Kimkim Trip Reviews for Mexico

KimKim did a wonderful job of putting together an engaging holiday that was a rich cultural experience far exceeding the usual trip to a Mexican resort. The travel agent advised us to rent a car, which I was reluctant to do. However, they provided us with strong support which really helped us prepare to drive with confidence. The guided tours - Chichen-Itza, the ruins at Tulum, snorkelling with sea turtles and, the half day at the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve were varied and in-depth and well organized and timed.

I would not have changed anything - the trip was awesome.

I am almost 77 years old and my biggest complaint is the number of activities that are packed into one day. I had the same problem in Spain last year and even though I purposely added a number of rest days, I would say the trip was still too exhausting.
Mariana the logistics person should be awarded a gold star. She was excellent and without her help the trip could have been absolute disaster. She should get a pay rise.
The hotels were excellent.
The guides were good and especially the guides to Uxmal, Rio Lagartos and the operator Bejil-Ha.

My local specialist was Sofia. I enjoyed the planning process with her. The local support person, Mariana was an excellent communicator and always responsive. The tours were excellent. Most were private tours. We would have enjoyed more group tours to have the chance to interact with others. The guides were very knowledgeable and fun to be with.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Casa Eva

Colonia San Pedro Cholula, Puebla

The Hotel Casa Eva was a very comfortable hotel, with easy access to the city centre. Hotel staff were friendly and responsive. The room was spacious with a great bed and linens.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful courtyard, delicious breakfasts

Location

Easy access to city centre

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oaxaca Real Hotel

Oaxaca

The hotel was beautiful and well maintained. We especially enjoyed the gift of a water bottle. The pool was excellent and we really enjoyed it after a day of touring.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Parador Margarita

San Cristobal de las Casas

The hotel has a lot of charm and character. Very spacious room with a good courtyard view. Breakfast was good and staff were helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

The decor of this hotel is unique and beautiful.

Location

The walk to the center of town was okay

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Aldea del Halach Huinic

Palenque

The hotel is peaceful and serene. The pool was beautiful and surrounded by plants and trees. The rooms were a bit dated, but clean and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The jungle location of this hotel was unique. However, it was far from town and without a car, few dining options

Staff

No help with bags to room which was located down 2 flights of stairs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable bed, pleasant patio outside the room, good restaurant

Hotel Boutique Casa Piedad

Campeche

This hotel did not meet our needs. The room was advertised as 20 sq meters, but was only 13 sq meters. There was no room for luggage and the bathroom was tiny. We did not stay a second night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not close to the centre of town

Staff

No greeting, not friendly. There was no breakfast and we were not given any suggestions for breakfast restaurants.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean but not comfortable

Kuka y Naranjo

Mérida

This is a unique hotel, with a beautiful patio sitting area. The room was comfortable with minimalist decor.

Authenticity & Character

A vegan restaurant on site had an interesting menu

Location

Not far from the city centre but not the best part of town

Staff

Friendly, helpful and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

The concrete floor had crack that should be filled for hygienic reasons.

Casa Quetzal Hotel Boutique

Valladolid, Yucatán

The hotel is lovely with a beautiful courtyard and pool. Very close to amazing restaurants, this hotel was the perfect place to stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

No help with the luggage to our room on the second floor.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Fives Oceanfront

Quintana Roo

Authenticity & Character

The lobby is amazing with a view of the ocean and pool. Check in was organized. We were encouraged to use the pool and beach until our room was ready.

Location

A very quiet and peaceful resort

Staff

Every staff member we met was friendly, helpful and attentive. Enjoyed yoga and bike riding with Will. The gym was well equipped and clean

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was spacious, clean and modern. Exceptionally comfortable bed and linens. Large balcony, unfortunately on the street side of the hotel.

Activity Reviews

Free Afternoon in Puebla

Mexico

We actually stayed in Cholula and did not get to see Puebla. It was disappointing as I was interested in seeing Talavera pottery.

Between markets and corn in the magical town of Cholula

Mexico

We had a fantastic time at the market in Cholula. The food tasting was diverse and delicious. Our guide was very attentive to our interests. The experience at Mili was very interesting. We enjoyed tasting all of the food products made from corn.

Quality of Experience

We enjoyed the variety of food on the tour

Food

The foaming chocolate drink was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The pace of the tour was very good.

Get to know the history of Mole Poblano through the streets of Puebla

San Andrés Cholula

We had a great cooking experience making and eating mole. The class took place in the home of the guide, making it a very comfortable experience. The mole was excellent.

Quality of Experience

The instructor was very good.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The entire trip was fantastic. Most all scheduled events took place on time and as advertised. Any questions were answered promptly and satisfactorily. It was nice to have Kimkim check in with us daily.

Of particular note, were the informative, helpful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides.

1. Montse greeted us in Mexico City on our first full day and shared her love of the city, its culture and food.
2. Pablo was a wonderfully informative guide through museums and Teotihuacan. Both days with him were great. We had spectacular meals in Mexico City and enjoyed walking through a few of its charming neighborhoods.
3. In Oaxaca, we were expertly led by and taught by Alex through the old city, to the awesome ruins in Mount Alban, and wonders of Teotitlan del Valle (including the hike!). We were fortunate to have had multiple days with Alex.
4. We rounded out Oaxaca with an expert led mezcal tour and tasting with Daisy. That was great fun.
5. To end with relaxing days in Salchi was perfect! The boat trip guided by Captain Isidro Cruz (including seeing whales) was a great way to see the coastline and snorkel.
6. Our drivers (if not included above) were also great.
7. We hope we didn’t leave anyone off—all were great!

The hotel Casa Mauna at Salchi was very good (and peaceful). We had room 3, which seemed likely to be the very best at the small hotel. The vegan food was also very good—the drinks excellent. The pool delightful. We highly recommend it.

We will now share comments about the hotel choices in Mexico City and Oaxaca. Both hotels were beautiful and well-staffed. We were always made to feel welcome. The restaurant at the Zocalo Central was very good.

However, both hotels were situated in the center of vibrant, busy, and very loud areas:
• It was about impossible to sleep soundly in our room, 515, in Zocalo Central. The noise from the square continued most of the night (drumming and crowd noises), and then the sound of heavy chairs dragging noisily on the dining room floor just above our heads started about 6:15AM. One additional, seemingly minor but noteworthy item, was that we found out on Saturday afternoon that there would be no laundry service on Sunday—which we knew about-- but also on Monday (due to the national holiday on Monday. It would have been useful if we had received this advisory on Thursday or even Friday night, as then we would have had our laundry done on Friday or Saturday. As a result, our carefully planned light packing was confounded—we spent time doing our own wash in the room. When traveling, little things like this matter.
• For the first two nights in Parador de Alcala, we slept well. Then things changed. It was Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday and Sunday when the noise became a real issue again. The local bars blared music until 3AM (or later), and then the party goers continue the festivities in the streets until dawn, at which time the street traffic noise becomes quite high. I know the hotels do not have control over the bar noise or the traffic—but for Kimkim, we think charming hotels chosen away from the noisy parts of the city centers would be better.

Finally, as it goes for Kimkim:
• Mariana did a fantastic job of providing on-the-ground assistance for the inevitable adjustments which were needed. She was prompt with response and follow-ups. She provided a very reassuring and effective backup to situations that came up.
• Our first point of contact was Isabelle, who also did a great job of helping us design our perfect holiday. She was very responsive and helpful in discussing with us our preferences, and making adjustments to, our itinerary.
• The Kimkim service and platform worked well and we would recommend Kimkim to others. We plan to do so ourselves. We were able to focus more on enjoying the trip then on logistics. There were two minor changes to the itinerary that came to light during the trip—it’s possible a Live Itinerary would help alleviate these inevitable discrepancies – but no problems arose from this either.

We were pleased with adjustments and we happy with Kimkim and their entire team.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Parador de Alcalá

Oaxaca

Hotel Parador de Alcalá in Oaxaca was located right on the street, making it a bit noisy. The hotel itself was nice, and the staff were great. It could be a good option for a short stay in the city center, but maybe not ideal for multiple nights if you value a quiet night's sleep.

Staff

Zócalo Central

Mexico City

I stayed at Zócalo Central in Mexico City for five nights. The location was right on the square, but unfortunately, the room was very noisy due to being under the restaurant. The noise made it difficult to sleep, especially with chairs moving early in the morning. The staff offered to move us to a quieter room, but we decided to stay put. Overall, the hotel was nice, but it might be better to check for quieter rooms if noise bothers you.

Staff

Casa Mauna - Boutique Hotel

Crucecita

Casa Mauna was a lovely boutique hotel located near the beach. It had only six rooms and was a short walk to a private beach area. The location was peaceful and quiet, perfect for reflection on the trip. We enjoyed the tranquility and privacy of the hotel, making it a highlight of our stay in the Huatulco Bays. The vegan food was also very good—the drinks excellent. The pool delightful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Archaeological Tour in Monte Albán

Oaxaca

In Oaxaca, we were expertly led by and taught by Alex through the old city, to the awesome ruins in Mount Alban, and wonders of Teotitlan del Valle (including the hike!). We were fortunate to have had multiple days with Alex. Exploring the ancient ruins and learning about the Zapotec civilization was truly captivating. The guide was knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the site.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alex was great

Transport

Explore the archaeological site of Teotihuacan

Mexico City

The private group tour of the archaeological site of Teotihuacan was amazing. Walking through the ancient ruins and learning about the history of the site was a memorable experience. The guide was excellent and shared a wealth of information with us. It was a day filled with awe and wonder

It was our first experience with this company and we were pleasantly surprised, the trip was planned very well and the local assistant was fantastic. Highly recommended!!

Activity Reviews

Tour of historic Mexico City with street food tasting

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the National Museum of Anthropology

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Authentic Mexican Cooking Class

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared biking experience through Teotihuacan "The City of the Gods"

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pros - most of the guides who looked after the group were knowledgeable and enthusiastic. (Though we were not very happy with the local food tastings in Mexico City and Oaxaca, they could have been of a better quality. )
Cons - hotels were pretty average, some of them have certainly seen better times.

The van provided was a total disaster! With tiny windows that you cannot look out from and enjoy the sightseeing. BUT above all the van was insufficient for the group luggage and daily it was such a struggle to fit ourselves and the suitcases in! When 18 of us reached Oaxaca airport, the suitcases could not fit so we had to hire a taxi on our own initiative and till date have NOT got reimbursed for that. This is not acceptable because we had warned you that Indian women will travel with the maximum luggage possible and to provide a vehicle accordingly, but this never happened, though you were aware of it right from day one . BTW this was a commitment and not a favour.
The driver for an airport transfer on the last date turned up more than 20 minutes late! Once again this is not acceptable, besides there was far too much follow up required on a daily basis.
So the overall Mexico experience is rather disappointing, I am sure you will understand why.

Our trip to the Yucatan was very special . All service providers were pleasant and friendly. The interactions with Mayan families in their community and learning to make tortillas , plant corn, make handicrafts and spot monkeys in the jungle was especially memorable. Of course, exploring the ancient Mayan cities and learning about their culture and scientific achievements was inspiring. Our guides were amazing in their knowledge and interest in our understanding of Mayan culture both in ancient and modern times. Hotels were excellent and transportation services efficient. A particular shout out to the taxi service drivers , Carlos, and others. Mariana from Rutopia was always a text or call away which helped smooth out any logistical wrinkles. Of course, thanks to Rene who helped plan the trip!! Finally, a round of applause to the zip line team in Punta Laguna who threw some thrilling adventure into the day.

Our private driver service was fabulous; his service was perfection, always on time and accommodating to our every need and request. He is an expert at logistics and keeping our family safe. You should use his services with your all your customers.

The Krystal Hotel in Monterey was terrible. Room 519. No water pressure from hot water in the sink. Shower door was never repaired. Never changed sheets or refreshed sheets by cleaning them off. Room service food preparation was rude with incorrect food orders delivered. The correct order never showed up. Room thermostat only worked on 1 setting. We could not change the temperature in the room. Toiletries are low quality. Fron desk was rude and unaccommodating and were not trained in safety training when we needed a band aid when our child fell on hotel property. Hotel lobby and dinning room were freezing in temperature everyday especially when it was cold outside. No warmth at all within the hotel. Hotel floor on 5th floor never vacuumed. Same trash on carpet every day. Card keys did not work twice in a row; always had to get new ones at from desk. The gym had no sanitizer wipes and the tv did not work. You should never put your customers at this hotel.

The hotel in Saltillo, Quinta Real, was lovely. Our room had some furniture that needed upgrades or repairs. Overall is was a great experience. The dinning room was fabulous. Gym needed mats and foam rollers.

The Monterrey city tour that was pre arranged with a different driver was terrible. The driver himself was a nice and respectful, but his car was uncomfortable and cold because his defroster didn't seem to work. So we were unable to see out the window at the sights. He tried to find us a lunch spot but we ended up having to walk around outside when it was really cold weather in order to find food. We recognize lunch logistics may have not been officially included in the tour. The driver focused on showing us car dealerships and didn't really provide a comprehensive perspective on the history of Monterrey or San Pedro. He tried to please us and even downloaded a translation app because he was not fully bilingual but the app wasnt working completely or properly; he said he didn't speak much English. So for your English speaking customers, you should not use him. For five people, the size of the car was not appropriate. The tour seemed to focus on area of San Pedro rather than Monterrey. One stop on the tour that was early fabulous was a stop at the Little Wine Market. But it wasn't a planned stop; we asked to stop when we saw it. He also offered to stop wherever we wanted to stop so that was a nice feature or option of the tour experience. Overall, this tour was a low point our our trip.

Some feedback on the kimkim team: seems the team members changed frequently, however we were always able to get quick responses to our requests, and they were always willing to hold conference calls which is key to planning a vacation.

Activity Review

City Tour Monterrey

Monterrey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had one guide named Lewis for our hike to the butterfly sanctuary. He was great. Our other nonguides were drivers who did not speak any English. That was a major communication problem and lessened our experiences to two day trips. One trip was to the tenezcal. It was nice but there were no towels or dressing instructions. They did bring a person who helped to explain the temezcal but he did not stay and we had to decipher the shamans instructions. The other activity was a hike to a high overlook and two women and one child came with us. No English again The hike was changed from the one on our itinerary.

Hotel Review

Cinco Rodavento

Ciudad de México

Wonderful caring staff. Beautiful rooms. Great rooftop deck. Lovely courtyard and room patio. Plush towels and bed linens. We were charged for one day when we were not there and for a spa service that was not wanted. It totaled over $400. Which they gave us in hotel credits. Half of which we found out about one day before we left. I had told our planner that we would device about spa treatments when we arrived but they were scheduled and charged to us without our knowledge.

Authenticity & Character

Rooftop deck

Location

Close to downtown market and lake.

Staff

So friendly and eager to please.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shower was amazing with lots of hot water

Activity Reviews

Head to Amanalco for a unique Temazcal experience

Mexico

I have already said some of the things but will repeat them. They should have provided towels or told us to bring them. They should have had one English speaker in the temezcal to explain things. The shaman and his associate singer was very good. The lodge was nice and there were places to change.

Quality of Experience

The experience with the chants and herbs and gear

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Car was extremely dirty. Again no English speaker. No guide.

Transport

Clean car and car windows.

Sailing at Valle de Bravo

Valle de Bravo

First time sailing. It was a beautiful day on the water. You got a new perspective of Valle de Bravo from the lake.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No staff. We walked to the lake and found the person that had the sailboat.

Hike through the forest to see the Monarch Butterflies at the Matlazinca Sanctuary

Mexico

We went to a different sanctuary called Almanalco. It was fantastic but it was a very difficult hike through the forest not on a tail. We had to bushwhack through the glorious forest.

Quality of Experience

In a private sanctuary we were the only ones there.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Let med the English speaking guide

Transport

Terrible road to get there .

We had a wonderful vacation in Oaxaca experiencing the culture, art, and food. Rene did an excellent job planning the trip to balance cooking days with more active tours and free time to explore the city. We loved visiting families in their homes to cook with them, and learn about their way of life. The pottery and art experiences were very special and perfect for us and our 12 and 14 year old boys. The simple and wholesome way of life made an impression on us all. My 14 year old already made tortillas from scratch since we returned home a few days ago.

Hotel and restaurants were all fantastic, too. Rene had stayed in the hotel, and eaten at the restaurants he recommended. We are very grateful to have been matched with him.

Hotel Review

Hotel Tabáa Oaxaca

Oaxaca

This hotel is in a great location, walkable to all parts of Oaxaca City but also on a quieter street. The employees who work here are wonderful and keep the hotel running well and looking beautiful. There was always pure water available in glass, reusable bottles for us, and a place to refill our water bottles for the day. The rooms were clean and the linens soft. Thank you for a wonderful stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quiet street yet in a lovely neighborhood and close to everything.

Staff

Benito and others were so incredibly kind to us and our boys. They also went out of their way to help us get our clothes cleaned when laundromats were backed up by 4+ days due to holiday closures.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shower, bathroom, and bedroom all extremely clean

Activity Reviews

Rural cooking workshop in Oaxaca

Oaxaca

We loved going to this market and the cook's home to make lunch together. She was generous, talented and very sweet and we learned a lot and had a great day. My son was so inspired that he's made tortillas from scratch since we arrived back home to California. There was no problem accommodating our vegetarian diet.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gastronomic Indigenous Roots

Oaxaca

This was a great dinner for our first night in Oaxaca. We experienced so many different types of food, and it was helpful to have it all prepaid since we hadn't exchanged money yet.

Quality of Experience

Food

Biking tour and street art

Oaxaca

Diego took us through 3 neighborhoods on bikes and taught us so much about the city through murals and art. It was a very memorable experience, and we only wished we had even more tours with him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Diego was one of the best guides we had on our whole trip.

Transport

Our family is tall so some of the bikes were a little small.

Oaxacan Markets: A Culinary Journey through Colors and Flavors

Oaxaca

Ana took us through markets and all around the city to try different local foods. It was a great choice to have this tour on our first full day in Oaxaca. Everything was delicious. Ana made sure we could eat vegetarian - this was not difficult since the traditional Oaxacan foods are plant-based anyway. We are an active family and our only change would have been to make this a walking tour rather than going to each place by van.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ana was a fantastic guide, and also gave us other suggestions for places to visit during our week in Oaxaca. She told us about polideportivo - a nearby public track and exercise area - where my 12 yr old son happily played soccer 5 of the afternoons of our week in Oaxaca.

Transport

We stayed within the main city and could have walked everywhere rather than driven. Our driver was great though. It's just our preference to walk more, especially for a food tour!

Traditional amaranth meal with "Alegría de la vida"

Mexico

Loved the cooking experience, especially making fresh tortillas in the outdoor kitchen of one of our hosts.

Quality of Experience

Women were in charge of the experience and such talented cooks. It was wonderful to experience their culture and eat the traditional grains.

Food

Fresh blue corn tortillas were delicious straight from the comal, and the host also made amazing salsa to go with it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver Manuel was awesome and his English was great so he could fill in some information for us on the ride back to the hotel and during the lunch.

Transport

Experience the culture of Oaxaca: discover textile art, ceramics and mezcal

Oaxaca

One of our most favorite days in Oaxaca - we especially loved the pottery and the experience meeting the artist who perfected this craft to sell to her community and eventually worldwide. The weavers were also fantastic and involved my son in finishing a rug that this particular man had been working on for months. A very memorable day.

Quality of Experience

Getting to go to the artists' homes to see them make their craft was a fantastic experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Madai was our knowledgable English speaking guide. Her education was in archeology and she knew a lot about the area.

Transport

Manuel was a great and safe driver.

Monte Albán and the alebrijes workshop: an unforgettable experience

Oaxaca

5+ stars for the alebrijes workshop and 3 stars for Monte Alban. Alebrijes- It was wonderful meeting the Jimenez family and learning about the carving and painting of the spirit animals. The 4 of us, including our sons ages 12 and 14, spent hours painting our own alebrijes after we had lunch and a tour of the beautiful little museum which was part of their home. Monte Alban- We appreciated getting there early before the bigger crowds, but this visit felt very touristy and it was hard to follow the stories of our English speaking guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Edgar was a very nice and knowledgeable man, but his stories about Monte Alban were hard for us to follow. We wished we would have read more about it ahead of time.

Transport

AMAZING! Great service and real VIP experience. Loved our personal driver Cesar and our expert guide at Chichen Itza, Rangel. The cenote was sublime- couldn’t have been a better day. Will book again when I come back!

Overall, great trip: good planning from Rene, exactly the things I wanted, and then great execution by Marianne supporting me every day. WOuld only change 4 things
- Hotel in Palenque: bad experience. Bad food poisoning from hotel restaurant, noone in pace speaks any englis, beds uncomfortable, ...
- R Barrios waterfalls: skip. Waterfals are ok but can do in 1 hour, but tour drops you there for 3 hours with only 1 small bar to sit after that even wants to charge you for wifi
- Ek Balam Cenote: cenote is very good, but the included lunch is terrible. Better book without the lunch
-

Hotel Review

Hotel La Aldea del Halach Huinic

Palenque

Got very bad food poisoning from hotel retaurant Also, none, not even front desk, speaks any english

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chef's Table Experiencie

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour of historic Mexico City with street food tasting

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hierve el Agua Hiking and Mezcal Distillery

Oaxaca

They should warn you beore that the hike is quite hard and you need to be in good shape.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to the Sumidero Canyon & Chiapa de Corzo

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the mysterious area of Ek Balam

Ek Balam

Its nice, but its a small site

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Experience: Tacos, Chelas & Mezcal in Narvarte

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gastronomic Indigenous Roots

Oaxaca

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Archaeological Tour in Monte Albán

Oaxaca

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The beautiful waterfalls of Misol-ha & Agua Azul - Night in Palenque.

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Palenque Archeological Site

Palenque

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very confusing, different drivers, very little instructions what to do at end of trip

Visit the Roberto Barrios Waterfalls

Palenque

Waterfalls are ok but can do in less than 1 hour. But the trip is 3 hours and only place to stay is at some small bar that has no menu, and even tries to charge you for wifi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Van broke down so now took 2 hours to get back to town

Visit Calakmul in the Biosphere Reserve

Mexico

Highlight of the trip. We should have left even earlier so we could have spent more time there

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uxmal, a city with Puuc style

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kabah Archaeological Sites

Uxmal

Good to combine with Uxmal, woudn't do it on its own

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Celestun Biosphere Reserve

Mérida

Boat ride is nice but really short (45 mins), should be longer After hat they just drop you at a restaurant next to a beach

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

unfcomfortable small car

Explore Chichén Itzá: A Wonder of the Mayan World

Chichén Itzá

Cmpared to Calakmul, Palenque & Uxmal I found CHichen Itza a little disappointing and ess impressive than the others

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the beautiful Cenote X'canché, and let yourself be captivated.

Ek Balam

Cenote was great The included lunch however was the worst meal of the whole trip

Quality of Experience

Coba and the sacred Mayan roads

Cobá

Samller site but nice as its in jungle

Guides, Drivers and Staff

One guider to just buy you tickets, and then anther real guide....little over the top

Eco Center & Traditional Mayan Meal

Mexico

Meal was ok but nothing special The eco centre is not much. Couple of cages

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the archaeological site of Tulum

Tulum

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour the famous and picturesque neighborhood of Coyoacán.

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Mitla Archeological Site

Oaxaca

Wasnt impressed by Mitla

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Chiflón and Lagos de Montebello

San Cristobal de las Casas

Chiflon was great. But we had really bad weather for the lakes so coudnt see anything. Also, guide was bad: complained non stop, didnt stop talking abut god nows what for 12 hours, ....

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Look for spider monkeys in Punta Laguna

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Between markets and corn in the magical town of Cholula

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Afternoon in Puebla

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Oaxacan Markets: A Culinary Journey through Colors and Flavors

Oaxaca

Only food, and food kind of repetitive. Should have more variety. But good guide

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Rene did a great job helping us plan an amazing trip to Mexico. He really helped us build the adventure we were looking for and organized an amazing hike to see the Monarch butterflies. The cabin we stayed in in Almanaco was breathtaking!! The biking around Teotihuacan was also a highlight as well as the recommendations around Mexico CIty! Very well organized!

Hotel Reviews

Hampton Inn & Suites Mexico City

Mexico City

Perfect hotel in the heart of the city. Excellent place to stay. Free breakfast. Spacious bedrooms. Even have a workout room!

Amanalco Alpine Cabins

such a cool experience. Amazing hospitality. Beuatiful sunrise and sunset in the mountains, Stars at night were incredible. Provided fire wood to make a fire in our cabin!! One of the coolest places I have ever stayed,

Authenticity & Character

Location

Surrounded by beautiful mountains in the wilderness, does not get much better than that

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mesón de Leyendas

Valle de Bravo

Great breakfast! Spacious and clean room in a perfect spot of the town. Only downside was that the walls are very thin and there was a lot of noise coming from the street and school across the road at night and early in the AM.

Activity Review

Embark on two-day trekking adventure to the Amanalco Basin

Amanalco

Such a cool and amazing hike. Monarch butterflies were so beautiful and so cool to see. Felt very safe with guide. Incredibly nice to get out of the city and be in nature and more remote. Amazing place to stay in the middle.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis was an incredible guide who was so kind and informative.

Transport

Great taxi drivers. Felt very safe. Stuff always arrived. And they always showed up.

Our trip advisors Rene, Lizbeth, and Ximena were really helpful with any questions and concerns we had and they had taken into consideration that my friend was vegan when booking and trip planning. Thank You so much for your help!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Punto Mx

Mexico City

Hotel was really good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Sueño Hotel & Spa

Puebla

The hotel was kind of hidden, but gives you nice fairytale vibes. The only reason I give this a 3 is because the toilet broke the night we got there but the staff was attentive and kind and moved us to another room--albeit a little smaller than the one we had before.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was late (he got confused), and operator was not responding to us and didn't give us any contact info on how to contact the driver. Operator was also not picking up our phone calls, so we had to reach out to kimkim staff.

Tour of historic Mexico City with street food tasting

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Casa Azul Museum

Mexico City

We did not get to go to the casa Azul museum this time around

See Teotihuacan by Hot Air Balloon

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Food

I think they started running out of food by the time we got back from the hot air balloon 😅

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Afternoon in Puebla

Mexico

Discover the Magical town of Cholula

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I loved our guide!

Transport

Mole Poblano tour with cooking class

Puebla

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, the tours and guides were good. Our guide, Alejandro Valdivia for our snorkeling trip to San Augustin was excellent and Pablo from Rutopia in Mexico City who took us to the Museum of Anthropology and the Castle in Chapultepec Park was outstanding. Andres, who was our guide for the Lucha Libre experience went above and beyond. We also enjoyed Pamela. our guide on the Xochimilco tour and la Casa Azul.
Our hotels were well chosen. All were clean, attractive and well located. Liz-Beth, our day-to-day contact from Rutopia, was very responsive and aware of the everyday details of our trip.
Our first airport transfer in Puerto Escondido by OTEPSA was not at the airport by 8am as promised. At 8:30, we took another taxi to Hotel Suites Villasol which was only 1 mile from the airport. OTEPSA made this up to us by giving us a Turtle Release experience which more than made up for our inconvenience.
We arrived at Hotel Villasol before 9 but check in was not until 3pm. I had not noticed this in the depths of our trip information and feel that it should have been on our simplified itinerary. Or, our flight should have been scheduled closer to check in time. But we requested early check in at the front desk and they were able to accommodate us.
A few of the tour descriptions were not entirely accurate and should have been verified. For example, on our trip to Manialtepec for horseback riding, was supposed to last 8 hours and include paddling in kayaks with a guide describing flora and fauna. It was a few hours shorter and did not include the kayaks. The dinner was delicious.
Also, the planner should consider meals. On the day when we went to Xochimilco and then to Casa Azul, there was no time allotted for us to buy lunch. We were gone for 8 hours. A light snack was not enough.
The list of recommendations is the same for every tour. These lists should be tailored for each experience. For example, sunscreen is not needed in a museum but insect repellant, which was not mentioned, is a must for the horseback riding.
Lastly our driver/tour guide, José, a last-minute change for our trip to Rosario was terrible. He was 2 hours late, due to a closed road. When we arrived at Rosario, he informed us that we would be going with a different guide because he had to obtain his guide certification that day. After we finished our hike, we asked our substitute guide where José was. He instructed us to go to the restaurant and José would meet us there. We finished lunch but there was no sign of him. We felt very uncomfortable that he had left us by ourselves. He had promised to pay for our lunch due to his lateness in picking us up. He did eventually come and asked us if we wanted to eat. He had no idea that we had eaten and had been waiting for an hour. We told him that we just wanted to go home. I told Liz-Beth this story. She did call him when he disappeared. She said that she was glad that it all worked out.
I do not really understand the role of Kimkim in the trip planning. It seems as though Rutopia did all the planning. For that reason, I don't know that I would recommend Kimkim.

Go to Mexico City and book your trip through kimkim and Rutopia! Only positive feedback for our experience booking a 10 day trip in Mexico City and Puebla/Cholula. Our drivers were prompt (early, usually!), our guides were knowledgeable and friendly, and our accommodations were wonderful. I really appreciated that in the planning stages, Sofie was willing to make any change I requested - we went through 8 different itineraries until it was the perfect trip for my husband and me. Mexico City is a beautiful, cosmpolitan city with so much to see, learn, do and eat!

Special recognition to our fantastic guides: Emiliano, Mary and Pablo in Mexico City, Eloy in Teotihuacan and Guadalupe (Lupita!) and Maria in Cholula and Puebla. Guadalupe especially went above and beyond by going way over our allotted time by taking us personally to two can't-miss churches in Cholula. The tours were mostly private and the guides were flexible, personable and generous with their time. The "souvenir stops" on some of these tours (which I generally tolerate as part of the deal but mostly dislike) were much less of a hard sell than on other trips I have taken in the past, and some were even pleasant. The vendors were informative but not at all aggressive and there were several tours that didn't include them at all, like our excursion to Xochimilco and our mural walk with Emiliano. We also appreciated the clear and attentive communication from Lizbeth as we were on our trip. She checked in daily to see how we were faring and reminded us of any logistics for the next day.

We had friends over last night and I highly recommended this service to them for planning their next vacation abroad and intend to be repeat customers.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Mali by Dominion

Mexico City

Spotless, friendly and perfectly located, Casa Mali is a great option for staying in Mexico City.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Directly across of Parque Mexico in Condesa, there are lots of restaurants right in the vicinity and feels very safe and lively.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa Eva

Colonia San Pedro Cholula, Puebla

A great location in Cholula with a lovely, helpful staff and a delicious breakfast. The only feedback I would mention is that the room itself lacked amenties that are standard in other hotels - no coffee maker in the room (although you can ask the staff to bring you coffee anytime), no hairdryer in the room (again, ask the staff), no filtered water dispenser in the public areas, no mini-fridge, etc. With that said, this is a charming, spotless hotel with staff dedicated to providing excellent service. Thanks especially to Tomas who was attentive and kind and responsive to any request.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Walk among Murals: Exploring the History and Legacy of Mexican Muralists

Mexico City

Emiliano is a knowledgeable and personable guide with a deep understanding of the significance of each mural and the symbols and references in each one. Our entire trip was enriched by this tour, as we were able to connect what we learned on the tour with other things we saw in Mexico City.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver was attentive and communicative. Thank you Alan!

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

Mexico City

We did an ecological tour of the chinampas of Xochimilco and the tranquil setting was a perfect reset towards the end of our trip to CDMX, as our legs, bodies and brains were tired from all the stimulation and walking. We relaxed on the boat and observed birds and the environment unfold around us. Mary and Rosalva were informative and personable, but allowed time for silent reflection and simple enjoyment, which I really appreciated. When we visited the farm, it was wonderful to see all the products that were growing and to pick fresh peppers, tomatoes, flowers and herbs and enjoy them all right there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

See Teotihuacan by Hot Air Balloon

Mexico

If you are wondering if it is worth it, YES! It is worth waking up at 4am! It is worth the price! It is worth the feeling of doubt and the little bit of anxiousness. We felt completely safe and totally at peace floating above the pyramids of Teotihuacan at sunrise and the operation that ran it - Volar en Balon - was completely professional and capable. Be aware that the instructions on the balloon are issued in Spanish. A fellow passenger translated for us and made sure we knew how to absorb the landing safely, but I would recommend the operator make sure that all passengers are informed of the safety instructions.

Quality of Experience

One thing

Food

The food was fine but the service at Volar en Balon could be improved. We were kind of ignored for the duration of our breakfast, coffee not refilled, requests not fulfilled, etc, even when we tried to politely flag down our server.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private walking tour of Teotihuacan "The City of the Gods"

Mexico City

Truly worthwhile to take a knowledgeable guide on this outing to learn about the architecture and history of this archeological site. Less walking than I anticipated.

Quality of Experience

Food

Nice meal with great friendly service.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Eloy and Omar are wonderful guides. Eloy is personable and very knowledgeable. I appreciated how he brought his own life experiences into our tour.

Transport

The roads in Teotihuacan are quite bumpy but Omar was a gentle and careful driver. Thank you Omar!

Between markets and corn in the magical town of Cholula

Mexico

So highly recommended to stroll around the market and the quaint town of Cholula with a lovely guide like Guadalupe. She offered all kinds of things for us to sample and was an excellent, friendly and warm translator. There is a lot of walking on this tour, including a lot of uphill and steps, but totally worth it. Guadalupe let us take our time and made frequent stops to catch our breath and take cute photos along the way. I learned more in the 6 hours I spent with Guadalupe than I ever expected. She is a gem! We also loved the experience of visiting the maiz restaurant. The owners (I forget their names - sorry!) were so friendly and I loved how they warmly and patiently giggled at a couple of Americans clumsily preparing corn tortillas the traditional way. The food they served was fantastic as well. It is a really fun way to spend a little time in Cholula.

Quality of Experience

Food

We loved trying lots of things in the market and the lunch at the maiz restaurant was simple but exquisite.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guadalupe went well beyond her brief by taking us to two stunning churches that were not on the itinerary. We asked for her to maybe translate with an Uber driver so we could do independently, and instead, she chose to take us herself. We are so grateful because we got so much more out of our visit than we could ever have without her.

Transport

Gastronomic tour in Puebla

Puebla

Come hungry because you will try all the amazing street food to be had in Puebla. Molotes, tacos arabes, pan de muerto, coffee with Mexican chocolate and more are all on the menu. There is more deliciousness in four blocks of Puebla than you can imagine, and it is well worth it to have a knowledgeable guide to take you to all the best places and make suggestions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I cannot say enough about Maria. She is so knowledgeable and friendly and was an absolute delight to spend the day wandering about and eating. Gracias, amiga!

Transport

Ten days in Mexico City. The Zocalo Central hotel was lovely and conveniently located for exploring the Historic Center. Our two guided tours, History and street food tasting (Daniella), and Flavors of San Juan Market (Clara from Eat Mexico) were excellent. Pablo was also excellent in our guided tour of the Anthropological Museum. Fortunately we went early and avoided massive crowds. Chapultepec Castle on a Sunday afternoon is a mistake. We abandoned the plan because of crowds. Annemarie(?) guided us well at Teotihuacan. Personally, the Basilica was not a priority.
We had a good amount of independent time for the Rivera murals at the Secretaria de Education Public, Temple Mayor Museum, Museo de Artes Populares, National Museum.
Tepotzlan -- a beautiful retreat. While the staff at Hotel Rustic and Spa were fine, we were the only guests, the hotel did not have spa activities and seemed unprepared for us. The rooms were fairly basic, no hairdryer or hangers, and not especially clean. However the views with morning coffee were wonderful. We enjoyed exploring the town, and especially dinner at Veladora.
Coyoacan was a pleasant change from the Historic Center, and Casa Jacinta Guest House was charming, comfortable and well located. We especially loved eating at Los Danzantes and Corazon de Maguey. Watching the flow of vendors, families, couples in the Jardin Centenario was an easy way to pass the time between explorations.
The Ecological tour to the Chinampas of Xochimilco, guided by Pablo, was excellent, a relaxing and informative boat tour and farm visit on the historic canals.
Our drivers and airport transfers were efficient. Our guides all spoke English and were very knowledgeable.

Our trip specialists Lizbeth, Ximena, and Isabelle were all amazing - quick to respond and always had the information I needed. I especially liked that they sent the name, contact info, and type of car for each pick up. Would definitely recommend them!

We had an amazing trip exploring Mayan ruins, cenotes, and towns of the Yucatan. Isabelle helped us plan a trip where almost every day included a new adventure that allowed us to experience the culture, history, food, and natural features of the area. We look forward to planning another trip with Kimkim in the future.

Highlights
- Breakfasts at Casa Quetzal, our hotel in Valladolid. Each morning the friendly servers delivered fresh fruits, bread, granola, coffee, and chocolate milk for the kids.
- Casa Quetzal is ideally located just around the corner from Convento de San Bernardino de Siena and the colorful shops and restaurants along Calzada de los Frailes.
- We watched the flamingos and had up-close encounters with crocodiles and horseshoe crabs at Rio Lagartos.
- My kids raced up the palace steps at Ek Balam and ziplined across X’Canche cenote.
- Thanks to Isabelle’s advice, we beat the heat and crowds at Chichén Itzá by arriving at 8 am. We found a shaded parking spot by the entrance, quickly located our guide, zipped past the ticket lines, and walked directly to el castillo. After a few hours exploring the ruins, we were ready for a delicious lunch and a swim in the beautiful Yokdzonot Cenote.
- Lunch at La Casa de los Gorditos in Coba. Best Cochinita Pibil of the trip.
- Villa Pescadores in Tulum is a peaceful, relaxing place to stay. We enjoyed lounging on the front porch of our cabana, hammock naps, and looking up at the stars.
- We floated down the world’s best lazy river during our visit to Muyil Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.
- The people of Tulum are friendly and their food is amazing. We enjoyed El Morros, Burritos Amor, El Sudaca, and fresh churros!.
- On our final day, our tour guide Iber took us to the Tulum ruins and then to Tankah for a 4-cenote adventure that included ziplines, snorkeling, a canoe ride, and swimming in a bat cave, followed by a delicious Mayan lunch. For the kids, this was the best part of the trip. Iber was also our favorite guide. He was engaging, fun, and possessed all kinds of knowledge about the history, geography, plants, and wildlife of the area.

Things that could have been better:
- The house next to Casa Quetzal has a rooster who wakes up at 4 am.
- Villa Pescadores is difficult to access. Despite what Google Maps says, the beach road is one way (north to south) and the only route to the hotel is through the national park entrance (80 pesos per person). We learned this the hard way upon arrival in Tulum. Due to traffic at the national park entrance, we also encountered 20-40 minute delays when returning after our excursions.
While Villa Pescadores itself is wonderful and quiet, the beach club at the hotel next door often plays loud dance music late into the night.
We could have skipped the included breakfast at Villa Pescadores. Twice, we left the hotel before service started. The availability of items on the menu was also a bit inconsistent from day to day.

Hubby and I had a mere week to explore both Mexico city and a small beach town, (Zihuatanejo ) on the Pacific coast and Liz of Rutopia made it happen.
Garuda, our taco crawl guide is a such a fun and interesting person. He made our day.
Emiliano, our guide for the walking portion of the reforma and historical portion of the city, was a wealth of information. He was knowledgeable, fun and so thoughtful
And Senor Jose, the learned and sophisticated hombre who we were ever so fortunate to have for most of our 3rd and last day in Mexico city, the icing on the cake. Jose is EVERYTHING you want in a guide: he's an expert in all the areas we visited (the archeology museum, a tour of the Coyoacan neighborhood and the Frida museum) he was funny, spoke fluid English (a plus for my non- Spanish speak hubby) & constantly kept us engaged with lil pop quizzes on stuff he'd shared with us.

This vacation was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC 💯
GRACIAS A TODOS

Hotel Review

Sofitel Mexico City Reforma

Mexico City

Perfection. The only place to stay whilst in Mexico city

Authenticity & Character

Our suite had a balcony & that was sweet

Location

So walkable

Staff

Daniel who greeted us upon our arrival, amazing

Cleanliness & Comfort

The entire suite was spotless

Activity Review

Visit to the National Museum of Anthropology

Mexico City

Hubby and I were in awe. You definitely need 2 while days to see it all

Quality of Experience

Montezuma's exhibit

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport