Kimkim Trip Reviews for Spain

We signed up for an 8 day trip throughout Spain, 4 cities during that time so it was a whirlwind and a great time! Alfonso listened to what we wanted - no more than 1/2 day planned (we've been on trips where all day every day had activities which is not our style) with a cooking class and private tours in each city. We received all of our detailed information in advance to print out and have copies, along with having it accessible on our phones. (For Type A like me it helped a ton to have paper, I also used that to point to the address of where we needed to go for the taxi drivers who did not speak English). We got daily reminders of the next activity we were scheduled for and when I had questions I got a response pretty much immediately so I never felt lost on the itinerary. I was so impressed with the service and attention to detail, I've told everyone about it!

Activity Review

Cooking Class in Seville

Seville

This cooking class was awesome. We loved touring the market prior to the class and getting information on the local cuisines and ingredients. Our guide and our chef both spoke fluent English so it made for a fun, easy (not frustrating for everyone) afternoon. The facility was incredibly modern and clean. We made traditional paella and it was the best we tried in Spain! Highly recommend this class.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took a family trip to Barcelona and Costa Brava. The itinerary was great in terms of the variety and nature of the day trips. The planning process was fairly straightforward and interaction with the Kim Kim team was good. We did need to touch base with KimKim a couple of times during the trip. On one occasion, they were very quick to respond to a request for a transportation time change due to a modified check-in time. Unfortunately, on another occasion, the time zone difference/response speed meant that we missed out on part of a selected activity due to a booking error on KimKim's part. For the most part, we greatly enjoyed the trip, but a few issues detracted from the experience.

Our first full day activity was a trip to Montserrat, which was described: "After a private transfer from Barcelona to a charming farm, meet your host and the horse you'll befriend for the day. Enjoy a guided ride through Montserrat Natural Park to the monastery, with the tour culminating in a traditional lunch on the ranch". The ride was perhaps 30 minutes along a trail and then 30 minutes back to the start again before taking a taxi to the monastery. The local tour company advised me the day before that lunch was not part of the tour, and I did contact KimKim about the discrepancy but did not hear back before our tour started. En route to the horseriding, we were offered an upgrade option of lunch for extra money. Discussions with one of the guides and the local tour company by phone indicated that KimKim had not booked this. Despite attempting to resolve this with KimKim, the guide and the local tour company, we were unable to clarify the situation and did not hear back before boarding the return bus. There was no further mention of the lunch option from our (underwhelming) guide, but when we brought it up again were told we would need to get off the bus, wait for another guide, pay the extra money and take a different bus home. We gave up and returned to Barcelona. This was the only real excursion disappointment, but as the first full day activity did not set us up well. It was also an indication of the problem of booking a trip with an intermediary in another timezone. The inaccurate description of the tour may be more due to the tour operator than KimKim, but we had presumed that KimKim had a solid understanding of the nature of the excursions that they are booking. A much more accurate description of the tour appears to be in place now when we search the local tour operator's tours online. KimKim did subsequently get back to us about the booking error and apologised and have since refunded us for the difference.

A minor nuisance on another day was a discrepancy in the meeting point location between the Itinerary document (Park Guell) and the detailed activity description (which described the tour as finishing at Park Guell and starting at Passeig de Gracia). We realised the discrepancy too late in the evening prior to clarify, which did make for a bit of a scramble the next morning to ensure we were in the right place in time. However, this tour was wonderful.

Our last criticism would be the lack of transparency over pricing. KimKim provided a service and deserve an appropriate payment for it, but I would have expected a breakdown of the pricing (per hotel, per excursion and per transport) that was available both before and after booking. Despite a detailed itinerary, the details of our choices (breakfast selected or not), were not apparent after booking, and neither was KimKim's charge. This has been flagged by other travellers and could be easily rectified.

Overall, the experience was good and the vacation was very fun. However, I suspect we would not book with KimKim again due to the added challenge of dealing with an intermediary in another timezone, when both hotels, excursions and local transportation can all be easily booked in Spain. I would also encourage travellers to perhaps leave more open time in their schedules. We booked activities on every day except our travel day. There is so much to do in Barcelona, that leaving an open day or more later in the week would allow the opportunity to fit in extra activities as desired (but skip-the-line tickets need to be booked in advance for the busy activities).

Hotel Reviews

Sonder Casa Luz

Barcelona

We stayed in a family room, which was generously sized and very comfortable. Beautiful bathroom. The room was kept very clean. The location is good and right next to a metro station. There is a very small reception area where the main desk is located, but no real lobby as such. Reception staff had perfect English, although we did try to use our limited Spanish! Staff were generally friendly although we didn't feel this at the breakfast. We tried breakfast once and found the food very nice, but there was nobody else there and staff were not at all forthcoming about the nature of the buffet or options for drinks. El Arbol nearby is highly recommended for breakfast, however.

Authenticity & Character

Between the absence of a proper lobby and view only to nearby buildings from the room it did feel a little soulless.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hotel San Jorge & Spa

Calonge

Very comfortable rooms, with beautiful sea view. Rooms and grounds were kept very clean. Staff were friendly. The food situation was a bit unclear, with multiple dining areas but which menu and hours of service were not readily apparent for the different options. We did not try the fine dining option or full breakfast. The cafe breakfast was good, but a tapas meal was very bland and was inferior to all other meals/tapas on our trip. After sampling the tapas, we gave up trying to eat their and walked into town (1.5 km) for breakfast and dinner the next day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private El Born Walk with Tapas & Flamenco

Barcelona

We went with Bosco - an informative and engaging tour guide. He was happy to deliver the tour in English and still have some Spanish interaction so we could try and work on our Spanish. We learned plenty on the tour and had a good introduction to the city. Good food choices with plenty of good food at the couple of places we stopped. Bosco was great about ensuring that there was some food for our vegetarian kids at his choice of food stops. The flamenco concert was fun to see, but I confess I have no idea what the show was about...

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Costa Brava & Medieval Villages Day Trip

Spain

A really great day exploring several pretty villages along the coast. The guide was easygoing and the itinerary worked well. The only snag with this trip was that we would have rather eaten at almost any of the restaurants we walked past, but went to a restaurant that the guide hadn't previously tried and found virtually nothing on the menu we wanted to eat. The food was sufficiently expensive that it should have been excellent, but we were underwhelmed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was really smooth and safe.

Barcelona by e-Bike, Boat & Cable Car

Barcelona

This was a fantastic tour. We saw plenty of the city during the bike ride, and the ebikes made it easy to get around. We saw views and locations that were less busy than many of the typical tourist locations and were great to see. We had feared that the combination of activities would not give enough time to properly do any one activity, but it was perfect. The tour guide was great (Elizabeth I think). The boat trip was unexpectedly brilliant due to the arrival of the America's Cup racing boats, which were out practicing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Gaudí Experience with La Sagrada Família & Park Güell

Barcelona

This was a great trip with Mari, who was a wonderful and informative guide. Happy to mix English and Spanish as we continued to try and improve. All of the locations were worth seeing, and the skip-the-line tickets were absolutely essential.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sailing Trip with Winery Visit & Tasting

Barcelona

Enjoyable and informative winery tour and tasting. Really enjoyable sail along the coast.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boating, Hiking & Kayaking in Tossa de Mar

Costa Brava

We went with guide Stepan. He was probably the most professional and competent guide we have encountered on any trip. He was knowledgeable, informative and engaging. We learnt about local flora and fauna as well as local history. Stepan was well-organised and took great care to ensure we were safe, confident and comfortable. He works with the capability of the group. It's obviously not the Caribbean, but we saw many fish as well as starfish, anemones and an eel. One of our party developed a particularly severe case of seasickness after snorkelling and Stepan handled this with grace, reassurance and compassion.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stepan is the best. I would consider trying any tour that he was involved with.

Transport

Self-Guided Beach Day in Costa Brava

Spain

We just chilled on the nearby beach. Pleasant enough, but we didn't have it in us to bother taxiing further away to explore other options.

Quality of Experience

Montserrat Monastery Visit & Horseback Riding in Natural Park

Barcelona

This tour promised much but totally failed to deliver. The KimKim description of the tour was inaccurate compared with the description currently provided by the actual tour operator. A KimKim booking error also meant that we did not get the lunch that was supposed to be included in the tour. The horse ride was fine, but was a 30 minute ride along a trail before returning the exact same way back the ranch and then taking a taxi ride to Montserrat. In fairness, the guide and staff for the horseriding were very good, and the horses were well-looked after. Our guide at Montserrat provided a pretty brief amount of guidance before giving us time to further explore the grounds. The farm lunch sounded good but we will never know what that part of the experience would have been like.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guided Montserrat tour part of this was pretty minimal. There was some good information on the bus ride up, but the Montserrat tour itself was rather limited. Horse-riding instruction was good.

Transport

Overall, A Wonderful Trip Exploring Spain!

We have a family of 5; the three kids are 15, 14, and 11.

Madrid tapas culinary experience. Grade A+. It was in the Salanca area in the evening starting around 6 pm. It was our family of five and two other guests. We stopped at 4 places and had a great blend of tapas and drinks. Not too much walking, perfect amount of food and very interesting. Definitely recommend.

The Madrid for Kids Tour. Grade B. I think it would have been better had it not been in July when it's so hot. There was a bit more walking, the history and insight was great. Old Town, cathedrals, etc. It was a morning tour (starting around 9 am). It was just so darn hot!

Day Trip to Toledo. Grade A-. It's fun taking the train as we don't train often. The city is definitely a must visit and the tour guide shared great insight and took us to some really cool places. One time, we had access to an underground water tank that others could not visit. Very cool tour. Ended around 12:30 pm and we ate. We should have gotten tickets back to Madrid for the 3 pm train instead of the 5 pm train. In cooler weather, I think we would have explored more and the 5 pm train would have worked.

Spanish Cooking Class in Mallorca. Grade A+. The host was excellent, taught us how to make several dishes, the kids really enjoyed it, my wife and I were able to just watch and have wine. It was a great way to spend about 4 hours and the time flew by!

Luxury Catamaran Tour with tapas and swimming (Mallorca). Grade B-. We did a 4 hour tour which isn't really enough time to get somewhere remote. We anchored near a pretty busy area and not far from a busy beach. The food and service were great. However, it was as remote as I would have liked. I think a longer tour allows you to get further away from the populated areas. You may need a speed boat also.

Coastal Hike, Kayaking, and Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava. Grade A. This was a delightful daytrip for my family. It's absolutely gorgeous scenery and we had a small group of 10 (so 5 duo kayaks). We hiked, kayaked, cliff jumped, snorkeled, etc. While they say it's 8 hours in Costa Brava, the trip itself is like 5.5 hours and you have 2.5 hours to explore Costa Brava by foot. That information would have been helpful.

The lodging:

Slow Suites Bellas Artes was great for us and very centrally located. It was easy to walk anywhere from there. Only downside was during our stay, they were doing repair on the road outside. That should be complete by now.

Melia Calvia Beach. It's a nice, higher end resort beach. Though our check in process was painful (room key didn't work, when it did, someone was in room already, moved to a different room, ugh), the overall stay was great. Their pools are beautiful, great breakfast buffet, and immediate access to the beach. The parking situation does suck though and we had rented a car.

Val Barcelona Apartments. This was a last minute change. It was a great place. It was spacious, quaint, and cozy. The location allowed you to walk anywhere you needed with plenty of restaraunts and sights nearby. Only drawback was you check in at Hotel Claris, information that was not shared prior to our arrival.

Overall, we had a blast. There were some hiccups along the way but with a 10 day trip, you'll have those. I would highly recommend this itinerary to others!

Activity Review

Spanish Cooking Class in Mallorca

Spain

This was a fantastic activity for our family of five. It was fun, engaging, intimate, and relaxing. Thank you!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our 8-day vacation in Spain, meticulously planned by KimKim, was nothing short of amazing! From the vibrant streets of Bilbao to the charming coastal vibes of San Sebastián, the bustling energy of Madrid, the artistic allure of Valencia, and the historical beauty of Toledo, every moment was unforgettable.

The guided tours were all top-notch, with special highlights including the breathtaking Guggenheim Museum and the delicious Pintxos and Wine experiences. The Segway Adventure added a fun twist to our exploration of Valencia. A special shoutout goes to our tour guide for the Madrid Old Town Walk—his passion and knowledge truly brought the history and culture of the city to life!

All our transportation was seamless, making it easy to move from one city to the next without a hitch. And the accommodations? They were far beyond what we expected. We had asked for something affordable and safe since we don't typically spend much time in hotels during vacations, but KimKim exceeded our expectations with each place we stayed—comfortable, well-located, and perfect for our needs. And KimKim was always available by chat if we hadca question or doubt, but mostly I texted just to share how impressed we were.

We couldn’t be happier with the experience and will definitely be turning to KimKim again for future adventures. Thank you for making our trip to Spain a dream come true! We headed to Germany next for the Ironman Triathlon, and I successfully crossed the finish line!!

We had a wonderful vacation in Spain! The tour guides were ALL amazing but we have a special shout out for GEZA-he was our guide in Segovia/Avila and also for The Royal Palace! He was so much fun to be around and had a true enthusiasm for the history of Spain. My 13 and 12 yr old loved him too! Also-Tim was our guide on the Kayak/Laggon dipping/coastal hiking tour in Costa Brava and he was awesome! He was entertaining and engaging! Highly recommend both!

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Havana

Barcelona

Great location, smaller but clean rooms!

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was in the middle of it all-walk most places in Barcelona

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cosmopolita Hotel Boutique & Spa

Platja d'Aro, Girona

Great location, beautiful and modern rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the beach!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Day Trip to Ávila & Segovia

Madrid

Geza has a true passion for Spanish history and he conveys the facts in a fun way! He is totally engaging with kids too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

Amazing guide Tim made the day super entertaining for my husband and I and our 2 girls!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barcelona & Gaudí: An Architecture Walk

Barcelona

Loved all the details in this tour! We learned so much!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had an exceptional time in Barcelona and will not hesitate for a second to hire KimKim if I ever visit the region again. Every single tour was well organized and fun. The tour guides were so incredibly knowledgeable and more importantly so personable and easy to talk to. I only have one complaint, is the fact that I had to leave and return to the United States. I want to thank everyone involved in planning my trip. I was able to create indelible memories that are going to stay with me forever. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

KimKim was a great option for planning a complicated, multi-city/country vacation for our family! We got to see the best of Spain and Morocco worry free. We had an easy to use app that helped keep the plans organized. I would highly recommend KimKim!

Dalia did a great job putting together an itinerary that everyone in my family (especially my teenager) enjoyed. The boutique hotels were perfect, with great service and locations. Dalia and team were always accessible, especially when we had some travel issues. We would definitely use KimKim again.

Activity Reviews

Costa Brava: Kayaking & Snorkelling experience

Barcelona

Really fun experience. My one complaint is that the group was a bit large.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marbella Boat trip

Spain

Tom our boat captain was great. He provided a really fun experience for the whole family. One of the highlights of our trip. Amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Modernist Barcelona: Gaudi's Highlights

Barcelona

Your guide was really knowledgeable and provided tons of insight into the architecture and sites. Private tour was super nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We used KimKim to plan a 8-day trip for our family's first overseas trip in Europe. From beginning to end, the team was very communicative in answering all my questions. I really enjoyed being able to do the quiz to choose what we like as well as the pace we would like for our days. Since this is our first time using a traveling agency, I really did not know what to expect. The activities all looked great but I did not know how they actually would be. Well...they were beyond our expectations. Each activity they planned for us was great. I think they specialized in using local companies which helps to local community and people which I loved. We loved all our guides-each of them had great personalities, very knowledgable, and just overall wonderful people. The hotels were in great locations and our agent, Giorgia, was very helpful during our trip with changing the time of our car rental to communicating with the hotel about our rooms. She even gave us a surprise card and gifts to remember Barcelona. Throughout the trip, my husband and I just kept saying to ourselves how we would have never picked what Girogia picked and would have missed out on some really great gems and experiences. We fully intend to use KimKim for our next year's vacation!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

This hotel was in a great centralized location so it was easy to get to anywhere. However, after dark, the area felt a little unsafe. We did not really stay out late at night while staying there. There was a lot of street noise at night as it is in a very populated area so sleep on our first night was hard. That was solved when we played white noise on our phones. The staff was wonderful and the breakfast was amazing! I really enjoyed a quiet breakfast by myself in the morning.

Authenticity & Character

The staircase and the balcony.

Location

The street noise was hard and after dark, it felt a little unsafe.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alta House Begur

Begur, Girona

Begur is such a charming town and Alta House Begur just added to the town's charm. The staff was wonderful. The views were amazing, especially on the rooftop. The breakfast felt like such a retreat each morning as I sat in the garden by the pool, surrounded by the beautiful mountain views. Alta House is a beautiful place to rest and experience a retreat from the world.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Barcelona & Gaudí: An Architecture Walk

Barcelona

Caterina was wonderful. Her passion for the beauty of the city really came through and really helped us to appreciate everything that we saw. She was very accommodating to us as we had our sons with us. They were getting tired near the end. She recommended a great local place for tapas and even walked us there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Caterina was wonderful! Her love for the art really was infectious.

Transport

We mostly walked and took the Metro. It was all very easy.

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

Carla is the perfect guide for this - each place she picked was different in the food, atmosphere, and personality. We really enjoyed learning from her about the food, the places, and just her love for Barcelona. It was also the perfect first activity to do on our first day to give us a sense of the city.

Quality of Experience

Carla was great tour guide-knowledgeable, personable, warm.

Food

Can't say enough about how good the food and drinks were!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carla was amazing.

Transport

The walk from place to place was thought-out and really enjoyable.

Boquería Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

The tour of the Boqueria Market was very brief and it was difficult to hear with all the noise. We did not really spend much time at the stands and couldn't really purchase anything. However, I think it was because we needed to make it back in time for the cooking class which was awesome. Our chef/teacher (Janella) was great-she was funny, clear with her instructions, and her excitement for the food and cooking was infectious. We loved everything we cooked.

Quality of Experience

The cooking class was amazing. The tour was very short and basic.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The cooking class was amazing and our chef/teacher was great. The tour guide for the market was ok-hard to hear him and he was not really engaged in conversations with us as we were walking which other guides were.

Transport

Everything was an easy walk.

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

This was by far our family's favorite activity of all the ones we did during our stay in Spain. We did the 8-hour tour with Ola. The time amount was perfect for all the activities we did-kayak, snorkeling, and cliff-jumping. Ola was such a great guide from his clear, funny instructions to encouragements throughout the adventure that allowed us to feel comfortable to get out of our comfort zone, take some risks, and enjoy ourselves. He was exceptionally wonderful with our boys, who felt very comfortable and safe with him as he taught them how to cliff jump for the first time. I asked if we could do something small to celebrate my husband's birthday, which was the day of our trip with Ola. He took the time to get a special Catalan dessert so we could sing happy birthday to end our day. It was the perfect celebration. We cannot say enough great things about Mr. Ola and our time learning from him and enjoying the Mediterranean Sea. If you have the chance, definitely do this-an unforgettable fun day!

Quality of Experience

The best activity of our trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ola was an amazing guide who was great with our boys. He was very clear in his instructions and encouraging while we did things that were new to us like cliff jumping!

Transport

It was a very easy ride from Barcelona to the beach at Costa Brava. It was really cool to see Spain outside of Barcelona and Ola did a great job highlighting things along the ride for us to see like the castles.

We had a wonderful time in Southern Spain for our 10th anniversary. Dalia, who organized the trip was very responsive. For example, we preferred a different hotel in Granada and to arrange some restaurant reservations ourselves. She was able to facilitate getting to and from the restaurants, and made the other hotel (the Gran Via which was fantastic) work, Our guides were really knowledgeable and friendly, especially Enrique in Granada. Alex, our driver and bicycle guide made sure we had a chance to get photos off the beaten path. The tapas and flamenco tour in Sevilla was really fun. Overall we had a much better trip than we could have put together ourselves, but it was still really well-tailored to our interests.

Activity Reviews

Alhambra Private Guided Tour

Spain

We learned so much about the Alhambra, and we went at a good pace. Everyone knew our guide Enrique and we got to skip the lines. It was an amazing experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sevilla & Tapas & Flamenco Small Group Evening Tour

Seville

The setting for the flamenco, and the dancers were. great. It was a really intimate experience, being able to sit up-close and watch the dancers. You could feel the breeze from one dancer's shawl! The tapas were also a fun mix of traditional and more modern.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Caminito del Rey

Spain

The hike itself was beautiful, and our driver/guide who got us there, Alex. However, we hadn't realized beforehand that the hike wasn't just a hike, but that it was a state-run and state-controlled walk. Basically it was very crowded, you had to wear helmets and trudge along with a group on a very set path, from the entrance to the exit. The hike itself was lovely but we probably would have done a different hike had we known how controlled and crowded the experience would be.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} with day trip to Cordoba

Spain

Cordoba is beautiful and the guide was fun and very knowledgeable. We were really happy with the tour. We wished we had had more time to wander after the tour though, because there were more spaces we had wanted to see. We were lucky that our driver, John, was happy to take us to get some photos of the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Granada city tour

Granada

We saw a lot of the city of Granada, much more than we would have on our own. Our guide Enrique is really knowledgeable, and everyone knows him which makes getting into places a breeze.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sevilla guided tour with Horse Carriage ride

Seville

We got to see beautiful areas of the city, especially the enormous cathedral, and really learned a lot from Sandra the guide. She was funny and knowledgeable and gave us good amounts of time on our own to take photos and wander. The horse carriage ride meant we got to see more of the city than we could have on foot, but it is also a horse carriage going into four lanes of traffic which was a bit nerve-racking.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dalia planned an extraordinary trip for my family in Spain. We had 20 days to travel all over the country and she planned each day weaving together historical sites, fun learning activities, and exciting adventures. I have traveled all of my life and I have never had a trip where each logistical piece was taken care of and everything went so smoothly. Dalia chose the perfect balance between guided tours and free time to explore. We kayaked, rode camels, and had an electric tuk-tuck tour. We loved the cooking classes, the market tour and the flamenco show. We had each of the documents we needed exactly when we needed them. Our hotels were varied and unique, each in a prime location. I wish she could plan all of our travel!

Hotel Review

CoolRooms Palacio de Atocha

Madrid

This was our favorite hotel -- like staying in a palace in the middle of the city. Small and intimate and the top customer service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tapas & Market tour in Barcelona

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

All of our excursions were excellent. Our guide Celia for our Porto walking tour was so knowledge and had great recommendations. Pedro organized a private tour of the vineyard for us in the Douro Valley. Alex was an excellent walking tour guide, being flexing and showing us sights of Lisbon we would have missed on our own. Mannu gave us a great outing to Sintra and Cascais, even making a special stop on the way back for us to take an extra photo. The recommendations of places to eat and beaches from Kim Kim were very helpful. The hotels were all beautiful and centrally located.

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Teatro

Porto

The location of this hotel was fantastic. Very walkable, safe. The room was comfortable and had everything we needed

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Portugal Boutique City Hotel

Lisbon

This hotel was top of the line. The service was excellent, the room impressive. The location was great too.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lagos Avenida Hotel

Lagos

The hotel has a great view of the marina. The room was nice, had everything we needed. We loved the rooftop pool.

Location

Staff

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

This hotel was great, free shuttle to the airport was helpful. Room was nice, clean, and spacious.

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Puro Hotel Palma

Palma de Mallorca

This hotel was crazy. The room was so big! It had a tub and a shower. Location was great. Staff was great at providing recommendations and transportation options. We did not utilize the beach club but if we had an extra day we would’ve liked to try it.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Celia was fantastic. Learned so much and one of the highlights of our trip. I recommend this to everyone.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Our guide was great, the views are incredible. He even arranged a private vineyard tour for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Alex was great. He was so knowledgeable and we learned so much of portugals history. He was flexible and adapted the tour to show us things we would never have found on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Spain

Mannu was great. Full of knowledge about Portugal, cares about responsible tourism and wants to show travelers the real Portugal. We would definitely recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bike Excursion along the Beautiful Ria Formosa

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Catamaran Trip around Mallorca with Snorkeling, Kayaking or Paddleboarding

Mallorca

Definitely better than some of the other boats we saw where they pack the boats full of travelers. The views were incredible. The staff were not the friendliest, and I understand they turn over the boat and work with the public all the time. I might opt for an even smaller, more intimate boat next time. There were about 50 people on the boat with us many off the cruise ship.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was our first time using a travel agency in many many years - we usually make our own plans but KimKim was recommended and we decided to travel on short notice during peak season, so wanted some help - we couldn't be more pleased and will recommend KimKim to others. Our local specialist Beatriz was outstanding - she really listened to our preferences and designed a trip that was perfect for us in terms of the things we like to do and see. She found really excellent local guides and planned enough for us to do, without over-scheduling us. There were a few minor glitches (to be expected on such a long and complex travel), but she built in enough time that none of them became critical and all were easily handled. When a couple of drivers didn't show up, she processed refunds for us without even being asked. She or colleagues were very easy to communicate with. This was a memorable trip and we would recommend KimKim and specifically Beatriz very highly!!

Hotel Reviews

INNSiDE by Melia Zaragoza

Zaragoza

Easy walk to old town sights; nice rooftop pool and restaurant/bar. Rooms clean and roomy and a great breakfast. Recommended.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acta Splendid

Barcelona

Good location, nice breakfast, friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Arrizul Catedral

San Sebastián

Best hotel we stayed at in terms of location, staff, etc.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sercotel Coliseo

Bilbao

Convenient location, great staff. Large room. No complaints.

Hotel Spot Family Suites

Porto

Very roomy. Convenient and great staff. The room was comfortable, but there is nothing fancy or historic about the hotel and the breakfast was mediocre. But on location and staff, it was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Olive Oil Tour and Visit of Belchite Village

Zaragoza

Jorge was a great guide. He really knew the history, was a great communicator and created a very unique experience for us traveling outside of the city center, which is what we wanted to do. He was friendly and fun and very open. He was a good listener and tailored things to what we enjoyed. The pace was great and he was a good driver. He arranged for a special visit to an olive oil maker and a historic site during the Spanish Civil War.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

We took a long walking tour with Mari. She was really excellent. She used a microphone and earbuds for us so communicating in crowded areas was easy. She paced things well and was a great communicator. We really enjoyed what was a very long walk that included a trip on the metro, so it made it easier for us to travel on our own afterwards.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Night

Barcelona

The dancers were really excellent. The tour included a tapas dinner afterwards which was mediocre and tourist-oriented. Everything was fried and heavy.

Quality of Experience

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

The guide was great and the kayaking was fun, but the "hike" beforehand was really just a walk along a very traveled paved pathway. The area we visited was a busy tourist beach - not that appealing in the end, but not really the guide's fault. We just learned that it is not the type of experience we really enjoy that much

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A good driver, but a long drive

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

Activity Reviews

Gothic Quarter Tapas Walk

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Short Prado Museum Visit

Madrid

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Hotel Reviews

Pestana Plaza Mayor Madrid

Madrid

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

Authenticity & Character

Very cool, charming, boutique hotel.

Location

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

Staff

Super nice and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautiful overall. Very clean.

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

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

Authenticity & Character

It is nice but a bit dark and gloomy.

Location

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

Staff

They were nice but not happy-nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

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

Activity Reviews

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

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gastronomy & Wine Tour with a Sommelier

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barcelona & Gaudí: An Architecture Walk

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boquería Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jámon & Wine Experience in Madrid

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Night

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Activity Reviews

Lisbon: Tuk Tuk Culture & Food tour

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Algarve's Marine Wildlife Boat Tour

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sevilla: Walking and biking tour

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Thank you Raquel and KimKim!!

Amy F., Montana

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Borges Chiado

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

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

Cleanliness & Comfort

Legendary Porto Hotel

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eurostars Araguaney

Santiago de Compostela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Puebloastur Eco-Resort Wellness & Spa

Cofiño, Parres

Authenticity & Character

Outside absolutely beautiful, inside modern.

Location

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

Staff

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

Cleanliness & Comfort

Soho BOutique Oviedo

Oviedo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Catalonia Donosti

San Sebastián

Authenticity & Character

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

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intur Palacio San Martin

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Petiscos & Wine Tour

Lisbon

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour

Spain

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

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

Quality of Experience

Guide, beauty of Porto.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Porto

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Biarritz &. French Basque Country

Spain

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Excursion to Covadonga Lakes

Spain

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Sebastian Pintxo Experience

San Sebastián

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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