Gate1

10 day tour of Greece. Santorini, Mykonos & Athens. First, sorry Gate 1 about the low score. The tour people and hotels were actually good. The reason for the low score is that on my first night of the trip I had a very bad experience. We were in Santorini (Absolutely gorgeous place !) Nothing was on the agenda for the first night, so I buddied up with another woman travelling alone and were so excited about being in Greece we decided to go out for drinks and see some of the town. Well, long story short one of the locals that befriended us put something in my drink. I remember feeling drunk and then the next thing I knew I was waking up the next morning in some kind of dormitory across town. Apparently after the drug had started taking effect, he became systematically rude and mean to my fellow traveler, basically intimidating her until he coerced her to leave. She told me felt really badly about the whole thing and had gone back looking for me but it had been too late. While I was passed out I was abducted and taken to the other side of the Island where God only knows what they did to me. They were careful enough to not leave bruises or any signs of abuse. Even at the time, I did not have the impression that I was raped, as I believe there would be physical signs of that. But clearly, I was abducted for a nefarious purpose, probably to be used as a play thing for a large group of young males. I was abruptly dumped off on the steps of my hotel the following morning barely able to find my room because I was sick to my stomach from the drug I had been given. I could not eat the whole next day and into the night in my room not able to leave even for meals. This took place in either 2008 & 2009. I never reported this to the authorities. I think I wanted to forget that it even happened. It took me 6 months to finally tell a fiend about it and am finally writing about it now because I realize he had clearly done it before and likely would again. He had the cooperation of the bartender as well. I just felt I should post this to warn other female travelers. Maybe he has already been caught. I am very sure I would be able to identify him.

So I just want to start off by saying… if i could give zero stars, i definitely would! DON’T EVER BOOK ANY GATE 1 TRAVEL DEALS ON GROUPON. There’s always a reason why these deals are so cheap, you get what you pay for. In july, I came across an awesome deal for 7 days/​5 nights in Dubai. As a world travel connoisseur, you can imagine I was quite intrigued and eager to book the trip. I purchased the Groupon deal and called Gate 1 to redeem my vouchers. The guy who helped book my trip told me that I wouldn’t get direct flights with this package, I wasn’t happy about it, but figured I had to make some kind of sacrifice for price. He then went on to tell me that my layovers in between flights would be at most 1 – 2 hrs each way, I began to think, OK this won’t be too bad. Well… what happened next was not what I expected. I received emails from Gate 1 about schedule changes and didn’t notice them until months later, I thought they may have just been errors or a glitch in their system. Being as the person I booked the trip with didn’t mention any of this and this was my first time booking with this company. Now, here I am a few days away from traveling, I printed out my travel documents and to my surprise. .I have an 8 hr layover in between my flights going to Dubai. I’m set to leave NY at 1025am on Tuesday and won’t arrive in Dubai until 640pm on Wednesday, that’s a day and a half of being in an airport and on a plane. this is CRAZY! !!! I immediately, called the travel agency (Gate 1), they told me they sent me 9 emails about schedule changes and the 9^th one I «approved». First of all, I don’t recall them sending that many emails. If I received 3, that was a lot. Secondly, I would have NEVER approved an 8hr layover. Seriously, who would??? So at this point Trish the travel agent told me there’s nothing they can do, my flights are non-​refundable, so if I change my flight, that’s more money out of my pocket. UNBELIEVABLE! I told her, that’s great, because at this point, I would NEVER use this company to book any future travel arrangements, nor would I EVER use Groupon to purchase a vacation. Vacationers beware!!! If it sounds to good to be true, that’s because it is.

Just returned from China with Gate 1, had a wonderful time Aw-​wan our travel manager was great knowledgeable and kind. China is amazing! We are booking another tour next time maybe Peru. Beverly B

I just returned from a trip to Iceland and I can’t wait go back! This was my second trip with Gate1 (Ireland 2013). Once again they provided me with wonderful accommodations and a great guide.
To begin the hotel was in the city center, close to all the shops and restaurants. It was clean and perfectly suited our needs.
The planned activities were amazing! We saw waterfalls, volcanos and glaciers. The northern lights were the highlight of the trip and s once in a lifetime opportunity.
I cannot say enought amazing things about Iceland and Gate1. I’m so happy with my experience I’ve already booked another trip ro Longon in the fall!

I just returned from a 10 day trip to Costa Rica (Tortuguero, Arenal, Monteverde). It was incredible! I went on the tour by myself and met some really fantastic people. Our tour guide, Manfred, was excellent. His knowledge of the wildlife, history, and culture of Costa Rica was so broad and I feel like I learned so much while having tons of fun! He was also very considerate of all of us and check in on the bus rides to make sure everyone was okay, and always had answers to any of our obscure questions. It’s a truly unique experience to get so close to all of the wildlife there. I also really enjoyed visiting a local rural school through the Gate1 Foundation and interacting with the students and teachers there; it was a great, feel-​good afternoon. Costa Rica is a beautiful country, and going with Gate1 gave me an experience that most people do not get going by themselves. Pura vida!

Just got back from a Gate 1 tour of Vietnam. It was a great time, loved the people, countryside, cities and the FOOD. Silk prices were fantastic. One word of advice… when you see something you like buy it, it may not be available at the next town. For the first time ever the clients were on time for each stage of the tour. The guide (Tuyen) had emphasized the importance of punctuality and everyone listened!
We got there a day early and a Gate 1 rep met us at the airport and transported us to our hotel. This was the low point for a couple of reasons. One, the hotel was older and a little tawdry, it was also located on a street where public transportation was being constructed. Noisy. Two, I fell ill on the journey over and upon arrival at the hotel my husband had to contact Gate 1 for medical assistance. The low point was becoming ill the high point was the concern of the Gate 1 employee. I was taken to a International Clinic and treated thoroughly and well by the staff. Luckily it was nothing serious and after a day and a half of rest I was up and running.
The tours were all interesting and the local people we encountered along the way friendly. Tuyen had warned us about pickpocket scams and we were prepared for their shenanigans when we encountered them. There were 4 birthdays celebrated on this trip and everyone of us was singled out by Gate 1 and the hotels with flowers and a cake. Very nice touch.
Again our traveling companions were some of the best and we’ve again made friends that will add to our travel destinations this summer. There were a few folks on the tour who were rude and hogged seats, this caused a ruckus on the bus one day but Tuyen handled the situation. Whenever we start a tour we look around at our companions and wonder how it’s going to go… every time we find new friends. One of the joys of traveling.

I just returned from the 5-​day Machu Picchu Tour Group with my boyfriend; we had a fantastic time! This was my second trip with Gate 1. I also went on the 8-​day trip to South Africa back in November 2014. The trip to Peru was a bit more guided, but in this case we liked that being that we were only there for a few days. Our tour guides, Raul and Marcial did a wonderful job at keeping us on schedule and moving us to place to place in order to be able to explore as much as possible in a short amount of time. I also really liked that the tour guides were always readily available to offer us information about the area, even when we at leisure days. I would recommend Gate 1 Travel to everyone, especially this particular trip!!!

Amazing India trip! This is our fourth trip with Gate 1 (Ireland 2013, China & Croatia in 2014 and now India 2015). We also have already booked Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Each trip has been different and amazing in its own way, but each was punctuated by one thing: Fantastic guides.
This trip to India was made so much better by having Anurag as our guide. His knowledge seemed endless and his sense of humor kept our group in the best of spirits (even at ungodly hours!!). We have rarely met someone who knew the answer to EVERY question raised! Based on this trip and Anurag’s tireless ability to share with us, we would highly recommend this tour to friends.
That being said, we must also applaud our guide in Croatia and Slovenia, Jasmina. She, too, had a wealth of knowledge and good cheer to spread among the group. Our travels down the Istrian Peninsula (and back), along the Dalmation Coast, through Montenegro and then back up into Slovenia required some very long hours. Jasmina’s continued good cheer, amazing smile and incredible patience were to be lauded. Her rule that anyone late for the bus had to sing for the group made us move like a well-​oiled machine! At the end of the day when we were all collapsing, she was still going strong preparing us for the next! Amazing!
Not to be overlooked, our guide in China, Stone, was also a gift to be cherished. He made us all feel like a part of «Stone’s Family» (or as we called ourselves Sly and the Family Stone). His knowledge of Chinese history, lore and culture made this a trip to remember. Climbing the Great Wall, Stone kept us all moving, learning and laughing. This is where we learned the motto: Gate 1: More for less. Sleep! An amazing guide through an amazing country.

CHINA — Beijing, X’ian, Shanghai
AVOID THIS TOUR
I want to start this with a WARNING about scams in China. Do you research. Several on our tour got scammed by the «Tea Room Scam». A nice young couple pretending to be college students visiting Shanghai, did you want to go with them to a famous «tea ceremony» at a local tea shop. There is the hot girl who chats up guys in a bar. The tea rooms, bars are in on the scam. Don’t count on the cops to help you, they are getting paid off as well to turn a blind eye. You can Google the many scams before your trip, but just remember, don’t go with anyone, anywhere in China. There are too many scams to mention.
This is a low-​class tour and what everyone dreads on a tour. We did the Beijing, X’ian, Shanghai tour. This is fine is you want a cheap trip just to say you’ve been to China. Other than that, ¹⁄₃ of the trip is spent taking you to touristy shopping places and spending literally an hour or more at each. Do you want to buy jade, a rug, pearls… And the places are spots ONLY the tour buses stop at so the prices are jacked up. It’s a complete waste of time. It’s the same stuff and same price they are selling at the hotels you are staying in so you could easily shop at the gift shop. First, the section of the Great Wall you go to is filled with tour buses. You get to hike up this small part of the wall with the other people in the other 100 tour buses, go to the top, take a picture, and hike down. You have an hour and then it’s back on the bus. It’s was horrible and I felt like I didn’t see the real great wall. This area was strictly for tour groups. It’s very, very crowded. Of course at the bottom, the hundreds of vendors selling you magnets that say you climbed the Great Wall. During the time on the bus, they don’t tell you about anything you are passing, they talk about themselves, their lives in China (how wonderful it is), and what you are going to see next. In the meantime, you are going past all these interesting buildings and parks and monuments and have no idea what they are. You can’t interrupt the guide because they do not take a breath. They have their lines memorized in English and it’s non-​stop yapping until you get to your destination. The hotel in Beijing is WAY outside the city in a residential neighborhood so you will not even see the actual city of Beijing at all. The hotel in X’ian was fine but nothing to do anywhere near it. No where to walk except to a street filled with street vendors. The lady tour guide we got in X’ian had the most annoying high-​pitched nasally voice and did not stop talking for a solid hour as we went to the Terra Cotta Army. People were actually putting on their headphones just to drown her voice out. And she was talking about how wonderful her life in China was again. The hotel in Shanghai is way over by the shopping district and a very long cab ride to the Bund or anywhere else you want to go. If you actually want to see Shanghai, you have to miss something from the tour (you have to pretend to have a stomach ache or they insist you go) and go on your own. The worst part with groups like this is you have to go to these places that take tour buses to eat. They have no ambiance at all, rush you in and out, and everyone has to eat the same food at these huge tables. We at the EXACT same meals at every place we went. In X’ian, it is located where you have to walk through these big mall type places (more shopping) to even get to the restaurant located in the mall. It just got really tiresome. It’s all about doing whatever they can to milk the tourists to buy things. You are not traveling with the highest class of people either, as you would expect with the low cost of this trip. Spend a bit more and go with a classier outfit and pay attention to where the hotels are located.

Just returned from an 8-​day Classic Greece tour with Gate 1. One of my friends from college had recommended the site to me and I was always reluctant to take escorted tours. This was such an amazing eye-​opening experience to be traveling through a country with such knowledgeable and friendly Gate 1 staff throughout our trip. Our tour guide, Yiannis, was just perfect. His passion for what he does truly comes through and I learned so much about Greek history as a bonus. The sightseeing and the hotels were fabulous. Thank you, Gate 1, for such a memorable vacation. Already planning our next trip and I would definitely recommend the site to anyone I know.

Went to Morocco with Gate 1 their tour guide Leila was phenomenal. Had an amazing experience. They helped organize my trip to capture the full essence of Moroccan culture.

Gate 1 Travel provided us with an exceptional adventure to Greece in October. Every guide was superb, especially those hired to do the additional tours we requested. Logistics went like clockwork, hotels were great, breakfasts wonderful. We especially appreciated that Gate 1Travel arranged for us to have a hotel room at the Athens airport to rest in between our 9am arrival in Athens and late afternoon departure for Santorini. That was above and beyond what we expected and made all the difference in our travel and jet lag recovery. What a thoughtful gesture to tired travellers. Anyone else would have just left us sitting in the Athens airport for 6 hours. We are committed Gate 1 fans and eagerly look forward to our next adventure with this fabulous company!

4 stars plus
What a wonderful trip to Europe. Had an amazing guide, Daniel, who was so knowledgeable and kind. The trip was well organized and optional tours were good. The services were handled professionally and it was everything that I expected. Loved the Danube cruise, especially the food.
Will look again to Gate 1 for future travels.