Kimkim Trip Reviews for Guatemala

This was a great one week family trip packing A LOT in, from snorkeling and fishing off the coast of Belize, to Mayan ruins and culture, to the beautiful old town of Antigua, to the stunning nature of Pacaya Volcano and Lake Atitlan. We were ambitious in trying to cover a lot of ground, and Eduardo did a great job helping us set the itinerary and coordinate the logistics. There were a few bumps with the driver/guide in Belize, as well as some inevitable flight delays and traffic, but I was able to Whatsapp with Eduardo and get to good resolutions. The people of Belize and Guatemala were friendly and welcoming, and I would highly recommend visits to both countries.

We scheduled a 9 day action packed trip with our two boys (9 and 12) and we could not have asked for a better experience! Chris was amazing in communicating and scheduling our itinerary. I gave him a list of things we wanted to do and he put together a trip plan that hit all of it and more. All of our hotel accommodations were great and food was wonderful.

Our guide Lucas and driver Benecio were so genuine, friendly and took such good care of us. Some of the highlights of our trip were our trip to Antigua, overnight camp on Pacaya (we roasted marshmallows over lava flows), visit to Lake Atitlan, and climbing the temples and pyramids of Tikal. We realized that having a local tour operator and guide pays off because we seemed to get some great perks (best hotel rooms, quick service, etc.) They also took care of all of the logistics of moving our luggage, transportation, etc. They were always on time and reliable. It was nice to have someone take care of this and we could just show up and enjoy our selves.

Thank you for showing us your beautiful country, taking such good care of us, and making this such an amazing experience that we will remember for a lifetime! We could never have planned a trip like this on our own and we hope to be back again!

The perfect trip!

Setting everything up was amazingly easy and exactly what we wanted. We lucked out by getting David as our guide- he took care of everything which let us focus on enjoying the experiences. Guatemala was beautiful, but there is no way we would have had the same great experience without Chris and David's help. We are already planning to go back because there was more to see and we ran out of time!

Everything was so great! Upon arrival Catherina called us to check in which was extremely thoughtful. Esteban, our overall guide was absolutely fabulous! He was so knowledgeable and kind. He was a great driver and tour guide. We loved our time in Antigua, Lake Atitlan and Tikal. I would highly recommend Esteban for any other tour. Pablo, our driver in Tikal was really kind too. We found out he was a Audubon member for birding! We loved the Cacao boutique hotel, the service was fabulous and the breakfast was amazing. We also really liked the facilities at the Tikal Inn. Honestly everything was wonderful and we would definitely come back to Guatemala or recommend all of this to any friends or family!

Great trip! Antigua was wonderful! The hikes up Picaya and Earth Lodge in El Hato provided amazing views. Both of our guides were knowledgeable and friendly. Carlos was a walking history book and Louis was very patient with our lack of hiking experience. My only suggestion would be maybe get a better feel for the fitness of the travelers. One of the hikes was too much for one family member. Casa Antigua was a lovely hotel. The cooking class was really fun. Thanks for working with us. We felt safe throughout the trip. I highly recommend KimKim as a travel resource for Guatemala.

All of it was great. Each aspect was wonderful. The hike up Pacaya, the tour of Antigua, Atitlan and the lake was beautiful. The cooking class was exceptional. Thanks for a memorable trip.

Ken Farnham

My wife and I found Chris from Old Towne through KimKim. he responded before any other companies I contacted. We put a wish list of places to go/things to do, and Chris put it together. And when we had to make some choices, we followed his advice. We ended up stretching the 8 day package into 11 days. It was well worth it!

We visited Antigua, and stayed at Hotel Meson de Maria. The hotel was really beautiful, and the service was outstanding. Very clean. It had a great rooftop sitting area, and it was only a block or so from the main plaza. Lots of great food, wonderful old architecture, and many churches (including ruins) to see. I actually got a great photo of Fuego erupting, from the roof!

Our guide during this part of the trip was Pepian, and he was amazing. We hiked the volcano Pacaya, which was a blast. The coffee plantation bike ride and tour was more than we expected. Tomateo and his wife were was a gracious hosts. We took a boat ride across Lake Attitlan, with Isaisus (sp?) as our local, and proud, guide. We saw local art and textiles being produced. What wonderful hosts the locals were. Casa del Mundo was gorgeous, though it was a good hike to our room...but it gave us such great views! Pepian guided us on our kayak trip, and the hike back around the lake. Thanks Pepian, you were wonderful to us, and such a great diplomat for Guatemala. Danelo and Alejandro were our drivers...and we had fun being around both of them!

Next was a 3am wake up call to make a 6:30 flight to Tikal. Alejandro had our plane and park tickets ready to go, and by 9am, we were with Andres touring the amazing ruins. There is so much to see, it is almost overwhelming. We saw toucans, parrots, howler monkeys, and spider monkeys.
The facilities at Tikal are nice, but the restricted electricity (2 hours in the morning, 2 hours at night) made fans and hot water scarce. But it was fine. The howler monkey yelling at his friends right outside our window all night let us know we were in a jungle!

Fernando took us next to Las Conchas. This was a recommendation from Chris, and it was a great stop on the way to Rio Dulce. This was a bit out of our comfort zone, but Felipe, Miho, and their darling daughter, Hannah, made us right at home! Felipe's enthusiasm for the area, and his place, is catchy, and we swam in the falls. Miho cooked some of the best meals we had during visit, with a rather romantic setting. And Hannah is a special young lady, who never meets a stranger.

Fernando then took us to Rio Dulce. We stayed at Tortugal Hotel & Marina, which requires a short boat ride there. Our room was beautiful. We visited Finca el Paraiso, which was nice, but the fun we had with some extremely friendly locals was a blast. Daniel was our guide here, and Anna was our translator. The second day there we took a boat trip on Rio Dulce from Lake Izabel to Livinston. The river was calm, and the scenery was fantastic, with gorges, mangroves, and wildlife (manatees!). This was one of our favorite days of the trip.

After a long , yet scenic, drive back to Guatemala City, Carla took us on a perfect tour of Guatemala City. We visited a stunning small church named Iglesai Yurrito, which happened to be open for another event...Carla said it is only the 3rd or 4th time she has ever been in it. We loved it!
So, it is easy to see we had a great time. What a special, wonderful and beautiful country that Guatemala is. At no time did we feel unsafe, and the coordination of the trip, the quality of the guides, and the accommodations, were perfect for us. Thanks, Chris, Pepian, and the entire Old Towne team!

Great experience! Chris was helpful in every aspect of making the arrangements. The hotel I was staying at was tucked away and very hard to find but to my surprise, my driver showed up early and was waiting for me within a few feet of my doorstep. The price was a little more than I wanted to pay but for the service I received it was well worth it. Thanks again and would recommend using this company.

I was very impressed with how easy it was to book my itinerary and learn about my options. Liaising with Chris was simple, quick and the information I received was concise and very accurate - I've not been so impressed with how easy and exciting it was to book a trip!
The staff at Old Town Outfitters were so easy and comfortable to be with and they ran the day and overnight tours very capably. Saes, Lucas and Marco, in particular made my experience memorable and I had much fun mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, camping and driving with them.
The equipment I used was of top quality - mountain bikes, tent, sleeping bag and mattress, and the food for picnic lunches and dinner and breakfast was fresh, local and delicious. The tours I joined included the mountain bike around Antigua, day hike up Pacaya Volcano, overnight hike of Acatenango Volcano and multisport overnight trip to Lake Atitlan. These tours covered amazing scenery, gave an opportunity to see local life, traditions, culture and nature (especially the eruptions at night on Fuego Volcano) as well as have so much fun doing physical activities. It was an ideal way to see these areas of Guatemala. Antigua is a gem for Guatemala and Central America.
I could not endorse Old Town Outfitters and their staff more highly and I would most definitely book with them again.

My family really enjoyed the hike up volcano Pacaya. Our guide was thoughtful and friendly and well prepared.

Chris did a good job with planning everything. Casa del Mundo in Atitlan was a very nice hotel with amazing views, and I enjoyed visiting the different villages along the lake. Antigua was also a nice place with colorful colonial architecture, along with lots of shops and restaurants. I would definitely visit these places again.

My recommendation for anyone looking to visit the Atitlan region: pack lightly. You have to take a lancha (water taxi) to visit the villages, and your luggage gets placed on top of the boat. These are not big boats, and they can be packed with people depending on where you're leaving or heading to. Panajachel and San Pedro, for example, are very busy areas. The boat rides can also be a little scary and bumpy depending on how windy it is. I was definitely scared riding a lancha for the first time.

I had a wonderful trip in Guatemala. Everything was very well planned and executed. The communication with all involved was very impressive. David our local guide was very knowledgeable. The accomodation and transport was first class. I would highly recommend this adventure.

We just got back from an amazing trip in Guatemala. Chris from Old Towne was so amazing in arranging an unforgettable experience for me and my mom despite the time constraints (we only had an extended weekend to spend in Guatemala). Chris has a thorough and very professional team to support a large variety of trips tailored to your needs. He is connected with local guides on the ground that can make your dream come true depending on what you want to concentrate on. I would definitely come back to Guatemala and hands down would go there again by utilizing Chris's services and team. Special thanks to Marco, who was so wonderful in guiding us through Guatemala ensuring we are having a good time and taking wonderful pictures of us all. Wili was just wonderful in following up with my mom while climbing the Volcano and preparing us a one of a kind picnic meal.

Chris from kimkim( Old town)organized our whole trip to Guatemala. He was very helpful in planning our trip to Guatemala. In fact when one of our friends did not make it to Guatemala in time, Chris was accommodating in making changes to our schedule at last minute. We had some great drivers and guides for our whole trip, especially Oseas who took us hiking to Pacaya Volcano, Hiking and kayaking around lake Atitlan. Our guides in Antigua and Flores were helpful in telling us the history of Mayan civilization and the history of the beautiful country.I need to even mention our drivers who were helpful and saw to that we were comfortable in our long journeys. If your looking to tour Guatemala, I will recommend kimkim:)

Muchos gracias!!

Overall; it was an epic trip! Definitely exceeded my expectations. I loved Semuc Champey, but the caves were my favorite part by far (it was raining so they were extra exciting). And the hike along Atitlan was absolutely breathtaking. Can’t wait to come back for Tikal! And for some bird watching. Oseas is passionate about his country & it’s beauty, so I’m glad I was able to tour it with his perspective/insight. I'm especially thankful for Chris being able to calm my Mother down when the volcano erupted, as she was on edge when I wasn't able to respond to messages during the trip to Pacaya. My local guides were always on time if not early. They were friendly and never made me feel uncomfortable. I wouldn't hesitate to travel through Old Town Outfitters again in the future.

Five stars is not enough! We gave Chris our wish list and he delivered with an amazing trip! Two weeks to see the best of Guatemala and Copan - accompanied full time by Pepian ( quite possibly the best guide EVER! ) We climbed Pacaya with local guide/amateur botanist Monkey and toasted marshmallows over the HOT lava rocks, saw the sun rise over temple IV at Tikal, shopped till we dropped at several markets, learned how to make tortillas and Pepian Chicken in Xela with local guide David, kayaked hiked and rode in boats around Lake Atitlan, and toured Antigua. Then my husband became ill and Chris and Pepian moved heaven and earth to get him to medical care and home. Now that he’s recovering we are hoping to finish our trip next year....... I highly recommend Chris and his team!

Chris was very flexible in the modifications we made to our schedule and had some on the spot great suggestions along the way.

Guide - Mario - excellent - great guy, very knowledgeable about the area and culture, excellent language skills, friendly, considerate - perfect !
Operator - Chris - very professional in organizing the trip. But, I expected him to come by at the hotel after arrival to review the trip and get to know each other. Again very well organized but a bit missing that personal touch.
Trip was great:
Day 1 Antigua - excellent
Day 2 Pacaya volcano - excellent
Day 3 Lake Atitlan - lake and boat ride as well as the visit to the first Mayan city were super nice (visited local crafts such as herb thee growing and textile weaving). Second city on the lake was boring and from my point of view even annoying to be dragged around town to see the local beliefs and religion.
Day 4 Kayaking and Hiking on//along lake Atitlan was great.
Day 5 Mayan ruins at Ixemtche - super nice but we spend a lot of time that day in the car.
All in all it was a great trip especially taking into account the very short notice we had to get it organized. Many Thanks. We're definitely planning on going back to Guatemala when we have a bit more time to stay longer.

Chris and team provided my family with the best vacation we have ever shared together.
This was the first trip to Guatemala for my 2 biological children, as well as the first trip to Guatemala for my youngest daughter that we adopted from Guatemala 13 years ago. It was also our first opportunity visit with Telma, a 9 yr old girl that we sponsor from Guatemala through the organization, Unbound.

When I first reached-out to Chris, I didn't know what to expect. I had very little knowledge about Guatemala, but wanted to provide my family a very special experience. With just a few suggestions for sights we wanted to see and activities that we wanted to experience, Chris created a complete 7 day itinerary, that included, hotel accommodations, guides, ride transfers, necessary equipment, etc.. no details left out. It was a completely seamless experience which made our trip so enjoyable and stress free. Chris immediately responded to all my requests and questions.

I also can not say enough about his staff. We had the pleasure to spend 4 days with Alex, our guide, who lead us through mountain biking, volcano hiking, village tours, kayaking, and who shared with us his culture and country's history. Along the way he introduced us to many locals that added to our experience. We had "Monkey" guide us up Pacaya, and make us Smores from active volcanic ash and rock. We met Mary a local villager from Santiago, who taught us how create a traditional Mayan headdress, We met Delphina and her sister, who belong to a local textile cooperative in San Juan who shared with us their family craft of making textile goods by hand. While stopping for lunch at a restaurant we were invited to make our own tortillas. Lastly, we had the opportunity to hike the ancient city of Tikal and experience the ruins with our guide Andres. He was very knowledgeable about Mayan history and was able to share the history of Tikal with our family.

Never would we have experienced so much in such a short time without the help of Chris and KimKim. Thank you guys for the trip of a life time!!!

Overall, the experience is good. The guides are knowledgeable, courteous, friendly; both the guides and drivers are very professional. However, even though this was a private tour, it still felt like we were on a tour group, albeit a very small group of two, with a preset agenda and timetable. The tour was lacking flexibility as we were dashing from one destination to another, spending too much time in a destination that we had no interest in (e.g. the jade shop demonstration or the visit to Maximon) and too little time or not at all in something that we found interesting along the way. I felt we were constantly being told: "Now, sit here and learn about this pyramid. Now, visit this chocolate shop. Now, go in that boat to visit Maximon. etc. etc."

Perhaps it was partly my mistake for not explaining very clearly what I was looking for in a "private tour". Instead of a "private tour", perhaps what I had really wanted was simply a driver who can take me to the places that I want to visit and who can help me with the logistics of getting tickets, figuring out boat schedule, etc. And speaking of driver, our driver, Danillo, was very nice. But his driving is frightening; we always seemed to be in a rush to be somewhere at a certain time, just like in a group tour.

We felt so relieved when the tour was over and we had just a little bit of time to ourselves in Antigua.