Reviews of smarTours. (Travel Agency) in Minneapolis (Minnesota).

smarTours

425 Reviews

225 Comments

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Information of smarTours, Travel agency in Minneapolis (Minnesota)

Discover the opening times, the location, contact, popular times, photos and real reviews by internet users.

This place has a very good rate, they treat their customers well and you’ll feel welcome, super recommended

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Reviews of smarTours

Susan Heng

The Women's Only Iceland Northern Lights Tour. Loved the small group of 12. The tour director was knowledgeable with a sense of humor. As you see in the picture our bus driver was very helpful. The Blue Lagoon was so awesome and relaxing. I booked my own helicopter tour which the first picture is from. Beautiful views from the air. Unfortunately I did not see the Northern Lights and some roads were closed due to weather so there were things we were unable to do like dig up the bread in the Black sand beach. overall it was a good trip!

Rodrigo Fernandes

We just came back from our trip to Turkey and it was just amazing! We felt safe all the time (Covid guidelines were followed). I really recommend this trip to anyone who loves history but Turkey has lots to offer. The hotels were great and our guide very knowledgeable! We also had and excellent driver! This is my second trip with Smartours and I have the third one already booked!

Karen Walton

Amazing trip! This was a bucket list destination and it did not disappoint. Stacey was a wonderful tour director - personable, knowledgeable, humorous, and flexible. Joe, our bus driver, was fun as well and added his knowledge of the area. Our fellow travelers were all a joy to get to know. In my opinion, the trip was well paced for someone of my demographic. Our only regret was that there wasn’t more time to spend at Bryce and Zion. There were some things we had hoped to do but were unable to. We highly recommend this tour and we hope to do the Northwest Parks Tour in the near future and hope to again have Stacey as our guide. 😊

Darlene Bainbridge

We had a great time going to Egypt. Smartours is a top notch company. They have very knowledgeable tour guides and know several good contacts. The only thing I had a problem with was the guidelines with tipping. It was misleading under the tipping notes. All together we spent approximately $800 tipping everyone. Our guide advised us correctly, and luckily we had brought extra cash. I will use this company again!

Gene Appler

The tour was beautiful and very well guided by our tour guide, Glenn and our bus driver, Chris. My disappointment was the the very long days in the bus, then having to find our own dinner & the hotels both arriving and leaving were 30-60 minutes from the airport costing $50 each way. Smart tours should provide transportation if you are unable to locate a hotel close to the airport. Every trip I have taken has provided at least arrival transportation from the airport and has arranged group transportation back at the end.

Cindy Lazes

Now I know where the name Smartours comes from… it’s an educational/cultural experience, not a vacation. I mean that in a good way. I learned so much about Peru and it’s people. Our tour guide Enrique covered just about every aspect of life and history of Peru. I never would have gotten so much out of the short time in country without this tour group. Also, the accommodations were the best. All of the hotels were top notch! Traveling by bus, train and by air were all pleasant experiences. A trip I will ever forget!

Eileen Boelcskevy

Our guide Akiko was amazing. Amid uncertainty due to a typhoon she managed to make sure we were safe, able to travel between cities and see all of the wonderful things planned for our Japanese Cultural experience. She was a fountain of knowledge and always willing to answer questions and share personal insights about Japan. The tour included amazing shrines, temples, historical buildings and gardens--all wonderful.

Sheila Patterson

I toured Spectacular Greece through Smartours Oct. 22 - Nov 1, 2022. It was the most phenomenal experience for me and my group of 3. Everything was wonderful...hotel accommodations, cruise, guided tours, English speaking tour guides, meals, and more! It was a spectacular vacation and so much more than I expected! Smartours made sure we didn't have any issues with Covid as they followed guidelines in testing before we embarked on the ship. I highly recommend Smartours for your next travel experience! Thank you Smartours 😊 💯

Deanna King

We've gone on many Smartours trips over the years and have always been pleased. This one was not the best. The hotels were not up to the previous standards and were mediocre. Our guide was excellent. Most of the city guides were very good. There was a disorganize our last day with the dinner that was suppose to be included and a team mate spent much phone time trying to straighten it out. Then, when arriving at the designated restaurant and giving the Smartours name for the reservation we were directed to a table and given menus. When leaving, we found our reservation was under the corporate name not Smartours (we didn't even know the corporate name) so our meal was supposed to have been from a set menu and was not covered. We had to pay for our "included" meal. Another issue was tips for bus driver, city guides (sometimes two in a day) and everyday tour guide came to a significant amount of $$$. We tipped the suggested amount, but perhaps this should be included in the fee Smartour' charges. There were certainly some interesting and educational sites visited, and some very nice acquaintances made.

Marsha McCray

Gudny Margret was a wonderful tour director. She is very knowledgeable of the current information, but also shared so much history of the area. Delightful personality as well. Accomodations and provided meals were excellent. Small group of 17 was very nice.

Gregg Oelker

Two problems: One of the two trip leaders was terrible. The other was excellent! How to rate? One was 5 stars, the other was 2 stars. The tour went to a lot of places and covered a huge amount of ground. That was also nice. The other problem was that masks were not required on the trip. Half way through the trip and there were MANY inconsiderate people coughing into the atmosphere on the bus and spreading their germs. At the end several people tested positive for covid! The leaders should have talked to these inconsiderate people to cover their coughs and to require masks.

Fred Baumann

The trip was very good except for some things that I thought needed MAJOR improvement. The tour guide, Tarik, was excellent. The main problem is that there were days where the tour lasted all day without a lunch break. This is unacceptable. Even if we had to pay for our own lunch we should have had a break. Handing out snacks is not what I expect from SMARTOURS. Another big complaint was that you wouldn’t include us on the Alexandria extension. I was told that there were only eight openings. I asked if openings could be made available to us and you didn’t get back to me for 2 1/2 months and was told no. We basically followed the tour on our own, staying in the same hotel as the group. They had a bus with a capacity of 54 from Cairo to Alexandria for only eight people. Obviously SMARTOURS made NO effort to accommodate us. In that regard I am VERY disappointed with Smartours. This was my thirteenth tour with you plus two more booked in the future. After these I will have to look elsewhere for better service. By the way in 2016 I had a similar problem with the Columbia tour and you were able to make a few calls and add another person.

Leslie Strike

The tour was amazing and Croatia and Slovenia are very beautiful, and full of historical buildings. The tour guide, Mirna, was the best guide I have ever had, full of information and very attuned to the needs of her group.

Minerva Wilkinson

Just came back from Egypt . Did a back to back tour of Egypt and Du Bai. Both of the tour Guides were wonderful. Knowledgeable, entertaining and much fun to be around.

Juan Mayorga

Don't recommend the trip to Viet Nam and Angkor Wat, it wasn't well organized, too much waste of time on planes and airports and too many must see places that are not in the itinerary. Strongly disappointed, Don't book this trip. Guides were great though.

Lynne Seidman

My first tour with Smart tours but it won’t be my last. We had a wonderful, knowledgeable guide and we were a nice cohesive group of people

Ac Apeien

Our trip to Egypt with SmarTours in Nov. 2019 was fabulous; it exceeded our expectations. The tour guides were responsible, patient, energetic , and professional. One of tour guides went the extra mile to offer assistance when I encountered an unexpected physical challenge. The tour director and all the local tour guides are were knowledgeable and took pride to guide us into the history, from place to place during the 8-day tour. The Nile cruise was the best part of the tour. I highly recommend this trip to travelers.

Fred Abramowitz

"This was a great trip, made especially so by our guide, Khaleed, a well-trained "Egyptologist" and a wealth of information. If the pyramids, the Valley of the Kings, the Egyptian museum and all the rest, and at a reasonable price, are on your bucket list, Smartours is the way to go."

Vanessa Diamond

Egypt trip featured excellent sites. 2 drawbacks......why couldn't I book the Alexandria extension with you. I booked it myself and stayed at same hotel. also....some touring days were quite long without a lunch break.

Mitchell Anderson

Never used to take tours, but now that we are busier we love Smartours. The guides have been great every time, schedules get us in and out of busy places before the crowds.. I have nothing but praise for Smartours.

Kathy Ryan

Great tour to Peru. Learned so much. Dagmar was an excellent tour guide in Cusco and Puno. Covered areas that I would never have found on my own.

Alice Dowie

"Morocco was fabulous. My experience was unique in that I went on this trip thinking Morocco was a 2nd world country and I was totally amazed at their modern country. They are very proud of their country and heritage. Scenery is breath-taking. The camel ride in the Sahara was the most fun I've had in years. I would definitely go back. They are so far ahead of the rest of the world in sustainable energy. Tour guides were professional and knew the history of their country and/or city. SmarTours provides great experience at reasonable prices."

veronica duarte

33yo here. Had an amazing experience w/ smart tours. Felt safe, and their guides were all knowledgeable and super kind and helpful.

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.

Monica ponce gutierrez

Ireland was indeed Magical!

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.

Meinhard Gerdes

Ireland, very good trip covering the essentials (and more) in 11 days. Hotels very to notch, Coach was top notch with plenty of room, only 20 in the group. Also very good food and many meals included for a great price! Guide was very good explaining and "guiding" all. Would have liked: daily itinerary displayed in hotel and coach (every day, not only sometimes), first day tour started 2 hours late (plane from USA was delayed) since we were in our own (with a few others) we did not know about delay and waited, trying to get info was difficult. Meinhard

Adrienne Green

Great tour. The hotels were really very good. All were in the best locations. Excellent choice of restaurants. Fast paced with lots of walking. Learned a lot about Northern Italian food and wine. Highly recommend.

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.

Jim Drago

We recently returned from our tour of Magical Ireland. We were impressed with the organized, interesting and fun tour every day. Our very capable and delightful tour guide Sean saw to the well being and enjoyment of all in our group. My wife misplaced her phone on day 1.... which could have turned this entire trip for us into a disaster. However, thanks to Sean for quickly locating and returning it all was saved. THANK YOU AGAIN SEAN! Would certainly recommend traveling with smarTours

Lorna S Z Harold

While it has been a few years for overseas travel, and we thought we might have gotten too old for it, Jordan is an outstanding venue for everything a tourist longs for: fun. Fantastic sights, great hospitality, creative accommodations, great food, and excitement from start to finish. Not to mention our fabulous highly informative tour Director Amjad. Jordan is an extremely clean Middle Eastern country and the people are so friendly and genuinely happy and welcoming to all. We felt safe wherever we were if museum, roaming the sandy lands by truck or exploring the most famous site of Petra and surrounds. It’s a 5 star country and place to visit!!!!!!

Sharry Solomon

Our SmarTours Trip to Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro was a 10+.(May5-May 17, 2022) Why?? Because we had the most wonderful travel guide, MIRNA BOSNIC AND BUS DRIVER BORKO, both SO knowledgeable , kind, and aware of all of our needs. Our day tour guides were very good, too...There were 15 congenial, prompt people, 4 couples, 2 single guys, 5 single women in our group. The weather was perfect, the sights were so amazing, the itinerary included so many different activities. The hotels were comfortable, one was below standards, but not terrible, the food was delicious. If you do take this amazing trip, eat CREAM CAKE and if you are a swimmer, take a bathing suit...3 of the hotels had very nice swimming pools, one had an indoor and outdoor. It was such a positive, memorable experience. Luckily, we did NOT need to wear masks, and everything was open...

Shelley shamp

Our Colorful Costa Rica trip was enjoyable because we traveled with a group of friends. Our accommodations were unsatisfactory. There were ants in the room, not enough towels, and very, very slow service. The food, for the most part, was okay, although there was one restaurant on the road where we had stopped for breakfast and lunch that was poor. Chips and rice are a poor excuse for a lunch. TOO MUCH BUS RIDING. There was an airport where we could have caught a flight back to San Jose instead of being on the bus for five hours. Local guides were very good and quite informative. Driver was excellent. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable although a bit impatient. I believe SmarTours could have done better.

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.

Smart Workout

The trip to Jordan was fantastic! it did have one flaw-the hotel in Amman was a very poor choice. But everything else on the rest of the trip was superb. What really impressed me was the excellent schedulingjust the right amount of time allocated for each activity and place; and just the right amount of free time to explore on our own. It was masterfully planned.

Corinne Maddox

In general, this tour was wonderful and was very affordable. I was very satisfied, and understand there must be compromises for large groups and logistics. Here are some thoughts for your information. SmartTours did not inform anyone who flew separately that the arrival hotel had changed. There was great confusion and additional time and expense to get to the new hotel. Guide Aran was very pleasant, very well organized, knowledgable and interesting. He had good techniques for getting people to meet on time and paying attention to meeting location. He was caring and patient with those travelers who had issues. He has an amazing balance of skills to lead a group of diverse travelers, who can sometimes be distracted or inconsiderate. I would have loved to have a list of people on the tour and contact info at the beginning (or at the end). I expect most would have welcomed participation in that. Make a stronger appeal for travelers to take a hotel card if they go exploring (I got lost once). There was excellent attention given to the uneven surfaces. Consider providing a more thorough explanation of the sites (history, timeline, religious rituals, myths) before we arrive. We had little time to read signs and understand what we were seeing (only to take a picture of it and to try to piece it together later). I understand we had an intense itinerary with limited time, and I would not want to miss any of the sites we saw. I would have paid extra for another day or 2. Tour of Topkapi Palace – needed at least 1 more hour. Since we finished the day around 4 pm, it was feasible (I think rush hour traffic was an issue.). It would have been also feasible if we had been given an optional later meeting time for those who wanted to see more. In that case we could have chosen to skip lunch and/or the Blue Mosque (could not see anything due to construction barriers) and/or the hippodrome. For travelers who arrived early (like I did), it is hard to miss those 2 sites. Taking the bridge rather than the ferry would have been preferred, which would have allowed more time at Topkapi Palace. I loved the whirling dervish optional event, and the optional archaeological site/museum tour. I did not enjoy the Bosphorus Cruise that much. Consider an optional tour to Dolmabahce Palace. It was open late and is very close to the Istanbul hotel. Consider an optional trip to a Turkish traditional music/dance show or a live music bar. Consider an optional trip to a traditional Turkish hamam. The Roxelana Hamam in Istanbul was fabulous. Advise that advanced reservations are necessary. Consider a quick trip to the delightful Rustum Pasa Mosque, near the Spice Market. That was my favorite mosque in the city (especially since the Blue Mosque was under construction). I would have enjoyed another evening meal on our own or move the one we had later in the tour, along with some restaurant ideas. Later, we would know the travelers well enough to join up. Later, a change from Turkish food would be welcome. Hotels were extremely nice, except lighting was unnecessarily hard to figure out. Hotel staff and food were always excellent. Hotel in Ismir had maintenance problems – my room 1201: 1) thermostat didn’t work (was replaced while I waited), 2) it was directly above a loud open-air bar (going strong until after 1 am), 3) power went out briefly, and no lights/power shades worked the next morning (had to dress and shower in pitch dark until they came to fix it). If I had been there on my own, I would ask for a refund.

Anne Schafer

The "Wonders of Israel" tour was fantastic...from our tour guide, Heidi Fenz, to our driver, Johnny, to the sights each and every day, fantastic! A few thoughts though is there was an unbelievable amount of walking which I was not aware of. That was a little tough with my bad knee. The other issue was that the Don Beach Hotel in Tiberias was not a place I would go back to again. The staff was lovely, the view was lovely, the food was good but the room left a lot to be desired. It's time for a renovation there. Once that happens, the place will be perfect! Everything else was great, including our group; 15 people who had never met before the trip and everyone was kind, caring, and lots of fun. We joked about scheduling another tour that we could all explore together. I will miss everyone in our group. I cannot speak for anyone else, but I believe we all had a great time; I sure did!

Colleen O'mahar

Unbelievable experience - lodging was beautiful… food was awesome… we were able to see the “big 5” thanks to the talented tour guides We were a little nervous about getting info for our visas to Kenya and Tanzania, but needed documentation came in a timely matter and in plenty of time to process our visas Thank you for providing memories that will last a lifetime 💕

karen roberts

I have had nothing but excellent accommodations, guides and experiences with Smartours. Just booked Jordan-The Lost City of Petra in October and even my reservation experience was terrific. Excited about this trip. FINALLY!!

Aaron Heighton

They put together an excellent experience. Africa, Portugal, and recently Adriatic were incredible. Local guide "Danko" in Zagreb was a true expert!

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.

Dorothy King

Excellent tour and met all of my expectations. I highly recommend this tour if you're looking for a real Icelandic experience.

Linda G

"We just returned from the Scandinavia Explorer and loved each of the four beautiful countries we visited. This is our 11th Smartours and as always it was well organized with tremendous value for the cost. It was a great mix of Scandinavian cities along with incredible fjords in the Norway countryside. We stayed at one of the most beautiful hotels we have ever been to at Hotel Ullensvang in Lofthus. We cannot wait for our next Smartours adventure to Vietnam and Cambodia. "

Reginald Beasley

The Dubai and Abu Dhabi trip was truly Amazing. A blend of "old Arab traditions with new thoughts and ideas was made seamlessly. Our guide and driver spoke English fluently. We were able to take advantage of their vast knowledge and experience. A GREAT TRIP!

Emily O'Connor

Everything about our trip to Egypt was great. Our guide, Andrew, was the best. Our hotels were lovely, and the cruise on the Nile was so much fun.

Steven Olsen

The tour in Turkey was excellent, with a wonderful driver, Erdogan, and a fantastic tour guide, Ali. We saw all the most important sites, accompanied by fun stories and loads of historical background information. The itinerary was well organized, although there were some long drives between cities, which was tiring at times. The hotels, for the most part, were excellent, featuring high end rooms and very good quality food. We may do another tour in the near future.

Terry Chideckel

Everything was really great after the first night. At the Golden Nugget, which I really dislike. We had a miscommunication. Due to Smart Tours. One piece of paper said we meet him in the lobby. And the one the clerk gave me after checking in said we'd meet in the bus tour second floor. We went to the second floor and he was not there. There was no note saying when he would come back if any. We did find a package that had our name on it did did explain some things to us. We did find one of the papers that had the itinerary for next day. The only problem was we did not know where to meet the bus. So we had to go outside and look for 1st Street. We eventually found it I knew where to meet the bus. Michael didn't call us later that night and tell us he was sorry for the confusion. He was helping someone get transportation to a helicopter to ride over Las Vegas. The only other things that were bad was the grab-and-go breakfast. Most of those really were not very good. Usually on tours I have a hot breakfast. The only hot breakfast we had was at the Golden Nugget. We'll let it go at that.

Laurie Huffman

I have had the most amazing THREE tours of my life with SmarTours. I have two more booked for the next two years as well. I have traveled to Dubai with my son and South Africa as a single, and Kenya with a few friends. I cannot say enough about the quality, price, hotels, food, GUIDES- sensational!, and full packages. Honestly, these have been highlights of my life. SmarTours went under re-management and were a bit slow to answer all questions, more specific information prior to the trip would be helpful.. but really smarTours.. don't change a thing on any of your trips. They are AMAZING! Counting the days to my next trip!

Chelsey Jordan

It can be tough planning a trip to a place you’ve never been. We booked with SmarTours for this very reason and it did not disappoint! Everything was very well laid out and planned. The tour guides, living conditions and optional excursions were great. I have already told several friends and family about this company and will be booking with them again.

Linda Shearer

Great trip to Iceland Gudny, our guide was the best. She made the trip. though the lights didn’t cooperate, we saw so much and I would do it all over. It was great to have a group of 13. We were like family in a short time. First day with no sleep was tough but we saw a lot and couldn’t get into hotel til later but that’s a big drawback for weary travelers.

Wayne Bullis

Charles our guide was very knowledgeable about the country and a asset to smart tours!

Lynn Marie, LMFT

The tour of Peru was fantastic and our Tour Director, Enrique, was personable, caring and very knowledgeable about the culture and history of his country. The food was absolutely fabulous and the sights we saw were amazing and memorable! There were a couple of serious negatives though. One, the written information provided did not fully inform us about the requirements of getting a vaccine specifically for Peru and a Declaration document required to get in; we found it ourselves on the Peruvian government's website. Two, we left a day later than stated in our trip which meant we lost an entire day of the trip and we were not offered compensation for the lost day even through the tour was booked as an 11 day tour. Three, we kept getting different answers each time we called and never actually knew when we would meet up with our Tour Director. He met us is Cusco which meant we had to figure out how to navigate a foreign airport and get from Lima to Cusco on our own. Other tours, such as Gate One, met their people in Lima and one group was met in Miami! Four, the phone numbers we were given to contact were not answered when they were called and we were not given our Tour Director's number in advance. One of couples on the tour missed the flight from Lima to Cusco and no one was there to meet them. They had to travel to the hotel, an hour and a half away, and pay for the taxi on their own; they completely missed the first day of the tour. Overall, it was a great tour but smarTours needs to provide better advanced information in writing and on the telephone and take better care of their customers regarding reliable contact information once you arrive in Peru.

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.

Waguih Messiha

I enjoyed the tour of Turkey. Hotel locations were excellent. The size of the group was very adequate, small group. Guide was very knowledgeable but need to slow down and take more time with the group.

Ducie Etienne

I was very satisfied of my tour in Dubai , Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. My best memories are Burg Khalifa, experiencing the Bedouins lifestyle, the campfire, Camel riding , the Sheikh Zayed grand Mosque tour.My only complaint is that we had to wait for 2 hrs for check-in at the first hotel after a long flight of 12 hrs excluding being at the airport 3 hrs before departure .We were very tired but besides that everything was excellent.Our Guide Mohammed and the Driver Rajeed went beyond and above to make our tour memorable.

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.

Joyce Webber

Took the Great Cities of Eastern Europe tour and it met all my expectations and more. Our tour guide, Pavel, was so knowledgeable and helpful. He also had made arrangements a year ago to get tickets to a concert in Vienna that had been recommended, but was not on the list of optional tours. We were delighted to be able to attend with the group and not have to make arrangements on our own. The Salt Mines tour in Krakow is a must, the two optional cruises were also very good as was the Vienna Woods tour and the Folklore/Dinner Show. Since we traveled long distances on this tour, it was wonderful to have such comfortable bus transportation. This was my second trip with smarTours and it will not be my last. I had traveled with several tour companies in the past and now realize that they are very over-priced. smarTours is a great value, has very good accommodations and included meals and I'm happy not to receive giant catalogs in the mail.

Mark Van Cleve

Tour Guide were awesome, especially the tour leader. Hotels were nice. Places were interesting. Only one gripe, the tipping arrangement. It seems that we were getting "nickel and dime'd" all the time on tips. Very nice people with one major exception from New York, but she certainly wasn't your fault. Our guides had to practically do everything for her and she needed to be watched everywhere. But the guides got her through it! Awesome!

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!

Judith Midgley

My trip was a 12 day group safari to Kenya. It was a wonderful trip especially for the cost. The flight was long, but direct on Air Kenya Air Kenya is excellent airline with friendly and efficient service and even very good food Our hotels varied. Most were outstanding, while 2 could have used updating. However the food was wonderful in everyone of them and the service excellent and very very friendly The roads were pretty rough, but we knew that going in, and our driver, Alfred (Chera) was very skilled, helpful and knowledgeable. He made our whole trip wonderful and knew exactly where to find the animals in every area. We were fortunate to have him for our driver. The vehicles were the best - Toyota Land Cruisers. They sat 6 comfortably and were high enough to not get stuck in the mud on those roads in the reserves. We were 6 in each vehicle including our driver. A few of the hotels could have been better, but for the cost of our tour, we were very satisfied I went as a single and my rooms were always as comfortable as those who were doubles. I was grateful for that, since I have not found this to be the case with other companies I have travelled with as a single.Our group numbered 16, all lovely people. They had all travelled with Smartours on other trips and recommended them. I will definitely travel with them again

Michelle Buttitta

Really there are no words for an incredible experience. My husband was unable to go with me on this trip. Came really close to cancelling because of it. So glad I didn’t. They say Antarctica is a once if a lifetime opportunity...I sure hope that is not true. Everything was wonderful. Wasn’t sure why we were going to have a tour director on a cruise. Isn’t a cruise self explanatory. He made the trip that much better. Always made sure we were all good and knew where we needed to be. It was like we had our own personal concierge on board. One that we didn’t have to share with the other 490 passengers. Each day we were in Antarctica we had a landing and a cruising. Such an amazing trip. I wish I had better words to express myself. Thank you smartours and Marcelo for an unforgettable adventure.

Jeff Beckley

We had a wonderful trip to Egypt with Smartours. The places we went and things we did on the tour were very good. The guide was also excellent with tons of information. About the only thing I can ding them for (which is why I give 4 out of 5 stars) is that on a number of the days the schedule wasn't given out/posted, and that led to some confusion. If they would have kept all the members of the tour informed on the details of the events of the day, then I would have rated this trip as perfect.

Sheridyn Morgan

We had a great time. Damien was wonderful and so helpful. We felt most of the lodging was all right--some were great. Jerry was ready to get back home, of course, but we couldn't have seen all that we saw if the trip was shorter. It was truly a top to bottom tour of France and we were glad to get to see so much of the countryside as well as museums and historical venues. We had a very compatible group on our tour.

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.

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.

Barbara Cohen

Great tour of Morocco, our tour guide Khalid went over and above. Not only was he very knowledgeable and helpful—- He gave out water on the bus each day, he made change for us so we would have smaller bills. Khalid often paid for toilets in case we didn’t have small change. We also appreciated the Suitcase identification before loading the bus. I have been on 7 Smartours and these things are not always provided. The bus driver was very skilled and the helper was very accommodating and friendly. A very excellent tour!

Marie Tucker

Awesome!! Great sights to see , well organized and Our tour guide Gina was amazing. The group we traveled with was fantastic!

Barbara Winn

The Spectacular Greece tour was indeed spectacular. Impressive sites, beautiful views, lovely accommodations and excellent, knowledgeable tour guides. The one disappointment was that we hadn't considered the shortness of the days and the time change traveling so late in the season: we visited several islands in the dark. I really wish SmarTours had given a hint about that -- if they did, it was well hidden. Otherwise, a wonderful trip on land and sea.

theodora chitsiku

Recently traveled to Abhu Dabi/ Dubai. Enjoyed the trip immensely and thought the tour guide was awesome. (Tareq Alladaa) so was the driver of our coach. Wish we had spent 2-3 more days in Dubai. So much to see and do. The group was just the right size. Drawbacks : wish we could have been warned before hand that Etihad requires passengers to check in online. Was a bit inconvenient took us an hour to check in.

Mary Westcott

The beauty and the sites that we did see in Iceland were extraordinary so this is very hard to review. Our trip leadervdid not show up for three days and was consistently late meeting the group. This is never occurred to me on any previous group tour. There was a lot we missed because there was no one around to make any recommendations the first day that we were on our own. The substitute leader that met us at the airport did a good enough job and also helped us a bit with the next day which was on our own. However it was a little hard to navigate the city and figure out what we should do after we returned from the lava tunnel tour. Having only two meals covered made it difficult to meet other group members. Having to lug our suitcases three blocks was a bit difficult and not necessary as the Collette tour group had a small van bring theirs to the hotel. The two dinners we had were quite late because the tour guide had not arranged ahead of time to get us an earlier time. Everyone including me raved about the South African tour and this was a bit of a disappointment after that.

Linda Rains

Dusan was an excellent guide, knowledgeable, informative. Arranged alternate tours when situations changed. Enjoyed the small personal groups. Look forward to using you again.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Eve Jones

Just finished an amazing tour of China with smarTours and had a fantastic time. Saw all the country's highlights and our tour director was efficient, friendly and super caring. We also went on a tour to South Africa with this company and would travel with them again for their value and high level of service.

Yield to the King Ministry

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.

Lee

Our tour guide was knowledgeable and kept us on time. There were many activities in one day. For example on our first full day we were on the road at 7, visited the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, a Camel ride, lunch, a temple and a carpet school back to our 5 star hotel for dinner by 7:30. The tour had us in very nice hotels and cruise ships. The food was excellent. An excellent value for the money.

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!

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

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!

Claudia Andrews

My friend and I took the SmarTours Portugal tour and it was wonderful. Pacing was just right, with at least two nights in each town/city. Great group of fellow travelers and excellent guide. Hotels were top notch. You can’t beat these tours for value.

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.

Cindy

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.

Jack Waldorf

Our tour of India was the very best of the many trips I've taken. Our guide Gagan was terrific, easily the best one I've ever had. All of the sites we visited were well chosen and fascinating, the food was good, and the weather was perfect. It's hard to pick out the highlights of such a great tour, but they would include exploring the little Lanes of Delhi, the Taj Mahal, seeing tigers in the wild, the Amber Fort, and witnessing a Hindu ceremony in Jaipur.

Richard Lubell

We had a fabulous trip to South Africa in September. The tour guide, Jeremy was especially professional and informative and caring. The buffet style meals were excellent. The bus rides and transfer were comfortable. The value was exceptional ( Capetown region, including wineries and gardens, the townships, Zululand, Swaiziland, Kruger Game Reserve, the Drakensberg mountain crossing, Johannesburg , Soweto, and Pretoria too)

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!!

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.

Glenn Eisenach

Tour was good until we were asked to leave the tour due to a health issue. The tour director was concerned that the last part of the trip there was no separate local guide, he would do double duty and be the local guide as well as tour director. Not having a second person in case something happened that needed his attention, the whole tour group would suffer as he could not split himself to be one person with the sick or injured person and one to keep the tour going. We believe we would not have hindered the group on the rest of the tour any more than we had during the first part of the tour, which was not at all. We also had doctor permission for this travel. We also believe SmarTours should always have separate tour director and local guide as anyone who for example, sprains their ankle, losses their passport, or has any other unexpected problem would hinder the group if there were not two leaders.

Angie Carter

So far so good! We're booked on a tour of Egypt next year and they've been very helpful this far

Sheri Kash

Our tour of Spain was educational, memorable and just amazing. Our tour guide, Agur, couldn’t have been kinder, more attentive or more knowledgeable. The local city guides were also amazing. First rate trip. We’ll be back.

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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.

Kathryn Mordock

Smartours choice was a great one. Our tour director was fabulous, professional, knowledgeable, and fun. We loved her! Accommodations were excellent and Thailand lived up to the tour name, Amazing Thailand!

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.

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!!

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.

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

Karen Mahoney

The Unforgettable France tour was truly that, Unforgettable! There were so many wonderful places it is hard to choose which was my favorite. Not to be missed are Monet's Gardens at Giverny , Avignon, Nice , Mt St Michel. The beaches at Normandy were truly moving It was an Epic trip.

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.

Warren Schlatter

I did not want to go on the trip when it came to leaving, but I wold have missed so much if I had remained home. What a wonderful, full, rich and pleasant experience. Gagan was a great leader, and Verue, the driver was worth his weight when dealing with the traffic in India, especially Delhi's traffic. He was always there, ready, and he was trustworthy. Gagan was most thoughtful, and he made sure that everyone was included with the program of the day, yet without being pushy.

gwyn cutsforth

In November 2019 I took the 10-day China tour. It covered the highlights in all 4 cities: Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Terra Cotta Soldiers in Xi'an, Panda Park and Breeding Center in Chengdu and Shanghai. Our guide "Oscar" was phenomenally patient and extremely knowledgeable. Our city guides were also very interesting, kind and helpful. I would have appreciated the addition of 'local' dishes to our meals, however I understand the need to provide westernized meals. If you want to see the main attractions and decide for future trips, this is the trip to take.

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!

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

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!

Carla McKee

This trip was everything promised and more! Our tour guide, Pat, was absolutely wonderful. His knowledge of the history of Ireland (and everything for that matter) was impressive, and he was happy to answer our many questions. Pat also was fantastic at pointing us in the right direction when we had time on our own. I highly recommend this trip.

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.

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.

Theodore Biedenkapp

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.

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!

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.

Kelby Brandow

i went to asia with smartours several years ago and had a top notch experience. based on that we went on the scandanavian explorer this year. the hotels were ok, interesting, and conveniently located. however, on several of the excursions, it seemed that we weren't given enough information on what to look for or where to go. in particular, there is a train ride after the boat on the fjords. the train makes a stop so you can see a lovely waterfall, but we weren't' told there was a troll queen singing and dancing! only until someone pointed it out, a tad too late, did we catch a glimpse. a real person! would have been nice to know. this was not a singular experience, just a glaring example. when we returned and were sharing pictures; someone who had been to several of the same places asked if the guide told us this and that, and i said no; but their guide had given them much more information with a different tour company. it was raining in bergen, but wouldn't it have been nice to have some suggestions of things & places to go in the rain? in stead, we walked in the rain, couldn't see much. when we all broke up, we had no information or map of places to go. the stop in ullensvang norway was at a lovely hotel. unfortunately, no one wanted to go on the extra offered tour, so we all spent a day hanging around; and since there is really nothing to do in ullensvang, it seemed like a wasted day. perhaps the guide could have arranged with headquarters something else, or an earlier departure. one of the biggest issues that most people complained about was travel all day - plane or bus - and at the arrival city, we immediately were put on a bus to tour the city. we then would arrive at the hotel around 6:30 or 7, unpack a few items, then have dinner at 8, then since some of the places we stopped were for only 1 night, we raced out again in the morning. so not even a few minutes to explore or learn other than what we were told on the bus. other than our initial stop in stockholm, which was the best, and oslo which turned out to be a lovely city, the rest of the tour was a whirlwind, the restaurant in copenhagen was awful! and our farewell dinner had to be organized by the group itself. so if you go on this tour, i suggest pack a different sack for each day so you don't have to unpack everything just to find new underwear, you can just take out the next day's stuff instead of making a mess of your suitcase & save time when you are whisked away the next morning.

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.

Lisa Elliott

I was with Amazing Thailand tour from December 24th, 2019 thru January 7th, 2020. My friend and I had a great time. This was my second tour with Smartour and did not have any disappointment at all. Our tour leader Katsara was very informative and has a lot of knowledge about Thailand. She was very helpful in every way she could be of help. The only thing I didn't care for was the China Eastern air that Smartour use as their carrier. I would much prefer to have Korean air as the way they previously had done so in the past.

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.

Jane Hao

We had a wonderful trip. Our tour guide Granville led us into a beautiful journey about Greece and its way of life. It was unforgettable. Highly recommended.

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

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Deb & Chris 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.

Shelley Clark

Just back from second Smartours experience and now better understand some of more reserved reviews. My first trip with Smartours was to Abu Dhabu and Dubai; its was essentially flawless, This second on trip to Egypt, was somewhat less so. The Pros: -Impressive accommodations =Lots of territory covered =Knowledgeable and very pleasant guide =Amiable tour director who went out of his way on the problem-solving front =Well organized - no real glitches =Good value The Cons -Zero help from Smartours when I could not make my intended flight; laxk of knowledge about how to help or even the ability to comprehend the situation was rather appalling... in lead up to the trio I had begun to realize the calling center staff are useless except for booking. That was certainly borne out -Two included welcome and farewell dinners at the five-star and quite lovely Cairo ,Marriott on tony Zemalek Island were atrocious. Waste of time and calories. . Breakfasts and food ordered on our own were quite good -Grueling itinerary, much more so than description indicated. Some f which was dictated by guide trying to avoid largest crowds and hottest times of day, which was appreciated. Still it was mostly the result of packing so much into the ten days. -To a degree itinerary was made more grueling by the fact we never knew about timing for the next day until the afternoon before. A complete itinerary with times distributed at the outset would have been much appreciated. Granted things can change; and everyone would have dealt with it. As it was id we even asked about timing more than a day in advance, the guide demurred about answering because "People will get confused," A bit insulting! We were all clearly veteran travelers. -Tipping is a national pastime in Egypt and while final travel documents gave some basic, but incomplete, guidelines, it would have been much better for- planning purposes to include an outline of exactly what would be expected per destination with totals fir each person tipped. Bottom line, on the ground via the destination management companies they choose to work with, Smartours does a great job. for a very reasonable price. However, they lack on pre-trip and during trip details and customer service is virtually non existent when it comes to staff one deals with via phone.

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

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.

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.

Marilyn Gibbs

Last month we went to Buenos Aires and Antarctica with SmarTours. Everything went smoothly even our own transportation and extra stay in Buenos Airs. Charter flight to Ushuaia, cruise on Hurtigruten , tour director, Sofitel Hotel Recoleta, all were excellent as well as bus tours of Buenos Aires and Ushuaia.

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.

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.

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

Marcia Weinstock

At first we had challenges with our guide. He wasn’t sensitive to the needs of the population on the trip and he was extremely disorganized. After quite a few days it got better. We have been on so many wonderful Smartours trips. This one was okay. We had to ask for our VIP upgrade before receiving this consideration.

Daniel Miller

The Thailand tour went very smooth. Our guide was excellent and made everyone feel at ease throughout. The country is fascinating and I feel like I didn't miss out on anything while I was there.

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.

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.

Pari Nader

It was a great trip , our tour guid was great , very organized and informative, only thing a lot of us had issue was a couple and also her sister in low were very demanding when it came to dining , when we are as the group , they wait to get every bodies order then start serving, but when they get there they expected to be served before anybody else by yelling and screaming to the server and manager, they had to change their food few times in order to make them happy but that was ongoing during cruise, mr Ames Weiss . It was very annoying to be on the table to eat and we had this issue every time, tour director was very patient and tried to deal with it. They treated the workers like piece of garbag, I was embarrassed and I wanted to say something but tour director ask me not to. When I went to Russia the food was disgusting and I would never have replacement , these people should be told that can’t behave like that and they can’t treat people like that, if they want special food , they should let you know in advance. Thanks for listening and I hope something will be done about it. I sent an email to Egypt office regarding this matter so they don’t blame anybody else.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

Andrea Alexander

Egypt was most fascinating and our guide, an Egyptologist, was very knowledgeable and fun. I always travel with Smartours because I can depend on them to provide for our safety and enjoyment with the utmost confidence. Thank you for providing this forum to express my gratitude. Andrea Alexander.

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

Nicholas Backman

Very well planned trip & our guide Gagan did an amazing job. Small things to be considered is choosing hotels with free high speed WiFi & balance the amount of monuments vs the free time for the travelers.

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)

PATRICK COWAN

GIVEN THE FACT EVERYONE IS STARTING BACK UP I WOULD RATE THIS TRIP OK. THE HOTELS WERE NOT WHAT WE EXPEVTED FROM SMART TOURS FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE.. THE BREAKFAST WERE OFTEN NOT VERY GOOD. FARWELL DINNER WAS SUBPAR. AMELIA DID A NICE JOB BUT SHE WAS MISSING SOME CRITICAL INFORMATION FROM SMART TORS SHE AND WE NEEDED.. WE ARE BOOKED FOR THILAND NI JANUARY AND HOPE IT WILL BE BETTER OR WE WILL NEED TO LOOK AT OTHER TOUR COMPANIES.

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 !

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

nagaraj lingaraju

Great trip. Very knowledgeable guide

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.

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.

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

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.

Hillary Blackton

The tour of Egypt was okay. Lots of temples and tombs, if that is what you like. Take care of yourself for many people of our group got sick.

Lois Shelton

Since they moved to Connecticut the customer service is better - I like the variety of tours and the prices are good You see all the most important places on a tour,the places are nice and the guides are good!

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.

Gary Word

Excellent tour......amazing sites and experiences, professional tour guide, great accommodations and comfortable in-country travel!

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

Henry Gondorf

We had an absolutely wonderful time in China. Jason, our guide, was exceptional in his knowledge of the different places that we visited and also in dealing with the group.

Bill Oyen

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

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.

Phyllis Robarts

Excellent trip. I enjoyed the selection of sites and the professional guides. It was a wonderful experience, and my second trip with SmarTours.

Lou Andres

A beautiful, inexpensive country to visit

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!

Gale Kalish

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

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.

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 .

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.

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

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!

J. Angel Quintanilla

Our trip was fantastic. Tour guides were excellent and enthusiastic. Would definitely take another Smartour.

Wendy Nielsen

Wonderful guides and fascinating places. It was truly one of the best trips ever. Smartours was superb on all levels.

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.

Pasteur Joseph Michel Lambert

I went to Turkey with smar Tours,it was a wonderful experience.I think everyone must travel to Turkey with smar Tours.You will enjoy it.

Frederica Scobey

I've been to Kenya, India and Morocco with Smartours. All those trips have been flawlessly planned and led.

Mukesh Patel

Poor communication with tour director on first day at hotel, otherwise she was Excellent

Dianna Young

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

Tom Yaroscak

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

Kathie Kaluzynski

Breath taking views at the Azores

Avinash Bhalerao

Overall good trips.

connie molder

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

Steve Jorgensen

Great trip with plenty of charismatic megafauna. Nice hotels/lodges.

Janine Murray

An excellent tour and guide, great accommodation, superior food and overall good value.

myke leshowitz

Great trip, great hotels, great tour guides. HORRIBLE OFFICE WORKERS!!!! No

Sondra Salley

Traveled to Italy with them in April. Had a wonderful experience with them

Alberto Gallegos

Great company. Easy to deal with. Wonderful accommodations.

Sima K

Excellent and very organized tour with very knowledgeable guide.

M Wasano

Visited many places that I otherwise would not have.

Angelo Casciani

what an education !!! and the people on our trip were great

Terence David

Very interesting tour, Excellent guide

Leo Crowley

Simply the best!

cory snyder

Susie in Bangkok best guide ever!

Sheila McCartney

Excellent tour company!

Judy Eskin

Fun trip with nice people

marybeth yancey

Smartours to Croatia and Slovenia was fantastic!

Carol Geiger

Good tour, fabulous tour director

Fran Howard

answer ?'s and great company

Walter Rzadwal

God

Lutzy Ramirez

(Translation) I love traveling with SmarTours, the experience is safe, comfortable, the facilities such as hotels, buses and food are of very good taste and quality. The guide directors and local guides are very professional and attentive. I will repeat another experience with you, without a doubt. (Original) Me encanta viajar con SmarTours, la experiencia es segura, cómoda, las facilidades como hoteles, buses y comida son de muy buen gusto y calidad. Los directores guías y guías locales son muy profesionales y atentos. Volveré a repetir otra experiencia con ustedes, sin duda.

Carmen Buono

(Translation) 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.

Irma Chavez-May

Barbara Beach

Juventino Garcia

Linda West

Gamine Curry

Maryann

Alicia Valor

Contact

Photos