smarTours Reviews

Name: smarTours
Address: 500 7TH AVE, 8TH FL, NEW YORK, New York
Rating: 4.42

4.4 Rating 1,661 Reviews

86 %

of reviewers recommend smarTours

4.4

Based on 1,661 reviews

Customer Service
Communication Channels	Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour
Customer Service	3.8 out of 5

About smarTours:

smarTours is a leading provider of direct-to-consumer, affordable travel experiences to exotic global destinations. The Company offers travelers curated, pre-packaged itineraries to over 50 destinations across the globe. By offering tours directly to consumers, the Company provides premium-quality experiences at value prices, and as a result, has cultivated a highly passionate and loyal community of repeat travelers. More than 200,000 travelers have taken a smarTours trip since the founding of the Company in 1996. smarTours is… the smarter way to see the world.

Phone:

800-337-7773

Email:

info@smartours.com

Location:

500 7TH AVE, 8TH FL,
NEW YORK
New York
10018

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Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Sort by: Most Recent Most Recent Highest Rated Filter: None None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“I had a wonderful time on my recent trip to Greece. I was an independent party of one within the security of a friendly tour group, a winning combination. The trip was strenuous but both tour guides, GIna for the cruise and Andros for the road trip, were patient, understanding, knowledgeable, and helpful. Food and accommodations were excellent. We saw a lot of Greece. Other tours emphasized either the islands or the mainland. We did both and even managed to avoid huge crowds on the Acropolis. I would love to do the whole thing again. A few minor glitches aside, the complicated logistics were managed well. Both guides worked hard to meet the needs of the group. Thank you for an awesome experience.”

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Posted 2 years ago

Hi Mary! Thank you for your wonderful review! If you wanted to do it all over again, we'd be happy to make that happen!

Posted 2 years ago

“We just returned from the tour Battlefields of WWI and WWII. It is an excellent tour. Our Tour Director, Thierry, was extremely knowledgeable on all the sites we visited. Also, all the local guides were excellent. The hotels were very nice, and the lunches and dinners provided were delicious. We had one slight problem at the beginning of the tour but after that, everything went like clockwork. All the included tours were very good. The countryside we drove through was beautiful and the visits to military cemeteries were very moving. This tour is a good value for the price. As far as Customer Service goes, we weren't sure if this was a definite departure date even three months prior when we made our final payment. We never received an email saying this was a definite departure. We were very happy when we finally received all our travel documents.”

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Posted 2 years ago

Thank you for your review and feedback! It was a pleasure to host you!

Posted 2 years ago

“Price was a good value, but things were not smooth. I was disallusioned during my booking process. Greece is a beautiful country and I would recommend seeing it, might be better with a different company.”

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Posted 2 years ago

“We returned from our tour toTurkey a week ago and were full of good memories about the country, Turkish people and beautiful scenery. Our local guide Aran was attentive to our needs, helped to navigate around multiple cities and provided sufficient information about the historic sites which we visited. We would recommend eliminating the lengthy trip to Ankara, as nothing was exciting to see there and add this day as free time in Istanbul. We absolutely did not have time in this fascinating city to visit the museums and places of our choice. We had a problem in Istanbul when ATM swallowed our card. Aran happened to be around and helped us to contact the bank and request that the card is canceled. we are grateful to him for his help.”

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Posted 2 years ago

Thank you for your review!

Posted 2 years ago

“Dear Smartours: I truly enjoyed the Treasures of Türkiye tour from May 4, 2022, through May 16, 2022, and I look forward to my next trip to Türkiye. All the hotels were fantastic as was the tour director (Aran) and the driver (Mehmet). Although I have a degree in history, I learned much and Aran brought Türkiye to life. The depth of Aran’s knowledge was evident when we started our tour at St. Sophia and he provided the history behind what led to building St. Sophia. The entire first day was the same: everywhere we went, Aran explained the history, answered our various questions, and the joy he had in sharing his knowledge was evident. After our first day on tour, I knew we were lucky to have Aran as our guide. Aran was patient, knowledgeable, humorous, and he was clearly proud to be Turkish. Even when things did not go according to plan or were challenging, Aran continued teaching, thinking on his feet, dealing with the challenges with humor, and making the best out of difficult situations. The two best examples of Aran’s professionalism and thinking on his feet: the House of Virgin Mary and crossing the Dardanelles. We arrived at the House of Virgin Mary concurrently with a group on pilgrimage. Aran worked with the situation and he was able to timely get our group through the home. We were scheduled to take a ferry across the Dardanelles; however, some of the tour group expressed concerns about crossing by ferry; therefore, he agreed to cross on the new bridge. However, the individuals who expressed concerns about a ferry crossing changed their minds and Aran quicky revised the schedule, again. Although the balloon ride at Cappadocia is not an “official” part of the tour, I am glad Smartours provided time to complete the balloon ride. It was one of the highlights of the trip. I look forward to my next trip to Türkiye and I hope to have Aran lead my next tour of Türkiye. Andrew”

smarTours 5 star review on 27th May 2022

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Posted 2 years ago

Thank you so much for sharing your feedback, Andrew! We are so glad that you enjoyed the trip and that our tour director, Aran, exceeded all expectations! We hope to see you on another smarTours trip soon!

Posted 2 years ago

“Everything about this experience was lacking. Absolute disaster from the pre-trip (non)communication to the final drop-off. Avoid the company. There are better options. There is nothing here anymore beyond the name of the company.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Dear Anonymous, we are so sorry to hear about your poor experience. If you feel comfortable reaching out to us at customerservice @ smartours.com, we would love to hear more about your experience so we can make improvements for future travelers.

Posted 2 years ago

“GOOD STUFF: We covered a lot of ground that we would not have been able to cover on our own. The coordination of transportation and accommodations is good. The value is good. CHALLEGES: The pre-travel communication was terrible. Customer service provided textbook answers that were already located on the web-site. The final itinerary was provided VERY late leaving little to no opportunity for seat upgrades for such a long flight. The tour guides that I have had lacked diversity and sensitivity to nonwhite audiences. The cultural experiences highlighted on the agenda for South Africa were canceled and sufficient alternatives were not provided. There seemed to be a disconnect between our guide and SmarTours because he did not have most recent agenda and opportunities were missed. And we had a lot of unnecessary downtime, especially given our stop to highlight destinations were often rushed and cut short. These are once in a lifetime opportunities and I cannot trust SmarTours with my experiences again. I missed too many opportunities on this last trip that I can never get back because of lack of organization and proper communication.”

smarTours 3 star review on 26th May 2022

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Dear Anonymous, thank you for sharing your honest feedback. We are sorry we did not live up to your expectations either prior to or during the trip. Making our tour documentation available earlier has been challenging during these covid times, as guidance changes frequently, so we have pushed our timing back on making these available. We are always looking for ways to improve our tours, so we will follow up on your feedback about the tour guide's lack of sensitivity as well as the itinerary shortcomings to see where we can make improvements for future travelers. We hope to regain your trust for a future trip with us.

Posted 2 years ago

“While Ireland is still a beautiful country, the long days of travel by bus were extremely tiring. Not enough time was given at most stops to enjoy them.”

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Posted 2 years ago

Thank you for this feedback, Linda. We appreciate feedback, both positive and constructive, as we are always looking for ways to improve. We've noted this feedback about the pacing and will keep that in mind as we review and update this itinerary.

Posted 2 years ago

“the magical ireland tour was indeed magical. the place is gorgeous. however the drawbacks were two: lack of a true tour director with updated postings and the truly poor administration of the returning covid tests have caused me to rate this tour 3 out of 5”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Thank you for your feedback, James. We've historically had great success with our driver guides in Ireland, but your feedback is noted and we are reviewing our setup. We're sorry for the poor experience with the covid return tests. This has been challenging to organize as things keep changing, but we will note your experience with our local partners to see what we can do better.

Posted 2 years ago

“Some hotels were too far out of town. Our guide Edith was great. Provided dinners and lunch were lackluster. At two dinners we were served the same entree.”

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Posted 2 years ago

Thank you for your honest feedback, David. We are always looking for ways to improve our itineraries, so the feedback on the hotels and meals is much appreciated.

Posted 2 years ago

“We were disappointed that 2 of the 3 optional tours were canceled due to lack of participation and our tour guide was not allowed to help us find substitutes. It would have been better if we had been notified of these cancellations before we departed from the USA - we were told the first day of the trip, so I know SmarTours knew in advance. Disappointing to say the least! The food in the hotel was not very good either. However, it was a great trip and our guide Diana was extremely knowledgeable and considerate.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Dear Anonymous, we are glad to hear you had a great trip, and your guide lived up to expectations. We are so sorry for the last minute cancellation of the optional tours. Sometimes it's difficult to get out ahead of the messaging when things change, and we know we fell short this time. Guides are not restricted in any way from making suggestions for free time. We will follow up to be sure that is clear for any future departures. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.

Posted 2 years ago

“Exceptional tour! Knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful tour guides.”

smarTours 5 star review on 21st May 2022

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Posted 2 years ago

We're so glad to hear you had a great experience, Karen! Thanks for sharing your wonderful photos!

Posted 2 years ago

“Great trip, and tour guide, but only fair food.”

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Posted 2 years ago

Glad to hear the trip and guide were great! Thank you for the feedback on the food - we are always looking for ways to improve.

Posted 2 years ago

“I enjoy my trip to Dubai. Please send me a broucher to my address for other trips. Thanks.”

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Posted 2 years ago

Thank you Winston!

Posted 2 years ago

“Treasures of Portugal exceeded all my expectations. Diana Graca was our tour director. Every city was rich in heritage, history and its own quaint appeal. The people of Portugal were warm and helpful. The food was delicious. Taking the extension to Azores Islands was the highlight of the trip. If you are thinking about taking this trip, please consider the Azores extension. It was like a completely different vacation from the mainland. The variety of activities was a good representation of the country, and we tracked alot of steps each day. Our group was nice and cordial and always looked out for each other. I would return to Portugal again in a heart beat. Thank you for the wonderful memories.”

smarTours 5 star review on 18th May 2022

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Posted 2 years ago

Hello Charrise! We are so glad to hear you had a wonderful experience! We hope to see you on another trip in the future!

Posted 2 years ago

“Great selection of hotels and excursions. Excellent commentary from our guide Johnathan! Small group allowed us flexibility. Great mix of wildlife, culture, and history.”

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Posted 2 years ago

Thank you for your review!

Posted 2 years ago

“From the time we hit the ground in Portugal, everything was wonderful. Mina was a great tour guide, the itinerary was just right for us and we enjoyed the beautiful country and its people. BUT we did not get the proper preparation from Smart tours. The information we were sent said after checking in and before arrival in Portugal, we needed to fill out a Portugal locator form. NOT TRUE! this form is needed AT checkin and is very difficult to fill out on your phone at the airport! This was very stressful and added over an hour to our checkin because of the problems doing this form on your phone. We are thankful for the help of the airline personnel who helped us. Without them, we may not have made our flight! All this stress could have been avoided if Smart Tours had given us the correct information before we left out house!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Thank you for your feedback, Joan! We’re very sorry for the frustration you experienced and have updated our documents based on the most up-to-date information we have. We appreciate your candid comments as we rely on travelers like you to continually improve the travel experiences we offer. We’re so happy to hear the rest of your tour in Portugal went well and that Mina was a wonderful tour director! We hope you’ll consider traveling with us again in the future!

Posted 2 years ago

“We were disappointed with the organization of the walking and motorcoach tours. One guide made us walk nearly 8 miles, with no comfort breaks or rests. Most of the participants were retired, older folks and their needs were not noticed. Several guests needed taxi rides back, at my request. Several participants got lost trying to find their way back to the bus, and boat. Walking times were much longer than the guides explained. One group of four adults demanded to turn back, because they were exhausted. I walked the whole time, but my body is paying for it now and I needed a cane by the end of the trip. We got lost at Kuchen Hof gardens, and barely made it to the bus on time. No one told us that there were two parking areas. We should have had the starting point marked on our map. The sights were great, but the walking tours should have included going inside historic places, not just walking past them. One tour guide was supposed to show us the exterior of the Anne Frank House, but never did that...which was the main attraction for me to go on the tour. Overall, directions back to the boat should have been more specific. Public transit did not end up close to the boat location. We took wrong turns and had to backtrack to get across the canal. I had high expectations, and this trip was no where near meeting them.”

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Posted 2 years ago

Hi Robyn, thank you for taking time to provide feedback. We are sorry to hear that the shore excursions did not meet your expectations and were too fast-paced. With a short amount of time and a lot to see, sometimes the guides get carried away trying to cover as much as possible. We have also addressed with our team how we can do better with this and provide clear directions for returning to the boat, and navigating the city in general, which can be stressful. We truly appreciate your feedback and please know we take comments from our travelers very seriously as we rely on feedback like yours to help us plan our future tours and update our internal processes and procedures to ensure a wonderful travel experience. We hope you’ll consider traveling with us in the future!

Posted 2 years ago

“When I called Stephanie 2 weeks before departure to ask about the Travel locator form for the Azores, she said she would get back to me.(The link did not work!) She did. While we were driving, in traffic, on our way to the airport. Too late!! The transportation was wonderful. Drives were adept and punctual! Tour guides provided lots of useful information.”

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Posted 2 years ago

Thank you for your feedback! It was a pleasure to host you!

Posted 2 years ago

“I've never joined an organized tour. But my wonderful experience has opened my eyes. The tour was packed with activities every day. Their accommodations were top-notch. The choice of restaurants and eating venues was impeccable. Tour guides were very educated and knowledgeable about practically all subjects on the tour. Most of all, connections, transfers and road trips from one town to another were seamlessly organized. All I had to do was show up. What a breeze!! Thank you smarTours and most especially to our very calm and organized tour director Claudia!”

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Posted 2 years ago

Thank you for your feedback! It was a pleasure to host you!

Posted 2 years ago

smarTours is rated 4.4 based on 1,661 reviews