Kimkim Trip Reviews for Spain

Karin planned our trip across Northern Spain that we had wanted to do for many years. Although we had some specific places that we wanted to see, Karin was able to recommend several places that we would never have found, and that absolutely delighted us. She hired guides that were knowledgable, friendly and flexible, and twice when an emergency came up for them, another was substituted at the last minute, which was also great! We could never have done that. I recommend Karin, and Espiritu travel with Kimkim

I have an interest in Medieval history and specifically the Knights Templar. Spain's rich history includes the Templars, so it was high on my list of places to visit. Susana and Paula immediately got what I was looking for and put together a great itinerary that allowed me to not just see but experience Medieval Spain and the Templars.

Because of my interests in learning more, it's important that the local guides are knowledgeable about the history and the legends. Each of the local guides Susana arranged was excellent. Not only were each of them very knowledgeable on the history, but personable, flexible and great storytellers. It was like traveling with a good friend rather than a guide I had never met before.

The attention to detail was suburb. The detailed travel book came in handy a number of times. The hotels were great and in the middle of what I was going to be seeing. Susana kept in touch each day to ensure I knew what was happening the next day, plus she happily stepped in a couple of times to solve minor problems, like when I got off at the wrong train station. She immediately called a local taxi company to transport me to the right station and interpreted with the taxi driver.

I would be remiss in not thanking Leo the taxi driver Susana arranged for me in Peniscola. Not only was he an excellent driver, but went into the clinic with me to translate and make sure I got the right COVID test. When I forgot my passport in the hotel, he drove me back to the hotel and back to the clinic.

I know that I'll be returning to Spain as there's much more I want to see and learn about. I will definitely use the great team at KimKim again.

My daughters and I traveled throughout Spain and had a wonderful trip. Patricia was our travel agent and she was great. We never had an issue with transportation or drivers. Our tours were so interesting and we didn’t have any problems because Pati was on top of everything from tickets to needed documentation. She set us up with wonderful tour guides, they were all so knowledgeable and nice!
I especially enjoyed a winery tour in Rhonda and flamenco experience in Seville.
I will be using KimKim again for future trips.

A huge thank you to Patricia and her team. We were a family of 4, trying to put together a trip to multiple locations in Spain, in the middle of the pandemic. Without Patricia this would not have been possible. She made it all super easy, set us up in amazing hotels, arranged personal bespoke experiences and brought her considerable knowledge of the area to bear. In addition she stayed in constant communication throughout the trip, checking in and fine tuning the agenda along the way. We could not be happier with the service we received and wish her and the team all the very best for the future. Would not hesitate to use her again.

WOW - what a trip. Nine family members ranging from 17 to 85 traveling to 5 of the 8 Canary Islands. First off, the itinerary had something for everyone. We felt the process of arranging the trip was very easy, even with us a half a world away in the US. Then Covid hit and we had to push the the trip a year. Gilles was very helpful taking our deposit from a year ago and working with all the Hotels to ensure we didn't lose it. Then once we arrived to the island we were assigned a guide for the week. His name was Eden and he rocked. Eden was tasked with managing everything, from touring, logistics, arranging our meals, and just dealing with 9 type A Americans that all had our own options and needs. I have traveled all over the world, and Eden was by far the best guide (and now I call friend) I have ever had the pleasure meeting or working with. He went above and beyond. He even spent an entire Ferry ride with my 24 year old daughter while she was sea sick. He held ice on her neck and never left her alone! Amazing is just one of many words I would use. Our trip was awesome, Eden ensured that and really cared about everything. If you go (and you should), request Eden - he made our trip a 5 star adventure.

Sam and his crew did a bang up job on our last minute trip. All the accommodations and arrangements were top notch. They even helped us get fast PCR test appointments on the weekend for our onward travel. A great time for our family!

Words can't express our gratitude and sheer joy we experienced using KimKim, but most important part was having Sam Lister aka our guardian angel tailormade our 14 Days of Northern Spain into reality!

Sam put together a trip of lifetime discovering Northern Spain from Santiago de Compostela, Cangas de Onis, Bilbao, LaGuardia and San Sebastian. Every aspect of our trip was planned to perfection to experience each region to the max.

My sister and I had private transport throughout our trip, and had dedicated tour guides in each city to ensure we immerse ourselves with the local cuisine, learn the history behind customs, and enjoy the most beautiful vistas while hiking Pico de Europa or San Sebastian.

Our trip started in Santiago de Compestela where we stayed at Parador de Santiago a five star renovated 15th Century Building right next to Cathedral of Santiago. During our stay we saw a few pilgrims finish there trip. We had a lovely tour guide named Eva who gave us a private walking tour of Santiago. We were also fortunate to be able to see the renovations that had been completed in the entry to Cathedral. Another day we went on a day trip to Ribeira Sacra with a boat ride and winery visit.

On our private transport to Cangas de Onis we stopped at a lovely seaside village Cudillero, and had lunch at Casa Julio where they bring the fish for you to pick what's been caught that day. Food was amazing and the wine divine.

We stayed at Hotel Parador de Cangas de Onis another renovated building that used to be San Pedro de Villanueva Monastery. Our guide Jose Miguel took us to Picos de Europa a majestic view all around, and to enjoy a stroll along the shores. We also visited a cider brewery and enjoyed the lovely village of Cabrales.

Our next stop was Bilbao where our private driver took us to lunch at a lovely coastal village of Castro Urdiales at a restaurant named Asador del Puerto (we recommend ordering the fish of the day). We stayed at Hotel Vincci Consulado de Bilbao, which overlooks the Guggenheim Museum and the river. Our tour guide Susana took us on a private tour of Bilbao, and the most scrumptious Pintxos. Her insight into the city culture, history and hot spots were very insightful, plus we really enjoyed her company and asked her to join our sisters trip! We also visited the Guggenheim, and enjoyed the local stores and antique jewelry shops around the city.

Our next stop was Laguardia which is home to more bodegas then people! We stayed at the renovated historic palace Hospederia De Los Parajes. We were so lucky to be in time for the celebration of San Sebastian. We got to see the local wear their traditional gowns, and be part of the celebration. Also, at midnight they had fireworks show outside the castle fortress. Our local guide Marina was the most amazing person, and expert on local wines. We had a private tours of various vineyards in La Rioja region. We also enjoyed a delicious local meal of lamb chops with great wine to wash it down.

Our final stop was San Sebastian. We stayed at Hotel de Londres which is ideally located right on the beach front of San Sebastian. We had our local guide Iaeaki take us to city center, and old part as well to enjoy best pintxos in town, paired with the best Spanish wines and drinks. We also did a private hiking tour along the Basque coastline looking down Bay of Biscay. Trust me after all the amazing food, wines and drinks we had on our trip we needed the exercise!

Our last night was spent in Madrid at the Gran Hotel Ingles. Great hotel within walking distance to Prado Museum, Buen Retiro Park, and shops. I highly recommend eating at Dis Tinto food is out of the world!

Throughout our entire trip Sam made sure that we had a wonderful experience, and all our travels went without a hitch. Sam even made sure when AA changed their policy for coming back to the USA, he scheduled our COVID-19 test for us. Everything Sam planned was perfection.

It was my first trip out of the US and my bf’s first time to Spain. Sam did an amazing job with all our bookings! He was excellent in picking the best hotels& activities within our budget. He didn’t try to oversell. Our hotels had great views of the cathedrals in the gothic district/Bacelona and sea views in costa brava. The activities arranged really made our experience memorable. Sam was available throughout our trip for any questions. I was impressed with the service during booking and throughout our trip. Sam took almost all the stress out of traveling to a new country for us. We will use kimkim on our next trip!

Every aspect of the trip that Patricia planned for us was flawless. The guides and drivers, particularly Miguel, Daniel, and Inma were so knowledgeable and concerned with our experience and comfort. I have travelled extensively in Europe, individually, as the leader of student groups, and as part of a travel group, and I can say unequivocally that this was the best trip I have taken. I loved meeting Patricia and I especially thank her for her terrific work.

Our trip to Spain, planned by Patricia of Your Trip to Spain, was perfect in every way. Every place we visited was memorable: Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Cordoba, Ronda, Granada and finally Barcelona. All of the hotels we stayed in were centrally located as we requested, just steps away from main attractions. In Madrid, we were so close to the Plaza Mayor. In Seville and Granada, very close to the cathedrals and historic areas. Every driver was on time, and all the guides were exceptional: Carmen in Madrid, Inma in Toledo, Enrique in Seville, Laura in Cordoba, Daniel in Granada, Mar in Barcelona. Special mention of our driver/guide Miguel. We spent two days with him in Seville and our day driving to Granada. He went out of his way to show us a small mountain village and a castle off the beaten track. His suggestions for lunch were perfect, and we really enjoyed his company. We learned so much about Spanish history, art and culture. I give this tour a 5 star rating and highly recommend Patricia.

We had a wonderful trip to Spain. Ramon listened to our interests and created an outstanding itinerary! Ramon checked in with us daily, inquiring about our travel and providing us with the names of our guides and a phone number in case we needed. In Madrid (Pablo), Toledo (Almudena), Cordoba (Joaquin), Sevilla (Elena), and Malaga( Julian) we learned about Spain's rich history from our knowledgable guides with a passion for Spain. Almudena surprised us with a visit to her beautiful home where we were greeted with hot tea and an extravagant table of baked goods and Marzipan. Our tour guides were personable, considerate and accommodating to our needs. Ramon listened and was sensitive to my needs by having our guides provide transportation when the extent of the walking would be too much. Helio, our driver to Malaga , was very kind and professional. The hotel accommodations were luxurious and all in ideal locations with beautiful views. Our room in Cordoba had the original mosaic ceiling. We feel very fortunate to have experienced Spain through the eyes of people who love their country! We loved experiencing the culture, history, and sights of Spain. Some highlights included meandering through the gardens, touching the stone that has withstood time, learning about the religious and Jewish history of Spain, the cooking class, markets, museums in Madrid, listening to a group singing and playing guitar in the street, wandering the narrow streets of Toledo and sampling the tapas, wine, churros with chocolate, and ice cream. An experience of a lifetime that we will always hold dear. A special thank you to Ramon and kudos to kimkim!

It was less than a month away when we finally decided on Andalusia, Spain as the destination for our family trip during Christmas and New Year 2019. Being last minute and high traffic period, I turned to kimkim for help in connecting with our local Spain travel specialist Angela for her expert advice. She was fantastic in helping to reshape our itinerary based on understanding of our hopes and needs as well as logistic challenges of traveling among various cities sometimes during public holidays. Paloma and Samuel were also very helpful during our stay in Seville during new year eve and New Years day. Our best guide by far was Victor in Malaga during our first stop. Malaga also turned out to be our favourite stop as a family which included visits to Frigiliana and Nerja. Such picturesque seaside towns! Returning to Granada/Alhambra was amazing, as well as walking through the major sights and city of Seville. Cordoba was inspiring as a first time visitor but regretfully we didn't have enough time there. Jerez's visit was a breath of fresh air from the monuments with equestrian school and Sherry tasting. Ronda was definitely worth the trip over and Marbella was such a relaxing town to end our amazingly colourful trip. Great introduction to the fascinating richness of culture and history, art and architecture of southern Andalusian Spain for our family. All thanks to Angela and Carameltrail!

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

We had a wonderful experience using KimKim and Laura as or local guide/planner. This was a last minute trip for us and all was planned within a month of the trip. I was very impressed with the organization and support of the planning process and the local providers. We loved our guides...Jose in Madrid, Victor in Seville, Elana in Cordoba and Salome in Toledo. All were knowledgable, energetic, passionate about their cities and a pleasure to spend time with. We also loved our boat cruise on the river in Seville!

This was a visit to various Canary Islands over eight days and it was incredible, thanks to my primary guide, Gilles (& his colleague for two days, Carlos Garcia). It was mostly in Spanish since I speak the language, and it added so much, culturally. Gilles arranged my lodging and land/water transportation. I spent full days immersed in learning as I visited each island via hiking, walks, talks, food, culture, art, geology, history. It’s exactly what I was yearning for and I’m so appreciative that Gilles & Carlos provided me with such richness. Everything was special. I’m sure I will return to visit the islands I missed. Thanks so much!....Linda

My husband and were able to see five of eight Grand Canary Islands in the course of 11 days. Gilles came up with a great itinerary based on our suggestions of things we wanted to see or do on our trip. The first portion of the tour, visiting the Tenerife and Gran Canaria Islands Gilles arranged local guides for us. Both guides, Juan Miguel and 'Paco' had amazing knowledge of the history of each island and we thoroughly enjoyed our time and hikes with both of them! Gilles then accompanied us for the last three islands, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and La Graciosa. Gilles is originally from Belgium but has made Lanzarote his home for 15 years. He has a great passion and love for his adopted home and has amassed a great knowledge of the history and the special features of the islands. Our days were full and some were long, but we enjoyed every minute of the experience. We met so many friendly people along the way and learned so much about the islands and the unique culture, landscapes and cuisines along the journey. We highly recommend Gilles and Grand Canary Islands!

Except for the weather our trip was a wonderful experience and Sam and Rocio had no control over that. The local guides Susanna, Earnesto and Eva were so willing to share their knowledge with us and the time we spent with them enhanced our trip greatly. Thanks also for recommending hotels which were we excellently located. Thanks especially for recommending that we stay in Getaria rather than San Sebastián. We never would have thought it except as stop to visit the Balenciaga Museum.
Based on our experienced with Sam, Rocio and the guided we have already recommended kimkim to a friend planning a trip to Greece.

My husband and I can’t say enough great things about our experience with Your Trip to Spain and working with our local expert Patricia to plan our recent adventure. From start to finish and at every turn along the way, Patricia was the ultimate professional always making herself available throughout our travels and helping create one of the most memorable and enjoyable trips we’ve ever experienced. We are grateful for her expertise and knowledge. And, of course, we look forward to working with her again.

The trip was quite satisfying. Dinner with view of alhambra was most memorable.
Mr. Joseba Villarino gave an out-standing Basque guided drive.
Miranda gave a great evening tour in Seville. She took us to an excellent Flamenco show.
To me the troupe is the best I have seen and I wish I have got their name and see if they have some
commercial video. The Granada Victoria is great; the hotel in Seville in only two & half star.
All in all, Patricia, you have done a good job and we felt well taken care of.

Sam, Rocio and the Tailormade Andalucia team provided an excellent service. They guided us very sensibly in terms of our 3 week itinerary - at the right pace and with a great mix of experiences, including local guides now and then. Our accommodation was of a very high standard... and when things weren't quite perfect they intervened to make sure things were. They were absolutely committed to making sure we had a great trip and nothing was too much trouble. So thanks again Sam and Rocio! We loved Spain and we will be back!