Kimkim Trip Reviews for Chile

Let me start by saying how wonderful Marcela was. She replied almost immediately to any questions or concerns that we had...no matter what time of day or even on weekends. I can't say enough good things about her! She was sweet, attentive, and friendly whenever we contacted her. Muchas gracias Marcela!

At every hotel we stayed at, the staff was courteous and accommodating. The hotel properties were lovely. Breakfasts were delicious and so were dinners (when we ate at hotel restaurants.) I have to particularly commend Hotel Simple Patagonia. We arrived there on my husband's birthday and, at dinner, the staff presented him with an absolutely delicious chocolate birthday cake. (I'm sure Marcella was responsible for coordinating that.)

I also want to commend Hotel Ilaia in Punta Arenas. They were very accommodating in holding our luggage after checkout while we went on a city tour. We purchased food while on the tour and the hotel was very gracious in letting us use their dining facilities to eat our meal.

Guides for our excursions all spoke very good English and they were very knowledgable. The only caveat I have, is that some of the guides tended to walk very quickly and the slower walkers sometimes got left behind. And sometimes the guides would start their talks before everyone had caught up.

Jesse planned a wonderful trip and handled the logistics for wonderful accommodations, local transportation and several in-country flights. Moreover, due to a forecast of snow storm hitting Boston on the day of our departure, we rebooked our flights and left two days early. We contacted Jesse that morning and she quickly adjusted the Santiago hotel reservation and our airport transfer.

We began our trip with Eliseo meeting us at the Santiago airport. He provided efficient transportation and great local guidance, all with good humor. Soledad, who guided us through Santiago, Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, was very knowledgeable of the cities, the history Chile and gave helpful advice. Sebastian, who led our hike in the Andes, gave us a pointers for negotiating the terrain; that came in very handy in later hikes.

In the Atacama desert we greatly enjoyed touring the Valley of the Moon and the salt flats, led by Daniel, and the very refreshing swim in the lagoon with Ernie.

We enjoyed our stay in Punta Arenas and visiting with a good friend. While there we also visited the penguins on Magdalena Island and the sea lions on Marta Island; both were well worth the rough sail and gale-force winds.

While we enjoyed trekking Torres del Paine and the views were spectacular, the 3 hikes tested our limits. The next day we sailed to Perito Moreno glacier; the calving was dramatic. Another day of hiking, this time with Renaldo, to Laguna and Cerro Torre; again, pushing us to our limits.

We enjoyed our stay in Ushuaia, a fun town with the unique claim of the southern-most city in the world. While there we were taken trekking and rafting in Tierra del Fuego National Park with Juan Sebastian. We greatly enjoyed his tour; he shared tons of information and made the day very fun.

Our final stop was Buenos Aires, the one place where we wished we had more time. Our tour included a dinner and tango show - better than we expected - and an all-day bike tour led by Pablo through several neighborhoods - one of the highlights of our trip. On our last day in Buenos Aires we squeezed in tours of the Teatro Colon, Palacio del Congreso and El Ateneo Grand Splendid bookstore.

Hotel Reviews

Ola Santiago Providencia

Santiago

Great staff; very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great neighborhood with easy access to the City's highlights and subway

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

Unfortunately each day there began early so we weren't able to enjoy the breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Carpa Manzano

Punta Arenas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Big Sur

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sierra Nevada

El Calafate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lunajuim

El Chalten

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alto Andino Hotel

Ushuaia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kenton Palace Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Moon Valley Sunset

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Trip to Glacier Grey

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Perito Moreno Glacier Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago Highlights

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San José Volcano & Andes Mountains

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cejar Lagoon, Ojos del Salar & Tebenquiche

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

The swim in the lagoon was wonderful!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Trails in Torres del Paine

Chile

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike Laguna and Cerro Torre

El Chaltén

Great views. Strenuous hike

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valparaíso & Viña del Mar

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Atacama Salt Flats & Lagoons

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tatio Geysers at Sunrise

San Pedro de Atacama

The early start left us in the dark for the ride and early visit at the geyser. We didn't see much.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The rough seas and howling wind added to the adventure

Trekking & Canoeing in Tierra del Fuego National Park

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Juan Sebastian made it a great day. Our driver (forget his name) was also a wonderful cook.

Transport

Off-Road Adventure

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner & Tango Show

Buenos Aires

Surprisingly we enjoyed the show.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Late picking us up and forgot us when taking people to their hotels. We rode around the city for a good hour before getting back to our hotel around 1:00 AM. Not fun.

Transport

Buenos Aires Bike Tour

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pablo was fabulous. He was informative and fun, and set a very comfortable pace.

