Kimkim Trip Reviews for Colombia

This was a fantastic trip from start to finish. Kimkim took care of all the logistics of planning a trip so I could really enjoy my vacation and be in the moment. I felt fully supported throughout the process and all my questions were answered promptly before and during the trip . The hotels, restaurants, excursions & guides recommended to us were all top notch.

Hotel Reviews

Sofitel Baru Calablanca

Cartagena

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Capellan de Getsemani

Cartagena de Indias

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Faranda Collection Medellin

Medellin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Depart Colombia

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Departure from Baru (Hotel Sofitel Barú Cartagena)

Isla Barú

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day at Baru (Hotel Sofitel Barú Cartagena)

Isla Barú

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival to Baru (Hotel Sofitel Barú Cartagena)

Isla Barú

Arriving by boat straight to the hotel was a great experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Day in Cartagena

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short Ceviche Class

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Tour of Cartagena Highlights (Old City)

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Retiro Hike

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guatape and El Peñol

Colombia

The only thing I would change is for travelers who can get the climb up Guatape relatively quickly, is to leave the area soon after so you can spend more time in the beautiful little town that follows it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour of Medellín Highlights (with Local Market and Comuna 13)

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Colombia!

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We recently decided to tour Columbia before a family wedding in Cartagena, and after reviewing the itineraries and ratings of 5 tour companies (including one recommended by the wedding planner), we decided to use KimKim and Chaska Tours. Wow what a good decision. I have never experienced the level of professionalism, attention to detail, flexibility and responsiveness in a tour company like Michael provided us. I revised our itinerary multiple times, and frankly communicated anything that I needed with him, and he would always respond within the hour and have a thorough response for me shortly after. The tour guides at each location were knowledgeable, patient and fabulous, and the hotels were amazing...overall, the tour exceeded our expectations. Thank you Michael for everything you did to ensure our trip was thoroughly enjoyable. I would not hesitate booking with KimKim at all ... less stress and more enjoyment guaranteed.

Activity Reviews

Filandia, Salento and Valle del Cocora

Colombia

Wow...what an amazing experience. Our tour guide was soooo knowledgeable about all kinds of things and was patient and thorough. He provided us with information on the flora, fauna, history...really enjoyable and informative. I would definitely recommend him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walking Tour & Street Food

Cartagena

Sofia our tour guide in Cartagena was good, but we found her to less informed/knowledgeable than the other tour guides we experienced on this trip. She provided basic information but we found that she did not freely share information unless asked. Additionally, given how hot it was that day, we asked her to provide some breaks during the 3 hour tour, and instead of taking us to air conditioned locations, we simply stopped at various places along the street in the stifling heat so we really could not cool off. The home she took us to for the "ice cream" stop was quite dirty and the washrooms not acceptable. Overall we did not find this tour worthwhile.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bogota Highlights Tour

Bogotá

Mayelline, our Bogota Tour Guide was awesome! She was very knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting and informative for us. We highly recommend her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Coffee Farm Tour in Finca Buenos Aires

Salento

The tour coordination was not well planned as we were picked up from the airport by a driver who could not speak english at all and even though we explained that we were hungry, he communicated that there would be food on the farm. We asked it we could stop along the way to pick some snacks up and he did not. We were told that they would be selling typical Colombian snacks (home-made empanadas) and refreshments at the farm, but they were not. We did not eat anything the whole day, and the tour was so so. The facilities were being repaired, it was quite minimalistic, the hats and ponchos were re-used without cleaning....just overall lacked quality and substance. Another more established farm should be considered for future.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Dinner - Top Chef Private Dining

Bogotá

Although this was supposed to be the highlight at the beginning of our tour, we felt that the description of the activity and what was actually delivered did not match at all. The quality of the venue, the food and overall experience was less than acceptable. The food was more cafeteria quality (than top chef), and no wine/alcoholic beverages were offered. We would have preferred to skip it and do something on our own.

Quality of Experience

Food

We had very few ideas of what we could or should visit in Colombia. Margoth, the local specialist, helped us work out a most satisfactory experience and even made it easy to visit a friend in her home outside Medellin. We had a great time, felt well taken care of always and enjoyed getting to know more about this beautiful and friendly country. We had a specific driver and guide for each area we visited and each was knowledgeable and helpful. The trip could not have gone more smoothly!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Capellan de Getsemani

Cartagena de Indias

There was a lot of city road work going on while we were there, but Hotel Capellan served as an oasis from that, cool, comfortable, right in the heart of the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Senda Watapuy

Santa Marta

A piece of paradise right outside Tayrona National Park. A pleasure to visit in its own right.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Cielo Hotel

Medellin

Beautiful hotel in the heart of a beautiful city - clean and attentive!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Depart Colombia

Colombia

Walking Tour of Cartagena Highlights (Old City)

Colombia

Tayrona National Park Tour

Colombia

Welcome to Colombia!

Colombia

Rum Tasting with Chocolate Pairing

Cartagena

Half-Day Coffee Farm Tour

Medellín

The Best of Medellín City Tour Highlights (with Comuna 13)

Colombia

Minca Tour with Local Cacao Farm and Marinka waterfalls

Colombia

Loved getting to see the farm and the view was spectacular. A true gem.

We were very satisfied with our trip to Colombia that was organized by Kim Kim. We enjoyed our guides and drivers who were prompt, knowledgeable, and personable. Our Medellín guide was Veronica. Our Tayrona National Park guide was Eric, and our Cartagena guide was Sophia. The hotels that we stayed in were lovely.

We had an excellent experience with this travel agency from start to finish. What stood out most was their reliability. Every detail: local tours and transportation—was handled with care and precision by Cristina. There were no surprises, and everything ran exactly as planned, which made it easy for us to relax and enjoy the trip.
They were also incredibly dependable. Whenever we had questions, they responded quickly and helpfully. Cristina was all the time in touch with us and assisted when needed.
I also want to mention our incredible guide, Eduardo, in Santa Marta, with whom we explored Tayrona National Park, the Bunkuany Trail, and Tayronaka Natural Reserve. His kindness, patience with us, and knowledge were remarkable. I would absolutely recommend Chaska Tours to anyone looking for a well-organized and worry-free travel experience

Thanks so much for planning a great trip for us!  Here is some feedback:
- The Bogota city tour was great but very long. There was some wasted time sitting around and then we had less time to enjoy the city markets and square. It would have been nice to know the duration and start time of each tour ahead of time
- Deena was great, we really enjoyed playing Tejo and I would recommend including this as part of your tour

- Medellin: Liliana was a great guide with a lot of information and insight, we really enjoyed spending the day with her!  She was very kind and understanding with our kids.  Unfortunately our tour was supposed to include Plaza Botero but we did not go there.  In addition, we didn't like how she changed the departure time to Rio Claro Nature reserve unnecessarily, as we had to wake up much earlier and then spent 2 hours waiting around for lunch and rafting.

- The Hotel Marquee Medellin was luxurious but it would have been nice to have known more about its location in the "pink district" and close proximity to nightlife.  The music was incredibly loud until 4am.  Although this was mentioned to us in previous messages, it was not clear how disturbing this would be.  I would not recommend this hotel to visitors unless they are interested in the nightlife and especially not if they are traveling with kids or have early morning tours booked.

- The walking tour and street food tour in Cartagena was very disappointing and poorly done. It only lasted about 1.5 hrs and included only tasting fruit.  We did not get to enjoy any other local cuisine and did not even go to the Getsemani district. It did not match the description given to us at all and we were very disappointed, as this was our only day to see the city.

- we really appreciate that you were in communication with us the entire trip. The transportation vehicles and drivers were amazing.

Hotel Reviews

Sofitel Baru Calablanca

Cartagena

Beautiful, a lot of amenities, very clean. Wish there were more umbrellas available. Did not like how water activities were only available from 11am-1pm and only 1 per person.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

W Bogota

Bogotá

Clean, modern, great location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marquee Medellín

Medellín, Antioquia

Great hotel but not a great location. Be aware of the very loud noise on weekends as music is played until 4am.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Nature Experience: Río Claro Nature Reserve

Colombia

Ziplining was pretty short experience. Would recommend to try to time it closer to lunch so there isn't much waiting around. Rafting experience was really nice but little long. Not worth the 3 hour drive

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Good vehicle

Walking Tour & Street Food

Cartagena

Did not match description given to us, very short and missed several aspects

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was great, guide was OK and didn't really seem excited or interested

Transport

Wendy was simply FABULOUS! She helped me prepare a trip to Colombia to my parents as a gift and was thoughtful in every aspect of the trip. She has a great knowledge of her country and activities that can be done, which means she has excellent suggestions on what to do. Besides, she truly understood the challenge and prepared a tailored itinerary, even considering that my parents speak Portuguese! All of the chosen hotels were very good and she was even able to arrange special treats for them. I can't reinforce how much I recommend Wendy and her team! Muchas gracias, querida!!!

Our family very much enjoyed our trip to Colombia, which included Cartagena, Las Islas del Rosario, and Barranquilla, and working with Cristina and KimKim made it seamless. If there was any concern, they were available quickly to help. I enjoyed the personal contact with Cristina throughout the planning to develop a trip that met our unique requests. It took a big load off the time it would have otherwise taken us to plan such a trip. We will have our memories for a long time. Gracias a todos!

Hotel Review

Hotel San Pedro de Majagua

Isla Grande

Unfortunately, the hotel did not have running water when we arrived and it was only fixed in the early evening. This left a bad first impression. It is a lovely hotel and the management staff provided some comped appetizers, but it was an unfortunate incident.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff were very kind and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Initially it was not clean because of the water issue. The water never seems to come on full force across the island due to the way the water system works on the island.

Activity Reviews

Visit the National Aviary of Colombia

Colombia

Delightful aviary. More than I expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We enjoyed very much the consistency in tour guide and driver - Gustavo and Julio were terrific!

Transport

As before the driver is 5 stars, though the van was a bit outdated. Julio made it work though!

Barranquilla Express Tour

Colombia

This was a tailored tour and we appreciate very much it being able to happen - Gracias!

Quality of Experience

We had a nice mix of personal visits, and sightseeing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I think we tried to do much much in one day. We were rushed at the end and we left Barranquilla in rush hour and the traffic was bad.

Transport

The van was nicer than the one in Cartagena - more modern and all seatbelts worked. However, the driver was rushed at the end and I could tell he was upset as he was late to his next job.

Cartagena City Tour

Cartagena

Lovely city, tour guide explained everything well for a multi-generational family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gustavo and Julio took wonderful care of us. Muchas Gracias!

Transport

The driver was excellent! The van itself could use an upgrade, for example, not all the seatbelts worked.

Our family had a wonderful time in Cartagena.
Our driver Julio and our guide Gustavo were very knowledgeable and very friendly.
Our one day tour of Barranquilla was also very enjoyable, our guide Álvaro gave us a very good overview of the city and all the places of interest.
Our only bad experience was at isla del Rosario where the first of our two day stay there was no running water, not to take a bath or use the toilet, also I had a rash on my torso that looked like bedbugs bites. Other than that the food was delicious and the personnel very friendly.

Hotel Review

Hotel San Pedro de Majagua

Isla Grande

There was no running water on the first of our two day stay. I had a rash on my torso that looked like bedbugs bites. Other than that the food was delicious and the personnel very friendly

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cartagena City Tour

Cartagena

Our guide Gustavo and driver Julio were very capable and gave us a very good tour of Cartagena.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the National Aviary of Colombia

Colombia

Beautiful place with many birds of different species and a show at the end showing the bird’s capabilities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barranquilla Express Tour

Colombia

Our guide Álvaro gave us a very good tour of Barranquilla, the Malecón with statues of Shakira and Sofía Vergara. Also a visit to Museo del Carnaval.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Michael from Chaska Tours set up the perfect itinerary for our family’s vacation. We had fascinating cultural experiences, delicious food, exciting adventures and peaceful relaxation. Knowing that everyday was meticulously planned, including all the drivers and the guides and even most of the meals allowed us to truly enjoy everyday and not have to worry about any logistics. Everyone of our guides (Froi, Sebastian, Joi, Nancy, Thomas, Carlos, Gloria, Mary) was knowledgeable, helpful and kind. Experiencing Colombia with Colombians by our side allowed us to learn so much more about this wonderful country and its people. By the end of our time with them, our guides felt like our friends. I would highly recommend kimkim and Chaska Tours in Columbia if you are interested in an active, immersive, and adventurous trip and don’t have or want to spend the time to organize every little detail.

Hotel Reviews

Ermita, Cartagena, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

El Cabrero, Cartagena

Villa Maria Tayrona, a Kali Hotels

Los Naranjos

Dann Carlton Medellin Hotel

Medellin

Activity Reviews

Rosario Island Beach Day (Coralina Island)

Colombia

The staff at Coralina Island was very accommodating and helpful. The water was spectacular. They have a boat and a kayak available to use for no additional cost. It was the perfect way to end an active and busy holiday.

Boquilla Mangrove Tour

Cartagena

Peaceful and beautiful tour led by a local. Very authentic and another opportunity to see the real Cartagena. A great tour for bird lovers and watchers. A demonstration of how the locals catfish and an opportunity to do it yourself.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Market Visit & Cooking Class

Cartagena

Visiting Bazurto market was one of the highlights of my time in Colombia. I am pretty sure we were the only tourists there. I felt like I was experiencing the true Cartagena. The sight of all the colorful fruits and vegetables; the sounds of a community coming together, playing music and doing business; the smell of the food, the heat from the oil and coals, all added up to an unforgettable sensory treat. Our cooking instructor, Gloria, led us through the creation of a truly memorable and delectable meal.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Tour & Street Food

Cartagena

My whole family loved trying the street food of Cartagena as well as all of the tropical fruits and juices that we are not familiar with in North America. Our guide Nancy’s love for her country, food, and culture was infectious and rubbed off on us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a walking tour and I like walking

Full Day Trek on the Bunkuany Trail

Colombia

Joi led us on a fun-filled, challenging and rewarding trek through the beautiful Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains to a beautiful and fascinating ruin of an indigenous village. The lunch prepared by the family living on the mountain was delicious. The refreshing and cool swim in the river was rejuvenating and exhilarating.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day: Urban Art & E-Bike Experience

Medellín

It was a pleasure to spend time with our guide Thomas and immerse ourselves in the energy of Medellín.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an incredible time in the coast of Colombia. Our driver Edgar, tour guide Katherine and our chaperone in Baranquilla were top notch and amazing. We are sincerely grateful and appreciative of the attention they provided us and they made our trip extra special

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Isla del Encanto

Cartagena

Authenticity & Character

The room decor fit the location. It has the feel of a campsite which is something I like.

Location

Other than the hotel is in a private location and very difficult to get to without a boat. It was very secure and secluded so that was good.

Staff

Everyone was very friendly. Many staff members remembered my name and always inquired how we were doing.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was always cleaned every day and the hotel was always cleaned. The only thing was the room lacked more light or brighter lights.

Alfiz Hotel

Cartagena de Indias

Authenticity & Character

The room was really nice, hammock balcony and two bathrooms and two full bathrooms. The bathroom in the second level the shower had low pressure so we all showered in the other bathroom.

Location

The hotel is located in the center of the historical area. So many great historical sites are within walking distance plus some really good restaurants and street food. It does get noisy but that's part of being in the middle of a lively place.

Staff

The staff were super friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was cleaned each morning and the hotel looked spotless.

Activity Reviews

Sunset Drum & Dance Safari at the Beach of La Boquilla

Colombia

The musicians and dancers were amazing. The attention and service provided was great. The tamboleros provided us with lessons on how to play the different types of tambores which I thought was great. They also were very welcoming and encouraged us to participate in both traditional dances and playing the tambores.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boquilla Mangrove Tour

Cartagena

We had an amazing time in the Boquilla Mangrove tour. It was educational, relaxing and beautiful experience.

Quality of Experience

One of a kind experience. Absolutely loved it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Provided great detail regarding the preservation of the Mangrove trees and the natural habitat of the different birds found in the area.

Transport

Horseback-Riding on the Beach

Cartagena

We all enjoyed riding the horses, especially my children. This was my daughter's favorite activity of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Salsa Experience

Cartagena

We all had a wonderful time during this experience. My children enjoyed it so much, the salsa instructors were extremely nice and made this activity fun for all of us.

Quality of Experience

It was high energy and a lot of fun.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The salsa instructors were extremely friendly and fun.

Walking Tour & Street Food

Cartagena

Our guide Katherine was super friendly and had great explanations of the different places we visited. Very engaging and informative. She picked out some great places to eat.

Quality of Experience

Really appreciate our guides explanations of the historical sites and it's significance plus our guide bringing us to different street food places to try different foods.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was incredible, really enjoyed our time.

Carnival: Batalla de Flores

Barranquilla

It was an awesome experience. We met our guide in a mall where many go for the "pre game". That was a great meeting place because we saw many people who were going to attend and the traditional clothing they were wearing to the carnival. Once we arrived at the carnival we were at a lively location. Super appreciative that we were located where it was covered overhead so to block the sun/heat to a certain degree.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide and driver were really friendly and accommodating. It was challenging to navigate the closed streets and the driver did a great job navigating the closures.

Transport

The transportation was very comfortable and again happy how the driver navigated the closures.

Emerson, our driver and Charlotte our guide were AMAZING!!

Everything from start to finish was seamless. Michaels communication was the most appreciated, with quick responses and flexibility.
From the Safety and communication to the drivers and guides, everything was top notch

Hotel Reviews

Sofitel Baru Calablanca

Cartagena

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nacar Hotel Cartagena, Curio Collection by Hilton

Cartagena

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Senda Watapuy

Santa Marta

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

York Luxury Suites Medellín

El Poblado, Medellin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Sazagua

Pereira

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hike Tayrona National Park

Colombia

Not easy, but not too difficult. Beautiful, peaceful. We loved how passionate our guide was!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Market Visit & Cooking Class

Cartagena

This was our favorite day, but I genuinely LOVE markets. This is a real locals market, very authentic. Shopping with purpose, and supporting the locals was the additional bonus!! Cooking was an assisted treat for my teenagers

Pop-Up Dinner (Envigado)

Medellín

It was wonderful, however I think we expected to be eating with the family. Still a really neat experience to enter the locals home. Our hosts were fantastic, energetic, welcoming. The food was incredible as well. For timing purposes, and how tired we were that day.. this is the only thing we would have skipped. …but if you have time, it’s worth it!!

Food

Transport

Charming Villages and Special Coffees

Colombia

Filandia, Salento and Valle del Cocora

Colombia

One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Felipe helped us plan and replan our trip again and again with the utmost professionalism, patience and great responsiveness and in the end it was the perfect trip. Having a local person who knew the best places to see and experiences to have and then set us up with the best guides and drivers you could imagine. Then Felipe and his team including Fabian and Margot stayed in touch with us throughout our entire trip. Making schedule changes when we needed or wanted, it feels like they are part of our family. Our guide Hugo was the best ever, simply cannot say enough good things about him, he took such great care of us and made sure our time was the most enjoyable and safe it could be. Our driver Hader seems to know everyone everywhere we went. In the village of Minka it was like being with the President. Being our first trip to Colombia and not speaking Spanish we were a bit nervous but Felipe and Hugo and Hader made us look and feel like locals and right at home. It was worth every penny and peso and we cannot recommend Aracanto Colombia enough.

Activity Reviews

Enjoy the rest of your trip in Colombia!

Colombia

Cartagena was story book, we stayed in the walled city and it was breathtaking. The Spanish Colonial architecture everywhere, great restaurants and more, you could photograph every door and courtyard and building in this beautiful historic city.

Quality of Experience

Historic and romantic and artsy, Cartagena had it all

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Diving in Cartagena Half-Day

Colombia

This might have been our best decision of all, Aracanto arranged a private diving trip to Rosario islands and it was incredible. Instead of being with a big group on a packed boat, we had the boat and dive master and crew all to ourselves and it not only made the most of our time but made it the best experience we have had diving yet.

Quality of Experience

The people of Diving Planet and Rosario Islands made it the best experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andres and team were simply the best ever. They also do snorkeling trips and we sent some friends out with them after this trip who also had the best time!

Transport

Private car to private boat and crew, the best

Minca Tour and Marinka Waterfalls

Colombia

While visiting Santa Marta you must go visit the village of Minka and also the Marinka waterfalls. Minka was a super cool authentic village where we had an incredible coffee before going to the waterfalls and an unforgettable lunch after. The falls were something you see in a vacation commercial or movie, just incredible.

Quality of Experience

It was a nice easy day after a long hike the day before, relaxing in the waterfalls and just enjoying this authentic town and people.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Once again Hugo and Hader shined, getting us to the falls before the midday crowd so we had them all to ourselves. As we were leaving lots of people showed up. Hader was from Minka and seemed to know everyone, which made us feel like locals and in good hands.

Transport

Hader was the best, getting us there on schedule and when our 4x4 driver cancelled he acquired a vintage Land Cruiser an got us to the falls!

Tayrona National Park Tour

Colombia

No trip to Colombia is complete without visiting Tayronas National Park. One of the most stunningly beautiful places we have ever been. The wildlife was incredible also. You can walk the path or ride horseback.

Quality of Experience

The jaw dropping beauty and being immersed in nature and wildlife is hard to put into words. I have never seen a place like this.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hugo was a wealth of knowledge from the history of the Tayrona indigenous people to the plant life an animal life, we couldn’t have had a better guide!

Transport

Hader got us there smoothly and efficiently as always and hung a hammock in the trees and waited all day for us to return and brought us home safe and sound.

Short experience Snorkeling in Santa Marta area

Colombia

We loved our snorkeling trip with Gio and his team. Highly recommend them. Perfect spot where we saw amazing coral and sea life, and loved the boat ride!

Quality of Experience

Local authentic dive shop who know the area like the back of their hand.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gio and the Captain were outstanding, we enjoyed the boat ride and sights from the sea almost as much as the snorkel!

Transport

Easy short walk to the beach and the boat picked us up right on the beach!

Welcome to Colombia!

Colombia

No trip to Colombia is complete without a visit to Santa Marta, a lovely seaside vacation town within driving distance of Tayrona National Park, Minka and more. Great dining and beaches and snorkeling and diving.

Quality of Experience

We were greeted with warmth by our guide Hugo and felt instantly at home

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hugo was the greatest guide and Hader was our all time favorite driver an the Aracanto Colombia Team of Felipe, Fabian and Margot were amazing!

Transport

Hader had a great car and was a pro, it was like traveling with the Mayor

Guides were knowledgeable and very kind. All of the tours that we arranged were informative.
Cartegena: hit the highlights- really enjoyed the street food tour. Kayaking lovely but would be good to know that you are just going from one to point and back between land and island. Fishing was informative and a pleasant ride through the mangroves.
Santa Marta- Sebastian was a very articulate and knowledgeable tour guide. I feel we got an excellent tour. It was really nice to see something outside of Cartagena. And it was cooler.
Aaron was excellent and so knowledgeable. The highlight for us was the home that attracted so many beautiful birds. And we had an excellent lunch. Coffee plantation was OK but it would be good to know that we would not see any active work at the factory nor did we see a field of coffee plants. Waterfall lovely but could skip that.

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Garden Inn Santa Marta

Santa Marta

Easy walking distance to everything

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GHL Hotel Armería Real

Cartagena

It had an old charm. Staff were very friendly and kind. Location was wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Safe area to walk wherever.

Staff

Samir…

Cleanliness & Comfort

2 separate rooms & full bath

Activity Reviews

Nature, Waterfalls & Coffee Farm in Minca

Colombia

I would include more stops to see the birds and butterflies. The waterfall has a lot of steps so be prepared.

Santa Marta City Tour

Colombia

Cartagena Street Food Tour

Cartagena

La Boquilla Fishing Trip

Cartagena

An exposure to a whole different level of life - not just in the town, but of course the fishing community itself.

Cartagena City Tour

Cartagena

Kajak Adventure in Tierrabomba

Cartagena

Let people know that they can swim when they arrive at the island

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Having just completed our nine day trip in Colombia I can provide some thoughts.
I have to say that I didn’t know really what to expect and what I would see in Colombia given the limited images and news about this country. Narcos and Juan Valdez commercials can only go so far. Colombia and its cities far exceeded our expectations. We thoroughly enjoyed each of our guides and those who assisted along the way for days like Bike Tour and Gold Museum in Bogota, to the waterfall and organic farm lunch in Medellin.
I will note for me specifically that this was the single most impactful visit I have ever had to a museum. Seeing the gold artifacts through the eyes of an indigenous people was very moving. The Salt Cathedral also was absolutely stunning in size and scope.
We didn’t just get Instagram worthy pics, we heard perspectives, and listened to new ideas and saw glorious sites. I thank everyone involved in introducing South America and Colombia to me. You are a tough act to follow. I will recommend Kimkim to family and friends (they have already gushed about the pictures) and I suspect and look forward to engaging with you further for future adventures with Kristin.

Many thanks once again for making the start of 2026 so memorable!!! Cheers and Happy New Year to one and all.
Rob

Our local specialist Michael was an excellent resource before and during our trip. A few last minute changes needed to be made with transportation & a tour we were booked for and he was very accommodating, and quick to respond. The trip went very smoothly and all of our guides were punctual and polite. The only tour we booked that we were not happy with was the coffee experience in Cartagena, only because the tour was listed to run from 3:30-5pm with walking time, and we did not finish util closer to 7pm, which caused us to miss a dinner reservation. Aside from that we especially loved our guides Eduardo & Juan Jose and would recommend them to anyone coming to Colombia. ALL of the accommodations were excellent!

Hotel Review

Casa Tayrona Los Naranjos

A beautiful location with private beach. We had Casa 1, which had one of the best views we've ever experienced in a hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Private, but not in walking distance to any other restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautiful room, nice touches, eco friendly

Activity Review

Flavors of Coffee in Getsemaní

Cartagena

Unfortunately, this ran almost two hours longer than expected. We would've loved the one hour version we signed up for, but by the end of this we were uncomfortable in our seats and no longer paying attention.

Quality of Experience

The overall experience was fantastic! The service, planning and recommendations were excellent and the app made booking and adjusting things so easy. Highly recommended!

My guides and driver in Medellin were truly lovely so personable and a true pleasure to meet. The same could be said for my guide in tayrona - I had a great time with him for two days in the park

Michael helped us plan a wonderful trip for our family. We spent 12 days travelling throughout Colombia. The amount of days spent in each city that were planned was perfect and our hotel accommodations were all excellent. One of our favourites was Casa Lola in Cartagena. We had an unbelievable room. All the guides and drivers were timely, knowledgeable and helped us enjoy our experiences in the country. The recommended excursions were fantastic and we enjoyed seeing as much of the country and learning as much about the history of the country and people as we could in just under two weeks.

I would definitely recommend Chaska Tours for your next adventure in Colombia.

Heidi & Daniel