this situation there and make sure to request a non smoking table when eating in restaurants because waiters there usually don't ask .
Another suggestion is to make sure to communicate directly with the person that will be the main guide during the visit, because in our case or main communication was with Ms. Berat but during our visit our guide was Mr. Ibrahim and there was a confusion about which places were included for our visit, he had to call the agency because according to him the visit to Topkapi palace was not included in our tour.

Hotel Reviews

Hagia Sofia Mansions Istanbul, Curio Collection by Hilton

Fatih Istanbul

Excellent location and service, it is located near all major attractions in the center of Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Although the hotel expands a large area, each mansion feels like a small independent hotel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kelebek Special Cave Hotel

Nevsehir

The hotel matches with the cave environment of the city and region

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

We enjoyed the visit to all the mosques , Topkapi palace, the boat trip through the Bosporus and the modern area of Taksim and Galata. For us the visit to the spice market and grand bazaar was the least attractive part of the visit

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Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

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

İstanbul

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Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

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Explore the historical + modern hub: Pera, Karaköy and Beyond

İstanbul

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Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

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Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

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Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

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Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

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Thank you Kim Kim for great organization and service of our private tour. It was worth it. All 3 guides; Ibrahim (Istanbul), Nihat (Cappadocia) & Tunc (Izmir region) were really personable and gave really informative tours, patient and attentive service for my elderly mum and her friend who came with a walking stick. We really enjoyed our time in Turkey; even more so in Cappadocia and Izmir region (Ephesus, Sirince & Pamukkale). We want to give special mention to Tunc who proactively helped organize a paragliding experience for me and also a hot air balloon ride in Pamukkale for us as we didn't manage to do it in Cappadocia due to foggy weather; he managed to cater to my expectations as well as my mum and her friend. Thank you once again! We will definitely book with you the next time we plan to travel again. :)

Hotel Reviews

Kelebek Special Cave Hotel

Nevsehir

Amazing view. Love the fire place and the interior decoration of our room. Location is a bit challenging for elderly people to walk up from town center but it has an amazing view and sumptious breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Love it that we're staying in the fairy chimney itself

Location

Amazing view

Staff

All of the staff were very hospitable and helpful except for one person at reception who looked very grumpy

Cleanliness & Comfort

nice hot showers and fire place

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

We stayed in a cottage that comes with a huge common kitchen and dining room... looks amazing. Our room and bathroom is so charming, big but cozy; beautiful decoration. Breakfast with the view of Sirince was delicious and enjoyable. We wished we stayed a week instead of only a night at this beautiful place.

Authenticity & Character

Charming and quaint big room with nice fireplace setting and marble shower, outside balcony for some peace and quiet; great decoration

Location

Perched atop a hill with an amazing view of Sirince

Staff

Helpful porter who carried all our heavy luggage uphill.... so thankful but we felt so bad for him doing all the carrying

Cleanliness & Comfort

comfortable beds, fireplace, hot water for showering

Doğa Thermal Hotel & Spa

Denizli

Very commercial; not used to seeing so many tour groups after staying in boutique hotels our entire trip but the spa facilities were very good. The button of the toilet flush fell off and it took the concierge a bit of time to understand what happened before they manage to fix it.

Authenticity & Character

It's good for a commercial hotel but not our usual preference

Location

Staff

Some challenges speaking English

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spa facilities, comfortable bed

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

Room was comfortable but the towel hanger fell off...Thankfully they managed to quickly fix it.

Authenticity & Character

Very quaint and charming interior decoration

Location

Situated in Old Town Istanbul

Staff

Very friendly and prompt

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice warm water for showering in cold weather

Activity Reviews

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

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Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

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Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Hagia Sofia / Blue mosque was under renovation

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

learn how to use the tram in Istanbul :)

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

İstanbul

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Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

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Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

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Avanos: Discover the Centuries-Old Ceramic Tradition

Cappadocia

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Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Very crowded on the weekend... but otherwise very interesting experience

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Discovering the Ihlara Valley and Light Hiking Along the Melendiz River

Cappadocia

scenic walking trial ... highly recommend

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Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

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

İzmir

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Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING!

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Visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum + House of Virgin Mary

Turkey

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Our trip was fantastic. From the moment we arrived until we departed, we were covered. We had wonderful guides, hotels, and transportation. I would highly recommend our guides in both Istanbul and Cappadocia. They were full of information helping us to step back in history and experience the deepness of each location. All of our excursions were well planned and exceptional. We enjoyed the cooking class, the Turkish Bath, and the balloon ride. Our hotel on Istanbul was comfortable and centrally located. We loved the mansion hotel we stayed at in Cappadocia. The staff was incredible and the property was incredible. Overall, we were very pleased with our entire Turkey experience!

Hotel Reviews

Gül Konaklari Sinasos (Rose Mansions Sinasos)

Nevsehir

This was our favorite part of Cappadocia. We loved this beautiful mansion hotel. The property was unique and the staff was incredible. We also enjoyed the gourmet food and the service. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Cappadocia.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful mansion

Location

In a quiet village

Staff

Very friendly and helpful. They were incredible!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfy.

Arena Hotel Sultanahmet

Istanbul

This hotel is in a central location. It was quiet and comfortable. The breakfast was very good . The place had a nice feel to it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Inn by Radisson Istanbul Airport (Odayeri)

Istanbul

We just stayed at this one the night before we left. It was clean and comfortable. I would not recommend going to the on site restaurant. It was not good and the service was terrible. Only about 15 minutes from the airport.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the airport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Nice place to learn about the history of Istanbul. Our guide was excellent!

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Cooking Class: Delve into Ottoman Cuisine at Old City Istanbul

İstanbul

The chef was amazing. We had so much fun and got to eat what we prepared. This was definitely one of our favorite activities.

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Turkish Bath and Spa at Hürrem Sultan Hammam

İstanbul

This was the best experience of my life. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. The building was beautiful and the spa treatment was incredible. I felt like a true princess from the minute I got there until the moment I left. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this Turkish Bath.

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