Kimkim Trip Reviews for Spain

Elena was very patient and helpful through out the entire process of planning and then logistics during the trip. An example of the power of KimKim partnering with local guides was when we wanted to add a Flamenco experience she suggested one that provided an absolutely fabulous experience! She understood the focus of our trip and set up activities that were off the beaten path and made us feel special. All the guides, and even drivers, were top notch (and punctual!). Thank you, Elena!

Hotel Reviews

Exe Almada Porto

Porto

Workable for the one day we were in town. Staff was friendly and helpful. Breakfast was good with a section dedicated to local foods!

Authenticity & Character

Nicely decorated but lighting in the lobby area was too dim for me to read my map. The floors of the elevators need to be renovated - they are safe but cracked and peeling.

Location

Porto is the second largest city in Portugal so I suggest staying close to a metro station if you want to see various parts of town. We were in great walking distance to some wonderful restaurants.

Staff

Extremely friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Barceló Bilbao Nervión

Bilbao

Good location and great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

It is a large, modern hotel. I'm not sure it needs any particular character.

Location

Location to the Guggenheim. It wasn't readily obvious to us how to find the parking garage when, in fact, it was right in front of us. We also didn't understand how to get out of the garage. Parking is difficult in this area so paying for the parking is understandable and we paid for a taxi so we didn't have to find parking during our daily excursions.

Staff

Helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was very nice.

Eurostars Fuerte Ruavieja (Logroño)

Logroño

Good location.

Authenticity & Character

All the stone on the inside.

Location

While it is in walking distance of the main square, it took a drive around the block to find and understanding the garage door was a bit tricky.

Staff

Helpful in understanding the city layout and dining options on a Sunday.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bedding

Hotel Vinoteca Alquezar

Alquezar

Looks old but very modern. They serve a great breakfast and dinner!

Authenticity & Character

Nothing to improve - people need to understand it is modern on the inside if they are looking for something more period.

Location

GREAT for transporting luggage so we didn't have to drive our car through the small streets. It is a hilly town so one needs to be fit to walk around. Stay at a more central hotel if you have mobility issues.

Staff

Marta and Chef were very helpful. As an American, I love my coffee so waiting for it to come after the breakfast food was served was difficult for me. I always appreciate a coffee pot in my room which many hotels outside the US do not have.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bedding was comfortable yet a second pillow would have been nice.

El Castell de Ciutat

La Seu d'Urgell

They had been entered our reservation for the wrong date but were able to accommodate us. It is an old hotel that needs a facelift. The front desk, bar and restaurant staff were all very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Lots of old world charm, great view overlooking the city, spa area/pools very nice and modern. It just needs a facelift.

Location

Outside of town. It was fine for us because we had a car. It is more of a resort destination than a sightseer destination. We drove into town to walk thru the old town.

Staff

Helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

I always enjoy having a robe and slippers in the room. It took me a minute to figure out the red/green pinecone door hangers.

Leonardo Hotel Barcelona Gran Via

Barcelona

Great location for drop off/pick up rides because it is on one of Barcelona's 45 degree corners and restaurants right across the street.

Authenticity & Character

There wasn't anything wrong just nothing that made it stand out more than other hotels.

Location

It was close to a Hop on/Hop off bus line.

Staff

It may be a cultural thing, but twice the front staff didn't acknowledge us for a while when standing there. Once they did, they were helpful. Breakfast staff very nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bedding was comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to the Douro Valley & River Cruise

Porto

This was more than a boat ride on the Douro River. Just getting there and back was so much fun with stops along the way at two wineries and lunch at a small, fabulous restaurant.

Quality of Experience

Variety of experiences

Food

Presentation, location and taste.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carlos with Your Tours was amazing! He had to go over and above to get us on the Douro river boat due to traffic delays. We truly appreciate him!

Transport

Tickets for Guggenheim Museum Visit

Bilbao

You have to enjoy modern art.

Quality of Experience

Nice that we could get a coffee right there while waiting for the doors to open.

Pintxos & Wine Tasting Walk

Bilbao

Crazy fun and be prepared walk, drink and to eat a lot!

Quality of Experience

History was very interesting. Be ready for any kind of weather because sometimes you are outside eating/drinking.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Funny and knowledgeable

Transport

Be prepared to walk/stand though some locations you do sit down at a table.

Visit to La Rioja Winery

Logroño (La Rioja)

We went to Monticello. Great tour guide and fun experience with the various wine barrels.

Quality of Experience

I felt the tour was so much more than a wine tasting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It is funny to look back on now but when we arrived we were more interested in using the bathroom than letting them know we arrived which had them perplexed - they didn't know why we were there! Everything was good once that was settled.

Transport

We drove our own car.

Wine tasting with tapas in Alquezar

Alquezar

Marta told us about her history with wine. We loved sampling local wines.

Quality of Experience

Having the tasting right there in our hotel meant we didn't have to worry about driving!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marta is local and we loved hearing her stories.

Transport

None needed for us!!

SOMMOS winery visit

Spain

We went to Laus Winery. You get a lot of food with the wine pairing. Loved the cork stools and the video.

Quality of Experience

Historical information, our guide and the wines themselves.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable and accommodated our need to not walk into the vineyard.

Transport

We had our own car. Walking on the tour was a bit difficult (standing for long periods of time) for one of our group members.

Eco Tuk Tuk Welcome Tour to Barcelona

Barcelona

Nice way to get a feel for the city on your first day.

Quality of Experience

It wasn't raining (sides are open) and we were able to get out at one point to walk and take pictures.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable and friendly.

Transport

Clean and capable.

Helena was great to deal with . She answered questions in a timely manner. She chose good local tours for us. The tour also gave us plenty of independence. The transportation was always on time.

Hotel Reviews

H10 Urquinaona Plaza

Barcelona

Solid hotel. Good location. Nice staff. Pigeons kept drinking out of the pool which was a bit weird.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Montcada Boutique Hotel

Barcelona

Hotel worked with us to get in a little bit earlier than we needed. This was great because we were exhausted from flights. The beds were so comfortable. The rooms were nice. The hotel bar area had a great view . We wished there was a pool or a hot tub that was hot. (Americans like hot hot tubs).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Trip around Mallorca with Snorkeling or Paddleboarding

Mallorca

The staff had their act together. They cleaned up from last tour and got us on the water. The water is so so beautiful. Drinks were meh . Decent but quite expensive for what they were. The white sangria was delicious. The snacks were ok. I asked for a vegetarian meal but didn't get it. They said my name wasn't on the list. But they did throw a veggie dog on a plate for me.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Mallorca's Oldest Winery: A Journey Through Tradition & Taste

Spain

Loved this tour and the owner of the 2nd winery made it special for us. Our friends got engaged!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barcelona Uncovered: From Gothic Streets to La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

By far my hightlight was La Sagrada Familia! The tour guide was so thorough and the whole experience was magical and emotional. I don't recall his name but he was a 10.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taste Barcelona: Authentic Tapas & Neighborhood Walk

Barcelona

The tour guide was very nice and engaging

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wedding in Valencia and decided to turn it into a two week trip. I gave Anita a list of cities we were interested in visiting and she created an itinerary that went above and beyond. She added stops to lesser known cities, which was our favorite part. We had private drivers and mostly private tours for the entire trip. It felt like we were first class travelers. The app with the itinerary was immensely helpful and some of the guides that we had were the best we’ve had on any trip. Antonio in Mérida was our favorite tour guide and we would have requested him for every tour if possible. Jesús and Paulo were extremely friendly and helpful drivers. There is nothing we would have changed about this trip.

Helena did an amazing job with the entire vacation from beginning to end. My boyfriend proposed on one of the excursions and later informed me how helpful everyone was. The entire trip ran smoothly and it was unforgettable for me and everyone involved. We were a bigger group on 8 people and all the transfers to and from hotels and airports were seamless. The excursions she chose were unique, amazing and comfortable. We did not feel like sardines being ushered around with a group of people. We had an amazing in all of Spain. The location of the hotels were phenomenal and very clean. We honestly had a trip of a lifetime. This is my second time booking with Kim Kim and I honestly recommend it to everyone. Helena and the Kim Kim team have exceeded my expectations with every vacation. Thank you to everyone involved in my proposal, it was truly magical and unforgettable.

Hotel Reviews

Melia Palma Bay

Palma de Mallorca

Amazingly clean and spacious, staff was very helpful and breakfast was amazing every morning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A little far away from town but I enjoyed the pool and the comfort of the rooms.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Montcada Boutique Hotel

Barcelona

Amazing location, beautiful view, staff was very helpful and pristinely clean bathroom.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Trip around Mallorca with Snorkeling or Paddleboarding

Mallorca

The staff was great and the crystal clear blue water was amazing! There was plenty of space for everyone to have fun and you didn't feel like you were packed on a boat. Will definitely recommend to anyone visiting Mallorca.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit Mallorca's Oldest Winery: A Journey Through Tradition & Taste

Spain

THIS WAS AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE!!! The food alone is worth coming here. The wine was amazing!! And a perfect spot for a proposal. You can tell the owner does this for the love of wine and not profit. They truly love what they do and want to share all their knowledge with you. This is a place I will be coming back for years to come.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barcelona Uncovered: From Gothic Streets to La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taste Barcelona: Authentic Tapas & Neighborhood Walk

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful time in Spain thanks to the services provided by our local specialists, Alfonso and team. They customized our visit to the way we enjoy vacationing, they were there for us all throughout the trip with reminders and to answer questions, they solved problems and issues when they inevitably come up and recommended the best activities even for our free time. I would absolutely recommend their services especially to those that have busy schedules and don’t know the area well. We will definitely consider using Kim Kim in the future.

Our trip was absolutely amazing. Transportation was seamless, our hotels were gorgeous and the cities that were selected for us to visit was perfect for us. Can’t thank k you all enough. My 50th birthday was an amazing experience thanks to your thoughtful planning!

Hector was very responsive in creating our great trip to Barcelona, Madrid and Mallorca.
During the planning phase, he responded very quickly to any questions and the suggestions and plans that he made were very enjoyable
Nadia and Natalia from the Support team real quick to respond to any comments or questions. I feel totally supported throughout the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Barcelona Airport Hotel

El Prat de Llobregat

Nice hotel. Really not that close to the airport. It’s a bit rundown, one elevator was broken, the pool area needs some attention. Other than that, it was pretty comfortable. The shuttle is very predictable.

Authenticity & Character

Really needs an upgrade. A bit rundown, but clean.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pure Salt Port Adriano Hotel & SPA—Adults Only

El Toro, Mallorca

The hotel was beautiful, the people were so nice. Was very well located near restaurants and a beach. The free breakfast was fantastic. I guess the only criticism we had is that the rooms don’t get cool enough. But then again we are Americans and we expect freezing cold rooms. LOL

Authenticity & Character

The rooms are sizable. The staff is wonderful. Really nice view of the port. The pool is fantastic. The breakfast is are really good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the beach and good restaurants. You really don’t need to leave the area.

Location

Very close to the beach and good restaurants. You really don’t need to leave the area.

Staff

Everyone was very friendly and helpful

Staff

Everyone was very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were a bit warm at night, but not terrible

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were a bit warm at night, but not terrible

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Trip around Mallorca with Snorkeling or Paddleboarding

Mallorca

A beautiful trip around the coast. Certainly should be included in the itinerary of Mallorcan visitors.

Quality of Experience

Food

I think that they’re very good job with the food on board

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I gave it to you only because we drove and I just wanted to make you guys aware that the parking situation for these catamarans is really challenging

Inside the Prado: A Private Experience

Madrid

Absolutely a fantastic two hour experience. We’re not that into art museums but the tour guide was so fantastic that she made it very interesting and we learned a lot.

Quality of Experience

A fantastic guide who didn’t try and jam in 200 paintings, but focused on a few of the painters and gave us in depth discussion on them.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a walking tour

Walking Madrid’s Old Town

Madrid

Madrid is a beautiful city and our tour guide gave us a pretty good tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I think our tour guide was OK, but it’s hard to compare him with the guy that gave us a tour of Barcelona.

Transport

It was a walking tour

Small-Group Montserrat & Penedès Region Winery Excursion

Barcelona

Montserrat is a fantastic site to see. We certainly enjoyed seeing the area. Most of it was self guided, and we took the train to the top and hiked which was interesting.

Quality of Experience

The tour of Montserrat was amazing, but I think if it was a day when the boys choir was there, it would’ve been a lot better.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As I mentioned before, there was another group that had a Spanish speaking only person, and therefore the tour was done, mostly in Spanish with occasional translation for English.

Transport

See above

Private Visit of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

The guide was fantastic. Very knowledgeable. We started with a walking tour went to the Palau music hall. He loved music and was very enthusiastic making that tour great. And then of course go out. Familiar is always fantastic to see.

Quality of Experience

The enthusiasm of the guide and the knowledge.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See above.

Transport

It was mostly a walking tour and we took a taxi.

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

Enjoyable. The guide was very knowledgeable. Plenty of food and plenty enough to drink.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a walking tour

Great service provided by Kim Kim as always! We had a great time and our itinerary was planned perfectly according to our needs and requirements. We loved the whole experience and look forward to using Kim Kim again for our future travels.
Thank you
Rajan and Janki

There are no words to describe the perfection of how well this trip was planned by the Kim Kim team! Summer and Coriama were beyond helpful every step of the way! Every detail was thoughtfully curated for our family and could not be more thankful for the work you all put in!
Our tour and guides were amazing! Christina in Seville, Caesar and Marga in Mallorca- wonderful, knowledgeable, special people!!! They were all very kind and had fun with our family!
All the accommodations were excellent. The staff at the Madrid Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá hotel were especially impressive. Thank you so much. We look forward to our next adventure through Kim Kim!

Hotel Reviews

Melia Palma Bay

Palma de Mallorca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Romana Hotel Boutique

Sevilla

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá

Madrid

Fabulous hotel! Lovely accommodations! Extraordinary staff!! Thank you all so much!

Authenticity & Character

The staff are lovely and kind. I didn’t want to leave! From the check in process, concierge assistance, restaurant staff, the food, the room service, and turn down service details- all amazing! And extra shout out to the staff that helped my daughter with translation assistance to the train station due to a lost item. I could not be more thankful. Thank you all so much!

Location

Perfect location in Madrid- walkable to various restaurants and shops. Beautiful rooftop view!

Staff

Wonderful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wonderful!

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided Tapas Walk in Malasaña

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Private Valldemossa & Sóller Excursion

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Beach Day in Mallorca

Mallorca

Quality of Experience

Family-Friendly Palma de Mallorca City Walk

Mallorca

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Flamenco, City & Tapas Experience

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Alcazar and Cathedral of Seville

Seville

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Local Market Trip

Seville

Quality of Experience

Private History & Culture Walk

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Walk around the Historic Center

Madrid

Quality of Experience

We really enjoyed the trip. All the hotels were lovely and quite nice for our family. The locations in the cities were central and we had no trouble getting around. Parking is a bit tough in spain for a "big" car and quite pricey sometimes.
The car we had was limit in trunk size (BMW X2 coupe with 4 medium luggage). We managed to fit everything with a bit of a puzzle.

The guides in Barcelona were great. We really enjoyed the cooking class (paella). The city tour in Bilbao was good and the bike tour in San Sebastian was perfect to appreciate the city.

The Andorra hotel was great but a bit out of the way. It was very calm. We went to Ordino Arcalis for a hike and it was spectacular. We also took the train to Vall de Nuria which was also memorable.

Thanks for your help in planning this trip. We did things we wouldn't have thought without you.

We must say that we were utterly enchanted by this trip. Spain is just wonderful and the cities we visited Madrid and
Barcelona are each in their own way truly stellar. Even though it was long and treacherous as all flights are these days the rewards are more than the obstacles. Madrid has so many wonderful historic sites and buildings that in the 3 days we were there is not enough but we appreciated the hospitality and attractions fully. The tour guides were all outstandings including Javier, Sirio, Maria and Pepa. I highly recommended them all. Special mention needs to go to Javier for his encyclopedic knowledge of art and historical sites. His stamina was truly outstanding.

So overall my wife and I were very happy. The accommodations were excellent, the food was great, taxi cabs were at the exact time all the time and we have absolutely nothing to complain. We just have wished the last hotel had a larger swimming pool but that was just a small pick.

Many thanks to Anita for her wonderful trajectory and mapping the whole trip in detail. She did a remarkable job.

Keep it up folks. Next year we hope to do business again.

SILVIO and RYOKO FERNANDEZ

Hotel Reviews

Andante Hotel

Barcelona

Great hotel. I cannot give it a 5 star since there were a few things it could have had better. Very large hotel and the rooms were spacious. We wished the bathroom was better - the shower head kept throwing hot water and not mixing it well with the cold. Minor stuff. Very fine breakfast every day too. The pool was the only disappointing part. But we were not there long. It was centrally located.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Villa de la Reina

Madrid

Great hotel. I cannot give it a 5 star since there were a few things it could have had better. The elevator was only 1 and kind of cramped. But you need to understand that it is in the old district of La Gran Via and it must be historic. The breakfast was truly superb and the butlers and services were the same.

Authenticity & Character

Style and etiquette.

Location

All central to walk throughout the Center of Madrid.

Staff

Fine

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fine

Activity Reviews

Barcelona Old Town & Sky Views: Montjuic Castle & Cable Car

Barcelona

The guide name was Pepa and she had a full crew around. I thought she was knowledgeable and enthusiastic in her presentation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barcelona & Gaudí: An Architecture Walk

Barcelona

Maria was remarkable. She brought a true understanding and meaning to the Gaudi architectural walk. We were very happy with her enthusiasm and sharing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

Here Sirio did the honors of bringing us a palette of Spain which was divine. We all enjoyed the guide and tapas very much.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to El Escorial

Madrid

Javier again made the honors possible. El Escorial was the most impressive Spanish architecture short of the Imperial Palace that I have ever attended. It was truly an incredible experience. We loved it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit of Museo del Prado with Art Historian

Madrid

Javier was truly outstanding. His knowledge was encyclopedic. We much appreciated and liked his style of presentation and were delighted truly delighted.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Madrid’s Old Town

Madrid

The walk was outstanding. A little strain from time to time since were not prepared by the hot Madrid summer. Javier did an outstanding job of telling us the historical part of the City.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was absolutely great working with Beatrice and the KimKim team! We had the most amazing trip! Our hotels were great and all of the tour guides were fantastic!! I highly recommend the Gothic tapas food tour in Barcelona… Facunda was outstanding!!! The market food tour in Porto was SO much fun too!! Catalonia hotel in Barcelona was the best and perfect location!! Thanks for everything! We can’t wait to do it again!!

Hotel Review

Catalonia Portal de l'Angel

Ciutat Vella

Top notch!!! The BEST location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Downtown & Bolhão Market Food Tour

Porto

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cultural and Historical Tapas Tour in the Gothic Quarter

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marta
We had a most amazing trip booked by Marta. She booked the trip based on our preferences for location and hotels, we had fantastic tours and locations. I would highly recommend.

We enjoyed the Royal Palace in Madrid, Alcazar in Seville and the Park Guell, la Basilica de Sagrada Familia and Bogatell beach in Barcelona.

Hotel Review

Room Mate Alba

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and selected perfect, delicious tapas.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of the plans from our KimKim specialist Coraima worked out great and were as expected. For the Mallorca portion of our trip, we elected to stay in the Alcudia area at a non-KimKim property as opposed to our specialists recommendation of the Palma area. While we will never know how a stay in Palma would have been, there were some negatives to our pick of an all-inclusive resort in Alcudia. The Alcudia area is beautiful and we had a memorable time there but The resort was jam packed and getting Beach or pool seating accommodations was difficult and costly. We elected a breakfast only plan and found that getting taxis was quite difficult when we wanted to dine outside of our walking distance area.

Hotel Reviews

Iberostar Alcudia Park

Alcudia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was difficult and a hassle to get a desirable pool or beach chair. Or any pool or beach chair for that matter. We ultimately decided to pay additional for seating. Taxi service in the area is poor due to a limited number of cabs. One night we had to cancel a dinner reservation because we weren’t going to get there in time due to the wait for a taxi. There is probably a better choice for a family of four including two teenagers during the high summer season.

ICON BCN by Petit Palace

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Valldemossa & Sóller Excursion

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro was great

Transport

Vehicle was cool snd comfortable

Sailing the Pollensa Coast of Mallorca

Mallorca

Family loved it

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We provided our own transportation to this outing

Local Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Market close to classroom and chef preordered all the items so just had to pick them up which allowed time to take in the whole market.

Costa Brava Hiking, Kayaking & Swimming Day Trip

Barcelona

We did the kayaking trip and the whole family had s good time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Park Güell & La Sagrada Família Experience

Barcelona

The sites are truly magnificent and interesting. With two teenagers in tow and it being our first day of the trip, we found that the length of the excursion was challenging. For the purpose of vacation time management it makes sense to do these two location visits back to back. However, adding a meal time between the two locations would provide a welcome rest and cool down period. Although it would increase the total time of the excursion.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Liked the guide but sometimes difficult to keep up with his narrative

Transport

Waited a bit for bus

Hector did a great job with the planning and back and forth as I planned my trip to be a little of the beaten path. I would not have known, where to get to the parking lot in the expansive national park in northern Spain for example to ensure the best route to hike to the lighthouse or the best private guide of Barcelona.

Arrival was wonderful having a polite personal driver and clean car started the trip off perfectly, The gallery hotel was perfect they got us into the room as soon as they could after an overnight flight from the US, the location was excellent and the breakfast vast with so much choice. Our private guide Diana was amazing, once she saw our pace we were able to effectively cover two tours in one as she was keen to show us everything she was so vested in our experience, The tour with her was the highlight of the trip for the whole family. I liked being sent her mobile number prior, live updating in the app and it was easy to meet her at the set meeting area. She also took us in a local market which we loved and were able to buy fresh juices, I can’t say enough about how thoughtful and thorough she was.

The hotel was ideally located for meals and walking on Las Ramblas and was in a very high end neighborhood that felt safe and vibey.

Getting the car rental at Sixt was easy with Hectors simple walking instructions. It was noted to be aware they would try to upsell you and we were somewhat forced into spending more as they said we had no “scratch protection” and any small scratch would cost up to 500.00 euros so we felt force to spend an extra 250.00 euros I think, we got an upgrade on the car and it served us perfectly for the week ahead. Just dealing with sixt and getting out of Barcelona was tricky.

The drive was great with the given instructions we would never have known to stop in beautiful Pals.
hotel El Convento was beautiful and they welcomed us, I would not say the staff were particularly friendly or warm, the room with the extra bed suited our needs, we particularly enjoyed walking to the nearby beach down a steep path of which parking would have been really hard, we also enjoyed the free shuttle to another beach in an very clean electric Mercedes with our personal driver. Again parking would have been impossible. The breakfast was vast and very good. My only complaint was that there were ALOT of very small babies, when I would have preferred adults only or 12 plus only ( which I actually thought it was ) as the hallways given the historic nature of the hotel were very noisy making it hard to sleep. This was a shame,

We had a private kayaking trip, Julia the guide was great, I felt it was worth it to have the private guide as we were fast to paddle to the cove and therefore got more time snorkeling than the group that arrived much later. I would recommend the private kayaking,

We enjoyed the planned drive to Cadaqués, Hector has us going through the stunning national park with breathtaking views and stops along the way, Cadaques was the highlight of the trip, so beautiful, Hotel Boutique Gala was stunning again the breakfast was very good and the room with cot was perfect, the parking was a HUGE bonus and its location for walking the town was perfect. the staff were very friendly making us dinner reservations and accommodating any needs

.We had a private tour meeting in Besalu and this is the only part of the trip I wouldn’t recommend, we had to drive 1.5 hours back on ourselves, Ramon the guide was out of touch with speaking to our twelve year old, lrgwly talking about himself, we had to cut the tour short as we had to get back to Cadaques for dinner reservations we had not known it was three hours driving plus being driven to simply “ look” at villages in Ramon’s own car and being dropped at a restaurant for lunch while he waited so in effect lying to be taking for lunch. Besalu was lovely but it would have been fine by ourselves and EN ROUTE to Cadaques not drive back, even he was surprised we had done that.

Again we had a wonderful time in Cadaques it was fun to be just 14 km from the French border and give us a totally different feel of Spain and Barcelona,

Return to Barcelona was great after spending the day hiking the national park and swimming in secluded coves per Hecots recommendations, with Hector’s guidance we saw so much and really feel we got a flavor for Spain off the beaten track rather than the initial plan he put forth of Barcelona and Madrid, he really got a feel for what I wanted, which was essentially, city and coastal.

Taking the car back to Barcelona ( which I worked with him on as initially he was having us drop it back in the city) but I wanted it back at the airport was ease of departure the next day, the airport hotel was just ok, the staff were not friendly and the rooms were very dark, I would have liked another night in Barcelona but we had to get up at six am anyway to leave so getting out of the city with traffic would have been hard, so it was the right decision.

Overall Hector was absolutely wonderful, listening, taking on board my feedback, coming back with new suggestions really getting a feel for our family, he even added in a trip to the lighthouse, our 12 year old loves lighthouses! And we didn’t even know there was one!!!

I felt like my trip and what I desired was a little different. Half way through the planning I decided to upgrade to the luxury accommodation level ( I liked that Kim Kim offered the different levels ) and private guides I am really glad I did this, I thought if we were spending the money we wanted to go luxury. My overall experience with Kim Kim was fantastic that being said I don’t know if I would use them again as the planning was $300 which was fine but the service fee of over $300 for essentially nothing was too much, so $600 on the trip and no breakdown to see where the fees were coming from,

I hope this feedback helps
Kindest regards
Rebecca

Guides were amazing, drivers were great, accommodations were great choices (loved the historic and boutique hotels ), excursions were first rate, just an all around fun trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Hospes Palacio San Esteban

Salamanca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parador de Monforte de Lemos

Monforte de Lemos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa dos Lóios by Shiadu

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Oh

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit of Salamanca

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour of Ribeira Sacra

Spain

Included winery tour and fantastic four course lunch!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Vigo

Vigo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Porto

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Secret Porto Walking Experience

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Porto's Culinary Scene and Bolhao Market

Porto

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All the tour guides were excellent and the family enjoyed the tours and other activities related to this visit. One tour guide we would like to highlight was Marta, the tour guide for the Alhambra. She took the time to answer all the questions my two little grandchildren had. It was a four hour class for them. The transportation services were excellent, always on time, and very courteous driver. Special kudos to the driver that took us to Malpica de Tajo. This was a four hours excursion in this little town we thought was the birthplace for our family name. There was nothing to do there except to look at a castle. We asked the driver to see if it was possible to go to Toledo. He called the company and accommodated us to this excursion that was not planned. The hotel locations and facilities were superb. We enjoyed all three cities visited, but Malaga was our favorite. We might return again.

He or provided excellent services throughout the planning process. We are extremely happy with him. He is a keeper for our next big family vacation.

We visited Barcelona, Sevilla, Porto and Lisbon over 2 weeks. We asked for a multi-city trip loosely based on a food and wine itinerary designed by Adam, a kimkim specialist. Adam worked with us to customise the trip and was very helpful in balancing experiences and "vacation time" - he planned local experiences and private tours so that we learned a lot, experienced wonderful things and met amazing people, without feeling overwhelmed by hurry up and get somewhere. We still had plenty of time to slow down, explore on our own and enjoy being in beautiful places together.

Highlights - apart from wandering and ogling beautiful architecture and views interspersed with excellent food and wine - were the market visit and cooking class in Barcelona with Barcelona Cooking (making those recipes at home regularly!!) the private tour of Real Alcázar with Cristina from Yannat in Seville where we could take our time and ask all the questions we wanted, the Douro Valley wine tour with Philip (be sure to check the weather for Douro as it is often much hotter than the coast!) and the day trip to Sintra with the incomparable Luis as our guide.

Things we learned or might do differently - we would double check our transfer times between cities and adjust with days or method of transportation so that we are making the most out of the time and not spending 1/2 day or so waiting to get somewhere. We would call ahead to the hotels and double check our rooms are not next to elevators, over the lobby etc. We would spend longer in the Southern areas - we connected more with the people and the pace of things in the Southern areas of both countries (despite the heat) so we plan on exploring more next time we visit.

All said - a wonderful two weeks and we are so appreciative of all of the help Adam and the kimkim team provided!! We will be booking through kimkim again!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel AlmaLusa Baixa/Chiado

Lisbon

Beautiful hotel, friendly and helpful staff and well situated within the downtown area -

Authenticity & Character

Location

walkable to museums, shops and restaurants

Staff

very helpful and always available

Cleanliness & Comfort

Torel 1884 Suites & Apartments

Porto

stayed in the apartments - nice to have a little kitchen to ourselves :)

Authenticity & Character

Location

the apartments are on a famous walkable street - a little noisy, but easy access to lots and lots -

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Gravina 51

Sevilla

We love this hotel!! We would recommend it to anyone wanting something charming, beautiful and well staffed.

Authenticity & Character

such a gorgeous property!! we joked we would live there if we could :)

Location

quiet street, but walkable to every tour and event as well as easy to get to public transport if needed -

Staff

everyone was helpful, friendly and went above and beyond -

Cleanliness & Comfort

cleaning all day long - every leaf of every plant is dusted on the daily - and the wooden shutters in the rooms make for a good night, or siesta, sleep -

H10 Madison Hotel

Barcelona

Central but not directly on a busy street so quieter - breakfast buffet is super yummy and the rooftop pool and bar is a wonderful perk!! Staff are very accommodating and helpful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

central and easy to get places without being too busy -

Staff

Sara was so helpful any time we had questions -

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Pena Palace & Sintra Village Half Day Trip

Lisbon

So nice that this was a private tour - we could ask all the questions and have time to make the experience our own -

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis was the perfect guide!!

Transport

Self-Guided Local Markets

Porto

Douro Valley Day Trip with Wine Tastings & River Cruise

Porto

Beautiful scenery, yummy wines, and the opportunity to meet fun people - If you get at all carsick, be ready to bring whatever you need to feel better - fast driving and windy mountain roads....

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Visit to Seville’s Cathedral & Alcázar

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Historic Landmarks Walk

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-Guided Beach Day in Barcelona

Barcelona

Park Güell & La Sagrada Família Experience

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Local Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thanks Alfonso and team for booking exactly what we needed for this brief stay. Appreciated having a local agent to confirm our daily details and assist..

Activity Reviews

Private Visit to Madrid’s Local Markets & Tasting

Madrid

Great tour guide - but the tour was different than described. While we did eat well, we didn't learn to make the tortilla as described. More of a history tour with some food stops than markets visit / tasting. But our tour guide was wonderful so we enjoyed nonetheless.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kept us in the shade during most of our walking! He really knew Madrid.

Private Electric Tuk-Tuk Adventure

Madrid

Good overview of the city to figure out where we wanted to spend more time. Guide was knowledgable and entertaining.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport