Lorena Huidobro

Lorena was extremely helpful with planning an itinerary for our trip. She was conscientious of our needs and time frame and highlighted the ideal spots for us to visit and experience. Dealing with KimKim eased a lot of our worries as Lorena took care of all the finer details, which not only proved to be a great time saver, but also took the stress off us while planning a long and complex trip. At first, we had reservations due to the lack of transparency in costs, but if you can get past that... read more

Lorena was extremely helpful with planning an itinerary for our trip. She was conscientious of our needs and time frame and highlighted the ideal spots for us to visit and experience. Dealing with KimKim eased a lot of our worries as Lorena took care of all the finer details, which not only proved to be a great time saver, but also took the stress off us while planning a long and complex trip. At first, we had reservations due to the lack of transparency in costs, but if you can get past that then you are in great hands.

Lorena and her KimKim team planned and executed a wonderful itinerary for us. We greatly appreciated that drivers taking us to/from airports were reliable and punctual. The guides in Santiago (Soledad) and Easter Island (from Mahina Tour but can't remember her name) were excellent. We loved Patagonia but not the hotel Lago Grey. Every other place we stayed was charming and memorable. All in all, a great trip. read more

Lorena and her KimKim team planned and executed a wonderful itinerary for us. We greatly appreciated that drivers taking us to/from airports were reliable and punctual. The guides in Santiago (Soledad) and Easter Island (from Mahina Tour but can't remember her name) were excellent. We loved Patagonia but not the hotel Lago Grey. Every other place we stayed was charming and memorable. All in all, a great trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Boutique Le Reve

Santiago

Charming and lovely boutique hotel. Great breakfasts, wonderful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lodge Terrantai

San Pedro de Atacama

Loved our stay here. Even when the afternoon tour was canceled due to weather, we enjoyed staying at the hotel. GREAT staff, very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Christian and Carola were friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

Santiago

Convenient but understaffed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hare Uta

Rapa Nui

Greatly enjoyed our stay here. The hotel was located on beautiful grounds with an authentic French Polynesian feel. Delicious dinner and wonderful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

30 minute walk to center of town, 5 minutes to airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique La Yegua Loca

Punta Arenas

Very eclectic, very charming. The room was bright and spacious. The restaurant / dinner was outstanding. They introduced us to the Calafate Sour and we loved our stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to stunning overlook view of the city

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Simple Patagonia

Puerto Natales

The hotel is, as the name suggests, very simple. But our favorite dinners of the Chilean trip were at their dining room. Quite the culinary treat!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not close to town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

The setting is majestic but probably our least favorite stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The entire hotel needs major update. Feels like a 3 star place when it has so much better potential. Mediocre dining.

Activity Reviews

Easter Island Highlights Tour

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Dinner

Santiago

The private dinner was a highlight of our trip. Not only was the dinner delicious; the hosts were extraordinarily kind. Loved it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Tour to Orongo

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valparaíso & Wine Tour

Santiago

What a pleasant surprise. The wine tour was ok, but we loved Valparaiso.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Atacama Salt Flats & Lagoons

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour

Santiago

We saw so much in our introduction to the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Soledad was awesome. The driver Alejandro was great too.

Transport

Afternoon Tour to Ahu Akivi

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved our guide (wish we could remember her name!)

Transport

Boat Trip to Glacier Grey

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

Not a highlight of our touring experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Didn't see the thousands of penguins that were described by KimKim, but still enjoyed the experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike from Sarmiento Lake to Amarga Lagoon

Chile

Loved our hike. The driver and guide were great. THIS felt like what we wanted to experience in Patagonia!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-day Tour to Torres del Paine National Park with Overnight

Chile

We wish that the experience was more intimate. Loved seeing the National Park, but it was the only big group tour of our trip, which was disappointing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guides and drivers through out the trip were prompt, knowledgeable, pleasant and seemed to enjoy their work. Most spoke good English and were keen to practice.
Valentina who was the local chief support was great..she responded quickly and gave me the assurances we needed. read more

Our guides and drivers through out the trip were prompt, knowledgeable, pleasant and seemed to enjoy their work. Most spoke good English and were keen to practice.
Valentina who was the local chief support was great..she responded quickly and gave me the assurances we needed.

Hotel Reviews

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Very comfortable room...pleasant staff..buffet breakfast was ok..dinner menu was basic..

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hosteria Kau Kaleshen

Gdor. Gregores 1256, Z9405 El Calafate, Santa Cruz, Argentina

Plain older place, clean,good location,helpful English speaking staff, breakfast just barely ok...no protein...tired looking fruit...

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costaustralis

Puerto Natales

After tripping around it was great to stay in a modern upscale hotel Good location in town, on the water, breakfast very satisfying, staff helpful, gorgeous art work..

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cabo De Hornos

Punta Arenas

Lovely modern hotel in central location..gorgeous art work,great food, staff were pleasant and helpful...we overlooked the central square which was very attractive..

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Australis Cruise Ship

Santiago

First luxury cruise...very well run, efficient,pleasant knowledgeable staff, clean, well stocked..delicious meals, very scenic routes and fun interesting shore trips..we had great weather..and about 2/3 passenger capacity as it was the fall..a great time to go..fewer people..more attentive service...

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tour of Viña del Mar & Valparaiso

Viña del Mar

Driver and guide Soledad were the right people to get us started in Chile..they were very helpful, pleasant and introduced us to the country and city

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valparaiso Tour

Valparaiso

Soledad was great..she was informed, gave us needed practical information and a pleasant person to work with

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour to Beach towns

Chile

Our guide was very pleasant knowledgeable, courteous, spoke good English,..we had a very pleasant day driving south to Isla Negra and stopped along the way...he went out of his way to help us see around Neruda's summer house there even though it was closed..

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valparaiso to Santiago - Wine Tour

Valparaiso

Visit was pleasant..lovely location and tasty lunch..wine tastings were fruitful...our driver was pleasant and courteous..

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour

Chile

Our guide was pleasant knowledgeable and loved his job...we walked a great deal...took the metro..and learned more about the city its history and local sites...helpful for our first day as we could then get around on our own...

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Dinner

Santiago

This was a really great idea and our hosts were pleasant generous and the meal itself very good..4 courses plus wine..our guide and host played guitar and because they are friends there was much warmth during the evening..

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park & Surroundings

Chile

Wow..first exposure to the scenery mountains. Sky...guide and driver were knowledgeable pleasant helpful and seemed to enjoy their work..a great day..

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

Tour boat packed with people...weather was good..some sun and cloud.. visited first glacier which was amazing...meal was ok at a local hall..

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All the guides were wonderful except the guide for the stargazing tour in the Atacama Desert. She spoke 90% of the time in Spanish and gave little information to her English customers except answering their questions. read more

All the guides were wonderful except the guide for the stargazing tour in the Atacama Desert. She spoke 90% of the time in Spanish and gave little information to her English customers except answering their questions.

Our Chile tour specialist coordinator Lorena, she made our trip so amazing, in short 11 days she arranged most I want go place work with local tour company, everything is on time, and perfect guide, we really appreciate her and really recommend kimkim company to all my other friends! read more

Our Chile tour specialist coordinator Lorena, she made our trip so amazing, in short 11 days she arranged most I want go place work with local tour company, everything is on time, and perfect guide, we really appreciate her and really recommend kimkim company to all my other friends!

Hotel Review

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marble Caves Kayak Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lorena had organised a perfectly co-ordinated 2 week Chilean trip for us. Packed with adventure, amazing views and friendly tour guides…it exceeded our expectations. read more

Lorena had organised a perfectly co-ordinated 2 week Chilean trip for us. Packed with adventure, amazing views and friendly tour guides…it exceeded our expectations.

Hotel Review

Hotel Boutique Le Reve

Santiago

Friendly boutique hotel where nothing was too much trouble for staff. Comfortable beds and beautiful communal courtyard to sit out in. Perfectly located for access to bars and restaurants

Authenticity & Character

Location

Access to local restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Puritama Canyon Trek

San Pedro de Atacama

It felt amazing trekking in an actual canyon in the Atacama desert and the highlight was our own personal ‘spa’ at the end of it…delightful to swim in the natural mountain water

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This is the first time we have used kimkim to help plan our holiday and would have no hesitation in recommending to others. Lorena, our Chile travel consultant listened to the needs off our group and worked with us to come up with a set of experiences we will never forget. The attention to detail allowed us to travel extensively with ease and we were all so impressed with the level of organisation involved that allowed us to do that. read more

This is the first time we have used kimkim to help plan our holiday and would have no hesitation in recommending to others. Lorena, our Chile travel consultant listened to the needs off our group and worked with us to come up with a set of experiences we will never forget. The attention to detail allowed us to travel extensively with ease and we were all so impressed with the level of organisation involved that allowed us to do that.

Everything was perfect. All I had hoped for and exceeded my expectations. One of the best trips I've ever taken. read more

Everything was perfect. All I had hoped for and exceeded my expectations. One of the best trips I've ever taken.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cabo De Hornos

Punta Arenas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Le Reve

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Glebinias

Chacras de Coria

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Acontraluz

Valparaíso

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Silva Boutique Hotel

San Fernando

Such a special place. Peaceful, beautiful, great food and wine, I only wish we could have stayed longer.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel is the previous home of the family Silva and is cozy and peaceful.

Location

Staff

Above and beyond to arrange whatever we needed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park & Surroundings

Chile

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking and Condor Watching

Puerto Natales

This was a private tour, on private property, which is probably why we were able to see the condors near their nests on the wall of the rocks. There was not another soul that we saw that day other than my husband and I and our guide. A unique experience, and the guide was able to adjust the level of trekking to our abilities, as we are 67 and 72 yrs old, and are in good shape, but not up for anything too strenuous. Just the hike and scenery were worth the trip, the condors were icing on the cake.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mendoza Vineyard Tour & Tasting

Mendoza

Wow. Amazing. It was a private tour, and we could have never seen or tasted the food and wine that we experienced that day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mendoza Wine Tour

Mendoza

One of the best things we've ever done. The food and wine were beyond compare. The small group of people were interesting and fun. The scenery was breathtaking. The memory of the day we will never forget.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Dinner

Santiago

A truly unique experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valparaíso & Wine Tour

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A bit chatty, and could have been not so long in Valparaiso. But, very good.

Transport

Amazing - everything on our two week trip was flawlessly executed. We had never used Kim Kim before and now I will never plan a trip another way! It was so well organized and Lorena was very responsive. Highly recommend! read more

Amazing - everything on our two week trip was flawlessly executed. We had never used Kim Kim before and now I will never plan a trip another way! It was so well organized and Lorena was very responsive. Highly recommend!

I was pleasantly surprised how well everything worked. The people picking us up were always on time and very pleasant.
We had many guides, and they were all very good.
Specifically I remember our guide on Easter Island Emilia. Very knowledgeable and willing to share with us her love of her home island.
I was not very happy when there were non English speakers on the tours: the guides had to speak in both languages, and I don’t think we got the entire story. read more

I was pleasantly surprised how well everything worked. The people picking us up were always on time and very pleasant.
We had many guides, and they were all very good.
Specifically I remember our guide on Easter Island Emilia. Very knowledgeable and willing to share with us her love of her home island.
I was not very happy when there were non English speakers on the tours: the guides had to speak in both languages, and I don’t think we got the entire story.

Hotel Review

Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

Santiago

Our first stay was better than the second. The first stay was in the newly renovated part and the accommodations were great. Not in the old part of the hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Just walk across the street from the international terminal

Staff

The bar service was very poor

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Valparaíso & Wine Tour

Santiago

Loved the tour, the winery tour and the tour guide

Everything was very good to excellent. All the local guides were good. Rutas360 in Atacama is merely a "middle man" to the local guide companies so that made it a bit challenging to know who to contact, but it all worked out. All the transfers to and from the bus stations and airports worked well, as did all the airline reservations.

My only minor issue was some of the hotels. The Doubletree in Santiago and the airport Holiday Inn were both very good. Don Tomas in Atacama was... read more

Everything was very good to excellent. All the local guides were good. Rutas360 in Atacama is merely a "middle man" to the local guide companies so that made it a bit challenging to know who to contact, but it all worked out. All the transfers to and from the bus stations and airports worked well, as did all the airline reservations.

My only minor issue was some of the hotels. The Doubletree in Santiago and the airport Holiday Inn were both very good. Don Tomas in Atacama was excellent.

Hotel Otai was a mixed bag. We had a noisy dog nearby and the breakfast was ok, and they got the AC working well, but on the last day I saw two cockroaches in our room. That was not horrible for me, but for most people that would be very bad.

Hotel Casa de Patagonia in Puerto Natales had good service but it was a bit noisy with thin walls. Hotel Germania in Puerto Varas was fine though our room, which faced the street, was stuffy, noisy and a bit small.

Lorena was very wonderful. Lorena responded quickly and accurately. She always kept us in the loop and was extremely accommodating when changes came up. It was a very easy, no stress process. We had a pretty logistical heavy trip and Lorena was great. We will be using Kim Kim again.

What a beautiful and physically awesome trip. Kim Kim suggested the right excursions for us and how wonderful to not worry about transfer transportation. read more

What a beautiful and physically awesome trip. Kim Kim suggested the right excursions for us and how wonderful to not worry about transfer transportation.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Boutique Le Reve

Santiago

Great location for food and drink.

Authenticity & Character

Boutique hotel with lovely garden.

Location

Multilevel restaurants in area

Staff

Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean

Dreams del Estrecho Hotel

Punta Arenas

Nice room, but casino on weekend was loud into the early hours of the morning(it is a casino after all).

Authenticity & Character

It is a casino hotel.

Location

Location and views good, but busy street to cross to get to town.

Staff

Not all that helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are very nice.

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Great views, nice room, and restaurant was good for a dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Lake vacation hotel with views and access to town and sites.

Location

Walkable to town or inexpensive taxi ride, and on the lake with wonderful views.

Staff

Very helpful and always smiling.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable room.

Activity Review

Hike from Sarmiento Lake to Amarga Lagoon

Chile

You cannot top seeing a large Puma upclose.

Quality of Experience

Puma

Food

No vegetarian meal.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Well based natural knowledge

Transport

On time

The core of our trip was seeing the Atacama Desert and visiting its important sites. Lorena was excellent in tailoring our plans to suit our interests and time-frame. Transit arrangement to and from Santiago were flawless and out hotel in san Pedro de Atacama was perfect as a quiet, high quality location to venture from. Accommodations at the Don Tomas were comfortable and the food was fresh tasting with touches of originality. There are dozens of tour operators in San Pedro, but I felt that... read more

The core of our trip was seeing the Atacama Desert and visiting its important sites. Lorena was excellent in tailoring our plans to suit our interests and time-frame. Transit arrangement to and from Santiago were flawless and out hotel in san Pedro de Atacama was perfect as a quiet, high quality location to venture from. Accommodations at the Don Tomas were comfortable and the food was fresh tasting with touches of originality. There are dozens of tour operators in San Pedro, but I felt that Lorena had selected the best of the best for our trip. We did five tours in four days and all were excellent: stargazing, the Tatio geysers, Piedras Royas & the salt flats, Valle de la Luna, and the Puritana canyon trek.

Hotel Review

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

The Don Tomas is an oasis within the oasis of San Pedro de Atacama. The accommodations are comfortable and tastefully decorated. Coffee, tea, or water--plain or infused--are always available. The breakfast offers the usual array of continental and American items, all arranged beautifully. On the lunch and dinner menus, offering all have a local slant, both veggie and non-veg. I especially liked the fresh ingredients in the salads and highly recommend the Oriental pasta for its earthly richness. One caveat: for a pre-breakfast start on your tour, the take away sack lunch is rudimentary at best.

Authenticity & Character

Once inside the gates, you feel like you are in an charming oasis.

Location

It is a 10 minute walk to the center of town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Stargazing Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puritama Canyon Trek

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Atacama Salt Flats & Lagoons

San Pedro de Atacama

This tour provides a wonderful experience of the immense salt flats seen from the red rocks, the "piedras royas." The lagoons are beautiful deep blue lakes at the base of volcanoes. A chance to view flamingoes in a reserve comes at the end, as a fitting culmination.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch we had was unique: a green salad with veggies and chicken in a Mason jar. Oil and vinegar were there to season to taste. I loved it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

This tour is not to be missed. After a very early start, you arrive at sunrise at one of the largest geyser fields in the world. all in a very dramatic setting at 11,000 feet. The earth seems alive with steam vents and roiling geysers. Although below freezing, the ground is warm to the touch.

Quality of Experience

Food

It was great to have fresh scrambled eggs to go with the usual breakfast fare. Kudos!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The adventure was well designed and great choices were made by Lorena, I mentioned a cruise through the fjords of Patagonia and she came through with beautiful well thought out and enjoyable trips.
I especially enjoyed the 5 day cruise from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia, around Cape Horn and through the inside channels. Unfortunately due to weather conditions we were unable to land on the cape but passed close enough to get pictures of the station and the monument.

An earlier tour had to be... read more

The adventure was well designed and great choices were made by Lorena, I mentioned a cruise through the fjords of Patagonia and she came through with beautiful well thought out and enjoyable trips.
I especially enjoyed the 5 day cruise from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia, around Cape Horn and through the inside channels. Unfortunately due to weather conditions we were unable to land on the cape but passed close enough to get pictures of the station and the monument.

An earlier tour had to be cancelled due to weather and Jesse, on the ball found an interesting tour in the park near Puerto Natales and organized it on short notice to fill in a spare day that I had.

A big yahoo for a job very well done.

Activity Reviews

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Unable to take trip due to weather conditions

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

The hike at the glacier face was just about right for a 70 year old man. The views are spectacular and the ship crew went out of their way to get us close to fauna along the route.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food preparation was a bit marginal, but certainly edible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Their extra effort to show us everything along the way

Transport

Cruise Tierra del Fuego from Chile to Argentina - Day 5/5

Punta Arenas

Again the crew of guides and the ships crew went out of their way to give us an exceptional experience, even when the weather was giving them stress.

Quality of Experience

Food

Well prepared and well presented

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfers in {{start_location}} and {{end_location}}

Argentina

Not much to say, Ushuaia is a small city but has some interesting sites. Not much time in El Calafate because the bus left early the next day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nicely spaced trip. Plenty of “ spare “ time. Suggestions were practical & although hard work - fitness wise, worked.

Most things ….. within the teams control, worked well. read more

Nicely spaced trip. Plenty of “ spare “ time. Suggestions were practical & although hard work - fitness wise, worked.

Most things ….. within the teams control, worked well.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Carpa Manzano

Punta Arenas

Small-ish, but comfortable rooms. Bit dated & tended to be noisy. Probably better offering in town. Walk in & out is borderline.

Authenticity & Character

Nice enough rooms. Dated.

Location

A little distant from downtown.

Staff

Attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Was adequate.

Hosteria Pehoe

Oldie but a goodie. Could be SO much better with good grounds people, a tidy up and some renovations. Menu basic but OK.

Authenticity & Character

Oldest in the NP. A bit tired but adequate.

Location

Views are incredible.

Staff

Lovely, young enthusiastic staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Bedding to die for. Just older & “ tired” rooms & grounds.

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Torres del Paine

Excellent location wise. Views OK. Meals above average quality & presentation. Expensive but so much better than daily transitioning in & out of the park if not serious hiking.

Authenticity & Character

Estancia feeling. Loved the daily horses release and round up.

Location

Right on the track to the towers base, W & O.

Staff

Tried hard - many new, inexperienced staff - lots of mistakes made and service forgets.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bedding divine. Big rooms. Views expansive but not stunning. Bath was great after a hike - but had to request a plug.

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

View. Room. Bedding. Food. Bar & relax area.

Authenticity & Character

Fits well in the environment.

Location

View is stunning. Very windy most days I think.

Staff

Very attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable hotel.

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Nice view. A little distant from town in tough weather. Probably better offerings downtown and mire distractions. Restaurant meals hit & miss and no variety presented each day.

Authenticity & Character

Authentic use of wood. Cosy rooms & sit down area.

Location

Great views. Just that little dar from anything.

Staff

Tried. English & understanding requests etc, was difficult.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely bedding. Comfortable smallish room. Lits of woid. Nice.

Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

Santiago

Excellent location at airport ( if that is what you want ). Nice rooms. Good bedding. Interesting enough food. Could do with a Daily Change / Soecial.

Authenticity & Character

Airport hotel.

Location

If that is what you want - between Domestic & International.

Staff

Hit & miss. Service not #1 priority. Wait, wait, wait for actual attention. Slow service but seemingly “ a thing “ in Chile - in their own good time !

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great beds & linen.

Activity Reviews

Kayaking in the Magellan Strait

Chile

Not that “ exciting “ an activity really to be really honest. Lot of preparation & time taken ( pick up / drop off / gear up for kayaking / transfer to water edge / instruction / kayaking & then reverse ). Minimal wild life, birdlife etc …… limited English & no really “ spotting “ or information.

Quality of Experience

Not that interesting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Limited English or “ interpretation “ .

Transport

All good.

Full-day Tour to Torres del Paine National Park with Overnight

Chile

Great way of getting to the NP rather than a private transfer or large bus. Very early start as it was a one-way for us , on a return same day tour. Enjoyed Milodon Cave and information. Stops for vistas & photographs. Tour guide was very informative.

Quality of Experience

Milodon Cave visit & explanation boards. Vistas.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide on departure said we would have “ quiet time “- so all could catch up on rest …… till after Puerto Natales. Then proceeded to TALK ALL THE WAY to the driver & back and forth. No rest for anyone. Driver spent more tome looking at the guide whilst in conversation - than concentrating on the road. Very un-nerving ! A good driver ….. BUT ! Guide had excellent knowledge and was firth coming if asked..

Transport

Nice new vehicle. Close quarters. We had a seat between us because we PAID for it with luggage cost.

From Pehoé to Las Torres

Torres del Paine

José - nice nan - knowledgeable, good English. Recommended.

From Las Torres to Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

Same ….. José.

Horseback Riding in Patagonia

Puerto Natales

Thoroughly enjoyed. Nice horses. Well groomed & cared for. Just wish I was riding fit ! Very sore body the next day. My wife who is a novice enjoyed too.

Quality of Experience

Vistas.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Could have done with a rear guide / rider to manage “ slower “ horses / riders. Insufficient supervision in my opinion.

Transport

Great ….. arranged well there & back.

What an amazing trip! Our daughter had been studying in Valparaiso for nearly 4 months and we traveled to Chile at the end of her semester to see where she had been and to explore some other parts of the country. Lorena seemed to understand us immediately, and arranged for us to see Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, Puerto Varas, Santiago and Valparaiso. She planned a perfect mix of outdoor adventure, educational and historical sites, and time to explore on our own.
Each tour guide was... read more

What an amazing trip! Our daughter had been studying in Valparaiso for nearly 4 months and we traveled to Chile at the end of her semester to see where she had been and to explore some other parts of the country. Lorena seemed to understand us immediately, and arranged for us to see Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, Puerto Varas, Santiago and Valparaiso. She planned a perfect mix of outdoor adventure, educational and historical sites, and time to explore on our own.
Each tour guide was better than the next, from the wonderful young woman (whose name I am embarrassed that I have forgotten) who answered all our questions at Monumento Natural Los Pengüinos, Jan Erick on the glacier tour, John on the Torres del Paine tour, Damian for Chiloé Island, Carlos at the volcanoes and Hernan in Santiago and Valparaiso. Hernan was especially knowledgeable and open about recent history, and very flexible with our interests (like when we stumbled upon a bicycle race in Santiago or the World Cup final going on between our visits to Casablanca and Vina Del Mar).
I am especially grateful for all of the local travel companies. Each time we slowed down and wondered about the tour/transport/hotel tomorrow, we would check messages and find they were one step ahead of us. A special thank you to Sophie, who stepped in for a few days while Lorena was away.
The hotels were all wonderfully unique to their location and perfectly situated for us to explore the towns on our own. We especially loved the ones in Puerto Natales and Valparaiso. We had been needlessly worried about meals. Lorena arranged all our breakfasts (and hotel operators kindly accommodated our early tour departures) and most of our lunches, and as I said, hotels were always perfectly located so we could get to dinner easily.
Overall, our trip was flawlessly executed (even the weather cooperated and only rained while we were on a bus transport). Chile is a stunningly beautiful country, and the people we met were so incredibly kind and generous with visitors. The only thing I would change is to have planned more time there.

Hotel Reviews

Fauna Hotel

Valparaíso

Such a fun, funky vibe to this hotel and the neighborhood around it. Be sure to try the ascensore at the end of the alley, and the fun little slide.

Authenticity & Character

The decor and architecture were so fun and funky. The location was so great for exploring the city, but even outside the vibe on the street was just so fun.

Location

The street vendors views on the street to the hotel were so great, and the view from the end of the street at dusk was just stunning! It's important to note that it isn't the best location for anyone with a mobility issue or physical disability, but it was great for us since we enjoy exploring a city on foot.

Staff

The staff were so kind to let us keep our luggage there all day after we checked out, until our transport to the airport in the evening.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean and comfortable and spacious enough for three people on the last leg of their trip to spread out and reorganize before flying home.

Hotel Big Sur

Puerto Natales

Loved this hotel. Clean, modern aesthetic with very comfortable beds. Great breakfast. Walkable to the waterfront and lots of shops and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

great location, walkable to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

We loved this tour. I have forgotten her name, but the guide was new to the tour company and very knowledgeable about the penguins. She walked along with us, keeping the pace and but teaching us all about the penguins and other inhabitants of the island along the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park & Surroundings

Chile

John was a great tour guide, taking the time to learn everyone's name. He enthusiastically offered to take our picture at every stop and made sure to learn something about everyone on the tour and then connected us with each other, as well. He taught us a great deal about the beautiful park, the wildlife and geology. National Geographic magazine was right - definitely one of the most beautiful places on earth!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

This was an incredibly beautiful day. The boat ride was cold and windy (not unexpectedly) but we saw all kinds of amazing birds and the glaciers were just stunning. We really enjoyed the short hike into see the glacier within the Bernardo Higgins park. The lunch was such a wonderful experience - we sat with two French couples who also spoke English and solved many of the world's problems over several courses and a couple glasses of wine. Wow!

Quality of Experience

Food

The traditional Patagonian barbecue was AMAZING!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jan Erick was a terrific guide, full of great stories about his work/travels all over the world. He was very good at spotting wildlife, too.

Transport

Excursion to Chiloé Island: Ancud, Dalcahue & Castro

Puerto Varas

This was a lovely day - more lovely than we expected. Our guide was a little shy about his English and relied a bit on our daughter to translate, but nonetheless we had a great day. Chiloé is such a beautiful spot, and the spirit of cooperation and community was so lovely for world-weary Americans...from the museum of church building, to the palafitos. We really enjoyed the unexpected lunch on the farm (and the really unexpected cows who came right up to meet us!).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park

Chile

It was a beautiful day to see the volcanoes! Carlos was a great guide, offering lots of information about the history and geology of the volcanoes and the area, and willing to take pictures for us at every stop. The lunch stop, again, was great meal with a great view of the lake and volcano.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Hernan was such a wonderful guide. He was so knowledgeable about this history of Chile and Santiago. He was clearly so proud of his country, and willingly shared with us his own personal history as it relates to the present government of Chile. He educated us about Chilean - US relations and history, and we are so grateful that he did so in such a generous manner. He shared with us all the facets of life in the capitol city, including recent political issues in Santiago and Chile, reminding us again that we have more in common with people around the globe than we think we do. He was also very willing to get to know us a little bit and accommodate our interests. (When we crossed paths with a bicycle racing event my husband became very excited and Hernan facilitated a discussion with some of the organizers, who allowed my husband to try their "fixed gear" bike.)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hernan was excellent! Francisco the driver was also wonderful - slowing down, circling around, making sure we got a good view. We enjoyed his company, as well.

Transport

City Tour in Puerto Montt & Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

We really enjoyed Damian and the tour of Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas, especially when he stopped for us at the fish market (where we found some great souvenirs) and made sure we went around back to see the sea lions!!!! It was a bit more industrial than some of our excursions, but Damian found some wonderful vista points to see the cities and he knew his way around very well (which is the exact reason to engage someone to guide you around the cities).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Winery & Valparaiso Tour with Overnight

Santiago

Casablanca was so lovely - The winery we visited - Casas del Bosque - was a beautiful oasis and we took home several bottles. The circumstances of our visit were perfect...when we finished the tour, we came out to find our driver, Francisco, (and several other tour drivers) listening to the World Cup Final on the radio. Hernan had arranged a lunch for us in Vina Del Mar at a restaurant with a stunning view of the harbor. We encouraged them to keep the game on the radio as we went to Vina Del Mar, because it was at such an exciting game. Even though we didn't understand the language, we could appreciate the excitement. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were torn between the table with the beautiful view and the lounge where the game was showing on giant screens. The restaurant staff was extremely accommodating as everyone - customers and staff alike - were enthralled by the penalty kicks and trying to see. It was one of those moments that transcends language barriers and nationalities, as everyone in the restaurant just seemed to enjoy the excitement of the game. Afterward, we traveled along to Valparaiso and enjoyed learning about the history of the city and its role as a major port now. We were thrilled to arrive in the city where our daughter had spent the last four months.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip was a dream trip for my mother and I – years in the imagination and the making. I decided to use the services of KimKim because I wanted a local specialist to devise the best possible package for us, and on, the whole, Lorena delivered.

In 14 days, we managed to visit the highlights of Chile – Santiago, Valparaiso, Patagonia and Atacama. Most of the tours and tour guides were excellent and went above and beyond what is expected from them. The people were friendly and generous,... read more

This trip was a dream trip for my mother and I – years in the imagination and the making. I decided to use the services of KimKim because I wanted a local specialist to devise the best possible package for us, and on, the whole, Lorena delivered.

In 14 days, we managed to visit the highlights of Chile – Santiago, Valparaiso, Patagonia and Atacama. Most of the tours and tour guides were excellent and went above and beyond what is expected from them. The people were friendly and generous, the food was delicious and the scenery was breathtaking. We left Chile full of great memories and a desire to come back again.

Our favourite guide is by far Felipe who gave us a brilliant, informative and entertaining tours of both Santiago and Valparaiso. The private dinner at Gloria & Leo’s house was one of our most memorable nights as we bonded over food, politics and music, spending over three hours singing songs by Violeta Parra and Victor Jara.

Visiting Pablo Neruda’s houses La Sebastiana and La Chascona was another highlight of the trip. I would highly recommend these visits for the poet’s fans.

And of course, the amazing places in Patagonia and Atacama are all beautiful and worth visiting. The only place I would have skipped are the Tatio Geysers, which were underwhelming.

There were a few minor issues noted below, which should be addressed to help improve future trips:
(1) Some of the tour guides did not speak any English, which was a problem for my mother. I translated most of the time, but this may pose an issue for someone who does not have a Spanish-speaking companion with them.
(2) The hotel (Big Sur) we were booked at in Puerto Natales was of very poor quality. Having no knowledge of local hotels, we trusted Lorena’s recommendation, but were surprised to find that the hotel, which is only 3 months old, to be more of a hostel/B&B than a proper hotel. We changed our booking on arrival to Costaustralisa, and were partially refunded.
(3) Our trip to Magdalena Island was cancelled last minute without the travel agency making alternative arrangements. I had to find an alternative arrangement myself and ask the agency to book us a different tour!

Apart from these issues, I would give the trip five stars.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Ladera

Providencia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cabo De Hornos

Punta Arenas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Big Sur

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Renaissance Santiago Hotel

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Dinner

Santiago

This dinner gave us one of our most memorable nights in Chile and possibly our lives. We were generously hosted by Gloria and Leo in their home: they cooked and sang for us, and we bonded over a shared love of music and politics. They made us feel at home in Chile, creating an intimate experience that we will cherish forever.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maipo Valley Wine Experience

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park & Surroundings

Chile

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking in Eberhard Fjord

Puerto Natales

I did this activity on my birthday - it was my first ever kayaking experience. The instructor, Juan Pablo, was excellent - funny, helpful, informative and good-looking too :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hidden Baltinache Lagoons

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valley of the Moon Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Atacama Salt Flats & Lagoons

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

Underwhelming experience. The tour guide was very rude and unhelpful. We missed the sunrise because he was late and quite frankly the whole place was underwhelming. I would skip the tour if I were you :)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Viña del Mar & Valparaíso

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, wonderful trip. The excursions were great and the trips were well organized and planned. The hotel in Santiago (NH Ciudad de Santiago) was NOT a very nice hotel and not 4 star. I would not recommend this hotel. The tour guide in Santiago got lost herself multiple times and had us walking in the poor section of town for over 45 minutes before admitting she was lost. I would not recommend this company for the city guided tour. The hotel in San Pedro de Atacama was wonderful and... read more

Overall, wonderful trip. The excursions were great and the trips were well organized and planned. The hotel in Santiago (NH Ciudad de Santiago) was NOT a very nice hotel and not 4 star. I would not recommend this hotel. The tour guide in Santiago got lost herself multiple times and had us walking in the poor section of town for over 45 minutes before admitting she was lost. I would not recommend this company for the city guided tour. The hotel in San Pedro de Atacama was wonderful and the staff was very nice. Our transfer to the airport for the flight from Santiago to Calama was way too early. As such, we caught an earlier flight and had to arrange our own transportation to San Pedro de Atacama. The excursions in San Pedro were very satisfactory. Again, we had ample time arriving to the airport in Calama prior to our flight to Punta Arenas via Santiago. I believe the flight status changes quickly, but I would have recommended a later flight so as to avoid the over 3 hour lay over in Santiago. The hotel in Punta Arenas was NOT good- the staff was very rude, the beds were uncomfortable and would NOT recommend this hotel. We had a nice trip to Magellan island and the bus ride to Puerto Natales was very comfortable. We again loved our hotel in Puerto Natales. The guided tour of the National Park Torres Del Paine was nice, but the guide did not speak good English and other than the views, we did not understand anything from the explanation. The guides on our hike to the base of Torres Del Paine explained more and spoke better English. This hike was one of the highlights of the trip. On our way back through Santiago we had an 8-9 hour layover and self arranged a half day in the Hyatt Centric hotel which was very nice. The kids enjoyed Santiago much better the second time largely related to the area of town and the niceness of the hotel.

In terms of planning, in the future a more detailed outline of the excursions may be helpful. Some included breakfast which was not always noted on the itinerary.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Costaustralis

Puerto Natales

Beautiful views from the room. Very nice hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Ciudad de Santiago

Santiago

Horrible hotel- not clean. Not in good section of town. Breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

Wonderful hotel- clean and very nice staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel José Nogueira

Punta Arenas

Very rude staff. Mattresses in the rooms were very poor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Stargazing Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Amazing views and experience.

Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Guide was very nice, but she got lost more than once and took us for 45 minutes in the wrong direction around a poor area of town.

Valley of the Moon Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Great tour- nice staff.

Hidden Baltinache Lagoons

San Pedro de Atacama

One of our favorite activities. Guide did not speak much English but we were able to understand enough.

Puritama Canyon Trek

San Pedro de Atacama

Nice tour and beautiful hike.

Tour of Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

Amazing experience. The guide did not explain a lot. The driver seemed to know more about the area than the guide but he did not translate what the driver was saying.

Buggy Safari Through the Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

This guide was GREAT! He spoke wonderful English and took time to explain things.

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Kids loved seeing the penguins. Seas were too rough to go see the sea lions.

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park & Surroundings

Chile

The guide did not speak good English and we did not understand anything she really said. Would recommend a different guide. The ride was pretty and we were able to see a mountain lion.

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

This tour was very organized despite being very large. On the itinerary it said small group. It included a nice large lunch. The lamb lunch was delicious!

Hike in Torres del Paine National Park

Chile

These guides were great! Spoke wonderful English. There were 3 guides so the group could get broken into smaller groups based on speed.

Our trip was well-organized. We had some travel snafus and but we were able to stay in contact with someone on the team so our trip could continue smoothly. The tours we were booked on were fantastic and ran smoothly. The guides were great. All around great experience .