Kimkim Trip Reviews for Spain

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

We used KimKim to plan a 8-day trip for our family's first overseas trip in Europe. From beginning to end, the team was very communicative in answering all my questions. I really enjoyed being able to do the quiz to choose what we like as well as the pace we would like for our days. Since this is our first time using a traveling agency, I really did not know what to expect. The activities all looked great but I did not know how they actually would be. Well...they were beyond our expectations. Each activity they planned for us was great. I think they specialized in using local companies which helps to local community and people which I loved. We loved all our guides-each of them had great personalities, very knowledgable, and just overall wonderful people. The hotels were in great locations and our agent, Giorgia, was very helpful during our trip with changing the time of our car rental to communicating with the hotel about our rooms. She even gave us a surprise card and gifts to remember Barcelona. Throughout the trip, my husband and I just kept saying to ourselves how we would have never picked what Girogia picked and would have missed out on some really great gems and experiences. We fully intend to use KimKim for our next year's vacation!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

This hotel was in a great centralized location so it was easy to get to anywhere. However, after dark, the area felt a little unsafe. We did not really stay out late at night while staying there. There was a lot of street noise at night as it is in a very populated area so sleep on our first night was hard. That was solved when we played white noise on our phones. The staff was wonderful and the breakfast was amazing! I really enjoyed a quiet breakfast by myself in the morning.

Authenticity & Character

The staircase and the balcony.

Location

The street noise was hard and after dark, it felt a little unsafe.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alta House Begur

Begur, Girona

Begur is such a charming town and Alta House Begur just added to the town's charm. The staff was wonderful. The views were amazing, especially on the rooftop. The breakfast felt like such a retreat each morning as I sat in the garden by the pool, surrounded by the beautiful mountain views. Alta House is a beautiful place to rest and experience a retreat from the world.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Barcelona & Gaudí: An Architecture Walk

Barcelona

Caterina was wonderful. Her passion for the beauty of the city really came through and really helped us to appreciate everything that we saw. She was very accommodating to us as we had our sons with us. They were getting tired near the end. She recommended a great local place for tapas and even walked us there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Caterina was wonderful! Her love for the art really was infectious.

Transport

We mostly walked and took the Metro. It was all very easy.

Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

Carla is the perfect guide for this - each place she picked was different in the food, atmosphere, and personality. We really enjoyed learning from her about the food, the places, and just her love for Barcelona. It was also the perfect first activity to do on our first day to give us a sense of the city.

Quality of Experience

Carla was great tour guide-knowledgeable, personable, warm.

Food

Can't say enough about how good the food and drinks were!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carla was amazing.

Transport

The walk from place to place was thought-out and really enjoyable.

Boquería Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

The tour of the Boqueria Market was very brief and it was difficult to hear with all the noise. We did not really spend much time at the stands and couldn't really purchase anything. However, I think it was because we needed to make it back in time for the cooking class which was awesome. Our chef/teacher (Janella) was great-she was funny, clear with her instructions, and her excitement for the food and cooking was infectious. We loved everything we cooked.

Quality of Experience

The cooking class was amazing. The tour was very short and basic.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The cooking class was amazing and our chef/teacher was great. The tour guide for the market was ok-hard to hear him and he was not really engaged in conversations with us as we were walking which other guides were.

Transport

Everything was an easy walk.

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

This was by far our family's favorite activity of all the ones we did during our stay in Spain. We did the 8-hour tour with Ola. The time amount was perfect for all the activities we did-kayak, snorkeling, and cliff-jumping. Ola was such a great guide from his clear, funny instructions to encouragements throughout the adventure that allowed us to feel comfortable to get out of our comfort zone, take some risks, and enjoy ourselves. He was exceptionally wonderful with our boys, who felt very comfortable and safe with him as he taught them how to cliff jump for the first time. I asked if we could do something small to celebrate my husband's birthday, which was the day of our trip with Ola. He took the time to get a special Catalan dessert so we could sing happy birthday to end our day. It was the perfect celebration. We cannot say enough great things about Mr. Ola and our time learning from him and enjoying the Mediterranean Sea. If you have the chance, definitely do this-an unforgettable fun day!

Quality of Experience

The best activity of our trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ola was an amazing guide who was great with our boys. He was very clear in his instructions and encouraging while we did things that were new to us like cliff jumping!

Transport

It was a very easy ride from Barcelona to the beach at Costa Brava. It was really cool to see Spain outside of Barcelona and Ola did a great job highlighting things along the ride for us to see like the castles.

We had a wonderful time in Southern Spain for our 10th anniversary. Dalia, who organized the trip was very responsive. For example, we preferred a different hotel in Granada and to arrange some restaurant reservations ourselves. She was able to facilitate getting to and from the restaurants, and made the other hotel (the Gran Via which was fantastic) work, Our guides were really knowledgeable and friendly, especially Enrique in Granada. Alex, our driver and bicycle guide made sure we had a chance to get photos off the beaten path. The tapas and flamenco tour in Sevilla was really fun. Overall we had a much better trip than we could have put together ourselves, but it was still really well-tailored to our interests.

Activity Reviews

Alhambra Private Guided Tour

Spain

We learned so much about the Alhambra, and we went at a good pace. Everyone knew our guide Enrique and we got to skip the lines. It was an amazing experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sevilla & Tapas & Flamenco Small Group Evening Tour

Seville

The setting for the flamenco, and the dancers were. great. It was a really intimate experience, being able to sit up-close and watch the dancers. You could feel the breeze from one dancer's shawl! The tapas were also a fun mix of traditional and more modern.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Caminito del Rey

Spain

The hike itself was beautiful, and our driver/guide who got us there, Alex. However, we hadn't realized beforehand that the hike wasn't just a hike, but that it was a state-run and state-controlled walk. Basically it was very crowded, you had to wear helmets and trudge along with a group on a very set path, from the entrance to the exit. The hike itself was lovely but we probably would have done a different hike had we known how controlled and crowded the experience would be.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} with day trip to Cordoba

Spain

Cordoba is beautiful and the guide was fun and very knowledgeable. We were really happy with the tour. We wished we had had more time to wander after the tour though, because there were more spaces we had wanted to see. We were lucky that our driver, John, was happy to take us to get some photos of the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Granada city tour

Granada

We saw a lot of the city of Granada, much more than we would have on our own. Our guide Enrique is really knowledgeable, and everyone knows him which makes getting into places a breeze.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sevilla guided tour with Horse Carriage ride

Seville

We got to see beautiful areas of the city, especially the enormous cathedral, and really learned a lot from Sandra the guide. She was funny and knowledgeable and gave us good amounts of time on our own to take photos and wander. The horse carriage ride meant we got to see more of the city than we could have on foot, but it is also a horse carriage going into four lanes of traffic which was a bit nerve-racking.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dalia planned an extraordinary trip for my family in Spain. We had 20 days to travel all over the country and she planned each day weaving together historical sites, fun learning activities, and exciting adventures. I have traveled all of my life and I have never had a trip where each logistical piece was taken care of and everything went so smoothly. Dalia chose the perfect balance between guided tours and free time to explore. We kayaked, rode camels, and had an electric tuk-tuck tour. We loved the cooking classes, the market tour and the flamenco show. We had each of the documents we needed exactly when we needed them. Our hotels were varied and unique, each in a prime location. I wish she could plan all of our travel!

Hotel Review

CoolRooms Palacio de Atocha

Madrid

This was our favorite hotel -- like staying in a palace in the middle of the city. Small and intimate and the top customer service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tapas & Market tour in Barcelona

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

All of our excursions were excellent. Our guide Celia for our Porto walking tour was so knowledge and had great recommendations. Pedro organized a private tour of the vineyard for us in the Douro Valley. Alex was an excellent walking tour guide, being flexing and showing us sights of Lisbon we would have missed on our own. Mannu gave us a great outing to Sintra and Cascais, even making a special stop on the way back for us to take an extra photo. The recommendations of places to eat and beaches from Kim Kim were very helpful. The hotels were all beautiful and centrally located.

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Teatro

Porto

The location of this hotel was fantastic. Very walkable, safe. The room was comfortable and had everything we needed

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Portugal Boutique City Hotel

Lisbon

This hotel was top of the line. The service was excellent, the room impressive. The location was great too.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lagos Avenida Hotel

Lagos

The hotel has a great view of the marina. The room was nice, had everything we needed. We loved the rooftop pool.

Location

Staff

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

This hotel was great, free shuttle to the airport was helpful. Room was nice, clean, and spacious.

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Puro Hotel Palma

Palma de Mallorca

This hotel was crazy. The room was so big! It had a tub and a shower. Location was great. Staff was great at providing recommendations and transportation options. We did not utilize the beach club but if we had an extra day we would’ve liked to try it.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Celia was fantastic. Learned so much and one of the highlights of our trip. I recommend this to everyone.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Our guide was great, the views are incredible. He even arranged a private vineyard tour for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Alex was great. He was so knowledgeable and we learned so much of portugals history. He was flexible and adapted the tour to show us things we would never have found on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Spain

Mannu was great. Full of knowledge about Portugal, cares about responsible tourism and wants to show travelers the real Portugal. We would definitely recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bike Excursion along the Beautiful Ria Formosa

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Catamaran Trip around Mallorca with Snorkeling, Kayaking or Paddleboarding

Mallorca

Definitely better than some of the other boats we saw where they pack the boats full of travelers. The views were incredible. The staff were not the friendliest, and I understand they turn over the boat and work with the public all the time. I might opt for an even smaller, more intimate boat next time. There were about 50 people on the boat with us many off the cruise ship.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was our first time using a travel agency in many many years - we usually make our own plans but KimKim was recommended and we decided to travel on short notice during peak season, so wanted some help - we couldn't be more pleased and will recommend KimKim to others. Our local specialist Beatriz was outstanding - she really listened to our preferences and designed a trip that was perfect for us in terms of the things we like to do and see. She found really excellent local guides and planned enough for us to do, without over-scheduling us. There were a few minor glitches (to be expected on such a long and complex travel), but she built in enough time that none of them became critical and all were easily handled. When a couple of drivers didn't show up, she processed refunds for us without even being asked. She or colleagues were very easy to communicate with. This was a memorable trip and we would recommend KimKim and specifically Beatriz very highly!!

Hotel Reviews

INNSiDE by Melia Zaragoza

Zaragoza

Easy walk to old town sights; nice rooftop pool and restaurant/bar. Rooms clean and roomy and a great breakfast. Recommended.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acta Splendid

Barcelona

Good location, nice breakfast, friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Arrizul Catedral

San Sebastián

Best hotel we stayed at in terms of location, staff, etc.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sercotel Coliseo

Bilbao

Convenient location, great staff. Large room. No complaints.

Hotel Spot Family Suites

Porto

Very roomy. Convenient and great staff. The room was comfortable, but there is nothing fancy or historic about the hotel and the breakfast was mediocre. But on location and staff, it was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Olive Oil Tour and Visit of Belchite Village

Zaragoza

Jorge was a great guide. He really knew the history, was a great communicator and created a very unique experience for us traveling outside of the city center, which is what we wanted to do. He was friendly and fun and very open. He was a good listener and tailored things to what we enjoyed. The pace was great and he was a good driver. He arranged for a special visit to an olive oil maker and a historic site during the Spanish Civil War.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

We took a long walking tour with Mari. She was really excellent. She used a microphone and earbuds for us so communicating in crowded areas was easy. She paced things well and was a great communicator. We really enjoyed what was a very long walk that included a trip on the metro, so it made it easier for us to travel on our own afterwards.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Night

Barcelona

The dancers were really excellent. The tour included a tapas dinner afterwards which was mediocre and tourist-oriented. Everything was fried and heavy.

Quality of Experience

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

The guide was great and the kayaking was fun, but the "hike" beforehand was really just a walk along a very traveled paved pathway. The area we visited was a busy tourist beach - not that appealing in the end, but not really the guide's fault. We just learned that it is not the type of experience we really enjoy that much

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A good driver, but a long drive

Highly recommend working with KimKim and Coraima! My family planned travel to Madrid and Barcelona working with Coraima who was lovely to work with, giving care to consider our interests and offering terrific suggestions that made for a fantastic trip. The entire process was very smooth and easy. Would love to work with the team again!

Activity Reviews

Gothic Quarter Tapas Walk

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Short Prado Museum Visit

Madrid

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Raquel was amazing to work with. I'm an 'in the details' travel planner myself but was going to Spain for the first time and needed a TON of help. I loved working with her and her recommendations were fantastic. It was also very easy to go back and forth on alterations ahead of the trip and everything was super smooth during.

Hotel Reviews

Pestana Plaza Mayor Madrid

Madrid

We loved the hotel and the location. It felt like a super cool boutique hotel, very bright and vibrant, great little pool area, loved the beautiful restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Very cool, charming, boutique hotel.

Location

Seemed very central to everything, train was easy to use, and seemed like every taxi was 10 euros or less.

Staff

Super nice and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautiful overall. Very clean.

Hotel España Ramblas

Barcelona

The one part of our trip that we didn't LOVE was this hotel. It is in a good location in terms of being very central to everything but the area around it felt a bit sketchy. Our original room felt like a small, dingy hotel room but we upgraded to a suite and the room felt better. The hotel was very dark overall but not in a great moody kind of way. It wasn't terrible or anything, we just didn't love it.

Authenticity & Character

It is nice but a bit dark and gloomy.

Location

Central but felt like it could be a little sketchy. For example, everyone told us "don't go left after midnight...."

Staff

They were nice but not happy-nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was "clean" but didn't feel "super clean". Also they use a really strong aroma in the rooms, like really strong.

Activity Reviews

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

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gastronomy & Wine Tour with a Sommelier

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barcelona & Gaudí: An Architecture Walk

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boquería Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jámon & Wine Experience in Madrid

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamenco Night

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coastal Hike, Kayaking & Lagoon Dipping in Costa Brava

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My family and I had an amazing experience in Spain thanks to KimKim service, led by Alfonso and his colleagues that arranged everything during our 10 day tour through northern Spain. My colleague initially recommended KimKim given she had a very positive experience. While I was initially a little reluctant given it’s mostly an online only set-up experience, I was very pleased with the overall experience from start to finish.

Alfonso and his team set us up for amazing experience which started in Madrid (2 nights), wine region Rioja (2 nights), San Sebastián (3 nights) and finally Barcelona (2 nights). Starting in Madrid, we met with Gerardo, a local expert on Madrid and Spanish history. We walked through Madrid with Gerardo over two days. He was excellent guide and showed us amazing sites; experienced Tapas at local markets; went to a few museums and experienced the royal palace. Of particular interest was our site visit to the Prado museum. Gerardo was spectacular guide throughout the museum and knew exactly where to go and the history of each of the major art exhibits.

We then transitioned to wine region and two absolutely amazing experiences at two local vineyards. The first day, we were able to walk to a local vineyard (Luis Canas)from our hotel (Hotel Vuira) and the second day, we were blessed to have Alfonso meet us and we rode E bikes throughout the wine region on an absolutely gorgeous day and ended the day with an outstanding wine tour and lunch visit to Murua vineyard.

Upon arriving in to San Sebastián we adored the town and really enjoyed walking around experiencing tapas places on our own. As an American, most can attest, our education curriculum rarely spends time on Spanish history. Most of our emphasis is on WW1 and 2 and the countries most involved, therefore our curriculum rarely covers Spain. If you’re a western educated traveller, do yourself a favor prioritize Spain on your next trip. The history is fascinating and of particular interest is the Basque region, its people and its culture. You may not find a more amazing gastronomy experience and culture anywhere in the world! The food and people are amazing! For our second day there, Alfonso met us at our hotel and we enjoyed another full day of great history and experience. On our last day in the region we completed a day trip to Balboa for a cooking class (which was amassing!) and a excellent visit, with an expert guide (Susanne) at the Guggenheim Museum. Do not skip this part of your Basque region visit! I’d also comment that when driving through the area, it offered amazing scenery, Swiss like mountain beauty.

We ended the trip in Barcelona with a great walking tour and an amazing sailboat experience in the Barcelona. Bay to observe the sun go down. Amazing way to end our trip.

Bottom line, there is no way we could have planned this on our own, or derive such a sequence of experiences through some travel book or website. The KimKim’s ability to liaise and build a travel experience with local travel experts was hands down the best way to go. I’m particularly pleased with Alfonso and his teams ability to connect with local experts in each region that created a lasting, educational and rich cultural experience for my family. Our kids learned a lot and what was most inspiring is Alfonso’s disposition and approach to life as a guide, father, expert on Spanish history and culture. He and his team left nothing to chance and took great care for each and every detail.

When we return to Spain again we will, without question, work directly through KimKim and Alfonso’s travel company!

Our trip to Spain including Madrid, Seville, Granada, Málaga and Barcelona was out of this world fantastic. Raquel is an empathic, loving and expert travel specialist that our family appreciates beyond words. She worked with us to personalize our choices, destinations, hotels, costs and needs while we were on the vacation. She has been there at every turn when we are planning, traveling and having questions during the whole process. I would recommend her to everyone and anyone that is planning a trip to Europe in the areas she covers. Please treat her with respect and kindness and she deserves these in full measure. I can only say thank you Raquel and KimKim for their expert assistance. She is like family to us.

Everything was fantastic! Dalia planned the perfect itinerary and our group had a blast!

Activity Reviews

Lisbon: Tuk Tuk Culture & Food tour

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Algarve's Marine Wildlife Boat Tour

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sevilla: Walking and biking tour

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Raquel did an amazing job organizing a trip that met all of our desires. Flawless transportation arrangements, wonderful hotel accommodations, guided tours. She found remote locations not travelled by most into the most beautiful places, esp the Picos de Europa national park in the Asturian mountains. Memorable to say the least! She kept to our budget overall, was responsive to inquiries leading up to the trip. My friend had used KimKim to travel to Europe with her wiener dog, and had such a wonderful experience she recommended them to me for my trip with my children to Portugal and Spain. No regrets!! Will definitely recommend them to anyone!!

Thank you Raquel and KimKim!!

Amy F., Montana

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Borges Chiado

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff member checking us in was a bit rude. Maybe seemed more so as we were jet lagged and she seemed less than accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Legendary Porto Hotel

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eurostars Araguaney

Santiago de Compostela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Puebloastur Eco-Resort Wellness & Spa

Cofiño, Parres

Authenticity & Character

Outside absolutely beautiful, inside modern.

Location

The views were spectacular!! Location off of challenging narrow road for those driving if not used to this! Beautiful drive!!

Staff

Waiters seemed put off if we didn't finish our meals, offended? Lack of English skills may have interfered with communication. Came off a bit rude to us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Soho BOutique Oviedo

Oviedo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Catalonia Donosti

San Sebastián

Authenticity & Character

Fairly modern hotel. If expecting old world charm, may be a bit disappointed.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intur Palacio San Martin

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Petiscos & Wine Tour

Lisbon

Guide was very fun, energetic. Took us to great places in Lisbon to get a taste of the local cuisine. We were paired with a fun group of fellow Americans that enhanced the experience as well!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour

Spain

Saw highlights of Lisbon that would have otherwise been hard to see with limited time in the city. Very friendly and knowledgable guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

Flexible guide, originally booked for tour involving more hills. It was a very hot day and we opted to stay along the beach with tour thru largest park, etc. Very knowledgable guide, fun. Beautiful city. Wish we could have spent more time in Porto!

Quality of Experience

Guide, beauty of Porto.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Douro Valley Excursion with Wine & Olive Oil Tastings & River Cruise

Porto

A must do! Guide was super fun, knowledgable. Great wines, Ports in authentic locations. Wonderful lunch with a view! Duoro Valley extremely beautiful!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro Sousa made this experience very fun!! Knowledgable, fun guide!! Good photographer of all clients!!

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela

Guide very enthusiastic/ passionate about the city and it's history! Beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Biarritz &. French Basque Country

Spain

Saw alot of the Basque countryside, learned alot about it's history. Guide very knowledgable, fun. Gorgeous, wonderful food!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Excursion to Covadonga Lakes

Spain

Amazing!! From the views to our guide, to a wonderful lunch!. The 3 mile hike was a must! Walked amongst all the cows with cow bells, the sound!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Sebastian Pintxo Experience

San Sebastián

Our guide, Esther, took us to the most amazing restaurants! Got to sample a wide variety of Pintxos, wines. She is very fun, knowledgable, made sure we had seats available for our excursion. Fun group of Australians enhanced our fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We toured through Spain as one part of several countries we visited on this vacation. Working with Marta, we were able to develop a plan that brought us to many cities in Spain and ended in Southern Spain, where we could take a ferry to Morocco. We had chosen to be on our own for much of the trip.
Marta arranged trains between cities as well as hotels that were comfortable, centrally located and included breakfast, which got our days started right! We took a Paella making class in Valencia, did a tapas tour and had a tour of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, and saw a Flamenco show in Sevilla. We also had several city tours along the way with knowledgeable and interesting local tour guides. All were well-coordinated and gave us a flavor of each of the 6 cities we visited, while providing lots of free time for us as well.
Marta and her team were always available for questions, both before, during, and even after our trip. It was a fantastic 11-day experience.

Dalia planned a wonderful trip for our large group- 8 people, 4 adults and 4 young kids. She was friendly and quick to respond to questions and change requests. I will recommend Dalia to anyone that wants to plan a trip to Spain or Portugal.

Our favorite place we stayed was The Lisboans Apartments in Lisbon- centrally located, luxurious, a stocked kitchen, and they delivered fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh pastries every morning.

All the car transfer drivers were friendly and had large, clean cars/buses.

Activity Reviews

Sevilla: Walking and biking tour

Seville

Fun and informative!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon: Tuk Tuk Culture & Food tour

Lisbon

Laura was knowledgeable and friendly and fun! Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Algarve's Marine Wildlife Boat Tour

Spain

This was just ok. Algarve is of course beautiful and recommend seeing it by boat! This tour company was somewhat friendly. We saw one small dolphin but no other wildlife. The boat does not stop to look around at any time. We had to drive almost 2 hours to get to this boat but there looked to be the same type of boat tour that left right from the beach at our hotel.

My recent experience with Kimkim for my trip to Spain was great, thanks to Adam's meticulous planning and attentive communication.

When I expressed interest at -quite last minute- in attending the PhocusWright conference in Barcelona, Adam ensured that everything was going to be fine.

I had quite a few boxes to tick when it came to choosing a hotel, but Adam made sure he booked the best possible option for me. Adam selected the Gran Hotel Havana for my stay, which seemed perfect! The hotel's close proximity to Room Mate Anna, being close to a metro station for traveling to the conference, the room, and facilities all looked great. I appreciated Adam's quick action in securing a room at Sonder Casa Luz when availability at Gran Hotel Havana changed. That hotel was overall quite nice, very central location, beautiful building, friendly staff, modern decorated (and nice and clean) rooms, nice breakfast, and beautiful rooftop.

I also liked Adam's flexibility in accommodating my request to use Uber instead of private transfers. His attention to detail and adaptability to changes ensured a seamless experience.

Adam's enthusiastic recommendations and Lea's seamless booking process gave me peace of mind, allowing me to focus on enjoying the conference and exploring Barcelona.

Thank you, Adam, and the Kimkim team! I look forward to planning my next adventure with you!

We had the most wonderful experiences in Spain and credit Marina with making it flawless and easy. This was our first European vacation ever for our family (2 children ages 16 and 13, me and my husband). Our 16-year-old loves art and architecture while our 13-year-old couldn't care less about those things. We wanted to add culture and fun plus a little adventure.

At first, I was apprehensive about using a travel agency thinking I could book activities myself for less money plus there are just so many unknowns with scams it's hard to trust an online agency. After going through many different iterations while planning the trip and pricing out the activities ourselves we finally decided that we wanted to have the best, seamless family vacation possible and we trusted Marina to help us make that happen after many emails, trip iterations and numerous phone calls. She was so patient and professional which also helped us to feel comfortable. We saved for years for this vacation so we needed to have faith that Kimkim and Marina are real and would take care of us.

I am so thankful that we finally stopped doubting the process and moved forward with Marina. We shared what activities were important to us then Marina drafted an itinerary. We discussed and modified it several times then once confirmed and paid, Marina was able to get to work booking venues, drivers, trains etc. They use an app that shows each days activities including the description, tickets, guide name and contact, if any. There is also a chat function so we knew we could ask questions or get suggestions during business hours and there was a phone number that we could call with any emergency. There were no emergencies but it was awesome to know there was someone local that would have our back it we needed them. I did use the chat quite often and responses were always quick and often well after business hours. Every activity we booked was flawless and the guides were all local to each area. Nearly all of the guides reached out directly 24-48 hours before our meeting using the WhatsApp. This additional level of communication was great. I would rate every single activity that Marina booked a 5 out of 5 or 10 out of 10. We booked our own airline tickets and airbnbs. We needed the local expertise on the activities.

We landed in and left from Madrid as that was much cheaper than other airports or leaving from a different location. Marina arranged for a car to pick us up - it was a large Mercedes luxury van. The driver was waiting for us inside the airport with a sign with our name plus he had messaged me thru WhatsApp in advance. He already had our accommodation address thanks to Marina. He was kind and helpful and was a wonderful first impression after the long flight. That first night we did a Tapas Tour with a small group. The guide, restaurants, food & drink plus the people in the group were all so amazing. This was one of my favorite activities. Worth every penny - wish we could have done this in every city! We also had a private walking tour of Madrid the morning of our second day. We saw and learned so many interesting facts and helped us to navigate the city much faster than trying to explore on our own. Marina also booked our tickets for a self-guided tour of the Royal palace as well as a private 2 hour tour at the Prado. Every guide lived in Madrid and had in-depth knowledge that they shared openly. We did a day trip to Toledo taking the train so it was only 30 minutes. Marina booked the train plus our private guide of the city. It was seamless and so beautiful. The only crazy thin that happened- this has nothing to do with Marina - is after the tour we went shopping for a knife that our son wanted. Toledo is known for their swords and blades so not better place to get one. Wish we had gone back to the store our guide took us to but instead my son walked into a random shop and purchased the knife. It was wrapped in tissue
paper and put in a bag. When we got back to the train stain to return to Madrid, they didn't want to let us on with the knife. It's supposed to be in a box and wrapped twice in addition to having the receipt. Thankfully they took mercy and allowed us on board with the knife then we hit El Cortes Ingles for tape, gift wrap and a box. -- One of the last scheduled activities in Madrid was a Flamenco dance. The venue was small, and it was a powerful, engaging show. The best Flamenco show we'd seen and different in that they were improvision. We didn't know this until after the show and they share that they don't rehearse before the show or even know exactly who will perform until that evening. Every show is different and can't be replicated. It was extremely enjoyable.

The next morning, we took the bullet train to Valencia which is about 2.5 hours. Marina booked the tickets for us which included a traditional Spanish meal. We didn't expect it and boy were we grateful for it. The train was comfortable, and the scenery was amazing. We did a bike tour in Valencia which was awesome. Really the only city I would have wanted to do it. There was so green space, parks, and biking around the City of Arts & Sciences was really stunning. Biking on roadways was very limited and I felt comfortable. We saw so much of the city, stopped and discussed, left the bikes at many locations to check things out. Again, I just can't say enough about our guide. Then we took a Paella cooking class which was so much fun! Sangria was waiting for us. We also made Tortilla de Patata which is a Spanish staple and now one of my favorite dishes. When the class ended, we received diplomas and recipes. It was really a fun experience.

Marina arranged for us to rent a car - this was what my husband worried about the most. Thinking it may be difficult to communicate with the car rental company if there was a problem. Marina handled every little detail so everything was paid for in advance, no outstanding questions or issues at all. We did obtain our International Driver's Licenses thru AAA before leaving. We never needed them but would have if there was an accident. We traveled to Benicarlo and Penicola for 2 days. These coast towns were amazing. Wish we could have added a few more days to our trip to stay here longer! We swam in the Mediteranean Sea, walked on the rocky beaches, explored the 12th century Castle, fell into a Paella Day at Castellona. It was an amazing unscripted time which was an awesome break. We drove to Barcelona, turned the car in to begin the final leg of our trip. I should mention that Marina still provided loads of restaurant recommendations and tickets to Papa Luna Castle.

In Barcelona we did an awesome walking/driving tour, so we were able to cover a lot of ground, learn much, and this tour included tickets plus an hour inside La Sagrada de Familia. Loved the tour! We took another day trip to Costa Brava for hiking and kayaking. This was another small group tour that was life altering. Seriously. Stefan was our guide. There were 8 total in our group. We had a comfortable drive about 90 minutes outside Barcelona. We met at 8:30am so we arrived around 10am. We hiked along cliff trails with some of the most picturesque coastline. It was gorgeous with many steep steps up and down the cliffs giving amazing views. We made our way to the beach where we left our stuff at Stefan's shop along with our phones for safe keeping. We paddled for 2.5 hours in total with a break in the mid-point for swimming in the lagoon and cliff jumping for anyone who was up for it. I've kayaked on lakes and rivers, but the Mediterranean Sea was altogether different. It was exhilarating, exhausting, and an experience that we'll never forget. The final tour that Marina booked for us was the Chocolate Experience. This was another small group tour lead by Carla, a local pastry chef. She was funny, informative, and passionate about chocolate. We visited 9 different shops. Seriously, 9 shops!!! Each place had a different specialty. Most have been owned by the same family for hundreds of years. We even walked by bar that is one of the oldest in Barcelona that both Gaudi & Picasso frequented. Unfortunately, they weren't open :( Marina booked our final bullet train from Barcelona back to Madrid.

It was an amazing, vacation with wonderful experiences that our entire family enjoyed together and bonded over. I wouldn't change a thing (unless time & money weren't limiting factors then I'd want to stay for another 2- 4 weeks). I really cannot recommend Marina and team enough. She made our trip so easy and worry free, exactly what vacation should be.

Our family traveled to Barcelona, Madrid and Toledo and enjoyed all of our sites. Our tour guide, Juan, in Madrid was excellent and really sensed what our family wanted to do and explore. He was kind and sincere. Our tour guide in Barcelona, Jordi, was knowledgeable and brought us around the city on a nice bike tour to see a lot of different sites. Both of the hotels we stayed at were excellent. The pool and bar on the roof top of Hotel Avenida was great to see the city at the end of the day. Both hotels were clean, comfortable and located in the center of the cities which allowed for great access to see the different sites. The travel arrangements by car and train were planned out very well. We felt well supported along our trip by Alfonso and he quickly responded to any of our questions or needs-he is an excellent resource.

Activity Reviews

Park Güell & La Sagrada Família

Barcelona

We all loved the tour of La Sagrada Familia and climbing the tour for the city view. Unfortunately we missed our tour to Park Guell as we made an error on the timing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Evening Tapas Stroll with a Local

Madrid

Juan was a great tour guide and showed us over half of the city in this walking tour. His knowledge of art, history and architecture was outstanding and added to our tour greatly. He is personable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Tour - Discover Madrid's Royal Legacy

Madrid

Viewing the palace and taking the tour with Juan was information because of Juan’s extensive knowledge of Madrid and the royal family. Juan gave us factual and anecdotal information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Toledo Day Trip

Madrid

Toledo tour was all encompassing and Juan once again had extensive knowledge of the city and the history of all of the sights we toured. Our tapas lunch was excellent. He has a great ability to sense from us what we were up for seeing and touring throughout this day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Sailing in Barcelona

Barcelona

We had a private sailboat for this evening activity and Fiona was friendly and personable. She did a great job managing the boat and talking with our family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Barcelona Bike Tour

Barcelona

A great way to see a large part of the city and riding bikes allowed a sense of freedom from the busy traffic and packed side walks.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Tapas Walk in Barcelona

Barcelona

It was a great over view of the city. It gave us a sense of where different parts of the city were located. Jordi was knowledgeable. We unfortunately were delayed on a flight and traffic so were over tired and very hungry when we started this walking tour so it was a bit hard to focus.

Quality of Experience

Food

If we could have picked the food with Jordi or seen a menu.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great trip to Madrid and Barcelona, and were very happy with Paula and Luis’ trip planning services and prompt replies to our questions while traveling. They worked within our budget and planned activities that suited our interests. They were spot on regarding hotel selections. All of the private and small group activities they set up for us were exactly as described. All of the tour guides and locations were great. Very happy! Would definitely recommend them to others!