Kimkim Trip Reviews for Spain

We had a wonderful time on our trip. The rental car worked out well and the hotels were all good with great locations (the Palacio de Burgos Hotel was especially nice--amazing breakfast!) We really enjoyed our private guided tours in Burgos and San Sebastian and the Picos de Europa hike was beautiful. Marina was responsive whenever we reached out to her. There was an issue with our flight from San Sebastian to Barcelona that was a bit stressful, but although we had to buy a last minute ticket, we were reimbursed almost immediately. We enjoyed our trip very much and would definitely travel with KimKim again and we will recommend them to our friends.

Our trip to Catalunya was fantastic. Working together with Bea translated into a perfect mix of city culture and relaxing fun on the coast.

We absolutely loved our tapas tour to kick off our first day in Barcelona. It was a PERFECT introduction to the Catalan culture. Another food orientated experience we enjoyed was a cooking class. The experience was special because we were welcomed into the chef's home with a small group. The personal and semi-private atmosphere with other people from around the world was wonderful.

One of the highlights was our private Gaudí Architecture Walk. It. was. fabulous. Our guide was excellent and continuously responded to our interests and needs. We also enjoyed having the flexibility in our schedule to explore. Our lodging was in the thick of the activity on La Rambla, but we also enjoyed taking the public transportation and getting to other parts of Barcelona. We went to the beach and up to Park Gruel, both very "outdoorsy" for an urban location.

Once our trip shifted to the beach, we loved the relaxing vibe of the coast. We were still able to tap into cultural experiences such a Dali's museum and home while kayaking the next day. After a few days in the city, it was a perfect transition for our vacation.

We loved working with Bea and KimKim for our vacation. Providing a downloadable app that held our itinerary and all important links, etc. was impressive. We could easily contact KimKim during our trip and we appreciated this availability.

Monica M.

Hotel Reviews

Alta House Begur

Begur, Girona

Perfect location. The room was meets all your travel needs. The breakfast is very nice as you can take it outside to the pool area. The pool was wonderful because it was so hot. Even though the A/C is fine, it was nice to dip into the pool after a hot day. The lounge on the roof was a wonderful bonus. Wonderful! Everyone was very nice and professional. Note - you can't park there, you need to park in one of the lots outside the city. Not a far walk at all, but good to know.

Authenticity & Character

It was modern and minimalist. It was 100% fine.

Location

On a quiet, quiet street within a minute to the center of the evening activity. Really perfect.

Staff

Very helpful, very professional.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, but the rooms aren't the kind of room you stretch out in and relax. The pool is for that. Or the roof top lounge is for that.

Arc La Rambla

Barcelona

Very professional and helpful. Our room was on the lower end, I believe, so we were in an "inside" room. Whereas this felt like a negative, I will admit the room was very, very quiet. Located on La Rambla, it was impressively quiet. The front desk people were always helpful and polite. We appreciated them a great deal. The breakfast was wonderful. The common room was also helpful to sit and relax and plan your day.

Authenticity & Character

Everything was professional, clean, and to a high standard.

Location

Right. On. La. Rambla.

Staff

Always helpful and in a good mood.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well, the room had a window to an air shaft. Not ideal. But we used the common room to sit and relax in couches, etc. As already mentioned, I believe this room was super quiet and we appreciated that.

Activity Reviews

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

This is the best idea for one of your first nights in Barcelona. It was fun, educational, and culturally enriching. We loved our guide and we loved sharing the experience with a handful of other people from around the world. What fun! Perfect!

Quality of Experience

Interactive, engaging, educational, cultural!

Food

I liked getting to know the tapas that I enjoy and the tapas I would not choose.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was a perfect mix of causal and teacher. Loved her.

Barcelona & Gaudí: An Architecture Walk

Barcelona

An amazing 4 hours. Our guide taught us about Gaudi while we immersed ourselves in the architecture. I liked that we did not go into every house/building. It was not needed. We went into one and that was very thorough and interesting. The guide was excellent at working with us as far as how fast we went or when we needed a break. This experience proved the value of a private tour vs a group tour.

Quality of Experience

Personal and extensive.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was fantastic. She was very good at her job and we were comfortable asking questions or for more/less time at different places.

Flamenco Night

Barcelona

Bravo! What a wonderful experience! It was the most culturally authentic experience of our time in Barcelona. I enjoyed the smaller, more personal theater and the energy of the show. Also, the show is not super long, it is a perfect amount of time to include in an evening. The tapas afterward was excellent in that as you spill out of the theater you don't have to start to figure out where you are going to eat. The transition is perfect. Add it to your itinerary. You won't regret it.

Quality of Experience

Authentic x 1,000

Boquería Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

Fabulous! We enjoyed all 3 parts of this experience. First, a tour of the market. Second, the chef cooked different tapas and explained the food in the different areas of Spain as we ate and drank. Finally, we prepared our meal under her watchful guidance. All 3 parts were engaging, intriguing, and educational. The chef was extremely personable, fun, yet professional. To add to this, the shared small group experience was delightful.

Quality of Experience

It is a great concept and the chef makes in a win.

Food

Come on, a chef prepared it.

Kayaking Excursion

Spain

We enjoyed our kayak excursion very much. Nile, our guide, was terrific. He made the trip personal to our needs and interests. It was also a good amount of time. This is a great activity for a vacation on the coast.

Quality of Experience

We were kayaking in and out of rock caves. What's better than that?

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nile was terrific. We lucked out with this super young guy.

We loved our family trip (parents plus 2 twenty-somethings) to Menorca and Mallorca. Highlights were a 4x4 tour of Menorca, visiting a cheese farm, horseback riding, and our two hikes in Mallorca. Our specialists Marina was a delight to work with and provided lots of great suggestions and extra ideas for us.

Marta was amazing. Not only did she help me plan my Spain trip, but she also jumped in when I asked for help last minute on my Portugal trip. She checked in with me daily, even on the weekends to make sure everything was great. I made a switch during my trip to see Toledo and she offered to pay for my train tickets and helped with ideas of places to see and eat while there.

The attention to detail she sent was amazing. Not only that, but she made sure I had all my documents way in advance. If I did add anything to the itinerary, she would make sure to update my app to show this information for that day and add any documents I needed for the event.

Marta went above and beyond by making dinner reservations, calling my guides the day my taxi took a wrong turn to ask them to hold a few minutes for me before starting the tour.

I had a few stops with a family and she went so far and above the call of a tour guide by translating a medical issue from English to Spanish to help them with the pharmacy to get the care their child needed.

Marta also sent me Spanish and Portuguese words to help me while in each country. She was amazing! Please go through her should you ever travel to these two countries. I can’t say enough about her and the way she made sure I had the best experience.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Barcelona and Costa Brava vacation. We wanted an active vacation and the Barcelona bike tour with Jane was an invigorating and educational highlight as was our kayak tour with Joel in Platja de Llafranc. Everything was organized and easy to follow from Beatriz. We already want to go back and would definitely use Kimkim again!

Hotel Reviews

Alta House Begur

Begur, Girona

Great location and the rooftop bar at sunset is a must! Very clean and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arc La Rambla

Barcelona

Great location to explore all of old Barcelona and our room and bathroom was surprisingly large. Air conditioner was not quite strong enough to keep up with the heat of July.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Guided Visit of Barcelona by Bike

Barcelona

Jane was fantastic and took us to historical buildings to explore that we never would have seen otherwise. Great pace and plenty of stops to rest and learn.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Costa Brava was breathtaking! My kimkim specialist did a great job creating an itinerary that included knowledgeable guides, exciting activities, and stunning scenery! Not to mention, all of the local insights that helped me explore and discover parts of the coast on my own.

The logistics of navigating the Costa Brava without my own vehicle were made easy with private transfers, also arranged by my specialist. All I had to do was to step out of my hotel and be comfortably shuttled to the next activity or destination.

