Kimkim Trip Reviews for Guatemala

Our local specialist, Chris, was great with communication while planning our trip as well as during it. He was able to change our itinerary while we were in Guatemala on short notice due to an illness in our group, so that we could still do an excursion that was important to us on a different day. Our in-country tour guide and driver was also great - very welcoming and knowledgeable.

The entire trip was really great! Catherine, Juan, Esteban, and the whole team were available anytime we had a question and regularly checked up on us. Antigua, Lake Atitlan, and Tikal were all very different, so depending on what you’re looking for all are worth a visit.

Kudos! To all the team members of Columbus Guatemala travel! They are always there from the beginning of our journey til the end it was perfect! I will recommend this travel agency to al travellers they are very reliable, and trustful. All the team effort they did makes you feel comfortable in every way of the journey. They will create our journey memorable! I would like to thank all the team members from the drivers, tour guides and especially the group of the Columbus Guatemala travel. I really wanted to give you all 10 stars!!! Till we meet again , Muchos Gracia’s!!!

Hotel Reviews

Maya Internacional

Flores

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Utzjay Hotel

Panajachel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Naif Boutique Hotel

Antigua

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Recreo

Lanquin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Guatemala

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from San Ignacio to Tikal National Park

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Semuc Champey

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pacaya Volcano visit

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tikal Maya Ruin

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Villages Around Lake Atitlán by Boat

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was very well organized on short notice. I enjoyed the nature and the culture part of the trip. I would highly recommend it to those who would like a little adventure or relax and enjoy nature and old towns, like Antigua.

I have so many good things to say about this trip. Eduardo was great at planning with us and very communicative with us during the trip. We even had a problem when my girlfriend accidentally left her phone in one of the transport vans and arranged to have it se t on the next plane to get it back to us at our next location.

Josias was an amazing guide on both the day at Atitlán and on the Acatenango hike. He was great at both telling us stories of the culture and the area but also making it fun and lighthearted along the way. We can’t recommend him enough. In addition to a great guide the views of the Acatenango hike were once in a lifetime type experiences.

Kevin was a great local guide through all the villages around Atitlán and explaining the languages and the Mayan calendar. He took us to the Maximón house and gave us great insight into the local culture.

For our time in Tikal and Yaxhá Oliverio (Ollie) was so knowledgeable and added so much to the tours of all the ruins.

Fernando and Luis were great drivers and helped so much at the border crossing from Guatemala and Belize making it much easier than it might have been.

We loved the ATM caves and José was really great teaching us all the history of the Mayan use of the caves as well as all the geologic history of the caves, as well as all the flora and fauna on the hike.

In Cate Caulker Ragga Sailong Adventures guided by our captain Keanu and Penny were awesome showing us the best spots and getting to swim along manatees, sharks, rays, fish and all the fish on the reef was so amazing. They also had great food and drinks including some amazing ceviche.

Overall we loved the trip so much and everyone we came across were truly wonderful and I felt so lucky to be able to see their world through their eyes a bit. The hotels, food, ruins, volcano hike, snorkeling and all the activities were second to none.

Amazing trip in Guatemala. Alex was excellent at organizing the trip and making sure we would feel safe and taken care of during the entire trip. Rudy was our local guide - very knowledgeable and helpful, always smiling and supportive. It was an outstanding trip in a beautiful country. Swimming in Lake Attitlan was one of the best and fulfilling experiences...

Alex was absolutely wonderful from start to finish and our experience in Guatemala was amazing!! I would highly recommend having him and KimKim prepare your next trip! Originally, I was looking for help in planning a trip for my husband and myself. Not knowing too much about Guatamala, I wanted some local advice about what we should see, do, eat, and experience while staying safe. Quickly into the planning my mother-in-law wanted to join and soon after so did my sister-in-law, turning our adventure into a family holiday haha Alex was incredibly patient and accommodating the entire time. He helped to adapt plans and ensure we all had lots of activities we could enjoy together. Also, when we brought up different ideas he helped to coordinate diverse activities that ended around the same time so everyone could experience what they wanted to see/do without feeling like we missed out on anything which was wonderful.

Joel, our day-to-day guide was also fantastic!! He helped us with translations, cultural nuances, and was an absolut blast to be around. We laughed constantly and his presence make everyone smile. While on our hikes he was knowledgeable and patient as well.

Overall our experience in Guatemala was even better than we expected! The people were so friendly, the food was fantastic, the culture is rich and unique, and thanks to Alex, Joel, and everyone that helped us along the way we had a super easy and safe time traveling around the country.

11/10 - We would all go back in a heartbeat!

Esteban our tour guide for the week was not only professional, engaging, and knowledgeable, but also very attentive to all our needs. Our group included 4 middle aged adults, a young adult and an older teenager, with various activity levels. Esteban accommodated all our individual needs/interests with ease, so that we all had a marvelous time.
We also went on several different tours, such as the walking tour of Antigua with Street Food, Altamira, chicken bus tour of the surrounding villages, Pacaya volcano, and a trip to El Paredón on the Pacific coast. Would definitely go back to Guatemala as there’s so much more to see & experience!

The trip was exceptionally well-organized, with Chris and the team always available to answer any questions or to make suggestions. The roundtrip itinerary was thoughtfully planned, making perfect sense for exploring the best of Guatemala. Our guide for the first part, Diana, was incredibly motivated to accommodate her guests. She has extensive knowledge of the culture and a deep love for her country. We enjoyed a very active and sporty vacation, just as we had wished for.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Panchoy

Antigua

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acatenango Campsite

Best location on the campsite!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Isla Verde

Santa Cruz la Laguna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

no warm water for showers; bathroom not very clean and with spiders; running water which made the bathroom constantly wet area

Ramon's Village Resort

San Pedro

Authenticity & Character

Location

divecenter at the hotel

Staff

overall friendly staff but sometimes a bit too pushy

Cleanliness & Comfort

food is not the best food on San Pedro; rooms were very clean !

Jungle Lodge Tikal

Peten

restaurant staff not very welcoming and a bit impolite; you always have to pay every single bill and no possibility to have one check-out bill. Even different billing between bar and restaurant. Therefore incurring creditcard costs for every single transaction. Water needed to paid for. No water offered at breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Traditional Guatemalan Cooking Class

Antigua

Day Hike to Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala

Sunrise on Acatenango & Descent

Guatemala

Boat Tour of Lake Atitlán Villages

Guatemala

Explore Tikal National Park

San Ignacio

Valley Ride - Bicycle Tour of Antigua's Villages, Farms, and Ruins

Antigua

Biking very dangerous because of traffic. we were expecting a ride in nature but this was more of a road ride. So would rather do this tour by quad for example because the biking itself is not pleasant. The tour was great! Chocolate factory, Macademia nuts etc!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike Acatenango Volcano & Camp Overnight

Guatemala

Kayaking & Hiking Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

The hike had to be cancelled because of a miscommunication with Mundo hotel. Also the hike would have been at noon which is the hottest period of the day. So not very convenient timing. The kayak was great fun!!

Our guide Esteban was absolutely amazing. He was with us in Antigua and Lake Atitlan, and was great with the kids and with the grandparents. The whole KimKim team was very accommodating. They were attentive to our initial requests and put together the perfect itinerary that wasn't too overwhelming and allowed for some flexibility. We were a relatively difficult group, as initially we had a party of 5, then a couple of weeks before the trip we added 2 more people. The team repsonded quickly, found bigger accommodations for us where necessary, and upgraded the vehicles used to transport us everywhere. Even during the trip, we encountered an issue with one of our accommodations in Lake Atitlan, and the team mobilized quickly to rectify all issues we had identified. I got sick on one of our days in Antigua, and Esteban and the KimKim team accommodated a last minute change to our itinerary for the day, providing us with alternate options for experiences, and also being kind enough to fetch me some electrolyte drinks to keep me hydrated thru my sickness. They even offered to connect us with a local doctor.
Esteban gave plenty of recommendations for places to eat and visit during our spare time, continuing to send us recommendations via WhatsApp even after we had parted ways. KimKim was the ideal tour company for us in Guatemala, and we would absolutely recommend them again.

This was a seamless and wonderful trip! It was easy to plan and communicate through KimKim. Catherina and all of Columbus Guatemala Travel was prompt at getting back to me and answered all my questions and were flexible with our interests. Our tour guide throughout the week as JJ. He was amazing! My Spanish is intermediate so I appreciated being able to practice speaking Spanish, but it was very comforting to have a bilingual local as our guide. My daughter and I were hesitant to travel alone, but having an excellent guide eased any anxiety we might have had. Even when we explored on our own, JJ gave us advice on where to go and checked in on us from time to time. We learned so much about the culture and history from talking with JJ, that we never would have learned on our own. He even helped teach me Spanish slang/phrases that were specific to Guatemala. Columbus Guatemala Travel even welcomed us with a small party so we could meet in person the people who had helped plan our trip!

All our locations we visited were wonderful as well as the hotels. Some highlights: Antigua is a beautiful and amazing city and we loved exploring it and the surrounding towns. We went out at night on our own and I went on a solo run through the city early one morning and never felt unsafe. I normally hate to shop, but I bought souvenirs from all the shops/artisans we visited because there were amazing items I wouldn't be able to find in the States, I wanted to support the local people, and everything was very affordable.

Lake Atitlan and the surrounding towns were amazing as well! Casa del Mundo was the absolute best and most unique hotel I'll probably ever see. It was an entire experience and I could see myself bringing the rest of my family just to see the lake and stay at Casa del Mundo again. Our hike to see the sunrise was the most beautiful view I've ever seen and was totally worth the struggle with the high altitude!

The locals were very friendly and would start conversations often! Knowing some Spanish was definitely helpful, but if you have a bilingual guide and use a translating app while alone, only speaking English would not be a huge problem. Seeing how people live off the land in a developing country is very worthwhile. I could go on and on about this trip, but I will end saying I'm grateful for JJ and the entire travel company. I'm a public school teacher and I have to save up for awhile before leaving the country, and I can definitely say this trip was worth every penny!

Hotel Reviews

Casa del Mundo

Lake Atitlán

This is a place like no other. Absolute paradise. If I could have brought my entire family, I would want to live there! The grounds and views were amazing, the staff was friendly and helpful. This was very valuable when trying to carry large bags up all those stairs when you aren't used to the altitude! The restaurant was wonderful. I loved explored all the gardens and seeing how environmentally conscious the owners are. The traditional Mayan decorations in the rooms and throughout the property were absolutely amazing. Anyone who is interested in this hotel should look at pictures and remember that it's even better in person. My only complaint is that I was only able to stay 2 nights. I almost cried when we left. My daughter and I are athletic and in good shape, but keep in mind if you are not, or have balance issues, getting around the hotel grounds might be a little difficult!

Authenticity & Character

The decorations were amazing!

Location

You have to take a boat to get to this hotel and the surrounding towns but it adds to the experience.

Staff

Very helpful and polite. I was amazed at how strong the young men were at carrying our bags up all those stairs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect

Hotel San Jorge

Antigua

This was a small, beautiful hotel that has a peaceful courtyard, excellent breakfast, nice views of the mountains from the balcony, and a perfect location for exploring Antigua. The staff was helpful and friendly and we felt safe enough to sleep with our window open. I appreciated all the filtered water throughout the hotel so I didn't have to buy plastic water bottles, and the availability of coffee throughout the day. Beautiful experience!

Authenticity & Character

The courtyard and decorations.

Location

Very easy to walk to everywhere in Antigua.

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dos Mundos Monterrico

Monterrico

The grounds and buildings were beautiful. The pools were relaxing and clean. The food and service was excellent. The individual cabins were charming and relaxing. For spoiled Americans like myself, it's good to know that there is AC but not hot water. HOWEVER, I'm not complaining, because after learning about the area I understood that running water is hard to come by anyway, and it was very refreshing to take a cold shower because Monterrico is the warmest of all the places we visited. The beach has beautiful black sand, but was a little dirty. I'm not blaming this on the hotel but on people who litter. And it might have been dirtier because storms came through a few days before we did. It was very relaxing to lay by the pool or eat a wonderful meal and listen to the waves. We also booked relaxing massages and an early morning Mangrove tour, both of which were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was a perfect location for relaxing, but not if you wanted to explore the area on foot.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit San Juan La Laguna

Guatemala

This is an absolutely beautiful city. We had a lovely and relaxing breakfast. We visited several shops in the area and saw demonstrations by Mayan women or locals. I was able to buy many things for my family and learn about the culture at the same time!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Guatemala

Guatemala

JJ was our guide and picked us up on time and we immediately felt comfortable with him!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

JJ was an amazing guide!

Transport

Villages Around Antigua By Chicken Bus

Antigua

This was fun and informative! JJ taught us a lot about the history and culture of the area. The land and weather was beautiful. And the people were friendly. I loved visiting the local shops/artisans and learning about how the different items were made!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you

Guatemala

JJ made sure we go to the airport on time and we were sad to leave!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Antigua Street Food Tour

Antigua

This was a walking tour, which is the best way to learn about Antigua! We learned about the food and culture and history of the area. We were so full of wonderful food that we didn't have to eat for quite awhile! JJ, as always was a great guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike Rostro Maya or Indian Nose

Guatemala

Indian Nose: This was a very early morning hike and absolutely worth the lost sleep! I'm very athletic but the hike was challenging, especially for those of us who live at sea level and aren't used to the altitude. But I love challenges and the view at the top was the best I've ever seen! Watching the sun rise over Lake Atitlan was an amazing experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wonderful! Thanks to Chris and our guide Joel for putting together a great itinerary and shepherding us through a phenomenal trip. I traveled to Guatemala with 4 teenagers...who thought this might have been our best adventure yet. Chris and the team suggested a great itinerary, matched the level of adventure + downtime our group was into, were collaborative with adjustments, helped manage within our budget, and communicated well throughout. If we return to Guatemala, we'll work with Chris again....and I'll recommend him to friends.

From the first interaction, the experience was outstanding. I entered the basic ideas around the type of trip, I wanted to plan for me and my nine year old son. Alex took those basic ideas and shaped an unforgettable trip filled with adventure. I didn’t want to stay in “budget” hotels but certainly didn’t have the need to be at glamorous hotels either. Alex found the perfect balance! The hotels were beautiful, amazing staff, great restaurants onsite and amenities.

There were a couple of times that I even went back to Alex and mentioned some other ideas or tweaks we were interested in making to the itinerary. He helped us figure out those adaptations within budget. Alex was a fabulous partner at each stage before, during and after our trip.

Alex was unavailable to be our guide during the dates of our trip but he substituted his brother Viny, who was also fantastic. Although Alex was away from the office, he gave me a proactive heads up about Pacaya being unavailable. This was one of our primary goals for our trip so we were very concerned and were debating to postpone - just as we were getting ready to catch our flight out. Alex, his cousin and brother who all work for OTO, worked to get confirmation about whether we could go to Pacaya or not and how to make it happen safely. It gave us the confidence to continue with our trip and really appreciated their attention to it in short order.

Viny was such a friendly, warm and knowledgeable guide. Since this was supposed to be just a mom and son trip, my son was very concerned that a third person would be with us. The end of the trip my son said he missed a Viny and having a guide was a great idea! Viny made it very easy, taking charge to manage our timeline, transportation coordination with local guides, different sites and coordinating with hotel, concierge and restaurants. He really removed all of the administrative efforts for me so that I could focus on being with my son and enjoying our time together and experiencing Guatemala.

We went the zip lining, hiking Papaya and roasting marshmallows where Viny prepared a nice picnic, and kayaking at Atitlan, and went to Mayan Ruins. We were originally supposed to do more hiking, but my son was all hiked out, so Viny adapted our itinerary last minute so that we could go to textile and a cacao shop.

Then on our last night, Alex got a hold of me to alert me to a local event transpiring that roads were potentially going to be blockaded and we could get stuck potentially missing our flights the next day. I told Alex that I would prefer to leave Lake Atitlan that night and head to Guatemala City. He swiftly arranged transportation, and a safe and comfortable hotel stay in Guatemala City at no extra charge. We caught our flight the next day with no issues.

I’m so grateful for Alex’s attention to detail and genuine concern for us and our trip or we wouldn’t have known in real-time what was happening. I highly recommend Alex, Viny and OTO. This was my second time to Guatemala and we’re already planning the third trip. Definitely will be looking to use them again!

Hotel Reviews

Porta Hotel Antigua

Antigua Guatemala

Beautiful experience, great rooms, water filters amongst other amenities, staff offers high service level and the onsite restaurant is fantastic. I needed laundry done before leaving and the staff took it late in the day after the cut off and returned it to me that night. Highly recommended!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Atitlán

Panajachel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Zipline Adventure at Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We worked with Juan in the Guatemala office. He and his team are very thorough and helpful at every step of creating a custom trip. We were offered several options and travel plans during our time in Guatemala. All the guides were well versed in the area/activity they provided. I felt everyone involved had our best interest in mind. All pick ups and transports were on time and in clean vehicles. We felt safe and happy with the options that we chose.
I would absolutely recommend them to friends wishing to travel in Guatemala. In our case, mostly in the Antigua area.

Activity Review

Walk Antigua Like a Local

Antigua

Our brief tour in Guatemala, arranged by Alex of Old Town Outfitters in conjunction with KimKim, was outstanding . In four days we visited Tikal and Lake Atitlán and surrounding Villages of San Jose and Santiago. We learned about the history of the areas and people who lived or live there as well as the flora and fauna.

At Tikal, we saw ancient Mayan Temples and dwellings.and our guide shared history. We saw several spider monkeys and birds. Our guide was knowledgeable about plants and how Mayans used them. He named birds for us.

At Lake Atitlán. we had a wonderful guide and helper for our two-day stay. Vinicio. our guide. was totally bilingual in spanish and english so everything at restaurants and accommodations were seamless.
My husband and I are birders; so we had a birding tour with Pablo Chumil, a premier birder in Guatemala. We were delighted to learn new birds .
In the village of San Jose, we we had educational demonstrations on bee-keeping and honey production, weaving and natural dye-making, and chocolate-making. In Santiago, Pablo Chumil, who is Mayan, told us about the blending of the Mayan and Christan religions and took us to a shrine that honors both.

We had excellent drivers who were always on time and made safe transfers.

Our accommodations and meals were good. The Casa del Mundo, perched in a cilff above Lake Atitlán was lovely . Unbeatable view of the lake and three volcanoes !

All in all, a great trip.

This was such a memorable trip! Kim Kim was a great interface through which to connect with Alex at Old Town Outfitters, who crafted an incredible itinerary according to the activities and learning that I was hoping for in visiting Guatemala. My guide for the historical tour (Dary) was so knowledgeable and friendly, and my guide for touring Lake Atitlan and Pacaya Volcano (Christa) was personable, attentive, professional, but also just so gracious and fun to hang out with! The drivers, too, were exceptional, and the accommodations were overall really tasteful. I can’t thank the team at Old Town enough for all their work and expertise, and for the kindness and genuineness they treated me with.

"Exemplary service! From start to finish, our experience with Cathy was nothing short of exceptional. Our tour guide Juan and Estevan were not only knowledgeable but also personable, making our journey unforgettable. Five stars all around!"

Very kind and knowledgeable about every cite we traveled to. My family and I had a great time!

We just returned from an awesome trip to Guatemala that Chris and his team arranged for us. Chris took the time to meet us for coffee the morning after we arrived so we could ask any questions and discuss our plans for the week- super friendly and made us feel immediately comfortable! We spent two days exploring with Jerry, who was wonderful as well! We did a walking tour of Antiqua and learned so much with him! The next day, a hike up the Payca volcano, which was definitely a highlight for us. We moved on to Panajachel for a few days and explored the surrounding towns with Pablo- loved it! Ivan, our driver was always on time for our adventures and incredibly kind and accommodating. I think private transportation and guides was key for us being able to relax and absorb our surroundings. This is a trip we will never forget and I would highly recommend Old Town Outfitters to anyone planning to visit beautiful Guatemala!

Great time in Guatemala!

Matt was our specialist at the beginning of the process, but Alex Coronado took over our planning process when Matt had to do some guiding. Alex was terrific! Very responsive, friendly, and he provided excellent advice. He touched base with us frequently throughout the three weeks we were in Guatemala to ensure that we were enjoying the trip. We had to make some last minutes changes which he accommodated quickly and efficiently. Alex went over and above making sure we were well taken care of.

All of the guides were professional and knowledgeable about the areas we were visiting. The drivers were prompt and the cars were in good shape. There was one situation where a car broke down (could happen to anyone) and Alex and our guide arranged for another car very quickly.

All of the accommodation was very good and the food was excellent. As was the Guatemalan coffee.

Thanks to Alex and the KimKim team for making our visit to Guatemala very special!