Peter Sommer Travels Traveller Reviews

Having enjoyed three previous truly wonderful tours with Peter Sommer Travels, I had prepared myself to not expect too much during our two-week tour of Sicily since I did not want to be disappointed. From the onset, I realized that our fourth tour was going to be another amazingly wonderful tour experience comparable to the first three. First, the hotels were varied in type and style, but all absolutely nice places to stay (to say the least). Second, the tour content was once again a thoroughly satisfying mixture of ancient ruins, lovely landscapes, magnificent churches, fine museums, and vibrant cities. Third, the two guides (Michael Metcalfe and Lucia Iacono) were fantastic (more on them later). Fourth, the food and wine were a fabulous taste of Sicily literally and figuratively. Fourth, the 14 guests were a "self-selected" group of well educated, intelligent, travelers who sought an archeology-focused tour experience rather than a tourist vacation. And they were wonderful people with whom to be traveling. Of the 14, six of us had traveled together previously on Perter Sommer Travels tours. Fifth, given the winding mountain roads and the outrageously creative city traffic, our tour was a great success in no small part to a fabulous, careful, conscientious driver Giancarlo Gradino, who was also a most pleasant fellow traveler during the tour.

Michael Metcalfe was assisted by Lucia Iacono and the two of them were phenomenal guides/tour operators. They each had wonderful personalities and exhibited a) concern for each traveler's needs, b) patience in dealing with situations, and c) wonderful senses of humor which helped make the two-week experience truly wonderful. Given all the sites, all the ruins, all the museum exhibits, it is important to note that these two group leaders are phenomenally knowledgeable. They conveyed portions of their knowledge to us without ever talking down to us and encouraged us to ask questions if they had not touched upon some point of interest. Although their knowledge was impressive, their enthusiasm for their subjects was infectious. They really enhanced our appreciation of what we were seeing and why it was important in an historical and/or socioeconomic context.

Spring was glorious, Sicily has much more varied food than its reputation has it. Tour guides were great as were their selections of hotels, restaurants, sites & more. The occasional closed museum or missing collection (we experienced 3 to various degrees) were a disappointment, but we're learning this happens on most European tours at least once.

Thorough and customer-oriented, unlike larger operators with which we've dealt. All personnel in direct contact were polite and attentive, helpful and never misleading.

Extremely enjoyable holiday, led by very knowledgeable and engaging guides..

We have traveled with Peter Sommer Travels on three previous occasions, and have thoroughly enjoyed each experience. . The combination of beautiful and historic venues, extremely knowledgeable and personable guides, and small group size makes for a wonderful experience. We come away from the trips having learned a great deal of the history and archeology of the region, while also experiencing the bountiful local cuisine.

This was a two week tour that visited almost all of the island. It was both enjoyable & educational: there is so much more to see in Sicily than I had realised, and this trip really showed us beautiful scenery, superb cooking, fine wines, and complicated history, in addition to the famous temples & churches that I'd anticipated. Our guides were excellent - a great combination of local & historical knowledge and careful organisation.

A small operator that provides holidays with great archaeological & historical content, in addition to showcasing the very best of local produce - small scale hotels, visiting wineries, tasting speciality foods & eating at fine restaurants.

Week long gullet cruise from Bodrum to Ephesus featuring archaeological tours each day. Guides included native Turk for cultural interpretation and a PhD archaeologist specializing in the history of the region. Four native crew were wonderful.

Peter Somers had done good research on the route, boat crew, cultural activities, cuisine to ensure a pleasant, relaxing and educational trip.

The Peter Sommers Walking and Cruising the Lycian Shore Tour was an unbelievable first rate experience that my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed. We are especially appreciative of the expertise and amazing storytelling of our fantastic guides. Their vast knowledge brought Turkish history alive for us and it was exciting to visit historical sites. The combination of cultural/historical visits, the breathtaking scenery and the gulet experience was simply amazing and exceeded our expectations in every way. This was a trip of a lifetime and we would definitely tour again with Peter Sommers Tours again.

Peter Sommers was outstanding. His expertise and knowledge was amazing. The tour went absolutely flawless from start to finish and all logistics were well taken care of and everything was seamless. We appreciated the expert crew and service on the gulet and the care that was taken to create beautiful and delicious meals.

This was our second gulet cruise with Peter Sommer Travels. Complete relaxation on board the gulet with comfortable accommodation, very attentive crew, good freshly prepared local food, swimming in secluded bays and the company of a small group of interesting international travellers. But what makes a Peter Sommer holiday stand out is the opportunity to visit both well known and little visited archeological sites with a knowledgeable local guide and an enthusiastic historian.

The tours are well planned and organised and as this is a small family business we received personal attention both before and after the holiday.

My husband and I took a two-week cruise with Peter Sommer Travel beginning September 18 and returning October 3. In the intimate setting of a Turkish gulet, we swept up the Turkish coast (ancient Caria), visiting seldom-visited spots, culminating with the much-visited Ephesus.The focus of the tour was classical archaeology and we had a first-rate practicing archaeologist on board to explain in considerable detail the history of the various sites. Not only did he open our eyes to the history of this coast, but I left feeling that I understood some of the challenges facing archaeologists today. Of course there was ample time for more relaxing-type fun as well. We were wined and dined in style three times per day, consistently regaled with several different fresh vegetables from the region to accompany splendid main courses. The other travelers were loads of fun and the regional guide, a native Turk, ensured that everything went like clock-work from the land transport, restaurants on land, to making available swimming and hiking equipment. It is truly a luxury, when traveling as far afield as Turkey, to be able to ignore all the details and simply enjoy the sights! This is the second Peter Sommer tour we've taken (in a row). I'm sure another one is in our future!

Peter Sommer Travel excursions are unique in their focus, I believe. Learning in an appropriate cultural context is central to Peter Sommer's vision of a good holiday. They employ highly qualified archaeologists who are also capable of explaining in lay persons' terms the beauty and historical import of the ruins and sites they select. Both tours we have been on have provided a perfect blend of walking/site-seeing and more relaxed fun. Peter Sommer Tours pays close attention to getting the logistics of travel perfect. The experience of the traveler is one of pure and seamless enjoyment and I have rarely eaten so well. They highlight regional specialties and local produce. The company also pays close heed to sustainable and responsible travel. Both of our trips (both to Turkey) have been absolutely memorable. Bravo Peter Sommer Travel!

This was a great combination of cruising the Carian coast of Turkey and walking in the coastal hills. We visited many remote ancient sites and our guide (and owner) was extremely personable and informative. It was well organized and things went along smoothly despite having to adjust the itinerary on occasion because of weather conditions. Special care was taken to ensure that everyone was looked after especially when the terrain was uneven and rocky. Gem our aptly named local guide was always there on our walks to make sure none of us got lost. The Captain and his crew were very friendly and helpful, and it was obvious that the Captain himself was very experienced and capable. Lastly the food was always excellent with lots of local wine. A very enjoyable and informative week.

Our tour operator "Peter Somner Travels" was excellent. It was easy to book and pay. All appropriate information was provided upfront ( and additional reading recommendations ) and we were able to follow our instructions easily. Pickup and transfer from the airport was flawless, as was the transport to the airport at the end of the trip. The principle of our tour group Peter Somner was actually with us and we were kept well informed of all aspects of our trip throughout the week. Overall organization was excellent courtesy of Mr Somner, along with Gem our local guide, and the Captain who was obviously extremely experienced and capable .

We went on a "Walking and Cruising the Carian Shore" holiday with Peter Sommer Travel, the archaeological travel specialists. The cruising part involved gulet cruising between Marmaris and Bodrum via various archaeological sites along the Carian Shore, and the walking part involved walks along sections of the recently completed Carian Coastal Path taking in both beautiful scenery and some wonderful, little explored ancient sites. We were accompanied not only by an excellent gulet crew, but also by Peter Sommer himself, a hugely experienced archaeologist, and a very charming and knowledgeable local expert. The trip was even more enjoyable than we had anticipated, helped by the beautiful scenery, the comfortable gulet, the good food and the company of like-minded fellow travellers.

Peter Sommer Travel excelled themselves in the efficiency of all their preparations for the trip. It seemed that they had overlooked nothing, and both Peter Sommer himself and his local archaeological guide went out of their way to ensure that everyone's needs were met, and that we all enjoyed ourselves as much as possible and left both charmed and fascinated by what we had seen.