Beyond the itinerary, my kimkim specialist helped out with unavoidable hiccups along the way, making them barely noticeable. The day I had originally planned to go kayaking, the wind was too strong and the tour was canceled. My specialist simply notified me and took care of rearranging my activities and transfers so that I could kayak the next day. It was so nice not to have to think about anything or make any calls or plans myself. I am so grateful that the tour was re-arranged for the following day as it was one of my favorite experiences from the trip! We kayaked in a small group of 7 people (including the guide) who took us in and around hidden coves where we had the opportunity to jump off the rocks and go snorkeling!

The Medieval Villages tour was another highlight of the trip! It was a small group with myself and only 3 other travelers. Our guide Alvaro was great. He was both knowledgeable and engaging. In addition to visiting several medieval villages throughout the day, we also visited a couple of coastal villages and walked along nearby coastal paths which had some of the most spectacular views! We also enjoyed an authentic Spanish meal together along the way.

Another notable tour was the history and monuments tour of Girona with my guide Ona. This was my first time using a guide when touring a city and I was pleased that I did. It was fun listening to Ona explain different local and historical legends. She gave a comprehensive history of the city that did not feel exhausting. On the tour, we also visited the Cathedral of Santa María, the Arab Baths, and the Jewish History Museum. Girona city has such a rich history and I was able to experience the lion's share in just one tour!

The experience I had planning a trip with kimkim was definitely worth it and I was very satisfied with the results! The Costa Brava is gorgeous at every turn! If you haven't visited yet, do!

Activity Reviews

History, Legends & Monuments Walk

Girona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Costa Brava & Medieval Villages Day Trip

Girona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sea Caves Kayaking Tour with Private Transfer

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Game of Thrones Walk in Girona

Girona

Marina was wonderful to work with. She was very responsive to my questions and to my requests.
Everything with my trip went so smoothly, from the transportation, to the guides, drivers, and hotels. I could not have asked for things to have gone better.

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!

Yuri. We have now reached home and I want to thank you for organizing the best trip we have had as a family to Spain. Everything was just right and even though we had the minor change at Granada, you sorted that out immediately and it was all good in the end. :) We will definitely be using Kimkim again and I hope to work with you personally again as well. Once again, thanks a million for a memorable holiday!!!

What began as panic and inability to plan our family vacation in a timely manner, turned into a great blessing. Bea was so helpful and easy to work with, she helped us create a trip to remember! In Portugal, we started with a great tuk tuk tour and then Elsa, who showed us local treats! Our most favorite was touring Sintra with Nuno who was a perfect mix of guide and friend and we had the most wonderful lunch and day of exploring. In Barcelona, Dani was amazing- took us all by surprise with his knowledge and love for the city and sport, Camp Nou was even amazing for our son who cares nothing about soccer! But really, every guide and activity planned were fantastic. On our last day, Nuria was kind and flexible and able to change our tour plan without any sign of concern. We had a wonderful day to Girona and Tossa de Mar. Whatever hiccups occurred were easily solved by Bea and Marta. Our accommodations were great and conveniently located, though having now seen the city, I will opt to stay closer to Gothic area In Barcelona in the future. We had a great mix of activity and downtime with suggestions to fill in the gaps. I have already recommended to friends and will continue for many years to come. Very sincere thanks from our entire family.

Hotel Reviews

Vincci Baixa

Lisbon

Unassuming and lovely. Modern accommodation very well located. Excellent breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Regina

Barcelona

The lobby area especially roomy and beautiful. Rooms are modern and simple. Lovely staff and breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Spain

The whole day was perfect and a real highlight. Beautiful sights and Nuno was wonderful to spend the day with ensuring we got the best of the best!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nuno was incredible

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Gothic Quarter, F.C. Barcelona & Camp Nou Stadium

Barcelona

What an amazing way to better understand the heart and spirit of the city. Even if you are not a soccer fan, seeing the history of this team and it's detriment to the people was beautiful. Truly more than a team.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dani was amazing. My 17 year was stuck to his side the whole time.

Transport

Private Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Lisbon

A schedule misunderstanding changed our restaurant options, but Elsa was great and we had a lovely evening together.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Elsa was fantastic! Lovely and very knowledgeable

Transport

Day Excursion to La Garrotxa & Besalú

Spain

We did not take this trip- instead to Girona and Tossa de Mar. Ultimately we did not want to spend this much time in the car on our last day and right before a 9 hour plane trip the following morning. Recommend for sure, but better to have a free day afterwards.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nuria was lovely and her flexibility was much appreciated!

Transport

Joel put together the most amazing trip through Spain for me and my two teen daughters. We had a healthy mix of sight seeing, local gastronomy, beach time and hiking/biking. We loved the variety of cities we visited and the mix of driving, trains, and flying. Joel was attentive and offered additional suggestions throughout our trip, making it even more special. The local guides we met for walking tours were knowledgeable and flexible to our needs. The cooking class in Barcelona was a favorite for all of us. The detailed itinerary and plan made it easy to navigate and we felt like we saw it all! It made it really easy on us to have Joel helping us at every step, allowing us to focus on enjoying our vacation! We cannot say enough good things about our experience and can't wait to use kimkim again!

Our family had an amazing trip to Spain! It was so well organized and everything went very smoothly. We have never had a travel agent plan a trip and I am so glad we did. It will be hard to travel any other way especially for a long trip in another country. I really felt like I was on vacation as all of the details of planning were taken care of and the itinerary was easily referenced in the app. All of our transportation and transfers were prearranged which was so helpful since we were a party of 5. Our rooms were always very close to one another which was so helpful for our family. We are a family of 7 and have always struggled with getting adjacent rooms. All of our hotels were in great locations to see the cities. The breakfasts were a real help to get us out in the mornings. The guides were really fantastic! I wasn’t sure how it would be to have a guide accompanying us for half a day or more. They were so kind and accommodating and gave us our family time without being overly intrusive yet they were so knowledgeable and really gave us a great tour.
Everything in this trip was just perfect! Having Marta from kimkim available to us by phone was so reassuring. We called a few times with questions and she was always so kind and helpful. This trip will be a highlight of our family’s vacations. Thank you Marta! Thank you Kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cortezo

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk to sites or metro

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acta Splendid

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palacio de Santa Inés

Granada

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petit Palace Marqués Santa Ana

Seville

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Rector

Salamanca

This hotel was the best of our trip. It is beautifully furnished and spacious. The staff went above and beyond to welcome and assist us!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Every member that we encountered was so welcoming and helpful. Really one of the best experiences in a hotel ever!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautifully appointed rooms, wonderful bedding, spacious bathrooms and amazing hospitality! This is a top notch hotel!

Activity Reviews

Private Tapas Experience in Madrid

Madrid

This was a great experience. The guides were friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hector was very knowledgeable and friendly. Great tour!

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Excursion to Roman Tarragona & Sitges

Barcelona

While our guide was wonderful we had asked to go to the beach as well as your Taragona. In retrospect I would have skipped time in the beach. I was surprised that there were no bathrooms or changing stalls. We had to change in the van.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Loved this tour!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hiking Excursion in the Andalusia Countryside

Spain

This was a great get away from the city! Our guide Michael was a true outdoorsman and was knowledgeable and fun. Realize that to get to the mountains there are many winding and corkscrew roads. It was worth it for us as the views and experience on the mountains and in the small white villages was awesome. If you are very sensitive to motion sickness be aware and maybe tell your driver as there may be alternative routes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas & Flamenco Experience

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Teresa had some cards that she brought with the royal lineage that was very helpful!

Guided Visit of Salamanca

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our family of 4 took this trip for 8 days in Southern Spain in mid-June. Patricia was very helpful in planning a trip to our timeline and interests. We ended up spending 3 nights in Seville (with a day trip to Cadiz/Vejer) , one night in Ronda, and then 2 nights in Granada. Between Rhonda and Granda we did a half day of hiking in the Caminito Del Ray gorge. We enjoyed all the stops. It was a good mix of culture, history and recreation. Rhonda and the Caminito Del Ray were especially beautiful areas. Our guides and drivers were all friendly, on time and knowledgable. We especially enjoyed Aldara's tour in Triana area, Maria's tour of Cadiz/Vejer, and Blanca's tour of Alhambra. Hotels were all centrally located, of good quality, and had plenty of food for breakfast. Overall the trip was worth the extra expense in planning and logistics for this special occasion trip (our 25th Wedding Anniversary). Thanks Patricia and KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Catalonia Ronda

Ronda

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Legado Alcázar Hotel

Seville

This was a beautiful hotel within a short walk to the cathedral and the alcazar. The breakfast food was fresh and plentiful. Three courses everyday with a wide selection of breakfast items. We also enjoyed tea in the afternoon. the staff was helpful and attentive at all times.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800

Granada

Authenticity & Character

This was a beautiful hotel with a lot of character. We loved the tea time in the afternoon.

Location

The hotel was in a great location, very shaded area. Easy to walk to everything from our hotel.

Staff

Ivan was quick to help us out whenever we had a question or needed help with our bags.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eurostars Madrid Gran Vía

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

This was a very nice hotel in Madrid. Very modern facility.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private guided biking tour of Seville Old Quarter

Seville

The biking tour in between the tours of the Alcazar and Cathedral was fun. I really enjoyed seeing Spain Square.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cristina was very knowledgeable and pleasant.

Transport

Seville Flamenco & Tapas Experience

Seville

Aldara was great. Loved the character and food from small restaurants that she chose.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Southernmost Spain's beaches, villages and delicacies!

Spain

Quality of Experience

We could see Cadiz and Vejer through our guides eyes. You could tell how proud she was of this part of Apain.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The drivers throughout the entire trip were pleasant and knowledgeable of the area. We never needed to worry about the drivers on the entire trip as they were always where we needed them at the time we needed them.

Transport

The cars were always clean and air conditioned and very comfortable for the rides between cities.

Ronda - Hiking of El Caminito del Rey - Granada

Ronda

We love hiking. We never have hiked on a trail like this. Spectacular scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ian was entertaining throughout with his knowledge of the area. He made the hike fun.

Transport

Private guided tour of the Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens

Granada

Blanca was a wonderful guide. She knew the history of the Alhambra. She made the tour fun and interactive.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great time. The hotels were wonderful and our guides were professional and fun. Luis was very responsive and communicative. The trip was well planned and we loved our trip.

Hotel Reviews

Catalonia Donosti

San Sebastián

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy access to town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Carlton

Bilbao

Excellent location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Áurea Convento Capuchinos by Eurostars Hotel Company

Segovia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Michelin starred restaurant

Spain

Excellent food

Quality of Experience

A bit loud as it is a smaller restaurant; it has two loud parties the night we were there.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

From San Sebastián to Bilbao (or viceversa) along the Basque Coast

Spain

A beautiful trip and the guide was wonderful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Airport transfer (return)

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Time

San Sebastián

Lovely place to just walk around and do people watch

Quality of Experience

Cooking class

Spain

Our Chef took us to the market and helped us cook. Have never cooked Basque food before. It was different and I would do another cooking class again in the future.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hiking the Camino de Santiago Trail

San Sebastián

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rioja Premium Wine Tour

Spain

A bit too much wine for me (not for my husband though). The picnic was lovely.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was wonderful working with Bea. She was thorough and helpful all along the way. I loved the Trip Plans app that we could use for the Spain portion of the trip! So easy and helpful! I loved every single thing we did. We especially loved the organic olive oil farm, the Flamenco dance, and our hotel was fantastic!

Hotel Review

Dear Hotel Madrid

Madrid

Great location. Fabulous customer service. The rooftop bar was amazing. The breakfast was extraordinary!

Tips for future travelers

I can't recommend this hotel highly enough!

Authenticity & Character

The rooftop bar! The breakfast!

Location

It was easy walking distance to everything.

Staff

Excellent customer service all around

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

We had so much fun on the Tapas experience. We went to restaurants that take time to make every item homemade. Our guides were excellent!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Night

Madrid

Loved hearing about the history of Flamenco and also seeing the amazing talented dancers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Madrid

It was a very fun trip and excellent history lesson! The only thing we didn't love was our guide. While he was very nice, he never ever stopped talking about whatever was on his mind.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit a Family Owned Olive Grove & Tasting

Spain

Loved coming to this biodynamic, organic farm and learning about olive growing and doing olive oil tasting. The olive grove owner is very lovely and passionate about what she does. It was so wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of our guides were knowledgeable and accommodating. The guided tours and activities were enlightening and delightful. The arranged transportation and the helpful drivers complemented the excellent itinerary prepared by Patricia. Patricia made sure we thoroughly enjoyed our vacation from start to finish!

Luis worked with us extensively to craft a trip that met our unique needs – in terms of the cities we wanted to visit, the activities & sites we wanted to see, and modes of transportation. He was incredibly responsive throughout the entire planning process, and and while we were in Spain, he called us several times to check in, and was there if we had any questions at all! On the itinerary itself, we certainly were able to have the local experience – both the sites we saw, and the guides that Luis connected us with. A lot of the tours were private which was great, though the group ones were always with a lovely crowd. The quality of the tours / guides sometimes was better than others, and for non-Spanish speakers I think language barrier was a challenge sometimes, but nevertheless we had a great experience on all. One thing to note is that when booking, an itemized price breakdown is not available for hotels, activities, etc – but Luis will work with you to make sure the trip is within your budget. Overall, I would absolutely recommend using Luis and Hidden in Spain for any future travels – his thoughtful touches certainly made for an unforgettable experience!

Hotel Reviews

Barceló Raval

Barcelona

Casa Romana Hotel Boutique

Sevilla

Parador de Ronda

Ronda

Hotel Palacio de Santa Inés

Granada

Hotel Regina

Madrid

Activity Reviews

Half day Gaudi tour (SF & PG)

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Montserrat Tour & Boy's Choir (escolanía) & Light Hike

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Off-the-beaten-path City Tour

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour: Ronda & White villages

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas in Malasaña

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

How lucky we were to find Marina!!! I was not familiar with kimkim prior to this trip but it was a blessing to find and work with Marina. She has a lot of first hand knowledge of both cities and she was patient as we worked through organizing various groups of family members in both places.

Our time in Paris was exceptional. In addition to seeing the usual sites we had a day trip to Versailles and Giverny. The tour guide was wonderful and the driver gave us a nice stress-free ride during a very busy traffic time. Our accommodations were fun and different - the hotel was actually a barge on the Seine River. We would not have found that ourselves.

The bullet train to Barcelona was fantastic - totally the way to go. It was comfortable and a good way to see the countryside. Our accommodations just off Las Ramblas were top notch and the tapas tour for our group of eight was delicious and fun.

Thank you, Marina!! We look forward to many more trips in the future and will look first to kimkim for planning.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

Very comfortable rooms, excellent breakfast and terrific location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel OFF Paris Seine 4*

Paris

Comfortable accommodations and convenient location. It was a fun place to stay and very different from the large impersonal hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Seine Cruise

Paris

Marina suggested taking this tour around sunset, 10 PM when we were there, and I concur. To see the Eiffel Tower lit up a night is fantastic!!!

Private Walking Tour of Paris

Paris

Highly recommend a guided tour of the area surrounding Notre Dame. We learned a lot about the history of Paris and saw parts of the city we would not have seen on our own.

Guided tour of Montmartre

Paris

Terrific tour and wonderful guide. There was a mix-up on the timing and she ended up coming back later in the day. Recommend having a guide for the section of Paris - so much history around the artists and of course the beautiful Sacre Coeur!!

Day Trip to Versailles & Giverny

Paris

Wonderful guide and terrific driver. Perfect day for our group of four. Loved both Giverny - truly a highlight for Monet admirers - and, of course, Versailles is amazing. Many of the fountains were running and the palace was crowded but beautiful. Our guide navigated us through expertly!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

Wonderful three hour tour with four stops. The food was fabulous, the restaurants all had a different ambiance and no one left hungry!!! Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Patricia put together an amazing trip! Everything was literally perfect. Every hotel was amazing, every guide was polite, knowledgeable, and punctual, and every excursion was an awesome experience.

I cannot give a stronger recommendation for her services.

What a trip!

My mother wanted to see the Rolling Stones in Madrid. I stumbled upon kimkim online trying to figure out how many days to spend in Madrid if we decided to go. I was feeling overwhelmed with work and other commitments and did feel like I had time to plan a trip. I looked at the reviews and thought this sounds a little too good to be true. Then I looked at reviews of kimkim overall. I thought I'll fill out this questionnaire and see. Much to my surprise I got an immediate response from Marina.
I appreciated Marina setting up 2 calls prior to the trip to discuss the itinerary and make some slight adjustments. The calls also helped clarify a couple of potential mistakes we might have made with regards to pick up points, trains, etc.
Our driver, Ivan reached out to me before we left the U.S. with details on where he would be in the airport to pick us up. I thought that was very nice.
We arrived at Hotel Oscar and the staff was so friendly and helpful. The hotel room was much larger than we expected. It was clean. The breakfasts were wonderful. It seemed to be in a great location. It was perfect for us.
We did a Tapa's tour the first evening. We had a bit of trouble getting to the meeting location. However, it was our first time in Madrid and in hindsight we should have taken a taxi. We were late, but between Marina and our fabulous guide, Lindsey we caught right up with the group. We had such a fun group. It was the perfect introduction to Madrid. Not only did we enjoy great tapas and drinks we got to visit with other tourists. Lindsey was full of useful information about Madrid. I feel like she really went out of her way to show everyone a good time.
We had the good fortune of being in Madrid the night Real Madrid became the champions!!!
The following day we had a walking tour of Madrid with Geza. Geza was outstanding. He was exceptionally knowledgeable and such a wonderful person. He told us about Saint Isidro, the Patron Saint of Madrid. Since it was a Jubilee Year marking the 400th anniversary of the canonization of the patron saint of Madrid his remains were on display in the Collegiate Church.
He said the lines to see him would be long, but he checked on them anyway. Much to our surprise the line was not bad, and we decided to go into the Cathedral and see him. This was such a treat and the last day he was to be on display. Later we walked upon a breathtaking procession for St. Isidro. It was something special. Geza suggested a restaurant for us that was wonderful at the end of the tour. Later that afternoon we were lucky enough to see The Real Madrid show the winning cup at Plaza Mayor. Geza told us they would be there later in the day. We did not think we would make it back there, but when we got out of Mass we were in the heart of the celebrations. It was very exciting.
The next day was our day trip to Toledo. We fell in love with our guide, Manuel. He was a wealth of information. Having grown up in Toledo he added a personal touch. I am glad we toured the Royal Palace and went to the Prado later in the week because Manuel’s history made those come to life when we went there. We did the zip line which I highly recommend.
We went to an olive grove for an olive oil tasting. Honestly, I expected this to be a small store with them “selling us” superior olive oils. The olive grove excursion could not have been more different. This is a truly authentic experience. Laura is amazing and we certainly have a greater appreciation for good olive oil now.
I sound like a broken record when it comes to our guides, but they were truly incredible.
Unfortunately, we could not make our trip to Segovia. We let Marina know and she invited us to a rooftop bar for a drink for my mother’s birthday. It was a beautiful evening, and we appreciate Marina’s thoughtful gesture. Marina also assisted us in insuring we got the right Covid tests to return to the U.S.
I could continue, but I will never get this posted.
I have recommended kimkim to friends and family. I look forward to returning to Spain and hopefully Portugal using kimkim.

Hotel Review

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

We stayed at Roommate Oscar.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit of Toledo

Spain

We had a wonderful day. Lunch was delicious. The Cathedral is a must if you are anywhere close to Toledo. See my full review for more commentary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Manuel is the best!!!

Transport

Private Tapas Experience in Madrid

Madrid

Fun night out and great start to trip. Enjoyed learning about the different tapas and how to order them.

Quality of Experience

Food

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

Madrid

Geza was a delight! He is extremely intelligent and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit a Family Owned Olive Grove & Tasting

Spain

This is an authentic working olive grove. We found it very interesting. We have a whole new respect for quality olive oil.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport