Kimkim Trip Reviews for Patagonia

We had a wonderful 12 day trip to Buenos Aires & Patagonia this January, and Matias helped us plan an active trip with wonderful hotels and tours. Buenos Aires is a vibrant city, and we enjoyed our tours on bike and by car. As our bike guide, Jackson modified our route to show us a few highlights we really wanted to see, including the El Ataneo Grand Splendid bookstore. He was very knowledgable and energetic. Sonia was our tour guide for the Southern portion of Buenos Aires & she was fabulous - our favorite spots were La Boca and Recoleta cemetary. In El Calafate, the Blue Safari tour of the Perdido Glacier was spectacular - both of our guides were incrediely knowledgeable and added significantly to the overall experience. Torres de Paines was also amazing - we had fabulous weather while there and each of our excursions took us to a different part of the park. It was magical. Our hotels were fabulous - all boutique hotels with character - we took advantage of the pools in several as well as spa services. The food was also top notch. Logistics were flawless, including 2 domestic transfers and a car to get us from El Calafate to Puerto Natales in Chile. All in all a beautiful trip with many amazing memories.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa

Santiago

Spent an extra night here due to a cancelled flight & were happy to do so! The rooms were comfortable & cozy and the restaurant was amazing! We had 2 meals there and absolutely loved it.

Authenticity & Character

Rooms and common areas were comfortable

Location

Easy walking distance to bicentennial park

Staff

Front desk helped us with day trips and securing an extra night in partnership with our travel agency.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Torres del Paine

We had the all inclusive package at Las Torres and it was fabulous. The staff, food, and excursions were all wonderful. The rooms were spacious & had amazing views of the mountains. We all took advantage of the spa one afternoon and it was great.

Authenticity & Character

Design fit into the landscape and every detail reinforced sustainability - eg: glassware was upcycled bottles.

Location

Situated within Torres de Paine, we were able to totally unplug and see a broader area of the park without traveling 3 + hours.

Staff

Very helpful and always smiling. We had a mixup with a request about several excursions and Frederica took the time to make sure she understood what we were trying to do and accomodated us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

NOI Indigo Patagonia

Puerto Natales

This hotel has a cool design & is right on the water in Puerto Natales. Our room was right on the street, so street noise was definitely higher than normal when the windows were open. There were also local stray dogs that were chasing cars the day we stayed here, which added to the noise. The highlight was the pool on the top floor of the hotel - we watched the sunset over the water from there.

Authenticity & Character

All green hotel - very cool

Location

Rooms that open to the main street can be noisy.

Staff

Very helpful staff - checked us in early and upgraded one of our rooms as our originally booked room was occupied.

Cleanliness & Comfort

CasaSur Palermo Hotel

Buenos Aires

The neighborhood has a lot of things going on - we found good restaurants for dinner every night. The breakfast is really good - excellent pastries! Rooms are spacious, with a little balcony to sit out on. The pool was also a great way to spend a few hours after a long day of roaming the city.

Authenticity & Character

Balcony off the room, well designed layout

Location

Close to many restaurants

Staff

Very friendly - helped us with dinner options several nights.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self Guided Santiago

Santiago

Ubered to the Parque Metropolitano (Cerro San Cristóbal) and took the cable car up and funicular down. Fabulous views of the city .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Uber was very easy and inexpencsive

The Blue Safari

El Calafate

The entire day was incredible, starting with the drive to Los Glaciares National Park. Our local guide gave us the history of the area, inlcuding how Calafate has grown in the past 20 years. The Perdido Glacier was spectacular, and we were able to see it from multiple vantage points. Highlight for us was hiking very close to the glacier and witnessing a massive iceburg calving.

Quality of Experience

All of our stops along the way and in the park highlighted a different view and aspect of the glacier.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All were very knowledgeable.

Transport

Stops included to stretch our legs.

Nativo Experience - Lakes and Caverns

El Calafate

Great way to learn about early Patagonia and the people who lived there. Lots of information about the local flora & fauna as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Southern Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Sonia was a fabulous guide- we had an incredible day with her exploring the city, including an added stop and tour of Recoleta at the end of our day together. Her knowledge of the city was very deep, and no question from us was off limits. Highlights for us were La Boca (including very tasty empandadas), a stop at the open market in San Telmo, where we saw several Tangos, and a guided stroll through Recoleta.

Quality of Experience

Food

Empanadas at La Boca

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sonia was very engaging and modified our tour based on what our interests were. The driver was knowledgeable about the city & got us to our next stop quickly.

Transport

Good communication and timely pickups.

Biking Buenos Aires - Parks & Gardens

Buenos Aires

We had a wonderful time with our guide Jackson. He was very accomodating and added a few stops to our tour based on our requests. (the tour we took was different than what was highlighted in the description we got when booking and on Vamooz - particularly going into Recoleta cemetary). We still had an amazing experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

No food was offered on our tour - we each had a water bottle & stopped at a convenience store for snacks.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to the hotel

Buenos Aires

Pickup and drop off went very smoothly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was very well planned, and transfers, entrances to parks, reservations, etc. all went very smoothly. We wouldn't have been able to see so many sites and coordinate so many transfers without the help of Jimena. She was always very responsive to every email and query.
I, personally, loved hiking in Torres del Paine National Park, the Petito Moreno glacier viewing, the Penguin excursion and Ushuaia generally. Sometimes, we were picked up too early to enjoy the included breakfasts with the reservations. This was an issue. We would have preferred to have a more extensive hiking experience in Tierra Del Fuego National Park. There are obviously some very nice trails, but we only got to see a snippet of each. Fewer stops, more hiking.
Thanks so much for an amazing experience!
Debbie

Everything that Kim Kim arranged happened seamlessly! All the hotels, transfers, boat trips, guides, liasons worked out without a hitch. Our guided hike to Laguna Esmerelda was amazing and the guide was friendly and accomodating. Our group of 6 had a wonderful and memorable trip to Torres Del Peine, El Calafate, Ushuiai, and Beunos Aires.

We've just returned from our trip to South America, travelling through Chile initially and then Argentina.
Our first stop was Santiago, the hotel was fine, smooth pick up at the airport and transfer, all good
After two days we transferred by air to Puerto Natales and we were picked up at the airport to Transfer to Torres Del Paine . The Torres Hotel was amazing in every respect ,the food service and rooms ,the guides were excellent, special mention to Alonso who we walked part of the W with and Paulina .We thoroughly enjoyed our time here .
we then travelled to El Calafate by coach , The Wyndham hotel was slightly tired ,decent but out of town.We checked in and were told we had been upgraded to corner rooms ,otherwise we would have been overlooking the car park.we enjoyed our trip to the Perito Moreno Glacier which was amazing and on the boat ,our guide was Rebecca who was very knowledgeable. we transferred by bus to El Chalten ,and had two days on our own.The National park was amazing ,we did two self guided walks and enjoyed the Bars and restaurants .The Hotel was The Hosteria Senderos which was very accommodating ,special mention for Tony who looked after us in the restaurant.
we were picked up and transferred to El Calafate airport and flew to Ushuaia ,smooth pick up at the airport and transfer to The Las Hayas ,a lovely Hotel ,a little out of town ,it did have a shuttle to Town Centre .
two fulls days one Raft ride and walk in the National Park which was very well done ,the tour guide did and excellent job,Gabi he was very knowledgeable,and entertaining.the second day we had a trip to Port Almanza where we were taken by boat along the Beagle channel where we met some penguins ,it was amazing and the ride to and from the Island was exhilarating.Afterwards we enjoyed some local Tapas and wine then back to Town for some Ice Cream with Regina and the Driver .
We then flew to Iguazu via El Calafate ,then Buenos Aires ,we would suggest for future travellers that a direct flight to BA then connect to Iguazu would be far better as we spent all day travelling ,arriving quite late at our Hotel.
We were picked up by Diego ,who discussing our plans realised that Scott and Tracy needed a Visa for the Brazilian side of the Falls trip ,which had not been mentioned in any communication with Kim Kim.This was disappointing that this issue was overlooked and we did not have sufficient time to get the necessary Visa .we were able to change our plans to do the Argentina side first ,and on our second day the local company arranged two different excursions plus a sunset boat tour .Unfortunately no one arrived at the agreed time to pick us up for our proposed boat tour ,and we had no communication as to what happened .
We stayed in the O2 Hotel ,which was near the centre ,but disappointing standard ,the views from the rooms were over scrapyards and the Towels were thin ,grey and Shabby .We can provide photos ,we did enjoy the nearby Bars and restaurants but were overall disappointed with the Hotel.
We then transferred to BA and stayed in the Palladio M Gallery ,a superb hotel in every respect .We had a great tour with Andrea who was very pleasant and knowledgeable .We enjoyed the Tango experience and Dinner.
overall we were very pleased with our trip ,there were a couple of issues with the Hotels and Visa issue .we had excellent ,warm weather almost everybody we met during our visit was warm ,welcoming and accommodating .
we would certainly use Kim Kim again ,thank you.
Scott,Tracy,Sandra and Bill.

Hotel Reviews

Palladio Hotel Buenos Aires—MGallery

Buenos Aires

This Hotel is superb, classy interior ,spaces to relax in ,great lighting and atmosphere.Amazing choice for Breakfast ,and great bar ,unfortunately we did not have dinner during our stay due to planned activities but the restaurant looked very inviting if you are looking for a Classy ,Authentic and Stylish hotel then look no further ,this is the one for you if all the Mgallery hotels are as good as this then they are going to the top of my list

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

O2 Hotel Iguazú

Puerto Iguazú

A well situated Hotel for Bars and Restaurants ,the style is a little of putting ,bare concrete walls and glass elevators our rooms were at the rear of the Hotel and the views were of industrial yards and rubbish . the towels were old grey ,thin and repaired and not a very good standard the beds and bedding were fine Im not sure how old the Hotel is but it could do with an update

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Hayas Ushuaia Resort

Ushuaia

a good standard of Hotel ,a little out of town but with a Hotel shuttle ,nearby Park and bike trails the staff were friendly ,warm and welcoming.Nice size rooms well decorated and good finish

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hosteria Senderos

El Chalten

A pleasant hotel ,with friendly staff and cosy feel. it has the feel of a Ski lodge or Lakeside Log cabin ,good location ,the staff were friendly ,good restaurants and coffee shops nearby

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Esplendor by Wyndham El Calafate

El Calafate, Santa Cruz

A decent Hotel but not outstanding or overly welcoming .We felt the room Decor was tired and in need of refreshment . The Hotel is out of the main street of El Calafate and would not have been our first choice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room decoration and standard of furniture

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Torres del Paine

This is a gem of a Hotel ,i can find nothing to criticise and everything to applaud .The Ethos of the Hotel ,its attitude to nature were a refreshing change . The food was fresh ,beautifully prepared and presented ,the cocktails and drinks menu amazing . Everyone we met was friendly helpfull and always smiling , I cannot fully explain the experience we had here ,you must visit ,it is more than just accommodation,it is reviving ,refreshing and you feel totally at ease and welcome .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Santiago Vitacura

Santiago

lovely Hotel in a quiet district ,walking distance to good restaurants ,the Hotel staff were friendly ,helpful and accommodating

Authenticity & Character

Location

good restaurants close by ,quiet and great views opposite

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

the rooms were clean ,bathrooms spotless

Activity Reviews

Almanza, sunset and Penguins 🐧🍽️🌅 PM Excursion

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tierra del Fuego National Park: Trekking and Canoes 🌲🚣

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Food

local food ,simple and delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Perito Moreno Glacier Excursion 🗻

El Calafate

City Tour "Santiago Green Parks"

Santiago

Lovely green city; especially enjoyed the cable car. Good way to see Santiago from different viewpoints.

Quality of Experience

Guide was very accommodating and helpful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Not happy with trip.
Booked kimkim trip with premium price for personilized trip experience. But found out that the whole trip was shared with 20-30 other people. It was not a pleasant experience at all. Will not go back to kimkim.

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Safari Azul to Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

It was a shared trip and have to be with another 30 people. Did not enjoy it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Lago del Desierto: Boat trip and Trekking

El Chaltén

It was shared trip so we have to wait for another 15 people for whole day. Not expecting this kind of trip

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I want to compliment Marcela for her excellent service, planning and heartfelt advice for the wonderful trip to Patagonia in Oct 2024. Sorry this took so long as I was very overwhelmed by personal things. I am very grateful for her caring for me when my luggage didn’t arrive at Argentina airport with my airlines. She immediately responded to my messages and provided very helpful advice. Thank you so much once again ! She is a great asset and talent !

I have used other travel companies in the past, but never again. KimKim makes travel so much more enjoyable and less stressful. We don’t like to travel with groups, so they are perfect for us. We provide them a wish list of things we want to do and see and voila, the wish comes true. We just returned from a 2 week tour of Patagonia and Ushuaia. It was amazing. They were in constant contact with us every step of the way. My wife is planning a girls trip this spring and is already in contact with them. A very big shout out to Lorena and her team. You guys are the best. Now time for me to start planning our next trip!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

I want to especially mention all the tour guides and drivers .
Santiago: Eliseo our driver, and Soledad our tour guide. What a wealth of information. A welcoming experience to a beautiful city.
Punta Arenas: Juan Francisco with Fiordos del Sur whom we wanted to go home with. We also wanted to adopt a baby
penguin.
Porto Natales: Jhon Pineda with Patagonia Planet, who is very entertaining and very knowledgeable. Also George , the driver who was also taking photos. Some of his photos are the best.
Perito Moreno Glaciers with Turismo Zaahj. Wow what a great experience
Tierra del Fuego Ntional Park: Trekking and Canoeing in Park. Juan and his counterpart made this an awesome experience. Turismo Isla de los Fuegos did an outstanding job.
Beagle Channel & Penquins: Turismo did an excellent job. We were able to see plenty of wildlife including seals, whales, and of course penguins
Buenos Aires: What a beautiful city. We will have to come back

Hotel Reviews

Alto Andino Hotel

Ushuaia

This was a very nice hotel, although we had to go to the breakfast area to see the water.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hosteria El Puma

El Chalten

This was our favorite hotel. It is small and cozy. The staff are engaging and a pleasure to visit with.

Location

Staff

They treated us like family

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kosten Aike

El Calafate

We were only here for one night, but enjoyed our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costanera

Puerto Natales

The hotel is very new and modern. The staff is exceptional. The street out front is a little noisy at times, but the view is wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ilaia

Punta Arenas

We loved this little hotel. Easy walking distance to everything and great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa

Santiago

Great location. Quiet and easy to walk to nearby parks Very nice hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quiet and safe

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Buenos Aires Walking Short Tour

Buenos Aires

We were both coming down with a bug this day and just dragging.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Beagle Channel & Penguins

Ushuaia

The experience was nice, but if we had to do it all over again, we would have skipped this. We had already seen penguins. We did get to see some whales, so that was a big plus. I think we were getting a little burned out by this time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking & Canoeing in Tierra del Fuego National Park

Ushuaia

We didn't quite know what to expect on this tour. We were not disappointed. We started off in a raft down the river and started seeing all kinds of birds and wildlife. A seal popped up right in front of us. Baby chicks, beavers, it was teaming with wildlife. It was an experience working with a team to paddle the raft. When we went on shore for lunch, we were ushered into a huge dome in the forest for a great bowl of soup and bread. Then off for a 4 mile trek through the woods. Beautiful scenery. It ended all too soon.

Quality of Experience

It made me feel young again

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best meal ever

Transport

Explore Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina

Puerto Natales

We didn't realize how big this glacier is. Wow! As you are watching it, you either see or hear ice calving off.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike from Sarmiento Lake to Amarga Lagoon

Patagonia

Unfortunately my wife caught a stomach bug and we were not able to go on this tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Patagonia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park

Patagonia

The trip just kept getting better! We had good weather and awesome scenery!

Quality of Experience

The quietness and open space

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jhon and George were great! They were very engaging and a pleasure to talk to

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Patagonia

We were able to walk among the penguins and all the babies. What a way to start the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Juan Francisco was like a jovial Santa Claus

Transport

Santiago City Tour - Private

Patagonia

Elisio and Soledad were amazing. She is an encyclopedia of knowledge. What a great way to start a vacation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable and engaging

Transport

Nice transport and very punctual

This was our 6th trip with KimKim, and while we had an AMAZING time, it was not the level of KimKim professionalism and/or efficiency that we have come to expect. We started with Augustina as our trip advisor, then she moved on and we had Juan. Juan left the company just as we started our trip, so Justo took over (and while he did an excellent job, there was obviously some lack of communication/coordination in the pass-off. Also, we ended up with 2 itineraries (one from KimKim, the other from Mater). While they were mostly identical, there were a few times where there were some inconsistencies that caused confusion (and honestly, it was annoying to have to go back and forth to determine which itinerary to use, more details below). An example of this was our trip to the Estancia where the itinerary indicated in one place that we had a 45-minute horse-back riding experience, while in another it indicated 3 hours. We were sure it would be 45- minutes so we booked a dinner reservation only to find out that it would be a 3 hour ride and we wouldn't get back in time for our reservation. Thankfully, the staff at the ranch called the restaurant and arranged for a late dinner (for my husband's birthday), otherwise it wouldn't have been a big deal. Another time, the itinerary for KimKIm indicated one activity, while the Mater itinerary repeated what we had already done a few days prior. items: In Ushuai, our itinerary indicated we should arrange for the hotel to take us to the National Park and back to hike. However, there was a public bus going to/from the park multiple times a day right across the street from our hotel--this should have been an obvious notation on the itinerary (as the bus was inexpensive, efficient and very helpful!). In El Calafate, it would have been nice to know that the established "pick-up" times for the experiences are "rough estimates" and the bus pick up can be as much as 45 minutes later given the number of pick-ups to different hotels that they make. Had we known this, we would not have worried that we had been "missed" or forgotten (we did call, and they let us know they were on their way. Also, our itinerary had indicated that the hotel could provide lunch for us for our "glacier walk", but they do not do this. Thankfully the hotel staff helped us find an alternative caterer who could have a box lunch ready for us in the early morning before we departed. In El Chalten, it would have been helpful to know that tickets to the park should be purchased in cash; aditionally, had I not had a trail "app" on my phone, the directions provided to get to a couple of the hikes were not particularly helpful/useful or accurate. For the day at the private reserve, though we were able to get in, we were the "lucky" ones, as we were supposed to have made reservations in advance (which we wrongly assumed KimKim or Mater had done since this was on our itinerary). Others were turned away. Had we been turned away, given that we had taken the bus to get there, we would have been out of luck and sitting in the rain for 6 hours waiting for the return. Justo was our point of contact from Mater, and he was very helpful/personable, though there was a bit of a language barrier in translating some of our requests. In Torres Del Paine, Juan had mentioned the need to get Park tickets right away, though this turned out to be easy, and nothing to stress over. FInally, while it would not have changed anything, it would have been nice to know that the roads between El Calafate and Torres Del Paine are often gravel, rough and slow, and that you need to download Google maps "offline" to ensure you have map service. So again, we had a phenomenal trip, there were just these little inconsistencies, omissions and/or annoyances that we have not been used to on prior KimKim trips.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Poincenot

El Chalten

We loved the hotel in El Chaltén because of its fantastic location, just a few minutes' walk from the trailheads, which was perfect for our hiking adventure. The hotel was comfortable, and while it wasn't fancy, the staff were amazing and made our stay exceptional.

Pampa Lodge Quincho y Caballos

Torres Del Paine

The views from our hotel in Torres del Paine were simply breathtaking, making our stay truly memorable. The hotel was comfortable, adding to the overall experience of the surrounding natural beauty.

Koi Aiken

El Calafate

We stayed here the longest, and though it was by far the most humble of accomodations, the staff were incredibly helpful in (1) helping us find box lunches for our glacier walk; and (2) reaching out to the Glacier Walk experience provider to figure out if we had been forgotten or if they were just running late. The room had a nice view, though the furnishings and bathrooms are quite dated and in need of repair. Staff made up for any issues with the room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's a long walk from town though taxi service is easy.

Staff

Amazing and helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel furnishings in our room (drapes, bedspreads etc) were all falling apart; and the bathroom tub did not drain, but the helpfulness of the staff made up for any deficiencies we experienced.

Activity Reviews

Estancia Nibepo Aike

El Calafate

while the experience was wonderful, it's a long day, informative and enjoyable, but it's a long way to go w/not alot of "action". The gauchos were very friendly...the food was "OK" (mostly fat, though the 2nd serving was better). Our itinerary was not clear as to whether we had a 45-minute horse-back ride or 3 hour ride, and we tried to reschedule to 45-minutes (given our impending dinner reservation), but were unable to. THankfully, the ranch staff called our restaurant and let them know we would be very late (for my husband's birthday celebration!)

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything except the meat was exceptional. Felt like we received the "cheap" cuts of meat that they could effectivey serve a large group.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transportation was HOT and long.

Trekking on Perito Moreno glacier

El Calafate

One of the best experiences of the trip. Awesome guide, great hike, spectacular views and wonderful people we met along the way.

Quality of Experience

Dramatic scenery, and experienced guides

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It's a long day, and the only thing I recommend is that the drivers or transport company let you know ahead of time that it might take time to pick everyone up (depending on where your hotel is along the route).

We cant thank you enough what a trip we had!! It was absolutely fabulous and it all went very smoothly thanks to you and your great amazing team at Dittomar
We had a wonderful walk with Andreas in Torres Del Paine which was out of the world and absolutely the right choice as you'd described.
The real star of the show was Baguales and we can never thank you enough for that. Tomas and Jessica his wife were just the perfect hosts and we feel in love with the mountains, the horses and the dogs, it was truly special. .
The Merino Glacier trip was incredible and a real highlight, definitely not to be missed.
Then to Tres Dos Rios which was fabulous and everything we had hoped it would be. Boys loved the fishing and I loved riding with Lucas and a bit of fishing on the side!
We will most certainly be back in a few years time so I will also be in touch in a year or so to organise another trip!

We just got back from our two week trip in Patagonia. We had a wonderful time and loved hiking and exploring both in Patagonia and in the cities of Santiago and Buenos Aires. We really appreciated the ability of the KimKim team to be flexible to our specific trip preferences and itinerary desires, and having the in-country help number was very helpful. We particularly loved our time in El Chalten, where we could easily go on day hikes straight from town. In contrast, in Torres del Paine we had opted to do a group hike so that we could stay in Puerto Natales to save money and still do the Base de los Torres hike, but a few members of our group were very slow hikers and our experience was impacted by the need to constantly wait and the challenge of trying to lead a small group across many different ability levels.

There were a few areas where, in hindsight, the KimKim team could have done better in guiding our trip planning and providing locally relevant recommendations to make things a bit more smooth:

1) We did not receive specific times for bus departures and domestic flights between destinations until a couple days prior to arrival at our second destination (the first destination organized by KimKim). Even when we asked on the portal a couple days before the trip, we were unable to get a response until we reached out to the emergency Whatsapp number. This made it challenging to make specific plans that required reservations or to decide what activities we could do in the time either before departures or after arrivals.

2) We were in Puerto Natales for Christmas Eve and Christmas, and it would have been helpful to know in advance that restaurant reservations would be required for these days. This is the type of insider information that we hoped to get by using a trip planning service, but we were unaware and struggled to find a place to eat.

3) Two of our four pre-booked outdoor activities (Kayaking and Rafting) were cancelled due to adverse weather. While this is somewhat unlucky and bound to happen in a place like Patagonia where the weather can change on a dime, we would have appreciated a bit more of a warning or conversation about the potential likelihood of this happening when we were having the conversations around planning. We got the sense from the tour operators that they have to cancel a large proportion of their trips and this would have been good to know from the get go. While we were able to get refunds for these activities, they took some time to come through.

Overall, we did enjoy our trip and had a blast hiking, exploring, and eating our way across both Chile and Argentina!

Hotel Reviews

Savoy Hotel

Buenos Aires

This hotel is a nice gem in this neighborhood of Buenos Aires! The inside, with the high ceilings and ornate decorations feels like a luxury experience. Our stay was very pleasant. The included breakfast is good, the staff speaks very good english and is very helpful, the rooms were clean, and they were able to accommodate storing bags and showering before our evening flight. The location worked out well for us. It seemed centrally located, about a 10-30m walk from most things.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chalten Suites Hotel

El Chalten

We stayed at this hotel right in the center of El Chalten for 4 nights while hiking. Overall we had a very pleasant stay. The highlights were the amazing views, breakfast, location, and kind staff. Our only less than perfect experiences was no way to cool the room (it was very warm despite no heat and it being ~15 degrees outside), and the bathroom fan being on a 5s timer making it nearly useless.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sent Hotel Calafate

El Calafate

Our stay here was mixed. It is very close to the bus terminal making it convenient, but a decent walk from the town. The bad: The interior was slightly outdated, and the room was small. On the first day, the common spaces smelled of cigarette smoke, but that was gone on future nights. The street lights from outside are very bright, so the blinds are a must at night. Finally, the wind is so powerful, and the roof so flimsy, there were sounds of metal clanging on the roof throughout the day and night. The good: Breakfast was great, and the rooms were very clean. The price seemed reasonable given this is a tourist town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

More attentive front desk staff for check in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ensure there is no cigarette smoke smell, and better secure whatever is on the roof making a ton of noise in the wind

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

This is a nice hotel just outside of town. The rooms are warm, and ours had a great view of the fjords. The walk to town is beautiful, but also must contend with the extreme wind making it feel like more than the 5-10m walk advertised. This would be a 4-star review, however on checkout the hotel presented us with a bill of unexpected charges (box lunches, and the welcome drinks we thought were included).

Authenticity & Character

Location

In vs Out of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dinner Tango Show at Café de los Angelitos 🍷🎶

Buenos Aires

This was our first tango show and was enjoyable. The dancers were professional, and musicians (especially the accordion player!) were great. However, it was over the top targeted at tourists and felt like a whole production. The food was not good, the tables were packed together and not intimate (big long tables of people, not individual tables). We would have preferred to find a more authentic feeling tango experience, but still enjoyed ourselves.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food tasted like it was prepared on an assembly line. Despite them asking how the steak should be cooked, they were all medium well.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day tour to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and Minitrekking

El Calafate

This is such a unique experience, one of the few places in the world you can experience hiking directly onto the glacier. The operation is very commercialized (probably ~70 people per hour), but the actual glacier trekking is done in smaller groups and was amazing. This made the otherwise so-so time in El Calafate worth the stay!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our bus broke down on the way back, but a new bus was sent out promptly so the delay was <30 minutes.

Dinner at Mako Fuegos y Vinos

El Calafate

What a fantastic dinner! The food was amazing, the wine was superb, and the steak was the best steak I'd ever had. This dinner was a highlight of our whole trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full day Hiking Base Las Torres - 20km approx

Puerto Natales

This hike delivers what it says - a guided trip from Puerto Natales to the base of the towers. However, there were some aspects for us which could have been better. The main struggle was our group had a wide variety of hiking abilities. This was a challenge to manage for the two guides. This meant we paused often for breaks to let the slower folks catch up. It felt like playing stop and go at times. The weather was also not ideal, and the guides suggested at a few points we wouldn't even attempt the final stretch to the lookout. In reality, the final stretch was totally fine for the ~half of the group with some hiking experience and we (along with all the other guided and unguided hikers we saw) made it up without issue despite all the hesitation from the guides. Overall, I think the hike was probably 2-3hr longer than it needed to be given our fitness level. The guides themselves were very nice and knowledgeable about the park, and could answer many questions about the plants and animals we saw along the hike. While there could have been aspects navigated better in retrospect, the guides were stuck with a difficult range in hiking fitness for the group and no matter how they approached it not everyone would be satisfied.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver was great, but the climate control in the van was all over the place

Our overall experience with kimkim in planning and booking our trip to Patagonia was a home run! A special shout-out to the local specialist (Nara), who was incredibly knowledgeable and insightful about our itinerary. The service provided by Nara was also superlative. Will definitely plan on using kimkim in the future for other bucket list trips.

Overall, we had a great time and the trip was well organized. For the most part, everything went off without a problem.
The restaurant recommendations were very much appreciated. The recommended hikes were good and we enjoyed them as well. Some tour operators provided prior night updates which we found very helpful as we knew what to expect. Our favorites from this trip were - Laguna de los Tres, Perito Moreno Glacier, Glacier Vinciguerra & Laguna de los Tempanos.

Some areas for improvement / recommendations:
1. Tours should be in English not bilingual as otherwise most time spent in Spanish
2. Clearly specify which ones are private vs group tours
3. Detailed itinerary details varied from actual - zip lining at El Chalten / street food at Buenos Aires/ warm gourmet lunch in Vinciguerra
4. Tour pickups in El Chalten and El Calafate were quite late without any communications - would be helpful to know as some were 30 mins late.
5. Private transfer FTE to El Chalten & El Chalten to El Calafate could be replaced with a rented car and us driving - may have been cheaper as the start/end point is FTE airport.
6. Hotel in El Chalten - Lunajuim was not good - definitely not 3 stars. It was very basic/old, the room not well kept up, there was no refrigerator, the soaps were subpar, walls/doors were very thin and we could hear everything from neighbors and hallway, the towel rack was coming off the wall, no headboard for bed. A positive note is that the staff were very friendly and helpful.
7. Generally speaking, the breakfasts at the hotel were lacking. Ushuaia had the best one at Alto Andino.
8. For the Laguna de Los Tres trail, I strongly recommend the alternate route of taking a bus to Rio Electrico, trek to Laguna de Los Tres from north to south, and then return via Laguna Capri to El Chalten. It makes for a less strenous hike.

Activity Reviews

Perito Moreno Boat & Walking Tour

El Calafate

Absolutely spectacular view of this glacier! The enormity is mind blowing and seeing calving in real life is a once in a lifetime experience! No matter how many times we viewed the glacier from various lookout points, it took our breath away.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide spoke a great deal in Spanish. She didn’t seem to translate everything into English and it was much more abbreviated.

Transport

Trekking to Glacier Vinciguerra & Laguna de los Tempanos

Ushuaia

One of our favorite hikes! Our guide made sure that everyone’s needs were taken into account and that all of us felt comfortable on the muddy and steep hike at the end. We were able to get up close to the glacier and the view was breathtaking. Highly recommend this one to all who can make it! FYI, this hike is rated Medium difficulty but it was quite tough at the end.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great trip! Erin spent quite a bit of time with different versions of the itinerary so that I could maximize my time in Patagonia while also meeting up with my friends. Erin and Jessica were both very responsive with any questions that I had before and during the trip. Everything went smoothly during my trip and I had a wonderful time!

We didn't have much time to put in detailed planning for our upcoming Patagonia trip, and KimKim ended up being an incredible solution - the local guide Erin was extremely knowledgeable and saved countless research hours for us deciding where to go and what to do. Plus the seamlessness of having all bookings and transfers handled by them made things very simple. We did the Chilean side, stayed at Patagonia Camp which was incredible in terms of guides for the hikes, service and food. French Valley hike was not to be missed. We would not have thought to do an Estancia tour in Puerto Natales ourselves, which turned out to be a highlight of the trip - horseback riding and seeing sheepherding!

Hotel Reviews

Altiplanico Puerto Natales

Natales

Decent stay, not too much character but clean and simple.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel says hot tub but it is not readily available.

Patagonia Camp

Torres del Paine

Perfect if you want to feel pampered without feeling sterile or luxury devoid of character. And like you're joining a warm community that still gives you privacy. The cost is well worth it, especially given the cost of the other all-inclusive stays in Patagonia.

Authenticity & Character

Boutique-feeling, premium food and drink, and accommodations were rustic luxury - perfect ambiance.

Location

Although it is outside the official park, it has its own lands you can hike exclusively.

Staff

Welcoming, helpful, attentive but not overly so.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Yurts are very premium feeling.

Activity Reviews

Downtown Santiago Walking Food Tour

Santiago

LOVED our guide Eddie! He was incredibly knowledgeable about history, culture, food, and everything in between. The neighborhoods we walked through were great. The food stops along the way were solid, some better than others and we only tried 3 things.

Quality of Experience

I would make a suggestion - add more variety of food items so that we can try more things especially since this is billed as a food tour and due to the high price point. Split the portion sizes among couples, etc. do help people not be full.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day trip to Viña del Mar & Valparaiso + Bodegas RE winery stop

Patagonia

Great way to see a bit of Chilean wineries, Valparaiso and Vina del Mar all in one day without our own car! It is a lot of time in the car, but well planned.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to a Patagonian Estancia

Patagonia

Make time for this visit if you pass through Puerto Natales! The horseback ride is a must - it's an incredible array of scenery and the horses are delightful. Fun boatride through fjords. The lamb lunch, sheepherding and shearing demonstrations were all spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park | All Inclusive Patagonia Camp

Torres del Paine

Please see my review in the hotel section.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I first came across Erin’s name while researching for our Patagonia trip December of 2025. While reading a ton of travel blogs and ideas, there was an article written by her with various itineraries laid out and it gave me the most succinct summary of what the highlights are and helped me with a more concrete idea of what I want for our itinerary. I proceeded to contact a few companies including kimkim to help make it into reality. Imagine my excitement when I heard from Erin. Of the responses I received from many companies, hers unsurprisingly were the most informative and constructive. Over the next few weeks we went back and forth with my many questions, and Erin’s always helpful advice and suggestions. By the time the itinerary was drafted, I was beyond impressed by how well put together it was. Every detail, no matter how small, was included, such as every leg of transfer, lunch packs for hiking or traveling days, and how to incorporate another traveler into a part of the itinerary. I am a detail oriented person and I had very little to nitpick on.

Throughout the planning phase, Erin not only provided great recommendations, she was also always responsive, cheerful, professional while personable. She was also realistic in her advice which is truly appreciated. Once our trip commenced, she and her colleague Jessica were always there for us. Everything went smoothly. We never had a late pick up or missed lunch. The arranged drivers and the boat transfers worked like clockwork. The hotels recommended were comfortable and exactly what we needed after long windy hiking days of Patagonia. The company provided an emergency contact which Jessica monitored. While we had no issues, I had random thoughts or questions throughout the trip due to weather, and Jessica would always answer within 15 minutes and we loved having the lifeline to reach back to.

Overall, it has been a fantastic experience working with Erin and Jessica. They helped making our dream of Patagonia a reality and made it into an unforgettable experience.

My husband and I visited Patagonia in late November, early December for about a week. Erin, our trip specialist, did a wonderful job in helping us organize this trip. She provided great recommendations, was very communicative and responsive, and had really good advice and insights which gave us a lot of comfort and peace of mind. She organized a wonderful itinerary, interspersed with all the kinds of activities we were most interested in doing. We especially enjoyed the day trip at the estancia (La Peninsula) and the stay and activities at EcoCamp Patagonia. Overall, I highly recommend Erin and Kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Albatros

Punta Arenas

Conveniently located and very helpful staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

EcoCamp Patagonia

Torres del Paine

Very unique experience! The place truly helps you disconnect and instead connect with so many interesting people from around the world. Everything from the trips/activities to the camp itself is very well organized. The activity guides are fun and very knowledgeable and we had a great time!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pristine Patagonia Hotel

Puerto Natales

We enjoyed our stay at this hotel very much. The location of the hotel was really nice...close to the water and lots of restaurants. The staff, Vanessa and Dani, were so incredibly helpful! We shared a list of local dishes and drinks that we were keen on trying out and they went out of their way to help us find restaurants that would serve these. They also gave us great tips during our stay and helped arrange taxis when we needed them. One of the best stay experiences for sure!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Vanessa and Dani were amazing!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Eco Camp Wildlife Safari Program

Torres del Paine

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to a Patagonian Estancia

Patagonia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grey Glacier Boat Tour (round-trip)

Patagonia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Isla Magdalena Penguin Colony

Punta Arenas

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine Private Wildlife Tour

Patagonia

This was a nice activity, and we enjoyed seeing the national park from different viewpoints. However, the tour felt less focused on wildlife and more on covering a wide expanse of the national park. So, you could get lucky with regard to the wildlife while driving around the park, but you won't necessarily go searching for wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was spectacular. Jesse did an amazing job shepherding us through each step of our adventure. She accommodated a number of last minute requests for documents promptly and she made a series of changes to our itinerary as the trip was unfolding with a great "can do" attitude. There is no way we could have coordinated all of the connections on our own. Thank you Jesse!

Our recent trip to Patagonia was absolutely amazing! Thank you to our guide Jimena for organizing everything so perfectly so that the only thing left for us to do was to enjoy!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Sierra Nevada

El Calafate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camping Grey

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Refugio Paine Grande

Puerto Natales, Chile

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Refugio Los Cuernos

Torres del Paine - W trek Circuit Reserva Cerro Paine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Refugio Torre Central

Parque Nacional Torres del Paine Pedro Montt

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Aquaterra

Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Perito Moreno Boat & Walking Tour

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grey Glacier Boat Tour (Refugio Grey to Pingo)

Patagonia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip Briefing at Dittmar Adventures

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

There were many issues of miscommunication throughout the course of the trip.

Firstly, after waiting over half an hour for driver at El Chalten I called the service and person stated they were trying locate driver. After an hour we were on our way.

Since it was hour one way to town and a 120 USD fare. It was impracticle, if not impossible, to take meals anywhere else. Furthermore, there was only a set offering at meal. I felt that by adding the mandatory meal serivce the provider was attempting to present a different cost than we were actually going incur.

The tour of Palermo and Soho were not as advertised. One of the main reasons of this tour for taking this tour was to visit the Recoleta cemetery. We only were notified upon arrival very disappointing.

The beef and wine tasting Fogon Asodo carried an extra charge for wine.

Lastly, I do not remember the name a place the that hosted the Tango show. But food was AWFUL.

My wife I travel several months a year. This is first and last time using Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Refugio de Glaciares

El Chalten

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alto Andino Hotel

Ushuaia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blanca Patagonia Boutique Inn and Cabins

El Calafate, Santa Cruz

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Asado tasting with wine pairing

Buenos Aires

the wine pairing was an extra charge

Food

Bike tour: Palermo & Recoleta

Buenos Aires

Tour was not as stated in writing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tango & cena show at El Viejo Almacen

Buenos Aires

The show was good but the dinner was awful.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Estancia Harberton & walk with penguins

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Tierra del Fuego National Park

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayak Experience Perito Moreno glacier

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glaciar Sur Aventura, an immersion in the Glacier National Park

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Estancia Cristina Upsala

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our Beautiful Patagonia adventure was outstanding from start to finish. The itinerary was thoughtfully designed, perfectly balancing guided excursions with free time to explore. Every destination—Puerto Natales, and El Calafate—offered incredible scenery, excellent accommodations, and smooth logistics throughout. Though we didn't get to complete El Chaltén due to unexpected weather (wind) advisory, I'm sure it would have been just as well thought out.

The guided hikes in Torres del Paine were unforgettable, especially the trek to Mirador Base Las Torres and the French Valley. The Perito Moreno Glacier ice hike was another once-in-a-lifetime highlight. Each guide was knowledgeable, professional, and passionate about sharing Patagonia’s beauty and culture. Our driver was also intregal though out our trip.

Jimena, Rae, Erin and the Dittmar Adventures team were exceptional—responsive, organized, and attentive to every detail. Thanks to them, our group of 13 had a seamless and truly memorable experience. Highly recommend this itinerary for anyone wanting to explore the best of Patagonia with expert local support.