Kimkim Trip Reviews

Hi
Throughly enjoyed the trip
Saeed was extremely good ,well organised went out of his way to help and make us comfortable
Nooruddin and Ayub kept us well informed with their knowledge. Over all good experience. Thou would have been better less time in coach and staying at places like merzoga our camping one more day. Also really wanted to see Switzerland Marakask Irfan more. Would have loved a day in there.
Over all. All were good. People were friendly. I enjoyed thanks.

First of all, Megan was a fantastic resource and support for planning our Morrocan trip. She was available, had helpful suggestions and listened carefully to our concerns.

Our driver, Hamid, was outstanding in every way. He was prompt, attentive, careful driver, engaging, respectful, knowledgeable, and overall a perfect guide for us! We can’t say enough good things about his presence and functioning with us throughout our Moroccan trip. He added so much value to our trip with all the stories, information, and overall approachability.

All of our local guides were excellent, offering us helpful information and giving us accessibility to what we were seeing and experiencing. We mention Mohammed in Fez, because he was such an interesting person, and offered so much depth to our experience there. His engaging, interactive qualities, and his humor were perfect for us!

The hotels and riads were excellent accommodations, and we enjoyed each and everyone! The food was exceptional. The desert camp experience was outstanding in every way. The warmth and caring hospitality was deeply appreciated!

We highly recommend KimKim company and Wonderlust voyages. We would definitely consider traveling again with this company.

Cheryl & Nelson Lehman Tucson, Arizona

What Cheryl and Nelson have written above reflects very well our experience with KimKim on our trip to Morocco. From the beginning of planning this trip, Megan was very responsive and informative about all the details and specifics of our trip. When faced with the uncertainties of the earthquake that happened 3 weeks before we were to leave, she made sure that all the places we were scheduled to go to were safe and ready for us. Megan was professional and sensitive to what we wanted on this trip.
Our driver, Hamed, was a delight. Prompt, courteous, knowledgeable, and safe are great qualities to have in a driver and he exhibited them all. One of our highlights was getting to meet his family. We learned much about Morocco, its people and customs from Hamed as well as the city guides that were provided for us through KimKim/Wanderlust. It was a wonderful experience and we plan on using KimKim again for future travel plans.
Marty and Audrey Lowen, Tucson Arizona

Hotel Reviews

Demeures d'Orient

Marrakech

Zoe, the owner, engaged us in such a lovely manner. Excellent service on all accounts.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Salam Fes

Fes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Atlas Mountains Hike

Morocco

Enjoyed hiking in the Ourika Valley with Mohammed, who was enthusiastic and informative. Hiking along the stream to the waterfalls was very relaxing. Enjoyed mint tea at a teahouse with views of the waterfalls. Relaxing along the stream at one of the many cafés while dangling our feet in the Ourika creek was delightful. Highly recommend this hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel Trek into a Luxury Sahara Camp

Morocco

The two hour journey on camel with the full moon was an unforgettable experience. The quiet. The lighting. The color. The guide was friendly and competent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Fes with a Private Guide

Fes

Mohammad was an outstanding guide. Very knowledgeable. Very engaging. Enjoyed his sense of humor and the stories he told!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took a trip from Kathmandu to Astam and Pokhara. The level of service was amazing. Amamnda met us at our hotel to confirm all the details and hand over of the airline tickets.

Astam- We had both a driver and a guide. The Eco Lodge was rustic and beautiful. It could not have been more perfect. We arrived after lunch. They made a special lunch for us anyway. The stay was so peaceful. We would go back again.

Mums Garden in Pokhara- Perfectly placed for a trip to Sarangot to view the mountains. The hotel arranged the bus/cable car for our spur of the moment trip. Breakfast was amazing.

Every person that we encountered was kind and helpful. I would book with KimKim anytime.

