Greece is more than just the beach!
Greece
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Nov 12 - Nov 23, 2023
![Steve](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/users/profile_photos/e026688ecc0d29f4bc9b83fb80c51f022ee1f459/original-44a0a94451e6b7c091376cdb76190ee6.jpg)
Wonderful trip to Greece in November. We were initially concerned about visiting Greece outside of the main tourist season, but November is the only month our schedules permit visiting. Our Kim Kim local specialist Angela immediately put our concerns to rest and crafted the perfect trip. The weather cooperated with sunny and warm days and temperate evenings. Our itinerary included Athens, Crete, and Santorini.
Athens was alive with people, but not overcrowded. Angela picked great accommodations that were clean, comfortable, and perfectly situated. We did the Mythology tour including the Acropolis, with Alternative Athens that was astonishing. The Plaka Sunset tour with Greek Cocktails was a particularly interesting as not only was our guide Vanessa charming and informative, she took us to areas with fascinating history and breathtaking views at sunset. Not to mention the cocktails she selected were unique and delicious!
If we had to pick a highlight of the trip it was Crete. We stayed in Rethymno which is a near perfectly preserved medieval town with an abundance of history and ancient alleyways lined with restaurants and shops. Angela arranged two tours highlighting the history of the island and civilization, combined with local experiences to gain an understanding of the historical significance of the island we barely knew existed. Our tour guides Joanna and Ioanna in company with Nikos our driver, are wonderful people who provided an abundance of fascinating history. We visited small villages, traveled winding roadways with panoramic vistas, and ate fabulous meals of local delicacies all at the recommendation of our incredible guides. We made memories that will last our lifetimes.
Our final stop was Santorini, which was the only destination where it was noticeable that it was not high season. However quiet, it did not detract from the natural beauty of the island. Our stay at Blue Dolphins was as comfortable as every other accommodation Angela booked us into. It was an absolute pleasure to take the All Time Classic Santorini tour with Elena without having to contend with summertime crowds. We visited the Akrotiri archeological site, red beach, black beach where we had a seaside lunch, wine tasting, then ending the day viewing a stunning sunset.
We travel frequently, and this is the first time we used a travel agency faced with the complexity of a visit to Greece. It was a great value and all we had to do was relax and enjoy not having been belabored with planning. We are tremendously satisfied customers and it will certainly not be our last experience with Kim Kim!
Hotel Reviews
Now Bob W, the hotel was clean, roomy, and comfortable hotel in a terrific location. Unique in that there is no on site reception, the process worked flawlessly and the virtual staff was always available to help. Breakfast in the cafe was wonderful!
Beautifully restored hotel in the medieval neighborhood of Rethymno. Just be forewarned that the rooms are up a spiral staircase and there is no staff to offer assistance with luggage. We found this aspect quite challenging.
Everything was in line with a top quality hotel. Perfect location, large well appointed rooms, amazing breakfast in the restaurant with amazing views of the Acropolis.
Nicely maintained, clans and roomy hotel with absolutely astonishing views! The breakfast was incredible and delivered directly to your room each morning by a friendly staff member.
Activity Reviews
![Plaka Sunset Tour with Greek Cocktails](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/a0da9f28909a60d4e16d4d344eb51ad5d1548923/original-c5a3b3b3c8bbf1b6bd3cbfeabee45c14.jpg)
The Plaka Sunset tour with Greek Cocktails was a particularly interesting as not only was our guide Vanessa charming and informative, she took us to areas with fascinating history and breathtaking views at sunset. Not to mention the cocktails she selected were unique and delicious!
![Knossos Palace & Authentic Crete with Local Experiences from East P9](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/b92b4408838e4cae5ab71c166b197478859ab449/medium-aca35e8e69d2e4fc48d476cdedd08445.jpg)
We learned so much about the history of Crete, the Minoan civilization, the Venetian and subsequent Ottoman occupations that were richly informative. We visited a small village occupied by generations of locals. We had a sumptuous lunch topped off with a wine tasting that all together made for a perfect day.
![Luxuries of Mirabello with Spinalonga and Agios Nikolaos from East P7](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/6e0d931a88621d94722960c929495912791874f7/medium-5b4ad2550a2c39ad7592e24b6ff56551.jpg)
Ioanna our tour guide is a true historian and kept us fully engaged with fascinating historical details as well as present day facts about Crete and its culture. We deviated a bit from the scheduled itinerary based upon her recommendation which turned into a truly memorable day. We learned about the history of Rethymno (where we were staying) which is a near perfectly preserved medieval town. Ioana brought the history of Crete and its civilizations to life with her extensive knowledge as we visited a bustling local village and traveled winding roadways with panoramic vistas. We toured a olive oil factory and enjoyed fabulous meals of local delicacies all at the recommendation of our incredible guide. Nikos was our driver again and brought even more charm (and Raki) to the experience than he did the day before.
![Athens Highlights Mythology Tour](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/f3f92dbf95347813f637fad0f544ef7ff5b1eb43/medium-460655d660d7e63b284944b6ab79d768.jpg)
The tour was astonishing. We gently ascended the Acropolis until we reached the Parthenon while being entertained by stories of Greek gods and ancient history.
![All time classic Santorini 2023](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/a909dedaef50e27ada9df04e371b9b41773f2746/medium-2fb830fa2716627ddb71fd627e856880.jpg)
Amazing day. We visited the Akrotiri archeological site, red beach, black beach where we had a seaside lunch, wine tasting, then ending the day viewing a stunning sunset.
![Angela (Aggeliki)](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/users/profile_photos/1653846e61bc5e496c4e68181f4f0e67070ea2bd/original-d1b0372c80587fa1229e123602b59e02.jpg)
Steve and Donna,
I am honestly thrilled to read your feedback and to know that you had a wonderful time here in Greece with us.
"We made memories that will last our lifetimes", this sentence puts a huge smile on my face. This is exactly what my team, KimKim, and I strive to offer to all travelers!
Thank you for trusting us with your trip to Greece.
My team and I would love to see you coming back. 🙂
Safe travels!
Angela