Kimkim Trip Reviews for Greece

I was really lucky to have found Kimkim, randomly searching for itineraries to visit Greece. I was finding it very hard to plan the perfect itinerary with so many options to choose from. So when I first contacted them, Effie was very helpful in sorting out our best options for our trip. Our 8 day visit started in Athens, then the Islands of Paros, Santorini and Mykonos. All transfers and activities were carefully planned and coordinated, making our trip so enjoyable. The hotels selected were spectacular!!! The daily communications with the team via Whatsapp was so helpful. The last day back in Athens, Effie wanted to meet with us and it was the perfect ending to our beautiful time in Greece! Thank you also for our welcome gift!!! Hope to see you again, Effie! We loved Greece 🇬🇷♥️ and want to return some day!

Hotel Reviews

Athenian Foss

Athens

Perfectly located in the heart of Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adonis Hotel & Apartments

Naoussa

Gorgeous hotel in Naoussa, Ana, from the very first moment was so cine and helpful!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Above Blue Suites Santorini

Santorini

Gorgeous hotel with caldera view, very friendly and helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The George Hotel

Mykonos

Excellent hotel and staff, gorgeous views

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Athens City & Acropolis Small-group Guided Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

U

Transport

Santorini Caldera Small-group Sunset Cruise with BBQ on board and Open Bar

Santorini

This experience was by far the highlight of Greece, what an incredible trip around the Island, with the most amazing staff! Views, food and bathing in the ocean were fantastic and unforgettable!!! Thanks to all!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were very impressed with all of the tour guides on our trip. We had tour guides in Athens at the Acropolis, in Chania (on Crete) for a food tour (Maria), one while hiking the Imbros Gorge (Nikos), another at the Knossos Palace (Carin), and another for a half day trip around Paros (Nicole). All were very knowledgeable and added a lot to our understanding about Greek culture. They were really delightful to spend time with. We also appreciated their professionalism . They all seemed to be very interested in giving us a better understanding of Greece.

We were also very impressed with the transportation on our trip. All of the drivers were there on time and transported us to our next destination in comfort.

Hotel Reviews

Elia Bettolo Hotel

Chania

The room was very comfortable. The location was very central which made for a fun stay.

Authenticity & Character

The front desk/ lobby is very small. It does not make for a very inviting entry.

Location

It is close to everything in Chania

Staff

For the most part staff was friendly and engaging

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was very comfortable

Sweet Home Hotel

Athens

It was an adequate facility with a good location and breakfast. Staff was helpful and friendly. We were hoping for a more unique hotel for our first few nights in Greece, however.

Authenticity & Character

There was nothing special about the facility

Location

The property seemed a little run down

Staff

Very Freindly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mr & Mrs White Paros

Paros

This is a very unique property with a good design theme. It felt like an oasis at the end of our three week trip. The grounds were well landscaped and the pools were very inviting.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel design is a good example of modern greek architecture. It is very well maintained.

Location

It was about a 1 km walk to town on a very busy road with no sidewalks. We didn’t mind having to walk into town, but the road was a bit of a nuisance

Staff

Very attentive and friendly staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was immpeccable

Activity Reviews

Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Guided Tour

Athens

Our tour guide (I wish I could remember her name) was extremely knowledgeable and a very delightful person to spend time with. She held an advanced degree in Greek history which gave her good credentials to conduct the tour.

Quality of Experience

See above

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See above

An ultimate food experience in the villages around Chania

Chania

Nikos was a very courteous and helpful guide. It was fun to spend time with him and the hike through the gorge was very memorable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Paros Highlights tour

Paros

Nicole was a great guide. Once again, she was a fun person to spend time with and she was a wealth of knowledge. The insights she gave about the history of Paros (and Greek mythology in general) were really fascinating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The private tour of Knossos Minoan palace

Greece

Carin was an excellent tour guide. She was lot’s of funk and very knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was okay ! I reached out to Kim Kim earlier this year with a friends suggestion . We had 3 options and were walked thru every possibility. Angela was amazing . We had a slight snafu and she was immediately there for us . The drivers and excursions were seamless . We visited the country of Greece and 3 islands 4 major cities … going forward I thought as a senior couple a little too much for us . We lost a few days due to transfers between islands that I was not prepared /told about. The excursions were interesting but took up a lot of our time . We have been to Europe 5 times and although this seemed easy in the future I will plan on our own

George and Maria in Naxos were awesome. Nicole in Santorini really knocked it out of park and a true local.

Hotel Reviews

AVA Boutique Hotel

Athens

Close to everything

Authenticity & Character

Sits in great area.

Location

Close to great restaurants. Acropolis was walking distance.

Staff

Very accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable

Antony Suites & Residences Naxos

Naxos

Walking distance to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Had everything we needed and made to order breakfast delivered

Location

Anna was very helpful and made great recommendations

Staff

Anna and the owner

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Elite Suites Oia

Santorini

Most amazing hotel I have ever stayed.

Authenticity & Character

Tucked in the cliff side and really represented Santorini.

Location

Location, view, pool, staff

Staff

They went out of their way to meet our needs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I know I will be booking this place again in the future. I really want to bring kids and grandkids.

14 Reasons Why

Athens

This is located in a very trendy energy location.

Authenticity & Character

It is trendy, world concious and really relatable in today’s world. Affirmations in every room.

Location

Staffing was so amazing. We are in our sixties and this staff was so polite and always trying to make it better

Staff

Always jumping in to help. Very aware of what is happening around them and where they can make a difference.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Christina is very knowledgeable and takes times to answer questions

Quality of Experience

Having a local giving his own life experience while showing the history of this area.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Opening our door. Always on time

Transport

I didn’t have to plan it.

Mount Zas Hike & Traditional Lunch

Naxos

George was great. Funny, knowledgeable and nice looking. this was a great hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naxos Town: Food, People & Heritage

Naxos

Maria was great - knew the area well and most of Greece.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

this tour has relationships to all the tasting locations so they are quick to feed us

Transport

we walked this tour

Reservation at Oia Gefsis (no meal included - only a reserved table)

Greece

Food, scenery and staff was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Restaurant staff were amazing and accommodating

Transport

walked again

Day Hike at Thirassia

Santorini

Great hike and lots of history. Nicole has grown up on this island and know so much.

Quality of Experience

top notch

Food

meals prepared and served at the home of the guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

HS 2024 Catamaran Sunset Cruise

Santorini

Crew was great - other guests no so much.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angela did an incredible job planning this trip with us. She really listened to our interests and developed a wonderful itinerary beginning in Athens with a mythological small group tour of Acropolis and other ancient sites with Kristina.We did a private half day walking food tour of neighborhoods in Athens with Elena. She was so knowledgeable about history, culture and of course food.
We moved on to Naxos and did a walking tour of old city with Katya. She had a wealth of information about architecture, history and cuisine of Naxos.
The following day we toured villages of Naxos. We sampled foods and climbed to ancient ruins, monasteries and other sites.
The last leg of trip was In Santorini. We spent a day away from caldera exploring other parts of Santorini and had a fabulous lunch with wine tasting in a garden. The final day was spent on a catamaran seeing the caldera from the water, swimming at different places along the caldera and ended with grilled dinner on the boat. Only 10 people and verycompetent crew.
It is hard to name each and every tour guide but I would say across the board, they were very knowledgeable, paced the day well and encouraged us to keep our steps up! There is a lot of walking and climbing. We are in our mid 70sand in good health. We felt challenged but not overwhelmed.

Hotel Reviews

Niche Hotel Athens

Athens

Well located near major visiting sites. Built with archeological excavations visible from lobby. Fabulous rooftop restaurant. Perfect view of Acropolis. Attentive staff. Excellent breakfast served at rooftop restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Seeing excavation sites as you walk in.

Location

Close to major sites

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Immaculate

Antony Suites & Residences Naxos

Naxos

Lovely quiet apartment steps from Aegean Sea and main part of Old town.

Authenticity & Character

Minimalist decor, relaxing

Location

Quick walk to Old town. Steps from beach

Staff

Anna greeted us and helped orient us with directions, restaurants etc

Cleanliness & Comfort

Utterly spotless and very quiet

Above Blue Suites Santorini

Santorini

Highest point on caldera. Did not have to go anywhere to experience gorgeous sunsets. All could be seen from terrace.

Authenticity & Character

Rooms built into caldera itself.

Location

Top of caldera. Short walk to restaurants in town

Staff

Always there to help. They carried luggage up and down stairs, making easy check in and out

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well cared for.

Activity Reviews

Athens Highlights Mythology Tour

Greece

Excellent information. Well paced given lots of walking. Very knowledgeable guide

Quality of Experience

Excellent orientation to city

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable in terms of art, architecture and history

The City Streets & Great Eats of Athens Tour

Greece

Excellent way to explore Athens. Visited neighborhoods we might not have found.

Quality of Experience

Fun and informative

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide Elena knew so many of people we met along the food tour. This made it very personal

Naxos Old Town, Castle & Portara Walking Tour

Naxos

Katya helped us understand both ancient and contemporary history of Naxos.

Quality of Experience

Ended with wine and cheese tasting!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Katya made day so interesting. Easy to get lost in maze of Castle. She gave us useful landmarks

Villages of Naxos and Beyond!

Naxos

So good to get outside of Ild town and experience village life beyond.

Quality of Experience

Visiting different villages and getting feel for local people and culture

Guides, Drivers and Staff

our our guide was very warm and knew so many of people we visited.

Transport

Very comfortable way to get around

All time classic Santorini 2024

Greece

Excellent way to experience life in Santorini outside of caldera.

Quality of Experience

Variety of stops, red rock beach, museum, vineyard etc

Food

Great wine tasting with 3 course lunch in a beautiful garden setting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very attentive to interests and pace of climbing

Transport

Comfortable and able to navigate impossibly narrow streets

HS Catamaran Sunset Cruise MD

Santorini

So special to see caldera from the water and get close up to volcanic rocks.

Quality of Experience

Extremely clean and comfortable vessel

Food

Well prepared food on board

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Crew members friendly and knowledgeable Cooked great dinner on board

Transport

Driver negotiated impossible roads. Comfortable vehicle

Our trip to the Parthenon was SPECTACULAR & our guide was beyond knowledgeable. Learned many new & interesting facts about this guided tour. Our guide in Naxos was so very friendly & just fun to be around. She didn’t rush us through the tour & the lunch/dinner with her was informative & so very interesting . Our guide in Santorini was also friendly & very informative. We felt she really enjoyed being with us & sharing her knowledge of the wine tour. Our day trip on the catamaran was over the top enjoyable & definitely FUN!!! This was a wonderful experience touring just a small part of your exhilarating country. Thank you for this trip of a lifetime 🤩

Hotel Review

Ippokampos Beachfront Hotel

Naxos

The accommodations were FANTASTIC!! The view was SPECTACULAR! The service at the restaurant was EXCELLENT! The beach and sunset views were AMAZING! Couldn’t ask for anything better.

Authenticity & Character

The cleanliness & friendly staff.

Location

The view….

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The entire hotel!!

Activity Review

Premium Sunset Catamaran Cruise in the Caldera lagoon

Santorini

The staff on board was accommodating & informative .

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Always there at the designated time & location.

Sienna and Lea made our trip to Greece so much more memorable and enjoyable without all of the hassles of figuring out all the plans and picks ups in a foreign country. We would definitely use KimMim again!

Our group of six is just back from Greece -- it was one of our best trips. We'd worked closely with Chris to plan the two week plus trip asking for superb guides, excellent 3-4 star hotels, restaurant recommendations and a sensible plan of action. I felt a culture gap working with Chris, he was rather laid back and we were slightly anxious about arrangements. Happily, everything worked out beautifully. Of the guides Spiros Daudakis was delightfully impressive. A history buff, he was engaging about all aspects of Greek history and we spent two full days with him - bombarding him with relentlessly with questions. He is exceptional. Although we only had 5 hours with Panagiota Kankali, we felt she was terrific fun and truly excellent. A+ in her introduction to Athens and her explanations of culture - and so engaging. Both were kind enough to take us to fabulous places for lunch - Panagiota to the Athens fish market and Spiros to souvlaki in Rethymno! True, the food was great but both were cultural experiences. We also enjoyed Vera who was knowledgeable and interesting. Turning to drivers, we must give a huge shout of appreciation to Yannis P. who chauffered us for four days. He gave us the feel of being taken around by family, a favorite uncle. He's so widely read and personable that we loved the time we spent with him and getting his take on Greek life. Yanna was another fabulous driver who we were with for a lovely day. Lastly, Nikos was excellent, though our time with him was shorter. Our hotels were perfect. Restaurant recommendations were most appreciated, though it must be said that the food across all Greece was just spectacular. And our game plan worked beautifully for our group. So Chris was able to do it all and be laid back! Thank you, Chris for all your work on our behalf.

There was some great things and a couple that should be changed or addressed for future customers. The last hotel, in Sorrento, was nice but our room had stairs (two floors) with no handrails. Plus, a lot of steps to get from the room to the amenity and to the street. Breakfast service was bad. We got to breakfast at 9:00 and all food was picked over and not replenished. The people there acted like they did not like working there. Heliopolis, I think was the name. All the guides were great. Seems we spent too much time traveling to all places. Not your fault. All drivers were on time and helpful.
Sailing was great..............weather was good. Guides got us around a lot of lines.

Good coordination on your part...........

We'd do it again...............might should have put the last hotel closer to the airport in Athens...........1 hour each way.

Our trip to Greece was perfect. Tasos was absolutely the best to work with along with Travel12 and kimkim. He planned the trip with just the right amount of scheduled tours and time for us to explore on our own.
The transfers were always on time and friendly and eased any worries we may have had about getting around.
Our hotel in Athens was in a great location, where we were in walking distance to many things.
Our guide, Demi was so knowledgable and nice! We loved having her as our personal guide. Our walk up the Acropolis and seeing the Parthenon and other ruins was breathtaking.
We really loved Paros and the Contaratos Beach Hotel! So relaxing and the staff was awesome, especially Eri who was always there to help. Great hotel!
Our favorite part was Petra Farms with our personal your with the owner and the farm to table lunch. W will never forget this beautiful setting and view along with the amazing food and wine!
Santorini was still a bit busy even though we were there in early October. Our hotel, Kastro Suites has literally on the edge of the cliff in Fira with the walking trail directly beneath us. The view was fabulous. We boat cruise on our final day there was a perfect way to cap off our trip.
We would highly recommend kimkim, Tasos and Travel12.
Thank you for planning the perfect trip of a lifetime.

Hotel Review

Contaratos Beach Hotel Paros

Naousa

This was a beautiful and relaxing hotel on Paros. It had everything; comfortable room with wonderful patio with ocean view, pool with bar and food,beach, great breakfast and dinner available in the evening. The staff was amazing and made you feel at home. We didn't want to leave.

Authenticity & Character

It felt so comfortable with the separate patio areas and easy access to the pool, beach, breakfast and dinner.

Location

Great beach, not in a busy area but within walking distance to everything in Naousa.

Staff

The entire staff was amazing, but Eri was so helpful and kind. We really enjoyed meeting him.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was very clean and super comfortable!

Activity Reviews

Athenian Democracy: Acropolis & Ancient Agora

Athens

Our personal guide, Demi was wonderful. She was so knowledgable and had a great sense of humor. My husband has some mobility issues with walking and she reassured us that there was no hurry and could walk at his pace. She helped him many times with the climb to the top of the Acropolis. We loved this experience!

Quality of Experience

At our pace and Demi who was so sweet!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and knowable.

Transport

On time, friendly drivers and clean vehicles.

Private Farm Tour with Lunch

Paros

We had a personal tour with the owner of Petra Farms. It was so relaxed and we learned so much about farming on Paros. The setting and views were breathtaking. The food and wine was fabulous. This was our favorite experience in Greece.

Quality of Experience

The personal tour with the owner and the relaxed atmosphere.

Food

The lunch was wonderfully fresh with their farm grown tomatoes, capers, olives, and herbs; spanakopita, bread, wine and baklava.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was amazing. He knew the owner and was always prompt.

Transport

Prompt, friendly, clean and courteous.

Santorini Highlights with Wine

Greece

This tour gave us a wider view of Santorini. Our guide Harry was great, along with the driver. They were a great team.

Quality of Experience

Harry's knowable information about Santorini.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Harry and the driver.

Transport

Clean, comfortable and relaxing.

Caldera Cruise & Volcano Visit

Santorini

The cruise was wonderful. We did not get off the ship at the volcano due to my husband's mobility issues. This left quite a bit of time in the boat docked while others hiked around the volcano rim. Had we known that this hike would be over an hour, we would have taken a book to read. But just enjoying the relaxation in the sun was nice too.

Quality of Experience

Food

The dinner served on board was very delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our group of six worked with Chris to plan most of our two-week trip and then we took it from there and went on to a couple islands. Chris met with us online several times to work out our itinerary and came to meet us on our last night in Greece. He was very good to work with on our plans. He was open to our ideas and he followed through to adapt to our requests, including taking a ferry ride through the Corinth Canal, seeking out archeological sites in Crete, and lunching in Arechova on our trip to Delphi.
Our guides were excellent. In mainland Greece Panagiota Kankali gave us a superb introduction to Athens and Georgia took us on an informative visit to the Acropolis. Yannis drove us to Delphi and for three additional days around Nafplio and was engaging and knowledgeable and truly kind. In Crete we had guides and drivers through GS Tours, and their staff were wonderful. Spiros Daudakis was exceptional in his passion for his country's history and culture and willingness to spend many hours answering our constant questions, and Ariadne was thorough and flexible in showing us the beauty and offerings of Chania. Our driver Yanna was very smart and enthusiastic and engaging, and Nikos was kind and competent and helpful.
The hotels were each in central locations and were quite comfortable. We stayed at the Hotel NLH Monastiraki in Athens, and even though there was a street closure due to a festival on our departure day, Yannis managed to find a way to bring the van close to us. In Nafplio we stayed a Adiandi and Amymone, which is a boutique hotel with a beautiful breakfast cafe across the street with a view of the sea. In Chania, Crete, we stayed at Elia Zampeliou Hotel, which was in an old stone house that was located in the center of the old town and very comfortable. In Heraclion we stayed at the Olive Green which was a newish functional hotel for one-night stopovers before the ferry to the islands and spatially well-outfitted. All the hotel staff were very helpful and friendly. Some of the hotels required ability to climb stairs.

We thought the whole trip was exceptional, and we especially loved Crete. We spent a lot of time in museums and in archeological sites and we climbed lots of stone steps and walked long distances and were glad for good preparation. And we ate vast amounts of delicious food.

This was a great trip and Erini

Hotel Reviews

Athens Manor Houses

Athens

The room was nice but there was some construction right outside the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kalergis Studios Naxos

Naxos

Location was wonderful. Right on the beach.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

WhiteDeck Hotel

Santorini

Fantastic view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Acropolis & Museum tour

Athens

The Acropolis Museum was fantastic and our guide, Poppi was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens walking food tour

Athens

Very interesting and great exposure to Greek food and culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset trip to the Temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounion

Athens

This was a bit of a disappointment since we arrived after the temple was closed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Naxos trails

Naxos

It was a nice hike with Stephanie but we might not do that again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Naxos Old Town food tour

Naxos

Really fun tour with Natasha. Great food and some good exercise getting to the different spots.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini wine tour

Santorini

Can’t recommend this enough. Had a great time tasting numerous wines along with good appetizers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking class experience

Santorini

Amazing to learn so much from George, our chef. It was great fun to actually prepare five Greek dishes and then enjoy them together.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caldera sunset cruise

Santorini

The opportunity to swim was fun but the thermal area wasn’t much different than the rest of the sea. The staff seemed tired and not very engaged. The food was fine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This is the first time we have used KimKim, and I must admit I was anxious. Well, I could not have been more wrong! Thanos was absolutely fantastic! He was patient and kind and answered all my endless questions, worked around our changing plans and even came to greet us when we arrived in Athens! I cannot thank him enough for arranging the absolutely perfect trip for us. We spent a few days in Athens where Thanos arranged for an informative tour of the Acropolis. The hotel, 18 Micon was perfect (it was my favorite on of the trip). The location enabled us to walk everywhere: to the historic sites, shopping and great eating. Did I mention Thanos recommended fabulous restaurants, too. We took a day trip to Delphi which was memorable for our wonderful driver and guide. We then went on to Crete where we stayed in a lovely hotel in Chania, Kydon, also within easy walking for shopping the beautiful Venetian harbor, restaurants and even a local beach. We spent a day in Heraklion and were driven by a wonderful guide, Yanna and escorted through Knossos by Gabriel. Our final stop, Thessaloniki was great. A cooking class with Esmeralda made our day. We had the perfect Greek vacation. Thank you Thanos!

Hotel Reviews

Kydon, The Heart City Hotel Chania

Chania

Modern hotel within walking distance of the Venetian Harbor Comfortable beds. Delicious breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

DOM Boutique Hotel

Heraklion

Tucked away on a side street this hotel was quiet and comfortable with helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Teight Hotel Thessaloniki

Amazing staff. clean and comfortable. Lovely breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff deserves 12 stars very very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

18 Micon Street Athens

Athens

Lovely room with comfortable bed, great shower, delicious breakfast located in the perfect spot within an easy walk of anywhere you might want to go. Kind friendly staff and immaculately clean. As far as I am concerned, it is the perfect hotel.

Authenticity & Character

modern but not cold

Location

walkable to everywhere

Staff

always helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

great beds, shower

Activity Reviews

Divine Delphi Excursion

Greece

Delphi is fascinating and our guide was amazing sharing the site and the museum with us Our driver from Athens was outstanding and we had a memorable day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis Guided Tour

Athens

Informative with a sweet guide who was able to help us navigate the crowds and enjoy our experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Hike to Imbros Gorge — A Scenic Adventure Through the Narrowest Gorge in Crete

Greece

We are an older couple and our guide, Tina was so thoughtful and helpful along the way

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Denise was wonderful

The Legendary Palace of Knossos & The Archaeological Museum of Heraklion

Greece

What an amazing site. Gregory was a fantastic guide helping us to navigate the site and we learned an enormous mount in a way that was fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gregory and Yanna were fantastic. We made two new friends

Transport

Cooking Class in Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki

Esmeralda has the most amazing kitchen! It was joy to cook there. The trip to the market was fun and educational. The dishes we made were delicious but we could not have done it without Anastasia! They make the perfect team.

Quality of Experience

All of the drivers and trips we booked were great , the people of Greece were amazingly nice and friendly .
Hotels were spot -on as far as location, cleanliness, great included breakfasts.

Hotel Review

Heliotopos Hotel

Santorini

We had a “cave” style room at the Heliotopos hotel in Santorini. It was very clean, just a few steps to navigate. The view was amazing! We looked at the beautiful town of Oia, as well as the smaller towns lining the top of the caldera. Breakfast each day was homemade, including egg dishes, meats, fresh juices, and pastries. Would definitely recommend this hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Morning Catamaran Cruise

Naxos

The catamaran trip was super! Anna, our captain made sure everyone was well taken care of. She explained where we were going, how long each section would take, and some history of what we were seeing. We were fed 3 different times on the boat, and were able to swim at 2 different spots. She was very professional, but also made the trip fun for everyone!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

E-Bike Experience in Naxos with Farm visit and Wine Tasting

Naxos

Manos was our guide, but he also became a friend. He took us to an olive oil press, where they showed us how they made olive oil years ago. We tasted the current, flavored olive oils too. Also visited the “kouros”, which is a marble statue, believed to be from around 570 BC. We had a great lunch at a family owned, roadside cafe where the owners did not speak English, but were prepared for us anyway. Next to a family farm where they make cheese from cows, sheep, and goats. Great day, felt like we learned a lot about island life from Manos.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the most wonderful time visiting Greece this September! Working with our agent Eirini was a pleasure. She was very attentive to our needs and responded within hours, sometimes minutes, and it's something to consider because of the time difference! All of our drivers and tour guides were always on time and very knowledgeable about topics they were discussing or introducing. We really enjoyed spending time with our first guide Helena on the first day of arrival in Athens. She answered all the questions and impressed us with the vast knowledge of the ancient history of Greece. We got to know some of the drivers and enjoyed all the information they provided on the way to our destinations. Especially we enjoyed the company of Afanasios(not sure of the spelling of the name) on the way to Meteora.
Overall, we are very happy with the company and our agent Eirini and would not think twice recommending their services to our friends.

Hotel Reviews

Belle Epoque Suites

Athens

The location was great - not far from all the important places. We were not very impressed with the breakfast, but service was very good, and the room was clean. Access to the elevator was a bit challenging - if you have a heavy suitcase - make sure you have someone to help you if you can't carry the suitcase by yourself...

Authenticity & Character

Location

not far from downtown

Staff

Very helpful with directions and always eager to help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Meroviglia Boutique Hotel

Santorini

The breakfast menu was excellent! The food was delicious! They even had live music!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view was excellent - overlooking the sea!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tsikeli Hotel Meteora

Meteora

The room was a little small, but breakfast was awesome - buffet with great selection of food including honeycomb!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Acropolis & Museum tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helena was terrific! A real professional who knows her job!

Transport

Unexpected Athens orientation tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Corinth - Mycenae - Nafplio

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caldera sunset cruise

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Delphi & Arachova

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Meteora Tour

Meteora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini highlights tour

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

overall - everything was great. the few issues we encountered were minor in the overall picture but i wanted you to be aware of them as you plan more great trips for other travelers.
Athens
Sweet Home and tours were good.
Bike excursion with the kids worked out well - they did not have a bike small enough to fit the mom and attach kiddie bike to the back so the guide (Maria) took the 5 year old and all went well
Pick up van - it was an 8 person van which only allows for 7 passengers plus the driver so we were always short a seat - that is illegal in Canada but not sure of the details of the Greek laws

Naxos
Panos Studios were great - location near the beach, lovely proprietress. lots of inconsistency with the room cleaning but the proprietress was happy to correct.
Tours were good. I think we probably erred on the tipping re the farmhouse dinner when we gave it all to the "driver" and probably should have given most of it directly to the "cook". My apologies if that reflects on you.
We went to the same olive oil tasting on both the Once Upon a Time in Naxos and on the farmhouse dinner which was disappointing
2 nights of cooking with the private cook were excellent - they were so very good with the little girls
Catamaran cruise was a perfect length for us, nice snacks and staff

Tinos
Accommodation at Coocono Villas was amazing
Village tour was excellent and guide was very enjoyable and informative

Athens
Dolce accommodation was very disappointing - noone at reception when we arrived for ~5 minutes, the rooms are quite run down, one family member has issues with mold and their room had significant mold build on the floors around the bathroom, broken shelves and towel racks, the only option for dining was the noisy buffet as the restaurant was being used by a private party
You are aware of the challenges with the van driver on arrival however he was prompt on our trip to the airport although he did not know how to get to the airport from Dolce and was continually looking at his cell phone on his lap (he did not use the dash mounted hardware in the van)
We had a fabulous family vacation and appreciate all that you did it to make it what it was
Donna

We put our specialist to task with this trip to Greece - wanted to see as much as we could in our 16 days. We did 5 different locations (Corfu, Naxos, Santorini, Athens, then at the end threw in Istanbul so we could visit our son) so there were flights, ferries, drivers, excursions, etc to coordinate and ALL of it went perfectly!! I am truly impressed with not only Thanos who was in constant contact with us, on top of our every move to be sure things were done properly, but the company as well for using such professional, timely, courteous drivers for all of our shuffling around! This was our first time using a service as we’ve traveled quite alot and always did it on our own, but this year we were ready to hand over the reigns, cross our fingers and go with the suggested itineraries. I find the transportation issues to be some of the hardest part and Thanos handled this so well! He had alot to coordinate and I am so spoiled now, can’t imagine doing a trip without KIMKIM. I highly recommend you give them a chance!

Hotel Reviews

Arcadion Hotel

Kerkira

Great location- we were there 3 nights and that was enough because it’s in the middle of all the action, fun!!

Authenticity & Character

It has a history that’s cool, nice modern

Location

Perfect

Staff

I discovered on my own they have an amazing roof top restaurant - why would they not tell us this on arrival??? It was a highlight of our stay in Corfu. They basically handed us a key. I thought they would have offered suggestions, something? Nothing. We asked if there were beach towels available (we rented a car) and yes there were but nothing was ever mentioned on check in. I think that’s bad policy. I knew we had complimentary breakfast and nothing mentioned about that, until my husband asked about it. (I felt like they were tired of tourists!! And let it show a bit)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was nice, smallish - did have balcony with iron chair but no chair inside which would have been nice.

Sundunes Hotel Naxos

Naxos, Plaka

Loved everything about this place!! Chill, relaxing, cool vibe! Fabulous pool area, and maybe the best food I had in Greece at a hotel - especially that goat cheese pizza - you must get it!!

Authenticity & Character

New modern, LOVED the architecture and landscape - kind of dry, desert-ish like Arizona

Location

Somewhat secluded with the beach right across the street set up with chaises, walking distance to several restaurants, 10 min. To airport, 15 min. To main town. Perfect

Staff

Very sweet friendly accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Really loved the room - space, comfort, nice outside patio

Agali Houses Santorini

Firostefani, Santorini

This would be an easy 5star but just too many steps. It is so beautiful and the view from our room maybe the best I have ever seen. From the main street where the restaurants are down to the entrance - is 80 steps. Once you enter the hotel, it’s all on a slope (stunning architecture) so it was another 80 steps to our actual room. It was close to pool which was lovely!! I am in good shape but with my asthma, I didn’t look forward to going back out at night for dinner. The hotel does not serve food after 4pm. But the food, service, personnel here are top notch!!

Authenticity & Character

Architecture is beautiful, combination of old details with modern. The room had plenty of space, modern, good bed, it had a private covered patio with table chairs, loungers, and extended patio.

Location

Plenty of restaurants close by at the top of the hill, small 7-11 type place if you need, good location on the island

Staff

So accommodating! Available to help, answer any questions, gave us pertinent information upon check in!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mest Hotel

This hotel has an amazing view from the upper breakfast area of the river, the city, cruise ships,. Front desk personnel were very friendly and helpful! Offering to make reservations etc. The breakfast buffet was huge and beautifully displayed, very very nice and in that comfortable dining area to enjoy the view. The building itself is very old, restored beautifully, loved it! The room was very comfortable and looked out over the spice market. It was a new experience, to hear the calling to prayer, it’s loud, but a lovely sound too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

I really liked the location because we wanted to tour all the main historical places and walk to them. Be warned, it’s extremely busy with pedestrians and scooters, cars, the tram, the cable cars, etc. The amount of people rivals 5th Ave NYC at Christmas time ~! My son was here so we easily walked the bridge to the other side where he was staying - it’s lively busy, fun more modern over there and where the Turks live I was told. On a personal note, if I can came back to Istanbul I probably wouldn’t stay in this area again, but so glad I did for a first visit.

Staff

Friendly and helpful when we asked for anything

Cleanliness & Comfort

18 Micon Street Athens

Athens

Beautifully remodeled old building, small boutique style. As an interior designer I was not impressed with the layout of the room, felt like they were going for a cool vibe but not a practical one for travelers. The room was big enough for a much better design - disappointing. There was only one place with shelves to put clothes, so my husband used that, and my suitcase was on the floor. For 3 days not a big deal, but more than that I would not have liked it. When we arrived, it was another guest that opened the door to let us in and they had been waiting a half hour to get some help. (They were a party of 6) Seemed alittle disjointed and the reception girl a bit frazzled, not friendly. The party of 6 were not impressed either. Overall, it was fine, loved the location, but I would not stay here if I came back.

Authenticity & Character

Missed the mark for me - authentic but room design not practical,

Location

Within a basically pedestrian area of lots of restaurants, shops, and walking distance to Acropolis and that lovely area

Staff

Upon reception, please be as friendly as you are capable - your guests have maybe just flown in from a 10 hour flight and don’t want to feel like an annoyance. NOt helpful and not that friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness excellent - the housekeeper ladies were sweet and very helpful even though they didn’t speak english. Comfort of the room needs improvement as stated above.

Activity Reviews

Corfu Old Town Tour

Corfu

Local guide was very knowledgeable. We had already walked the areas she planned to take us so I think she was alittle baffled what to do with us. I knew it was walking but did not know we were going to hike to the top of the Fortress, so I went back inside to change from sandals to sneakers. It would have been nice to know more details of the tour. Iloved hearing all the history of the area, fascinating and she was quite good!

Quality of Experience

Learning the history of the Fortress, old town area

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Timely and personable

Transport

Walking

Corfu Free Day: Beaches

Corfu

We rented a car and drove around the island but it was a rainy day unfortunately. Most places were packed with tourists and it was alittle intimidating on the small roads.

Quality of Experience

Rooftop restaurant at our hotel and the sailing club restaurant at the Fortress - super nice!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Villages of Naxos & Beyond

Naxos

Really enjoyed our guide and the tour and the driver was fantastic too! Loved hearing the history of Naxos and being up the mountains was a nice change from where we had come from Corfu. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and answered all our questions.

Quality of Experience

I thought we might go to ‘off the beaten’ track places but we went where all the tourists do go, but it still was good. Had a delicious lunch too!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide knew her history and was friendly pleasant and enjoyed her very much!

Transport

Driver was so good on those narrow winding roads up the mountains!

Food & Wine bike tour

Santorini

This was my favorite tour - the young man who was our guide was friendly, sweet informative and we did this tour on wooden e bikes, that were made from wood leftover from a big fire in 2020 apparently. They worked great! Didn’t need helmets but he took us all over starting at the Black beach and through some small towns, stopped at the Castle in Emporio and walked all through that (medieval ) with remarkable history! then more biking, some steep hills and others dodging the traffic but so much fun! We had a nice lunch when we were close to being back. We biked through a wine area, but we never did a wine tasting or anything and I thought we were supposed to. It was a beautiful day, and if you have the legs for it, please do this one!! For me, I loved the town Megalochori and would have been fun to shop for 45 min. There, but shopping wasn’t really on the agenda (and where would I put my goods?)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent!

Transport

Our drivers were professional friendly on time, excellent, both ways getting us to /from the Black Beach

Welcome to Istanbul!

İstanbul

This guide was fantastic!! Nelly was extremely versed in all things Turkish! She kept the pace at a good clip and we did so much! OMGosh if you get a chance to use her please do. We went through the Sultans Palace, what an eye opener, fascinating, the HagiaSophia church and the Cistern - all not to be missed!! I would love to spend another day in that area as there are so many more things to see. It’s phenomenal. She took us to a little outdoor local place for traditional lunch which was reasonable and delicious and was very accommodating as we were also meeting my son who had just arrived in Istanbul. It was along day and she didn’t waste any of it. So appreciative to her for her thoughtfulness and help as we asked alot of questions!! I didn’t know much about Turkey or the history etc and learned so much.

Quality of Experience

It was also a beautiful sunny day which always makes for a better experience!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking and lots of it!!

Acropolis & Flavors Combo Tour

Athens

We actually did not do the tour - my husband and I had to cancel as we were both not feeling well in the morning. (We think food poisoning night before but?) HOwever, we rallied and later in the afternoon, decided we couldn’t leave Athens without going to the top of the Acropolis! We bought mobile tickets, skip the line, and inched our way to the top and it was so worth it! Another beautiful day and breathtaking scenery. Not to mention the history of all this.

Landmark's of Istanbul

İstanbul

I reviewed this on the Welcome to Istanbul!

From the start, our specialist, Aggeliki, was excellent to work with. First she advised me what time of year would be best for travel to Crete (a very important thing to start off with). She modified the "pre-packaged" Crete tour to accommodate our specific interests (which were less hiking, more beaches, and food!). She answered questions about the tours offered so we could select what we liked, and also managed to fit in one final desired excursion on the day of our return flight to Athens. The excursions were fantastic: 3 were private --via Land Rover or sailboat-- and two were as part of a group of 10-12. All of the trips included beautiful countryside en route to their destinations. The sailboat to Gramvousa and Balos was the MOST amazing experience: cobalt blue waters turning into crystal clear turquoise blue as we approached the islands.
The best thing about working with Aggeliki was her immediate availability. We ran into a couple of minor snags (missed communication with one of our drivers; incomplete pass code information provided by one hotel to gain entrance to our suite) and she was there, literally in seconds (via text) facilitating their solution. It was so reassuring to know we had the kimkim team, and specifically Aggeliki there to manage any concerns we had (which as I will reiterate, were very few for an 8-day/7 night trip to Chania, Crete, from Athens)
I cannot overstate how pleased we were with the whole experience. I had always been the personal planner for my family and friends' excursions, but after a disappointing Jamaican holiday last December I decided to try a travel agency. I am so glad I did. My friend, my sister-in-law, and I agree this was the trip of a lifetime, perfect, and well worth the price!!!

Hotel Reviews

Athens Woo Suites

Athens

Friendly staff, lovely suite, excellent location in Plaka district.

Location

walkable to shops and eateries, views of the Acropolis

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mirabile Luxury Suites Chania

Chania, Crete

The suites are ideally located in the town, one can walk across a street and be in the bustling Venetian Harbor section of shops and restaurants. The suites are modern, clean, comfortable and the soundproofing provided by the balcony doors was amazing. As noted, the Suites are in the center of a bustling area of town, but shutting the balcony doors brought quiet to the rooms. The breakfasts were huge: 5 or 6 choices of prepackaged meals were delivered in a picnic basket to our door every morning.

Authenticity & Character

I'm not sure what authenticity and character means, so I will say these were nice, modern, well maintained accommodations. We were a reserved party of three in a two floor suite set up for only 2 people, so we needed to secure more room keys, another chair for the balcony, more coffee mugs and wine and water glasses and bathrobes, etc.

Location

Right in the heart of the town

Staff

The first desk receptionist would not give us (3 adult women) more than one room key. The second one was much more accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The housekeeper was wonderful, she tried very hard to make and keep us comfortable

Monsieur Didot The Residence Athens

Athens

Very nice suite, we arrived late, so were only in it to sleep on our way to the airport the next AM

Location

Activity Reviews

Full Day PRIVATE Sunset Cruise to BALOS beach and GRAMVOUSA island

Chania

Omigod!!! Take this trip! We modified our stops to exchange Balos for a small, uninhabited island called (phonetically) Eye-You-Sostisee. Skipper Andreas and first mate Kelly were fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The “Make Them Jealous” Trip: Elafonisi Island & Falasarna Beach

Greece

We liked Elafonisi so well we declined to go to Falasarna, and spent the whole day at the first stop.

Quality of Experience

beautiful water and beach

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very informative

Transport

very comfortable car

Luxury Jeep Tour to Manousakis Vineyard & Winery

Greece

Our driver, Christos, was very knowledgeable. He took us through the vineyards and showed us some beautiful views of the mountains and the sea in the process. The winery was pleasant, the meal was also fine. I didn't much care for the wines they made, which is the only reason I didn't give 5 stars. The excursion was very enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Christos really knew a lot about Crete, and about the flora and fauna.

Transport

Super comfy Land Rover

The Real Cretan Cooking Experience

Chania

Our tour guide, Alex, really made this experience something special. He shared so much cultural, historical, and anecodotal information driving to the villa? estate? where we had the cooking class that the travel time flew by. The site for the class was a gorgeous complex with the fanciest "portapotty" I've ever seen. We fed mulberry leaves to some sheep, we made stuff vegetables and hand pies, and then we ate a luscious meal of meat, potatoes, sald and our stuffed vegetables and pies. I'm sure there was some delicious dessert but after all the wine and raki....I'm not sure. It was a late night returning about 11PM.

Quality of Experience

Food

The things we made, and everything else we were served.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comfy bus with A/C

The Miracle of Wine & Olive Oil

Chania

visits to two winereis, one of which is also an oil oil production facility, and a visit to the olive tree that has been the source of Olymic Games olive wreathes since, well, forever.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Perhaps because this was our last tour, and we had such excellent guides, we were a bit underwhelmed by our driver who didn't really warm up until we got to our first destination, so the initial bus trip, and the return, were all silent.

Transport

Same smallish, comfy bus as for the cooking tour

We had booked what was to be a lux vacation, and paid $1200 per person for four nights. Included were hotel rooms and professional private your guides.
The trip started badly when we tried to check into our first hotel and the reservation was missing. The Kimkim team fixed this, but it caused unnecessary stress.
Likewise, there were no contact details for any of the guides, so getting in tough was always challenging, and wasting our tour time.
While the first hotel Olympion Asty was reasonably within the range of our expectations, the second hotel, Grove Seaside was a disaster. Dated, wrecked rooms, inedible food, sketchy neighborhood. How maintains a 4* rating is a mystery and should have been disqualified by Kimkim.
The third hotel Mystra Grand was very nice and should have been the standard for all the hotels we stayed in.
The last hotel, Elite City, was likewise not very acceptable. The lobby and the main building were OK, but the separate villas where the rooms were located were wrecked, dirty, even our door didn't close properly because someone had kicked the door in and it wasn't fixed.
The guides were all good. Professional, knowledgeable, prompt, pleasant, even entertaining.
Our biggest complaint is the price we were charged for the trip. If we had booked the hotels ourselves, we would have paid 550 euros per couple for the 4 nights. The tours would have been further 400 euros per couple. But we were charged 2200 euros per couple, which is a ridiculous upcharge for a very unsatisfactory experience full of hassles.
I would not recommend Kimkim to anyone, certainly not for anything that required some research and planning.

Hotel Reviews

Olympion Asty Olympia

Ancient Olympia

A good standard for a decent unpretentious hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Grove hotel Drepano Nafplio

Nafplio

Old, dirty and in a poor location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mystras Grand Palace

Sparta

Beautiful spot with amazing views. Decent and comfortable rooms. Great staff. Very acceptable and varied food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elite City Resort

Kalamata

Beaten up and unfriendly. Nice lobby, ok breakfast, terrible rooms. Our basement 'garden view' room looked out on a piece of weedy lawn. The door had been locked on and not repaired. The room had been flooded and all the baseboards and bottom of the furniture were swollen and buckled. Need I say more?

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit to Ancient Olympia

Greece

Maria was a very entertaining and knowledgeable guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-guided Day Trip to Mycenae, Epidaurus and Corinth

Nafplio

We had two guides. The first one was knowledgeable but a little boring. Because we wasted 30 mins locating him, we missed out on a lot of the tour. The second guide Patty was very interesting and fun.

Quality of Experience

Private Historic Walk & Visit to Palamidi Fortress

Nafplio

Patty was a knowledgeable and fun guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided History Walk in Sparta

Greece

Very nice and fun guides but not much to see. Sparta doesn't have much antiquity and the town is rather poor.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-guided Activity to Explore the Medieval Town of Mystras from Kalamata

Kalamata

Did not go Mystra. Kalamata is OK but nothing much to see.

Quality of Experience

Skip it.

Self-guided Exploration of Diros Caves

Kalamata

Did not get there.

Quality of Experience

No comment

We enjoyed our time throughout Greece. The hotel in Athens was clean, the workers were friendly and the room is okay. It nothing spectacular. Acropolis was great to see and our guide was great. We had a good time but Athens felt like just another big city in many ways.

The Hotel- Milestones- in Naxos was fabulous and, Myrta, our host was over the top. She made us feel like family, the bed was like sleeping on a cloud, the patio/hot tub area facing the beach was so relaxing both to enjoy breakfast in the morning and to end our day at night. The food was more than anyone could consume and all of it was outstanding. We had some things we were accustomed to and then so local Greek favorites.
Our cooking excursion in Naxos with Kastos was so special. To experience true farm to table was educational, fun and delicious. We loved seeing how true Greeks live in that area and we learned alot.
We loved the food tour in Naxos but would have preferred to have it at the beginning of our stay there because we saw parts of the island we had missed before then. Our guide, Natalia, was informative, excited about her job, and made the whole experience.

The hotel in Santorini was in a perfect location and had a nice amount of space with separate bedrooms, bathrooms and a great room. Artemis was a wonderful host, helping us find drivers for any additional excursions that we chose to do on our own.
The cooking/wine tasting excursion was exceptional. It might have been my favorite excursion that KimKim planned for us. The chef was so detail oriented and very personable. He made sure we knew how to convert the recipes to our measurements in the United States and he also allowed us to take pictures of all of the ingredients so I can replicate the dishes at home.
The boat tour of the island was lovely. We had perfect weather for it and our captain and crew were excellent. The food was very tasty to be something prepared on a boat. It was the only way to see the different variations of the island's topography.
The six hour tour of Santorini was nice but there were only two things we saw that we hadn't discovered on our own before we got to this. It would have been better to put it at the front of our time on the island. The winery and the monastery were still very enjoyable.

The fast ferry wasn’t what we expected. ... FAST. The first one didn’t feel fast at all because we were on the boat almost 6 hours but it was a relaxing way to travel. The Fast Ferry to Santorini was fast.

Hotel Reviews

NLH Monastiraki

Athens

Our stay at NLH Monastiraki was okay but not spectacular. The staff was accommodating, allowing us to leave our luggage early even though we couldn't check in right away. The room was fine, but we were disappointed by the balcony view, as it overlooked a street frequented by delivery trucks—not what we expected. Breakfast was similar to that offered by a Hampton Inn—decent, but not exceptional. A bit of a surprise was having to pay $5 for a cappuccino, as the staff member didn't show me how to use the machine myself. The rooftop bar was a letdown due to inappropriate music being played, but the view of the Acropolis was beautiful.

Milestones Naxos

Naxos

Milestones Naxos was by far my favorite place to stay. The room was gorgeous, and the hospitality by Eliza, who worked at the front desk, was unparalleled. She treated us like family, going out of her way to make us feel special with gestures like offering lemonade during the day and arranging transport to a nearby restaurant. The breakfasts were generous and the cleanliness was exceptional. The peacefulness of the location, with breathtaking views and serene surroundings, made for an unforgettable stay.

Anthemis Suites

Santorini

Artmeis was a wonderful host, greeting us immediately and allowing us to check into our room (really more like an apartment) early. We had a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchenet with a family room. It was nice to have space to spread out and it was fabulous when it came time to pack up our luggage to fly home. He was extremely helpful with recommendations for restaurants and even made several reservations for us. He found us a driver when we didn't have one prearranged through KimKim. We had to leave well before the normal breakfast hour to make our flight home and he stocked our refrigerator with some cold breakfast foods for us so we could eat before we left. The location of this hotel was perfect for us and it was very quiet. The only way it would have been better was if it had a water view, but it was more than worth the trade off.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was convenient between Firra and Oai.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Acropolis & Acropolis Museum

Athens

The Explore Acropolis & Acropolis Museum tour was absolutely incredible. Our guide was incredibly informative and kind, making the experience memorable. She managed the pace well, accommodating slower-moving participants while keeping everyone engaged. Her genuine interest in sharing knowledge and helping us made this tour a highlight of our trip.

Traditional Cooking at a Naxian Village Home

Naxos

The Traditional Cooking at a Naxian Village Home was an amazing experience. We enjoyed it immensely, especially as our chef, a young family member, shared wonderful stories and insights into the family and culture. The simplicity and authenticity of the cooking was wonderful, and the time flew by as we were so engaged with the experience.

Cooking Class and Wine Tasting

Santorini

The Cooking Class and Wine Tasting experience in Santorini was phenomenal. It was well-organized, and everything from the class instruction to the wine tasting was perfectly executed. It made for a spectacular and memorable day enjoying the culinary delights of the region.

Self-Guided Local Markets Visit

Athens

We were able to knock around the city but we were exhausted. It would have been better if we could have checked in early to take a 1-2 hour nap so we would have more energy.

Self-Guided Historic Churches Walk

Athens

We chose to use this time to enjoy a glass of wine, people watch and do some shopping.

Quality of Experience

Self Guided Beach Day in Naxos

Naxos

We had truly planned to have a beach day, which was walking distance from our hotel, but we opted to rent a car and drive around the island because we found it so charming. We were so thankful we did. We found some fifth generation potters and toured their place and ordered pottery to be shipped home.

Quality of Experience

A Taste of Naxos

Naxos

Natalia was AMAZING and so much fun. She knew more than she could share about Naxos and the shop/restaurant owners clearly love her as well. This would have been best to do our first day there.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Santorini Shopping Trip

Santorini

I loved wandering around Santorini and talking with the shop owners and learning about them and the area they were located in within the village. To say I supported the economic development of Santorini was an understatement. We brought back wine, artisan jewelry and some clothing.

Quality of Experience

Highlights Day Trip from Fira

Santorini

The review was more based on the timing of the trip. Doing it at the end wasn't wise. It should have been a first thing for us because much of what we saw was something we had already discovered on our own. The guide was precious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Caldera Catamaran Cruise

Santorini

So fun and relaxing. It gave you a view of the island you wouldn't have otherwise and a great LAST adventure to have on the island.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport