Profile photo for Marina Courtaut
11849 messages
active 9 hours ago

Marina Courtaut

Can you think of a better way to live adventures than traveling?
When we travel we open our minds to new experiences and learn new cultures by making the destination we visited our home for a short time. My job as part of the Espiritu Travel team is to ensure that after your trip, you will always remember that destination as another one of “your home”. I am passionate about designing trips that include the highlights of Spain and Portugal, including small places that go beyond the conventions and show the authentic culture of the place.

I am Spanish by birth but my father is from France so my heart is divided. My passion for traveling came from my parents, who have shared their trips around the world with me. Since then, I haven't stopped, always looking for authentic experiences that help me understand the culture of the place I visit. I have had the opportunity to live in the state of Michigan, in Amsterdam and in Paris, and I have traveled through many of the corners of the world and in my country Spain, the cradle of the Flamenco Art.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"We specialize in trips to Spain and Portugal as well as Cuba. In both countries, we have our own offices so we can create all types of tailor-made trips; culture, art, history, culture, architecture, gastronomy, outdoor activities, nature-based, small groups, off the beaten track"

How did you get involved in travel?

"Since I was little, I've had the opportunity to travel through wonderful places and I was always amazed at the exchange of cultures that occurred while traveling, whether traveling as part of a group or solo. I decided to start my career as a professional in the world of travel at the age of 19 when I started studying the Tourism degree in Madrid. Since then, I have worked in different roles in the tourism industry: in travel agencies, as a tourism consultant, and in hotels. In addition, I studied the Master “International Tourism Management”. As part of the Espíritu Travel team, I continue my trip through the tourism industry as a local Travel Specialist in Spain and Portugal."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"It is difficult to choose an experience of all the lived one while traveling ... it is like choosing a favorite song, so difficult!

But if I had to choose one I think it would be the one I lived during the Holy Week in Malaga, it was not the first time I visited Malaga but it was the first time I saw a procession. Malaga is a beautiful coastal city in southern Spain.

I was shocked with the magic of the city during these holidays, especially when the processions happen at night. The city is silent and the music of the orchestra touches you in a magical way accompanied by the light of the torches carried by the brotherhoods.

Regardless of the religious character of this party, it is moving to see how the Spanish live Holy Week."

Marina is part of the following groups: the Azores Travel Agents, Portugal Travel Agents, Spain Travel Agents
Pintxos on display
Epic Wine & Culinary Trip Through Northern Spain - 11 Days

Eat and drink your way through northern Spain on this 11-day gastronomic adventure. Begin in Barcelona, exploring the city and its surroundings on a tapas tour, a local organic winery tasting, and a sunset sailing experience. While digesting, experience Gaudí's world-famous architectural delights and sunbathe on city beaches. Take a train to San Sebastián and visit the world's first underwater winery, then wind your way to Bilbao to sample the Basque Country's famous pintxos and Txakoli wine.

Sunset over Lisbon's Alfama district
Epic Portugal: Lisbon to the Algarve - 15 Days

From historic cities to rural countryside and rugged coastlines, you'll delve deep into Portugal on this 15-day grand tour. Hop between Lisbon and Porto for cosmopolitan cuisine and countless cultural highlights, then head south through Coimbra, Évora, and the Alentejo plains to reach the wild Algarve coast—where a relaxing itinerary of boat trips and beach time awaits.

Porto's vibrant riverfront
Ultimate Portugal: Porto, Lisbon, Évora & Lagos - 15 Days

From the north's winding rivers and wine country to the stunning southern coast, this epic 15-day itinerary gives you an in-depth look at Portugal's many wonders. Sample local wines and gastronomy in Porto, see the cobbled streets of Lisbon by foot and tram, and head into the Alentejo countryside for ancient history and medieval grandeur in Évora. After a busy schedule of tours, day trips, and excursions, settle into a slower pace of life amid the golden cliffs and sweeping beaches of the Algarve.

Hike along volcanic craters in Sete Cidades
Adventure to Lisbon & the Azores - 6 Days

In under a week, this adventurous itinerary takes you from the bustling streets of Lisbon to the remote Atlantic island of São Miguel. After visiting the highlights and hidden corners of Portugal's colorful capital, catch a flight to the Azores for three nights in a secluded paradise of lush greenery, volcanic lakes, and unspoiled beaches.

An iconic yellow tram on Lisbon's colorful streets
Portugal Panorama: Lisbon, Lagos, Coimbra & Porto - 13 Days

This 13-day itinerary showcases Portugal's many faces with a perfect combination of guided experiences and a choose-your-own-adventure road trip. See the Lisbon skyline by sailboat and hike to the hilltop palaces of Sintra, then strike out toward the Algarve coast for golden beaches, hidden coves, and spectacular sunsets. Turn north to end your journey in Porto, where you'll trade the car for a driver as you sit back and enjoy day trips into the Douro Valley and Peneda-Gerês National Park.

Wildflowers overlooking Praia do Camilo in Lagos
Ultimate Portugal: Porto, Lisbon & Lagos - 12 Days

With 12 days to spare, you can see Portugal from north to south at a pleasantly relaxed pace. Explore Porto's riverside neighborhoods by vintage car, sip robust reds in the Douro Valley, and discover the north's lesser-visited gems like Guimarães and Aveiro. Take your time in colorful Lisbon to experience the capital through a local's eyes, then catch a train south to Lagos for sunbathing and sailing on the Algarve coast.

Recent trip reviews for Marina

Everything we hoped for!
Spain | Aug 26 - Sep 5, 2023

Elisha
Elisha T.
Laguna Beach, CA | Reviewed on Jan 13, 2023

Our trip was everything we had hoped it would be and Marina made it happen! I had a very limited amount of time to plan this trip and she made herself available to answer any questions or concerns we had. I will absolutely use kimkim again and highly recommend it. Marina is the icing on the cake!

Response time while in Spain was also exceptional. We had a couple of questions during our travels and we received help almost instantly.

Thank you for making our trip so memorable! read more

Our trip was everything we had hoped it would be and Marina made it happen! I had a very limited amount of time to plan this trip and she made herself available to answer any questions or concerns we had. I will absolutely use kimkim again and highly recommend it. Marina is the icing on the cake!

Response time while in Spain was also exceptional. We had a couple of questions during our travels and we received help almost instantly.

Thank you for making our trip so memorable!

Hotel Reviews
Hotel España Ramblas
Barcelona

Don't recommend. Location is good but that's it.

Authenticity & Character
Location
in the center of the gothic quarter
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Windows fogged and mold. bathrooms not comfortable and could be cleaner. Not great
Majestic Hotel & Spa Barcelona
Barcelona

Perfect location in Barcelona. Safe, friendly, beautiful, clean. We'd love to visit again. They treated us like royalty! Food was terrific as well.

Authenticity & Character
They keep true to the history and it's exceptionally maintained
Location
Staff
Can't compliment enough
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Aiguablava
Costa Brava · Girona

Beautiful location and private beach. Very helpful staff

Authenticity & Character
Location
Beach! Views!
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean, comfortable. I wish they had more food options. Breakfast was great but after our first night, we left for meals elsewhere. Only drink service at pool. It would be awesome if they offered some kind of food service poolside instead of chips and prepackaged icecream.
Activity Reviews
Day Trip to Montserrat & Penedès Region Wine Tasting
Barcelona

Our guide made it special for us. Super friendly. Llopart winery was very fun!

Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Kayaking Excursion
Spain

Guide was great! Beautiful day and plenty of time to jump off of rocks and swim. Beautiful way to experience the seaside of Spain and it's ocean wildlife.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia
Barcelona
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jan 20, 2023

Hi Elisha, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! I am thrilled to hear you and your family had such a marvelous time in Spain. It was my pleasure to work with you and organize this experience for your family. I will pass on your kind word to all the team :) I am sorry to hear that your experience at the Hotel España Ramblas was not pleasant, we have worked with this hotel before and always had good feedback so I will let the hotel know about your comments since it is unnaceptable. Thank you again for letting us be a small part of your trip :) Warmest regards, Marina

Fabulous Trip to Spain thanks to Marina and kimkim!
Spain | Dec 18 - Dec 31, 2022

K
Kathleen L.
Evanston, IL | Reviewed on Jan 02, 2023

We’ve traveled extensively through Europe and always planned our own trips but we didn’t have time to plan this year. Luckily we found kimkim which focuses on independent travelers.

Our journey started in Barcelona. We flew to southern Spain rented a car and stayed in Granada, Seville and ended our trip in Madrid.

Marina planned a wonderful trip for us. From the moment we started planning and throughout the actual trip Marina and her team were very responsive and always available to... read more

We’ve traveled extensively through Europe and always planned our own trips but we didn’t have time to plan this year. Luckily we found kimkim which focuses on independent travelers.

Our journey started in Barcelona. We flew to southern Spain rented a car and stayed in Granada, Seville and ended our trip in Madrid.

Marina planned a wonderful trip for us. From the moment we started planning and throughout the actual trip Marina and her team were very responsive and always available to answer any questions.

All the activities Marina organized went off beautifully. The guides we had for each walking tour of the cities were on time and excellent.

In Barcelona we enjoyed a tapas dinner and Marina got us excellent seats at a concert in the marvelous Palau Música and tickets to Gaudi locations.

Loved the Scents tour of Granada and all the recommendations given of what to do and where to eat in each city. We had a particular interest in Pedro Almadovar and Marina provided lots of information from film locations to where he lived and personal background.

The app was incredibly helpful and easy to use so all four of us knew the itinerary. The tickets were easy to pull up in the app and guides phone numbers available.

Thank you Marina for all your help. We look forward to using kimkim again.

Hotel Reviews
Midtown Apartments
Barcelona
Location
Cleanliness & Comfort
Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments - Madrid Suites
Madrid
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Chez Moi - Plaza Nueva Luxury Apartment
Granada

Incredible views of Alhambra from apartment and rooftop. Meticulously cleaned. Management very helpful. Loved this place.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Luz de Sevilla Apartment
Seville
Location
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Tapas Culinary Experience
Barcelona
Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia
Barcelona
Guided Visit of Granada Through Its Scents
Granada
Tour of the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens
Spain
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Flamenco Show
Granada
Quality of Experience
Guided Visit of Seville
Seville
Self Drive {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Córdoba
Spain

Cordoba is a wonderful stop along the way to Madrid.

Guided Visit of Toledo
Spain

Take this day trip. High speed train excellent. Cathedral fabulous. Toledo incredible.

Guided Visit of Madrid: History, Culture & Architecture of the Capital of Spain
Madrid
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jan 04, 2023

Hi Kathleen, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! I am thrilled to hear you and your family had such a marvelous time in Spain. It was my pleasure to work with you and organize this experience for your family. I even learn my self some interesting facts about Almodovar when preparing your travel documents ;) I will pass on your kind word to all the team. Thank you again for letting us be a small part of your trip :) Warmest regards, Marina

Great experience- planning and traveling
Spain | Sep 5 - Sep 28, 2022

B
Brian P.
Walnut Creek, CA | Reviewed on Dec 04, 2022

Great experience- everything met or exceeded our expectations. Marina and staff were accessible and responsive to any questions or concerns during the planning and the trip itself. We loved our custom itinerary and the travel app they provided us for the trip. We’ve recommended Kimkim to a number of family and friends. read more

Great experience- everything met or exceeded our expectations. Marina and staff were accessible and responsive to any questions or concerns during the planning and the trip itself. We loved our custom itinerary and the travel app they provided us for the trip. We’ve recommended Kimkim to a number of family and friends.

Hotel Review
Parador de Ronda
Ronda

Beautiful and spacious, best location,- probably the nicest hotel we stayed in Spain

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Dec 09, 2022

Hi Brian! Thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review and for your kind words to the entire team!! I'm really happy you enjoyed your time discovering our country and hope you created lovely memories. I am glad you liked el Parador de Ronda hotel, it is indeed a beautiful hotel and has the best location in Ronda. Thank you again for letting us be a small part of your trip :) Warmest regards, Marina

Took the stress away/lifetime trip to Spain!
Spain | Oct 30 - Nov 8, 2022

Emilie
Emilie T.
Matthews, NC | Reviewed on Nov 09, 2022

Marina was fantastic. The organization and transports really took the stress out of planning and traveling. We absolutely loved every city, especially Granada and Cádiz where we had the opportunity to relax and really take in the amazing history and culture. Fantastic tour guides, great hotel locations even with a smaller budget. I also loved that even with some downtime and free afternoons, there were a ton of great recommendations and literature about each city on the itinerary. We never... read more

Marina was fantastic. The organization and transports really took the stress out of planning and traveling. We absolutely loved every city, especially Granada and Cádiz where we had the opportunity to relax and really take in the amazing history and culture. Fantastic tour guides, great hotel locations even with a smaller budget. I also loved that even with some downtime and free afternoons, there were a ton of great recommendations and literature about each city on the itinerary. We never felt lost, stressed, or like we didn’t have hundreds of exciting options, even on free afternoons. We were also having trouble getting tickets to some of the Gaudí sites in Barcelona and Marina was able to quickly get us tickets at great times. If we had a question about anything, she always responded quickly and was able to help us in record time. Thank you so much Marina and KimKim for a fantastic trip!

Hotel Review
Palacio de Santa Inés Hotel
Granada

This hotel is lovely and comfortable with amazing views. We also loved the breakfast. The location is fantastic, right next to a bustling plaza with some of the best tapas we had the entire trip. Thanks so much for making our stay in Granada even more beautiful.

Authenticity & Character
Beautiful, great location, incredible views.
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Tour of the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens
Spain

Jaime was an amazing guide! His passion and excitement for the Alhambra was inspiring and apparent throughout the tour. He was patient and answered any question we had. Highly recommend this experience. It was a main highlight of our trip!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guided Visit of Seville
Seville

Pablo was a wealth of information. He is so clearly passionate and knowledgeable. His energy was infectious and the 3 hours flew by!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Nov 10, 2022

Hi Emilie, Thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review and for your kind words! I am glad to hear you enjoyed your guided tours and the selected hotels. Alhambra is indeed a must-see if you visit Granada and in my opinion Spain, it is breathtaking. I will pass your kind words to all the team :) It was truly a pleasure helping you organize this trip to Spain and I hope to help you plan your next adventure! Warmest regards, Marina.

Anniversary Trip 2022
Spain | Oct 14 - Oct 27, 2022

Krista
Krista M.
Mequon, WI | Reviewed on Nov 03, 2022

We had a fantastic trip to Spain and it was largely due to the planning and thoughtfulness of our agent Marina. She helped us plan a fantastic anniversary trip while staying on budget! She also kept us informed and up to date on any changes and was consistently responsive to any questions we had both in planning the trip and while we were there! Would definitely use her for a trip in the future!

Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Nov 04, 2022

Hi Krista, Thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review and for your kind words! I'm so glad you enjoyed your time in Spain and I hope you and Daniel created lovely memories :) It was truly a pleasure helping you organize this trip to Spain and I hope to help you plan your next adventure! Warmest regards, Marina.

30th Anniversary trip
Portugal | Oct 12 - Oct 21, 2022

D
David B.
Rockwall, TX | Reviewed on Oct 31, 2022

Mauel in Porto, Sara's replacement in Coimbra, Jose in Lisbon, and Paulo in Sintra all did a wonderful job. Filipi did an okay job in Bragga---but the concept of driving us to a location to let us walk around on our own was not really beneficial to us. Duro Valley boat trip did not happen because the guide was not at the location we were told to meet him---that experience was disappointing and also the discussion with KimKim regarding the guide proved very frustrating. read more

Mauel in Porto, Sara's replacement in Coimbra, Jose in Lisbon, and Paulo in Sintra all did a wonderful job. Filipi did an okay job in Bragga---but the concept of driving us to a location to let us walk around on our own was not really beneficial to us. Duro Valley boat trip did not happen because the guide was not at the location we were told to meet him---that experience was disappointing and also the discussion with KimKim regarding the guide proved very frustrating.

Hotel Reviews
Rossio Boutique Hotel
Lisbon
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Overall nice hotel
The Editory House Ribeira Hotel
Porto

Very friendly and helpful group.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Quinta de Casaldronho Wine Hotel
Lamego

Very narrow and winding road to access. Would not really recommend.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Nothing....just difficult to access
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Beautiful views
Sapientia Boutique Hotel
Coimbra

Very nice view and nice room

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Vintage Car Tour of Porto
Porto

Okay but the vintage car really did not add anything

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Day Excursion to Braga & Guimarães
Porto

Since the guide just drove you to a location and dropped you off....not really of much value.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
River Boat Experience in Douro Valley
Douro Valley

Guide was not where we were told to meet him and therefore missed tour on boat. As with all guides they should have a KimKim sign or some other way for the traveler to recognize them. We were very vigilant in trying to find guides and did use the phone to locate....this guide did not answer his phone or text.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Guided Visit of Coimbra
Portugal

we enjoyed and guide was very informative

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Architectural & Historical Highlights of Lisbon
Lisbon

enjoyed and guide was informative.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril
Lisbon

Guide was good and informative....but the hype of visiting Sintra was overrated in my opinion.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Nov 03, 2022

Hi David, thank you for taking the time to write your trip review. I am glad to hear you enjoyed your guided visits in Porto, Coimbra, Lisbon, and Coimbra. I will pass on your kind words to the team. Despite the fact that that you arrived late to the meeting point, I can only apologize you missed your boat excursion in the Douro Valley, we provided all the information with the starting time of the tour, meeting point, and your guide information on your travel documents, including a phone... read more

Hi David, thank you for taking the time to write your trip review. I am glad to hear you enjoyed your guided visits in Porto, Coimbra, Lisbon, and Coimbra. I will pass on your kind words to the team. Despite the fact that that you arrived late to the meeting point, I can only apologize you missed your boat excursion in the Douro Valley, we provided all the information with the starting time of the tour, meeting point, and your guide information on your travel documents, including a phone number to call your guide if you were unable to locate it. It was a pleasure helping you plan your trip to Portugal, warmest regards, Marina.

We continued to be pleasantly surprised throu...
Portugal | Oct 6 - Oct 16, 2022

T
Tom L.
Mamaroneck, NY | Reviewed on Oct 31, 2022

We continued to be pleasantly surprised throughout the trip by all the information and experiences and local guides that Kim Kim sourced and provided for our trip. We felt like we had the most exciting and authentic experience and it felt very much tailored to the style and taste of travel we were looking for.
in the planning stages, Marina was great at adding and altering the trip to our needs as we figured out the days, pacing and activities we wanted to do. Marina was also very... read more

We continued to be pleasantly surprised throughout the trip by all the information and experiences and local guides that Kim Kim sourced and provided for our trip. We felt like we had the most exciting and authentic experience and it felt very much tailored to the style and taste of travel we were looking for.
in the planning stages, Marina was great at adding and altering the trip to our needs as we figured out the days, pacing and activities we wanted to do. Marina was also very accommodating and managed to make changes to the trip while we were in Portugal which was amazing to be able to do this and allowed us to alter our travel stress-free.
Although the pre-planning and documents provided were amazing and easy to understand. I wish that we organized a call to discuss the trip with Marina, that was an oversight on our end. I think it would have been great to go through each day and be able to ask general questions.
It was amazing to have an App available with all travel information in one place. This is time-saving and made the trip easy to navigate while we were on the go!
I have already recommended Kim Kim to friends who are looking for some help booking their next vacation.

Hotel Reviews
Sapientia Boutique Hotel
Coimbra

Very cool hotel in the perfect location for a trip to Coimbra! The chef and staff very friendly and welcoming. I wish that they had a bellboy service to help with the bags to and from reception to the main streets, it is a little tricky coming in and out of the hotel.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Vila Galé Douro Vineyards
Armamar

The exterior of the property and view is outstanding! The staff were very nice, friendly, and informative. The food was only OK, I recommend going out to dinner if possible. The rooms also had a great view but were also more on the basic and smaller side. I think it would help if they put less furniture in the rooms, we found it hard for 2 people to put our bags in the room and get ready to go out.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Private Porto Cooking Class & Market Visit
Porto

This was a true highlight of the trip! Our guide and chef were personable and knowledgeable. The food was OUTSTANDING! and tailored to our tastes.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Get to Know Lisbon with a Local
Lisbon

Our guide was very knowledgeable and we felt like we learned so much! She had great stories and antidotes of the past and present.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Get to know Porto by E-bike
Porto

Our guide was so cool and sweet! A local that loved his city and showed us some of the most beautiful beaches and parks in the city, it was a treat to see this on bike.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril
Lisbon

We got a great showing of the area and our guide was very personable and knowledgeable! A wonderful day with lots of great spots and yummy food.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Wine experience in the Douro Valley
Douro Valley

Our guide was fantastic! We had the best lunch experience, one of the best of the trip! and we were able to cater the day to our specific needs.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Nov 02, 2022

Hi Tom, Thank you for your wonderful review! It was a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Portugal and I am happy to hear you enjoyed your trip and guided tours. I'll be sure to pass on your kind words to all the team. I am glad you found the Trip App useful while traveling, it is indeed very helpful to communicate with you and include extra information about the destinations :) I hope to host you again in Portugal very soon! Warmest regards, Marina

The trip was wonderful and the timing each da...
Portugal | Sep 24 - Oct 9, 2022

P
Patrick O.
Deerfield, IL | Reviewed on Oct 10, 2022

The trip was wonderful and the timing each day went off without a hitch. We had good communications with Marina in planning the trip and when we added another couple to the original 6 travelers very late in the process she was able to change things around to accommodate the drivers and the hotels seamlessly.
The tour guides were knowledgeable and flexible when we wanted to deviate from the planned program. Their language skills made us envious, and we were never at a loss to understand what... read more

The trip was wonderful and the timing each day went off without a hitch. We had good communications with Marina in planning the trip and when we added another couple to the original 6 travelers very late in the process she was able to change things around to accommodate the drivers and the hotels seamlessly.
The tour guides were knowledgeable and flexible when we wanted to deviate from the planned program. Their language skills made us envious, and we were never at a loss to understand what they were conveying or asking questions to better understand what we were seeing.
The hotels we stayed in were very nice and always located in great areas for restaurants, sightseeing and shopping. All in all, it was a wonderful experience for the four couples, and a memorable experience for four brothers and their wives.

Hotel Review
Singer Palace Hotel
Rome

We originally asked Marina to book us into a hotel in Rome that we had stayed in previously, but she suggested the Singer Palace. I was reluctant to do so, but she assured me that the Singer was equal to or better than the hotel that I was familiar with, and she was correct. The hotel is conveniently located to the historic sites, and to some great shopping and restaurants. It has a nice rooftop bar and a cook to order breakfast that was delicious. At check in, one of the check-in staff accompanied us to our rooms to explain about the hotels history, toured the rooftop and showed everyone how to navigate all the nice touches in the living quarters. All in all, a very good suggestion from our trip advisor.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Oct 11, 2022

Hi Patrick, thank you so much for taking the time to write this review! I will pass your kind words to all the team. I am glad to hear that all the family enjoyed the trip and the guided visits, this is what our team always strives for. Singer Palace is certainly a fantastic hotel, this type of hotels makes the stay a totally different experience indeed :) It has been a true pleasure working with you to plan your family trip to Portugal and Sicily and I hope our paths meet again for your next adventures. All my best, Marina

Our trip far surpassed our expectations. Ma...
Portugal | Sep 24 - Oct 9, 2022

B
Barbara O.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on Oct 10, 2022

Our trip far surpassed our expectations. Marina listened and executed our 2-week adventure. She did an amazing job. She was there all the way from start to finish . I have never used KimKim before, but they are my go to for all my international travels. read more

Our trip far surpassed our expectations. Marina listened and executed our 2-week adventure. She did an amazing job. She was there all the way from start to finish . I have never used KimKim before, but they are my go to for all my international travels.

Hotel Reviews
Grand Hotel et Des Palmes
Palermo
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Villa Athena
Agrigento

Thia place is out of this world. This was a highlight hotel of our vacation.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Amazing view. The best view ever.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze
Catania

Hotel is clean but old. Rooftop restaurant very nice.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
PortoBay Hotel Teatro
Porto

This is a great boutique hotel.. Location is perfect.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa – A Leading hotel of the world
Lisbon

Tivoli is a world-class hotel with superb service. The rooftop restaurant is amazing. A definite highlight.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Singer Palace Hotel
Rome

The most amazing boutique hotel. The staff is the best I have ever seen. Great location and amazing Rooftop view. Restaurant is wonderful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Oct 10, 2022

Hi Barbara, Thank you for your wonderful review! It's been truly a pleasure to work with you helping you plan your family trip to Portugal and Sicily, I am glad all the family could join you :) I am happy to hear you enjoyed your trip! I hope to host you again in Portugal or Italy very soon! Warmest regards, Marina

Two weeks in Portugal from Austin, TX
Portugal | Sep 8 - Sep 21, 2022

Steve
Steve P.
Austin, TX | Reviewed on Sep 22, 2022

Marina was exceptionally helpful and responsive in working with me to plan this 2 week trip. We visited Lisbon, Évora, Funchal (Island of Madeira), Porto & Cascais. All of our daytime tours and intercity transportation came together like clock work. Our hotel properties at each stop were well located and provided comfort with nice amenities. Everything was great but we especially highly recommend a visit to Madeira. We won't hesitate to use KimKim for our future travel planning. read more

Marina was exceptionally helpful and responsive in working with me to plan this 2 week trip. We visited Lisbon, Évora, Funchal (Island of Madeira), Porto & Cascais. All of our daytime tours and intercity transportation came together like clock work. Our hotel properties at each stop were well located and provided comfort with nice amenities. Everything was great but we especially highly recommend a visit to Madeira. We won't hesitate to use KimKim for our future travel planning.

Hotel Reviews
PortoBay Flores
Porto

Great location, great quality, very nice amenities. Room 804 was top floor, corner room with balcony. Great views.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Castanheiro Boutique Hotel
Funchal

Loved our suite, Room 409. Great hotel property right in town. Walk to most everything.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The Albatroz Hotel
Cascais

Mice, old style hotel with exceptional location & amenities.

Authenticity & Character
Location
M
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Sep 23, 2022

Hi Steve, Thank you for your wonderful review! It was a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Portugal and I am happy to hear you enjoyed your trip and guided tours. Madeira is indeed a magnificent island, maybe next time you can visit the Azores Islands in Portugal :) I'll be sure to pass on your kind words to all the team. I hope to host you again in Portugal very soon! Warmest regards, Marina

This is the 3rd time we've used Kimkim for o...
Portugal | Sep 9 - Sep 15, 2022

S
Susan S.
Sioux Falls, SD | Reviewed on Sep 20, 2022

This is the 3rd time we've used Kimkim for our travels and it was a bit disappointing. Our first hotel, the Casual Belle Epoque was supposedly 4 star and it should have been a 3. The room, the breakfast, it just was not a 4 star hotel. The last day we came in and the room smelled of sewage. We contacted Marina and said we would like a different hotel for our last night in Lisbon but it was going to be yet more money and a cancellation fee.
The drivers were another issue. We had a day... read more

This is the 3rd time we've used Kimkim for our travels and it was a bit disappointing. Our first hotel, the Casual Belle Epoque was supposedly 4 star and it should have been a 3. The room, the breakfast, it just was not a 4 star hotel. The last day we came in and the room smelled of sewage. We contacted Marina and said we would like a different hotel for our last night in Lisbon but it was going to be yet more money and a cancellation fee.
The drivers were another issue. We had a day excusion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril with a guide/driver named Paulo. We felt we were being hustled the entire time. He had us go to this port wine place for a tasting in Sintra. Obviously he had an interest there as he was pouring samples for people. Somehow we let them talk us into buying a way overpriced bottle of port (we later learned from an actual winery owner in the Douro Valley that we were scammed). Then he wanted us to go to this specific restaurant on the coast, near Cascais. We went in and waited then decided we simply didn't want to wait and left to walk the beach. He wanted to know what happened, why did we leave, clearly he had an interest there too.
We had another driver take us from Lisbon to Porto via Coimbra. The problem here was the driver spoke no english and did not understand we had a 3 hour stop in coimbra. We had to call our Kim kim consultant Marina, she had to call him, then we got it straightened out. Problem two arose because he got lost in Porto trying to find our hotel. Heavy traffic, he had a hotel in his phone with the same name but it was in a different city and he could not get the phone to refresh. We pulled up the address in our phone for him, then changed the language to portuguese, all the while he's trying to drive in rush hour traffic, it was not fun. We called Marina and requested english speaking drivers and she said she couldn't guarantee that as they were just there to get us from point A to point B. Well that's not exactly true when he had no idea about our scheduled side trip to Coimbra and he gets lost trying to find our hotel.
We did a day trip to the Douro Valley which was nice. The driver we had for this was Rui, very nice and did a good job. We had told Marina that we did not want to do this riverboat ride down the Douro River, just not our thing. She insisted and said "everyone does this". We told her in another conversation we didn't want to do this. At that point we assumed we had to because it must be the way to get us from one destination to another, it wasn't. It was simply a riverboat ride up and down the river in a packed boat in the pouring rain. We would not have had to do this at all. It made us wonder, she must get a kick back from putting us on the boat.
Our last day in the Porto we had a fantastic guide, Sandra, she was informative, fun and was the kind of guide we were used to getting when booking with Kimkim.
The only time Marina was in contact with us (not including the many times we had to contact her with problems with drivers, etc) was the night before our departure. This certainly was unlike any other trip we've done with you before. This trip was our most expensive and the least well run, we're very disappointed.

Hotel Review
Neya Porto Hotel
Porto
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Beds were very uncomfortable
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Sep 27, 2022

Hi Susan,

Thank you for taking the time to write your trip review.

Originally, you were booked at the Rossio Boutique hotel in Lisbon. This is a four star, centrally located hotel that we had been using without incident, however, the previous month before your travels, the hotel was starting to get bad reviews so our team made the decision to change that hotel for travelers who were booked there.

I re-booked you at the Belle Epoque Boutique hotel which was in the same price range as... read more

Hi Susan,

Thank you for taking the time to write your trip review.

Originally, you were booked at the Rossio Boutique hotel in Lisbon. This is a four star, centrally located hotel that we had been using without incident, however, the previous month before your travels, the hotel was starting to get bad reviews so our team made the decision to change that hotel for travelers who were booked there.

I re-booked you at the Belle Epoque Boutique hotel which was in the same price range as the other hotel as well it has good reviews (4.3 & 4,5 respectively on TripAdvisor and Bookings) and thus far we have not a had a complaint about this hotel. I had advised that you would be switched to this hotel before you traveled so there would have been time to change it if you did not like the hotel or its location.

During your trip, you contacted me to ask if it was possible to change to a different hotel for your last night in Lisbon. I offered you four other hotel possibilities for your last night in Lisbon and mentioned that due to the Belle Epoque Boutique hotel cancelation policy I was not able to cancel the hotel free of charge. You decided you did not want to pay any extra. You never mentioned any other issue with the hotel, other than that it was noisy on the first floor. So I called the hotel and requested that they assign you an upper-level room for your last night.

In regards to the day trip to Sintra, Cascais and Estoril is a private excursion. This is one of our most popular excursions and you are able to see past reviews that it always gets top marks. So I am surprised to read that you felt rushed as well hustled. We have asked guides on this excursion to reserve a table for travelers at a restaurant so you do not have to wait in line for lunch, especially during high season. So the guide did not have an alternative motive to bring you to that restaurant. I do not have enough information about the Port transaction as I would need to know the type of port, the cost, what is considered a price for being ripped off as well as the person who told you as such. I have shared these comments with your guide since this is an accusation that I am sure he would like to know about.

On the day of the transfer to Porto, Alexandra called me to ask me if the driver knew that you had a stop in Coimbra, I called the transfer company right away to check if they had the information and when they called the driver they told me that the driver had all the information and that in fact, you had just arrived to Coimbra. Rather than the driver not knowing where he was going, is it possible, that it was a simple miscommunication between the driver and you? Coimbra is a the most popular stop on the way to Porto so it is unlikely he didn’t know where he was going. The service is to drive you from point A to B, he is not a guide. If transport companies excluded non-English speaking drivers there would certainly be a shortage of available drivers manage the record number of visitors that were in Portugal during high season.
I have read through all communications between you and I, not only on KimKim but also in the discussion chat in your travel itinerary, and nowhere does it mention that I said you must do the riverboat. How would I have forced you to do it, given that it was a private day excursion to Douro Valley so you can make the excursion your own. If you had mentioned that you didn’t want to do it, I would have suggested another activity such as visiting another winery, an olive oil visit or just add more time to visit the villages of the Douro Valley.

Again, thank you for taking the time to write your trip review. All your comments will help us improve in the future.

Warm regards,
Marina

Feedback and range of experiences from our trip
Spain | Sep 1 - Sep 11, 2022

J
Jon D.
La Vista, NE | Reviewed on Sep 18, 2022

Private tour and guide to Versailles was 5-star experience/excellent. Lucien the guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and kept the tour moving at the right pace. It was great having a private car ride there, and front of the line tickets.

Toledo tour with Victor was also a 5-star guided visit/outstanding. Similar reasons: knowledgeable, friendly, maintained good pace.

We had two errors in the scheduling: Versailles was on the wrong day, and timing of Barcelona tour was wrong. We were late... read more

Private tour and guide to Versailles was 5-star experience/excellent. Lucien the guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and kept the tour moving at the right pace. It was great having a private car ride there, and front of the line tickets.

Toledo tour with Victor was also a 5-star guided visit/outstanding. Similar reasons: knowledgeable, friendly, maintained good pace.

We had two errors in the scheduling: Versailles was on the wrong day, and timing of Barcelona tour was wrong. We were late in both instances which we felt bad about.

The tour in Barcelona was okay. Our tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable however the driving tour was in a van and we couldn’t see anything that he was referencing. It would have been nice to have more guidance at Sagrada Familia than just downloading the app.

We appreciated the list of must see and do, as well as ideas for dining options. Hotels were good, we preferred the four star hotels in Spain.

Walking tour in Paris with Josquin was good, he was knowledgeable, kept a good pace and covered quite a bit of ground. Our walking tour with Amor in Madrid was disappointing. We walked a few blocks and the information was limited. We didn’t feel that tour was worth it and felt like we saw very little of Madrid.

Flamenco show was great as was the tapas food tour in Madrid.

We loved the high speed train but as an American, we didn’t know what we were doing and needed to ask for help to find the gate.

Finally, we appreciated the team’s responsiveness to all of our little questions along the way,

Hotel Reviews
A la Villa des Artistes
Paris

Boutique feel, located walking distance from most sites, surrounded by cafes.

Authenticity & Character
This hotel didn’t feel like it was part of a chain, had a bit of its own personality which was nice
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Barcelona 1882
Barcelona

Beautifully appointed hotel located walking distance from key sites.

Authenticity & Character
Hip vibe, larger rooms
Location
Walking distance to many attractions, fining
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
7 Islas Hotel
Madrid

We loved the location and modern design of this boutique hotel off one of the main streets in Madrid. The breakfast options were fantastic!

Authenticity & Character
Loved the hotel’s design, lots of plants, beautiful!
Location
Walking distance to many key sites, restaurants
Staff
Always ready to help, answer questions
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Private Walking Tour of Paris
Paris

Enjoyed the pace, ground we covered, information, and stop at the bakery.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Seine Cruise
Paris

Enjoyed seeing Paris from the river

Quality of Experience
Day Trip to Versailles
Paris

Lucien was by far the best guide we had. We were briefed on French history on the way. The private car and drive were nice. Our guide was able to move us about and miss the crowds.

Quality of Experience
Perfect day, relaxed, informative, enjoyable
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Knowledgeable guide
Transport
Clean nice private car ride
Private Tapas Experience in Madrid
Madrid

Great variety of Food and drink in a localized area, friendly guide, fun group. I was accommodated by every establishment as s pescatarian.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guided Visit of Toledo
Spain

Victor was another one of our favorite guides. He was so knowledgeable and interesting. We saw all of the highlights accompanied with stories, history and context.

Quality of Experience
Victor
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Day Trip to Montserrat & Penedès Region Wine Tasting
Barcelona

I would actually give this tour 4.5 stars. The winery tour and Monserrat Abby were amazing places. The winery tour was comprehensive and wonderful. The Abby portion was less smooth. We had to decide whether we would stand in line and see the black Madonna and our guide had some trouble with the tickets. I would have liked to have walked to see the little church in the mountain but it wasn’t an option. We stopped for coffee before the winery and it felt a little forced and awkward. Finally, the driving was a little fast for me in the mountains with all the twists and turns. Our guide was knowledge about the Montserrat Abby was fine but not outstanding.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Guided Visit of Barcelona
Barcelona

Our tour guide Matthieu was friendly and knowledgeable and the places we saw were great. It was difficult, however, to see anything from the van. I would have appreciated more information and preparation for Sangrada Familia and wished we had an actual guide rather than downloading an app, I would have also like to go to SF earlier to avoid the huge crowds.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Flamenco Night
Madrid

Splendid show! Appreciated hearing the artists talk at the end and explain the art of flamenco.

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

Our guide Amor only took us around a few blocks and the pace was far too slow for us. Also, the focus of the information sharing was architecture, specifically the balconies, versus history and culture, Unfortunately, we didn’t feel we experienced Madrid fully.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Sep 25, 2022

Thank you very much Jon for taking the time to do the review! I appreciate all your comments, all your feedback will help us improve. I am pleased to hear you enjoyed your trip to Spain and France despite the incident with your guided tours in Paris and the guided visit to Madrid. Train stations in Spain can be confusing for us as well, specially Atocha in Madrid that is so big but I guess that is part of the adventure of traveling :) I will pass your kind words to all the team! I hope to be able to help you plan another trip in the future. Warmest regards, Marina

We had such an amazing trip to Spain & France...
Spain | Sep 4 - Sep 10, 2022

Holly
Holly B.
Houston, TX | Reviewed on Sep 13, 2022

We had such an amazing trip to Spain & France! Marina did an excellent job sending us several different trip plans to choose from with various hotel options / activities. A major bonus was the pre-arranged travel to and from the airport, (especially since we were unfamiliar with the airports). It made it that much easier and quicker at all our our stops. Highly recommend!! read more

We had such an amazing trip to Spain & France! Marina did an excellent job sending us several different trip plans to choose from with various hotel options / activities. A major bonus was the pre-arranged travel to and from the airport, (especially since we were unfamiliar with the airports). It made it that much easier and quicker at all our our stops. Highly recommend!!

Hotel Review
Hotel España Ramblas
Barcelona
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Review
Tapas Culinary Experience
Barcelona
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Sep 13, 2022

Hi Holly, thank you so much for your kind and for your feedback! It's been truly a pleasure to work with you to create your trip to Spain and France and I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip, that's what we strive for and always our best reward. I look forward to helping you plan your next adventure! Warmest regards, Marina

Amazing trip to Portugal
Portugal | Aug 28 - Sep 4, 2022

C
chris g.
Canada | Reviewed on Sep 08, 2022

We had an amazing experience with Marina. She went the extra mile when we had to reschedule the trip due to COVID and again when there was an airport strike that forced us to shift the trip by a day. She put together an amazing itinerary for our Lisbon trip and the tour guides/drivers she found were outstanding. Would recommend her to anyone wanting to have a great trip in Portugal.

In particular would like to highlight the tour guides/drivers, who we initially thought would be responsible... read more

We had an amazing experience with Marina. She went the extra mile when we had to reschedule the trip due to COVID and again when there was an airport strike that forced us to shift the trip by a day. She put together an amazing itinerary for our Lisbon trip and the tour guides/drivers she found were outstanding. Would recommend her to anyone wanting to have a great trip in Portugal.

In particular would like to highlight the tour guides/drivers, who we initially thought would be responsible from taking us from one location to another but were the highlight of the trip as they found great restaurants and hidden gems to see:
Alison who did the Lisbon food tour
Paulo who did a spectacular day trip to Sintra
Rui who organized an amazing day in the Douro valley at took us to the best Quinta

Hotel Reviews
Dear Lisbon Bordalo House
Lisboa
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The Vintage House - Douro
Pinhão, Douro
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores
Porto
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Only negative comment is that it was somewhat challenging to borrow a wine opener. Given that the Hotel is in Porto, I'd suggest each room have wine bottle opener
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Private Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk
Lisbon

Alison was a great tour guide and we had an amazing experience

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril
Lisbon

The day with Paulo was amazing. he was so engaged and professional and planned out a specatular day

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Outstanding
Transport
Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}
Portugal
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Wine Experience in the Douro Valley & River Cruise
Douro Valley

Rui organized the highlight of our trip. He proactively reached out and arranged lunch plans for us, asked what type of tour we wanted and then arranged a port tasting at a hidden gem that buses could not reach. For lunch he found an amazing Quinta where we had an authentic home cooked meal with the family

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Sep 09, 2022

Hi Chris, Thank you for your wonderful review! I am so glad you could finally travel to Portugal despite having to postpone your trip. It was a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Portugal and I am happy to hear you enjoyed your trip and guided tours. All the guides had a wonderful time with you as well! I'll be sure to pass on your kind words to them. I hope to host you again in Portugal very soon! Warmest regards, Marina

Olé for Kimkim
Spain | Aug 1 - Aug 16, 2022

Jyoti
Jyoti S.
Encinitas, CA | Reviewed on Sep 06, 2022

Overall, I would recommend trip planning through Kimkim and if that travel involves Spain, Marina is definitely a top notch choice. The hotels and experiences were first rate. My daughter and I really enjoyed ourselves. My only issue and that's why the rating isn't a 5 is the inability to make changes once the trip started. I was told that we could have some flexibility but unfortunately, any change always involved a fee. I feel there should have been better communication about which hotels... read more

Overall, I would recommend trip planning through Kimkim and if that travel involves Spain, Marina is definitely a top notch choice. The hotels and experiences were first rate. My daughter and I really enjoyed ourselves. My only issue and that's why the rating isn't a 5 is the inability to make changes once the trip started. I was told that we could have some flexibility but unfortunately, any change always involved a fee. I feel there should have been better communication about which hotels and airfares were locked in.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel H10 Casa de la Plata
Sevilla

Great location in the center of the old town. Extremely pleasant and helpful staff. Lovely rooms. Beautiful lobby. There is no downside to staying at this hotel. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Very easy to walk out the door and get to all the major landmarks. Only downside is that it is on a pedestrian street so you have to walk to get taxis.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Palacio de Santa Inés Hotel
Granada

Absolutely charming hotel. However, if mobility is an issue, this is not the place to stay.

Authenticity & Character
Charming old world ambience. However, there is no elevator so if mobility is an issue, make sure your room is on a lower floor.
Location
Central to Sacromonte and other areas but on an uphill street. Have to walk up and down stairs to get a taxi.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Las Casas de la Juderia Hotel
Córdoba

Excellent location in the heart of the jewish quarter. Staff is very pleasant and rooms are well appointed.

Authenticity & Character
Gorgeous. It also has a pool. Rooms were nicely decorated.
Location
In easy walking distance of every site of interest.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
7 Islas Hotel
Madrid

Really cool art-filled lobby. Definitely in the hipster hotel category.

Authenticity & Character
This was a modern hotel with hip decor (eg, hands for towel hooks). Not old world. Stayed with my 22 year old and we both loved it.
Location
I can't say that it was near any of the big landmarks but it was easy to get to the Plazas and go on tapas crawls.
Staff
Met every need.
Cleanliness & Comfort
All the basics but served up with lots of style.
Sercotel Hotel Europa
Donostia, Gipuzkoa, San Sebastian

This is a good basic hotel, not necessarily located in a prime spot but not out of the beaten path either.

Authenticity & Character
It's a basic hotel. Nothing particularly Spanish or design forward.
Location
15 minute walk to old town where most of the Pintxos bars are.
Staff
Seemed a little overworked.
Cleanliness & Comfort
H10 Art Gallery
Barcelona

Definitely has an art-filled vibe, but has severe issues with wifi and elevator service so beware.

Authenticity & Character
I don't know that it had a lot of authenticity, but there was an art concept with each floor representing a famous Barcelona artist.
Location
Not a perfect location but not bad either. Near several metros. But you will have to travel by taxi or metro to almost anywhere you want to go with the exception of La Pedrera & Casa Batllo which is in walking distance
Staff
Seemed overworked.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The hotel was clean and the beds were comfortable but this is the area where I ding heavily for terrible wifi and elevator service. In this day and age, there is no excuse for having bad wifi.
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Sep 09, 2022

Hi Jyoti, Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review! I am glad you and your daughter enjoyed your trip to Spain and all the guided tours :) August is the peak of the season in Spain so making changes to your trip is complicated and the availability of the services is quite limited. Prices are also higher in August so any last-minute will probably involve an extra cost not from us but from the providers (activities ,hotels, transport). We always try to be as flexible as... read more

Hi Jyoti, Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review! I am glad you and your daughter enjoyed your trip to Spain and all the guided tours :) August is the peak of the season in Spain so making changes to your trip is complicated and the availability of the services is quite limited. Prices are also higher in August so any last-minute will probably involve an extra cost not from us but from the providers (activities ,hotels, transport). We always try to be as flexible as possible regarding trip changes before and during your trip but sometimes we are unable to make changes due to a lack of availability of the hotels/guides/transfers.

Thank you for your detailed feedback, this would be really helpful for us to continue to improve in the future as that's what we always strive for. I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip and thank you so much again for letting us help you to organize it. Best regards! Marina

Marina was amazing! So great to work with and...
Portugal | Aug 16 - Aug 25, 2022

P
Phoebe M.
Bradenton, FL | Reviewed on Aug 26, 2022

Marina was amazing! So great to work with and our trip was everything we had hoped for. When Marina was out, she had someone available for any questions. We had one hiccup our last day, when our car service for the airport did not arrive at 315am. We had someone still available and respnded promptly when we reached out. We ended up needing a cab that the hotel scheduled, and Marina and her team will be refunding us accordingly. Amazing service. Will certainly use KimKim for future travels. So happy with the outcome!

Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Sep 05, 2022

Hi Phoebe. thank you so much for your kind words, it was a pleasure to create this experience for you in Portugal and I am thrilled Mike and you enjoyed your Honeymoon :) I am glad that despite the incident with your departure transfer you had a great time. I will pass your kind words to all the team. Warmest regards, Marina

Marina with KimKim was amazing travel agent! ...
Portugal | Jul 5 - Jul 14, 2023

M
Michael M.
East Longmeadow, MA | Reviewed on Aug 11, 2022

Marina with KimKim was amazing travel agent! KimKim asked great questions to get a sense of the type of trip you are wanting. Marina created an incredible itinerary using small tour guides who were passionate and well spoken. They provide a user friendly app with all day to day details / phone numbers that are accessible and event a chat feature with direct contact to Marina. They were able to accommodate a few small changes to the trip.
We will be using Marina for our next trip to Greece!... read more

Marina with KimKim was amazing travel agent! KimKim asked great questions to get a sense of the type of trip you are wanting. Marina created an incredible itinerary using small tour guides who were passionate and well spoken. They provide a user friendly app with all day to day details / phone numbers that are accessible and event a chat feature with direct contact to Marina. They were able to accommodate a few small changes to the trip.
We will be using Marina for our next trip to Greece! We cannot wait for our next adventure.

Hotel Review
The One Palácio da Anunciada
Lisbon

Beautiful and cozy hotel in a great location. They have a rooftop pool that is great to use for the afternoon nap time needed after exploring the city in the morning.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Private Golden Coast Catamaran Cruise
Portugal

What a treat! Take a private catamaran for the day! We saw dolphins, paddle boarded to a private beach, swam and ate lunch. The captain and mate were top notch. Highly recommend! Full service with wine and lunch served to us. We just enjoyed the experience.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril
Lisbon

Our guide was so full of knowledge and passion. He told us he curates each tour after meeting his guests. He picked up that we like a more unique experience upon meeting us. He gave us lots of tips and restaurants to try.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Aug 22, 2022

Thank you very much Michael for taking the time to write a review and for your kind words! it has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Portugal and I am glad to hear you enjoyed all the visits and experiences. I will pass your kind words to all our team :) I look forward to working with you in your next adventure! Warmest regards, Marina

Everything went well the canyoning was a very...
the Azores | Aug 1 - Aug 5, 2022

M
Majid A.
the United Arab Emirates | Reviewed on Aug 06, 2022

Everything went well the canyoning was a very good and the best experience , the whale watching was not so good as the boat got broken in middle of ocean and needed to wait for 40 min for someone to tow the boat back which took more than an hour , the boat was basic and old compared to the other boat you see in the marina doing the same service

I hope this helps thanks a lot read more

Everything went well the canyoning was a very good and the best experience , the whale watching was not so good as the boat got broken in middle of ocean and needed to wait for 40 min for someone to tow the boat back which took more than an hour , the boat was basic and old compared to the other boat you see in the marina doing the same service

I hope this helps thanks a lot

Hotel Review
Octant Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Review
Epic Canyoning Adventure
São Miguel Island

The staff was amazing they really were great and was the best we had in Azores

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Aug 08, 2022

Thank you very much Majid for taking the time to do the review! I will pass your words on to all the team as your feedback will help us to continue improving in the future. I am sorry to hear the boat broke while doing the whale-watching excursion. It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Portugal! Warmest regards, Marina.

Portugal getaway
Portugal | Jul 5 - Jul 14, 2023

S
Steven N.
Lutherville-Timonium, MD | Reviewed on Aug 06, 2022

Marina planned the most amazing trip to Portugal! The hotels and all the tours/excursions were amazing! Will 100% use her and KimKim again for future travel!! read more

Marina planned the most amazing trip to Portugal! The hotels and all the tours/excursions were amazing! Will 100% use her and KimKim again for future travel!!

Hotel Review
The Albatroz Hotel
Cascais

Gorgeous sunset and amazing restaurant.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Aug 08, 2022

Thank you very much Steven for taking the time to do the review. I am pleased to hear you enjoyed your trip to Portugal :) I will pass your kind words to all the team! I hope to be able to help plan another trip in the future. Warmest regards, Marina

Nicely planned, but not stress free
Portugal | Jul 4 - Jul 10, 2022

J
joanne d.
Lexington, MA | Reviewed on Aug 02, 2022

Wanting a stress free anniversary trip, we booked with Marina. It was smooth sailing until we got the documents 1-1/2 weeks before the trip and had to make changes. Marina had us in for a 10am food tour when we were flying in at 7am. The original plan was for a dinner food tour. She also had us in for a car rental on a day we couldn’t pick it up. We needed to have payments refunded for these 2 services, and the refund was 1/2 what you see as the retail rate. The lack of transparency with... read more

Wanting a stress free anniversary trip, we booked with Marina. It was smooth sailing until we got the documents 1-1/2 weeks before the trip and had to make changes. Marina had us in for a 10am food tour when we were flying in at 7am. The original plan was for a dinner food tour. She also had us in for a car rental on a day we couldn’t pick it up. We needed to have payments refunded for these 2 services, and the refund was 1/2 what you see as the retail rate. The lack of transparency with KimKim pricing meant that we didn’t know what we actually paid, or if the refund was a fair amount. Marina said it was.
After flying overnight with little sleep, we arrive at the airport at 7am and the private airport transfer to our hotel didn’t show up.. After an hour wait, we took a cab. Marina said they thought we were arriving close to noon, not sure why they would think that. Again, we were reimbursed for a private car at the same rate as a public cab That didn’t make sense to us as we could have just grabbed a cab to begin with. Why book a private transfer?
We had a lovely Jeep tour with Natascha to Set Cidades. Unfortunately it was foggy at the top of the crater, but we saw the blue and green lakes, and had a nice time with her. She was personable and informative.
We had a great day with Wilson, our guide for a 5 hour hike up to Lagos de Fogo. The picnic lunch was a bit meager, but we discovered these fabulous little cakes called quejadas, and then went to the shop in Villa Franco do Compo to eat more of them with some cappuccino. We also went to a swimming hole and drove along the coast on the way back to our hotel.
Our tour to Furnas with Paulo was very good, but he picked us up 25 minutes late. After our no-show driver experience at the airport, we were afraid that he wouldn’t come at all. It would have been great if he phoned our hotel to say that he was running late. However, Paulo was terrific, knowledgeable, and personable. We had a dinner of cozida in Furnas, and went to the the Ponca da Beira hot springs which were very relaxing.
Friday was our anniversary and Marina had booked us a table about 2 months ago, at our request, at the Associacao Agricola. When we arrived, they didn’t have our reservation! We were pretty upset as the restaurant was jammed. The maitre de took pity on us (it was our anniversary!) and we got a table after about a 1/2 hour wait. It would have been good if Marina confirmed the reservation a few days before the actual date.
All in all it was a lovely vacation but not stress free. We would have appreciated the itinerary a month before (as the original documents said) so that we weren’t going back and forth about arrangements and refunds days before we traveled, more fee transparency, and confirmation of our bookings so that we didn’t have to deal with no shows and back up plans.

Hotel Review
Octant Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada

The hotel staff was wonderful, very helpful and accommodating and there were plenty of them at any given time. The buffet breakfast was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character
Could have been a hotel anywhere in the world.
Location
On the harbor, a little bit of a walk into town.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Sete Ciudades Jeep Adventure
São Miguel Island

Natacha was wonderful. Too bad it was foggy, but that is not her fault!!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Hike Adventure to Lagoa do Fogo
São Miguel Island

Wilson was a quiet and competent guide. He took this at our pace, which is great because it was quite a climb! He offered some history and local context. The picnic lunch was meager and we carried it up ourselves. Somehow I was expecting more. Wilson was flexible in how we spent the rest of the day and we visited coastal towns. We were tired and happy at the end of the day.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Night Hot Springs in Furnas
São Miguel Island

Paolo was a wonderful guide, setting the tone for a van full of strangers to have a good time together. He knows the island so well and shared his own story and knowledge generously. Dinner was great, the hot tubs were lovely. The only suggestion: he picked us up late, and could have called ahead to tell us that. Also, there were about 8 of us. After a private tours, we weren’t expecting 8 in a van. The drops offs at other hotels made it a longer night. But, the other folks were great company.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Aug 09, 2022

Hi Joanne,

Thank you for taking the time to write your trip review. I am glad you enjoyed your guided tours with Paulo, Natacha, and Wilson and I hope you enjoyed your stay at the Azores.

As we mentioned when you book your trip, we normally send your travel documents no more than 3 to 2 weeks in advance since there are details from your trip that are still pending like the name of your guides. In any case, I sent you your travel documents on the 21st of June which was 14 days before your... read more

Hi Joanne,

Thank you for taking the time to write your trip review. I am glad you enjoyed your guided tours with Paulo, Natacha, and Wilson and I hope you enjoyed your stay at the Azores.

As we mentioned when you book your trip, we normally send your travel documents no more than 3 to 2 weeks in advance since there are details from your trip that are still pending like the name of your guides. In any case, I sent you your travel documents on the 21st of June which was 14 days before your arrival on the 4th of July.

We understand that when we send you travel documents there can be last-minute adjustments and we address that by being as flexible as possible and always finding a solution.

The food tour in Ponta Delgada does not run every day and depending on the time of the week there is a morning food tour or an afternoon food tour. On your arrival day, the food tour was only offered in the morning. I calculated you would have enough time to get to the hotel from the airport, check-in and make it to the food tour without rushing. I offered you the alternative to move the food tour to another day but you mentioned that it would not work for you.

I am sorry about the arrival transfer, our transfer providers in the Azores were totally overloaded in July and they did not have the capacity to keep up with our quality standards. We have already changed our providers in the Azores, I was very disappointed with the way they handled this mistake.

I am as well disappointed that the restaurant did not have your dinner reservation... although I made the reservation 2 months in advance I had no way to prove to the restaurant that the reservation was confirmed since I made the reservation by phone. You can't make a reservation online. Your restaurant reservation and all your trip services were reconfirmed a week before your arrival, as we always do with all our clients.

When you change a car rental pick-up time if the difference between the old pick-up time and the new pick-up time is less than 24h the price of the rental car is the same. In this case, I changed the pick-up time less than 24h, and although the rental car agency did not offer us a refund, we refunded you.

In all refunds we reimbursed want we changed you for all the services, our margin is already included in those prices.

Warmest regards,
Marina

Amazing 2 week family tour of Spain
Spain | Jul 11 - Jul 22, 2023

Carlo
Carlo B.
South Lake Tahoe, CA | Reviewed on Jul 27, 2022

We are so happy with the trip that Marina help plan for us. It was a 2 week tour of Spain which was curated for our family of four - where we wanted to see great architecture and museums, eat great food and learn about the amazing and varied culture throughout Spain.

Highlights included our guides in San Sebastián - Diego and Toledo - Javi. Both were extremely personable, passionate about their city, and were great with our two boys.

Accommodation were excellent - always in the heart of... read more

We are so happy with the trip that Marina help plan for us. It was a 2 week tour of Spain which was curated for our family of four - where we wanted to see great architecture and museums, eat great food and learn about the amazing and varied culture throughout Spain.

Highlights included our guides in San Sebastián - Diego and Toledo - Javi. Both were extremely personable, passionate about their city, and were great with our two boys.

Accommodation were excellent - always in the heart of the city allowing for walking everywhere. In particular, Hotel Palacio in Granada offered the most stunning view of the Alhambra.

Mariana was extremely attentive, making changes on the fly as needed. In particular when accommodations were not appropriate in Bilboa (non adjoining rooms), she was able to switch us to a different hotel within minutes.

Overall an amazing experience!

Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jul 28, 2022

Hi Carlo, thank you so much for taking the time to write this review! I will pass your kind words to all the team. I am glad to hear that all the family enjoyed the trip and the guided visits, this is what our team always strives for. Hotel Palacio in Granada has certenly a beautiful view of the Alhambra :) It has been a true pleasure working with you to plan your family trip to Spain and I hope our paths meet again for your next adventures. All my best, Marina

Great experience in Northern Spain!
Spain | Jul 10 - Jul 25, 2022

Rebecca
Rebecca E.
San Francisco, CA | Reviewed on Jul 26, 2022

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

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

Hotel Reviews
NH Collection Palacio de Burgos
Burgos
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The breakfast buffet was amazing.
Hotel Balneario La Hermida
Penarrubia

A bit run down and unfortunately the air conditioning did not work. However, there's not much to choose from in the area in terms of hotels.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Air conditioning didn't work, staff not particularly friendly.
Sercotel Codina
San Sebastian

Nice, clean hotel walking distance from the beach.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very friendly and helpful front desk clerk.
Petit Palace Arana
Bilbao

Great location on the edge of the casco viejo, quiet despite being in the center of activity, friendly staff

Location
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jul 29, 2022

Hi Rebecca, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! It has been a pleasure to organize this trip and I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your guided tours and hotels. I will share your words with all the team :) It will be my pleasure to help with your future adventure :) Best regards, Marina

Menorca & Mallorca with Twenty-somethings
Spain | Jun 21 - Jun 29, 2023

D
Diana C.
Wellesley, MA | Reviewed on Jul 20, 2022

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

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

Hotel Review
Hotel San Lorenzo—Adults Only
Palma de Mallorca

The San Lorenzo is an absolute gem and the women who run it are wonderful. The breakfast was artistic, delicious and filling with many specialty foods - something for everyone in the family. The building is incredibly charming and location fantastic for finding restaurants and walking over to the more touristy parts of town. There is no parking at the hotel, but we managed well with a combination of street parking and a parking garage just a few blocks away.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jul 26, 2022

Hi Diana, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write a review and share your trip pictures! I am glad to hear all the family enjoyed your trip and the guided visits, this is what our team always strives for and all your feedback helps us improve :) It has been a true pleasure working with you to plan your family trip to Mallorca and Menorca and I hope our paths meet again for your next adventures in Spain. All my best, Marina

Mother-Daughter Trip to Portugal
Portugal | Jul 7 - Jul 18, 2023

M
Merry C.
Mexico | Reviewed on Jul 20, 2022

We really enjoyed our time in Portugal! The guides were great! Paola was wonderful on the Lisbon Culinary Experience tour. She shared lots of local info and had a great sense of humor. Alex was an excellent guide for our guided tour of the city. He made a wonderful adjustment to the tour based on the starting point at our hotel and took good care of us in the heat. It’s so nice to see a city through the eyes of a local. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Paolo on our day-long excursion to... read more

We really enjoyed our time in Portugal! The guides were great! Paola was wonderful on the Lisbon Culinary Experience tour. She shared lots of local info and had a great sense of humor. Alex was an excellent guide for our guided tour of the city. He made a wonderful adjustment to the tour based on the starting point at our hotel and took good care of us in the heat. It’s so nice to see a city through the eyes of a local. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Paolo on our day-long excursion to Sintra, Cascais, and Estoril. Such an amazing area! The delicious food! The sights! The history! He also took good care of us in the unusual heat. Our water expeditions in Lagos didn’t work as expected, but the wind does not respect schedules. We enjoyed the one we were able go on, even with the change of itinerary. Martin had so much to share about Evora and the Alentejo region! He had to adjust his tour plan because we had already visited one of the places, but he did that quite smoothly. Somehow, the wine-tasting portion of the Jeep tour was left off the schedule, but learning about cork was fascinating. We loved the visit to olive oil farm and lunch with the owners! In Coimbra, Gil was a delightful guide. I will repeat how nice it is to hear about an area through from a local.
Our lodgings were entirely sufficient. They were clean, comfortable, safe, and centrally located. We were able to walk to restaurants and sights. The people at the front desks were very friendly and extremely helpful. They always offered restaurant suggestions and directions. The man at the Casual Belle Epoque in Lisbon gave us advice that saved us many, many steps up and down hills! The beach below the Carvi Beach Hotel in Lagos is a wonderful place to explore at low tide. The Noble House in Evora is in an amazing medieval house. The Oslo Hotel in Coimbra has a wonderful rooftop terrace that has a wonderful view of the University of Coimbra. It was lovely at sunset.
The private transfers made travel between cities so easy! It was a wonderful splurge. The only place we had any issue was finding our driver at the Lisbon airport the first morning. But we did finally find him.
When we had questions, the kimkim staff was very responsive. We only started planning the trip about 5 weeks before our departure date. Marina was easy to work with and very responsive to our interests and our budget. We would definitely recommend her and kimkim to other travelers.

Activity Reviews
Lisbon Foodie Experience
Lisbon

I loved hearing the stories behind the local dishes.

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local
Lisbon
Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril
Lisbon
Catamaran Cruise to Benagil & Carvoeiro
Portugal

Due to the wind and rough water, we didn’t get to Benagil. But the captain kept us safe and comfortable and took us to an alternate site to play in the water.

Private Tour of Évora
Portugal
Excursion to Alentejo - Jeep Safari Through a Cork Fork & Visit to an Olive Oil Estate
Portugal

The cork part was fascinating and the trip to the small olive oil farm was wonderful!

Private Guided Visit of Coimbra
Portugal
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jul 26, 2022

Thank you very much Merry for taking the time to do the review and for your kind words! it has been a true pleasure helping you plan your Mother and Daughter's trip to Portugal and I am glad to hear you enjoyed all the cities and guided tours. I will pass your kind words to all our team :) Warmest regards, Marina

Marina was absolutely fantastic to work with....
Portugal | Jul 4 - Jul 15, 2022

T
Trent D.
Wilmington Island, GA | Reviewed on Jul 18, 2022

Marina was absolutely fantastic to work with. The planning before the trip was great; she was very attentive of what we were looking for and the changes we made to the itinerary and hotel accommodations. She was very helpful and even during our trip when we had questions or needed something she was available and willing to assist. I cannot recommend Marina enough. read more

Marina was absolutely fantastic to work with. The planning before the trip was great; she was very attentive of what we were looking for and the changes we made to the itinerary and hotel accommodations. She was very helpful and even during our trip when we had questions or needed something she was available and willing to assist. I cannot recommend Marina enough.

Hotel Reviews
Dear Hotel Madrid
Madrid

The hotel was fine - nothing special but in a good location and the room was clean. For a hotel in the center of Madrid, it was good. I would’ve given it 5 stars if the room had a balcony or a sitting area in the room - we were forced to sit on the bed. But other than that it was great.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Front desk staff was nice but not overly helpful.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Palacio de Villapanés
Sevilla

Best hotel of the trip. Staff was amazing, room was amazing, and location was great.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Porto A.S. 1829
Porto

Really nice hotel in the perfect location. Only downside was the shower in the room (not in the bathroom), but that was fine and we were aware of this before we booked.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Guided Visit of Madrid: History, Culture & Architecture of the Capital of Spain
Madrid

Linda was great.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Guided Visit of Toledo
Spain

Carlos was fantastic as a guide. And Toledo was an incredible city - highly recommend as a day trip.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Guided Visit of Seville
Seville

Our guide, Raul, was good but not great. Spent too much time in museum’s/palaces that we weren’t interested in. Also he talked nonstop the entire time.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Day trip to Córdoba
Seville

Best tour guides and city of the trip. We loved Cordoba and everything about our guises.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Guided Visit of Porto
Porto

Sara was a great guide and we loved Porto.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Hiking & Cultural Excursion in Peneda-Gerês National Park
Porto

Fun day but our guide wasn’t the best. He was fairly lackadaisical and because the vehicle had issues we arrived back to Porto an hour late. It was a fun day, but could’ve been better. Also, the weather was extremely hot on this day so we think that may be why we didn’t do any real hiking, which is what we were expecting, and instead spent the day in the river. (Which was fun, we were just hoping for more hiking)

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jul 18, 2022

Hi Trent, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write a review! It has been a true pleasure working with you. I am glad to hear you enjoyed your Honeymoon trip and all the guided visits, Córdoba is indeed a magnificent city with a lot of heritage. I will pass your kind words to all our team :) I will be more than happy to help on your future adventure. Warmest regards, Marina

Fantastic Trip
Spain | Jun 30 - Jul 8, 2022

S
Steven O.
San Diego, CA | Reviewed on Jul 14, 2022

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

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

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Emperador
Madrid

Fantastic location and helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Great location, comfortable room, helpful staff
NH Collection Victoria
Granada

The location is excellent, and staff were very helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Great location in the heart of the city
Staff
Very helpful and friendly staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Sercotel Ayala Bilbao
Bilbao

Good location and helpful staff. Room was very comfortable.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jul 18, 2022

Hi Steven, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write a review! It has been a pleasure working with you to plan your trip to Spain. I'm so glad you enjoyed your time in Spain and all the schedule visits :) It will be my pleasure to help with your future adventure :) Best regards, Marina

Outstanding trip.
Portugal | Jun 25 - Jul 6, 2022

D
David N.
Anniston, AL | Reviewed on Jul 10, 2022

Everything was planned well and met our expectations. Great support while we were in Portugal. Would highly recommend. read more

Everything was planned well and met our expectations. Great support while we were in Portugal. Would highly recommend.

Hotel Reviews
Be Poet Baixa Hotel
Lisbon

Wonderful staff.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The Noble House
Evora

Beautiful hotel

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Porto Charming Hotel
Porto

Wonderful staff.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Carvi Beach Hotel
Lagos

Amazing restaurant.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise
Porto
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Guided Visit of Porto
Porto

It was fine.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Foodie Experience in Porto
Porto

Good time. Knowledgeable tour guide.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Day Excursion to Viana do Castelo
Porto

Awesome time.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Coimbra
Portugal
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Guided Visit of Coimbra
Portugal
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Get to Know Lisbon with a Local
Lisbon
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Evening of Fado
Lisbon
Quality of Experience
Food
Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril
Lisbon

Amazing day.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Tour of Évora
Portugal

Not a great time.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Boat Trip to Benagil Caves
Portugal

So beautiful.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jul 18, 2022

Hi David, Thank you for taking the time to write a review! I am glad to hear you enjoyed your trip. It's been a pleasure working with you before, during and after your trip and absolutely a pleasure. All your feedback will help us to continue improving in the future. Warmest regards, Marina.

Spain & Portugal
Portugal | Jun 16 - Jul 3, 2022

D
Debra D.
Kansas City, MO | Reviewed on Jul 10, 2022

Marina was extremely helpful throughout the entire process of booking the trip, to answering questions during our trip and ensuring that any problems were promptly addressed. She helped me plan an unforgettable trip for my children and I. Some of the highlights were the culinary experiences in Barcelona and Lisbon , Montserrat, day trip to Fatima, Nazare & Obidos, olive oil estate, & trip to Douro Valley. We had amazing guides at each stop. If you’re planning a trip to Spain or Portugal,... read more

Marina was extremely helpful throughout the entire process of booking the trip, to answering questions during our trip and ensuring that any problems were promptly addressed. She helped me plan an unforgettable trip for my children and I. Some of the highlights were the culinary experiences in Barcelona and Lisbon , Montserrat, day trip to Fatima, Nazare & Obidos, olive oil estate, & trip to Douro Valley. We had amazing guides at each stop. If you’re planning a trip to Spain or Portugal, you must give Marina a call. Thank you, Marina!

Hotel Reviews
Palacio de Santa Inés Hotel
Granada

This hotel has character and excellent staff. The air conditioning did not work well and our room stayed hot. It made sleeping difficult.

Authenticity & Character
The rooms and building have character
Location
Many steps to carry luggage
Staff
Very helpful and friendly. Provided us with a fan.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Other than the heat, the room was comfortable.
Petit Palace Puerta de Triana
Seville
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The Editory House Ribeira Hotel
Porto

Very comfortable room. Extremely helpful and friendly staff. Location is convenient.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jul 18, 2022

Hi Debra, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write a review and share your trip pictures! I am glad to hear all the family enjoyed your trip and the guided visits, this is what our team always strives for. I will pass your kind words to all our team :) I will be more than happy to help on your future adventure. Warmest regards, Marina

Wow - another fantastic personalized trip!
Portugal | Apr 27 - May 4, 2022

Linda
Linda C.
Minneapolis, MN | Reviewed on Jun 28, 2022

Wow - another fantastic personalized trip planned by Kimkim! Marina helped design a trip for 3 couples with a focus on culture, food, and experience. Highlights included city walking tours of Porto and Lisbon, a very rich cultural food tour in Lisbon, wine country visit, and an interactive cooking class. Hard to say which was the favorite - we all loved it. read more

Wow - another fantastic personalized trip planned by Kimkim! Marina helped design a trip for 3 couples with a focus on culture, food, and experience. Highlights included city walking tours of Porto and Lisbon, a very rich cultural food tour in Lisbon, wine country visit, and an interactive cooking class. Hard to say which was the favorite - we all loved it.

Hotel Reviews
Dear Lisbon Bordalo House
Lisboa

Charming boutique hotel in the historic district. We loved the location and the rooms were comfortable and spacious. The breakfast location was lovely - blue tile everywhere. The food was great, and so was the coffee.

Authenticity & Character
Very charming, and the rooms had fantastic views
Location
Walking to everything we wanted to see - it's in the historic area. Safe, clean, convenient
Staff
attentive and available as needed
Cleanliness & Comfort
Exe Almada Porto
Porto

Clean, comfortable, and well appointed rooms. Really had everything we needed and close to everything.

Authenticity & Character
Modern rooms in an older building, very well appointed
Location
Seemed to be close to everything for us - we walked the city and our events from the hotel. Quiet at night.
Staff
Everyone was so nice!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Lisbon Foodie Experience
Lisbon

LOVED THIS! Book this event! Its a small group - I think we had 9 total. It was fun, cultural, and a great introduction to the city and its foods. We visited different neighborhoods and got a feel for their vibes. Our tour guide was so much fun and she knew everyone in town (native of Lisbon). Truly a fantastic experience for our group of 6.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide was very enthusiastic, fun, and provided so much history
Private Porto Cooking Class & Market Visit
Porto

Truly a trip highlight! This ended up lasting most of the day - market tour, interactive cooking class, eating and drinking. Our group was 6 and it was perfect for mixing up the cooking, prepping, and visiting. We all loved this. Would definitely recommend anyone interested in food or culture to book this - I would do it again!

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local
Lisbon

A must-do to get the history of the city, better understand the culture, and get tips on where to dine and other sites to see.

Private Guided Visit of Porto
Porto

Definitely a great way to learn the history of the city and see it on foot. Our guide was a native English speaking but was raised in Porto. He was informative, and showed us some secret nooks and crannies of the city we wouldn't have found on our own. He also provided us with some options for other sites and restaurants to visit. I highly recommend this tour - especially on your first or second day in Porto.

Evening of Fado
Lisbon

It's a great experience - the location was in an old part of the city, the music was interesting and beautiful. The evening included dinner and that was good too - I had a traditional dish. Our waiter really made our night - he was fun to interact with and really added to our experience here.

Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise
Porto

Our guide picked us up at our hotel and stayed with us the day as we visited a couple wineries and the Douro Valley area. Our guide was very fun, engaging, and helpful. The Douro Valley is very scenic and the little wineries we visited were charming and boutique. The river cruise was not that great - I would skip that. We felt we saw all the countryside by driving to the little wineries in the valley. We should have gone to another winery instead! The guide was great though, and made up for any short-comings of the river cruise. I gave it 4 stars because of the river cruise - otherwise the wine tasting was a 5/5!

Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jun 30, 2022

Hi Linda, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write a review! I am glad to hear you all enjoyed your trip and the guided visits, this is what our team always strives for. I will pass your kind words to all our team :) I will be more than happy to help on your future adventure. Warmest regards, Marina

Fabulous trip to Paris and Barcelona!!!
Spain | Jun 3 - Jun 11, 2022

A
Annette S.
Wheaton, IL | Reviewed on Jun 27, 2022

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

Our time in Paris was exceptional. In addition to seeing the usual sites we had a day trip to Versailles and Giverny. The tour guide was wonderful and the driver gave us a nice stress-free ride... read more

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

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

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

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

Hotel Reviews
Hotel OFF Paris Seine 4*
Paris

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

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel España Ramblas
Barcelona

Very comfortable rooms, excellent breakfast and terrific location.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Seine Cruise
Paris

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

Private Walking Tour of Paris
Paris

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

Guided tour of Montmartre
Paris

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

Day Trip to Versailles & Giverny
Paris

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

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Tapas Culinary Experience
Barcelona

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

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jun 29, 2022

Hi Annette, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write a review! I am glad to hear you all enjoyed your trip and the guided visits. Paris indeed has a lot of heritage and there is no one better than a guide to show you all its secrets. If there is something that characterizes Spain, it is its gastronomy, I am glad that the whole group enjoyed the gastronomic tour in Barcelona. I will share your kind words with our team in Paris and Barcelona :) I hope our paths will cross again when planning your next adventure. Warmest regards, Marina

Go For It!
Spain | May 28 - Jun 3, 2022

Laura
Laura W.
Jackson, MS | Reviewed on Jun 24, 2022

My mother wanted to see the Rolling Stones in Madrid. I stumbled upon kimkim online trying to figure out how many days to spend in Madrid if we decided to go. I was feeling overwhelmed with work and other commitments and did feel like I had time to plan a trip. I looked at the reviews and thought this sounds a little too good to be true. Then I looked at reviews of kimkim overall. I thought I'll fill out this questionnaire and see. Much to my surprise I got an immediate response from... read more

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

Hotel Review
7 Islas Hotel
Madrid

We stayed at Roommate Oscar.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Guided Visit of Toledo
Spain

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

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Manuel is the best!!!
Transport
Private Tapas Experience in Madrid
Madrid

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

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

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

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Visit an Olive Grove & Tasting
Spain

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

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jun 29, 2022

Hi Laura, a big big thanks to you for your kind words!!! I enjoyed reading your trip review and I am pleased to hear that you had a great trip and was such a pleasure to work with you ladies. I'm really happy you both enjoyed this special trip and hope you created lovely memories. I will pass your kind words to our team and I hope you return soon to discover other areas of Spain or Portugal :)
Warmest regards, Marina

Working with Marina Courtaut of Espiritu Trav...
Portugal | Jun 4 - Jun 11, 2022

M
Michael B.
New Rochelle, NY | Reviewed on Jun 23, 2022

Working with Marina Courtaut of Espiritu Travel was an absolute pleasure. During all the planning she was responsive and very helpful. She listened will to our interests and planned a vacation to match our needs.

During this vacation there were a couple of mishaps related to transfers, however, having Marina and Espiritu Travel on the other end of What’ App was very helpful. We simply advised Marian of the issues and she worked to get them corrected.

The first situation was that upon... read more

Working with Marina Courtaut of Espiritu Travel was an absolute pleasure. During all the planning she was responsive and very helpful. She listened will to our interests and planned a vacation to match our needs.

During this vacation there were a couple of mishaps related to transfers, however, having Marina and Espiritu Travel on the other end of What’ App was very helpful. We simply advised Marian of the issues and she worked to get them corrected.

The first situation was that upon arrival in Portugal the car to transport the 5 of us to Porto fit only 2. It took about an hour, but the transfer vendor returned to the airport with a van to accommodate us all. The second situation occurred when the vehicle to transfer 5 of us from Lisbon to Lagos was also only for 2 people. While it took more than 2 hours to fix this, eventually a van arrived to transport all of us. Through out all of this Marina was engaged and provided information. Additionally, she took responsibility for the mistakes and accommodated us financially. I adhere to the wisdom that “people remember how you made them feel” and Marina made us feel that she deeply regretted the problems and worked very hard to rectify them. That approach left our family feeling satisfied and not unhappy with the service.

May 28
Due to the delay leaving Lisbon airport the pre-arranged plan for lunch in Coimbra no longer worked (too late in the day) however our driver found us a place to stop for lunch and that worked out well.

The Hotel Teatro in Porto was very nice. Upon arrival they did not know one of the rooms was to be configured as two twin beds however the were easily able to fix that; our 2 sons were sharing the room.

We had dinner that night at one restaurant recommended by Marina – DOP – and it was lovely.

May 29
Bluedragon Bike Shop did not know that we had prepaid for 5 for a guided bike visit of Porto. However, we put them in touch with Espiritu Travel and that was communicated. The Bike Shop charged my credit card and refunded the money in Euros. Our bike guide, Ana, was young and not very knowledgeable about the city. While very pleasant and nothing “went wrong,” she did not know as much as we have come to expect from city guides. FYI, the itinerary lists “water” as one of the things provided; it was not.

May 30
Our guide Pedro was terrific and our day trip to the Douro Valley was very nice. The boat tour wasn’t overwhelming, but not a problem either. Not sure I would recommend it to others. Pedro took us to a lovely restaurant for lunch and we all enjoyed the experience, however it was not, as the itinerary said, “”at a famous Quinta.” We also visited just one winery; the itinerary says, “visit traditional wineries.” We thought we would visit more than one.

May 31
The Lisbon hotel Duque de Loule was very nice. Turns out not as centrally located as we might have wanted, but as I recall that was due to the 3 rooms we needed, and another hotel being fully booked.

While we were making the 3-hour trip from Porto to Lisbon, at 10am, a person called me to say we were late for our 10am guided tour of Lisbon. However, we had no such tour scheduled; in fact, our tour was for 2:00 pm that afternoon. Marina was again very responsive. She learned that the company had mixed two tours and moved ours to 10am. Marina reassigned us to another tour vendor with a guide named Daniel at 2:30.

Daniel was a lovely young man, age 23, and while he did his job, it was clear he did not really know enough about the city and its history. We enjoyed him and our 21-year-old son and he had lots of conversation, but he was not the most informative tour guide. Daniel also provided us with 2 restaurant recommendations, and we ate at both places. It was nice of him to do so and helpful to us.

The pre-arranged Fado dinner this night was a very good choice.

June 1
Our day trip to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril was with a guide named Marta. She was very good; our family felt she was our best guide of the trip. We enjoyed both the pace of the day and the information. Unfortunately, the next day Marta shared she tested positive for COVID. None of the family tested positive, however, one should expect guides test themselves daily before taking a group out for a day in an enclosed vehicle.

June 2
As mentioned, the transfer to Lagos was not smooth, however Marina got it all fixed and made the offer to buy the family dinner in Lagos, which certainly made us all feel like she really cared about our experience.
The Cascade Resort did not have our rooms ready upon arrival however they shortly did, and the property and our stay there was terrific.

This night we had the Sunset Experience tour, not with Pedro as noted, but rather with Luis. We all very much enjoyed him and the tour. He was clearly passionate about the Algarve and his home area. Just to note, the itinerary mentioned binoculars however he did not offer any.

June 4
Our transfer from Lagos to Lisbon airport was fine. We left an item at the Cascade Wellness resort and Marina was very helpful in efforts to retrieve it and have it sent to our hotel in Lisbon upon our return a week later. Side note: the package did not arrive in Lisbon in time for us to take it home with us to the US. However, the front desk at Hotel Portugal was very helpful. When the package did arrive, 2 days after we left the country, the Hotel communicated this to us by email and connected us to a shipping company that is mailing us the package.

Our rental care pick up at the Valencia airport with Sixt went very smoothly.

Marina booked us at the hotel Hospes Palau De La Mar at my request. This boutique hotel was fine for us. It was in a nice neighborhood on a busy, but pretty street, and within walking distance of the Old City. When they brought us to the room they had for us the staff could not get the air system to work so they immediately moved us by their own choice to a different room. The hotel breakfast was very nice and they had outdoor seating.

June 5
We drove to Albufera easily but did get lost looking for the meeting spot for our boat tour. With a phone call to the boat operator, we received directions and we found the meeting spot. Our guide Anna was delightful, and she recommended a restaurant for paella. She made the 1:30pm lunch reservation for us and we thoroughly enjoyed the meal at El Redoli. Also, she led us to the bird preserve (flamingos), and we walked the paths, very nice. We drove a bit and walked to the beach.

This afternoon we chose on our own to do an historical walking tour of Old Valencia with GuruWalk (no fee; gratuity only). This 3-hour walk was excellent, and we learned about Aqua de Valencia (as a bonus); a drink we thoroughly enjoyed.

June 6
This morning we experienced our Local Market and Paella Cooking Class with “My First Paella” and it was very well done. While the attendees are obviously all tourists, the guide/cooking team was very funny, thoughtful, and instructive. We had fun and would recommend it.

This afternoon we had a private bike tour of Valencia with Jose. Bikes were provided by DoYouBike Rental. Jose was very nice and informative. We visited some of the places we had seen on our walking tour the day before but enjoyed the repetition, and we went inside to some places we really wanted to visit, including L’Almonia (archaeological artifacts), La Lonja and climbing one of the city’s old towers. We rode through the Turia Gardens (very nice) to the Science and Arts center, also very nice but we did not enter any buildings by our own choice.

June 7
We visited the Valencia beach and then drove at noon to Javea, stopping for lunch along the way. The Nomad Hotel was wonderful. The room had a beautiful view; Marina chose this hotel, and it was an excellent choice. The service as very good. Breakfast was delicious. We had dinner the first night at the hotel restaurant outdoors on the promenade and it was very nice.

June 8
We spend the day at Cala Grandella, beautiful beach spot 30 minutes away. As the beaches are mostly rocky, we chose to purchase 2 inexpensive beach chairs (which we left behind). A really nice hotel amenity would be to loan beach chairs to guests.

June 9
We chose to return to Cala Grandella having booked a 2.5-hour kayak tour with Siesta Advisor. We found the service and the kayak tour excellent. That afternoon we explored the nearby town of Moraira, for lunch and sandy beach. Great services (restroom and changing) at this public beach; very family friendly (lots of young children) and mostly European vacationers.

June 10
We drove to Valencia mid-day, stopping in the morning to see the castle in Cullero and then lunch near port in Valencia. Car return and flight to Lisbon were fine. We flew Vueling Air and had to pay quite a lot to check our luggage. While this was a surprise, it is understandable. The taxi from Lisbon airport to Hotel Portugal was on our own, which was fine. The Hotel was well located near the old district of the city and lovely.

June 11
The hotel room and the breakfast were very nice. They stored out luggage. They arranged to help us with our missing package. We would recommend this hotel due to location. Our transfer to the Lisbon airport was pre-arranged, on-time and fine, as was our flight home.

Hotel Reviews
Hospes Palau de la Mar
Valencia

Marina booked us at the hotel Hospes Palau De La Mar at my request. This boutique hotel was fine for us. It was in a nice neighborhood on a busy, but pretty street, and within walking distance of the Old City. When they brought us to the room they had for us the staff could not get the air system to work so they immediately moved us by their own choice to a different room. The hotel breakfast was very nice and they had outdoor seating.

Authenticity & Character
its very modern in style
Location
Depends on how near beach or near old city you want to be
Staff
Front desk and porter very pleasant and helpful
Cleanliness & Comfort
well appointed and cared for rooms
Nomad Xabia Port
Javea

The Nomad Hotel was wonderful. The room had a beautiful view; Marina chose this hotel, and it was an excellent choice. The service as very good. Breakfast was delicious. We had dinner the first night at the hotel restaurant outdoors on the promenade and it was very nice.

Tips for future travelers

While it is very eco-friendly (and the room lighting not great) there were both couples and families and it is right on the promenade so well located

Authenticity & Character
Lots of character which appealed to us
Location
beautiful view of Med
Staff
very helpful front desk and restaurant personnel
Cleanliness & Comfort
room and common areas very nice
Portugal Boutique Hotel
Lisbon

The Hotel was well located near the old district of the city and lovely. The hotel room and the breakfast were very nice. They stored out luggage. They arranged to help us with our missing package. We would recommend this hotel due to location.

Authenticity & Character
it is modern and that appeals to some; we enjoyed it
Location
very close to old part of city
Staff
very helpful front desk
Cleanliness & Comfort
very nicely cared for
Activity Reviews
Panoramic Albufera Cruise
Valencia

We drove to Albufera easily but did get lost looking for the meeting spot for our boat tour. With a phone call to the boat operator, we received directions and we found the meeting spot. Our guide Anna was delightful, and she recommended a restaurant for paella. She made the 1:30pm lunch reservation for us and we thoroughly enjoyed the meal at El Redoli. Also, she led us to the bird preserve (flamingos), and we walked the paths, very nice. We drove a bit and walked to the beach.

Quality of Experience
the guide was knowledgeable and helpful, the experience unique
Guides, Drivers and Staff
as noted, very helpful
Transport
we drove ourselves and got a bit lost
Local Market Visit and Paella Cooking Class
Valencia

This morning we experienced our Local Market and Paella Cooking Class with “My First Paella” and it was very well done. While the attendees are obviously all tourists, the guide/cooking team was very funny, thoughtful, and instructive. We had fun and would recommend it.

Quality of Experience
the staff
Food
great fun participating in the cooking and then eating what was made
Guides, Drivers and Staff
very friendly
Valencia Seightseeing Bike Tour
Valencia

This afternoon we had a private bike tour of Valencia with Jose. Bikes were provided by DoYouBike Rental. Jose was very nice and informative. We visited some of the places we had seen on our walking tour the day before but enjoyed the repetition, and we went inside to some places we really wanted to visit, including L’Almonia (archaeological artifacts), La Lonja and climbing one of the city’s old towers. We rode through the Turia Gardens (very nice) to the Science and Arts center, also very nice but we did not enter any buildings by our own choice.

Quality of Experience
It is a very nice way to explore and feel the city
Guides, Drivers and Staff
our guide was excellent
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jul 02, 2022

Hi Michael,

Let me start by thanking you for taking the time to write such a detailed review from your trip. I appreciate your kind words and I will pass your comments to the team.

It has been a real pleasure helping you plan your family trip and I am glad that you could finally enjoy it after having to postpone the trip.

The incidents with the transfer from Lisbon to Porto on the first day and the transfer from Lisbon to Lagos were a big mistake by the transport company. We tried to give... read more

Hi Michael,

Let me start by thanking you for taking the time to write such a detailed review from your trip. I appreciate your kind words and I will pass your comments to the team.

It has been a real pleasure helping you plan your family trip and I am glad that you could finally enjoy it after having to postpone the trip.

The incidents with the transfer from Lisbon to Porto on the first day and the transfer from Lisbon to Lagos were a big mistake by the transport company. We tried to give you a solution as quickly as possible so that you could continue your trip as planned but I am very disappointed on how the transfer company handled the error. I apologize again for the inconvenience this has caused your family during your trip.

I am glad that over all you have enjoyed all your visits and that the guides have contributed in one way or another to add value to your trip. I am happy to know that you liked the gastronomic recommendations that your guides and I gave you!

It is good to know that your stay in all the hotels has been as expected and I appreciate your comments about each hotel.

Again, thank you, Michael for taking the time to write such a detailed review of your trip and all your comments about each activity, service or hotel. Warmest regards, Marina

Dreams of Dominicana
the Dominican Republic | Mar 26 - Apr 1, 2023

Carly
Carly M.
Columbia, MD | Reviewed on Jun 22, 2022

I cannot say enough good things about the Dominican Republic! KimKim always gets me in touch with the best travel specialists for unique, culturally-centered experiences. Marina and her team made me feel very well taken care of and safe while visiting the DR solo! From my drivers to my tour guides, everyone was an absolute pleasure to be around. They embraced me and made sure I had an amazing experience with every activity.
Mosquito Boutique hotel staff was unforgettable and I will... read more

I cannot say enough good things about the Dominican Republic! KimKim always gets me in touch with the best travel specialists for unique, culturally-centered experiences. Marina and her team made me feel very well taken care of and safe while visiting the DR solo! From my drivers to my tour guides, everyone was an absolute pleasure to be around. They embraced me and made sure I had an amazing experience with every activity.
Mosquito Boutique hotel staff was unforgettable and I will definitely be back to Las Terrenas very soon!
If you haven’t used KimKim for your vacations, you’re missing out! Can’t wait for my next one!

Hotel Review
Mosquito Boutique Hotel
Las Terrenas

Love this place!! The restaurant and hotel staff made me feel very welcome. It was alive on the weekends and very chill during the week. I also love all the friendly cats and dogs on site, they kept a solo traveler company :-)

Tips for future travelers

Minimal wifi in rooms

Authenticity & Character
The staff was super friendly and vibrant
Location
Right on the beach!
Staff
Took care of me!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Rooms were pristine
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jun 23, 2022

Hi Carly! Thank you SO much for writing such a detailed review and for your kind words! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to the Dominican Republic and I am so glad you had such a fantastic trip :) The Dominican Republic is a true paradise and I am glad you got to discover the island. I will share your kind words with all the team! I look forward to helping you plan another adventure in the future! :) Warm regards, Marina

All guides were incredibly knowledgeable as w...
Spain | Jun 8 - Jun 14, 2022

Cynthia
Cynthia M.
Conroe, TX | Reviewed on Jun 21, 2022

All guides were incredibly knowledgeable as well as courteous and helpful. read more

All guides were incredibly knowledgeable as well as courteous and helpful.

Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jun 23, 2022

Hi Cynthia, thank you so much for your feedback and for your kind words! It's been a pleasure helping you plan this trip to Portugal and I hope you return soon! I look forward to helping you plan another adventure in the future! :) Warm regards, Marina

Marina was wonderful and very responsive thro...
Portugal | May 27 - Jun 3, 2023

S
Sarah E.
Summerland Key, FL | Reviewed on Jun 20, 2022

Marina was wonderful and very responsive through the entire process. I was a little dissapointed in having to upgrade two hotels used during our stay. However, Marina was quick to help resolve and get us where we needed to be, however the additional expense durning the trip wasn't ideal. I think perhaps discussing more room options and cost differences would be helpful during the reservation process and expectations of hotel quality and location should match the travelers desires. read more

Marina was wonderful and very responsive through the entire process. I was a little dissapointed in having to upgrade two hotels used during our stay. However, Marina was quick to help resolve and get us where we needed to be, however the additional expense durning the trip wasn't ideal. I think perhaps discussing more room options and cost differences would be helpful during the reservation process and expectations of hotel quality and location should match the travelers desires.

Hotel Reviews
Cascade Wellness
Lagos

We absolutely love our experience at Cascade Wellness Resort. It was exactly what we were looking for!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel HM Balanguera
Palma de Mallorca

I was not happy at all with the location of this hotel. It was very far from the beach or any location we would be wanting to visit. It was a big step down from the hotel in Portugal and after a full day of travel we were very disspointed to say the least. We ended up moving to another hotel which was much preferred.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Staff was very friendly.
Cleanliness & Comfort
We had a top sheet on the bed with no other blanket. It was also very small for two travelers that are not a couple. The pool area seating was soiled and felt dirty.
H10 Duque de Loule
Lisboa
Authenticity & Character
It was a lovely hotel and the breakfast was wonderful.
Location
We could walk everywhere vs having to pay for an Uber.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Review
Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril
Lisbon

Nuno was a wonderful tour guide! We loved this day and we were able to see so much of the area.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jun 23, 2022

Hi Sarah, thank you for taking the time to write a review! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your mother/daughter trip to Spain and I appreciate your suggestions regarding the hotels, we will include more information about each hotel :) I will be more than happy to help with a future adventure :) Best regards, Marina

Fantastic trip to Portugal and Spain!
Spain | Jun 8 - Jun 14, 2022

Gregory
Gregory J.
Tampa, FL | Reviewed on Jun 20, 2022

We had an amazing trip. The whole experience from initial contact to the return flight home was memorable. Working with Marina was easy and quick. She is very knowledgeable and listens very well to what her customers want. She was very responsive and the tours, hotels and trip planning were fantastic. The first night stay in Obidos in the Castle was an unforgettable experience. The next day our guide Sandra in Portal was really good. Deep knowledge of the city and region and fun and full of... read more

We had an amazing trip. The whole experience from initial contact to the return flight home was memorable. Working with Marina was easy and quick. She is very knowledgeable and listens very well to what her customers want. She was very responsive and the tours, hotels and trip planning were fantastic. The first night stay in Obidos in the Castle was an unforgettable experience. The next day our guide Sandra in Portal was really good. Deep knowledge of the city and region and fun and full of energy. Recommend her to everyone. The next day tour and river cruise on the Douro River was great. Such a beautiful area and Rui our guide was very flexible and accommodating as well as knowledgeable. The drive to Lisbon was nice and Marinas suggested stops were great. Lisbon was wonderful and our guide Jose was again knowledgeable and very nice. Our cooking class with Lucilla was one of the high points of our Portugal experience. So much fun. The next day trip to Cascais, Sinatra and Estoril was very beautiful and nicely done. Our guide Paulo was fun and knowledgeable and was an excellent driver as well. The trip to Lagos was also beautiful and the caves and grottos incredible. The next part of the trip into Spain was also perfect. The flight to Bilbao was as planned and Bilbao was a very nice surprise! The area is beautiful and lush and green. The Guggenheim did not disappoint and the Food and wine tour with Ellie was great! The drive to Pamplona was again beautiful and the city was great. Then in to Magical Madrid. Our hotel was right on the Plaza Mayor and could not have been better. Geza our guide was very good and showed us all around the old city and Royal Palace including the changing of the guard. Our side trip to Segovia was very nice and the day trip to Toledo by train and our guide was very good as well.
We really enjoyed the trip, the food, the wine, the hotels and the guides. Congrats to Marina and her team.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Ercilla de Bilbao
Bilbao, Bizkaia

Beautiful gem right in the heart of the city. Great service and staff.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Gran Hotel La Perla
Pamplona

Let the hotel park your car. They gladly park it and retrieve it promptly.

