Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had an amazing trip and are very thankful for all of Terry’s help, especially with multiple changes of plans.

We stayed at Ocelle Thermae and Spa in Sirmione Italy. We had asked for a room on Lake Garda. What we got was a room that had a lake view but the lake was across a busy street and the view was small as it was between 2 houses. The rest of the trip itinerary was top notch.

Activity Reviews

Bernina train from Como

Italy

Bernina train is the best. Up close and personal to the alps.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bus needed to have a bathroom on board

Private Boat Tour of Lake Como - Explore Bellagio

Italy

Very good private boat guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you so much for KimKim they made our trip more easier, they provide for us all the facilities to enjoy my honeymoon.

They are very professional and organized I recommend this agency 👌👌

Activity Review

Delos & Rhenia Sailing Cruise & Lunch

Mykonos

The tip amazing the caption and the crew very friendly they prepared for us very nice launch 🫶😍

Quality of Experience

Amazing

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very nice staff

Transport

Unfortunately Kristina and I never got on the same page. Her idea of a good day was to start early and be busy all day seeing the sights, we are a bit more relaxed in our travel ventures.

Hotel Reviews

Britannia Hotel

Trondheim

We did not go to Trondheim

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Scandic Göteborg Central

Göteborg

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Royal Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fjord Cruise to Rosendal

Bergen

To spend all day on this trip was a total waste of our time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flåm Railway, Zipline & Cycling Adventure

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very kind and helpful

Transport

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dream vacation in Chile and our local specialist, Jesse, made it all possible. She was very responsive, and she planned out a great itinerary that was a perfect mix of touring and down time. All of the tours that she arranged for us were unique and special in their own way. One of our tours was cancelled due to weather conditions and we were promptly refunded. We were extremely happy and would highly recommend Jesse for anyone planning a trip to Chile.

Hotel Reviews

NH Ciudad de Santiago

Santiago

The room was very large, consisting of a bedroom, walk-in closet, large sitting room, and bathroom. The bed was comfortable. The bathroom could have been a bit cleaner - the grout and bathroom fixtures looked a little worse for wear. The location was okay. We're walkers and it felt like a fairly long one to get to any of the neighborhoods/sites we wanted to see. We did end up taking cars several times which is unusual for us. Breakfast was good and the staff was friendly. I was allowed to check into my room a bit early, which was greatly appreciated as I was exhausted after a long day of travel. The overall vibe was a bit generic - it just didn't have a lot of personality or charm, but we were perfectly comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Cochera

San Pedro de Atacama

Great location, truly wonderful staff, and immaculate. It's a bit bare bones, but very comfortable and I would certainly recommend La Cochera to anyone visiting San Pedro.

Authenticity & Character

Location

1/2 block away from the Main Street

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Stargazing

San Pedro de Atacama

This was a life changing experience. It is hard to describe how truly incredible the night sky is in Atacama. We were picked up promptly from our hotel. Initially there was some confusion because we were told that the tour would be in English, and when we were picked up the driver only spoke Spanish. However, when we arrived at the destination the actual guides spoke Spanish and English. There were about 20-25 people participating, and we were broken up into three groups - those of us taking the tour in English were one group and the other two groups were Spanish speaking. The groups took turns at the three stations. Our groups' first station was the snack station, where our guide told us about the indigenous peoples' relationship to the stars, and about various constellations. There was a fire. It was lovely. We then went to the photography station. They had a very high-tech camera set up so everyone was able to get a photograph that depicted how the sky looked - something regular cameras surely would not have been able to pick up. Finally, we went to the station that had a couple of high-powered telescopes. We looked at Saturn (you could see the rings using the telescope), and this was the most science-heavy part of the tour. We learned about why different stars are different colors, how they are formed and die, etc. Honestly the sky was so incredible on its own that I would have been happy sitting in a field just looking at it, but the tour added some much-appreciated context that made the experience even more special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The roads were dark and bumpy and the driver was FLYING. It was a little scary, although we came to learn typical of Atacama tour drivers . . .

Santiago City Tour

Chile

We had a wonderful guide who was extremely knowledgeable and gave us an insider's flavor for the city. We surely would not have gotten anywhere near the sense of the city that we got had we just walked about on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This 10 day trip was very well organized and covered areas of great natural splendour and places of historical importance. The accommodations were mostly in traditional riads that were beautiful and offered great services.
However, the most important factor in making our trip unforgettable was having had Karim as our guide/driver.
Karim is very positive and respectful and was always sure to respond to our needs making us feel welcome and safe.
Karim’s deep and personal knowledge of the sites and cultural aspects that make Morocco so unique contributed to our learning and enjoyment. There were innumerable highlights, one of the most memorable was our visit to a nomad family in their dwelling in the Atlas mountains. This interaction gave us a deep understanding of this centuries old way of life.
Our time in Morocco was marred by the occurrence of a strong earthquake that left much death and destruction. Karim kept us informed, answered all our questions and was very supportive and reassuring.
Karim’s driving skills are superb, be it on the highway, the cities, the desert or the mountain roads the rides felt safe and as confortable as possible.
We leave Morocco with great admiration for its varied and spectacular natural beauty, the uniqueness of its ancient and modern cities but mostly for the friendliness and resilience of its people, Karim being one great ambassador. We thank him and the team for making this trip so unforgettable.

Hotel Review

Elegancia Riad Boutique & SPA

Marrakech

Extremely friendly and helpful staff Very comfortable room Varied and tasty breakfast service The roof top garden is very relaxing

Authenticity & Character

Great architecture

Location

Within the historic centre

Staff

So friendly and eager to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

All including the room, the roof garden and the reception area

Activity Review

Private Transfer from Fez to Merzouga Desert

Morocco

Arriving to our desert camp on the back of a dromedary, what a unique experience! The camp had all of the comforts that one expects in cities but in this unique natural setting. We became aware that there is a great effort to offer these comforts with very little environmental footprint, which is so important. That day there was a sand storm, however, we were safe and protected. The food was tasty and the service impecable. At the end of dinner the staff put on a fantastic evening concert with traditional music, what a treat! Sunrise in the desert among the sand dunes is an experience to be remembered.

Quality of Experience

Great organization and care for detsil

Food

Varied and tasty

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our awesome driver Karim and local organizer

Transport

Karim always on time with great driving skills. Vehicle in good condition and always kept clean

We had a wonderful vacation in Portugal! Pedro was very patient and flexible as we built the itinerary and very responsive to our questions while we were in Portugal. All of our guides were very knowledgeable and informative with good restaurant recommendations following the tours. We loved leaving the driving to others who were always punctual and helpful. A five star experience!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cascais Miragem

Cascais

Beautiful setting and luxurious accommodations. Wish we had more than one night there!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores

Porto

Location and a charming lobby were the highlights. Nice big bathrooms but the bedroom was tight.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

This hotel was lovely - we appreciated the extra space of a junior suite and the staff were very friendly and helpful. We wish it was located in the historic district instead of the outskirts of that area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service

Portugal

Another trip highlight. Gorgeous country, wonderful boat ride and delightful winery experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Lots of good information provided with an emphasis on the Jewish experience in Porto.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

One of the highlights of our trip! We really liked our driver Miguel and appreciated his recommendations for lunch and activity after Peña Palace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering Belém's Charm on a Tuk-Tuk Ride

Lisbon

We loved Belem - stayed longer with tickets for the monastery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

We were forewarned that dinner was not the highlight and that was the truth! We enjoyed the music.

Food

Lisbon Walking Tour + Delicious Portuguese Flavours

Lisbon

Our guide Marguerita was very knowledgeable and so much fun to talk to!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Going during the “rainy” season was a nice idea. We had small groups, the restaurants were empty and we got great service. Trips were all well guided by smart and caring folks. The highlight was watching a sea turtle lay eggs on the beach, bury them and return to the sea. Road trips were a little long, but a small price to pay to get to the great sites

Hotel Reviews

Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel

Puerto Viejo

Unique hotel with a wonderful “jungle” vibe. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Nice pools. Food was nice. Beach was scenic

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Manatus Hotel

Tortuguero

Wonderful location, staff, food and ambiance

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crowne Plaza San Jose La Sabana by IHG

San José

Nice evening stopover from the airport to our destinations

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not too far from airport

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Free day in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Just did a massage, went to the pool, ate and slept

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback riding on the beach

Costa Rica

Great highlight of the trip. Saw sloths and monkeys before hitting the beach. Wonderful cool, cloudy day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling & Hiking in Cahuita National Park

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Great visibility in warm water

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tortuguero National Park - Boating

Tortuguero

Best part of the trip- seeing a mama sea turtle lay eggs, bury them and return to the sea

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tortuguero Village Guided Visit

Tortuguero

Got a chance to see the town for some shopping.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We could not have planned our trip without the help of Gummi. (Gudmundur Oli). He was full of helpful ideas and worked with me to tailor the timing and locations to suit our style. He had patience for all my questions. Also most importantly was super quick with answers and when I needed him on the trip he answered the phone, solved any issues and checked up after. He is a great and knowledgeable person to partner with.

Hotel Review

Center Hotel Arnarhvoll

Reykjavík

Loved the view of the Harpa. Amazing bar and view from the breakfast room.

Authenticity & Character

Clean Icelandic design

Location

Staff

Georgia was amazing and patient at the front desk gave us an upgrade to a lovely room. Very good customer service.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely view

Activity Review

Sky Lagoon - Experience the seven-step Sky Ritual

Iceland

An other worldly experience. Calming and relaxing.

Quality of Experience

Unique and well designed

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We lost a jacket and the staff helped find it

Transport

Wow! My husband and I are seasoned travelers, and this was one of our best vacations ever! Robi was so knowledgable, responsive and SO generous in helping us plan the perfect trip. Though we moved around a lot (We wanted to see everything!) the pacing was perfect, and we had something cool to explore each day. We covered Istria, 2 national parks, and the Dalmatian coast in 14 days!
There were so many highlights, but the most unexpected was our 4 day bike excursion from Kocula to Dubrovnik with our incredible guide, Borna. He led us on the most beautiful roads with stunning views and delightful stops along the way (vineyards for wine tasting, beautiful bays for swims, old monasteries, local meals . . ) He and Robi found roads that were not only gorgeous, but relatively traffic free, which was important given that the narrow winding Croatian roads have little to no shoulder. Borna was a delight, following us in the van, making sure we never made a wrong turn, and that we were always well equipped with water, snacks, and everything else we could possibly need! (Frankly, I expected someone to show up with e-bikes and GPS routes. I did not realize that we would have the same kind of personalized service as the more expensive group bike tours!)
Another highlight was the spectacular Oyster experience where we got to eat fresh oysters straight from the sea and drink homemade wine with one of Ston's premiere Oyster farmers -- while learning about oyster farming onboard his little boat.
So many great experiences (Shout out to Ovi, our awesome tour guide in Split!) I could go on and on, but suffice to say that Robi was SO accommodating and attentive to every last detail. His inside knowledge and suggestions were spot on. (e.g., Ston, the town I was on the fence about, ended up being one of our favorites!)
This was our first time booking with KimKim and we are hooked! Hvala to Robi and Borna!!!

Hotel Reviews

Riva Marina Hvar Hotel

Hvar

Beautiful upscale hotel right on the water. Excellent service!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Malo More

Ston

What a find! This brand new, charming, spotless 2 bedroom-2 bathroom home in Mali Ston was an unexpected gift! Surrounded by fig, lemon, lime, pomegranate trees + rosemary and lavender with tons of room to spread out and chill! Nice break from hotels in this charming little town!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Goodbye Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Lovely driver picked us up at the city walls and even suggested a stop to take a final photo over Dubrovnik!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hvar island and town

Hvar

Visit to Korčula island and town

Korčula

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Croatia

Dubrovnik is a beautiful historic city that must be visited, however, it can ge very crowded!

Cycling from Ston across hinterlands torwards Dubrovnik

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling Mljet island and National Park

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling On Pelješac Penisula To Ston

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling on Korčula island - first day of cyling

Korčula

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First, our local specialist was Stephen Molloy, not Isabelle. And, if I could have given a 4.8 rather than a 4, I would have. Most of the planning process was excellent, with Stephen responsive to, and patient with, our revisions in itinerary. Perhaps twice I wished for more prompt responses to questions, even if the response was, "I'm going to need a few days to sort that out". Having said that, Stephen helped us come up with an outstanding experience. With only one exception the accommodations were very good to excellent. That exception, the Stirling Highland Hotel, has already been communicated to Stephen.
Our guide, David, that helped us with a hike at Glencoe was wonderful; supportive, knowledgeable, personable, and easily adjusted to our needs.
Scotland is a beautiful and interesting country. We are grateful to have had a glimpse of its history, its highlands and coastline, and its warm and generous people. With Stephen's assistance we planned a trip that allowed us to travel about 700 miles in 15 days. More than once we asked each other whether we could stay in a place for two or three weeks more.
This was truly more wonderful than we imagined. Thank you Stephen for helping us to plan and for checking with us several times to make sure the trip was going well.

We had a wonderful time in the Galapagos, partly on our own and partly with guides and drivers arranged by Isabel. We loved staying on two different islands (Santa Cruz and Isabella) to experience the contrast -one developed and busy, the other slow slow slow with a dirt road as main street.
Snorkeling at Concha de Perla and las Tuneles and kayaking at las Tintoreras were highlights. Beware the boat ride to Los Tuneles on a rough sea, it can be pretty exciting.

Isabel was lovely - patient and helpful throughout the planning with many changes on our part including a delay in our trip due to unexpected surgery for one of us.

All of our tour guides were amazing. All guides were extremely knowledgeable about the areas we were visiting and able to answer all my crazy questions. Our driver in Siem Reap deserves a special award. He had cold water and cold wipes ready for us before and after every single stop. It was so hot in Cambodia that we needed these. Seriously, our driver in Cambodia anticipated our every need.

Activity Reviews

Hoi An Street Walking tour(N)

Hoi An

Hoi An is an amazing city.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Touch the History of Former Imperial Capital

Hue

Be warned, the imperial city is HUGE!! Lol. Not something anyone can change, but it’s large, there’s a lot of history and it’s extremely hot in September. However, it’s beautiful and a must see for sure.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ha Long Bay - Lan Ha Bay (La Pandora)

Vietnam

Truthfully, the boat needs updating. It’s a humid, hot country so I understand a certain amount of wear and tear. The staff were amazing, service is not lacking one bit. However, the boat is old and our bathroom had a very bad smell. Otherwise, great time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Half Day

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Hanoi Like a Local

Hanoi

Our guide Jade is an absolute gem. She took care of us, answered all our questions and made sure we had a very authentic experience. Would recommend this tour 100 percent!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cam Thanh Fishing Village Tour & Basket Boat Ride

Hoi An

This was our favorite day of the trip. The Day family that hosted us were amazing. Loved everything about Hoi An.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing trip to Bali with a perfect balance of cultural sites, activities, and pleasure time. I really loved this tour and would definitely use this tour company again.

My wife Miriam and I have traveled the world together for the last 40 years. Usually independent, self-guided. An occasional small group tour.

We asked kimkim to plan a 3 week private trip to Finland. August/September. Goals: to experience out of the way rural and urban destinations, visit skilled artisans in their workshops, sample good food, both hearty and simple, and learn what gives Finland its special character.

To fill every day’s schedule completely/sensibly, but with time/flexibility to veer off and see what was around the next corner.

Kimkim’s Moonika delivered exactly what we wanted.

And then some.

We explored fantastic landscapes, met intriguing people. Each day was singular and always in a different way than any before.

Studied with the most amazing artisans who shared details of their time-honored family trades, workshops, sometimes centuries old. A contemporary leather handbag designer/craftswoman personally demonstrated how she produces her beautiful work and sources her supplies.

Helped bake a favorite dessert with just picked berries … which, still warm from the oven, we enjoyed at the end of an action packed visit with a nationally recognized artisan family.

Bear watching in overnight wetlands blind • day trip to Estonia • Iitalia factory • sleeper train to Rovaniemi • dogsledding training tips • learned the different shapes and fuzz on reindeer antlers

While large groups of tourists plodded by, our local nature guides stopped to point out unique Finnish plants, trees, insects, rocks … and told a beloved folk story about the bird that just swooped by.

We learned the names of everyone’s family at home … their pets, too.

Thanks, Kimkim and Moonika, for making it all happen.

Fantastic.

David and Miriam
USA

Hotel Reviews

Kurula's Resort

Pyhätunturi

The resort was the best. It'll be exceptional when it's done. The staff was superb and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hotel Turku

Turku

The Park Hotel was a highlight. It was different from the modern ones and we loved the old one.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overnight Train

Old-fashioned but totally contemporary and fun. Best night of sleep over all the nice hotels. Wish we could go again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kuusamo to Pyhä Transfer with a stop at a Husky Farm

Finland

This was one of the very best stops of the entire trip! The hosts spent endless time with us. Super memories of lots of dogs barking, people laughing … and learning so much.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bird & Wildlife Watching Tour

Pyhä

The Bird & Wildlife Watching Tour was superb, the guide was retired military and passionate about nature. The Aurora Adventure was fun, despite not seeing the lights.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finnish Legends and Stories Around the Fire

Rovaniemi

The workshop was an unexpected highlight and the stories around the fire were in-depth, really interesting, and not touristy at all. The guide was passionate and knowledgeable, which made the experience even more special.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Industrial Past of Tampere

Tampere

The tower was super and the local craft shop was interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Picnic Cruise Along the Aura River

Turku

Despite the rain, the guide made it fun and interesting. The cruise was a highlight.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porvoo Design Tour

Helsinki

My guide got mixed up with another group but the hotel staff and everyone involved were so helpful and friendly, turning the situation into a really fun memory.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aurora Adventure at Lake Pyhäjärvi

Pyhä

Our guide "tried hard" but no aurora seen that night. But exceptional fun sitting around fire at his house with his devoted dogs, learning about his family and talking "horses". Visited stables andsaddle room of what might be the farthest north "western horse" operation. Unexpected fun,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arctic Wilderness Hike (Summer)

Rovaniemi

Easy to rate - because Barbara was hands down the best trail guide ever. Funny, smart, forward thinking ... plus taught us to use a fire starting flint, shared amazing stories and nature details from start to finish. But - we taught HER how to make a Finnish variation of our traditional "smore". Substitute a ginger cookie, delicious Finnish chocolate and strawberry flavored marshmallows for the traditional plain old graham crackers, dull American chocolate and white marshmallows ... grilled over a fire started with her flint.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fabulous trip to Portugal planned for us by Rita! The hotel choices were excellent and just what we were looking for, the transportations services were always on time and without any glitches, the tours were all super fun and we especially enjoyed lunch at the Quinta in the Douro valley where the owner of the Quinta met us for lunch and did a wine pairing for us. All our guides were great and Paulo Pires planned an outstanding touring day for me.
Rita was communicating with us before, during and after the trip. She was always very prompt in responding to questions and emails. I would plan another trip with Rita in an instant and would highly recommend her.

Overall, the trip was absolutely amazing. Shauna was very easy to get a hold of, and it was a great advocate for us throughout our trip. We loved staying in Glendalough and seeing the ring of Kerry was mind blowing. We would definitely do this again, especially with the assistance of Our guide. The only issue that we ran into was that when we arrived in Dublin, we went to go pick up our rental car, and the rental car company did not tell us if there was a time limit on the pick up. So, we arrived at noon , and our car was already rented out to somebody else so we had to rent a more expensive vehicle for our trip.

Adam was so helpful in planning our trip around the Ring Road. He reserved wonderful lodging for us each step of the way and gave us a daily guide to follow. We quickly learned how to make the most of each stop and enjoy all the beauty and wonders of the grand island. We saved so much time, energy, and money putting the planning into the hands of KimKim. We have no regrets.

Hotel Review

Hotel Huni

Húnavallaskóli

This remote guest house comes with a 9 hole golf course and walking trails to the beautiful beach. The food, service, cleanliness were fantastic

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Trip was amazing, and our local specialist, Elena, was fantastic. We even made some changes mid-trip, and it was not an issue at all. Elena handled it all. 5 stars!

This was one of my all-time favorite vacations. Normally I plan every detail of my vacation, but both myself the friend with whom I was traveling didn’t really have the bandwidth to plan this one. I was a little hesitant about using kimkim, but it turned out to be a really great decision. Jesse was extremely responsive and receptive to our what we wanted. She was always quick to answer our questions and always very helpful. The activities she planned for us both in Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama were top notch. The day trips were amazing, and we have nothing but good things to say about the many tour guides who made it possible. Both the booked hotels were spotless, comfortable and located near the towns’ centers.

My only caveat would be to look into the altitude and weather conditions of some of the day trips planned. If you’re not acclimated to high altitudes, it can be pretty rough to go from 7200 ft above sea level to 14,000 fly in the span of a couple of hours. Inquire whether the guides carry oxygen in the case of an emergency. Also, the drivers in San Pedro de Atacama are maniacs, and so you should maybe have a dare devil streak so that you don’t have a coronary when they take a steep turn at 10,000 ft up on a narrow switchback road at 50 mph.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Cochera

San Pedro de Atacama

The staff was so friendly, and the hotel was so comfortable and cozy. They put out a good breakfast, and everything is spotless. It’s also very close to the main street, but far enough away to avoid the noise. Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Ciudad de Santiago

Santiago

The hotel room was bigger than my apartment. It was clean and bright, and the staff was all very friendly. Their breakfast lay out was excellent. It was also located in a less touristy area of the city, which I prefer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Puritama Canyon Trek

San Pedro de Atacama

This was a fairly easy hike (unless you don’t like a bit of rock scrambling) in a really beautiful landscape. It was an amazing way to end the day. The warm water pools are currently closed, but we went to a spot with cold water bathing. I loved it! The canyon is truly spectacular!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tatio Geysers at Sunrise

San Pedro de Atacama

I think Berto was our favorite guide of the trip. He knew so much about the geysers and seemed to really love them. The geysers themselves were so beautiful and strange. We also got to see a wetland and a small village called Machuca. It was a really great trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The drivers in San Pedro are nuts—don’t sit by the window if you don’t feel like being in fear for your life

Transport

Explore the Atacama Salt Flats & Lagoons

San Pedro de Atacama

Chaxa lagoon was stunning, and watching the Flamingos was just amazing. The other lagoons were very beautiful (although it was so extremely windy it wore me down). We didn’t actually see the mentioned villages, but it was still a really good day

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The drivers drive entirely to recklessly on dangerous mountain roads

Transport

Stargazing

San Pedro de Atacama

I can’t recommend this highly enough. It was so, so amazing and the men giving the lessons were so passionate about the subject. It really was one of the most beautiful skies I have ever seen. We were also given snacks (with homemade jam and mayonnaise made by one of the men’s mothers) and wine, and got to sit around a fire while we ate and drank. It was a very special tour and I would do it again if I returned To San Pedro.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour

Chile

Claudio was so knowledgeable and showed a really deep love for his city. The tour is brief, but gives you a good lay of the land. It was a really great way to get introduced to the city!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Moon Valley Sunset

San Pedro de Atacama

This is a fairly easy trek (if you’re acclimated to the elevation) through a really beautiful landscape. Our guide, Julia knows a lot about the mineral composition and ecosystem of the desert. Highly recommend (they give you Pisco at the end!)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport