Kimkim Trip Reviews for Spain

Highly recommend working with KimKim and Coraima! My family planned travel to Madrid and Barcelona working with Coraima who was lovely to work with, giving care to consider our interests and offering terrific suggestions that made for a fantastic trip. The entire process was very smooth and easy. Would love to work with the team again!

Activity Reviews

Tapas Walk in The Gothic Quarter

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Short Prado Museum Visit

Madrid

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Raquel was amazing to work with. I'm an 'in the details' travel planner myself but was going to Spain for the first time and needed a TON of help. I loved working with her and her recommendations were fantastic. It was also very easy to go back and forth on alterations ahead of the trip and everything was super smooth during.

Hotel Reviews

Pestana Plaza Mayor Madrid

Madrid

We loved the hotel and the location. It felt like a super cool boutique hotel, very bright and vibrant, great little pool area, loved the beautiful restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Very cool, charming, boutique hotel.

Location

Seemed very central to everything, train was easy to use, and seemed like every taxi was 10 euros or less.

Staff

Super nice and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautiful overall. Very clean.

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

The one part of our trip that we didn't LOVE was this hotel. It is in a good location in terms of being very central to everything but the area around it felt a bit sketchy. Our original room felt like a small, dingy hotel room but we upgraded to a suite and the room felt better. The hotel was very dark overall but not in a great moody kind of way. It wasn't terrible or anything, we just didn't love it.

Authenticity & Character

It is nice but a bit dark and gloomy.

Location

Central but felt like it could be a little sketchy. For example, everyone told us "don't go left after midnight...."

Staff

They were nice but not happy-nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was "clean" but didn't feel "super clean". Also they use a really strong aroma in the rooms, like really strong.

Activity Reviews

Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Visit of Toledo, Train Toledo to Madrid

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gastronomy & Wine Tour with a Sommelier

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barcelona & Gaudí; An Architecture Walk

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boquería Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jámon & Wine Experience in Madrid

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Madrid: History, Culture & Architecture of the Capital of Spain

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Night

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My family and I had an amazing experience in Spain thanks to KimKim service, led by Alfonso and his colleagues that arranged everything during our 10 day tour through northern Spain. My colleague initially recommended KimKim given she had a very positive experience. While I was initially a little reluctant given it’s mostly an online only set-up experience, I was very pleased with the overall experience from start to finish.

Alfonso and his team set us up for amazing experience which started in Madrid (2 nights), wine region Rioja (2 nights), San Sebastián (3 nights) and finally Barcelona (2 nights). Starting in Madrid, we met with Gerardo, a local expert on Madrid and Spanish history. We walked through Madrid with Gerardo over two days. He was excellent guide and showed us amazing sites; experienced Tapas at local markets; went to a few museums and experienced the royal palace. Of particular interest was our site visit to the Prado museum. Gerardo was spectacular guide throughout the museum and knew exactly where to go and the history of each of the major art exhibits.

We then transitioned to wine region and two absolutely amazing experiences at two local vineyards. The first day, we were able to walk to a local vineyard (Luis Canas)from our hotel (Hotel Vuira) and the second day, we were blessed to have Alfonso meet us and we rode E bikes throughout the wine region on an absolutely gorgeous day and ended the day with an outstanding wine tour and lunch visit to Murua vineyard.

Upon arriving in to San Sebastián we adored the town and really enjoyed walking around experiencing tapas places on our own. As an American, most can attest, our education curriculum rarely spends time on Spanish history. Most of our emphasis is on WW1 and 2 and the countries most involved, therefore our curriculum rarely covers Spain. If you’re a western educated traveller, do yourself a favor prioritize Spain on your next trip. The history is fascinating and of particular interest is the Basque region, its people and its culture. You may not find a more amazing gastronomy experience and culture anywhere in the world! The food and people are amazing! For our second day there, Alfonso met us at our hotel and we enjoyed another full day of great history and experience. On our last day in the region we completed a day trip to Balboa for a cooking class (which was amassing!) and a excellent visit, with an expert guide (Susanne) at the Guggenheim Museum. Do not skip this part of your Basque region visit! I’d also comment that when driving through the area, it offered amazing scenery, Swiss like mountain beauty.

We ended the trip in Barcelona with a great walking tour and an amazing sailboat experience in the Barcelona. Bay to observe the sun go down. Amazing way to end our trip.

Bottom line, there is no way we could have planned this on our own, or derive such a sequence of experiences through some travel book or website. The KimKim’s ability to liaise and build a travel experience with local travel experts was hands down the best way to go. I’m particularly pleased with Alfonso and his teams ability to connect with local experts in each region that created a lasting, educational and rich cultural experience for my family. Our kids learned a lot and what was most inspiring is Alfonso’s disposition and approach to life as a guide, father, expert on Spanish history and culture. He and his team left nothing to chance and took great care for each and every detail.

When we return to Spain again we will, without question, work directly through KimKim and Alfonso’s travel company!

Our trip to Spain including Madrid, Seville, Granada, Málaga and Barcelona was out of this world fantastic. Raquel is an empathic, loving and expert travel specialist that our family appreciates beyond words. She worked with us to personalize our choices, destinations, hotels, costs and needs while we were on the vacation. She has been there at every turn when we are planning, traveling and having questions during the whole process. I would recommend her to everyone and anyone that is planning a trip to Europe in the areas she covers. Please treat her with respect and kindness and she deserves these in full measure. I can only say thank you Raquel and KimKim for their expert assistance. She is like family to us.

Everything was fantastic! Dalia planned the perfect itinerary and our group had a blast!

Activity Reviews

Lisbon: Tuk Tuk Culture & Food tour

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Algarve's Marine Wildlife Boat Tour

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sevilla: Walking and biking tour

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Raquel did an amazing job organizing a trip that met all of our desires. Flawless transportation arrangements, wonderful hotel accommodations, guided tours. She found remote locations not travelled by most into the most beautiful places, esp the Picos de Europa national park in the Asturian mountains. Memorable to say the least! She kept to our budget overall, was responsive to inquiries leading up to the trip. My friend had used KimKim to travel to Europe with her wiener dog, and had such a wonderful experience she recommended them to me for my trip with my children to Portugal and Spain. No regrets!! Will definitely recommend them to anyone!!

Thank you Raquel and KimKim!!

Amy F., Montana

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Borges Chiado

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff member checking us in was a bit rude. Maybe seemed more so as we were jet lagged and she seemed less than accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Legendary Porto Hotel

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eurostars Araguaney

Santiago de Compostela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Puebloastur Eco-Resort Wellness & Spa

Cofiño, Parres

Authenticity & Character

Outside absolutely beautiful, inside modern.

Location

The views were spectacular!! Location off of challenging narrow road for those driving if not used to this! Beautiful drive!!

Staff

Waiters seemed put off if we didn't finish our meals, offended? Lack of English skills may have interfered with communication. Came off a bit rude to us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Soho BOutique Oviedo

Oviedo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Catalonia Donosti

San Sebastián

Authenticity & Character

Fairly modern hotel. If expecting old world charm, may be a bit disappointed.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intur Palacio San Martin

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Petiscos & Wine Tour

Lisbon

Guide was very fun, energetic. Took us to great places in Lisbon to get a taste of the local cuisine. We were paired with a fun group of fellow Americans that enhanced the experience as well!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour

Portugal

Saw highlights of Lisbon that would have otherwise been hard to see with limited time in the city. Very friendly and knowledgable guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

Flexible guide, originally booked for tour involving more hills. It was a very hot day and we opted to stay along the beach with tour thru largest park, etc. Very knowledgable guide, fun. Beautiful city. Wish we could have spent more time in Porto!

Quality of Experience

Guide, beauty of Porto.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Douro Valley Excursion with Wine & Olive Oil Tastings & River Cruise

Porto

A must do! Guide was super fun, knowledgable. Great wines, Ports in authentic locations. Wonderful lunch with a view! Duoro Valley extremely beautiful!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro Sousa made this experience very fun!! Knowledgable, fun guide!! Good photographer of all clients!!

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela

Guide very enthusiastic/ passionate about the city and it's history! Beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Biarritz &. French Basque Country

Spain

Saw alot of the Basque countryside, learned alot about it's history. Guide very knowledgable, fun. Gorgeous, wonderful food!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Excursion to Covadonga Lakes

Spain

Amazing!! From the views to our guide, to a wonderful lunch!. The 3 mile hike was a must! Walked amongst all the cows with cow bells, the sound!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Sebastian Pintxo Experience

San Sebastián

Our guide, Esther, took us to the most amazing restaurants! Got to sample a wide variety of Pintxos, wines. She is very fun, knowledgable, made sure we had seats available for our excursion. Fun group of Australians enhanced our fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We toured through Spain as one part of several countries we visited on this vacation. Working with Marta, we were able to develop a plan that brought us to many cities in Spain and ended in Southern Spain, where we could take a ferry to Morocco. We had chosen to be on our own for much of the trip.
Marta arranged trains between cities as well as hotels that were comfortable, centrally located and included breakfast, which got our days started right! We took a Paella making class in Valencia, did a tapas tour and had a tour of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, and saw a Flamenco show in Sevilla. We also had several city tours along the way with knowledgeable and interesting local tour guides. All were well-coordinated and gave us a flavor of each of the 6 cities we visited, while providing lots of free time for us as well.
Marta and her team were always available for questions, both before, during, and even after our trip. It was a fantastic 11-day experience.

Dalia planned a wonderful trip for our large group- 8 people, 4 adults and 4 young kids. She was friendly and quick to respond to questions and change requests. I will recommend Dalia to anyone that wants to plan a trip to Spain or Portugal.

Our favorite place we stayed was The Lisboans Apartments in Lisbon- centrally located, luxurious, a stocked kitchen, and they delivered fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh pastries every morning.

All the car transfer drivers were friendly and had large, clean cars/buses.

Activity Reviews

Sevilla: Walking and biking tour

Seville

Fun and informative!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon: Tuk Tuk Culture & Food tour

Lisbon

Laura was knowledgeable and friendly and fun! Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Algarve's Marine Wildlife Boat Tour

Spain

This was just ok. Algarve is of course beautiful and recommend seeing it by boat! This tour company was somewhat friendly. We saw one small dolphin but no other wildlife. The boat does not stop to look around at any time. We had to drive almost 2 hours to get to this boat but there looked to be the same type of boat tour that left right from the beach at our hotel.

My recent experience with Kimkim for my trip to Spain was great, thanks to Adam's meticulous planning and attentive communication.

When I expressed interest at -quite last minute- in attending the PhocusWright conference in Barcelona, Adam ensured that everything was going to be fine.

I had quite a few boxes to tick when it came to choosing a hotel, but Adam made sure he booked the best possible option for me. Adam selected the Gran Hotel Havana for my stay, which seemed perfect! The hotel's close proximity to Room Mate Anna, being close to a metro station for traveling to the conference, the room, and facilities all looked great. I appreciated Adam's quick action in securing a room at Sonder Casa Luz when availability at Gran Hotel Havana changed. That hotel was overall quite nice, very central location, beautiful building, friendly staff, modern decorated (and nice and clean) rooms, nice breakfast, and beautiful rooftop.

I also liked Adam's flexibility in accommodating my request to use Uber instead of private transfers. His attention to detail and adaptability to changes ensured a seamless experience.

Adam's enthusiastic recommendations and Lea's seamless booking process gave me peace of mind, allowing me to focus on enjoying the conference and exploring Barcelona.

Thank you, Adam, and the Kimkim team! I look forward to planning my next adventure with you!

We had the most wonderful experiences in Spain and credit Marina with making it flawless and easy. This was our first European vacation ever for our family (2 children ages 16 and 13, me and my husband). Our 16-year-old loves art and architecture while our 13-year-old couldn't care less about those things. We wanted to add culture and fun plus a little adventure.

At first, I was apprehensive about using a travel agency thinking I could book activities myself for less money plus there are just so many unknowns with scams it's hard to trust an online agency. After going through many different iterations while planning the trip and pricing out the activities ourselves we finally decided that we wanted to have the best, seamless family vacation possible and we trusted Marina to help us make that happen after many emails, trip iterations and numerous phone calls. She was so patient and professional which also helped us to feel comfortable. We saved for years for this vacation so we needed to have faith that Kimkim and Marina are real and would take care of us.

I am so thankful that we finally stopped doubting the process and moved forward with Marina. We shared what activities were important to us then Marina drafted an itinerary. We discussed and modified it several times then once confirmed and paid, Marina was able to get to work booking venues, drivers, trains etc. They use an app that shows each days activities including the description, tickets, guide name and contact, if any. There is also a chat function so we knew we could ask questions or get suggestions during business hours and there was a phone number that we could call with any emergency. There were no emergencies but it was awesome to know there was someone local that would have our back it we needed them. I did use the chat quite often and responses were always quick and often well after business hours. Every activity we booked was flawless and the guides were all local to each area. Nearly all of the guides reached out directly 24-48 hours before our meeting using the WhatsApp. This additional level of communication was great. I would rate every single activity that Marina booked a 5 out of 5 or 10 out of 10. We booked our own airline tickets and airbnbs. We needed the local expertise on the activities.

We landed in and left from Madrid as that was much cheaper than other airports or leaving from a different location. Marina arranged for a car to pick us up - it was a large Mercedes luxury van. The driver was waiting for us inside the airport with a sign with our name plus he had messaged me thru WhatsApp in advance. He already had our accommodation address thanks to Marina. He was kind and helpful and was a wonderful first impression after the long flight. That first night we did a Tapas Tour with a small group. The guide, restaurants, food & drink plus the people in the group were all so amazing. This was one of my favorite activities. Worth every penny - wish we could have done this in every city! We also had a private walking tour of Madrid the morning of our second day. We saw and learned so many interesting facts and helped us to navigate the city much faster than trying to explore on our own. Marina also booked our tickets for a self-guided tour of the Royal palace as well as a private 2 hour tour at the Prado. Every guide lived in Madrid and had in-depth knowledge that they shared openly. We did a day trip to Toledo taking the train so it was only 30 minutes. Marina booked the train plus our private guide of the city. It was seamless and so beautiful. The only crazy thin that happened- this has nothing to do with Marina - is after the tour we went shopping for a knife that our son wanted. Toledo is known for their swords and blades so not better place to get one. Wish we had gone back to the store our guide took us to but instead my son walked into a random shop and purchased the knife. It was wrapped in tissue
paper and put in a bag. When we got back to the train stain to return to Madrid, they didn't want to let us on with the knife. It's supposed to be in a box and wrapped twice in addition to having the receipt. Thankfully they took mercy and allowed us on board with the knife then we hit El Cortes Ingles for tape, gift wrap and a box. -- One of the last scheduled activities in Madrid was a Flamenco dance. The venue was small, and it was a powerful, engaging show. The best Flamenco show we'd seen and different in that they were improvision. We didn't know this until after the show and they share that they don't rehearse before the show or even know exactly who will perform until that evening. Every show is different and can't be replicated. It was extremely enjoyable.

The next morning, we took the bullet train to Valencia which is about 2.5 hours. Marina booked the tickets for us which included a traditional Spanish meal. We didn't expect it and boy were we grateful for it. The train was comfortable, and the scenery was amazing. We did a bike tour in Valencia which was awesome. Really the only city I would have wanted to do it. There was so green space, parks, and biking around the City of Arts & Sciences was really stunning. Biking on roadways was very limited and I felt comfortable. We saw so much of the city, stopped and discussed, left the bikes at many locations to check things out. Again, I just can't say enough about our guide. Then we took a Paella cooking class which was so much fun! Sangria was waiting for us. We also made Tortilla de Patata which is a Spanish staple and now one of my favorite dishes. When the class ended, we received diplomas and recipes. It was really a fun experience.

Marina arranged for us to rent a car - this was what my husband worried about the most. Thinking it may be difficult to communicate with the car rental company if there was a problem. Marina handled every little detail so everything was paid for in advance, no outstanding questions or issues at all. We did obtain our International Driver's Licenses thru AAA before leaving. We never needed them but would have if there was an accident. We traveled to Benicarlo and Penicola for 2 days. These coast towns were amazing. Wish we could have added a few more days to our trip to stay here longer! We swam in the Mediteranean Sea, walked on the rocky beaches, explored the 12th century Castle, fell into a Paella Day at Castellona. It was an amazing unscripted time which was an awesome break. We drove to Barcelona, turned the car in to begin the final leg of our trip. I should mention that Marina still provided loads of restaurant recommendations and tickets to Papa Luna Castle.

In Barcelona we did an awesome walking/driving tour, so we were able to cover a lot of ground, learn much, and this tour included tickets plus an hour inside La Sagrada de Familia. Loved the tour! We took another day trip to Costa Brava for hiking and kayaking. This was another small group tour that was life altering. Seriously. Stefan was our guide. There were 8 total in our group. We had a comfortable drive about 90 minutes outside Barcelona. We met at 8:30am so we arrived around 10am. We hiked along cliff trails with some of the most picturesque coastline. It was gorgeous with many steep steps up and down the cliffs giving amazing views. We made our way to the beach where we left our stuff at Stefan's shop along with our phones for safe keeping. We paddled for 2.5 hours in total with a break in the mid-point for swimming in the lagoon and cliff jumping for anyone who was up for it. I've kayaked on lakes and rivers, but the Mediterranean Sea was altogether different. It was exhilarating, exhausting, and an experience that we'll never forget. The final tour that Marina booked for us was the Chocolate Experience. This was another small group tour lead by Carla, a local pastry chef. She was funny, informative, and passionate about chocolate. We visited 9 different shops. Seriously, 9 shops!!! Each place had a different specialty. Most have been owned by the same family for hundreds of years. We even walked by bar that is one of the oldest in Barcelona that both Gaudi & Picasso frequented. Unfortunately, they weren't open :( Marina booked our final bullet train from Barcelona back to Madrid.

It was an amazing, vacation with wonderful experiences that our entire family enjoyed together and bonded over. I wouldn't change a thing (unless time & money weren't limiting factors then I'd want to stay for another 2- 4 weeks). I really cannot recommend Marina and team enough. She made our trip so easy and worry free, exactly what vacation should be.

Our family traveled to Barcelona, Madrid and Toledo and enjoyed all of our sites. Our tour guide, Juan, in Madrid was excellent and really sensed what our family wanted to do and explore. He was kind and sincere. Our tour guide in Barcelona, Jordi, was knowledgeable and brought us around the city on a nice bike tour to see a lot of different sites. Both of the hotels we stayed at were excellent. The pool and bar on the roof top of Hotel Avenida was great to see the city at the end of the day. Both hotels were clean, comfortable and located in the center of the cities which allowed for great access to see the different sites. The travel arrangements by car and train were planned out very well. We felt well supported along our trip by Alfonso and he quickly responded to any of our questions or needs-he is an excellent resource.

Activity Reviews

Sunset Sailing in Barcelona

Barcelona

We had a private sailboat for this evening activity and Fiona was friendly and personable. She did a great job managing the boat and talking with our family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Barcelona Bike Tour

Barcelona

A great way to see a large part of the city and riding bikes allowed a sense of freedom from the busy traffic and packed side walks.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

It was a great over view of the city. It gave us a sense of where different parts of the city were located. Jordi was knowledgeable. We unfortunately were delayed on a flight and traffic so were over tired and very hungry when we started this walking tour so it was a bit hard to focus.

Quality of Experience

Food

If we could have picked the food with Jordi or seen a menu.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Park Güell & La Sagrada Família

Barcelona

We all loved the tour of La Sagrada Familia and climbing the tour for the city view. Unfortunately we missed our tour to Park Guell as we made an error on the timing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Evening Tapas Stroll with a Local

Madrid

Juan was a great tour guide and showed us over half of the city in this walking tour. His knowledge of art, history and architecture was outstanding and added to our tour greatly. He is personable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Tour - Discover Madrid's Royal Legacy

Madrid

Viewing the palace and taking the tour with Juan was information because of Juan’s extensive knowledge of Madrid and the royal family. Juan gave us factual and anecdotal information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Toledo Day Trip

Madrid

Toledo tour was all encompassing and Juan once again had extensive knowledge of the city and the history of all of the sights we toured. Our tapas lunch was excellent. He has a great ability to sense from us what we were up for seeing and touring throughout this day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great trip to Madrid and Barcelona, and were very happy with Paula and Luis’ trip planning services and prompt replies to our questions while traveling. They worked within our budget and planned activities that suited our interests. They were spot on regarding hotel selections. All of the private and small group activities they set up for us were exactly as described. All of the tour guides and locations were great. Very happy! Would definitely recommend them to others!

I want to to express our heartfelt gratitude for the incredible job Elena did in planning our last-minute trip. From the moment we reached out, she was attentive, responsive, and dedicated to making our vacation as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

The hotel accommodations were perfect – exactly what we needed for a relaxing getaway. The rooms were comfortable, the amenities top-notch, and the locations couldn't have been better.

The activities she recommended were fantastic and everyone enjoyed the variety of events. We especially loved the La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and Private Yacht Trip in Mallorca! Each suggestion was well thought out and tailored to our interests, making our experience truly unforgettable.

We are so thankful for her hard work and dedication. Elena's expertise and kindness made all the difference, and we couldn't have asked for a better travel agent!

We are 3 couples from the USA visiting Spain for 12 days. From the beginning Alba was incredibly helpful in arranging this trip. First, we shared with Alba what we were interested in seeing and doing (And what our budget was!), and she gave us her ideas on what the most popular things to see and do are . This was followed by several ZOOM calls and written communication back and forth until we had an itinerary that Alba thought we would enjoy and also appealed to us. We shared with Alba some suggestions that we had received from friends who were from Spain, and she was willing to incorporate some of them but wasn't afraid to tell us what wouldn't work for us. Ultimately, Alba devised an amazing CUSTOMIZED Spain vacation.

We spent 4 nights in Madrid, 3 nights in Bilbao (Basque Country) and 5 nights in Barcelona. Alba arranged everything for us including airport transfers, hotels, dinner reservations and a tour virtually every day. The tours included visiting The Royal Palace, The Prado, Botin Restaurant, Guggenheim and Dali Museums, a Flamenco Show, A Wine Tasting, La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona's Gothic Quarter and day trips to Toledo, Avila, Segovia, San Sebastian, Costa Brava, Girona and Montserrat. And of course we ate lots of Tapas and Pinxtos with our Guides taking us to some awesome places in each city. The Guides (Beatriz, Rosita, Mati, Julen, Anna, Stepan and Julia were all excellent. They were friendly, informative and very well organized. They all shared the history and culture of Spain which we found very interesting. In the Prado and Dali Museums Rosita and Julia taught us about the artists and showed us specific pieces or art, giving us an understanding of the meaning of each one. That really gave us a better understanding of what we were looking at and made it way more interesting. And we saw some fantastic natural landscape, incredible cathedrals and interesting architecture. We also had enough free time to wonder on our own. Throughout the trip, Alba kept us up to date on What's App to confirm what we were doing each day and who our Guides were which was very reassuring.

It's hard to say what our favorites were. We really enjoyed everything (Except maybe The Guggenheim Museum and Nerua Restaurant which we all thought were a little weird but certainly an unforgettable experience). But that is a matter of taste. The H10 Villa de la Reina, Hotel Miro and H10 Art Gallery hotels were nice in good locations with good staffs. And we had some really enjoyable meals. If anyone is planning a trip to Spain, we would recommend starting with our itinerary, and let Alba customize it based on your interests. We highly recommend KimKim and Alba!!!!!

Our family was so lucky to have been assigned to Bea for our trip to Spain. She was fantastic. From the beginning, she listened to what we valued and had a lot of helpful input. She suggested many more ideas to consider than what we could fit it, so that we could choose what sounded best.

The greatest thing about Bea was her quick response time. We had the basics of the trip finished quite early, but she had to wait on us for new passports to arrive, and then we went through some revisions as our flights changed. (She was beyond reasonable and quick when our entire trip added a day.) During the trip, we had more questions and required a bit of hand-holding with small details and she was unflappable during this time. Cheerful, quick, and full of good advice. KimKim uses a really efficient app during the trip so that communication is in real time.

It was hard to choose where to start our trip. I picked the route which was loosely based on the suggested trip plans on KimKim's website. We ended up starting in Madrid, and heading south with stays in Sevilla, Granada, and Malaga. We had short visits in Segovia, Ronda, Nerja, Frigiliana, and an activity in Marbella.

Our family includes 3 teen boys so our choices aligned with their interests. Bea hooked us up with a hot air balloon ride which was magical. We also enjoyed a segway tour in Madrid, a few walking tours including the Alhambra, an olive oil estate visit outside of Sevilla, a visit inside the caves of Nerja, a flamenco show in a cave above Granada, and a canyoning excursion near Marbella. On our own we booked a mountain biking day for the boys for our added last day. The fellas most enjoyed the adrenaline activities of canyoning (think swimming through a cave, sliding down natural slides on your behind, and doing 3-9m cliff jumps.) They also loved the hot air balloon ride. I am thankful that the early start time of that aligned with our jet lag near the beginning of the trip. We encountered some really special surprises too: our segway guide in Madrid, David, took us to a small, unremarkable door behind a convent. Inside was a cookie "business" being run by the nuns of the church. We never saw a human. We went in and spoke through a speaker about what we wanted to purchase, and a packed box of cookies appeared in this little door in the wall. During a walk in the very hilly whitewashed town of Friginiana, we came across a local cat rescue with a viewing window of the "gatos." This was our family's jam, and we never would have expected to find it set amongst the small, hilly lanes of the village. The boys were also happy to find the filming location of Naboo from Star Wars in Sevilla. Many teen photos were taken there, second only to cat photos.

The hotels that she recommended fit well with our expectations of location, family sleeping arrangements, and yes, air conditioning :) Our favorite hotels were the two times that we stayed in H10 properties in Sevilla and Malaga. Our Granada hotel was very charming. We enjoyed several dining experiences despite the kids not feeling tapas at every turn. We ended up at a few steak houses and mercados (markets) for even more choices. Our favorite spot for chocolate y churros was Cafe Futbol in Granada. Our favorite restaurant was a pizza place, also in Granada, called La Piccola Carmela. They had a fancier sister restaurant for authentic Spanish tapas. Our favorite place to eat in Malaga was Pampa Grill. Every breakfast was lovely. Zero issues.

I should add a last shout out to the incredible drivers that Bea chose for our longer drives. Our favorite driver was Jesus Ferreira, who we had twice. We loved him, and he really made the time spent so special. He took us to a spot that wasn't planned because he had a hunch, and he was right! We also liked Angel in Malaga and Alberto Zabala in Sevilla.

Our family had taken one trip to Europe before, which I planned. Despite it going well, when I began my research for this trip, I was dreading the legwork. The hours of planning, researching, and figuring timing of trains and when to reserve what, complete with FOMO about things that I didn't know existed. While reading family trip blogs I came across KimKim. I was intrigued and filled out an interest form. We were assigned to Beatriz, and it was like a local angel was inside of my head. She took away almost every worry and I cannot express my relief. We didn't look back. I highly recommend KimKim and Bea. We will use them again.

Hotel Reviews

H10 Casa de la Plata

Sevilla

This hotel was perfect for us. The H10 in Sevilla had probably the best staff that we encountered. The gentleman (Fran?) that checked us in had very good advice and ideas. Everything was modern and clean, beds were good, and we appreciated their decorating style. Irreverent art. Good location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Despite Sevilla not being much of a car town, this hotel is very close to a large square by the mushroom. (If you see it, you will know what I mean.)

Staff

Beyond helpful. Kind, smart, great english after we attempted spanish with them.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800 Granada

Granada

H10 Croma Málaga

Málaga

This was our favorite hotel on the trip. It was in a good location and was very stylish and airy. At first, we arrived and thought that we were located too far away from the beach. But quickly we realized that all of the action that we wanted was in the area near us. Everything was nearby. The mercado was a half block away. The hotel rooftop was perfect - big enough for options but not a crazy DJ party like the RIU in Madrid. Loved the rooftop pool, small restaurant, and lounge area. Our family was given two rooms. One had a balcony deck so big that it wrapped around the corner and had a 2nd section with sun loungers. Room 801, btw. The other room was a tad larger but had two small balconies. Also great. Room 809. The breakfast was good. Decor was nice. The lobby has water and small snacks/treats out at all times.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel isn't quaint - it is new. However, that is a big part of Malaga. Lovely decorative tiles surround all of the decks.

Location

Close to everything that we wanted. About 100 restaurants within 4-5 blocks.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Really responsive air conditioning.

Activity Reviews

Private Madrid Segway Tour

Madrid

We really liked this. We were all new to segways, but the learning curve isn't bad at all. The tour guide was a younger guy. He had a lot of information. For our teens, I'd maybe give him a "4" because he told about more history than they needed. He did take us to a few "hidden gems" that we wouldn't have found otherwise. I gave the activity vendor a 4 because two of our five segways had some slowing issues when accelerating, which suggests a not-super-thorough maintenance system. They were not dangerous at any time, but they weren't as easy to control as the other 3.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hot Air Balloon Ride Over Segovia

Madrid

This was breathtaking. So glad that we had the opportunity to do it. I don't know why, but I had expected a more private experience. Instead the balloon held around 16 people. That was fine. The pilot had flown balloons for 23 years and was a pro. I was slightly worried when he gave a safety speech in spanish. I only understood an arm gesture and the word "important," which was concerning. Luckily some other riders clued us in that he was talking about landing positions, and they explained what we should do. We floated over Segovia and there was no bad place in the balloon. He steered it so that everyone was able to see each angle. We were in the air for over an hour. Our landing was perfect - no big bumps or tipping over. After the staff cleaned up the gear there was a small breakfast and a toast.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The pilot was amazing. The staff was kind and energetic

Transport

I am referring to the shuttle to and from the airport. They were proficient. The balloon pilot was a 5+

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Ronda & White Villages

Spain

We were lucky to get Jesus Ferreira Franco as our driver, two different times. I think his business is called Luxury Granada? What a kind, knowledgeable man. He became a friend by the end of our trip. Courteous, polite, caring, prepared, with excellent stories. This was, without a doubt, the best driver that we could have had. He made our trip better. Our sons all said that they missed him after we needed to have a different driver later on.

Quality of Experience

This driver had great stories - I'm sure that he could be quiet if that is what you prefer. We wanted to hear it all. He also had a big cooler of waters to hand out and lent us umbrellas for our time in Ronda during a freak bit of rain.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Love Jesus F.F. KimKim should book him whenever possible.

Transport

Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Our tour guide was named Carolina. She was great with teenagers and was open to what we wanted to see. Some of our kids really wanted to see the area that was used for the filming of Star Wars - Naboo - so we headed over there. We spent a lot of time in the palace, and then headed over to the Jewish Quarter. She even escorted us to a restaurant that we wanted to try for their tapas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate

Seville

I gave this 4 stars because our kids were totally not into it. I liked it a lot, and I think that culture and history can be absorbed by things that aren't museums and famous monuments. The estate was really old and had the original equipment from the 1600's. We learned a lot about different olive varieties and mediterranean-area production. We saw the apparatus and had an oil tasting. There was a driver to the estate and back, so everything was so simple. It was located about 20 minutes from downtown Seville.

Quality of Experience

I loved that it was different. Not a museum :)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was kind and knowledgeable. Driver was great!

Transport

Guided Visit of Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

I imagine that there are tons of tour guides for the Alhambra. It is really important to see. We had no trouble finding our guide at the meeting place. He was knowledgeable and told us a lot about the gardens (which we did first) and the Alhambra. You really do get more than seeing it alone. Although, to be fair, we did not listen to any audio tours so cannot compare.

Quality of Experience

I liked hearing the more "secret" things, like about how oleander was used in the garden because the staff didn't like a certain female nobleperson. Oleander is beautiful but poisonous, which was how the staff described this woman.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide took us through a wood product shop at the end. This was the only time on our trip that we felt like American tourists, like he was going to get a kickback from any sales of wood items. Kind of soured us a bit. I'm pretty sure that this was rare because there were not many people in the shop.

Flamenco Show in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

This was the most authentic way for us to see the dancers. It felt a bit touristy, but the location was definitely built into the side of the mountain and the dancers were amazing. They worked! You really need to see flamenco at some point in Spain. We ran into a family in our hotel that had arranged a lesson somewhere, and they had to perform for an audience after their lesson. This was somewhere else. We weren't that committed. Happy to just watch. It was just the right amount of time.

Quality of Experience

Adam helped us out in the very beginning with the planning but I also worked with Jessica for putting together the final details of the trip. All of the vendors and guides were top-notch. Very communicative and easy to get ahold of using What's App. We planned a mix of activities - from guided walking tours to bus trips to self-guided beach days. We had a wonderful vacation!

Activity Reviews

Camp Nou Experience Guided Visit + Skip the Line

Barcelona

We loved visiting Camp Nou. The stadium is under construction so we did not get a chance to tour inside. We were limited to the museum, but it was still very interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Valencia Art & Architecture Walk

Valencia

Our guide was so informative and really made the experience interesting. Highly recommend this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Caves of San José Day Trip

Valencia

Such a unique and interesting activity! My kids loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Legends Museum & Bernabéu Stadium Visit

Madrid

This is self-guided, it was not a guided tour. You walk through at your own pace with other tourists. It was an amazing experience and a must-see for all football fans!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Toledo Family Experience & Sword-Making Workshop

Madrid

Such a unique and interesting activity! It is off the beaten path a bit, so do not be surprised when your cab pulls up to an industrial area. You do not get to make your own sword, so that was a bit misleading. You can purchase a sword to take home or have shipped to you. All in all, this was very interesting and the guides were so knowledgeable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Beatriz was the best!!! So so helpful & had all the best tips. We had the best trip EVER thanks to her :)

Hotel Reviews

Vincci Larios Diez

Málaga

Such a beautiful hotel in a beautiful location! Loved the rooftop bar & the views!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parador De Nerja

Nerja Málaga

Views from the hotel are breathtaking! Amenities are so clean & well maintained & staff is very friendly!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800 Granada

Granada

Best hotel I’ve ever stayed in!! So much character, each room was a little different & the courtyard was beautiful. Absolutely loved the amenities here with the breakfast & tea with the free drinks/coffees! Life saver on a trip like this :) Staff was so nice as well!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dear Hotel Madrid

Madrid

Very nice hotel located right in the middle of things :) The rooftop bar and pool were so cool! Absolutely loved the views from our room & the terrace

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Free Day to Explore Málaga

Málaga

Best first day! We arrived and had time to settle in then we got to explore! We found an awesome restaurant for dinner then went to the beach at night, hotel staff was so friendly & got us checked in immediately!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Málaga

Málaga

Our guide was so informative and kept us all interested! Lots of cool places in the city we would not have picked up on if not for this tour :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Málaga Cruise

Málaga

Beautiful views! Staff is so friendly & accommodating :) It does get chilly once the sun starts to set so definitely keep in mind because lots of people were cold by the end!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Frigiliana Hike & Wine Tasting

Málaga

One of my favorite experiences of the whole trip! What a beautiful town!! The hike itself was the most amazing hike I have ever been on, I took so many photos to capture everything :) Our tour guide was kind, went at our pace, and offered to take photos of our group :)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Granada Through Its Scents

Granada

Such a unique experience & so worth it! Very informative too & a great way to learn your way around the city :) Our tour guide was the best!! She was super interesting & funny as well! Loved the little box of scents you get at the end too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Show in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

Coolest experience ever!!! My entire family was in awe afterwards! The performers were all so beautiful and talented, you couldn’t take your eyes off them!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Beautiful views! I learned a lot about the Alhambra & the history of the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sierra Nevada E-Bike Route

Granada

Another must do!!! Kind of scary but also super cool & totally worth a fall or two! They go at your pace & at first it is definitely nerve wracking but once you get the hang of it it’s no problem! You will definitely be a little sore for a few days afterwards but nothing too bad. The views are incredible & the staff takes lots of photos and videos for you during the trip!! The included lunch was so fun too & a good way to boost your energy :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Spanish Cooking Workshop

Granada

One of my favorite experiences & memories of the whole trip :) the little building & room where this class took place was so cute & felt like home. Annabelle was the sweetest teacher!!! One of my favorite people we met on our trip, she taught us all so much about the Spanish language, the food, & the culture! It is very hands on, she hardly touched a thing! Everything we made was soooo good & we were able to save the recipes to make on our own at home :) It was so nice to be able to sit at the table afterwards & eat with everyone. Annabelle definitely made the experience even better!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Madrid: History, Culture & Architecture of the Capital of Spain

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Excursion: Madrid Countryside Winery Visit

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to Spain. Our travel agent, Dalia, did an amazing job planning a wonderful family vacation for us! All of the tours she arranged for us were wonderful, the tour guides were wonderful, she made everything so easy! Highly recommend!

Activity Reviews

Modernist Barcelona: Gaudi's Highlights

Barcelona

Sagrada Familia was breathtaking!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sevilla Tapas & Flamenco: A tale of Triana

Seville

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ronda & White Villages Day Trip

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montserrat private half-day trip

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sevilla Guided Tour

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This trip exceeded all my expectations!
The accommodations, the guides, the timing and organization of everything, the ease of the app, Helena's responsiveness - it was all superb! Christian (I am pretty sure that was his name) our Catalan Trails guide through Montserrat was so knowledgable, friendly, patient, encouraging and helpful. This was also true of Marcos, our guide for the bike ride through Valencia as well as Adam, our snorkel guide in Tabarca.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Praktik Bakery

Barcelona

The rooms were small, clean, and elegant. The bakery downstairs provided an excellent continental breakfast, and the staff was friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

easy to walk to the Gothic quarter, Parc Guell and Port Vell.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Líndala

Valencia

Rooms were clean and elegant. The reception and housekeeping staff was responsive and thorough. The restaurant downstairs was excellent but a separate business from the hotel itself so no breakfast was included. However, the breakfast we paid for was superb as was dinner. Also , the lobby and decor of the restaurant was *beautiful.*

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was a bit far from from the old city and chided de arts y ciencias but close to the beach.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Alicante Palacete S.XVII - Adults Only

Alicante

This hotel was gorgeous! A mini palace with a spacious and beautifully decorated roof deck. The rooms were comfortable, charming, and clean. The attached restaurant provided an excellent breakfast and the staff was helpful and friendly. It was perfect for visiting the San Joan festivities and beach without needing any transportation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Montserrat & Hiking

Barcelona

It was the perfect length and level of strenuousness. The location was also gorgeous while also filled with captivating history! Our guide was exceptional: kind, knowledgable, patient, delightful to spend time with!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valencia Seightseeing Bike Tour

Valencia

I loved cycling through the old and new parts of the city and contrasting them both. The length of the tour - 3 hours - felt great to me. It was an easy ride with several stops for rests and snacks!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel Tour in Tabarca Island

Alicante

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Adam and Alvaro were so professional and attentive to everyone. They made sure we were all safe, accounted for, and informed in both English and Spanish. Excellent guides!

Our trip was absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for your thoughtful itinerary- the hotels, transport, food suggestions were fabulous and the addition of the sunset cruise with Captain Guillermo and guitarist Alvaro was perfect! Every excursion was fabulous! The Biking tour of Barcelona with Corentin hit all of the historical marks and taught us about culture, art and architecture while we pedaled and got the lay of the land! Touring and hiking in Montserrat with Ramon and being able to customize our experience to our family was amazing- He is an expert on the history, lore and the hiking area- we escaped the crowds and got some amazing views! Costa Brava is gorgeous and our adventure with Stepan, despite the cloudy and slightly rough day at sea- was great! Every detail of our kayak, snorkel, swim, walk-was planned out and executed perfectly. Without exception- lovely people, great communicators, professional and fun and ready to adapt to our wishes and needs. Can't say enough great things!

Hotel Review

Hotel Aigua Blava

Costa Brava · Girona

Absolutely gorgeous grounds, airy rooms, restaurant breakfast is excellent, staff very pleasant, attentive and helpful!

Authenticity & Character

paradise!

Location

Staff

reception was particularly helpful with reservations in local towns and modes of transport

Cleanliness & Comfort

everything was immaculate

Activity Reviews

Tapas Culinary Experience

Barcelona

Jeanne was so fun! She asked great questions, engaged the entire group. We had a great group, tried all types of tapas in different neighborhoods. my 16 and 13 year olds enjoyed it and felt very comfortable in the mix! Try the cava!

Quality of Experience

Food

We tried it all- snails, fried sardines, meatballs, desserts- vermouth of course and cava! be adventurous!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Flamenco Night

Barcelona

We all enjoyed the flamenco- it seemed the crowd was quite reserved and didn't know if they should cheer or watch quietly or get up and participate. Since the large majority re: ALL of the patrons are tourists- maybe an introduction that talks about the history and the crowds expected response would enhance the experience. We had tapas at the expat next door and would highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guided Visit of Barcelona by Bike

Barcelona

Great way to cover a lot of ground, see a lot of the cities highlights and get some history as well. Corentin was our guide and was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Family Visit Montserrat & Hiking

Barcelona

Ramon is a pro. We were able to customize our visit to focus most of our time on the hiking around Montserrat. We steered clear of the crowds and had some marvelous views while Ramon taught us the lore and history of the area ( as well as a geology lesson ) ! Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

Stepan was amazing! Every detail of our walk, kayak, swim/snorkel was well planned and executed. We had a wonderful day despite the imperfect weather and learned a lot about proper technique for kayaking as well as environmental conservation efforts in the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport