
Karenina Steinbach
In love with the Mediterranean culture! Its history, food, people, and incredible landscapes. Traveling for me means freedom, reflection, and personal growth. I love connecting with people and sharing experiences.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"Spain and Portugal are my favorite places in the whole world. The scenery is just breathtaking. There's nothing you can't do there, so many fun activities to do: Wine and culinary tours, swimming on beautiful beaches, hiking around ancient castles and the list is endless..."
How did you get involved in travel?
"My parents are passionate travelers; they took me and my siblings with them from a very young age. I did many student exchanges in High school and College and I never stopped. I've lived in Brazil, Germany, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Spain, and even Ukraine for 6 months! I feel like traveling keeps me young and curious. I love being mesmerized by a beautiful landscape, trying exotic food, and meeting interesting people who share the same passion for traveling and discovering."
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"Galapagos was definitely an experience I will never forget. To see nature in its most preserved and original form, the animals in their natural habits, and all the history behind it was truly unforgettable. "
Karenina's favorite itineraries and travel advice
Top itineraries and travel advice

Hit the road on an unforgettable adventure across Europe's Iberian Peninsula. It begins in Madrid with city tours followed by visits to the historic cities of Toledo, Granada,...

Discover Spain and Portugal's beauty on this well-balanced 21-day cultural tour. You'll explore world-famous cities' cuisine, history, and architecture, from Barcelona and...

This seven-day adventure is the perfect introduction to Portugal for first-timers. Over a week, you'll explore Lisbon's exciting food and culture scene, take scenic day trips to...
Family itineraries

Portugal is the ideal destination for families, and this week-long adventure offers the perfect mix of sightseeing, relaxation, nature, culture, and history. See the sights in...

Spain is famous for many things, including its beautiful beaches, world-class gastronomy, royal palaces, and ancient cathedrals. Over 10 days, you and the family will discover...

In just one week, you can enjoy the perfect family holiday in Spain by visiting the two most iconic cities in the nation: Madrid and Barcelona. You and your family will enjoy...
Luxury itineraries
Road trip itineraries

Escape to the coast on this gorgeous 10-day exploration that includes ample time in Porto and Lisbon and stops through charming seafaring towns with fantastic beaches, delicious...

This eight-day self-drive itinerary takes you from Málaga to Cádiz through a gorgeous section of Spain's southern coast. Along the route, you'll explore Andalusia's White...

In a little over a week, you can embark on the road trip of a lifetime through Spain. After enjoying a city tour in Madrid, you'll pick up your car and hit the road south to...
Recent trip reviews for Karenina
Our trip to Barcelona was amazing in every wa...
Spain
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Sep 14 - Sep 17, 2023

Our trip to Barcelona was amazing in every way! Our hotel location and accommodation, our transportation and tours were all outstanding. Karenina, our local specialist, was making sure everything went smoothly every step of the way! We did a city tour and Sagrada tour our first day, Pablo, our guide, was very knowledgeable and helpful! Our second day tour was Gaudi’s architecture. Our guide Fernando was terrific. We also did a tour of Monserrat and our guide Adele was wonderful. Will be... read more

Hi Lisa!
Thank you very much for taking the time to write this review. I truly enjoyed working with you, you were always very kind and open when we were planning your trip together. All of your guides said wonderful things about you and Dana, they had a great time with you! I will pass on your kind words to all of them as well. I would love to work with you in the future, you can contact me anytime! All the best to you always! Warm regards, Karenina
Fantastic time in Portugal!
Portugal
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Aug 25 - Sep 2, 2023
My husband and I had a fantastic time in Portugal and I think in large part due to the itinerary planned by Karenina. It was laid out beautifully, balancing between scheduled events/tours private or group and free time. Additionally, each hotel accommodation (4) and car rental process went smoothly. Finally, I loved the responsiveness and periodic check-in. I never had to worry because she provided ample information before our flight literally everything I needed to know from hotel,... read more

Hi Glicelda! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. It makes me really happy to hear you had a wonderful time in Portugal! The pictures look lovely! Are you sure you are not a professional photographer? :) For me, it was a pleasure working with you from day one, you were always very kind and open during the planning process. I will pass on all your kind words to the guides you mentioned. It will be an absolute pleasure to work with you again in the future!! Until next time! Best Karenina
So happy we found KimKim and Karenina as our ...
Spain
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Jun 13 - Jun 28, 2023
So happy we found KimKim and Karenina as our tour specialist. We started with a broad vision and with Karenina's expertise she prepared an amazing 16 day detailed trip plan! We experienced 6 days in Barcelona, 3 days in the Costa Brava Region (the town of Begur), 3 days in Valencia, and 3 days in Madrid. There was a perfect mix of tours, and on our own time. We were able to reach out to Karenina and her team as needed with questions and/or changes. We could not have been happier with the... read more

Hi Mike! Thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! It is a true joy to hear you had a great time in this beautiful country. It has been a true pleasure working with you from the beginning. You are all very kind people and always open to new ideas and adventures. I will pass on your kind words to all of your guides and Hotels. Spain is waiting for you with open arms, I hope you come back soon, it will be a pleasure to work with you again! Warmest regards, Karenina
Booking the trip seemed almost too easy, yet ...
Portugal
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Jun 11 - Jun 17, 2023

Booking the trip seemed almost too easy, yet the itinerary (Azores 6 days)was just about perfect for our family. The best parts were dinner with a host family on our day of arrival and the fabulous guides we had (Ruis, Deni, Diego) who took great care of us and taught us so much about the region. The scenery is spectacular, but they made us appreciate it on a deeper level. Each day was a new adventure, with different activities from the day before, and we enjoyed it all. Also loved our hotel (San Miguel Park), with great views of the city and easy walk to downtown.

Hi Jessica, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! I am thrilled to hear you and your family had such a great time in Portugal. It was my pleasure to organize this experience for all of you. I will pass on your kind word to Ruis, Deni and Diego, they mentioned great things about your family as well. Again, It was a pleasure working with you and I'm very happy to hear you had a great time in beautiful Azores. Warmest regards, Karenina
Bucket list travel - Portugal
Portugal
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Jun 2 - Jun 8, 2023

Amazing and unforgettable time in Portugal!
It was our first time working with KimKim qnd can’t say enough about the experience. From the beginning, we were impressed at the level of responsiveness and the travel “quiz” to help build a memorable trip that was aligned with our level and activity and budget. We hit the jackpot with working with Karenina! She built a picture perfect trip- from beginning to finish. She included amazing excursions that we would have never experienced or known... read more

Hi Susan! Thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! I am thrilled to hear you had a great time in Portugal! You were a joy to work with, you are both lovely travelers, open to adventure, and incredibly kind people. All your guides said the same thing, even your drivers! I had so much fun organizing this experience with you. It will be an absolute pleasure to work with you again in the future! Obrigada for letting us be a small part of your trip. Until next time! Warmest regards, Karenina
Overall a very good trip.
Spain
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Apr 16 - Apr 26, 2023
Overall a very good trip. Hotels were for the most part OK. Rooms were small as they tend to be in Europe. Last hotel in Lisbon was very dated. Tapas trip with guide in Barcelona was great. The one in Madrid was disappointing. Dinner at the host family in Lisbon was outstanding. Sightseeing suggestions were great. Flights, trains and transfers were all very good and on time. Thank you Karenina for setting up our vacation, thoroughly enjoyed. read more

Hi Jan,
Thank you for taking the time to write this review. I will pass on your comments to the hotels you mentioned and also your kind words to Margarida and the other guides. Your feedback is very important to us and we'll use it to improve our offer for future travelers. I'm glad you enjoyed your trip with us! Until next time! Warm regards, Karenina
We had a wonderful experience with Karenina (...
Spain
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Apr 16 - Apr 26, 2023

We had a wonderful experience with Karenina (Kim Kim tours). She gave great suggestions for our free days. And great suggestions for restaurants. Karenina checked in daily to make sure everything was going smoothly and that we were enjoying ourselves. The tasting tours were with great tour guides and we got to taste authentic Spain dishes. In Portugal we are with Margarida and Emilia. Margarida welcomed us into her home and shared a delicious authentic Portuguese meal with us. It was a... read more

Hi Donna, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! I am thrilled to hear you and your friends had such a great time in Spain and Lisbon. It was my pleasure to organize this experience for all of you. I will pass on your kind word to all the team, especially to Margarida. Thank you again for letting us be a small part of your trip and I hope we can work together again in the future :) Warmest regards, Karenina
Six days are not enough for a visit to Portugal
Portugal
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Mar 11 - Mar 18, 2023
Karenina was very helpful and responsive to our various changes, but the biggest takeaway I have is that six days are not enough for a visit to Portugal, with Porto in particular needing at least four days. That was our limitation, not hers, but when we come back, we will allow enough time for a proper visit. In Lisbon, the first day tour was comprehensive but a bit of a forced march to cover everything - we reached our daily step goal on the tour alone. Our guide for the Sintra side trip on... read more

Hi Bill, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! I am thrilled to hear you and Joanne had such a marvelous time in Portugal. It was my pleasure to work with you in creating this experience . I will pass on your kind word to all the team :) I agree with you, 6 days is not enough to see everything Portugal has to offer, I would love to organize another trip for you to this country in the future! Thank you again for letting us be a small part of your trip :) Warmest regards, Karenina
It was a nice trip overall. The tours were gr...
Portugal
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Mar 17 - Mar 21, 2023
It was a nice trip overall. The tours were great and we enjoyed learning about the history of Portugal. The food tour with Ilana was awesome, especially as it catered to my friends taste being vegetarian.
The day trip to Sintra was also good. In hindsight I would probably just do only Sintra and spend the day there.
Karenina was great - she answered all my questions prior to the trip. She also re-arranged things for us when things didnt go according to plan which was really nice of her. read more

Hi Dhakshini, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review. I am happy to hear you and Arshia had such a great time in Lisbon. It was my pleasure to work with you on this trip. I will pass on your kind word to all the team :) I am sorry to hear that your experience at the Hotel Dom Carlos Park was not pleasant, we have worked with this hotel before and always had good feedback. I will let the hotel know about your comments . Warmest regards, Karenina
Karenina organized a great 10 day tour around...
Spain
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Mar 1 - Mar 10, 2023

Karenina organized a great 10 day tour around SW Spain. Of all the places I enjoyed Granada the most. Probably because the guide Marta put in the extra effort for the Tapas tour and the trip to the White Villages in the mountains. read more

Thank you very much for taking the time to write this review! I am so happy to hear you had a great time during your trip. I will pass on your kind words to Marta! I look forward to working with you again in the future!
Warmest regards,
Karenina
Memorable trip but wouldn't use KimKim or Espiritu Travel again
Spain
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Dec 20 - Jan 5, 2023
Planning and booking were just okay. I wouldn't use the service again. There were gaps between communication from Katerina which only became concerning as we were coming up on our travel date and hadn't received documentation. This was the most $ we had ever spent on a vacation and while I see the value of an app combined with some service from Katerina, I would have liked more hand holding. One of the main benefits I was hoping for and that was promoted was having someone local where we were... read more

Hi Suzy, thank you for taking the time to send us your review, it is important to me. I was pleased to read that you had a memorable trip to Spain and Portugal, however I understand that you felt that I fell short in some areas. I would like to address those points if I may.
You mentioned that there were gaps in communication. I have referred back to our conversation in KimKim and I am not clear as to your meaning with gap as I can see that when you wrote to me, I always answered you... read more
Couple's Adventure in Portugal
Portugal
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Nov 6 - Nov 22, 2022

We were first time visitors to Portugal traveling to Porto, Lisbon and Madeira. The guides we had were all educated, knowledgeable and fun to spend the day with. In Porto we had the best day with Renata hiking the national park and visiting a small village that has remained mostly unchanged for hundreds of years. A day we will remember for a long time. In Lisbon we had a magical day with Nuno in Sintra. He surprised us with sweets from his favorite local bakery and also treated us to lunch... read more

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review!
I'm so glad to hear you had a great time overall. I will pass on your kind words to all the guides and hotels you mentioned. I was really surprised to read your comments about the Pestana Hotel in Madeira, this hotel always has quite good reviews and we have never received any negative comments thus far. I have forwarded your comments to the hotel.
Personally, for me, it was a pleasure planning this trip for you and Ellie and I hope we can work together again in the future!
We thoroughly enjoyed the food tour and the g...
Spain
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Oct 4 - Oct 11, 2022
We thoroughly enjoyed the food tour and the guide was great. Same goes for the trip to Toledo and also the hike to Roque Nublo with Paco. He went above and beyond with being flexible and really doing a great tour of practically the whole perimeter of the island! The boat excursion was a little disappointing as I think we expected more from the description and although labeled as a catamaran tour with a bbq lunch, it was more a powerboat with no bbq but more a Spanish omelette/macaroni... read more

Thank you very much, James, for taking the time to write this review! I appreciate all your comments, all your feedback will help us improve. I am pleased to hear you enjoyed your trip to Spain. I will pass your kind words on to all the people you mentioned! I hope to be able to help you plan another trip in the future.
Warmest regards, Karenina