Carmen Herranz

From the time I looked up Kimkim and reached out to find out some details on Spain, to the final day of our amazing trip - everything was done so professionally by our assigned travel expert, Carmen and the team! Sincere thanks from our family and Kimkim has acquired a loyal customer going forward :)
Carmen has worked w/ me from the day 1, understanding our needs and expectations and planning the trip w/ us. I have to say I did go back and forth quite a few times, but she and her colleagues... read more

From the time I looked up Kimkim and reached out to find out some details on Spain, to the final day of our amazing trip - everything was done so professionally by our assigned travel expert, Carmen and the team! Sincere thanks from our family and Kimkim has acquired a loyal customer going forward :)
Carmen has worked w/ me from the day 1, understanding our needs and expectations and planning the trip w/ us. I have to say I did go back and forth quite a few times, but she and her colleagues were very patient w/ us and answered every question/concern.
The final payment mechanism was smooth and as soon as the payment was done, the trip details were loaded into the 'trip plans' app and all of us in our family had access to the itinerary, tickets, schedules and names/numbers of local guides in Madrid, Toledo, Barcelona.
Overall, I can't thank Carmen enough for the lovely trip she put together for our family!! Highly recommend her services!!

Hotel Reviews

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gran Hotel Havana

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

Everything was great.. wish there were more options for vegetarians though!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Night

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Barcelona & Gaudí; An Architecture Walk

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

our guide took us on local metro from one place to another - we all liked this small exposure to local transport :)

Half-Day Excursion to Montserrat

Barcelona

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

Carmen is FANTASTIC! My sister and I had so much fun on our Portugal trip. The excursions she had planned for us were phenomenal. All the guides were friendly and experts in their field which gave us a well-rounded experience. Carmen also checked on us from time to time via text messages and answered all our questions with patience and kindness. She was also able to make a last-minute change in our itinerary and handled it efficiently. All the hotels we stayed at were gorgeous and the staff... read more

Carmen is FANTASTIC! My sister and I had so much fun on our Portugal trip. The excursions she had planned for us were phenomenal. All the guides were friendly and experts in their field which gave us a well-rounded experience. Carmen also checked on us from time to time via text messages and answered all our questions with patience and kindness. She was also able to make a last-minute change in our itinerary and handled it efficiently. All the hotels we stayed at were gorgeous and the staff were super helpful.

Hotel Reviews

Lisboa Prata Boutique Hotel

Lisboa

Central location with amazing history in the hotel itself. The staff is super helpful and kind. Loved the breakfast and the concept that it doesn't have specific timings like other hotels. You just let the staff know when to expect you in the mornings for breakfast and what you want, and they handle the rest.

Authenticity & Character

The archeological floor in the hotel is very nice- don't miss out!

Location

Very quick walk from the town center and right next to lot of good restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Évora Olive Hotel

Evora

Comfy and spacious rooms. Walking distance from must see attractions of Evora. There is a pool (ice cold so beware!) and free parking in the underground section which is very convenient. Staff was very nice and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marina Rio

Lagos

Convenient location, very walkable to number of activities. Extremely clean and spacious rooms. Staff is super friendly and helpful. Make sure to get a room facing the Marina!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

one word--- AMAZING!!! Our guide, Sophia was fantastic, she gave us insides of the history and introduced us to amazing food. It is a walking tour so make sure you have comfortable footwear and water.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Go West to Belém TukTuk Tour

Lisbon

Very fun and a must do in Lisbon! Our guide was funny and very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening of Fado

Lisbon

Fantastic food and atmosphere. Great evening spent with authentic Fado. Must do!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

Get ready for a full day! it is a must do. Our guide Bernard was kind, patient and very knowledgeable. The transport vehicle is comfortable and even has Wi-Fi. 10/10 recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of Évora

Portugal

Very informative tour of Evora! a must do. The chapel of bones is a must see. Beautiful town with lots of Gothic and Roman history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour so make sure you have good shoes.

Algarve Kayaking Trip to Benagil Caves

Portugal

A must do fun activity on the water!! Benagil Caves is magnificent. The guides Patrick and Sam were great. If you can't kayak don't worry you have a small lesson before going out on the water and there are always two guides with the group. The tour guides give you a brief history of the caves and how they were formed. They take you to other smaller caves as well, that's what sets this tour apart from the rest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lovely Family Trip to Portugal

Carmen helped us arrange a 10 day, 3 city trip to Portugal that encompassed everything we wanted to see within the country.

We got to do wine tasting, a food tour, day trips to historic places of interest, and a had time by the ocean. It was a great mix of activities and relaxation.

I appreciated having the planning all squared away and taken care of for us. (We even had the additional challenge of having English and Spanish speakers in our group and... read more

Lovely Family Trip to Portugal

Carmen helped us arrange a 10 day, 3 city trip to Portugal that encompassed everything we wanted to see within the country.

We got to do wine tasting, a food tour, day trips to historic places of interest, and a had time by the ocean. It was a great mix of activities and relaxation.

I appreciated having the planning all squared away and taken care of for us. (We even had the additional challenge of having English and Spanish speakers in our group and that was no problem to accommodate.) I would absolutely recommend both the destination and trip planning experience!

Hotel Review

H10 Duque de Loule

Lisboa

Spacious and airy rooms in a boutique hotel + a great rooftop bar. Super lovely and would be booking here for any return trips to Lisbon!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

Best tour we did on our trip to Portugal. Our guide Joao was informative and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The guides and tours set up by Carmen were fantastic. The tour guides were knowledgeable, friendly and tailored there information to the interests of myself and my children!

Another amazing KimKim adventure in Portugal!

This is my third time using KimKim to book travel for myself and my 7 year old son who has Autism. We’ve done Colombia, India and now Portugal!

Our trip specialist for Portugal Carmen helped put together an incredible itinerary for us covering Porto, Douro Valley, Coimbra, Lisbon & Lagos. We saw a lot in a short amount of time but the the pace of the trip flowed well and we never felt rushed. We also appreciated some of the special... read more

Another amazing KimKim adventure in Portugal!

This is my third time using KimKim to book travel for myself and my 7 year old son who has Autism. We’ve done Colombia, India and now Portugal!

Our trip specialist for Portugal Carmen helped put together an incredible itinerary for us covering Porto, Douro Valley, Coimbra, Lisbon & Lagos. We saw a lot in a short amount of time but the the pace of the trip flowed well and we never felt rushed. We also appreciated some of the special kid-friendly activities suggested by Carmen including tile painting in Porto and the Hippo bus in Lisbon! Secret Algarve kayaking at Benegil Cave was also amazing! There were a few things about our itinerary that we needed to modify in real time and Carmen was able to help us seamlessly manage it all. The guides were wonderful, and the drivers very courteous and safe as well. Will definitely book with KimKim again, so convenient and so worth it every time! Can’t wait for the next one!

Activity Reviews

Create Your Own Tiles

Porto

This was phenomenal, the lady who ran it has amazing energy and was so wonderful with my son who was feeling a bit off from jet lag! She also personally delivered our tiles to our hotel to help us out which was much appreciated.

Lisbon Hippo Tour

Lisbon

This was so fun!!! Even as an adult there is novelty to it when you go splashing into the water, plus the guides are hilarious!

Private Excursion to Sintra for Young Explorers

Lisbon

Our driver/guide was really nice and took us to a few different extra sights which was much appreciated. Knowledge level for guiding was lower, perhaps he was just a driver? If so he went way above and beyond as a driver, but for this one would have appreciated more of a guide especially at Sintra. I thought this was going to be a “kid” tour, definitely wasn’t tailored to kids, but we still enjoyed it.

Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Olive oil & River Cruise

Porto

Driver/guide and car excellent! Might have preferred a smaller boat ride (with less people) if that was an option, but still enjoyed. Winery was awesome to allow my 7 year old to come with me.

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Coimbra

Portugal

One of my favorite stops on the trip! Our driver made amazing recommendations for kids and gave us extra time than originally planned so we could do everything we wanted !

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Excellent guide who tailored a fabulous itinerary for us! Great info and selection of stops to see. Enjoyed personalization of tour.

Carmen is fabulous! She created a truly special experience for my niece and I. She asked about what I enjoy and also what my niece enjoys and built the perfect itinerary for us. Carmen also made sure transportation was scheduled for when we arrived at the airport and scheduled a rental car for us to drive to Costa Brava. She really thought of everything.
Having our own personal tour guide, Mark, for La Sagrada Familia and the Gaudi house was amazing! We learned so much about Gaudi, his... read more

Carmen is fabulous! She created a truly special experience for my niece and I. She asked about what I enjoy and also what my niece enjoys and built the perfect itinerary for us. Carmen also made sure transportation was scheduled for when we arrived at the airport and scheduled a rental car for us to drive to Costa Brava. She really thought of everything.
Having our own personal tour guide, Mark, for La Sagrada Familia and the Gaudi house was amazing! We learned so much about Gaudi, his work, and the history of the area all without having to compete with a group of other people for the best views or the spot closest to the guide so we could hear. Mark made sure to include my 11 year old niece in the conversation as well, which was really wonderful! It made her much more engaged and was very enjoyable for her. Mark also provided incredible recommendations of restaurants and cafes. Carmen also booked a local cooking class for us! We LOVED it! It was so much fun and the instructors were such a delight. Our trip also included snorkeling and an incredibly special flamenco experience. This is one trip i will never forget.
I highly recommend Carmen and the Kimkim team to everyone!

Activity Reviews

Flamenco Night

Barcelona

This was such a special experience! We felt truly immersed in the culture and enjoyed every second of it!

Quality of Experience

It was an intimate setting. Perfection

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Mark was wonderful and it was such a pleasure touring the city and learning from him. La Sagarada Familia is a must for anyone traveling to Barcelona! I highly recommend Mark as a tour guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mark is incredibly knowledgeable and very easy to talk to

Transport

Snorkeling in the Mediterranean

Spain

Boquería Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

Carmen was an outstanding specialist! The activities she planned, hotels she booked, and recommendations she provided were terrific. We ended up having some complications during our trip that were entirely unrelated to Carmen's planning, and she went above and beyond to help us navigate a difficult situation.

I highly recommend Carmen and kimkim! read more

Carmen was an outstanding specialist! The activities she planned, hotels she booked, and recommendations she provided were terrific. We ended up having some complications during our trip that were entirely unrelated to Carmen's planning, and she went above and beyond to help us navigate a difficult situation.

I highly recommend Carmen and kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Editory House Ribeira

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The air conditioning didn't work, and it was very hot.

Hotel Virxe da Cerca by Pousadas de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palacio de Luces

Luces

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

One Shot Tabakalera House

San Sebastian

This hotel is a distance from the old town. The staff were not very knowledgeable or helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Lisbon Market, Food and Cultural Walk

Lisbon

We did a cooking class instead of this. It was fun, but it was a Michelin secret's course. We didn't actually cook that much. Something more traditional would have been better.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Evening of Fado

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Sebastian Pintxo Experience

San Sebastián

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had an excellent trip to Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto. Carmen was very helpful, professional, and easy to communicate with. If you prefer not dealing with trip planning, feel more comfortable having someone taking care of connections and logistical details, or need someone to coordinate with multiple parties, Carmen and her team will do a great job in both putting together your trip and supporting you while traveling.

Our local specialist Carmen was very responsive to our questions and would quickly update our itinerary with great suggestions. I never felt pressured or rushed, and I appreciate her checking in on us before, during, and after our trip. Our favorite highlight was a private tour of Sintra with a local guide (Marta): we were treated to plenty of sightseeing, but we never felt fatigued or overwhelmed. Additionally, our overall experience in Lisbon and the Algarve region were exceptional.... read more

Our local specialist Carmen was very responsive to our questions and would quickly update our itinerary with great suggestions. I never felt pressured or rushed, and I appreciate her checking in on us before, during, and after our trip. Our favorite highlight was a private tour of Sintra with a local guide (Marta): we were treated to plenty of sightseeing, but we never felt fatigued or overwhelmed. Additionally, our overall experience in Lisbon and the Algarve region were exceptional. Everything else such as private transfers, car rental, dinner reservations, alerting restaurants of our food allergies, etc. went smoothly. We will use this travel agency again.

Working with Carmen was great.

Hotel - was nice and 15-20 min walk to Las Ramblas. It was clean and breakfast was good. However 2 different locals said it was in a “sketchy part of town”. And while I felt safe walking around there were many homeless people outside the hotel and it wasn’t nice to look at. The hotel did not have air conditioning (or it was broken) and I asked for a fan several time but they did not have one. It was unseasonably warm. There was a slight mix up with City... read more

Working with Carmen was great.

Hotel - was nice and 15-20 min walk to Las Ramblas. It was clean and breakfast was good. However 2 different locals said it was in a “sketchy part of town”. And while I felt safe walking around there were many homeless people outside the hotel and it wasn’t nice to look at. The hotel did not have air conditioning (or it was broken) and I asked for a fan several time but they did not have one. It was unseasonably warm. There was a slight mix up with City taxes that you prepaid as hotel did not see them being paid but Helena straightened it out.

Tapas Tour - Carla was the best! She even gave some recommendations for other things.

Girona/Costa Brava - I already gave you feedback on the tour guide. The places we visited were beautiful. No stores were open in Costa Brava.

Sailboat tour - this was nice. The Spanish guitarist was amazing. Waters were choppy as it was very windy. The crew gave us blankets and were very helpful

Drivers - waited about 10min on arrival. But no issues.