Kimkim Trip Reviews for Chile

Positives of the trip: some of the local tour groups we used were incredible, particularly Senda Andina in Bolivia and W Circuit in Patagonia. Overall we saw a lot in a short period of time and the itinerary was excellent.

Negatives: Just extreme disorganization at all times from Tangol, the travel agency we were connected to on Kim Kim. Some of our issues were more minor than others but overall added up to an unpleasant experience and at the end we were left with the impression that we could have organized the trip better ourselves.
1. Understood that there were certain fees not included in our booking but these should have been clearly communicated to us ahead of time. We had no idea that one of our hikes in Patagonia required a very expensive fare for a catamaran, cash only, $30USD each way per person. We were not carrying $120 of cash on our person so we were incredibly lucky to run into a friend from back home along the trail who happened to be carrying enough spare cash to get us back home otherwise I’m not sure what would have happened.
2. All communication was very last minute. At 5:30pm the night before we were to go to Bolivia and a half hour before Tangol closed their offices for the day they messaged us asking if we had a tourist visa for Bolivia. Definitely not a question which should have waited for the last minute. We didn’t receive any information on visa requirements from Tangol ahead of time so we did our own research and figured based on information from the US Embassy website we can get our visas on arrival. Tangol then told us in order to do this we would need a lot of additional paperwork including a bank statement! Turns out they were referencing the incorrect requirements and we got into the country without a problem without any of the requirements they were telling us we needed. We were just very disappointed by how last minute this was and how it wasn’t even the right information. It made for a very stressful experience which could have been easily avoided with clear communication far in advance.
3. We clearly communicated our vegetarian meal requests ahead of time but this was not relayed to the tour groups during booking. When we brought this to Tangol’s attention they ended up only reserving 1 vegetarian meal for the remaining tours even though we were clear that we were both vegetarian. This should have been the easiest thing to get right the first time.
4. Another item which we thought should have been very straightforward was pickup from the airports. When we landed in Calama there was nobody there to pick us up. We waited for a while and called Tangol several times and finally got a hold of them. After around an hour of waiting Tangol finally arranged us with a group shuttle service even though we had bought a private transfer.
5. Our stargazing tour was cancelled due to weather which is understandable but we were given no option to reschedule and did not get a refund. What was also frustrating was knowing we probably wouldn’t have been able to go on the scheduled tour anyway since the timing overlapped with another tour we had scheduled earlier in the day.

Hotel Reviews

Los Flamencos Eco Hotel

Uyuni, Potosi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Andina

Uyuni

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our Habitas Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luciano K Hotel

Barrio Lastarria, Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Remota Patagonia Lodge

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Flamencos - Lagunas de Colores - San Pedro de atacama (Day 4)

Uyuni

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uyuni - Authentic Villages - Flamenco (Day 3)

Chile

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Salar de Uyuni (Day 2)

Uyuni

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Pedro de Atacama - Villa Mar - Uyuni. (Day 1)

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We are home, thank you so much for putting the trip together. We have had an amazing time, experienced so much and learnt so many things about the countries we visited. We could never have done it ourselves. All the trip went to plan apart from the interruptions in Peru which we managed with. It was great to see such good organising. We were collected and delivered on time to wherever we needed to be. La Paz was a great city to visit. The drive across the highlands of Bolivia was unforgettable. Seeing the Geysers at dawn was a brilliant experience. Our hire car was good and we survived the rough roads to see the amazing Marble Caves. The visit to Magdelana Island to walk amongst the penguins was a real highlight of the trip. The cruise from Punta Arenas to Usuaia was fantastic. Horse riding was fun, so many things we did, can't write about them all.

Our 14 day 5 overnight destination trip to Chile, planned by Angel, was extraordinary. We experienced a very broad view of Chile and its citizens. We started with 2 days in Santiago & Valparaiso that are home to half the population with Juan. They are both attractive cities. But nature is the real distinction. We started with 3 nights in the extreme Atacama Desert in the north. This was fooled by 3 days in the spectacular Andes lake country around Puerto Vargas, a charming small city on the largest lake in Chile. We chose to drive around on our own. The highways were very adequate and in excellent condition.Puerto Nogales followed with two boat cruises through spectacular fjords to a working sheep “estancia” (the best fresh grilled lamb ever) with both a horseback ride & a hike and then to a glacier. The 3rd day was to the Torre des PainesNational Park. It was just rated as one of the six best np in the world outside the US. A scenic 21/2 hour drive brought us to Punta Arenas and its 9,000 penguin colony. All the guides were good. Even the taxi driver to PA, Jose, was informative. The 3 hour flight back to Santiago that ended our voyage was over the the heart of the rugged Andes.
We selected economy lodging. They were all clean and relatively small without big crowds. The owner were usually there.
We learned much about Chile. We actually prefer them to large impersonal hotels.
I would highly recommend Chile with Angel as a trip adviser.

Hotel Review

Hotel Alma Sur

Punta Arenas

Small place with comfortable rooms and good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Convenience to city

Activity Reviews

Torres del Paine National Park - Private Panoramic Tour

Chile

Unfortunately the peaks were in the fog-still scenic

Quality of Experience

The colored lakes

Food

Box lunch of mediocre qualuty

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour - Estancia Visit or Grey Lake Navigation.

Chile

Beautiful catamaran ride. Horseback ride and lamb bbq. Founded in 1892z

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The trip there & horseback ride

Transport

Amazing - everything on our two week trip was flawlessly executed. We had never used Kim Kim before and now I will never plan a trip another way! It was so well organized and Lorena was very responsive. Highly recommend!

We had a amazing time with our guides and a fantastic support from the team kimkim.
We can highly recommend to book your holiday with kimkim.
We were really looked after any any respect.
Everything was well organised and communication was excellent.
thank you for a great and memorable holiday.
Peter and Gerhard

Hotel Reviews

Hotel DoubleTree by Hilton Santiago Kennedy

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our Habitas Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Santiago El Bosque

Las Condes, Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Altiplanico Puerto Natales

Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cejar & Tebinquiche Lagoons - Atacama Salt Flat

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Panoramic private city tour around Santiago de Chile - Half day

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Moon Valley and Mirador Ckari

San Pedro de Atacama

great guide 👍

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Hike Porteria Lago Sarmiento - 6/7 km approx

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic excursion to the Torres del Paine National Park (with Box Lunch)

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Astronomy Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Mixed group with 2 language. very hard for the guide and to long for the guest's.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I was pleasantly surprised how well everything worked. The people picking us up were always on time and very pleasant.
We had many guides, and they were all very good.
Specifically I remember our guide on Easter Island Emilia. Very knowledgeable and willing to share with us her love of her home island.
I was not very happy when there were non English speakers on the tours: the guides had to speak in both languages, and I don’t think we got the entire story.

Hotel Review

Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

Santiago

Our first stay was better than the second. The first stay was in the newly renovated part and the accommodations were great. Not in the old part of the hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Just walk across the street from the international terminal

Staff

The bar service was very poor

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Valparaíso & Wine Tour

Santiago

Loved the tour, the winery tour and the tour guide

Trip to Chile

We had one of our best vacations ever thanks to Erin and her team at Kimkim.
Everyone of our airport transfers were waiting for us when we cleared customs and baggage claim and drove us to our destinations giving us good information regarding that region of Chile.
The hotels Erin selected were excellent with nice rooms, good locations for exploring the cities, and great breakfasts.
The activities that were scheduled for us were both challenging and interesting (kayaking, hiking in a temperate rain forrest, fishing, and penguin viewing. )
The restaurants in each city that were recommended were all excellent with local seafood, fresh vegetables, and fine wine.

We particularly enjoyed staying at the Matetic La Casona Hotel with its' beautiful rooms, garden areas, excellent restaurant and, of course, the fine wines. It was nice to get out of Santiago with its' warm temperatures and smoke from the recent fires.
We spent a day touring Valparaiso which was quite entertaining with its' fish market, murals, funiculars, and views.
The San Francisco of Chile.

We enjoyed staying in Puerto Varas with the beautiful beach setting, lake, and volcanoes in the background.
Jass was a perfect host with pickup at the airport and kayaking on a fjord. Learning about the fjord, salmon and mussel farms was interesting but the river was so wide and big the actual kayaking was not much fun. Would have preferred a smaller river to learn about the trees, birds, and animals.

The trekking trip to Alerce Andino National Park was interesting but not a high point. Good for training to climb a mountain with all the stairs you have to negotiate. Our guide Marcella has a spider phobia she pontificated on that was the most entertaining part of the hike.

The fishing trip I took with Matthew (?) was the best day of the trip for me. Rowing me down a quiet, beautiful river with large brown trout hungry to grab my lure, identifying multiple water birds, and cooking me a riverside lunch was perfect.
June enjoyed her penguin trip as well.

We dined at the Casa Varas and Brasas restaurants in the evening and found them both excellent.
The frozen piscos and ceviche at Casa Varas and the king crab and baked Alaska dessert at Brasas were highlights.

Puerto Natales was the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park and a perfect base to launch our different activities.
Our hotel Remota was hip and cooly designed and built using local wood and resources.
It was a long walk from town and we usually took a taxi.
It could use a better sauvignon blanc in the wine list.

Our private tour of Torres del Paine National Park was quite nice hitting all the major waterfalls and mountain views.
Saw lots of wildlife including condors, Darwin Rhea, caracara, black eagles, flamingos. and guanacos.

The Hotel Grey located in Torres del Paine was also quite nice and we enjoyed a hike to the Chorrillo Los Samones with Pablo and Jorge as our guides. Multiple plants, trees, and birds were identified on the hike along the Pingo River.
The best and most comfortable views of the glacier and the iceberg were in the hotel bar. :)

Erin worked easily with us on our itinerary changing several activities to match our interests. She was up front about the costs and provided detailed information and photos on each of the hotels, destinations, and activities.

I hardily recommend Erin and Kimkim to anyone considering a trip to Chile. You will be rewarded with a trip of a lifetime.

Joe and June Spann
Austin, Texas

Hotel Reviews

La Casona at Matetic Vineyards

Lagunillas

Beautiful, relaxing setting with lap pool, gardens, and on-site restaurant. Great wine!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

quiet, calming setting after a long flight.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Remota Patagonia Lodge

Puerto Natales

Cool, hip hotel with its' design and materials. Long walk from town. Needs a better sauvignon blanc wine on the menu.

Authenticity & Character

Location

long walk from town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Solace Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Great breakfast, view from our room of the lake and volcanoes, and great location to access the town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Accidentally left my electrical conversion equipment in my room at check-out and the house cleaner immediately recognized it and caught me before I checked out of the hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

great location with good restaurant and bar.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day Hiking in the Pingo Valley

Chile

Enjoyed taking this informative hike with Pablo and Jorge in a visitor restricted area.

Torres del Paine Full Day Private Tour

Chile

We checked all the boxes on waterfalls, mountain views, and wildlife.

Explore Chiloé Island & Puñihuil Penguins National Reserve

Puerto Varas

Wife took this trip and enjoyed it.

Trip Briefing at Dittmar Adventures

Puerto Natales

My wife took this trip and enjoyed it.

Fly fishing on the Rio Maullín

Puerto Varas

Best day of the trip for me with phenomenal trout fishing, beautiful serene setting, and abundant wildlife. The guide was especially skilled and helpful. Would recommend highly to all those interested in one of the greatest fishing trips of their life. I used a spinning rod and reel since I am not especially skilled at fly fishing.

Quality of Experience

Food

riverside steak dinner with beer!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All-inclusive at Hotel Remota

Puerto Natales

Presented with a menu of possible activities the first evening, We chose the most difficult hike up to the base of the three towers of Torres del Paine. It was a 14 mile round trip hike with sunshine and warmth on the hike up with the last mile picking our way up over giant boulders and the last two hours in a cold rain with driving wind. One of the most difficult hikes I have ever done especially at age 71 but we were rewarded with some magnificent views, incredible scenery, and a sense of accomplishment at the end. It was 10 hours of hiking interrupted with a half-hour lunch. Nicholas was our young guide at 24 years of age and I think he worried we were going to collapse. So did we. :) The next day we took a tour of Puerto Natales downtown and enjoyed visiting the museum and shopping for souvenirs.

Quality of Experience

Food

Snacks, salad, and a warm beer were waiting for us at the end.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Nicholas was young and energetic but at the end I think he was frustrated with the old people (us) He would get about 10-20 meters ahead of us and only look back to make sure we hadn't fallen or gotten lost.

Transport

Kayaking on the Reloncaví Fjord

Puerto Varas

Jass was great but fjord but was wide and large and did not feel very intimate for a kayaking trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking in Alerce Andino National Park

Puerto Varas

Too many stairs and guide fixated on spiders.

Stay at La Casona inside of Matetic Winery

Casablanca Valley

wine tasting with Pablo Took a day trip to Valparaiso...very entertaining. Strongly recommend.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What an incredible trip. I have had some terrible experiences with Travel Agents in the past, so I was hesitant to work with them again. With such a logistically complex trip, I am so happy we decided to work with Jason.

Firstly, his recommendations and guidance ahead of the trip ended up being very key. With so many places to visit in Patagonia, Jason took the places we knew we wanted to visit and crafted an itinerary that mixed that with his know-how of the region. What we ended up with is a trip where we hit everything we wanted to do, as well as some surprises along the way.

Most importantly, the trip was planned out to the hour and all the transfers, flights, tours, and guides went perfectly (with the small exception of one transfer, which was not a big deal).

I would recommend Jason to anyone that wants a trip where they can truly trust someone's expertise. It was one for the ages and he made it so simple for us on the ground.

Activity Review

Hike Base of Tower Torres del Paine

Chile

This is basically a must. An extremely demanding hike with the most stunning and incredible views at the end. The highlight of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything was very good to excellent. All the local guides were good. Rutas360 in Atacama is merely a "middle man" to the local guide companies so that made it a bit challenging to know who to contact, but it all worked out. All the transfers to and from the bus stations and airports worked well, as did all the airline reservations.

My only minor issue was some of the hotels. The Doubletree in Santiago and the airport Holiday Inn were both very good. Don Tomas in Atacama was excellent.

Hotel Otai was a mixed bag. We had a noisy dog nearby and the breakfast was ok, and they got the AC working well, but on the last day I saw two cockroaches in our room. That was not horrible for me, but for most people that would be very bad.

Hotel Casa de Patagonia in Puerto Natales had good service but it was a bit noisy with thin walls. Hotel Germania in Puerto Varas was fine though our room, which faced the street, was stuffy, noisy and a bit small.

Lorena was very wonderful. Lorena responded quickly and accurately. She always kept us in the loop and was extremely accommodating when changes came up. It was a very easy, no stress process. We had a pretty logistical heavy trip and Lorena was great. We will be using Kim Kim again.

Jess organised our 9 days in Bolivia and Atacama which included a 4 day excursion to the Uyuni Salt Flats. Nothing was too much trouble and she kept in touch throughout. Very professional and I will definitely use her services again next time I need help tailoring an individual trip in South America

What a beautiful and physically awesome trip. Kim Kim suggested the right excursions for us and how wonderful to not worry about transfer transportation.

Hotel Reviews

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Great views, nice room, and restaurant was good for a dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Lake vacation hotel with views and access to town and sites.

Location

Walkable to town or inexpensive taxi ride, and on the lake with wonderful views.

Staff

Very helpful and always smiling.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable room.

Dreams del Estrecho Hotel

Punta Arenas

Nice room, but casino on weekend was loud into the early hours of the morning(it is a casino after all).

Authenticity & Character

It is a casino hotel.

Location

Location and views good, but busy street to cross to get to town.

Staff

Not all that helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are very nice.

Hotel Boutique Le Reve

Santiago

Great location for food and drink.

Authenticity & Character

Boutique hotel with lovely garden.

Location

Multilevel restaurants in area

Staff

Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean

Activity Review

Hike from Sarmiento Lake to Amarga Lagoon

Chile

You cannot top seeing a large Puma upclose.

Quality of Experience

Puma

Food

No vegetarian meal.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Well based natural knowledge

Transport

On time

Most guides were very good.
The guide on Jan. 25, 2023 for Torres del Plaine National Park spoke at length in Spanish and very little in English. So we missed out on a lot of commentary.
And all drivers were very good.

Jason provided great service.
He had planned and organized our trip very nicely.
This made it very easy for us and we had no anxiety or stress anywhere in Chile.
He communicates immediately on an inquiry and to the point.
He had promised us that our trip would be memorable and indeed it was.
He is the best.
We would love too work with him on future trips.

Every place we visited in Chile was most exciting and enjoyable.
Jason had panned all important sights for us and so we appreciate his service.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa

Santiago

Very good service at Bidosa.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Safe area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NOI Indigo Patagonia

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Solace Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cumbres San Pedro

San Pedro de Atacama

Excellent service and support from the front desk staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Osorno Volcano & Petrohué Falls

Chile

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Atacama Salt Flats, High Plateau Lagoons & Toconao

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Torres del Paine National Park (ex. Puerto Natales)

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glacier Navigation Balmaceda & Serrano

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiloé - Ancud - Castro - Dalcahue

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley)

San Pedro de Atacama

Fernando the tour guide made it most interesting. He showed us all the interesting features of Moon Valley, and he was very patient with us on the steep and rough trails.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lagoons of Ojos del Salar, Tebinquinche & Coyo

Chile

Fernando is the best tour guide. He is amazing, funny, energetic, and most helpful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour Valparaiso Discovery

Chile

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Tour of Santiago

Santiago

Excellent tour guide and driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Geysers of El Tatio

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The core of our trip was seeing the Atacama Desert and visiting its important sites. Lorena was excellent in tailoring our plans to suit our interests and time-frame. Transit arrangement to and from Santiago were flawless and out hotel in san Pedro de Atacama was perfect as a quiet, high quality location to venture from. Accommodations at the Don Tomas were comfortable and the food was fresh tasting with touches of originality. There are dozens of tour operators in San Pedro, but I felt that Lorena had selected the best of the best for our trip. We did five tours in four days and all were excellent: stargazing, the Tatio geysers, Piedras Royas & the salt flats, Valle de la Luna, and the Puritana canyon trek.

Hotel Review

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

The Don Tomas is an oasis within the oasis of San Pedro de Atacama. The accommodations are comfortable and tastefully decorated. Coffee, tea, or water--plain or infused--are always available. The breakfast offers the usual array of continental and American items, all arranged beautifully. On the lunch and dinner menus, offering all have a local slant, both veggie and non-veg. I especially liked the fresh ingredients in the salads and highly recommend the Oriental pasta for its earthly richness. One caveat: for a pre-breakfast start on your tour, the take away sack lunch is rudimentary at best.

Authenticity & Character

Once inside the gates, you feel like you are in an charming oasis.

Location

It is a 10 minute walk to the center of town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tour of Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

This tour is not to be missed. After a very early start, you arrive at sunrise at one of the largest geyser fields in the world. all in a very dramatic setting at 11,000 feet. The earth seems alive with steam vents and roiling geysers. Although below freezing, the ground is warm to the touch.

Quality of Experience

Food

It was great to have fresh scrambled eggs to go with the usual breakfast fare. Kudos!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Atacama Salt Flats & Lagoons

San Pedro de Atacama

This tour provides a wonderful experience of the immense salt flats seen from the red rocks, the "piedras royas." The lagoons are beautiful deep blue lakes at the base of volcanoes. A chance to view flamingoes in a reserve comes at the end, as a fitting culmination.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch we had was unique: a green salad with veggies and chicken in a Mason jar. Oil and vinegar were there to season to taste. I loved it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puritama Canyon Trek

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stargazing Experience

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The adventure was well designed and great choices were made by Lorena, I mentioned a cruise through the fjords of Patagonia and she came through with beautiful well thought out and enjoyable trips.
I especially enjoyed the 5 day cruise from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia, around Cape Horn and through the inside channels. Unfortunately due to weather conditions we were unable to land on the cape but passed close enough to get pictures of the station and the monument.

An earlier tour had to be cancelled due to weather and Jesse, on the ball found an interesting tour in the park near Puerto Natales and organized it on short notice to fill in a spare day that I had.

A big yahoo for a job very well done.

Activity Reviews

Transfers in {{start_location}} and {{end_location}}

Argentina

Not much to say, Ushuaia is a small city but has some interesting sites. Not much time in El Calafate because the bus left early the next day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cruise Tierra del Fuego from Chile to Argentina - Day 5/5

Punta Arenas

Again the crew of guides and the ships crew went out of their way to give us an exceptional experience, even when the weather was giving them stress.

Quality of Experience

Food

Well prepared and well presented

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Chile

The hike at the glacier face was just about right for a 70 year old man. The views are spectacular and the ship crew went out of their way to get us close to fauna along the route.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food preparation was a bit marginal, but certainly edible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Their extra effort to show us everything along the way

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Unable to take trip due to weather conditions

We loved our trip to Chile! Every place was amazing- experiences was the best in every place! Hotel in San Pedro Atacama desert - la casa de Don Thomas was the best!!! All guides and drivers were great and helpful! Communication was great! Thank you for a best time of our life!!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Glaciares

cesson sevigne

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Inn by Radisson Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fundador

Santiago, Región Metropolitana

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cejar & Tebinquiche Lagoons - Atacama Salt Flat

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainbow Valley

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Hiking Base Las Torres - 20km approx

Puerto Natales

The best part of vocation!!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Navigation to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Moon Valley and Mirador Ckari

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Astronomy Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rafting Petrohué River

Puerto Varas

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Chiloe Island: Ancud, Castro & Dalcahue

Puerto Varas

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was amazing! Everything was planned so well and there was a great variety of experiences with nothing overlapping. It is hard to experience a huge country like Chile in limited time but we had an wonderful variety of activities in every location we visited and we enjoyed every day there

Nicely spaced trip. Plenty of “ spare “ time. Suggestions were practical & although hard work - fitness wise, worked.

Most things ….. within the teams control, worked well.

Hotel Reviews

Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

Santiago

Excellent location at airport ( if that is what you want ). Nice rooms. Good bedding. Interesting enough food. Could do with a Daily Change / Soecial.

Authenticity & Character

Airport hotel.

Location

If that is what you want - between Domestic & International.

Staff

Hit & miss. Service not #1 priority. Wait, wait, wait for actual attention. Slow service but seemingly “ a thing “ in Chile - in their own good time !

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great beds & linen.

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Nice view. A little distant from town in tough weather. Probably better offerings downtown and mire distractions. Restaurant meals hit & miss and no variety presented each day.

Authenticity & Character

Authentic use of wood. Cosy rooms & sit down area.

Location

Great views. Just that little dar from anything.

Staff

Tried. English & understanding requests etc, was difficult.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely bedding. Comfortable smallish room. Lits of woid. Nice.

Hotel Carpa Manzano

Punta Arenas

Small-ish, but comfortable rooms. Bit dated & tended to be noisy. Probably better offering in town. Walk in & out is borderline.

Authenticity & Character

Nice enough rooms. Dated.

Location

A little distant from downtown.

Staff

Attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Was adequate.

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

View. Room. Bedding. Food. Bar & relax area.

Authenticity & Character

Fits well in the environment.

Location

View is stunning. Very windy most days I think.

Staff

Very attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable hotel.

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Torres del Paine

Excellent location wise. Views OK. Meals above average quality & presentation. Expensive but so much better than daily transitioning in & out of the park if not serious hiking.

Authenticity & Character

Estancia feeling. Loved the daily horses release and round up.

Location

Right on the track to the towers base, W & O.

Staff

Tried hard - many new, inexperienced staff - lots of mistakes made and service forgets.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bedding divine. Big rooms. Views expansive but not stunning. Bath was great after a hike - but had to request a plug.

Hosteria Pehoe

Oldie but a goodie. Could be SO much better with good grounds people, a tidy up and some renovations. Menu basic but OK.

Authenticity & Character

Oldest in the NP. A bit tired but adequate.

Location

Views are incredible.

Staff

Lovely, young enthusiastic staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Bedding to die for. Just older & “ tired” rooms & grounds.

Activity Reviews

Horseback Riding in Patagonia

Puerto Natales

Thoroughly enjoyed. Nice horses. Well groomed & cared for. Just wish I was riding fit ! Very sore body the next day. My wife who is a novice enjoyed too.

Quality of Experience

Vistas.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Could have done with a rear guide / rider to manage “ slower “ horses / riders. Insufficient supervision in my opinion.

Transport

Great ….. arranged well there & back.

From Las Torres to Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

Same ….. José.

From Pehoé to Las Torres

Torres del Paine

José - nice nan - knowledgeable, good English. Recommended.

Tour to Torres del Paine National Park with Overnight

Chile

Great way of getting to the NP rather than a private transfer or large bus. Very early start as it was a one-way for us , on a return same day tour. Enjoyed Milodon Cave and information. Stops for vistas & photographs. Tour guide was very informative.

Quality of Experience

Milodon Cave visit & explanation boards. Vistas.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide on departure said we would have “ quiet time “- so all could catch up on rest …… till after Puerto Natales. Then proceeded to TALK ALL THE WAY to the driver & back and forth. No rest for anyone. Driver spent more tome looking at the guide whilst in conversation - than concentrating on the road. Very un-nerving ! A good driver ….. BUT ! Guide had excellent knowledge and was firth coming if asked..

Transport

Nice new vehicle. Close quarters. We had a seat between us because we PAID for it with luggage cost.

Kayaking in the Magellan Strait

Chile

Not that “ exciting “ an activity really to be really honest. Lot of preparation & time taken ( pick up / drop off / gear up for kayaking / transfer to water edge / instruction / kayaking & then reverse ). Minimal wild life, birdlife etc …… limited English & no really “ spotting “ or information.

Quality of Experience

Not that interesting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Limited English or “ interpretation “ .

Transport

All good.

We ended up using Kimkim for an additional land based trip in Patagonia to compliment our Antarctica cruise, and most everything went off without a hitch. We were either texted or messaged regarding all our transfers, and even when our flight ended up coming in earlier than expected, our driver was there within minutes. My one comment would be I need to learn how to pack lighter as one of our domestic flights didn't like my carry on size. Otherwise, I'd say it was truly a great experience, and we will remember trekking in El Calafate for years to come. Emi and Ana were great and patient with all my questions and planned a memorable time! Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Two Hotel Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

We only stayed here one night but it we perfect for what we needed. Very comfortable bed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to restaurants and stores

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sent Hotel Calafate

El Calafate

Clean and the staff were very friendly. I broke my luggage while here and the maintenance man spent a long time trying to help us fix it. Food was good as well. My Aperol Spritz from here was one of the best I've had. Also close to the main shopping and eating areas.

Authenticity & Character

Cute place

Location

Close to everything

Staff

Very helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Activity Reviews

Minitrekking in "Los Glaciares National Park"

El Calafate

Guides were great. They made sure no one was left behind and that everyone was safe. Loved this trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Spoke English well and were knowledgeable and friendly!

Transport

Smooth transfers

Perito Moreno Glacier Excursion 🗻

El Calafate

This was truly a memorable experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What an amazing trip! Our daughter had been studying in Valparaiso for nearly 4 months and we traveled to Chile at the end of her semester to see where she had been and to explore some other parts of the country. Lorena seemed to understand us immediately, and arranged for us to see Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, Puerto Varas, Santiago and Valparaiso. She planned a perfect mix of outdoor adventure, educational and historical sites, and time to explore on our own.
Each tour guide was better than the next, from the wonderful young woman (whose name I am embarrassed that I have forgotten) who answered all our questions at Monumento Natural Los Pengüinos, Jan Erick on the glacier tour, John on the Torres del Paine tour, Damian for Chiloé Island, Carlos at the volcanoes and Hernan in Santiago and Valparaiso. Hernan was especially knowledgeable and open about recent history, and very flexible with our interests (like when we stumbled upon a bicycle race in Santiago or the World Cup final going on between our visits to Casablanca and Vina Del Mar).
I am especially grateful for all of the local travel companies. Each time we slowed down and wondered about the tour/transport/hotel tomorrow, we would check messages and find they were one step ahead of us. A special thank you to Sophie, who stepped in for a few days while Lorena was away.
The hotels were all wonderfully unique to their location and perfectly situated for us to explore the towns on our own. We especially loved the ones in Puerto Natales and Valparaiso. We had been needlessly worried about meals. Lorena arranged all our breakfasts (and hotel operators kindly accommodated our early tour departures) and most of our lunches, and as I said, hotels were always perfectly located so we could get to dinner easily.
Overall, our trip was flawlessly executed (even the weather cooperated and only rained while we were on a bus transport). Chile is a stunningly beautiful country, and the people we met were so incredibly kind and generous with visitors. The only thing I would change is to have planned more time there.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Big Sur

Puerto Natales

Loved this hotel. Clean, modern aesthetic with very comfortable beds. Great breakfast. Walkable to the waterfront and lots of shops and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

great location, walkable to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fauna Hotel

Valparaíso

Such a fun, funky vibe to this hotel and the neighborhood around it. Be sure to try the ascensore at the end of the alley, and the fun little slide.

Authenticity & Character

The decor and architecture were so fun and funky. The location was so great for exploring the city, but even outside the vibe on the street was just so fun.

Location

The street vendors views on the street to the hotel were so great, and the view from the end of the street at dusk was just stunning! It's important to note that it isn't the best location for anyone with a mobility issue or physical disability, but it was great for us since we enjoy exploring a city on foot.

Staff

The staff were so kind to let us keep our luggage there all day after we checked out, until our transport to the airport in the evening.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean and comfortable and spacious enough for three people on the last leg of their trip to spread out and reorganize before flying home.

Activity Reviews

Winery & Valparaiso Tour with Overnight

Santiago

Casablanca was so lovely - The winery we visited - Casas del Bosque - was a beautiful oasis and we took home several bottles. The circumstances of our visit were perfect...when we finished the tour, we came out to find our driver, Francisco, (and several other tour drivers) listening to the World Cup Final on the radio. Hernan had arranged a lunch for us in Vina Del Mar at a restaurant with a stunning view of the harbor. We encouraged them to keep the game on the radio as we went to Vina Del Mar, because it was at such an exciting game. Even though we didn't understand the language, we could appreciate the excitement. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were torn between the table with the beautiful view and the lounge where the game was showing on giant screens. The restaurant staff was extremely accommodating as everyone - customers and staff alike - were enthralled by the penalty kicks and trying to see. It was one of those moments that transcends language barriers and nationalities, as everyone in the restaurant just seemed to enjoy the excitement of the game. Afterward, we traveled along to Valparaiso and enjoyed learning about the history of the city and its role as a major port now. We were thrilled to arrive in the city where our daughter had spent the last four months.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour in Puerto Montt & Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

We really enjoyed Damian and the tour of Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas, especially when he stopped for us at the fish market (where we found some great souvenirs) and made sure we went around back to see the sea lions!!!! It was a bit more industrial than some of our excursions, but Damian found some wonderful vista points to see the cities and he knew his way around very well (which is the exact reason to engage someone to guide you around the cities).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Hernan was such a wonderful guide. He was so knowledgeable about this history of Chile and Santiago. He was clearly so proud of his country, and willingly shared with us his own personal history as it relates to the present government of Chile. He educated us about Chilean - US relations and history, and we are so grateful that he did so in such a generous manner. He shared with us all the facets of life in the capitol city, including recent political issues in Santiago and Chile, reminding us again that we have more in common with people around the globe than we think we do. He was also very willing to get to know us a little bit and accommodate our interests. (When we crossed paths with a bicycle racing event my husband became very excited and Hernan facilitated a discussion with some of the organizers, who allowed my husband to try their "fixed gear" bike.)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hernan was excellent! Francisco the driver was also wonderful - slowing down, circling around, making sure we got a good view. We enjoyed his company, as well.

Transport

Day Trip to Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park

Chile

It was a beautiful day to see the volcanoes! Carlos was a great guide, offering lots of information about the history and geology of the volcanoes and the area, and willing to take pictures for us at every stop. The lunch stop, again, was great meal with a great view of the lake and volcano.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Chiloé Island: Ancud, Dalcahue & Castro

Puerto Varas

This was a lovely day - more lovely than we expected. Our guide was a little shy about his English and relied a bit on our daughter to translate, but nonetheless we had a great day. Chiloé is such a beautiful spot, and the spirit of cooperation and community was so lovely for world-weary Americans...from the museum of church building, to the palafitos. We really enjoyed the unexpected lunch on the farm (and the really unexpected cows who came right up to meet us!).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Chile

This was an incredibly beautiful day. The boat ride was cold and windy (not unexpectedly) but we saw all kinds of amazing birds and the glaciers were just stunning. We really enjoyed the short hike into see the glacier within the Bernardo Higgins park. The lunch was such a wonderful experience - we sat with two French couples who also spoke English and solved many of the world's problems over several courses and a couple glasses of wine. Wow!

Quality of Experience

Food

The traditional Patagonian barbecue was AMAZING!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jan Erick was a terrific guide, full of great stories about his work/travels all over the world. He was very good at spotting wildlife, too.

Transport

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park

Chile

John was a great tour guide, taking the time to learn everyone's name. He enthusiastically offered to take our picture at every stop and made sure to learn something about everyone on the tour and then connected us with each other, as well. He taught us a great deal about the beautiful park, the wildlife and geology. National Geographic magazine was right - definitely one of the most beautiful places on earth!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

We loved this tour. I have forgotten her name, but the guide was new to the tour company and very knowledgeable about the penguins. She walked along with us, keeping the pace and but teaching us all about the penguins and other inhabitants of the island along the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport