Kimkim Trip Reviews for Galapagos Islands

Ms. Jacquie Granda, you are God sent. We thank you so much for arranging our amazing trip to Ecuador/ Galápagos. We had an absolutely incredible time and everything went so smoothly. The airport transfers were seamless. The hotels you recommended were extraordinary. The activities and restaurants you suggested were perfect! The guides (especially David, Ruben and James) provided great service, knowledge and guidance. The whole itinerary you created for us was spot on! For all your hard work and precise attention to details, THANK YOU, you rock! 🤘🏼 YOU will definitely hear from us on our future south america travels/trips. #highlyrecommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kim Kim and its local partner Authentic Ecuador planned and implemented a seamless extremely well run 17- day mostly private tour of Quito, the Galapagos, Lima and Machu Picchu. The hotels they selected were top of the line and first-rate with excellent rooms and wonderful breakfasts. Most importantly, all of the guides ( and support personnel, such as drivers) were wonderful. The trip organiser Paul did an exceptional job keeping abreast of every detail. He made a special visit to our hotel in Quito to personally meet and greet us. Special mention should also go to our guide in Quito (Jose)m Jacome who was very helpful in showing us this beautiful City, to Julio Quispe in Cusco (and Machu Picchu) who was an exceptional guide in every respect and went way beyond the call of duty in assisting us with a health issue, to Bosco Villene who made sure our time in Lima and our flight to Cusco went very well, and to all of the guides and local contacts in the Falapsgos including but not limited to Astrid Freire who were both extremely knowledgeable and competent at their jobs and dedicated to their beautiful well-preserved islands.

We would like to share the positive experience we had with Kimkim Tours. We typically like to make our own travel plans and steer away from group tours and/or cruises that have preset “boiler plate” itineraries. Yet, with the choice to go to the Galapagos Islands during our semi-retirement years, as well as the realization that there might be a language barrier, we decided to research tour options. Kimkim seemed like a good choice for us.

We were impressed with the time that Alvaro, and especially Steven, took to understand our individual needs. The interaction started with us filling out a detailed questionnaire detailing our interests, how we preferred to travel, what we wanted to see, our preferences on lodging (from simple hostels to premium hotels) as well as our ages, physical abilities and budget considerations. Kimkim put together a suggested itinerary, We were able give them input on the plan and they made adjustments given our feedback. After a few iterations, we finally agreed our itinerary! Kimkim then went to work on booking our hotels, transportation (including transfers) and daily tours.

We cannot say enough about the exceptional service both during the planning process as well as “on the ground” during our travels. Kimkim provided exceptional service, well-planned itineraries, and smooth travel experiences. We received personalized attention, experienced a helpful and responsive staff, and a seamless booking process. Communications both before and during the trip were efficient and reliable. The local guides and contacts were extremely knowledgeable and helpful and provided valuable insights and direction.

It is also notable to mention that late in the planning and payment process, we experienced a personal health issue that might have affected the trip and excursions we had planned. Steven and Alvaro were understanding and allowed us some extra time to tighten our plans and pay our deposits while always communicating and check-in in on us. In addition, we needed to make a few changes to our plans during the trip and Steven/Alvara/Rita worked together to accommodate our unique circumstance. We appreciated this personal attention and professionalism!

Alvaro & Jose planned & executed an extraordinary trip. All the plane and boat transportation, 5 hotels! and the incredible adventures. Our restrictions, no problem, our last minute changes, no problem. Responsive from first contact, to every little nitpicking question we came up with.
Guide Romero, amazing, great information & so considerate - Highlands giant tortoises, Charles Darwin Research & bonus Lava Tunnel! Guide Bebe, wonderful and trip to Lava Java fascinating and fun. Uninhabited Island, perfect boat ride and guide to the top of island, again so much fascinating information and the view, unbelievable. Isabel Island, coordinatot Julio, could spend a day with him, he really took care of us. Tinoreras Islet, what a hike near lava formations to a lagoon, sharks, sea turtles, magical. Volcano hike, worth every mile to see the lava cone, Guide Julio, so patient, so fascinating in his own right. Back in town saw flamingos! Lobos Island, hike over lava rocks to see incredible wildlife, blue-footed boobie with her egg! Back to Quito, a city worth exploring.

Seriously, the trip of a lifetime, made possible by Alvaro, Jose and the wonderful people of Equador ♥️

Hotel Reviews

Swissotel Quito

Quito

Top-notch hotel, comfortable room, great food, really wonderful and helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa de Nelly

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Lovely room, good breakfast, great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gran Hotel Tintorera

Puerto Villamil

Very pleasant room, excellent breakfast, great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lava House Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Nice comfortable room, good breakfast, great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ilatoa Lodge

Quito

Didn't get to spend enough time there, but great venue, wonderful owner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin!

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim and Link Experiences planed a trip to the Galapagos for is in May 2025. Everything about their service was top notch. They planned our air from Quito to Santa Cruz, all our transfers, ferries, hotels and excursions. When our US flight was delayed by a day due to weather they immediately changed our Quito flight, all transfers, hotels and excursions. They made everything so painless for us. They had a representative waiting for us any time we traveled or did an excursion. They even helped us through the complexity of checking in at the Quito airport. We stayed on Santa Cruz for two nights and Isabella for three nights. On Santa Cruz we had a private guide (Reuben) who was so knowledgeable and friendly. He took us to a local ranch to see the giant tortoises and have a nice lunch then to the lava tunnels. It was fantastic. The next day we snorkeled and swam at Tortuga Bay. There were iguanas everywhere. It was beautiful. Then again a nice lunch at a local restaurant then the Charles Darwin research station and more snorkeling nearby. We stayed at the Blu Galapagos hotel which was very nice. Then in Isabella we stayed at the Iguana Crossing hotel which was also very nice. We did a shared group Tintoreras tour with some nice snorkeling. Then the next day a shared group Los Tuneles tour which was unbelievable. We saw two blue footed boobies doing their mating dance not more than 3 feet from us. We snorkeled with penguins and lots of sea turtles, also saw some sharks and sea horses. Then on our last day we had another amazing guide (Julio). We did a very informative nature walk to the giant tortoise breeding center. We also saw flamingos in their natural environment. Our only regret is that we didn't stay longer. Travel from San Diego was two days on either end of the trip and with the weather delays in Dallas our travel days were almost as many as our vacation days. In all our future trips we will always look for kimkim, they just made everything so hassle free. And they planned all our excursions, I just vaguely gave advice that we wanted to see wildlife and do some snorkeling and they made sure we hit all the best spots. They even checked us in to our hotels to make sure all was in order. And on days we were traveling or doing an excursion early they made sure we had a box breakfast at the front desk. We LOVE kimkim and Link Experiences.

We recently had the incredible opportunity to tour the Galápagos Islands, and our experience with KimKim exceeded all expectations. From the moment we booked, their team was professional, knowledgeable, and attentive to every detail. The itinerary was thoughtfully planned, balancing guided exploration with time to relax and soak in the unique beauty of the islands. Our guides were passionate and well-informed, making each stop engaging and educational. The accommodations and meals were excellent, and logistics ran smoothly throughout. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to experience such a remarkable destination. Highly recommended!

Las Tintoreras near Isabela Island was the highlight of the trip where we saw a large number of penguins, blue footed boobies, and a large shark all at the same time. The number of iguanas, sea lions, and pelicans on the way to the boat was amazing and the marine life from there was also spectacular.

In general, the Galapagos is a natural wonder that offers a unique experience in both the variety and abundance of animals in their natural habitat. It was a great trip and your team helped us make the connections to put it all together.

There was quite a bit of moving about from place to place. I don't know if a live-in boat would have been better to reduce that part of it.

Hotel Reviews

Iguana Crossing Boutique Hotel

Galápagos

Amazing view of the ocean. Steps to the beach. Comfortable bed. Excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Good location, walking distance to town and pier.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Quito Airport, an IHG Hotel

Tababela

Nothing special. Airport hotel, meh.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discovering Bartolome a full day yacht experience

Isla Santa Cruz

Wonderful snorkeling around the island of Bartolome

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Cruz Highlands, Lava Tunels and Charles Darwin Research Station

Isla Santa Cruz

Enjoyed our guide Ruben, the giant tortoises and definitely the Darwin Center

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tintoreras and highlands

Isla Isabela

The best part of the trip, loved it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tunnels & Cabo Rosa

Isla Isabela

good

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excellent overall experience both with regard to communication with the KimKim team and meeting of expectations. The guides were both very knowledgable and enthusiastic, dedicated and pleasant.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Volcano

Puerto Villamil

Great location, courteous staff. Clean, and very pleasant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plaza Luna Suites

Puerto Ayora

Excellent service, lovely management, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

Tough hike, 16 km. Need to be in very good shape. Wish it were a loop rather than a back and forth, same trek.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer Baltra Airport - Puerto Ayora with visit to the highlands of Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Waves were strong and visibility suboptimal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Karla was very responsive to our questions and needs. The excursions and especially snorkeling was amazing. All guides were wonderful and Isabella and specifically Julio were wonderful. Very educational and provided the info we needed to be on time for every thing and on what to wear. I loved Los tunélles snorkeling the best as we liked seeing the penguins.

Hotel Review

La Casita de la Playa

Puerto Villamil

Loved having a view of the beach where we could watch the sea lions investigating the beach

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Wildlife Encounter at Los Tuneles (Cabo Rosa)

Galapagos Islands

My favorite with such a variety of wildlife…including penguins!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you, Paola, for helping us with our amazing trip to Galapagos and Quito!
Some highlights:
- Cooking class in Quito
- Quito city tour with Christian - terrific guide! As was his uncle ;)!
- Santa Cruz highland tour with visit to tortoises!
- Trip to Bartolomé island
- Isabella snorkeling at Los Túneles - Luis was a terrific guide. We learned a lot from him
- Biking in National Park on Isabella - Thank you to John!

The hotel accommodations were all wonderful
- La Casona de La Ronda in Quito
- Ikala Galapagos on Santa Cruz
- La Casita de la Playa on Isabella

Only hiccup was not knowing we needed to pay the National Park Fee when we landed in Baltra Airport in Santa Cruz. Would recommend making that clear to future travelers! Thank you!

Chris

Hotel Reviews

La Casita de la Playa

Puerto Villamil

BEAUTIFUL Location and view.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Beautiful pool and rooms! Wonderful restaurant view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casona de La Ronda

Quito

Friendly staff, good breakfast, great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Best experience on our trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis was the best!

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

We had a rainy day, so we couldn't hike past the first view point.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide struggled a bit with English - would have like a bit more information.

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Snorkeling/kayaking guide struggled with English - would have liked more information about the animals

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Beautiful day - long boat ride

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Quito Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito Cooking Class

Galapagos Islands

One of our highlights! Really fun - chef is passionate about Ecuadorian food. Excellent dinner

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Quito City Tour - Middle of the World

Quito

Christian was a wonderful guide. Loved our day in Quito.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was wonderful! All details were taken care of. All transport services were on time. Hotels were very nice. Guides were excellent, so knowledgeable and helpful. Would definitely book another trip through KimKim.

Activity Reviews

History and Nature: Full Day to Floreana Island

Puerto Ayora

Beautiful island and black sand beach. Saw turtles while snorkeling, baby sea lion and a marine iguana swimming and out on the beach.

Quality of Experience

Mo

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Encountering at Lobos Island

Galapagos Islands

Loved the snorkeling and the baby sea lions that played with us!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Crown Jewel of Peru: Machu Picchu Sanctuary

Peru

Loved the train ride to Machu Picchu and the whole experience of being able to hike through the ruins.

Quality of Experience

Food

All food!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All drivers nice and on time.

Transport

Cusco City Tour

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Guide

Food

Very nice restaurants and good food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

History and information by the guide.

Transport

The trip that you guys organized for us was awesome! The sights, the wildlife and the logistics were impeccable. Our guides in Quito (Christian) and Isabela island (Julio) were fantastic.

Our coordinator Karla went above and beyond when we ran into some unforeseen issues related to canceled flights and health issues.

Thank you so much for a once in a lifetime experience.

I must say Maria and her team made this vacation a dream vacation for me. As a solo traveler, it went above and beyond my expectations with making me feel valued and safe in my travels!

I have been looking into going to the Galapagos for a few years now for the last couple being serious. I kept reading up reviews on travel companies or looking on sites where they have group tours and reading up information and just became so paralyzed and being able to make a decision because I looked at too much information and overwhelmed myself.

I happen to see an ad for Kim Kim on the internet and email about the possibility of a vacation in the Galapagos. And it was so easy from there. The team of Maria and everyone who helped her asked me lots of questions what I like to do, what time of year I wanted to go ,what my budget look like, the length of time for vacation and took that all into consideration and gave me a different couple of plans to look at to see which one would best fit my needs.

And so after thinking about it for another couple days I pulled the trigger as nervous as I was and I do not regret a second of it.

Once I selected a plan Maria and her team spent time with me on the phone going detail by detail of the plans even letting me know I never had to worry about setting up my own transportation to and from the airport or with any of my planned excursions which was fantastic because I really needed a vacation where I didn't have to think I just wanted to enjoy it. And removing the barrier of me not having to worry about finding cabs or how do I find cabs how do I get from here to there all that worry and stress was taken away.

The casas and hotels I stayed at were super cute staff was friendly I love that they were nice and small facilities I love the nice breakfast, and especially love that lava house had a house dog ❤️

Oh and my driver in Quito and the hotel in Quito were wonderful as well!!

The area of the casas and hotels were so safe I loved being able to walk around the entire Island and not be worried about anything and I was a standard at how clean the Galapagos was there was not a single speck of trash anywhere on the streets.

The first excursion at lobos island was memorable! The guide was so nice and the other people on the tour as well, it was nice and small! I finally got to see, in real life, blue footed boobies!! The snorkeling in the clear blue water was spectacular!! Some of the guests and I even explored around San Cristobal together and visited the Discovery Center and had a mojito together! The restaurants also had amazing food! The fresh shrimp ceviche was mouthwatering!

I must say kicker rock was my favorite excursion! The people on my excursion were all college students and their professor, the guides kept us all entertained and engaged w us all! We saw and swam w hammerhead sharks, manta rays, seals and sea turtles!

To have my last day on San Cristobal involve that was perfect! I must say how ecologically and forward thinking the Galapagos islands were was quite impressive!

Then I left for Santa Cruz on my second leg of the journey ❤️ another fabulous journey that was seamless!

Lava House was an adorable place to stay! Even had a resident house dog that I got to play with. I also loved the hammock on my balcony!

The first day there was a free day and I wandered to the beautiful Tortuga Beach. Breathtaking in scenery! The swimming iguanas were so cool!

My first adventure there involved visiting the Darwin Station and listening to the guides walk us through the history of Galapagos and how the center came to be, with lots of tortoises to see! There was also a lovely beach not far from their either! thet afternoon a trip into the Highlands to visit another facility with land tortoises and lava caves was great! Ran into more nice people there as well

Floreana Island was the perfect adventure to end my stay at Galapagos 🤩 our guide spent so much time talking w us about his island's history, and took us snorkeling in this wonderful lava rock beach. I had at least ten wild sea turtles just swim right with me and literally looked me in the eye! Tons of gorgeous fish like parrot fish, puffer fish, clown fish, and even saw a shark! It was breathtaking!

Next we went to another part of the island and got to swim at the black sand beaches. A wonderful lunch followed with delicious fresh caught tuna, vegetables and lentils followed. The group was small and we all enjoyed talking to each other and learning about everyone

Then we went to the Highlands of Floreana and learned about their efforts to save the tortoise species endemic to their island, explored lava caverns and enjoyed seeing the gorgeous views!

I really enjoyed walking the town when we got back and went back to my favorite restaurant to indulge in tuna ceviche and mojitos.

I sat back and thought that I'd never had such a phenomenal experience - I literally forgot what day it was! All of the memories I will have and pictures I've shown my friends!

My last day was seamless as well with my guide taking me from my hotel to the water taxi and then the airport. Absolutely nothing went wrong or was uncomfortable this whole trip! Any questions I had throughout my trip was quickly answered by my local guide or Maris!

I cannot state enough how much work this team put in to give me the ultimate dream vacation. 2024 was a very rough year. Kimkim and their wonderful team gave me the most memorable birthday day over ever had along with the most breathtaking of memories.

I will not hesitate to use them again. I cannot wait to go back and explore more of our wonderful world with them !!

Thank you so much for all that you and your team did for me! I wish I could write all of my guides to let them know how much their time truly mattered to me ❤️

Hotel Reviews

Lava House Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Loved this hotel! From the feeling of safety, the proximity to everything, walking was super easy to get anywhere. The room was extremely comfortable and loved that they had a water refill station! But I must say the house dog, lava, was truly adorable and I love throwing the ball for her

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful plants and maintenance around the facility I really love the hammock on my balcony

Location

Super easy location to walk anywhere you wanted to and walk back, a feeling of safety whenever you were outside the gates and they locked it to stay secure

Staff

Always very friendly , the lady serving breakfast were very nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Pimampiro

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

This was such a a cute casa with an easy walk down to the town area. It stayed locked and secure, the rooms were super comfortable. I loved that the staff asked each day what time I wanted breakfast as well. The conservation reminders were perfect

Authenticity & Character

Very unique

Location

Easy walking distance, safe

Staff

Everyone was super friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

I arrived late at night, and was still welcomed with open arms by the staff. My room was so nice and comfortable. I especially loved the reminders the hotel wrote in regards to conservation and waste. I really loved the gift bag w chocolates too! My breakfast was perfect for the early morning trip!

Authenticity & Character

It stayed true to being uniqu

Location

It was not far from airport, was well lit, felt secure and so clean!

Staff

Very friendly and reminded me about my breakfast and asked about any allergies

Cleanliness & Comfort

I packed way too much as the hotel supplied everything I needed

Activity Reviews

Transfer to Airport on Baltra Island - Flight back to Mainland

Galapagos Islands

I am so grateful for my guide that picked me up from the hotel and then took me to the water taxi then rode with me and the water taxi then rode with me on the shuttle to the airport as it's the most unique airport I've ever been to and how to get there. It made it stress-free. In the States you have to get to the airport at least 3 hours ahead of time at that airport I was there an hour and 20 minutes ahead of time and there was no problem. Plenty of time to make the plane and he made sure that I had plenty of time I was never worried

Quality of Experience

My driver was more than I could ask for making that sad day of leaving the Galapagos to go home run smooth

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

History and Nature: Full Day to Floreana Island

Puerto Ayora

This day was utterly amazing. The sheer beauty of floriana just really hits you only 150 people live on this island. Yet there conservation efforts out due our large cities. The cleanliness and respects this place has for nature and its land is just awesome inspiring. The beaches are Christine the waters are clear the people are friendly the food is amazing every experience they'll let you see something different of our world

Quality of Experience

The guide was on point. Very passionate about his island and the shear beauty of nature

Food

That restaurant had the most amazing fried tuna, veggies, rice and lentils 🤤

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Cruz Island: Charles Darwin Station, Highlands & Planting a Tree

Puerto Ayora

The Darwin station is amazing. From the little area you can walk without your guide, to the entire tour from the beginning to the end you just fall in love with Galapagos and it's love for its environment whether it be animals or plants or the water.

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island & Afternoon at Leisure

Puerto Ayora

I really enjoyed getting to explore the island by myself for a bit on my own and visit a beach and some restaurants on my first night

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kicker Rock: A Snorkeling Adventure

Isla San Cristóbal

This by far was my favorite adventure! I really love the whole team that helped get us prepared for this from taking us to the initial Beach and explaining to us how this plays a vital role in the galapagosis ecology and then taking us to see the estuary where we got to see baby white tip reef sharks baby manta rays puffer fish all these unique fish and creatures in the mangroves And then our guy spent a lot of time talking to us about safety and expectations when we get to kicker Rock and that rock is even more intense when you see it in person it's like five stories taller if not bigger and just all the time that we spent snorkeling and our guide took wonderful videos and pictures with his camera so that those of us who didn't have them could experience the beauty and the memories of that excursion

Quality of Experience

The guides did a fantastic job just explaining and showing everything they could of their world in that experience I cannot thank them enough

Food

They have a chicken vegetarian and tuna option but if you're in the Galapagos always choose the tuna it was so fresh with the lentils and the vegetables in the rice loved it

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were so warm and caring and made sure we all had a great experience and they just feel like a team too

Transport

From the moment I was picked up at the hotel to the water taxi to the boat to the excursion was flawless

Wildlife Encountering at Lobos Island

Galapagos Islands

I truly love my guides on this trip. It was a nice small group so they made sure we were all safe and had walking sticks to go over the lava rocks which were not very stable. We got to see all the animals and he gave a great explanation for why this habitat why this animal needs to protected what this environment is all about and really made you feel in awe of nature

Quality of Experience

The planning and expectations set by the guide were perfect.

Food

I loved having the nice lunch of fish rice lentils and veggies they also had a chicken option and a vegetarian option too

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My guide on the islands David did a great job making sure that I had all my supplies for this trip it was perfect

Transport

Very easy and smooth and you're on a boat so you may get wet

Welcome to the Capital of the Andes; Quito!

Galapagos Islands

I absolutely love my guy who picked me up. We spent a lot of time talking about Ecuador and keto and other places and he was very friendly and engaging got me to and from the hotel super easy I never had any stress about making it on time to the airport the next morning

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My guide was very nice and friendly and made it so easy to get through customs the next morning to get to my plane it would have been confusing had he not been there

Transport

We thought all of our guides were great! Stephano, Alexis, Justin, Azu did a great job teaching us and helping us to have fun! Jacquie was our support person and she made everything run very smoothly. If I had a question, she could confirm the plan or make sure things went as planned.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Indigo Galápagos

San Cristóbal

This is a lovely hotel by the water and close to everything. We enjoyed sitting by the pool in the mornings and listening to the sea lions.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

You have to take a little walk and free boat (provided by the hotel) to get to town, but it was all part of the experience and we loved the location!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was a bit small, but we didn’t spend much time there! The beds were very comfortable and the room was kept very clean.

EB Hotel by Eurobuilding Quito

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer to the airport for your flight back home (Departure)

Galapagos Islands

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Expedition to El Junco Lagoon - Galapaguera Colorado Hill - Puerto Chino Beach

Galapagos Islands

Wildlife Encountering at Lobos Island

Galapagos Islands

This was our favorite day! We saw lots of wildlife at Las Lobos Island and enjoyed snorkeling as well. Right after snorkeling we actually followed a pod of Orcas rather than going to the beach. Apparently this is super rare, so maybe don’t expect an orca sighting!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to San Cristóbal Island! Visit the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería

Galapagos Islands

We enjoyed talking with our guide, Justin. The Interpretation Center was okay. La Lobería was beautiful and it was cool to see the sea lions. The conditions were a little rough for snorkeling, but we had a good time. There was heavy rain on the way back to our ride.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

We had a great time seeing all the different birds and learning how to identify them. We saw iguanas and sea lions as well. The snorkeling was fun too! We saw rays and reef sharks as well as many varieties of fish.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

There was a lot of waiting on this tour. We had a great time, but when it was all over we had to wait a long time to leave.

Kayaking Tortuga Bay (by boat) - Afternoon at Leisure

Puerto Ayora

Tortuga Bay was beautiful. We saw so many marine iguanas and learned about the sea turtles nesting. The waves were incredible and made the walk to Mansa beach a lovely one. We kayaked in the calmer water and saw the mangrove and many, many sea turtles. My daughter loved this!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

This was a very cool experience. The restaurant was nice, and we were able to watch the tortoises in the rain. They had rain boots and umbrellas for us. We didn’t end up planting a tree, because my daughter got stung by fire ants in that area. My only suggestion would be to find a way to treat for fire ants.

Quality of Experience

The ants made it a little less amazing. But otherwise it was great.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stephano was very knowledgeable and his English was great. We learned so much that day!

Transport

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin!

Galapagos Islands

Marco was so kind. He took us to the hotel and then picked us up early in the morning. The process to fly between Quito and Baltra was not self-explanatory, so it was nice to have his guidance!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hello Alavaro

First of all, many thanks for the recommendations on the itinerary to Quito/Galapagos.
I would like to share my feedback with you.

What went well
1. Good planning prior to the event with Alvaro via chat online and WhatsApp,
2. Good choices of hotel throughout my stay. The room in Isabela has defective AC and the hotel changed my room immediately,
3. Mr Julio on Isla Bella provided his contact details share some local recommendations on my free time,

Not so well
1. The hiking to Sierra Negra supposed to be a small group but it has more than 20pax on the hiking group,
2. A lot of the activities was marked as small group, but it seems the local guides in Galapagos tends to consolidate their trips into larger groups to share resources,
3. I paid for my own lunch on the Quito Local Street Food Adventure. The guide is helpful, but I don’t think he has the experience for a food tour. He does not have a fixed itinerary and seems to be planning “on the go”. My last foodie tour in Peru was great, where the guide has a fixed itinerary of the various food for us to try.

Even better if
1. I took a later flight to GPS and missed the tree planting activity. It would be better to remind the next traveler, so they book an earlier flight to GPS,

All in all, it was a good trip but it was not as exclusive as my previous Peru trip with KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Laguna Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

I did not stay in this hotel. It was changed from my original itinerary

Mainao

Puerto Ayora

good location and nice room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Las Plazas

Quito

Good location but the room is small with no window

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Local Street Food Adventure in Quito

Quito

I paid for my own lunch on the Quito Local Street Food Adventure. The guide is helpful, but I don’t think he has the experience for a food tour. He does not have a fixed itinerary and seems to be planning “on the go”.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome Back to Quito

Galapagos Islands

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Good to see Candy again

Transport

The boat was clean and spacious for a large group

Discover the Wonders of Tintoreras Islet: A Journey into Breathtaking Biodiversity

Puerto Villamil

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking the Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I assumed small group means less than 5 pax, but it was a large hiking group

Transport

Wildlife Encounter at Los Tuneles (Cabo Rosa)

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Underwater World: Diving Day in Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Seems there were some miscommunication between Kim2 and the local dive company but Alvaro and Veronica sorted it out. It would be better to provide a local contact number for me so I can sort things out locally.

Quality of Experience

Poor water visibilty and did not see much

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dive Master should pay more attention on the dive group and make sure everyone is around him. Rather than swimming ahead and leaving everyone behind

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

I took a later flight to GPS and missed the tree planting activity. It would be better to remind the next traveler, so they book an earlier flight to GPS,

Quality of Experience

Food

good introduction to the local Galapagos food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Candy was great guide

Transport

would do again, Paola was very informative and made the trip easy

Hotel Reviews

Lava House Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

this was a beautiful place clean great breakfast and staff were amazing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cally Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa de Nelly

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

not the best

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ibis Styles El Malecón

Guayaquil

excellent service and room perfect great restaurants near by and boardwalk

Authenticity & Character

Location

location was perfect

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Galapaguera Tortoise Reserve

Galapagos Islands

The service that we received from Mathias, our local specialist was nothing short of spectacular. We had to abort a previous trip due to illness. Mathias worked with us for 2 years, assisting us in getting our travel insurance money and rebooking our trip. He stayed in contact with us over the course of the booking process and also once we were in country. He even made a special trip to take us for dinner at the airport during a long layover. I would strongly recommend him for any travel you are considering!

Very well-planned trip. KimKim allows you to easily tailor your holidays to your tastes. We have done three trips with KimKim, and we have been very satisfied with each of them. Also, they seem to have a knack for finding very good guides.

Ecuador has so much to offer- from the sights of Quito- with amazing walking tours and dining experiences, to hiking Cotopaxi volcano, trekking through Diablo waterfall and the beauty of the cloud and rainforests…..and then topped off with the Galápagos Islands. Paola at Authentic Ecuador executed our 2 weeks flawlessly choosing wonderful hotels (GO Hotel and Kuyana Lodge were particular highlights) and paired us with an exceptional guide (Danny was attentive, knowledgable, friendly and anticipated our every need). They ensured that we were well prepared for our upcoming activities and were intuitive about the cadence of our day, ensuring the itinerary fit our needs and preferences perfectly. We experienced great dining, stunning photo ops, and activities that spanned breathtaking hikes, soaks in hot mineral springs and heart stopping swinging out over rocky cliffs! Many thanks to Paola…… From the initial planning process to our last day (where she quickly adjusted to changes in our departure plans) we felt well informed and supported. I will cherish this Ecuadorian experience for years to come!

Majo was amazing! She helped us craft a number of experiences that met our budget, answered all of our question promptly and adjusted her recommendations to meet our needs.

The team they work with in Galápagos was so great! From our arrival at Baltra airport, they had everything covered and through mostly different guides and drivers each day, we were always well taken care of.

The experiences were mostly different so hard to pick the best. We spent most time on Santa Cruz and enjoyed the El Chato tortoise preserve and lava tunnel experience. Kayaking on Tortuga Bay was fun and the guide even stayed with us when we chose to snorkel after (bring your own mask/towel). Bay tour was great as well.

For our trip to Isabela, they took us to the pier for the ferry (with all passes ready for us) and met our guide upon arrival. The Tintoreras tour had a little bit of duplication but still great experience.

Majo and the Galapagos lead Rita communicated with us daily via WhatsApp (we had Airalo eSIM that worked great everywhere). We were well cared for and so nice to be able to relax and just enjoy the amazing experiences they curated.