A 5-Star Price Tag for a 1-Star Experience
Turkey
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Mar 27 - Apr 4, 2025
Let's begin with the positives. Berat was prompt in her communication throughout the planning process. All scheduled transfers went off without a hitch, which we appreciate.
A special shoutout to our guides—Irfan in Cappadocia and Ozan in Izmir—for their deep knowledge, enthusiasm, and patience as they walked us through incredible sights. They were the highlight of the trip. On the other hand, Emir in Istanbul took a more by-the-book approach. His style felt rigid and lacked the warmth and flexibility we experienced with the other guides.
That said, I rarely write negative reviews—but our experience with Trail Travel (via Berat through Kimkim) was so egregiously underwhelming and overpriced that I feel compelled to warn fellow travelers. We paid an astronomical $$$$ for what was marketed as a premium 9-day private tour of Turkey, and what we got was mediocrity at prices that would make even luxury brands blush.
It all started when I realized our itinerary originated from Istanbul and ended in Izmir, despite clearly sharing that our international return flight was from Istanbul. This left us to book and pay for our own return. Having traveled widely across Europe and Asia, I expected more foresight—especially at this price point.
I first used Kimkim back in 2018. Now, at 60 and retired, I value ease and peace of mind while traveling, so my wife Sangeetha and I returned to the platform. Trusting Berat's 4.9-star reviews, I paid the quoted amount without hesitation. But after that Izmir-to-Istanbul surprise, I started scrutinizing the package—and realized we were charged approximately 1.5 times the market rate. My independent estimate was based on the premium rates for the same accommodations and services included in our package based on reputed travel portals and discussions with tour operators.
When I politely requested clarification about this price mismatch, instead of transparency, I received corporate doublespeak about "bundled services" and "personalized planning." Unprompted, a Kimkim rep was brought in to convince me about the professional planning, time savings, and support throughout the journey.
For our three nights in Istanbul, we followed an itinerary that involved walking in circles around Sultanahmet. The program conveniently avoided attractions requiring car transportation despite the premium we paid for a "private tour." A car service in Istanbul was too expensive to be included in our $$$$ package.
The hotels where we stayed were barely of 3-star quality:
The Istanbul Armada Hotel featured birds eating from the breakfast buffet (enjoy avian flu with your morning coffee!)
Our room at Kale Konak smelled of sewage
Basic, disappointing breakfasts throughout
The most detailed communication we received during the entire trip was a lengthy message about how much we should tip the guides and drivers, which we honored to the best of our abilities.
Turkey is a beautiful country. Hopefully, other reputable tour operators in Turkey will not treat your vacation budget like their personal ATM.
One star is too generous, but it's the minimum the review system allows.
A friend familiar with Turkish travel commented, "For this amount, you could have been chauffeured in a Rolls-Royce and stayed in a palace once owned by the Sultans."
Hotel Reviews
Activity Reviews
Highly touristy
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