Kimkim Trip Reviews for Spain

We felt like Luis was alongside us every step of the way. His service was top tier and his care was real.

Hotel Reviews

Catalonia Catedral Hotel

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Marqués House

Valencia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day City Tour & Sagrada Familia (incl skip the line tickets) - SMALL GROUP

Barcelona

Teo was awesome. Highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking class

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City of Arts and Sciences

Valencia

Dani was awesome. Highly recommend this tour, tour guide and tour company. First class all the way.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valencia Old Town Walk + Wine & Tapas

Valencia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I would thoroughly recommend Kim Kim tours
Expertly planned and executed
All guides were extremely informative and experienced
Great hotels in the best places
They were in contact with us throughout the tour to ensure we were happy and that we did not require anything
We did have one member of our group not well, but we got over that situation
We were never worried about this as we knew Kim Kim was there to help if we needed them

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Granados 83

Barcelona

Great breakfasts Amazing staff in restaurant Good locations

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Villa de la Reina

Madrid

Nice casual bar area where you can feel part of Spain

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Soho Boutique Catedral

Seville

Great location In pedestrian part of town No cara allowed

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800

Granada

Very authentic hotel Afternoon tea is served complimentary each day Very unique experience

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Barcelona private guided walking tour of the Gothic quarter & Picasso Museum

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barcelona private guided tour of Gaudi masterpieces: Guell Park and "Sagrada Familia" Cathedral.

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montserrat & Wine

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Tour of the Art Walk & Prado Museum

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private driver from Granada to Tarifa port (Ferry to Tangier)

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private guided tour of the Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens

Granada

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private guided tour of the Habsburgs' Quarter & Royal Palace

Madrid

Very informative guide A little too informative in some places

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening out for flamenco & tapas in Triana Quarter

Seville

Took us to some lovely spots Very informative Great night out

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private guided tour of Seville old Quarter

Seville

Very good tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seville - Ronda with winery - Granada

Spain

Great tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Being unfamiliar with the Malaga area, I was lucky to have found KimKim Travel. Adam was very helpful in taking our trip goals, and budget and recommending some wonderful experiences. Our first excursion was a private day trip to Ronda - we were picked up at our villa by Peter (Costa Excursions). I can't say enough about the adventure. Peter was prompt, knowledgeable and made sure we synced up with our local tour guide, who couldn't have been more passionate about the area and culture.

Next up was Caminito del Ray. What a fun day --- seeing how busy it can get at this destination, I highly recommend this small group activity. On our last day, we visited La Herradura to kayak and snorkel. While the weather wasn't ideal, we were still able to enjoy our time and were even able to go inside a cave with our kayaks.

In between our excursions, we had an array of self guided experiences to take advantage of. In fact, jet lag had hit us early on and our local KimKim advisor, Yuri, was quick to respond when I asked for some additional ideas/destinations a bit closer to where we were staying. He was available for quick questions about tipping and other FAQs. The entire experience definitely put me at ease and made the trip so much more enjoyable. I've already mentioned KimKim to a handful of people.

This was my first overseas trip in 21 years and my husband's first ever! Dalia was so amazing planning the absolute perfect 2 week long honeymoon in Spain. She listened to our wishes and connected us with the most amazing guides. There was the perfect amount of scheduled tours and free time. I'm so glad we listened to her recommendations for guided tours of the Alhambra and Barcelona especially.
Carlos Fuentes was an outstanding guide at the Alhambra. Migüel with Walk tours made our Gaudí tour of Barcelona unforgettable.
Our trips to Antequera, El Torcal, Ronda, and Grazalema with Alfredo Carrasco were the highlights of the trip. Cannot recommend him enough - and his driver Alejandro.
Joselú was amazing and he took us to some hidden vistas we never would have seen on our Rioja wine tour.
Best honeymoon EVER!

This was the first time I travelled solo; I was understandably worried; Patricia and her Kimkim team looked after me marvellously! I rate this trip as the best I have had, and I have travelled in groups a fair bit.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel The Principal

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

100% exquisite Spanish experience without foreign interference

Hotel Alfonso XIII

Sevilla

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Felt like I was treated and pampered as a royal guest of Alfonso III

Monument Hotel

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Experience the spirit of Barcelona, new with the old, cleverly manicured modern design with features of the old building preserved; fantastic cusine. I love the stay.

Activity Review

Private Guided Tour of the Art Walk & Prado Museum

Madrid

Must not miss. I felt fortunate that I was able to learn a lot from my private guide; there is so much to Spain's past, history and art that I was not aware of.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were flexible, walking or taking a taxi depending on how we felt.

We were looking for an off-beaten track for our trip and we were not disappointed. The whole trip was wonderful, thanks to the team -- Alfonso, Yolanda, Juan, Inez, and Javi -- who took us to places we otherwise would not have known about in Bilbao, San Sebastian, Pamplona, and La Guardia. The whole trip was seamless, from the private transfers to the visits to the wineries, museums, Michelin-starred restaurants, and the olive gardens! Communication was excellent. Alfonso continued to take care of us after the itinerary was complete, helping us get a private transfer to Bilbao from Logrono.
This was an amazing experience and truly well-recommended!

Clara was Absolutely the BEST! We had a private tour of the Cathedral and the Alcazar in Seville, Spain and we could not have asked for a better and a more intelligent guide! Clara was very knowledgeable, informative, professional and passionate. She also was able to read our interest level and adjusted her pace as we toured both establishments. Any question we had, she addressed and connected with us with such ease. Thank you Clara and thank you, to the group organiser Matías, who communicated with us and arranged the meeting so seamlessly. We had the best experience with your company!

Activity Review

Private Visit to Seville’s Cathedral & Alcázar

Seville

Clara was Absolutely the BEST! We had a private tour of the Cathedral and the Alcazar and we could not have asked for a better and a more intelligent guide! Clara was very knowledgeable, informative, professional and passionate. She also was able to read our interest level and adjusted her pace as we toured both establishments. Any question we had, she addressed and connected with us with such ease. Thank you Clara and thank you, to the group organiser Matías, who communicated with us and arranged the meeting so seamlessly. We had the best experience with your company!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cook and Taste cooking school in Barcelona was the best activity we've done as a family since the kids went off to college!

Hotel Review

Sant Roc

Calella de Palafrugell

Views and terrace are terrific. Hotel staff are friendly and comfortable. Fixtures and finished need a refresh.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Cooking Class of Spanish Cuisine

Barcelona

Wow!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to the Costa Brava & Coastal Hike

Spain

Hiking guide Dani was super patient and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Retiro Park by eBike - Small Group Tour

Madrid

This was a fun trip but did involve 90 minutes of ebiking on Madrid city streets which is a bit of an adventure. Be clear about that in the activity description.

Dalia was absolutely amazing in scheduling our perfect trip to Spain. People told us that the duration of our trip, 10 days, would not be enough to see Spain. But with Dalia's help we managed to get a lot done in a such as short amount of time. We had a view of the Royal Palace of Spain from our hotel room in Madrid and our first class train journey on the high speed train from Barcelona to Madrid was amazing. Granted the trip was expensive but we did not have to do anything but show up at all the places at the right time and everything was waiting for us. It was seamless, stress free and a dream vacation. Thank you for an unforgettable trip to Spain.

Just returned from our first time to Spain (Barcelona, Costa Brava, Girona, and Madrid) and had a wonderful time with KimKim’s and our local agents James Monroe’s and Angela’s assistance. Given our limited time in Spain, I think we were able to see the ‘must-sees’ but would like to return and visit other regions as well. All of our guides - Aida in Barcelona, our cooking instructor Rosa from Cook & Taste, our hiking guide Danny and Sophia in Madrid, were top notch in their field, as well as friendly and accommodating, ground transportation arrangements went as well as could be expected and our accommodations fit our needs well. Overall, we had a great family vacation!

Hotel Review

Sant Roc

Calella de Palafrugell

Sant Roc is situated right on the water so the location and views were magnificent. The hotel rooms could use a little updating but their breakfasts were outstanding. Staff were friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Water views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tour of Park Güell & Sagrada Família

Barcelona

A lot of visitors so it was difficult to really experience LSF fully but our guide Aida was very knowledgeable about the history of Gaudi and the structure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We loved Aida!

Transport

Guided Walk of the Gothic Quarter with Tapas Dinner

Barcelona

Aida was our guide and she was knowledgeable and friendly. Answered all of our questions and more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Cooking Class of Spanish Cuisine

Barcelona

We loved Rosa, our instructor. It was great to go to the market with Rosa, who helped us develop a menu, shop for the ingredients and cook. As a family experience, we all participated and enjoyed this 1/2 excursion.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to the Costa Brava & Coastal Hike

Spain

A little rough terrain for older folks like me but our guide was understanding and didn’t rush our hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nothing but after a 5 mile hike, it was nice to get a ride.

Half Day Kayak Excursion on the Costa Brava

Spain

Roger and his partner were great instructors. We kayaked farther than I had imagined and stopped in some nice coves. Scenery was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly guys, great at what they do and made our kayaking trip interesting. With regards to our transportation from the kayak back to hotel there was a misunderstanding with the taxi driver. We were under the assumption the person taking us to the kayak rental facility was also the one picking us up but another driver came and we both sat at the meeting spot staring at each other before realizing we he was our taxi and we were his clients. Taxi driver was not happy.

Transport

Private Tour of Madrid & the Royal Palace

Madrid

Our tour guide Sophia was very knowledgeable of the palace, the furnishings, past and present practices of Spain’s parliament and the royal family. I don’t think there was one question she couldn’t answer!

Quality of Experience

Informative tour guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Retiro Park by eBike - Small Group Tour

Madrid

We met our e-bike guide at the designated location, picked up our bikes and helmets. We rode through city streets, approximately 1/2 mile, dodging vehicles, pedestrians, and segways. Once inside Retiro Park, the ride is more relaxing and our guide led us to numerous sites within the park. After a tour of the major park sites we rode through city streets again, to the old part of Madrid and the Royal Palace. Luckily nobody fell off their bike or hit a pedestrian,

Quality of Experience

Meet at the park and avoid the streets.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip to Northern Spain arranged with Marta T of Espiritu Travel and Kim Kim was a truly wonderful experience and all of us in our group of 6 were very happy with the itinerary and the excellent attention and service we received from Marta before and during our trip. Marta was always so attentive and prompt in answering any questions and concerns we had and the suggestions she made for our itinerary introduced us to many of the highlights of our trip ie the Cares Mountain Route, the Picos de Europa Mountains, the hike from Orio to Zumaia and the National Parks. We were so fortunate she chose Diego as our driver and guide for the majority of our trip! We met him in San Sebastian and all of us immediately felt so comfortable and safe with him right from the start. Diego is amazing! He is professional, very knowledgeable, patient, responsible and just a great person to be around. He was so attentive to the needs of our group! We all felt so safe with him driving on those winding mountain roads and on our hikes in lesser known areas as he accompanied us and made sure we were all going to make it to the end. We can’t recommend him enough! Our guides for the city tours, Noelia in Oviedo and Joachim in Santiago de Compostella were both excellent. They had such a great knowledge of the history of their respective cities and the area and their enthusiasm was infectious!
The hotels selected were all excellently located for touring the cities where we stayed and the included breakfasts were very good. We were a group of 2 couples and two singles. There was a difference in the size and quality of the rooms for the couples in the Posado Rural El Corcal, Hotel Soho Boutique in Oviedo and in Eurostars Araguaney in Santiago de Compostella. It was not a huge issue but should be addressed for future groups. There was also an issue with our reservation in Santiago de Compostella due to a computer glitch but a quick text to Marta resulted in her immediately addressing the problem with the hotel. It resulted in the two singles having to share a room for the first night of our three night reservation but we were well compensated with a delicious complimentary meal at the Hotel for the inconvenience this caused us. The one hike, the Oak Path in Armanon Park is one we suggest be used with caution and that it be rated as medium/difficult due to the conditions of the trail, the elevation and the difficulty finding the trail head. The rest of our hikes were well selected and the scenery was breathtaking on many of them.
In summary we are very happy with our choice of Kim Kim and highly recommend Marta T, the Kim Kim team, and the people she chose to be with us on our trip.
Jack and MaryAnne V.

We just returned from a 14 day trip to Spain. Dalia did a great job coordinating all of our transfers and accommodations. We planned a busy schedule so didn’t give much time for ourselves but saw all of the major sights we were hoping to see and got a real feel for Spanish h culture. Highlights included the tapas and flamenco tour in Sevilla with Manuel. My husband did an e-bike tour in the mountains and the e-bike wine tour in Barcelona was wonderful. Too bad we both got sick and had to miss a couple of events but we made the most of it. We would go back to Barcelona and Mallorca and spend more time relaxing

Activity Reviews

Madrid Tapas, Taverns & History group tour

Madrid

Lots of walking. Great opportunity to see local places and taste native foods

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drach Caves and Porto Cristo day tip

Spain

Nope. Major tourist trap. Extremely crowded and not worth the effort. Dark and many stairs. Stay away

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was nice and helped us get in even though we were late arriving. He also took us to a pearl factory on the way back to our hotel. Thank you Pedro

Transport

We drove our rental car and Pedro helped navigate

Train to Granada for group tour of the Alhambra and transfer to Sevilla

Spain

Wry impressive site. Tons of walking. Many stairs

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver Javier was excellent. He held our luggage and drove us to our hotel in Seville

Transport

Sevilla & Tapas & Flamenco Small Group Evening Tour

Seville

Wonderful tour. Not too long and food was great. Manuel was wonderful - he loves flamenco and shared his passion with us

Quality of Experience

Manuel

Food

Spinach. Angry potatoes

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking on the Guadalquivir river

Seville

Would not recommend. Restroom was gross, not even by third world standards. Staff was impersonal. They only had one boat and it was leaking. Almost tipped over near the end when boat wave swamped us. Mikele was guide and did a great job though, despite a leaking kayak. Scenery was OK.

Quality of Experience

Different company with better boats

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

E-Bike wine tour in the Penedes - Half day trip

Barcelona

Collin was an excellent guide for the bike tour and Albert was our guide for the wine tour. Beautiful day away from the crowds.

Quality of Experience

Guides we’re excellent. The winery was wont

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful and informative. Loved the private winery tour

Transport

Train was easy

Madrid Highlight group tour with Royal Palace

Madrid

Very informative tour of this major landmark.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dalia organised a fantastic itinerary which covered all of the sites/places we were keen to see across northern Spain. The tours and hotels were all very good, and made for an enjoyable holiday.

Thank you for being quick to respond at every moment. We appreciated all your advice and checking up on drivers and guides.

H10 hotel and the cooking class in Sevilla was our absolute highlights. We could not have found either without your help so thank you!! The improvements - The hotel at Las Ramblas and Ronda was a let down in comparison. I think we would have appreciated more preparation in what to expect. Ronda staff were very rude- maybe they really dislike Americans? And Las Ramblas…it felt like a budget motel. Clean, but lacking in amenities or style. Perhaps you picked it for the convenient location- I think I would have been fine if our documents said that.

That being said, there was overwhelmingly more good than not so good. Pacing was great, places visited were awesome and the detailed itinerary gave enough info for me to plug in a few items from my own research. It was an amazing experience and we appreciate all that you did to help create it.

Hotel Reviews

H10 Casa de la Plata

Sevilla

I can’t say enough good about this place. We loved everything and every one. The front desk person even made a restaurant recommendation “off the list” which I know is not common- and it was outstanding! Also, the room was incredibly well designed- lighting furniture placement, amenities and bathroom… every detail was intelligently thought out and we appreciated it. On top of this they delivered iced Cava and a desert tray?! We felt like royalty for a day.

Authenticity & Character

So much character. And, we appreciated the playful art

Location

The view from our room was amazing

Staff

The best. Really.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless.

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

Excellent and welcoming staff and an amazing location that is close to everything yet still quiet and intimate. We loved this hotel and highly recommend it it!!

Authenticity & Character

Nothing. This has lots of authenticity and unique personality, but it isn’t (and shouldn’t be) a old world Spanish hotel

Location

It is just enough off the Main Street to be quiet yet still very convenient

Staff

They were warm and had great suggestions.

Cleanliness & Comfort

So clean!! Well designed room. Our only complaint- we had to sign into the Wi-Fi every single time, and sometimes even multiple times during a session.

Catalonia Ronda

Ronda

Not the best experience. The parking was ridiculously complicated, the staff never seemed to have what we needed (and didn’t care) and the restaurant staff was beyond insulting- claiming they had no way to seat us until 10 pm… it was 7 pm and the place was completely empty. A senior staff took pity on us and sat us (with no apology or explanation ) and we proceeded to order and eat… and the restaurant never got more than 30% full during the entire meal. I’ve never been so insulted in my entire life. The room was as dark as a cave. Very unpleasant. We do not recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Rooms are like dark caves. Aweful.

Location

It is what it is

Staff

They seem to hate tourists (or Americans, or non-Spaniards?). Every request was impossible and no indication they were sorry about the denial. Really rude people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super dark room was like a cave- not sure that could be changed.

Hotel NH Collection Granada Victoria

Granada

Great location and charming view.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the view and the breakfast

Location

Close to everything

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was not clean- the tub had not been cleaned and there were hairs under the sheets. Management seemed responsive, but we were too tired to complain.

Arc La Rambla

Barcelona

A serviceable place that is clean but feels like a budget motel. Zero amenities but a vending machine on every floor. Active jackhammering just below our room when we checked in. Management did try to help out but 🤷‍♀️ what can you do?

Authenticity & Character

Budget is budget, I guess.

Location

Might be great for the young interested in the action on Las Ramblas. Not so much for us.

Staff

They were mostly occupied with watching to 12 surveillance screens so… 🤷‍♀️ they were nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I disliked the noise- both construction noise and general location noise, but I don’t think it’s bad. Just not my preference.

Activity Reviews

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

Madrid

It was informative.

Private Tapas Experience in Madrid

Madrid

Loved the “special guest” treatment

Quality of Experience

Food

Half the places were outstanding a couple were “normal”

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Andalusian Market Visit & Cooking Class

Seville

Awesome I’m every way. Totally recommend!!

Quality of Experience

Leo was adorable and a great teacher

Food

I never understood paella until this class.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniela was also awesome.

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

You get so much more out of the visit with a knowledgeable guide

Quality of Experience

Our guide was a great teacher

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Every city we visited was scheduled well, with four star hotels or wine resorts or a farmhouse run by a local family. We loved the accommodations but mores loved the personal attention given by Raquel and Eugenia. When we had any question or issue, they were responsive at every turn. The personal tours were all memorable and each guide was unique and interesting. Wine and champagne tours were all fun and the explanations of the champagne making and wine making process, visiting the cellars and touring the wineries was fantastic. Raquel and Eugenia helped us book museums and the history and art was overwhelming and fascinating. Even when we could not get a reservation at a famous restaurant, Botin in Madrid, they were able to get us in. They were so kind and helpful. We would HIGHLY recommend them and the Kim Kim Website to anyone looking for excellent service and planning for a trip to Europe. We would use them again anyway we want to go on another European Vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Tenuta La Santissima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intur Palacio San Martin

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Sometimes preoccupied, but responsive when asked.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Altarocca Wine Resort

Orvieto

Beautiful setting. Peaceful and serene with country setting and very nice accomodations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arte' Boutique Hotel

Firenze

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff was extremely attentive and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tapas tour and Old Town walking tour

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Prado and Retiro tour

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gaudí Highlights tour

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Datrip to Montserrat and Penedes wine region

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day orientation tour in Paris

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Versailles and Giverny small group

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Daytrip to Reims and the wine region of Champagne

Paris

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montalcino: visit and wine tasting

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siena city tour

Siena

Our tour guide, Claudia, was so knowledgeable and sweet. Asked for our questions and left time for us to think about what we wanted to know. Listened and interacted so well. Showed interest in us and was very responsive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Claudia was awesome.

Transport

Orientation tour of Florence with visit to the Accademia

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine tour in Chianti

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Entire trip met our expectations regarding hotel quality, logistics and service by Marina and The Espiritu team.

Our issues were all with booked events.
The coordinator, Carlos, for the Alhambra tour directed us to stand alone at the wrong meeting point without asking a question. Then he failed to look for us while we stood only 15 meters away. Luckily, we found Edo in the Alhambra and had a great experience.
The flamenco show started 30 minutes before our scheduled time.
The tapas tour started 30 minutes after our scheduled time.

Our twelve day trip was simply amazing. Helena and team were wonderful to work with. Especially since we started planning our trip in 2019 and then had to delay it due to COVID. So this was a much anticipated trip. The team was responsive, friendly and helpful with all our questions and thought through even the smallest details. Once we told them a little bit about what we thought we'd like to do, they planned a fantastic itinerary. We had the perfect balance of busy tours to enough "free" time to wander and explore on our own. From tickets to museums and trains to city tours, everything was just perfect.

Regarding the tour guides, they were all wonderful in their own way. Our Madrid walking city tour guide was very knowledgeable about the city, and during our private tour was able to share lots of history that I don't think we would have gotten from a standard tourist tour. He was patient, loved answering our questions and shared information about local habits. We had a day trip to Toledo and our private guide, Sonia, was perfect. She had a passion for the city, because she lives there and was a history major in college, was incredibly knowledgeable about the city's history and how today is a reflection of that history. Sonia was so delightful, she seemed like a genuine friend. We had another private tour in Granada, with our day trip to Las Alpujarras Mountains. Marta was our guide here and again, she had a background in history and a deep love of this mountain and the many communities. She was also able to pivot easily because while we came prepared for a hike, she had to explain that our time would be spend driving from village to village with some walking at each place, not an actual hike with an easy or hard route as was stated in our Trip Plan. We didn't mind it either and because the villages were so steep, we still got in some hiking! :-)

We had another tour guide, this time it was a small group tour in Sevilla. The guide was wonderfully knowledgeable about the city history and our fellow tourists were delightful and we really enjoyed their company. We also had a lovely tour guide in Tangiers, Morocco. All of the tour guides we had were simply amazing and the highlight of our trip. Well done with selecting these professional tour guides.

Other highlights were the flamenco show in the cave. That was an amazing and spiritual experience, something where we thought we just be entertained, but the performance was way beyond that. This experience surprised us both and we loved it.

Lastly, a note about our hotels. We stayed in four different hotels and they were all great. The staff at the Granada hotel and the tower room was probably the most unique stay with great hotel staff. And of course the staff at Hotel Alcazar in Sevilla were wonderful as they worked with you to get my bag back that was left on the train. Thank you for the upgraded room! The balcony room was simply stunning - looking out over the park across the street. It was amazing and we could have stayed there forever.

Thank you thank you thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Petit Palace Posada del Peine

Madrid

Great location in the middle of lots of activities. Hotel staff was fine. Our 1st floor room was clean and neat, though very small. A large person would struggle using the toilet room as it was very narrow.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gar Anat Hotel Boutique

Granada

The history of this inn alone was amazing. The staff was super friendly and helpful, warm and engaging. We stayed in the tower room which had views of the Alhambra.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alcázar

Seville

Great location near lots of things to do and see. our 6th floor room had an large balcony that faced a city park. Perfect for sitting with a glass of wine and watching the activity go by. The room was large and very comfy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Only You Hotel Atocha

Madrid

Fantastic room and rooftop restaurant. Staff was very friendly and location was near lots of activities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

Our tour guide was great and chose 4 places to visit, carefully explaining the differences at each.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thank you Raquel for a well planned itinerary- we enjoyed everywhere we went, hotel was in a safe neighborhood with excellent amenities and fabulous buffet breakfast including gluten free and vegan options. We knew it would be a super busy 5 days but easily got to our timed destinations. We started with going on our own to Montejuic funicular before La Sagrada Familia. Loved Parc Guell and Casa Batlló, the gold ticket was wonderful. We loved the private tour of the Gothic area with Albert, he was fantastic. Our long day trip with Matt to Girona and Figueres to see the Dali museum was excellent and especially enjoyed our hike to Montserrat with Jordo, he was very informative and got us down the mountain before it rained!! Wonderful trip to the Algarve, it was sunny during the day and rained in late afternoon and evening in spots. We are now on Lisbon. Thanks for all your help. We will recommend and use Kimkim again, best, Emilie

Hotel Review

Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Great Breakfast, safe neighboorhood

Authenticity & Character

Great modern amenities, gym, fabulous breakfast

Location

La Sagrada Familia within walking distance

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great beds and pillows

Activity Reviews

Private Visit of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter

Barcelona

Albert was so knowledgeable in history and language, very personable from his hometown, Barcelona. Went to Picasso museum afterwards!! Bonus

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day trip to Medieval Girona & Dali Museum in Figueras

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Matt was wonderful driver and had so much more information about Girona and especially about Dali!

Transport

Clean, 8 people were all comfortable

Thank you KimKim for making my life easier when it came to travel planning! I wanted to gift my mom a trip to Spain for her birthday and after months of planning, I really had no idea where to start. A lot of the package tours I came across online either didn’t have the dates I wanted for my trip or already had a pre-planned itinerary that didn’t suit my interests. I came across KimKim travels on Instagram and I was so surprised how easy planning a trip can be when I saw how customizable it was. What I enjoyed about booking with KimKim was that depending on the interests/sites you want for your trip, you can easily adjust the price of your trip as well. Big thanks to Yuri and Adam, they were very clear when it came to addressing my questions and concerns. They both really helped me a lot with organizing my Spain trip from start to finish and everything worked out perfectly. Both my mom and I were in Spain for 5 days around Barcelona and Girona regions and although our stay wasn’t for very long, we surely did a lot within those days and had an amazing time. I highly recommend KimKim for those who don’t know where to start when booking their trip, their formula will help you save so much time, stress and money. Can’t wait to use KimKim again for my next destination.

Hotel Review

Hotel Regina

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full Day of Barcelona's Highlights

Barcelona

Both my mom and I did this tour on our very first day in Barcelona. Originally, we wanted to stick to just Sagrada Familia and Park Guell but this highlights tour was so much more worth it because we were able to see and do so much more within the city. Besides Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, we were able to see the Gothic Quarter, Barcelona Cathedral, El Born District and Montjuic Hill. Shoutout to our tour guide Marlon! He did an excellent job assisting us tourists within the city and was very knowledgeable on the places we went to. He even gave us free time to explore on our own and also gave us enough time to take pictures :) I highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I could never have planned this vacation without KimKim-specifically Beatriz De Pablo from Espiritu Travel. At the outset, I tried organizing the trip myself utilizing online services but I instinctively knew professional help was needed to maximize this travel experience.
Our 16-day trip began in Barcelona with travel to Girona, Tarragona ending in Madrid. KimKim arranged all of our train tickets, hotel stays, and tours and provided background support via the Trip Plans App which placed all information at our fingertips and access to support from Beatriz's team 24/7. Initially, I was skeptical but now I would not plan such an ambitious trip without relying on KimKim.
All of the hotels we stayed at were well-located smaller boutique properties with top-notch service that frankly exceeded the service levels we have experienced in large name-brand luxury hotels. And I fully admit I would never have selected these hotels on my own just by reading reviews on the internet--that is the value added provided by KimKim.
The Petit Palace Icon Barcelona was well located. It was extremely clean, and comfortable, with nice amenities in the well-appointed rooms. The breakfasts (included) were very good. They also offered food service with a bar. Everything was within easy walking distance and more importantly, it was quiet--Barcelona can get noisy! In Girona we stayed at the Carlemany which again was a very nice and well-located hotel; it was newer and more modern but the rooms were very comfortable (the bed was exceptionally comfortable!). We could quickly walk over the bridge to the old Girona or to the Plaza Independencia. Our hotel in Tarragona was more spectacular in terms of views-we stayed at the H10 Imperial Tarraco and had a view of the ocean/beach and the Roman Amphitheatre. Again, the property was very nice with a good restaurant and bar. By far our favorite hotel was the Hotel Catalonia Las Cortes in Madrid. You would never know it was there! Again, the location was perfect for tourists like us. The staff was very friendly and attentive, the room was very nice, quiet, and spacious again with great amenities. The breakfast at Hotel Catalonia Las Cortes was probably the best of all of the properties we stayed at plus in the afternoons they offered complimentary snacks, and coffee which was very welcomed after a long day of sightseeing.
As for guides and tours:
Barcelona
On our first night of the trip, we had the best Tapas Tour imaginable. It was a small group led by Bryan, a food critic who knew and understood the food scene in Barcelona and graciously shared his wealth of experience. We visited 3 restaurants and enjoyed great food and wine plus met some interesting people.
Day 2 : Dani (Gaudi Tour)
Dani was so knowledgeable about Gaudi and the overall history of Barcelona and its unique architecture. We learned so much from this walking tour.
Day 3: Montserrat & Penedes Tour (Joan & Roger from Llopart Winery)
We wished we had more time in Montserrat; what a spectacular site. I would definitely revisit this site. After Montserrat, we visited Llopart Winery and received quite a comprehensive lesson on wines in the region and tasted exceptional wine.
We spent days 4/5 doing self-guided tours using the wealth of information provided by Beatriz. What a great city to explore.
Girona (GUIDE: Laura)
Once again we were lucky to have such a knowledgeable and friendly guide. She really explained the overall history of the area and shared her academic expertise. We really appreciated Laura's tour of Girona. In fact, if we were to return to Girona/Barcelona we would definitely want to arrange tours with her.
Tarragona (GUIDE: Carmen)
Another friendly expert. We enjoyed our afternoon with Carmen and appreciated her suggestions for other things to see in the area.
Tarragona (Priorat Wine Tour-)
Our private driver took us to two wineries. At the first winery, Mervm Priorati, we were lucky to have Ania guide us through the wines and provide a tour of the property and wine-making operation. The wines were very good. In fact, we shipped some home! The second winery was also nice although I cannot recall the name of the guide. But we did prefer the first winery.
Madrid ( Madrid Walking Tour/ Toldedo)
Brad was such a charming and friendly guide. We really enjoyed the walking tour which proved to be very helpful over the duration of our stay in Madrid. Toledo was an unexpected surprise! Our guide Victor Rodriguez was excellent and really shared his deep knowledge of this incredible UNESCO site.

No review of this trip would be complete without acknowledging the value of the direct communication with KimKim afforded by the App. We used this so much. With a click of a button and you are sending a message to your travel consultant and receiving a reply immediately. We received confirmations for all of our guides, and excursions through the App. When we were considering additional excursions or purchasing tickets for a museum we communicated through the App and everything was arranged. When we decided we wanted to leave on an earlier train from Toledo (on a Sunday of a holiday weekend) we utilized the App and were told how to exchange our train tickets. Beatriz advised us who would be our contact on her days off. It was fabulous! We always felt like we had someone to reach out to if necessary.

Hotel Reviews

ICON BCN by Petit Palace

Barcelona

The Icon is a lovely boutique hotel in a perfect location. Its small size allows the staff to provide excellent service. The rooms and the entire property are VERY clean. Breakfast is extremely good. Nothing like the typical fare at a Hampton Inn in the USA. The hotel also has a nice little bar that serves food plus a charming outdoor space with a pool. Right across the street is a 5-star hotel--go ahead and enjoy the rooftop bar on that property but I doubt the experience of staying there would exceed the service we received at the intimate and quiet Icon.

Authenticity & Character

Old architecture; the rooms were not overly huge but they were very comfortable. Did not feel like cookie-cutter brand hotel rooms

Location

We liked the fact it was off the main street but close enough to get where you wanted to go fast. Restaurants etc nearby

Staff

The staff knew who you were by name and what room you were in;

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice amenities (Molton & Brown); comfortable bed; very prompt cleaning your room each day

Hotel Carlemany Girona

Girona

Nice location ; easy access to the old part of Girona

Authenticity & Character

Very nice clean and modern

Location

quick walk to the bridges to the old city and to the main square

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

best mattress!

H10 Imperial Tarraco

Tarragona

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel but very nice

Location

The view from this hotel was stunning; Overlooking the beach and the Roman ruins; Easy to walk to restaurants

Staff

The gentleman who was at the front desk was so nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfortable...the only minus was that the shower (which was clearly remodeled) got the floor really wet everytime you used it but other than that it was great

Catalonia Las Cortes

Madrid

What a delightful property; Loved the location and the rooms. It was charming...the people who worked there were so nice and helpful. The breakfast service was excellent; nice buffet but you could also get made-to-order omelets, eggs etc. In the afternoon, they have snacks (finger sandwiches, coffee, and other items)

Authenticity & Character

Just a charming property with charming rooms. They have maintained the character of the original building while incorporating the hotel function.

Location

Hidden gem; You would not know this hotel was even there...but it was right off of Santa Ana Square and easy to get to everywhere you wanted to go

Staff

The staff was friendly and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

The entire property was very clean; Best towels ever!

Activity Reviews

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

Our first night in Barcelona we were guided on a tapas adventure with a true expert, Bryan, a food critic and so knowledgeable about the food scene in Barcelona. Besides taking us to 3 great restaurants he also provided recommendations we utilized for our entire stay in the city. He is a great conversationalist and really engaged with the group. So much fun

Quality of Experience

Bryan the guide!

Food

Everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bryan facilitated spirited conversation among our small diverse group. Very fun

Barcelona & Gaudí: An Architecture Walk

Barcelona

Dani really shared his depth of knowledge which reflected years of experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dani was so friendly and nice

Day Trip to Montserrat & Penedès Region Wine Tasting

Barcelona

Montserrat probably deserves a day on its own. So fascinating and spectacular; The trip to Llopart winery was also exceptional;

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Joan our guide at Montserrat clearly had great affection for the monastery. Roger at Llopart was excellent.

Transport

A larger van is needed for the 6 tour participants plus a driver. It was very cramped

Privately Guided Tour of Girona

Girona

An expert/academic tour guide is really a benefit for this site; There is so much history here. I would revisit Girona again

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Laura was fantastic; her academic background really helped

Guided Visit of Museo del Prado with Art Historian

Madrid

This is not a place to miss. You could spend a number of days here taking all of it in.

Quality of Experience

Our guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Linda our guide really focused on the Spanish Masters and gave us quite an Art History course. We were able to use our new found knowledge of the Spanish painters when visiting Toledo!

Highlights of Old Madrid Walk

Madrid

It is always nice to take a walking tour when you first get to a city to get the lay of the land and understand where everything is in relation to where you are staying. Our guide was very personable and very helpful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Brian, was very insightful and shared the interesting history of Madrid on our walking tour

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

Madrid

Toledo was a surprise; So much to see and so much history. The basilica was beyond expectation

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Victor Rodriguez was excellent

Transport

Easy train trip from Madrid to Toledo.