Emilce Alonso

Our entire trip was amazing. We loved every single activity and had a great experience overall. Emilce was very helpful throughout the whole planning process, especially when we had to delay our trip due to COVID. We plan to book all future international trips through KimKim. There is not a single experience on out trip that we did not enjoy or wouldn't do again. My only minor complaint is that I wish our itinerary was more detailed and included contact information for our drivers/guides or... read more

Our entire trip was amazing. We loved every single activity and had a great experience overall. Emilce was very helpful throughout the whole planning process, especially when we had to delay our trip due to COVID. We plan to book all future international trips through KimKim. There is not a single experience on out trip that we did not enjoy or wouldn't do again. My only minor complaint is that I wish our itinerary was more detailed and included contact information for our drivers/guides or at least the company name we would be looking out for (pick ups were sometimes confusing when multiple different tour buses were waiting outside the hotels in the morning).

Hotel Reviews

O2 Hotel Iguazú

Puerto Iguazú

Beautiful rooftop, beautiful and comfortable rooms.

Authenticity & Character

great ambiance

Location

walking distance from may restaurants/shops, gorgeous rooftop views of 3 countries

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Savoy Hotel

Buenos Aires

Beautiful hotel, but they ran out of King beds so we had to be put in a double room, which was frustrating when we booked months in advance. They were able to upgrade us to a room with a balcony for this reason.

Authenticity & Character

gorgeous lobby and dining area

Location

Staff

very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cumbres Nevadas Hotel

El Chalten

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

communication with the front desk was poor, they told us the cab would pick us up at 7am and we would have breakfast at 6:30am, and then the following morning told us the cab was there at 6:30 and left because we weren't ready. This communication error could happen anywhere, but I specifically confirmed these times the afternoon before and then the woman proceeded to tell me that we did not talk about a 7am pick up the following morning.

Cleanliness & Comfort

uncomfortable bed, room seemed not the cleanest

Terrazas del Calafate

El Calafate

gorgeous views

Authenticity & Character

Location

easy to cab into town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Brazilian Falls - Half day

Puerto Iguazu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Parque Das Aves

Puerto Iguazu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Argentine Experience

Puerto Iguazu

Amazing food

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Argentinean Falls - Full day

Puerto Iguazu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great Adventure - Boat trip

Puerto Iguazu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango Show and Dinner at Café De Los Angelitos

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

this driver drove very fast and was scary to ride with

San Antonio de Areco & Estancia el Ombu

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Food

everything was incredible

Guides, Drivers and Staff

myriam was an amazing guide

Transport

Full day tour to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and Minitrekking

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nativo Experience

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Food

lamb stew bread bowl was incredible

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Neighborhoods Tour

Buenos Aires

we wish it had some free time to shop around la boca

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

myriam was great

Transport

After problems with the reservations at the first hotel in Santiago, the rest of the trip went very smoothly and was a wonderful introduction to the country. Every guide and service provided was exactly on time, professional, engaging and fluent in English. It's hard to identfy one as better than another. I could not have been more pleased with the local service providers. When a glitch occurred because of the Valley of the Moon excusrion was rained out, the schedule was quickly rearranged to... read more

After problems with the reservations at the first hotel in Santiago, the rest of the trip went very smoothly and was a wonderful introduction to the country. Every guide and service provided was exactly on time, professional, engaging and fluent in English. It's hard to identfy one as better than another. I could not have been more pleased with the local service providers. When a glitch occurred because of the Valley of the Moon excusrion was rained out, the schedule was quickly rearranged to accommodate our needs. Every internal flight was on time and the drivers got us to the airports in plenty of time. We were never rushed. The accommodations in San Pedro and in Puerto Varas were outstanding. The hotels' food was very good so we ate most of the meals there. I recommend substituting for the RQ Stay Santa Magadena. While the location is good, the hotel room itself has numerous deficiencies.

Our KimKim contact person, Emilce, prepared a wonderful two week trip for the four of us. We experienced Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Mendoza during two weeks and met three excellent guides: Antonella in Buenos Aires, Mathias in Montevideo and Claudia in Mendoza. We highly! recommend KimKim read more

Our KimKim contact person, Emilce, prepared a wonderful two week trip for the four of us. We experienced Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Mendoza during two weeks and met three excellent guides: Antonella in Buenos Aires, Mathias in Montevideo and Claudia in Mendoza. We highly! recommend KimKim

Hotel Reviews

Icaro Suites

Buenos Aires

Walking distance from the most central parts of BA. Quiet one way street. Nice staff, good rooms. Good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Regency Park Hotel

Montevideo

A little bit outside city centre, by easy to get there by taxi. Pleasant staff, nice stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amérian Executive Hotel Mendoza

Mendoza

Central location, in walking distance from city centre. Close to Plaza Italia.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Best of Argentina Culinary Experience

Buenos Aires

What an experience! We loved it there! After knocking on the door and being let in, Polly charmed us all during the smell quiz and drinks mixing. Upstairs we participated in making our own food, and learned a lot about Argentinian body language through a crazy standup session. We also made friends with people around the table.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Neighborhoods Tour

Buenos Aires

Very nice trip around Buenos Aires. At times we felt that the guide was rushing a bit, but I understand the schedule was tight. We had some time later, and I have been there twice before I took my kids around to several places to see a little bit more.

Quality of Experience

All the place

Guides, Drivers and Staff

More time at each place

Transport

Smooth, quick

Tigre & Delta of the Paraná

Buenos Aires

Fantastic day in Tigre. What a trip!

Quality of Experience

The boar tide, the place!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide changed t-shirt during the day, and this made a problem for us as we were not able to identify her in the crowd at first.

Transport

Quick, smooth!

We are home, thank you so much for putting the trip together. We have had an amazing time, experienced so much and learnt so many things about the countries we visited. We could never have done it ourselves. All the trip went to plan apart from the interruptions in Peru which we managed with. It was great to see such good organising. We were collected and delivered on time to wherever we needed to be. La Paz was a great city to visit. The drive across the highlands of Bolivia was... read more

We are home, thank you so much for putting the trip together. We have had an amazing time, experienced so much and learnt so many things about the countries we visited. We could never have done it ourselves. All the trip went to plan apart from the interruptions in Peru which we managed with. It was great to see such good organising. We were collected and delivered on time to wherever we needed to be. La Paz was a great city to visit. The drive across the highlands of Bolivia was unforgettable. Seeing the Geysers at dawn was a brilliant experience. Our hire car was good and we survived the rough roads to see the amazing Marble Caves. The visit to Magdelana Island to walk amongst the penguins was a real highlight of the trip. The cruise from Punta Arenas to Usuaia was fantastic. Horse riding was fun, so many things we did, can't write about them all.

We had a amazing time with our guides and a fantastic support from the team kimkim.
We can highly recommend to book your holiday with kimkim.
We were really looked after any any respect.
Everything was well organised and communication was excellent.
thank you for a great and memorable holiday.
Peter and Gerhard
read more

We had a amazing time with our guides and a fantastic support from the team kimkim.
We can highly recommend to book your holiday with kimkim.
We were really looked after any any respect.
Everything was well organised and communication was excellent.
thank you for a great and memorable holiday.
Peter and Gerhard

Hotel Reviews

Altiplanico Puerto Natales

Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Santiago El Bosque

Las Condes, Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Altiplanico Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel DoubleTree by Hilton Santiago Kennedy

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Evening Astronomy Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Mixed group with 2 language. very hard for the guide and to long for the guest's.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic excursion to the Torres del Paine National Park (with Box Lunch)

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Hike Porteria Lago Sarmiento - 6/7 km approx

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Moon Valley and Mirador Ckari

San Pedro de Atacama

great guide 👍

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic private city tour around Santiago de Chile - Half day

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cejar & Tebinquiche Lagoons

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Good trip, organized and on time. Make so much easy. Emilce is also understanding read more

Good trip, organized and on time. Make so much easy. Emilce is also understanding

It was unforgettable trip. The service in every point was accurate, that means each pickup point we had ready driver waiting for us, which was even above expectation, compare to other countries we have traveled before. Good selection of the hotels and accommodations in every point we have chosen. Also the people in each town that provided service to us, drivers, guides, tour guides were cheerful and genuinely liking what they're doing, which reflected on us, as a clients. This may be because... read more

It was unforgettable trip. The service in every point was accurate, that means each pickup point we had ready driver waiting for us, which was even above expectation, compare to other countries we have traveled before. Good selection of the hotels and accommodations in every point we have chosen. Also the people in each town that provided service to us, drivers, guides, tour guides were cheerful and genuinely liking what they're doing, which reflected on us, as a clients. This may be because of overall tourism and service industry culture in the country. This whole trip was above every expectation. I would give 6 stars if I could. Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Pestana Buenos Aires Hotel

Buenos Aires

All good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cumbres Nevadas Hotel

El Chalten

No internet or very-very slow internet. Rest is all good

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mirador del Lago Hotel

El Calafate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Los Acebos Ushuaia Hotel

Ushuaia

Far away from city center. Once you get in, no way to get out, other than calling taxi or wait 2 hrs for scheduled shuttle. Hotel itself is good. Since it is far away from anywhere, no evening entertainment of any sort, just restaurant to eat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Far away from city center. Once you get in, no way to get out, other than calling taxi or wait 2 hrs for scheduled shuttle. Hotel itself is good. Since it is far away from anywhere, no evening entertainment of any sort, just restaurant to eat.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Diplomatic Hotel

Mendoza

5 stars hotel in center of the city. All good. Can walk out of the hotel to walk through the town, Good location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

5 stars hotel in center of the city. All good. Can walk out of the hotel to walk through the town, Good location.

Staff

5 stars hotel in center of the city. All good. Can walk out of the hotel to walk through the town, Good location.

Cleanliness & Comfort

5 stars hotel in center of the city. All good. Can walk out of the hotel to walk through the town, Good location.

Activity Reviews

Neighborhoods Tour

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango Show & Dinner

Buenos Aires

No suggestions. I liked everything, performance and location of the theater.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Safari Azul Experience

El Calafate

I am so glad that we were not chosen for the ice walking but Emilci offered to us this Azul excursion instead. That was a hit! The ice walking was not really needed since we had enough walking around the glacier with a professor glaciologist explaining nature and all details about this glacier. I am really satisfied with this tour and guide, educational.

Quality of Experience

I am so glad that we were not chosen for the ice walking but Emilci offered to us this Azul excursion instead. That was a hit! The ice walking was not really needed since we had enough walking around the glacier with a professor glaciologist explaining nature and all details about this glacier. I am really satisfied with this tour and guide, educational.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I am so glad that we were not chosen for the ice walking but Emilci offered to us this Azul excursion instead. That was a hit! The ice walking was not really needed since we had enough walking around the glacier with a professor glaciologist explaining nature and all details about this glacier. I am really satisfied with this tour and guide, educational.

Transport

Half day Tierra del Fuego National Park

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Walking with Penguins

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day tour to Vineyards: Wine and Olive

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very friendly driver, guide, accommodating us all times we were in Mendoza

★A big reason why I chose Kim Kim Tour
・ Ms. Emilce Alonso provided a very detailed information about all of my questions and courteous response(ex Chile side or Argentina side)
・I didn't know how to travel and how to spend time in the Patagonia El Chalten& El Calafate, however she arranged the best schedule for me.
・We were able to carefully share information using chat from the tour schedule to the day of departure.
・After arriving at the Buenos Aires, El Chalten & El Calafate, the... read more

★A big reason why I chose Kim Kim Tour
・ Ms. Emilce Alonso provided a very detailed information about all of my questions and courteous response(ex Chile side or Argentina side)
・I didn't know how to travel and how to spend time in the Patagonia El Chalten& El Calafate, however she arranged the best schedule for me.
・We were able to carefully share information using chat from the tour schedule to the day of departure.
・After arriving at the Buenos Aires, El Chalten & El Calafate, the transfer to the airport proceeded on time using a similar chat system with the local staffs in charge.
・The two-step system from reservation to payment is easy to understand, and the cancellation system is also clarified.

★Detailed reasons for choosing Kim Kim Tour
・Hotel selection was close to the trailhead, in the center of the downtown area, etc. The location was good and the concierge staff was solid.
・Local staffs with driver who met us at the site, exchanged money, pre-flight check-in, and reserved seats for the flight
・My big trouble: Even when the window glass was broken due to strong winds at the EL Chalten hotel, the chat system with the local staff in charge responded smoothly.

Hotel Reviews

Two Hotel Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Location is very good, Easy to go around a city sight seeing, and one more good point is late check out system until 14;00 pm.

Authenticity & Character

late check out system until 14;00 pm.

Location

Very good!

Staff

Vey kind & English speaking

Cleanliness & Comfort

Good

Kapenke Hotel

El Calafate

Location is good, Staff is so kind, English speaking

Authenticity & Character

good

Location

Staff

Kind & English speaking

Cleanliness & Comfort

Good

Hotel Kalenshen El Chalten

El Chalten

Location is good, Staff is so kind, English speaking

Authenticity & Character

Good

Location

Good

Staff

Good

Cleanliness & Comfort

Good

Activity Reviews

Nativo Experience

El Calafate

All of attendee is Spanish speaking, however Driver gave me detail explanation about Patagonia history to only me in English.

Quality of Experience

Good

Food

Excellent

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very good

Transport

Good

Perito Moreno Glacier Excursion

El Calafate

Amazing experience in my life,

Quality of Experience

Excellent

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Good

Transport

Good

Nautical Safari

El Calafate

Excellent

Quality of Experience

GOod

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Good

Transport

Good

Emi was wonderful. We changed our itinerary so many times. We had to cancel one year and rebook the next. We started out with a completely different itinerary than we ended up with. The entire time, Emi kept up to pace and planned accordingly. Our trip was mostly seamless and wonderful. Thank you Emi read more

Emi was wonderful. We changed our itinerary so many times. We had to cancel one year and rebook the next. We started out with a completely different itinerary than we ended up with. The entire time, Emi kept up to pace and planned accordingly. Our trip was mostly seamless and wonderful. Thank you Emi

Activity Reviews

The Best of Argentina Culinary Experience

Buenos Aires

This was so much fun! We had a blast and got to experience all sorts of culturally relevant activities

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Trekking to Emerald Lagoon

Ushuaia

Beautiful but didn't really feel like I needed a guide for this trip. Would have enjoyed a ride

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing experience working with Emilce for our delayed-honeymoon trip to Argentina! Emilce was extremely responsive to our needs and questions, even when we asked her to rework the itinerary multiple times throughout the year. She was very knowledgable in the best activities and tours that matched our lifestyle, but also in finding the best value for the budget. She did an amazing job at the end with getting everything booked on a tight timetable.

Emilce helped us focus our trip... read more

We had an amazing experience working with Emilce for our delayed-honeymoon trip to Argentina! Emilce was extremely responsive to our needs and questions, even when we asked her to rework the itinerary multiple times throughout the year. She was very knowledgable in the best activities and tours that matched our lifestyle, but also in finding the best value for the budget. She did an amazing job at the end with getting everything booked on a tight timetable.

Emilce helped us focus our trip on 3 areas - Buenos Aires, El Chalten/El Calafate in Patagonia, and Mendoza. She planned a trip where there was a healthy balance of travel/adventure with leisure time. We felt extremely satisfied at the end of our 2 weeks in the country and felt like we had a better sense of the magnitude of the country.

I under estimated the value of the service provided each day with the local guides, drivers, and tour contacts. We had extreme professionals taking care of us daily to make sure we knew exactly what to expect. Every contact in the trip was very personable as well and took great pride in ensuring our satisfaction and experience in Argentina. They helped make the trip even more unforgettable by providing insights and experiences that we could only get from a local perspective.

The one suggestion for future travelers is to try to fly into AEP instead of EZE when you want to explore the city. That would have saved us time and made it easier for luggage.

Hotel Reviews

Mirador del Lago

El Calafate

Very luxurious for the price. Mirador offered the most comfortable and largest hotel room during our trip. It felt very special spending time at Mirador and enjoyed all the amenities offered.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great views of the lake

Staff

Extremely helpful and knowledage

Cleanliness & Comfort

Night turn down service was special

Two Hotel Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Location was very central but the hotel room was not that good - very strange layout with very minimal space for clothes or suitcases. Room got hot during the summer. The cost was very very affordable but I personally would have splurged for something a bit nicer to come home to each night after a long day exploring BA in the summer

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dazzler by Wyndham Buenos Aires Palermo

Buenos Aires

Great location. Hotel room matched our need to be a base location for exploring Palermo. The room was very large to help us take hold of our luggage, but the open-concept sink outside the bathroom was very strange and led to messy floors with the water. I imagine the views from the room and top-floor breakfast area are stunning in the spring/fall. It was very sunny and warm during our trip so we weren't able to maximize this.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Club Tapiz

Maipú - Mendoza

Absolutely incredible. We enjoyed the Casa Zolo back house as it felt like our own personal summer house away in the wine country. Staff were extremely professional and the kitchen cooked up some of the best dishes we had in the trip. So many nice touches from a historical venue - two pools, incredible scenery of mountains and gardens, massive rooms with beautiful ornate doors and windows, etc. I could go on and on. We felt special staying here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Neighborhoods Tour

Buenos Aires

Neighborhoods Tour was the perfect way to start our BA trip by giving us local context into the main highlights of the city

Quality of Experience

I learned many things

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sabrina was so knowledgeable and friendly

Transport

AC private shuttle was much appreciated. I expected to walk in the heat so this helped

KimKim review: Emi was amazing and curated such a wonderful trip for us. Booking on KimKim was very convenient for us as we had very little time ourselves to plan a whole trip. The one aspect that caused some frustration was that Emi was only reachable by email effectively which makes the process very slow. I think even having one phone call to sort out small details and ask questions would have been much more efficient. In addition, factors outside of our control (big storms that take out... read more

KimKim review: Emi was amazing and curated such a wonderful trip for us. Booking on KimKim was very convenient for us as we had very little time ourselves to plan a whole trip. The one aspect that caused some frustration was that Emi was only reachable by email effectively which makes the process very slow. I think even having one phone call to sort out small details and ask questions would have been much more efficient. In addition, factors outside of our control (big storms that take out internet for a week or Park Ranger strikes) made Emi inaccessible for a week. We certainly don’t blame Emi for this at all, but it did create kinks in the planning process.

Once we were in Patagonia, our local support on WhatsApp Mateo was SO responsive and immediately available when issues came up (a lost reservation at one of the hotels, a lost cab, etc). None of these were KimKim’s fault but each issue was resolved in minutes. This was such an amazing feature!

Our trip review:

Transitions:
The transitions were seamless and we didn’t have any issues at all! Cab transfers to and from the major airports with local guides was a nice touch but ultimately for those wanting to save money, getting a cab/uber on your own seemed easy in Buenos Aires and Santiago and was likely a lot cheaper. I would therefore offer the transfer as an option. I would definitely recommend the private transfer from Calafate airport to El Chalten lodging. Puerto Natales also has a great cab system, and Weskar lodge can call a cab for you at any time that will be there in 5 minutes. That being said, not having to worry about calling cars was such a luxury. Our Taxi driver in Puerto Natales from the bus terminal to Weskar was really great.
- The bus from Argentina to Chile was very easy but a little confusing at the boarder. We could have used some instruction on what to expect.

English speaking guides:
- We found the guide in Buenos Aires to be helpful, especially because we had just arrived and money changing is quite difficult in Argentina. The English speaking guide in Santiago was not necessary for us, although if you are starting your trip in Santiago it could be nice.
- In general, we felt we did not need english speaking guides for transit purposes.

Airport timing: We appreciated getting to the airport before international flights early, but 2 hours early would have sufficed and definitely you don’t need to get to Calafate airport or Puerto Natales airport more than one hour in advance (2 hours early was way too much time). It felt like we were sitting for hours waiting for those flights. Others may have different preferences.

Hotels: We loved all of the hotels we stayed at. Weskar Lodge in Puerto Natales and Alto Calafate were our favorites. The pools and sauna at Alto Calafate after our 30 mile trek in Chalten was such a nice treat. It’s sort of away from the main town, but they have an hourly shuttle that takes you to and from the center of town. Weskar Lodge is also a bit outside of the center but we loved the 20-30min walks along the water to get into town.
For younger people like us wanting a more social lodging situation, staying in hostels in Chalten and Puerto Natales or even the major cities would have also been fun options. But we were really happy with the hotels Emi chose.
-We ended up booking a one-night stay at the Patagonia EcoDomes which was an absolute highlight. From the Domes you can hike directly to Lagos de los Tres and then hike down to town and they had a car that could bring your belongings down El Chalten for free. We had already paid for a private transfer, but this was a great option! They can also call you a cab easily so a transfer isn’t necessary if you want timing to be flexible.

Highlights:
Lagos de Los Tres
Mini Trekking in Calafate
Kayaking in Puerto Natales
(We also heard Paddle boarding with PatagoniaPaddle (you can find on IG) is an amazing activity although we didn’t do it.)
Hiking Base Torres in Torres del Paine (and our guide Claudia was amazing)
Tango show in Buenos Aires
All of the food in Puerto Natales- we were happy to have so many nights there!

We enjoyed the second hike in Torres del Paine through guanaco territory because we saw cave paintings and learned a bit more about the natives and the geology, but it was a very mild hiking day (~6 miles) and some may have preferred a larger trek in the park. We were tired after hiking Base Torres so it was actually nice! Also, Gabriella our guide was fantastic

Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers was also a really fun boat excursion. We also heard great things about the Grey Glacier boat excursion.

Overall AMAZING trip with basically no issues. Thank you all so much!!

Hotel Reviews

Two Hotel Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Nice hotel, basic amenities, continental breakfast, good location.

Posada y Cabañas El Barranco

El Chalten

Basic amenities, private ground floor room. Very close to trails and main strip. Nothing special. A hostel would have probably been just as nice and more social.

Alto Calafate Hotel Patagonico

El Calafate

Spa, massages, sauna, pool was so nice after trekking in Chalten! AMAZING view of Calafate-- we sat outside reading with wine every afternoon. Shuttles every hour can take you into town.

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Amazing view over the bay. Great staff and breakfast. They can easily call cabs within 4 minutes. Only a 20-30min walk into town (beautiful walk along the water) or a 5 min cab away.

Activity Reviews

Full day tour to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and Minitrekking

El Calafate

Such a highlight!! Would recommend 100%

Full day Hiking Base Las Torres - 20km approx

Puerto Natales

Our guide was amazing and we had a great group. The hike is spectacular. They provide trekking poles. You definitely want to be in good shape for this one. The drive from Puerto Natales is a couple hours so bring a book or something to listen to.

Eberhard Fjord Kayaking Tour

Puerto Natales

It was very windy and difficult but still so much fun! There were many beginners on our trip who did great, and one blind woman! It was definitely hard, but worth it. There is a mini hike on the island where you kayak to with amazing views of Patagonia.

Full day Hike Porteria Lago Sarmiento - 6/7 km approx

Puerto Natales

Definitely an easier day. We enjoyed seeing cave drawings and learning about guanacos, the other fauna, and the native history and geology.

Navigation to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

Good to do after a big trek to rest. The average age was definitely 60-80 (or young children) so we felt a little bit young but the glaciers are so cool to see (although not as impressive as Merano glacier), they serve whisky on the rocks and serve an enormous plate of lamb for lunch- we had a BLAST.

While researching agencies to help me plan my 50th birthday trip to South America, I came across the name KimKim. KimKim is an online travel agency that uses local travel specialists to help you plan your trip. I was very fortunate to be connected with Emilce Alonso, an Argentina travel agent that helped me put the trip together. I’ve done a lot of traveling, but this trip was incredible. Emi did a phenomenal job of putting our trip together. I made a list of everything I wanted to do in... read more

While researching agencies to help me plan my 50th birthday trip to South America, I came across the name KimKim. KimKim is an online travel agency that uses local travel specialists to help you plan your trip. I was very fortunate to be connected with Emilce Alonso, an Argentina travel agent that helped me put the trip together. I’ve done a lot of traveling, but this trip was incredible. Emi did a phenomenal job of putting our trip together. I made a list of everything I wanted to do in South America, eliminated a lot because of time and then let Emi know the things we wanted to do. She put it all together for us and did an amazing job of booking our flights in South America (we had to book the international flights), booking all of the hotels and setting up all of our excursions. She was extremely patient as I made multiple changes to the itinerary, even weeks before departure time. We were greeted at every airport by a driver and sometimes a guide, we were picked up for every excursion at our hotels and all of the guides were very friendly and spoke English. We did some of the excursions with private guides, which made it extra special. A few guides that stand out are Yvette in the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls. She was well known and led us to the front of the many long lines and was very knowledgeable. Jorge in Quito, Ecuador was our favorite! It was a private tour of the city and old town. He was very personable, felt like we were family visiting and getting to know his city. While in Peru, Veronica went out of her way to make sure our stay was special. This trip was also about celebrating our 20 year anniversary and she surprised us with a bottle of champagne for New Years and set up a private tour guide for Machu Pichu. Fatima picked us up at the train station and led us through an impressive tour of one of the new seven wonders of the world! One of the best things was that they were available 24/7 to answer any questions or concerns we had. I highly recommend KimKim to anyone interested in stress-free travel!

Everything was so very easy and wonderful, tailored so nicely to our family! The kids had a marvelous time, no melt downs, which meant that the parents had a wonderful time as well! The jungle fly tour was especially fun for all and finding the best ice cream spot on the city tour was also a big treat! Iguazu is a place for all to visit, especially up close and UNDER the falls. All of our guides were attentive to the adult and children needs, meeting them wonderfully. Thanks for a great trip! read more

Everything was so very easy and wonderful, tailored so nicely to our family! The kids had a marvelous time, no melt downs, which meant that the parents had a wonderful time as well! The jungle fly tour was especially fun for all and finding the best ice cream spot on the city tour was also a big treat! Iguazu is a place for all to visit, especially up close and UNDER the falls. All of our guides were attentive to the adult and children needs, meeting them wonderfully. Thanks for a great trip!

Activity Reviews

CATAMARAN RIDE: SUNSET

Puerto Iguazu

A beautiful way to see 3 countries.

Tigre & Delta of the Paraná - PRIVATE

Buenos Aires

Such a unique and interesting place!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent staff able to cater to the needs of our family, understanding how children can be!

Transport

Half day City Tour - Private service with English speaking guide

Buenos Aires

Excellent tour, our guide was able to tailor the tour to the changing needs of our whole family throughout the tour. So much great information about the history, architecture, and art of the city. Very helpful guide in all ways with great recommendations! Thank you!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was so nice and very understanding of children

Transport

Puerto Iguazu: Jungle Fly Adventure Tour

Puerto Iguazu

Excellent adventure for our family, the kids absolutely loved it, as did the adults. A great way to see the area up close.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kind staff

Transport

Fun ride in the back of the big green truck

Argentinean Falls - PRIVATE

Puerto Iguazu

So much to see and a great way to see it and get lots of information!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing staff

Transport

Brazilian Falls - PRIVATE

Puerto Iguazu

So lovely, definitely do the boat tour to experience going under the falls! Bring shoes you can get wet along with a change of clothes!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very helpful and able to cater to the needs of our whole family, understanding how children can be!

Transport

We took a South American tour from 27/11/2022 to 13/12/2022 organized by agent Emi through Kimkim. Here is our feedback on the trip:
It was very helpful to have ongoing emails from Emi before and during the trip. It helped to keep the communication going and prepare us. We could have used some more information about tipping – when and how much is appropriate in different situations.
For the most part, the internal flight times, tours and the accommodations were well planned with no waste... read more

We took a South American tour from 27/11/2022 to 13/12/2022 organized by agent Emi through Kimkim. Here is our feedback on the trip:
It was very helpful to have ongoing emails from Emi before and during the trip. It helped to keep the communication going and prepare us. We could have used some more information about tipping – when and how much is appropriate in different situations.
For the most part, the internal flight times, tours and the accommodations were well planned with no waste of times. At times during the whole trip, we felt it was too busy but, in the end,…. we realized it was worth it as we had limited time in each city and needed to make the best of it.
We arrived in Santiago on Dec 27th morning. A nice lady driver (Olivia?) and guide Franco received us at the airport, helped with bags etc. and took us to the hotel Pullman. Our room was not available until the afternoon. The concierge allowed us to keep our luggage safe for the time, so we went out to find some lunch. Later, we got and settled into our room. Following a nice rest, we were driven to the Vinolia winery and restaurant. We had a wonderful and thorough gastronomic experience of Chilean wine tasting (with a very knowledgeable host). It was a very enjoyable well presented dinner; we appreciated that the staff especially accommodated our dietary needs(lactose intolerant).. The next day morning, after our breakfast we met the guide (Robinson) who took us on a panoramic tour of the city including the Cerro Santa Lucía park where we got a nice scenic view. After our city tour, we enjoyed a fresh fish lunch with our fellow travellers at the fish restaurant in Mercado Central. As we went on the tour, Robinson attempted to give us English translation but the group was mostly Spanish speaking so we got less information than we would have liked. In the afternoon we visited the Maipo vineyards - Concha Y Toro where we had a wine tasting experience (happy to get the wine glasses to take home).The next day also guided by Robinson, was another busy day with a morning visit to Valparaiso where we saw the incredible artistic graffiti throughout the city, the harbour and scenic views of city and favelas from atop of one of the hills. We had nice lunch at the castle restaurant at Vina Del Mar and a stop at the beach. This time, Robinson placed us closer to front of bus so he could translate in English more often when seeing us. His regular suggestions to take funny photos made for some extra fun!
The next day was a day of rest and an evening flight to Mendoza. The driver Orlando who took us to the airport was informative and helpful. We arrived in Mendoza late evening, The quaint hotel - Club Tapiz we stayed at was located in a vineyard and provided a very serene peaceful experience. The restaurant staff were very accommodating and helped us meet our dietary needs. The next morning, we left early for a whole day in the mountains. We noted that out of consideration of our early start, the hotel staff was very nice to leave us a kettle, tea packets, some fruit and cookies etc. for breakfast. Our driver Patricio (very considerate and helped to get a badly needed coffee) drove us to meet the bus in the city. We met the guide and bus full of other tourists. We then proceeded to travel to the pre-Andes mountains where we stopped to visit the Inca bridge and old hotel with hot springs. It was a long journey but nonetheless interesting. Again, sadly the guide.... spoke most of the time in Spanish because it was mostly a Spanish speaking group (there were only three of us who spoke English). The lunch was a traditional type of a meal in a small restaurant. We sat with some others in the group who were so nice that they treated us by sharing a bottle of wine and did not allow us to contribute. It was
quite cool at times in the mountains so it was good that we were told ahead of time to bring jackets. The next day, our guide Claudia took us to wine tasting experiences at two vineries both very different and quite interesting to see the wine production facilities including the wine cellars. It was followed by another wine experience this time accompanied by a five course lunch (each course paired with a wine). That was quite a day and we definitely needed to rest after all that! In the evening we were taken to the airport by Orlando to catch the plane to Buenos Aires.
We arrived late in BA. The guide (Andrea) was informative and also helpful about money changing as she knew that would be difficult on a Sunday night. The hotel ( Pestana BA) which was not what we expected. The room was very basic and there was not even a bottle of water. That is usually something that is so welcoming to a weary traveller. Sadly, as we were tired, we would have preferred to stay in but there was not even room service available. We were forced to go out at that time in a strange city and managed to find a restaurant we could eat at. Thank goodness for Google maps and GPS. The next day we had a half day city tour, and our guide Savarita was helpful and knowledgeable. We visited the La Boca area where we saw a lot of street artists and in the city, we saw some of the important places like Evita Peron’s balcony and Pope Francis’s home church. That evening, we went to La Ventana for an incredible dinner tango show. The next day, a large group was collected from various hotels by our guide Camilla. It was a very long day with a trip to the countryside to visit a farm and see the Gauchos. The experience included horseback riding, a barbecue lunch, a show of traditional folk dancing and finally a moving show with a gaucho/horse whisperer. It was an extremely hot day as apparently often is at this time in BA and any travellers on this trip should be prepared with cool clothes, wet wipes, water bottles etc. Camilla was very informative and went out of her way to look after everyone in the group well. She even showed us how to make the traditional tea drink “matte” on the bus while we were on route. She diligently ensured that each one got back to their hotel at the end of the long tiring day even arranging a special taxi for us.
The following day, we left to catch a flight to Iguazu. We arrived around 10am. and were received at the airport by a guide Milvia. She took us to the hotel Mercure and since we arrived early, we could not book in our room till 3pm. We were tired and hungry, but we were supposed to go on a half day tour to see the Brazilian falls and the Parque Das Aves. We had to request the guide to give us a bit of time to change in the hotel guest washrooms and allow us to have something to eat. Luckily, we had saved a small meal from the airport as there was no food easily available at the hotel at that time. We wish we had been given a little more time to rest before the half day tour because it turned out to be a very long day with a lot of walking. The falls and bird park were spectacular and not to be missed! We found the Mercure hotel and services (dining room with unusual glass floor section overlooking fish pond, pool, conference room where we watched the soccer game) to be excellent. The next day, we were taken on a day tour of the Argentinian falls and the National Park by our guide John. He was very helpful and knowledgeable. He accompanied the group and provided interesting facts along the whole pathway to witness the spectacular beauty of all the many falls. We also took the extra excursion of the adventure on the boat which goes right to the bottom of the falls. It’s good to let the tourists know that taking this trip means you will get thoroughly soaked. Luckily, they provided participants with waterproof bags to store cameras and other belongings. The next day we had the whole day to explore Iguazu town, so we went to the arts and crafts stores to buy some gifts. We realized that when in South America at any point one is without a guide, it really helps to know some Spanish and to have the correct currency on hand. The small stores cannot not always handle credit cards. That evening we got to watch the World Cup soccer game with some passionate Argentinian soccer fans in the hotel conference room…that was fun especially since Argentina was playing.
In the evening, we were picked up to head to the airport to head to Rio de Janeiro. That was an adventure itself because the Spanish speaking driver took us to the wrong airport thinking we were flying on a domestic flight. We were surprised that he had not been informed it was the international airport we were going to so we could get to Rio. Luckily, we were able to explain to him that we were going to Brazil. He then quickly rerouted and we were taken right across the city to the correct airport, thankfully in time to board.
We arrived in Rio and were taken to the Arena Leme Hotel which was walking distance from Copacabana beach. The next morning, we were picked up and taken by our guide Paolo to visit Corcovado and see the famous Christ the Redeemer statue. Paolo who spoke both English and Spanish, was quite entertaining throughout the trip. We were taken to an All u can Eat BBQ lunch and got to try some sugar cane liquor. In the afternoon, we saw the soccer stadium and then went to Sugar Loaf. The cable car trip was not as good because the weather (very foggy) did not cooperate, but the group made the best of it. Finally, we were finished with the trip and got ready to go to the airport to take our flight heading home. We found the drivers who drove us to the airport were not helpful. We understand that not all of them speak English so there may be no conversation during the ride but there was not even an offer to help with the bags. Needless to say they were not in our favourite list for gratuities.
All in all,….it was an amazing and well organized trip. We highly recommend to others to take it. We would love to make another trip to see the countries we missed!

Hotel Reviews

Pullman Santiago El Bosque

Las Condes, Santiago

Nice place comfortable and close to amenities

Authenticity & Character

Authentic

Location

Close to amenities

Staff

Service especially in the restaurant

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great

Club Tapiz

Maipú - Mendoza

Fantastic relaxing among the vineyards. helpful and accommodating staff especially in the restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Very unique

Location

Serine

Staff

Helpful and courteous

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathrooms , Linen

Pestana Buenos Aires Hotel

Buenos Aires

Poor location and service

Authenticity & Character

Facilities, especially restaurant, availability of room service

Location

Middle of the city but Poor could have been a better location

Staff

Front desk staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Iguazu Hotel Iru

Puerto Iguazú

Unique palace to relax

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful and modern

Location

Nice and relaxing among the wild life

Staff

very helpful and accommodating at all times

Cleanliness & Comfort

Excellent

Arena Leme

Rio de Janeiro

Nice and comfortable near Copacabana beach

Authenticity & Character

Modern facility with allservices

Location

Close to beach and center of the city. Walking distant to every place.

Staff

very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Excellent.

Activity Reviews

Vinolia: Wine Tasting

Santiago

It was wonderful and informative.

Quality of Experience

Food

Authentic

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Courteous and helpful

Transport

Comfortable

Panoramic City Tour

Santiago

Peterson was very informative.

Quality of Experience

Detais

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Polite and courteous

Transport

Small group

Half day Maipo Vineyards - Concha y Toro Winery: Classic Tour

Santiago

Amassing peice of history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Provided ample time for us to explore

Transport

Comfortable

Full Day - Valparaiso & Viña del Mar

Santiago

It is a unique experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

High Mountain Tour Mendoza

Mendoza

It is a long day but good experience to see the landscape

Quality of Experience

It is a piece of history that is unique

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide could be more fluent in multilingualism. We had few lines of English explanation.

Transport

Long ride but comfortable enough

Luján de Cuyo Wine Tasting

Mendoza

It is a wonderful opportunity to to experience many wines and to see the production lines

Quality of Experience

Rare opportunity

Food

Wow

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private driver Patricio and the guide was very caring

Transport

Comfortable private transport

Neighborhoods Tour

Buenos Aires

Architecture , history and restaurants

Quality of Experience

Walking around, La Boca

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Informative

Transport

Comfortable

Tango Show & Dinner

Buenos Aires

This was something I was waiting for. It was a fabulous show and dinner. I like the fact the dinner was served prior to the show so we could watch show uninterrupted.

Quality of Experience

The fabulous entertainment

Food

Quality

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private driver was excellent guided us to the place

Transport

Comfortable and safe car

San Antonio de Areco & Estancia el Ombu

Buenos Aires

Unique experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Unique experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Camilla was informative and very helpful

Transport

Perfect for the long trip

Brazilian Falls - PRIVATE

Puerto Iguazu

Exhausting to do the half day tour straight off the flight from BA. Some time to recap and rest would have been nice. Lots of walking.

Quality of Experience

Nice to see the birds and get close to the falls

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Took the time to take us around walking the 1800 steps

Transport

Perfect private transportation

The Birds Park - PRIVATE

Puerto Iguazu

It is nice to see some injured birds are being cared for

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Argentinean Falls - Full day

Puerto Iguazu

It is a must see if you are visiting South America

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide Milvia was helpful and walked the distance with us.

Transport

Nice private transportation

Rio de Janeiro: FD Corcovado and Sugar Loaf Excursion

Rio de Janeiro

It is a must in Rio

Quality of Experience

Long Day

Food

Nice to enjoy the local food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Paolo was entertaining

Transport

Comfortable

This is our second time using Kimkim and the experience with our trip to Argentina was a bit rockier than our previous stellar experience in Portugal. Starting with the driver not picking us up when we landed in Buenos Aires to quite a few schedule schedule changes throughout, we were most concerned at the last minute notifications and lack of consultation from the local office. When we got Kimkim HQ involved, they were very responsive and worked hard with the local office to try to sort... read more

This is our second time using Kimkim and the experience with our trip to Argentina was a bit rockier than our previous stellar experience in Portugal. Starting with the driver not picking us up when we landed in Buenos Aires to quite a few schedule schedule changes throughout, we were most concerned at the last minute notifications and lack of consultation from the local office. When we got Kimkim HQ involved, they were very responsive and worked hard with the local office to try to sort things out and also to compensate us for the problems. The activities themselves were great and the scenery in Argentina is breathtaking. The local guides were all excellent. But just a word of caution to expect spur-of-the-moment changes, at least in Argentina.

Activity Reviews

Tango Show and Dinner at Café De Los Angelitos

Buenos Aires

Excellent experience - both the show and dinner. Aside from the multiple tango numbers, the singers were also an unexpected bonus and contributed to the positive vibe.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver picked us up earlier than expected and we ended up having to cool our heels in a holding area for an extra half hour with no drinks or food.

Full day Cafayate Excursion

Salta

Drop-dead gorgeous scenery. Nice pace for the private tour along with a delicious lunch in Cafayate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day tour to Vineyards: Wine and Olive

Mendoza

Excellent stops at two wineries as well as a wonderful multi-course lunch with wine parings at Bodega Vistalba.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

High Mountain Tour Mendoza

Mendoza

Spectacular drive. It was great to get to see Aconcagua. What made the trip priceless was our lunch stop in Uspallata where we got to see the second half of the world cup gain and see the joy of the Argentinians when their team won.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class

Mendoza

We made bread, empanadas and fried dessert. Great classmates and we enjoyed eating our efforts in the courtyard with a glass of wine while watching the meat for our lunch being grilled. Excellent multi-course lunch. Class was to include breakfast, but it was just a basket of bread, so we were really hungry by lunch!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Salinas Grandes

Salta

Spectacular drive on a very well-maintenance hairpin road to reach the salt flats. Nice stops for photos throughout as well as ample opportunity to explore once we got there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Purmamarca & Humahuaca to Salta

Argentina

Nice visit to both small towns and the surrounding scenery was gorgeous, as were the views all along the way. Unfortunately we didn't make it to Humahuaca in time to see the priest come out of the clock as promised and also learned the 14 color mountain was a separate tour and not included with our day trip. Beyond that though, we really enjoyed the small towns and opportunity to taste the local flavors during our lunch stop.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Argentinean Falls - Full day

Puerto Iguazu

Great walking tour of the Argentine side of the falls with many opportunities for photos from various vistas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brazilian Falls - PRIVATE

Puerto Iguazu

Nice complement to the Argentine side tour the previous day to get other views of the falls. Unfortunately, we were only informed after booking that the Garganta del Diablo bridge had been damaged and was being repaired, as was another portion of the walking path, which would have been one of the highlights.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day City Tour - Private service with English speaking guide

Buenos Aires

Good overview of the city - best to do when you first arrive to get an idea of those areas you'd like to return to.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gastronomy experience: Parrilla Walking Tour

Buenos Aires

3 stops - one for empanadas, another for an excellent grilled meat lunch and finally ice cream for dessert. We thought it was going to be small bites at multiple places, but this worked our well and we enjoyed the food at all stops.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fiesta Gaucha Estancia Santa Susana Excursion

Buenos Aires

Relaxing all day experience with a nice drive out to the estancia. The hostess was fantastic and really worked hard to keep everyone informed and involved. Lovely lunch under the shade of the trees after a quiet horseback ride around the property.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Emi and the others did an absolutely incredible job planning this trip from start to finish! The accommodations were terrific, and any minor problems were resolved quickly. Communication with the team was prompt and excellent. Thank you all so much!

It's hard to put 2 weeks into a small text box, but overall this trip exceeded our expectations by far! Everything was smooth and well-coordinated. It was completely stress-free on our end, but i can only imagine the amount of work on the other side!

We particularly loved the private tours with Daniel in Mendoza, Jaime in Valparaiso, and our favorite was Vitor in Santiago; so much information!! We had never done the "private" tour style before this trip, and we will definitely choose that... read more

It's hard to put 2 weeks into a small text box, but overall this trip exceeded our expectations by far! Everything was smooth and well-coordinated. It was completely stress-free on our end, but i can only imagine the amount of work on the other side!

We particularly loved the private tours with Daniel in Mendoza, Jaime in Valparaiso, and our favorite was Vitor in Santiago; so much information!! We had never done the "private" tour style before this trip, and we will definitely choose that from now on!

One of our highlights was being in Argentina for the world cup semifinals. We loved Buenos Aires in general and can't wait to go back there. Chili was also amazing, with so much more to explore.

We hope to book another trip with KimKim next year!

Hotel Reviews

Huinid Obelisco Hotel

Buenos Aires

Great location, very comfortable!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amérian Executive Hotel Mendoza

Mendoza

We might be negatively biased because there was a big storm and a power outage while we were there. There was kind of a weird smell, and the air con struggled a bit. Everything just felt a bit dated. But the staff was friendly and the rooftop pool was nice!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Steps from Arístides

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Just some updating... several minor things slightly off

Pullman Santiago El Bosque

Las Condes, Santiago

This hotel was extremely modern and fancy and comfortable. Everything was shiny and new and the breakfast was fantastic. Steps from the Subway

Authenticity & Character

Everything was sparkling new and refreshing, but not really local character i think. However after the Mendoza hotel which was lots of character but not as fancy, this was a nice way to have the other experience!

Location

We made it work by getting the Bip subway cards, but travelers not used to public transportation might find the location too far from the tourist places. (The subway was amazing wow! So it worked out great!) Also, due to the timing of the Xmas holiday the mall was so crowded, it felt like black Friday:)

Staff

They all spoke 100% perfect English wow

Cleanliness & Comfort

Insanely clean, comfortable, beautiful

Fauna Hotel

Valparaíso

Super cute hotel, it was like staying in an art gallery! And on a quiet pedestrian-only street right next to the ascensor.

Authenticity & Character

Bursting with character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No TV or Aircon, which wasn't a problem for us, but some might miss it

Activity Reviews

Neighborhoods Tour

Buenos Aires

Our guide was great! Very knowledgeable and friendly and easy to understand. This was just the right length of tour and size of group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango Show and Dinner at Café De Los Angelitos

Buenos Aires

We weren't really sure about this whole thing (tourist trap?) but turns out we loved it! The dancing was incredible and we wouldn't have found that experience elsewhere.

Quality of Experience

Food

I usually don't like mass group food but this was very reasonable!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Since our hotel was less than a km from the venue, it felt a bit silly to have a private driver to/from; maybe suggest to walk there instead as an option?

ACONCAGUA HILL "TREKKING & LANDSCAPING"

Mendoza

Our guide Daniel was great! We got lucky and had a great view of the mountain that day! The Inca bridge was really cool, and Daniel pointed out lots of other geographic features.

Quality of Experience

Food

The packed lunch worked out great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Really appreciated Daniel's knowledge and experience

Transport

Full day tour to Vineyards: Wine and Olive

Mendoza

The Olive experience was interesting and delicious. We really liked the first vineyard because it was small and packed with information. Then the lunch afterwards at the larger venue was delicious with spectacular views!!

Quality of Experience

Food

This was by far our favorite winery lunch!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic City Tour

Santiago

The tour was full of about 14 people, all of who spoke Spanish except us. So the guide gave 80% of the info in Spanish and only 20% in English. I told him I could understand Spanish if he spoke slowly, so he did slow down a bit for me, but my husband got not much out of it. Also...the tour ends by them dumping you in a tourist trap gift shop for blue stones. (None of our other tours were like this!!) We walked out and found our own way back.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maipo Valley - Concha y Toro & Santa Rita Wineries

Santiago

We really loved Santa Rita! We learned a lot on the tour, enjoyed the beautiful garden, and really enjoyed the tasting! Concho y Toro, while super popular and known as a must-see, wasn't our favorite...it felt too corporate. Our guide Vitor was amazing and gave us a ton of additional information!

Quality of Experience

Really enjoyed everything except the lunch at Concho y Toro/the whole experience there wasn't for us. But Santa Rita and Vitor's guidance made this a really great time!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

PRIVATE: Full Day Valparaiso and Viña del Mar

Santiago

This had so much great information!! Vitor was the best! We felt like we got to know the whole countryside. We even stopped to feed carrots to llamas! Viña del Mar was beautiful and the lunch worked out great; we loved being able to order what we wanted. The walking tour of Valparaiso provided by Vitor really helped orient us to the city!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great team with Enrique and Vitor!

Transport

Visit to 2 Wineries in Casablanca Valley

Valparaiso

We absolutely loved the Bodega RE. The wines were great, the winery guide was great, the place was beautiful. The Bosque winery was pretty but again felt pretty corporate, but the lunch and tour were well done. Our guide/driver Jaime was very informative and friendly and we learned a lot from him!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The itinerary was well prepared, keeping the group's requests for preferred activities, hikes and hotel style selection.
Emi communicated well in preparation for the trip, and provided a local contact to work with locally at each stop. When programs were to be reorganized when cancelled planned activities ( 3 times, for local unpredictable reasons), I wish there had been better communication from Kimkim and contacts to avoid the stress of having to select a new alternative for the specific... read more

The itinerary was well prepared, keeping the group's requests for preferred activities, hikes and hotel style selection.
Emi communicated well in preparation for the trip, and provided a local contact to work with locally at each stop. When programs were to be reorganized when cancelled planned activities ( 3 times, for local unpredictable reasons), I wish there had been better communication from Kimkim and contacts to avoid the stress of having to select a new alternative for the specific day.
Drivers for private transportation were always punctual, friendly and reliable.
The hotels were all clean, comfortable and friendly reception. I can recommend each of them.
Guides were helpful and pleasant.
Highlights for me were French Valley, kayak at Perito Moreno glacier, also the Tango show in Buenos Aires. El Chalten is definitely a highlight as well!
thank you Emi and Kimkim. i have recommended you to a couple friends .

1. The highlight of the trip was to hike the base of Torres del Paine because of the ranger strike we did the pine hill trail. we were little slow compared to the rest of the group and the leader decided that we should just go back and not reach the top. this was totally absurd, we should have been informed that if you are slow get a private guide. We came prepared for this hike and were not allowed to do it. After spending so much money this is what we get.
2. On the way back from Bermuda... read more

1. The highlight of the trip was to hike the base of Torres del Paine because of the ranger strike we did the pine hill trail. we were little slow compared to the rest of the group and the leader decided that we should just go back and not reach the top. this was totally absurd, we should have been informed that if you are slow get a private guide. We came prepared for this hike and were not allowed to do it. After spending so much money this is what we get.
2. On the way back from Bermuda glacier we did not have anyone to pick us up. we waited for half an
hour and then took a ride from a stranger.
3. The last day we were waiting to be picked up to go go the airport and the driver had the wrong time for the flight, totally not aware. We had to call the company and they sent a driver we barely missed the flight.
4. When we reached Santiago our luggage didn't arrive we texted you no response. It was not a great experience after the amou t of money spent.

My heartfelt thanks to EMI for diligently finding our stargazing picture of Nov. 12. Just a picture of all of us, but it is such a wonderful memory and does mean a lot. THANK YOU!

Janet read more

My heartfelt thanks to EMI for diligently finding our stargazing picture of Nov. 12. Just a picture of all of us, but it is such a wonderful memory and does mean a lot. THANK YOU!

Janet

All tours provided were on time read more

All tours provided were on time

Chile is not an easy country to navigate especially if you don't speak Spanish. It was wonderful to have Kimkim plan our adventures and take the stress of travel away. We were very impressed with the drivers and guides. We were able to see a lot of the country in 3 weeks. Next time I would plan longer in Patagonia as the wind caused our boat tours there to be cancelled. They were helpful in getting us refunds which would have been hard to deal with ourselves not knowing Spanish. I would... read more

Chile is not an easy country to navigate especially if you don't speak Spanish. It was wonderful to have Kimkim plan our adventures and take the stress of travel away. We were very impressed with the drivers and guides. We were able to see a lot of the country in 3 weeks. Next time I would plan longer in Patagonia as the wind caused our boat tours there to be cancelled. They were helpful in getting us refunds which would have been hard to deal with ourselves not knowing Spanish. I would definitely recommend Kimkim.

The onset of COVID forced us to postpone our planned 2 week itinerary to Chile in March of 2020 but KimKim faithfully stayed in contact with us, encouraging us to not cancel but only delay the trip. We were apprehensive and concerned we would lose our paid trip but were more than satisfied with the repeated contacts from the company over 2 years of delay. They were responsive and personal in our communication the entire time.
Our guides and drivers were excellent, giving us Spanish lessons... read more

The onset of COVID forced us to postpone our planned 2 week itinerary to Chile in March of 2020 but KimKim faithfully stayed in contact with us, encouraging us to not cancel but only delay the trip. We were apprehensive and concerned we would lose our paid trip but were more than satisfied with the repeated contacts from the company over 2 years of delay. They were responsive and personal in our communication the entire time.
Our guides and drivers were excellent, giving us Spanish lessons as we drove. We learned South American politics, economics and family life from different points of view, depending on who we were with that day.
We were traveling as independent travelers but our tour had us joining other groups or independents on our excursions. We like that kind of plan and made so many friends from around the world.
Santiago-Punta Arenas-Puerto Natales-Santiago-Atacama high desert-Vina Del Mar and Valparaiso was our itinerary. Our favorite was Puerto Natales and the excursions into Torres del Paine, especially the glacier tour day. And at Atacama the excursion to the geysers before dawn was unreal.
Our other favorite wasn’t a planned excursion but a happy independent traveler adventure as a result of meeting a Chilean who lives in Salt Lake City on our flight from Atlanta. He was going home to his family for the summer and invited us to visit in Casablanca. On the last day of our trip we accepted his parents gracious invitation to lunch at their home. We now have a wonderful family connection in Chile and plan to see them in Minnesota. 😊

Emi was fantastic all through the planning. She gave us great options and made changes based on our (not always clear) descriptions of what we’d like to do.

I fully recommend Emi (and Mateo) and Kim Kim read more

Emi was fantastic all through the planning. She gave us great options and made changes based on our (not always clear) descriptions of what we’d like to do.

I fully recommend Emi (and Mateo) and Kim Kim

Hotel Reviews

Pullman Santiago El Bosque

Las Condes, Santiago

Hotel, staff, and location were great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bellavista

Puerto Varas

Wow! What a view couldn't ask for a better location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tour: Full Day Valparaiso & Casablanca Valley

Santiago

Orlando, our driver and guide for the day was very personable and informative. The wine tour was really good. Though it was a bit weird to do the tasting in the morning, it did mean we had a more intimate tour. The streets of Valparaiso were lovely, and the Neruda museum was fun and quirky. The only weak spot was perhaps the castle restarting for lunch and the tour through Viña del Mar. Neither was bad, just lackluster.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Volcán Osorno + Trekking El Solitario + Petrohue

Puerto Varas

We are not a family who treks. So this ended up being some work and exercise for us. But so worth it!! The views, the environment… breathtaking. And Javier was an amazing guide. He could “read the room” and kept us laughing and learning. He helped us rest when we needed and motivated us when we needed it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Puyehue National Park and Hotsprings

Puerto Varas

This day was fun. But it was a lot of driving to get to views that may be replicated closer to Puerto Varas. Though it was nice seeing some of the small towns along the way. Christian, our driver and guide, was amazing. And he adored well when we hit some bumps. When we arrived at the park and hot springs, the staff was on strike, so we couldn’t do the big pool hot springs where you really soak. But in the end, that was ok. They didn’t seem to have much a view and just looked like a public pool. Instead we soaked our feet in the natural (and free) hot springs riverside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Kayak Reloncavi Fjord

Puerto Varas

This experience was amazing! Fantastic views of the fjord, the volcano, and the sea lions. All while getting a little exercise out on the water. The the view from the woman’s farm where we stopped for lunch was awe inspiring. And she was extremely sweet. Chloe our guide was fantastic too. She was funny and knowledgeable. Also, I have to plug the lunch. All the other excursions had boxed lunches from a company. They were fine. But these lunches, someone took real time making just for us: salads, homemade cookies, coffee riverside, etc. And they took into account some dietary restrictions I have. Really put an amazing experience over the top by going that extra mile.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Emi was wonderful! We had the most incredible trip to Buenos Aires and Mendoza. She was patient and full of wonderful suggestions. Thank you! read more

Emi was wonderful! We had the most incredible trip to Buenos Aires and Mendoza. She was patient and full of wonderful suggestions. Thank you!

Activity Reviews

Mendoza - Private wine tour

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Half day City Tour - Private service with English speaking guide

Buenos Aires

Loved our time with Fernando

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food walking tour -Palermo

Buenos Aires

Tons of food! Great way to eat your way through BA

I was only able to spend 5 days on this trip. This was in practice reduced to 4 days when LATAM canceled my flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas, and I was transferred to a flight the next. Two of the four days were therefore devoted to travel - Santiago to Puerto Natales and back, via Punta Arenas. The two days in Puerto Natales were devoted to a hike up to Cerro Paine and a boat excursion to the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers.

The Cerro Paine hike was arranged at the last minute in place... read more

I was only able to spend 5 days on this trip. This was in practice reduced to 4 days when LATAM canceled my flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas, and I was transferred to a flight the next. Two of the four days were therefore devoted to travel - Santiago to Puerto Natales and back, via Punta Arenas. The two days in Puerto Natales were devoted to a hike up to Cerro Paine and a boat excursion to the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers.

The Cerro Paine hike was arranged at the last minute in place of the popular Torres Paine Base hike because the park was closed due to a strike by park rangers. The hike is very demanding physically - a vertical gain of nearly 1300 meters, some of it on an exposed and very windy slope. It requires hiking poles (provided by the guide) but is not technically difficult or dangerous. The views of the Torres along the route and at the top are stunning. Pray for good weather, though - you might be miserable on a wet or unusually windy day.

The boat trip was on a catamaran capable of seating about 200 passengers. The boat is comfortable, and as the weather was calm (though overcast) it was quite stable. Viewing decks are a little cramped. The trip allowed us to cormorant colonies and sea lions up close, waterfalls from the steep rocky slopes, and the glaciers, which are sadly receding due to climate change. Light refreshments were served by the crew. Lunch was served at a stop on the way back, and consisted of local meat dishes with soup and dessert.

Local guides: They are advertised as speaking English, but don't expect learned discourses on the geology, flora, or fauna of the region. They were all very friendly, paid attention to our safety and physical needs - but do your own homework if you expect more than that.

The Casa Patagonia hotel at Puerto Natales is apparently managed by the same company as the local tour company that arranged my visits. They are housed in the same building and share some of the staff. It is located near the center of the town, with many restaurants nearby. It is also just across the street from a nightclub, which played very (!) loud music all night (until 5 am) on the night of my arrival. The hotel staff were aware of the problem. The following nights were OK - the club is apparently active on Friday and Saturday nights only. My room was small, but immaculately clean, as was the ensuite which is tiny. The bed was comfortable. The room has only 2 electric sockets on either side of the bed, making it difficult to work on my laptop with the power plugged in. Sower water was warm - but not really hot. Breakfast was good, with a selection of fresh fruit in addition to a continental style menu. It turns out that there are hotels in the town on the coast that are not adjacent to restaurants but which offer views of the sea, such as the Hotel Altaplanico - which I personally would have preferred given the choice.

The logistics of my trip were relatively simple, but all transfers, tours etc. were excellent. Drivers were always on time to pick me up, the paperwork was perfect and everything about the trip turned out exactly as planned.

Amazing trip, one of the best. It was so stress free having not to worry about any transportation needs and having English speaking guides. All the attractions we went to were breathe taking. I would recommend them to anyone looking to book stress free and to have everything a country has to offer incorporated. We just had 1 bad hiccup in Mendoza due to car troubles we were not able to make our sunset horseback riding tour. Besides that I will def be using them again next year when we plan a... read more

Amazing trip, one of the best. It was so stress free having not to worry about any transportation needs and having English speaking guides. All the attractions we went to were breathe taking. I would recommend them to anyone looking to book stress free and to have everything a country has to offer incorporated. We just had 1 bad hiccup in Mendoza due to car troubles we were not able to make our sunset horseback riding tour. Besides that I will def be using them again next year when we plan a trip elsewhere..maybe Europe?