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Dalia Bouzerar

I have been working and living in Cordoba (Spain) since 2015 when I moved here from Montreal (Canada) and have been at Just Explore since 2017. I have a degree in Economics and a background in banking but the switch to tourism was the best decision I ever made. Having been born in Algeria, raised in the UAE, I had the amazing opportunity of growing up in a multicultural environment which in turn, fostered a love for traveling and discovering different cultures making this field a perfect fit.

I know how important it is to take great care of travelers, listen to their needs and preferences to be able to provide an excellent service which is why I always make sure that the personal assistance that I offer to every individual traveler from the very first contact is top-notch. I love Spain and am proud to have the opportunity to share its rich history and culture, gastronomy, and its beautiful and diverse landscape.

Once you’ve booked with Just Explore, you will be part of the family, part of this team that shares the same philosophy: authenticity and singularity. There are a lot of travel agencies out there offering very similar experiences and services but with our team, you will get THE experience, the one and only!

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"We specialize in private bespoke itineraries and fully escorted luxury tours for individual travelers and small groups in Spain, Portugal, and certain parts of France (Bordeaux & Arcachon)."

How did you get involved in travel?

"Moving to Spain and falling in love with its beauty, interesting complex history and melodic language made me want to share my passion for Spain with fellow travelers, and working at Just Explore allowed me to do just that.

This is why the design and creation process of each of our handcrafted trips is a true labor of love from start to finish."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"A gorgeous experience was the time I went on a "desert safari" in Dubai which included, dune bashing and dune boarding (like snowboarding but on sand!). We got to see camels in their natural habitat before arriving at the glamping site, a fabulous traditional nomad tent. Here, we enjoyed a lovely traditional homemade meal of biryani (a local rice dish) and listened to live traditional instrumental music before heading to sleep in our individual tents... what I'll never forget? The incredible desert sky with no lights around for kilometers, it felt like you could reach out and grab the stars right out of the sky! "

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Recent trip reviews for Dalia

Turn key customized tour of Spain
Spain | Mar 2 - Mar 20, 2024

Marc
Marc S.
Newark, NJ | Reviewed on Mar 26, 2024

Cordoba based trip planner, Dalia B. Was a terrific resource for my 20 day trip to Spain. The guides she procured were all excellent, the hotels chosen were extremely well located, well fitted out, friendly and within my budget. She was always available if I ran in to a problem right down to spur the moment rental of powered/wheelchair when my 80-year-old legs began to give out two weeks into the tour! It would’ve been impossible for me to arranged and organize this trip without her.

Local specialist: Dalia Bouzerar
Dalia
Dalia Bouzerar
Local specialist in Spain | Replied on Mar 27, 2024

Marc, it was such a pleasure planning this trip for you and helping you re-visit Spain. Thank you for your kind review!

A well planned Spanish adventure
Spain | Feb 17 - Mar 9, 2024

R
Rita D.
Canada | Reviewed on Mar 14, 2024
Dalia listened well to our interests in exploring Spain and created a marvellous itinerary that we thoroughly enjoyed. She tracked our activities in real time and helped us when we needed it. We appreciated the Old Towns of Madrid, Seville, Antequera, Granada and Barcelona and being privately guided by well versed local historians. Our off the beaten track activities of a bicycle adventure on the Via Verde de la Sierra, hike in El Torcal, another hike in the El Saltillo and walkabout in... Read more

Dalia listened well to our interests in exploring Spain and created a marvellous itinerary that we thoroughly enjoyed. She tracked our activities in real time and helped us when we needed it. We appreciated the Old Towns of Madrid, Seville, Antequera, Granada and Barcelona and being privately guided by well versed local historians. Our off the beaten track activities of a bicycle adventure on the Via Verde de la Sierra, hike in El Torcal, another hike in the El Saltillo and walkabout in beautiful white washed village of Canillas de Aceituno gave us an opportunity to appreciate the natural beauty of Spain. Another highly recommended experience was our cooking class in Madrid; now we know how to create the most delicious Paella and Sangria. Our trip experience exceeded our expectations.

Activity Reviews
Madrid Guided Tour
Madrid Guided Tour
Madrid
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Spanish Cooking Class in Madrid with Market Visit
Spanish Cooking Class in Madrid with Market Visit
Madrid

Eduardo was the consumate chef instructor. Kitchen was spotless and well equipped. Thoroughly enjoyed the market visit and create our own delicious lunch.

Quality of Experience
Food
We created it!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Sevilla & Tapas & Flamenco Small Group Evening Tour
Sevilla & Tapas & Flamenco Small Group Evening Tour
Seville

Teresa was terrific. As a local she was very well informed about the best Tapas bars and the best Flamenco experience.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Sevilla Guided Tour
Sevilla Guided Tour
Seville

Really visiting the bull fight museum.

Quality of Experience
Antequera & El Torcal Day Trip
Antequera & El Torcal Day Trip
Málaga

Antequera was a fascinating. We appreciated the legacy of the Romans, Moors and the Christians. The exploration the Dolmens was amazing. The El Torcal hike was stunning given the unique rock formations

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Alhambra Private Guided Tour
Alhambra Private Guided Tour
Spain

An incredible experience not to be missed.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Enrique was the perfect tour guide; local, excellent English and deep historical knowledge. A true professional.
Barcelona at Sunset: Tapas & Wine Tour
Barcelona at Sunset: Tapas & Wine Tour
Barcelona

It was fun to be part of a small group for this tour in the historical section. The selection of Tapas bars, the foods and beverages was first rate. Great introduction to Barcelona.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Modernist Barcelona: Gaudi's Highlights
Modernist Barcelona: Gaudi's Highlights
Barcelona

Gaudi's unique architecture was a thrill to see first hand. Our guide was knowledgeable and given the hordes of folks at the Sagrada Familia we were glad that we could skip the lines.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Good taxis drivers and clean vehicles.
Historic Barcelona: Gothic Quarter, El Born & Picasso Museum
Historic Barcelona: Gothic Quarter, El Born & Picasso Museum
Barcelona

Repetitive given the first night Tapas tour in the Old Town. Would have enjoyed the Picasso museum more with an audio guide to move through the exhibits at our own pace.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Taxis, drivers, clean vehicles.
Local specialist: Dalia Bouzerar
Dalia
Dalia Bouzerar
Local specialist in Spain | Replied on Mar 15, 2024

Thank you Rita and Peter for travelling with us! It was an absolute delight planning this trip for the two of you. Should you ever want to come back to Spain to explore other locations or even Portugal, it would be my absolute pleasure to help you plan that!

My warmest regards to the two of you and thank you again for your valuable feedback on your tours.
Hasta Pronto!

Dalia

Anniversary Trip to Spain
Spain | Oct 8 - Oct 20, 2023

Chris
Chris C.
Springfield, MA | Reviewed on Nov 01, 2023
My husband and I spent 13 incredible days touring four cities in Spain to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Our local specialist, Dahlia, put together a trip full of historic walking tours, food tours (Devour Tours were excellent!), visits to vineyards, olive groves, and an Iberian pig farm. It was a nice mix of some small group tours and private tours-providing the opportunity to meet other people and get personal attention. The private transfers were great-all of the drivers were... Read more

My husband and I spent 13 incredible days touring four cities in Spain to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Our local specialist, Dahlia, put together a trip full of historic walking tours, food tours (Devour Tours were excellent!), visits to vineyards, olive groves, and an Iberian pig farm. It was a nice mix of some small group tours and private tours-providing the opportunity to meet other people and get personal attention. The private transfers were great-all of the drivers were knowledgeable and kind and the vehicles were very comfortable. The tickets to all sights and events allowed us easy entrance with no lines which was a big plus! For us, having a local expert plan the trip and take care of all of the details, made it much easier to relax and enjoy our time in Spain.

Activity Reviews
Barcelona at Sunset: Tapas & Wine Tour
Barcelona at Sunset: Tapas & Wine Tour
Barcelona

Great fun! Our guide, Alex, was excellent! The tapa places we went to were all very good. It was just the right amount of food and wine and all authentic tastes,

Quality of Experience
Food
Every bite and sip was delicious and as we progressed through the tour, the cafes kept getting better.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide had a lot of personality and a good sense of humor. He was knowledgeable and helpful.
Andalusian Equestrian Show - Royal Stables in Cordoba
Andalusian Equestrian Show - Royal Stables in Cordoba
Córdoba

Loved this! We had front row, center arena seats. I think this is a hidden gem!

Quality of Experience
Sevilla & Tapas & Flamenco Small Group Evening Tour
Sevilla & Tapas & Flamenco Small Group Evening Tour
Seville

A wonderful evening! A great blend of delicious food, tasty sips, music and dance. A very well planned event and each place visited was authentic and excellent.

Food
Some of the best food we had on our trip. Each of the locations showed us something different about Spain food and influences.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide Sophie was excellent! She looked out for each persons individual needs and was quite attentive.
Madrid Guided Tour
Madrid Guided Tour
Madrid

What we liked was that there was more of a general introduction to the city than some of the other tours. What we didn’t like was that there wasn’t a lot of content and it was too long for what was covered. It was a 4 hour but it could have been 2 - 3 hours.

Toledo Guided Day Tour by AVE (High-speed Train) from Madrid
Toledo Guided Day Tour by AVE (High-speed Train) from Madrid
Madrid

This was a really nice day trip. Toledo is is a unique and picturesque city rich with history. We toured all of the main areas do they city and also had free time to explore on our own. Though it is now a big tourist attraction, it still preserves its history and authenticity.

Transport
Transportation was the only downside I’d the day. There was a mix up with our train tickets so here was a bit of a scramble to find another way home but the tour company ended up hiring taxis to get us all back.
Wine & Cava 4WD Penedés Small Group Experience
Wine & Cava 4WD Penedés Small Group Experience
Barcelona

We really enjoyed this day and it was different from other tours that we did. The CAVA tour was informative and the tasting was great - the CAVAs were the best we had on the whole trip! The wine tasting was good but not great. The vineyard visit on the 4WD was just fun and nice to be outside.

Sevilla Guided Tour
Sevilla Guided Tour
Seville

Seville was our favorite city-so charming and historic! The tour of the Roman Catholic Cathedral and the Royal Alcazar was chock full of interesting stories and pieces of history and we learned quite a bit.

Guides, Drivers and Staff
The guide was delightful! Knowledgeable and very personable and a great sense of humor. It was clear that he wanted us to learn from him about the history of the places visited AND he wanted it to be fun.
Modernist Barcelona: Gaudi's Highlights
Modernist Barcelona: Gaudi's Highlights
Barcelona

This was a colorful and really interesting tour. It was a pretty deep dive into all things Gaudi which is pretty extraordinary.

Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide, Delores, was upbeat and energetic and on top of all details. It was clear that she is somewhat of an expert in all things Gaudi and that it is a passion of hers. Her enthusiasm added so much to the overall day. We felt a tad but rushed at the end because our guide had to get to another tour but that wasn’t a big deal..
Local specialist: Dalia Bouzerar
Dalia
Dalia Bouzerar
Local specialist in Spain | Replied on Nov 03, 2023

Thank you Chris and Julie for your review! It was lovely helping you plan this exciting trip and I am glad you enjoyed yourselves.
Wishing you the best!

Dalia was superb and extremely responsive to ...
Spain | Oct 14 - Oct 26, 2023

Karen
Karen D.
Orlando, FL | Reviewed on Oct 27, 2023
Dalia was superb and extremely responsive to any questions or concerns. Rosa also was a big help when Dalia was unavailable briefly. The trip was well organized and every selection (hotels, etc,) seemed cumulated to our unique interests. Loved the whole trip!❤️❤️❤️ Read more

Dalia was superb and extremely responsive to any questions or concerns. Rosa also was a big help when Dalia was unavailable briefly. The trip was well organized and every selection (hotels, etc,) seemed cumulated to our unique interests. Loved the whole trip!❤️❤️❤️

Activity Reviews
Madrid Guided Tour
Madrid Guided Tour
Madrid

Abel, our guide, was very nice and informative. It was a lovely day with him.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Sevilla Group Guided city tour
Sevilla Group Guided city tour
Seville

The group experience was a bit more difficult, particularly the tour of Alcazar- too crowded, too many people, and not we’ll organized within the property. Marina, our guide, was lovely but a bit difficult to understand, made more so because of the use of radio listening devices with the group.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Avila & Segovia day trip
Avila & Segovia day trip
Madrid

This trip was good, though Avila is a small town and didn't have as much to see. However, it was of personal interest due to my husband's family history.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Granada by Train: Alhambra Guided tour (Private Tour)
Granada by Train: Alhambra Guided tour (Private Tour)
Spain

This was great! Granada is beautiful and we had a good tour guide. We would love to spend more time here next time.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Modernist Barcelona: Gaudi's Highlights
Modernist Barcelona: Gaudi's Highlights
Barcelona

This was a fantastic tour. Barcelona might be my favorite place in the world. The architecture was stunning, and while the city was more spread out than Madrid, it didn't dampen our enthusiasm.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Barcelona cooking class & Market tour
Barcelona cooking class & Market tour
Barcelona

This experience was good but the group was a bit large and one person tended to dominate. We cook a lot at home, so the techniques weren't new to us, but it was still a fun experience and the food was good.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Dalia Bouzerar
Dalia
Dalia Bouzerar
Local specialist in Spain | Replied on Oct 27, 2023

Thank you Karen for taking the time to leave this wonderful review!
I am happy to hear that you Loved the whole trip!
Yes, when you opt for a group tour, the monuments require that the guides use listening devices. This is done in an effort to avoid having guides yelling over each other. But I will certainly mention it to them, and keep it in mind for future travelers! Thanks :)

It was a pleasure planning and organizing this trip with you Karen, should you ever wish to come back and visit other parts of the region, it will be my pleasure to host you again!

21 Days of Perfection
Spain | Sep 22 - Oct 13, 2023

Ramon
Ramon G.
Elizabeth City, NC | Reviewed on Oct 21, 2023
To say that Dahlia arranged the perfect trip for myself and my wife would be an understatement. It was 21 days of exciting excursions, beautiful hotels, and out if this world food. Each hotel that Dahlia booked was centrally located so that we could walk to all activities. In addition, the staff at each hotel was responsive, caring and professional. The views from our rooms included the royal palace, castles and cathedrals, Biscayne Bay and an adorable courtyard. Dahlia arranged tours which... Read more

To say that Dahlia arranged the perfect trip for myself and my wife would be an understatement. It was 21 days of exciting excursions, beautiful hotels, and out if this world food. Each hotel that Dahlia booked was centrally located so that we could walk to all activities. In addition, the staff at each hotel was responsive, caring and professional. The views from our rooms included the royal palace, castles and cathedrals, Biscayne Bay and an adorable courtyard. Dahlia arranged tours which provided historical context of the area, art history, wine, pinxtos and tapas along with a flamingo show. Some of our favorites were the Roman ruins of Merida with Marco, the San Sabastian pinxtos/wine tour with Hector, the historical Toledo tour with Dan, the Malaga art history/Picasso Museum tour with Julian, and the historical tour of Madrid with Mercedes. In addition we thoroughly enjoyed learning about the food of Sevilla and flamenco from Cance, the Alhambra in Granada from Sabina and the magnificent La Mezquita de Cordoba with Maria. Each of our tour guides were personable, knowledgeable and considerate. Of course, as always, we had several questions along the way and Dahlia was available no matter the time or day. Her professionalism never ceased to amaze us. We would highly recommend Dahlia when planning any trip to Spain.

Activity Reviews
San Sebastian Ultimate Pintxos & Wine Tour
San Sebastian Ultimate Pintxos & Wine Tour
San Sebastián

Hector was the absolute best tour guide we have ever encountered. His enthusiasm and love for his craft came shinning through the entire evening. In addition, his knowledge of all things San Sabastian was incredible.

Quality of Experience
Hector
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Rioja group wine tour: 2 wineries
Rioja group wine tour: 2 wineries
Spain

The drive to the wine tour was incredible. The views were gorgeous (once the fog cleared) and the driver was engaging. Our first stop was Bodegas Hnos. Pecina which was outstanding. Our hostess was gracious, engaging, and knowledgeable. I am not a wine drinker but the wine we were served was so delicious we brought some home. The second stop was at Ostatu which was at best unremarkable. After both tours we visited the medieval town of LaGuardia for lunch. The town is beautiful and quaint and the tapas were amazing.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Toledo City Tour
Toledo City Tour
Toledo

Our guide Dan was fantastic. We learned so much from him about not only the history of Toledo but the extent of the Jewish experience in Spain.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Cordoba Guided Tour
Cordoba Guided Tour
Spain

Amazing. The La Mezquita is without a doubt the most stunning place I've ever visited. Maria was wonderful in her explanations about how the cathedral came to be built inside the mosque.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Alhambra Private Guided Tour
Alhambra Private Guided Tour
Spain

The Alhambra is one of the most beautiful places on this planet. Sabina was a remarkable guide .

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Malaga guided tour
Malaga guided tour
Málaga
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Sevilla Group Guided city tour
Sevilla Group Guided city tour
Seville
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Mérida tour
Mérida tour
Spain

Well after this tour i wondered if i should go to Rome at all. Amazing is the best way to describe what our guide Marco showed us. His knowledge is so valuable and he is so passionate about the importance of the Roman ruins.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Madrid Guided Tour
Madrid Guided Tour
Madrid

Madrid is probably my favorite place in Spain. Mercedes did an awesome job of explaining the history and culture of Madrid to us. She is so warm and friendly we felt like we had known her our entire lives.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Sevilla & Tapas & Flamenco Small Group Evening Tour
Sevilla & Tapas & Flamenco Small Group Evening Tour
Seville
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Dalia Bouzerar
Dalia
Dalia Bouzerar
Local specialist in Spain | Replied on Oct 23, 2023

Dear Ramón,
I can't thank you enough for these kind words. It was an absolute delight to work with you in the planning of this trip and I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed yourselves this much!
I very much appreciate you taking the time to review your trip in detail as well as your comments about each guide and tour. I can't express how invaluable this information is.
Wishing you the best in your future travels, I send you my warmest regards.

The trip in Spain was fantastic.
Spain | Sep 9 - Sep 25, 2023

P
Pär G.
Sweden | Reviewed on Oct 02, 2023

The trip in Spain was fantastic. Very well organized. Everything went very smooth.
One thing that perhaps was not to our satisfaction was the guide in Barcelona. She did not meet the standard of the other guides who were excellent.
Also your help and support Dalia under the trip was highly appreciated.
We would be happy yo engage kimkim again in any trip in the future and also happy to recommend you/kimkim to our friends.

With kind regards
Pär and Anita Gellerfors

Local specialist: Dalia Bouzerar
Dalia
Dalia Bouzerar
Local specialist in Spain | Replied on Oct 04, 2023

Thank you Pär for your kind review! I am happy that you enjoyed yourselves and the grand majority of the trip. I really appreciate it. I also appreciate the feedback about the guide in Barcelona and will look into it.
It was amazing getting to know you all and should you ever want to plan something again, it would be my pleasure to help.
Thanks & kind regards,
Dalia

Memorable trip through northern Spain
Spain | Sep 9 - Sep 25, 2023

Leonard
Leonard B.
Fredericksburg, TX | Reviewed on Oct 01, 2023
Dalia organized a memorable itinerary through northern Spain for us (USA) and our friends (Sweden). Throughout the entire process of considering, revising, and eventually confirming our trip, Dalia was always responsive and knowledgeable. She listened carefully to our interests and expectations and offered advice concerning the details. Her work for us included scheduling domestic (Spanish) airlines, auto rental, transfers, hotels, guides, and admission tickets when appropriate. During... Read more

Dalia organized a memorable itinerary through northern Spain for us (USA) and our friends (Sweden). Throughout the entire process of considering, revising, and eventually confirming our trip, Dalia was always responsive and knowledgeable. She listened carefully to our interests and expectations and offered advice concerning the details. Her work for us included scheduling domestic (Spanish) airlines, auto rental, transfers, hotels, guides, and admission tickets when appropriate. During our journey, Dalia continuously updated our itinerary using WhatsApp and Unmapped as starting times, guides, and and other changes occurred. On the rare occasions that we needed her, Dalia was always available by phone and text.

Ours was a self-drive exploration of northern Spain over 2 1/2 weeks from Santiago de Compostelo to Barcelona. We stayed three nights in Santiago de Compostelo, Oviedo, Bilbao, San Sebastian and five nights in Barcelona. The Spanish 3 star hotels Dalia arranged for us were all excellent; three of them were spectacular (Hotel Altair in Santiago de Compostelo, Hotel Mira in Bilbao, and Hotel Niza in San Sebastian). Our hotels in Oviedo (Fruela) and Barcelona (Europark) were also quite good as well as very convenient. In each, the staff exceeded our expectations including front desk, housekeeping, breadfast services.

For each city we visited, Dalia arranged guides to allow us to better see and understand the major attractions. All were excellent. Specifically, each guide spoke English very well and were both enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable. Particularly, we wish to recognize Cristina in Santiago de Compostelo (city tour), Isabel (Rias Baixas tour), Alexendra (Oviedo city tour), Sergio (Bilbao city and Guggenheim tour), Jose (Bilbao pintxos tour), Angel (Riojas tour), Edurne (San Sebastian city and pintxos tour), Dolors (Barcelona Gaudi tour), Jordi (Barcelona Penedes and Montserrat, Barcelona (Old city and Picasso museum), and Connie (Dali highlights in Figueres, Cadaques, and Port Lligat).

If one were to try to get to know each of the cities we visited, one could easily spend a week or two in each. Regrettably, that type of trip is not possible for us. The alternative is to stay 3-5 nights in each city and focus on both the sights and experiences most meaningful to us. Having professional guides adds tremendous value to our enjoyment and understanding and in addition, greatly expedites the process. Guides organize drivers and taxis, procure tickets, facilitate entrance to venues, and share their vast knowledge of history, culture, architecture, art, language, food, customs, and traditions. Our guides during our trip were also engaging, personable, responsive, and exceedingly well versed in their particular area of expertise.

The four of us greatly enjoyed our time together and the journey through northern Spain. Our entire trip was seamless, all due to Dalia's excellent planning. We will definitely recommend and call upon her for future travel in Spain.

Activity Reviews
Santiago de Compostela city tour
Santiago de Compostela city tour
Santiago de Compostela

Our guide, Cristina, is incredibly knowledgeable of the history, religious significance, architecture, literature, and art of Santiago de Compostelo. Particularly meaningful to us is her passion for the Camino de Santiago and for all those who undertake this pilgrimage both as an act of faith and of personal commitment. Cristina offered advice about further exploration of this historic town that we could undertake on our own and traditional restaurants that we could enjoy. There is much to see and feel in Santiago de Compostelo. Having a guide such as Cristina allowed us see and learn more than if we were to walk around with a guide book.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Rias Baixas day trip
Rias Baixas day trip
Santiago de Compostela

Apparently, few Americans who visit northern Spain take time to explore the Rias Baixas region. Actually, this is one of Spain's many hidden treasurers with forested terrain, picturesque estuaries off the Atlantic ocean, quaint small towns, and, of course, great Albarino wines. We visited Palacio de Finfena, a small historic winery, where we tasted wines from 150 year old vines in Cambados. Further along are the exquisite islands of Arousa and Toja including the surreal Ermida de Toxa church covered in huge clam shells. We enjoyed a traditional Galican lunch in a waterfront local restaurant, Asodor de Chiringuito.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Oviedo city tour
Oviedo city tour
Oviedo

Oviedo is the historic center of Asturia, home to the Cathedral that marks the beginning of the original Camino de Santiago. The 8th century old town, though extensively damaged during the Spanish Civil War, has been completely renovated to provide the markets, shops, homes, and public buildings that are the hallmark of a vibrant old town. Our guide, Alejandra, is passionate about her home and a fountain of knowledge concerning the history, customs, traditions, and culture of this beautiful ancient town surrounded by a modern urban community. A particularly fun tradition is enjoying "sidrar" a refreshing mildly alcoholic apple cider served ceremoniously by holding the bottle overhead and pouring the liquid into a glass held below the servers waist, all without looking at the process.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Bilbao private city tour with Guiggenheim
Bilbao private city tour with Guiggenheim
Bilbao

Bilbao is more than the Guggenheim, but the Guggenheim is more spectacular that can be imagined. This spectacular building of soaring curvelinear architecture is a world class piece of art itself. The collection including Richard Serra's "Matter of Time" and the monumental sculptures "Maman" by Louis Bourgeios and "Puppy" by Jeff Koons, to name a few, are pieces that one can only see in Bilbao. The beauty and tranquility of the carefully curated riverfront blends seamlessly into the old town that has medieval roots and lovely 19th century art nouveau buildings. The Plaza Nueva is the hot spot of traditional pintxos and a gathering place for families of all ages.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Sergio, our guide, is fabulous and obviously passionate about the Guggenheim and the collections.
Transport
We used the tram that runs from the Guggenheim to the old town. Fabulous.
Pintxo tasting paired with Spanish wines in Bilbao
Pintxo tasting paired with Spanish wines in Bilbao
Bilbao

We met our guide, Jose, at 7, rather early for Bilbao, but for us, the perfect time to begin our pintxos tour of the old town. Most of the Pintxos Bars we visited were in Plaza Nueva, a grand square surrounded by picturesque apartments and the home of some of the city's great food. Each of the establishments take pride in a particular style and ingredients of this seemingly infinite kaleidoscope of savory and sweet small plates. Typically, you take what you want from the beautifully curated displays and pay by the number of toothpicks left on your plate. Start with Basque country Txokoli, a slightly sparkling regional white wine and move up to fruity dry tintos from the Riojas wine region. Favorite tintxos include pulpo (octopus), anchovies, shrimp, and vegetables such as aubergine, tomatoes, peppers and olives.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
La Rioja Alavesa private wine tour
La Rioja Alavesa private wine tour
Bilbao

Riojas is one of the world's great wine producing areas, home to the famous tintos of Spain. This dry rocky region south of the mountains that separate this southern Basque country from the cities of Bilbao and San Sebastian has a terroir perfect for the traditional tempranillo, macabeo, and graciono grapes. Our guide, Angel, really knows his away around the region and the wineries. Our favorite wines were from Luis Canas in Araba where we tasted several blends of differing vintage, all excellent. The tour included the spectacular medieval town, Laguardia, residing on the top of a high hill overlooking a sea of grapes in cultivation. Angel also took us to see Richard Gehry's (Guggenheim architect) architecturally splendid Marques de Riscal winery.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Angel is a superb guide and traveling companion. We discussed wines, history, politics....fabulous.
Transport
Drive along the Spanish Basque Coast: {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} - No guide
Drive along the Spanish Basque Coast: {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} - No guide
Spain

The northern coast of Spain from Bilbao to San Sebastian is spectacular with a modern highway twisting around mountains, through tunnels, and over viaducts with great vistas of the Bay of Biscay at every turn. We were particularly interested in going to Guernica and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Guernica, now famous because of Picasso's poignant painting, is the Basque town that the fascists bombed during the Spanish Civil War. This war crime perpetrated by Franco with the help of Nazi Germany purposely targeted a market day full of civilians in an unfortified town. The Peace Museum is a solemn plea for peace among all the people of the world. A large outdoor mosaic of Picasso's painting is a must see in the old town. The traditional Basque Restaurante Bolina El Viejo is a must, full of local families, with wonderful local wines and a menu specializing in sea food.

Quality of Experience
An important reminder of the horrors of war, the devastation, death and anguish it causes.
Local specialist: Dalia Bouzerar
Dalia
Dalia Bouzerar
Local specialist in Spain | Replied on Oct 04, 2023

Thank you so much for this incredible review Leonard! It has been such a pleasure planning this trip for you all and I truly appreciate all the time and effort you've invested in this review. As you know, you are welcome back anytime and it would be my pleasure to help you plan any future trips. Thanks again.
Warm regards,
Dalia

We love to travel around and book different e...
Spain | Jun 21 - Jul 2, 2023

Christine
Christine B.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Aug 06, 2023
We love to travel around and book different excursions, hikes , cooking classes, wine tours etc. I will NEVER plan that type of vacation by myself again. Especially when spending time and money, being connected with great hotels, knowing that sites are closed when we thought we could see them, getting us tickets and wonderful guides , rewriting our itinerary based on what we would like to do, saying something if what we thought was managable would not be......JUST an amazing service. From now... Read more

We love to travel around and book different excursions, hikes , cooking classes, wine tours etc. I will NEVER plan that type of vacation by myself again. Especially when spending time and money, being connected with great hotels, knowing that sites are closed when we thought we could see them, getting us tickets and wonderful guides , rewriting our itinerary based on what we would like to do, saying something if what we thought was managable would not be......JUST an amazing service. From now on we won't plan without KimKIM.

Activity Review
San Sebastian cooking class
San Sebastian cooking class
San Sebastián
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Dalia Bouzerar
Dalia
Dalia Bouzerar
Local specialist in Spain | Replied on Aug 14, 2023

Thank you so much Christine for your lovely review! I am happy to hear, you enjoyed your trip this much! It was a pleasure working with you.
Warm regards,
Dalia

We had a fantastic trip to Spain...
Spain | Jun 30 - Jul 15, 2023

Kelly
Kelly M.
Milpitas, CA | Reviewed on Jul 16, 2023

We had a fantastic trip to Spain stopping in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Marbella. Dalia did a great job securing hotels, a few private tours and rail tickets - all of which were top notch. She was also immensely helpful when I had questions or requests along the way. I would highly recommend Dalia and team and would work with them again.

Local specialist: Dalia Bouzerar
Dalia
Dalia Bouzerar
Local specialist in Spain | Replied on Jul 17, 2023

Thank you so much Kelly for your kind words!
It was fantastic planning this trip for you and your family.
I look forward to having you here in Spain again soon!

This was our first time booking with a travel...
Spain | Jun 26 - Jul 4, 2023

J
Jennifer W.
Dundalk, MD | Reviewed on Jul 10, 2023
This was our first time booking with a travel agent ever and we would do it again in a heartbeat! Dalia was an absolute pleasure to work with! All of the tours that she booked were spectacular and she was available whenever we needed. Read more

This was our first time booking with a travel agent ever and we would do it again in a heartbeat! Dalia was an absolute pleasure to work with! All of the tours that she booked were spectacular and she was available whenever we needed.

Activity Reviews
Madrid Highlight group tour with Royal Palace
Madrid Highlight group tour with Royal Palace
Madrid
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Madrid Tapas, Taverns & History  group tour
Madrid Tapas, Taverns & History group tour
Madrid
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
San Sebastian Ultimate Pintxos & Wine Tour
San Sebastian Ultimate Pintxos & Wine Tour
San Sebastián
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
San Sebastian cooking class
San Sebastian cooking class
San Sebastián
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Rioja group wine tour: 2 wineries
Rioja group wine tour: 2 wineries
Spain
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Dalia Bouzerar
Dalia
Dalia Bouzerar
Local specialist in Spain | Replied on Jul 11, 2023

Thank you Jennifer for your wonderful review! I really appreciate your kind words. It was wonderful having you travel with us and I look forward to your next trip with us!