Kimkim Trip Reviews for Mexico

Charlotte put together the itinerary for us perfectly. Not too much, not too little, but just the right amount of activities for our family of four. The activities and accommodations were aligned with the objectives and preferences we had in mind for the trip. We wanted to do things "off the beaten path," and that's what Charlotte delivered. Highlights included swimming in the cenote, Sian Ka'an boat tour (highly recommended), and snorkeling with sea turtles. The team also supported us during the trip and were quick to answer questions when they arose.

From start to finish, planning our trip with Kimkim was so effortless. I have physical considerations that come into play when traveling, and Rene was great at helping us find activities that would work within my abilities, which makes me feel so much more at ease when traveling. Luz, who was our point of contact during our trip, was wonderful to work with and very attentive. She was checking on us to make sure everything was going smoothly and we were having a great time even on the days when we didn't have any activities planned. She got us everything we needed for our activities ahead of time and was able to help us cancel an activity fairly last minute when we had a physical issue that prevented us from doing the activity. I loved that we were able to curate a day trip that included both Chichen Itza and Ek Balam, as we couldn't find any private tours elsewhere that combined these two experiences. Ek Balam was an absolutely magical experience for us - so beautiful, secluded and QUIET with so few other travelers. It really let us experience the site and its energy so much more thoroughly and I am beyond glad that this experience was included with our tour. All of our drivers were prompt and professional and we never once worried about any of the details of our trip because we knew our Kimkim team had our backs. Thank you for helping us plan this wonderful trip!

Hotel Review

Mi Amor Hotel

Tulum

Mi Amor Hotel was the perfect place for us to stay in Tulum. Being inside the national park, it allowed us to escape the hustle and bustle of the more touristy area of Tulum and be more secluded in the natural beauty of the coastline. It was also nice to have their sister hotel, Mezzanine, just a super short walk down the road so we could experience the beach and restaurant there as well. The small size of the resort made it feel so quiet and intimate. The views from the rooms and property were beyond compare. Our room was always clean and comfortable. The staff went above and beyond to make our stay wonderful. Everyone from the front desk to housekeeping, maintenance and restaurant staff remembered us each day, greeted us warmly, helped us with anything we needed (recommendations, directions, hotel info and even loaning us a pair of sunglasses when we realized my husband forgot his!) and were genuinely kind and wonderful to interact with each day. When I think back on our time here, I instantly feel happy and relaxed, because that is how we felt during our entire stay thanks to everything Mi Amor Hotel had to offer.

Authenticity & Character

The small size of the resort made it feel so quiet and intimate. The views from the rooms and property were beyond compare. Our room was always clean and comfortable. The staff went above and beyond to make our stay wonderful.

Location

Being inside the national park, it allowed us to escape the hustle and bustle of the more touristy area of Tulum and be more secluded in the natural beauty of the coastline. It was also nice to have their sister hotel, Mezzanine, just a super short walk down the road so we could experience the beach and restaurant there as well.

Staff

veryone from the front desk to housekeeping, maintenance and restaurant staff remembered us each day, greeted us warmly, helped us with anything we needed (recommendations, directions, hotel info and even loaning us a pair of sunglasses when we realized my husband forgot his!) and were genuinely kind and wonderful to interact with each day.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super attentive housekeeping staff with daily room cleaning and turndown service - our room always felt clean and comfortable, smelled lovely and was a wonderful place to relax at the end of a long day of exploring!

Activity Review

Explore the mysterious area of Ek Balam

Ek Balam

If you love to explore Mayan ruins, this site is a MUST SEE. It feels so quiet and secluded and it gives you the opportunity to really experience the ruins up close, feel the energy of the site itself and to hear/experience the sounds and sights of the surrounding jungle as you explore. There were probably only 15 other people touring the site while we were there. This was a magical experience for us and we would recommend it to any traveler looking to get off the beaten path a little and explore some lesser known ruins.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excellent Guides in Chichen Itza, Uxmal & Kabah. Well informed and highly educated.
Very good Drivers.
Very nice choice of Hotels and Lodges
Pleasant and happy experience in total

It was an incredible experience that really exceeded my expectations! The cultural immersion, the archaeological sites, and stunning natural wonders, it had everything I was looking for. The planning stage was really collaborative. Isa meticulously followed our preferences and requests and we loved all the places she recommended! All the drivers, tour guides, and local specialists were really friendly and helpful. One particular driver-Oscar, our driver in Valladolid, recommended a beautiful cenote that was not in our itinerary and we're so glad he did. It was so beautiful and serene and we had the place all to ourselves! Our Mexico trip definitely left a strong and lasting impression on us. Well worth the money!

Hotel Reviews

El Mesón del Marqués

Valladolid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Fives Oceanfront Puerto Morelos

Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Ek Balam Archaeological Site & swim in a cenote

Mexico

Our trip was fabulous on 2 of 3 experiences.
It was just easy and convenient to have someone pick us up from the airport on our first day in a new place.

Our first day City & Food tour with Montserrat was AMAZING. She did a fabulous job of chatting with our teenager in Spanish, adjusting the tour to our own interests, bathroom needs, and hunger levels, and engaging all of us in an introduction to some of the history and the current life of Mexico City. 6 stars out of 5 for this guide and experience.

Our 2nd day tour was where our trip fell off of the rails.
We had booked a nature-oriented introduction to the canals of Xocimilco, according to our trip plan. But what we got was a trip to the party-boat side, and then the tour guide had nothing to offer - no stops, no chatter about what we were seeing, no food & drink. I would not recommend working with that guide or that company. And it was VERY frustrating, since our tour plan had described a different tour. (It sounds like Rene had switched the tour / tour company but hadn't updated the itinerary - but we never would have booked that experience if it was described accurately.)

But then we had a great experience on our bike tour of Teotihuacan. The guiding company did a nice job of mixing the biking with walks around different areas, and the guide was engaging for our whole family (parents and 2 teen boys).

Also throughout, Luz was our day to day contact, and she always made sure that we knew where to go next and how to find our guides, etc.
She wasn't able to help with anything to address our mis-booking of our 2nd day tour, but where she did seem to have accountability she did a nice job of communicating.

So many fantastic memories for our young family!
When we first contacted kim kim, I was not sure it was even possible to organize a trip at such short notice, but Rene delivered a plan custom made for us, with just 3 weeks to go. All the activity providers were top notch, knowledgeable and supporting local communities.
Luz Ma followed us online through the trip, she was able to help when an hotel assigned us to a very traffic noisy room, she helped us get a much quieter, and better room the following night. We had one other organizational mishap, but it could be solved thanks to all the information provided by kim kim team.
The activities where perfect for our family friendly tour, and we did more than we would have thought possible.

Hotel Reviews

El Mesón del Marqués

Valladolid

This is a beautiful hotel right in the center of Valladolid, with an authentic, traditional character. The staff is courteous and attentive, the grounds are beautiful and the courtyard and pool provide a peaceful setting. Unfortunately the first night we were assigned to an extremely noisy room overlooking a busy street. We could not get any sleep. After we were moved to a different room, our stay was much more pleasant. The restaurants is very good. I wish we knew about the roof terrace bar while there!

Authenticity & Character

Wonderful historical character, kept throughout the building, nice art and decor

Location

Right in the center of town

Staff

Very professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great service

Hacienda Morelos

Puerto Morelos

As of February 2025, the only reason to be at hacienda Morelos is the location. It is located right in the center of Puerto Morelos, with direct access to the beach and with sea view of most rooms. The rest however, is in grave need of attention. There is a feeling in the hotel that there is no management, the employees where often uncourteous and lacked initiative. There are renovations going on in the restaurant, so you are walking in a building site and to reach the pool and sea you have to go through all the kitchen equipment left in what would be otherwise a nice restaurant area. We constantly had to request extra towels and toilet paper for our 4 people room, like it was not possible to give anything extra. The coffee in the foyer was alway empty, in a container way too small for the demand. The pool and other part of the hotel cleanliness is questionable. The fee parking was half a building site, we were blocked in by a van at one point. They should have closed during the remodel and train their staff better.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like a bleak motel. Lots of dirt and dust, not even an evening reading light.

Location

Beautiful location with views and right on the beach front!

Staff

Unfriendly, lacked initiative and professionalism

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pool was dirty, lots of dirt around the hotel. Not help by remodel and building sites around.

Activity Reviews

Visit a peaceful cenote and enjoy traditional mayan food

Mexico

Beautiful peaceful cenote, staff explained well how to reach it and showering procedure. Friendly staff and nice food at lunch, lovely environment.

Quality of Experience

The character of the cenote

Food

Great traditional food

Ek Balam Archaeological Site, Cenote & Village Tour

Mexico

What an amazing place, a world a part from the crowds of Chicen Itza. I hope ek balan retain its character. The local guide , Baldasar, was knowledgeable and friendly to us and our children. We learnt so much! The team managed to change around our booking times to see the cenote after the archeological visit. The cenote was beautiful, with a nice relaxing area with hammocks, changing rooms and lovely staff explaining the site facilities and rules. I wish we had longer there. After that we went to the village tour that felt authentic, again with welcoming and friendly people, showing their homes and their craft. We purchased locally made crafts, although we never felt pressured into it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

N.a. Our transport.

Cooking Class in the Mayan community Nuevo Durango & Punta Laguna Natural Reserve

Mexico

Overall a fantastic day. Francisco was accomodating as we arrived 30 min late. I had flagged the start time of 10 as too early from valladolid , with the time change. He was extremely friendly and professional. Francisco was so nice and friendly, a father himself he was caring and engaging with the kids and explained a lot about his culture but also took great interest in us! The cooking was a fantastic experience with the children, we picked and made everything from scratch! The family cooking was super hospitable and jovial. The laguna tour was very special and packed with activities !

Quality of Experience

Genuine cooking experience

Food

We cooked ! It was fantastic!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All amazing! Francisco was great

Transport

Na our car

Scuba Diving in the Cozumel Sea for Certified Divers

Mexico

Beautiful dive, great staff, small group and great equipment. Knowledgeable and eco conscious owner of the diving service. Despite the mishap with my diving start time, Ernesto Hevia was quick thinking into finding a solution for me, he also took care of me picking me up from the ferry and taking me back there after. There needs to be more direct communication between the diving center to the client directly. I understand the diving did not have my direct contact info. I filled in the questionnaire but at that point I should have also scheduled a call or have a direct message to the provider to go over details and questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great staff

Transport

Boat and road transport were great

Snorkeling in the beautiful marine park of Puerto Morelos

Puerto Morelos

Friendly staff, great equipment, eco conscious tourism, a great experience. Joaquin was so friendly and our captain Arturo took care of our children on the boat. I love how everybody receives and explanation before snorkeling on how to protect the environment. The floatation devices definitely limits people diving down and grabbing things or inadvertently damaging corals. We saw a lot of fish!.

Quality of Experience

Great place to snorkel! We saw manta, morel eel, turtles, angel fish, barracuda.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lovely staff , family friendly, helpful

Transport

Good boat

My trip was based in Mexico City and Puebla. Accommodations, transport and guided tours were arranged according to my interests, and all of the tours chosen were perfect. There were wonderful food tours in both Mexico City and Puebla, visits to the Pueblos Mágicos Zácatlan and Chignahuapan, a visit to Teotihuacan, and tours of Talavera factories in Puebla (in one of which I painted my own piece). All of the tour guides (Luis, Yimnah, Lupita, Pablo and Ayleyn) and drivers were wonderful - friendly, knowledgeable, informative and fun to be with. I spent the most time with Lupita (3 separate tours) in Puebla. She is truly a precious resource to have.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Azulai Puebla Hotel Boutique

Puebla

This hotel seems fairly recently renovated, and has lovely decor. It is convenient and modern in comfort, yet retains historic charm. The staff are friendly and accommodating. I had several breakfasts there, which were delicious. The hotel is conveniently located in the historic center, close to places of interest, shopping and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely decor which seamlessly blends historic charm with modern convenience.

Location

It is in the historic center.

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed was very comfortable, and the shower was great.

Casa González

Mexico City

My room was large and comfortable. The hotel is very conveniently located. The reception staff were extremely friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely outside patio.

Location

Very conveniently located near restaurants and many places of interest. Safe neighborhood; I felt comfortable walking around as a solo female.

Staff

Reception personnel in particular were helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover the flavors and colors of the exotic San Juan Market

Mexico City

My guide Yimnah was wonderful - friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. She chose excellent food samples so that I could experience many flavors of Mexico, and some foods specific to Mexico City itself. We walked to a local market in an area of the historic center that I would never have thought to explore on my own (not because it was dangerous, just because I didn’t know it was there). Yimnah also shared interesting facts about that specific area of Mexico City.

Quality of Experience

The explanations about the historical significance of some of the dishes and restaurants.

Food

Everything; the torta, the cheese sampler, the mole, the fruit.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yimnah was so friendly and knowledgeable, and always asked me about my preferences and how I was doing.

Transport

My hotel called a taxi for me.

Teotihuacán Walking Tour - DO Puebla/Cholula - 8h

Mexico City

With my guide Luis, I believe that I was able to visit the areas of greatest significance of Teotihuacán.

Quality of Experience

I learned a great deal about the area, the former residents of Teotihuacán and their lives, and the process of archeological discovery and preservation.

Food

I had a typical lunch (chicken with mole, rice, beans, tortillas) in a local restaurant with a view of one of the pyramids.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis was highly informative; he made every detail interesting. He was also very solicitous about how I was doing e.g. if I needed to rest, etc. The driver took me from Teotihuacán to my hotel in Puebla; he was very kind and helpful.

Transport

As above

Puebla City Tour & Talavera Workshop

Puebla

The visit to the Talavera workshop was great. I was a fan of Talavera ceramics before my arrival, and was thrilled to tour the Uriarte factory, one of the most historic and iconic Talavera factories of Puebla. It was informative and after the tour, for better or for worse, I was able to paint my own piece. We later had a fantastic walking tour of the city of Puebla.

Quality of Experience

The experience of trying to paint my own ceramic piece, which is being shipped to me after it has been fired and finished!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lupita was the guide for this experience. She is truly a treasure - friendly, humorous, knowledgeable, kind and a great teacher. She shared her knowledge of Puebla history in general as well as the history of each individual building we visited. She was always concerned about my welfare, asking if I needed to rest and making sure I didn’t walk into the street when there was traffic. She chose a number of iconic churches for us to visit, as well as the Biblioteca Palafoxiana.

Transport

Kind of N/A; it was a walking tour.

Gastronomic tour in Puebla

Puebla

My guide Lupita chose typical dishes of Puebla for us to sample - tacos de canasta, tlayoyos, quesadillas (not like those in the US), and sweets. Although there were other dishes, like cemitas, that we were unable to try (because too much food) Lupita provided background information about those foods. While we were in the street of dulces, she pointed out the former home of the Serdán family, which continues to display bullet holes from the start of the Mexican Revolution on its facade.

Quality of Experience

This tour was as advertised; a true food tour which includes dishes which most people from the US would not know as Mexican. A truly marvelous cultural experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was my second day with Lupita. I was thrilled to learn that she would be my guide again!

Transport

N/A. Walking tour.

Visit Cholula and a talavera factory

Cholula

We visited a famous Talavera factory, Talavera de la Reyna, on the way to Cholula. The tour was fascinating, and included a thorough explanation of the process of producing the ceramics. We then proceeded to Cholula, where the guide discussed the largest pyramid in the world, located there. We visited the museum and walked around the pyramid, viewing the excavations of previous pyramids. We then climbed to the top to see the famous church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. Additionally we visited Templo de Santa María Tonantzintla and La Purisima in San Andres Cholula.

Quality of Experience

It was very well planned to include the visit to the Talavera factory (a special interest of mine), as well as the historic and spiritual sites. The sites are must-see for anyone in the Puebla area.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pablo was very informative, explaining the significance of the pyramid as well as the cultural significance of the different styles of decor in the churches. His commentary on the exhibits in the museum was invaluable.

Transport

The car was comfortable; the driver arrived for pickup promptly and dropped us at convenient spots for each activity.

Mole Poblano: Market Tour & Cooking Class

Puebla

This class was very well-organized and incredibly fun. I was the only tourist in this activity, which added to the experience since I felt like I was really able to participate in the cooking. However I think that a larger group would be great as well.

Quality of Experience

In contrast to previous cooking classes that I have taken in other places, I feel that I will really be able to possibly make mole myself after I return home. We also visited a local market where I had the experience of shopping for some of the ingredients we used later. We sampled a sweet breakfast tamale at the very beginning of the experience, just enough to keep me from getting ravenous before the mole was ready!

Food

Aleyn shared her recipe for mole, which was less extensive (in terms of number of ingredients) than I had expected. She encouraged me to taste the sauce at each crucial step to make sure it was going in the right direction. It turned out delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Aleyn, the guide, teacher and chief cook, is an excellent instructor. She was both encouraging with my efforts and also patient with my lack of expertise! She is incredibly fun to be with!

Transport

The little bit of driving that this tour required was done by the tour guide herself.

Discover Zacatlan de las Manzanas & Chignahuapan

Mexico

To my delight, Lupita was my guide for this day’s experiences. It was a day full of unique experiences; we visited 2 of Mexico’s Pueblos Mágicos, Zácatlan and Chignahuapan, and hiked to a waterfall Cascadas San Joaquin Tomatlán. Zácatlan is a town bejeweled with beautiful and intricate mosaic murals which depict the history of the town, early Mexican history/mythology, and things of cultural interest such as typical clothing from each state of Mexico. To add to the value and interest of this excursion, the actual artists were working as we toured and spoke with us about their work! The hike to the waterfall took place through a cool refreshing mountainous area, and the local guide discussed the indigenous plants of medicinal value. During this tour I sampled some local delicacies such as bread stuffed with an entire apple, elote and a maguey worm (actually very tasty and a good source of protein, no kidding).

Quality of Experience

I loved the opportunity to visit Pueblos Mágicos, places which are not necessarily on the tourist route for folks from the US. Also, it was truly priceless to be able to see the dedication of the mural artists at work, and to meet those amazing women. My memories from this tour will always be cherished.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As noted before, Lupita is a fantastic guide and I was happy to have her in charge again. I cannot say enough good things about her. She is indefatigable, kind, personable, and a gifted teacher. She was always careful of my welfare, and asked if I was tired or if anything was too much for me. Our driver Miguel is also a very kind man and an excellent, safe driver.

Transport

Miguel was the driver; very comfortable car which was fanatically clean at the beginning of our trip but, unfortunately for Miguel, dusty and/or rain-soaked at the end of the adventure!

Free day in Puebla

Mexico

I visited the forts commemorating the battle of Cinco de Mayo, and the Ex-Convento de Santa Rosa. I wanted to visit the house of the Serdán family but was unable; it was closed for some sort of maintenance.

Quality of Experience

I enjoyed the day, but can’t compare it to the previous stellar guided experiences!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

N/A

Transport

N/A

A wonderful trip to Mexico was brought to life by the stellar organisational efforts of Javier and the team at Rutopia. Javier was the chief planning architect of our trip and spent a lot of time on watsapp calls and messages curating the ideal itinerary for us. His passion and enthusiasm for sharing the sights of his country rubbed off on us and we were able to maximise our time and enjoyment during our stay. Eduardo was our go-to contact person and very prompt in checking in with us daily to see how were going and if we needed help with anything.
The chief highlights for us were seeing Chichenitza and the pyramid at Uxmal, up close and personal. We loved visiting the Xcaret theme park and enjoyed the show immensely. Snorkelling off Isla Mujeres, strolling down Quinta Avenida in Playa del Carmen , drinking Margaritas in Tulum and relishing Marquesitas in Bacalar were other standouts for us. We also enjoyed the culinary experiences in Yalcoba with a Mayan family and the cooking class courtesy of Lina's Mexican Kitchen.
We had a memorable time in the Yucatan peninsula and hopefully we can visit again in future and see the other parts of Mexico.
Muchas Gracias :)

Our trip to Mexico City was wonderful
We got to see all the highlights over a few days
It was wonderful being there over dia de muertos
Would absolutely recommend kimkim for all your travel needs!

Activity Reviews

Tacos, Chelas & Mezcal in Narvarte

Mexico City

Excellent way to try different cuisine and the mezcal tasting at the end was a great way to end the night!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pop

Air Balloon Flight over Teotihuacan & Biking Experience

Mexico City

A must do

Sweets & streets! Family-Friendly Historic Center Tour

Mexico City

Our tour guide was wonderful and the kids loved it!

Lucha libre experience & mezcal tasting

Mexico City

Such a fun experience! Our boys loved it

Be amazed by the pre-hispanic beauty of the chinampas in Xochimilco

Mexico City

Unique experience Beautiful wildlife and nature

Tour the famous and picturesque neighborhood of Coyoacán.

Mexico City

Tour guide was great Beautiful part of mexico

Enjoy an Oaxacan dinner at Los Danzantes.

Mexico City

Delicious!

The Oaxaca day trip guide was great.

The Oaxaca group tours were too long. I would recommend half days only.

The Mazunte boat tour was great. I recommend the tour guide.

The museum tour was fine in Mexico City at the Museo de Antropologia. But she recommended a night tour is even better.

All the drivers were courteous and timely.

The hotels were all fine.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Decu

Mexico City

Nice size rooms, in a lovely neighborhood.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parador del Dominico

Oaxaca de Juarez

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Altamira

Mazunte

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Oaxaca (city tour)

Oaxaca

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Monte Alban - San Antonio Arrazola - Cuilapam de Guerrero - San Bartolo Coyotepec

Oaxaca

The National Museum of Anthropology - Guided visit

Mexico City

Absolutely fabulous trip. It was well organised and we had the best time and cannot fault the logistics.

We had an excellent experience in Mexico. All the drivers and guides were excellent, very knowledgeable and friendly: Daniela, Montserrat, Suzy, Pablo.

We missed Rene because he disappeared and Mariana was the one coordinating our trip while in Mexico.

Hotel Review

Casa Decu

Mexico City

Great hotel, very well located, all the staff very friendly and helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Be amazed by the pre-hispanic beauty of the chinampas in Xochimilco

Mexico City

This is an unforgettable experience, really unexpected. Very interesting to see how they work the Chinampas and all the work it takes, and above all keeping it as a family tradition

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

LuzMa was very attentive to checking on us during the trip.
Iber was our guide for the Chichen Itza, Vallodolid and cenote excursion. He was super knowledgeable and friendly.
Our guide at Tulum, Adrian, was very well-spoken and charismatic.
The family-run business, Lina's Kitchen was an amazing experience. Felix was a great tequila mixologist and distiller.
Memo at Rio Secreto was fun and ensured everyone's safety.
The staff at The Fives was outstanding! The food was amazing everywhere we ate on the grounds.

Hotel Reviews

Copal Tulum Hotel

The room was like an apartment, but there were no coffee filters, dish towels or soap to wash our dishes.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking anywhere had us going through some questionable neighborhoods.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The breakfast at the restaurant was great. Cocktails are expensive at the bar.

The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences

Playa del Carmen

ALL staff was friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

It was definitely for tourists, but it was relaxing and fun to be spoiled a little.

Location

On the beach!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover the Art of Cooking and the Enchantment of Mezcal in Tulum

Mexico

Miriam and Orlando were so kind and helpful. They work well as a team and made us feel like part of the family.

Quality of Experience

Food

We cannot wait to try the recipes at home!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver waited for us without issue when our tasting ran a little long.

Río Secreto Privilege: The Mayan Underworld

Mexico

It was a major tourist attraction. While it did not seem very intimate at first, once we broke off into our small group, the guide Memo made the experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

lots of options

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the archaeological site of Tulum

Mexico

Adrian was a great guide. His ending was rather abrupt, so we weren't sure if we were supposed to tip him or not...

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dining recommendations in Tulum

Tulum

It was a little vague, addresses would be helpful. The front desk at our hotel was helpful though.

Quality of Experience

Discovering a wonder of the world: Chichén Itzá, cenote and Valladolid

Tulum

It was not too crowded or hot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The first half of our trip was really well planned with great hotels, perfectly timed transportation and amazing tour guides. At the end of the trip we were reserved in a hotel that was extremely inconvenient and kept giving us false information. We wasted most of our time in Tulum trying to work around the inconvenient location of the hotel.

Hotel Reviews

Histórico Central Mexico City

Mexico City

Great hotel and location. The breakfast menu was excellent. Very clean hotel and helpful service.

Authenticity & Character

Clean, beautiful and easy

Location

Located perfectly near the main attractions

Staff

Helpful recommendations

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great beds

El Mesón del Marqués

Valladolid

Great location and helpful people. Very pretty building

Authenticity & Character

Great ambience and restaurant

Location

On the main square

Staff

Helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Good beds but a smell of mildew

Copal Tulum Hotel

Beautiful room and pools but the location is terrible and the staff repeatedly gave us incorrect information

Authenticity & Character

Nice pool

Location

It takes hours to get to the beach and walking to the center of town requires walking through a poor neighborhood with no sidewalks and muddy dirt roads

Staff

Incorrect information was given at least 4 times

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and good beds

Activity Reviews

Be amazed by the pre-hispanic beauty of the chinampas in Xochimilco

Mexico City

The boats are beautiful and the scenery fascinating

Quality of Experience

Very interesting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lots of information and a great tour

Transport

Tour the famous and picturesque neighborhood of Coyoacán.

Mexico City

The market was fascinating and the fruit stand a once in a lifetime experience. The neighborhood otherwise didn’t seem very interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit of Teotihuacan and the Basilica of Guadalupe

Mexico City

Fascinating archaeology and Luis, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour through the Historic City Center of this Colonial City Valladolid

Valladolid

The guide was friendly but his English was hard to understand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Chichén Itzá: A Wonder of the Mayan World

Chichén Itzá

The driver, Carlos, was very friendly and helpful. The guide was informative and nice. The site is very crowded

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit a peaceful cenote and enjoy traditional mayan food

Mexico

Amazing swimming and a great lunch

Quality of Experience

Food

Sops de lima was great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Carlos was really nice

Explore the mysterious area of Ek Balam

Ek Balam

A less crowded site where you can climb the pyramid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Carlos was very nice

Visit to Xcanche Cenote

Ek Balam

Great experience and lots of fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carlos was nice and helpful

Transport

Maria was nice. Other than that everything was horrible except the hotel in Puebla . Starting from our hotel room in Mexico City to uber driver from Puebla to Mexico City as he kept turning the AC off in the car in the heat. The boat guide was good. We did not like the way we were given the hotel room or the way we were treated when we complained about the hotel

We had a great trip to Mexico , Charlotte did a splendid job of organizing everything given the short notice of 4-5 days to plan & book our itinerary.

On arrival in Mexico City , our car with a driver was waiting for us at the appointed location, next day we took in the sights around the main square and cathedral with our guide, who had very in depth knowledge of area. In the afternoon we visited the

Tonalli with eat mexico was so fun and enthusiastic!!
The chinampas with Gabriel was unique and so informative. Bikes and munchies was a fantastic bike and food tour in the city.
Luis in teotihuacan and again in Amanalco was very informed and enthusiastic. Loved the alpine cabins.
And Aaron and Irving with Unlimited guiding us to Popocatepetl were topnotch. Went above and beyond with extra driving duties.
Aand to top it off with the luche libre on our last night. Unforgettable.

Activity Reviews

Be amazed by the pre-hispanic beauty of the chinampas in Xochimilco

Mexico City

unique and unexpected part of mexico city

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

gabriel was very informed, gentle and easy to be with

Transport

Bike tour around the most hipster neighborhoods

Mexico City

guides were incredible looking after a fairly large group through the street of mexico city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hike in the Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl National Park

Mexico

Aaron was excellent guide and Irving, driver was very good driver on difficult road

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Aaron and Irving drove us an extra 2 hours when our other driver didnt show up.

Transport

Lucha Libre Experience & Mezcal Tasting

Mexico City

so fun and different

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

guide was fun and engaging

Transport

was no transport

Tacos, Chelas & Mezcal in Narvarte

Mexico City

Tonalli, our guide was so enthusiastic and street food was top notch. We went to places we never would have gone without our guide.

Quality of Experience

guide was great and choies of food vendors good

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Biking in Teotihuacán "The City of the Gods" & Overnight in Cholula

Mexico

unique experience and not expected to see pyramids in mexico city

Quality of Experience

unique

Guides, Drivers and Staff

excellent guide in luis

Transport

To preface, we have used Kim-Kim 2 previous times and were pleased with the experience each time; this time was the exact opposite. The over arching issue was poor communication. Throughout the planning process we were very clear in our desires. When we expressed them, Andrea would agree and then present a plan which was different from discussed. This disconnect progressed for 3 weeks (2 months before the planned trip) when we finally called KimKim admin to step in for a better person to work with.

Gustavo jumped in to help, and honestly things did not improve significantly. Like before we would try and be clear about our desires and he would agree to our requests. Then he would present something different. As we got closer to the trip, there were also delays in responses to our questions. Excuses were given, always different, but the delays for prompt answers to our questions kept piling up. This affected our ability to make plans outside the official tour related events. We wanted to figure out meals, restaurant reservations, shopping opportunities etc. This was especially challenging and anxiety provoking since we were a travel group of 11 which included travelers aged 11 to 80, half of which were seniors. Gus kept making the excuse that we keep changing the plans. Our perspective is that the proposed plans have not been satisfactory and we keep catching the flaws.

Specific issues with our planning involved our desire to have a tour focused on food and religiosity for our visit to Mexico City. We wanted an overview type day - tour of the city and food tour at the beginning of the week were in CDMX. Then each day would have a mass/visit to church and as the week progressed we build on the great beginning city tour. Didn’t seem like a big ask - but they couldn’t do it. In the final itinerary, we were offered a city tour with food tour at the last day of the tour, the exact opposite of what we wanted. After we continued to push, they relented and placed a city/food tour on day 2 of our itinerary.

When day 2 arrived, our local guide Yuichi Pablo was very nice and educational. He took us a tour of Metropolitan Church and a limited walking tour of the city. But not a single food tour or sample. NOTHING. So when we got to lunch, we complained and also contacted the local tour operator, Ibis Murillo at Rutopia. They apparently knew nothing about the agreed food tour on the itinerary. This was maddening. So Yuichi’s adjustment on the fly was to take us to a sandwich shop.

To appease us, Yuchi promised to try and add food elements into our itinerary. To meet this end, he added a lunch stop at a touristy restaurant each of our tour days. As you can see, very underwhelming and disappointing. Yuichi was a wonderful guide in terms of meeting our goal for religiosity - he really understood the special history of the Catholic Churches we visited and helped us worship and attend mass each day. So kudos to that.

One final knock against our travel week is the driver they used for our week visit, Carlos. He drove a large Mercedes van for us and was a great driver and kept the vehicle clean. However he also had poor communications skills with Yuichi and the parent company, Rutopia. When he dropped us off for a site visit and then parked, he was always late upon returning to pick us up. The worst was on the second to last day of our trip, he dropped us off at Teotihuacan (pyramids). When we finished he did not come to fetch us for over 30 minutes - in the hot sun with our aged parents, aunts and uncle. Our guide Yuichi unsuccessfully messaged him in watsapp and called on his cell phone but he never answered. On the final day, we had early flights out of Mexico City and he was to pick us up at 4:40am. When he hadn’t shown up by 4:55 (15 minutes past the scheduled time) I used the whatsapp to contact our on call tour operator, Ibis. I sent her messages 2x with no response. I then tried calling Ibis directly and finally got hold of her. She proceeded to call our driver Carlos directly, but she said he wasn’t answering her phone calls. This was completely unacceptable especially on a travel day.

These poor experiences really tested our patience and dampened our excitement. It certainly ruined what could have been a great visit to CDMX.

Ultimately I cannot recommend KimKim based on this experience. We also caution travelers who decide to visit Mexico City to make sure they do NOT use Rutopia, or any travel firm that associates with them.

Luz Ma did great job of keeping us on task. Only had one problem 2nd day hooking up with trip to Mercado Jamaica but think this was our fault with unfamiliarity with transportation & difficulty/misinformation from Google Maps. Resolved subsequently by using UBER. Pablo Yuchi was fantastic guide/host for Tue 29 Oct/Thu 31 Oct trips to Mexico City/Museum of Anthropology; Xochimilco, Coyoacan, Museum Diego Rivera & Casa Azul (Frida Kahlo) Pablo was very well informed and communicated fabulously. Montserrat was equally fantastic for our visits to Teotihuacan & Basilica of Guadalupe. Very well informed, helpful, accommodating and very easy to talk with. The Chef's table at Tezontle was excellent and a surprise for my wife's birthday (6 Nov). Food was excellent and chefs Jorge Sibaja & Ezequiel Garnica with their great staff were both very enthusiastic, informative and provided an exquisite tasting experience with great enthusiasm and kindness to our questions. The Emporio Hotel was fantastic and an ideal location. Service, food and attention to details was stellar. Only negative experience was the disappointing restaurant Balcon del Zocalo which was way overpriced with poor to mediocre food. My wife and I were very disappointed and felt this was very overrated.

Hotel Review

Emporio Ciudad De México

Great location, excellent service and food. Very thorough and accommodating

Authenticity & Character

Fantastic food and service. Wait staff and maitre d'hotels are very attentive, conscientious and helpful

Location

Best location to get most places in Mexico City

Staff

Excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

very well attended

Activity Reviews

Explore the historic center of Mexico City and the Museum of Anthropology

Mexico City

See my review

Quality of Experience

Overwhelming without guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

excellent service all aroung

Transport

timely and as efficient as possible considering Mexico City Traffic

Day of the dead Experience at Mercado Jamaica

Mexico City

Cannot assess. Missed this. Group not helpful in helping us get to there location

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit of Teotihuacan and the Basilica of Guadalupe

Mexico City

Monserrat was excellent guide and extremely helpful and informative with both Teotihuacan and Basilica

Quality of Experience

Fantastic at both locations. Teotihuacan is a must see

Guides, Drivers and Staff

guide and driver were superb

Transport

Great. Unfortunately car broke down and had to get UBER from Basilica

Cut your own Cempasúchil flower and enjoy the local gastronomy in Xochimilco

Mexico City

Very interesting with lovely surrounding and breakfast.

Quality of Experience

Very kind and informative farming couple with excellent breakfasr

Food

Very good organic breakfast

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pablo Yuchi was great

Transport

Timely and comfortable

Visit the Museum Diego Rivera - Anahuacalli

Mexico City

Great visit much helped by our guide Pablo Yuchi who helped as effectively navigate this massive museum

Quality of Experience

Very informative about Diego Rivera and his life. Guide was essential

Guides, Drivers and Staff

guide and driver very helpful and attentivew

Transport

Driver was readily available and kept us on schedule

Chef's Table Experiencie

Mexico City

Excellent tasting with multiple dishes proudly offered by Chefs Sibaja & Guanica. Were not hurried and food was great presented with lot of enthusiasm and excellent support staff.

Quality of Experience

Chefs loved their offerings

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great support from everyone. We were not rushed at all. Very casual.

Transport

Really provided our own transport via UBER

Explore the Casa Azul Museum

Mexico City

Very informative tour and display of Frida Kahlo's life. Guide Pablo Yuchi was very essential in bringing out highlights of this extensive museum

Quality of Experience

Very revealing. Recommend seeing move "Frida" with Salma Hyatt before

Guides, Drivers and Staff

excellent. Streamlined our visit of this extensive museum

Transport

Kept us on time. Comfortable transport

Our KimKim experience was seemless! All of our transfers and personal experiences were done with such wonderful guides, drivers and expertize. Rene worked hard on the itinerary with us and communicated closely. Gabriel from Rutopia Tours was our go to person for any concerns or issues and communicated with us daily! They selected interesting hotels with Mexican character and charm for us. The only drawback for the charming Hotel Corazon Mexicano was the steep hill to get to it, but what views! Try to get an exterior room. The only drawback of the lovely Petra Hotel was it advertized having breakfast included but that was out of date info. We loved our knowlegable guide Luis in Teotihuacan and Angela who drove us from Mexico City to Teotihuacan and then on to Guanajuato. Susana Ojeda from Rutopia Tour gave us a History Tour of Guanajuato and was wonderful! Her father Antonio gave us a Street Food Tour along with more history the next day. Both took such good care of us and were flexible and such fun. Mario drove us to San Miguel de Allende and we had a nice historic tour of the town with him after seeing the lovely Mask Museum, a real gem thanks to the setting and host, Bill. In San Miguel de Allende, Ana from Coyote Canyon Adventures took great care of us. We loved Frederico with Horseback Riding for 2 of us and Brittany with interpreting for the Cooking Class for the other 2. We also loved Alfredo who took us to the Sanctuary of Atotonilco and he was flexible enough to detour to see the murals of Guadalope and sit and have some great local street food with us. We had fun with them all! Thanks KimKim for making this a memorable vacation!