Kimkim Trip Reviews for Spain

Great hotel! Really cool style and very helpful and friendly staff.

Intimate and authentic! We loved this private Tapas and Flamenco Experience. The food was delicious, the people were warm and friendly, and the dancing was fantastic!

Our guide was truly amazing. We arrived late due to weather; however, she rescheduled our tour to accomodate us. Her knowledge of the city and history mixed with her stories made our time with her truly interesting and enjoyable. We wish we had had more time in this wonderful city!

This is a definite MUST! Great tour... wear your walking shoes.

Peaceful and beautiful! Such a beautiful place to see and experience.

Very comfortable, elegant hotel not far from the main train station (15 minute walk), the Prado (10 minutes), Reina Sofia (15 minutes), and on the edge of the old historical centre. Great location, comfortable rooms. A bit noisy at night between yelling drunk young folks and city service trucks, but you are in the middle of a big city so sort of expected. The breakfast was very generous, and their coffee was better than the machines at other hotels- seemed fresh made. The restaurant in the hotel was good though expensive compared to the many other places you could eat. Our room was very spacious. Good choice!

Newer hotel in older palatial type building off a main square. Close to all the main sites. Room was comfortable - not spacious but we were not cramped feeling. We were lucky to get a room overlooking the courtyard (which was the glass -roofed in breakfast area) so super quiet at night, which was better than expected for sleeping in crowded city core. I suspect most of the room were not a quiet.

We had a very quiet room - which is a treat staying in a city centre. Unfortunately, it was on the 4th floor and the elevator only went to 3 and the stairs were winding - hard on bad knees if you have them. The hotel was clean and modern inside an older building. Nice roof patio for drinks. The room was small - hard to hang up much so most of our luggage remained packed for the 4 nights we spent there. Breakfast was generous and good variety offered - coffee machine was adequate.

Really cool maze of a hotel. Our room was either accessed through a 5 minute walk through tunnels, leading to various lovely courtyards, then crossing an alleyway into yet another old building. The other way was walking outside along a few alleys- we eventually got it down without getting lost. Unique place as all the old mansions have been connected. Our room was very spacious- largest of the trip. Not newly renovated but in good shape and clean which added to the historical character feeling. There was an elegant piano bar on the 2nd floor of the main entry building decorated with lots of very old, elegant furniture- the kind you see in museums that they tell you not to sit on - except you could it on them - old painting on the walls. If we weren't dressed like 21st century tourists, you could feel like you were having a drink in an 18th or 19th century salon of some sort. Breakfast was generous- lots of choice, coffee was a fancy Nespresso machine - prefer real coffee myself but not bad. Our roomed looked out on an alley- one rainy night someone's motorbike alarm kept loudly sounding though the hotel staff were able to remedy that for remaining nights.

Room was clean and spacious. We arrived about 8 pm as flying out the next morning. Not much food on offer - so we had drink and some nuts from the bar as evening meal. Breakfast was mediocre- the worst on our trip as all the others were good. Maybe given breakfast ran from 5am to noon given an airport hotel was part of it - stuff looked like it had been sitting out for hours when we ate about 8 am. Staff were nice. This is about the only part of the trip we might plan differently on hindsight- maybe arriving back in Madrid a day earlier and staying downtown again.

We spent a few days in Madrid and pretty much had seen most of the stuff on the walking trip instructions ourselves. It did point out a few highlights we might have missed (e.g. chocolate and churros place that might have been good but very crowded so we skipped it).

Our guide, Enrique, was excellent- studied art history and pointed out all kinds of details and perspectives on modern art that we would have missed. We know a little about art but not a lot and came away having learned quite a bit. Very enjoyable. The tours ends at the gallery so you can keep on see things if you are not saturated. Private tour was great for asking questions and more flexible than a group if you had special interests.

Our private guide, Stefania, was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and we had an excellent overview of the Prado and Spanish painters in particular. Private tour was great for asking questions of an expert and not trying to see things through a group. It was somewhat flexible if you had particular interests. We had not tried private guides before this trip and it we learned more than we would have ourselves with an audio guide. The Retiro park walk was beautiful and informative.

Our guide, Enrique, whom we had for the earlier Reina Sofia tour as well, had studied art history and was very knowledgeable. The walk to the palace through the old city was informative, and we picked up a tip for lunch after the tour which worked out well. He was able to point out all kinds of details and link them through the palace and in historical context- stuff we would not have picked up on as well ourselves with an audio guide. Having a private guide was new to us this holiday- and better than a group - more flexible, easier to ask questions, and to see things without the group in the way.

Our minibus had about 20 people on it- so a small group. It took about an hour or so to get to Toledo from Madrid and our guide gave us a decent overview tour of the town before leaving us to explore ourselves for a while. On our own, we wandered around the Jewish quarter some more, bought some fresh marzipan (which is a thing there) and then spent most of the rest of our free time in the wonderful cathedral (small admission fee but not a bit line up). We then drove about an hour to a winery - had an informative tour and got to try some of the wines as they were going through the maturation process all the way to trying some delicious finished products quite a few tapas laid out. It was a good day.

Guide was helpful though we generally just explored ourselves with the a map app on our phone. Depending on what other activities you have booked, there is some overlap with the walking notes. If you had no pre- booked activities then there would be none

Our guide, Maria (?), was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. She pointed out all kinds of details we would have missed or struggled to find. First holiday where we tried private tours and the personal touch, flexibility, and ability to ask lots of questions was great. We learned a lot more than we would have on our own or in a group.

The notes were helpful, but there was some overlap with other booked activities, so we just used them as a guide and generally wandered around ourselves with a map app on our phone. I think we would have seen the Setas anyway without the notes. The Setas admission was steep comparatively but excellent views and a cool structure. The Roman ruins underneath in a separate but cheap admission were very good.

Candela, our personal guide, was keen and knowledgeable. She pointed out all kinds of details we might have missed and provided a lot more context to it all than a larger group might have. The flexibility and being able to ask pretty much limitless questions was excellent. We were new to private tours this trip and came away learning more than we would have by ourselves or in a group.

We read the notes, and I bookmarked some places on my map app, but we did not go to any of them. Checked one out but was swamped. Some were quite a distance from our hotel, and after walking around all day, and it being dark (October), we mostly just wandered around locally.

This was a long day (0800-1800) that seemed like a short day! Carlos, our guide, met us close to out hotel. Lots of discussion on the drive of things we say and Spain in general. Drive was very scenic and Carlos pointed out cork plantations, wild goats, etc. en route. Zahara and Grazelema were beautiful towns with stunning views. We tried local specialties at each place. Ronda was crowded. We had short guided trip then a couple of hours for lunch and/or exploring more ourselves (we ate lunch looking at the famous bridge). Then long-ish drive back to Sevilla. We were new to private guides this holiday, but the flexibility, ability to ask lots of questions, and wider context given were better than trying to do this ourselves, or in a group. We had many good days on the trip and this was probably the best day!

We mostly just explored on our own, using a map app on my phone. The notes were helpful for pointing out things to see, but overlap with other booked activities on other days. If you had nothing else booked, it would be fine. Seeing the Alhambra, even in October, requires planning ahead. There were no same day tickets on the morning we did our pre booked tour. The cathedral, royal chapel, etc. are easier to get tickets for though we bought them on line the day before- they are not for a specific time just morning or afternoon windows.

Our private guide, Theresa, met us at the main square at 8pm and we proceeded to wander. One set of knees were pretty sore from the day's activities, and the Albaicin is hilly, so she flexibly amended the tour to avoid a lot of hills. We went to 3 different places and with 4 drinks and generous tapas (and we ordered one extra dish at the first place that I think we probably did not need to portion wise). At the end, she pointed us towards other options, though, honestly I was stuffed and had had enough to drink. I can't see doing this in a group as many of these places are small and crowded. The big advantage having the guide for us was overcoming our reticence to go into authentic or cool looking places that looked too crowded. We would not have gone into some of the places she took us and they were excellent.

Eduardo met us at the hotel. I went alone as at the end of the holiday, one of us had knees that were too sore to want to do the hilly Albaicin area plus it had rained and the cobblestoned streets were a bit slippery. The tour got moved a bit earlier given the clocks went back while we were there (appreciated as the views are better in daylight). This ended up being booked towards the end of a few days we spent in Granada, so we had seen some of the stuff routinely on the tour. The great thing with private guides is they are flexible so Eduardo walking me up and down to various other lookouts I had not seen, and through the medieval streets, and one large beautiful garden in a university owned building. Lots of conversation which put it all into various contexts, and, again, was geared towards my personal interests.

Ideal location yet very quiet. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Our room had a view of Alhambra and the night life. The whole hotel had a great atmosphere and flet welcoming and relaxing after the busy Granada streets.

Theo was a great host for the night. He took us to a variety of venues all very different. Food and drinks were paired for a full experience. His knowledge was impressive and we felt like friends by the end of the evening. Certainly recommend Theo and the choices her made for us on the night

A must see in Granada. Three hours was not enough! Great guide and experience as we went through on sun set.

Great fun! Our guide, Alex, was excellent! The tapa places we went to were all very good. It was just the right amount of food and wine and all authentic tastes,

Loved this! We had front row, center arena seats. I think this is a hidden gem!

A wonderful evening! A great blend of delicious food, tasty sips, music and dance. A very well planned event and each place visited was authentic and excellent.

What we liked was that there was more of a general introduction to the city than some of the other tours. What we didn’t like was that there wasn’t a lot of content and it was too long for what was covered. It was a 4 hour but it could have been 2 - 3 hours.

This was a really nice day trip. Toledo is is a unique and picturesque city rich with history. We toured all of the main areas do they city and also had free time to explore on our own. Though it is now a big tourist attraction, it still preserves its history and authenticity.

We really enjoyed this day and it was different from other tours that we did. The CAVA tour was informative and the tasting was great - the CAVAs were the best we had on the whole trip! The wine tasting was good but not great. The vineyard visit on the 4WD was just fun and nice to be outside.

Seville was our favorite city-so charming and historic! The tour of the Roman Catholic Cathedral and the Royal Alcazar was chock full of interesting stories and pieces of history and we learned quite a bit.

This was a colorful and really interesting tour. It was a pretty deep dive into all things Gaudi which is pretty extraordinary.

Clean, quiet and great location. We did eat in the restaurant in evening and it was tasty.

Loved the character and uniqueness. Great breakfast. They even opened a few minutes early when they knew we were leaving early.

Clean and cosy. Great location. The breakfast was excellent.

This is a beautiful hotel a fabulous city. Great location so you can walk to many parts of the old city.

A quiet and modern hotel with a great location. The breakfast was included and food was excellent.

So much fun and great opportunity to meet other travelers.

A great overview and introduction to Madrid. We were able to walk from our hotel.

Our guide connected with us before the trip so we were able to stay in contact before arrival. Because it was raining, our guide and taxi driver took us to purchase umbrellas. Victor was extremely knowledgeable and also was able to convey the history through storytelling. We really enjoyed this tour and would recommend a trip to Toledo. We just wished we had better weather as many of the shops were closed due to the rain.

Excellent guide and very knowledgeable of the history of Spain and influences. There were many guides in area to help identify which group you were assigned to.

This was a fabulous show and the performers were excellent. It was especially interesting as it was located in one of the caves.

Excellent guide and provided overview of the city and its history. Andres also made recommendations on other places to visit in the city.

This was a relaxing and fun way to explore Valencia. Fiona loved her job and the city and she exuded positivity and excitement. It was a fabulous way to see the highlights of Valencia. I would have loved for our tour to be longer. I would highly recommend this tour to get a overview of Valencia.

Kinda disappointing! Bikes were old and not in best shape. There was no orientation, offerings of bike helmets, nor did the guide find out how experienced the riders were. This excursion is not for the inexperienced rider.

This hotel was in a great location, right in the heart of everything. The parking situation was a bit confusing, as they had a garage that we didn't know about in advance. Some advance notice about the parking would have been helpful, but the staff was able to direct us to a public parking lot nearby

The GPS had us going in circles trying to locate this hotel, as it was in a pedestrian-only zone. We ended up having to call the hotel for directions to a nearby public. Otherwise, it was a lovely hotel in a wonderful location. No complaints!

This was by far the best hotel of the trip. It felt luxurious and was in a fantastic location. I felt like I was living the high life staying here. Would highly recommend it to anyone.

This was an unexpectedly delightful experience. Meeting the chef at a market and getting to shop for our ingredients was a fun twist. We ended up spending about six hours with her at her farm, which was more than we anticipated but didn't interfere with our plans. It was a great day, and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves cooking and doesn't mind spending a bit of extra time on it.

This hotel was in a fabulous location. However, the rooms were not well insulated in terms of being able to hear people talk in the next room. Overall, I enjoyed my stay.

The breakfast was fantastic at this hotel and there was a very quaint Cheese Place- Tapas Bar across the street

A fantastic start to my trip. A great way to experience the local food and customs.

A must-visit place in Grenada. Also visited the airy, ancient bath, which was a wonderful addition!

The bikes were a bit old and it wasn't an E-bike, but Barcelona was easy to navigate around on a regular bike. The small group was an advantage as it was easier to get taxis and make suggestions to the guide

We loved the Flamenco Show and highly recommend this to anyone visiting Spain!

The Tuk Tuk Tour was a great way to see many sites in a few hours. We wished we would have spent more time in Valencia!

Our guide was wonderful and we were able to visit the Airy Ancient Bath's which we highly recommend!

Good location, close to many good restaurants.

We actually stayed at the hotel Zenit Convento. Marina switched the hotels due to construction in the area for the original hotel. Only issue we had was with the room keys which were very spotty when trying to open the door. Amazing breakfast, best on the trip I. Terms of quality and selection.

Great staff, very helpful and friendly

Quirky, charming hotel

Boris our guide was great, funny and charming.

Leona was great, her personality was genuine we connected well with her.

The tour was great and the one thing that detracted was the fog we experienced in Monserrat. Did not expect too much from the cava tour but that was fantastic!

Diego was one of the best guides on the tour, we meshed really well, can honestly say that we have a new friend in Spain.

Marianne was great, we got to experience many of the foods on our wish list in a serving size that was not overwhelming, perfect.

Manuel has great local knowledge, this walking tour with the things he pointed out made the experience so much better than us aimlessly walking around.

Great way to se the Douro valley area with a mix of activities including a boat ride! We visited two wineries, I would have skipped the second large winery. The first smaller one was way better, we felt a little rushed and the owner who was so interesting and engaging had more to offer.

Our guide’s Steve knowledge level is off the hook, with a delivery method that was more story telling than history.

Paulo or guide was another we meshed with really well and now we have a friend in Portugal!

Abel, our guide, was very nice and informative. It was a lovely day with him.

The group experience was a bit more difficult, particularly the tour of Alcazar- too crowded, too many people, and not we’ll organized within the property. Marina, our guide, was lovely but a bit difficult to understand, made more so because of the use of radio listening devices with the group.

This trip was good, though Avila is a small town and didn't have as much to see. However, it was of personal interest due to my husband's family history.

This was great! Granada is beautiful and we had a good tour guide. We would love to spend more time here next time.

This was a fantastic tour. Barcelona might be my favorite place in the world. The architecture was stunning, and while the city was more spread out than Madrid, it didn't dampen our enthusiasm.

This experience was good but the group was a bit large and one person tended to dominate. We cook a lot at home, so the techniques weren't new to us, but it was still a fun experience and the food was good.

The Petit Palace Posada del Peine in Madrid was a lovely place to stay. It was old yet clean, and centrally located, giving us a sense of being in the heart of the city's history. The lack of a pool wasn't an issue as there was so much to explore around the area.

This hotel had a modern feel and was situated a bit out of the downtown area. We had to rely on buses and cabs to get around, which wasn't ideal. The hotel was right across from a soccer stadium, which would be great for sports fans. The hotel was beautiful, but I prefer a more historic location where I can walk out to local cafes. The pool hours also didn't work for us since it closed at 7pm.

This hotel was historic and nice, but there were some issues with the elevator. While it wasn't a problem for us to take the stairs, I can see this being a potential issue for guests with mobility challenges. Overall, I enjoyed the historic charm of this hotel.

Overall, I truly enjoyed the winery tour. The only small hiccup was that the owners of the wineries did not speak English and had to constantly translate through the guide, which somewhat dampened the experience. Nevertheless, the trip was eye-opening and the wines were fantastic. It's noteworthy that this industry is still new in Spain and they're exploring ways to enhance their tours.

The visit to Prado Museum was enriching and the lunch at Botín was delightful. The restaurant was housed in a 400-year-old building, which added to its charm.

Hector was the absolute best tour guide we have ever encountered. His enthusiasm and love for his craft came shinning through the entire evening. In addition, his knowledge of all things San Sabastian was incredible.

The drive to the wine tour was incredible. The views were gorgeous (once the fog cleared) and the driver was engaging. Our first stop was Bodegas Hnos. Pecina which was outstanding. Our hostess was gracious, engaging, and knowledgeable. I am not a wine drinker but the wine we were served was so delicious we brought some home. The second stop was at Ostatu which was at best unremarkable. After both tours we visited the medieval town of LaGuardia for lunch. The town is beautiful and quaint and the tapas were amazing.

Our guide Dan was fantastic. We learned so much from him about not only the history of Toledo but the extent of the Jewish experience in Spain.

Amazing. The La Mezquita is without a doubt the most stunning place I've ever visited. Maria was wonderful in her explanations about how the cathedral came to be built inside the mosque.

The Alhambra is one of the most beautiful places on this planet. Sabina was a remarkable guide .

Well after this tour i wondered if i should go to Rome at all. Amazing is the best way to describe what our guide Marco showed us. His knowledge is so valuable and he is so passionate about the importance of the Roman ruins.

Madrid is probably my favorite place in Spain. Mercedes did an awesome job of explaining the history and culture of Madrid to us. She is so warm and friendly we felt like we had known her our entire lives.

If you want to go back in time with history all around you and in the hub of Madrid, this is the hotel. Staff were wonderful, the breakfast was absolutely delicious and the cook was so passionate about her job. The rooms were very clean and cozy.

Hotel Silken was a beautiful place to stay. Their continental breakfast was second to none! The rooms were lovely and clean. The only thing that might have been lowered the rating was that you were away from the downtown area so would need to take a taxi or catch a bus. Overall, a lovely stay!

The Astoria was a lovely place to stay. The continental breakfast was good but pretty basic. The first room seemed a little small but we moved into a bigger room a couple days later and it was lovely. The staff were helpful. What I liked about Hotel Astoria was it's location and outside restaurants everywhere. I would stay there again.

We went to three wineries and the hosts were wonderful. It was very interesting as was the shuttle that took us out into the countryside. Each winery provided us with food to eat as we tasted their wine. It was just long enough and a pleasant time was had by all.

This is a must when you are in Madrid. Our guide was fabulous and we learned so much from her. The museum was beautiful and then we walked to a pub to have Vermouth, which was a very neat experience. We then walked to have lunch at Botin. You Cannot miss this. The oldest restaurant in the world!! The food and service was amazing. The wine cellar was so very interesting to see as well. Do Not miss this experience.

If you like great food and learning about the Spanish culture and cuisine, this is what you need to sign up for. Our chef and guide was wonderful and so knowledgable. We started going to the market which was a treat in itself. I could have stayed there just looking around for the morning. The cooking class itself was awesome. There were 12 of us and we each help prepare the tasty dishes. Do Not Miss Out On This Opportunity. It was the Best!

What an experience and our Guide was amazing. Park Guell & La Sagrada Familia was breath taking. I would go back again to see the work of Antoni Gaudi. The church was amazing and it is not finished yet. I have no words to explain the beauty and architecture in both place. It is a Must See!

The location of Hotel Espana is wonderful - a block off the Rambas, and easy to walk to many neighborhoods. The architecture is also beautiful - all of the common areas are stunning. We had several little "misses" with service that were all handled very professionally when brought up, but became recurring issues in the 3 days we were there that moved my rating to a 3 star. I had paid to have a room ready on arrival for my son, who arrived at 10 am on Saturday (eg. I reservered a room on Friday so he could get to the hotel, check in and sleep. The room wasn't ready upon arrival & he had to wait an hour before he could check in. We also had breakfast included in our reservation, which did not show up in th hotels system. Even after our travel agency called and confirmed with the hotel, we had to work with the front desk every morning to secure breakfast.

The hotel is in a great location in the old part of Pamplona. It was a little bit of an adventure to find it via GPS (one of the streets you need to take shows 'bus only', so we had to circle a few times before we figured it out. That said, the hotel is lovely and the staff was very helpful.

This hotel is oozing character. Each room had a different theme/style and felt very cozy. The bathrooms were particularly luxurious.

This was our favorite hotel of the trip. The staff was incredibly helpful, the rooms large and modern. Located ~20 minute walk to the Old Town, it was also quiet at night.

The tour was a great way to get us out on our first night in Barcelona. We visited 5 places in total, and our guide was very helpful.

Everything about this trip was tremendous. Our guide (Fito) was from the area and clearly very knowledgeable about the wineries and the region. Each winery we visited had a unique story and great wines. We also really enjoyed the lunch at the end.

This was a highlight for us in Barcelona. It was a great way to see a much larger section of the city in a short amount of time. Our guide Cristina was incredibly knowledgeable and modified the tour based on what we had already seen.

The church and surrounding area is absolutely stunning. Our guide Ramon was also incredibly knowledgable and very friendly.

This was a great way to discover the Old Town in San Sebastian, and learn the way to order pintxos without being overwhelmed. Each Pintxo bar was tremendous, and Ester was very personable.

This was a day that really gave us a flavor of the region. The cheese farm is something that we really enjoyed as a family. Michel and his wife clearly enjoy what they do and it shows in the quality of the product. The hike was also beautiful - lovely views of the coastline and we really enjoyed seeing the old roman bridges along the way.