Christos Mylonas

Our 11-day trip to Athens-Mykonos-Paros-Santorini would not have been as wonderful if not for our KimKim specialist, Christos, and the TravelTeam assigned to us and available at any time of day for any type of situation. Everything from tipping recommendations to "we can't find our driver?" to timely notices on schedule changes. Christos planned a perfect combination of tours, shopping and beach time for our group of 4 long-time friends for our first time in Greece. Weather and ferry delays caused cancellations of two tours which were promptly reimbursed by KimKim upon our return. Communication was the BEST. They were always available and very friendly and helpful with our questions and needs. In Paros, we wish we had been closer to (or in) Naoussa, as our hotel was a little remote and it was costly to get to the village to shop and dine. Word to Greek travelers... Pack less, you'll thank me. Besides, then you can bring more back! Our memories of this trip, like our friendship, will last a lifetime. Michelle, Lea, Linda, & Kelly

Hotel Reviews

Acquamarina Resort

Paros

Our group did not care for this hotel. No assistance with luggage was offered. Several flights of steps.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Too remote. Had to walk a mile to get to bus to go to Naoussa or $40 taxi (each way)

Staff

Very few staff, front desk was always on phone, answer to any question was "No"

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sweet Home Hotel

Athens

Wonderful breakfast, great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acrogiali Beach Hotel

Mykonos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Eva at the front desk was wonderful and very funny!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kastro Suites Santorini

Santorini

I had a wonderful time at Kastro Suites in Santorini. The staff was great, the place was beautiful. The only downside was the many stairs we had to climb with our heavy luggage. The breakfast was fresh and delicious, a stark contrast to our previous accommodation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Santorini Highlights with Wine

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Acropolis Guided Tour

Athens

Dorina was extremely knowledgeable and very interesting! She also worked with KimKim to solve our ticket issue.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Mykonos Island Driving Tour

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Farm Tour with Lunch

Paros

My favorite part of the trip overall! Jeremy was a wonderful host. So personal, as was his son. Being from a farming state (Iowa) this was very interesting to us. Love the lunch on the veranda overlooking the Aegean Sea.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Transfer in Paros

Paros

Elias is #1!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Wine Tour

Santorini

This trip was cancelled due to ferry delay

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caldera Cruise & Volcano Visit

Santorini

This was a great experience. Despite being a large group tour, we all had fun dancing on the boat.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Greece was amazing!!! Everything was taken care of, I didn’t have to research or book anything except for our flights. Hotels were in awesome locations. All transfers were on time and friendly. We had 24 hour concierge using what’s app. Can’t say enough good things. We will use kimkim again.

Christos and his team did an amazing job of planning a great trip to see the highlights in Greece for our family. We especially loved the personal tour guides, which helped keep our kids engaged in educational tours. Zakia in particular was exceptional on the Acropolis and Agora tour in Greece. The lodging choices were outstanding as well. The only thing we would have changed is having a driver meet us at Paros to take us to a beach that was away from the busy port area and more relaxing.

Thanks for making the planning and execution so seamless for our family. We will be back to Kim Kim and their great local travel experts.

Hotel Reviews

Four Streets Athens

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fedriades Hotel Delphi

Delphi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lagos Mare

Naxos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kastro Suites Santorini

Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avra Hotel Rafina

Rafina, Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Athens Mythology Family Tour

Athens

Zakia was an amazing guide and kept the kids engaged. A super educational experience that was fun at the same times.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was altogether an extraordinary one month-long trip planned with great detail by our local specialist, Cristos, and his amazing, caring, and flexible Team 12! Cristos worked tirelessly until every detail was worked out to meet our needs for hotels and tours. All of our transfers were preplanned; at no time did we have to wait for guides or drivers to provide needed transfers. We had ample down time when we reached each destination with suggestions for self-guided tours before beginning with private tours. Our trip began in Thessaloniki (4 nights) where we stayed at the Electra Palace, a gem of a hotel centrally located. Our guide and driver were ready with suggestions for restaurants, points of interest, and were flexible when the focus of our tour required a change to cover the Jewish monuments and history of Thessaloniki. Our tour of this area of Macedonia included Pella and Vergina, ancient historical sites most worthwhile to visit. I am looking forward to exploring more of Macedonia on my next trip.

From Thessaloniki, we continued our trip on the mainland of Greece to Athens where we stayed in a large 3-bedroom suite apartment, Four Streets Athens (5 nights), centrally located in the Plaka district with a view of the Acropolis. Again we had time to wander about the Plaka and Kolonaki areas before beginning our private tours on the succeeding days: the Acropolis and museum, a food tour, and trips away from Athens (Epidaurus, Nafplio, Mycenae, Corinth Canal). Other very worthwhile tours included the Cycladic Museum and the Benake Museum.

From Athens, we flew to Mykonos to begin our trip to three of the Cycladic Islands plus Crete. Unfortunately, as May turned out to be a rather unseasonably cool month, we were unable to enjoy beach/swimming opportunities; however, we happily exchanged this weather for fewer crowds, especially appreciated when we got to Santorini!! Mykonos with its iconic windmills was lovely and quiet for this time of the year. We checked into the Mykonos Theoxenia Boutique, an elegant setting on the water, a few steps from town, with staff who couldn't do enough for their guests. From Mykonos we took a boat tour to Delos, an archeological site not to be missed. Our only disappointment was that we were included in a large group tour which made it difficult to understand the narrative.
On to Naxos, quite a contrast to Mykonos and then Santorini. The island's lush vegetation creates a rich farming and culinary tradition with some of the best produce in Greece, particularly famed for potatoes, cheeses, and olive oils. We stayed at the Montana Villa Naxos (4 nights), some distance from the town; however, having a driver and an excellent restaurant in walking distance (Kavos), this proved to be no problem. In in exchange, we had a beautiful view over the Aegean Sea. The grounds and pool of the villa were amazing but the weather was too cool to take a dip! The house lends itself well to a family; however, we three women experienced disappointing showering facilities (no shower curtain, high bath tubs to negotiate), but I would welcome a summer stay in spite of this detail. Our stay in Naxos included a private food and culture tour (olive oil, Greek liquor, cheeses, and lunch) as well as a private hike through the mountains with many varied sites and villages. Both opportunities not to be missed!! As our weather did not allow for beach time, we explored the many interesting shops and ruins of Naxos Hora and enjoyed a beach walk with lunch.
From Naxos, we continued on to the famed island of Santorini, much enjoyed because of the lesser crowds. Can't imagine what it must be like in summer: crowds plus the heat!! We stayed at the Volcano View Hotel (3 nights) with gorgeous pool areas and views of the caldera, just far away enough from the very busy center of Santorini. Interesting tours were arranged for us which included walks through Fira and quieter Oia. We also visited a lovely situated winery (Santorini is famous for its white wines). We had a great sail on a catamaran in the caldera from where we could get amazing views of the caldera's varied volcanic layers. The crew was professional and had a great sense of humor, hospitality and cooking skills. Great experience not to be missed. Before we left Santorini, we treated ourselves to a multi-coursed dinner at the famous restaurant, Solene. Fabulous experience, food, and service.
And so onto our last island, Crete, a famous culinary experience according to many a waiter and guide we encountered on our trip. We arrived first in Heraklion, site of Palace of Knossos. After a detailed tour of that site, we were ready to move on to Chania at the other end of the island. The old town of Heraklion has some interesting, upcoming restaurants; one day/evening is enough for this city. (We stayed at the Aquila Atlantis Hotel (2 nights), adequate for a short stay.) Chania is most charming by comparison. Our hotel, the 1400's Scala de Faro (4 nights), was right on the water (some rooms have beautiful views). The staff was most amazing and could fix any problem a guest might face. The town behind the hotel is great for wandering and shopping. As with the other islands, the Venetian influence is everywhere. So here is where our trip got 'interesting.' We were supposed to travel from Greece to Israel, but given the political situation, we were forced to look at options. Cristos sprung into action, and in no time had an itinerary for us to return to the mainland and further explore areas we had not seen (eg Hydra) or wanted to revisit (Nafplio). Furthermore, I had a bad fall on one of the beaches; our driver sensed the emergency and in no time drove me to a private clinic in Chania. All went well, transportation was provided to and from the clinic for two days. I received excellent medical care. Here is where being under the care of a caring responsible travel company and personnel was so very important!! The rest of the trip went without a hitch with Cristos finding us a charming hotel in Nafplio, Residenza di Fedralia, for four days until we were transported to Athens for our trip home.

So all in all, I can't say enough about Kimkim. Cristos planned a wonderful trip for us with a perfect balance of guided and self-guided tours. Suggestions were made for restaurants, but we enjoyed doing our own research in this category. We had very responsive support from his Team 12 &MAMAKITA) whenever needed, every question or request answered immediately. Looking forward to my next trip with Kimkim!!

Cannot say enough about the entire experience. Enjoyed every aspect of our amazing adventure in Greece. Christos, is a wonderful person and experienced which really helped us on our travels. His team is top notch. He connected us with so many delightful people to numerous for me to mention today. Everyday was well planned for me and of particular note the Argolis day trip, catamaran cruise on the Caldera Lagoon, lovely Naxos it truly was all wonderful. It was also a delight to meet Christos in person. Thank you all once again!!Sincerely, Dorothy

Hotel Reviews

Four Streets Athens

Athens

Very clean, centrally located, safe. Near all things you might want in Athens. The Placa, restaurants, groceries, Acropolis, shopping, kitchen well equipment. Very nice experience!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The owner met us and helped us with whatever was needed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mykonos Theoxenia Boutique Hotel

Mykonos

Location

Staff

All the staff were outstanding!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scala de Faro

Chania

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Christina went above and beyond! They are very lucky to have her!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Delphi Day-trip

Athens

Quality of Experience

Food

Ok, stopped for pit stop.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens Food Tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Very nice woman who led the tour. Helpful and knowledgeable.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Olive Farm Visit & Lunch in Archanes

Heraklion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Catamaran Caldera Cruise

Santorini

A lot of fun, we’ll worth it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rave reviews for Christos and the Travel 12 team. They were there any and every moment of the way during the 30 days in Greece. Every detail went as planned… well, almost. One private tour had a misunderstanding with the guide which was resolved quickly. We also had to extend our trip by 5 nights and they came through within 48 hours, booking everything from accommodations to cooking class and drivers. I can’t thank you enough for the professionalism from you and your entire team.

Hotel Reviews

Electra Palace Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki

Great location, nice hotel. Good value for the money.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Four Streets Athens

Athens

Wow, love this apartment! Direct view of the Acropolis out the beautiful living room windows. Clean, newly and beautifully remodeled. Owner/manager was available anytime. Bedding and bed was great. Kitchen well appointed. Location wonderful, in the heart of the Plaka district.

Authenticity & Character

Old building totally remodeled in a modern way, but still authentic.

Location

In the heart of Plaka district.

Staff

Available anytime!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great bedding, and very comfortable beds. The entire apartment was clean as a whistle.

Mykonos Theoxenia Boutique Hotel

Mykonos

Great location, right next to the windmills. Old hotel that’s been renovated. It was very luxurious yet not stuffy. Beautiful pool area with views of the sea.

Authenticity & Character

Modernized but with character in the choice of materials.

Location

Just on the edge of town, so very quiet yet a short walk into the cute town.

Staff

Over the top hospitality! Aimed to please at every turn.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great bedding, great mattress, clean as a whistle.

MONTANA VILLA NAXOS

Naxos

Did NOT like this ‘Villa.’ The word villa is an overstatement. Odd layout of the house for bedrooms. Leaking living room roof and bathroom floor. The owner was defensive over issues when we had to call him to fix the electricity that went out in the living room (probably due to water in the ceiling). He suggested we overloaded the system. Really????? We were out the entire day!!! It was not very clean in the cabinets and too much evidence of someone living there. Yuck. The oven was not set up so no way to use it. No toaster… when we asked about it 2 days later, the comment back was “you can’t expect me to make sure everything is working.” Really??? Beds were not comfortable, bedding in downstairs bedroom didn’t fit, exposing the mattress, yuck. I slept on the blanket. Downstairs tub was so high it was dangerous to get in/out. Towel bar was rehung at about 6’, impossible to reach. The holes were remaining from being moved up. The best thing about the property was the pool and view. That’s it!

Authenticity & Character

A remodeled mess.

Location

Very far from town. A 20 minute walk to a small beach restaurant area down the hill.

Staff

Explained in description

Cleanliness & Comfort

Explained in description

Volcano View Hotel

Santorini

Great view of the sea. Nice and friendly staff. Quiet location 10 minutes ride into Fira. Beautiful breakfast and restaurant services. Room was clean and well appointed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

10 minutes outside of Fira. Made for a more private and quieter place. Amazing views of the caldera.

Staff

Very nice and friendly. Made last minute spa reservations for 2 of us at their sister hotel across the street. GREAT hot stone massage!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great bedding, great bed, small room but had a lovely balcony overlooking the caldera and sea.

Aquila Atlantis Hotel

Heraklion – Crete

Just okay. Adequate. Good location to walk to the square and close to the port.

Authenticity & Character

Just okay.

Location

Close to the port from the ferry. Quick walk to the square for restaurants and shops.

Staff

Just okay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean. Just okay on comfort.

Scala de Faro

Chania

LOVED this cute boutique 9 room hotel. Staff was GREAT, location was GREAT, the rooms were all unique in a historic 16th century building. Beautifully done!

Authenticity & Character

Totally remodeled 16th century building. So authentic in the choices of materials and design. No elevator from 1st to 2nd floor. Cars cannot drive up to the front door, but drivers figure out how to help.

Location

Right in old town!

Staff

Thank you thank you for all your help with everything from airline issues to restaurants, to early breakfast box!

Cleanliness & Comfort

FABULOUS! Great bedding and beds. I had the jacuzzi room and used it one day… perfect! Everything clean, very clean!

Activity Reviews

Private Acropolis Hill & Museum Tour

Athens

Be prepared to be among 1000 people touring at the same time. It was like Disneyland. BUT, it was the amazing Acropolis! The tour guide was professional and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Professional and knowledgeable.

Transport

We walked.

Salonica Jewish Heritage Tour

Thessaloniki

Well, we realized 1/2 way into the tour that it was NOT a Jewish tour but a Classic Tour. They did their best to make up for it and added extra time. We let the Travel 12 know….handled very well. Next day on the way to Pella, the driver took us to an amazing old Synagogue to make up for the goof.

Quality of Experience

Make sure and confirm the tour you’re on before starting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Make sure you’re on the right tour and going to the right place.

Transport

Comfortable Mercedes car, friendly and accommodating driver and guides, even with the initial tour issue.

Private Naxos Food & Culture Tour

Naxos

Loved this tour with our local guide. We had an authentic Naxos meal at a family restaurant in her village. Food was lovely.

Quality of Experience

Friendly and knowledgeable guide, as local as you can get.

Food

Local wonderful lunch.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She was great!

Transport

Comfortable car.

Hiking Naxos Paths

Naxos

One of my favorite experiences of the 30 days through Greece. Walking through 4 villages was a special experience. I highly recommend doing this! It’s not difficult, but it is 4 hours (or a bit more).

Quality of Experience

Local knowledgeable guide…friendly and personable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

GREAT!

Transport

All on foot.

Pella & Vergina Guided Tour

Thessaloniki

It was quite a drive, but beautiful countryside. Both museums were done very well and worthwhile. We stopped for lunch in Pella at a local family restaurant. It was typical Greek dishes in sharing style. It was lovely.

Quality of Experience

Organized, guide was experienced, passionate, and communicated very well.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens Food Tour

Athens

Only 6 of us in the group tour (3 were us). We went for Turkish style coffee, olive oil tasting + cheese, a quick souvlaki at her favorite place, and then lunch. Lunch was sharing traditional Greek dishes. The guide was also a therapist who was on a cleansing fast. So, she did not share any of our food. 🙃 She was very nice and included the fish and meat markets, and a spice store as we were walking around. All in all, good tour.

Quality of Experience

Organized, friendly guide who knew her way around and chose good stops.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Local Meal in Nafplio

Greece

Our google map link for this restaurant was facing the water with a beautiful outdoor setting. The owner (assuming) rudely told us we need to go to the ‘other one’ and pointed in the direction to go. Apparently they are owned by the same family. The ‘other one’ was on a back street so we ate inside (nothing special). The food was fresh and good but we didn’t appreciate how we were handled.

Private Delphi Day-trip

Athens

We all enjoyed the visit to Delphi. It was in a beautiful location. Even though there were lots of tourists, there was plenty of room to explore and not feel crowded.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santorini Highlights with Wine

Greece

Our guide was great. He was knowledgeable and friendly. We learned so much about the history of the island. We walked through iconic areas for the best photo opportunities. We were dropped at the winery while he waited outside. Wine tasting was at Artemis Karamolegos. There were 3 tastings and we talked them into 2 more! Very generous (we bought a bottle!). We got little nibbles for 2, even though they knew there were 3 of us. We had to ask for more food! They were very nice about it.

Quality of Experience

Organized and professional.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved our guide!

Transport

Perfect!

Olive Farm Visit & Lunch in Archanes

Heraklion

We loved this family farm. They were so passionate and eager to teach us about olive oil and olives. It was great experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day-Trip to Delos Island

Mykonos

This place was HUGE! There were lots of groups, and we were thrown into one with headsets to listen to the guide. The audio wasn’t working well and there was so much overlap between groups and guides walking around, that the frequencies kept getting mixed up. I abandoned my set and just tried to listen. I would have preferred to walk around, self guided as there were plenty of placards around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides do their best, but I think they jam in way too many people at the same time to the same area.

I have absolutely no complaints. Everything was so well planned. The hotels were outstanding. Except the Amalia. It was a bit cramped for 3 people but we managed. My hat off to Christos and all his tour guides and drivers. They were outstanding 👏 👌

Hotel Reviews

Belvedere Hotel Mykonos

Mýkonos City

Breath taking. Fabulous view, room service was excellent 👌

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathroom

De Sol Hotel & Spa

Thera

Love the view and the breakfast. Outstanding. Room was very comfortable with 3 people.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amalia Hotel Athens

Athens

A little cramped for 3 people and the bathtub was a bit high for elderly people. We had to be very cautious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness of the bathroom. Lots of hair on the floor behind door.

Activity Reviews

Acropolis & Flavors of Athens

Athens

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Catamaran Caldera Cruise

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Mykonos Island Driving Tour

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Santorini Wine Tour

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Santorini Driving Panorama

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Christos and his team were the most professional, efficient and highly experienced travel and trusted people I have had the pleasure to work with from the very first contact I made with him.
The itinerary was very well planned and detailed. We had the friendliest and most knowledgeable guides, who allowed us to create wonderful memories. The islands were breathtaking, relaxing and picturesque and our catamaran cruise was the high point of our leisure time, and a must do. The city was a captivating blend of ancient and metropolitan environs. We experienced history we learned and read about. Food and wine tasting were enticing and enjoyable as we dined in luxurious ambiences with the backdrop of the Acropolis. The visits through the marketplace, the churches and orthodox Easter celebration were unforgettable experiences. Overall Santorini won us over. Thanks to all, Mary Helen (please correct if wrong) in Mykonos; Konstantinos and Iakovos in Santorini and Apollon in Athens for the warm welcome to Greece 🇬🇷. YAMAS!!! EFCHARISTO!!!

Hotel Reviews

Belvedere Hotel Mykonos

Mýkonos City

Very friendly and accommodating staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

De Sol Hotel & Spa

Thera

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amalia Hotel Athens

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Guided Mykonos Island Driving Tour

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Santorini Wine Tour

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Konstantinos, our driver

Transport

Private Santorini Driving Panorama

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Catamaran Caldera Cruise

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis & Flavors of Athens

Athens

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Christos was amazing to work with. He provided direct communication with his assistant on days he was out to ensure we had continuous communication with someone. He is so professional and attentive to detail. He provided his great suggestions and gives his advice as you plan your trip. He truly seeks out activities so you have a true view of all aspects of Greece and the Greek islands. He is a great planner and I highly recommend him.