Kimkim Trip Reviews for Turkey

This is the third time I have used Kimkim to plan a vacation, and again, we were very impressed by how easy it was and the quality of the arrangements that were made for us. We worked with Zehra on part of our trip in Bucharest and then through to Istanbul. Zehra is a KimKim agent specializing in Turkey. Zehra helped us to plan an itinerary that met all our needs. She worked with local guides and drivers to ensure our trip went smoothly. Zehra even met us at the airport and joined us on our first afternoon for a private yacht tour of the Bosphorus Straits. After working with her virtually, it was delightful to meet her in person. She stayed in touch with us throughout the trip. We formed a WhatsApp group for communicating, which we realized was very important after a couple of days in Istanbul. Istanbul traffic is notorious and Zehra's coordination between the local drivers and us ensured that we always knew when our drivers would arrive and the best place to meet them. Zehra also coordinated a local guide, Eda, who was fun to be with. On our last day, Eda took us out for Turkish coffee and then read our fortunes in the coffee sludge. With KimKim you can get the trip that you want, designed by you with input from a local expert. It is wonderful to have someone to contact if something goes awry in a big way. We have appreciate having someone in-country to contact if needed. There were six of us in our group and we all thought that Kimkim, Zehra, the guides and drivers were fantastic.

We had a wonderful guide, Ms. Şebnem Altın, who show us about the beautiful sites of Istanbul. I really appreciate an experienced private tour guides who can pivot and modify the tour, as needed. Ms. Şebnem Altın was excellent at this technique and gave an efficient access to the sites and an informative backstory and context to each site.

We had a great time.

Hotel Review

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

It was a clean and comfortable hotel room. The moring breakfast was satisfying and the concierge service was very helpful. It is also centrally located.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Turkish Bath and Spa at Hürrem Sultan Hammam

İstanbul

Spoil yourself. You will not regret it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Cave Houses, Hot Air ballooning and underground cities in Cappadocia, to the Grand Bazaar and spectacular Mosques and Palaces of Istanbul to Troy and the Trojan Horse and finally the incredibly moving Gallipoli Peninsula where we experienced both the ANZAC and Turkish Memorials, I can’t say enough about this amazing country.
Our local specialist Berat put together ouritinerary with lots of consultation. Her communication was excellent and the guides and transport we had were 5 star. Special mention to Emrie in Istambul and Gallipoli. He was fantastic.
Thank you Berat and all tbe team at kimkim. We hope to come back one day and will definitely use your services again.

Berat organised a wonderful holiday for my daughter and I in May 2024. The trip design was great capturing lots of major sites from the extraordinary landscape and cave dwellings in Cappadocia to Greco-Roman sites at Ephesus, Aphrodisias and Hieropolis to the thermal waters and travertine terraces at Pamukkale. We ended our trip in Istanbul exploring Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Cisterns, a boat tour of the Bosphorus and the Bazaar. The tour was exceptionally well designed with a full itinerary, great hotels ranging from 5 star to small characterful boutique hotels in lovely places. All transfers and travel arrangements were sorted for us so our trip was completely hassle free and seamless. But what made the trip was our wonderful guide Volkan who guided us every step of the way. He was a superb professional, immensely knowledgeable and helpful, thoughtfully managing every part of our tour. He filled us in on all of the amazing history of the region and made it all fascinatingly accessible to us. He finely balanced his guiding, warmth and support with giving us time to explore and spend time to ourselves. I’ve travelled extensively and this was my best holiday ever. We loved it and were very sad for it to end. I couldn’t recommend it more.

Excellent experience with Kim Kim. Our planner, Berat, was very helpful and responsive. All the transfers and bookings were planned without glitches. Our guides, Volkan and Hatice were most knowledgeable and accommodating. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with us while in Kapadokya and could not fly the balloons but nevertheless the visit to Türkiye was most interesting and enjoyable! Kudos to everyone!! Jose ( Tito)

Hotel Reviews

The Bank Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Millstone Cave Suites

Authenticity & Character

Very unique hotel. Really captures the character if Kapadokya.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

There was a little bit of mal odor coming from what I believe was the sanitary sewer vent. Also, for some reason, the last night there was a string smell of burning wood coming into the room. This was room 106.

Activity Reviews

Food Tour in Istanbul

İstanbul

Thought we would go on a “tour” but Volkan took us to just one place to try different dishes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

lo

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Do not schedule this activity on International Workers Day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Very nice boat! Excellent Service.

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Amazing historical place!

Wine Pairing Menu at Yedi Bilgeler Vineyard

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Şirince: A Guided Stroll in a beautiful Aegean Village

Şirince

Lovely little village.

Discover Priene: A beautiful ancient Ionian town

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Amazing place!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Workshop at Nisanyan Houses

Şirince

Lots of fun!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Such an extraordinary trip made possible by our local specialist, Berat - who was exceptionally flexible to our changing needs. Thank you Berat.

Our guides Betul, Ozan and Sumer were knowledgeable of the areas, with interesting suggestions and anecdote stories to delight. They ensured the trip was comfortable, exciting and catered to our needs. Thank you.

Dear Berat, Sumer Sumerli, Ozan, Betul, and the wonderful team of drivers!

I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the absolutely incredible trip my companions and I experienced under your guidance. Each of you played an integral role in making our journey through Turkey an unforgettable adventure filled with awe-inspiring sights, rich history, and cherished memories.

Sumer Sumerli, your expertise and passion for Cappadocia truly shone through as you led us through the enchanting valleys and museums. Your knowledge and enthusiasm illuminated every corner, allowing us to immerse ourselves fully in the beauty of the region.

Ozan, your dedication and warmth touched our hearts during our exploration of Sirince, Ephesus, Pamukkale, and Hierapolis. Your meticulous planning and eagerness to share your wisdom enriched our experience beyond measure. Your efforts to arrange for a priest to bless our spring water reflected your exceptional care and attention to detail, for which we are profoundly grateful.

Betul, your impeccable organization and flexibility ensured that our time in Istanbul was both efficient and enjoyable. Your ability to keep us on track while accommodating our desire to savor every moment of the city's beauty and history was truly remarkable.

To all the drivers whose names I didn't capture, please accept my heartfelt thanks for your professionalism, accommodation, and, above all, your commitment to our safety throughout our journey. Your efforts did not go unnoticed, and we are deeply appreciative of the role you played in making our trip seamless and secure.

And finally, Berat, your patience, expertise, and unwavering dedication were instrumental in crafting the perfect itinerary for us. Your attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond to ensure that every aspect of our trip exceeded our expectations did not go unnoticed. We are endlessly grateful for your guidance and support throughout the planning process and during our travels.

In conclusion, I cannot thank each of you enough for your contributions to what was undoubtedly the most extraordinary trip of our lives. Your passion, professionalism, and kindness have left an indelible mark on our hearts, and we will forever cherish the memories we made under your care.

Thank you all so much!

Alicia Gonsalvez

We had a fantastic ten days in Turkey. All of the hotels and transfers that Berat organized for us were great, and she gave us excellent advice regarding where to go to maximize the time we had. Our guides (Betul in Istanbul, Ozan in Ephesus, and Hatice in Ushisar) were wonderful. The highlight of the trip was certainly Cappadocia, and Berat's suggestion to stay in Uchisar, not Goreme, was spot-on.

I would like to give 5 star + review for the KimKim agency for our recent nine day trip in Turkey. Prior to booking this trip I have engaged several travel agencies; the experience with Kim Kim was markedly different. I am particularly grateful to Berat, our local specialist. Before I booked this trip, Berat worked diligently and tirelessly with me to figure out our itinerary, lodging, excursions, flights, transfers etc. This is A LOT of work which differentiated Barat from other travel agents I was communicating with. The trip was absolutely fabulous. Everything went as planned, there were no any issues. We liked all the hotels; our guides were personally pleasant and very knowledgeable, all car transfers were on time, the were no issues whatsoever with any of the airline flights booked by Kim Kim. During the itinerary planning process, I had some ideas but Berat also had suggestions and I'm very happy that I took her suggestions because they were absolutely fabulous. She really knows what she is doing and can go out of her way to make things happen.
I can highly recommend Kim Kim and Berat in particular, it is a great value for money.

Hotel Reviews

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

Very good experience, nice room and outstanding service

Authenticity & Character

Location

Couldn't be better

Staff

The staff was very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was super clean, well updated every day, the breakfast is very good

Millstone Cave Suites

This is a highly recommended hotel. The location is absolutely perfect with amazing views on the valley and the hot air balloons. The hotel had one of the best breakfast I ever had

Authenticity & Character

Our room had a great character, was very comfortable and clean

Location

Very convenient location, amazing views from the hotel

Staff

The staff was attentive and accommodated all our requests

Cleanliness & Comfort

The place is spotless clean and extremely well maintained

The Bank Hotel

Istanbul

The hotel is very conveniently located, very close to restaurants and other attractions, the staff was very helpful and accommodating

Authenticity & Character

This is an old 19 century building, well updated and has a Victorian Era charm

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gullu Konaklari Sirince

Izmir

The hotel and the grounds looked very nice. Unfortunately, we had very limited time staying there. I wish we would spend more time and look around

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

This place is a must. It is an amazing experience and our guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the region and was showing us things that we would otherwise miss

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ozan is absolutely amazing guide

Kaymaklı Underground City + Light Hiking at Ihlara Valley + Selime Monastery

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum + House of Virgin Mary

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Avanos: Discovering the Ceramic Tradition and Light hiking in the Love Valley

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Murat helped us plan an amazing trip to Turkey for our family. He was spot on with all of his recommendations and all of the accommodation, activities and transfers were perfect. Our guide Emre in Istanbul was so lovely and knowledgable. He was also really flexible and helpful given we were travelling with our 3 young sons. Next we went to Cappadocia and our guide Efe was just as wonderful. We loved the trip and enjoyed such a wide variety of different historical and cultural experiences. Would definitely recommend Murat, his team and this trip to anyone travelling to Turkey.

The itinerary was well thought out , allowed us to have diff experience and cuisine.

Traveling was painless and the guides were very helpful and attentive to our needs and requests .

Berat has done an amazing job !

We had a fantastic time in Turkey. Our guides, Sebnem and Burcu, were absolutely wonderful! They were very kind and caring AND they were incredibly knowledgable. They gave amazing tours of ancient ruins and modern parts of Turkey that were interesting for my teenage daughters. They were patient with all of our questions and they were extremely engaging. Additionally, they were able to cater to our changing plans - they added a haram experience and food tastings on a whim.

We had an amazing trip through Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale. Murat provided many great ideas to make our trip amazing and he was very responsive to our needs. Our trip to Sirince, a small town in Turkey, was a fantastic suggestion. Murat arranged a great boutique hotel with a incredible sight over the whole village. The balloon ride in Cappadoccia was very memorable. Given the unpredictable weather during winter, we could have missed this opportunity but we were fortunate to capture this and had a once in a lifetime view of this amazing out of the world landscape. Sebnem, our local guide in Istanbul, was fantastic as she really listen to our needs and went out of her way to make our trip fantastic as well as her recommended restaurants. We also liked to explore on our own as well as using local guides to complement our experience. Murat really helped in making this possible. Highly recommend using Kimkim and in Turkey, Murat's team is fantastic!

With limited time and intervention from our part, Berat created a private tour and executed seamless for us, she listened to our preferences and we had a 9 days terrific experience, with little to no concern at all. The guides across Turkey were knowledgeable and were able to put in context all the points of interest we visited or we asked about it. The transportation was better than expected, the hotels were of good value, but the tour guides were the ones tha made the difference, thanks Vulkan - Istanbul; Irfan - Capadoccia and Hita in Sirince & Pamukkale. This was my first experience with Kim Kim, for sure is just the beginning.

Hotel Reviews

Dosso Dossi Hotel Old City

Not a great value, is the only location that I would not repeat.

Authenticity & Character

Not impressed

Location

Location is the only good part of hotel

Staff

I mentioned a terrible noise in the room. From the moment we arrived and we had to have a bad night to make a room change.

Cleanliness & Comfort

There are better options in the surroundings

Kale Konak Hotel

Location, uniqueness of the hotel, breakfast quality and service staff, good value hotel

Authenticity & Character

What better than a hotel in caves.

Location

A few meters from the Palace.

Staff

Personable and help

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Not easy to get in, but the hotel is a gem, the rooms, furniture and views makes this a very likable hotel, romantic with excellent food especially dinner and breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Just keep in mind no wheelchair or persons with limited mobility.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Signature Hotel & Spa

Nicely located, modern construction, nicely done. Rooms could be a bit noisy, food just average. Very good spa and massages.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ansen Suites

Istanbul

Location is great, room is ample and comfortable. The day left there was no electricity and elevator not working, had to bring down baggage’s on my own.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Not much contact with them or even necessary

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guides Volcan and Hattice were superb. History, culture, sightseeing, and cuisine were all very well explained and experienced.

We had a fantastic 10 day trip to Turkey seeing the highlights in Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus/Sirince. We loved our guide in Istanbul, Volkan, and the sights were amazing; Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, the Cistern, and the Bosphorous cruise. The hotel in Old Town was excellent! Cappadocia lived up to the hype with the amazing hot air balloon ride, cave frescoes, and exploring the valleys. Staying in a cave hotel was a unique experience! Our guide Hattice was excellent with our son! Ephesus was amazing and we enjoyed exploring the town of Sirince. The boutique hotel on the hillside over Sirince was so traditional and the restaurant was amazing. We enjoyed the cooking class we did with the chef!

Hotel Reviews

Hagia Sofia Mansions Istanbul, Curio Collection by Hilton

Fatih Istanbul

Absolutely beautiful, great location, fantastic breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Very unique boutique hotel obviously built with love and run by excellent staff. The terrace house was beautiful, and the tower house 3 room was fine, a little small for 3 people. There was a lot of work being done around the property given that it was the off season. Restaurant was amazing and the cooking class was a lot of fun! The hotel is not meant for people who don't like cobblestones or stairs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kale Konak Hotel

Such a unique experience, staff did an excellent job mitigating some cleanliness concerns in one of the rooms, rooms are dark but that is to be expected, hotel facilities are very nice (Turkish bath, terrace). Some minor flaws, nail in the wood on the bed sticking out, dogs were somewhat agressive coming in late at night, dirt from the cave ceiling falling down).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness issues caused by the cave environment

Activity Reviews

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

A must do in Istanbul.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Very authentic

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hattice was wonderful to keep Connor during the experience.

Transport

Avanos: Discovering the Ceramic Tradition and Light hiking in the Love Valley

Cappadocia

We enjoyed the Ceramics experience; amazing work and it was fun that Connor got to try it. We did not do the hiking in the Love Valley due to timing and physical constraints.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Excellent overview of Istanbul and you hit the high points of the Old Town!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Volkan was an excellent guide!

Transport

Istanbul Archaeological Museum Tour

İstanbul

Surprisingly good for kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

Flawless - must do

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Beautiful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Sinasos: The Pearl of the East

Cappadocia

I didn't really find this worthwhile. We only visited the church and it didn't seem particularly special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Very interesting experience and the boat was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering the Ihlara Valley and Light Hiking Along the Melendiz River

Cappadocia

Beautiful and great speed for my in-laws. The stop for pancakes along the river was fun.

Quality of Experience

O

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour in Istanbul

İstanbul

Would recommend doing this earlier in the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Can't miss.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Amazing - recommend including visiting the Dark Church in the price

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Pairing Dinner at Revithia Cappadocia

Cappadocia

Very nice, only snafu was over who was paying for it, but it was worked out.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum + House of Virgin Mary

Turkey

Quality of Experience

O

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The time of year I chose to visit definitely made the trip more interesting - from rain to sun to snow, nothing was predictable which made every day fresh and new, not to mention the spectacular destinations. Of all the places I saw, I think Mardin was my favorite - I'd never been there, there seemed to be less tourists (might have been the time of year), the views from the old city were incredible, finally got some sunshine, and the side-trip to the amazing Dara was incredible. Yakup was an excellent driver/guide and added so very much to my knowledge and learning at every destination we visited.

Travel planning at its best!!

Very happy with Berat and his group. The guides; Volkan and Hatice were incredible!!!! The drivers very professional, courteous and safe driving.

We are extremely pleased with the itinerary, guides, places we visited, communication. If I was to do it all over again, I would not do it any other way!! Berat and her team did a marvelous job!!

Travel planning at its best!!

Very happy with Berat and his group. The guides; Volkan and Hatice were incredible!!!! The drivers very professional, courteous and safe driving.

We are extremely pleased with the itinerary, guides, places we visited, communication. If I was to do it all over again, I would not do it any other way!! Berat and her team did a marvelous job!!

Berat organised our trip at quite short notice and did an excellent job. Cappadocia was amazing and our visits to Ephesus and Pergamon were very interesting. Our guide Volkan was very well informed and driver Aly was good. And cats!

Hotel Reviews

Kale Konak Hotel

Very interesting rooms. The breakfast is amazing. And cats!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Charming character-filled hotel. Absolutely brilliant breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

It’s balloons. It’s Cappadocia!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Goreme is an intriguing place. The natural formations are extraordinary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Wine + Romance in Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Very pleasant time. A nice way to watch the sunset.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport