Kimkim Trip Reviews for Spain

Prado museum in Madrid (Stephanie was excellent guide); Tapas tour in Madrid (Augustine was great guide). Tour of Toledo (super guide - Chavi!).

In Barcelona, before I was sick, on our own we toured Casa Batllo. A wonderful place architected by Antonio Guadi. I recommend you add it to your list for future customers!! That's all I attended due to illness. Patty should be able to tell you about the rest of the tours.

Hotels were all excellent wit very helpful staffs. Drivers, whether KimKim supplied or taxis we hired worked out but most were OT bilingual.

I recommend avoiding Madrid train station unless the customer speaks Spanish! Very difficult to navigate. Barcelona station not a problem. High speed trains are really cool; as a US citizen I am jealous!

One more topic: The food. Excellent EVERYWHERE we ate.

We had an amazing time on our trip the Barcelona and the island of Mallorca. Marina took all of our likes and planned it all. Hiking, biking a Catalan and beaches. I have to say the Trips Plan app was great. It provided loads of directions, suggestions and a chat in case of any questions or complications. Both of our hotels were very nice. In Mallorca in was nestled in a nice small bay that was simply beautiful. Highly recommend Marina.

Hotel Review

Hoposa Niu

C/ Cala Barques 5

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hiking the Tramuntana Mountains - Village Tour

Mallorca

Quality of Experience

Beautiful sites and visit a small town up in the mountain

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Barcelona by Bike

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

Fun evening walking around Barcelona and eating Tapas at local establishment’s

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Excursion to Montserrat & Scenic Hike

Barcelona

Nice visit to Montserrat and the hike around it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everything was fine - we particularly enjoyed the guided bike tour of Bilbao and the guide was very good, very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The wine tour was very good, I would suggest that for future tours this is on the first day of the stay as we would have preferred to have some local knowledge from our local guide (Ardu?) who was again excellent before we did our self guided tour which we actually did on our first day.
All the hotels were good but we felt that the hotel in San Sebastián was a bit far out from the town centre, we needed a taxi to go into town and to come back.
When we were in San Sebastián there was an international film festival on, if we had known this we may have changed the order of the holiday to avoid this. Maybe go to San Sebastián first rather than last.
But all in all we had a great time and I am trying to give constructive comments to help future similar tours.

Activity Reviews

Secrets of Bilbao Bike Ride

Bilbao

great and informative. Johan great guide.-a good way to see the city

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

johan made it so interesting

San Sebastián Standup Paddleboarding or Kayaking

San Sebastián

great fun and great instructors

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Planning our first trip to Southern Spain was enjoyable and productive with Dalia. We had several phone calls so that we could decide the type of trip we wanted to take. The selection of activities, hotels and general logistics suggested ended up in an itinerary that we both enjoyed. As the KimKim portion was the last week of our month European adventure, it was a relief to have this adventure planned out with the level of details we could not have done ourselves. KimKim and the local resources were top-notch.

I was initially referred to KimKim by a family friend who had a great experience. Due to my work schedule and never traveling abroad before, I needed a company I could trust to set my trip up the right way. Raquel was not only super responsive and helpful, but she also listened to everything I wanted out of a trip to Spain and Portugal and custom created a trip beyond what I could imagine. This trip was 5 cities over 2 weeks. 5 hotels, 2 train transfers, and multiple flights (not counting getting to and from the EU from the US) and she made it as clear and easy to follow as absolutely possible. I do not speak Spanish or Portuguese for reference, and yes it was still extremely easy to follow. Each activity that was arranged was an incredible and memorable experience with a guide who was a true local with local experience and connections. Writing this, I honestly can’t think of a critique I could even give. My expectations were met within the first couple days, then exceeded at about half way through the trip. The rest was all a bonus. If you are reading this review because you might be skeptical or questioning whether or not to use KimKim or Raquel, just know I had my concerns as well. I am now 2 days back and wrote this review and I cannot recommend this service enough if you want a truly memorable experience.

Hotel Reviews

NH Collection Barcelona Pódium

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Did not feel out of place and it felt like you were a part of the city

Location

Great location for activities and rich in culture

Staff

Incredibly nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Intelier Victoria

San Sebastian

Authenticity & Character

Great rooftop views, incredible breakfast, very clean

Location

Great central location to the old town and everything is accessible by foot

Staff

So incredibly nice and helpful. Everyone seems truly happy to work there.

Cleanliness & Comfort

EVERYTHING was very clean. From the lobby to the showers to even the elevator

H10 Puerta de Alcalá

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

The hotel was just remodeled so it had a very cool and “swank” design

Location

In a VERY nice part of town and was centrally located to many great restaurants

Staff

Everyone involved was very helpful. This was one of 5 hotels we stayed at so unfortunately I do not have any names to mention

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfy beds and clean all around from the lobby to breakfast bar to the hotel bar to our room

Catalonia Porto

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Blends in great to surrounding areas and retains a Portugal charm. Also truly an amazing breakfast

Location

Excellent location to city center and the river

Staff

Not only was the staff very friendly to deal with but also happy to help at a moments notice

Cleanliness & Comfort

EVERYTHING was clean all the way down to the inside of the mini fridge

Dear Lisbon - Gallery House

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

This hotel was clearly renovated from a traditional Lisbon apartment building and gives you a traditional feel with modern amenities. Very very cool place to stay

Location

Very nice area located and very close to amazing restaurants but not so centrally located that it is loud at night from street activity

Staff

Super welcoming and always helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Despite being a traditional building, the carpets and rugs do not even have stains on them. The “mini-split” AC units were fantastic

Activity Reviews

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

This was our first activity coming off a 9 hour red eye flight being abroad from the US for the first time just to set the scenario. Boris (our guide) welcomed us to the city in the most impressive way possible. I normally cringe at the idea of a “tour”. This isn’t your traditional tour guide walking and shouting to keep everyone together with a giant sign and whistle giving you the cliff notes of generic “authentic” foods. This is a local guided, off the beaten path, “locals only” known with history and culture. Each location is unique and purposefully selected to give you an authentic experience. The group is not more than 8-10 and you start as strangers and end as friends taking pictures to remember the experience. Boris was an awesome guide with amazing taste.

Quality of Experience

Boris was an incredible guide and you eat at places you are not going to find on a local yelp page.

Food

The authenticity of the meals were great and unlike anything I ever had before

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boris was fun, friendly, experienced, knowledgeable and the places you go to are welcoming and happy you are there.

Transport

We walked and met at a location that was easy to find

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

We met Albert who was our guide and he was incredible. I could not believe how much this man knew about Barcelona. This man had binders of pictures of what the city used to look like and how it has changed over centuries. I walked away from this tour amazed at the education I was provided along with local tips for how to navigate around Barcelona that you would never find even online. You will get a college semesters worth of education in 4 hours and the best part about Albert, you can tell he was excited and passionate about the city’s history and excited to share it with you.

Quality of Experience

Albert (our guide)

San Sebastian Pintxo Experience

San Sebastián

This was an incredible experience with fantastic food all put together by my guide, Felix. Felix is a local and has grown up in San Sebastián so his selection and taste was spot on. He provided an incredible tour and by the end, became a friend. I mean this in the most professional way possible. The selections he picked were unique to San Sebastián and even gave more suggestions for meals during your stay that couldn’t be included in the tour because time wouldn’t allow.

Quality of Experience

Felix and his knowledge

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and the food was nothing short of amazing

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

Madrid

When first getting into Madrid, I wasn’t sure how much I would love the city. Just coming from Barcelona and San Sebastián, Madrid was massive and had a different vibe all together (not bad or dangerous, just very different than the other 2). Sean (our guide) was the game changer for my impression of the city. He showed us the real Madrid that I’m sure not a lot of tourists get to see or understand. If it wasn’t for Sean, I don’t know if I would have enjoyed Madrid as much as I did. He has an awesome local knowledge base of the city and helped us navigate the city much better. By the end, Sean became a friend we met along the way through our journey and I mean that in the most professional way possible.

Quality of Experience

Sean. He was welcoming and extremely knowledgeable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sean truly loves the city and understands it so well

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

This was one of many food tours we took on this trip and we had Jon (Jean) as our guide. This man was incredible. Not only was Jon a knowledgeable local guide who knows the city well, he was also a chef. So all meals were expertly picked with a chefs taste and Jon was about as entertaining and knowledgeable guide as you could ask for. Meals ranged from local meats and cheeses with authentic port wine to local hot spots with authentic dishes

Quality of Experience

Wide variety and incredible guidance

Food

Absolutely everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jon (Jean) was amazing and a local expert.

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Emanuel is a local expert and was such an amazing guide to have. His knowledge of the city and its history is so vast you were getting a college semesters worth of history in a 3 hour tour. He loves the city and gets you to love it too.

Quality of Experience

Emanuel’s knowledge and expertise

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Emanuel’s enthusiasm and attention to city detail along with local pointers for things to do later

Go West to Belém TukTuk Tour

Lisbon

This was my first time on a Tuk Tuk and Catalina provided a great knowledge base of the city. She took us to great places and gave us exclusive access to some things that made the city so great.

Quality of Experience

Great knowledge from Catalina

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Catalina’s enthusiasm for the city of Lisbon

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

Initially, we had a hike planned that unfortunately got cancelled due to the tragic wildfires that happened in Portugal at this time. Our hike got rescheduled to another area along the Sintra Coast. We got paired with Falis, and this might have been the best highlight of an already incredible trip. Falis prepared the hike according to us and what WE felt comfortable with. I am a 30 year old and I am in good shape. We did a roughly 15 km hike that was unlike anything I could have imagined. This was a private costal hike to a private beach and through small costal towns that was beyond anything I could have imagined. The terrain was tough but I can personally handle it. Felis was 100% prepared for anything and knew all the best routes that were the opposite of any “tourist” walk. I will never forget this experience. Felis is now a true friend after my experience. He even personally selected food for lunch and provided it to us. Unbelievably beyond my expectations.

Quality of Experience

Felis and the views. I knew nothing of what the Portugal coast had to offer and was completely blown away

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Felis is truly one of the most welcoming guys I have ever met that you could tell, this is what he loves to do and he loves giving you a memorable experience.

Transport

Felis met us at the hotel and transported us to the hiking destination. As easy as absolutely possible.

Visit Traditional Basque Coastal Towns & a Txakolli Winery Visit

San Sebastián

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helena was awesome in planning our family trip to Spain! She was very patient and attentive to our needs and planned some awesome tours! It was great having everything reserved (train, tours, hotel) so we can relax on our vacation. Helena kept open communication with us —we highly recommend her!

Hotel Reviews

Slow Suites Bellas Artes

Madrid

Place was spacious and fit our family needs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance within everything

Staff

Staff held our bags in storage since our flight came early. It gave us time to explore without dragging our bags everywhere.

Cleanliness & Comfort

There was a random sewer smell near the bathrooms that would come in waves. We did not experience it on our last day in Madrid.

Slow Suites Setas

Seville

Great space for our family! The extra bedroom had a full bed, which was great for our kids so they can sleep together. The space was well used that we did not feel crammed at all with our party of 6. The outdoor space was nice as well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Playground was great with the kids. Walking distance within everything.

Staff

Didn’t interact much with them but they were pleasant with greetings .

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Seville Culinary Experience

Seville

Guillermo was a native to Seville and has a passion for the city. We had a fun small group during our tapas tour and also met someone from our state! It was a good time!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Family Foodie Experience in Madrid

Madrid

Angie was awesome! She was our favorite tour during our trip! She had a great, warm personality and took us to some special places to eat. As well, we learned a lot about the history of Madrid. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Angie our tour guide was wonderful! Highly recommend!

Transport

We walked everywhere- pretty views!

Madrid for Kids - Walking Tour with Activities & Snacks

Madrid

Beatriz was great in showing us around Madrid. We learned a lot of history, gained knowledge about some of the monuments, and enjoyed some great food as well.

Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Family Visit, Train Toledo to Madrid

Madrid

Toledo was beautiful! The train was fast and efficient from Madrid. Elena our guide was very knowledgeable and showed us some great historical landmarks!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Experience

Spain

It was a great experience to see a combination of traditions in a show. The dancing and music were great!

Private City Bike Tour

Seville

Sara was awesome! She was one of our favorite tours as well! It was great to ride bikes and tour the city of Seville. She took us to popular landmarks and told us the history of the town as well.

Quality of Experience

Highly recommend- we like to stay fit, no better way to travel far than on a bike enjoying the scenery.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sara was wonderful! Great personality, knowledgeable, and kept us safe during our tour.

Transport

All of the hotels in 4 cities were first class and in great locations for walking and sightseeing. Transportation was seamless. All of the guides were fantastic, and seemed to really enjoy their jobs.
Our tour operator Raquel was very helpful and patient. Highly recommended.

Activity Reviews

Wine & Gourmet Tapas Tour

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Flamenco Show in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Our guide was very informative.

Quality of Experience

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

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

Madrid

We actually asked for guided tour of the Prado and he happily obliged. Graduate level tour ensued.

The hotel selections were extremely well planned out, and positioned giving you access to a lot of the areas that you were visiting the itineraries as far as tours, exhibitions, museums was very well laid out. The entire trip was very interesting and met all my expectations and more.

Hotel Reviews

Catalonia Gran Vía

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Molina Lario Hotel

Málaga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Bonay

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Áurea Catedral Hotel

Granada

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

Our tour guide was excellent, engaging, entertaining and keep the group energized. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Show in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

Great place in the atmosphere was fantastic. Something I’ve always wanted to see and I was more than satisfied. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend it as a must for anybody’s trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

But all my expectations. To have a tour guide is a must so much to see so much to learn what a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Organization by Bea was great - great hotels and guides. Morocco was wonderful although the local operator did not seem to know parts of our itinerary.

Hotel Reviews

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Favorite hotel of the trip - beautiful room and very helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mövenpick Hotel Casablanca

Casablanca

Hotel was almost on top of major roads and even with double windows it was loud (especially trying to go to bed early for 3 am wake up)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cádiz Guided Visit

Cádiz

The Guided Tour of Hassan II Mosque wasn't as expected. The itinerary mentioned a private tour, but we ended up joining the public English tour with around thirty people. It was about forty minutes long and the guide was adequate, but it wasn't a private experience as described.

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

awesome - learned so much and ate amazing food. Tried so many new things.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

group was very large so hard to follow at times - would have been better with a smaller group

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fes: Exploring the Imperial City

Fes

local guide Omar was fabulous. Went out of his way to be sure we say everything we wanted and help my son go back to riad when he did not feel well

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Tour of Hassan II Mosque

Casablanca

Was a group tour and guide did not have great English. Only about 40 minutes long

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Evening Marrakech Street Food Tour

Marrakesh

Best tour of trip - we ate so much and had so much fun. Tried tons of food I would have never tried and had the most amazing couscous ever. Do not miss this?

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Flamenco Show in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

The Flamenco Show was quite enjoyable and struck the right balance in terms of length. It wasn't overly long, making it a good introduction to flamenco. The performance was engaging and gave a nice cultural touch to our evening. Overall, it was a nice experience.

Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate

Seville

The olive oil estate visit was fine but not overly impressive. It was a short visit, less than an hour, where we saw different kinds of olives, the machinery used, and tasted three olive oils. It was informative but not a must-do activity.

An Excursion & Night at the Agafay Desert

Spain

The overnight stay in the Agafay Desert was fun and a unique experience. The lodge was nice, the food was good, and the accommodations were comfortable despite finding a scorpion in the shower. They promptly took care of it, so it wasn't a major issue.

My family had a reunion in Spain and Portugal in August. We had a great time. The planning with excellent with lots of details exchanged between me and My local specialist Helena. I had limited time with the itinerary but Helena kept me on top of it when it comes to deadlines. She gave lots of suggestions, options and resources along the way. My father had mobility challenges and Helena arranged a wheelchair at each city stop for us; it was so helpful. Our guides on the entire tour were all excellent, warm, welcoming and very professional. We had a great time in all city stops. Helena and her backup team stayed very interactive with us along the way whenever we had questions or issues. I especially appreciated how she helped deliver my left behind clothes to the next hotel and re-arranged my brother's train ticket when he had to stay behind. I'm very thankful and we had a great time!

Hotel Reviews

H10 Casa de la Plata

Sevilla

Beautiful lobby and roomy settings were very comfortable to sit and rest. Nice welcome drink and gummy (my sons loved the gummy). Front desk staff were very friendly and helped give excellent dinner recommendations. Bathroom was comfortably sized which I really appreciated as I shared a room with my parents.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Regina

Barcelona

Excellent location. Bathroom is small compared to the bedroom size, lack of counter space in the bathroom. Staff were polite in general but didn't feel a warm vibe like at other hotels we stayed in Madrid, Seville and Lisbon. Breakfast was nice with a good variety.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Villa de la Reina

Madrid

Front desk and bar staff were super nice. My mom lost her mobile phone in the taxi so we needed help making contacts. Front desk and bar staff helped us making calls and texts patiently, were very warm and welcoming. My sons loved the gummies at the lobby. Breakfast had a good variety.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Portugal Boutique City Hotel

Lisbon

The front desk staff were excellent in helping me plan dinner, bullfight and fado. My son loved the turndown chocolate and snacks. Bathroom was comfortably sized with nice counter space that I appreciate.

Authenticity & Character

Nice sized room

Location

very convenient

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Traditional Andalusian Market Visit & Cooking Class

Seville

The cooking class instructors were able to get my two teenage sons and teenage niece to fully participate in the cooking class; it was such a joy and great memory. Loved the sangria and market visit too.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Visit to Seville’s Cathedral & Alcázar

Seville

Such beautiful and amazing places to visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was excellent. My sons and niece loved the ice cream shop she took us too.

All of our guides were good. Most good some
Great. Having microphones in ear buds was the best. I will use you again. Thank you!

Our trip was perfectly tailored but our amazing travel agent, Helena. My wife and I were able to work with her through every request and things we wanted to do on our trip to lovely Spain. From planning through our travel home, Helena and the KimKim team were extremely helpful and responsive. The trip was more than we could have asked for and was such a lovely cultural experience. I can not recommend KimKim enough!

Activity Reviews

Traditional Andalusian Market Visit & Cooking Class

Seville

This was one of the most fun experiences of the trip. We love to cook, so my wife and I had so much fun cooking with a chef and making classic Spanish dishes. Can not recommend doing this experience enough.

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was fun and amazing

Transport

no transport required

Flamenco Experience

Spain

I did not expect this experience to be so impactful. We both love art but did not realize how much this experience would have so much passion and love for this art. We loved this experience and it was so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff at location was great

Transport

No transport required.

Hike Montserrat Mountain & Explore Penedès Wineries

Barcelona

We were looking forward to this experience probably the most. It was a rainy day and no one can help the weather which is the only thing that did not make this experience the absolute best. Montserrat was beautiful but we were unable to hike which we love to do and missed out on. The weather cleared up for the Penedes Winery and that experience was absolutely lovely. Our guide at the winery and our guide driving us around were both very amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate

Seville

Our guide got us there an hour late to it made for an experience that was cut short. I think we expected a little more out of our experience at the estate however, it was a beautiful location and wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Possibly showing the process of the making of the olive oil and more hands on if possible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide got us there late and we missed half the experience.

Transport

The vehicle was nice and the transport was smooth

Private Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Our tour guide knew so much about Seville and we had a lovely time learning all the unique things about Seville. Ultimately, my wife and I loved Seville the most! This guided trip was the perfect amount of time and walking and it was very pleasant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was amazing!

Transport

No transport required.

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

This experience was pretty good. We had a great time with the group and the guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We signed up for an 8 day trip throughout Spain, 4 cities during that time so it was a whirlwind and a great time! Alfonso listened to what we wanted - no more than 1/2 day planned (we've been on trips where all day every day had activities which is not our style) with a cooking class and private tours in each city. We received all of our detailed information in advance to print out and have copies, along with having it accessible on our phones. (For Type A like me it helped a ton to have paper, I also used that to point to the address of where we needed to go for the taxi drivers who did not speak English). We got daily reminders of the next activity we were scheduled for and when I had questions I got a response pretty much immediately so I never felt lost on the itinerary. I was so impressed with the service and attention to detail, I've told everyone about it!

Activity Review

Cooking Class in Seville

Seville

This cooking class was awesome. We loved touring the market prior to the class and getting information on the local cuisines and ingredients. Our guide and our chef both spoke fluent English so it made for a fun, easy (not frustrating for everyone) afternoon. The facility was incredibly modern and clean. We made traditional paella and it was the best we tried in Spain! Highly recommend this class.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took a family trip to Barcelona and Costa Brava. The itinerary was great in terms of the variety and nature of the day trips. The planning process was fairly straightforward and interaction with the Kim Kim team was good. We did need to touch base with KimKim a couple of times during the trip. On one occasion, they were very quick to respond to a request for a transportation time change due to a modified check-in time. Unfortunately, on another occasion, the time zone difference/response speed meant that we missed out on part of a selected activity due to a booking error on KimKim's part. For the most part, we greatly enjoyed the trip, but a few issues detracted from the experience.

Our first full day activity was a trip to Montserrat, which was described: "After a private transfer from Barcelona to a charming farm, meet your host and the horse you'll befriend for the day. Enjoy a guided ride through Montserrat Natural Park to the monastery, with the tour culminating in a traditional lunch on the ranch". The ride was perhaps 30 minutes along a trail and then 30 minutes back to the start again before taking a taxi to the monastery. The local tour company advised me the day before that lunch was not part of the tour, and I did contact KimKim about the discrepancy but did not hear back before our tour started. En route to the horseriding, we were offered an upgrade option of lunch for extra money. Discussions with one of the guides and the local tour company by phone indicated that KimKim had not booked this. Despite attempting to resolve this with KimKim, the guide and the local tour company, we were unable to clarify the situation and did not hear back before boarding the return bus. There was no further mention of the lunch option from our (underwhelming) guide, but when we brought it up again were told we would need to get off the bus, wait for another guide, pay the extra money and take a different bus home. We gave up and returned to Barcelona. This was the only real excursion disappointment, but as the first full day activity did not set us up well. It was also an indication of the problem of booking a trip with an intermediary in another timezone. The inaccurate description of the tour may be more due to the tour operator than KimKim, but we had presumed that KimKim had a solid understanding of the nature of the excursions that they are booking. A much more accurate description of the tour appears to be in place now when we search the local tour operator's tours online. KimKim did subsequently get back to us about the booking error and apologised and have since refunded us for the difference.

A minor nuisance on another day was a discrepancy in the meeting point location between the Itinerary document (Park Guell) and the detailed activity description (which described the tour as finishing at Park Guell and starting at Passeig de Gracia). We realised the discrepancy too late in the evening prior to clarify, which did make for a bit of a scramble the next morning to ensure we were in the right place in time. However, this tour was wonderful.

Our last criticism would be the lack of transparency over pricing. KimKim provided a service and deserve an appropriate payment for it, but I would have expected a breakdown of the pricing (per hotel, per excursion and per transport) that was available both before and after booking. Despite a detailed itinerary, the details of our choices (breakfast selected or not), were not apparent after booking, and neither was KimKim's charge. This has been flagged by other travellers and could be easily rectified.

Overall, the experience was good and the vacation was very fun. However, I suspect we would not book with KimKim again due to the added challenge of dealing with an intermediary in another timezone, when both hotels, excursions and local transportation can all be easily booked in Spain. I would also encourage travellers to perhaps leave more open time in their schedules. We booked activities on every day except our travel day. There is so much to do in Barcelona, that leaving an open day or more later in the week would allow the opportunity to fit in extra activities as desired (but skip-the-line tickets need to be booked in advance for the busy activities).

Hotel Reviews

Sonder Casa Luz

Barcelona

We stayed in a family room, which was generously sized and very comfortable. Beautiful bathroom. The room was kept very clean. The location is good and right next to a metro station. There is a very small reception area where the main desk is located, but no real lobby as such. Reception staff had perfect English, although we did try to use our limited Spanish! Staff were generally friendly although we didn't feel this at the breakfast. We tried breakfast once and found the food very nice, but there was nobody else there and staff were not at all forthcoming about the nature of the buffet or options for drinks. El Arbol nearby is highly recommended for breakfast, however.

Authenticity & Character

Between the absence of a proper lobby and view only to nearby buildings from the room it did feel a little soulless.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Hotel San Jorge & Spa

Calonge

Very comfortable rooms, with beautiful sea view. Rooms and grounds were kept very clean. Staff were friendly. The food situation was a bit unclear, with multiple dining areas but which menu and hours of service were not readily apparent for the different options. We did not try the fine dining option or full breakfast. The cafe breakfast was good, but a tapas meal was very bland and was inferior to all other meals/tapas on our trip. After sampling the tapas, we gave up trying to eat their and walked into town (1.5 km) for breakfast and dinner the next day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private El Born Walk with Tapas & Flamenco

Barcelona

We went with Bosco - an informative and engaging tour guide. He was happy to deliver the tour in English and still have some Spanish interaction so we could try and work on our Spanish. We learned plenty on the tour and had a good introduction to the city. Good food choices with plenty of good food at the couple of places we stopped. Bosco was great about ensuring that there was some food for our vegetarian kids at his choice of food stops. The flamenco concert was fun to see, but I confess I have no idea what the show was about...

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Costa Brava & Medieval Villages Day Trip

Spain

A really great day exploring several pretty villages along the coast. The guide was easygoing and the itinerary worked well. The only snag with this trip was that we would have rather eaten at almost any of the restaurants we walked past, but went to a restaurant that the guide hadn't previously tried and found virtually nothing on the menu we wanted to eat. The food was sufficiently expensive that it should have been excellent, but we were underwhelmed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was really smooth and safe.

Barcelona by e-Bike, Boat & Cable Car

Barcelona

This was a fantastic tour. We saw plenty of the city during the bike ride, and the ebikes made it easy to get around. We saw views and locations that were less busy than many of the typical tourist locations and were great to see. We had feared that the combination of activities would not give enough time to properly do any one activity, but it was perfect. The tour guide was great (Elizabeth I think). The boat trip was unexpectedly brilliant due to the arrival of the America's Cup racing boats, which were out practicing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Gaudí Experience with La Sagrada Familia and Park Güell

Barcelona

This was a great trip with Mari, who was a wonderful and informative guide. Happy to mix English and Spanish as we continued to try and improve. All of the locations were worth seeing, and the skip-the-line tickets were absolutely essential.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sailing Trip with Winery Visit & Tasting

Barcelona

Enjoyable and informative winery tour and tasting. Really enjoyable sail along the coast.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boating, Hiking & Kayaking in Tossa de Mar

Costa Brava

We went with guide Stepan. He was probably the most professional and competent guide we have encountered on any trip. He was knowledgeable, informative and engaging. We learnt about local flora and fauna as well as local history. Stepan was well-organised and took great care to ensure we were safe, confident and comfortable. He works with the capability of the group. It's obviously not the Caribbean, but we saw many fish as well as starfish, anemones and an eel. One of our party developed a particularly severe case of seasickness after snorkelling and Stepan handled this with grace, reassurance and compassion.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stepan is the best. I would consider trying any tour that he was involved with.

Transport

Self-Guided Beach Day in Costa Brava

Spain

We just chilled on the nearby beach. Pleasant enough, but we didn't have it in us to bother taxiing further away to explore other options.

Quality of Experience

Montserrat Monastery Visit & Horseback Riding in Natural Park

Barcelona

This tour promised much but totally failed to deliver. The KimKim description of the tour was inaccurate compared with the description currently provided by the actual tour operator. A KimKim booking error also meant that we did not get the lunch that was supposed to be included in the tour. The horse ride was fine, but was a 30 minute ride along a trail before returning the exact same way back the ranch and then taking a taxi ride to Montserrat. In fairness, the guide and staff for the horseriding were very good, and the horses were well-looked after. Our guide at Montserrat provided a pretty brief amount of guidance before giving us time to further explore the grounds. The farm lunch sounded good but we will never know what that part of the experience would have been like.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guided Montserrat tour part of this was pretty minimal. There was some good information on the bus ride up, but the Montserrat tour itself was rather limited. Horse-riding instruction was good.

Transport

Overall, A Wonderful Trip Exploring Spain!

We have a family of 5; the three kids are 15, 14, and 11.

Madrid tapas culinary experience. Grade A+. It was in the Salanca area in the evening starting around 6 pm. It was our family of five and two other guests. We stopped at 4 places and had a great blend of tapas and drinks. Not too much walking, perfect amount of food and very interesting. Definitely recommend.

The Madrid for Kids Tour. Grade B. I think it would have been better had it not been in July when it's so hot. There was a bit more walking, the history and insight was great. Old Town, cathedrals, etc. It was a morning tour (starting around 9 am). It was just so darn hot!

Day Trip to Toledo. Grade A-. It's fun taking the train as we don't train often. The city is definitely a must visit and the tour guide shared great insight and took us to some really cool places. One time, we had access to an underground water tank that others could not visit. Very cool tour. Ended around 12:30 pm and we ate. We should have gotten tickets back to Madrid for the 3 pm train instead of the 5 pm train. In cooler weather, I think we would have explored more and the 5 pm train would have worked.

Spanish Cooking Class in Mallorca. Grade A+. The host was excellent, taught us how to make several dishes, the kids really enjoyed it, my wife and I were able to just watch and have wine. It was a great way to spend about 4 hours and the time flew by!

Luxury Catamaran Tour with tapas and swimming (Mallorca). Grade B-. We did a 4 hour tour which isn't really enough time to get somewhere remote. We anchored near a pretty busy area and not far from a busy beach. The food and service were great. However, it was as remote as I would have liked. I think a longer tour allows you to get further away from the populated areas. You may need a speed boat also.

Coastal Hike, Kayaking, and Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava. Grade A. This was a delightful daytrip for my family. It's absolutely gorgeous scenery and we had a small group of 10 (so 5 duo kayaks). We hiked, kayaked, cliff jumped, snorkeled, etc. While they say it's 8 hours in Costa Brava, the trip itself is like 5.5 hours and you have 2.5 hours to explore Costa Brava by foot. That information would have been helpful.

The lodging:

Slow Suites Bellas Artes was great for us and very centrally located. It was easy to walk anywhere from there. Only downside was during our stay, they were doing repair on the road outside. That should be complete by now.

Melia Calvia Beach. It's a nice, higher end resort beach. Though our check in process was painful (room key didn't work, when it did, someone was in room already, moved to a different room, ugh), the overall stay was great. Their pools are beautiful, great breakfast buffet, and immediate access to the beach. The parking situation does suck though and we had rented a car.

Val Barcelona Apartments. This was a last minute change. It was a great place. It was spacious, quaint, and cozy. The location allowed you to walk anywhere you needed with plenty of restaraunts and sights nearby. Only drawback was you check in at Hotel Claris, information that was not shared prior to our arrival.

Overall, we had a blast. There were some hiccups along the way but with a 10 day trip, you'll have those. I would highly recommend this itinerary to others!

Activity Review

Spanish Cooking Class in Mallorca

Spain

This was a fantastic activity for our family of five. It was fun, engaging, intimate, and relaxing. Thank you!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our 8-day vacation in Spain, meticulously planned by KimKim, was nothing short of amazing! From the vibrant streets of Bilbao to the charming coastal vibes of San Sebastián, the bustling energy of Madrid, the artistic allure of Valencia, and the historical beauty of Toledo, every moment was unforgettable.

The guided tours were all top-notch, with special highlights including the breathtaking Guggenheim Museum and the delicious Pintxos and Wine experiences. The Segway Adventure added a fun twist to our exploration of Valencia. A special shoutout goes to our tour guide for the Madrid Old Town Walk—his passion and knowledge truly brought the history and culture of the city to life!

All our transportation was seamless, making it easy to move from one city to the next without a hitch. And the accommodations? They were far beyond what we expected. We had asked for something affordable and safe since we don't typically spend much time in hotels during vacations, but KimKim exceeded our expectations with each place we stayed—comfortable, well-located, and perfect for our needs. And KimKim was always available by chat if we hadca question or doubt, but mostly I texted just to share how impressed we were.

We couldn’t be happier with the experience and will definitely be turning to KimKim again for future adventures. Thank you for making our trip to Spain a dream come true! We headed to Germany next for the Ironman Triathlon, and I successfully crossed the finish line!!

We had a wonderful vacation in Spain! The tour guides were ALL amazing but we have a special shout out for GEZA-he was our guide in Segovia/Avila and also for The Royal Palace! He was so much fun to be around and had a true enthusiasm for the history of Spain. My 13 and 12 yr old loved him too! Also-Tim was our guide on the Kayak/Laggon dipping/coastal hiking tour in Costa Brava and he was awesome! He was entertaining and engaging! Highly recommend both!

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Havana

Barcelona

Great location, smaller but clean rooms!

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was in the middle of it all-walk most places in Barcelona

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cosmopolita Hotel Boutique & Spa

Platja d'Aro, Girona

Great location, beautiful and modern rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the beach!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Day Trip to Ávila & Segovia

Madrid

Geza has a true passion for Spanish history and he conveys the facts in a fun way! He is totally engaging with kids too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

Amazing guide Tim made the day super entertaining for my husband and I and our 2 girls!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barcelona & Gaudí: An Architecture Walk

Barcelona

Loved all the details in this tour! We learned so much!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had an exceptional time in Barcelona and will not hesitate for a second to hire KimKim if I ever visit the region again. Every single tour was well organized and fun. The tour guides were so incredibly knowledgeable and more importantly so personable and easy to talk to. I only have one complaint, is the fact that I had to leave and return to the United States. I want to thank everyone involved in planning my trip. I was able to create indelible memories that are going to stay with me forever. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

KimKim was a great option for planning a complicated, multi-city/country vacation for our family! We got to see the best of Spain and Morocco worry free. We had an easy to use app that helped keep the plans organized. I would highly recommend KimKim!

Dalia did a great job putting together an itinerary that everyone in my family (especially my teenager) enjoyed. The boutique hotels were perfect, with great service and locations. Dalia and team were always accessible, especially when we had some travel issues. We would definitely use KimKim again.

Activity Reviews

Costa Brava: Kayaking & Snorkelling experience

Barcelona

Really fun experience. My one complaint is that the group was a bit large.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marbella Boat trip

Spain

Tom our boat captain was great. He provided a really fun experience for the whole family. One of the highlights of our trip. Amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Modernist Barcelona: Gaudi's Highlights

Barcelona

Your guide was really knowledgeable and provided tons of insight into the architecture and sites. Private tour was super nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff