James Monro

From the moment we started planning our trip James was an amazing resource and guide. He set up a fantastic itinerary that included Barcelona, San Sebastian, Costa Brava and Bilbao. We had amazing guided private tours in each city. Some of the highlights was the Pinchos tour in San Sebastian as well as our Picasso museum tour. The cooking class in Barcelona was very memorable. This was with cook taste Barcelona cooking class and our chef with Rosa. Our Picasso museum tour guide was... read more

From the moment we started planning our trip James was an amazing resource and guide. He set up a fantastic itinerary that included Barcelona, San Sebastian, Costa Brava and Bilbao. We had amazing guided private tours in each city. Some of the highlights was the Pinchos tour in San Sebastian as well as our Picasso museum tour. The cooking class in Barcelona was very memorable. This was with cook taste Barcelona cooking class and our chef with Rosa. Our Picasso museum tour guide was unbelievably fantastic her name was Gilda

Rocio was our in country guide who was always available and made changes as necessary. We ate at some great restaurants hiked kayaked and spent amazing times with the Spanish people.

we loved every hotel we stayed at which included the Almanac in Barcelona, hotel lllondres in San Sebastian and aigua blava in costa brava

Entire team is fantastic and I would highly recommend going with him for your memorable trip to Spain

Hotel Review

Almanac Barcelona

Barcelona

Great staff Amazing pool Virens was awesome Superb location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Cooking Class with a Guided Visit to the Boqueria Market

Barcelona

Ross I was excellent. Very educational and Interactive. We loved the food and the experience

Quality of Experience

B

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

A Pintxos Tour of San Sebastian

San Sebastian

Visiting the culinary capital of the world and taking a guided Pintxo tour was just delicious. Recommend doing this very much visiting and Sebastian

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Half Day Kayak Excursion on the Costa Brava

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

This was the first time I used KimKim. It was an easy and fun experience to plan with James. He was responsive, informative and courteous. When our family (with 16 and 18 year old boys) actually went on the trip, everything ran smoothly (with the exception of one slight delay in a pick up due to a mechanical issue which was quickly solved) and all the tour guides and drivers were excellent. We booked smaller, boutique style hotels which were just what I asked…clean, quiet, and central. ... read more

This was the first time I used KimKim. It was an easy and fun experience to plan with James. He was responsive, informative and courteous. When our family (with 16 and 18 year old boys) actually went on the trip, everything ran smoothly (with the exception of one slight delay in a pick up due to a mechanical issue which was quickly solved) and all the tour guides and drivers were excellent. We booked smaller, boutique style hotels which were just what I asked…clean, quiet, and central. The one in Lisbon especially had fantastic service and a beautiful rooftop terrace overlooking the city. James introduced us to Rocio right before the trip and she was available to assist if we needed. She called to introduce herself at our hotel when we landed in Lisbon and text us during the trip to ask how we were doing. It was a comfort to know we could talk to her if something didn’t go according to plan. Overall, our family of four had a trip we will always remember! We learned so much about the history, food and culture of Portugal and the time spent together as a family was truly precious. Thank you James and Rocio for everything! We would recommend you to everyone who wants to plan a unique and unforgettable trip. Obrigada!

Thank you so much we had a fantastic trip and visited so many beautiful and historic palaces. Everything was so easy thanks to your team. From the collection and transport to the local guides onsite we really enjoyed the trip and it was so much more valuable because of the KimKim team. We learned a lot!! read more

Thank you so much we had a fantastic trip and visited so many beautiful and historic palaces. Everything was so easy thanks to your team. From the collection and transport to the local guides onsite we really enjoyed the trip and it was so much more valuable because of the KimKim team. We learned a lot!!

So impressed! We really loved our trip and the catered attention to detail. We are so grateful. Thank you for a wonderful, well thought out itinerary! read more

So impressed! We really loved our trip and the catered attention to detail. We are so grateful. Thank you for a wonderful, well thought out itinerary!

Hotel arrangements and hotel staff were great. Most tour drivers and vehicles were great. Original vehicle in costa brava was sub par. Vehicle for diner in El Far broke down. Arrangement of Taxi substitute was great. Their taxis and drivers were great. Tour guides were great and very informative. We enjoyed the Prado museum and the archeological museum in Madrid. A tour of Toledo was a highlight of our tour. We enjoyed the beaches of Sanander, San Sabastain, and Costa Brava. We wish you would... read more

Hotel arrangements and hotel staff were great. Most tour drivers and vehicles were great. Original vehicle in costa brava was sub par. Vehicle for diner in El Far broke down. Arrangement of Taxi substitute was great. Their taxis and drivers were great. Tour guides were great and very informative. We enjoyed the Prado museum and the archeological museum in Madrid. A tour of Toledo was a highlight of our tour. We enjoyed the beaches of Sanander, San Sabastain, and Costa Brava. We wish you would have provided more information about how train service to Sanander works. We did not know that there would be a rush to check luggage after platform was announced. We did not know luggage would be checked.

All our local tour guides have made our trip so interesting and unforgettable. Their knowledge and speaking skills have given us a profound memory of Span’s history, culture, and arts! They are excellent tour guides! We really appreciate your arrangements and hotel staff. read more

All our local tour guides have made our trip so interesting and unforgettable. Their knowledge and speaking skills have given us a profound memory of Span’s history, culture, and arts! They are excellent tour guides! We really appreciate your arrangements and hotel staff.

We had so much fun visiting Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid. The guides on the walking tours were excellent and very knowledgeable. We especially liked Josep who took us through the old quarter of Valencia. He made it not only interesting but held our attention. The private cooking class in Valencia was wonderful also. We had an enjoyable evening making authentic paella, a Spanish omelet and a delicious sponge cake. In Madrid, my favorite thing to do was to see the flamenco show. ... read more

We had so much fun visiting Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid. The guides on the walking tours were excellent and very knowledgeable. We especially liked Josep who took us through the old quarter of Valencia. He made it not only interesting but held our attention. The private cooking class in Valencia was wonderful also. We had an enjoyable evening making authentic paella, a Spanish omelet and a delicious sponge cake. In Madrid, my favorite thing to do was to see the flamenco show. It was performed with such passion.
Really the whole trip was great and we really appreciated both James and Rocio for all their assistance in making our trip a reality.

Hotel Review

Gallery

Barcelona

The hotel was very centrally located which made it easy to get around the city. The rooms and public spaces were very nice and very clean. The breakfast had a nice variety and the food was very good. Everyone was very friendly and helpful there.

Authenticity & Character

Nicely decorated

Location

Central location

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Activity Reviews

Paella Cooking Class

Valencia

The cooking class was excellent and very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend taking the lessons with this chef. His personality was very engaging and he was fun and organized in his presentation.

Quality of Experience

Food

Evening Flamenco Show & Dinner Reservation

Madrid

The flamenco dancing was very moving and you could feel the performers passion.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful to watch

Private Tour of Park Güell & Sagrada Família

Barcelona

We learned a lot. The guide was very interesting and explained things very well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Private Tour of Valencia's Old Town - Afternoon to Explore the 'City of Arts & Sciences'

Valencia

It was an excellent tour with a great guide who managed to engage all of us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Private Walking Tour of Madrid & the Prado Museum

Madrid

The tour and the guide were very good. Unfortunately by this time in the trip, I think we were all exhausted and the heat had gotten to us. Any other time it would have been very enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Private Tour of the Gothic Quarter - Light Tapas before Dinner

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

James put together a customized itinerary that was tailored to our interests. He listened carefully to what we were looking for, presented an itinerary, and worked closely with us to tweak it until it was perfect! Our drivers and guides made our vacation stress free and very informative. Most memorable were our cooking class in Barcelona, our “Cultural Triathlon” and flamenco night in Sevilla, hiking the Caminito del Rey, and visiting the Alhambra in Granada. Each hotel was beautiful in... read more

James put together a customized itinerary that was tailored to our interests. He listened carefully to what we were looking for, presented an itinerary, and worked closely with us to tweak it until it was perfect! Our drivers and guides made our vacation stress free and very informative. Most memorable were our cooking class in Barcelona, our “Cultural Triathlon” and flamenco night in Sevilla, hiking the Caminito del Rey, and visiting the Alhambra in Granada. Each hotel was beautiful in its own way. I especially loved our hotels in Sevilla and Granada!
Once we arrived in Spain, James or a member of his team were always available and checked in with us regularly to make sure everything was going well. We really appreciated that!
I would absolutely recommend KimKim and specifically Tailor Made Andalucia if you are planning to travel to Spain!

Hotel Reviews

Gallery

Barcelona

Friendly, helpful front desk staff, large and modern rooms, excellent breakfast buffet! Perfect location for walking to just about everything or using the subway. Yummy gelato place across the street!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hospes Las Casas del Rey de Baeza

Sevilla

Really pretty hotel with beautiful courtyard for breakfast and lovely pool and lounge area! Restaurant onsite with good food. Very relaxing to eat poolside!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800 Granada

Granada

Perfect location for walking around the city. Tucked away from the noise on a small pedestrian street with lots of charm! Very peaceful, beautiful courtyard where afternoon tea and sweets are served… a really nice touch and much appreciated! Nice breakfast buffet as well. No elevator, so ask for help if your room is at the top of the stairs and your bags are heavy!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk staff should offer to have someone carry bags for those whose rooms are on the top floors.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Walk of the Gothic Quarter with Tapas Dinner

Barcelona

If you love history, this is the walk for you! Very informative tour guide! Tapas dinner was fun… we went to 2 places to experience some variety.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

A Cooking Class of Spanish Cuisine

Barcelona

Great experience! Class of 12 included retirees, a family of 6, and 4 others including us. Our chef took us shopping for the ingredients at the big market and gave us a tour of the market which was an unexpected perk. We made many different dishes and then sat at a big table to enjoy the meal. It was a unique experience, one of the highlights of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Cultural Triathlon in Sevilla!

Seville

Our guide, Pilar, was exceptional. She clearly loves her city and loves to share its history and its charms! The horse drawn carriage picked us up at our hotel and took us to the Plaza de Espana. After the ride was finished, we walked to the river where our boat was waiting! The boat took us to Triana, where we learned some of the history, walked through the market, and did some shopping. It was a great trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Day Trip from Ronda to Hike the 'Caminito del Rey' - Ending in Granada

Spain

Very beautiful, cool experience. Perfectly safe.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

I decided to travel to Spain with my college friend and we had some unique requirements, which in turn led us to James.

After chatting with him and understanding his process, we knew we met the right person to guide us and get this trip pulled together, to cover the areas of Spain we wanted to visit.

With patience and knowledge, James created the trip of a lifetime for us.

I just returned, and wanted to share my feedback. If you want to travel to Spain, look no further. James and... read more

I decided to travel to Spain with my college friend and we had some unique requirements, which in turn led us to James.

After chatting with him and understanding his process, we knew we met the right person to guide us and get this trip pulled together, to cover the areas of Spain we wanted to visit.

With patience and knowledge, James created the trip of a lifetime for us.

I just returned, and wanted to share my feedback. If you want to travel to Spain, look no further. James and his team were phenomenal!

The itinerary was perfect, the details were executed with perfection and we were cared for from the minute we landed to the minute we departed. We will have lasting memories of an incredible week.

Thumbs up 👍🏻 All the way!!

This was our first time using KimKim, as we usually plan our own vacations. We were visiting Barcelona and the Costa Brava for our 25th wedding anniversary and didn't want to worry about logistics. This was so perfect because everything was taken care of, yet we were able to personalize our trip to fit our preferences. Our trip was 10 days total, and we wanted to do a few days cycling. James was great! He made some great recommendations based on an itinerary we said we liked and the types of... read more

This was our first time using KimKim, as we usually plan our own vacations. We were visiting Barcelona and the Costa Brava for our 25th wedding anniversary and didn't want to worry about logistics. This was so perfect because everything was taken care of, yet we were able to personalize our trip to fit our preferences. Our trip was 10 days total, and we wanted to do a few days cycling. James was great! He made some great recommendations based on an itinerary we said we liked and the types of things we enjoy. He went out of his way to find the perfect 3 day cycling tour for us. Communication was excellent beforehand and with Chaima while we were there.
We enjoyed our 3 days in Barcelona so much. Our tour guide, Maribel, for Parc Guell and Sagrada Familia was excellent! It was so much more enjoyable having a guide to explain the history and symbolism of those two landmarks. Germania was our guide for our bike tour of the city, which took us to Barceloneta Beach, and she was also excellent. Olga was great for our tour of the Gothic Quarter and tapas. We had plenty of time to explore on our own, so we think James did a great job balancing planned activities with general free time. The Gallery Hotel was very nice and had a fantastic rooftop deck. We were there for the biggest celebration of the year - the Feast of St. Joan (first day of summer, June 24) which was a surprise and very exciting.
Our cycling tour was through Cycle Catalan and Mark and Shelly were SO great to work with. We really connected with them. The bikes were top notch, and we used an app to navigate the routes. The routes were excellent as well as the accommodations in Torroella de Montgri and Palamos. Both places were lovely and the hotel dining was also amazing.
Our last few days were spent in Cadaques, including a sailing trip out of Empuriabrava, which was so fun! Our captain was Josep and Marina was his assistant. It was a really fun trip snorkeling and getting to help with the sails while learning a little more about the area.
All in all, our vacation was fabulous with no hitches (even the weather was perfect!) We loved it so much we considered moving there! I would highly recommend KimKim and Tailormade Andalucia for your Spain travel!

This was an excellent trip from start to finish. James was instrumental in giving us choices for our time in Portugal and easily amended the trip when we added side adventures to the original itinerary.
Hotels were beautiful with friendly staff, comfortable rooms and wonderful morning breakfasts. The restaurants that we chose for each of the three main cities had excellent cuisine, great service and atmosphere. And, of course, first-rate Portuguese wines!
Our guides and drivers on this... read more

This was an excellent trip from start to finish. James was instrumental in giving us choices for our time in Portugal and easily amended the trip when we added side adventures to the original itinerary.
Hotels were beautiful with friendly staff, comfortable rooms and wonderful morning breakfasts. The restaurants that we chose for each of the three main cities had excellent cuisine, great service and atmosphere. And, of course, first-rate Portuguese wines!
Our guides and drivers on this trip were very knowledgable and friendly. Even entertaining! They love showing off their incredible country.
We had a bit of a problem at the end of the trip, but James' team came to the rescue and all was resolved in short order.
All in all, a fantastic trip, well-designed and gave us a great taste of Portugal. We'll have many pleasant memories for years to come.

My husband and I can’t say enough wonderful things about our KimKim experience in the south of Spain. From the planning stages with James who helped us create a personalized, exciting adventure, to the moment we were picked up by our driver Pepe in Malaga our Kim Kim experience far exceeded our expectations! We loved all our guides; Paco in Granada, Julian in Malaga, Juan in Ronda, Carlos on our day trip from Ronda to Seville, and Ana in Seville. Our favourite tours were when we had meals... read more

My husband and I can’t say enough wonderful things about our KimKim experience in the south of Spain. From the planning stages with James who helped us create a personalized, exciting adventure, to the moment we were picked up by our driver Pepe in Malaga our Kim Kim experience far exceeded our expectations! We loved all our guides; Paco in Granada, Julian in Malaga, Juan in Ronda, Carlos on our day trip from Ronda to Seville, and Ana in Seville. Our favourite tours were when we had meals with our guides, Julian, Carlos and Ana. It was such a fun and enriching experience for us to learn the history and wonders of southern Spain through the eyes of our local and very knowledgeable guides. Thank you for helping us make memories we will cherish. Diane and Stephen.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Gravina 51

Sevilla

This was one of our favourite hotels on our Southern Spain trip. We loved the quiet location but within easy walking distance to all the important city sites. The decor was beautiful, the staff so helpful and friendly, the rooms were gorgeous and the welcoming bottle of cava a sparkling surprise, and the breakfast was absolutely the best we had on our trip!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palacio de Santa Paula, Autograph Collection

Granada

This was a wonderful hotel close to city Center and walking distance to a large selection of restaurants and shops.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel had a modern exterior but well preserved interior. We were in a room with a view of the courtyard which was a converted convent. Our room had an original wood ceiling that had high slopes that made the spacious room feel bigger.

Location

Staff

The check in staff and the wait staff at breakfast were all friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed was comfortable and room clean. The only thing I did not like was the strong scents the hotel used to perfume the.lobby. I found it very overpowering.

Catalonia Ronda

Ronda

This hotel was in a fabulous location over looking the bull ring and valley in the beautiful town of Ronda. The room was spacious and updated decor lovely. The staff friendly and breakfast good. The one thing I did not like about this hotel was the cleanliness of the floor in the bathroom. It was noticeably dirty and when I wiped it with a white washcloth the cloth was black with dirt. I asked the front desk to clean the floor but don’t think they did as the floor remained dirty. For me this was a real turn off! I was grateful they provided slippers as I would not want to walk on the floor in bare feet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathroom floor was dirty!!!

Activity Reviews

Private Guided Tour of the Malaga & the Picasso Museum with Light Tapas

Spain

The transfer from Granada to Malaga then Ronda was in a lovely Mercedes van. Our walk around Malaga which included a detailed tour of the Piccaso museum with Julian and our tapa lunch was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Private Tour of the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens

Granada

Our tour of Alhambra couldn’t have been more enjoyable or interesting. Our Guide Paco was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Granada and the architectural style of Alhambra. At the end of the tour he also recommended one of our favourite restaurants for lunch.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Visit La Pileta Cave and a Local Winery in Ronda with a Special Lunch! (with Driver)

Ronda

Our driver was great, he was on time and the vehicle was clean and very comfortable. The experience of going into a cave with 40,000+ year old drawings was one of the highlights of our trip! The private lunch at the organic vineyard of Vertas with the personal tour and explanation of their wine making gave us a much better understanding of just how complicated and delicate this process is and the lunch and wines were delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Private Tour of Ronda

Ronda

Juan was a wonderful guide to explore Ronda with. Ronda is such an ancient and well preserved city high on a gorge with the most beautiful views. We particularly loved touring the hamman and the oldest bull ring in Spain!

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Day Trip to the White Villages and Sierra de Grazalema

Spain

Our guide Carlos and our driver made this day special. We first visited the cork forest where we learned all about how to make corks for wine, we then had walking tours of two white towns, a olive oil tasting and a fantastic lunch before being dropped of in Seville. Thank you for the fantastic day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Private Flamenco & Tapas Tour

Seville

Ana made our evening in Seville magical! Her choices of Flamenco venue and the two tapas bars were authentic and fun. It was a pleasure spending time with you Ana.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Complete Tour of Seville! On Segway and on foot

Seville

Wow, what a great day we had in Seville. We first did a walking tour of the old city center with Ana and then a Segway tour of the gardens, exposition grounds and La Taberna area with Miguel. Both guides were so friendly and fun to spend time with learning about this beautiful city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

James and the team at KimKim were absolutely spectacular in putting together a family vacation for us to Spain and Portugal. James listened to our goals for the trip and planned out an exceptional itinerary that fit every need from transportation every step of the way, to fantastic hotel selections, both in quality and location, to perfect excursions each day. He found a perfect balance of finding the right experiences for us at every stop while not trying to cram so much in that we felt... read more

James and the team at KimKim were absolutely spectacular in putting together a family vacation for us to Spain and Portugal. James listened to our goals for the trip and planned out an exceptional itinerary that fit every need from transportation every step of the way, to fantastic hotel selections, both in quality and location, to perfect excursions each day. He found a perfect balance of finding the right experiences for us at every stop while not trying to cram so much in that we felt rushed. In Barcelona, we had a fantastic bike tour with Olga, walking tour with Eli and amazing private cooking class with Rosa. Each representative was exceptional. Victor gave us a wonderful hiking tour around Palamos on the Costa Brava and Margeurida and Peter were awesome in showing us the beauty and history of Lisbon. If we could give more than 5 stars for the trip coordination, we would. My best recommendation would be we would use this team 100% again in the future. Thank you!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Aiguablava

Costa Brava · Girona

This hotel location was amazing, right on the water and cliffs of Fornells just outside the town of Begur. The views were incredible as was the service of the staff. The rooms and everything about the hotel were spot on. We would stay there again every time. My only very minor nitpick is the need for some type of casual dining. We had dinner there one evening and it was great, like a high end restaurant. But on other days after a busy day exploring the area, unless you have a car or take a taxi into Begur, you need to have a fine dining experience on site. Again, very minor and overall this hotel is awesome.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

A perfect balance of a nice hotel well situated in Lisbon but affordable and not over the top 5 star where you feel you want to stay there to enjoy all the amenities vs. explore Lisbon. The staff was very helpful, suggesting restaurants and helping us access and print all our Covid test results so we could get back to the U.S.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Madison

Barcelona

James at KimKim booked us at the Madison and it was perfect for our needs. The location was fantastic, just a block from the Gothic historic district and easy walking to all the sites and restaurants. The staff was very gracious, warm and helpful and all spoke very good English which made it easy on us. We would stay there again in a heartbeat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Bike Tour of Barcelona

Barcelona

Olga welcomed us to Barcelona with our first experience in Spain. She gave a great tour, was very knowledgeable, incredibly friendly and spoke great English. It was a perfect way to begin our immersion into the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Olga was tremendous. Ask for her.

Transport

Private Tour of Park Güell & Sagrada Família

Barcelona

Eli (Elisabeth) was great to be with, giving us an in-depth tour into 2 of Barcelona's most famous landmarks, the Park Guell and Sagrada Familia. Both were amazing and Eli is an encyclopedia of knowledge of the sites. Even in times of stress when we couldn't find taxis to the sites (due to a Formula One race being in town), Eli ran all over to get transportation and make our trip a memorable one.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Ask for Eli, she's super.

Transport

A Cooking Class of Spanish Cuisine

Barcelona

After 2 days of seeing Barcelona, it was a ton of fun to relax for a few hours in a private cooking class with Rosa. She was tremendous, highly engaging, obviously incredibly knowledgeable about cooking, and it would be hard to not think she was an American, her English is flawless which made communication excellent. She found the right balance of getting everyone involved to their level of experience and interest and was a treat to be with for 4 hours. A big hit on our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

We picked the menu but the food was so unique and different. A ton of fun.

Guides, drivers and staff

If you can arrange for a private cooking class with Rosa, make it happen. Well worth it.

Transport

Experience Lisbon Walking Tour

Lisbon

Marguerida led us on a half day walking, eating tour of Lisbon and it was a lot of fun. It was our first experience in Lisbon so it was fun to begin to get a little immersion into the area. She did a great job of showing us around despite being rushed by our need to squeeze in Covid tests to be able to return to the U.S. Marguerida is studying tourism in college and will do great in the field. Very personable and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Lisbon Riverside Bike Tour

Lisbon

If you want a great history lesson of Portugal while taking in the sites of the riverfront area of Lisbon, take a bike tour with Peter. He's exceptional, gave us a great tour, is very outgoing and knows EVERYTHING about Portugal. All from someone who was born in England from Portugese parents and has returned to his family's homeland to teach others about the country. It was a fantastic day and great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Make sure to ask for Peter and get ready to learn things about Portugal you never knew.

Transport

Our recent family trip to Madrid and Northern Spain was my husband and daughter's first visit to the country, although I had been several times before. Despite this difficult-to-please audience—veteran Spanish traveller mixed with newbies, not to mention the short attention span of a 9 year old—James planned a wonderful trip to Madrid, Oviedo, Santander and Bilbao, complete with personalized walking and museum tours, a car for flexibility, and comfortable hotels. He was very receptive to my... read more

Our recent family trip to Madrid and Northern Spain was my husband and daughter's first visit to the country, although I had been several times before. Despite this difficult-to-please audience—veteran Spanish traveller mixed with newbies, not to mention the short attention span of a 9 year old—James planned a wonderful trip to Madrid, Oviedo, Santander and Bilbao, complete with personalized walking and museum tours, a car for flexibility, and comfortable hotels. He was very receptive to my feedback along the way and organized just the right balance of free time to planned activities, and each of the walking tours planned was engaging. Highlights included a tour of Madrid's markets and tapas with Melinda (she was accommodating of our slower speed due to jet lag and connected well with our daughter); a private walking tour of the city and the Prado with Cristina (who tailored the activity to exclude sites we'd already visited and opened our eyes even to secrets of familiar Prado masterpieces); and an architecture- and art-focused walking tour of Bilbao with Esther (who was patient enough to allow for playground and snack stops).

The only activity that I would offer feedback on would be the tuk tuk tour in Madrid, which could have been more impactful (and less grueling than a walking tour!) if it was scheduled as an initiation to the city, the day we arrived/after an overnight flight.

We also appreciated having the help of Rocio while in Spain as our in-country concierge whenever we had questions during the trip.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Spain trip, have recommended Kimkim to our family and friends, and we're already thinking about the next trip they can help us plan!

Hotel Reviews

Iberostar Las Letras Gran Via

Madrid

This artsy hotel is very comfortable, has good breakfast included, and offers very helpful desk staff. Also very centrally-located.

Authenticity & Character

The literature quotes on the walls

Location

Gran Via, right in the middle of the city

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Princesa Munia Hotel & Spa

Oviedo, Asturias

We received a smoking room, despite being non-smokers, and our clothes smelled of stale smoke for days after. Breakfast buffet was good though.

Hotel Miró

Bilbao

Centrally located near the Guggenheim, welcoming and helpful staff, and great breakfast options.

Authenticity & Character

We didn't make use of them, but they even had bikes & helmets available for use.

Location

Across from the Guggenheim

Staff

The concierge recommended a great pintxos bar and drew us a map.

Cleanliness & Comfort

They even offered kid-sized slippers and a robe for our daughter

Eurostars Hotel Real

Santander

We only stayed for a night; the room temperature was hard to control and the minibar options were lacking, though the breakfast buffet was impressive.

Tips for future travelers

Probably not the best fit for families with kids.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right near the beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Walking Tour of Madrid & the Prado Museum

Madrid

Cristina tailored her walking tour to accommodate (and omit) the sites we'd already seen. She offered countless historical facts and trivia, and opened our eyes to even familiar works of art at the Prado.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Cristina is a fluent english speaker and offered a wealth of historical knowledge

Transport

She included a short cab ride so we could have more time at the Prado

Working with James over the past two years (thanks to Covid!) was wonderful! He worked with us to plan a trip for our 8th wedding anniversary to Begur and Barcelona in May 2020, which we ended up postponing for two years, and turned into a 10th wedding anniversary trip! The accommodations he recommended and activities planned were perfect for what we like to do when we travel. We particularly enjoyed our time with Olga in Barcelona - she spoke perfect English, was entertaining and... read more

Working with James over the past two years (thanks to Covid!) was wonderful! He worked with us to plan a trip for our 8th wedding anniversary to Begur and Barcelona in May 2020, which we ended up postponing for two years, and turned into a 10th wedding anniversary trip! The accommodations he recommended and activities planned were perfect for what we like to do when we travel. We particularly enjoyed our time with Olga in Barcelona - she spoke perfect English, was entertaining and knowledgeable, and was very personable. Thank you, James, for a wonderful trip!

To the KimKim Team and James at Tailormade:

I have lost my survey email somehow but I cannot pass up the opportunity to tell you what a fantastic job James and Susanna did at the Tailormade Andalusia Team!

The customized itinerary was amazing, the accommodations perfect, the attention to detail unsurpassed, and the personal interaction and touches so perfect (and appreciated!). The drivers and tour guides were fun, interesting, well informed, and compensated for our lack of Spanish... read more

To the KimKim Team and James at Tailormade:

I have lost my survey email somehow but I cannot pass up the opportunity to tell you what a fantastic job James and Susanna did at the Tailormade Andalusia Team!

The customized itinerary was amazing, the accommodations perfect, the attention to detail unsurpassed, and the personal interaction and touches so perfect (and appreciated!). The drivers and tour guides were fun, interesting, well informed, and compensated for our lack of Spanish language with their English skills! With your assistance we discovered the friendly, historic, proud culture of Spain. Everyone made us feel like royalty!

What a great way to explore Spain! Thank you to everyone for making our trip so special. We would not hesitate to call you all again!

James and Rocio were always on top of everything. Tour was well thought out and we had a great time. Andalusia Region is so beautiful, we will be back for sure.
Local hotels and guides were also amazing, we couldn't ask for more.

Highly recommend this trip and also its crew.

Palomares Family

I can't speak highly enough of my 9 day Spanish experience. From the drivers, the hotel service and Rocio, who made time to check in how my trip was going.

My tour guide Delia in Sevilla was great company and her knowledge was fantastic. She really made me feel welcomed. I can't recommend her enough. Kudos to La Azotea on Calle Zaragoza, some great tapas!

Both Madrid and Barcelona were great urban escapes. My tour guide Sandra in Barcelona was an absolute joy. She was quite taken back by... read more

I can't speak highly enough of my 9 day Spanish experience. From the drivers, the hotel service and Rocio, who made time to check in how my trip was going.

My tour guide Delia in Sevilla was great company and her knowledge was fantastic. She really made me feel welcomed. I can't recommend her enough. Kudos to La Azotea on Calle Zaragoza, some great tapas!

Both Madrid and Barcelona were great urban escapes. My tour guide Sandra in Barcelona was an absolute joy. She was quite taken back by young I was compared to her usual tourists but this worked in my favour as I was taken off the beaten track! Like Delia, I can't recommend her enough.

Overall, the tour was top notch. Special thanks to James who really crafted a great itinerary. His correspondence was of the highest order. Cheers for taking the pressure of planning off my shoulders!

Amazing trip! This is my second trip with Kimkim and I am already planning for the next one. My daughter and I were treated like VIPs! Every detail was anticipated and handled. Every guide ( Miguel Angel, Estephania and Christina) were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. Every driver, whether for a short ride or a day long assignment, was amazing. I can't thank David, our driver for Malaga, for how wonderful, punctual, knowledgeable and friendly he treated us all day. Please don't change anything about your services.

Loved Gallery Hotel. Tremendous value!

Marie was great but is a sommelier and should be touring the city and its wine bars in her element, not tapas.

Loved our sail!

Andrew and the Priorat region were absolutely amazing. One of our best days ever!!! The meal in the village was best meal of the trip!

Craig challenged us on the hike and it was a great day. Also gave us tremendous insight into Spanish art. Meal was disappointing but the service there was great as was the view.

Overall, great trip and thanks for taking the planning research off our shoulders!

Kim Kim was my first experience using a travel agency. I am so glad we did! James was patient with me from the start. Kindly answering all of my questions and waiting for my husband to get on board! He sent over a great itinerary and worked with me when I found out I had the dates wrong as well :)
The itinerary was exactly what we asked for, some action, some down time and very family friendly as we traveled with our six year old.
I’m not sure what I was expecting upon arrival, but James and... read more

Kim Kim was my first experience using a travel agency. I am so glad we did! James was patient with me from the start. Kindly answering all of my questions and waiting for my husband to get on board! He sent over a great itinerary and worked with me when I found out I had the dates wrong as well :)
The itinerary was exactly what we asked for, some action, some down time and very family friendly as we traveled with our six year old.
I’m not sure what I was expecting upon arrival, but James and the Kim Kim team far exceeded my expectations. Upon arrival to our first hotel we received a package with what we referred to as our “vacation bible” . It’s was beautifully packaged with fans and a leather wallet. Our first tour was an artisans tour with Julia who was super sweet and filled us in on the history of Madrid.
Kim Kim also arranged a day trip to Toledo. Our Toledo guide Enrique was genuine, hilarious and looked like Adam Sandler! He has lived there his entire life and was such a knowledgable and passionate guide! It was my favorite tour!
My favorite experience was Granada. The city is magical as well as the hotel and Alhambra. Our guide, Paco showed us a great time. If I had to choose another city to live in, it would be Granada!
Our train trips, tours, rental cars, hotels were all set up by the Kim Kim team! Did I mention we had a Spanish liaison Rocio who went out of her way to check in with us at every stop to make sure we were enjoying ourselves!
We couldn’t have asked for a better vacation and it definitely wouldn't have been so smooth and easy without Kim Kim! We are already ready to start planning our 2020 trip and will absolutely use this service again!
Thank you James, Rocio and the Kim Kim Team

We had a great time, overall the experience exceeded our expectation.
James was very professional throughout the preliminary and delivered a perfect package for us.
Thank you KimKim team!

Our trip was to Barcelona and the Coasta Brava (staying in Calella de Palafrugell).
James planned a great itinerary for us! He asked the right questions to learn what we would enjoy and made great suggestions. Our favorite parts of the trip were things that we wouldn’t have done without his help in planning. (The more forgettable parts were the “must dos” that I found on lists and asked him to include!). In fact, it was James who suggested visiting the Coasta Brava and it was the perfect... read more

Our trip was to Barcelona and the Coasta Brava (staying in Calella de Palafrugell).
James planned a great itinerary for us! He asked the right questions to learn what we would enjoy and made great suggestions. Our favorite parts of the trip were things that we wouldn’t have done without his help in planning. (The more forgettable parts were the “must dos” that I found on lists and asked him to include!). In fact, it was James who suggested visiting the Coasta Brava and it was the perfect suggestion: we saw medieval towns, a vineyard that juxtaposed the old and new worlds (12th and 21st centuries), the world of Salvadore Dali, and the gorgeous coast.
We had great tour guides throughout (Gracia, Ariadna, Craig, Laia, Jose Luis, and Olga). They were all punctual and personable. They cared about our comfort (bringing water, etc.) and were willing to adjust the tours to our preferences. We loved having time to really talk to each guide and learn about the culture and people as well as the history. When we had meals included in our day, the restaurants selected were perfect: authentic, local, friendly, tasty.
Everything was seamless. Our transportation was arranged, tickets ready, etc. When there was a small error on our first day, James and our local assistant, Rocio, took care of it calmly and easily; they even apologized with a thoughtful surprise in our room despite the error not being theirs. Bad weather also required us to change plans as the last minute. After speaking with us, Rocio put together an itinerary that was better than we could have imagined! It turned out to be a highlight rather than a disappointment.
We got more out of our days by having guides. We had never done a vacation with private guides before and were pleasantly surprised by the small extras we enjoyed (learning to make tomato bread and tinto de verano at lunch (Jose Luis), eating fruit from the tree and fresh cheese from the cheese maker during a bike tour (Olga)).
This was easily one of the best, if not the best, vacation we’ve had. I’m so glad I took the gamble to work with kimkim and TailormadeAndalucia. I look forward to doing so again! Thanks, James and Rocio!

It was a delight working with James on my family's recent trip to Andalucia. He was very helpful in guiding us through our options for traveling in the area. His knowledge and expertise of our travel options, as well as his flexibility and helpfulness in adjusting our itinerary to meet my family's specific needs, were essential in ensuring that we had the best experience possible. Our trip also included some slightly more challenging travel that involved the very busy (while delightfully... read more

It was a delight working with James on my family's recent trip to Andalucia. He was very helpful in guiding us through our options for traveling in the area. His knowledge and expertise of our travel options, as well as his flexibility and helpfulness in adjusting our itinerary to meet my family's specific needs, were essential in ensuring that we had the best experience possible. Our trip also included some slightly more challenging travel that involved the very busy (while delightfully fascinating) Santa Semana week in Seville, with young kids in tow, which James helped us navigate through.

On our arrival, the Tailormade Andalucia team made us feel thoroughly welcomed and made themselves available to our needs. Communication was prompt and effective, and all the right expectations were set for each step of the journey. James did a great job setting up our travel logistics, and everything has gone smoothly.

I would strongly recommend James and the Tailormade Andalucia team for your future trip to Andalucia.