Be a Greek

I worked with Penny initially to coordinate the trip and she was absolutely wonderful. The week before we were to leave, I wrote to Penny to set up a call only to learn she had left the company. This was quite unsettling to me. Penny told me she personally would pick us up at Athens airport when we arrived and help get us settled at our hotel. I am an older woman and was with my 12 year old granddaughter (who is very tall and appears to look 17-18 years old). I suffer from a serious medical condition causes me to lose consciousness under certain circumstances.

First day we were picked up a hotel for a “walking tour” in Athens, The driver dropped us off on a corner, told us to go under the street and meet somewhere for group. Very unclear where to go. The What’s App only worked with WiFi connection that we did not have. It took us several minutes to connect with anyone, and finally met up with the group. The tour guide walked extremely fast and combined with extended periods of just standing was more than I could do. I had to stop and sit down. We gave back the devices and went on our own after that point. It was not a pleasant experience at all and very confusing as to where to be and when.

The day continued with several issues including the curtain holder in our hotel room falling off the window on my head. Jet lag did not help us at all either.

We had a wonderful experience with Marianna and the whole team! From figuring out what kind of trip we were looking to plan and shifting around our original itinerary to making sure every detail was handled flawlessly, Marianna was available to guide us every step of the way. She planned an amazing itinerary and all of the details (transfers/inner island flights/ferry tickets) were super organized. While we were in Greece the team was very responsive and the WhatsApp thread was super helpful in making sure we knew what was next and we never felt we needed to stress about anything! We did an amazing bike tour and cooking class on Naxos with Aurelia Bikes and it was our family’s favorite excursion but here were so many good ones to choose from. ATVs on Santorini and a boat tour allowed us to see much of the island. Excursions were all different and spaced so that we still had free time to explore on our own. The guided tours in Athens and Naxos were amazing as well. Overall we are so happy with the itinerary and the entire trip. Thank you so much for making our vacation so memorable and easy!

All of our tour guides were very knowledgeable, friendly and great at what they do.

Hotel Reviews

Aigialos Luxury Traditional Settlement

Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The George Hotel

Mykonos

Great hotel, friendly staff , awesome location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Morus Acropolis Boutique Hotel

Athens

Staff are very friendly and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Nice room size with balconies

Location

Moderate walk to arrive at tourist sites, restaurants and bars

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Guided Athens Food Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mykonian Farm Wine & Local Products Tasting Visit

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Concierge-Class Small-group Sailing Cruise to Delos & Rhenia islands

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Trip to Delphi

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Acropolis Private Guided Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I didn't know what to expect when I chose to use Kimkim, but after having used them I would highly recommend it to everyone! From the very beginning of trip planning, our local specialist Ina was a fantastic resource. She helped us shape the EXACT trip we wanted and dreamed of. We had several iterations of our trip, but she was very patient and kept working with us patiently to get the trip we wanted down to the littlest detail. First of all, Ina knew all the best tours and activities in each location. We had an amazing tour of the City of Athens & Acropolis, followed by a tour following Paul's footsteps to Corinth, and then in Paros we had the BEST boat tour (glaraki cruises), followed by a super fun and memorable cooking class. On top of picking the best activities for us, all of the private transportation was taken care of so there was NO STRESS. I think out of the dozens of transfers we had, only one came past the stated time and it was only late by 5 minutes so it was wonderful that we could count on the transportation to be there on time. Finally, we had a hiccup with a hotel in Paros where there were issues and the hotel was shut down for the days we were supposed to be there and Ina and her team quickly found an alternative hotel that was incredible. Instead of me scrambling to find an alternative, the Kimkim team handled it all smoothly and quickly. So to summarize: a fantastic experience from start to finish which resulted in a fun, romantic, and NO-STRESS trip.

Working with Penny from KimKim was a pleasure from start to finish. She was so easy to work with and I could tell she loves her job. She created a dream trip with everything we asked for to make my husband’s 50th birthday feel special. Every hotel and excursion was spot on, and the private transfers made everything seamless and worry free.
We decided to travel in the shoulder season over Easter and Greek Orthodox Easter and Penny made sure the places we visited were open and ready for visitors. We normally plan our own trips but since we wanted to visit various islands and we were traveling in the shoulder season, I wanted to make sure we didn’t encounter any issues. Plus, who wants to stress over a two week celebratory trip? I can tell you we never stressed on this trip!
We stayed in Athens, Chania and Heraklion in Crete, Imerovigli in Santorini, and Chora, the port in Naxos. Crete and Santorini were our favorite islands. All of the islands had their own beauty and the Greek people were always so friendly and welcoming. Greece is very clean and crime free, at least where we were! Our hotels were amazing, our favorites being the SanSal next to the old town in Chania and Cresanto Luxury Suites. Both were very close and walkable to restaurants and shopping. The guest relations/ concierge were wonderfully helpful and fun to talk to. The rooms were spacious. SanSal had the best sea view and Cresanto had the best shower with instant hot water the whole trip. There was a bit of construction happening at Cresanto while we were there but the room was soundproof and it didn’t bother us. They are expanding. we had our own plunge pool but the weather was still chilly so we didn’t take advantage. I will say it is not very private as the walkway is right in front of the pool so even though it is private from the suites on either side, anyone walking past can see right in.
Our favorite experiences on the trip were a Cretan cooking class in the White Mountains booked by Penny, and experiencing Santorini over Greek Orthodox Easter, specifically the Pyrgos Fire Celebration on Good Friday. I’m only calling out a couple things but we did have an excursion almost daily, most coordinated through Penny at KimKim and they were all great. The cooking class stood out because it took place in a sweet couple’s home who were so hospitable, we had a wonderful small group, a cozy fire (chilly, rainy day) and got to feed the neighbor’s sheep. Mr. George, the husband even shared his personal barrel of wine with us which was wonderful and he had put it in the barrel when he was 15. Great stories and family history. Fun and informative tour guide who interpreted for us as Mr. George didn’t speak English and his wife (very sweet and head chef) only spoke a small amount but was hilarious. We ate what we made and everyone had a wonderful time.
The Pyrgos village lights up on Good Friday with giant candles over every possible surface. It made the most beautiful and memorable sight, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. It’s an entire procession through the hilltop village along with burning crosses. Wall to wall people as Greeks come from all over to celebrate. This was a once in a lifetime experience and something only done on Santorini. If you find yourself in Santorini over this timeframe I encourage you to attend this must see event.
Penny, thank you for putting so much thought into our trip and for always being available to answer questions. Oh also, we did very much enjoy the couples massage you arranged for us in Athens! Thank you for everything!
I highly recommend KimKim for planning your next trip! I’ve already recommended them to everyone I’ve talked to about our fabulous trip and I hope we take another trip where we are able to use them soon!

Hotel Reviews

Cresanto Luxury Suites

Santorini

Very close and walkable to restaurants and shopping in nearby Imerovigli. Angela was wonderfully helpful and fun to talk to. The suite was spacious and unique with the sky light. Cresanto had the best shower with instant hot water the whole trip. There was a bit of construction happening at Cresanto while we were there but the room was soundproof and it didn’t bother us. They are expanding. we had our own plunge pool but the weather was still chilly so we didn’t take advantage. I will say the personal pool is not very private as the walkway is right in front of it so even though it is private from the suites on either side, anyone walking past can see right in.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Angela

Cleanliness & Comfort

SanSal Boutique Hotel

Chania

My husband and I loved this hotel. It was walkable to everything and had great sea views. We also loved the spacious room. Very clean and the concierge/ guest relations team were wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to old town

Staff

Everyone we encountered at the front desk was terrific as was the restaurant/ bar staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Villages of Naxos Tour

Naxos

Our favorite stop was the pottery shop! Marble village was also cool. Oh and the olive oil press where we were able to do a tasting of olives and olive oil.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Santorini Cultural Highlights Guided Tour with Wine Tasting

Santorini

This was a private tour and we loved our tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and easy going. It was a lovely day to wander around Santorini.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The 7 Villages Of Apokoronas Small-group Tour

Greece

We enjoyed wandering up the mountainside and visiting different village. From tea, to cheese, to lunch, it was a relaxing day. We also loved wandering around the orange orchard and grabbed a great view of the white capped mountains from an unexpected spot.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Real Cretan Cooking Small-Group Experience

Chania

Our favorite of the trip! Don’t miss out. The cooking class stood out because it took place in a sweet couple’s home who were so hospitable, we had a wonderful small group, a cozy fire (chilly, rainy day) and got to feed the neighbor’s sheep. Mr. George, the husband even shared his personal barrel of wine with us which was wonderful and he had put it in the barrel when he was 15. Great stories and family history. Fun and informative tour guide who interpreted for us as Mr. George didn’t speak English and his wife (very sweet and head chef) only spoke a small amount but was hilarious. We ate what we made and everyone had a wonderful time.

Quality of Experience

Wonderful and informative tour guide, and the sweetest family.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Private Guided Tour

Athens

The guide was extremely knowledgeable! Poor weather but it made for fewer crowds which was a bonus especially while exploring the grounds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We spent 3 nights in Crete. Our Cretan guide, Alex Melas, was exceptionally polite, kind, personal and engaging. By the end of our time together, we were sharing recipes! Kim Kim and Be a Greek did a supurb job with the planning of our entire Greek trip. Effie was our local specialist in Athens for several days. Effie is a personable, witty and knowlegable guide. She made the entire experience much more enjoyable that we could have ever imagined or hoped for.

Hotel Reviews

Athens Ikon

Athens

The suite comfortably accomodated our five member family without the teenagers stepping on each other. The reception staff were extremely kind, friendly and helpfull with dining suggestions, taxis and such. Would certainly recommend Athens Ikon Hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GDM Megaron

Heraklion

Best breakfast that I've ever experienced anywhere in the world. Simply amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

walking distance to everything in Heraklion

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Athens City Bike Private Tour

Athens

Kostas Poulopoulos was our bike guide. He was witty, friendly and patient with our family. The e-bike tour was an excellent way to start our stay in Athens. Kostas and the tour gave us our bearings in city we had never visted before. Would highly recommend Athens by Bike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Knossos Palace and Museum Private Mythological Tour from Heraklion

Heraklion

Knossos Palace and the labyrinth were a great destination. Our guide was very knowlegable and patient with our questions. The weather was subprub for the season. Tempurature was in mid-50'sF and sunny every day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We cannot recommend Be A Greek enough! From start to finish, the trip was completely worry-free. They were available anytime we had questions or needed help, and they even rearranged our first day when someone missed their flight. Originally, we planned this trip for 2024, but due to some issues, we had to move it back a year, and they handled everything seamlessly without any stress on our part. Thanks to Be A Greek, we had such memorable experiences. Our food tour in Naxos was incredible, especially the orange cake, and we loved learning about the city’s history. The Naxos cooking class was by far our favorite activity, exploring the farm, picking fresh vegetables, and doing traditional Greek dances and plate breaking. In Santorini, the cultural highlights and wine tasting tour gave us a perfect mix of history, local flavors, and small-crowd sightseeing, plus we found some amazing gifts for friends. And the sunset catamaran cruise with BBQ was breathtaking, romantic, and offered some of the best photos of our trip. Be A Greek made all of it effortless, and we are so grateful for such a smooth, unforgettable experience.

Hotel Review

Elia Ermou Athens Hotel

Athens

The Elia Ermou Athens Hotel was amazing! It was a four-star experience with excellent food and a perfect location right in the middle of downtown. This definitely stood out as a favorite during our trip.

Activity Review

Traditional Naxian Small-Group Cooking Class on a family-run Tavern

Naxos

The Traditional Naxian Small-Group Cooking Class was probably our favorite activity. It was so interactive with plenty of activities, including a farm tour and some history lessons. We even got to dance at the end. Overall, it was an excellent experience that we thoroughly enjoyed.