A fabulous trip

Turkey | May 13 - May 23, 2025

This was our first time using KimKim. In fact, it was the first time we had used any travel planning agency. There were times in the planning process that I felt a bit anxious there I gave the planning and booking experience only 4 stars. That said, the itinerary and arrangements that Zehra put together for us far exceeded our expectations! I had originally told Zehra that we wanted to see Troy, Pergamum, Ephesus, and Cappadocia. I later added Pamukkale to that list. Zehra expanded the trip to include Gallipoli, Aphrodiaias, Hierapolis, and Konya to that list. We knew of Gallipoli but the last 3 were places we had never even heard of and all turned out to be fascinating and memorable.
The guides Zehra hired were fabulous. Okan made the battle sites of the Gallipoli Peninsula come alive. We finished that day with an understanding of the importance of the geography of that peninsula and the important role it played in 20th century Turkish history. Okan also guided us patiently and carefully through the ruins of ancient Troy and Pergamum. He went beyond his role of tour guide by recommending an excellent fish restaurant for dinner and arranging a late lunch stop in Çanakkale so we could eat gözleme.
Senem gave us a very good understanding of the importance of Ephesus and took us through the excavation of the “mansions “ near the agora that are now open to the public at a small additional fee.
Rafet is a fabulous story teller! He entranced us with his telling of the Greek myths and their connections to the ancient cities of Aphrodisias and Hierapolis. He also found us good local eateries for lunch!
Gökhan gave us very clear explanations about the geology of Cappadocia and also about the role that the early Christians played in that area. He also steered us expertly through the crush of tourists in the Underground City.
Our itinerary was a private 11 day road trip with a car and driver. Okan, Rafet and Gökhan were each with us for more than one day and all 3 were also very good traveling companions on the drives from one site to another.
KimKim and Zehra truly put together a remarkable trip for us.