Kimkim Trip Reviews for Chile

This was our first time using assistance in planning and booking a vacation and it was SEAMLESS! Angel planned an awesome vacation for our family of four from start to finish and was so patient and helpful. We will absolutely use KimKim again!

Jose in Satiago, Pierre in Santa Fe de Atacama and ATA in Rapa Nui were very serviceful, attentive to our needs and knowledgeable guides.

The trip was well organized by Angel and fully met our expectations. The trips to Atacama Geysers, Lagoons and Night Sky View were too good and memorable. I felt Bolivia is a lot more scenic and the ride through the vast deserts and points of interests was exhilarating. The highlight of the trip was of course Uyuni Salt Flats!!!!!! Can't describe!!!

Though all our guides were very knowledgeable and helpful, our Bolivian guide Orlando stood out - super good and truly Amazing!!!

Here is feedback on the Chile trip
1. The organization by Francisco was less than what I expected. Communication was done with him over Kimkin portal or verbally but then actions were different.
2. The hotels that were promised were changed after we paid the deposit and they were much worse than we initially were told.
3. The hotel in San Pedro de Atacama (Don Raul) was very bad – I even sent photos of the hotel. The toilet seat did not fit the toilet bowl, no closet, extremely small room with barely much room for luggage, no closet, very small shower with half the shower door so water will spill out. This was not a 3 start hotel.
4. We were told that there will be 2 cabins in Torres Del Paine in Konkashken Lodge for 2 days. Then Francisco said that there was only 1 cabin with 4 beds and everything else was booked and nothing else was available. He never told us that the 1 cabin will be with bunk beds – imagine that! 4 adults, 2 aged in mid-thirties and 2 in their sixties trying to fit in bunk beds. We discussed with the owner/manager and she said Francisco changed the reservation from 2 cabins to 1 cabin and they had rooms available (but Francisco told us that there were no rooms available when original booking was done). The situation was so bad that we could not stay a second night as we had planned and paid for. Originally when I had asked Francisco that he should reduce the amount since he had charged for 2 cabins and changed the reservation for one cabin he said that vegetarian food was expensive so he will not reduce the price. This was not true also. I should be refunded for 2 rooms for 1 night and also for the other night that we were forced to spend in totally unacceptable accommodation with bunk beds in a single cabin.
5. I did not expect this kind of service from KimKim. Extremely disappointed.

Otherwise Chile and specially Torres Del Paine overall is a wonderful place to visit.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Don Raul

San Pedro de Atacama

Very small room with hardly room for luggage and with bathrooms in poor condition, the checkin clerk at front desk were rude (for English speaking guest). Would not recommend staying at this place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

A couple of people doing the checkin were rude

Cleanliness & Comfort

Need to fix bathroom, have toilet seats that are right for the bowl, shower door needs fixing to prevent water spills

Hilton Garden Inn Santiago Airport

Santiago

Stayed for short few hours but good service and helpful people

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alma Sur

Punta Arenas

Rooms were just okay as they are older and not updated. Restaurant would not server normal course meal and had to have their expensive Christmas meal with limited option

Hotel Plaza El Bosque Ebro

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Konkashken Lodge

Torres del Paine

Very nice, helpful owner

Activity Reviews

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

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

San Pedro de Atacama

Best tour for Atacama desert and salt flats

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Magdalena Island - Penguin Encounter Half Day Tour

Chile

Don's miss it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Baltinache Hidden Lagoons and Vallecito(magic bus).

Chile

NOthing very spectacular

Navigation Excursion - Balmaceda & Serrano Glacier with Patagonic Lunch

Chile

Nice tour

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking Torres del Paine with W Circuit on day 1 was a good introduction to the sights of Patagonia, however the mini bus was poor with cramped seating on rough roads.
Boat tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers was a highlight as the fiords were spectacular, however the boat had poor worn seats and was best viewed from the upper deck. Also ranch lunch was poor as meat full of crissle and salad only lettuce.
Full day tour of Torres del Paine Park partly doubled up on the first day trekking, however while overcast and raining on first day the Full Day vehicle tour was better with clear skies and superior comfortable vehicle from Patagonia Planet which is highly recommended.
Last day trekking and Condor watching was the highlight as the guide Patagonia Adventure Jorge was brilliant and spoke fluent English. He went out of his way to find condors and we were treated to clear skies and a condor aerial display.
Hotel accommodation at Puerto Natalie's Hotel Vendaval offered small modern rooms which were ok however very noisy as sound travels through the floor and walls.

Hotel Review

Hotel Vendaval

Puerto Natales

Small modern rooms which were ok however no sound proofing and very noisy.

Authenticity & Character

Distinctive red multi storey building and modern by Puerto Natalie's standard.

Location

The hotel is located between the waterfront and the town square and good facilities nearby.

Staff

No problem with English communication

Cleanliness & Comfort

Good modern facilities and large king bed.

Activity Reviews

Trekking Torres del Paine Active

Chile

Good tour guide, however poor mini bus.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food served at the Rio Pingo restaurant is expensive and terrible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park & Surroundings

Chile

Good driver and guide and comfortable vehicle.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch provided at the Rio Pingo restaurant was expensive and terrible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking and Condor Watching

Puerto Natales

Beautiful scenery and expert guide.

Quality of Experience

The guide was excellent at finding resting condors.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great information, very personable and fluent English.

Transport

Private car for 4 people.

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Chile

Great scenery on the fiords.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch at the ranch poor.

Jesse did a fabulous job organizing our trip. She always seemed to me one step ahead of me with drivers and guides. We were so thankful we used KimKim to help us plan and schedule everything for our family to have stress-free trip in a country where we barely spoke the language. All the hotels, activities and guides she picked were just right for our family (parents plus 2 teenagers).

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa

Santiago

Bidasoa was in a great safe location. Hotel was very clean and nice. Breakfast was fabulous. Everyone was very nice and helpful. They let us sit in the lobby and store our stuff for hours when our flight got cancelled.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cabo De Hornos

Punta Arenas

We were actually only in the hotel for 4 hours because our rescheduled flight was very late, but they were nice when we arrived at 2am local time and kind to store our bags the next day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costaustralis

Puerto Natales

Everyone was very helpful and the hotel was in a great location-easy walking distance to town right on the water. Only negative was that the rooms were hot. No A/C and you had to shut the window at night to block the light.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Appelgren House Hotel Boutique

PUERTO NATALES

The owners were very nice and helpful. Always asking if we needed anything. We stayed in a multi-room suite with a kitchen so it was nice for all 4 of us to be together. Only negative was that it was further out of town, but the view was great! And it was only 5000 pesos to take a taxi to town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Santiago City Tour - Private

Santiago

Felipe was a great guide. Told us a lot about the city and kept it interesting which is saying something since we had just arrived that morning and hadn't slept on our flight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Viña del Mar & Valparaíso

Chile

Hernan spoke great English and clearly knew a lot about the area. It was a really interesting trip. We would have liked to explore on foot a little more if possible. There was a lot of riding in the van.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver seemed very sleepy on the way home.

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Base Torres Hike

Chile

This is a hard hike. Guests need to be aware that this hike is 13+ miles and very challenging both directions. We would have preferred a private hike for our family so we didn't have to wait for the whole group at each stop. I didn't realize that was an option.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Chile

It was fun to see the glacier but it is a LONG day on a boat. The lunch at the ranch took 2.5 hours and the food was only okay. By the time we got there we were very hungry and just wanted to be served immediately rather than everything slowly served. Also, it was weird that some people got a cheese board snack on the boat and we didn't-I guess their hotel sent the snack.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking Torres del Paine Active

Chile

Abi was a great guide. We enjoyed both shorter hikes we did in the park.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip to Chile (Santiago , Atacama and Patagonia area) this December. Fransisco had organized our trip very well. He was very good in communicating with us right from the start and keeping us informed about our trip including a detailed packing list. Our local specialist Angel was super nice and very helpful. Same with Jose who was our local specialist at Puerto Natales.
The trips was very well organized and timed. We had an amazing trip. I would definitely travel with them again. Thank you very much!!
I would also like to mention that I do like the KimKim platform for communication and information about the trip.
Thank you again!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Very aesthetic local decor.

Location

Walking distance to all great restaurants and shopping on the Main Street.

Staff

Super polite and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

45 by Director

Santiago

Very friendly and helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alma Sur

Punta Arenas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hostal Los Pinos

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Panoramic Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Great guide Ignacio and his driver. Had a great tour.

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

Chile

The guide was not helpful at all. He told us he will pick us up 6:10am and he will wait 15 mins as per his company policy, that should be 6:25am. He arrived 10 mins early and left early. We came down 6:20am and he left with out us and refused to come back. He left at 6:18am!!

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

One of the best tours. The guide was very enthusiastic and had lots of information. Played Star Wars music as we entered the park 😂 snacks and piano sour at the end of the tour was amazing too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super nice

Transport

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

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide.

Transport

FD Tatio Geysers and Machuca

San Pedro de Atacama

Amazing experience to the geysers and the natural wildlife in the area.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Magdalena Island - Penguin Encounter Half Day Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fabulous taste of Chile! Well planned destinations for a variety of sights and everything was super smooth. All the guides and activities were fantastic and prefect for our family. Great trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel NOI Casa Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama

Small, lovely boutique hotel that has absolutely everything and really honors the desert in its furnishings and design. Just beautiful! And fabulous service! Loved it and will stay there again when back in San Pedro!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa

Santiago

Great city hotel and the outdoor dining area and little pool is like an oasis!! Beautiful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cabaña Del Lago Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Dated look and feel, but fabulous location and views!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

Sooooo cool!!! Super knowledgeable star guide with two high tech scopes for everyone’s viewing. Professional photog included with the night sky behind you! And a lovely snack spread to boot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Waterfalls & Cactus Private Trek

Chile

Beautiful hiking in a desert oasis with cacti and waterfalls and donkeys!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Laguna Cejar, Ojos del Salar y Laguna Tebiquinche

Chile

Sooooo cool floating in the saltwater lagoon!! And what a snack spread afterward! Wowza!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Kayaking in Llanquihue Lake

Puerto Varas

Kayaking around Isla Loreley and into the lagoon behind it was spectacular!! Gorgeous!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was friendly and great, but didn’t have much to say. It was a super simple there and back kayak tour, we didn’t even really need a guide.

Transport

Great except for the early arrival that threw us off.

Wow!! What an AMAZING trip we had to Chile!! Angel was the absolute BEST in helping us plan our incredible itinerary to Santiago, Patagonia and Easter Island. His communication was so helpful and made us feel totally at ease knowing that we would be perfectly taken care of. Every private car transfer, each hotel, tour, tour guide, and domestic flights were exactly what we wanted. Chile is an absolute paradise and I miss it already. THANK YOU so so much for helping to make a wonderful family vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Solace

Providencia

Rooms are large and spacious, the complimentary drinks in the mini fridge were a huge bonus, the rooftop lounge and pool are gorgeous (we spent most of our time up there), the food was delicious and the staff were all extremely friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hosteria Pehoe

This hotel has the BEST views and scenery in all of Patagonia. That’s why you stay here. It’s located on its own little island that includes a short hike to the top of a hill to get the most stunning views of the mountains. The food was just okay and kind of expensive, but that’s true of all of the accommodations in the park. The staff were kind and helpful. The WiFi only works in the common area which includes a large lounge upstairs with beautiful views of the landscape and mountains.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

Santiago

Perfect place to stay if you are in-between flights and need to just sleep for the night. Rooms were large and modern and the restaurant had great food and wine.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Taha Tai

Easter Island

The prettiest hotel! Our rooms were large and spacious, the air conditioning worked great, lots of palm trees and flowers around the resort. The views of the ocean each morning while we ate our breakfast was the best!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Torres del Paine National Park - Private Panoramic Tour

Chile

Our guide (Nacho) did a fabulous job at showing us all of the most beautiful spots in the park. His knowledge of the geology, the flowers and plant life, the animals (we saw 2 pumas!!) and the best places for us to hike for our skill-level was perfect.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Mirador Base Torres del Paine - Full Day Private Tour

Chile

Well, it would have been a fabulous hike but unfortunately me and my family were not in-shape enough to complete it. We gave it our best shot but not being used to hiking, it was too difficult for us. I thank our guide Nacho for taking our health and safety into consideration and recommending we try shorter and easier hikes instead. The day was just as good, if not better.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grey Glacier Navigation

Torres del Paine

This was a highlight!! The views of the glaciers were stunning! And the complimentary drink was much appreciated!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rano Raraku Volcano & Anakena White Sand Beach

Easter Island

A perfect way to see the highlights of the island! We saw all of the Moai statues, the quarry where they were carved from, and learned all about the history and culture of the Rapa Nui people.

Quality of Experience

lol

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Tour Orongo Volcano

Easter Island

Loved going to the top of the volcano to see the giant crater, and then learning about the Birdman competition. So interesting!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A well-organized compact trip to Patagonia and Santiago. Fransisco, our tour organizer's arrangements were detailed and his instructions were accurate. His and local support along the trip whenever we had hiccups was particularly impressive. Our activities were great, and the local guides were wonderful. We particularly enjoyed Nicholas for our Punta Arenas tour and Jorge for the kayak from Puerto Prat. They were both knowledgeable and their enthusiasm and love for the land was infectious.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Director Vitacura

Santiago, Vitacura, Región Metropolitana

Excellent location, staff and breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alma Sur

Punta Arenas

Mid hotel. Hotel rooms were small, dinner and breakfast were mediocre and payment arrangements were messed up for us. The hotel was very busy with a lot of Antarctica tourists.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sheuen Patagonia

Puerto Natales

Great hotel catering exactly for adventure travel. Staff was awesome. Beds were somewhat worn, but still recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Eberhard Fjord Kayak Adventure!

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park - Panoramic Tour

Chile

Tour is amazing, lunch was a bit chaotic.

Full Day Valparaiso & Viña del Mar - Group Tour

Santiago

Tour guide was good, but the stops for food were poor.

Jimena helped us to make true our dreamt honeymoon. She helped us to make the most of our days in the region based on our preferences and requests. We did not have to worry about anything during those days, just being on time. Special shout out to Rodrigo our guide in Ushuaia who made those days extra special.

Tamer, Riwal, Angel and the entire team were outstanding to work with from beginning to end. Our goal was to visit 2-3 regions of Chile within only 9 days. The team added and subtracted from our itinerary until the details were 100%. We were able to enjoy time in the city (Santiago), the desert (San Pedro de Atacama) and the coast (Valparaiso and Vina del Mar) which each offered their own unique aspects of this amazing country. The transportation was always reliable and comfortable for our group of 7. Our excursions provided the right balance of adventure and culture without ever having concern for our safety. Accommodations were purposefully selected to match our desired comfort level, proximity to attractions and price point. The team made sure to add all the extra special touches we needed on this trip including Vegetarian meals and making my daughter's birthday celebration memorable. This trip was not for her birthday but rather her birthday was celebrated while we were there. The day of her birthday was planned with activities that kept her in mind and the team even gave her a sweet gift. Pro-tip: ask to visit wineries that also have animals. It's a win-win for the adults and the children. The Kimkim team members were professional, kind, sincere, accommodating and made us feel like we were part of "the family". We would love to return to Chile and if we do, we will 100% ask for this team to help us again. We're also planning to use Kimkim as we plan trips to other areas as well.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa

Santiago

Lovely accommodations in a cute neighborhood setting. Amazing breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Diego de Almagro Valparaíso

Valparaíso

Our rooms had a great view of the water and all the action in the port.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel does not have laundry machines. This was problematic for us since we had just arrived from the desert and the majority of our clothes were dirty. They do offer a pricey laundry service but unfortunately my clothes came back in worse shape than I sent them. A black sweatshirt was returned covered in little white balls indicating that it was clearly washed with a load of white towels. :(

Hotel Domos San Pedro

San Pedro de Atacama

No frills accommodations that are unique and clean (almost like Yurt Camping). Easy walk down the dirt road to town. Grocery store close by at the corner. Expect the pool to be cold, the shower temperature to be variable and the breakfast to be good enough. You aren't in Atacama for luxury accommodations-- you're their for the excursions and unique experiences.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Angel was a great tour guide. We especially enjoyed our picnic overlooking the city. The trip to the market was also a highlight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vegetarian Chilean Food Tour & Picnic with a View of Santiago

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Tatio Geysers - Morning tour

San Pedro de Atacama

The geyers were one of our favorite aspects of our entire visit to Chile. Breathtaking panoramic views of the Andes Mountains and volcanoes. This excursion also includes a stop at a lake that inhabits hundreds of flamingoes! It was so cool to see them in their natural habitat.

Quality of Experience

Food

We had a lovely picnic after completing the geyser tour. What a beautiful way to start our day.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alejandro was a fantastic driver and really took care of us. He was very knowledgeable about the area and we learned a ton from him.

Transport

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

There were some in our group that did not enjoy the hiking in the heat. That said, it was definitely a unique and beautiful experience. It feels like you are visiting a planet from Star Wars!

Quality of Experience

The sunset as not as great as we anticipated. The minute the sun dropped behind the mountains, we were asked to pack up and leave. In our experience, the best part of sunsets can come several minutes after the sun drops as it lights up the sky. We didn't get to see that on this trip. If we return, we'll just plan to do the sunset on our own so we can stay and enjoy for as long as we'd like. We do understand that the tours need to promptly return to town to prepare for their Stargazing Tours which begin after sunset.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alejandro is the best!

Transport

Sandboarding at Dunas de Concon

Chile

Make sure you are old enough/tall enough/strong enough to carry your own board up a large sand dune before you book. The view at the top is gorgeous overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Sandboarding was fun but we would've been just as content to watch the sunset from the top of the dunes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Aconcagua Farms

Chile

What an adorable little winery and farm. This excursion was enjoyed by adults and children alike. The sheep, chickens and dogs were highly entertaining. Gorgeous scenery and super friendly staff. It was so interesting to hear from the owners about how they converted this farm from commercial/traditional production to organic. They had just opened to the public when we were there in November but I have no doubt that they are going to succeed and grow.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puritama Hot Springs

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valparaiso and Viña del Mar- Private Tour

Chile

Valparaiso is a neat city with so much culture to explore!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip, thanks to Angel who tailor made our plan and hand picked the most amazing tour guides and accommodations that fit our preference.

If you are still wondering if Kim Kim works or if Angle worths the little extra, the answer is most definitely!

It took out all the guessing work and we had very smooth experience.

Highly recommend Angle and team for your South America adventures!

Activity Review

Hike to Mirador Base Torres del Paine - Full Day Tour

Chile

We really enjoyed this trip. Not only we accomplished the task, the organization and the tour guides Jose and Nacho, are super kind and considerate!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

José Luis Miguel was a great driver and tour guide who had a wonderful positive attitude and shared relevant information with us.

Angel did a great job of both agreeing an exciting itinerary with us, planning all the details and then communicating with us while we were on the holiday. The highlight was all the details around our visit to Torres de Paine - where he was able to plan ice trekking, boat trip, night in a refuge followed by night in a high end hotel with the iconic hike to the base of Torres de Paine at the end. It all went super smoothly as he had made sure we had good guides, had planned the time well and ensured it had the right level of adventure and comfort for us.

We also got a good mixture of time to explore on our own and planned activities, and he'd planned our bike tour around Lake LLanquihui well to be at the right effort level! Whenever we had questions or issues he was super quick to respond and was always knowledgeable and helpful.

Many things were not made clear during this trip. While everything was perfect from the local company Route360 in St Pedro de Atacama, arriving there and leaving from there to go back to Santiago was not very well organized.
First, no one explained us what to do in the morning we left Santiago. The driver came to pick us up from the hotel, but he knew nothing. We arrived at the airport to fly to Calama, but without any instructions and no one speaks English to explain where to go, what line to take, what register. Anyway, we were left by ourselves.
Same, even worst happen on the morning from the hotel in St Pedro to the airport. It was not clear who will pick us up from the hotel, what time and where. The hotel knew nothing. The itinerary says that the pick up will be confirmed one day in advance, but no one confirmed anything until 2 am, 3 hours before. So we had to stay whole night and wonder what will happen and will we be picked up.
The worst of all is the WhatsUp notification. The company uses Whatsup, but for every useful message from them we receive 100 spam messages, and who knows which is good and which is not. Searching through the spam to see whether we received any message became a day-long activity for both my wife and me. No serious company communicates with its clients through Whatsup. In fact, we deleted Whatsup from our phones 4 years ago for the same reason: the huge amount of spam we get from the USA
In overall, we are dissatisfied with how Kimkim organizes their trips

My husband and I had a fantastic 16 days in Chile thanks to KimKim’s thoughtful planning and operations teams. We loved the itinerary that was put together, the activities and knowledgeable guides that were arranged, and have already recommended KimKim (and their Chile travel partner ResponsibleTravelSA) to friends and family.

Itinerary : 16 days in Chile (4 nights in Atacaman, 1 night in Punta Arenas, 1 night in Puerto Natales, 4 nights in Patagonia, 3 nights in Easter island, 3 nights in Santiago) at the end of October 2024

The KimKim platform - very impressive ! Good/clean design, easy to navigate and the initial questionnaire where we could list our interests was very helpful for Tamer & team to lay out a draft itinerary which we then worked with Riwal to refine and finalize. The final itinerary in PDF is wonderfully thorough and detailed, it had every info we needed about our trip, we loved this ! The team even sent a Packing list before the trip. Would be great to have a KimKim app!

KimKim & ResponsibleTravelSA teams :
The team of Tamer B, Riwal, Angel, Gabriela are knowledgeable, experienced, thoughtful, patient and very responsive. Jose Luis, the travel agent for the Patagonia portion of the trip was very knowledgeable and accommodating and did a fabulous job.

My husband Vikram and I decided to head to Chile on Oct 22nd and reached out to the KimKim team on Oct 1st! Despite the short time to plan, the team went above and beyond to not only flawlessly plan a memorable trip but stayed in touch with us via WhatsApp throughout the trip answering our many questions with immense patience.

Riwal was someone we interacted with the most during the planning stage and he’s awesome - we loved how knowledgeable, patient, meticulous and thoughtful he is. He was also very kind to suggest all the internal flights we needed to book carefully listing the flight numbers and times, this was really helpful. He then brought in Angel, Gabriela to the conversations. Angel is very well versed with the details on the ground and he was also our guide during our first day in Santiago where he took us on a market tour for a few hours. We absolutely loved our market tour with Angel - he is so easy to talk to, extremely knowledgeable and kind and we learnt so much in that short span of a few hours with him. He also very thoughtfully arranged for lunch at a lovely vegan restaurant after the tour, since I’m vegan.

Atacaman desert :
Truly stunning and a must visit, the team had arranged for small group tours to several places over the 4 days including an Astro tour to see the night sky, flamingoes etc. All the guides were very knowledgeable especially Christian. The AstroTour was fabulous and the guides knowledgeable and fun. We even had a photo shoot with a professional against the backdrop of the Milky Way.
The small group tours were charming and typically include an impressive outdoor breakfast (they even take skillets and make omelettes outdoors !) and an equally impressive end to the tour with a cocktail celebration (Pisco Sour, assortment of snacks). But many tours start early (6 am) as they have to pick up the other folks and then have the outdoor breakfast before we actually head to the destination. So if you are short on time or need more flexibility in the schedule and pickup time, a private tour would be better.

Punta Arenas :
Unfortunately when we landed in Punta Arenas there was heavy wind and so all expeditions to Magdalena island to see the Penguins were canceled. We then got in touch with the local travel agent Jose Luis who was wonderful and accommodating and we asked that our bus tickets to Puerto Natales be moved up so we could reach Patagonia sooner. Jose Luis was great to work with and coordinated all the details on the ground for the Patagonia portion of our trip.
We loved our little adventurous hike to Base Torres which we split over 2 days camping at Chileno midway and the team did an amazing job in arranging a knowledgeable private guide Matias for the Torres Del Paine trek. The premium Chileno campsite was great too, we weren’t sure how it would be given the cold weather but the tent (and mattress/sleeping bag) were very comfortable. We were prepared with warm thermal wear, gloves, beanie. We had also taken a foldable LED lantern which was useful. The KimKim team had communicated to the Chileno campsite folks that I’m a vegan so every meal for me was specially prepared vegan (including desert !) which was very thoughtful. We even saw a puma walk across the road in front of our car as we were driving back from Las Torres to our hotel which was a highlight of our trip !!

Easter Island :
We spent 3 nights in Easter Island which we loved despite a long 6 hour flight to get there.
We had an indigenous Rapa Nui guide Steven who was quite a character but we enjoyed learning about his culture and all the stories he shared, passed down the generations - it was an extremely knowledgeable and a memorable tour with him. His passion to share about his Rapa Nui people and culture, authenticity shone through and we loved it despite his eccentricities :) It was not a boring guidebook tour.

The local tour company at Easter Island Rapa Nui Travel was very good too and the main lady who picked us up from the airport and drove us to the Kari Kari show etc (fabulous show, worth going to!) was wonderful.

Hotels :
- Hotel Icon (Santiago)
Nice hotel, great location, safe to walk around. The corner rooms have great views of the Andes!
The staff were very nice and allowed us to use the spa shower and gave us towels etc when we checked in early (as the room was not yet ready)

- Noi Casa Atacama (Atacaman)
Very nice hotel, great staff, 5-7 min walk to the Main Street where there are tons of shops and restaurants

- Hotel Cabo de Hornos (Punta Arenas)
Standard /basic rooms
Lobby and restaurant are great, good food

- Hotel CostaAustralis (Puerto Natales)
Great views & location
Nice lobby and restaurant area

- Hotel Rio Serrano ( Patagonia)
Fantastic rooms with the most incredible views, could easily stay here for a month, highly recommend this hotel.
Lovely restaurant with good food
Kind, wonderful staff, nice spa

- Hotel Hare Nua (Easter Island)
Fabulous boutique hotel, very aesthetically done.
The owners and staff keep the place meticulous and we loved their warmth and hospitality throughout our stay. The best part of the stay was the very thoughtfully prepared breakfast each morning. It was delicious and made with utmost love, they went out of their way to make vegan food for me, including serving vegan oatmilk. One of the days they were out of vegan milk to make a desert but went out of their way to buy it and then make me a desert. The love and care at this boutique hotel is outstanding - it was a home away from home for us.

While all the hotels suggested by KimKim were good, we worked with the team to make a couple of hotel and room upgrades based on our preferences.

All in all, a memorable trip and we’d HIGHLY recommend using KimKim travel.

Hotel Reviews

ICON Hotel

Santiago

Wonderful hotel, great location, staff, food !

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel NOI Casa Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama

Lovely hotel, great location - a few mins walk to town and restaurants etc. Wonderful staff, great food!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cabo De Hornos

Punta Arenas

Standard /basic rooms Lobby and restaurant are great, good food

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hare Nua

Hanga Roa

Fabulous boutique hotel, very aesthetically done. Highly highly recommend! The owners and staff keep the place meticulous and we loved their warmth and hospitality throughout our stay. The best part of the stay was the very thoughtfully prepared breakfast each morning. It was delicious and made with utmost love, they went out of their way to make vegan food for me, including serving vegan oatmilk. One of the days they were out of vegan milk to make a desert but went out of their way to buy it and then make me a desert. The love and care at this boutique hotel is outstanding - it was a home away from home for us. And no critters of any kind in the room even though hotel is surrounded by lush vegetarian :)

Authenticity & Character

Very cozy and aesthetically done

Location

Great location, short walk to the ocean side, to restaurants etc

Staff

Wonderfully warm, kind, you feel like you are staying with family

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costaustralis

Puerto Natales

Great views & location Nice lobby and restaurant area

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camping Chileno

Torres del Paine

Premium campsite was great. Lovely location by the river. A relatively short walk to the restaurant and main area. Wonderful staff, great food. The KinKim team had communicated to the Chileno campsite folks that I’m a vegan so every meal for me was specially prepared vegan (including desert !) which was very thoughtful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Rio Serrano

Torres del Paine

The best hotel on the trip. Book without hesitation, it’s absolutely fantastic! Beautiful rooms with the most incredible views, could easily stay here for a month, highly recommend this hotel. Lovely restaurant with good food. Kind, wonderful staff, nice spa.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Incredible views, picture postcard perfect

Staff

Fantastic

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chilean Market Tour in Santiago

Santiago

Fantastic experience with our guide Angel who make it a really fun, engaging tour ending with lunch at a vegan place that he thoughtfully selected as I’m vegan. Highly recommend doing this market tour wirh Angel !

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Tatio Geysers - Morning tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Very unique and wonderful experience. Had a lovely breakfast on the hill overlooking the geysers

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Visit Ahu Akivi

Easter Island

Very unique, loved the tour. We had an indigenous Rapa Nui give the tour and it was different and wonderful as he shared stories passed down the generation, was not a boring guidebook tour. He had his eccentricities which we were taken aback by initially but realized he’s extremely passionate about the Rapa Nui indigenous people and their well-being and this authenticity and passion came through

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The car was not the best but it made for a somewhat unique experience :)

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

San Pedro de Atacama

Absolutely fantastic, so unique and worth it ! Got to see many indigenous animals too like Guanacos etc.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Astro Fotografia

Chile

Absolutely wonderful, very knowledgeable Astro team. Made the whole experience very engaging and fun. They even had 2 large telescopes and pointed it to different planets like Saturn. The professional photos taken and the fabulous music and food made it even more memorable. Highly recommend !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Laguna Cejar, Ojos del Salar y Laguna Tebiquinche

Chile

Wonderful but my husband and I felt that because we didn’t want to swim, this tour could have been skipped if we were short on time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

Surreal, it’s like being on the Moon or Mars, very unique, highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to the Airport for your Flight to Easter Island

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park - Private Panoramic Tour

Chile

Fantastic place, absolutely stunning, nature at her best. Mind blowingly beautiful. Wonderful driver / guides.

Quality of Experience

Food

KinKim very kindly arranged for boxed vegan food for me (as I’m vegan) and even had vegan treats !

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderful!!

Transport

Hike from Welcome CenterTorres del Paine to Refuge Chileno

Torres del Paine

Fabulous hike, great weather fortunately. Our private guide Matias was great and patient, my husband and I are very slow hikers

Quality of Experience

Beautiful scenery, so serene

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Mirador Base Torres del Paine - Full Day Private Tour - From Chileno Refuge

Chile

Tough hike especially since my husband and I are not frequent hikers and we are glad we stayed at Chileno and started from there. We skipped the sunrise hike and startrd only around 8 am after breakfast.

Quality of Experience

Food

Fabulous food at Chileno camp, very thoughtfully prepared vegan food for me and even had a boxed vegan meal for the hike

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our private guide Matias was great

Transport

Good Bye Easter Island - Transfer to the Airport for your flight to Santiago.

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kari Kari Cultural Show and Dinner

Easter Island

Excellent dance, we absolutely loved it! Highly recommend attending.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The main lady of Rapa Nui Travels was so kind to give us a ride to the dance and was staying back to give us a ride back but we told her we would walk back and she didn’t have to stay back just for us

Rano Raraku Volcano & Anakena White Sand Beach - Private Tour

Easter Island

Was lovely

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marcela organized a very fun itinerary for me - I had a great time on every day, really enjoyed seeing the different regions of Chile and especially the mountain biking private outings were amazing and unique experiences I could not have found on my own. The hotels I stayed in were lovely also and I am looking forward to coming back and doing more!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Pucon Indomito

Pucón

Lovely new hotel, very modern, good breakfast in the morning and tea making facilities available throughout the day. Very central and clean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Weisserhaus

Puerto Varas

Quaint hotel with a lot of character located very centrally downtown. Good breakfast and very clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Huerquehue Hiking

Pucón

Very personal hike just me and the lovely guide Juan. Beautiful area - I just wished we could have gone further!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rafting Adventure on the Trancura River in Pucon

Pucón

Really fun group nice white water and lots of photos after

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike Tour Adventure descending the Villarrica Volcano

Pucón

This was amazing - lots of fun trails on the mountain and unlike North shore where I live we had them all to ourselves! William was a great guide and I really enjoyed this

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking in Alerce Andino National Park

Puerto Varas

Great guide, nice walk although it was from my perspective quite easy and low key. Nice group of people and some beautiful water falls to see. Louis the guide was hilarious. I just wish I could have done a more challenging hike with him.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mountain bike Osorno Volcano

Puerto Varas

My favourite experience of the trip. A proper challenge and well worth it for stunning views and fun descent over the side of the volcano to the lake. Jorge was a fabulous guide and the food we had for lunch was so delicious and beautifully laid out. I wish I had done this twice!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rafting on the Petrohué River

Chile

Super fun white water experience - lots of big rapids and fun guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking on Reloncaví Fjord

Puerto Varas

This was something I would not have chosen for myself but I’m so glad I did it. Stunning day out with so many sights - sea lions up close, birds nearby, a lovely little lamb gamboling up to us at the lunch stop and an (optional) cold plunge at the end

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our local specialist, Jesse, did a wonderful job throughout! She was receptive to our ideas, chose locations and excursions that matched our interests, and was flexible and patient as we worked out the details for two couples--one pair of native Chilenos and one pair of English-speaking US citizens. She was available for last minute questions late at night and early in the morning. We felt well-taken care of the whole time. In terms of our experiences, our stay at Hotel Las Torres Patagonia was a splurge but was well worth it. The location inside the park was extraordinary, the rooms and food were exceptional, and the folks who worked there could not have been more welcoming. Two excursions stand out in our minds as experiences we will never forget. The first was the boat trip to Isla Magdalena to see the penguin colony there. Jesse reserved VIP tickets for us, which gave us an opportunity for good views, a nice snack, and personalized information from Guillermo, a guide from Fiordos del Sur. Another memorable tour was the day we spent hiking from Sarmiento to Amarga Lagoon in Torres del Paine National Park. Our guide, Pedro, with Patagonia Planet was fantastic! We appreciated his ability to speak both Spanish and English, the tour van with big windows that offered all of us a great view, and his patience and knowledge in answering the million questions we asked about the flora, fauna, geological features, and cultural history of the park. This trip really was the adventure of a lifetime, and we could not be more appreciative of the services Kimkim offered!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Costanera

Puerto Natales

New and modern accommodations, a nice breakfast, and a friendly, helpful staff. The hotel was a little off the beaten path, but we were able to walk to the center of town, though getting an Uber was often more convenient. The location on the water was nice!

Authenticity & Character

The women who worked the front desk were welcoming and helped us to make dining reservations each evening.

Location

Not in the center of town.

Staff

The women who cooked and served breakfast could not have been friendlier.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and comfortable.

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Torres del Paine

The hotel is certainly pricey, but its location in the park was well worth the money. We could walk out the front door and immediately start trekking. It was also a warm and welcoming place to rest after a long day of adventures! Our reservation was "half-board," and the breakfasts and dinners were exceptional. Every staff member we encountered went out of their way to be helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the park! We could hike to the base of the towers.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great showers!

Activity Reviews

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Seeing penguins up close was amazing! Although all visitors to the island are required to stay on the paved path, we never felt herded or rushed. The walk was self-paced, and a number of guides were spread out during the walk to answer questions and give more information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide, Guillermo, who was assigned to the upper deck, set up a big map that helped us to visualize where we were and what made that route on the Straits of Magellan so special.

Transport

Safety was a primary concern of the staff, which we appreciated. The seating was comfortable, and the big windows allowed us to have clear views as we travelled.

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park & Surroundings

Chile

This trip was disappointing. Our tour was for just the four of us, but the small SUV we rode in required that one of us sit up front with the driver, while the other three sat in the back, with someone in the middle seat. Not ideal for looking out the windows, which was a big part of this driving tour. Two of us were native Spanish speakers with good English, and two of us were native English speakers who know a little Spanish. Our guide was fluent in Spanish, but his English was definitely not fluent. The result was that he spent 90% of the time conversing with the Chileans, and much less time talking with the English speakers. It was frustrating when we had questions. That being said, we visited some beautiful parts of the park, places we never would have seen if we had been driving on our own.

Quality of Experience

Food

We had box lunches which were very good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A guide for English speakers who is truly fluent in English.

Transport

A larger vehicle with bigger windows.

Hike from Sarmiento Lake to Amarga Lagoon

Chile

The route was amazing and so was Pedro, our guide!

Quality of Experience

The route offered us extraordinary view of both Los Cuernos and Los Torres. Seeing guanacos and native birds was a thrill, as was seeing the cave paintings and imagining those who traveled this route before us.

Food

Box lunch was convenient and delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro was SO knowledgeable and shared his knowledge generously in both English and Spanish. He was also extremely responsive to our needs and abilities.

Transport

Nice big van with big, clean windows.

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Chile

Full disclosure: The day we took this tour could not have been wetter. It poured rain the whole time, and everyone on the boat was soaking wet before we were finished. It limited the views of this incredibly scenic place. The windows were steamed up, and most people never went out on the decks because it was raining so hard.

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything. We stopped at an "estancia" for lunch. It seemed more like an event venue, a giant room filled with tables. The wait staff was insufficient for the number of people they were trying to serve. We waited forever to be served, making the lunch take hours. The food was poor. The specialty of the house--lamb--was dry and overcooked. What a disappointment! We would have preferred to have skipped this part of the experience altogether.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

There was little in terms of a guide. The narration came over a loud speaker, and because of the noise level of conversation on our deck, we could hardly hear what was being said.

Transport

Toda la organización, respuesta rápida, información, calidad de los hoteles, muy buena y muy recomendable.
Lo único que falló, fue el auto que nos fue a buscar a Pta. Arenas, no era para 4 pasajeros, viajamos apretados y algo incomodos. El guía aunque muy amable y servicial no tenía dominio del inglés lo que dificultó conocer los lugares visitados. Esto se hizo más evidente cuando nos tocó un guía muy instruido y con dominio de inglés en el último día de en Pto. Natales.