Kimkim Trip Reviews for Turkey

Our guide Hati was excellent. She was knowledgable and very attentive. She readily adjusted our itinerary in response to our needs and was very accommodating for one of our reluctant travelers :) KimKim made it easy to plan and Berat, our trip designer was extremely responsive and helpful. Two suggestions for travelers--be mindful to plan gratuity for guide and it seems in Turkey, the best way to get TL cash is to exchange US cash--but also can us US $ for gratuity. Wished we had known. Otherwise--all went very smoothly!

All of our guides were very knowledgeable and personable and really helped us get a much deeper understanding of the history and culture of Turkey. We had a lot of places we wanted to see in a short time (Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Cappadocia), but Berat and the team made it all run so smoothly (which was not easy because we took a lot of domestic flights) and helped take off a lot of the stress. All the places we saw were amazing, but we were blown away by Cappadocia! It was truly incredible to see the churches/monasteries and the underground city. And we were really lucky the weather held out so we could go on the hot air balloon ride. We enjoyed our hotel in Sirince the most (Nisanyan House) because it felt the most like a home and the setting in the mountains was so quiet and peaceful. The homemade breakfast was such a treat too! We are grateful Berat recommended this place! We would not recommend the hotel where we stayed at Hierapolis - one of us got bitten by a lot of bugs in the bed. Overall however, we were very pleased with our boutique hotel accommodations throughout the trip because they added a special touch to our trip. Turkey should definitely be on your bucket list, and we recommend experiencing it through Kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gül Konaklari Sinasos (Rose Mansions Sinasos)

Nevsehir

Authenticity & Character

Location

I think next time we would have stayed in one of the slightly bigger towns nearby

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pam Thermal Hotel

Pamukkale/Denizli

Authenticity & Character

Full of lots of other tourists

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

One of us got bit by bugs

Ansen Suites

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Only thing is it was pretty loud into the night on a saturday night because it seems like a party district

Staff

Served us tea while we waited for our room

Cleanliness & Comfort

Recital Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Could walk to the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Cappadocia

We really enjoyed our lunch in a little hut over the river in the Love Valley! Beautiful place for a quiet stroll too. Might skip the Ceramic Tradition as everything they were selling was beautiful but too expensive.

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide here was really funny and also really knowledgeable!

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

There are two groups of hot air balloons that go up and I would try to ask for the earlier one if possible so you can actually see the sunrise from the balloon! We went up a bit later so we missed the sunrise by a bit.

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

Cappadocia

Visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum + House of Virgin Mary

Turkey

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

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

İstanbul

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Incredible setting! Interesting opportunity to understand more about this religious tradition, though some travelers might find the performance a bit long.

This jam packed trip was incredible, and I can't speak highly enough of Berat and our full time guide Erdam.

The trip: Wow! Berat managed to squeeze 4 different locations filled with activities in 7 days for a family of 9. Our ages ranged from 10-70. We could not have been happier with the trip itself.

The service: Above and beyond!
Erdam had 9 people to rangle, and he was the kindest, most patient guide filled with knowledge and fun stories for both the kids and adults. He was flexible with our requests to add stops, and was all around a great guide. We ADORED him.

Berat: She actually came to lunch with us one day to surprise us, and she went way above and beyond trying to help track down a lost passport. (Which she found at a restaurant) She did WAY more than she was required to do, and we are so very thankful we were working with her. She had great communication with us, changed the schedule as needed, and she personally drove around one of us during the passport debacle to track it down. I don't know any other agency that would have done that.

Hotel Reviews

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

Great breakfast, and the location was perfect!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfectly located to walk right across the street to major attractions. It was even quiet at night for a city.

Staff

Really nice people and very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Helike Hotel

Nevsehir

Our favorite hotel. It was super unique and the heayed floors were amazing! The breakfast spread here was amazing too.

Authenticity & Character

The views!!!!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Beautiful and unique. We loved the character of the rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Best part about this place. Beautiful inside and gorgeous views!

Location

The hotel was great for the younger people in the party. For the grandparents in the group, the walks to the room and town were very steep, and there are not really other options to get around. We did fund super nice people in the village below to help drive them back up though.

Staff

Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pam Thermal Hotel

Pamukkale/Denizli

Nice hotel. Decent dinner offered, and had cool amenities.

Authenticity & Character

More like a resort, but still nice

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

We really enjoyed this tour. The Palace, Monique, and cistern were great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

The public boat tour was a little underwhelming. The day was drizzly, and without a guide, there was not much to it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Loves Cappadocia and everything here. This was our favorite place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Amazing! Loved this as well. We stopped at a rug making shop for a demonstration. We really enjoyed that.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

We did not get to do this due to the wind. Pretty bummed about that. Perhaps let future travelers know that this option only goes about 50% of the time and to be prepared for a back up option. We did the ATV tour at sunset, which was a great experience though. We appreciated Berat changing that out for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Really amazing! Loved this !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Cappadocia

Great little place who let us all try it. We enjoyed this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Great spot. And Erdam was a perfect guide. He even squeezed in Mary's house for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Again, great experience here. Appreciated the guides knowledge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guides Ibrahim in Istanbul, Hatice in Kapadokya and Onder in Ephesus and Pammukale were all excellent. The trip was wonderful over all covering many sites of historical places and we got to taste delicious local Turkish cuisines. Our guides also gave us ample time and very patient with us for our shopping pleasure. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get to ride balloons in Kapadokya due to weather and for that we definitely have to come back again in near future!

Hotel Reviews

Recital Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Helike Hotel

Nevsehir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pam Thermal Hotel

Pamukkale/Denizli

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

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

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

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

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

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

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

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

We (family of 4, including 2 teenage boys) recently completed an 8-day trip to Turkey with Trail Travels and it was AMAZING! We visited 3 cities during this trip - Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Antalya.
The country is beautiful, rich with culture, history, and great food. I have been to Turkey before for work, but it was first time with family so was bit apprehensive how the experience would be.. but Trail Travel did a fantastic job taking care of us and customizing our daily itineraries to accommodate our interest and energy level. Berat (from Trail Travel) who I have been working with for a couple moths, found the time to come meet us in person in Antalya… that was a nice personal touch. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and easy to engage, especially our tour guide – Erdem in Istanbul, super nice guy.

In terms of the trip – given we had 2 active teenage boys, the hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia was certainly the highlight, followed by the impressive mosques and grand bazar in Istanbul. The weather wasn’t the best, but nothing we couldn’t manage with a light jacket. Kelebek Special Cave hotel and Goreme Open Air Museum in Cappadocia was great experience as well. On the other end – the food tour in Istanbul was bit disappointing and we would probably skip that in future. Another reason for this – since Turkey has so much great food you end up eating for lunch and dinner. the food tour doesn’t really make sense. Similarly, the Ramada Plaza hotel by Wyndham in Antalya, though great location was disappointing given they closed their pool and game room which the boys were looking forward to.

Overall, great trip and likely we will do it again... maybe only focus on 1-2 cities next time.
Irfan Siddiqui

We enjoyed our trip to Istanbul and Capadoccia.

We don't have any have complains, but would like to make some suggestions.

In the US and other countries there are very strict rules about smoking in restaurants or in public paces, however in Turkey it still is very common for people to smoke in restaurants or public spaces.
I understand that this is not under your control but I think you need to advice people visiting about this situation there and make sure to request a non smoking table when eating in restaurants because waiters there usually don't ask .
Another suggestion is to make sure to communicate directly with the person that will be the main guide during the visit, because in our case or main communication was with Ms. Berat but during our visit our guide was Mr. Ibrahim and there was a confusion about which places were included for our visit, he had to call the agency because according to him the visit to Topkapi palace was not included in our tour.

Hotel Reviews

Hagia Sofia Mansions Istanbul, Curio Collection by Hilton

Fatih Istanbul

Excellent location and service, it is located near all major attractions in the center of Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Although the hotel expands a large area, each mansion feels like a small independent hotel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kelebek Special Cave Hotel

Nevsehir

The hotel matches with the cave environment of the city and region

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

We enjoyed the visit to all the mosques , Topkapi palace, the boat trip through the Bosporus and the modern area of Taksim and Galata. For us the visit to the spice market and grand bazaar was the least attractive part of the visit

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

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

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the historical + modern hub: Pera, Karaköy and Beyond

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

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

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you Kim Kim for great organization and service of our private tour. It was worth it. All 3 guides; Ibrahim (Istanbul), Nihat (Cappadocia) & Tunc (Izmir region) were really personable and gave really informative tours, patient and attentive service for my elderly mum and her friend who came with a walking stick. We really enjoyed our time in Turkey; even more so in Cappadocia and Izmir region (Ephesus, Sirince & Pamukkale). We want to give special mention to Tunc who proactively helped organize a paragliding experience for me and also a hot air balloon ride in Pamukkale for us as we didn't manage to do it in Cappadocia due to foggy weather; he managed to cater to my expectations as well as my mum and her friend. Thank you once again! We will definitely book with you the next time we plan to travel again. :)

Hotel Reviews

Kelebek Special Cave Hotel

Nevsehir

Amazing view. Love the fire place and the interior decoration of our room. Location is a bit challenging for elderly people to walk up from town center but it has an amazing view and sumptious breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Love it that we're staying in the fairy chimney itself

Location

Amazing view

Staff

All of the staff were very hospitable and helpful except for one person at reception who looked very grumpy

Cleanliness & Comfort

nice hot showers and fire place

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

We stayed in a cottage that comes with a huge common kitchen and dining room... looks amazing. Our room and bathroom is so charming, big but cozy; beautiful decoration. Breakfast with the view of Sirince was delicious and enjoyable. We wished we stayed a week instead of only a night at this beautiful place.

Authenticity & Character

Charming and quaint big room with nice fireplace setting and marble shower, outside balcony for some peace and quiet; great decoration

Location

Perched atop a hill with an amazing view of Sirince

Staff

Helpful porter who carried all our heavy luggage uphill.... so thankful but we felt so bad for him doing all the carrying

Cleanliness & Comfort

comfortable beds, fireplace, hot water for showering

Doğa Thermal Hotel & Spa

Denizli

Very commercial; not used to seeing so many tour groups after staying in boutique hotels our entire trip but the spa facilities were very good. The button of the toilet flush fell off and it took the concierge a bit of time to understand what happened before they manage to fix it.

Authenticity & Character

It's good for a commercial hotel but not our usual preference

Location

Staff

Some challenges speaking English

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spa facilities, comfortable bed

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

Room was comfortable but the towel hanger fell off...Thankfully they managed to quickly fix it.

Authenticity & Character

Very quaint and charming interior decoration

Location

Situated in Old Town Istanbul

Staff

Very friendly and prompt

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice warm water for showering in cold weather

Activity Reviews

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Hagia Sofia / Blue mosque was under renovation

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

learn how to use the tram in Istanbul :)

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

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

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

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Very crowded on the weekend... but otherwise very interesting experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering the Ihlara Valley and Light Hiking Along the Melendiz River

Cappadocia

scenic walking trial ... highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Izmir: The Beautiful Port City of the Aegean Sea

İzmir

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING!

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

Our trip was fantastic. From the moment we arrived until we departed, we were covered. We had wonderful guides, hotels, and transportation. I would highly recommend our guides in both Istanbul and Cappadocia. They were full of information helping us to step back in history and experience the deepness of each location. All of our excursions were well planned and exceptional. We enjoyed the cooking class, the Turkish Bath, and the balloon ride. Our hotel on Istanbul was comfortable and centrally located. We loved the mansion hotel we stayed at in Cappadocia. The staff was incredible and the property was incredible. Overall, we were very pleased with our entire Turkey experience!

Hotel Reviews

Gül Konaklari Sinasos (Rose Mansions Sinasos)

Nevsehir

This was our favorite part of Cappadocia. We loved this beautiful mansion hotel. The property was unique and the staff was incredible. We also enjoyed the gourmet food and the service. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Cappadocia.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful mansion

Location

In a quiet village

Staff

Very friendly and helpful. They were incredible!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfy.

Arena Hotel Sultanahmet

Istanbul

This hotel is in a central location. It was quiet and comfortable. The breakfast was very good . The place had a nice feel to it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Inn by Radisson Istanbul Airport

Istanbul

We just stayed at this one the night before we left. It was clean and comfortable. I would not recommend going to the on site restaurant. It was not good and the service was terrible. Only about 15 minutes from the airport.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the airport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Nice place to learn about the history of Istanbul. Our guide was excellent!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class: Delve into Ottoman Cuisine at Old City Istanbul

İstanbul

The chef was amazing. We had so much fun and got to eat what we prepared. This was definitely one of our favorite activities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Turkish Bath and Spa at Hürrem Sultan Hammam

İstanbul

This was the best experience of my life. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. The building was beautiful and the spa treatment was incredible. I felt like a true princess from the minute I got there until the moment I left. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this Turkish Bath.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This experience was amazing. We have traveled to many places before, but it was the first time we used KimKim. Murat did great putting our schedule together and helping us to make reservations to great restaurants. Our local guide Andy (Onder) was wonderful. Always on time, and ready to make recommendations on trustable shops. His historical knowledge of all the places we went was just great. It is so difficult to pick just one favorite place from our visit to Turkiye. I choose all of them. We would definitely want to return. I would definitely recommend this itinerary, and ask for Andy to be your local guide.

Hotel Reviews

Kayakapi Premium Caves

Urgup / Cappadocia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pera Palace

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

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

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We initially planned this trip pre-pandemic and had to postpone until Nov 2022 so it has been a long time coming. Murat, our local specialist, has been very accommodating throughout this whole period and we were finally able to make it happen! Communication and coordination leading up to the start of the trip were only slightly delayed but everything turned out great. The final call(s) to touch base put everyone on the same page and was quite helpful.

Our local guide, Onder (Andy), was very helpful, informative and friendly. It was wonderful to have a knowledgeable guide show us around different parts of Turkey. He also helped us navigate the (occasionally tricky) streets of Istanbul with ease and had the best tips and advice for every spot we visited.

Our itinerary was quite packed so it depends on the type of traveler you are but overall, we hit the main highlights we wanted to see. Can't wait to go back and explore more of Turkey!

The trip was very well organized and if not for the weather , it would have gone perfectly as planned! We had a delightful honeymoon thanks to Berat and her brother.

I used Berat with Trail Travel through KimKim for my trip to Istanbul. I have to say, from start to finish, they were incredibly responsive! They arranged, with my feedback, for some thoughtful excursions and my guide, Ibrahim, was so knowledgeable. If you can request him I strongly suggest you do so. I learned so much about the Turkish culture from him as well as hitting some amazing restaurants and he is an incredibly lovely man. Ladies, be sure to take a scarf to wear in the mosques, we should be respectful of this long-standing religions beliefs. The mosques were breathtaking, the bazaars very interesting but be careful when buying and don't overpay! The largest cistern Ibrahim took me too was out of this world beautiful, he has great connections! The hamam that Berat arranged was a memorable experience. You will be naked so be prepared for this but it was so relaxing and I highly recommend it! Overall, Berat and her team made this a trip to remember. I usually do not revisit a place twice but I might make an exception for Istanbul. ❤️❤️❤️. Thank you, Berat and Ibrahim, for your amazing service and assistance!

Hotel Review

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

This is a humble hotel but the location is great. However, what really makes it special are the people. They truly care that you have a great stay while here. It was my birthday when I visited and the staff worked with my family to have a cake brought to my room where they sang Happy Birthday...you don't see this kind of thoughtfulness just anywhere. The daily breakfast is also fantastic. I highly recommend this hotel in Istanbul!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff make this stay a unique and lovely experience.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Turkish Bath and Spa at Hürrem Sultan Hammam

İstanbul

Wow, this is the best way to sum it up. The experience here was like nothing else. You will be naked so keep this in mind but if you prefer not to remove the wrap you can wear a swimsuit. Just note, everyone else will be naked. They are very good about be respectful so don't worry. You must experience this! You will leave feeling relaxed and pampered. Do not leave Istanbul without this experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dispite a rocky start after missing our flight from Istanbul we had a terrific tour. Berat and Murat were able to make some minor adjustments to our tour which meant we did not miss anything dispite losing 12 hours due to missing our flight. Our guide Hati in Cappadocia was awesome, we hear stories and history along the way and there was never a dull moment. From outdoor museums to pottery to underground cities and of course our ballon ride, it was a wonderful visit.
We arrived in Izmir on the late flight a enjoyed a great sleep in followed by a fantastic breakfast. The house of the vergin Mary was a great followed by Ephesus which can only be described as amazingly wonderous. To walk in the same places and touch the same stone as some of histories most famous and iconic people was truely incredible. Topping the tour off with a visit to the thermal spa in Pamukkale made sure this was a trip we will not forget and will be part of our conversations for a long time to come.

It was a one of the best organized trips I had been on.. from the hotels, car pick ups, tour plans to sight seeing it was a very well organized and very thoughtfully done. It was a customized tour plan and since I was a single traveler Murat and team made sure I was always taken care and never felt unsafe.

From Volkan, hatice to Murat himself were very good hosts and excellent travel buddies.

Istanbul - hotel, food everything was good. It’s a vibrant city and should be seen only on foot like I did! Do not miss the baklava, grand bazaar or the blue mosque!

Cappadocia- by far my most favorite destination. Gul Konnaklari!! Is a beautiful medieval castle.. and I MYST recommend their small restaurant for a dinner. Absolutely gorgeous! Both food and people
And my best guide was Hatice- she is fun and knowledgeable and practical. And the highlight of Turkey is the Hot Air Balloon that nobody should miss!

sirince - it’s a beautiful location but the crown jewel is the hotel NISANYAN! I landed late at night and was not so impressed but in the morning I instantly regretted not staying longer.. the food was fantastic.. service is amazing and the room they gave me had the best views. Not only do I recommend I will definitely return to enjoy more time there..

All in all it was a very well organized tour. Highly recommend Murat and his team if you are planning to go.. Turkey is a beautiful country with a lot of heart and soul! must Visit

Hotel Reviews

Pera Palace

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gül Konaklari Sinasos (Rose Mansions Sinasos)

Nevsehir

Beautiful in every way!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Highly recommend

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doğa Thermal Hotel & Spa

Denizli

Authenticity & Character

Location

Hi

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore the historic sites of Istanbul's famed old town

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore the historical + modern hub: Pera, Karaköy and Beyond

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

T

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering the Ihlara Valley and Light Hiking Along the Melendiz River

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Good day Berat and the Kimkim team,
We are still trying to get to grips with normal life after our magical tour through your beautiful country. We enjoyed every minute of a very well organised and amazingly comprehensive visit to all the historical and cultural places in such a short time.
Mr Ibrahim was a very patient and informative guide in Istanbul and unlocked the wonders of the beautiful mosques, palaces and especially the cistern for us .
The tour through Cappadocia, Konya, Parmukkale and Sirence was unforgettable and we could not wish for a better guide as Hatija (? Hati for us). She was wow, fun, informative and altogether a wonderful person. She had a problem with a cold in her face, but she still soldered on to give us her best. The hot air balloons, the underground dwellings, the unbelievable landscape, the dervishes show, the visit to Ephesus, the Goreme open air museum, the ancient ruins, the karavanserai, the wooden mosque, the thermal waterfalls were all awesome and Hati made it really come to life for us. And hats off to the safe, friendly and patient driver of the very comfortable bus we travelled in.
Our hotels were lovely, very well appointed and comfortable. At the Dóga Thermal Hotel in Parmukkale we had an awesome dinner and enjoyed the thermal spa.We would have loved to stay longer in Sirence, maybe in one of the inns in the village - but next time! We also would love to add Kuśadasi and the Valley of the butterflies!
We brought back lots of memories, leather jackets, silk scarves, pottery, a carpet, jewellery, trinkets, lots of photos that will forever remind us of your magic country.
Back in Istanbul we had another excellent guide that took us to the artisans at the rooftops over the Grand Bazaar and also to the Asian side. I can still hear the sound of the muezzins calling all to pray!
At the Sirkeci Mansion hotel we really befriended the very helpful staff who went out of their way to accommodate us on our last day.
The country transported us to ages past, with a mixture of faith, art and history prevalent in all the historic sites.

Thank you all for making our trip unforgettable.
From Hermien, Kriek, Suzette and Marietjie.

We were late getting started on planning our trip to Turkey, but Berat stepped right up and got us all squared away in just a few days. We had some ideas about what we wanted to see and she put them together in an itinerary that made sense, with a good balance of travel and sight seeing each day. We had been warned away from Troy, but our guide, Erdem Keseli, did a great job of interpreting the site and the museum, as he did for the other sights we visited (Gallipoli, Assos, Pergamon, Asclepion, and Ephesus). We enjoyed the hotels Berat selected, especially the Sunset Boutique Hotel in Assos where we had a great view and the best breakfast! The last night of our trip in Sirince at the Hotel Manolian was disturbed by the loud barking of the street dogs, though there's little the hotel could do to prevent that. It was otherwise comfortable and well located for wandering the streets of the village. Overall, everyone we interacted with on our trip, guide, driver and hotel staff were warm and welcoming and we are already dreaming of our next trip to Turkey!

Hotel Reviews

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

This is a charming hotel in a wonderful location for exploring the sights of Sultanahmet in Istanbul. The staff were very kind and helpful and breakfast was delicious. The view from the rooftop terrace at night is magical.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doubletree by Hilton Çanakkale

Çanakkale

While clearly a chain hotel, this hotel is well located and clean and has all the amenities one might want. The staff were very friendly and breakfast was good. The bed was very comfortable. It is outside the central part of Cannakale, but is along the water with good restaurants in walking distance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Assos Sunset Boutique Hotel

Çanakkale

We loved this hotel. The room was charming and the staff were wonderful. The view from the terrace was spectacular. Breakfast was the best of the whole trip - a whole selection of traditional Turkish breakfast foods.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hera

Bergama

This is a charming hotel in walking distance from the commercial center of Bergama. It was quiet and comfortable and the staff were very welcoming. Breakfast was good, but since it was the day after our spectacular Assos Sunset Boutique Hotel breakfast, it wasn't quite the same. There is a charming courtyard where you can relax with a drink any time of day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

We enjoyed all the sights on this tour. It was great to have a guide who was able to get priority entrance for the Palace and the Cistern so we didn't have to waste time waiting in lines.

First, I want to thank Berat for her patience and for working during the weekend to arrange the trip. The trip itself was terrific. Everything was organized and designed for us. The drivers and the guides were accommodating and trained. The hotel in Istanbul was in the center of the city and close to all tourist places. Fantastic view of Hagia Sophia.
In the black sea area, we had the best time ever. I want to thank Kerem and the driver Kadeer for being very helpful during the trip.

Hotel Review

Kotit Ayder Hotel

Clean. Breakfast is amazing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near a river

Staff

Nice and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

It is clean and comfort. But there is no room service to clean room if you are staying for more than one night

Activity Review

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We really had a great time in Istanbul and Cappadocia. Overall the Kim Kim Did a good job in helping us capture the authenticity that we wanted in this trip. The people were amazing, the sites were wonderful, and the food was great.

There were some small glitches. Firstly, after a long flight from the US, we didn’t have anyone waiting for us at the airport. Only after several texts and calls did someone finally come, but it did delay us significantly.

The facility in Cappadoccia, although cute and charming, had no air conditioning. In the dead of August, this made our time in the hotel quite uncomfortable And nearly intolerable. It was brought to our attention that the organizer of our trip was a partial owner of this facility, Which raises some conflict of interest concerns and why we didn’t receive better accommodations.

Our trip to Turkey was excellent and had a great balance between history, culture, and relaxation. Trail Travel did a great job of making sure our transfers were seamless and ensuring we had the best experience at our hotels and sites. Berat was extremely helpful in going through multiple itinerary iterations after receiving feedback on the type of trip we wanted. What is great about this platform is that you really are able to personalize your trip rather than needing to fit into a rigid, fixed pre-existing itinerary. Berat was also prompt with her responses while we were in Turkey to troubleshoot any issues we experienced with our hotels and logistics.

We spent 2 weeks in Turkey, going from Istanbul to Cappadocia to Antalya to Izmir before returning to Istanbul. During this time we developed a great camaraderie with our guide, Onder, who was very receptive in tailoring our activities and content to our interests and styles. He was extremely professional, always making us feel like we were welcome, and introducing us to many locals in each of the spots we visited. I also want to thank all of the van drivers (Mustafa, Ramazan, Erdogan to name a few), who presented us with clean, spacious vans and supplied us with water. Each spot that we visited had a wonderful charm of its own. If we had more time, I would have loved to add one extra day in Kas and a couple more days in Istanbul to fully experience the city. For our packed trip, it was helpful to have some later starts to balance out our very early ones in the beginning of the trip.

Our trip was wonderful, and we would definitely book again if we had the chance. Some suggestions for improvement for an even better experience via Trail Travel/KimKim:
- When booking domestic flights, ask about estimated luggage quantities/explain airline policies on luggage beforehand
- Ask about preferred flight timings when possible
- Develop some form of guide matching based on travel style and interests
- As much as possible, provide pricing breakdowns (esp. for hotel rates to compare)

Hotel Reviews

Otto Palace

Kumluca, Antalya Region

Otto Palace is a cute, no frills attached b&b that makes you feel like you are staying with family friends. This means that the hosts have good vibes and senses of humor, but service is very "chill" and relaxed, even when you require a little more assistance as guests. This serves as a decent base if you are planning a night in Adrasan as a launching point for a boat tour, but it might also be worthwhile to check out AirBnBs in the area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The hosts are friendly, kind, and relaxed with good sense of humor.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds were very comfortable and the rooms large. However, the rooms did smell like cigarette smoke and the AC was not working in either of our 2 rooms. We did mention the AC problem to our host and they were able to fix it. It seemed that the filters in both rooms were old and not properly maintained. When in Turkey it is expected that cats are going to be your new neighbors wherever you are. However, the cats on this property were much more aggressive than we were accustomed to. As we were eating our meal, they were consistently propping themselves on the table, scratching at us, and eventually jumped onto the table on the food we had ordered. For hygiene reasons, we didn't feel comfortable finishing our food that the cat had touched and had to leave an incomplete dinner. This caught us off guard especially since the cats seemed to be pets of the owners. However, when we asked if the owners could keep the cats away from the food (through broken Google Translate communication), there wasn't anything done.

Hagia Sofia Mansions Istanbul, Curio Collection by Hilton

Fatih Istanbul

We were greeted with warmth and friendliness at our first hotel in Turkey. I would like to specifically mention that Betul was particularly helpful. She escorted us to a restaurant for lunch just after we arrived and showed us around the property. Definitely venture out for food rather than sticking to the hotel's restaurants, as you can certainly find all sorts of food for a variety of prices in Istanbul. This hotel is tastefully decorated in an Ottoman style and is in a prime location near the most famous sites in Istanbul!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Do note that due to the strategic location, it can get noisy during the day and at night. This is a great base to see the important sites in Sultanahmet, but if you have more than a couple days in Istanbul, perhaps it may make sense to move to another neighborhood for the remainder of your time.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathroom was spacious and modern with consistent hot water. It was a pleasant surprise to find a hammam sink in our shower. One note - as a family of 4 sharing a small suite, we had one king bed and 2 makeshift twin beds. There was not a proper sofa bed - the staff just added sheets on top of the existing sofa and gave us a rollaway bed. For the purposes of our short stay, this worked out just fine, but these makeshift beds were probably not as comfortable as proper mattresses for a longer stay.

Kayakapi Premium Caves

Urgup / Cappadocia

Staying in a cave hotel was one of the highlights of our trip. Kayakapi is a beautifully kept, guest-centric hotel, with large, clean, and luxurious cave suites. We enjoyed using the pool and spa facilities, as well as exploring the hotel as a whole. We are frequent travelers and our stay at Kayakapi was definitely one of our best hotel experiences.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff are very open to input as they are continuously trying to make the hotel better. When we provided some feedback on how the already excellent rooms might be improved further (small things like adding more privacy to bathroom doors, adding fans, ensuring showerheads do not make bathroom floors wet, including more storage space in the bathroom), they noted every suggestion down in detail.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were very comfortable for a 4 person family (1 king and 2 twins).

Ruin Adalia

Antalya

This hotel was included last minute to our itinerary due to an issue with our original hotel. It was a surprise treat, a gem in the middle of the Old City. The quaint property in the middle of bustling Kaleici is built over an archaeological museum open only to guests. We not only experienced comfortable rooms with a semi private terrace overseeing the beautiful grounds and mountains, but also were given a mini tour through the underground museum by Marcus, one of the archaeologists staffed at the hotel. We saw the layers of Antalya - Hellenistic, Byzantine, and Ottoman - wonderfully preserved.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Keep in mind that as it is in the middle of the most busy part of town, it can get noisy. This would probably apply to any hotel in Kaleici.

Staff

We did get stopped from entering the hotel a couple times due to their strict security, but didn't really see any of the other guests face this issue. However, they apologized immediately once the misunderstandings were cleared up.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

A very cute hotel in the cute town of Sirince. We received a friendly welcome, loved exploring the town from this hotel, and spending the evening on our little private porch.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

This was another hotel where we had 1 king bed and 2 somewhat makeshift twin beds. The twin beds worked well for our one night stay, but may have been a little uncomfortable for a stay longer than that.

La Kumsal Hotel

Kaş / Antalya

Sadly our stay at La Kumsal was the only hotel experience that was not overwhelmingly positive. We were excited about our 2 night stay at Kas to be close to the ocean and were told that the rooms that we had paid for were sea view rooms. When we reached the hotel, the staff member at the front desk was a little confused about our room types. Despite not knowing English, however, she was trying her best to communicate with us and let us know that the issues with our room would be resolved the next day. Unfortunately, our rooms smelled of smoke, the tables/desks were quite old with stains and markings. One of our rooms was looking right out in the main bar area with no privacy or view of the sea and the other was looking out at a small pathway with a sliver of a view from the balcony. The doors were a bit hard to open/close. The shower water was cold to lukewarm. However, the rooms as a whole, though very simple with some need for maintenance, were clean. We immediately notified Berat about our experience, just as feedback, and she promptly contacted the hotel's manager. The manager called us up afterwards. He seemed a little upset over our complaints but assured us that the problems would be resolved the next day and sent us a fruit basket. The next day we met the manager. He was a little cold and passive aggressive while explaining that the hotel was completely booked and that they could move us to a villa for extra money. Berat helped us navigate this conversation, and eventually we were able to move to their villa for our second day in Kas, without paying extra. The villa had a beautiful view with a private pool, beach area, and 3 bed/3 bath. This was definitely more than we were expecting for our room change at the hotel. While we had some unfortunate experiences with some of the staff and our expectations of the rooms, the outdoor areas such as the pool and dining areas are quite pretty. The villa was also great, and we enjoyed using the private pool. If you decide to stay at La Kumsal, be clear on what type of room you are getting - "seaside" or "sea front" or "sea view"!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We felt that the manager was a little cold and passive aggressive. He was placing most of the blame on us and our travel agency, without trying to understand our situation fully. While we appreciate him moving us to the villa, he seemed a bit disdainful and disingenuous of our concerns, employing false sympathy, rather than just being authentic with his thoughts. Most of the waiters at breakfast and dinner were not paying us much attention. We would like to thank the staff member at the front desk who greeted us and one of the waiters, as they were very kind and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

There is more effort placed on maintaining the outdoor spaces than on the indoor ones. This is fine for a simple beach town stay, but it did feel there was a disconnect between online images and what you see in person. Even the villa, which had beautiful outdoor spaces, was a little old in the interior. The showers were cold and the bathrooms were a little rough around the edges.

GAIA Alacati

Çeşme/İzmir

Wonderful boutique hotel in a great location. Breakfast was great and the attention to detail for decor was noticeable. Feel free to do your own research on restaurants and other services in the area, as some of the recommendations given by the staff were helpful, but possibly overpriced. We were also recommended a salon that overcharged us and actually hurt my mother's fingers during a manicure.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

One thing to note - the showers were cold after sundown

AJWA Sultanahmet

Sultanahmet, Istanbul

Another hotel we loved. Wonderful staff, well designed rooms, and some of the comfiest beds we've slept in! The breakfast was also delicious, and we enjoyed getting to know the restaurant staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

İstanbul

Onder did a great job of introducing us to Istanbul!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Great way to get a different perspective of Istanbul

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

We thoroughly enjoyed our three days in Cappadocia, and all the activities - hot air balloons, hiking, pottery making, etc.

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

The ancient sites of Aspendos, Perge, and Ephesus were marvelous, but in the middle of July it was extremely hot, which limited our ability to explore as much as we may have wanted.

Quality of Experience

Nothing - it was just hot!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Turkish Bath and Spa at Hürrem Sultan Hammam

İstanbul

Loved it! The Ab-ı Hayat treatment was one of our favorite activities of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

In retrospect, I would have moved our itinerary around to give us 2 full days in Istanbul before heading off to Cappadocia. This would have been a great activity for the 2nd day of our trip. Unfortunately keeping this for the last day of our trip meant that we were a little too tired to fully appreciate the magnificent sites. With a little more energy, we definitely could have spent much more time at Topkapi Palace.

All my local tour guides and drivers are very nice. The hotels are clean, cozy, and beautiful.

Hotel Reviews

Helike Hotel

Nevsehir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doğa Thermal Hotel & Spa

Denizli

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alacati Zeytin Konak Hotel

Cesme

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Recital Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Tour at Sunrise

Cappadocia

As a foreigner, I was arrange into a ride full of local Turkish people so the pilot only spoke in Turkish throughout the whole ride.

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

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport