Family-Friendly Trips to Turkey

My husband and I had always wanted to travel to Turkey, but we were unsure how to navigate the country and fit so much into a 10-day trip. We booked through KimKim, and Berat, Murat, and Hulya took care of all the details for us. We spent four days in Istanbul, three days in Cappadocia, one day in Ephesus, and two days in Bodrum. It was wonderful not to worry about the logistics; everything from domestic flights and private transfers to hotel accommodations was arranged for us.

All three of our guides were amazing. Zekiye showed us around Istanbul for two days, providing interesting historical and local context along the way while being incredibly personable. From historic sites like the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace to a trip across the Bosphorus to Kadikoy, we were able to experience many different sides of Istanbul. Efe spent two days with us in Cappadocia and took great care of us, facilitating fun and engaging visits to Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum, and a local pottery shop in Avanos. Finally, Ozan took us to Ephesus for the day and even showed us around a bit of Izmir near our hotel. He brought great energy to the Ephesus tour and was very knowledgeable about the site's history.

We would definitely recommend the KimKim team to anyone traveling to Turkey! Turkey is a beautiful county, and we are already discussing when we can return for another visit.

We had a very enjoyable and a deep dive into the fascinating history of Turkey. We appreciated experiencing the iconic sites of Istanbul: Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace (Harem), Haghia Sophia and Hippodrome. In Cappadocia to experience the Goreme Valley Monastery, Derinkuyu Underground city and the unique geological formations and balloon ride. In the Aegean region Urlice Vineyards, Ephesus, Aphrodisiacs, Hierapolis and Pamukiale. Experiencing the port city of Fethiye and while on the boat to visit Butterfly Valley, Oludeniz (Blue Lagoon), St Nicholas Island, Kas, Sunken City and Kekova. Around Antalya to visit Myra, Phaselis, Perge and the incredible theater in Aspendos. We enjoyed staying in the old town of Antalya.
Zehra, our travel consultant, was very knowledgeable and helpful in putting together the trip we wanted and getting us off the beaten path. Despite a few delays on flights the entire trip went smoothly, and we were in contact with Zehra at each phase of the trip. The trip was more costly than I anticipated but when you consider it was a private tour for 3 weeks, the vehicle travel and the days we were with guides, the cost is understandable.
All the guides were very knowledgeable and professional. I would point out that guides Uraz Nehir and Mustafa Sahun were exceptional. Good safe drivers are essential. Most of the drivers were very careful. The drivers in Istanbul were too fast for our liking and the one on arrival in Antalya was replaced after the first day because of his driving habits. Ahmed, our driver from Izmir to Fethiye, was exceptional. He was professional, very careful on the road and was very mindful of our well-being. He was also the only driver which spoke some English.
The accommodations were mostly lovely boutique hotels with hotel reception staff which were very friendly and helpful. The Richmond Pamukkale Thermal was the exception in being a massive tourist hotel that was not as pleasant as our other hotels.
The boat trip was great despite the occasionally cool and windy conditions. It was about the right number of days. The beauty and history of the coast was impressive. Something that we appreciated very much was the flexibility of the daily activities to meet our preferences. For example, Judi saw a poster with the cliff tombs of Myra. Our guide was receptive to seeing Myra and Phaselis when we disembarked from our boat trip on the way to Antalya.

Hotel Reviews

Ruin Adalia

Antalya

The location and layout in the middle of old town Antalya is impressive with the ruins under the courtyard. Rooms are large. Staff very helpful. The rooms are in need of some maintenance.

Authenticity & Character

Very impressive courtyard and ruins underneath it

Location

In the old town of Antalya

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very helpful

Marina Boutique Hotel

Mugla

An interesting but strange location in the middle of a ship yard

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff was very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Richmond Pamukkale Thermal

Denizli

Too big and impersonal

Authenticity & Character

Everything except the hot springs

Location

Next to Pamukkale

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

LaVista Boutique Hotel & Spa - Boutique Class

Kusadasi

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel was on a hill overlooking the ocean on the edge of the city.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fresco Cave Suites & Mansions - Special Class

Urgup

Very helpful staff, excellent breakfast, very interesting and unique hotel architecture.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

Great location, very helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Interior and exterior of the hotel

Location

Staff

Very helpful on answering any questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring Antalya & Historical Sites

Antalya

Sites were amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Impressive guide

Transport

Fethiye to Olympos Blue Cruise - Day 4

Turkey

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide is very impressive, driver was not

Fethiye to Olympos Blue Cruise - Day 2

Turkey

Cold and windy during the night

Quality of Experience

Good day visit

Food

Fethiye to Olympos Blue Cruise - Day 1

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boat staff was great, very professional and helpful

Transport

Boat was beautiful

Explore Hierapolis & Visit Travertines in Pamukkale

Pamukkale

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Drive to Pamukkale via Aphrodisias Ancient City

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very Safe driver

Full Day Tour of Ephesus and Region

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was good but not as experienced as other guides

Transport

Visit Urlice Vineyards at Urla including lunch

Turkey

Great to talk to the owner and experience the wines with food

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exceptional driver

Visit to Derinkuyu Underground City & Explore area

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore The Landmarks of Cappadocia

Cappadocia

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very impressive and knowledgeable

Transport

Safe driver

Cooking Class & Dinner in Cappadocia

Cappadocia

Nice to be with a family

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Istanbul Walking Tour

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Iconic sites

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very knowledgeable

The trip was a great experience, the cities and places were amazing. Burcu made a great job with recommendations, building my trip and the support during the trip. We faced a couple of unexpected situations and she helped me to fix them. I took several tours and they were great experiences and tour guides were really knowledgeable.

Hotel Reviews

LaVista Boutique Hotel & Spa - Boutique Class

Kusadasi

LaVista Boutique Hotel & Spa had an amazing view of the beach, and the sunsets and sunrises were particularly beautiful. The hotel was clean, and the rooms were spacious and met my standards. I appreciated the to-go breakfast they prepared for my early check-out.

Erboy Hotel Istanbul Sirkeci

İstanbul

Erboy Hotel Istanbul Sirkeci provided a wonderful stay. The breakfast served was really good, and they started serving early enough that I could enjoy it before my tours started. The location was convenient for exploring the city, too.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Ephesus Tour

Turkey

The Full Day Ephesus Tour was not quite what I expected, especially the Artemis Temple which was just a pillar. The site was crowded due to a national holiday with lots of domestic tourists. However, the guide was good, and overall it was an educational experience despite the crowds.

Bosphorus Cruise - Turkish Night with Dinner & Belly Dance Shows

İstanbul

The Bosphorus Cruise with Turkish Night and Dinner was a great experience. The dancers were really entertaining, and I was surprised by how many there were. However, the dinner service could use some improvement. There was only one waiter for our section, and he was quite overwhelmed, leading to a mix-up with my order. Despite that, the overall experience was enjoyable.