travel12 Traveling Experiences

Normally I handle all of the details for my trips. This time, however, I wanted to join friends who were already using Kimkim. WOW! I could not be happier!

Harris impressed me over and over from transportation and hotel choices to tours and guides. It quickly became obvious he knew what he was doing. In fact, you could tell Harris had hand-picked every part of the experience based on what we were interested in doing.

Our first hotel experience in Mystras was spectacular and fit... read more

Normally I handle all of the details for my trips. This time, however, I wanted to join friends who were already using Kimkim. WOW! I could not be happier!

Harris impressed me over and over from transportation and hotel choices to tours and guides. It quickly became obvious he knew what he was doing. In fact, you could tell Harris had hand-picked every part of the experience based on what we were interested in doing.

Our first hotel experience in Mystras was spectacular and fit perfectly for our time in Sparta. Not only was the hotel quality, but each morning at breakfast Joanna taught us more about Greek foods and especially Greek coffee.

Our guide in Delphi, Penny, was amazing! We benefited from her being born and raised there, and her knowledge of history was exactly what we wanted as we toured the "Center of the World."

The hotel in Athens was perfectly situated at the foot of the Acropolis with breathtaking views of the Parthenon. It was also within walking distance for everything we wanted to do in Athens. If I were to change anything about our time in Athens, it would be to add one more day so we could see even more.

Our time on Naxos was an opportunity to slow down the pace of the trip, and settle into Greek island life. They have a saying on the Islands - "Siga, Siga" - "slowly, slowly". The family run Adriani Hotel was a great way to begin that process. The roof top deck provided a beautiful view of the city, and the breakfasts prepared by Adriani, the hotel namesake and family matriarch, were delicious!

Our food tour on Naxos with Katerina was tasty. Born and raised on Naxos, she used her culinary education and knowledge to provide insight into it's history and the local delicacies. She even made recommendations for a drive around the island with places to see and food to taste.

When we arrived in Santorini, we were met by Papi who gave us a wonderful tour that included an an amazing winery overlooking the caldera and a walk through some of the older cities at night. It was breathtaking!

The next day we met Thanos for our walking tour of the Caldera. Thanos is a teacher, with a passionate love for the outdoors, history, and people. As we walked through the old cities around the Caldera, Thanos shared about their history, pointed out local flowers and trees (which my wife loved), and helped us understand the culture of Greece on the islands. Our time with Thanos included a private tour of a multi-generational winery which produced a wine that was internationally noted as possibly one of the best in the world. If you go to Santorini, you MUST tour with Thanos.

I have traveled and/or lived in 30 countries around the world. My experience in Greece would definitely fall in the top three places. Thanks Harris for making this experience amazing, we are not disappointed!

This was our first experience with kimkim and our first trip to Greece. We used kimkim for this trip because it was a ‘last minute’ decision to go and simply didn’t have the time to do all the planning ourselves. Overall, it was an excellent experience. Not only was it a big timesaver for planning, the level of service throughout was excellent, incorporating activities into the trip that we would otherwise probably would not have included. Chris from Travel12 in Athens worked with us on... read more

This was our first experience with kimkim and our first trip to Greece. We used kimkim for this trip because it was a ‘last minute’ decision to go and simply didn’t have the time to do all the planning ourselves. Overall, it was an excellent experience. Not only was it a big timesaver for planning, the level of service throughout was excellent, incorporating activities into the trip that we would otherwise probably would not have included. Chris from Travel12 in Athens worked with us on the itinerary, offering recommendations and demonstrating a real interest in finding activities aligned to our interests in hiking, sightseeing and gaining an appreciation for local culture and history. Maria, our guide for the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum in Athens was outstanding. She was very knowledgeable and provided real insight into Greek mythology and history. A highlight of our trip was hiking the Samaria Gorge on Crete. Travel12 made the arrangements for a privately guided hike with Linda. She was clearly an expert on the 16k Samaria Gorge with over 120 hikes to her credit. She guided us at a pace that suited our abilities as well as objectives for sightseeing and photography. An absolutely awesome experience! Overall, we were thrilled with the local support from Chris and his team, who were very responsive and communicated regularly to make sure the trip was unfolding according to plan. We would recommend kimkim and Chris and the Travel12 team for Greece without hesitation.

Did some things well but some little things weren't quite so good. To be fair this was part of a big trip and didn't pay enough attention til at the time so maybe should have picked up some things earlier. Hotels chosen were great and any activities arranged were well done. Responses were always very quick but all by email, no personal touch but that may be an age thing. I did have to ring them once as had left some jewellery behind on one of the islands but otherwise would have had no voice... read more

Did some things well but some little things weren't quite so good. To be fair this was part of a big trip and didn't pay enough attention til at the time so maybe should have picked up some things earlier. Hotels chosen were great and any activities arranged were well done. Responses were always very quick but all by email, no personal touch but that may be an age thing. I did have to ring them once as had left some jewellery behind on one of the islands but otherwise would have had no voice contact at all. They were very good at organizing my jewellery to get to me. Some more detail would have been helpful on what was needed and what to expect. Like on the boat trip did we need to bring our own towel or was one provided for swimming. I did ask, was told take a towel but one was provided. To also to be fair our previous trip we had a driver the whole time and this was a lot more hands off affair so dont want to compare or judge on that.

Every aspect of this trip was amazing, being picked up after every plane, ferry etc was awesome! Every person we interacted with was great and super accommodating. I even forgot some clothing in Mykonos and the ladies at Portes Mykonos sent it to the hotel in Athens so I could get it when we got back there. It was great being able to use the Greek SIM card in my phone it helped out tremendously. Overall it was a great experience and I would do it again in a minute!!

This is the first time I’ve booked a trip with KimKim and it wont be the last. The trip planning was so easy and having KimKim plan all the details took the stress away. Harris helped me decide on the islands we would visit and was readily available whenever I had a question. Our trip was ten days and we visited Athens, Santorini, Naxos, Paros.

I really can’t say enough good things about the Aegean Gem hotel in Kamari, Santorini. It’s such a wonderful hotel - great owner, new hotel close to... read more

This is the first time I’ve booked a trip with KimKim and it wont be the last. The trip planning was so easy and having KimKim plan all the details took the stress away. Harris helped me decide on the islands we would visit and was readily available whenever I had a question. Our trip was ten days and we visited Athens, Santorini, Naxos, Paros.

I really can’t say enough good things about the Aegean Gem hotel in Kamari, Santorini. It’s such a wonderful hotel - great owner, new hotel close to the beach, nice rooms, and amenities. Initially I was disappointed to see we weren’t staying Fira but after being there on the tour and seeing the crowds, I was happy to be on the other side of the island in a more relaxed atmosphere. The bus system seemed quite efficient in Kamari so it was very easy to travel to Fira or Oia for dinner or sightseeing. I hope to return in the future. Kostas was our guide on the Santorini Highlight tour and he was great, very friendly and knowledgeable ! I would recommend this tour if you’re in Santorini.

In Naxos we did a cooking class with the family at Basiliko Tavern and I would highly recommend this. Anna was our cooking host and she was wonderful. She took us through her family estate, we picked fresh veggies to use in our dish and she took us on a small walk around the area.

Our hotels in Santorini (Aegean Gem), and Naxos (Cyano Suites), were unforgettable. Great locations and hospitality at both. We stayed at Porto Naousa in Paros and it had a great location, and lovely patio.

I have no complaints about the trip, I would however check the transfer times for ferries as I did feel we arrived very early to wait in the street for ferry departure - even our drivers at two ports questioned why the pickups were so early. However, I do understand why some first time travellers might like to get there early.

Thanks again to Harris for organizing a wonderful trip for my mother’s 60th birthday. We hope to be back again someday. Thank you for everything, Harris and the Travel12 Team!

It was an incredible trip and Harris & KimKim made it so easy to enjoy our vacation. We ran into a few small problems during our trip and they were always quick to respond and find a solution that would work for both us and the people we were meeting. I absolutely intend to book my next trip through them as well once I decide where I’m going!

We had a fabulous trip to Greece from start to finish. Everything went incredibly smoothly, in fact I didn't have to get in touch with Tasos or KimKim/ Travel 12 once the entire trip. All our hotels, guides, tours and drivers were wonderful! I wish I knew how to spell all of their names but they were all so much fun as well as knowledgeable and kind. We also enjoyed all the hotels very much. Sweet Home in Athens was in a great location and had a wonderful breakfast and super comfortable... read more

We had a fabulous trip to Greece from start to finish. Everything went incredibly smoothly, in fact I didn't have to get in touch with Tasos or KimKim/ Travel 12 once the entire trip. All our hotels, guides, tours and drivers were wonderful! I wish I knew how to spell all of their names but they were all so much fun as well as knowledgeable and kind. We also enjoyed all the hotels very much. Sweet Home in Athens was in a great location and had a wonderful breakfast and super comfortable beds. We LOVED the welcome dinner at the Zillers rooftop restaurant which had amazing views of the Acropolis. The Adriani Hotel on Naxos was beautiful and also a good location within walking distance of the port and St. George's beach. We really enjoyed the food and culture tour of the island as well as the medieval hike and our driver both days (Yannis?) was awesome! Naxos is beautiful and less "touristic" than Santorini although the Volcano View Hotel is simply stunning. The views of the caldera are mesmerizing and my only regret was that we didn't spend most of the last day sitting in lounge chairs simply enjoying the view. We did enjoy the insider's food and wine tour and Anna was wonderful but I had expected/hoped to see more of the island on the tour. The sunset catamaran cruise in the caldera was fantastic with great food and people. Tasos had arranged for a birthday cake for my dad who turned 80 that day. It was unforgettable! The only small glitch was that my mom who had hip surgery a few months ago had lots of stairs to climb at the hotels on the islands which did not have elevators. But overall it was worth it and I think her strength improved with all the activity! I would enthusiastically recommend Tasos and KimKim/Travel 12 and hope that we have the opportunity to work with them again for future trips!! Thank you Tasos and team for putting together a trip that was absolutely incredible!!

We were extremely pleased with our trip to greece. It was all that was promised and more. We were always picked up at the exact time that was expected. Dinner at mani mani the first night was delicious and a great way to start our holiday. The first day we tried to call about our flight e tickets early in the morning but no one was in the office so we went on our tour and figured we would call later. We were very impressed that you saw the missed call and tried many times to get to us. ... read more

We were extremely pleased with our trip to greece. It was all that was promised and more. We were always picked up at the exact time that was expected. Dinner at mani mani the first night was delicious and a great way to start our holiday. The first day we tried to call about our flight e tickets early in the morning but no one was in the office so we went on our tour and figured we would call later. We were very impressed that you saw the missed call and tried many times to get to us. We really enjoyed that each hotel was unique and different from eachother. The room in acropolis hill hotel was aLittle to small. We left the Alcnea hotel in Chania early in the morning to catch a plane and they packed us breakfast. We loved our hike in Naxos. Would just suggest that hiking shoes are recommended. Very much enjoyed the food tour also in Naxos. We loved your suggestion that we tour cape sounion the last day. It extended our vacation another day with a wonderful tour guide. We felt very well cared for. Every tour guide was professional and knowable and extremely nice. A++ I have already been recommending you and will definitely use kim kim on our future travels.

KimKim Travel was amazing from beginning to end. If you want to take a major trip around the world somewhere and really experience the culture and adventure that country has to offer, this is the agency to make it happen. I truly had an amazing birthday vacation in Greece, and utilizing this company for this celebration gets 5 stars all the way. Harris was very helpful and attentive through the whole process as well as the local contacts in Greece. Would I ever use this company again -... read more

KimKim Travel was amazing from beginning to end. If you want to take a major trip around the world somewhere and really experience the culture and adventure that country has to offer, this is the agency to make it happen. I truly had an amazing birthday vacation in Greece, and utilizing this company for this celebration gets 5 stars all the way. Harris was very helpful and attentive through the whole process as well as the local contacts in Greece. Would I ever use this company again - YES!!! You cannot go wrong how everything is seamlessly planned. Thank you KimKim Travel for this Amazing Trip. I will definitely be using you once more in the near future!

**Apologies on how long it took to get me to write this review. It was back to the conundrum of work in DC. :)

Although we are a retired couple, we recently decided that we needed to get away so that we could relax. We decided that we should go to Greece, which has been on our bucket list for a long time but we had never managed to travel there. Generally, when we travel one of us does all the planning and booking with the stress and nervousness that can cause. Because we decided on rather short notice to travel to Greece, we decided to let kimkim take the stress out of the planning and book our... read more

Although we are a retired couple, we recently decided that we needed to get away so that we could relax. We decided that we should go to Greece, which has been on our bucket list for a long time but we had never managed to travel there. Generally, when we travel one of us does all the planning and booking with the stress and nervousness that can cause. Because we decided on rather short notice to travel to Greece, we decided to let kimkim take the stress out of the planning and book our itinerary. It was absolutely the best decision we could have made. Harris was terrific at getting back to us and finalizing an itinerary that we wanted. All their recommendations of things to do were spot on and the accommodations they booked were terrific. We took kimkim's advice on which islands to visit and we appreciated that they did not have us on the move too much. They were available once we were in Greece and neither one of us had to give a thought to pick-ups, tour bookings or accommodations. Highly recommend kimkim's personal, friendly and knowledgeable service.

I had a wonderful experience booking my trip to Greece with kimkim. Harris was extremely informative and helpful along the way. He answered any and all questions we had. Based on our interests and budget, Harris designed an itinerary that was perfect for me and my 3 single girl friends. The itinerary was so well organized, we didn’t have to worry about a thing. Every driver that picked us up from the airports, hotels, and ferries was on time and courteous. The tour guides on our excursions... read more

I had a wonderful experience booking my trip to Greece with kimkim. Harris was extremely informative and helpful along the way. He answered any and all questions we had. Based on our interests and budget, Harris designed an itinerary that was perfect for me and my 3 single girl friends. The itinerary was so well organized, we didn’t have to worry about a thing. Every driver that picked us up from the airports, hotels, and ferries was on time and courteous. The tour guides on our excursions were very knowledgeable and interactive and helped make our experience more enjoyable. The hotels were all conveniently located, clean, and comfortable! The beaches and mythology tour were stand outs for me on this trip along with beautiful Santorini!
I would highly recommend using kimkim to book a trip and would happily use them again.

We enjoyed our trip around Greece and the arrangements made by Travel12 were top notch. We normally make all our own arrangements but decided to try KimKim because we could customize our itinerary and let KimKim make all the detailed arrangements. It turned out to be a very good combination. The hotel locations were centrally located which we like, and the tours were all very good. The transfers to/from the airports were very convenient. That’s something we have never arranged on our own and... read more

We enjoyed our trip around Greece and the arrangements made by Travel12 were top notch. We normally make all our own arrangements but decided to try KimKim because we could customize our itinerary and let KimKim make all the detailed arrangements. It turned out to be a very good combination. The hotel locations were centrally located which we like, and the tours were all very good. The transfers to/from the airports were very convenient. That’s something we have never arranged on our own and we really appreciated the time and stress it eliminated.

The photo tour in Athens was outstanding with Spyros from Athens Insiders. I’m an amateur photographer and he helped me with several tips to improve my skills. He also took us to very interesting locations in the Plaka neighborhood that we would never have found on our own.
The food tours in Athens and Santorini were both very good. The one in Athens was more about the history of Greek food and the one in Santorini was more about their wine history. I must say we had our first and last taste of Greek coffee, but it was worth the experience.

An unexpected highlight was the small fishing village of Galaxidi near Delphi. We had a wonderful seafood dinner where the waiter said that the “fish was swimming this morning”. Thank you Tasos for booking us in Galaxidi rather than tourist filled Delphi.

We did have a couple of disappointing experiences. I think the tour company in Meteora had forgotten about us. The clerk at the hotel had to call them and they said there was a miscommunication about the starting time. The tour itself was very good, it just started an hour late. The hotel accommodation in Nafplio was on the top floor with 3 long flights of stairs that proved to be a challenge for us since we are in our 70’s. The room had very low loft pitched ceilings that made it uncomfortable to move around. However, the location was great.

Overall I was very pleased with the trip and had many pleasant experiences. Naxos was by far the highlight of the trip. It didn't have the crowds and commercialism that were present on Santorini. It was very noticeable that the residents of Naxos smiled more and seemed happier than their Santorini counterparts. On Naxos the guide who took us on the bicycle tour deserves special mention, he was outstanding. The cooking class on Naxos also deserves special mention. In Athens the guide on... read more

Overall I was very pleased with the trip and had many pleasant experiences. Naxos was by far the highlight of the trip. It didn't have the crowds and commercialism that were present on Santorini. It was very noticeable that the residents of Naxos smiled more and seemed happier than their Santorini counterparts. On Naxos the guide who took us on the bicycle tour deserves special mention, he was outstanding. The cooking class on Naxos also deserves special mention. In Athens the guide on the photography tour went above and beyond what could ever be expected and his efforts are much appreciated. I would recommend this tour to everyone, even if they have no strong interest in photography. Finally, a constructive criticism is in order. I don't think it's in your best interests to refer customers to the Acropolis Select Suites. The facility is not up to expected standards and the food is the worst I have experienced in all my travels.

the guide for the food tour in Athens was awesome! Andreas Morgridge
The guide for the farm tour in Mykonos was awesome as well, as was the food and the ladies that cooked. I just can't recall their names.

The wood boat tour in Santorini was good, the swim in the hot spring area of the volcano was oversold, it was cold and difficult to navigate.
Overall the wood boat tour was good and the sunset was beautiful

I would change 2 things, it is very very confusing the ports in both Santorini... read more

the guide for the food tour in Athens was awesome! Andreas Morgridge
The guide for the farm tour in Mykonos was awesome as well, as was the food and the ladies that cooked. I just can't recall their names.

The wood boat tour in Santorini was good, the swim in the hot spring area of the volcano was oversold, it was cold and difficult to navigate.
Overall the wood boat tour was good and the sunset was beautiful

I would change 2 things, it is very very confusing the ports in both Santorini and Mykonos, and there is long wait and hard to get luggage on boat and find seats,etc. This should be discussed and be clear from the beginning, although I asked for the ferry instead of the plane to save money, I think if I understood the hours lost and we had a short tour, I would have chose the planes.
The second thing, on last leg of the trip, port at Rafina to the hotel, it was not a far walk, but with luggage, 6 hours of traveling , later at night and iffy location, and a bit up hill I would have preferred a transfer here.

Our holiday was intended to give my wife and me a first time taste of cultural Greece.
Tasos from the Travel12 team suggested a great mix of archaeological sites as well as food and wine experiences extending from Athens to islands in the Cyclades, the astounding monasteries of Meteora to the Peloponnese and then Delphi. Our drivers were excellent, punctual and always courteous and friendly. All of the guides were exceptional, Tania and Constantine of Alternative Athens, Anastasia in Mykonos,... read more

Our holiday was intended to give my wife and me a first time taste of cultural Greece.
Tasos from the Travel12 team suggested a great mix of archaeological sites as well as food and wine experiences extending from Athens to islands in the Cyclades, the astounding monasteries of Meteora to the Peloponnese and then Delphi. Our drivers were excellent, punctual and always courteous and friendly. All of the guides were exceptional, Tania and Constantine of Alternative Athens, Anastasia in Mykonos, George on Delos, Ilias with his deep knowledge of Greek history and the archaeological sites of Mycenae and Mystras as well as his home town of Nafplio. Lastly Tania of Alternative Athens led a tour of Delphi, a wonderful place.
We can recommend the wooden boat cruise in the caldera of Santorini, with a Greek BBQ dinner on board and a saxophone player entertaining us at sunset with a wonderful view of the white clifftop buildings of Oia, breathtaking!
We can also recommended a cooking class on Naxos where we picked vegetables with Jacob from the garden of his working farm and prepared stuffed tomatoes, eggplant and capsicums which we then ate with delicious white wine, nice!
The Travel12 team were always readily available with guidance and solutions to any problems that occurred. All in all a wonderful holiday experience.

We enjoyed our trip very much and found the Travel12 team very responsive. The hotels were in great locations, but the rooms were very very small...especially the bathrooms. Other than that, all great. Although the two tours we had on Santorini were repetitive, we enjoyed the guides and our fellow tourists very much. We especially liked Sophia. She was extremely well informed and personable. Thank you for our great trip.

Even tho they were in contact with us at each location when we needed some questions answered they were slow to respond. Once it was overnight to a question that required immediate attention.
Partially because I did not study locations of accommodations I was disappointed in our 3 island hotels. They were much farther from city center and in Naxos and Mykonos much farther from beach than I hoped. In Naxos the hotel was a member of small luxury hotels but obviously that hotel had not been... read more

Even tho they were in contact with us at each location when we needed some questions answered they were slow to respond. Once it was overnight to a question that required immediate attention.
Partially because I did not study locations of accommodations I was disappointed in our 3 island hotels. They were much farther from city center and in Naxos and Mykonos much farther from beach than I hoped. In Naxos the hotel was a member of small luxury hotels but obviously that hotel had not been graded lately. Our accommodations in Athens both on arrival and last night before departure were exceptional and what I had hoped for the entire trip. I thought by requesting the Grande Bretagne in Athens that Christo would know and understand what we expected. It also seemed that where we stayed in all 3 islands that our rooms were the less accessible and farthest away from all amenities. All excursions were good except out trip in Athens to Poseidon’s Temple. Driver was disinterested in us or I trip and because of bad advise we missed getting into Poseidon Temple for sunset although restaurant we ate ,at base of temple, was wonderful and we did have some outstanding sea bream. Our transfers in islands was not reliable but after calling each hotel that responded quickly. Katrina our tour guide in Naxos was exceptional and would highly recommend her also Catamaran Sunset Cruise in Santorini was good. It was getting close to end of season and after working 7 days a week since May they admitted they were about burned out. Not sure what Kimkim got as your percentage but felt considering our accommodations and seeing what they would have cost if we booked independently it seems maybe that Travel12 was probably a little high. We have booked with Keningston the last 3 years. They absolutely were much more expensive but all details were flawless and documents were sent well in advance. All that said I would use Kimkim again but would use much more due diligence on a personal basis than I did this trip. Thanks and please feel free to reach out to me if you like.

My wife and I had a wonderful time touring four Greek Islands. Kim Kim was extremely helpful in arranging all the ferry/boat transportation and local transfers. This made the journey very easy. This was one error on a ferry ticket time and date; as soon as I contacted the local representative, it was immediately corrected. Overall, we were very happy with the hotels that were selected for us; they all had central locations and they had amazing views.

Highlights:
Fantastic walking food tour on Naxos
Great hotel in Santorini, 5 min walk to the black sand beaches
Informative walking tour in Athens
Kimkim hooked us up with a great personal driver in Athens!

Low points:
First hotel in Athens was just ok, but it had a great view
Probably should have flown to Santorini rather than take a 5 hour ferry. With getting there early to avoid rush hour, it ends up being a 7 hour trip with a 5am wakeup. Worth the extra $

Exceptional Service: When all... read more

Highlights:
Fantastic walking food tour on Naxos
Great hotel in Santorini, 5 min walk to the black sand beaches
Informative walking tour in Athens
Kimkim hooked us up with a great personal driver in Athens!

Low points:
First hotel in Athens was just ok, but it had a great view
Probably should have flown to Santorini rather than take a 5 hour ferry. With getting there early to avoid rush hour, it ends up being a 7 hour trip with a 5am wakeup. Worth the extra $

Exceptional Service: When all of the ferries for the next day were going to be cancelled, which would have meant missing our international flight, kimkim and Harris were very proactive. They reached out to us to make sure we got on the last ferry that day and found us a fantastic hotel outside Athens.

I have nothing but praise for Tasos and his team of local travel specialists who made our 30th anniversary trip to Greece a trip of a lifetime. It's not easy to put into words how incredible the trip was for us -- we have come home with fond memories of EVERY experience we had and we wish we could more easily reconnect with our guides and the locals we met during our visit. I am not exaggerating in saying every detail was taken care of for us with punctual transfers, delightful hotels, and... read more

I have nothing but praise for Tasos and his team of local travel specialists who made our 30th anniversary trip to Greece a trip of a lifetime. It's not easy to put into words how incredible the trip was for us -- we have come home with fond memories of EVERY experience we had and we wish we could more easily reconnect with our guides and the locals we met during our visit. I am not exaggerating in saying every detail was taken care of for us with punctual transfers, delightful hotels, and fantastic activity choices.

I found Tasos via the Kimkim website because I honestly didn't know where to begin in the planning process. He had high reviews so I felt he was someone I could trust -- and he didn't disappoint. You pay a premium to use Kimkim, but our experience has been that we received a premium product. I told Tasos we like to travel using guides because we don't take international trips that often and have limited time. He knew we only had 10 days to "experience" Greece -- and I wanted it to include a few islands, authentic experiences, personal guides, lots of culinary experiences, and history. Via a few email exchanges, Tasos designed a PERFECT trip to make us completely fall in love with Greece.

We spent only 24 hours in Athens, which was just enough time to take in old city Athens and see the acropolis. Our hotel, Zillers Boutique Hotel, was conveniently located -- we could see the parthenon out our window and we were close enough to walk anywhere in old city, including to see the changing of the guard at the parliament building. Our two Athens guides were wonderful. With Panos of "Athens Insiders," we toured the fish, meat, produce, spice, and olive markets. We tasted MANY delicious local specialities along the way, including a gazillion olives, raki, lamb patties, gourmet gyros, Greek coffee (once was enough), and delicious Greek pastries. It was a wonderful introduction for us. We toured the acropolis in the late afternoon/evening with Dimitri who shared his extensive knowledge of the site's extensive history.

Early the next morning we were off to an early flight to Naxos, an island I wanted to visit because of a friend's recommendation. It's a laid back island with a low population. We were lucky to get there. Thankfully, Travel12 booked a flight for us -- the ferries were not running because of high winds. We stayed outside of Naxos Town at the Iria Beach Art Hotel. While the hotel is artfully decorated and comfortable, what made it truly wonderful was its staff -- and the kittens and turtle in the garden! The staff couldn't have been sweeter. What made Naxos MOST special was Katerina of Vioma Naxos, who spent a half day with us showing us "her" Naxos. Born and raised on the island, Katarina specializes in gastronomy and cooking tours, padded with lots of extra interesting information. With her driver, Alex, she took us through the Venetian Castle, introduced us to Naxos Citron, introduced us to Nicoletta, the delightful owner of Eggares Olive Museum, drove us all the way up to the quaint village of Apiranthos where we shared a tray of local cheeses and rose at a local Taverna, and finally to dinner at her parent's house in a tiny village of 35 or so people. It was an incredibly special day -- something we'll never forget. I've already experimented with the recipes she sent me via email.

Next on the itinerary were two and a half action-packed days on Santorini, made more interesting by my husband's crippling fear of heights -- and seven cruise ships invading the island at the same time. Needless to say, we had to make a few adaptations to avoid the crowds and to avoid certain site lines (ok, MOST site lines) -- not easy when you're staying on a cliff face! Another Tasos, a wonderful member of the Argyros travel group, was our driver for the better part of our visit. Highlights of our Santorini visit included the wonderful staff at PetitPalace Hotel (especially Victoria), a fabulous anniversary dinner in Fira at a gourmet restaurant called Mylos that was arranged by Travel12, a hike that was supposed to be along the caldera from Fira to Oia that had to be severely modified, (our hiking guide, George, did a wonderful job of finding areas to explore without the cliff site lines), dinner at Penelope's in Pyrgos (one of our BEST dinners of the entire trip), a visit to both black sand beaches and the red sand beach, a wine tasting at Estate Argyros, a visit to the village of Messa Gonia (where Santorini Tasos' grandfather lived before the 1956 earthquake) and the BEST of all, a visit to the Anydro Cherry Tomato Farm where we helped cook and eat a feast of local food with sisters Anna and Irena. There wasn't much we didn't see on Santorini!

Crete was the third and final island we visited and it was my favorite. In fact, if we're lucky enough to return to Greece, I will visit a couple other islands AND Crete. We spent two nights in Archanes and two nights in Chania (a 2-hour drive between the two locations). We truly fell in love with Archanes, a small picturesque village in Heraklion. We stayed at the Kalimera Archanes Village in a small house managed by Lefteris, one of the nicest humans we've ever met while traveling. I'm sure Lefteris befriends everyone who visits his village and everyone says the same thing, but he sure made us feel special. He personally drove us up to the top of Mount Juktas, walked us around the village showing us sites including its Minoan palace ruins and a building occupied by German officers during WWII. He also introduced us to George, proprietor of Bakaliko, a restaurant in the village square, who greatly added to our enjoyment with his knowledge of local wine, olive oil, and Cretan cuisine. A highlight of our Archanes visit was a trip to the Koronekis Olive Farm where we learned more about olive oil than we ever thought possible. George, the son-in-law of the proprietor, was a fantastic educator. In addition to what we purchased on vacation, I will be ordering more products from them in the future.

On our way out of Heraklion, we visited the Minoan Palace of Knossos and the Heraklion Archeological Museum -- two must sees if you're visiting that area of Crete. Every survey book of art history includes images of the palace and museum, including the bull fresco, the snake woman, and the octopus urns. We felt very fortunate to have Lena as our guide.

Chania was a beautiful place to end our visit -- a seaside village with lots of Venetian architecture, a slight Ottoman feel, an interesting maritime museum, and amazing restaurants -- all along the waterfront. Our hotel, the Ambassadors Residence, was AMAZING. A truly beautiful boutique hotel. We stayed in the Wood Room which was on the second floor and overlooked the harbor. Angie could not have been sweeter in welcoming us and securing our dinner reservations. We highly recommend Glossitses for a waterfront dinner. Our tour in Chania was to the Botanical Park and Gardens where we were treated to a cooking class (making briam, tzatziki, a Greek salad, and stuffed grape leaves) and a walking tour of the beautiful grounds of the garden. Learning the history of the park (formerly olive and orange groves before a devastating fire in the early 2000's) and seeing what the family has made from the ruins was very impressive.

Every phase of our trip was excellent. Starting with our excursion to Mycenae and Nafplio where we had both a driver and guides who were very personable and informative, to our hike and food tour on Naxos where our guides were outstanding, to our Cape Sounio and Athens Riviera sunset tour where our driver was terrific, we had an absolutely fabulous time. The only small glitch was that our dates for touring Mycenae and the Acropolis were switched from the original itinerary ( Mycenae was to be... read more

Every phase of our trip was excellent. Starting with our excursion to Mycenae and Nafplio where we had both a driver and guides who were very personable and informative, to our hike and food tour on Naxos where our guides were outstanding, to our Cape Sounio and Athens Riviera sunset tour where our driver was terrific, we had an absolutely fabulous time. The only small glitch was that our dates for touring Mycenae and the Acropolis were switched from the original itinerary ( Mycenae was to be Day 3 and Acropolis Day 2)to the dates in the welcome booklet (Mycenae Day 2 and Acropolis Day3). We had the opportunity to interact with real artisans of Greece and witness their skills as well as interact with the true people of Greece and experience their warmth.

Overall the trip was great. While Tasos did a great job of planning everything and having ready to go, the communication was not great. There was times when we would ask a question and not hear back for days or weeks. Also a few more details for the plan tours would be nice.

I discovered Kimkim online and got in contact for a little bit of advice to start with and was so impressed with Harris, our Kimkim contact, that we ended up booking our trip through him. His advice really helped me shape the itinerary, and he had lots of great suggestions for hotels, day trips and more.
We decided to book our hotels directly, but used Kimkim to arrange all our transportation between the islands of Mykonos, Naxos and Santorini, transfers to hotels and a few excursions.... read more

I discovered Kimkim online and got in contact for a little bit of advice to start with and was so impressed with Harris, our Kimkim contact, that we ended up booking our trip through him. His advice really helped me shape the itinerary, and he had lots of great suggestions for hotels, day trips and more.
We decided to book our hotels directly, but used Kimkim to arrange all our transportation between the islands of Mykonos, Naxos and Santorini, transfers to hotels and a few excursions. Everything went very smoothly and we were contacted by Harris & the Kimkim team throughout our trip to check we were happy with everything.
We absolutely loved our time in the Greek Islands and had a wonderful holiday. Having the help and support of Kimkim was excellent.

This was the first time for our group of 3 couples to use a tailored tour company. Tasos Mylonas and Travel12, the local tour company in Greece were terrific. Once the schedule was agreed upon, Tasos put together a detailed itinerary for our trip. Our goal was see many of the historic sites on the mainland and then tour a few of the islands. We saw wonderful antiquities and had super guides to bring these ancient locations to life. Penny at Delphi, Antonia at Olympia, Lena at Mycenae,... read more

This was the first time for our group of 3 couples to use a tailored tour company. Tasos Mylonas and Travel12, the local tour company in Greece were terrific. Once the schedule was agreed upon, Tasos put together a detailed itinerary for our trip. Our goal was see many of the historic sites on the mainland and then tour a few of the islands. We saw wonderful antiquities and had super guides to bring these ancient locations to life. Penny at Delphi, Antonia at Olympia, Lena at Mycenae, and Nickolas at Santorini. The punctually of the drivers (with large comfortable vehicles) and the guides was without question a high point. One could easily relax knowing that we were always in good hands.
Select luncheons at small villages were an added benefit. This is something that large tours cannot provide.
Prearranging the ferry tickets and intra Greece flights made things easier still.
Like some of the other reviews, we could have used a down day or several 1/2 days. Nafplio is a town where we could have spend added time. Lovely spot on the harbor.
Santorini was wonderful, esp. at night after the cruise ships left. The catamaran ride was a tour highlight. Accommodations were overall great ..wonderful views and great locations. Travel 12 might find an alternative to the The Pi Hotel in Athens. The Kalimera Archanes Villages was a wonderful place but may not be for everyone. Other hotels like those in Tinos, Santorini and Kalabaka were outstanding. Once again an excellent and educational trip.

The trip was very well planned and thought out. Sites visited were generally all worthy of the time spent. The "Welcome" dinner was very enjoyable. I recall two visits that were much too long; Santorini especially, as we didn't get to our hotel until after dark; We could have stopped at a couple of the museum stores if there had been a little time after the guided tour.
We liked most of the guides. The first one at the Acropolis, Jason was not a top level guide, nor was Katia in Tinos.... read more

The trip was very well planned and thought out. Sites visited were generally all worthy of the time spent. The "Welcome" dinner was very enjoyable. I recall two visits that were much too long; Santorini especially, as we didn't get to our hotel until after dark; We could have stopped at a couple of the museum stores if there had been a little time after the guided tour.
We liked most of the guides. The first one at the Acropolis, Jason was not a top level guide, nor was Katia in Tinos. The others we liked, especially Penny at Delfi and Anna in Santorini, and Antonia at Olympia.
A down day at Nafplio with no tours would be a nice break.
Most of the hotels were fine. We did think that the Athens Pi Hotel was fine for us..modern, clean, elevators, nothing fancy but good location. Lodging at Tinos, and Santorini, and Kalabaka were very nice!
The lunch stops were well chosen. Tinos and Crete lunches were great!
The drivers all professional and on task. Great coordination of transportation will all vehicles on time!
We did like the catamaran ride also.
The manager at Kalimera Archanes Village was very helpful and accommodating; the breakfasts there were terrific.

We loved the trip! Everything was pretty seamless except for locations for the last couple of pickups. Chris was great. Very responsive and patient with all our questions. We highly recommend him and kimKim

We absolutely loved our time in Greece. The hotels were great. We especially loved Hotel Adriani in Naxos and would recommend that place to anyone! Please continue to suggest this hotel to others. The staff there really made us feel welcome and a part of their family. We also really enjoyed our welcome dinner at Mavro Provato in Athens!
The pre-arranged driving and ferry services were extremely convenient. Being able to access our local contact when we had ferry delays was invaluable -... read more

We absolutely loved our time in Greece. The hotels were great. We especially loved Hotel Adriani in Naxos and would recommend that place to anyone! Please continue to suggest this hotel to others. The staff there really made us feel welcome and a part of their family. We also really enjoyed our welcome dinner at Mavro Provato in Athens!
The pre-arranged driving and ferry services were extremely convenient. Being able to access our local contact when we had ferry delays was invaluable - Especially when our driver in Naxos did not come to pick us back up.
Overall, we had such a great time in Greece and hope one day to return. Thank you very much for a wonderful trip.

Harris did a fantastic job setting up our whole trip. Everything went very smooth. The excursions he choose where outstanding. If we had a issue with anything while in Greece, Maria fixed it within 10 minutes. I am so impressed with this company and customer service is great. I will definitely use this company for all my trips!! Thank you so much!

Harris, our specialist through Travel 12, was outstanding and very helpful at every point in planning our trip and answering every tedious question.

We started the trip in Athens at the PiAthens Hotel, which was alright. We knew we weren't getting the best hotel because we had previously asked our representative to book a medium-level hotel to cut costs. The hotel was still decent and clean, and the location was stellar. We were easily able to walk to the Acropolis. We had a "welcome... read more

Harris, our specialist through Travel 12, was outstanding and very helpful at every point in planning our trip and answering every tedious question.

We started the trip in Athens at the PiAthens Hotel, which was alright. We knew we weren't getting the best hotel because we had previously asked our representative to book a medium-level hotel to cut costs. The hotel was still decent and clean, and the location was stellar. We were easily able to walk to the Acropolis. We had a "welcome dinner" at Mauro Provato in Athens, which was utterly amazing food.

The next leg on the trip was a ferry ride to Santorini. We stayed at Kasimatis Suites in Imerovigli. The hotel had breathtaking views everywhere you looked, a great breakfast and a jacuzzi. Harris picked a fabulous location because it was within walking distance of Fira (Thira) but didn't have all of the traffic and tourists who come off the cruise ships that dock on the island for a day. There were tons of great restaurants (Vigla, Pearl on the Sea and many more), markets and shops to visit in Imerovigli.

The highlight of Santorini was a catamaran tour through Oia where we saw many sites and got to swim in the hot springs and had a fabulous dinner and unlimited wine and drinks. Despite a mixup during the pickup Santoline Tours made everything work and got us to the boat in time. They were very nice.

We took another ferry to Crete where we stayed at Olive Green Hotel, the best hotel we stayed at. Fabulous, modern facility with a great breakfast and great location. Heraklion has great shopping all around the city square. We had a guide through Let's Crete who took us through the Palace of Knossos and the Archaeological Museum. This is a must.

Our last part of the trip was in Chania, which was absolutely beautiful. The Old Harbour had a million cool shops and great restaurants. We stayed at the Mosaic hotel, which was decent but not the absolute greatest. We rented a very cheap car for a day at Tellus car rental and drove to Elafonissi Beach, which was unforgettable gorgeous if you're brave enough to make the drive.

The last highlight (ALSO A MUST) was a cooking lesson at a home on the White Mountain through GS Tours. I would have done this five more times.

The tours and tour guides were above and beyond what we had hoped. We were wowed at every turn. Thank you Tasos and the whole crew!!

This is our second trip with KimKim and it went well but not quite as smoothly as our first trip in Iceland.

Initially Chris (local travel group) did a great job planning the trip but I am not sure if he left the company or what happened, but it was a bit stressful to have no contact from him after multiple attempts to contact him for 2 weeks prior to our trip starting. Basically after we made the final payment, he never assisted us again. We still had questions on the final details and... read more

This is our second trip with KimKim and it went well but not quite as smoothly as our first trip in Iceland.

Initially Chris (local travel group) did a great job planning the trip but I am not sure if he left the company or what happened, but it was a bit stressful to have no contact from him after multiple attempts to contact him for 2 weeks prior to our trip starting. Basically after we made the final payment, he never assisted us again. We still had questions on the final details and wanted to add on a few excursions that he said would be no problem to do so later. Thankfully, team members at the Travel12 local company stepped in and answered all of our questions and assisted during our stay in Greece.

Extra special thank you to Dimitris for all of his assistance during the stressful time - he was excellent in answering our questions and helping us finalize items and we thank him very much.

One issue, and not certain if it is a difference in our terminology, but several times I asked if the wedding cruise we booked in Santorini was "private", and Chris assured me that it was just so (and you can see this documentation on the chat history). "Private" tour to me means just our group and no other people; however we were surprised to find that this was not the case on the cruise we booked in Santorini. The cruise was beautiful and fun; but just did not meet our expectations.

Thanks for an overall beautiful trip and experience, if not for the stressful time prior to leaving and the surprise on the "private" tour, it would have been excellent.

Our group of 4 arrived in Athens on Aug. 28th. Our driver was there to transport us to our hotel, the Pi Athens Suite. The hotel was nice, although it’s location (1/2 block from major road) made road noise a bit of an issue. The staff was friendly and they served a made-to-order omelet with your breakfast. Our welcome dinner at Mauro Parvato was delicious. There was confusion as to whether the cost of this dinner was part of our package, or on our own, but this was readily resolved. It... read more

Our group of 4 arrived in Athens on Aug. 28th. Our driver was there to transport us to our hotel, the Pi Athens Suite. The hotel was nice, although it’s location (1/2 block from major road) made road noise a bit of an issue. The staff was friendly and they served a made-to-order omelet with your breakfast. Our welcome dinner at Mauro Parvato was delicious. There was confusion as to whether the cost of this dinner was part of our package, or on our own, but this was readily resolved. It was within a pleasant walking distance from our hotel.
Our first full day in Athens started with a Mythology tour lead by Maria from Alternative Athens. It was just excellent! Her knowledge and enthusiasm made it such a memorable experience. We appreciated our small group size (our group of 4 plus 4 others). Any and all questions were welcomed and completely answered. It was a great experience.
Our second day, Aug. 30th, began with an Athens Food Tour, lead by Maria Boli. Again, another wonderful experience! Maria lead us (our group of 4 plus a family of 3) on an extensive and delicious walking tour of various culinary sites in Athens. Well organized, informative, and so enjoyable! Maria’s enthusiasm was contagious! By the end of the tour, we were taking pictures together and exchanging email addresses with the former “strangers” in our group. What a fun time! Bravo, Maria!
Aug. 31st started with a ferry ride to Mykonos. Our accommodations on Mykonos were provided by Aletro Cottage houses, a beautiful small hotel with a breath-taking view of the Mediterranean . The staff was very friendly and treated us like family. A wonderful breakfast and a beautiful pool were just two of our favorite things at Aletro . In fact, when it came time to leave and our transfer to the ferry was late, the owners of Aletro offered, and did, drive us to the port so that we would not miss our ferry!
Our event for this day was a trail ride at Mykonos horses. The horses were good, and the hosts were very friendly. However, the ride itself was underwhelming. Not to the level of our expectations.
The next day, Sept. 1, we scheduled the traditional farm visit and Mykonian dinner. Other than the delay caused by confusion regarding our pick up time, the evening was a lot of fun and we were more than impressed with the delicious food served at our dinner. It was an added treat to have the chef stop and visit with us as we dined, to answer any questions and enhance our experience! A very nice evening!
After a day to transfer to Naxos via the high speed ferry, we arrived at the Adriani Hotel and were pleased to find an attractive hotel with very nice rooms, located within walking distance of the seaside shops and restaurants. The morning meal provided by the Adriani Hotel was outstanding! At least three entree dishes, along with several dessert-type options were included with many other items to make this an outstanding dining option for breakfast!
Sept. 3rd started with a transfer to a small village outside of the main city in Naxos. It was here that we met Katarina and began our cooking classes at her home, along with her mother. The opportunity to spend part of our day in their home was such a treat! They were fabulous hosts and wonderful chefs! An added bonus was the opportunity to meet the local historian and tour his museum. Truly an enjoyable experience! Once again, we had a communication glitch between our driver, our hosts and the organizers. It was quickly resolved, but had us a little concerned.
Our final scheduled event was a bike ride lead by Michalis (Mike) Manios and his son at Real Bike. What a great adventure! High quality equipment and the care and expertise taken by Mike and his son to ensure that we had a safe, yet challenging ride made this day one of our favorites! The route included beaches, city streets, the countryside and an added bonus of a historical site. They were so friendly and accommodating and welcoming. We all had a great time!
Although I cannot say that our trip went off without a hitch, I can say that whenever we encountered a “hitch”, our contacts at kimkim were readily available to quickly resolve any issues. We felt that we would have had a difficult time securing the quaint, family-owned hotels, the local guides and business people and wonderful experiences without the use of kimkim. We will definitely consult with kimkim when planning our next vacation!

Overall great experience! We were very pleased with our travel and everything was perfect! We are so thankful we used Kim Kim. Chris did a great job choosing hotels and excursions for us to do. It was everything we could have asked for! Lampros, our driver in Athens, was great! We loved getting to meet him and he provided excellent service. The staff at the Ammos Hotel went above and beyond to meet our needs. Loved every second of the trip!

My only recommendation is if anyone else is going... read more

Overall great experience! We were very pleased with our travel and everything was perfect! We are so thankful we used Kim Kim. Chris did a great job choosing hotels and excursions for us to do. It was everything we could have asked for! Lampros, our driver in Athens, was great! We loved getting to meet him and he provided excellent service. The staff at the Ammos Hotel went above and beyond to meet our needs. Loved every second of the trip!

My only recommendation is if anyone else is going to hike the Samaria Gorge, more information needs to be provided. Before the trip we were told we would have a guide and would be riding a bus. It wasn't until we were picked up by our driver at the hotel that he told us he would take us and pick us up (driver was much more preferred over a bus, but it did cause confusion!) and we did not have a guide (which was also much preferred because we were able to go at our own pace!) but still caused confusion. Also, we were unsure how the ferry tickets and entrance all worked. When we got to the top the people at the cafe told us they were the only ones that sold ferry tickets and that we couldn't buy them at the bottom. So we spent money not knowing any better. Once we got to the bottom we realized this was for a ferry off to the side and not the main ferry. It was a little sketchy so we decided to buy tickets for the main ferry and lost out on the money for the first ferry. In the end it all worked out, but a little more detail would have been preferred!

Using KimKim was definitely the best choice for us and we are so thankful for all the time and effort that Chris put in to make our vacation a once in a lifetime trip!

Chris was an amazing travel planner. He listened to what we were looking for in our trip to Greece and nailed it. We couldn’t have had a better time. The hotels were boutique and beautiful. Everything fell into place. Drivers were there and on time and courteous. Tours were set up for us by Chris and were outstanding! I can’t say enough about our experience. We had a blast. And I will definitely choose kimkim for our next travel!! Lots of love to your team!! Lynn

My wife and I used kimkim to plan our honeymoon to Greece. This being our honeymoon and the fact we were traveling internationally, I wanted the trip to be as stress free and seamless as possible. Whether it was helping us pick which Greek islands would be best for the type of vacation we were looking for, to booking private transfers from each port to make getting around as easy as possible, Harris helped us plan a trip we will never forgot. I was very impressed with the service that we... read more

My wife and I used kimkim to plan our honeymoon to Greece. This being our honeymoon and the fact we were traveling internationally, I wanted the trip to be as stress free and seamless as possible. Whether it was helping us pick which Greek islands would be best for the type of vacation we were looking for, to booking private transfers from each port to make getting around as easy as possible, Harris helped us plan a trip we will never forgot. I was very impressed with the service that we received from Harris and his team both while planning the trip and on the trip itself, which included a 24/7 number that we could text if we had any issues. Overall, very happy with the kimkim experience.

What a well organized trip that we just got back from thanks to Tasos and the crew from KimKim. I was on a mission to plan a trip for a group of colleagues - initially for over 20 people. I had done a lot of back research myself then realized it was getting a bit difficult to coordinate (especially when it came to transferring from one destination to the other within Greece.

I had been to Greece plenty of times myself, having a Greek background but had never planned for such a large... read more

What a well organized trip that we just got back from thanks to Tasos and the crew from KimKim. I was on a mission to plan a trip for a group of colleagues - initially for over 20 people. I had done a lot of back research myself then realized it was getting a bit difficult to coordinate (especially when it came to transferring from one destination to the other within Greece.

I had been to Greece plenty of times myself, having a Greek background but had never planned for such a large group. My concern was how to successfully get the group from Point A to Point B without any delays or headaches. I then decided to reach out for help and I had reached out to a different travel company at first but the response time was painfully slow. I then reached out to Tasos from KimKim based on some online reviews, and he was so quick to respond to my many questions! After many back and forths and advice on how to save money or suggestions on destinations we finally planned a trip outline and I received it even before the initial company I had reached out to responded with a quote!

Our trip consisted of 4 desinations: Athens, Nafplio, Naxos & Santorini.

Tasos worked closely with me to work on a daily itinerary which included enough ancient ruins, sight seeing, free time - and beach time to satisfy everyone travelling! He offered plenty of great suggestions based on our needs - including offering input on island choices and how to save money. He was always looking out for our best interests.

We were a large group coming from different cities across North America (and on different flights!) Tasos arranged drivers to pick us from the airport and take us to the New Hotel in Athens. Each hotel was excellent, transportation was pleasantly on time, transfers between destinations were seamless, and the tours were excellent and fulfilling!

Highlights were the Food tour in Naxos, the Catamaran in Santorini, and Sight Seeing in and around Nafplio. Tasos always was quick to respond, or someone from the office (either Maria or Harris) would quickly chirp in when needed. It was honestly perfect!! Some well-traveled friends of ours said it was the best vacation they had ever had!

I've already recommended others to use KimKim based on the experience and they also had a great time! I can't thank Tasos at Travel12/KimKim enough for organizing this trip leaving it all carefree so that we can truly relax and enjoy Greece!

Sincerely,
Freda

We are so happy we chose travel 12 to plan out first trip to Greece. Harris and the team were so accommodating and flexible, as we booked last minute. They listened to what we wanted and planned an amazing tour for us!
Athens was an incredible however short visit. From the moment Lambros met us off the plane we felt comfortable. Even with coming in late from flying standby and not catching the mythology tour our hotel was in a convenient location to walk the Acropolis and make... read more

We are so happy we chose travel 12 to plan out first trip to Greece. Harris and the team were so accommodating and flexible, as we booked last minute. They listened to what we wanted and planned an amazing tour for us!
Athens was an incredible however short visit. From the moment Lambros met us off the plane we felt comfortable. Even with coming in late from flying standby and not catching the mythology tour our hotel was in a convenient location to walk the Acropolis and make it to our welcome dinner. Mani Mani treated us royal with an amazing Greek feast. Just scrumptious. Yamas!
The ferry system in Greece is incredible as we were transported to Santorini! So appreciated the driver pick ups upon arrival when it was so congested! We enjoyed staying at the Aegean Gem hotel in Kamari. Lovely! Mary was so helpful there. The beach village offered a lot!
The hidden gem Argyros tour was great to get all around the island and hear incredible history. Sophia was an exceptional guide. We learned and saw so much from Fira to Oia to Meghelehori. The sunset and wine taste at Venetsanos winery was beautiful! Too light on the wine though. Pack your own snacks for the tour.
The wooden boat tour was a perfect adventure to tour the caldera! The crew and Kristina made it a blast. Walking the volcano and swimming the hot springs was so cool and BBQ feast and dancing after the spectacular sunset we will never forget.
Beautiful Naxos was our last island and we loved the pace. Enjoyed the Naxos Son food tour to partake in local delicacies and get our bearings around the old city. Great food and shopping, beaches and stunning sunsets by the Apollo temple arch. Don’t miss the outdoor movie theater! Staying at the Adriano Hotel was delightful, they were so accommodating to us! Delicious breakfasts! Before we knew it it was time to fly back to Athens. The flight was nice and quick but the delay at the airport made us question why we didn’t speed jet back. Good to experience hoping to save time. Our driver kindly stayed till we arrived late and delivered us to the beautiful Avra hotel. Perfect late dinner and rest and breakfast and we were off.
Appreciate Harris being available to contact and answer any questions we had and make adjustments we wanted! We will be using Kim Kim when we travel again, there’s more Greek islands we want to see! It was fabulous. Cannot thank you all enough!

Great guides. Would have been nice to have more I fo as what to wear on tours like proper foot wear recommended. Lots of walking hills, dirt paths, lava rocks. Bring old swimsuit for iron in water. Also on long tours nice to know where and when and what kind of time we have to grab food. Sophia was wealth of knowledge on our tour of Santorini.
A little disappointed we didn’t or could work out credit for missed hotel in Athens as Harris knew we were flying standby. Love the Greek dinner in... read more

Great guides. Would have been nice to have more I fo as what to wear on tours like proper foot wear recommended. Lots of walking hills, dirt paths, lava rocks. Bring old swimsuit for iron in water. Also on long tours nice to know where and when and what kind of time we have to grab food. Sophia was wealth of knowledge on our tour of Santorini.
A little disappointed we didn’t or could work out credit for missed hotel in Athens as Harris knew we were flying standby. Love the Greek dinner in Athens! Would prefer not to waste time on long ferry rides when flying was cheaper. Short one from Santorini to Naxos on fast ferry was fine.

Harris was great. He was very responsive to our needs and requests and planned an excellent trip for us to the Greek islands and to the mainland. We would definitely use his services again and again and recommend him without reservation.

The guide to the eastern Peloponnese was exceptionally engaging
The Atlantis Hotel on Santorini was one of the best stays of my life
The pool side bartender at the Porto Naxos hotel was also very engaging

Kim Kim and Harris were spectacular. The process of booking was smooth and Harris was very attentive to my needs and and wants for the trip. He had great suggestions and our trip was flawless.
I highly recommend using Kim Kim and especially Harris when planning a trip to Greece.
All the transfers went great and the hotels were amazing.
This is a 5 Star Team

My trip was amazing and your entire staff was right on point and made my wife and i feel like we were part of your family. First rate see you guys soon

Thanks again

First of all, my apologies for this delayed response. Nothing to do with our pleasure about the Greece trip. It was delightful in all respects. I am delayed in communicating because there were just a great many chores to complete on our return to Connecticut and Rhode Island.
I have just completed annotating the photos from Greece and so many great memories surfaced. I feel really fortunate to have chosen your team for this planning. Without exception the accommodations could not have... read more

First of all, my apologies for this delayed response. Nothing to do with our pleasure about the Greece trip. It was delightful in all respects. I am delayed in communicating because there were just a great many chores to complete on our return to Connecticut and Rhode Island.
I have just completed annotating the photos from Greece and so many great memories surfaced. I feel really fortunate to have chosen your team for this planning. Without exception the accommodations could not have been better. Each was different and each had a charm all its own. Beginning with the Acropolis view from our room in Athens to the center of town situation and fine staff in Nafplion to the gracious and helpful staff (and amazing breakfast choices) and beautiful location in Naxos and ending with our superb cave house on Santorini. Fantastic, all of them.
The individual guides in each location were great, perfect English speakers, interesting personalities, extremely knowledgeable about local culture and history - I could go on and on. Our driver/guide/historian on the drive from Athens to Delphi was truly memorable. I would like to give each one a special commendation! And as to the actual planning of the trip, PERFECT. My granddaughter, Piper, is a very engaging and active 12 year old and loved all the water activities - swimming at the olive grove on the way to Delphi, sea kayaking while in Nafplion, SCUBA in Naxos (this is what Piper really loved), catamaran in Santorini! I loved all the ancient history and those tour people were terrific. Can't say enough positive about the whole experience. Thank you.
Rogene Gillmor and Piper Cameron

Terrofic all around. Christos helped put a great itinerary together: It was dense and ambitious but never hurried. Precisely what we like.

The welcome dinner with great Akropolis views, great guides for mytholoy tour and kayaking...a truly outstanding experience.

Was our second Kimkim experience, after Nepal: Another winner.

What's the best thing about travel? The Travel itself?
What's the worst thing about travel? Planning the trip.

KimKim took care of every detail from providing us with the hotels in the range we were looking for to dinner reservation on a rooftop restaurant with a perfect view of the acropolis. Harris was in touch every step of the way, checked in regularly. When we hit a snag with one of the hotels he got involved to straighten things out. The transfers were reliable, the places were lovely... read more

What's the best thing about travel? The Travel itself?
What's the worst thing about travel? Planning the trip.

KimKim took care of every detail from providing us with the hotels in the range we were looking for to dinner reservation on a rooftop restaurant with a perfect view of the acropolis. Harris was in touch every step of the way, checked in regularly. When we hit a snag with one of the hotels he got involved to straighten things out. The transfers were reliable, the places were lovely and I can't say enough nice things about Harris and his team.

One last tip: Our trip included Santorini, Naxos & Syros . The last island, only an hour or so on the ferry from Piraeus is a hidden gem of the Greek Isles. There was plenty to do, the island is mostly popular with locals, so food and accommodations are inexpensive, the water is crystal clear and the history of the island in incredible. Our tour guide there was unbelievable, drove us around, split our private tour into two days instead of one, and took us to tucked in coves for an unforgettable experience! Can not recommend Syros highly enough!

We had an amazing time in Greece. The organising of our trip was without fault. The places we enjoyed the most were Meteora, Athens, Nafplio and the tour of Pilio villages and of course the Greek Islands. We did some interesting walks and our guides were superb. Accommodation was excellent and we were very grateful that we could leave our bags in Athens whilst we did our trips away. Lampros was absolutely amazing - very professional and very friendly. We have nothing but positive comments for the entire trip.

Incredible. That's the only word I have for it. This was, by far, the best vacation the family has ever had. Tasos and the team at Travel 12 did an outstanding job of customizing every step of the way to meet exactly what we were looking for. It's hard to call out the places that were most memorable because the entire trip was fantastic.

Thank you Kimkim and the team at Travel 12 for making this such an outstanding adventure through Greece.

We loved our trip to Greece planned by Chris, especially our sea view hotels in both Naxos and Santorini and our hotel in Athens. We really appreciated having a driver to pick us up and drop us off at the airports, Lampros was exceptional he was professional, efficient, and well dressed. The Kimkim team was quick, professional, and responsive on WhatsApp when we had questions and or concerns. There were only a couple of hiccups: we were promised double beds in each hotel, this only happened... read more

We loved our trip to Greece planned by Chris, especially our sea view hotels in both Naxos and Santorini and our hotel in Athens. We really appreciated having a driver to pick us up and drop us off at the airports, Lampros was exceptional he was professional, efficient, and well dressed. The Kimkim team was quick, professional, and responsive on WhatsApp when we had questions and or concerns. There were only a couple of hiccups: we were promised double beds in each hotel, this only happened at Athens Gate. And at the end of our trip, we were expected to take a hotel van but we’re expecting a private driver as planned. Because of this we ended up at the airport until after midnight and only spent 3 hours at our last hotel before an early morning flight. Chris was expedient in correcting the situation though and was able to reach Lampros who coordinated our pick up that night and drop off a couple of hours later. All and all in was a great trip, and for the most part smooth sailing. We are happy with the Kimkim team and services provided and would travel with them again! Many Thanks, and warm Regards, Janelle Miconi

We had an exceptional experience in Greece! We were a group of 11, arriving in Athens and excursions to Mykonos and Santorini. Our travel to and from these islands was thoroughly enjoyable. Our hotels were exquisite, as well as our catamaran trip in Mykonos and wine tour in Santorini. Chris gave us the most memorable experience we could have imagined! Bravo Chris!
Cynthia and Grace Moriarty

We had a fabulous trip in Greece thanks to all the coordination and expert guiding from the folks that kimkim ser up for us. Andreas was excellent for our all-day excursion to Delphi — very friendly and knowledgeable. The guide we had at the Delphi museum was also excellent.

The mythological tour with Vicky was very good—she has a background in archaeology and anthropology and was lively and funny. On such a hot day our younger travelers ran out of energy before we managed to see most of... read more

We had a fabulous trip in Greece thanks to all the coordination and expert guiding from the folks that kimkim ser up for us. Andreas was excellent for our all-day excursion to Delphi — very friendly and knowledgeable. The guide we had at the Delphi museum was also excellent.

The mythological tour with Vicky was very good—she has a background in archaeology and anthropology and was lively and funny. On such a hot day our younger travelers ran out of energy before we managed to see most of the Agora, but we managed to get the highlights of the Acropolis, and on our last day in Greece we returned to the museum of the Acropolis for a cooler and more detailed visit of the artifacts.

Our time in Naxos was relaxing and cooler after the heat and go-go-go of Athens. The beach hotel was perfect because it was both quiet and lovely. Our hike with Matina was a highlight because she was also very relaxed and able to respond to all our questions on the trail. We were lucky to visit an old Byzantine church when archaeologists were working the site and got to speak with them a bit about their work.

Santorini was next and the crew of our catamaran cruise was delightful. The captain engaged my mom in long conversation and the sights from the water were absolutely stunning. The only issue was that the pasta prepared for the group ran out before my niece could get some — and she eats very few things. It was mainly an issue with one family whose kids took giant portions, but the cook apologized and was seemed stunned to see that the item had vanished before everyone had a chance to sample it. We enjoyed the beach at Kamari and arranged an afternoon trip to Oía. We watched the US women win the World Cup title at an Irish Bar with an attentive staff, and that was fun.

Back at Athens for Laura & Claire’s departure we rented our car and headed for Corinth and the Peloponnese. Such a great choice! Nafpaktos was charming and we especially enjoyed Dimitris’s recommendation for a restaurant there — Captain Cook. Adela and I swam in the sea and climbed to the fortress.

En route to Olympia we enjoyed the countryside and ended up at the wrong Amalia hotel, but we were able to correct in time for our tour with Antonia. She was my favorite guide of the trip—so attentive to our questions and my mom’s pace in the heat. Nafplio proved to be a charming place to spend three nights and at that leg of the journey we were glad not to be moving every day to a new spot. Ilias was an excellent guide as well—maybe surprised with our level of knowledge and interest in the history and happy to go deeper when we asked questions. Mycanae and Epidaurus are very interesting places.

The evening performance of Oedipus Rex was definitely a highlight for me—my mom and I reread the play the day before we saw it, and it sprang to life in the theater as I hoped it would—creating a mythical moment as we considered how Greeks in ancient times may have experienced the brilliance of Greek tragedy.

The kayaking outing was soooo beautiful and George & Nico were excellent guides. George in particular has a zest for life and sharing outdoor experiences that inspire and connect people with natural beauty. Our coordinator at Grecopaths was lovely — helping us pick up our laundry in town and gifting us homemade preserves. Wish we had had more time with her!

The travel back to Athens was smooth and arriving back on a Sunday with little to no traffic was a bonus. Our Pi Athens staff welcomed us back for the third time and Lampros took us to the airport the next day. He’s a gem — so attentive and professional.

You and your team organized a trip we’ll never forget. You’ve earned our trust and stellar recommendation to others. Honestly, my mom was hesitant to go with an agency we knew little about, but everyone had a great time. Thank you for being so responsive to our queries! It instilled a lot of confidence as we went from place to place that we were in good hands.