This was one of our life time trips. Overall this trip was wonderful. Local specialist Angel put together a very good trip plan for us. He listened well to my wants and expectations as he designed the trip and made changes to the plan as I communicated with him during the planning process. During the trip, he was always there and ready to jump in to facilitate any last minute situation. We speak zero Spanish. Communications had created glitches through out the trip. As much as we tried to use Google Translate, sometimes it was just hard to get our points across through an App. Angel would always come online through WhatsApp to talk to people on our behalf when we needed it.
In the middle of the our trip we had planned a free day in Santiago, and it was a Sunday. I wanted to visit the top of San Cristobal to get a view of the city and snow-capped mountains. Because it was a free day, we were supposed to handle the day on our own. Not until we got to the Pin No No entry of the park did we find out the top was closed that day for a certain event, and the cable cars were not running. We struggled to communicate with the park staff who was trying to tell us what was going on. So we called on Angel and he came to our rescue. In a few minutes of time he came up with a different way for us to access the hill from a different entry, which was open for walking. As it turned out, we were able to get very good views of the city skyline as well as the mountains in the background.
This trip would not have been as smooth and successful without Angle.

Hotel Reviews

Diego de Almagro San Pedro

We showered in lukewarm water during our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costaustralis

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

We enjoyed the views of the tranquil harbor

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Ciudad de Santiago

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Safe and close proximity to everything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

This hotel serves very good breakfast. Rooms were clean and spacious.

Activity Reviews

Navigation Excursion - Serrano Glacier and Patagonic Lunch

Chile

Amazing scenery. The highlight of this tour was the lunch serving BBQ lamb and Chilean red wine.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park - Panoramic Tour

Chile

Torres del Paine is amazing. We were vowed again and again. This was definitely the highlight of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

We got to eat our box lunch at one of the most beautiful places on planet earth, with jade blue lake and the amazing view of Torres del Paine right in front of us, sitting on a dead tree trunk by lakeshore. It felt like heaven came to earth.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Mirador Base Torres del Paine - Full Day Tour

Chile

This was one of our lifetime trekking experience which will stay with us in our memories. It might be a bit too challenging for us (10 hours of almost nonstop trekking and a good part of it involved steep ascending). My husband and I are in our high fifties. We were the oldest of the five members of our team. From the start the younger part of our team had to frequently stop to let us catchup. At one point we almost decided to turn back. We had to let the younger members move on without us. We eventually finished the hike, albeit at a much slower pace than our younger team members. I think one thing that could make our experience better is if we were grouped with hikers that were closer to our age. It would definitely take some stress off of us trying to keep up, and it would improve the younger members' experience too. It would make the guide's job a bit easier too, as he tried to get the team to stay together. We only got to spend 10 minutes at the base of the towers to snap some quick picture, because our guide was so concerned that we couldn't get back to the bus by 6pm. But it was one heck of hike! We were glad we did it.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food was good but we didn't get to eat, because of the time crunch.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Danny is young and probably does this hike everyday. It was hard for him to sympathize with us. In trying to get us back to the bus by 6pm, he pushed us a bit too hard in my mind. I can understand his concerns of our safety. Nonetheless, I saw many people finished the hike behind us, which told me not all guides think it would be unsafe to get back to the bus a bit later.

Transport

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

I really appreciated the way our guide always repeat her presentation for us in English. We were the only two members of the tour who didn't understand Spanish. So she had to rerun all her presentations for the two of us. The photographer was professional and nice. We loved the chilean red wine served at this tour. It was our best red wine experience in Chile. In my mind what can be improved of this trip was the location of the showing. It was too close to the town San Pedro and the town's light had some negative impact on the view of the Atacama starry night sky.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sandboard in the Atacama Desert

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Trip- Red Rocks, Lagunas Altiplánicas & Atacama Salt Flats

San Pedro de Atacama

These lovely birds were worth it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

The sunset was the best part of this tour. The lunch was very good. The guide could be a little friendlier.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hidden Lagoons of Baltinache

Chile

This was an OK tour in and of itself, not as impressive as it was marketed. But the guide and the driver were very nice. For us, what made this trip good were the tourists who did it with us.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marion organized our recent trip to the Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye. My wife and I hiked part of the West Highland Way (Bridge of Orchy to Ft. William). It was a great 3 day hike through amazing scenery. Our accommodations were great, and luggage transfer service worked out perfect. We then did a rest day (mid-trip) in Ft. William. A nice town with lots of shopping, restaurants, and pubs. We then got our rental car and went on to Isle of Skye for 3 amazing days. We finished up in Inverness, which was an enjoyable small city in the Highlands. We loved Scotland and definatley want to go back someday! Marion was patient with us as we built our customized itinerary and everything was well organized and went smoothly!

Our guide/driver Abdol was amazing. He was a wonderful resource. It was comforting to be safely transported from city to city with him going above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed daily. He provided the utmost service. Highly recommend him! Overall planning was efficient as we tailored a trip to the exact cities and places we wanted to see during our time in Morocco.

We had been given information from friends as to where to go, what to see , where to eat, and where to travel around Portugal.
We were not prepared to put this all together. I found KimKim on the internet, and noticed the rave reviews.
We were looking for someone special to go for our 40th Anniversary. Portugal was the place!!
Beatriz from DAY 1 has been exceptional. She worked with our requests and then made suggestions of her own.
The Travel App we used was amazing. Details of drivers, pickups, hotel locations, restaurant reservations, other places to see, helped us daily. Plus, when we had a question or concern, Beatiz answered our messages (in the App) all the time.
We started in Lisbon with the Food Tasting tour Taste of Lisbon with Sofia who was excellent, and her suggestions as to where to walk around after were perfect. Our tour to Sintra, Cascais and Estoril with Paulo was great day. He was informative, helpful, super friendly. Once our time in Lisbon was done, we rented a car in Lisbon and drove to the Algarve. Beatriz arranged tours of Cork farms, Olive oil estate, Winery's, with lunches in many places. Each was better than the rest. We walked the cliffs and enjoyed some beach time. Had some amazing meals in the Algarve. Evora was a great 2 day stay. The Hotel was superb. Porto was Spectacular for 3 days. Spectacular hotel with best views imaginable. Our Vintage Car Tour and walking tour of Porto with Sandra was very well done. With a one day visit to Douro Valley with our guide Rui, it showed us it was not enough time to spend there. 2 or 3 days in the valley would have been nice. Our driver/tour back to Lisbon was with Nelson, he showed us Nazare, and Obidos. Lisbon is a great walking town. Amazing choice of restaurants.
Beatriz, we have to THANK YOU for all help, assistance and advice. Your help, made this trip very memorable for us.

Hotel Reviews

The Yeatman Hotel

Vila Nova de Gaia

This upscale hotel offers views of Porto that will last a lifetime in your memories. The rooms are spectacular, the hotel is beautiful inside, the daily breakfast was excellent, and was gorgeous when it was not too cool to sit outside We ate dinner on the terrace at Dicks Bar Lounge one night. The food was great, the views were spectacular

Authenticity & Character

Location

The views, access to walk the area is very easy.

Staff

At check in, they were so helpful, showing us around the hotel and then to our room

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms and hotel were immaculate.

Convento do Espinheiro, Historic Hotel & Spa

Evora

Beautiful grounds, location food and servcie

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to Evora,

Staff

All the staff were overly friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms and the grounds were perfect.

Vila Valverde - Design & Country Hotel

Lagos

Hotel is beautiful, food was great. Only the Air Conditioning in our room did not work well ( or at all)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the beach, and many very good restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Epic Sana Marquês

Lisbon

Service , location and the Italian restaurant Allora was AMAZING, you must eat there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Wilson in Allora restaurant was very helpful. All the staff were great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were very clean, hotel was very clean

Activity Reviews

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Very informative tour. Paulo stopped in Lisbon before heading to Sintra and explained some historic details.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flavors of Lisbon: Market, Food & Culture Walk

Lisbon

Sofia was an EXCELLENT guide. Very informative and helped us navigate the rest of our day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Probably should have not scheduled this tour a few hours after arriving in Lisbon . My wife was too tired to get the benefit of it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chris did a great job of putting together an “off the beaten path” trip for us. Any questions or concerns were answered promptly. Trips to Meteora,, Zagori villages and our boat day in Corfu were made more special by informative guides who were passionate about their home towns. Our driver, Yannis, was so much more than a driver. He was an informative tour guide who taught us and created immersive experiences. His guidance, information and excellent driving enriched our trip.

Activity Review

Palaiokastritsa Boat Experience

Corfu

Beautiful day with knowledgeable Captain Spiros. We were constantly in awe.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Captain Spiros

Transport

I was impressed with the responsiveness of our Kim Kim representative, Kateryna. Her knowledge of the area was very helpful. The accommodations in Inverness and the Isle of Skye were magical.

Activity Review

The Vaults Tour

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We can’t say enough about the amazing level of support and planning provided by Bruno of KimKim in Croatia. The arranged rental car provided by Bruno’s colleague, Matej, was excellent and included GPS. We received Google Map pins every evening so we knew how to navigate the next day. We biked two days with full support both days by additional colleagues, Ilya and Goran. Every day was planned perfectly and we had instant responses from Bruno for any questions we had. Our itinerary was amazing: Zagreb, Rovinj, Porec, Plitvice Lakes, Krka National Park, Split, Hvar, Korcula, Ston, and Dubrovnik … plus we saw so many beautiful villages and sights along the way. Every hotel was immaculate and charming with beautiful views and amenities. We highly recommend Bruno … A++ for service, knowledge, and overall professionalism every step of the way.

Our trip to Bhutan was absolutely perfect. There is a danger of writing too much, so I'll mention a few highlights.

Firstly, I feel lucky to have found KimKim, and luckier still to have had Mieke help to piece together our itinerary and hotel choice. You go out on a limb having someone arrange a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but the service Mieke gave was exceptional. Excellent recommendations, really quick to respond to questions and made tweaks to our itinerary. The communication was excellent, and the document produced for the itinerary was frankly exceptional and really useful! What I particularly like is when Yonten mentioned Mieke had been over, and cycled around with them - so she knows the country, this is not some random guesswork at where to go and what to see.

Meanwhile, when we reached the airport in Paro after a traumatic day in Kolkata (lost luggage, noise, pollution etc), we felt that we were met as absolute VIPs by Yonten the guide, and Dorji the driver. This was from day one until we finally left them (as we decided to extend an additional day to just relax in Paro instead of heading back to India for our flights home).

Well, what is there to say about these two - Yonten and Dorji. Just a sheer delight. Dorji drove very carefully and safely, and Yonten was just such a good guide. Clearly knowledgable, willing to adjust to our needs on the days we felt tired, or the days we felt more energetic. He was patient, thoughtful, and what I hadn't realised is that he was also taking photos of us while we walked around, and some of those candid photos are the best. He sent them to me on Whatsapp and they're now part of my 'permanent collection'!.

I won't talk about individual sights and experiences, as so many other travellers will tell their tales. Except to say that being at the Punakha Dzong - the ACTUAL place you see on the internet - looks even better when you're there, perfect. Then the Tiger's Nest of course, but what made me laugh was Yonten, the guide, trying to beat me down to the bottom by taking a shortcut - that was hilarious.

We chose, with help from Mieke, the higher end of the hotels. Just because you're only there once and it's a trip of a lifetime. The Druk Hotel was lovely, in a central location, and the staff were amazing especially the bartender! But the absolute ABSOLUTE hotel highlight was the Como Uma in Punakha. The views from the room just enticed you to stay there all day looking out from the balcony at the river, valley and distant hills. Khun Tipsuda, the Manager, was so friendly and helpful. And the hotel and its surroundings were literally idyllic.

If we knew we were going to extend an extra day, it would probably have been at the Uma Punakha. However, we then went on to the Uma Paro, and while there, decided it's the right place to stay longer. the GM of the Uma hotels in Bhutan, James, turns out was a friend of a friend - it's a small world! He went out of his way to meet and talk to every guest at the hotel, and it really made the experience even more special.

Yonten (and Windhorse, the local travel company), took care of everything when they realised what we wanted to do. Which primarily included getting our passports to Thimphu for a visa extension. We were lucky that the Uma Paro had space available to accommodate our extra night.

I would totally recommend getting a local SIM card on arrival at Paro (there was not an option for an e-Sim, so be prepared to take a cheap extra phone or if you have dual-sim then, no issue). It meant I could contact Windhorse, taxi drivers, as well as getting A LOT of data for my phone while I was in the country. I paid roughly £50 for way more data than I ended up using, but having a local number really helped.

The only thing I think may be worth knowing, as I don't know whether I understood or whether it wasn't clear, is about food during the day. I don't know why, but we thought we had to fend for ourselves during the day. But no, we were taken for lunch at various places, and the food was local, tasty - when they realised we like it SPICY, Yonten instructed the restaurants to bring us more chillis!

So in summary (too late, I know):
- trust Mieke - if you have doubts or specific requirements, let her know - she will make sure it's done
- get a local SIM card at the airport, it could be useful (and it's cheap) for taxis, data, etc
- the guides are ultimately flexible - tell them what you want, how you're feeling (especially if you have jetlag etc) and they will adapt accordingly
- THINK ABOUT BUILDING IN A DAY WHERE YOU "DO NOTHING"! - our final day in Paro was prefect to relax, reflect, and prepare for the long journey home.

I don't know if I'll get the chance to update this review when I've had even more time to reflect on the trip.... but, my initial thoughts are - TRUST Mieke, and Kimkim. Go for the best you can afford hotel-wise (and the Uma hotels in Paro and Punakha are definitely recommended). Then let everyone involved just take care of you on this amazing trip.

Hotel Reviews

Uma Paro

Paro

The ambience of the hotel - perfect. It's classy, the grounds are stunning (visit the vegetable garden! They grow things there which are then part of the menu). The staff - it's like they're your friends from day one. So attentive, so polite, so willing to help you in every way they can. And a special mention to the GM James Low, who seems to be there from early in the morning to late at night, taking time to individually chat with guests and ensure everyone is happy - also has good tips on where to eat in town! Rooms - large, clean, tidy, views. What more do you want.

Authenticity & Character

Architecture and grounds, absolutely stunning

Location

The Uma Paro is slightly away from the town centre (but handily close to the airport). If you want to go into town for a wander (which you should) the hotel will arrange a good taxi for you with an engligh-speaking driver.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Uma Punakha

Punakha

The best hotel experience of the trip - largely due to the stunning views from the rooms. You just feel so special here, not just because of the location, but because of ALL staff, and in particular Khun Tipsuda (the manager).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Stunning views of the river and hills - actually the best in Bhutan.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Druk Hotel KK

Thimphu

Best location, incredible staff, excellent wine list. Large, comfortable rooms. Do bear in mind there doesn't seem to be a lift/elavator, although if you have mobility issues they also have ground floor rooms - so let them know you preference.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Paro - Hike to Tigernest Monastery aka Taktshang Goemba

Paro

Tiger's Nest is stunning from a distance. So don't feel bad if you can't make it past the cafeteria (by horse). You are there, you can see it clinging on to the cliff side. If you can make it there, that's great. But the best experience is from the various viewpoints on the way up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Punakha - Punakha Dzong

Bhutan

This is one of the things you see on the internet, then you come here and it is so much more. Especially the view from outside. Get your guide to stop on the road on the way to Punakha in the late afternoon when the sun shines bright against the white walls of the Dzong.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thimphu - Buddha Dordenma

Thimphu

Somehow ended up here on a festival day. So, while it is absolutely stunning in itself, being there with hundreds of local people on a special day was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Contacting KimKim and especially Mathilde was the best decision my wife and myself made for our 3 week trip to France. We had never used a travel specialist to organize an entire vacation in the past but now realize it will be the only way we will travel in the future. Mathilde was assigned to our initial request and she was extremely fast at getting back to us with a suggested itinerary. We told her that we wanted to start in Paris for 3-4 days and then end up in southern France for the last week of our holiday. We are quite active and wanted to see as much as possible during our stay and asked her for some information walking tours, wine and e bike tours as well as many other things. Our stays during the 3 weeks were in Paris, Normandy, Mont St. Michel, Loire Valley, Bordeaux, Aix en Provence and Nice. WIth regards to transportation, she handled the private transfers to and from the airport in Paris and everything in between which was a combination of train and car rental. All of the hotels that she booked were fabulous!!! Where Mathilde really excelled was all of the tours that she organized and arranged on our behalf. From the full day small group tours in travel vans or e bikes to the 1/2 day private historical tours. She booked 2 private boat tours, one in Paris and the other on the Mediterranean in Nice. Some of the tours we drove to ourselves in the beautiful French countryside which was great as well!!! All of the guides were very friendly, knowledgable and a lot of fun. Additionally, they spoke very good English. As we reflect on our holiday, we both feel it could not have been any better than what Mathilde put together for us. We will always treasure our very special trip to France because of you!!! Merci, merci, merci.

Everything went according to the plan and communication with Jay at Bespoke was always reassuring. Our driver, Mahipal Singh, looked after us very well making sure we had all we needed along the way. When we arrived at our first hotel, he was very helpful and drove back to return my lost item. I always felt safe with his driving and felt he made sure we were always safe.
Our guides were well selected and respectful of our time as we are not interested in buying stuff.
All was flawless!

I tried KimKim out of desperation - three weeks until our departure! All I had were airline tickets, and no real knowledge of how to get the most out of our time in Norway. Ethel provided the basic itinerary in two days! She worked very responsively to my questions and our preferences, and Fenne picked the ball up nicely as our trip approached. The result was awesome…great hotels, great excursions and real time answers to any questions I had.
I would strongly recommend KimKim, Ethel and Fenne to any one looking into travel in Norway. A first class team!!!

We had a wonderful 2-week trip to Belgium and The Netherlands. We worked with Bas and Mieke. They were thorough and provided us with a wealth of knowledge. During the planning process and throughout our trip, Mieke was amazingly responsive, day and night!

We enjoyed the flexbility in travel style we had with them. Our trip was a mix of self- led and private guided travel. We used public transportation extensively. The detailed instructions on all forms of public transportation was much appreciated.

Great trip, everything was scheduled so well. Will use service again.

Had a wonderful trip despite the cold, wet weather. Alex was very helpful planning and then making sure things on our trip went as smoothly as possible. I really appreciated the fact that she kept in touch during the trip and continued to help us with reservations. Our guide Craig was amazing. He was extremely knowledgeable, flexible to meet the entire groups needs, and had a great bedside manner. Would definitely use both of these fine people again!

The walking tours with Filipa and Celia were informative and fun. They both helped us see the numerous areas through a local and historical eyes. The day trip to Sintra etc.. with Nuno was wonderful. His personality made the trip very enjoyable. His knowledge of the area made each stop fascinating. The day trip with Paulo was again phenomenal. His personality and knowledge made the day so much fun. The trip with Rui to the Douro valley also was lovely. These driver/ tour guides have such a beautiful personality that makes the drives fly by and we learned so much about the history and importance of each place we visited.
The stop at the winery in Douro, WOW. Rafael brought the vineyard to life. His love of the vineyard and what he does was seen throughout the day. The food and wine was delicious and amazing, but again it was such a lovely experience due to Raphael,
As far as Marina, she was extremely professional. When there was a hiccup , the group made sure it was rectified quickly. The app was a wonderful way to communicate in a quick manner.

Working with Antonis was fantastic! Our trip to Greece was incredible and exactly what we wanted. This was our first time to Greece and we were celebrating our 30-year anniversary. We had lots of ideas and questions, and Antonis helped us every step of the way. He was very professional, friendly, knowledgeable, responsive, and he truly provided a local's perspective. You just can't get all that from the internet! We ended up going to Athens, Delphi, Meteora, Santorini, Crete, and Rhodes. We're more interested in exploring Greek history, culture, and food, and we're less interested in resorts and beaches. I would highly recommend private tour(s), especially for the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens. It was so great to have someone who knew how to maneuver around the crowds, get us to "the best spots", and tell us a lot of interesting info. We can't say enough good things about our trip and about Antonis!

Hotel Reviews

Elakati Luxury Boutique Hotel

Rhodes

We LOVED our stay at the Elakati! Awesome location and staff! Our room was small but very clean, comfortable, and quiet. Easy walk to the Medieval Old Town and the downtown harbor area. Highly recommend and we would definitely stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

Very cool vibe! Nice blend of modern and "Old World" style.

Location

Great location! Near Medieval Old Town and an easy walk to everything else. Located on a nice, quiet street.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful staff!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable!

Legacy Gastro Suites

Heraklion

We had a nice stay at the Legacy Gastro Suites. Our room was very clean and comfortable, and the staff were all very friendly. Conveniently located, but unfortunately, downtown Heraklion is noisy. The noise isn't horrible. Ask about the room, or just wear earplugs.

Authenticity & Character

Cool modern vibe with some classic/history decor

Location

Everything was within walking distance

Staff

Very friendly staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable

Ambassadors Residence Chania

Chania

The Ambassadors Residence was great! Really cool character - an "Old World" feel with modern conveniences. Location was ideal and we had a view of the lighthouse from our room. Clean, comfortable, and quiet. Highly recommend and we would definitely stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

We loved the "Old World" feel and decor. Our room was very spacious and comfortable.

Location

Location was ideal, we could walk to everything.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable!

Imera Vista Suites

Imerovigli

We absolutely LOVED our stay at the Imera Vista Suites, and Despina was a fantastic host!! Our room was very clean, comfortable, and quiet. Ideal location! Beautiful sunsets and delicious breakfasts. Highly recommend!!

Authenticity & Character

Classic Santorini style! Cliffside villa with white walls and small terrace overlooking the water. Gorgeous!

Location

Located between Fira and Oia, with easy access to both, but away from the crowds

Staff

We can't say enough great things about Despina! She was fabulous!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable!

Amalia Hotel Kalambaka

Theopetra, Kalabaka

We stayed at the Amalia Hotel to visit the Monasteries in Meteora. It was very nice! Our room was very clean, comfortable, and quiet. We would definitely stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

Very spacious feel and authentic decor. We loved it.

Location

Very close to the Monasteries

Staff

Staff was friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable!

O&B Athens Boutique Hotel

Athens

We stayed for 3 nights at the O&B Athens and it was great! Our room was small but very clean and comfortable. The staff were super friendly and the location was ideal. Highly recommend and we would definitely stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

Very cool vibe. Clean, classic decor, minimalist design.

Location

Everything was within walking distance, and yet the O&B was just off a main street and was surprisingly quiet.

Staff

Everyone was super friendly and accommodating, happy to answer questions and offer suggestions.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable!

Activity Reviews

The Very Best of Rhodes

Rhodes

We explored the Medieval Old Town and the Rhodes Harbor area on our own, and we loved it. Highly recommend stepping off the beaten path and getting lost in some of the back roads of Old Town. It's easy to find your way out. We took a private tour down to Lindos and we really enjoyed that as well. Lindos was beautiful, interesting, and fun. It was crowded, especially around the Acropolis, but very reasonable. We loved our visit to Rhodes!

Quality of Experience

Overall we had a great experience on Rhodes!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Mike was very good

Transport

Very clean, safe, and comfortable car

The Palace of Knossos & the City of Heraklion

Heraklion

Our private tour of the Palace of Knossos with Gregoris was FANTASTIC! He was very knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. We learned so much about the history of Knossos as well as the mythology. It was really great! The city of Heraklion itself was not our favorite, glad we only stayed for a day to visit Knossos.

Quality of Experience

We loved our experience learning about the Palace of Knossos

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Gregoris was the best! We can't say enough good things about him. Highly recommend!

Transport

Driver was excellent, car was very clean and comfortable

The Ultimate Private Food Tour Of Chania Villages

Chania

We LOVED our private food tour with Dimitris. It was truly authentic and didn't feel one bit touristy. We visited family-owned businesses and learned first-hand about past and present ways of producing olive oil, tsikoudia, bread/bakery goods, and cheese. The education and the tasting of the foods was fabulous! It was so special to meet with the people at each of these businesses and hear their stories. We ended the tour with a delicious lunch at a lovely restaurant. Highly recommend this tour!

Quality of Experience

Fantastic and unique experience, we loved it!

Food

The food at each establishment was amazing!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dimitris was a wonderful guide - friendly, knowledgeable, professional. The staff at each of the businesses were wonderful!

Transport

Very clean and comfortable car

Catamaran Sunset Cruise

Santorini

The ONLY reason we didn't give 5 stars/amazing rating is because of the weather. It was very windy, so windy that the group didn't swim in 2 of the 3 places that were part of the tour. And the boat was very rocky for most of the trip. However, the boat itself and the staff were wonderful. The food was delicious. We loved touring Santorini from the water. The place where we did go swimming was great. And the sunset was incredible! This would have been an amazing experience if the weather had been better.

Quality of Experience

Unfortunately, it was so windy that we weren't able to fully enjoy the experience. The staff did their best!

Food

Food was delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides and staff were wonderful!

Transport

Great catamaran! Very clean and comfortable.

Magnificent Athens

Athens

SO glad we did a private tour of Athens! Our guide, Kostas, was great. He knew exactly how to maneuver through the Acropolis, Parthenon, and the Museum - avoided the crowds, took us to the best spots and photo ops, and he gave us lots of info along the way. He was super friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. At times, his English was hard to understand but he was happy to repeat himself or explain things a different way. We would highly recommend Magnificent Athens!

Quality of Experience

Overall we had a great experience! Glad to avoid the crowds and get great info from our guide Kostas.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was excellent. Kostas was a wonderful guide - friendly, professional, knowledgeable.

Transport

Very clean and comfortable!

Group Tour of Delphi & Meteora (2/2)

Meteora

We loved our trip to Meteora and glad we made the effort. It was a long day, broken up with a stop in Delphi, but we arrived in good time the night before touring the monasteries. We spent half a day viewing the cliffs and monasteries (beautiful scenery!), and actually toured two of them. It is crowded and we had to wait in lines, but our guide did an excellent job taking us through and providing info along the way. After touring the monasteries, we went for a nice group lunch and then it was about 5 hours back to Athens. It was such a unique experience!

Quality of Experience

Overall we had a great experience. Beautiful scenery and very unique tours/views of the monasteries.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was excellent. Our guide was great - friendly, professional, knowledgeable.

Transport

Bus was very clean and comfortable

Group Tour of Delphi & Meteora (1/2)

Delphi

We really enjoyed our trip to Delphi! We are not really group tour people, but this was very well done, and we are glad we did it. The bus was clean and comfortable. Our guide, George, was very good. We loved learning both sides of Delphi - the historical/factual info as well as the mythology and stories. It was fun!

Quality of Experience

Overall experience was great and everything (what to expect) was easy to understand

Food

Stopped at a great little place for a quick bite to eat

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was excellent. George was an excellent tour guide - friendly, professional, knowledgeable, approachable.

Transport

Clean and comfortable bus

Excellent support from Kimkim as we enjoyed the most. Everything went smoothly as we planned with the help of kimkim.