Kimkim Trip Reviews for Spain

Kimkim paired us with Spanish travel specialist Irene who coordinated our 7-day drive through the Extremadura region southwest of Madrid, after we spent 10 days with friends in Sevilla and Madrid. With minimal Spanish fluency, my husband and I were nervous about driving on our own through the countryside for a week, but Irene managed every detail, allowing us to experience this extraordinary agricultural and historical region. She designed an itinerary that incorporated each destination we requested and hit the mark in every respect, assuring that we felt safe and looked after throughout this part of our journey. She arranged the car rental, reserved exquisite hotels for no less than two-night stays as we requested, and arranged local English-speaking tour guides for each major destination we requested along the way. Although our tours ranged from laidback to frenetic, each guide was prompt, passionate, and informative, aimed to address our interests as well as share their favorite sites and stories, and helped us feel safe and welcome. The best guide for us was Álvaro with whom we spent two full days. An expert in the region’s “dehesa” and agrarian culture, Álvaro shared a thrilling visit to witness as hundreds of newly born lambs were vaccinated and marked to pair them with their mothers, a stroll among a herd of Iberian black pigs, and a tour and tasting at a family-run processing plant for curing ham. Álvaro also guided us through architectural antiquities in Plasencia and through the Monfragüe National Park, including a mountain top hike and birdwatching expedition, and provided two of the most outstanding culinary experiences of our trip: the tasting with the owner of the processing plant and a picnic with his colleague Esther at a panoramic mountainside location. We are grateful to Kimkim and to Irene for her understanding and for meeting our specific requests to create as seamless and stress-free a travel experience as possible.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Hospes Palacio San Esteban

Salamanca

Wonderful hotel and experience. Comfortable modern room in this historic renovated convent. Excellent breakfast buffet and table service and one of the best dining restaurants of our three-week travel through Spain. Convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Peaceful interior courtyard, lovely dining room and bar. Low-key restful throughout. Simple and elegant decorations for the winter holiday season.

Location

We parked once at the hotel and were able to walk everywhere to visit antiquities and local sites of interest. Safe and central location on a side street a few blocks from the Plaza Mayor.

Staff

Helpful front-desk staff. Highly attentive and professional dining room staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, orderly. Felt pampered simply by the ambiance of the facilities.

Hotel Soho Boutique Casa Don Fernando

Caceres

Spacious corner room with a great view of the Plaza Mayor. Airy and bright but easy to black out the windows for sleep and quiet. Good breakfast in convenient dining room. Front desk staff were attentive and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Modern facility in charming renovated building with vestiges of antiquities.

Location

Could not have been better. Directly on the Plaza Mayor, just a few steps from the walled city and numerous bodegas, restaurants, and shops. Parking was a few blocks away, easily manageable one we understood the arrangements.

Staff

Front desk staff were helpful and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable room and bed, well appointed.

Parador de Trujillo

Trujillo

Authenticity & Character

Quiet setting, lovely interior courtyard.

Location

great location with rooftop views of centuries old structures. Blocks from the central sites and walled city. Gorgeous sites well within walking distance.

Staff

Front desk staff were attentive and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, simple, well appointed.

Activity Reviews

Guided tour in Caceres

Cáceres

The tour began on the steps of the walled city, where we stood too long next to a loud generator that made it difficult to hear and understand our guide; we wish our guide had taken the initiative to step to a quieter spot much sooner. Our guide Javier was relatively low energy and, unfortunately, the night was cold and rainy, which detracted from the experience. Javier was well-informed and shared many intriguing stories and points of history. The sites themselves were stunning and beautifully lit at night. We did not know how long a tour to expect, so when Javier said at several points that we could go into a building or museum then or come back later on our own, we opted not to enter each time in order to walk and see more. In retrospect, I wish Javier had encouraged us to step inside from time to time to get out of the rain and cold. We were able to tour the walled city fairly thoroughly, and did return the next day, but might have enjoyed touring some of the interiors with Javier who had extensive knowledge about the architectural, political, religious, and art history of the city.

Quality of Experience

The walled city of Cáceres was fascinating, ethereal, and allowed a profound opportunity to imagine the lives of generations of inhabitants over the centuries.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided tour in Merida

Mérida

The Roman ruins in Merida were our primary focus and we were thrilled to walk among the ruins of the theater, amphitheater, and Temple of Diana. These spots have enough authentic relics to ground the viewer in their historical relevance and enough restoration to give a feel of their awesome grandeur. Our guide Juan Luis, native to the city, was informed, funny, and responsible to attend to our interests and comfort. Right away, he stepped up to help us find parking, paced our walk among sites to match our interests and stamina, then recommended restaurants for us to access following the tour. He relayed stories of historical importance and reveled in trivia about the daily lives of ancient Romans which made his tour especially fun and engaging.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We strongly recommend Juan Luis. His knowledge about local businesses and personalities added richly to our experience beyond the historical sites of interest.

Discover the Dehesa

Trujillo

Perhaps the highlight of our three weeks in Spain, the experiences our guide Álvaro shared in the dehesa met and exceeded our hopes for pastoral experiences of the Spanish countryside. He shared deep knowledge and passion for sustainable agriculture and demonstrated an impressive grasp of the intersection of politics, economics, geography, and biology in determining the past and likely future of this region. We got rare glimpses of the workings of animal husbandry due to his investment in and commitment to individuals who work the land and whose efforts maintain the local culture and economy. We strongly recommend this experience for anyone interested to get out of the urban centers and seek to learn about the people and culture of this region of Spain.

Quality of Experience

The sites and experiences on this day were varied, educational, and eye-opening, a welcome difference from our visits to urban areas in Spain. As we moved from one fascinating location to another, Álvaro provided informed commentary to make sense of the land we were traversing and its importance to the economy and culture of the region.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Álvaro's passion for the dehesa was evident from the first moment of the tour. He was flexible to our interests and needs while being driven to share as much as possible about his extensive knowledge and intimate experience with this region and its people. For the full two days of our tour, he got us safely from place to place, making the experience both intriguing and restful. A bonus was meeting his colleague Esther who joined us for an exquisite picnic at the end of our tour.

Transport

Our guide drove us from place to place from early morning into the evening, allowing us to view the terrain and activities he was describing. This made the days feel safe and easy, and kept us from getting weary along the way.

Excursion in Monfragüe

Trujillo

A tour of this beautiful park was a great change from the urban areas we also visited on this trip to Spain. We enjoyed a mountaintop walk to an ancient Castillo offering amazing 360-degree panoramic view of the area, birdwatching with binoculars and a telescope the guide provided, and a delicious picnic provided by our guide.

Quality of Experience

We were lucky to have a beautiful fall day: sunny and cool. We enjoyed the hike, the vistas, and a great picnic at the end of the day.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Álvaro drove us around safely, prioritized our interests and curiosity, and was keenly prepared for each of several varied activities. We felt very well catered to on this day.

Guided tour in Salamanca

Salamanca

This was a busy tour both because there was much to see and because our guide kept a fast pace to cover a number of sites in limited time. His knowledge and passion of this hometown were evident as was his professional commitment to being a guide. He encouraged us to return later to visit several sites we passed; we were able to return to a couple of them but the initial tour was so rushed that we could not get our bearings and had difficulty finding some locations when we tried to return. Nevertheless, Salamanca was one of our favorite cities to visit in Spain due to its remarkable architecture, profoundly significant 15th-century history regarding discoveries of the "new world," and the presence and influence of the third-oldest surviving university in Europe.

Quality of Experience

We greatly enjoyed touring the university buildings and learning the historical functions of particular classrooms and significant spaces. We were fascinated learn highlights of the history of the university and its alums and leaders and to see the mix of architectural influences on major buildings across centuries of varied cultural, religious, and political influences. We enjoyed the vibe of the city and the mere experience of walking within the central areas.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide had extensive information about the university and the political and religious history of the city.

3 cheers for Kimkim and especially for Irene! If we could give her 10 stars out of 5, we would. As 2 retired teachers who enjoy travel, had never been to Spain, and have enjoyed a number of organized small group tours, we wanted to plan an individualized trip to Andalusia. Enter KimKim, and specifically Irene, who is a local tour operator in the north of Spain. After sharing with her our preferences, she created an initial draft itinerary for us. We worked together on honing the plan for a number of weeks until we knew it was exactly what we wanted. Not only was Irene tireless in planning every detail of our guided tours, transfers, accommodations and special meals, while we were in Spain, she was available to us via WhatsApp and checked in every day to ensure that everything was going smoothly. We told her that she was like our mother hen and we were her little chicks. Thank you so much, Irene, for a perfect introduction to Spain! Next time will include Barcelona and Madrid!

Highlights of the tour included Malaga, Ronda, Arcos de la Frontera, Sevilla, Cordoba, and Grenada.

The Petit Palace Plaza Hotel in Malaga was right in the middle of the pedestrian centre of the old city. We wandered the meandering streets that were buzzing with people enjoying a coffee or beer and tapas in one of the many outdoor cafes and restaurants. We’ve never seen such a vibrant scene. After a short rest, we met our city guide, Pilar Domingo, who took us on a walking tour of the historical sites. Pilar was a superb guide, and she set the bar very high for all of the guides yet to come. We enjoyed seeing the Cathedral, Roman Amphitheatre and Alcazaba where we had our first taste of Andalusia’s colourful history. Not only was Pliar a wealth of historical and architectural knowledge, she pointed us to the restaurant with the best fried artichokes in town!

We took the train to Ronda where we were met by driver, Diego, who took us to the famous Parador Hotel. Our stay in Ronda gave us a couple of days to relax and explore on our own. The Parador sits majestically atop a huge gorge and beside the Puente Nuevo built in the 18th century across the 400 ft chasm. Points of interest in Ronda are the Bullring where we enjoyed our audio tour and the museum in the Palacio de Mondragon. We were so lucky to get a reservation at the highly rated tiny mother/daugther operated restaurant called Casa Maria. There is no set menu, just an array of fresh local produce from which they produce the most delicious 6-course meal, including wine pairings. Unbelievably delicious and great value.

Diego collected us again for our drive to Sevilla. En route, we met our guide, Cecille, who took us on a wonderful walking tour of Arcos de la Frontera, one of the many “white villages” in Andalusia. We wandered the narrow cobbled streets imagining all of the peoples who had conquered and controlled this area through history, Romans, Visigoths, Moors, Christians. What was harder to fathom was learning that they still practise the running of the bulls through those narrow steep streets! After a light lunch, Diego chauffeured us on to Sevilla.

Hotel Casa de Indias was another perfectly located hotel sitting adjacent to Las Setas, a huge sculptural structure resembling mushrooms. It was difficult to get lost with this landmark so prominent within the pedestrian streets of Seville. We had two very different tour experiences here. The first was a walking historical tour of the Cathedral and the Alcazar, led by the delightful Damiana. Her deep knowledge of art history was impressive and added to our appreciation of the Mudejar architecture that we were seeing in the palace. Later in the day, we met Manuel who took us to our first flamenco experience. The energy of show was riveting for us and Manuel was able to explain the importance of flamenco in the Spanish culture. He then took us to a local restaurant where we had our own tapas and wine tasting. Manuel was full of enthusiasm for his city and its culture.

We headed off to Cordoba on the super fast train. With only one day there, we had two more fantastic tours. First, we visited the Medina Azahara, the archeological restoration and remains of a palace/fortress and city built in the 10th century by Caliph ABD ar-Rahman III of the Umayyad dynasty. Unfortunately, this remarkable city was laid to waste during civil war that ended the caliphate in the early 11th century. The remains were discovered nearly 1000 years later. Our guide Enrique brought the remains of the city’s splendour back to life for us. His knowledge and enthusiasm were infectious and set the stage for our afternoon tour of the Mesquita. Known as the Mosque-Cathedral, beginning as an 8th century mosque on top of a visigothic church, later added to to become one of the largest mosques on the world, then having a cathedral built in the middle in the 16th century.! Luckily for us, our guide Jose, a practising archeologist, shared his vast knowledge and unsurpassed enthusiasm with us for over 2 hours. This was a fantastic experience. Our hotel, Las Casa de la Juderia, was delightful and perfectly situated in the old Jewish quarter.

Granada was another train trip away and was the icing on the cake! We looked up at the Alhambra from our room at Hotel Palacio Mariana Pineda. In our two final touring days we loved exploring the narrow streets leading up to the top of the Albacin where we watched the sun set over the Alhambra, the city, and the mountains. The Albacin is a neighbourhood of Grenada made up of meandering narrow streets built as early as the 13th century. While there, we were treated to some local musicians and dancer who performed flamenco for the gathered crowd. The following day, we had a wonderful tour of the Generalife (beautiful gardens, summer palace and country home from the 13th century built by the Nasrid rulers) and the Alhambra (11th century walled fortress/city and palaces built over time by the Muslims and reimagined by the Catholic Christians before being overtaken and damaged by Napoleon’s troops.) Even though we had rain while we walked through the gardens, we were spellbound. The whole complex of the Alhambra is stunning and a history lesson that would take more than one visit to fully appreciate. Once we finished the tour of the Alhambra, the sun came out for us when we climbed the watchtower where we had a spectacular view of the city and the Albacin. We could also see our hotel room! Our guide Maite was fantastic and delightful in her enthusiasm. On our last night in Grenada, we went to another flamenco show and dinner atop the Albacin.

While the organized portion of our trip was virtually over in Granada, Irene was still our faithful fairly godmother. We were driven from Granada to a private apartment on the coast owned by family friends where we stayed for another week. While we were there, we had another tour booked with Kimkim to visit wine and raisin country. Our guide Anna and driver Manu were very accommodating and we had a wonderful day driving through the mountains north of Malaga where we had a delicious wine tasting and got a flavour of the people who live and work so hard on the steep slopes of this beautiful part of the country.

We were fortunate enough to get tickets to watch Canada play Germany in the Davis Cup tennis held in Malaga. This entailed a bus trip there, but getting back to the apartment at night. Irene came to our rescue and arranged a driver to meet us outside the stadium in Malaga at 11 pm and drove us the hour’s drive back to the beach. She also arranged our return to Malaga the day before our 6 am flight, and she planned the most beautiful 6-course final dinner for us at the famous El Pimpi Restaurant.

We could not have been happier with our trip, from the initial planning through to our departure from Spain. We realize that we have barely scratched the surface of Andalusia let alone the whole country. More to come, and Irene is our gal!

Hotel Reviews

Las Casas de la Juderia Hotel

Córdoba

A beautiful, quirky old building. We kept getting lost, trying to find our room, but it was worth it and the staff were so helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Tons of character.

Location

Perfect.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intelier Casa de Indias Sevilla

Seville

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palacio Mariana Pineda Hotel

Granada

Authenticity & Character

Location

So close to everything and the view of the Alhambra

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petit Palace Plaza Malaga Hotel

Malaga

Authenticity & Character

We spent our first and last nights of the trip here. The building is beautiful and the rooms were modern and clean.

Location

So central and close to the action.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parador de Ronda

Ronda

Location, location, location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Literally, the best view in town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private tour of Malaga

Málaga

Pilar was outstanding.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Arcos de la Frontera

Ronda

A great place to stop en route to Seville. There are so many white villages in Andalusia, we enjoyed seeing such a pretty one.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Diego didn't speak English but he understood us and was so accommodating. Cecille gave us an excellent tour, both from the car where we had a view of the town atop some very high cliffs and by foot which we enjoyed.

Transport

Guided tour in Seville

Seville

Damiana was excellent, an art history student initially from Italy. She knew her history and was so enthusiastic. We loved the walking tour with her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Damiana was delightful.

Transport

Evening Flamenco & Tapas Private Tour

Seville

We weren't sure that we would enjoy the art of flamenco, but we were spellbound. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We enjoyed our time with Manuel at the flamenco show and then again over wine and tapas.

Transport

Exploring the archaeological site of Medina Azahara

Córdoba

The video about the archeological site before touring the real thing was very well done and worthwhile.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enrique was extremely knowledgeable and very interesting.

Transport

We never heard our driver's name but she was excellent.

City tour in Córdoba

Córdoba

It is so important to see the Mesquita. Don't miss Cordoba.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jose was so passionate and informative. We were hanging on his every word.

Transport

Visit la Alhambra

Granada

We felt so fortunate having Maite guiding us. There were a number of large group tours and we knew that we were having a much richer experience having our private guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maite was outstanding.

Transport

Flamenco Show

Granada

Once again, we were surprised by how much we enjoyed the flamenco, and the dinner was very good as well.

Quality of Experience

Raisin and Wine Route of the Axarquia

Almuñecar, La Herradura

We felt we were at the winery off season and would likely have enjoyed the day even more had we seen more of the wine process. We did enjoy tasting the final product though!

Quality of Experience

Beautiful country and charming villages.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Anna and Manu were both great.

Transport

Dinner al Pimpi

Málaga

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It took a few minutes for the staff to understand who we were and that Irene had made a reservation for our pre-paid meal. We enjoyed the people watching while they sorted that out. Once we were seated, the staff and service were excellent!

We spent the week of Thanksgiving in Spain (family of four, including two teenage boys). James planned a very exciting and comprehensive trip for us, and Angela took care of any of our needs while we were there, including a last-minute switch I made to our itinerary which likely required some pretty impressive effort on her part to accomplish, but she did so quickly and graciously. We had extremely well informed guides to lead us through sites and cities, who shared with us a great deal of history and knowledge. We particularly loved Maribel in Barcelona and Teresa in Madrid. James offered a few means of seeing cities we hadn’t tried before, including a Segway and horse and carriage. I questioned both, but we ended up loving them. James booked our hotels, booked our trains, secured our drivers, and set up all of our guided tours, and everything went off without a hitch. Literally no planning on my part, and that was just wet we needed in deciding on this last-minute trip during a busy time. I would absolutely recommend this travel agency and can’t wait to use them again. Thank you!

This trip has changed my perspective on traveling! I usually wing it with minimal research ahead of time. This was the first time I have had a complete itinerary set up for me and it was great. It allowed my wife and I to meet people and see places that we would have never found.

The highlights of the trip for me were our Flamenco tour and out city tour in Granada. There was so much more to learn about Flamenco and the gypsy lifestyle than we expected. And the fact that our guide was performing at the end of the tour really made it unique. She introduced us to the culture and brought us to some great local places. I would change a thing.

Our tour with Pedro in Granada was also a blast. He was very passionate and prepared. Of all the tours he was the easiest to talk to and was very accommodating. After getting to know us he made some last-minute tweaks to the tour to show us a local spot that most people try to avoid. It was a genuine experience, and I would recommend him to anyone.

Our driver who Yuri coordinated for us was also a very cool guy. He drove us to Granada, and we talked the whole time. He shared great tips on things to do in town. The tapas are included in every bar and there are some many spots to check out.

I definitely recommend southern Spain to anyone. Very safe, clean and packed full of history.

The only things I would have changed are:
-The hotel Petit Palace Puerta de Triana which had a very strong odor throughout the building and our room. We choose to sleep with windows open.
-Our guide to Seville’s Cathedral & Alcázar was a little quiet and seemed kind of rushed. Nice guy but not quite the typical outgoing guide personality.
- Now that I know the spots, I personally would prefer another night in Granada and maybe skip Malaga.

Great experience- everything met or exceeded our expectations. Marina and staff were accessible and responsive to any questions or concerns during the planning and the trip itself. We loved our custom itinerary and the travel app they provided us for the trip. We’ve recommended Kimkim to a number of family and friends.

It's hard to know where to start. My first trip to Spain was filled to the brim with sites, tastes, and experiences. We must have walked 3 - 7 miles/day. Regarding the guides:
Tslila's Tapas and Wine/Vermouth Crawl in Barcelona was a superb intro on our first night. So much fun and delicious food and drinks. I must have tasted four different vermouths. Tslila couldn't have been better.
Miguel's tour of La Sagrada Familia and the Gothic Quarter was superb, a highlight of our trip.
Our guide in Girona was amusing but he seemed more interested in taking photos of members of the group than anything else. The misunderstanding regarding the contents of the tour (Costa Brava instead of Figueres) was solved quickly and generously by Helena and the kimkim team. We were able to fit in the Jewish Museum and lunch on our own and then take a taxi to see the Dali Museum.
Our small group trip to Monserrat with Alex was memorable. The views are spectacular. He is an enthusiastic and well-informed guide. We were surprised and impressed by the art museum there, too.
Eduardo's tour of Granada via Senses was a nice way to weave in the history of the places we passed but the synthetic fragrances did not always hit the mark and we had little room to carry home the fragrance kits.
Our Alhambra guide was excellent but we don't have his name.
Flamenco dance experience was enjoyable but it was an hour instead of two hours and did not include "a fascinating overview of this culturally distinct musical genre, from its origins to its current global renown."
Eva was the perfect person to introduce us to the Jewish history of Ubeda since her family's home, which she opened for us, contained Jewish history.
Marta was an informative and entertaining guide to Baeza.
The driver who took us to Cordoba from Granada was accommodating and flexible when his instructions didn't match our expected tour. We were able to fit in most of what was listed (confusingly) for the day, although in a different order. We were not able to visit the olive oil factory.
Antonio Jose's tour of the Medina Azahara was well done. Impressive.
The guide for Cordoba (Saray?) was superb. She had a dramatic and informative way of showing us the steps in the transformation of the Mezquita.
Sevilla - our tour was supposed to include the Cathedral and bell tower as well as the Alcazar and the Santa Cruz neighborhood but ended up being split into two different tours, the latter led by Pablo who was excellent, the former afterwards led by Teresa whose stories about the two sisters was memorable.
Jorge's evening introduction to the Hapsburg district was interesting. He shared many insights and left us off at a wonderful restaurant friends had recommended which happened to be across the street from his hairdresser.
We enjoyed Esther's generous wine, vermouth, and tapas tour near our hotel in Madrid. She shared a wealth of information.
Our guide for Toledo (Antonio?) was excellent - so enthusiastic and informative. We appreciated his detailed discussion of the former Synagogue.
Elena's tour of Segovia included details and stories that were very interesting. Our only tour in the rain/drizzle went very well and the restaurant she reserved for our lunch was excellent. Love those artichokes.

The plane and train tickets Helena prepared were a big help.

The hotels:
All the hotels and breakfasts were great:
The Radisson Blu in Barcelona was the least charming but the breakfast was the most extensive - amazing spread. After being offered a room with no view - just the air shaft - they gave us what seemed to be the honeymoon room which had light coming in.
The Aurea in Granada was well situated and historical with lovely Garcia Lorca quotations on the wall.
We appreciated the whimsical creativity and light of our room at the Madinat and enjoyed the Hammam experience that was included. The staff was very nice as was the breakfast.
The hotel in Sevilla was very well situated and elegant with a slightly less extensive breakfast.
We enjoyed the art and craft nature of 7 Islas in Madrid but never did get to sample their craft cocktails - too busy. The staff was helpful and the breakfast was excellent.

Highlights for me:
Museums in Barcelona, Monserrat, and Madrid we went to on our own: Miro, Picasso, Dali, El Prado, Thyssen, Reina Sofia, Sorolla
La Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila
Wine/Vermouth/Tapas tours
Cordoba's Mezquita
Driving through the olive orchards
Olive oil tasting - guide was very good
Several superb restaurants

The experience working with kimkim was enjoyable. I appreciate the initial approach where we discussed the pros and cons of various scenarios - six iterations before we paid anything. There were a few mix-ups while we were in Spain but they were settled right away. We packed a lot in and, at 71 years old, were amazed at our stamina. Perhaps we should have left more free time.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Madinat

Córdoba

Creative and comfortable with excellent staff and breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

originality

Location

Staff

helpful and English-speaking

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla

Sevilla

Elegant and fun location.

Authenticity & Character

Restored building Lovely breakfast area. Our room had a sitting area and bedroom.

Location

It wasn't noisy but was off a pedestrian street with restaurants and very near the Cathedral.

Staff

A few little problems with the wi-fi. Staff was helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

No complaints.

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

Creative design and very helpful staff. Outside room with light but noisy at night since the Spaniards eat fro 10pm - 1am it seems and then hang out in the street.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Superb breakfast. Not charming. Many rooms have air shaft views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Áurea Catedral Hotel

Granada

Comfortable, historic, good location, very good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Highlights of Old Madrid Walk

Madrid

Very nice evening tour with history and interesting neighborhoods. Madrid is so large it's hard to get a feeling for it and this was just one special corner.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

Guide was great. Excellent tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Variety of tapas and wines and vermouths.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-Day Excursion to Montserrat

Barcelona

Go to the museum in addition to the church. May need more time to go up to the top of the mountain.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Medieval Girona & Dali Museum in Figueras

Barcelona

Mishap related to misunderstanding of the tour group was remedied very well by kimkim. Fit in the Jewish Museum in Girona.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit of Granada Through Its Scents

Granada

Guide was very good. Senses part - nice idea but not that necessary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Flamenco Show

Granada

Would have liked an explanation of the history of Flamenco. Dancing was great.

Quality of Experience

Full Day Excursion to Úbeda & Baeza

Granada

Very nice addition but don't know if it is necessary given the amount of trips and activities that were put into our 18 days.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helpful if the drivers speak English although our Spanish skills helped.

Medina Azahara Guided Tour at Night

Córdoba

Wasn't at night but was very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Córdoba

Spain

See my evaluation of guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate

Seville

Very interesting and worthwhile.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was great. The driver got a little lost - first time ever - but got us there.

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

Madrid

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very knowledgeable.

Transport

Train was fine. Good to have the tickets purchased in advance.

Train Madrid to Segovia, Guided Visit of Segovia, Train Segovia to Madrid

Madrid

Loved the designs on the buildings. Tour included the Jewish quarter and other interesting sites and beautiful views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Spanish Cooking Class & Market Visit

Madrid

We enjoyed the food tour in the market and the small class. We helped make salmorejo, spinach and chick peas, and paella. We learned how to make a real sangria and how to debone a chicken. Each person was involved and there were accommodations for vegetarians and pescatarians.

Quality of Experience

Private Wine Tasting, Tapas & Vermouth

Madrid

The guide was excellent and brought to us to especially selected bars where we were served generous portions of wine, vermouth, and tapas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was excellent.

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

An excellent introduction to Sevilla.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Guide was excellent. Everyone should experience La Sagrada Familia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

kimkim set us up with Alfonso, who did a wonderful job helping us plan our one week trip to Spain in November. We spent time in Barcelona, Cadaqués and Menorca and lucked out with only having rain one evening and temps in the low 60’s. In Barcelona we loved our bike tour and the tour of Sagrada Família. We also went to Parc Guél and did a tapas tour the last night in the Gothic Quarter. Our guide for the bike tour and tapas tour was George and he was very funny and knowledgeable about the history and architecture of Barcelona. In Cadaqués we did a 10 mile hike along the coast with Alfonso as our guide. It was a besutiful hike and the weather was perfect for it. Most of the shops in town are closed during this time but it was nice to have less crowds and just be able to explore the beautiful streets and relax. In Menorca we went on a horseback ride along the coast and had time to explore Ciutadella and Mahon. If I were doing it over I would save the island for a separate or longer trip because I would have liked more time in Barcelona. We wanted to see as much as we could though so we added it in. Overall kimkim was very easy to work with, very responsive and helped us set up and incredible trip for our family of four. We are already talking about where we might like to go next in Spain and would definitely use them again.

Activity Reviews

Visit Park Güell & Sagrada Família

Barcelona

I enjoyed Sagrada Família the most because it is such an incredible sight. I recommend the guided tour because you learn so much more about why he designed things the way he did. You receive headphones so you can hear the guide without her having to shout. Parc Guél was crowded so I can’t even imagine how it is in the summer.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Riding in Cala Mitjana

Menorca

This was a wonderful way to explore the coastline and see a beautiful beach not accessible by car. Our Spanish is limited and our guide did not speak English. We wish we spoke Spanish better so we could have communicated with our guide more during the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

hiking the Gr-92 Camí de Ronda

Cadaqués

Beautiful views, great exercise. There is some steep uphill but it is not too long and definitely worth it. We enjoy hiking and it was a great way to get outside and see some amazing scenery. November is a perfect time for this because we could wear shorts yet were not too hot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

We were originally thinking we would be going to more than one restaurant to try out tapas but this tour is a walk around El Born and you dine at one Tapas restaurant. Our restaurant was right by the Picasso Museum. I cannot remember the name of it but was very good. Our guide George was wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Gothic Quarter Walk

Barcelona

The Gothic Quarter is an amazing place to walk around and just get lost, but luckily with our guide we didn’t have to get lost. Ha. Jorge was so knowledgeable and familiar with the area and it’s history. This was a favorite part of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Barcelona Bike Excursion with Cava

Barcelona

I enjoyed this a lot because we were able to see many different neighborhoods and make it down along the water as well. It was an easy bike ride and our guide was great. It might not be as enjoyable in summer with hot temps and big crowds but November was perfect for it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was funny, very knowledgeable, had an iPad to show us pictures of some of the areas in the past and was great with our teenagers.

Transport

We enjoy biking and it is a great way to see a lot of the city and take breaks along the way.

Wow, where to start? From the beginning of planning the trip, we had an amazing experience with Beatriz. She answered all of our questions super quickly and I really liked that the budget we discussed was stuck to, so there’s no surprises at the end when you get the invoice. We did a 10-day trip to Spain (Barcelona, Sevilla, and Madrid) and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. We wanted a trip that we had planned events like a tapas tour, cooking class, museums trips, day trips, etc., but also enough time to ourselves to enjoy just waking around the cities and doing our own thing. I think our favorite parts were the tapas tour in Barcelona, the cooking class in Sevilla (the guides on this one were AMAZING, highly recommend), and the day trip to Toledo. Unfortunately, on the day we were supposed to go to a winery, I was not feeling well, but it was very easy to cancel because all of the information I needed was in the trip app. When we’re ready for our next big trip, we will certainly use KimKim again - we loved the ease of having everything we needed like train tickets, museum tickets, and phone numbers for important contacts right in the app at our fingertips. Thank you Beatriz and the KimKim team for making our trip so amazing!!

Hotel Reviews

Arc La Rambla

Barcelona

The location is great because you’re in an area that makes it easy to walk around the city. The hotel itself was clean and the staff were very friendly! As many hotels are in Europe, it’s older so the walls are thin and you can hear everything going on around you. So if you’re a light sleeper (like me!) bring ear plugs and maybe install a nice sound machine app on your phone. We had the free breakfast included, but ended up only using it once. I’d recommend walking down the street to the local market and grabbing something there instead. Overall, a decent place to put your head at night, but if you’re looking for a luxury stay, maybe look elsewhere!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petit Palace Puerta de Triana

Seville

The aesthetic is super cool - very eclectic wall paper in the rooms and carpeting in the hallways. Breakfast was very good, lots to choose from. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Walls we’re very thin and the room would get very hot at night, despite trying to lower the temperature on the AC. Bathroom was updated nicely, but there was no shower door in ours, just a long piece of glass, so water would get on the floor when showering. For what we were looking for on our trip (essentially a place to put our heads at night, shower, and change) it was perfect. If you’re looking for a luxury stay, this is not the hotel for you!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petit Palace Preciados

Madrid

This hotel is in the heart of a large shopping district and in busy roads - so light sleepers beware! It’s also in a pedestrian area, so a taxi can’t drop you off right in front of the door. The room itself was fine, beds were comfy and the bathroom was nice and large. The shower was… interesting. Took me a few tries to master as there are multiple shower nozzles, a large shower head, and other odd features that were a bit confusing! The walls are paper thin, so again, beware light sleepers! The location was great to get around the city and if you enjoy shopping.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

This was a great experience. We visited 4 separate restaurants and got to try at least 4 different tapas at each location and a drink of choice at each location. We had about 10 people in our group and the guide was really knowledgeable. There’s a lot of different options for the tapas but if you’re a vegetarian or don’t like seafood, this may not be a good experience for you as most options had meat or fish in them. Overall this was a great first experience in Barcelona and we loved being able to meet other visitors in our small group!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate

Seville

We had a lovely private tour of this estate and our guide, Sarah, was so knowledgeable about all of the different olive types and what they’re used for (eating vs olive oil extraction). The estate itself is beautiful and you get to see the modern day way they make olive oil as well as the ancient way they used to make it. The owner of the estate also has an impressive collection of old horse carriages that was an unexpected, but very interesting, addition to the trip. We ended up buying a ton of olive oil to bring home with us as gifts!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Experience

Spain

The show and experience was really wonderful, but since we were there on a Wednesday night, we were one of only a handful of attendees in the audience. This was a bit weird and felt awkward at first, but once the show started you forgot about it. The dancers and musicians were highly skilled and you could tell that they love performing. This may be a better experience on a weekend day assuming more people attend at that time.

Quality of Experience

Traditional Andalusian Market Visit & Cooking Class

Seville

Highly recommend this experience! The cooking class takes place inside the market and you do a tour of the market beforehand. The guide tells you about the local fare and what is in season. Then you get to cook with the ingredients that we’re discussed like saffron, purple garlic, and smoked paprika. Our chef, Dom, was so incredible! He was able to make a group of about 12 feel like a little family. He got everyone involved with chopping and cooking - everyone got a chance to be the star.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I was nervous to use kimkim and now we are complete sold. We traveled to Barcelona, Madrid, and Mallorca for 9 days. Yuri, our travel specialist, is absolutely wonderful. He was quick to correspond and when I was nervous he reassured me on the processes. My husband didn’t know what everything we were doing on the trip. After trains, plains, and shuttle services, he said it was one of the best experience he’s ever had and grateful for this vacation. Everything was taken into consideration, and I was able to have meetings with Yuri when I had questions. He helped when we were lost on one excursion. It was our mistake, but he was able to connect us. We had shuttles, hotels, and excursions all set up for us and I was able to pick out the hotels around the areas we wanted to explore.

The hotels were in ideal locations and we walked everyplace to eat and explore. Everyone at the hotels were beyond accommodating to our needs. They made the guest experience unforgettable. We appreciate everyone's kindness to help make this trip a memorable one.

Excursions: Tapas tour (Mirko), Gothic Tour (Ann Marie), Iberico Ham class (Santi), Paella Cooking Class, and Wine Tasting. Beyond our expectations and sincerely delightful to learn from all these brilliant instructors.

Thank you again. We hope other people get to experience a wonderful vacation like this.

Hotel Reviews

H10 Madison Hotel

Barcelona

H10 was perfect for our first stop in Barcelona. We liked the location it was close to the Gothic Quarter. It was quiet but close to businesses if you wanted it. The morning breakfast was delicious and lots of choices. The wait staff always had a smile on their face and helped us through the menu. They entire team met us with such kindness, explained where to explore on the map, helped us with some laundry that needed to be done, and gave us recommendations on where to have some local wines. We couldn't have asked for a better place.

Authenticity & Character

Hotel was clean, bright, and so much character.

Location

We love that it was quiet but close to everything.

Staff

Everyone was wonderful! I wish I knew everyone's name. From the wait staff to the front desk (Alberto ?). No one made us feel less because we didn't speak english and they had a lot of patience.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fresh and clean. I am very particular about this and they did a fantastic job.

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

Loved 7 Islas Hotel. It's in a location that is easy to walk around and lots of fun tapas restaurants. They gave us great recommendations for places to eat and would call ahead for reservations for us. This place has little clutter and minimalist which was perfect for us. The downstairs bar had fantastic drink and our bartender who works all the time was so kind to us. If you have a chance, try the apple crumble dessert with a cappuccino (so yummy).

Authenticity & Character

Unique and different from the other hotels and I love that it wasn't a replica of other places.

Location

This was a little more busy than our other stay but the hotel was quiet when we came in so it was perfect. Close to shopping and dining.

Staff

Absolutely fantastic. There was one restaurant they recommended that had the best dinner (pork, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes dish) and wine out of our entire stay in Madrid.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable.

Boutique Hotel Posada Terra Santa

Palma de Mallorca

LOVE the hotel! This was towards the end of our Spain tour and what a surprise. The beautiful architecture of the hotel, the sauna, and the roof top terrace were just some of the perks in this hotel. Watching the sunset while having a glass of wine before heading to dinner was one of the most memorable times of our trip. The staff was absolutely kind and helpful. We loved talking to them and they helped us through every part of our stay. We only wish it would have been longer.

Authenticity & Character

The decor and architect with the court yard of the hotel is such a treat.

Location

Perfect for walking around the area but also quietness.

Staff

So accommodating and they make you feel heard and important.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was so clean and spotless. It smelled clean and great beds.

Hotel Regina

Barcelona

This was towards the last part of our stay. It's a beautiful hotel in downtown Barcelona. It's a great hotel and is super busy. They have a great bar and room service and if you need anything such as groceries are right across the street. The room was a little hot so having the balcony door opened helped. What I learned is that when the AC is on in a hotel it's on for everyone. So when it's turned off and it's winter the heat is on. You can't regulate your own room. This is on all the hotels I stayed in. With that said, then you have a window open. If the noise of outside doesn't bother you then you are fine. I can sleep like that and most people can. This hotel had a great and friendly staff. You can go outside and get anything you need. Everyone is super friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Such a cool and historic hotel.

Location

Close to everything. Reminded us of New York.

Staff

They were super welcoming. Received a note and some fruit upon our arrival. The room service was delicious.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and beds were comfy!

Activity Reviews

Evening Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

Loved our tapas event. Mirko was a great tour guide. Our first thought was to go out eat, drink, and watch flamenco dancing. We were so tired from our trip and he adjusted to our energy. We saw places we would have never visited and wen't back another time too because we loved it so much. We went to three different restaurants and learned about the different types of food, culture, and how the area is divided up. We were so glad to meet him and he was the start of our 9 day trip.

Quality of Experience

Everything was set up ahead of time. They had a table when we arrived. If we needed anything, Mirko helped us or got it for us. He would call ahead before the next restaurant so they would be ready for us. We learned about what we were eating and what was a common dish in the area. Such a great treat!

Food

The food was delicious. We went from authentic dishes to the new.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mirko was absolutely wonderful.

Transport

We walked everywhere.

Private Gothic Quarter Walk

Barcelona

Ann Marie was a perfect guide! She showed us all around The Gothic Center and much more. We were able to go into stores, museum, and the chapel. She accommodated our request for tour and adjusted as needed. She is a wealth of knowledge and we didn't know how much history was surrounding us until we were done. What's cool is we weren't expecting to get what we received and it was a lot of unexpected history and information that we are grateful to learn and appreciate the culture a lot more. We had so much fun and learned so much.

Quality of Experience

Everything. Ann Marie was such a pleasure to learn from.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked from our hotel. 5 min. walk.

Jamón Ibérico Workshop

Madrid

Santiago (Santi) was such a great instructor! We learned so much and had the best Iberico ham tasting. The quality of pigs, how they are raised and how you will have different taste from the same pig. We learned that this is an art and it takes years of experience to understand. We learned that this is only from Spain and which one to choose next time we are out dinning. Such a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Lots of fun. Loved that it was a private class so we could ask questions and interact more. Great wine and ham.

Food

Absolutely the best ham.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff was kind and let us have our class while others had lunch.

Transport

We walked to restaurant. 15 min. walk from hotel.

Paella Cooking Class with Market Visit

Madrid

This was such a great class! We thought it was a private class and it ended up being a group class which ended up being a blast! Our instructor, Angel was so knowledgeable and an excellent teacher. We took a trip to the market and learned about what to buy for our paella, dessert, and also Sangria. We all worked together but also made some delicious food that we can try and recreate at home. Delicious food, conversation, and drinks! They also send you home with the recipes.

Quality of Experience

We had so much fun and learned so much! The food tasted so good we can't wait to try it again.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Angel was fun, always keeping it interesting and he was prepared for us too!

Transport

We walked. It was about a 20 min. walk from our home.

Wine Tour of Mallorca's Famous Fincas

Mallorca

Tucked away at a beautiful estate, is a little slice of heaven. We tried different wines, walked around a beautiful estate, and learned about their new wines and projects. This family has been making wines for decades but did it for trade. They made the wines to barter and trade on their island they live on. Now, this is newer and they are bottling their wines. It's just a serene time with yummy tapas and wine.

Quality of Experience

That it's family owned and they care about what happens to their wine and estate.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was so kind and knowledgable about the history of Mallorca and wine.

Transport

They came and picked us up at our hotel.

From start to finish, we felt like we were in good hands. We had a wonderful experience planning and taking our trip to Spain with Kim Kim. Our local agent, Beatriz De Pablo was consistently reliable and available to us both before we left, and also the whole time we were in Spain. And if she wasn’t in, she made sure to let us know the name and contact information of a colleague who was covering for her. That greatly helped in reducing the stress of traveling with my older parents, who have some mobility issues. It was especially nice to get an upgrade to premium class on our train rides, with meals included. The hotel - train station and hotel – airport transfers were welcome, and even when there was a problem with one of them, the team worked to quickly resolve the situation to our satisfaction.

The driver who picked us up from MAD when we landed on 1 Nov was reassuring about waiting for us after we landed, as we navigated through the massive airport with my parents in wheelchairs. The driver who picked us up at the Granada train station was very nice too. Our guides in all destinations were uniformly outstanding: Alberto (Granada), Fátima (Córdoba) and Teresa (Sevilla). They had a solid knowledge base about the locations, as well as great personalities, which made spending time with them a pleasure. We appreciated that Bea arranged separate tickets to la Mezquita in Córdoba to accommodate my parents, who weren't able to accompany us on the official tour. We especially liked our driver, David, who picked us up at Atocha station on 14 Nov and brought us to our hotel in Madrid, and who also drove us to MAD on 15 Nov. He was friendly and helpful.

We loved it all, but especially the cooking class in Sevilla! Laura was a warm, kind, and patient instructor and the food was delicious (looking forward to receiving the recipes!).

Hotel Reviews

H10 Casa de la Plata

Sevilla

Hotel H10 Casa de la Plata was our favorite hotel during our two-week stay in Spain. Front desk staff were top-notch: warm and welcoming. The lobby area is tastefully appointed with eclectic furnishings and decor. The guest rooms are wonderful: spacious but cozy. We loved the bidet and the illuminated toilet :-) There was witty and whimsical art on the walls, eye-pleasing colors and - a first for us - a pillow menu!! The breakfast buffet was lavish and delicious, with more choices than we knew what to do with. Service at breakfast was warm, friendly and welcoming.

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the middle of the old city, in the pedestrian zone - ideally situated. May be difficult to reach, though, for folks with mobility issues, as the closest taxis can come is about 500m away.

Staff

Special shout-out to Fran, who walked out to help find us when were arrived in old Sevilla, and were lost with our rental car on the narrow cobblestone streets. He graciously helped us with our luggage and guided us to the hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bidet and illuminated toilet in the bathroom. Pillow menu - oh my!

Eurostars Puerta Real Hotel

Granada

Clean, centrally located, but utilitarian and not very charming.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Casas de la Juderia Hotel

Córdoba

This hotel is charming. It's ideally located in the old quarter of the city, steps from la Mezquita and the Roman bridge. Reception is wonderful and they gave us a very warm welcome, which was appreciated after a long drive. Breakfast was served in a large utilitarian room, but the choices were great, and the service was responsive and friendly. The courtyards and fountains were magical, but one caution I would mention is that the various steps up and down through the garden and courtyard areas were not well-lit or marked. We were traveling with my elderly parents, and I worried about them slipping and falling. Otherwise, it's a lovely property. We didn't get a chance to partake in the "honor bar" in the lovely library, but I loved the idea of it and we definitely would have if we had had more time in the beautiful city of Córdoba.

Authenticity & Character

Charming!

Location

Centrally located in the old city.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lighting in the guest rooms could be a bit brighter.

Catalonia Las Cortes

Madrid

Hotel is lovely, with excellent service, comfortable rooms and beds, and great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

A nice mix of character and history, with modern amenities.

Location

Central location, near museums, Plaza Mayor, and Plaza Santa Ana

Staff

Consistently friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. One issue is that the rooms on one floor (not sure which one) all have a substantial step up into the bathroom. This was a hazard for my elderly parents, to the point that they requested a room change, which hotel staff accommodated quickly and efficiently. There are also door stoppers affixed permanently to the floor, which are easy to walk into and stub one's toe.

Activity Reviews

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

Jenk was a friendly and informative guide. We liked that it was in the Chamberi neighborhood, which has fewer tourists and so felt like an authentic experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit of Museo del Prado with Art Historian

Madrid

Christina was an excellent guide, with considerable knowledge about the museum, which she presented in a lively and interesting manner.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Guided Visit of Córdoba

Córdoba

Private Traditional Andalusian Cooking Class & Market Visit

Seville

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Guided Visit of Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Spain

Alberto was outstanding.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides were for our tours were great.
They were very knowledgeable and efficient.
The hotels we chose from the list were amazing.
Great choices to chose from. The wine tour to Rioja was wonderful. Iker did a great job as our guide for the day.
All the drivers were on time and we felt very organized the whole trip.

Very satisfying experience with our specialist Marta. She made sure to understand our goals and wishes for the trip, and was very accommodating in assisting us in fine tuning the itinerary so that we got the most of the trip. We were so happy with kimkim’s process that we’ve already scheduled another trip with them! Moreover, we have recommended kimkim to friends, and will continue to do so.

The kimkim process was simple yet thorough, and working with Marta was rewarding. We enjoyed the flexibility of being given suggestions, then identifying which components of the itinerary were most appealing. She helped us pick activities we might not have thought of on our own, and was great to communicate with during our time in country. If we had planned the entire trip ourselves, the amount of choices about what to do and where to stay would have been overwhelming. Using Marta, Espiritu, and kimkim, we had an excellent set of experiences and will look back fondly on this trip for many years to come.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

The hotel itself is stunning in its preservation of historical detail. The beds and pillows were very good, supportive and comfortable without being too soft or too firm. The modern sinks and faucets can be a challenge, depending on your room. The auto shutoff was an irritant regardless. Breakfast was excellent, and in an absolutely beautiful space. The staff were attentive, but not oppressive, and seemed truly happy to be of service. One criticism would be the difficulty of vehicles getting to the hotel entrance -- taxis had the proper transponders to lower the bollards to access the street, while private drivers did not.

Authenticity & Character

One of the oldest hotels in Barcelona, and tastefully updated rooms without losing old world charm in the common areas.

Location

Central without being obnoxiously loud.

Staff

Friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfort and style.

NH Ciudad de Zaragoza

Zaragoza

This hotel was in a *perfect* location for exploring Old Town Zaragoza, enjoying views over the river (sunrises, sunsets, and fireworks at the close of the Festival de Pilar), and gave easy access to shopping, dining, transit, and major attractions. While the building lacked the historical appeal of other accommodations, the room itself was extremely comfortable, well appointed, and clean. We ate one dinner and two breakfasts at the hotel restaurant; the meals were good, but did not stand out as exceptional when compared to virtually any other meals we enjoyed in Spain. The staff were capable and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Authenticity and character are not what NH is known for. The hotel was nice.

Location

Perfect central location.

Staff

No problems to report. Bartender was friendly. Front desk staff were helpful. Breakfast staff was adequate, friendly but not always attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and very comfortable.

Hotel Ercilla de Bilbao

Bilbao, Bizkaia

Our room was large, the staff were helpful and professional and friendly, and the breakfast offerings were superior in both quality and variety. This hotel is in an excellent location and is of very high quality.

Location

Easy access to the metro and in a very walkable area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Soro

Donostia - San Sebastián (Gipuzkoa)

This felt like a private villa, which it used to be. The staff were impeccable and our room was lovely. The grounds and meals were also above-par.

Authenticity & Character

Location

This is not the closest location for people who want to be walking to the beach all the time or who require restaurants and shops directly across the street. We found it easy enough to walk 15 minutes into the heart of the city, and we were less than 10 minutes from plenty of dining and drinking establishments. Taxis had no problem finding it, and we felt completely safe exploring on foot from here.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Daniel (Dani) was knowledgeable and a joy to spend our time with. He patiently answered our questions and enthusiastically shared stories of the history and culture we were seeing. Exploring the Gothic Quarter with him was a true joy, and his insider knowledge of La Sagrada Familia was outstanding.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Montserrat & Penedès Region Wine Tasting

Barcelona

Montserrat is worth visiting, especially the museum there. Standing outside the church and waiting to see if you can get inside for a singing performance is not worth it. We strongly recommend spending that time in the museum or riding the funicular or pursuing some other interests. The museum is outstanding, as are the views from the top of the funicular. The quality of your guide will strongly influence your enjoyment of this experience. The winery stop was a lovely way to end the day.

Quality of Experience

Guests on this tour should not be pressured by their guide, but should be allowed to experience Montserrat in their own preferred manner.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had several misfortunes that day, and they were compounded by our guide, who did not seem terribly interested in giving us the best possible tour. We provided detailed feedback and half our tour cost was refunded, along with sincere apologies from our travel specialist. Lesson learned: a great guide makes a world of difference!

Transport

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

We rescheduled this tour in the city of Zaragoza, rather than in Barcelona. Our experience was mind-blowing and our guide was exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Privately Guided Visit of Zaragoza

Spain

We didn't know until we arrived that we would be in Zaragoza for the last two days of the city's primary festival, the Festival de Pilar. This made the experience so much more special! Despite the huge crowds, our guide did a wonderful job of sharing with us her love of the city, its history, the two primary churches in the old town, and the nature of the festival itself. We would recommend this tour without hesitation!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Best of Pintxos Gastronomy Experience

Bilbao

The nature of this experience is likely to feel chaotic, especially when you have 10-12 people and half of them have some form of dietary restriction. Having said that, the foods we sampled were incredible and our guide did an impressive job of ensuring that everyone would have something to sample at each of the many stops we made. We had a lot of fun and were glad we had this tour on our itinerary.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hiking Gorbeia Mountain

Bilbao

Our day changed up a bit, so that instead of simply hiking, we also got to forage for mushrooms, visit a small chapel and beautiful overlook, and enjoy some time driving in the area and visiting multiple forests. This was necessitated when one member of our party was unable to safely complete the hike, and our guide was simple wonderful about falling back on an alternate itinerary for us. This area was stunning in every way, and completely worth visiting no matter which activities you choose.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Diego was, hands down, the best guide either of us has had. We would hire him again in a heartbeat.

Transport

Modern, clean, and comfortable van.

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Coastal Route

Spain

Between Bilbao and San Sebastián, you can choose to go by bus, taxi, or private guide. Going on a highway may be fast and efficient, but it doesn't give any context to the area. By hiring a private guide, we got to stop in numerous small towns, including Guernica, where we visited the site of the Basque council's seat of government. We took short hikes, saw sites and sights all along the coast, enjoyed an excellent lunch in the town where Balenciaga is from, and learned SO MUCH about the history of the area, the Basque people, the cultural traditions, the landscape and geography, and what keeps these small seaside communities thriving today.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Diego can't be beat.

Transport

E-Bike Guided Visit of San Sebastian

San Sebastián

What a fantastic way to get to see more of San Sebastián than just the beach and central area! We stopped in several areas, learned about the town and the architecture, the university, the local sports, the history of royalty visiting the area, and even got to stop and play a tiny bit of Basque handball! Very cool, lots of fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yuri was a fantastic Spain kimkim planner as all of our planned events and tours went extremely smoothly and very timely. Arrived in Madrid with perfect transfers to hotel, Tuk Tuk tour of the city, Tapas tour the following day and a fun Flamenco dance class with Fernando leading the way. We then moved on to Barcelona in the same fashion via train with smooth transfers.
Toured Sagrada Familia with Maria who was an excellent host. Finished the trip with a sunset sailboat ride and a live Flamenco show all in Barcelona.
Have never used kimkim before but would recommend using their service as it helped tremendously with planning. Thank you again Yuri!

Luis was wonderful in understanding what my daughter and I were looking for in this trip. He found out-of-the-way places and experience that made our first time to Europe an unforgettable one. We will definitely be returning, and when we do, we will contact Luis first and foremost.

I asked Irene to plan a trip for my family. I wasn´t going to be able to attend & wanted to feel like they would be in good hands and have an easy experience on the ground. Irene planned an amazing trip!! It was perfectly catered to them and their health needs. She was super attentive, even late into the night. And when one of our family members had health issues, she did everything possible to make sure they could still enjoy their experience - helping to adjust our itinerary as needed. They loved their stays, all very lovely with great breakfasts! And I heard rave reviews about their tour guides in the different cities.

Irene estuvo muy atenta a nuestras necesidades lo cual nos dio un sentimiento de seguridad. Los hoteles escogidos x ella estuvieron perfectos para nosotros, muy céntricos principalmente, bonitos y cómodos. Los 4 tours todos muy informativos y amenos. En verdad nos hizo el viaje cómodo y fácil. Todo fluyó fácilmente y sin trabas. Mi rating para Irene es = excelente.

Mónica Muller

Marina was fantastic. The organization and transports really took the stress out of planning and traveling. We absolutely loved every city, especially Granada and Cádiz where we had the opportunity to relax and really take in the amazing history and culture. Fantastic tour guides, great hotel locations even with a smaller budget. I also loved that even with some downtime and free afternoons, there were a ton of great recommendations and literature about each city on the itinerary. We never felt lost, stressed, or like we didn’t have hundreds of exciting options, even on free afternoons. We were also having trouble getting tickets to some of the Gaudí sites in Barcelona and Marina was able to quickly get us tickets at great times. If we had a question about anything, she always responded quickly and was able to help us in record time. Thank you so much Marina and KimKim for a fantastic trip!

Hotel Review

Hotel Palacio de Santa Inés

Granada

This hotel is lovely and comfortable with amazing views. We also loved the breakfast. The location is fantastic, right next to a bustling plaza with some of the best tapas we had the entire trip. Thanks so much for making our stay in Granada even more beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful, great location, incredible views.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Jaime was an amazing guide! His passion and excitement for the Alhambra was inspiring and apparent throughout the tour. He was patient and answered any question we had. Highly recommend this experience. It was a main highlight of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Pablo was a wealth of information. He is so clearly passionate and knowledgeable. His energy was infectious and the 3 hours flew by!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

... and it's all thanks to Irene! She was very patient as we learned KimKim and helped us to plan, and then setup a wonderful vacation that worked well for both me and my wife. What's more, whenever we found ourselves missing our driver, on a late train, or just confused in general, she was a quick message away to help us navigate our trip. She even checked in on us a few times to make sure we were having fun and enjoying ourselves as much as possible.

We started our trip with a group tapas tour in Madrid, led by Neomi, who was very knowledgeable and made excellent suggestions at every step. It was truly a blast! We got to sample numerous delicious beverages, food, and make great conversation with our fellow travelers. Next, we enjoyed a guided tour in Madrid, where we learned all about its history, even joking and having fun with our guide (whose name I unfortunately cannot remember - but she was amazing!). Our time in Seville was also well planned, with Barbara showing us the Great Cathedral and the Alcazar our first day, making some fantastic recommendations for dinner. The day trip to the White Villages and Ronda was filled with beautiful scenery, fun shopping, and good food that truly left us wanting more. Granada is a gorgeous city, with so much to see, including the much (and rightfully) touted Alhambra. Our guide, Gabriela, was very knowledgeable and fun, leaving us once again feeling more like we'd been shown around by an acquaintance, rather than a stranger we hardly knew. We discovered a nice coffee house - Cafe 4 Gatos, that I would strongly recommend for good coffee and excellent food (bring cash!). Finally, our dinner at Aben Humeya was the perfect end to our last day in Granada, coupling delicious food with a view neither of us will ever forget.

I know I've gone on for quite a bit already, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that every hotel Irene found for us was fantastic, with comfortable beds, polite helpful staff, and delicious breakfasts. The drivers were all polite, professional, and very helpful. And our information packet was very thorough and helped us avoid making numerous mistakes we likely would have made on our own.

Thank you Irene and everyone who helped make our trip such a success!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel One Shot Luchana 22

Madrid

Nice location with very comfortable beds. Polite, helpful staff and a delicious breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intelier Casa de Indias Sevilla

Seville

Nice location with comfortable beds. Polite, helpful staff and a delicious breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palacio de Santa Inés

Granada

Very location with a lot of history in the building, converted in a very charming and aesthetically pleasing way. Extremely helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Aben Humeya

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Restaurante Casa Suecia

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit la Alhambra

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tapas tour

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City tour

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch in La Bola

Madrid

Guided tour in Seville

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day trip : Ronda and White Villages

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first time in Spain and our first big trip since Covid-2020 shutdown. We did not have a lot of free time to do our own research and book a trip on our own. Luis understood the types of activities we wanted to do and the places we wanted to see. He provided a lot of background information on the places we will be visiting and summary itinerary with times and locations of tour meeting places. He responded on a timely manner whenever I sent a message with requests or questions. The accommodations he booked for us were exactly where we wanted to be - centrally located and near public transportation. They were clean and comfortable. The staff in the hotels/apartment were cheerful and helpful.

We enjoyed the private walking tours Luis arranged for us. It allowed us to see many sites at a more flexible pace. Our guides - Almudena (Madrid), Maria (Toledo) and Luca (Seville) were very knowledgeable of the area and pointed out things that we would have missed if we were just walking on our own. We appreciated that they were checking in on how we are doing with all the walking. They were all open to receiving feedback as to what is and is not interesting to us.

Luis also arranged for group tours to Cordova, Granada and Ronda. We were first concerned about going on a larger group tour but the tours were well organized and efficient. Although the bus ride were long, they were comfortable. We were in awe of the Alhambra as well as the view of the town from Alhambra. Just amazing! It was unfortunate that I got sick and missed the Cordova tour.

The last trip that Luis arranged for us was a small group tour to Montserrat from Barcelona. It so happened that our guide only had 1 tour that day so we had the flexibility to stay a little longer in Montserrat and listen to the Boys' Choir. It was a blessing to hear the angelic voices of the choir.

Overall, we had a great time! Exhausted but full of fond memories! Thank you Luis and staff for helping us enjoy our first time in Spain.

We had a fantastic trip to Spain and it was largely due to the planning and thoughtfulness of our agent Marina. She helped us plan a fantastic anniversary trip while staying on budget! She also kept us informed and up to date on any changes and was consistently responsive to any questions we had both in planning the trip and while we were there! Would definitely use her for a trip in the future!