VIAKU - Curated Travel Experiences

Fantastic experience: Karen at Viaku Travel has planned two epic trips for our family. Their networks for accommodations and tours are second to none and her sense for how to build an itinerary that works for all ages and interests is impeccable. We can’t wait to plan our next vacation through Viaku and recommend this business to all of our friends.

Fantastic experience: We utilized Viaku for our honeymoon. It was the best experience. We had lots of ideas and no direction. Karen helped us from start to finish. She took the time to get to know us and how we like to spend our time on vacation and came up with a few different options. This allowed us to narrow our search and look into 3 different places for our special vacation. We took a few days to weigh our options and made a decision. After that, Karen curated our entire vacation, checking in with us periodically. We had an outstanding time. She put things on our itinerary that we would never have known to look for. Every hotel we stayed in was incredible. Every excursion we went on was an experience of a lifetime. We loved every minute of our honeymoon and will not hesitate to use Viaku in the future. Karen, Thank you so much for the care-free, incredible, once in a lifetime, vacation to the Yucatan Peninsula.

Fantastic experience: My family was unexpectedly stranded for 2 days in Paris due to a delayed flight, which led to a missed connection. Karen worked tirelessly to salvage our Norwegian vacation. She was immediately accessible when we reached out from the Paris airport, speaking (in French) to the Delta agent and trying to rebook. When it was clear we were not getting out that night, she secured a delightful hotel in an wonderful location in Paris and recommended an excellent nearby restaurant. Every element of the trip to Norway had to be rescheduled, and because of availability issues, some had to be changed and we had to be re-routed. Karen worked around the clock to get that done, providing frequent updates and welcome assurance. The outcome was superb due to the tremendous amount of work and tenacity by Karen. Truly, this is why you book trips using a travel agent, and this is why you should book using THIS TRAVEL AGENT. Karen saved our vacation and we are so grateful.

Fantastic experience: My husband and I worked with Karen to plan a trip to Mexico in 2022 and to say it was the most amazing experience would be an understatement! We originally planned a trip to Iceland, but had to cancel due to the pandemic. We reached out to Karen in Summer in 2021 looking to travel again, but honestly felt a little overwhelmed with all of the options. We had a phone call with Karen and gave her an idea of what type of vacation we were looking for. Karen recommended Mexico and helped us align on Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Merida and it was EXACTLY what we were looking for! We stayed in the most amazing and beautiful hotels, and got to experience things in Mexican culture that we definitely would not have been able to do without Karen. Our favorite activities were a walking food tour in Mexico City (we walked around Colonia Roma in Mexico City with our private guide, learning about the history of area and stopping at 6 restaurants to try the different cuisines from around Mexico), a private cooking class in Oaxaca (We met the chef at his restaurant, walked to the market with him and picked out ingredients, and then learned to cook a number of Mexican dishes with him in his kitchen. It was some of the best food we've had!), and then a tour to Uxmal and Cenote swimming in Merida (I cannot put into words how cool this was). At each city, we were met by our driver who picked us up and escorted us to our hotel and then later met our bilingual guide who escorted us around to our activities. We really liked that we had the same driver and guide in each city because we felt like we got to know them a little and learn more about the areas vs. if we just had a one-time guide. I also really appreciated this because I felt like I wasn't at all worried about how I would get around, how would I communicate with my limited Spanish, etc. I know those are small details, but it really put me at ease for the entire trip. Finally, while in Mexico, we had a contact that we could reach out to if we had any issues (my husband got a migraine on one day, and Monika offered to have medicines sent to our hotel or get us set up with a doctor's appointment, if he needed one). Karen also made sure we had all documentation we would need to get into Mexico and that we understood COVID protocols so we could get back into the country. We loved every aspect of our trip and will absolutely be looking to work with Karen again. We cannot recommend her enough.

Fantastic experience: If you want to take a trip that will exceed your expectations in every way, I suggest you plan it with Karen from VIAKU. We have been working with Karen for a few years now and she most recently planned a spectacular family trip for us to Montana and Wyoming. She listens to exactly what you are looking for, makes unique recommendations, and plans down to every last detail. Every interaction with Karen is a pleasure and we look forward to benefitting from her extensive travel expertise on all of our future vacations.

Fantastic experience: Karen makes it so much easier to travel. Instead of spinning my wheels deciding on a place and then doing months of research, I can chat and email with Karen and pretty soon the decisions are settled and the details are amazing. You know that you are going to have a good trip. She chooses places with good track records/reviews and comes up with activities you didn't even know you should do. She sends you packing lists, and makes sure all of the documents are ready. Her travel app has all of the details you'll need (how much to tip, what to bring each day, etc) so you don't have to worry about the logistics on your trip. We'll never travel without Karen's help again. She helped us plan a trip to Costa Rica pre-pandemic, a trip to Utah mid-pandemic, and just planned a trip to Spain for this coming Spring. She helps you figure out all of the covid details now too. I couldn't imagine traveling without her expertise.

Fantastic experience: I have worked with Karen Listgarten for a couple of my travel experiences. My most recent one was a trip to Cancun where I needed to use up a travel credit. She asked me questions on what I was looking for and helped me find the perfect adventure. Karen was excellent with communication pre-during and post. She helped make sure I had all of my travel requirements as well as Covid certificate and attestations. She is a trusted professional who I would definitely work with in the future!

Fantastic experience: Karen is an excellent travel professional. Very knowledgeable about her clients needs and she works hard to deliver a great travel experience. Very responsive to all inquiries...small and large.

Fantastic experience: Hands down the best travel agent one can ask for! I have traveled to many countries both independently and with my husband and kids and have never had issue planning trips for ourselves. This time was different. This time I had to throw my hands up and give someone else a shot at planning our vacation. Life was busy. Work was busy. COVID was real and questions were many. Karen was amazing during the planning, answered questions during the trip and teamed up with us to help resolve issues we faced after our trip which really she could've have walked away from. In the end, our trip was one of our best and we have Karen and Viaku to thank. I will be working with Karen on every trip moving forward....no hesitation.

Fantastic experience: Exceptional and personable!!

Fantastic experience: We could not have made this family trip happen without Karen's expert assistance. We are 100% satisfied. Well worth the investment

Fantastic experience: Viaku takes care of all your needs, of course. Also, all your dreams and whims. If you have a yearning to do something special, Karen will make it happen. Highly, highly recommended for domestic and international travel.

Fantastic experience: Very detailed, organized, and personable.

Fantastic experience: Karen at Viaku did an excellent job of taking our wish list and coming up with recommendations for a fabulous family trip (15 of us) to Ireland and Northern Ireland

Fantastic experience: Viaku organized our family trip to the PyeongChang winter olympics and Japan, exceling in all our expectations and taking care of every detail to perfection.

Fantastic experience: Very personalized service and knowledge of our destination. Recommended!