Transport

Marcela was outstanding with the planning and organizing the entire trip. No one could ever do better than her and she was also invaluable in helping to solve a couple of issues that came up during the trip, totally unrelated to the planning and booking. She was also very kind in organizing a Happy Birthday cake for me at the Simple Patagonia hotel. Was very much appreciated. All the hotels she picked were excellent and all the hotel personnel were very kind and helpful.

The arranged excursions were very good and the guides were generally very good, especially Dani and Felipe in the Atacama region and Nico in Patagonia and Jose Ike in Easter Island. On a couple of instances the guides took off ahead of the group and some of us were left behind and were not able to hear some of the information. When dealing with older folks the guides need to be aware that some folks don’t walk as fast as other younger folks.

All in all a great experience and worth a recommendation for anyone that wants to use kimkim to tour Chile.

He was punctual and had a lot of interesting information about the cities we visited. The other tour guides were also very nice, and the driver was helpful and cheerful.

Activity Reviews

Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hiking Glaciers and Hotsprings - Morado Glacier Hike

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park - Private Panoramic Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Valparaiso, Viña del Mar and San Alfonso del Mar- Private Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Navigation Excursion - Serrano Glacier and Patagonic Lunch

Chile

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything was very smooth, including transfers. Two suggestions. First, rather than travelling two consecutive days to the National Park from Puerto Natales, we would have enjoyed staying in the Park one night to eliminate the travel back to town and then back to the Park. The road was very rough and tiring. I would suggest at least offering the option although I realize places to stay are limited and more costly.

Second, one of the days, the trip to Cape Froward was canceled due to weather conditions. Alex rebooked us on two substitute excursions very quickly, which we appreciated. I was concerned about the hike on the Cape Froward booking and expressed my concerns to Alex on two occasions. He assured me it was an easy walk. I spoke to several folks who did the hike and it involved fording streams and at some points using ropes to pull oneself up the mountain. I am 71 years old and I am not sure that I would have described what was a 4 hour round trip to be an easy walk. So I just recommend know your clientele because what might be an easy walk for some folks may not be for others.

Thanks.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Ilaia

Punta Arenas

Very welcoming and accommodating staff, a good location, and although the bedrooms were small, there were several cozy places to sit including a third floor room with great views. Also, good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean, toilet located very close to shower, which made taking a shower interesting.

Hotel Costanera

Puerto Natales

Very clean and well appointed hotel. Great views and good location. Good breakfast and staff very accomodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

Was not as informative as I expected

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Patagonia

Quality of Experience

Transport

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park

Patagonia

Quality of Experience

Food

Our itinerary indicated lunch was include, but the guide said KimKim did not pay for????

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

road was incredibly rough

Trekking to Cape Froward

Punta Arenas

N/A Cancelled ... instead we were booked on a dophin viewing trip and a hike. Both were cut short due to weather. The guide on the hike was not English speaking but Nico did his best to translate. The Guide (I think Caesar) was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Food

a surprise treat at end of hike

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides were very nice and enthusiastic

Transport

Boat Trip to Glacier Grey

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

great info on boat

Transport

Angel made an amazing trip for me. Everything was fine tune. I was travelling alone and during all the trip i knew they were there to help in case of problem. We chatted everyday to make sure everything was ok for the next day. I have travelled a bit since quite a few years and honestly never had such a good service.
That was a stunning team . I highly recommand them !!!
This trip was the most amazing trip i have done up till now . Thanks everyone !

Hotel Reviews

45 by Director

Santiago

I did love this hotel. Clean , quiet and nice place. Food at the restaurant was really good. Great service. Good location. I was really happy with this hotel. i would recommand.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very quiet place, feels safe , restaurant very close.

Staff

They were very nice and seems happy to help when needed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfy, quiet. Very nice place

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

people there were awesome. The place in itself is very nice. Nice places to relax, AMAZING food. Very clean. They offer filtered water . I loved that place.

Authenticity & Character

Very respectful of environment. The place looks very amazing in the middle of the desert. loved it

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kind of little house very comfy. No AC but we can still find a way to be comfy.

Hotel Alma Sur

Punta Arenas

Very nice place. Looks very good with the woods everywhere. Feels like home. Very nice staff. Cozy, warm and very comfy.

Authenticity & Character

Looks very authentic with the wood and the furniture. Looks like a cozy place to relax.

Location

Staff

They are really helping. Restaurant is very good too.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfy. Fabulous place to stay.

Hotel Vendaval

Puerto Natales

Nice place but missing ascensor . Honestly these guys bringing the luggage through the stairs are doing an amazing work. Rooms are ok. Clean, comfy but with no extra. Good place to sleep. Very quiet and calm. Nice location close to lots of restaurants and store.

Authenticity & Character

Nothing to complain. But no extra there. Rooms for sleeping . Perfect for that purpose.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

I repeat. Kind of basic in some way but still very comfy and quiet.

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

AMAZING VIEW from that place but not necesseraly from your room. Very nice place with the hotel and the view from outside is outstanding. But, my room, would have need some love. Floor was broken. At that price, you expect it to be perfect. I've seen some 3 stars hotel better than that. But, once again, the view cannot be beat but at the end...it end up being expensive.

Authenticity & Character

The entry looks great, the restaurant also. But my room was just not consider as a 3 star hotel at that price.

Location

Staff

They did a great job.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean but needed some reparations, They could have something amazing if someone would manage to fix things where needed.

Hotel Cabaña Del Lago Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

WOW !!! Very beautiful view and the place looks incredible. lots of amenuities and very very comfy. i really did enjoy my stay there. I would highly recommand.

Authenticity & Character

Stunning place.

Location

Close to the center and just on the lake.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Just perfect

Activity Reviews

Puma Sighting Tour

Chile

INCREDIBLE !!!! That was the focus point of my trip and i got lucky to see some. To me that was paradise on earth.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were very nice and doing their best to find them. At some point while waiting they may spend time chatting with other guides but on anyway there was no puma in sight.

Transport

Full Day Tierra del Fuego - King Penguin

Punta Arenas

Lots of road to get there and not anything interesting while travelling. But, on my own opinion, it is worth it if you really want to get that chance to see them. I truly enjoyed the experience that was for me a once of a lifetime experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Chiloe - The Island of the Legends

Puerto Varas

I guess some people may like that kind of tour. personnaly, its not my interest. The tour is ok but i could have go without doing it to be honest. Lots of road and lots of nstops to artesanal places and churches. To me its not something i appreaciate but some other might i guess.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A comfy bus

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

Chile

You get some nice viewing spot of the volcan Osorno. Not bad in fact just not of my own taste. You can get some nice picture on that tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

the guide was doing her best to make it interesting.

Transport

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

was expecting to see something more than the moon. we saw saturn and a dead star. Not bad, but not as much as i was expecting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Valparaiso & Viña del Mar - Group Tour

Santiago

Interesting place to visit. Very touristic place. Lots of art everywhere. Interesting to know.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Laguna Cejar, Ojos del Salar y Laguna Tebiquinche

Chile

STUNNING !!!!! That was incredible. Many nice pictures i really loved that tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Trip- Red Rocks, Lagunas Altiplánicas & Atacama Salt Flats

San Pedro de Atacama

loved that. Very beautiful place to see.

Quality of Experience

Food

it was nice to have a picnic.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puma Encounter in Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Tatio Geysers - Morning tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Very interesting but nnote that this activity start very very early in the morning and goes up to 4300 meters. Altitude may become a problem.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grey Glacier Round Trip Navigation

Chile

Interesting experience. But a long walk to get to the boat. Still that was worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

We had an incredible guide. He found a way to add some very very appropriate music to this adventure on the moon. I really enjoyed it. Stunning panorama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dolphins Watching - From Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

I got lucky and we saw a lot. To me that was incredible. Small boat , they provide dressing , little snack. Focus point was incredible for me. See these dolphins .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Magdalena Island - Penguin Encounter Half Day Tour

Punta Arenas

Amazing !!! Really enjoyed that tour. They are so sweet :-)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Condor lookout Horse riding - Laguna Sofia & Cerro Benitez

Chile

Interesting. You go to a very nice view place. VERY WINDY !!! Get dress warm as it may get cold and i say that being from canada !!! You can get nice pics but we did not get to see any condor. I end up being alone on the tour. That was interesting but to me which is not a huge crazy fan of horse riding it end up being a bit too long.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Navigation Excursion - Serrano Glacier and Patagonic Lunch

Chile

Really great tour. I really enjoyed seing these glacier. Very interesting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park - Half Day Private Panoramic Tour

Chile

The most spectacular views i saw in my whole life. That was amazing !!! i highly recommand that tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was awesome. Taking time that i needed to take picture and every place we stopped.

Transport

Francisco’s team created a wonderful itinerary based on my requirements. The entire team including Pam, Dayana, Angel were hyper responsive at all times of the and available to answer my questions. My daughter (24) and I enjoyed all the cities but especially the trip to Valparaiso, Casablanca valley and all of Easter Island. We landed late around midnight many times and it was nice to have private transfers all arranged for us. We had a flight that cancelled last minute and the team made great suggestions to fly that same night and booked a hotel and arranged private transfers quickly. It was a most memorable trip and we returned home with a head and camera full of memories. This was our second trip with Kim Kim, the first being to Brazil and I would engage them again.

Lorena did an amazing job communicating, being responsive and clear regarding our 8 day trip to Chile in February. Every single transport, accommodation and tour was really well done and reliable. We had weather issues in the Atacama that caused some reworking of itineraries and they were handled greatly. Shoutout to the Hotel Desertica who handled the numerous weather related power outages really well, even serving dinner by candlelight. Overall a great experience with Kimkim and its on to Morocco with them! Thanks again to Lorena and all supporting staff.

We had a wonderful trip with some outstanding tour guides such as Freddy and Felipe in Santiago and Daniel in Patagonia. Hotel Lago Grey was outstanding. It's impossible to choose a favorite place: the moai in Rapa Nui, the street art in Santiago and Valparaiso, Torres del Paine. Our itinerary was customized to match our interests, but some things exceeded our expectations like the Grey Glacier boat. Luckily, we had perfect weather for our trip. One thing that could be improved is the daily schedule which had multiple minor hiccups: starting time/location, guide's name, checkout time. In the end, Dittmar Adventures was very responsive and made everything right.

Hotel Reviews

Cabañas Anavai

Hanga Roa

The description was for a bungalow. We had a room with a corner kitchen. There's no air conditioning so the room got very warm. Luckily there were two fans which we had to use all of the time. The last night the water went out. The next morning the want came back but the electricity went out. For the airport transfers, they really should use the guest's names to avoid the problem we had of confusing with another Cabanas.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Next to moai and beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No AC

Hotel Ismael

Santiago

The location is great and the staff is very helpful. The room was small unlike the pictures. The rooftop pool was very small. The hotel has two entrances which was problematic when we were leaving, Transvip was waiting on the street behind the hotel instead of at the front door.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great view and lots of choices for restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was small.

Hotel Costaustralis

Puerto Natales

The location was good although the window the first night wouldn't close so there was a good bit of road noise. The staff was not particularly helpful and the breakfast wasn't the best.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great views, but some road noise.

Staff

The staff was not very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room didn't have a fridge.

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

Excellent location and delicious food. This was the best hotel of our trip. We're very happy we didn't stay at Hotel del Paine. The complementary drinks was a nice touch which allowed us to discover calafate sours.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Easter Island (Rapa Nui): Half-Day Orongo & Volcanic Wonders

Easter Island

The crater is very impressive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Isla de Pascua (Rapa Nui): The Grand Tour of Moai and Ancestral Sites

Easter Island

A good introduction into the history of Rapa Nui.

Quality of Experience

Lunch should have been included.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Terangi was excellent as was the driver.

Transport

Easter Island (Rapa Nui): Secrets of the Seven Explorers (Half-Day Tour)

Easter Island

These are the only moai facing the sea.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour

Chile

Felipe Godoy is an excellent guide. He was extremely helpful in suggesting visits for our free day. The tour did not include the cable car up to the top of Cerro San Cristobal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable about the history and culture.

Transport

Day trip to Viña del Mar & Valparaiso

Chile

Julio Contreras was very flexible in customizing our tour so we got to see the sites we wanted to visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uptown Santiago Walking Food Tour

Santiago

Freddy did an outstanding job. It was great that he met us at the hotel and we took the subway together. We tried multiple foods and then saw multiple street art around Bellavista. Freddy is very knowledgeable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It would have been more complicated to take the metro on our own.

Trekking "Miradores" - Guided Day Hikes in Torres del Paine

Chile

Armando was a good guide. We were able to pick which hikes we wanted. He also let my wife use his hiking poles. Unfortunately when we were coming down from Mirador Condor, he was going down quickly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Daniel was an amazing driver.

Grey Glacier Boat Tour (round-trip)

Chile

One of the high points of our trip. Seeing the glacier and the impact of climate change was very impressive.

Quality of Experience

The weather was perfect which made the trip much better.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides were knowledgeable and available to answer questions.

Transport

Very smooth ride.

Kim Kim has an amazing staff of very knowledgeable guides and coordinators. Collectively, they took our desires and built a trip that met our every expectation. We contacted our Kim Kim coordinator, Riwal, approximately one year before the trip. No mater time, he was always available to strategize, answer questions, change plans and support us from beginning to the end. In country, our guide, Nacho (Luis Miranda Casanova), and driver, Logan, were nothing short of fantastic. Nacho’s breadth and depth of information far exceeded our expectations. From animals to geology and flowers to fossils, he was well-versed in everything about in Patagonia, and really South America. Logan is a true professional as evidenced by his driving skills and ability to navigate some very challenging dirt roads, day in and day out. I strongly recommend this highly talented team for your travels to South America.

Hotel Review

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

Excellent location. Room was clean and the bed/pillows were comfortable. Staff was supportive.

Authenticity & Character

Cabin life, which we appreciated

Location

Staff

Front desk staff was excellent but some of folks that worked other areas upfront and in the restaurant could have been more helpful. At times we had to ask around the staff to get basic information on excursions and amenities.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Enough said.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Estancia Cerro Guido with a Private Driver

Chile

Horseback riding while herding sheep was a highlight of our Patagonia experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Absolutely amazing breakfast and lunch. 5 starts.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park - Private Panoramic Tour

Chile

Sights were simply amazing, spectacular, jaw-dropping. This tour met every expectation.

Quality of Experience

Glaciers.

Food

Lunch was good but not great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

knowledge and insight.

Transport

Blue Lagoon / Laguna Azul Hike to Laguna Cebolla

Chile

Went on short hike. Nacho provided a great deal of information about the trees, lagoon, tree plantings and many other very special bits of information.

Quality of Experience

Amazing views!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide did excellent job planning around bus traffic.

Transport

Movement through the park was very efficient to get to tour.

Cerro Benitez Half Day Trek - Visit the Chilean "Condor"

Chile

Not sure how to rate this activity since we didn’t get to do the trek. However we did stop to see condors and an eagle during our transition through the park.

We have just returned from a truly wonderful 14-day February trip to Chile, booked on kimkim with the excellent, professional help of Jesse. First we must write about Jesse. From the moment I began looking into doing this trip, Jesse provided thorough, competent, and sensitive assistance. She "listened " to all our hopes and preferences, designing for us the trip of a lifetime. She adjusted hotels for us to make the package more affordable. And every tour she arranged for us revealed things we had hoped for and amenities we couldn't even have imagined - like early morning outdoor breakfasts in the desert, and phenomenal trekking and viewing experiences.

Once we arrived in Chile, again, Jesse could not have been more helpful. Communicating with her on WhatsApp, she ensured that all pick-ups and drop-offs went smoothly, and answered all the questions we had immediately, even sometimes quite late at night. Her responses were always kind and personable. We always knew we were in good hands with her guidance, and when we return to Chile - which we will! - we hope we will be lucky enough to work with Jesse again.

We began our trip in Santiago, and thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Valparaiso, with its incredible murals and steep, winding streets. Our guide, Javi, made sure we spent as much time as possible walking those streets, and she pointed out many treasures that we would have missed without her help. And we were thrilled with the "San Jose Volcano and Andes Mountains" experience. We had our guide, Juan Paulo, all to ourselves, and his love of the area and of the climb was so evident and genuine that it filled us with love for the experience, as well. He was also a true professional, teaching us things about the flora and fauna and ensuring that we were always safe as we climbed and descended.

Then we flew to the Atacama desert, and began our time there there with what was my favourite tour of all - the "Atacama Experience." We visited the farm of Gonzalo, a young indigenous farmer who introduced us to his llamas, and then demonstrated and talked us through the experience of making pottery with local materials, helping us each to create pieces of pottery that we could take home. Next we sat 'round a small fire with him while he prepared infusions from local herbs, which we gratefully drank. And last of all, he "gave" us each a llama to walk, and we spent an hour or so walking with "our" llamas in the desert as the sun was setting. Gonzalo was an excellent, knowledgeable and gentle host whose passion for the way of life he was retaining has stayed with me and made me want to return to Atacama.

Everything we experienced in the Atacama was wonderful. Our guide for "Exploring the Atacama Salt Flats" and "Valley of the Moon Tour" was Daniel - a true professional with an uproarious sense of humour. We learned about the salt flats, saw statuesque flamingos and wild vicunas with their young and had a great outdoor breakfast. Daniel brought us to a small village where he helped us find and purchase genuine alpaca products - and when we saw things we wanted to photograph he always made that possible. We were thrilled to have him as a guide again to visit the Valley of the Moon. The trek along the salt caves and stone formations was awe-inspiring, and Daniel thoroughly explained the formation of these geological wonders.

Marta was our guide to the Tatio Geysers, and she too was a wealth of knowledge and a great outdoor breakfast provider. And seeing the geysers steaming into the air at sunrise was beautiful and otherworldly.

I was sad to leave the desert, but other wonders awaited us. We flew to Santiago and from there, via Puerto Montt, to Puerto Varas. We loved our "Day Trip to Vincente Perez Rosales National Park" as well as our wonderful and quick-witted guide, Jorge. The highlight of this tour for us was the amazing view of the volcanoes and glaciers, and our ascent of the Osorno volcano. We chose to take the lifts up the side of the volcano, and I'd recommend that to anyone taking this tour. We also had a fabulous lunch of local salmon. All the while Jorge had us learning and laughing. He was an excellent guide.

Nest we went "Trekking in Alerce Andino National Park" with Luis, whose knowledge of local flora was impressive. He shared with us his fascination with the plants, flowers, and trees of this rainforest - and kindly taught us a lot of Spanish, which really pleased us.

Then we flew to Punta Arenas. It proved too windy to go see the penguins on Magdelena Island, but we enjoyed time to ourselves exploring the town with its amazing waterfront statues. We could feel the pull of Antarctica from there. Punta Arenas is another place we'd like to return to.

In Puerto Natales. the "Boat Tour to Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers" was a fantastic day. We saw sweeping waterfalls, sea lions resting on shore, and beautiful views of the glaciers. It was doubly gratifying to be able to land and walk to the base of one of them, where the view was amazing. So was our stop at the ranch and our meal of lamb there. And so was our surprise treat of whisky served with glacier ice, on the boat!

We finished our time in Patagonia with a day of trekking Torres del Paine. Three treks in one day was challenging, but the views of mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls was memorable.

Jesse and Kimkim made all of this happen for us, and we will certainly want to work with them both again for our next South American adventure. Thank you for this amazing experience.

Activity Reviews

Moon Valley Sunset

San Pedro de Atacama

The Valley of the Moon Tour in Atacama was stunning, but I think a warning should be included about the narrow and high trail. It might be daunting for those who have a fear of heights. Despite that, we were fine and enjoyed the beauty.

Hiking Trails in Torres del Paine

Chile

The Trekking Torres del Paine Active tour was great, however, we didn't see as much wildlife as we hoped. We probably started too late in the morning to see animals like pumas or guanacos. Also, the tour included three hikes in one day, which was quite intense. Perhaps two hikes would have been enough.

Atacama Experience

San Pedro de Atacama

The Atacama Experience was absolutely my favorite part of the trip. We visited a farm where Gonzalo, who I wouldn't even call a guide, shared so much about the landscape, traditions, and the animals. His explanations made the desert come alive for me.

Really enjoyed our wine-focused trip to Central Chile. Working with Nara was great - she was responsive to our desires for the trip, and she did a great job finding us terrific wineries to visit. Felipe was a wonderful guide - knowledgeable, personable, and easy to be around.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Solace

Providencia

Good solid choice for lodging in Santiago. Breakfast was comprehensive, although nothing fancy. Staff was helpful. Location is great for getting around the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Convenient

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gran Hotel Gervasoni

Valparaiso

This is a lovely period building, and the decor is simple and elegant. However, the bathroom in our room was on a lower floor, accessible only by a steep spiral staircase. Breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Accessibility

La Casona at Matetic Vineyards

Lagunillas

Lovely relaxed winery stay. Comfortable room, beautiful grounds, very good restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clos Apalta Residence

Santa Cruz

This is a stunning property. Everything was wonderful, from the casita to the restaurant to the wine tour. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wine Tasting in Aconcagua Valley

Chile

Escorial Winery was our favorite of all the wineries we visited in all the valleys. Their story is inspiring, and the wines were delicious. Sadly, they do not export to the States, so we spent a great deal of our limited take-home wine allowance here!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maipo Valley Wine Experience

Santiago

All the wineries we visited were impressive in their own ways, but we particularly loved El Principal and Haras de Pirque.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour

Chile

Jose was a great guide - knowledgeable and very proud of his city. Unfortunately, we scheduled our trip for Monday, when most of the attractions were closed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I strongly recommend kimkim and particularly the local specialists.

a 3 week trip with lots of moving parts was perfectly planned. any questions along the way very answered immediately regardless if it was Sunday 6am or Wednesday 11pm. Just extraordinary customer service.

thank you for the great experience kimkim team

Hotel Reviews

Kenton Palace Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

central location, nice rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camping Frances

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

its a tent, but as good as it can be... even had power to charge phones

Las Lengas Hotel

Ushuaia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Big Sur

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lunajuim

El Chalten

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

walls are thin, I could hear guests in other rooms snore, water pressure in shower is extremely low

Activity Reviews

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

amazing experience walking the loop between the penguins

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike the French Valley

Chile

Quality of Experience

Perito Moreno Glacier Mini-trekking

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beagle Channel Cruise

Ushuaia

not ideal if you get easily sea sick....

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour Through The Glaciers

El Calafate

average especially if comparing to other experiences in el chalten, perito Moreno, and torres del paine

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marcela was great! Everything went off like clockwork. We had some problems with an adjoining trip which affected the start of this itinerary but Marcela and her team handled the changes with complete efficiency. Gaboo gets a call out too for excellent service and assistance!
The drivers and guides were on time, did a good job and were personable.
Especially like Juan Pablo from the Buggy ride in the desert and the kayak guide.
Dinner (you called it lunch, but it was at 5pm so it was our dinner) with the red rocks tour was fun and a pleasant surprise.
The only tour we didn’t like was the moon valley. Too big of a group and a very disorganized start and it just wasn’t that interesting.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Ladera

Providencia

They had a coffee maker in the room, but charged for a tny cup of coffee. Also the hot water took forever to warm up

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa de la Patagonia

Puerto Natales

Loved the breakfast room. Staff was great - but it was VERY noisy! Only 7 rooms and people were loud going up and down the wooden steps starting very early in the morning and then late at night and it sounded like someone was clanging dishes in the breakfast room starting at about 5. Also bathroom was way to small - no shelf space and there wasn’t much storage in the bedroom either.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean, just not that comfortable - see above

Hotel Cabaña Del Lago Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Amazing breakfast room and great location. Nice size rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Refugio - La Casa de Don Tomas

San Pedro de Atacama

Pretty place - nice pool area and places to sit outside. Rooms comfortable. Loved we got complimentary sparkly wine once a day and the restaurant was very good. Good service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kayaking in Eberhard Fjord

Puerto Natales

A little strenuous but in a good way! We really go a workout and learned about the history of this area. The guide was excellent!

Quality of Experience

It was private. The guide was very attentive to our capabilities and was a good coach.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike & Beer

Puerto Varas

Beautiful town to start and countryside to ride in. Beer and pizza were fun One of the best drivers Guide was great

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago Highlights

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valparaíso & Wine Tour - Private

Santiago

Claudia was very good! And the wine tasting was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Buggy Safari Through the Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

JP was superb! Maybe our best guide of the tour. He had a good sense of humor, taught us much!

Quality of Experience

Guide, equipment, all top-notch.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

JP was a great communicator and fun to be around.

Transport

He picked us up in a comfortable vehicle and took us directly his home where we got the jeep

Trekking and Condor Watching

Puerto Natales

It was a tough hike mostly do to the incredible wind. and we didn’t see any condors

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Trails in Torres del Paine

Chile

Good challenging hikes. Great staff

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tatio Geysers at Sunrise

San Pedro de Atacama

Well done

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking in Alerce Andino National Park

Puerto Varas

Really muddy- I sunk up to my knees at one spot. Our guide, Rafael was amazing. Great guide. Nice lunch provided.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Atacama Salt Flats & Lagoons

San Pedro de Atacama

Beautiful landscape made for amazing pics A little too much back and forth time in the van Wind made it kind of uncomfortable Breakfast outside is a fun touch

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stargazing

San Pedro de Atacama

It was delayed until 10:30 so really late at night - hard to see each other and the wine/snacks table was kind of awkward

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Puritama Canyon Trek

San Pedro de Atacama

Didn’t give as much info in English and lots of loose rocks - so hike was challenging

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Moon Valley Sunset

San Pedro de Atacama

Not interesting and way too long

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caro was very helpful in planning our trip to Santiago and Patagonia. She kept us well informed and was very good at communication. Unfortunately, at the last minute, my friend's father became very ill and she had to cancel the trip which meant I was traveling alone. It was reassuring to know that KimKim and TripsSouthAmerica was aware of this and I had someone to pick me up from the airport and transport me during the trip. I also had another situation with an approaching winter storm in my area require me to change my plans and leave a day earlier than planned. Caro made the arrangements to accommodate me with an additional hotel night and change in pick up schedule.

The hotel in Santiago was less than I hoped - rooms were sparse and dated, very limitied English spoken, and not in the most favorable area of the city even though it was located in walking distance to the cultural center and museum. On the other hand, I loved Westkar in Puerto Natalas and the MR hotel in the Provincia neighborhood in Santiago upon my return were great options. EcoCamp Patagonia was 5 star eco-resort and I would highly recommend it if visiting Torres del Paine.

I wish I could have visited Punta Arenas while in Patagonia

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Fundador

Santiago, Región Metropolitana

The hotel was dark and dank. After flying over night, I was not able to check in early and so had to find a couch to nap. I checked about getting a to-go breakfast on the morning of my departure and was told that had been arranged but when i checked out they acted like they didn't know anything about that. The room was sparse and dated with a lot of rust in the bath. The neighborhood where the hotel was located was in the financial district with older buildings and apartments but no convenient cafes or inviting restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

EcoCamp Patagonia

Torres del Paine

Loved everything about this eco-resort! The accommodations were very nice and the food superb. I loved they offered a welcome drink every night and wine was included with dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camping Frances

For a camping experience it was very comfortable. The food was very good at the refugio.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camping Paine Grande

Puerto Natales, Chile

Lots of tents but the tents and pillows were clean and comfortable. Food was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

A very nice hotel located about a mile from town along the water.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MR Hotel

Santiago

Loved the location and feel of this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Santiago Markets City Bike Tour

Santiago

The bike tour was very enjoyable and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver was late picking me up and returning me after the bike tour. He had a womas hiding in the back of the van which made me feel very uncomfortable and was very unprofessional

Eco Camp W Trek 7D/6N - Day 1 - Welcome to Torres del Paine 💕⛰️

Torres del Paine

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eco Camp W Trek 7D/6N - Day 2 - Los Cuernos Trek 💕⛰️

Torres del Paine

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

EcoCamp W Trek 7D/6N - Day 3 - The Paine Massif's Heart: French Valley 💕⛰️

Torres del Paine

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

EcoCamp W Trek 7D/6N - Day 4 - Grey Glacier Trek & Boat Ride 💕⛰️

Torres del Paine

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

EcoCamp W Trek 7D/6N - Day 5 - The Big Challenge: Torres del Paine 💕⛰️

Torres del Paine

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

EcoCamp W Trek 7D/6N - Day 6 - Eastern Lakes 💕⛰️

Torres del Paine

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoCamp W Trek 7D/6N - Day 7- Enjoy the lanscapes and let's return to Puerto Natales or Punta Arenas 💕⛰️

Torres del Paine

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eberhard Fjord Kayaking Tour

Puerto Natales

The kayaking trip was nice but nothing spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maipo Valley - Concha y Toro & Santa Rita Wineries

Santiago

I think visiting the wineries could be fun to do with a group but by myself it wasn't that enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to Chile. Our agent, Marcela, crafted an exceptional itinerary—she listened carefully to our wishes and adapted plans seamlessly when changes arose.
The Atacama Desert was breathtaking, and our guides, Rodrigo and JP, were incredibly knowledgeable about the region’s geology, history, and Andean wildlife. Rapa Nui was unforgettable; learning about the Moai and the Birdman competition brought the island’s rich history to life. In the Colchagua Valley, we enjoyed sampling outstanding wines amid stunning scenery, which was the perfect way to round out the journey.

While we spent weeks building this trip as the days passed we realized that the information on the tours was incomplete and the age of the men in our group was not considered fully. My husband is 72 and Gabi is 72 as well. We had to send numerous messages to figure out the details of the itineraries, the length, challenges, etc. One tour was dangerous to our health. The Puerto Varras tour gave no details on the challenge, 23km length, amount of water needed, clothing, huge flies, etc. we had to turn around after just 3 km.
Several tours had guides who struggled with English or did not bother to speak it at all.
In short, KimKim needs to refund us the money for the full day Puerto Varas tour. In general, KimKim should assign a travel specialist who is educated about the destinations and give full details about the tours.
While South America is beautiful and we appreciate the people and the landscape, we expect KimKim to do the write thing about its customers and offer best communication.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Plaza El Bosque Ebro

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Diego de Almagro Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No AC

Rochester Bariloche

San Carlos de Bariloche

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Pueblo de Tierra

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NOI Indigo Patagonia

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cabaña Del Lago Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No AC

Activity Reviews

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

Did not happen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Trip- Red Rocks, Lagunas Altiplánicas & Atacama Salt Flats

San Pedro de Atacama

Guide struggled with English

Quality of Experience

Better guides

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Island & Arrayanes Forest - Navigation

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Perez Rosales National Park – Trekking through Desolation Pass

Puerto Varas

We were not given any details about the length, clothing, food and water demands. Guides were nice but the communication with kimkim I existent. We need to be refunded as we could not do this tour safely.

Quality of Experience

Food

Give full details about the tour before the tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport