Kimkim Trip Reviews for Chile

We really enjoyed our 6 day trip to Santiago, the Atacama Desert, and Mendoza, Argentina. All the hotels we stayed in were wonderful, all of the guides were great. In Atacama, we really enjoyed seeing volcanoes, geysers, beautiful mountains. We had a private Astrology tour of the heavens, absolutely amazing. Our guide, Katrina, was so knowledgeable and excited to share her knowledge and interest in the stars. Now I can find Scorpio and the Southern Cross! Just be sure to bring really warm clothes. The desert gets very cold at night. Our driver and guide, Cote, actually gave me the coat off his back when he saw how cold I was, and had me keep it for a day before he picked it up at our hotel. So kind!
Francisco and Pam were great at helping us pick from all the great tours, since we had limited time. They reminded us of when we would be picked up, made suggestions for restaurants, picked great neighborhoods for hotels, and lined up all of our transportation needs. Definitely a start to finish complete package. I just wish we had planned a longer trip, Next time!

My husband and I decided to use KimKim to help plan our honeymoon to Chile, and we are glad we did! We have never used a service like this before, and with all of the tasks of wedding planning figured it would be very helpful. Camilla was wonderful in helping us to plan the itinerary, including hotels, excursions, and drivers. We loved the initial questionnaire where we gave some guidance on what we were looking for (adventure, seeing many parts of the country, the types of hotels we were looking for etc.), and we were able to communicate over several weeks with some changes that created the best personalized itinerary for us. Camilla was helpful, responsive, and patient through it all. One of the most helpful parts of KimKim was the whatsapp group that was created the day before our trip, where we could message anytime with questions/ changes, and we got a response within minutes. This was particularly helpful when we inevitably had some flight delays (12 flights total!) that impacted our next stop, and Camilla and associates were able to make the changes quickly. We also loved the travel voucher (itinerary) that was sent to us with all of our excursions, hotels, dates, and flights that we are able to pass on to family members who were curious about where we were/ what we were up to. Having shuttles/ private drivers arranged through KimKim was so useful, making us feel safe that it was pre-arranged through a reputable company. As it was our honeymood, Camilla and her team planned a couple of special things for us that we really appreciated! We would absolutely use KimKim again and recommend it to others.

There are very little changes we would make, after now going through it all, to the itinerary, and here are our reviews:

San Pedro de Atacama (3 nights):
Hotel Domos San Pedro - quiet, safe, welcoming, unique place to stay, had all of your basic needs. A short 10 minute walk to "downtown"
Tours - Astronomical tour, Valle de la luna, Tatio Geysers, Salt flats (would recommend them all)

Punta Arenas (1 night):
Hotel Boutique La Yegua Loca - the CUTEST hotel there is. Friendly, welcoming staff, this place has tons of character, beautiful rooms, and the best breakfast we had the whole trip.

Puerto Natalas (2 nights):
AKA Patagonia (hotel) - this was a unique place to stay 10 minute drive outside of the town. We would only recommend with a rental car as the hotel is out of the catchment of tour pick ups, and there are no staff on site to support with calling taxis.
Tours - grey glacier, Torres del Paine national park panoramic tour (would recommend both)
Local Guide: Jose Luis - Jose was perhaps the best part of booking through KimKim. He was a fantastic tour guide, very knowledgeable on our private Torres del Paine tour, very kind and welcoming, and went out of his way to support us through our time here. We arrived to AKA Patagonia and the hotel staff had not sent us our check in code (no staff on site/ they sent it 4 hours after check in time), but Jose was able to call them and support with our check in. He went out of his way to help us call taxis at all hours (as we do not speak Spanish), and gave incredible recommendations for places to eat. Thank you Jose! You have made our trip so memorable.

Santiago (2 nights):
Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa - our favourite hotel... the location, dining, character was all fantastic! even the smell of the hotel was amazing! This is where we would stay if we went back to Santiago
Tours: food tour, winery tour/ Valpariso with our fantastic guide Angel and his wife/ driver Jenny who made accessing all of the stops on the food tour seamless. Angel was knowledgeable and very friendly, thank you!

Rapa Nui (3 nights):
Hotel Gomero - very friendly, safe, loved the pool, a short 10-15 minute walk to downtown that did not feel too far
Tours - Full day Rano Raraku and Anakena beach (would recommend), half day Orongo Volcano (would recommend), half day Ahu Akivi and Tahai tour (felt it was not needed with the other two tours, and would have preferred a half day at the beach instead)

Santiago (1 night):
Hotel NH Santiago - comfortable, clean, good food however we loved our other hotel in Santiago so much we had wished we went back there (Camilla did recommend this however we asked to switch to be in walking distance of the Cerro San Cristobal, which we did appreciate when we were there).

Thank you for a fantastic trip KimKim!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Gomero

Hanga Roa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa

Santiago

5 stars all around! Fantastic restaurant and breakfast (included), amazing character and room size. Great location. The place even smelled great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Ciudad de Santiago

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique La Yegua Loca

Punta Arenas

The cutest hotel we have ever been to! So much character, great view, the best breakfast we had on our whole trip!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Domos San Pedro

San Pedro de Atacama

Friendly + welcoming, has basic needs. Not luxury but quite comfortable. Breakfast was good! About a 10 minute walk to the main street

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AKA Patagonia

Puerto Natales

Unique stay and experience. There are no staff on site, they provide check in codes via WhatsApp. Our was not sent until 4 hours after check in/ there was no response from staff until this time, however our local guide (not through the hotel) was able to contact the staff to get us checked in. Would recommend only with a rental car as it is out of catchment for tour pick ups, and we did not speak spanish for calling taxis. Taxis were quite quick and reliable though!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Tour Orongo Volcano

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grey Glacier Round Trip Navigation

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Easter Island! - Transfer to the hotel

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Good Bye Easter Island - Flight to Santiago

Chile

Driver was 30 minutes late, but KimKim staff were great at helping us get in contact with him! And the delay did not impact our travels. Thank you!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park - Panoramic Tour

Chile

Our guide, Jose Luis, was incredible! Request to book with him!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Magdalena Island - Penguin Encounter Half Day Tour

Chile

N/A - excursion was cancelled but wished we could do it!

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Laguna Cejar, Ojos del Salar y Laguna Tebiquinche

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chilean Food Tour & Picnic with a View of Santiago

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rano Raraku Volcano & Anakena White Sand Beach

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Tatio Geysers - Morning Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

An early start but worth it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ahu Akivi & Tahai - Visit a Ceremonial Site

Easter Island

Fantastic tour, but felt it was not necessary with the other 2 amazing ones we did. Wished we spent a half day at the beach instead

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting, Valparaiso and Viña del Mar- Private Tour

Chile

Would absolutely recommend travelers get out of Santiago to see the wine region. We wish we did more of this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angel and team fantastic!
Franchesca was great too.
Hotel Gormero - a bit dated but the beautiful lush grounds with warm and super helpful staff more than made up for it.
The only disappointment was not seeing any fish on our snorkeling excursion.

I recently had the pleasure of embarking on a remarkable adventure to Santiago, Chile and Rapa Nui (Easter Island), traveling with my mom. Our local specialist, Riwal, was a pleasure to work with from start to finish. We received impeccable service while crafting our personalized itinerary and every detail was seen to through our travels. Our questions were answered thoroughly and promptly and Riwal ensured our every need was met while we were traveling. We could not have asked for a better local specialist. We also loved our tour guide in Santiago, Angel, and his team, made our visit very special. Angel consistently went above and beyond to make our experience extra special. He was very flexible in crafting our tours to our needs and interests. He was extraordinarily helpful in answering our questions, giving us tips and advise and even going out of his way to stop at a local craft market when we asked if there was one close by. Our food tour, trip to the market and our picnic was simply unforgettable! Angel's expertise and efforts made our trip extremely memorable and I cannot recommend him more highly. Finally, in Rapi Nui we cannot say enough about the Celebrate with the Locals experience, which was a sunset dinner on the beach prepared by a local family. We truly felt like part of the family and the food was incredible! You cannot miss this experience! Overall, we had a delightful trip and are happy with the service we received from KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

ICON Hotel

Santiago

Nice hotel, very clean with nice amenities. The staff is helpful. I appreciated that you can pay to check in very early in the morning and also to stay very late, if needed. It is helpful with the timing of international flights. The food and atmosphere in the rooftop restaurant is good and the drinks are also great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Unknown - we were picked up for all of our tours

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Gomero

Hanga Roa

The hotel is a bit dated but the owners and staff more than make up for it. They truly go above and beyond in their helpfulness and kindess.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day tour - The Seven Explorers

Easter Island

Interesting tour. Tour guide was knowledgeable and helpful in answering questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chilean Food Tour & Picnic with a View of Santiago

Santiago

Awesome tour! One of the top highlights of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kari Kari Cultural Show and Dinner

Easter Island

Fun, local experience. Dinner was good. Appreciated having a front row seat and that the tickets included a drink.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

N/A no guides or drivers included

Transport

N/A no transportation included

Snorkeling Tour in Easter Island

Easter Island

Unfortunately, we did not enjoy this experience. There were literally no sea life to see on this snorkeling tour, which really defeats the purpose of snorkeling. We stayed only in one spot rather than trying to go to another location which may have had something to see. Disappointing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Celebrate with the Locals – Typical Food and Music from the Island

Easter Island

We loved this experience. Truly a local experience involving an entire local family. We felt very welcomed and part of their family. They really went above and beyond and the food was incredible! The view was lovely.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to Cajón del Maipo: excursion to Embalse El Yeso from Santiago

Chile

Enjoyable and interesting experience. Beautiful views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was fantastic and was also very helpful

Transport

We had a fantastic week exploring Chile's lake district, Santiago, Valparaiso, and wine country. The process of working with Marcela to plan our hotels, activities, transfers, guides, etc was so easy. We gave her a brief idea of where we wanted to spend our time, as well as what kinds of activities we enjoy, and she did a fantastic job creating our itinerary. It was nice to have a knowledgable guide, from the area, give recommendations on hotels and activities, as well as line up drivers and guides. We enjoyed our time with Matisse in Vicente Perez Rosales National Park, had a blast river rafting on the Petrohué River and loved exploring Valparaiso with Soli. We highly recommend hiring Marcela to assist with planning an unforgettable visit to Chile.

My parents came to visit me in Chile and even though I know the country very well, I had no idea how to plan day trips and car transportation for us. Kimkim came to our rescue, as they have done for our holiday adventures in many other countries.

We had a wonderful experience in Chile with the help of Kim-Kim. Camila was our host and she suggested some wonderful day trips. We really got to experienceChilean cuisine, history., and the wonderful people in Santiago, Valparaiso , and Vina Del Mar.
A standing ovations to our guides, Alex, Pablo, Sebastian, and Angel. Camila and her team were responsive to our needs and questions. Coming to Chile for the first time, we were a little nervous and anxious. Camila and her team really put our minds at ease. We were totally relaxed and felt well cared for. Gracias Camila!!!
Alan y Regina Osofsky

Activity Reviews

Visit to Quintessence Alpaca Farm

Chile

The Alpaca farm visit was a standout during our trip. The journey to the farm, despite some car sickness, was enjoyable with our driver and guide, Angel. Upon arrival, the owner, Mary, welcomed us warmly, and it felt like visiting an old friend. The entire experience was so much fun and left a lasting impression.

Local Markets and Cooking Class in Valparaiso

Chile

The Local Markets and Cooking Class in Valparaiso with Sebastian was a great experience. Starting with selecting fresh ingredients at the Mercado, followed by an exciting bus ride in Santiago, and then a hike to the hilltop house for cooking. The food was just incredible, and the whole experience made us feel like locals.

Street Art Tour

Chile

The Street Art Tour was fascinating, with Alex providing rich insights about the area. We admired the street art and graffiti, and appreciated Alex's flexibility in allowing us a lunch break and later picking us up.

Marcela did an amazing job of planning our family trip to Chile! Prior to the trip, she worked with us on making itinerary choices and was very responsive in answering questions. Marcela was in touch throughout the trip and even proactively rearranged the itinerary based on the weather forecast.

We visited Santiago, Atacama and Puerto Varas over 10 days. The local guides in each destination were friendly, knowledgeable and reliable. Transfers were smooth. Atacama is breathtaking and offers many unique experiences. While we didn't encounter many other families, we found the activities very family-friendly (worth mentioning most days were very early starts). Puerto Varas was beautiful as well, a little more laid back than Atacama.

Thank you Marcela!

Hotel Reviews

NH Ciudad de Santiago

Santiago

Hotel Poblado Kimal

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cabaña Del Lago Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Santiago City Tour - Private

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Had a wonderful time in Chile from Santiago to the Atacama desert to Patagonia. Camila was very attentive and extremely patient. She was also very responsive and created a well organized and fun filled trip. In addition, she constantly checked in on us making sure everything was running smoothly and that we were having a great time along the way. I am grateful to Camila and all the lovely people she connected us with in beautiful Chile. It was one of my most memorable trips!

KimKim specialist Micaela strongly encouraged us to stay at the Hotel del Paine rather than Hosteria Pehoe, and that worked out well. We enjoyed the room, food, and view at Hotel del Paine very much, and it was only 4 minutes outside the national park. Though the view from Hosteria Pehoe is unmatched. :) I definitely recommend Hotel del Paine and KimKim.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Paine

Torres del Paine

Outstanding excursion! Cesar was a great guide, and he and Miguel took great care of us on a gorgeous blue day. It was magical!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grey Glacier Navigation

Torres del Paine

Ricardo delivered us to the navigation point and thoroughly explained what would take place that day. The hike was pleasant and not too long, and the boat ride was exceptional! We were so close to giant icebergs that we could almost touch them, and in the sunshine they glowed a brilliant blue. We also got great views fairly close to the glacier. The crew on the ship made the whole trip quite fun. We highly recommend this excursion.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camila was very responsive, checking in with us almost on a daily basis and sometimes more often than that.
When problems arose with our Atacama portion of the trip she attempted to deal with our local tour operator Ckamuria Agency as best she could. The local provider in San Pedro de Atacama was either incompetent or lazy and one afternoon's activities were canceled due to lying about road conditions. We did obtain a refund for the tour to the Lagoons but I was very disappointed by missing this tour and alternative tours such as bicycling in 90 heat were absurd.

However, we realized that in our attempt to see as much as we could in Chile we tried to pack in too much in a short window. We lost days traveling and a more careful review of our tour with better oversight of our flight plans would have been appreciated. Perhaps she or Tamir (Who we spoke to by Zoom call once and never again) could have been more forthright in assessing what we were trying to accomplish in our travels.

The Hotel Jirah in San Pedro de Atacama was clean but tired with a poor breakfast. I suggest it not be used in the future.
We didn't think that Punto Arenas was worth a stop over and we wish we could have gone direction to Puerto Natales.
Penguins were cute but we had seen them in Argentina and the city itself did not offer much. We much enjoyed Valparaiso and a wine tour but found Vina del Mar boring and the restaurant recommended in the tour underwhelming. I would have preferred the option of more wine tasting and no Vina Del Mar.

Our guide in Patagonia, Nachogonia "Nacho" Lysis Casanova was remarkably knowledgeable and experienced and I would strongly recommend him. On the other hand, our guide in Rapa Nui was lovely but her English could have been better and in comparison to other guides we overheard leading other tour groups her knowledge base was just so-so.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Jireh

San Pedro de Atacama

Rooms clean but tired. Poor breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alma Sur

Punta Arenas

Nice rooms. Good location and breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best Western Patagonia / Hotel Borde Glaciar

Puerto Natales

Lovely hotel with good breakfast and good staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Too far from town. Long walk or had to take an Uber to get to town for shopping and restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa

Santiago

Comfortable hotel with good amenities and good restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

neighborhood boring but safe, No place to walk to.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique La Perouse

Isla de Pascua

Nice B&B. Staff very good. Very good breakfast. Good location in town. Not a 4 star hotel but for a B&B very accommodating and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rano Raraku Volcano & Anakena White Sand Beach

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guide needs better knowledge and English

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting, Valparaiso and Viña del Mar- Private Tour

Chile

Valparaiso was very interesting, but Val de Mar was boring More wineries and less Val de Mar!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Laguna Cejar, Ojos del Salar y Laguna Tebiquinche

Chile

Never got a chance to see this. Tour company canceled without notice!

Quality of Experience

Visit the Tatio Geysers - Morning Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Magdalena Island - Penguin Encounter Half Day Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Transport

Hike to Mirador Base Torres del Paine - Full Day Tour

Chile

Toughest hike I've ever done but worth it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grey Glacier Round Trip Navigation

Chile

Glaciers are awesome

Quality of Experience

Snorkeling Tour in Easter Island

Easter Island

Reef was terrific but not many fish or wildlife

Quality of Experience

French Valley Trek

Chile

Cancelled due to extreme wind conditions (gusts 80-100 km/hr) Took a lovely driving tour around the park to see the extent of the mountains and lakes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Orongo Volcano Hike & Visit the Village of the Birdman Ceremony - Private Tour

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angel was very helpful in the planning of our trip. He was readily accessible during the trip when questions came up.

We had an amazing trip to Chile - the country is truly spectacular. Our travel coordinator Marcela was excellent, she listened to what we wanted and adapted the itinerary as needed when torrential rains and an injury required some shifts. She even brought over some medications and offered to help in the hospital with translation after a badly sprained ankle interrupted our plans. She also coordinated in-country travel for us after our initial start in Argentina and not having to worry about airport pick up and drop off was very helpful.

We enjoyed hiking, white water rafting and kayaking in Puerta Varas - Ko Kayak was awesome for rafting (we have done this a lot and the rain made this the best rafting trip we have ever done). Our guides everywhere were great - especially Catalina (rafting), Juan Miguel (hiking and planned biking until ankle accident) and Paz (kayaking on Reloncavi fjord). We stayed at the Kalfu Hotel which was a good location for walking and offered excellent breakfasts and comfortable rooms.

In Puerta Natales we did 2 days of trekking in Torres del Paine with W-Circuit and they were great. Tour guides Alex (3 shorter hikes of 2 hours each) and Pablo (Base Torres Hike) were very good. Come prepped with the right shoes and gear and be prepared for 4 seasons in one day. We saw quite a few people turn around on the Base Torres hike which is long (22km). We then kayaked and rock climbed with Jorge from Patagonia Adventures. He was superb and we especially enjoyed pushing our comfort boundaries with the rock climbing which was awesome (we have never climbed outdoors before). We stayed at the Weskar Lodge for most of the time (truly superb food) and had one night at the Best Western which was much better than that chain is in the US.

Our final night in Santiago, we had dinner in a local home with Gloria and Leo - great food and wine pairings and even better conversation. We highly recommend. We appreciated this idea that Marcela suggested!

Hotel Reviews

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Comfortable rooms with a great view. Really great service and fantastic breakfasts. Their meals were truly outstanding - we hadn't expected to stay at the hotel for dinner but the food was so good that we ate 3 dinners there. The only downside is being a bit far for walk to town but Uber was easy and available as needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Kalfu Hotel Boutique

Puerto Varas

Very comfortable hotel with a helpful and friendly staff. The only reason not to have a 5 star rating is that we were on the lower level with a patio (lovely) but it was darker as it was fairly rainy while we were there. Very good breakfasts. Great location for walking around town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy walk to town and restaurants

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Trekking in Alerce Andino National Park

Puerto Varas

Adaptable and energetic guide for hiking Great guide from La Comarca who was able to adapt to multiple changes to planned hiking and biking trips. Juan Manuel picked us up and took us to a great breakfast place after our early morning flight from Santiago. It was pouring when we arrived and the road to the Alerce Andino national park where we were going to hike was blocked by mudslides from the rain. We went to plan b which was hiking near the Petrohue cascades (good to see) and then plan c which was going up the Mount Osorno Volcano where we had our lunch. We were at the TeSki chalet. Great food and snacks. Juan Manuel is extremely knowledgeable and fun to talk with. Highly recommend for adaptability, tremendous local knowledge and great personality. We were disappointed that due to weather and a sprained ankle we couldn’t do a planned bike tour with him.

Quality of Experience

Different than planned but Juan Miguel was amazing!

Food

Stopped at a great local cafe for breakfast and had super sandwiches, hot chocolate for lunch when we stopped at TeSki!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking on Reloncaví Fjord

Puerto Varas

Fantastic fjord kayaking trip Our travel agent arranged a full day kayak trip on the Reloncavi Fjord from Puerto Varas Our guide, Paz was outstanding. She has a passion for the region and outdoor education and knew a ton about plant and animal life. Her English was very good and she just radiated positive energy and enthusiasm. The truck was comfortable for the ride (1.5? Hours) and we wore full wetsuits and this was our first time in a double kayak with a rudder. The fjord and surrounding towns were lovely. We had perfect weather for pics, saw seals and birds and turquoise water. One of the highlights was our guide Paz who was very passionate about the area, the people and the natural surroundings. Highly recommend. We had lunch at a Chilean family’s home and got to tour their small farm. Really fresh food (lamb stew, greens and bread) before continuing our trip. This was a friend of Paz and seeing the relationships between Paz and the people whose home we visited and ate in was lovely! A bonus was our driver then took us up the Osorno volcano as the previous days had heavy rain so we couldn’t see anything. What a truly gorgeous location!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Paz (and our driver) were outstanding!

Transport

Trekking Torres del Paine Active

Chile

Excellent trip. We were on a tour run by W-Circuit. Bus driver was speedy but safe We were picked up at 6:30 am and the bus was comfortable. Trekking poles were provided which helped a lot (we had never used before). The first trip we went on 3 roughly 2 hour hikes to the cave paintings, the waterfalls near Las Cuernas, and the Mirador Condor. We hike a lot and enjoyed these. Great start to our stay in Puerto Natales. These hikes were moderate but challenging in terms of vertical gain and strong winds (at one point we were bent over nearly double at the Condor hike!). Our guide Alex was knowledgeable and funny and very good pointing out plants and animals. A herd of guanacos came out right by us and we all got stellar pics. Beautiful intro to the park which truly has stunning scenery at every turn.

Quality of Experience

Food

Box lunches ordered in advance - noting terribly exciting - sandwiches, fruit, juice nuts and bars.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alex was knowledgeable and funny - excellent English

Transport

Comfortable for ride to and from park.

Base Torres Hike

Chile

Excellent trip. We were on a tour run by W-Circuit. Bus driver was speedy but safe and we did two tours with the same company two days apart. We were picked up at 6:30 am and the bus was comfortable. Trekking poles were provided which helped a lot (we had never used before). After that we did the Base Torres Hike but with a different guide named Pablo. Great hike but long (6 hours minimum) and very crowded at times. The hard thing is that people hike at vastly different rates. Our guide had us go ahead and wait in places (great system). We saw tons of birds and even a puma at the end! Again, breathtaking scenery and rewarding. Some people may not be prepared for the steepness of this hike and be unable to finish as were several folks on our tour. Acclimate a bit, have good boots, and be used to hiking—this is 22km (13.7miles) RT!

Quality of Experience

Beautiful park with stunning scenery.

Food

Nice to have options to buy food along the trail (we got drinks on teh way down) and snacks at the end before our bus ride home.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pablo was good and allowed us to divide up so we weren't waiting all the time.

Transport

Very good - comfortable and good driver - plenty of space with 6 of us in the van

Rock Climbing in Patagonia

Puerto Natales

This was AMAZING! Our second trip with Jorge was rock climbing. We have only done indoor climbing gyms before and this was awesome. This was our first ever outdoor climbing experience. We did 4 routes. Very well explained, safety conscious and exciting and Jorge involved us in everything- belaying etc. Tea mid-route was very neat! We were visited multiple times by condors checking out what we were doing. Our kids were amazed by our pics (one climbs and he was impressed). The rock formations were cool to see and climb on - we learned a lot and this definitely pushed our comfort boundaries which is what we wanted.

Quality of Experience

Jorge's knowledge and how he included us in jobs and taught skills was awesome. Beautiful location and the condors were really a nice lucky feature - about 7-8 were watching and circling as we climbed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See comments above - we felt safe and confident trying this with him as the guide.

Transport

Great driver - Jorge - and location was spectacular

Kayaking in Eberhard Fjord

Puerto Natales

We did two trips with Jorge. He is probably the best guide we have ever had—extremely knowledgeable on local wildlife, culture etc, speaks really excellent English and very personable. We did a kayak trip on the Eberhard Fjord on a fairly windy day. First time in dry suits! Mid trip we stopped for a 1km walk with spectacular views of the mountains, lakes and fjords. We finished with a lovely meal of wonderful homemade foods in a Chilean home.

Quality of Experience

Jorge was great, incredible views and a wonderful meal at the end

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We learned a lot about Chile and the area from Jorge - super knowledgeable.

Transport

Jorge picked us up

Private Dinner

Santiago

This was a cool thing to do for our last night in Santiago. We were picked up by our host and his friend Felipe who was our guide for the night. Gloria was the cooking whiz and Leo managed the wine and music. We drove into the city center and to Leo and Gloria's home where we had a 4 course dinner and wine tasting with Chilean music. The food was excellent and teh conversation was even better. They are warm and gracious hosts and very welcoming. Felipe did a great job explaining and translating as needed (we enjoyed practicing our Spanish) and we talked about all kinds of subjects. Highly recommend for people willing to branch out and try something new!

Quality of Experience

Great food and very welcoming and gracious hosts and guide

Food

Homemade empanadas, a ceviche, roast and potatoes and a tart with several Chilean wines

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had never used Kimkim before this, and I'm pleased to say that the whole experience with them from trip planning almost a year in advance to day to day experiences in Chile was outstanding. My trip planner Jesse offered ideas and alternatives, and once I had decided where I wanted to go and what I wanted to see she provided me with a detailed day by day itinerary. Outstanding service and great communication throughout.
Arriving late in the day and tired at an airport, one always wonders, will someone be meeting me as promised. There was never a cause for concern with Kimkim, all of the logistical arrangements were on time and perfectly organized.
I must also mention that my guide for a day tour in Santiago, Hernan Rivas Diaz, was among the best that I have ever had the pleasure of spending time with.
Based on my experience in Chile, I will happily book future travel with Kimkim.

Hotel Review

Lodge Terrantai

San Pedro de Atacama

The Lodge Terrantai was like a small oasis in bustling San Pedro de Atacama - very comfortable rooms and nice public spaces, good breakfasts plus lunchtime snacks, afternoon snacks and evening wine tastings, which might better be described as wine drinking over the course of 2 hours. From the moment I walked through the front door until when I left three days later, the friendly staff made me feel at home.

Authenticity & Character

Location

1 block away from the main street in San Pedro, could not have been better located.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Santiago City Tour - Private

Santiago

I had a particular interest in Chilean history leading up to and following the military coup in 1973, and my guide Hernan Rivas Diaz was aware of this beforehand. The day spent with him was like walking through the pages of a history book, not just about the 1970's but ranging back as far as the Pleistocene and through to today. He also found me a good place to exchange money and we enjoyed a pleasant lunch of empanadas at an outdoor restaurant. He is one of the finest guides that I have ever encountered in all of my travels.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Roomy and very comfortable vehicle.

Stargazing Experience

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, this was a unique and interesting trip. Starting with a food tour in Santiago which ended with a picnic overlooking the city. Wine tasting in Maipo Valley was nice. Pickups and transfers went smoothly except for one mistake with the wine tasting time. On to Atacama with a nice tour. Hit or miss on the star gazing however the cancellation worked in our favor since none of the tour organizers considered getting the Bolivian visa in advance. It was stressful when they attempted to reach us at 10pm the night before we were supposed to depart for Bolivia and Uyuni. Well past midnight we were collecting documents, taking pictures, and filling out forms. Ultimately, it all worked out at the border however the stress was not necessary and could have been avoided with some attention to details. Trip to Bolivia and the salt flats we great with a great guide and beautiful scenery. For someone looking to make it to the driest desert and see the unique salt flats we would recommend the trip. Kim Kim just needs to iron out details ahead of time and work on communication with the several layers of travel agencies involved in multiple countries and cities.

As always with kimkim.com the planning and communication for our Chile trip was excellent. Tamer listened to what we wanted to see and do and made good suggestions for additions like fishing on the river. He took into account the limitations of our group and made sure our guides were well informed. We especially appreciated the responsiveness to our questions during the trip and the coordination for our transports and excursions.

Hotel Reviews

ICON Hotel

Santiago

Excellent location, cool vibe, rooftop pool and restaurant with good food and live music. Service was top notch and rooms were comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and filled with video and are of Chile

Location

Walkable to many restaurants, shopping and activities. We felt safe and connected to the city.

Staff

Very responsive when my luggage didn't arrive and I needed to be contacted while on an excursion. Service with a smile and excellent English speakers.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Rio Serrano

Torres del Paine

This hotel is perfection, from the staff, to the views, to the meals and the common areas, it is first class. We were recommended to get the full board plan which was all inclusive breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks. It was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

It made you feel like you were in the middle of Patagonia with every view. Horses wandering through the property, riding available on site, birding from your chair!

Location

Perfect location in the park. Easy to get everywhere. Views of the mountains from everywhere in the hotel were breathtaking and ever changing.

Staff

Smiling, courteous service. Anticipating your every need.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless everywhere including pool, spa, common areas.

Solace Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Conveniently located just up the hill from town. Walkable to the lake, many restaurants and shopping.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful location and property, could use better outdoor seating and make better use of their gardens. When the hotel was busy, there ae limited places to gather.

Location

Quiet and central

Staff

Always happy to make recommendations and reservations.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were nice size and comfortable. Carpets and bathroom could use upgrading.

Hotel Alma Sur

Punta Arenas

Comfortable, helpful staff and nice common areas with plenty of seating. Breakfast was good and the restaurant served 3 meals a day.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like a locally owned place, not a big US hotel!

Location

Just a 10 minute walk from town, near many restaurants and safe.

Staff

Super nice, helpful with storing luggage and answering questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were clean and well equipped, beds and pillow very comfy

AKA Patagonia

Puerto Natales

We didn't stay at this hotel. I put the rating in just to get through the review. We stayed at the Best Western Patagonia. It was a very good choice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wine Tasting, Valparaiso and Viña del Mar- Private Tour

Chile

Juanito was kind and knowledgeable about our location and the area we visited. He didn't seem to know that we were having a wine tasting in the afternoon and had to set it up on the fly. This is a very long day in the car with not enough time to get out and walk the city / town.

Quality of Experience

Juanito was a good guide but his van was not good. If using him again, have an another driver. Janet's English and knowledge was fine and he was helpful and fun.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

When he talked while driving he slowed down ALOT on the highway. On the way home. he drove very fast and in the right lane scared us with a swerving to miss a slow vehicle.

Transport

The van was old, uncomfortable and didn't feel very safe on the highway. Had a low tire and this wasn't the first time it was low.

Visit the Saltos del Petrohue - Todos Los Santos Lake & Osorno Volcano

Chile

Excellent group tour, great timing to visit each place and enjoy the scenery.

Quality of Experience

Javier was very good and I highly recommend this trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Javier was excellent, knowledgeable and a good communicator. Kept us to a good schedule.

Transport

It was a very nice van but The van was over crowded with 1 extra person jammed in the back seat. Those in the back couldn't understand Javier over the mic system.

Full Day Private Tour to Chiloe - The Island of the Legends

Puerto Varas

Chiloe is interesting with a few historical attractions to see but they are very spread out once you get to the island and it is a VERY long drive. We wouldn't recommend it for a day trip.

Quality of Experience

I'm not sure other and its too long in the car for a day trip. We had a wonderful lunch experience at Mercado Delcahue watching our meal be prepared by a local family. It was delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide, driver and transport were great.

Transport

Very comfortable

Magdalena Island - Penguin Encounter Half Day Tour

Chile

An amazing adventure to experience magellanic penguins. Excellent boat ride with dolphins and sea lions.

Quality of Experience

On time, well guided and breathtaking closeness to the penguins and gulls

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

We learned a lot about the town, the history, the amazing cemetery and the explorers. Always a good way to be introduced to a new area.

Quality of Experience

Super windy day and the driver and Joaquín took very careful care of us

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, clearly have a deep interest in history and culture, kind and helpful

Transport

Fishing in Maullin River - Half-Day (October to May)

Puerto Varas

Mateo and Paulo were amazing guides and fishing instructors. We had a beautiful sunny day on the river, learned to fish for trout and loved the whole excursion.

Quality of Experience

Unique float boat with guide navigating the river while we fished. Beautiful river with jungle on both sides!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very patient teaching us and helping us catch fish! Provided us a yummy lunch and drinks. Know so much about the ecology, flora and fauna and fish

Transport

Safe and fun

Torres del Paine National Park - Private Panoramic Tour

Chile

Joaquin gave us a comprehensive tour of the park, beyond all expectations.

Quality of Experience

Every changing weather and wind made Joaquin's experience as a guide so important. We had plenty of opportunity to walk and explore at a pace that was just right for our group.

Food

Provided by hotel in a box lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Joaquin was driver and guide and did an excellent job of telling us stories, answering questions and keeping us safely on the road!

Transport

super comfy van w captains seats

Full Day Private Grey Lake Hike - Glacier Navigation & Hike around the Lake

Chile

We did not end up taking this trip. The hike was going to be too difficult for us and the weather too rainy and cold. I had been advised by Tamer that because it was a private tour, we could customize the hike to meet our needs. I don't think he realized we would have been dropped off on an island and once the boat would have dropped us off, we would have had to stay on the island our in the elements for 8 hours until the boat came bak to get us. Our local coordinator Jose Luis made us aware of the situation, that there was not way to do a gentle hike and so we didn't get to go. I'm sure it's a great trip but it is difficult and remote with no flexibility to adjust for an easier trek. It never should have been recommended to us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chilean Food Tour & Picnic with a View of Santiago

Santiago

Angel was an excellent guide. We enjoyed the walking through the market, tasting local foods and the grand finale wine and local snacks on the hill overlooking the city. We learned a lot about the culture and Santiago in our very first day.

Quality of Experience

Professional, knowledgeable and fun!

Food

Local, fresh and yummy

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thoughtful and very interesting

Transport

Comfortable and safe

36 days in Chile was wonderful and as all human endeavors, one cannot anticipate and plan out everything detail without having some surprising like adverse weather along the road. Our kimkim people were always available to answer our questions and as weather and road conditions required, we had very fast help to adjust our itinerary to continue onward safely for our fun filled adventures. Thank you Marcella and all of our local guides and drivers for you customer service focused approach to our travelling needs.

Hotel Reviews

El Refugio - La Casa de Don Tomas

San Pedro de Atacama

Loved the hotel between our adventures. Great food and all of the staff were fun and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bellavista

Puerto Varas

Nice facility in a picture-perfect location, but cold water in a shower without doors to hold the water back was not fun at the end of a long day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hot water showers

Activity Reviews

Valley of the Moon Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Quick action from local agents saved our trip from an accidental mistake…….turne doubt to just add to the fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour - Private

Santiago

Guide and driver were wonderful and fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to the Summit of Toco Mount

San Pedro de Atacama

Wow, Gudelia took control and got us to the top. So glad wd made it for the pics

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike in Devil's Throat

San Pedro de Atacama

Red rock hike was great and the guide was a world of info

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Chiloé Island: Castro & Dalcahue

Puerto Varas

Long all day trip with not much to do, a day off would of given more energy fro the next leg

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park - Lago Grey

Chile

Loved it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Rafael National Park & Glacier Boat Trip

Chile

Yes it was a top adventure

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago Cooking Class

Santiago

Best way to end and savior our 36 day adventure end.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip to Socorama with Overnight in Putre

Chile

Guide and driver helped us soooooooo much and we has a great adventure

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

YES do it again

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the best time! Thank you Camila and Tamar! We really enjoyed all of your recommendations and tips to make the most out of our time in Chile!

This trip to Chile was for four of us. We are experienced travelers (including two prior trips to Argentina) and it is from that perspective that we have unqualified praise for Lorena and her team. We provided a general idea of what we wanted to do, she provided options and then helped us make final decisions. With only minor exceptions, (which we have already told her about) everything she booked for us was perfect--the lodging, the tours, the boat trip and the transfers. We had one transfer fail to show at the Balmaceda airport, but she had us rebooked with someone else within 30 minutes. Also, we had some itinerary adjustments along the way, including adding a land transfer to Argentina.
Lorena was just super helpful with everything
Other Highlights:
-- Soledad, our guide in Santiago and Valparaiso was top notch. We really enjoyed the two days we spent with her.
--Dinner with Gloria: We felt so fortunate to be able to enjoy a home cooked meal in Glorias home. This feels like a special touch that most travelers don't get.
--The Skorpios Cruise: The perfect way to experience the fjords and archipelago of southern Chile. The crew and program on the ship was very high quality.
--Vicente Perez National Park Tour: Our guide Christian was excellent and proved invaluable in solving a minor medical issue one of us had in Puerto Varas
--Transfers: We had a lot of them and with the one exception noted above, they were perfect. The drivers were on time, interesting to talk with and helpful

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Boutique Le Reve

Santiago

Great location, lovely garden for breakfast, friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel NOI Blend Colchagua

Santa Cruz, O'Higgins

Set among the vinyards and close to many excellent wineries.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Don Luis

Puerto Montt

Do not recommend. Conveyed this to Lorena earlier

M/V Skorpios II Cruise

Santiago

Incredible cruise. The archipelago is stunningly beautiful and the San Rafael glacier was amazing. Highly recommend it. The crew is knowledgeable and helpful Everything is well organized. The food was really good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Wyndham Puerto Varas Pettra

Puerto Varas

Great location with great views. We had two separate one night stays during our trip

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Skorpios II - 6 days/5 nights Cruise

Puerto Montt

The Skorpios II cruise was absolutely fabulous. It was easily one of the highlights of our trip. Everything about it was just incredible. Highly recommend it!

Working with Angel to plan our trip to Chile ( Patagonia, Santiago/Valparaiso, Easter Island, Atacama) was a smooth experience, Angel was very flexible, reactive and helpful to plan a trip with plenty of extra ideas and wishes which turned out into a fantastic trip making outstanding memories.