Kimkim Trip Reviews for Guatemala

We had an amazing time. All drivers & guides were perfectly on time. The acommodations were exactly what we expected.
Louis, our Guatemala Guide was fantastic. He gave us a great understanding of the Maya and Highland cultures.
Oliverio, our guide in Tikal and Yaxha had an immense amount of knowledge and experience. Our various activities were perfectly planned and executed.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Posada del Angel

Antigua Guatemala

Great place to stay in Antigua. Amazing Staff, everyone was so friendly Breakfast was fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A little away from the main traffic and downtown craziness.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Fortuna Atitlan

Santa Cruz la Laguna

Wonderful place to explore Lake Attitlan Everyone is so helpful and friendly

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Black Rock Lodge

San Ignacio

Amazing food and super helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Way out in the jungle. Beautiful setting along the river

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Tikal National Park

Guatemala

Fantastic place and Oliverio was a great guide. Start early before all the busses from Flores arrive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Hike to Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala

Luis was a fantastic guide. Perfect for a one-day hike.

Quality of Experience

Food

Perfect little lunch on the volcano

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sip n' Cycle - Bike/Coffee Combo Tour

Antigua

Traffic was a bit scary when you are on a bike. Perfect amount of exercise. Not too strenuous.

Quality of Experience

Fantastic experience on the Coffee farm. The owner was so enthusiastic and friendly.

Food

Fantastic home cooked lunch and the best coffee.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boat Tour of Lake Atitlán Villages

Guatemala

Great tour of two of the villages around the lake. We should have done two days to get to see more than two villages. Luis was the perfect guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The boat ride can get a bit bumpy at times.

Tour the famous Chichicastenango Market

Guatemala

Great market, a bit overrun by tourists. Little side trip to the cemetery was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Car was "OK"

Tour Yaxhá Maya Ruins

Guatemala

What a fantastic place away from the main tourist path. We felt like we were the only ones there. Very well maintained.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oliverio was fantastic

Transport

Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) caves day tour

San Ignacio

The most amazing place. A MUST see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zip Line at Calico Jack's Village

Guatemala

Great experience, felt safe at all times. Very well maintained. Great rides through the jungle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cacao Farm & Chocolate Making Tour

San Ignacio

The farm visit was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From my first email with Catherina to our last day with our personal guide JJ, and everything in between on our week-long trip was amazing and personal – truly. You can’t go wrong with this amazing and caring team. Some highlights: 1. I needed to book the trip quickly as we’ve never traveled internationally as a family. My husband was concerned about the State Department warnings. So, I knew I needed help. Of the 4 online companies I contacted, Columbus (Catherina) was the only one who replied quickly – and kept replying quickly to create the ideal trip for us. I felt like I was talking to a friend who truly cared, rather than a bot or bored office worker. She stuck with me until the itinerary was ideal – and we were also able to make changes on the fly during the trip. 2. We visited Guatemala City, Lake Atitlan, Antigua, and several places in between that had personal meaning to us. JJ was with us the entire time, expertly navigating the busy roads and easing the way with his translating and friendly personality. We felt safe and cared for the entire time, and were thrilled with the charming and delicious roadside restaurants JJ recommended. 3. This team is as good on the ground as they are at planning. The dedicated behind-the-scenes logistics team checked ahead to ensure things would go smoothly, alerting JJ to potential road blockages. We couldn’t have felt in better hands than this amazing group of caring people.
4. We are so glad that we made this trip. We found Guatemala to be a stunning country filled with incredible history and kind people. The first look at Lake Atitlan gave me goosebumps and will stay with me forever, as will so many of the memories we made on this trip. Thank you Columbus Guatemala Travel for making this happen for our family!!! I'm sure I left things out, because every single day was filled with beauty, wonder and learning. I highly recommend Guatemala as a destination and this amazing team as your guides.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Barcelo

Guatemala City

One of the best things about this hotel is the extremely comfortable beds/bedding -- great for a good night's sleep. The buffets offered an amazing array of options, just wish some of the dishes had been warmer - or maybe that's a cultural difference. We especially enjoyed the breakfast buffet. Seems to draw a mostly business crowd, with just a few other tourists like us.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Carmen

Antigua

El Carmen was super comfortable and all-round really good. It turned out to be our favorite accommodation during the trip. The rooms were a perfect size for our family, making it a relaxing place to stay.

Posada de Don Rodrigo Panajachel

Panajachel

Posada de Don Rodrigo Panajachel had amazing food and a beautiful rustic charm. The breakfast was fantastic and the people were incredibly nice. However, it was a bit loud due to open air concept and lacked air conditioning which might not suit everyone's comfort level. Nonetheless, the views were gorgeous, and I would stay there again despite the minor issues.

Activity Review

Villages Tour on Chicken Bus

Antigua

The Villages Tour on the Chicken Bus was just thrilling. Visiting the women's collective was a standout experience, providing an incredible insight into local culture. The views on the way were breathtaking. Overall, every bit of it was enjoyable and truly an amazing part of the trip.

Alex did a near perfect job designing our trip. He took the time to understand our needs and expectations and tailored the trip to provide the range of experiences and lodgings that fit our travel preferences. he also provided excellent guidance on what to do and expect at each of our 5 locations, e.g., the decision to add an excursion to Mountain Pine Ridge. The lodgings varied from spectacular (Las Lagunas) to very nice (Ramon's and Casa del Mundo) to pretty basic (Meson de Maria and Falling Leaves, which did have great service however). These choices were very consistent with the guidance we provided to Alex.

Some of our guides were outstanding, in particular, Dary in Antigua, the woman and grower at the coffee farm, Pablo for birding in Finca Santa Victoria, Oscar at Chichicastenanga, Oliver at Tikal, and our cave tubing guide. The rest, however, were mediocre at best. The guide for the Pacaya Volcano hike didn't add much value on a straightforward route, and discouraged us from climbing to the top, which I would have liked to try. The guide for our hike along Lake Atitlan was also pretty unnecessary and didn't add much, as was our guide for the Lake Atitlan boat trip to visit villages. Part of that problem might have been our overall Guatemala guide, Pablo, who was very nice and mostly helpful, BUT his English was nowhere near the level we expected. Therefore, there was alot of miscommunication, and very limited translation for our guides in Lake Atitlan. We really felt like we missed alot of useful information during the village visits and on our hike back to the lodge. AND, there was a major screw-up on our kayak/hike trip, with our bags in limbo for an hour and a wasted hour waiting for the bags after our kayak trip. We also felt like he was trying to scare us away from the full kayaking and hiking experience by overestimating the difficulty. Yes, it was challenging, but exactly what we wanted.

Finally, there was a bit of confusion on our flight from Belize City to San Pedro, but it did NOT turn out to be much of an issue and we all learned from our mistakes.

Again, Alex was a joy to work with and designed a 5 star itinerary for us, and most of the experiences lived up to that standard.. However, the execution by a few of the guides was not quite up to this high standard.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Meson de Maria

Antigua Guatemala

Great location, decent breakfast, beautiful courtyard, charming hotel, BUT, our room was very tired and not that comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cramped room

Casa del Mundo

Lake Atitlán

Beautiful setting, a bit challenging to navigate the property, and our room was small, cramped, and outdated

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Lagunas hotel

Flores

Great setting, great facilities, fantastic suite, great food, unreal service. Didn't want to leave the property

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Falling Leaves Lodge

San Ignacio

A little out of town, facilities need updating, but the birding and service were excellent, and the food was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ramon's Village Resort

San Pedro

Very convenient location, nicest beach on the island, easy access to town and services, mediocre restaurant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boat Tour of Lake Atitlán Villages

Guatemala

Local guide was nice but not very informative, and language was a problem. The visit to the bee collective and the mayan ritual visit were very interesting, but the rest of the trip didn't feel all that authentic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Hiking Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

Loved the kayaking and hike and Pablo took some good photos of us on the water. However, the local guide did not provide much info on a straightforward hike through villages, and the logistics from kayak to hike were a disaster. Our backpacks (with wallets) were left at the dock by our hotel, and we had to anxiously wait an hour for the bags to arrive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour the famous Chichicastenango Market

Guatemala

Local guide was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Tikal National Park

Guatemala

Oliver was a spectacular guide, with great information, flexible plans, a special extension to see a falcon, and a great lunch choice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from San Ignacio to Belize City with Cave Tubing Tour en Route

Belize

transfer went very smoothly over the border, and our guide was excellent on the cave tubing, which was alot of fun and interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Antigua Coffee Tour by Bus with De La Gente

Guatemala

De la gente was outstanding...both farmer and local guide and the farmer's wife

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Antigua Walking Tour

Guatemala

Fantastic guide, Dary...authentic, charming, and shared her enthusiasm and love for the city

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Guatemalan Cooking Class

Antigua

Great dinner, fun company, and accommodating for dietary restrictions.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

car broke down on what to get us

Day Hike to Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala

Great experience, but not much help from local guide or our chaperone. Also, would have liked to try to go to the top, but not offered, and English was not good enough to make request.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

AC didn't work and van was a little dirty

Driving Tour of Almolonga Valley

Antigua

Nice villages to visit, but our guide, Pablo, had limited excitement, energy, or information to share.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finca Santa Victoria Half Day Birding Tour

Guatemala

Pablo was a real character, but a little too full of himself. The birding was ok, but not all that productive

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you so much to Alex for planning such a great trip for me. He was able to plan a trip for me in a short period of time to Belize and Guatemala. The guides and the accommodations were amazing and I am so happy that I was able to participate in this trip. I would recommend Alex to plan your next trip to Guatemala.

Our trip went like clockwork. Everything was ready when it was supposed to be. All drivers, guides, & boats were on time. Matt did a great job in planning the trip & selected knowledgeable guides. Takal was the highlight of the trip.
We would recommend Kimkim to anyone who needs help in ensuring the best places to visit & stay.Everything is taken care of. There is plenty of free time to explore on your own

What an amazing trip!
Trying to arrange a memorable family trip to include my teen and college kid over the New Year's holiday, I reached out to Kimkim. They took the reins and did us a solid!
First, travel over the holiday is busy; second, it is expensive; third, schedules are tight. Chris at Old Town Adventures was our local arranger and helped manage all of the challenges with grace.

Hotel Reviews

Porta Hotel Antigua

Antigua Guatemala

Beautiful hotel, near -- but not too near -- the mix of things. Allowed us to have a walkable experience in Antigua. Rooms were comfortable, filtered water prevented us from needing to but bottled water. Breakfast was divine! Every day there was live music and great atmosphere. The lobby is nice and the public spaces are generally quite nice. All the staff are first rate. Warning -- they have a LOUD New Year's eve party with live and DJ music until 1:30 am and the rooms couldn't insulate against this kind of noise. Don't expect early check in to be an option.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ramon's Village Resort

San Pedro

This was a lovely space and despite the terrible weather of our first day (pouring an inch of rain) it was a dream! We arrived in the middle of said rainstorm and waited for the boat (SPBE) to unload our bags. We got a lift from Ramon's team and needed to stop at a pharmacy -- no problem. Took us to the check in and then to our rooms. sigh.... Needed dinner that night -- Pineapples on the Beach had an amazing menu! We went back 2 nights later because it was so good! Only concern was the final morning had to get the 0600 boat to get to Belize city for our international flight. We checked out night before and porters said they'd meet us at our rooms at 0540. But they didn't show up... got the night watch to wake up the driver and left at 0555. We made it, no problem. But we're no good at "island time."

Authenticity & Character

Well, I don't know if it was authentic (authentic Polynesian maybe?) but loads of character!!

Location

Walking to town and everywhere else!

Staff

Front desk staff, coffee bar and restaurant wait staff were all excellent. But by far our favorite was Leroy at the front desk!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were perhaps in need of an update and our shower had low pressure (they came and repaired the second day and it improved). The only real challenge was proximity to the airport meaning that without ear plugs, you had planes landing and taking off most of the day (early start)

Acatenango Campsite

Guatemala

Old Town Outfitters campsite on the side of Acatenango -- camping/glamping on the side of a mountain with unobstructed views of Fuego blowing its top. Meals provided by our guide, Rudy were excellent -- they were substantially better than what we saw the other families being served by their guides. Sleeping bags could have been a bit warmer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

RUDY!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jungle Lodge Tikal

Peten

We had a really short stay -- arrived around 9 pm and departed for our morning tour at 0400. We came back for breakfast and were on the road by 10:30 am. Breakfast was quite tasty but they were out of a few things. We note there was a hostel there but didn't explore that area. Visited the pool for pictures, but didn't get in because it was rainy that day. Property is dark at night, and with the rain, the sidewalks were quite slippery. Our daughter slipped by the plantings at the main entrance and ended up with a significant number of thorns in her arm and back.

Authenticity & Character

Location

walking distance to the park entrance

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our group had two different rooms, one had great water pressure, the other did not. Hard to shower in that setting. See note about dark grounds.

Activity Reviews

Zipline Tour at Santo Domingo del Cerro

Antigua

Just do it. We had arranged for the full "superman" experience for the kids and we were planning to just enjoy ourselves at the cafe. But then Rudy and the kids encouraged us, and we said "why not?" Don't look down during the ladder climb. Do look down during the superman flight. Just amazing.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful grounds -- unexpected how enjoyable the sculpture garden and museum would be

Hike Acatenango Volcano & Camp Overnight

Guatemala

Rudy, our guide was absolutely the reason for our enjoyable trip. He engaged with our kids and took care of our needs. He's a budding chef and made remarkably tasting and filling meals for us on the mountain. Even when we had one member have to turn back for altitude sickness, he made sure the rest of us had a stellar time.

Quality of Experience

Altogether an first rate experience -- stunning area of natural beauty. Unfortunately there were loads of people (holiday week) and loads of trash on the mountain. Another draw back -- no coffee on the morning of the summit.

Food

We had a great meal of build your own burritos when we arrived at base camp. Dinner was again outstanding. Breakfast was fruit and yogurt and granola! Only complaint was the lack of caffeine on the summit day. Caffeine is good for energy, headaches, and even to fight altitude sickness.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again, Rudy was our guide and he was first rate. We had a nice crew up at the camp and our young porter was also good.

Transport

Different drivers on the way out and back from Antigua; minivans. Preferred the driver on the way out as we were fresh and feeling fine. The return ride was harder (we were tired and feeling less well) and the drive was slow, and hot, and uncomfortable. Not sure we could improve that other than driving faster ;-) Maybe A/C

Sunrise on Acatenango & Descent

Guatemala

Again, our guide made this so amazing. Despite having to escort one of our party back to base camp, Rudy got the rest of us to the summit in plenty of time for sunrise. Unfortunately it was crowded, but there was plenty of space to see and get some pictures of the sunrise and the volcano. We met others on our way that were turning back and some didn't get to summit because of their party splitting up. Rudy was able to safely manage our group.

Sunrise Tour of Tikal National Park

Guatemala

No question, it is a magical experience. You walk through the park in the dark, surrounded by nothing but darkness (and some jumping spiders). You climb to the top of temple IV and sit in the dark (others arrive, but it's pitch). Then around 5:38 am, the howler monkey's start up, and it's surreal. Unfortunately, no sunrise for us, just the lifting of the fog. Pictures at the top and then a descent and tour of the grounds.

Quality of Experience

Tikal is the star of the show.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our sunrise guide didn't discuss much of the ruins with us. He shared knowledge of the Mayan religion and rituals and the current experience of being Maya as well as some history. But he often pointed us to areas for us to go and waited for us to return. Other guides I saw walked with their group and explained the ruins in more detail.

Transport

Mini van to and from TIkal. Drivers were safe, however, Guatemalan roads (or maybe just in Peten) were terrible!!!

I just want to remind KimKim that one way that I evaluate value is by seeing how much I paid per day. In my case it was $460/day. I understand that all agents involved need to make a profit to stay in business. However, I felt that on days 1, 3( guide was with me for 1 hour), 4, 9 and 10- I had free days which meant that the costs were primarily transportation and hotel( hotels that I stayed in Guatemala under $125/day). Please factor this in when you quote a price.
My comments by day are below
Day 1- took hotel shuttle which arrived 30 minutes late and picked up 4 other passengers, so we left the airport 60 minutes after arrival.
Day 2- prompt pickup from airport, good experience in Tikal.Good hotel in Flores.
Day 3- guide was with me for 1 hour( we had to wait to pick up his spouse) who accompanied us.
Day 4- Transportation and met with Chris. Camelias Inn is a good hotel, however their towels/sheets and pillow covers smell( I gave them this feedback, it is also mentioned in many Tripadvisor reviews)
Day 5- Hike to EarthLodge was un-necessary. I would skip EarthLodge all-together.
Day 6- Great hike to Pacaya
Day 7-Car troubles on the way to ChiChi, delayed arrival, but great experience. Isla Verde was a great hotel.
Day 8- Good day of hiking and kayaking.
Day 9- Free day, back in Antigua -I felt that I should have left that day.
Day 10- Free day in Antigua , flight at 1130p
Rudy- who was with me for the hikes in Antigua, Pacaya volcano and kayaking in lake Atitlan was fantastic!
I will be back to do the Volcano Acatenago. Thank you for organizing

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Barcelo

Guatemala City

Airport shuttle does not arrive on time

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Take very long to check-in, 45 minutes to check in 3 people at midnight with 2 staff members

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isla de Flores

Flores

Near the Parque Central- can be a little noisy if there are town celebrations( which was on when I stayed). Hotel staff not very knowledgeable or helpful in guiding tourists regarding things to do.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near town Center can be noisy

Staff

Not knowledgeable about details of town events- there was a rodeo as part of the town celebration which they were not aware of

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camelias Inn

Antigua

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheets, towels and pillow-covers smell

Hotel Isla Verde

Santa Cruz la Laguna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Tikal National Park

San Ignacio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pacaya Sunset hike

Antigua

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Hiking Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Not applicable

Excursion Into Actun Kan Caves

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Took the short trip 30-45 minutes, I thought we would do the long 3 hour trip

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stopped at guide's home for 20 minutes to pick up his spouse

Earth Lodge Hike (stay overnight)

Guatemala

Good location, scenic- limited options for dinner. I would probably skip this

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Not applicable- we hiked to this lodge

Our trip to Guatemala was fantastic!
Chris Gwinner our planner, did an outstanding job with connecting us to beautiful accommodations, Incredible personal tour guides Edgar,Vinny,Caesar !!& Well planned out logistics.
Tikal, Lake Atitlan,Antigua were amazing places to tour and learn about Mayan history.
Chris was always available for questions that we had and gave his recommendations from the planning
stages & throughout our vacation.
He even took the time to meet with us in Antigua ,face to face and ask about how our vacation was going.
I highly recommend Kim Kim travel agency, and Chris Gwinner as a trip planner .
Thank you, Olga & Jeff

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Utz Jay

Panajachel, Sololá

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa Rustica

Antigua

Nice hotel ,but the bed was very hard. But Chris got us into another nice hotel with a lot more comfortable bed

Hotel Casona del Lago

Santa Elena

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Antigua Coffee Tour by Bus with De La Gente

Guatemala

Boat Tour of Lake Atitlán Villages

Guatemala

Explore Tikal National Park

Guatemala

Day Hike to Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala

over all we are happy with service from KIMKIM team and had nice time and received timely help from team. All the drivers were nice and humble and tours arranged were fine and time saving.

We were very pleased with the arrangements in the end, although it took longer than expected to finalise the itinerary given that I'd already gone through it in detail with someone from KimKim. Eduardo was extremely helpful and went beyond the call of duty when we needed to change the itinerary after we'd started the trip. He arranged a couple of tours for us in Guatemala including a trip to villages near Antigua which was really enjoyable and the Acatenango volcano hike. We found that less enjoyable as we weren't sufficiently acclimatised and I've already suggested a night at higher altitude beforehand would have helped. When one of our crossborder transfers didn't go according to plan because the drivers couldn't contact each other Eduardo apologised and made sure we were compensated. The few problems that arose were, I think, largely due to the agency in El Salvador not communicating fully with him. Most of the drivers (and vehicles) were very good although we did have issues with the guy who took us from Lanquin to Antigua, overtaking on blind bends in zero visibility due to the mist. Most of the hotels were very nice and comfortable. Hotel Guayaha in Lanquin was a bit odd - lots of potential in a vast but empty room with nowhere to even dry towels! The staff at Hotel San Buenaventura were pretty miserable, unlike everywhere else, and there was no breakfast before 8am but the hotel itself was nicely located on the lake. Finca Tatin Hotel would have been much nicer if we'd had decent weather as it is all open air.

The entire KimKim team worked harad to make our trip a success. Esteban was particularly helpful, rescuing us and our luggage which we forwarded along by the office not realizing that the AirBnB would not let us in before 3pm. Catherina also organized a birthday party for our daughter who turned 18 while we were in Antigua.

Alex went above and beyond every step of the way! His local guides were also fantastic!! They were knowledgeable, flexible and great with kids (we were travelling with a 7 and 10 year old). Giannina came with us to Antigua and Lago Atitlan and she was so fantastic. She understood we needed extra breaks on long drives with the kids, she made sure the local guides tailored their cultural tours to the kids and was patient, reliable and fun. We all loved the ziplining, hiking the volcano, and spending. Christmas in Antigua. What a beautiful place!!

Hotel Reviews

Casona De La Isla

Flores

We were only here one night. Hotel was clean and breakfast was great. There was no safe in the room. That would have been nice to have.

Authenticity & Character

Hotel was busy and crowded- long lines to check in and long wait for breakfast. Likely because of Christmas season.

Location

Central. Close to lots of restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No

Porta Hotel Antigua

Antigua Guatemala

This was my favourite hotel of the three. Staff was welcoming and front desk staff all spoke English. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. Grounds were beautiful and the kids loved the playground and the parrots. The breakfast was also excellent. We had one bad experience in the restaurant on the first night we arrived. A large tour group came in (from old town tours), and they got served right away and we got forgotten for about an hour and a half. I think the guide was quite aggressive with the staff as we just got forgotten. Otherwise the service was great and it was a very positive experience.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful old building, amazing Christmas decorations, outdoor restaurant

Location

Very central and beautiful location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We did see two cockroaches in the bathroom

Hotel Porta del Lago

Panajachel

This hotel was great. It was quite cool and rainy when we were there and we were not feeling great, so we did not get to enjoy this hotel as much as the others.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the water and all the action

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean

Hotel Barcelo

Guatemala City

This was like being in a large hotel in any large international city. It was clean and amenities were great. We waited about an hour to check in. Breakfast was good, but we ended up having to pay for the kids as for some reason they were not included. They were not originally on the reservation either which delayed check in a bit.

Authenticity & Character

Really nicely decorated for christmas

Location

Very central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best Western Bitlmore Plaza

Belize City

Service was poor and they are building a conference centre beside the hotel and there was rock blasting happening all day. It was tough to enjoy your room or the pool. Hotel was busy and when we arrived (along with about 20 United airline pilots and flight attendants) rooms were not ready and they sent us to two different rooms that had not been cleaned ( this was around 4pm). We waited about 90 minutes to get into a room, which turned out to be last room right beside the construction. It was fine for sleeping. There was a strong musty/ mouldy smell as well. We were glad we were only there one night.

Authenticity & Character

Looked like any other best western

Location

Nothing really around it. Nice that it was close to the airport

Staff

The staff were doing their best to manage a tough situation

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Tikal National Park

Guatemala

Tikal itself was amazing!! Guide was good, but did not seem to have a good sense of when we were losing the kids attention. He was speaking to Paul and I which was interesting for us/ but he lost the kids and then they would start to complain. The kids did love the ruins and the birds we saw, but I don’t think they took in much of the history part. The day was too long for the kids, because we went from Flores to Tikal, back to Flores, flew to Guatemala City and then drove to Antigua. With the traffic, that was about 10 hours of travelling, plus Tikal! There was also no time built in for lunch. We ended us having a donut at the airport in Flores for lunch, which meant that the kids were cranky and not feeling great on the long drive from Guatemala City to Antigua (with traffic about 2.5 hours). They were so tired when we arrived they did not want to eat dinner, and when we got to the restaurant at the hotel we had a very long wait. With kids that age I think it would have been better to maybe stay right in Tikal, or to stay two nights in Flores so that it would not have been as rushed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Hike to Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala

This was a great trip! It was a tough hike for the kids, but they made it! And Giannina was very patient with us. The best part was going out onto the lava field at the top and roasting marshmallows. It would have been great to now how long the drive was going to be to and from the volcano!

Quality of Experience

Guides were fantastic and experience was very unique!

Food

Giannina made us lunch, but kids would not eat the sandwiches because there was tomato, mayonnaise and lettuce on the sandwiches. Would have been great if she asked us what the kids would eat:)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Antigua Walking Tour

Guatemala

Dart was engaging and interesting! Loved the old churches and the ruins. She understood the kids attention span and made sure to have a well timed ice cream break. This tour was cut short in order to bump up the time of ziplining. We did this so the kids could have a few hours of just hanging out by the pool and text before dinner. We were trying to stay up to midnight on Christmas Eve to see the fireworks!

Quality of Experience

No

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Zipline Tour at Santo Domingo del Cerro

Antigua

The whole family loved this!

Quality of Experience

Staff were really great with kids- really made experience great for everyone

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Drive to Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

We did this on Christmas Day and there was no traffic! Drive was great. It would have been good if there a place to stop for the kids to run around a bit on the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour of Lake Atitlán Villages

Guatemala

We all loved this trip. We went to Santiago and San Juan. Paul was not feeling well this day. Kids really loved stopping to see the bees at the honey exhibit and learning how chocolate is made. I really loved wandering around the market in Santiago. It would have been great if we could have had lunch at the hotel before leaving. I got sick from eating lunch at one of the little restaurants in Santiago.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guides were all extremely friendly and helpful, helping tailor or experience to make it impactful and comfortable. An added bonus was having a coffee with Chris after our arrival. We always felt very well taken care of. One example - we had some motion sickness due to the windy roads. Hilberto took us to a pharmacy. Two pills and two quetzales later we were back on our adventure. Without exception, knowledgeable and friendly guides and rides showed up on time ready to make our day the best. Activities were well tailored to our desires and abilities.

We were very pleased with how you used the information you obtained about both our general and
specific goals for the trip, as well as our travel “style” and physical abilities and applied them to your
detailed knowledge of the country. We felt it worked very well. We were delighted with what we saw of
the country and very happy with the accommodation arranged (one exception below). The information
provided re: climate, tipping etc. was very practical and comprehensive.

We were very happy with Roberto with whom we spent hours of almost every day. He was unfailingly
punctual and always enthusiastic. His driving was always sensible, which was very important to us. He
was knowledgeable across a range of subjects from history and volcanoes to birds. He frequently
checked in to make sure we were doing OK. On multiple occasions he raised the suggestion of
additional activities, whether a hike down to the waterfall at Ram Tzul or a swim at another site, but
without creating any kind of expectation (we did pretty much all of these activities) or hinting in any way
that it would be an extra strain for him. He arranged much appreciated extras such as a walk to Santa
Catherina from Antigua and watching the release of the baby turtles on the last day. His English was
satisfactory; in my case I particularly appreciated the chance for extended conversations in Spanish.

Carlos, the guide for Tikal was also very knowledgeable, personable, resourceful and an excellent driver.

Smaller points: 1) wifi at Quinta May Hotel was totally useless. 2) the hotel on the last night was the
kind of place we would rarely if ever. The smaller, often family owned places we enjoyed on the rest of
the trip were much more our style.

I should point out that it wasn’t entirely clear when communication switched over from Kimkim to
Columbus Tours. I understand the logical hand over to local expertise, but there were times we weren’t
sure to whom we should be talking.

Thank you to Catherina and the team for planning my trip to Guatemala and making it an unforgettable experience. My tour guides Bobby and Luis were professional and knowledgeable about the culture, history, foods and terrain, that I was taking it in through all my senses. The most challenging activity was hiking up Acatenango, but it was so worth it because of the spectacular views. There was a point when I had some issues towards the end of my trip, but Catherina and her team resolved the issue as soon as possible, I was so grateful for their help.
Guatemala is a beautiful and underrated country, the people were friendly and so welcoming that I would definitely return. I highly recommend you book through Colombus Guatemala Travel because they helped create such a unique experience.

Activity Reviews

Villages Around Lake Atitlán by Boat

Guatemala

I learned a lot about the culture, how the people make their clothes, the different types of crops that they grow, the foods that they eat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Going on the boats (lanchas) was a fun way to get around

DAY 2, Acatenango Descend

Guatemala

The views of Acatenango were incredible, with the lava flowing and sunsets at night to sunrises in the morning.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The care and attention we were given from the team at Columbus Guatemala travel and in particular from our link person Catherina throughout our trip was outstanding. Estovan and JJ our guides and drivers were always concerned, engaging and informative .
Guatemala is such a beautiful country and our visit was filled with exposure and discussion around culture, mythology, sightseeing alongside authentic inclusion in group activities and celebrations with Columbus Guatemala travel and the other companies booked by Catherina as part of our two week visit. In preparation for the trip, we received clear and detailed information about a whole range of useful tips on packing & preparation for our journey, which was invaluable.
Everyone we met at Columbus Guatemala travel proved to be helpful and inclusive and totally trustworthy.
Mostly the itinerary throughout Guatemala & briefly Belize was totally adhered to, occasionally pick up points were not totally clear but Catherina really was available for 24 hours a day as evidenced by her ability to always sort out a problem or clarify a confusion within a very short space of time.
We managed to see so much of Guatemala, the people, the temples and the beautiful countryside. I can recommend wholeheartedly KimKim and in particular Columbus Guatemala travel to others, I hope we will be able to make use of their services in the future.

Activity Reviews

Sumpango, Giant Kite Festival

Guatemala

Attending the Sumpango Giant Kite Festival was an incredible experience. The festival was beautiful but crowded, and the simple idea of having all group members in matching T-shirts turned out to be very clever for organization. This made a unique experience even more enjoyable and memorable.

Pacaya Volcano Hike & Picnic

Guatemala

The Pacaya Volcano Hike was quite the adventure, although I didn't realize it would be so uphill. Thankfully, there were horses to assist those who needed it, like myself. Despite my concerns about horse riding, we were well-catered for, making the experience delightful despite the initial challenge.

Halloween Walk and Chicken Bus Ride

Antigua

The Halloween Walk and Chicken Bus Ride in Antigua was the best Halloween experience I've ever had. It was such fun, with wonderful hosts and a fabulous evening. The local culture and festivities made it truly special.

Our local specialist, Chris, was great with communication while planning our trip as well as during it. He was able to change our itinerary while we were in Guatemala on short notice due to an illness in our group, so that we could still do an excursion that was important to us on a different day. Our in-country tour guide and driver was also great - very welcoming and knowledgeable.

The entire trip was really great! Catherine, Juan, Esteban, and the whole team were available anytime we had a question and regularly checked up on us. Antigua, Lake Atitlan, and Tikal were all very different, so depending on what you’re looking for all are worth a visit.

Kudos! To all the team members of Columbus Guatemala travel! They are always there from the beginning of our journey til the end it was perfect! I will recommend this travel agency to al travellers they are very reliable, and trustful. All the team effort they did makes you feel comfortable in every way of the journey. They will create our journey memorable! I would like to thank all the team members from the drivers, tour guides and especially the group of the Columbus Guatemala travel. I really wanted to give you all 10 stars!!! Till we meet again , Muchos Gracia’s!!!

Hotel Reviews

Maya Internacional

Flores

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Utzjay Hotel

Panajachel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Naif Boutique Hotel

Antigua

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Recreo

Lanquin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Guatemala

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from San Ignacio to Tikal National Park

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Semuc Champey

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pacaya Volcano visit

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tikal Maya Ruin

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Villages Around Lake Atitlán by Boat

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was very well organized on short notice. I enjoyed the nature and the culture part of the trip. I would highly recommend it to those who would like a little adventure or relax and enjoy nature and old towns, like Antigua.