Peter Sommer Travels Traveller Reviews

A wonderful week spent walking sections of Hadrian's Wall learning about it's construction, occupation, and reincarnation into other local buildings. The tour is led by an experienced archaeologist and the group is the perfect size to have in-depth technical discussions with the tour guide and other members regarding the archaeology, history, and geology of the Wall features. A physical workout for the legs, a mental workout for the brain, and a vacation for the soul.

Peter Sommer Travels is an all inclusive tour provider that organizes efficient, fun, and educational tours without all the stress associated with travel. No worries about where to park the car, where to get a hotel, or navigating confusing road directions. The only worries were keeping my phone charged to take amazing photos and not wanting to go back home. If you are not having fun on a tour, it is because you are not on a Peter Sommer tour!

I am very late in reviewing this wonderful trip as I couldn’t think of enough superlatives to do justice to what was one of the best holidays I have ever had. Cruising along the breathtakingly beautiful mountainous Lycian coast in a traditional mahogany gulet, mooring in protected bays for the night, feasting on the most delicious Turkish cuisine on deck under the stars and laughing and chatting with the friendliest and most entertaining of hosts and companion travellers was pure unadulterated joy. Each day we went ashore and walked up mountain trails to remote sites to view impressive and numerous archaeological remains of what had been important Greek, Roman and Byzantine centres whose monuments now lie scattered amongst overgrown fields and olive groves in tranquil secluded settings. We were totally alone walking amongst these incredible ruins as if discovering them for the first time and with not a tourist in sight. The culture and history of the past was vividly and accurately brought to life by our distinguished archaeologist guide whose passion for Turkey and its history was contagious. Every day was a new adventure, perfectly varied and with lunchtime visits to small family run outdoor restaurants with tasty food and a warm welcome. Each day ended with a refreshing swim from the boat. Apart from being incredibly knowledgeable, the two tour leaders could not have been more attentive, fun or enthusiastic. They and the delightful crew set the tone for the holiday which we all enjoyed to the fullest.

I could not recommend Peter Sommers trips more highly and unreservedly, and will definitely be travelling with them again.

This tour was very satisfactory for me under all points of view. I'm not new to the history of Greece and to the country. For me, the tour was a perfect blending of sightseeing, history in depth, but told with passion (and humour), very confortable and charming accomodation, great meals, with specific care in having us taste different specialities, so much so that I would call it not just an archaelogical and historical tour, but also a gastronomic tour of Macedonia. And we also got a comprehensive overview of the different geographical regions, including a trip to Thasos Island.

As someone who has been working in the tailormade travel business in Italy for the past 40 years (now I'm retired) I can confidently say that the care that Peter Sommer Travels put in their tours is truly outstanding, under every aspect: itinerary, choice of guides, of hotels, of restaurants, of everything that can make a trip absolutely satisfactory.

Peter Sommer's Exploring Macedonia tour was all that I hoped it would be. It was a perfect combination of on-site archaeology and museum-going with fabulous meals and some winetasting included. We had the free time we needed to explore some of the little villages we stayed in with a grand finale in Thessaloniki.

Peter Sommers was all about communication. Someone from his office responded to all of my questions the day they were asked (amending for a large time change) and supplied clear information about what to expect on and before the tour.

A frequent visitor to Greece, I had never before been to Macedonia and I was awed by the its beauty, its lush countryside and verdant, mountainous west. It is impossible to overstate the wow factor of the museum at Vergina, now enclosing the tomb of king Philip II and the rich treasure found there along with his armour, shield and the golden casket in which his bones were found. That and the king’s capital Pella were the expected highlights of the tour, but there were so many other treats – the charming lake-side town of Kastoria with its wonderful museum of icons, the richly-atmospheric sanctuary at Dion said to have been a sacred place for Macedonians, and the nymph-haunted shrine at Meiza where Aristotle taught the young Alexander. The ferry day-trip to the isle of Thasos was a lovely change of pace, and a steep climb was rewarded by sight of ancient marble quarries, said to have sourced the whitest marble in the world, rolling down to the sea. I didn’t, in Greece, expect torrential rain, thunder and flash floods. But that was only for a short while and in retrospect it added a certain drama to the reconstructed Neolithic village at Dispilio where we ducked and (almost) dived among the thatched huts and walkways suspended over the lakeside. Our guides Maria and Paul were extremely knowledgeable, considerate and good company. Nothing was too much trouble. The food was splendid and we all appreciated the lengths Maria had gone to to order for us local dishes in each of the towns we visited.

Efficient, professional, friendly.

This is the perfect balanced vacation for those who love to adventure and learn about the places they visit. On a comfortable wooden Turkish Gulet a small group of us thoroughly enjoyed 15 days of blissful cruising among the islands of the Dodecanese in Greece set in the magical Aegean Sea. Highly competent crew including an amazing chef took excellent care of our physical needs and amazed us with absolutely excellent, varied healthy food. We had two highly knowledgeable archeological experts aboard who elevated and enhanced this trip in every possible way. They lead us through the history of these islands from Prehistoric times to present day coherently and fluently. They never failed to engage, entertain and inform us and demonstrated perfect time management skills.. As a highly seasoned traveler I would rank this trip as one of the best vacations I have had over the years

From beginning to end Peter Sommer Travel took the best possible care of us. All staff including Peter Sommer himself were accessible to us to answer questions both before and during the trip. They made sure we could be well prepared by providing relevant information about what we might expect together with a thoughtful outline of the itinerary. I would describe them as absolutely outstanding in all aspects of customer relations and support.

The gulet cruise to the Dodecanese (Greek) islands was marvelous. The boat was comfortable , the guides were very knowledgeable, and the itinerary was well chosen. And, the Turkish chef was accomplished, and who could pass up the wonderful Greek food?

Peter Sommer Travels has been operating these archeological trips for years, with great success, and many returning guests.

Everything about this tour exceeded our expectations, from the exhilaration of sailing on the ship, to the food, to the company of the other guests, the attention, skill and professionalism of the crew, to the guide's encyclopedic knowledge and passion for his subject, the beauty, interest and variety of the sites we visited and the pace and scheduling of the whole thing. Apparently effortless but clearly Very well organised.

It's hard to comment on Peter Sommer directly as interaction with the tour operator usually only occurs when something goes wrong, which it didn't. I can only say that the ship, the crew and the guides have been chosen with great care. Clearly in the background everything is done to make everything as good as it can be.

Looking at the brochure is one thing but did the holiday live up to it......YES! Everything worked like clockwork. Met at the airport and taken to Bodrum where we boarded our gulet. cabins were small but comfortable and the food guaranteed no one could possibly go hungry! A small group of us which gelled very quickly, helped by a common interest in history of all kinds. The itinerary was planned in such a way that each day was split into two parts. Visiting the various archiological sites and mooring in various bays for swimming or simply relaxing. The knowledge of our main guide (Filip) was simply astounding. Incredibly well read and with the ability to tell stories and answer questions making everything easily understandable and instantly formed a bond with the group. His companion, Ugur took care of the organisational side of things with an ease that ensured everything was where it should be, when it should be. And don't forget the crew of our gulet....Nothing was too much trouble for them....Well done! I could wax lyrical about the sites...The experience of being at sea when the sails were used....But, suffice to say...The whole experience was even better than the brochure said it would be. The wonderful memories of this holiday will stay in my mind forever.

Peter Sommer Travel delivered at every level. The tour went as they said it would. The logistics were handled exceptionally well and the people at head office were always available to answer any queries before the tour.

We cruised many of the large and small Dodecanese Islands - as well as Samos - examining both BC and AC archaeology and listening to the good historical summaries provided by the experts committed by Peter Sommer Travels. The captain of the gulet was also excellent and we enjoyed the chef on board and the restaurants off the boat selected by one of our expert guides. The size of the group is very important when we are travelling to learn, and a gulet means that the experience is shared with between 12 - 20 others which is perfect. A fabulous way to experience this area of deep historical significance to the world.

Everything was arranged easily and on site in Bodrum we had the mobile of one of the experts from Peter Sommer who was not only a field expert but also available to assist us as needed. It's also wonderful having your 'hotel' travelling with you - no packing and unpacking constantly.