Helena Fernández

We had a lovely time in Barcelona, I think given the requests, our trip plan was well curated and we had very good experiences. In terms of the accommodations, we had a slight issue each time we stayed at the Gran Havana with the rooms not being equitable for a family of five, but they were kind enough to move the furniture out of the way and bring a rollaway bed in each time for the fifth person to sleep on. Not having heated pools at either accommodation was also a bit of a disappointment when traveling with little kids. The driver and tour guides were all very great. I think we were a bit disappointed with the cancelation of the kayak trip because the weather turned out to be very nice on the morning that we were scheduled to go on that excursion. The mosaics class was really nice and we enjoyed the other tours as well.
Thank you Kim Kim and Helena for your help!

Helena did an exceptional job in planning our wonderful 3 week visit and tour around Spain! The whole kimkim experience is terrific from the start, asking questions and gathering information to understand and accommodate our interests: preferred types of activities, length of time available, budget, travel dates, food interests, physical abilities and/or limitations, willingness to fly/take trains/buses, self-drive, preferred accommodation level, tour group sizes, etc.!! Then Helena created a custom excursion for us based on those imputs, and we had a blast! She was very knowledgeable of all aspects and areas of travel in Spain, and was also available and responsive (or other agents over the weekends) during the trip to advise or answer questions. Very professional and enjoyable experience!!

It’s the first time my husband and I used Kim Kim for one of our trips and we’re very happy we did. Helena was our local specialist and she did a fantastic job with not only the planning of the the itinerary but with keeping in touch with us every step of the way. She was personable, made all the changes we asked for and made sure everything went very smoothly throughout our trip. The hotels were beautiful, their locations were great and the included breakfasts delicious! Also, all the trains we took were on time and our guides in each city were very interesting. Anne Marie, in Barcelona was great, Hector in Madrid was awesome, Laura at the Alhambra was very knowledgeable, Andrés in Seville was personable and funny and the young girl at the Hacienda Guzmán (olive oil estate) really knew her stuff!

Hotel Reviews

Only YOU Hotel Atocha

Madrid

The best hotel for the one last night we were in Spain. Right across the Atocha train station where we arrived from Seville and close to museums I still wanted to see on our last day, like the Reina Sofia Museum.

Authenticity & Character

Very contemporary looking hotel, very lively lobby, a “breakary” to have some sweets and a nice restaurant.

Location

Superb location by train station, restaurants, museums, parks, etc

Staff

Everyone was so accommodating at the front desk! Firmin was super helpful and friendly!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds were one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever had in a hotel and the bathroom was super clean!

Hotel Hospes Las Casas del Rey de Baeza

Sevilla

This hotel was beautiful with gorgeous courtyards and Bougainville growing everywhere. The breakfast was amazing too and the room very big and sumptuous!

Authenticity & Character

This hotel was very special in that it had the feel of a bed and breakfast with all the amenities of a hotel. In other words the perfect combination of both.

Location

The location was perfect because it was in a more quiet neighborhood yet within walking distance of the historic center of Seville.

Staff

Staff was very nice and helpful with anything we needed from calling us a cab to offering us hot breakfast in the morning!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Exceptional cleanliness in the entire premises of this i hotel!

Hotel Casa 1800 Granada

Granada

This was one of the most interesting hotels on our trip to Spain because it was so picturesque! The decor was rustic and at the same time contemporary! We loved the way it looked!

Authenticity & Character

As I said above the very Spanish style of the Hotel looked very authentic to the region it’s in. Loved it!

Location

It couldn’t have been a better location, near the action but away enough that it was quiet at night. Also near the Alhambra.

Staff

Everyone from front desk to breakfast staff was amazing! We needed a to go breakfast very early one day and they had it all ready for us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean hotel and very quaint!

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

Hotel was at a great location almost right on Gan Via and near many attractions. Breakfast was very good!

Authenticity & Character

Very contemporary looking hotel! Breakfast was excellent, lots of variety!

Location

Near most attractions and across from a conveniently located market.

Staff

Everyone at the front desk and at breakfast was very helpful and personable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were amazingly comfortable! Bathroom was spotless!

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

This hotel was amazing! Most of it is decorated in the Art Nouveau Style (which I love) but the rooms were all remodeled with a contemporary look. The breakfast was one of the best of our trip to Spain.

Authenticity & Character

Perfectly decorated Art Nouveau Style especially because it’s in Barcelona!

Location

Near the lively Ramblas , near several restaurants and a subway station.

Staff

Everyone at the desk, on the roof top and at the breakfast was very helpful and nice!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Whole hotel was supper clean and the rooms were spotless!

Activity Reviews

Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate

Seville

Amazing tour of an olive oil plantation and processing plant. We learned a lot from our lovely and friendly guide. Not only did we see how olive oil is processed now a days but how it was done in the 16th century. We also got to taste the delicious olive oil they obtain from the olives that grow there.

Quality of Experience

What stood out the most was the way they used to do the whole process in the old days. All the vats, the grinders, the containers are still there for us to see how involved the entire method of extracting the olive oil was back then… fascinating!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was young but very knowledgeable so she showed us when olives are ripe to be plucked from the trees, the different olive trees from different countries, the process of extracting the oil from the olives nowadays and back in the day. She let us taste some of their finest olive oils at the end of the tour. She also gave us a gift of two olive oil bottles. Very visitor friendly place!

Transport

A van came to pick us up at our hotel to bring us to the Estate. The lady driver was on time and waited for us at the estate to bring us back. Everything went according to plan.

Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Once again we had a wonderful guide, Andrés, who showed us not only the old part of Seville like the Cathedral and the Giralda but also the Alcázar. The interesting thing about the Alcázar is that it’s decorations have Muslim elements as well as Christian elements and that makes it very unique . Also Andrés told us very intriguing stories about the Catholic king that had it built.

Quality of Experience

This was a magical tour and the quality of the experience unique! We totally recommend it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We really enjoyed Andrés’ tour because he made the palace come alive with the details he told us about the king and the court. No drivers in this tour it was a walking tour.

Tour of the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens

Spain

This was one of the most impressive and iconic places we saw in our Spain trip. We really enjoyed every minute of it! We had seen videos of this palace but there’s nothing like being there in person immersing yourself in the experience with a very knowledgeable guide.

Quality of Experience

Excellent quality of experience! We learned so much about the history of Spain by going on this tour and also learned so much about Muslim culture and art! It’s totally worth it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Laura, was fantastic! Her background was in archeology so she knew a lot about the Alhambra and it’s history. No transpor was needed for this tour.

Transport

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

Madrid

This private guided visit was great! Hector, our guide, was an expert on the history and culture of Madrid. He pointed out several buildings including the famous Royal Palace and showed us places where Madrileños spend their nights having a good time with friends.

Quality of Experience

We wouldn’t have learned so much about Madrid if we didn’t take a private tour like this, with only the guide, my husband and I.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hector our guide was very personable and we engaged in very interesting conversations about not only Madrid but the rest of Spain and other countries. No drivers were necessary on this tour, it was supposed to be a walking tour of the center of Madrid.

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Absolutely loved this attraction! Was here in 1981 and it was so wonderful to see the finished inside of the Basilica! Not to be missed if you’re in Barcelona.

Quality of Experience

The excellence of the work of Gaudí and the history behind it is what makes this an extraordinary experience!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Anne Marie was very knowledgeable and had interesting things to tell us that made it a very special experience!

Transport

We used the Subway to get to the Sagrada Familia and Anne Marie explained how to use the Metro which helped us the next day when we needed to go somewhere else in Barcelona.

Helena was always prompt and made the process easy. She made great suggestions and helped us plan a great trip to the Canaray Islands.

Hotel Review

Iberostar Grand El Mirador

Costa Adeje

We've traveled a lot and this was one of the best places we've ever stayed. Great location. Wonderful, friendly staff. Set up well. No kids. Just the right size. They thought of a lot to help make the stay so comfortable. LOVED IT!

Authenticity & Character

Everywhere you looked this place was lovely

Location

Gorgeous views. Walk to the beach in 2 minutes if you want.

Staff

Very friendly and accomodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Activity Reviews

Day Excursion to the Island of La Gomera

Tenerife

Long day but worth it. Only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because it is long, but that's no ones fault.

Massage in SPA Sensations Iberostar

Tenerife

I wouldn't get massages here again. They weren't great. Not much pressure. Climbed on the table (I always think that is inappropriate).

Quality of Experience

Teide Excursion in Safari Jeeps

Spain

What we got to see what great. Our guide was wonderful. Loved Teide National Park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maryann was our Guide for Food and Wine tour.
Pedro Dias for our Porto City Tour who was both knowledgeable and accommodating.
Pedro for our Douro Valley and Wineries tour and Port Wine Tasting, very funny and nice guy.
Joao who went out of his way to pick us up from Coimbra upon learning we have left Porto the day before via Fatima to take us to Lisbon. Guillermo or Guill was our Amazing Tuk Tuk Lisbon City Tour Guide. Paulo Pires our Guide for the Day Excursion of Sintra, Cascais and Estoril, Very informative Historically of Lisbon and Portugal as a whole.

We had a fantastic time in Spain! Helena did an excellent job collaborating with us to ensure the trip suited our trip preferences, including everything from type of activities to hotel accommodations to pace of travel and beyond. She was highly responsive both during the planning process and the actual trip itself. In particular, we appreciated how flexible she was, especially when real-time challenges came up such as us getting lost and arriving late to several tours or missing our private transfer to certain locations. Her quick thinking and bias for action helped resolve these hiccups quickly, which we really appreciated. We also liked that she gave us sufficient free time throughout the trip to explore in a more unstructured way, and there were plenty of suggestions on fun attractions to visit, restaurants to eat at, and night life to check out that enriched our experience. Overall, we enjoyed collaborating with Helena and would recommend her to anyone looking to travel to Spain!

Our initial introduction to Barcelona was not the best. We were picked up by a driver and a guide, who was pleasant enough, but her English was so poor that none of us really understood anything that she was saying to us, and the driving tour was less than informative because of that. in addition, we were told that she would take us to a restaurant that she recommended to have lunch and she took us to the top floor of the mall which has beautiful views of the city, but the restaurant she took us to was awful. Most of what we ordered was inedible and I would get that off the list immediately .
The hotel, the Petit Palace BoqueriaGarden, was in the perfect location just a block off Las Ramblas and the rooms were small, but very nice. All the rest of the Recommended Restaurants were delicious.
Our guide the next day, Anna, was absolutely fabulous and we all loved the walking tour that she took us on through the Gothic quarter and the Jewish quarter, and then la sagrada Familia. Then she recommended a delicious restaurant for lunch, Las Sorrentinas, we liked so much we considered going back to it the next day.
And the next day we went on the park view tour, and although our guide was very good, we feel like that tour was misrepresented in the description, especially when the teenagers in our group were looking forward to seeing the dungeons in the castle on Monjuic but when we got there, we discovered that the dungeons were no longer being Open to the public so that was a big disappointment. As a result, we could have done without that tour.
And the next day, the car was delivered to our hotel, and although there was a bit of confusion, initially, it all went well, and we headed out of town. We absolutely adored our hotel, the Hotel Diana, and Tossa De Mar, which is a fabulous little Beachside resort.
The following day we had our hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, and even some cliff, jumping experience with our fabulous guide Stepan who really made the whole experience so memorable and fun.
On the way back to Barcelona, the van broke down on the highway and the travel care team was instrumental in getting the van towed and a taxi to pick us up and get us to the airport in time for our flight so that we are very thankful for them. There was some confusion as we were getting mixed results from the care team and the Tow truck company, but we finally figured it all out and it all ended well

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Diana

Tossa de Mar

Perfect location right on the beach and a magnificent building and interior design. boutique style hotel with lovely and accommodating staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petit Palace Boquería Garden

Barcelona

Beautiful hotel in a fabulous location with a lovely staff and lovely gardens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to lots of charming shops and just off La Ramblas

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

Everything about it was just right! Our guide, Stepan, was fabulous, and we recommend it so highly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barcelona Old Town & Sky Views

Barcelona

We probably could have done without this tour. Some of the territory we covered was repetitive, and the castle that we went to visit was not completely opened and therefore misrepresented in the description. we had hoped to see the dungeons, but they are no longer open to the public and that was one of the reasons we booked that tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Anna, our guide was fabulous and knowledgeable and so enthusiastic!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helena was a great help in planning our trip to Spain. It took us awhile to get it together but she really helped in narrowing things down. Our guide Jeanne in Barcelona for the best tapas was fun & knowledgeable. So was the rest of our guides Diana (La Sagrada de Familia), Alex for Monserrat & wine tasting, Carmen in Tarragona, Javi for excursion of hiking & visiting a castle in Madrid and Brad the walking tour of Madrid City and lastly in Valencia our bike tour guide (can’t remember her name but she was amazing). Everyone of guide are amazing!

Helena was an outstanding partner in helping us curate a customized itinerary for our first trip to Spain. It balanced history, culture, excursions and also free time for our families. All the tours and guide trips she picked were extremely professional. Even during the trip she was very hands on and responsive to all our needs. I highly recommend Kimkim!

Activity Review

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helena, did an amazing job creating an active and full vacation based on what my family likes and enjoys. Costa Brava was exactly what we wanted. We did enjoy Barcelona but we really crave the locations off the beaten path. My girls ages 16 and 9 favorite parts of the vacation differed. While my 16 year old thought the kayaking in the Mediterranean was such a unique experience my 9 year old was over the moon about the Flamenco Dancing. Curating a vacation like this takes a special talent. Hotel Aiguablava was truly a special place. Begur was a cool town with lots of fantastic restaurants. Closing out our stay with a sail on Med from Barcelona was the perfect ending to a magical vacation.

Hotel Review

Hotel Aigua Blava

Costa Brava · Girona

A special family friendly boutique hotel with amazing views of the Mediterranean. The breakfast was a great selection. The dinners and way above what I expected. Nice bar and comfortable lounge areas. Stunning views from the rooms on even on the far end of the resort. Wish we could have stayed longer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff did a great job making my 16 year olds birthday special after learning about it at the last minute.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Barcelona Sailboat Experience & Spanish Guitar Concert

Barcelona

The only way to closeout your vacation is to say goodbye from a boat. So much fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Night

Barcelona

This was my daughter’s favorite experience on this trip. Don’t miss this.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sagrada Familia & Park Guell for Kids

Barcelona

Only do this as a private tour. So worth it to skip the line and a fantastic way to learn about the amazing monument.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling in Costa Brava

Spain

Well operated. Wet suits offered to everyone. Absolutely necessary. The water was cold. The snorkeling is not like being in the Caribbean but still a unique experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

A fun unique experience. Very professional and appropriate for my girls ages 16 & 9.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All guides were great! John and I really enjoyed our first guide for the Madrid tour. She was very helpful, spent more than was scheduled, to guide us in not only Madrid, but with tips on places to see in Toledo as well. We wish we tipped her more than we did, but we were unaware of what was acceptable at the time.
Helena was there when we needed assistance.
Our daughter Amber initiated the trip planning and booking with our input as well since we were taking the trip together. She would be to the best person to describe the planning and booking experience.

Hotel Reviews

El Museo Living & Experience Club Apartments

Málaga

Very nice hotel. Location was great, but it was a bit crowded when the pull-out couch is in use, otherwise the rooms worked well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Suites Gran Via 44

Granada

Very nice hotel. It was a bit small for families. It had only the barest amenities such as coffee, etc. It was very nice, and the facilities were fantastic. It was just a bit small if the pull-out bed is in use.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Slow Suites Bellas Artes

Madrid

This hotel room was large, and we appreciated the individual thermostat controls in the bedrooms. The little touches like ice in the freezer and water bottle in the refrigerator as well as coffees, etc. was very nice and helpful. This hotel provided us with a map of Madrid to help us with our adventuring and exploring of the city. The beds were comfortable as well as the dining and living room furniture. The hotel was centrally located and very convenient for touring the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to access the primary tourist attractions.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Málaga Cruise

Málaga

This was a really fun cruise!

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We provided our own transportation, but I would recommend KimKim provide transportation for at least back to the hotel.

Transport

Hiking Excursion in the Andalusia Countryside

Spain

We highly recommend taking this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide provided the transportation. Very good guide and transportation was comfortable.

Flamenco Show

Granada

Great experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens

Spain

Great tour. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and able to supply the history of the areas we were visiting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We provided our own transportation to and from this tour. I recommend providing transportation to all guided tour locations.

Madrid for Kids - Walking Tour with Activities & Snacks

Madrid

This was one of the most informative tours we had during our visit. Our tour guide was fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked the whole way, but it was a nice walk, not too rushed or slow.

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

The was a great tour, not recommended for families with small children, but our grandchildren were not able to make the tour so for the two remaining adults it was fantastic!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We did not get transportation to or from this tour and we got lost and had trouble finding out way back to our room. Transport back to the room would have been helpful. We later learned how to catch taxis/Ubers, but we could not get our phones to work to contact anyone and we had difficulty finding a taxi to flag one down in that neighborhood. This was a bit stressful.

Overall the experience booking with KimKim was excellent. Everything was taken care of from the moment we boarded the plane to the time we got home. We did an 11 day tour from Toronto to Barcelona with return flight from Lisbon to Toronto. We are a family of 4 with 2 boys aged 16 and 18.
1. Barcelona- We were picked up from the airport by private car and transported to our hotel in Barcelona. We stayed at Silken Gran Havana Barcelona. It was in a good location. The hotel was clean. It had breakfast included and small gym which we used. That night we went to the Barcelona Tapas Culinary Experience in a small group. The Tapas tour was fun. We went to 4 restaurants all within walking distance. We were given food and drinks at each restaurant. The food was good and there was plenty of it. We enjoyed the tour.
2. Barcelona - We did a 3 hour bike tour with Born the next day. It was a good amount of time and we saw most of the major sites of the city. Our tour guide had fair knowledge but she was actually from Paris so was not a Barcelona local.
3. Barcelona - We did a private Montserrat visit and hiking tour with Ramon. This was definitely a highlight. Ramon was very knowledgeable. He was a proper tour guide. He had samples of local food for us to try on our hike and he provided much insight on the tour of Monserrat and on the hike.
4. Barcelona -We had a free day in Barcelona. We probably could have skipped this day. We saw most of what we wanted to see on the bike tour. I wish we had more time in Lisbon.
5. Barcelona to Lisbon. We had a private air port transfer from our hotel to Lisbon airport. Felip was very nice. He was the driver. The Lisbon airport is quite small. We were there 3 hours ahead for our flight but they would only check us in 2 hours before since other airlines use the space. The flight was longer than we expected - 2 hours. We were picked up by private car and taken to our hotel Casa Balthazar. We loved this hotel! Very private and secluded. It felt more like a bed and breakfast than a hotel. Breakfast was included. It had a private spa with steam room, sauna, hot tub and cold tub. It was in a great part of town. That night we went on a Tuk Tuk tour. The tour was 4 hours and went over time. I think a 1-2 hour Tuk tuk tour may be nice but 4 hours was too long, especially considering we had flown in the day time. It was also difficult to hear the tour guide with all the traffic and noise. We could have skipped this.
6. Day trip to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril - This was an 8 hour tour in a car. Paulo was the tour guide. Paulo was great and quite knowledgeable. The car was slightly cramped for our family of 4. The tour was also long being 8 hours. Plus we ended up stuck in traffic so it was more like a 10 hour tour. We learned a lot and enjoyed the tour but it was maybe one tour too much since we did not have much free time in Lisbon to explore.
7. Lisbon to Algarve - We picked up a rental car at Europcar. They ended up giving us a van. At first we were not happy because the streets in Lisbon are so narrow we did not know how we would be able to get a van to our hotel. We were able to do it and after we left Lisbon the van was nice to have since it was spacious to travel in. It took us about 2.5 hours to travel to the Algarve. We checked in to our hotel Tivoli Lagos Algarve Resort. Breakfast was included which was nice. The resort was slightly dated and very full of tourists. The hotel had a happy hour and karaoke. Some guests seemed to love it but that is not really what we enjoy. We visited our friends who stayed at a different Tivoli Resort which was in a nearby town. It was beautiful since it was on the water and overlooking the rocks. We would have preferred that hotel over the one we stayed in. It was closer to the Bengali caves. That said, Lagos was a bigger town with more shopping, a marina. and a festival going on. There was also a Mexican restaurant called the Green Leaf at the bottom of the hill near our hotel that we loved! We ate there every day that we were in the Algarve! There was also East Indian cuisine and shopping.
We did the Algarve Sunset Experience. This was a 3 hour tour but didn't need to be. The guide drove us through neighbourhoods in a run down jeep. He talked about the vegetation, trees, figs, almonds and then we watched the sunset. We were supposed to have bread and chorizo but he forgot to get it so we had almond cakes instead. This tour also went over on time. I would skip this tour and simply drive our rented car to the outlook spot if we did it again.
8. Algarve Kayaking Trip to Benagil Cave - This tour was with Secret Algarve and was the highlight of our trip. I would highly recommend this tour. The guides were professional. The sights were beautiful. It is quite busy since there are a lot of tour groups going out to see the caves but we really enjoyed it.
9. Algarve - We had a free day in Algarve. We went to see some of the sights Ponta da Peidade. It was beautiful but very hot. We ended up just strolling the streets for souvenirs and shopping which was nice.
10. Algarve to Lisbon to Toronto - We drove back to Lisbon. Dropped our rental car at the airport and flew back to Toronto.

Overall we truly enjoyed our trip. It was the family trip of a lifetime. If I had to change anything I would do one or two less tours or at least shorten them because I found them too long. The highlights were Monserrat and hiking as well as the kayaking in Bengali caves. But we are a very active family so we enjoyed being outdoors and exploring nature.
Helena was great. She had every thing planned perfectly. But I may have chosen a different hotel in the Algarve and booked shorter tours.

Helena is absolutely fabulous. The trip from beginning to end was perfect. The local guides and drivers were very professional and just a delight. I could not be happier. Thank ou.

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you thank you thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Only YOU Hotel Atocha

Madrid

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alcázar

Seville

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gar Anat Hotel Boutique

Granada

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petit Palace Posada del Peine

Madrid

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The delay at the airport for more than an hour was frustrating. The driver was less than apologetic. His name is Alfredo and he was also the driver that took us to porto. This ride was better and he was on time and courteous

The hotel 1908, our pick, turned out to be a highlight of the week. It and its staff are amazing. Highly recommend. Daniella our food walk tour guide was very very good and her tour was special. She is so passionate for her country. We give her 5 stars! The tuk tuk ride was good and informative. The fado dinner and show was also great the food was excellent and good musicians, we enjoyed the evening. Our day trip to sintra and caiscais with our guide Paulo Pires was amazing. 5 star ⭐️ tour guide and tour. He became our friend and made the tour and day so very special. A highlight of the trip. We then made our way to porto to the exe Almada hotel with a stop in coimbra. Our guide was looking for 4 people and it wasn’t Sarah, instead it was a guy who replaced her. He was ok but not very animated. The tour was a 3 star. Our exe room was good but w a terrible brick wall for a view. We opened our window as the ac didn’t work and the fumes from parking garage below were not tolerable. Would suggest requesting a view. The vintage car tour started out quite confusing for us and our guide Sandra Tavares. We expected to be picked up by someone in the vintage car but it turned our that after half an hour our guide who was asking around for her guests “ the mctavish couple from Hong Kong” was really our guide and she was given the wrong guest info. She then clarified that the tour was a walking tour for an hour n a half fist then followed by the car tour. Once we sorted it out the tour was great. I would recommend the description of the tour be clarified so that the description is clear that we are walking first then the car later….the Douro valley and boat tour w Nelson was 5 star. Our lunch at a private farm was another highlight of the week and Nelson is absolutely top notch. He was very good. It was a special day spent w him that day. Thru out the week most guides were looking for 4 people and co fused. Hope this helps Rob n Fran Crawford

Highlights of our Portugal Adventure:

Helena arranged an amazing itinerary that gave us a taste of Portugal and we'll be back. We appreciated Helena's responsiveness and ideas. She was also great at helping with problem solving when we realized that we couldn't make our connecting flight.

1. Our Douro Valley visit to small family run quinta Maos e Irmaos with personal wine tasting & pairing with owner Rafael followed by wine lunch prepared and served in the family dining room. We really enjoy getting to know the people and the culture so this experience was PERFECT for us. Also we loved our driver Rui Queiroz, who was extremely personable and informative. He gave us a great dinner recommendation in Matosinhos at O Valentim . We were lucky enough to have Rui as our driver to Coimbra as well. We especially loved the stop at the Buçaco Forest and Rui took us to Restaurante Mugasa for piglet which he added on his own since he knew we were big foodies!
2. Day trip to Sintra with our amazing driver/guide Paulo Ferreira Pires...we actually wished we had more time in Sintra. Paulo took us to this really cool small family owned restaurant called Refugio do Ciclista. Again we loved this little hole in the wall family run place where we got to meet the owners. The tour of the Palacio nacional da Pena and gardens were amazing. Afterwards Paulo took us to his wife's restaurant, The Bristol for a welcomed coffee and traditional pastries.
3. Our stay at the Convento do Espinheiro was by far the best of all of the accommodations. We loved wandering around this incredible historic site.
4. Jeep Safari of the cork forest with Joana ....Joana was a wealth of knowledge and we really enjoyed learning about cork. Folowed by the Olive Oil estate tasting with João Rosado...we loved this small family run estate and having a lovely lunch prepared by his wife.

All in all it was an amazing adventure and Helena did a GREAT job. Thank you so much.

Helena was an amazing trip specialist. She provided us with so many options and ideas, and helped us to finalize what we wanted/did not want to do, as well as answer any questions or comments we had. There is no other way to describe our trip other than perfect! The private transfers, hotels, and locations were all perfect for what we needed! I will definitely use KimKim again for our next future trip, as well as continue to recommend to friends and family :) All we had to do was book our flights and make some dinner reservations. Couldn't have been easier! Las casas de juderia was an amazing hotel we stayed at, truly breathtaking. A great way to end our trip.

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

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

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

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

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

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Barcelona 1882

Barcelona

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla

Sevilla

Elegant and fun location.

Authenticity & Character

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

Location

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

Staff

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

Cleanliness & Comfort

No complaints.

Hotel Madinat

Córdoba

Creative and comfortable with excellent staff and breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

originality

Location

Staff

helpful and English-speaking

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aurea Catedral Hotel

Granada

Comfortable, historic, good location, very good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Guide was excellent. Everyone should experience La Sagrada Familia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

An excellent introduction to Sevilla.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Wine Tasting, Tapas & Vermouth

Madrid

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was excellent.

Spanish Cooking Class

Madrid

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

Quality of Experience

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

Madrid

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Madrid

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very knowledgeable.

Transport

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

Insider's Old Madrid Tour

Madrid

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate

Seville

Very interesting and worthwhile.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Private Guided Visit of Córdoba

Córdoba

See my evaluation of guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Medina Azahara Guided Tour at Night

Córdoba

Wasn't at night but was very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Úbeda and Baeza

Granada

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Flamenco Show

Granada

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

Quality of Experience

Tour of the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit of Granada Through Its Scents

Granada

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day trip to Medieval Girona & Dali Museum in Figueras

Barcelona

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-Day Excursion to Montserrat

Barcelona

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas Culinary Experience

Barcelona

Guide was great. Excellent tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Variety of tapas and wines and vermouths.

Guides, Drivers and Staff