Reviews of smarTours (Travel Agency)

Paul Kaufman

The tour of Colombia was extremely well-organized, and was designed so that we could see the high spots and the most important places in the four locations through which we traveled. The hotels were uniformly of high quality, and the staff members at each hotel were quite friendly. We came home with our knowledge and appreciation of Colombia greatly increased. The best part of the tour was the leadership displayed by Leon, our tour leader. Aside from his patience and unfailing good humor, he had a depth of knowledge about his country, its geography and history, that was very impressive. Truly, his presence made the trip outstanding. The assistant tour guides who joined us were also very knowledgeable and eager to share their knowledge. The drivers whom we had were highly skilled and thoroughly professional.

Carl Osborne

Do not work with Veronica Leiva. Horrible customer service. I would recommend a different tour agency for quality service. They are very unorganized!!

Danetta Du Bose

I had a super amazing awesome experience which I never forget thank you smart tour the tour guide was on point the whole tour experienced of Africa Highlights was the best I will definitely go again and tell many they need to experience with smart tour thanks again Ladydee

Bill Offerman

Very good tour. Was met at customs by tour guide nok as promised . Everything was extremely well planned/organized. Tour guide Nok was the best,she went way above the call of duty and really cared about every aspect of the tour,was very informative on any questions asked and was more than accommodating on special request and personal attention. All hotels were exceptional and we're the best or close to it in every town. Would definitely do again and recommend for anyone.

Karen Smith

The trip was great but primarily because if the amazing tour guide Damien who went above and beyond throughout the trip, wss knowledgeable about France, willing to engage and tried to meet everyone's needs. The hotels were ok. My only criticism us we did too much. I would have left out the Loire Valley and spent more time in Provence, it felt like a tiny sliver and while Cassis was charming, Nice was far too touristy. Katya de Kadt

Gore Tanner

Wonderful experience overall. Our guide, Randola was outstanding in every respect. Her knowledge was overwhelming. At no time did we feel at risk (being somewhere you should not be), nor did we ever feel out of place. Our only wish is that the river portion was longer, since it was so relaxing to watch life by the river.

Richard Bentley

This was my first trip with smarTours and it will be the first of MANY trips with this excellent company. From the moment we were met at Bangkok Airport to the moment we departed, we received first class service. Both guides tour guides were WONDERFUL, especially Susie in Thailand. All hotels were superior. I was to learn than MANY in my tour group had traveled with smarTours multiple times - that says it all to me. I recommend this company without any hesitation!

June Gutman Monk

We took the Smartours Patagonia Trip on 11/2 and enjoyed it tremendously. Our guide for most of the trip was Olga Mallo. We can’t say enough in her favor. She was most informative about history, current events, and sights. She organized our days with good suggestions to fill our free time. She also gave us restaurant and shop reccomendations. She was professional yet warm , funny and supportive and proved to be a good problem solver. The sights on this trip were magnificent. Olga made the trip one not to be forgotten.

Nancy Soiefer

This was our first time taking a tour anywhere, so our review has no basis for comparison other than trips we have arranged on our own (many). First, our bus driver was terrific, and the bus was comfortable. These were concerns of ours going in because my husband doesn’t like buses and has a tendency to get bus-sick. No worries here. Our driver had such a great, light foot. Kudos to him! We liked our tour guide, Gulla. She was informative and had a good sense of humor. The hotels we stayed in were good, clean, warm and provided excellent breakfasts. We saw a good variety of geological phenomena, as well as the southwest countryside. On our day on our own, we walked all over Reykjavik and enjoyed a museum or two. Beware, though, Iceland is expensive! The blue lagoon at the end of the trip was the highlight of our trip - it is so beautiful and relaxing. We found the souvenir stops got old pretty quickly as we traveled around, mostly because every place had the same stuff. We would’ve preferred seeing more (ex: the fishing village-we didn’t see any fishing or docks.) We went on this trip (as did pretty much everyone else in our group) in the hope of seeing the aurora borealis. Unfortunately, we did not see it at all. The weather was rainy and windy the whole time we were there. Although there are disclaimers in SmarTours’ literature, it still is a big disappointment. All in all, we enjoyed our trip with SmarTours and would consider taking another trip with them in the future.

Marissa Langseth

The best tour company I have ever utilized since traveling the world. Incredible Patagonia was truly awesome. You planned all trips, airplane rides , etc etc, so I do not have to. Thank you very much for that unforgettable experience with my husband's BFF's of > 55 years.

lynn butler

This was the second smarTour that I went on and both surpassed my expectations. I was a single on both tours and I always felt included and safe. Roc, the tour director on this trip (jewels of the Adriatic), and Jeremy (South African Highlights, I think) were both excellent. I love that they use local guides.

Carol Geiger

Good tour, fabulous tour director

Barbara Orf

Going to Iceland was a dream come true. SmarTours was one of several tour companies I checked with when I made my decision to travel, and they did not disappoint. Pricing was far better than most of their competitors, the itinerary for the trip covered so much of what was available, the guides were all very knowledgeable and professional ... I could go on and on! I will definitely recommend SmarTours to my friends, and use them again myself!

Marlyn Wiener

My two daughters and I travelled to Israel with Smartours. It was our first trip to Israel – and it was fantastic! Smartours provided us with Anat, the best tour guide I have ever met. She was incredibly knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. We stayed in beautiful hotels (the Dan in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem) and the food was excellent. You have to experience the Israeli breakfast - there is nothing like it. The tour took us to every place in Israel I hoped to see ( Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Masada) and to incredible places I knew nothing about it before the tour. A highlight for me was Beth Shean – extraordinary excavation of ruins of an ancient Roman city that rivals Ephesus in Turkey. Another was Caesarea – an ancient city on the Mediterranean sea that has been excavated – the tour includes a great movie providing the history of this once great port. No matter where we went – and we went everywhere!! – from the Golan Heights to Svad to the Dead Sea – I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the country and the historic treasures that are everywhere you look. The tour was incredibly well run – El Al for the air, great hotels, terrific bus driver, the best tour guide – and a phenomenal itinerary. Incredible travel value – I will definitely be booking another Smartour.

Lauren Rosner

The only word that I can think of to describe my recent smarTours South African adventure is: life-changing. I am blown away by this company's ability to deliver a trip that exceeded my expectations on all levels and left me eager and excited to book my next trip with smarTours. To anyone that may think they don't have the energy to plan an exotic vacation, or the funds aside to see the world, trust me when I say that smarTours is your answer! They really couldn't have made things easier for me or more cost effective; the itinerary was masterfully organized, down to each and every detail... My tour director, Ron, managed to share all of the spectacular sights of South Africa, while simultaneously captivating the group with the insights of the country's people, conflicts and rich history... I feel very fortunate to have found smarTours. Now I just need to decide where I want to go next!

patricia Lebo

I recently visited India’s Golden Triangle—Delhi, Agra and Jaipur with a stop at Ranthambore to see the Bengal tigers. Though India did not disappoint me, the accommodations chosen by smarTours and especially our farewell dinner did. I must say one thing remained consistently above excellence, our tour-guide Jasvir Saurana. He more than made up for all the deficiencies in the hotels and the heat. Our Delhi hotel was good but every accommodation after that went in decline—faulty AC, noise, quality of food and service in restaurants. Our farewell dinner was practically inedible. Because of Jasvir’s knowledge of the history, geography, politics, culture, his personal experience, his clear English, wonderful humor, charismatic personality, caring ways and professional but interesting and engaging presentation of his knowledge, the journey through a piece of India’s heart was truly an incredible learning experience.

Ila shah

We recently took a South Africa tour with Smar Tours. This was my first tour with them. I was shocked to see the tour director circulating a book to write our credit card details to pay for optional tours. We also had to submit a copy of our passports to him. All this information was submitted when we booked our tour in the first place.. In this day of identity theft I do not feel at all safe to circulate such a valuable information to strangers. Smar tours need to change with time.

Amit Saha

It was a special tour for me. But the scheduling by the local agent in Egypt was horrible. Too many very early wake up calls, boxed breakfasts, and lunch. They crammed two separate programs of two days in one day. Exhausting tour. Now the good part. The tour director - Mrs. Soha Sabbour was excellent and knowledgeable with a Ph. D. in history.. The hotels were superb. The breakfast spreads were excellent. Be ready for exasperating experience in the security areas of the airports and delay in Egypt

Megan Daniel

The 'smarter way to travel' yea that's rich. Flight was delayed a day. They offered no monetary resolution. So glad we got shots and malaria tablets, asked off work traveled thousands of miles to be stuck in NY waiting for our flight. Going for a short 6 full day trip and now it's 5. Wish I could go back and book my own trip. Never use this company they are the worst. Judy on the phone speaking to another representative, “do you want to speak with this women?” We were treated like second rate travels because we were under a group rate at the airline. It was no ones fault and everyone else was to blame. Never again!

Tamara Joseph

Horrible service. Do not work with Veronica!!! They have antiquated system. Money lost !!! Horrible tours. There are way better alternatives with today’s technology

Ronni Cook

Fantastic trip to Egypt! Hotels and ship were beautiful, food fantastic, and our guide Dina was a wealth of knowledge and had a great disposition. The Egyptian people were friendly and welcoming. Just be ware of vendors.

Henry Grillo

We had a terrific experience on the Treasures of Portugal tour, with a well-designed itinerary delivered by a simply wonderful tour guide. Our guide was extremely knowledgable, amazingly patient, and ever so passionate about every place she shared with us. The itinerary provided sufficient free time to explore on our own and to discover restaurants on the paths less traveled. All in all, we were delighted with the experience and highly recommend smarTours to anyone considering taking one of their trips. Hassle free and well-run.

Vanessa DiServio

I travel quite often and I usually encounter some stress or mishaps along my way but not with smarTours. I had the most hassle free, enriching experience and it was all because this company organized everything so well. I have already told my family and friends about this company and I will definitely use this company for future trips. It was marvelous.

Peggy Eaton

Egypt was a fabulous experience. SmarTours organization, cruise, guides, hotel choices, safe drivers PLUS security staff all contributed to a great adventure! I highly recommend smarTours for the most bang for the buck AND includes airfare and transfers! Thanks for the opportunity to ride in a hot air balloon over the Nile/Sahara desert and climb inside the great pyramid into the Kings tomb!! Check off my bucket list!! smarTours is my tour travel choice!!

Nancy Shamban

These was a very nice tour. It included whatever one would want to see the first time in Egypt. The group was lovely. The tour leader, Dina, was mostly outstanding. I did think 36 was too large although we were all cooperative. I also felt that Dina whitewashed Egypt a bit, not giving a lot of details about history, culture, the real life past and present of Egypt. I was surprised that she did not talk a lot about the country as we drove from place to place. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to go and again, Dina, our guide, used her intelligence and humor to move us all very well.

Robert Widdifield

We completed our second SmarTours trip recently and even though we thought the South Africa trip set the bar too high ... Eastern Europe topped it! We began at JFK to Warsaw, Poland where we first met Pavel, our Guide for 2 weeks. One of the touches of SmarTours is baggage handling, bus to room and room to bus no additional charge. Back to Pavel, he kept us (small group of 10) informed about the history of each location, customs, food, best cash machines and sooo much more. You can’t do much better than Pavel. I thought Warsaw was going to be the best city until Krakow, then Budapest, then Vienna and finally the Best City: Prague, what a delightful historic city. Our whole group ( now all friends) fell in love with Prague. We’ve been in contact with some of our new found friends to plan another trip together.

Helena Feldstein

This is our Smartours trip, after India and Africa. We have enjoyed the guides, the itinerary and the efficiency of this tour company. This trip to Vietnam and Cambodia was excellent in many ways. Our guides were knowledgeable and helpful. We visited many places of note in Vietnam and the most important sights in Siem Reap, Cambodia. On all of our trips, the hotels have been excellent. However, in Hue, Vietnam, the hotel was definitely not up to par with the others. The rooms were small, had few electrical outlets (and poorly placed, like none in the bathroom), and the beds were hard and uncomfortable. The hotel in Siem Reap was very dark, also had issues with the electrical outlets. There was no outlet at all at the desk and the one in the bathroom did not work. These were not horrible issues, but should be noted for future trips to these areas. Otherwise, we have another trip planned with Smartours to Portugal in the fall and are excited to be going with them again.

Nancy Fusie

My husband and I went on some great tours to some really unique places in Indonesia. Seeing Borobudur at sunrise was definitely the highlight in Java. Our tour guide Jack was very knowledgeable & accommodating. He did a fantastic job for us. The hotels were lovely, especially the Hotel Nikko Bali at Benoa Beach. The only downside to our trip was the Cathay Pacific flight. Seats were 10 across on a Boeing 777 and extremely close to the seat in front. For a 15+ hour flight between LAX and Hong Kong, this is intollerable. Never again want to fly Cathay Pacific on a long-haul flight.

Marsha Alterman

One of the best trips we have ever taken! Dan Ofri our tour guide made seeing Israel for the first time, the most wonderful and knowledgeable experience my husband and I could ever hope for!

connie molder

This is probably the most beautiful trip offered. My pictures are fabulous!

Mary Finley

Booking a trip through smarTours was one of the best decisions I could have made. I spent much of the trip exploring the ancient Greece that I’ve only heard about in stories and spent four days aboard a cruise to many of the famous and absolutely stunning Greek Islands. Pictures do not do Greece justice; it really is something I think everyone should experience themselves. I am so happy I went!

Brenda Rideau

Had a wonderful time with Smart Tours Incredible Iceland. The staff was great the guide and driver were very attentive and full of information. The hotels were nice and clean and in a great location. This was my first time using Smart Tours and I would definitely use them again!

Donna Bowen

Overall, we had a nice time, but it was not a relaxing vacation due to the fact that there was just too much incorporated into this tour. We felt the tour should be either all cruise or all land, but not both within the given time. That said, I could not recommend this cruise line. The rooms were dated and dingy, the food simply awful (it was so highly salted), and there really wasn't much to do in the way of shopping. The very best part of the cruise was our excellent cruise director, Granville. Fun, knowledgeable, and caring, he shared his wealth of information about each port and its people. A true gem! The land portion was interesting, albeit long and tiring. The hotels were very nice and the food so much better. We would have preferred to have spent more time in the little towns and had more time for shopping and eating, but that is just our family. I would recommend anyone going on this tour to brush up on Greek mythology and architecture before going. More than a few people did not have previous knowledge of Greek mythology which is so important to this country.

Anna Bella

Do NOT do the Elephant Tour. It truly sickens me knowing the abuse and danger the elephants face while being forced to perform these tourist acts. Elephant riding is dangerous for the elephants. It hurts their backs and causing spine issues, not to mention the abuse that they face while being trained to do these things. I use to work with elephants and I can say first hand that they are the smartest and loving creatures you will ever meet. They do NOT belong working for our pleasure. Shame on you smart tours for knowing this and still making a profit off it. I will NOT be using this company because of this and I suggest you don't either. Go somewhere where your money is clean and not the profit off of suffering and pain.

Carmen Buono

(Translated by Google) My trip to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia was very interesting and varied. The tour manager was excellent and the hotels in general were very good. The location was perfect. The meals and sites visited were very good. (Original) Mi viaje a Lithuania, Latvia y Estonia fue muy interesante y variado. El gerente de Tour fue excelente y los hoteles en general fueron muy buenos. La localización era perfecta. Las comidas y los sitios visitados fueron muy buenos.

nancy bell

Our tour in Peru was exhilarating, with many sites and events. It was greatly enhanced by the skill and enthusiasm; historical knowledge and local lore; and thoughtfulness, kindness, and sense of humor of our guide, Enrique Virtu.

colorado bobowski

We have been on 7 Smartours trips, all excellent in terms of tour managers (main guide) and the local guides in each place visited. Accommodations were similarly excellent and our bus drivers, when that form of transport was used, were excellent as well.

Vicki Countreman

We loved the fact that our tour group was only 12 people....and we all got along which can be a major hit or miss. The hotels in Peru and Ecuador were all very nice...I would rate them 3 and 4 star. A little more personal down time would have been great but overall we loved the tour and have already recommended it to others.

Michelle Epstein

Overall it was a very enjoyable trip with a few caveats. There was a traveler who clearly wasn't able to keep up with the group and made it harder to enjoy the tour. I understand it was awkward for the tour eader (who was great) but perhaps she should have been asked to leave the group. Also, the overnight boat trip was awful, way too crowded, awful food, most of us agreed we would have rather taken a flight.

Aileen McGuigan

Growing up I fell in love with the movie Casablanca and new that one day I needed to go to Morocco. When I came across smarTours and saw their Morocco package, I knew it was meant to be. For 13 days I was able to explore Morocco and see it for the beautiful place that it is. The hotels and locations we visited were amazing. This is a trip I will never forget, thank you smarTours!

Charrise Lum

I LOVED this tour and highly recommend it. Lots is history to learn as well as experiencing the natural beauty of the countries. I feel so much more enriched after going on a SmarTour. Our tour director, Jon, was exceptional and even the bus driver, Dino, was superb. The sights, the landscape, the food, the people - truly wonderful. Thank you.

Joe Roseberry

Went on Best of the Orient tour. The travel time was very exhausting. Flight from LAX to Hong Kong was 14 hours and 20 minutes. Waited at Hong Kong Airport for Three hours, then took a flight to Thailand. The flight time was 2 hours 30 minutes. Arrived at Bangkok airport and waited two hours to tour guide to collect everyone, then over one hour ride to hotel! My wife and I became ill in Hong Kong along with other passengers. Our guide contact the hotel manager requesting a doctor. The doctor gave us antibiotics. The hotel charged a $100 concierge fee to attend with the doctor. The medical doctor charged $1,074 U.S. Dollars for his services!! We submitted our claim for medical cost to Tripmate on December 13, 2018. The insurance did not acknowledge receipt of our claim until January 28, 2019. We spent many hours dealing with this insurance company. They never answered the phone. You select call back option and if you miss the call you need to start the loop over. They indicated they could not process our claim unless the had a letter from Medicare that out of country travel is not covered, This Request was just to delay payment. We call Smartours to see if they could investigate. They said send and email to support. We did and received a response that someone will be in touch with you in six weeks. They were of no help and would not intervene, yet this is the insurance the offer their travelers. We finally received reimbursement today, August 15, 2019. We met a lot of nice people and saw some nice sights, but unfortunately our trip was ruined because of the greed of the Hong Kong doctor and hotel and the non existent service my Tripmate and Smartours. PS: I tried to place a review on the Smartours website but they only allow positive reviews. Don’t use Tripmate and choose a tour company that will probably vet their hotels and third party service staff.

Doris De Young

Our tour guide, Leon, was excellent as was Omar during the coffee triangle and Medellin. The commune 13 fellow gave lots of info but was rather preachy and could have given a shorter talk. I would suggest a small flashlight for the salt cathedral and an early mention of the excellent gift shops at the gold museum in Bogota and antiquities museum in Medellin where quality crafts of Colombia could be purchased...much better than at artisan markets on the streets. But one gets a lot of bang for the buck with SmarTours and this tour was great...even though the buses got progressively poorer and smaller...and 120 miles in 12 hours from Armenia to Medellín on a bus showed various climates, and Leon and Omar did an excellent job of keeping us informed regarding food, trees, road construction, etc. Kudos to Leon for conducting a great learning experience of Colombia.

Linda Yee

An amazingly great trip made possible by our tour director Mark Ma. No matter what came up unexpectedly he handled it seamlessly. 18 days to China WONDERFUL! I’m taking my family next time.

Deborah Boyd

I have had the privilege of traveling to six of the continents before ever traveling with smarTours in March 2014. I have taken numerous cruises and land tours with very expensive companies (Abercrombie & Kent) as well as very budget minded companies. My trip with smarTours to Turkey was fantastic when compared to all my other travel. Our tour guide was EXCELLENT and the hotels were very good to excellent. The hot air balloon ride (optional tour) over Cappadocia was out of this world INCREDIBLE. Each of the optional tours offered were extremely well priced and probably would have cost double if it was offered by a cruise company. Our itinerary was wonderful and we saw and learned a great deal about Turkey and its very friendly and warm people. The food was also very healthy and tasty. I am going to Thailand with smarTours in January of 2015 and also have 5 other smarTours picked out for the future. The prices with airfare can't be beat. The diverse group of travelling companions I met on the trip, made the tour of Turkey even more delightful. As a single traveler I found their single supplements to be the most reasonable in the travel industry. I can't recommend smarTours enough to travelers who want to see the world for a great price.

Najja E. Brown

The overall tour was outstanding! The tourist attractions are phenomenal and represent ancient history at its best. Tipping of the locals was excessive and became a nuisance. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable of Egyptian history, culture and food. I highly recommend the Splendors of Egypt Tour if you want a taste of Africa and the Mediterranean combined.

bogdana tchakarova

Well organized, interactive. diversity of cultural events excellent hotels and scrumptious food Fabulous guid Nubia snd driver Frank! These two were our friends during the trip! The tour director was the engine of the trip,remarkable lady!! Memorable trip informative educational eye opener! Thank you

Jervil Wartnik

The pick-up experience at the airport was the worst I've ever experienced. Not seeing any SmarTour signs/people between deplaning and baggage pick-up, I exited through Customs into the airport lobby. I didn't see any sign of SmarTour in the airport lobby. Our whole group had already boarded the bus by then, although I didn't know that at the time. Panic-stricken, after searching within the airport and outside, I called the SmarTour office in New York, but they were closed. Then I called our first hotel, twice, to speak to a SmarTour representative, but they said they'd send someone to pick me up. Finally, while I was still walking up and down the sidewalk area outside the airport frantically seeking some sign of SmarTour, a passenger already on the bus noticed the SmarTour tag on my luggage, and he told Mohamed. My panic turned to anger when Mohamed made the statements suggesting that I was somehow at fault! Then I felt the embarrassment as, once I boarded the bus, I heard all the passengers say my name in chorus. Those emotions still linger with me, but despite that, I enjoyed the rest of the trip tremendously. Sheri, out tour guide, but so thorough in her explanations. She deserves accolades. The accommodations and food were excellent. I would suggest the following: 1) provide pick-up from the airport after Customs; 2) present all optional tours before we arrive; 3) include tips and photo-taking options in the price, so that it doesn't feel like we're being "nickle-and-dimed". I want to add that I felt very safe in Egypt, especially since we were accompanied by a security guard. I would recommend this trip to others, but I think I would travel with other travel companies (Gate1, for example) in the future.

Dianne Burkhardt

We have travelled to many great countries with Smartours... Each trip has been very organized and well worth the cost. All of our Guides on our Columbia trip were very knowledgeable and accommodating. David..Sebastian and Johani couldn’t have been better. The only negative on past trips have been some of the other travelers but I have to say everyone in this group of 25 were the most friendly we have ever travelled with as an entire group! We are looking for our next destination with Smartours.

Steve Okrent

Tour guide outstanding. Tour hotels good. Tour activities good. Tour airline transportation terrible.

Jennifer Sanchez

Our tour guide was the best ever we had a lady who was rude to everyone it was embarrassing. He handled it well. They should ban her forever we want to enjoy our tours not hear someone complain about everything.

Dianna Young

Excellent experience. All guides were above average, especially Enrique. So professional, but just as personal.

Elayne Schwartz

We just got back from the Amazing Thailand tour and it was absolutely wonderful. The tour covered all the highlights and must sees in the areas we travelled. The guides Ketsara and Nok were excellent and went above and beyond the call of duty. The Ramada in Bangkok was beautiful, great location and the breakfasts were great. The hotel in Chiang Rai was very nice but the location was far out of town and left people with very few options of leaving the property. The hotel in Chiang Mai was in a great location. The highlights of the tour included paper making, visiting the elephants, and the Thai Cooking class. Everything was perfectly planned and we did a lot. This was our second Smartours and was definitely a vacation to remember.

Brian G

I initially planned trip to Egypt in the Fall and put down a small deposit. The remainder was to be paid by August 8,2019. Unfortunately with all the unrest and some family issues, I decided to not to make the trip. I called to cancel but was told to do it online. There seemed no easy access to do this. The representative told me he would send an email. He did not. If I didn't cancel by the 8th, the company would use my credit card number and collect the sizeable amount for the trip. I had to put a block on my credit card.. a hassle. Finally with a few days to go and more phoning, more waiting, more on hold the issue was resolved. I never did take a trip with them, so I can't assess the tour, but the beginning dealing with them by phone makes me wary. Check out other reviews on other sites and make you decision with care

Jim McErlain

Wonderful trip to South America. Small group 10 people so every thing went smoothly. Paulo our guide was awesome. Always was on top of our needs. Hotels were good except for the single size beds. Queen or king choice is always better. We cuddle but a single is ridiculous. The sights were great. All and all you have delivered once again on the money. Thanks for a great job well done. Jim and Joanne

paulette pilipauskis

I loved the trip...my only regret was that I didn’t book my own air...at least home from Hong Kong..we had the BEST Tour guide..Jo. Great accommodations and tours. Local guides were FAB. Looking forward to another trip

Cindy Schulof

The hotels and airlines were great. The trip lacked a tour director to stay with us throughout the different countries. As a result, two of the local guides in the first half of the trip were completely overwhelmed. The local guide in Singapore behaved as if she wanted to be anywhere rather than with us. This was my first Smartour. For value, it can't be beat. Basically you are on your own with good hotel and airline reservations. Our last local guide in Bali named Willie was the only one who gave us a true taste of his country including buying and giving us local fruit and taking us to a typical Balinese home. The Hong Kong guide, Kelly, was highly efficient.

Linda McCamley

Great tour of 3 cities in Columbia. Had a super fantastic tour guide, Elsa. She led with knowledge, patience and extreme kindness. Anytime she was needed she went above and beyond to help. The hotels were good with minimum problems, the weather fantastic and the group small- 20. I have traveled many times with Smartours and this was another wonderful experience.

Joe McIntosh

I have traveled with Smartours several times and in the past and will travel with them in the future. The Greece tour was a amazing value with excellent guides. I would highly recommend this trip.

Robert Watson

My wife and I had the best vacation of our lives. Every aspect of the trip was well planned, the places we visited were wonderful, our tour director was very supportive and the local guides were very knowledgeable and fun to listen to. The hotels we stayed in were excellent and the buses were comfortable. We highly recommend SmarTours.

Lisa Maria Forte

We recently returned from the Amazing Thailand tour. This was my second time doing this tour. I thought that I loved Thailand after the first trip, but after seeing the country with Ketsara as my tour guide, I love it even more and look forward to returning to this country to explore more. Ketsara’s love for her country and her kind, gentle personality enhanced our experience. I love the flexibility of the guided tour experience, being able to join the group but also explore on my own. I highly recommend this trip for anyone looking to get a taste of Thai culture. You will not be disappointed.

marybeth yancey

Smartours to Croatia and Slovenia was fantastic!

linda hobbs

Our trip was amazing!!!! Smartours did not miss one detail rooms travel meals all wonderful!! Our guide Jason g was so good very knowledgeable and kind and funny he did an amazing job!!! Can’t thank you all enough for an amazing once in lifetime trip!! Thank you to everyone!!linda hobbs

Walter Rzadwal

God

Lela Ann Ruhl

Enjoyed my visit to China and I would travel with SmarTours again. Mark Ma was the best tour guide, that I have had in a long time.

Sean Carter

My family is originally from Ireland; my grandmother would always speak of how it was a magical place full of life and laughter. When the opportunity to travel to Ireland presented itself, I knew I needed to be part of it, smarTours made this possible for me. For 13 days I drank, laughed, danced, and got a real feel for where I come from. None of this would have been possible without smarTours experience and knowledge. The trip was seamless, always something to do, perfectly planned, it was a great first trip to Ireland.

Lita Lee

Our tour guide Singh, was terrific. He seemed to truly care about each and every traveler in the group and their needs, as demanding as some were. Food and hotels were good. The only thing I would want changed was to have tips included in the pricing. It was a pain each time to obtain the appropriate change for the drivers, assistants, and guides. It was my first tour with Smartours, and look forward to doing it again.

Christine Pena

I loved this trip. If you love history, great food & beautiful scenery, this is definitely the trip for you. The accommodations we're great. Also a special thanks to our wonderful guide, Mehmet Uzan. He was very knowledgeable and had a passion for his country in history that made it all the better. Also very organized and a stickler for details. He went out of his way to make sure we all had a great time.

Marilyn Mitchell

This tour was more than what we expected. Poland was beautiful and not as touristy yet. Hungary, Vienna and Prague were seen from a very different view than the last time we went. Tour guide filled in many political questions and answers. Tour guide was very thorough and friendly. Group was the best. Accomodations were very nice with wonderful breakfasts

Jean Bégin

In September 2018 we travelled through "Magical Ireland" with the most entertaining and knowledgeable guide Peter Murphy. We had wonderful American travelling companions (being the only Canadians on the tour). What a fantastic overview of the country and the bus tour was made more pleasurable with just the right number of stops and times to explore on our own(or just rest). We would highly recommend this tour.

Rae-Carole Fischer

Our guide Khalid was exceptional. He was a wonderful teacher and provided the right degree of historical context about Morocco. He listened to each question and responded in a pleasant manner. We felt he really cared about us and went out of his way to always be available to solve our problems and provide guidance. It was a great trip! Smartours is lucky to have such a professional representative.

Hearee Chung

The Thailand portion of the trip was definitely enhanced by our guide, Suzie. She was tireless, very helpful and patient with all members of the group.

Donna Valenta

This 18 day trip to China was the ultimate trip. We had the best guide ever in Mark from Beijing. Everything is so well planned and executed. We were lucky and only had 13 on our tour. Felt very personal. Absolutely loved it and can’t wait to do another tour with SmarTours.

Fraser Holman

A great opportunity to experience the excesses of the UAE. Long flights on Emirates Airbus 380, with good service, but nonetheless long. Great guide and access to many of the highlights. Busy schedule on several days. Weather was quite comfortable. Two excellent hotels.

Martin Schnier

Smartours is a great escorted tour company. This was our third trip with them and we continue to be impressed. We visited China for 18 days. Every detail of the trip was well thought out and executed. The tour manager was superb. He coordinated every aspect of the trip, managed the needs of several participants with special meal and mobility issues and made sure everybody was taken care of. The local guides were all knowledgeable and all spoke English well. Transportation throughout the trip via plane, train, boat, rickshaw and bus was well coordinated. Smartours does it well and at an incredibly affordable price. We look forward to our next adventure with them.

Dipak Shah

We recently came back from South Africa tour (Sept.19 to Oct.5). My wife had requested Vegetarian meal when we sent our payment. Smar tour New york office personnel said for me to advise the tour director and they will be able to arrange the special meal. We did let our tour director - Jeremy know. But we were left on our own to make do with whatever was available. there were two other Indian couples with us with same problem. I believe, tourist should not have to worry about food in an organized tour. We have used other tour operators in the past and we have not experienced any problem with special meals. Victoria Falls extension was outsourced to local tour operator who provided transportation to and from hotel to the airport and visit to the Falls. No representative from Smar tours. That was unusual.

Gale Kalish

Israel was amazing & the tour met all our expectations! Great tour leader, Dan Ofri, was there for all our needs!

Mike Loshe

I had the pleasure of traveling to Japan with smarTours a few months ago and I have to say being an experienced traveler, this was one of the best trips I have ever been on. The hotels were first class as were the tours. Unlike some other tours I have been on, with smarTours tour guides I felt as if they genuinely cared about my experience and all were extremely knowledgeable; you could tell they had a real passion for what they do and it made the trip that much better!

Linda Stende

We went on the Smartours Iceland and the Northern Lights Jan 17-23, 2019. We had a great time and a wonderful tour director but unfortunately I left with a very bad feeling about Smartours that will affect whether I ever do another Smartours trip. The focus of our trip was to see the Northern Lights. We did know that this was NOT guaranteed and that both the weather and the intensity of the sun's KP level would impact this. If we had not seen the lights due to those circumstances, we would have totally understood. The brochure clearly stated, however, that every attempt would be made to give us the opportunity. The first 3 nights of our stay the weather was bad and the tour didn't happen. We totally understood this. However, when we returned to Reykjavik the weather had improved greatly and we still had 2 more nights in Iceland. We were informed by our Smartours guide, however, that Smartours only provides the opportunity of the tour the first 3 nights of the tour. WHY? So we paid $90 out of pocket, took a Grayline Iceland tour and we did see the lights the last night of our trip. It just seemed so cheap that Smartours didn't include the northern lights tour for every night when it would be possible. Especially since all the tours were cancelled without the need for a bus the first 3 nights, it cost Smartours nothing those nights. False Advertising....You DO NOT provide every opportunity to see the lights. Linda Stende San Diego

norma chin

The tour was packed with activities from the moment we landed. Amir the “city man met us at airport, he rushed to us all gathered and on the bus. At the beautiful Marriott hotel we met Dina Talat our guide for the rest of the time. She is very knowledgeable and patient given the age average of of group. Took her time for questions never felt she lost her cool. She felt with emergency very well and took very good care of the man involved. Suggest that they not cram so much in a day for certain age , lots of walking and lots of info to take in. Other than this the best tour guide I’ve had has been Dina. At meet and greet no name tags issued sofilks could learn about each other and say a little something of where they’re from etc. would’ve been nice. Excellent trip ! Mr,Mrs Chin

Robert Oster

The only complaint we have is with the ship. It was at full capacity and dining, tc. involved long lines. Otherwise we loved the tour.

Chase Howard

Last year both me and my wife retired, and it had always been a dream of my wife’s to travel to Australia but we had never been out of the states before and were unsure how to go about things. smarTours helped us the entire way! Flights, hotels, and tours were all booked and amazing. Had we done this on our own, we wouldn’t have traveled as far or have been able to explore and see as much as we did. We loved every minute and can’t wait till we can go on another trip with smarTours!

Peter Zober

My wife and I along with our cousins and four others joined our group tour, venturing from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Durban, Zimbabwe and Botswana. This was a trip of a lifetime. Our guide (Desmond) covered so much detail and really added to our overall experience. Too many details to post, but we had a very well organized trip and plans well organized by Smartours. If you are considering using this tour company for your own adventure! You won't be disappointed.

Jack Rayher

This is our 3rd SmarTours trip and it is your best tour that we have ever been on. The itinerary and optional tours were wonderful. But it was the leadership of our tour leader, Jasvir Saurana, that made the trip so memorable. He shared many stories of the history of the sites we visited and explained the cultures of India, the various religions, especially the Hindu religion and culture, the recent political history, etc. We are very satisfied customers.

Beverley De Four

I was so excited about this trip, visiting Egypt was always a lifelong dream for me, and it finally came true! Everything went smoothly,including the flight there and arrangements on the ground in Cairo. Both hotels were excellent, especially the Cairo Marriott . The cruise ship offered superior accommodations and the meals were tasty and offered a lot of variety . Our tour guide ,Mr Khalid Lofti, was excellent! Very accommodating, knowledgeable, patient and endearing. He represented both his country and Smartours very well indeed. There was never a point that I felt unsafe, on the contrary I found the Egyptian people very welcoming, especially the beautiful children. However I believe this tour should have been extended one extra day. Having to wake up at 3: 30 am to facilitate 3 flights : getting to Aswan, then to Abu Simbel and back , was just way too much! Though it was an expensive optional tour , it made for a very tight and hectic visit to Abu Simbel. Same can be said for the last day in Cairo,way too short and rushed a visit to the bazaar and the museum . I understand the need to keep costs down, and consider the vacation time limit for some, but for such an important and interesting destination ,more time should have been allotted in my view. Remember this is a once in a lifetime visit for most, so an extra day or so would surely be appreciated .

Milan Sandhu

Couldn't have been better- our tour guide Elvis was so well informed and explained everything in such nice detail with humor and patience. I'd never taken a group tour before, and yes we did have to get up earlier than I would have on my own, but I saw MUCH more than I would have on my own. There was plenty of free time to explore so I never felt like I missed out on anything. I definitely would have liked to spend more time in Ljubljana. I will probably do more tours with Smartours. The hotels were all decent, and there was plenty of vegetarian options with the included meals. Thank you Drazhen and Elvis for such an amazing trip and wonderful memories.

Phyllis Rosner

Our trip to Israel with Smartours was amazing. All the accommodations were excellent and the best part was our tour guide. His name was Boaz (don't remember his last name) and he was terrific. He really made the trip.

John Hajko

Portugal trip was excellent. The tour guide was terrific. The hotels and optional tours were exceptional. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit this wonderful and welcoming country.

Stephanie Guerrero

I have taken various trips to various Smartours locations and have NEVER been disappointed. In fact, it seems that the trips just keep getting better! And they make it so affordable. I have met some wonderful people who I now call friends, traveled to places I never dreamed I would see and can't wait to do it again. I've told my friends and now we're traveling together enjoying lifetime memories. High five to Smartours on a job well done!

Victoria Wiley Pruitt

Our tour guide ,Oscar, went above and beyond to make our China trip truely awesome, educational and entertaining. We received everything Smart Tours promised and more.

Steve Wilkins

We traveled with Smartours on its Amazing Thailand package. Super trip all the way around. Lots of things to see and do. Highlights included spending a day with the elephants, the Walking Street Market in Chiang Mai, the monks and the temples, especially the "White Temple". If you go on this tour, try to get the guide named "Max." He was super great-- head and shoulders above any tour guide we've seen. He had great insights and was ready at every turn to make sure we were comfortable and well taken care of. The itinerary is important, the guide even more so. Max was wonderful and a credit to his profession!

Cathy S.

I went on the South Africa Cape Town & Safari Express in February 2015. I absolutely loved this tour! The first hotel (Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel) is a 4 star hotel (enough said ;). The second hotel (Protea Hotel The Winkler) was awesome. It is situated on breathtaking acres of land. The decor is eclectic, the people are friendly and the views are magnificent. The food at both hotels were mouth watering. We had 2 great tour guides (Sophia & Elaine), who were both friendly, informative and accommodating. They showed us the gems of South Africa, from the landscapes to the history. I LOVED this trip.

Lorraine Hennesy

Amazing Trip! Ketsara was a wonderful tour guide. I learned and saw so much on this tour. There was never a dull moment. I would highly recommend this tour. The culture, people, food, beautiful temples, elephants, floating rivers and more. I just can't say enough, except to experience this for yourself. Highly recommended.

Larry Day

Our tour guide, Khalid Lotfy was magnificent- both informative and entertaining. Our group traveled well together especially with our King George. Everyone knows who I’m referring to. One has to get use to tipping everybody. Highly recommend this trip.

Bill Oyen

Our cruise in the Danube was everything we had hoped; an excellent trip. We will be traveling with SmarTours again.

Kris Graves

This was my first trip with an organized travel group. It was a pleasant experience. Made friends with people who shared the experience. Thanks to SmarTours!

Ronnie Greenberg

I enjoyed seeing parts of the country. The hotels were quite nice. The group was good and cohesive. I would wonder why we mainly visited churches. There were no museums or other types of places of interest except perhaps a few with the option tours. Oh, yes, there was the Tower in Portugal. The tour needs to be a little more diversified regarding places of interest. Our tour guide, Julio was extremely knowledgeable about the country as he shared a wealth of knowledge about the people and history. He was also quite humorous but sometimes a bit "over the edge." There were times if he did not feel like answering something, he didn't. I had asked if he could just share 4 or 5 things about the culture which were the most salient, then I could bring it back to my graduate students who were in social work. Although I asked him 2 or3 times if he could, but to no avail, this never happened. I would imagine though, he may have been tired and did not want to repeat what he may have said to the whole group. Another time there must have been a miscommunication about a meeting place so quite a number of us were waiting in the hot sun in front of a church. The others were with him across the street. After about 30 minutes I and others went looking and found him with the other members. I was angry as said, "What happened, you said to meet in front of the church." He said, "No, I said where the ice cream truck was." (which was across the street). What needed to happen from him was a simple, "Oh, I am sorry there must have been a miscommunication." That never happened Ronnie Greenberg

Richard Schagrin

This was our 2nd tour with Smartours. It was South Africa with the Victoria falls Extension. Our tour guide for 12 days in South Africa was Johnathan Muller. Absolutely the best guide. Both informative and educational. Gave a lot of insight in South Africa and its culture. The coaches and hotel were great 4*. Fantastic itinerary, nice blend of city and safari. The Victoria falls & Chobe extension were well worth it. Smartours is a great value.

Julee Voll

Majestic Moracco was a magical and exotic country. I had great anticipation and high expectations for this exotic adventure and I was not disappointed. Everyday there was something new and exciting from the Atlantic coast to inland over the Atlas Mountains. Old and new coming together. There were spectacular vistas, medinas, souks and camel rides on the Sahara as well as other options for your enjoyment. I highly recommend this trip to anyone who's looking for an exoric adventure.

Dan Hope

I am sitting in St. Petersburg, Russia trying to figure out why a tour to Catherine's Palace tomorrow has been canceled, a tour my wife & I paid for in advance, not to mention the $300 apiece for Russian visas. This is an extension to a Scandinavian tour we enjoyed, though it was not up to the standard we have received from SmarTour in the past. Our guide here in St. Petersburg, Valera Dmitriev, has been excellent and provided the kind of experience we had come to expect from SmarTour. Sadly, he had to inform us this evening that the "company" had failed to obtain tickets to Catherine's Palace and that no more were available, so our tour was canceled. He assured us we would get our money back, but that is small comfort when one has come all this way for a promised experience that was not to be delivered. "The Rest of the Story" Yesterday I commented about a scheduled trip to Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia was canceled unexpectedly, greatly disappointing six tourists, myself included, traveling with Smartours. Last night a little after 10 pm St. Petersburg time I received a call from Linda in the Smartours office. She was trying to salvage our trip to Catherine's Palace. She arranged to have our tour guide pick us up at 10 am this morning and transport us to Catherine's Palace. She made it clear there was no guarantee we would be able to get admission tickets, but she felt there was a good chance. At the very least we would be able to at least see the palace and grounds which are located about 20 kilometers from the City of St. Petersburg. We had to wait in line about an hour and a half, but we got tickets and our Smartours guide provided an excellent tour. He then took us back to the city and dropped us off at the Hermitage so we could spend some more time there. Later that night he picked the six of us up again for an excellent dinner at a local restaurant. It was a fabulous end for our Scandinavia & St. Petersburg tour. Thank you Smartours for doing what needed to be done to make our tour a success!

Doug Finn

Nice hotels, lousy tour guide and group too large at 38.

Nancy Pashley

Our first SmarTours experience was very positive. Each of our guides was professional and caring. Having local guides removed any apprehension about travel logistics, especially when we had a flight cancelled in Quito. The hotel accommodations were well chosen and we enjoyed the included meals. Thank you for a dream vacation!

Amanda Kelly

I recently went on the South Africa Cape Town & Safari Express trip in March 2015. With the price we got, we couldn’t help but think that the deal was too good to be true. We were pleasantly surprised when there was absolutely no catch at all. From the airport, SmarTours took us right to the hotel in Cape Town (Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel). On the ride, our tour guide went over all of the tour options available to us, but there was absolutely no pressure to purchase these options. There were a great variety of tour options, which touched on every piece of culture in South Africa. We got to the hotel and through orientation pretty quickly (we saved a lot of time going over information on the bus ride over). We got to our room and had a lot of the daylight left to explore the town. The following days were ours to explore Cape Town-whether it be on our own, with the group, or a mix of both! Perks of Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel: VERY helpful concierge/wait staff Wifi in the room Down feather bedding Nice breakfast spread every morning Shuttle bus (bussed you from the hotel to the waterfront, leaving and returning every hour) Once we arrived at the second hotel, Protea Hotel The Winkler, we were amazed with the beautiful monotonous views. The hotel itself was open and airy, allowing you to be covered by roofing but still able to sit outside. Our room had a balcony, which I enjoyed reading on. Upon arrival, we were given the opportunity to partake in a night safari at Kruger Park. Although we did not see many animals on this, it was a very cool and fun experience to try and find the wild animals with flashlights. The daytime safari at Kruger Park was unbelievable. We were fortunate enough to see the Big 5 and then some! The tour guide was very knowledgeable and engaging. He kept us exited and made it his goal to show us everything the park had to offer. Tips: 1. You leave for the safari early in the morning so I suggest bundling up. We drove about 30-40 minutes to the park in the open vehicle. They gave us blankets, but I would suggest wearing a jacket if you have one. 2. You will get a box to-go before leaving the hotel in the morning. Make sure you take this box and keep it, as this will be what you are eating on your first break from safari. You can of course buy something to eat on your first break, but on the second break is when you should expect to buy lunch. Not only was everyone I encountered, whether it be a tour guide, hotel staff, or the local people, I must say that everyone on our trip was lovely. I had an amazing time and would to do again in a heartbeat. Great job SmarTours and thank you for the experience of a lifetime! Couldn’t have done it with out you!!

lorna bowie

We travelled to Thailand with smartours in April and had an amazing trip. The guide Max was absolutely fantastic .He looked out for everyone on the tour and went out of his way many times to ensure everyone was well taken care of. Best guide we've ever experienced thus our trip was most enjoyable. Love smartours!!

Tom Yaroscak

Very organized trip with excellent guides. Accommodations were very good and bus very comfortable.

ccglider .

SmarTours is my go to company for travel adventures. I have done nine trips with them and have never been disappointed. The value is exceptional. Because of SmarTours I have walked on the Great Wall of China, saw the Taj Mahl, ridden a camel in the Sahara dessert, seen the great pyramid at Giza, sat next to a tiger in Thailand, Floated in a hot air balloon over Cappadocia in Turkey, walked on the cliffs of Mohr in Ireland, marveled at the treasures of the Hermitage in St Petersburg, and seen and done the most marvelous things I ever could have imagined in my wildest dreams. I love SmarTours.

Ilene Kafka

Enchanting Peru was the ideal tour for several reasons. Our guide, Enrique, Machu Picchu and the variety of places we visited. Firstly, Enrique was intelligent, caring, and funny. He was sensitive to the needs of the group. He was also knowledgeable and shared his deeper understanding of its culture and historical significance. Secondly, I felt lucky to hike the ruins of Machu Picchu. It was a powerful feeling to visit the ancient lands of the Incas. It had been a dream of mine. Thirdly, I liked the diversity of the trip. We saw floating islands, cruised on Lake Titicaca, and strolled through the capital of Peru, Lima. Great trip ! Ilene (October 2018)

Jon Decker

China-Yangtzee trip had terrible included meals and the pace was grueling. We had almost NO free time like it said on the itinerary. Who wants to run from place to place with no time to savor the essence of China. I do not recommend this trip.

tworyenose .

Our trip on the Rhine River was as advertised and we enjoyed the trip with one exception. The chairs in our stateroom were extremely uncomfortable. I understand their use in connection with the beds, but perhaps something else could be worked out to make the daytime use of the stateroom more comfortable.

natasha mekler

Trip to Abu Dahbi and Dubai was an awesome experience! Very fortunate to have Mohamed as a tour guide, he is very knowledgeable and proud of his country!

Jing Wang

We just came back from Beijing & Shanghai tour (1/10/2015~1/20/2015), I really enjoyed my experience w/ smarTours. And I would definitely travel with them again . The Shanghai portion, in my opinion is highlight of the trip. We had the most awesome tour guide Allie, she is very knowledgeable, answered all of our questions(including hard ones) and understands American humor. She made us laugh the whole trip. I been with other English speaking tours before, i can say hands down she is 2 level above the rest. My original intent was to explore the city on my own, but because seeing how much fun everyone was having, I signed up for the optional tour, I'm glad i did. She explained Chinese culture with her personal stories and experiences, it gives you glimpse of what is it like to live in modern China. Her understanding of American culture, including american TV references. makes her essential part of the trip. At the end of Shanghai trip, you feel like saying goodbye to an old friend. The 2 hotels are great, I was impressed with the hotel breakfast, it gives you a new meaning to free breakfast, when your omelets and hand-pulled noodles are made right in front of you. I would make 1 small suggestions, The current tour break down is 6 days in Beijing, 2.5 days in Shanghai, I would rather have 4 days in Beijing, and 5 days in shanghai, the reason is Shanghai is more of a modern city, i feel more connected and comfortable there, there are some much stuff to do, the current 2 and half days is not enough.

Natasha Peavy

I just got back from the South Africa trip with SmarTours. Amazing. I loved the trip and the whole package (also loved the price!!). It was so nice to have all the "dirty work" taken care of for me - flights, transportation, guides and... SAFARI! You get taken care of when you need to (for example, we took a bus from the airport to the hotel, as opposed to having to make my own way in a taxi), yet you have the freedom to do your own thing if you want to. Plus, you automatically meet lots of interesting people who are also on the tour. Both hotels we stayed in (Cape Town and the one near Kruger National Park) were great and exceeded my expectations. The Protea Winkler hotel near Kruger did not have wifi in all the rooms, only in the lobby, which is honestly the only "negative" thing I can think of about the trip - but I barely even noticed because I was so busy doing other things (for example, the Winkler had a swimming pool and a trampoline...). Also, both of our hosts (Desmond and Elaine) were very friendly and knowledgeable. The safari experience was excellent and I am not sure how I would have gone about getting to Kruger park and navigating it on my own had I not gone with smartours! One week in South Africa was just enough time to get a feel for the place, but I'm already thinking about my return! The 16 hour flight is totally worth it. I would travel with Smartours again and recommend it to anyone who loves to travel to exciting new places.

Kathleen Kinney

Still don't know how Smartours give such great Value , this was my first tour and I was a bit sceptical but this was one of the best tours I have taken. it included almost all the meals, four in country flights and a four day River Cruse, and round trip airfare to China. We had a knowledgeable Tour Guide Mark Ma, who enjoyed his American guests, he was extreamly helpfull and made sure we all had a most memorial vacation. Most people on this tour had taken Smartours before and were raving about the great time and value for money you get, and I now join in and I too can't wait to take another tour.

Steve Gold

This was a marvelous trip Dagmar our guide did a great job she was well informed new all the answers to our questions. The hotels were 5 star and so was the food and buses .

mary poonen

Our family enjoyed this trip.The hotels were centrally located and great.The tour was paced ideally with lots of sights yet some free time to relax and explore.Sights were varied ancient ruins seaside hotels and the completely different landscape of Cappadocia which was a highlight as well as Pamukalle.The optional Bosphorous cruise was very enjoyable.Our driver Rejip drove us expertly through congested traffic always parking closest to exits where we could easily locate him in the mass of tourist buses .Our tour guide Metin is a gem for SmarTours.He is easily the best tour guide I have met in my travels with several different companies and even within Smar tours (I went to S Africa with Smart Tours as well).Funny friendly efficient and extremely knowledgable he made the history from ancient times to modern Turkey come alive in each area we visited .In every area including where to change money lunch , restaurants shopping optional tours etc his advice was spot on.Again great value highly recommend it and will travel with Smart Tours again for sure.

Jane Wasserman

The River cruise Ship was well appointed, clean and the food was delicious. The wine was served at every meal and was copious. Our program director was excellent. A totally enjoyable Smartour !