Kimkim Trip Reviews for Colombia

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

I want to thank Michael gold for an incredible trip to Colombia. From the very beginning Michael worked with us on incredible itinerary that covered a tremendous amount of activities and amazing restaurants. He was available for last minute changes in flights and very responsive to anything we needed. We felt safe the whole time and the guides were wonderful. I highly recommend KimKim to plan this trip for you from the Mountains to the Sea. It’s an amazing country that everyone should visit
Thanks again Michael for a superb job

The guides were all excellent and knowledgeable. It was a good mix of culture, adventure, and food experiences. We particularly liked the flower experience in Saint Elena and the and La Minorista fruit market tasting.. We also loved the height through Tyrona and the tubing experienced on the Don Diego river. The cooking class was also a true highlight learning about Colombian cuisine.. enou

Michael was fantastic throughout: he educated me on Colombia during booking, was always responsive, adapted to my needs. During the trip, he supported me throughout during any need. He was proactive.

I'd highly recommend KimKim to all travelers.

It was just a short vacation at the end of a working trip but a lot of fun! Our guide, Anna, was terrific and Margoth and her team were very attentive.

Very pleased with the itinerary and complete reliability of all the bookings and arrangements. Tayrona bird guide, Wilson, was amazing and it was wonderful to learn about the partnership between the sites (both indigenous and ecological) we visited and the protection do they natural and cultural resources. It was fabulous

My husband and I used kimkim to book our honeymoon to Colombia. We had the most memorable trip, and the arcanto team made our vacation so organized and seamless! Our booking agent Margoth was thoughtful and organized with a careful and thoroughly written out itinerary. Every excursion was tailored to what my husband and I were looking for in our honeymoon - the perfect mix of site seeing, adventure, and relaxation! All the details were carefully planned and explained in a clear and concise way. The entire team was quick to respond to questions and the communication overall was excellent!
We started our trip in Medellín, where our driver and guide were patiently waiting for us! They were easy to find with our name visibly written on a sign right as we exited the airport.

Our guide in Medellin, Juan Carlos, was so wonderful. He was kind, hospitable, and so knowledgeable of the city we were visiting. He explained history of the city and answered all our questions and gave excellent recommendations. We always felt safe and comfortable in his care! It made us feel at ease to have guides that spoke English and Spanish to assist us while navigating the city. He introduced us to other guides along the way, to give us a diverse experience while touring locations including Communa 13, Campana waterfall hike, and our coffee farm tour. Every person we met along the way was a friend to us and made the trip that much more memorable!

In Cartagena we were delighted to be guided by Ana. She was so passionate about the city and shared her knowledge of the history in a fun and exciting way. In Cartagena we had more down time and she gave us excellent recommendations to explore for shopping, eating, and drinking. She showed us the best spot to watch the sunset with a delicious cocktail, and also knew the best photo opportunity spots. It was such a pleasure to get to know Ana and be guided by her through the Old City.

The hotels and dinners that Margoth booked for us were top of the line, luxurious and impressive. Every meal we ate was so delicious and throughout the week we experienced a great variety of places with live music, high end dining, and local eats.

Margoth and the Arcanto team made our honeymoon so wonderful, and we are so grateful for all the memories we have from the trip! They are truly experts and took out the stress of planning on top of booking the best places we would have never been able to figure out ourselves. Would definitely use this agency again for booking a vacation. Thank you Margoth, Kim Kim and Arcanto for the best vacation!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Casa San Agustín

Cartagena de Indias

Beautiful colonial hotel in the old city! The food is excellent and the staff were incredibly friendly and kind. We did not have time to book the spa although the tour of it looked sensational! Would return again

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Cielo Hotel

Medellin

El Cielo is luxurious, beautiful, and hospitable! Friendly staff, excellent food, and wonderful accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Las Islas

Barú

Overall I enjoyed my stay at Las Islas Hotel. My husband and I stayed for 1 full day and 2 nights. This was a good amount of time for this resort. We stayed in a tree top bungalow, which was a very unique experience. The view was beautiful and the bungalow offered privacy and comfort. There was an outdoor hot tub for private use, although the hot water did not work well so we were not able to get much use out of it. For couples that are looking to spend majority of their time in their rooms, this is a good resort for that, as the rooms are very quiet, relaxing, beautiful and spacious. There is good air conditioning in the rooms which was nice because it is very hot and humid outdoors. The resort itself does not offer much activity that is inclusive. There is a small beach and pool included in the stay. There are excursions to do throughout the day at an extra cost. We were able to do most in the day that we were there, and enjoyed the activities. The massage was excellent. I was able to tell that the therapists were very knowledgeable of the anatomy and well practiced. I was also impressed by the food. Each meal service offered a variety of selections with options for meat, fish, vegetable, and pasta. Each dish had excellent flavor and was prepared well. I had a difficult time navigating the island. The signs and map are misleading and often times were inaccurate or contradictory of each other. The staff was friendly and quick to offer help or rides on the golf cart to desired locations when requested. We were offered use of bicycles to navigate the resort however the tires were all flat and the bikes did not appear safe to use. There appeared to be poor communication between the staff for reception, excursions, and restaurants as we were told contradictory things regarding timing and locations of the activities. The descriptions of the excursions were misleading and often did not include everything that was described. The cost of all the excursions did add up, and without the extra activities not included in the stay there is not much to do on the resort. I enjoyed my time at the resort but would not pay the price again for the experience that we had.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Coffee Farm Tour

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chorro Campana Hike

Medellín

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

The team made it so easy to find our guides! We felt welcomed, safe, and so excited to start our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All three of our guides were excellent. Cielo (in Cartagena) was young and relatively inexperienced, but made up for it with her enthusiasm. Danielle (in Medellin) was a consummate professional: knowledgable, engaging and clear.
Daneille (in Bogota) was also knowledgable, engaging and clear and in addition was fun. We liked our time with Cielo and Danielle (in Medellin) but loved our time with Danielle.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel De La Opera

Bogotá

Genuinely colonial; great location.

Hotel Faranda Collection Medellin

Medellin

Not enough English speaking staff. Poor service in the bar.

OSH Hotel Getsemaní

Cartagena

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bogota Highlights Tour

Bogotá

The private dinner with Maria was a little disappointing. We had no idea what to expect and had we a better description in advance, might have chosen to skip it. Although Maria was welcoming, bright, enthusiastic and totally into her "thing", I probably would have preferred dinner in an excellent restaurant.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved being with the guide, Danielle. Fun in addition to being knowlegeble and flexible able

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

Loved it. Charming town.

Quality of Experience

Medellín Day Tour

Medellín

Visit the Silletera Culture & The Flowers of Santa Elena

Medellín

Nacho was unbelievably knowledgable and entertaining.

Our entire trip was absolutely amazing and so much more than we expected. Michael and his team were with us every step of the way from start to finish, and provided a diverse itinerary that somehow met the needs of our entire family including 2 young children. We were very impressed at their communication throughout the trip as well as the experiences they provided. All of the hotels were perfect too.

We were so grateful our trip included guides and drivers because we learned so much more about the country and its people because of them and never needed to worry about getting a cab anywhere. They made the trip so much easier and more fun than it would have been if we did it all ourselves. A few highlights were playing Tejo with Mari Luz in Bogota, drinking coffee with Carlos in Salento, our coffee farm tour, walking the streets of cartegena and drumming at sunset with Roberto.

Too many amazing experiences to name. We hope to come back to Colombia again and will definitely use KimKim to provide our next trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Muisca

Bogotá

Great hotel in a quiet area. Perfect for walking down to the Candeleria neighborhoods. The chefs were amazing and the front desk staff were always very helpful and patient. You’ll definitely want to bring ear plugs because the walls are thin, but we’re always prepared for that so it wasn’t a problem.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ecohotel Piedemonte

Very peaceful and relaxing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Juliana was very helpful and went above and beyond to get our laundry service done earlier in the morning so we could have them for our 8:30am excursion. The chefs also cook to order.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Finca Hotel del Cafe

Santa Rosa de Cabal

Very nice hotel off the beaten path. It was a nice place to rest between cities with great views from the restaurant area.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel part was fantastic, but the American music from the 80’s in the restaurant view area made it feel a little corporate. Luckily the restaurant area is a 5 minute walk up the hill from the hotel.

Location

Staff

They were very helpful and set up the jacuzzi so we could use it one evening.

Cleanliness & Comfort

GHL Hotel Armería Real

Cartagena

The location was perfect because it was walking distance to everything we needed for food and shopping. The rooftop pool and restaurant worker perfect for our family. The staff was very kind, helpful, and service was great. We want to come back.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Drum & Dance Safari at the Beach of La Boquilla

Colombia

It was an amazing experience.

Quality of Experience

Realizing that this was a music school and watching the sun set during a song. It was all very interactive and engaging.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boquilla Mangrove Tour

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rosario Island Beach Day (Coralina Island)

Colombia

Very relaxing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Tour & Street Food

Cartagena

Absolutely amazing behind the scenes tour of Cartegena with Roberto.

Quality of Experience

Our guide Roberto.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Santa Rosa Hot Springs

Colombia

Beautiful location.

Quality of Experience

Nothing. It was just really crowded because the local families were on vacation.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We learned so much in our drive from Salento to the hot springs. The guide was great. It was also really nice to have someone to watch our stuff.

Transport

Cocora Valley & Salento

Colombia

Absolutely beautiful place. It was more than we were expecting.

Quality of Experience

Our guide was so passionate and went above learned a lot.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Willy Jeep was fun.

Coffee Farm Tour in Finca Buenos Aires

Salento

We loved seeing the process from start to finish.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to Nemocón's Salt Mine

Bogotá

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tejo Game in Bogotá

Bogotá

Very fun. Family favorite.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bogotá Museums Tour

Bogotá

Colombian History with Street Art

Bogotá

Fruits of Colombia at a Local Market

Bogotá

It was perfect and we learned so much. Only tip would be to provide a handout with the fruit on it because we couldn’t remember any of the names.

Quality of Experience

Leaning how to cut and eat the fruit and learning about the impact of fruit in Colombia were the highlights.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thanks a lot. You guys were amazing. we all had a wonderful time with unique experiences.
Your team was wonderful. We did not have any issue... there was minor breakdown but your guide Eddie was on top of it. he arranged back up very fast and everything was just perfect. Eddie was very informative and very nice..
Again thanks to you Michael and Kimkim.. Michael you always answered any of our question/concern with utmost urgency and respect. Thanks for your guidance. We look forward for another trip with you guys in the future.
Cheers,
On behalf of our group many many thanks.
pankaj

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Caribe Faranda

Cartagena

I had a very bad experience. The AC was not working. At late night I was going for a food to 24 hour restaurant and they would not put a tab on my room. I had to pay cash or credit card... I had to husstle.. It was not nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

very old property.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Park 10

Medellin

OK. not the best.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

I was expecting modern hotel in spirit of modern Columbiam style...

Activity Reviews

Sunset Drum & Dance Safari at the Beach of La Boquilla

Colombia

amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boquilla Mangrove Tour

Cartagena

amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Salsa Experience

Cartagena

amazing..

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Boat Trip to Rosario Islands

Colombia

Really nice.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Tour & Street Food

Cartagena

nice. Learned about the history and transformation was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

really woth it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paragliding in Medellín

Medellín

It was very nice however we had to climb a lot before we can reach for paragliding. As I mentioned few guys had trouble walking. And when we finished we saw a second spot very close in walking distance had the same service but one did not have to climb. I wish other guys would have enjoyed this spot.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

very nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip around Colombia experiencing the art, culture, food and of course the coffee in this beautiful country. All our guides were so informative and helpful; Ricardo in Bogota was so knowledgable kind and interesting,.....in fact none of them disappointed in anyway. Columbia is a vibrant, extremely friendly and interesting country with a rich cultural heritage. I would not hesitate in recommending it as a great holiday destination and I would definitely recommend kimkim for its professionalism, choices of accommodation and tour guides and overall attention to detail.

Start to finish KimKim and Margarita looked after every detail of each day- hotels were great, air and land transfers were flawless and our guides in each city were very professional, informative and passionate about their wonderful country- Columbia.
A great adventure, very well priced, safe and really memorable. Exceeded all expectations

Thanks KimKim Team

We went as a family of four (2 kids, 11 and 12) this past August. We loved all our tours and are very grateful to Kimkim and Michael and the Chaska Tours team for an incredible experience. Starting with the tour of Bogotá with artist Luís, we were captivated by the street art, the culture and the food of Colombia.
A high point for the kids was seeing pink dolphins and grey dolphins in the Amazon river. My daughter's dream realized! We also loved Leticia and the park with the parakeets and swallows. We enjoyed the ecotourism projects of the local people, especially supporting conservation efforts with sloths and monkeys. Our dedicated and engaging guide Sergio made our time in Amazonia unforgettable, including a night hike to see weird and rare caterpillars and spiders!
My husband and I especially enjoyed the vibe in Comuna 13 in Medellín, which we toured with our knowledgeable and friendly guide Valeria. The incredible transformation of this neighbourhood inspired hope and admiration. We then went on to visit a flower farm and learned about Silletera culture (such a lovely host at the Casa de las Flores), and a family-run coffee farm (another wonderful welcome) along with a the colourful town of Guatapé.
On to Cartagena, where we had a fascinating tour of the lively Getsemaní neighbourhood and the colonial part of the city with our wonderful guide Gustavo. My son loved fishing for crabs and cooking them up for us. Everyone was so gracious and welcoming. The day concluded with young people singing and drumming in celebration of the Afro-Caribbean culture of that part of Colombia. I danced to embarrass my children.
A few days to recharge on Isla Baru were a great end to the holiday. We enjoyed the ocean and delicious seafood.
We loved everything about this trip.
All the drivers and guides were excellent: always so caring, engaging and fun. Michael did a great job of tailoring our tours to our interests and those of our kids. We also loved the accommodations arranged for us.
Highly recommend our tour with Chaska to everyone interested in cultural diversity, art, ecotourism and family time!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Isla del Encanto

Cartagena

Hotel Isla del Encanto was a perfect getaway at the end of our trip. We did nothing but relax for a few days, enjoying the beautiful resort. The seafood was especially amazing, and my husband and I loved our dinners there. It was a wonderful place to unwind and enjoy the serene island atmosphere.

Waira Suites

Leticia

Waira Suites was an especially sweet place. It's family-run, and the staff were incredibly kind, going out of their way to accommodate my kids' meal restrictions. The environment was beautiful, surrounded by nature, which added to the charm of the stay. It truly stood out among the accommodations we visited during our trip.

Activity Reviews

Coffee-Culture Tour

Medellín

The Coffee-Culture Tour was wonderful. We were greeted with delicious cake and coffee, and the people running the tour were lovely. They shared insightful stories about the land, which was truly inspiring. It was a great experience for both adults and kids, and my son particularly enjoyed planting a coffee plant. A highly recommended experience.

Daytrip: Silletera Culture in Santa Elena & La Piedra de Guatapé

Medellín

The Casa de la Flores tour was one of my favorite activities in Medellín. Our guide Valeria was fantastic, and the person who led us through the tour was incredibly engaging, especially with the kids. The family's achievements in the flower fair were impressive, and the whole experience was both informative and enjoyable. I highly recommend it.

The Aracanto team was amazing!! They were professional, attentive, and helped plan a spectacular trip! Our guides Byron, Diego, and Roberto were also great! They were knowledgeable about the cities and very helpful. Would definitely recommend to others and plan another trip to Colombia with Aracanto ☺️

Kobe was exceptionally attentive during the planning process. He was open to my ideas, took into consideration our budget, and made wonderful suggestions. He communicated clearly and concisely ensuring I understood everything being presented and was flexible with changes. He worked very diligently to create a trip that would meet our desires and expectations. Kobe was very easy to work with.

Hotel Review

El Refugio

Rio Claro

Río Claro is amazingly beautiful. It is full of birds and gorgeous! The climate is hot and humid so prepare to sweat while engaging in activities. To get to the Refugio cabins you will need to be able to ascend and descend steep stairs. Once in the cabin the view is spectacular!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Gorgeous views

Staff

Staff were friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Day One Birding In Rio Claro Reserve

Río Claro Reserve

We weren’t expecting the heat. The birding guide was knowledgeable and friendly. Also a good teacher.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport