Kimkim Trip Reviews for Chile

Lautaro gave us an interesting tour of Valparaiso. He even knew the best places to get something to eat and gave us recommendations of where to go on our own. Sabastian led us a on a memorable hike in the Andes. He was most patient and considerate of me and my limited abilities. Hernan gave us an insightful tour of Santiago since he was personally involved in some of its recent dark history. Ivan did a wonderful job piloting the bus, even getting us to the airport on time,

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Director Vitacura

Santiago, Vitacura, Región Metropolitana

A modern hotel in an up-scale neighborhood within walking distance to a variety of shops. The breakfast that they provide is amazing in its diversity.

Authenticity & Character

This is a modern hotel with an excellent restaurant.

Location

Its proximity to a super market and an ice cream parlor

Staff

The staff was not overly friendly but they were quick to attend to any problems.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spacious rooms

Hotel Boutique Acontraluz

Valparaíso

This is a beautiful hotel with very warm, welcoming staff and spectacular views of the port of Valparaiso. I am sorry that we only stayed there one night.

Authenticity & Character

The beautiful interior

Location

The view of the harbor

Staff

They were so friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Just a delightful place to stay

Activity Reviews

Santiago City Tour - Private

Chile

Hernan was able to tell us from personal experience about the history of the capitol city.

Quality of Experience

A personal, intimate tour

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hernan and Ivan were great

Transport

Comfortable van

San José Volcano & Andes Mountains

Santiago

Sabastian made this a wonderful experience with his knowledge and experience. He was very patient and accommodating.

Quality of Experience

Not everyone can say they went hiking in the Andes

Food

Sabastian made us a delicious lunch and had a lovely picnic for us at the end of the hike.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sabastian was amazing, knowledgeable, and understanding of our abilities,

Transport

Comfortable van

Transfer from San Antonio Dock to Valparaíso

Chile

Lautaro gave us the highlights along with suggestions for further exploration.

Quality of Experience

Lautaro's knowledge

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lautaro's personality and Ivan expert driving

Transport

Comfortable van

We were very pleased using Kimkim on our recent trip to Chile. Typically we do our own bookings but chose an online agency for Chile due to "all the moving parts" involved in this group trip of 3 couples. Kimkim's website was easy to use and informative, providing useful information such as seasonal weather for the regions visited.

Our travel guide, Angel Gutierrez, was exceptional throughout the entire process, not only before but during and after the trip! He responded quickly to emails during the planning process using excellent English. During the trip when we experienced a couple glitches with car rentals, his response was immediate, and I mean IMMEDIATE! In each region we visited, from Punta Arenas to Torres National Park, to Puerto Varas in the Lake District, and then to Santiago, Angel provided us with a reliable local English-speaking guide and private transportation. There was no waiting on drivers for hotel transfers or on day tours, with them typically arriving 10 minutes ahead of schedule.

The tour guides all spoke excellent English. I would like to give a shout-out to 2 of the regional guides: Jose (Pepe) in Santiago who bought a bottle of water for me on the scheduled wine tour when I forgot mine, and to Rafael in Punta Varas who quickly rescued us when a rental car did not function and got our entire group to the airport on time.

The only area of improvement I would suggest is in the timeliness of lodging bookings. This trip was almost a year in planning, with the down payment made 9 months before the date of departure. This may have been due to company policy, but to my knowledge the lodging was not booked until the final payment occurred 2 months before departure, resulting in us not getting some of the rooms of our choice. However, Angel and the hotel managers did provide us with excellent accommodations.

If you are planning a vacation to South America, and especially if to Chile and Ecuador, do yourself a favor and request Angel Gutierrez at Kimkim. He is the best!

Warm regards,
Christine Becker

I

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cabaña Del Lago Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Diego de Almagro Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Diego de Velazquez

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Rio Serrano

Torres del Paine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Undurraga Vineyard - Wine Tasting

Santiago

Highly recommend Undurraga tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Kayaking in Llanquihue Lake

Puerto Varas

Loved the Laguna El Encondido!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Climbing Cerro La Picada

Puerto Varas

Very knowledgeable and safe guides

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Grey Lake -Kayak through the Glaciers at Grey Lake - Transfer back to your hotel

Chile

very knowledgeable and safe guides

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tierra del Fuego - King Penguin

Punta Arenas

Long day but knew this beforehand. Tierra del Fuego very interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

lunch at small village was scrumptous!

Agua Fresca Bay Kayaking

Punta Arenas

They provided excellent gear.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

did a briefing the evening before

Transport

they arrived early

Our local specialist put together an amazing experience for us. The local guides and drivers were punctual, knowledgeable, and caring. I would use Kimkim for travel again. Now that I have had the experience with Kim Kim, I think I would have the confidence to tailor the trip more to my interests. Everything Jesse planned for us was well executed with very few changes. Our pickup time was changed, in one case, to avoid traffic related to school schedules, and it was a wise decision. All the surprises were delightful ones

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Director Vitacura

Santiago, Vitacura, Región Metropolitana

This is a lovely and reasonable hotel with good amenities. It is surrounded by fancy restaurants but we decided to eat in the hotel restaurant 3 of 4 evenings, for the convenience and the varied menu. This hotel is in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods and hence very safe, but also lacking in character.

Authenticity & Character

Location

This hotel was chosen by our tour planner. I would have chosen a different location closer to museums, history and local culture. Others in our group of 6 may feel differently. This was in a wealthy and cosmopolitan area, hence very safe but also uninteresting.

Staff

The staff was great, especially in the restaurant. We encountered one unfriendly desk clerk but others were welcoming and helpful. I guess it would be asking to much for the door/security person to smile.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were large and comfortable and cleaned quickly while we were out. Views on upper floors were great.

Hotel Boutique Acontraluz

Valparaíso

Wow, just wow. The hosts were so gracious and caring. The views from the room verandas were stunning. The staff gave us maps to beautiful walking tours and there was nothing more we could have needed. Our only regret was booking only a single night. If you are coming to Valparaiso, book an extra day just to absorb the color and poetry of this neighborhood.

Authenticity & Character

This is an historical building whose character and charm is preserved but carefully updated to modern standards.

Location

It's just a beautiful neighborhood. A maze of amazing treasures. Anything you could need is within walking a few blocks.

Staff

SO gracious and accommodating. We could not believe our good fortune.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Several cozy common areas and comfortable seating in rooms and verandas

Activity Reviews

Santiago City Tour - Private

Chile

Hernan is an older gentleman but very fit and capable. Chile has a very complex history and Hernan spoke genuinely from his own experience, making this a very rich and touching experience for us. He tailored the tour completely to our interests from start to finish.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San José Volcano & Andes Mountains

Santiago

The drive was a bit grueling but our guide planned it to make it less so. We began our mountain trek on a small farm, surrounded by goats, chickens, sheep cows and horses. Our guide knew the locals and was very knowledgeable about everything. Sebastián is trained in eco-tourism and we traveled leaving only footprints on this beautiful mountain trail in the shadows of volcanoes and glaciers.

Transfer from San Antonio Dock to Valparaíso

Chile

Our young guide was very knowledgeable and outgoing. He keyed in on our interests and gave us some awesome tours. He left us with a strong understanding of local culture that really helped us appreciate what we experienced on our own.

Quality of Experience

Plan to 2wlk and explore

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Punctual, knowledgeable and caring

Transport

Punctual and safe

I had never used KimKim before and only went by the online reviews and I was not disappointed. The trip was absolutely perfect. Every detail was thought out and everything went very smoothly. There was always a driver waiting when promised, meals when promised, and tours that didn't disappoint. We had a What's App group chat and the team let me know on a daily basis what to expect. The entire experience was unforgettable.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Kosten Aike

El Calafate

Great location. 2 blocks from the main street. Adorable authentic lodge type feel with ample sitting areas downstairs. The hot tub was amazing and the massage was incredible as well.

Authenticity & Character

Lodge type feel. Clean

Location

2 blocks from everything

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

An incredible hotel with amazing views. Only a short (20 minute walk to town) or a 2 minute Uber drive. The food at the breakfast buffet was outstanding and dinner at the hotel was delicious as well. The room was spotless.

Authenticity & Character

Charming

Location

Great views

Staff

Outstanding

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Hotel Ilaia

Punta Arenas

This was an adorable boutique hotel with all the amenities. The rooftop room had unforgettable views. The team even packed us a to go breakfast because our tour left so early in the morning.

Authenticity & Character

Adorable decorations and homey lounge

Location

Centrally located

Staff

Assisted with our every need

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable

Activity Reviews

Free Time in El Calafate

El Calafate

El Calafate is an adorable town. I was glad that we had a free day to explore.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour Through The Glaciers

El Calafate

The boat was large but the sea was rough. If you get sea sick be prepared to take something. The views were worth it though. The Glaciers were breathtaking.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Perito Moreno Glacier

Chile

Highly recommend. The Glaciers are gorgeous and the park is amazing as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Patagonian Ranch Experience

Puerto Natales

The full day ranch experience was a once in a life time experience. From the second we got on the boat to get to the ranch it was breathtaking. The ranch was gorgeous and the people working there were so knowledgeable and kind. The horse back ride was icing on the cake and the horses were very calm and docile. Not to mention that the food was delicious.

Quality of Experience

First class

Food

Delicious fresh unlimited lamb and potatoes along with a lovely salad and of course local wine.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable and friendly

Transport

The boat ride was amazing and the tour of the ranch was as well.

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park

Chile

Great tour but the bus was small and crowed. Not a deal breaker, but a little uncomfortable. We were the last hotel to get picked up so we were stuck in the very back corner of the bus. I am sure the front would have been amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Our tour guide Kim Kim had lunch arranged for us and it was great. Cafeteria style, but delicious and good quality. Love the lodge where we ate.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

The boat ride over was rough, but that is nature. The people on the boat were very nice. The tour guide was informative and the penguins were worth the trip.

Quality of Experience

Professional staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful and informative

Transport

Boat was well equipped and clean. Be prepared for rough waters.

Our driver Edwardo was really good with traffic and on time always.
Our English speaking guide Ignacio was pleasant and knowledgeable.

However for experienced world travelers like us Santiago was just a big city with traffic congestion and smog.
The all day process up to the reservoir and back was a total waste of our day. Unless you have never been to high mountain lakes with snow topped mountains surrounding this is certainly not worth the time and rough road.
Thank you for services
Larry and Sue

Activity Reviews

Wine Tasting, Valparaiso and Viña del Mar- Private Tour

Chile

We took this tour to end the day at our cruise ship to leave Chile. It was perfect for that reason alone. This was the best part of the 4 day trip to Santiago region. Beautiful coastal area. Vina Del Mar reminded us of southern France and the French Riviera.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Chile

Too long and rough roads for any one who has seen high mountain lakes with clear waters.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Concha & Toro Wine Tasting Tour

Chile

We live in California wine country and this is right up there with our best, and certainly much older history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago Walking City Tour

Santiago

If you have already traveled Europe you find this just okay.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Edwardo the driver was great in traffic to get us around faster than others.

Transport

Very nice private minivan.

Our Chile vacation was amazing. The itinerary proposed by Angel covered Chile from north to south, from amazing Atacama to beautiful Patagonia.
The trips suggested by Angel were all great and perfectly organized. He was also very receptive to our requests and tailored the trips accordingly.
Angel provided help on the spot when any issues arose.
Everything was impeccably organized (internal flights, bus/car rides, local guides...).
We look forward to taking another trip organized by Angel!

Hotel Reviews

Park Inn by Radisson Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Diego de Almagro Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best Western Patagonia / Hotel Borde Glaciar

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Plaza Santiago

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wine Tasting, Valparaiso and Viña del Mar- Private Tour

Chile

Magdalena Island - Penguin Encounter Half Day Tour

Chile

Navigation Excursion - Serrano Glacier and Patagonic Lunch

Chile

Torres del Paine National Park - Panoramic Tour

Chile

Full Day Tour to Chiloe - The Island of the Legends

Puerto Varas

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

Chile

Transfer to Santiago Airport for your flight to Puerto Montt - Transfer to Puerto Varas

Chile

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adventure Day at Maipo Valley - Waterfalls, Adrenaline & More!

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dolphins Watching - From Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

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

San Pedro de Atacama

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

Baltinache Hidden Lagoons and Vallecito(magic bus).

Chile

Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first time using Kim Kim and the service that Ángel provided and the care and attention to detail was excellent.
He proposed an itinerary that enabled us to see the best of Chile and a range of trips and tours that were tailored to our interests and was flexible when we wanted to add some alternatives.
The tours and excursions suggested were all of greag quality and highly informative . We particularly enjoyed the experiences in the Atacama Desert and on Easter Island. The connections/logistics provided were all extremely reliable and the hotels excellent. Angel was on hand and extremely attentive for the entire trip and responded quickly to some last minute additional requests and dealt effectively with a few small trouble shooting islands.
In general we were extremely impressed with the service and information from Kim
Kim and would highly recommend them. We shall use them again for our next trip

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

A very comfortable clean and modern hotel with excellent services - close to the bustle of San Pedro but nicely quiet and secluded

Authenticity & Character

A more modern and luxurious hotel from the range of options in Atacama

Location

It feels a little outside the main part of town which can be quite noisy. It has a quiet and secluded location but is a short walk from the restaurants and bars

Staff

Lovely staff especially those working at the reception over night - a lot of tours end late or begin very early in the morning and they were very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very very clean. They have a lovely pool which is just perfect to come back to after a dusty desert tour

Hotel Gomero

Hanga Roa

This was an absolutely wonderful hotel - it is family run by lovely staff who were so helpful and really made our visit special. The garden and grounds are beautiful with sculptures. murals and gorgeous tropical plants and flowers with a pool, which gives so much character and is a lovely place to rest after touring around. I highly recommend staying here - it is a magical hotel on a magical island!

Authenticity & Character

Full of local sculptures, art and plants

Location

Very near the town centre and the airport

Staff

This is a family run hotel - they are all so friendly, helpful and seem to love their jobs

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely rooms with beautiful touches

Activity Reviews

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

It’s a great experience to go out to desert in total darkness and see the sky lit up with bright stars and look through a telescope at some of the planets.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cochamo Town and Termas del Sol - Relax at the Hot Springs

Chile

If you have been doing a lot of tours or trekking in Chile - this is a lovely time to relax and unwind in the beautiful setting of the hot springs. It is quite a long and scenic drive to get there, but it is worth it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rano Raraku Volcano & Anakena White Sand Beach

Easter Island

This is a must- do tour taking in some of the most unforgettable sights of the island. Our guide Sebastian was very informative and entertaining - he responded to lots of questions and has a wealth of knowledge beyond the key points of the tour

Quality of Experience

The most memorable sights on Easter Island

Food

The lunch at the restaurant provided was delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastian was a fantastic guide and hugely informative

Transport

Francisco was very attentive to our needs and quick to respond. There were some minor miscommunications that were frustrating but ultimately resolved. The communication model through Whatsapp is a bit confusing, requiring multiple points of contact. Once we got used to their way of doing business, we were able to relax a bit.

The excursions were good quality overall. We loved the Mendoza wine tour. The lunch at the end of the end was excellent. There were only a couple of half day tours in Puerto Varas that seemed like a waste of time. We would have been better off relaxing at the beach than sitting in a car for hours.

Overall, I would say it was a positive experience; though, like anything of this complexity and duration, there were some snags along the way.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Casa de la Patagonia

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Diego de Almagro Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We had arranged to have laundry done while we were on an overnight trip, but when we got back, it had not been done, resulting in an emergency trip to the store for clean clothes.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Inn by Radisson Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

There were some areas of the hotel that were only accessible by stairs, making a difficult for those with mobility issues.

Pullman Santiago El Bosque

Las Condes, Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer to Santiago Airport for your flight to Puerto Montt - Transfer to Puerto Varas

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting, Valparaiso and Viña del Mar- Group Tour

Santiago

“Wine tasting” in the title is a little misleading, because the only wine that you taste is what you get at a rest stop on the way to the coast. Unfortunately, some of the experiences we had planned on were closed when we got there, so the driver had to make alternate plans. Valparaiso is a charming and busy town with some picturesque streets. Overall, I would say not my top experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Wine and Olive

Mendoza

The tour was well rounded, and the lunch at the end was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tour to Chiloe - The Island of the Legends

Puerto Varas

The guide was very knowledgeable and an excellent planner, accounting for delays and transfers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Navigation Excursion - Serrano Glacier and Patagonic Lunch

Chile

The glaciers were beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine Full Day (drop-off in Puerto natales)

Punta Arenas

Overall excellent experience. The guide was very knowledgeable. If only the weather had cooperated to allow us to see the famous Torres.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Frutillar Town in Llanquihue Lake - Half Day

Chile

We spent a lot of time driving stuck in traffic and didn’t get to see much other than an old German settlement and a small lake town. Our time would’ve been better spent at the beach or on a boat ride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was friendly, but it seems he was not experienced with this particular excursion.

Transport

We spent a lot of time stuck in traffic.

Puerto Montt & Puerto Varas City Tour

Chile

A lot of time spent on a bus and not a lot to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved our trip and having everything perfectly setup by Angel was a blessing, made everything so much easier than if we would’ve been on our own. Atacama was spectacular, so was Patagonia. All guides were very knowledgeable and friendly, tours were so much better when u have someone who can give u all details. Hotels are lower quality vs what one with European experience might expect. Thank you, Angel!

Hotel Reviews

Best Western Patagonia / Hotel Borde Glaciar

Puerto Natales

Really nice, only thing that it’s 3km out of town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Diego de Almagro Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

Nice ocean view rooms, hotel looks old and not well maintained. Awful bathroom with shower splashing around. Beware of reception asking for additional credit card.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Inn by Radisson Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Not a good one, not so clean, awfull bathrooms. To be avoided.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

Great rooms, especially the new part, the Refugio. Avoid their restaurant, average food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Plaza Santiago

Santiago

AC in all rooms making awful noise, bathrooms and showers shpuld be updated, they look they’ve been last setup in the 90s. Otherwise all personnel quite nice and friendly, very good neighborhood.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dolphins Watching - From Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

Full Day Tour to Chiloe - The Island of the Legends

Puerto Varas

Boring, too long in the bus to Castro and back

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

Chile

Navigation Excursion - Serrano Glacier and Patagonic Lunch

Chile

Afternoon Visit to "Valle de La luna "

Chile

Baltinache Hidden Lagoons and Vallecito(magic bus).

Chile

Magdalena Island - Penguin Encounter Half Day Tour

Chile

Torres del Paine National Park - Panoramic Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

San Pedro de Atacama

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

Highly dependent on weather and moon. Ours not a good experience.

Quality of Experience

Adventure Day at Maipo Valley - Waterfalls, Adrenaline & More!

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our holiday in Chile and Patagonia was outstanding. It started in Santiago, we then went down to Punta Arenas. Punta Arenas is the gateway to Patagonia. The trip to Tierra Del Fuego to see the King Penguins was one of the highlights of the trip. Our guide throughout the day long visit was professional and kept us informed all through the journey. It was well organized. We then went to Puerto Natales to visit Torres Del Paine. The hike to the base of Torres Del Paine though arduous was certainly well worth the effort. Key pointers hike up the mountain with water snacks and I phone. Limit the load that you carry up the mountain. Our guides Vicente and Marcos were outstanding. Visiting the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers was once again one of the highlights of the trip. The final leg of our trip was in Atacama. One of kind place. Lots to see there. We would need at least a week to explore Atacama. The hotels picked by Florencia were quite good. We had a great time. Would definitely do this trip again.

Francisco and his team were excellent. They went above and beyond in helping me and our family plan this trip. They communicated on time and outside of business hours to ensure that we are able to get what we needed during our trip. The trip has so many little details that is hard to remember especially when booked so far in advanced. Everything went smoothly. It requires effort in all parties.
The tours were also very good. The guides and transfer from Turismo Selknam were very efficient and organized in getting us to see the King Penguins. Paulina was very knowledgeable of the area - Punta Arenas, Porvenir/Tierra del Fuego.
The hotel La Yegua Loca is a very charming boutique hotel and has a great restaurant. I got a lot of souvernirs here including the serving wood board , wool slippers and stuffed penguin and sheep.

Torres del Paine is very beautiful but relatively small to drive. We have a 6 year old so the maximum hike that we can do is about 1 to 2 hours. We stayed outside of the park called Morenna Lodge. The restaurant chef is very good and the overall service is good.

The real highlight of our trip is the Estancia La Peninsula. Alejandro the tour guide is very humorous and knowledgeable of the area. Macleod, the captain of the boat is very good with kids. My husband and I have no experience with horses so he ride with my daughter. She was so comfortable with him the she fell asleep briefly during the ride.

All of the other hotels that Frnacisco picked also have very good customer service.
My only regret is not staying longer. Chile is really worth to visit. Don't forget to try Calafate sour and Austral calafate. I plan to return in the future and hopefully be assigned to Francisco and his team again.

Hotel Reviews

Morrena Lodge

Torres Del Paine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best Western Patagonia / Hotel Borde Glaciar

Puerto Natales

Location

Staff

Hotel Diego de Velazquez

Santiago

Service was good, close to cable car but the area was too loud/thin windows

Staff

Hotel Boutique La Yegua Loca

Punta Arenas

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Estancia La Península Full Day (Car rental)

Chile

Quality of Experience

I

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tierra del Fuego - King Penguin (Car rental)

Punta Arenas

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

Although we had to contend with lots of weather issues our trip was great. Unfortunately , we had to miss 2 of our planned excursions due to the wildfires and rainy weather. Francisco was always speedy in his responses and helpful in reorganizing our days. Chile is an amazing country. The diversity of the landscape from north to south is wonderful.

Jason (and later Paul) at Kimkim did a nice job planning our itinerary, accommodating specific scheduling needs, and answering questions. We appreciate them. The tours we did in San Pedro de Atacama area were pretty much on the "standard list" of tours, so it was not really unusual or personalized. Guide Nicolas was notably good.

Flor was extremely available and accommodating. She listened to what the 4 of us expressed we wanted and really put together a wonderful itinerary. She responded to our questions immediately and was readily available to speak with us if necessary. Our problem was not realizing that the last 6 days were essentially 1 all day travel alternating with1 day at a fantastic location. We didn’t realize just how long the travel times between areas would be. My only suggestion is including that in the proposed itinerary. But everywhere we went, as well as the accommodations, were perfect. The guides at Remota and Mallin Colorado were amazing. Thank you for such a wonderful trip

Our Chile experience was the best! Francisco was definitely top of the line! Completely customized to our needs and all the local teams were phenomenal in every city we visited.
The experiences were great! We will definitely use Kimkim again!

All of three of the all-inclusive hotels provided great service, food, and amenities. Jaime the chief of activities at Remota did a great job of explaining options and booking suitable activities. His staff, particular Renota, was great. The second resort, Mallin Colorado, had fewer amenities, but the guide they used Andreas, who took us to all our activities, was responsible and fun to be with. At Puyhuhuapi, the last resort, the staff, again, was excellent. It is a beautiful and unique hotel that is a great place to relax as well as to hike.
The hotel in Punta Arenas, Carpa Manzano, where we spend just one night, was suitable. Staff was quite helpful.

The only problem with the trip was that we did not understand the driving times between Balmaceda airport and Mallin Colorado or from Mallin Colorado to Puyhuhuapi. On a map the distances suggested about 3 hours and 4-5 hours, respectively, but a large portion of the roads were dirt, so the actual times were nearly double. It took more than 5 hours for the first trip from the airport and nearly 8 hours for the second trip to Puyhuhuapi. That meant that 2 of the 8 vacation days (excluding the arrival and departure days) were just travel. In a pickup truck and then a van, the drives were not scenic enough to compensate for the very long and uncomfortable drives. I am not sure of the solution. Both spots were beautiful and we are happy we saw both, but we felt that

Paul was excellent and the resulting itinerary was what the group wanted. However, when we arrived at some of the locations, the itinerary was not what we had planned with Paul. It would seem that local people did not get information from Paul or ignored information from Paul/Kim-Kim. Transfers were handled well except at Las Torres Hotel.

Atacama: Thoroughly enjoyed the stay in Atacama. One of my favorite parts of the trip.

Punta Arenas: Enjoyed the Magdalena Island tour from Punta Arenas. However, the hotel room was awful - small for two people in twin beds. Window did not open, AC did not work. Others on the trip had much better rooms. Also did not have good information on options for dining.

Patagonia: Long trip by van to Hotel Las Torres. This part of the trip did not go well. We had communicated with Paul about each of our desires for activities during our stay. But the excursions were not personalized according to each of our requests. The following were problems:
(1); Horseback riding for Martha was approved after many exchanges via email before we arrived. However, when we arrived she was told that she couldn't do horseback riding. Martha has been horseback riding for over 40 years, owns her own horse and rides every week. I had to get firm and somewhat aggressive with Chris and eventually Martha got her rides. But it was a bad start to the time we had there.
(2): Hikes and other excursions: Again, the group had worked together and each of us had our preferences for activities. However, I question the sensibility of assigning myself and Richard to two 13km hikes in one day for people who were 74 and 85 years old! While I can do a single 13 km hike - two in one day was not possible. That left me with a free afternoon and not much was offered in terms of activities.
(3): The transfer from Las Torres Hotel to Punta Arenas Hotel was initially supposed to be in late morning - providing us time for a leisurely breakfast and some exploration around the hotel (including an easy hike). However, at the last minute that morning we were told that we had to leave right away because another couple had to get to the airport. That left no time to enjoy the park that morning. In addition, the van was crammed full, a flat tire had to be repaired in route, and there was no plan for what we were going to do with the 6-7 hours we would have had at the airport. Fortunately we worked with the driver to get us transferred into town at a hotel that kept our luggage, provided an opportunity for a nice lunch, and found a van to take all of us back to the airport at the appropriate time. What frustrates me is that 7 hours could have been spent at Las Torres enjoying more of the area.
Overall I was disappointed with the arrangements in Patagonia.
Easter Island: Amazing! Great guide, interesting history, wonderful hikes. Great hotel. So glad we added this to the trip.
Santiago: Wine tasting tours were excellent and the Santa Rita tour of the garden was an unexpected treat! We arranged a separate tour of the city on our final day - great tour guide.

This is the second time I’ve used Kimkim for a holiday. I normally do them myself but for harder destinations which require more research I find Kimkim perfect. We had a fantastic trip of a lifetime to Chile and Jesse was super helpful, always so responsive even when on holidays such as Christmas etc so that was something we really appreciated.

We had given Jesse some feedback about some small things eg one of the hikes we went on in Patagonia was described as a half day walk in the blurb but it actually turned out to be a full day walk (which is quite important to know when you are hiking as the distance/time is something which is important in terms of planning for food and water etc and also night activities afterwards) and some other things which she took onboard. But overall it was a good trip and I would book with Jesse and Kimkim again

I can't say enough about the entire experience. All the transportation, accommodations and guides performed and exceeded our expectation. Weather was the only factor that affected our trip.

All ground transport was waiting for us when we exited our flights or checking out in the lobby of our hotels.

Hotel staff at the The Uman Lodge Patagonia was excellent. They communicated with the outfitters during our stay to make sure that our activities and pick up times coordinated. One negative comment about the hotel is the access road, a very rough and rocky road. but once you got to the top, it was majestic.

We also really appreciated our private transport from Puerto Arenas. He was an excellent guide as well.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Torres del Paine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Altiplanico Puerto Natales

Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Uman Lodge Patagonia

Futaleufu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Wyndham Puerto Varas Pettra

Puerto Varas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Azul River to Bridge White Water Rafting

futaleufu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Trip to Glacier Grey

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

if rough weather is visible, maybe advise travelers that if you get sea sick, you may want to go on a different day so the rest of the passengers will not miss out on the experience as we did because they turn the boat around due to a few passengers getting sea sick. They should understand that seeing the glacier is one if not the biggest reason people come to the area.

Transport

Kayaking in Grey Lake & Grey River

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hotel Las Torres Tour Options

Chile

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park Private Tour

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day White Water Rafting

futaleufu

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly Fishing Half-Day

futaleufu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bridge to Bridge White Water Rafting

futaleufu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip overall was a good trip. But pick up and some detail communications were good on day 1 and 2 then dropped off to nothing. The pick ups were always late. More than half hour late. Guides often speak poor English.

One Easter island excursion was cancelled last minute. I really think this kind of stuff should not happen. I hated scrambling all day to see what I can do and eventually I ended up with nothing. I should have gone swimming at the beach.

Hotel Reviews

Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

Santiago

Comfy

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Easter Island Eco Lodge

Hanga Roa

Slightly far from the beach

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They don’t speak english

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nuevo Amanecer

Uyuni

Their smiles are appreciated. I could tell they are trying to provide comfort as much as they can. Having a little WiFi would have been nice, but there wasn’t any.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cordillera Refuge

Uyuni

The refuge charges for toilet papers, water and WiFi. Extremely dour in their expressions. They seem to really dislike tourists.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Don Raul

San Pedro de Atacama

Extremely hot in the room. No ac and no fan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rano Raraku and Anakena Tour

Easter Island

Overall a good tour. Just the group is too big.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Tour to Ahu Akivi

Easter Island

Wish the guide spoke better English

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uyuni Desert Excursion - Day 4 & Return to San Pedro

Chile

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uyuni Desert Excursion - Day 3

Uyuni

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uyuni Desert Excursion - Day 2

Uyuni

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Tour to Orongo

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uyuni Desert Excursion - Day 1

Uyuni

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cejar Lagoon, Ojos del Salar & Tebenquiche

San Pedro de Atacama

Lagoons were interesting and floating in the lagoon was well organized.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Too many pick up stops

Tour of Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

Not interesting

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valley of the Moon Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Too many pick up stops. Wasted too much time