Berat Ornek

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.

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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

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

Amira Hotel

Istanbul

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

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Staff

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Millstone Cave Suites

Loved this location and the embiance! Another great breakfast!

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Activity Reviews

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

A must do and Andrew was a fantastic guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

İstanbul

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

İstanbul

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

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Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

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Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

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Cooking Class in Cappadocia

Cappadocia

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

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

Explore the Dolmabahçe Palace

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Boat was late, many of us slept on tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

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

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 🙏

We recently returned from an incredible trip to Turkey, organized by Kimkim, and it’s safe to say it was a journey we will cherish forever. We traveled as a family—my parents, my sister, her husband, and myself—and explored the rich history and vibrant culture of Turkey, visiting Cappadocia, Bodrum, Pamukkale, and Istanbul.

Cappadocia: A Historical Wonderland
Our adventure began in Cappadocia, a region known for its surreal landscapes and rich history. Unfortunately, due to weather conditions, we couldn’t experience the famous hot air balloon ride, which was disappointing. However, the historical sites more than made up for it. The highlight here was a visit to the underground city, an architectural marvel. While my dad and sister, feeling a bit claustrophobic, opted to return after exploring the second floor, the rest of us continued the guided tour. The guide provided by Kimkim (Sumer) was exceptional—knowledgeable and passionate, making the experience both informative and enjoyable.

Bodrum: Relaxation and Pamukkale’s Surreal Beauty
Next, we headed to Bodrum, where we had some free time to relax and explore at our own pace. On our final day there, we embarked on a day trip to Pamukkale before flying to Istanbul. Pamukkale was mesmerizing, especially the Hierapolis ruins and the stunning white travertine terraces. Walking through the ancient city felt surreal, and once again, Kimkim’s guide impressed us with their depth of knowledge and insights.

Istanbul: The Crown Jewel of Our Trip
Our final destination, Istanbul, was undoubtedly the highlight of our journey. We spent five incredible nights exploring this vibrant city that seamlessly blends history and modernity. The energy, culture, and sheer beauty of Istanbul left us spellbound.

What truly elevated our experience, however, was our guide, Oze. His deep knowledge of the city’s history and culture brought every site to life. From the Hagia Sophia to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and a delightful food tour on Istanbul’s Asian side, Oze curated an unforgettable itinerary that captured the essence of this magnificent city. Beyond being a guide, he felt like a friend, sharing personal insights and stories that made our time even more special.

Oze also went above and beyond, recommending excellent dining spots and local hangouts, and even joining us for an evening of fun and conversation. His warmth, professionalism, and passion for Istanbul made our experience truly unique. We found ourselves wishing we had more time to soak in the magic of this city, and much of that credit goes to Oze, who made Istanbul feel like home.

A Few Challenges
While the trip was fantastic overall, one downside was the amount of walking involved, which proved challenging for my parents, who are in their 60s. A bit more consideration for mobility needs would have made the experience even better for them.

Final Thoughts
Kimkim did an excellent job organizing our trip, and the knowledgeable guides played a significant role in making it a memorable experience. Despite a few challenges, Turkey’s history, culture, and warm hospitality won us over. We hope to return someday, especially to spend more time in Istanbul!