Authenticity & Character
Beautifully restored and updated.
Location
Right on the main square
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Pestana Plaza Mayor Madrid
Madrid

Great location!

Tips for future travelers

Please give more details on where to park.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jun 23, 2022

Hi Gregory, thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to write such a detailed review! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Portugal and Spain and I'm so glad you enjoyed every part of it, it is what our team always strives for. I will share your kind words with our team in Portugal and Spain :) I am thrilled that you chose us and I hope our paths will cross again when planning your next adventure. Warmest regards, Marina

We had a fantastic mother/daughter trip to Sp...
Spain | May 28 - Jun 3, 2022

Libbysimmerman@hotmail.vom
[email protected] S.
Hattiesburg, MS | Reviewed on Jun 13, 2022

We had a fantastic mother/daughter trip to Spain. Marina and Kim Kim arrangements made it most enjoyable.

Tapas tour was great. Our guide Lindsey was accommodating, engaging and lots of fun!

Geza (our walking tour guide in Madrid) was terrific! We were on this tour the day after Real Madrid won the European championship —so excitement was in the air. He explained many historical facts and interesting nuggets of information we would have never known about on our own.

We... read more

We had a fantastic mother/daughter trip to Spain. Marina and Kim Kim arrangements made it most enjoyable.

Tapas tour was great. Our guide Lindsey was accommodating, engaging and lots of fun!

Geza (our walking tour guide in Madrid) was terrific! We were on this tour the day after Real Madrid won the European championship —so excitement was in the air. He explained many historical facts and interesting nuggets of information we would have never known about on our own.

We took a train to Toledo for a city tour and zip line experience. Manolo, our guide, was also exceptional! City and cathedral were beautiful! He seemed to know almost everyone in the streets of Toledo. We especially enjoyed the many insights he had about the overwhelming artistry of the cathedral.
Our olive oil tasting gave us the opportunity to meet Laura (one of the most hard working moms in Spain😊). She and her husband work the olive grove that’s been in her family for many, many years. They’ve transitioned to organic and how “hands on” the complex process is to make organic Extra virgin olive oil.
I could go on and on it those are a few highlights of our 5-6 day tour.

Thank you Marina for all your patience, many helpful suggestions and tips.

Hotel Review
7 Islas Hotel
Madrid

We stayed at roommate Oscar Nice large clean room Great breakfast Friendly accommodating staff Someone at front desk was fluent in English

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Review
Guided Visit of Toledo
Spain
Quality of Experience
Most everything
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Previously mentioned
Transport
Prompt and pleasant
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jun 15, 2022

Hi Libby, thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to write such a detailed review! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your mother/daughter trip to Spain and I'm so glad you enjoyed every part of it, it is what our team always strives for :) We are thrilled that you chose us and I hope our paths will cross again when planning your next adventure. Warmest regards, Marina

Our Guides were great and they presented oppo...
Portugal | Apr 4 - Apr 13, 2022

S
Sara D.
| Reviewed on Jun 10, 2022

Our Guides were great and they presented opportunities and activities that we wouldn't have gotten on to connect with on our own.

Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jun 15, 2022

Hi Sara, thank you so much for taking the time to do a review. I am pleased to hear that you enjoyed your trip to Portugal. It was my pleasure to help you plan this trip. Marina :)

Portugal Excursion
Portugal | May 27 - Jun 3, 2022

J
John T.
Cary, NC | Reviewed on Jun 06, 2022

Every facet of the trip was organized and executed in the most professional manner possible. Most importantly we loved the agenda, tours, and tour-guides. We will absolutely be using KimKim again.

Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Jun 06, 2022

Hi John, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip and I'm so glad you enjoyed every part of it :) Warmest and sincerest regards, Marina

Multiple destinations in Spain
Spain | May 14 - May 24, 2022

Jim
Jim O.
Waterbury, CT | Reviewed on May 31, 2022

We had a wonderful experience on our trip to Spain. It was great to experience the culture, language and diverse history of various locations in Spain. Marina was very patient and helpful during the booking process. She was able to quickly give advice when we missed our train in Madrid. I'd also like to recognize the efforts of Vanessa at the Petit Palace Puerta del Sol for her repeated efforts to find us dinner reservations. We had personal guides in each city and all added tremendous... read more

We had a wonderful experience on our trip to Spain. It was great to experience the culture, language and diverse history of various locations in Spain. Marina was very patient and helpful during the booking process. She was able to quickly give advice when we missed our train in Madrid. I'd also like to recognize the efforts of Vanessa at the Petit Palace Puerta del Sol for her repeated efforts to find us dinner reservations. We had personal guides in each city and all added tremendous insight and knowledge to what we were seeing. Special mention to Linda in Madrid, Yolanda in Toledo, Elena in Segovia, Ferran in Sevilla, and Sergio, who spent all day driving us around Andalusia, on our day trip to Ronda.

Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on May 31, 2022

Hi Jim! I really appreciate all your feedback and I'm delighted to read that you had such a good time and enjoyed all our guides. It was a real pleasure to host you here in Spain! I will share your kind words with our team in Spain :) Warmest regards, Marina

Our culinary and wine tour of Portugal was ex...
Portugal | May 14 - May 25, 2022

Tyler
Tyler H.
Hawthorne, CA | Reviewed on May 28, 2022

Our culinary and wine tour of Portugal was excellent! Our specialist was always available for communications and everything went very smoothly. This was our second trip with Kimkim and they go above and beyond. It won't be our last! read more

Our culinary and wine tour of Portugal was excellent! Our specialist was always available for communications and everything went very smoothly. This was our second trip with Kimkim and they go above and beyond. It won't be our last!

Hotel Reviews
Dear Lisbon - Palace Chiado Suites
Lisboa
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
H10 Duque de Loule
Lisboa
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Exe Almada Porto
Porto
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The Wine House Hotel - Quinta da Pacheca
Lamego
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Tivoli Lagos
Lagos
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Foodie Experience in Porto
Porto
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Get to know Porto by E-bike
Porto
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Porto Cooking Class
Porto

This was one of our favourite experiences. Vitor and Andre were great and we had a blast!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Wine Experience in the Douro Valley & River Cruise
Douro Valley
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Cooking Class
Douro Valley
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Evening of Fado
Lisbon
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Rural Gastronomy Experience
Portugal

The location was nice, but it was 100km from our hotel. The food was minimal and we didn't eat with the local family. Dialogue with them was also minimal. This is one I would have skipped.

Quality of Experience
Food
Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril
Lisbon
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Get to Know Lisbon with a Local
Lisbon
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Sunset Sailing Cruise
Lisbon
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Wine Tasting & Lunch at a Portuguese Quinta
Portugal
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Boat Trip to Benagil Caves
Portugal
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on May 30, 2022

Hi Tyler, thank you so much for taking the time to write this review! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip and I'm so glad you enjoyed every part of it, it is what our team always strives for :) Warmest and sincerest regards, Marina

Portugal and Spain 2022
Portugal | Apr 27 - May 4, 2022

Robert
Robert B.
Chanhassen, MN | Reviewed on May 06, 2022

Marina was outstanding in our quest to get to Portugal and Spain. She listened to our feedback and am made adjustments as needed. Marina’s quick responses took the worry out of planning our trip. Once we arrived in Lisbon, it was clear to us just how much work Marina put into our trip. From the food and historical tours to the highlight of the trip of cooking a dinner with a Portuguese chef we had an outstanding week. Thank-you Marina and Kim Kim. You are a top notch travel agency. ... read more

Marina was outstanding in our quest to get to Portugal and Spain. She listened to our feedback and am made adjustments as needed. Marina’s quick responses took the worry out of planning our trip. Once we arrived in Lisbon, it was clear to us just how much work Marina put into our trip. From the food and historical tours to the highlight of the trip of cooking a dinner with a Portuguese chef we had an outstanding week. Thank-you Marina and Kim Kim. You are a top notch travel agency. Most importantly….you have our gratitude.

Hotel Reviews
Dear Lisbon Bordalo House
Lisboa

Nicely appointed historical hotel. Made us feel a part of the culture.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Exe Almada Porto
Porto
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Lisbon Foodie Experience
Lisbon

Denielle was an incredible tour guide. We’re pretty sure she knows everyone in Lisbon and they knew her! Food was great, drinks were great and she made us feel a part of this awesome culture.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Porto Cooking Class & Market Visit
Porto

This was the highlight of our trip. Vito and his staff not only attended to our every need, he ensured we were involved in every aspect of our experience. Vito’s talent, passion, and negotiation skills ensured we had the best ingredients! The fish market was great!!! Once arriving at his kitchen we were quickly immersed in an awesome culinary experience of which every aspect was carefully choreographed with passion and fun! The sea bass, crab and shrimp main course was outstanding! The fish soup was even better. Vito never hesitated to give us credit for cooking our own dinner, but we all knew better. Without his passion for quality ingredients and free spirit for fun -it could have been just another dinner. Vito has our strongest recommendation. If your passionate about great food and making new friends, this the experience for you. . We consider Vito and his staff family now. Thank-you for all you do!!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Vito drives an awesome old Land Rover. Unfortunately…he won’t sell. 😀
Private Guided Visit of Porto
Porto

Tomash or Tommy was incredibly knowledgeable about every aspect of our tour. More importantly he was a blast! Tommy made our day with him very fun and we learned many things about the incredible city of Porto. Touring with Tommy is highly recommended!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Guided Visit of Porto
Porto

Tomash or Tommy was incredibly knowledgeable about every aspect of our tour. More importantly he was a blast! Tommy made our day with him very fun and we learned many things about the incredible city of Porto. Touring with Tommy is highly recommended!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on May 06, 2022

Hi Robert, thank you SO much for taking the time to write this review with such detail! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip and I'm so glad you enjoyed every part of it, it is what our team always strives for :) I will pass all your kind words to the team. I look forward to helping you plan another trip in the future. Warmest regards, Marina :)

We will be back PT!
Portugal | Apr 7 - Apr 15, 2022

S
Sue T.
Wayne, PA | Reviewed on Apr 25, 2022

This trip was curated well. I would give it 5 stars had the hotel in Lisboa have been better. Turim Restoradores was well situated however, the rooms are painfully outdated. My bathroom was so narrow( and dirty on our last night). Both rooms' temperature was not regulated and when asked, we were told that there is NO AC just heat. I'd hate to be in that hotel in the summer. Imagine dreading going back after a full day of walking(I would have given 5 stars otherwise)As a tour company, I... read more

This trip was curated well. I would give it 5 stars had the hotel in Lisboa have been better. Turim Restoradores was well situated however, the rooms are painfully outdated. My bathroom was so narrow( and dirty on our last night). Both rooms' temperature was not regulated and when asked, we were told that there is NO AC just heat. I'd hate to be in that hotel in the summer. Imagine dreading going back after a full day of walking(I would have given 5 stars otherwise)As a tour company, I think the hotel tax should be included in pricing. While I was told it was mentioned in the agreement, that the hotels in different cities/countries charges different rates(isn't the tour company's business to know it, after all you picked the hotel)Its not much but that's besides the point.
Our first taste of the city was a Tuk Tuk tour, unfortunately the guide was late and lacks the desire to make the trip personable as he darts around the city. I was the told by him that he is not a native(which is fine) but only on the job for 2 months(I can tell, he was rambling off points of interest like it was in a tour guide book). Thankfully for the next two days, Rosa(walking food tour) and Marta(Sintra/Cascais) were both fantastic. The guide in Coimbra was also very informative.
Hotel in Porto was a refreshing change from Turim. It has been tastefully updated/front desk was informative and helpful/breakfast spread was amazing! First adventure, motorised bike tour. Thankfully our family of 4 weren't novice bicycle riders. I think if one was new to biking, it would be challenging(not due to the hills) for all the difficult terrain and navigating through tourists in the area we when through. Food and cultural tour was so-so, not once was port served/Apparently that would be a port tasting tour(one would think that both food and port is combined) after all wine was served. The day excursion to Duoro Valley was fantastic! Nelson our guide made our trip very memorable. Obidos was just so so beautiful(at least 3 hours needed with lunch). Alas our last night was back in Turim. Having to compare the accommodation of Eurostar Porto to Turim was a hard pill to swallow on our last night in beautiful PT.
Marina as a guide was attentive and very quick to address any issues/questions during the planning and while we were there. As a tour company, I'm certain you would want to know the condition of the lodging your guests are put in. I write with no malice. In life you win some and lose some. Being in the service industry myself, I'd like to know the good and the bad as only then improvements can be made.

Hotel Review
¡NO USAR! Turim Restauradores Hotel
Lisboa

Location-Great. Accommodation was ok. No regulated air. NO AC only heat. Made sleeping through the night challenging. Breakfast spread has seen better days. It was included in our reservations, otherwise I wouldn't pay $15 euros for it.

Tips for future travelers

Do not stay if you like AC

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Review
Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour
Portugal

Just not the right tour guide. While we were waiting, another guide(from the same company) was way more pleasant.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on May 20, 2022

Hi Sue, Thank you for taking the time to write a review. I am pleased to hear that enjoyed your visit to Sintra, Douro Valley, and the gastronomy tour with Rosa. However, I am sorry to hear your stay at Turim Restoradores was not as expected. We always want travelers to be comfortable and enjoy their hotel stays, I would have gladly changed the hotel for you if I had known. It was a pleasure helping you plan your family trip to Portugal. Warmest regards, Marina

We really had great tours and guides. The coo...
Spain | Apr 13 - Apr 23, 2022

M
Margaux Z.
Sandusky, OH | Reviewed on Apr 25, 2022

We really had great tours and guides. The cooking class was lord of fun with great instructors. Jospeh our hiking guide and Pedro our 4x4 guide did an excellent job as well. The can Alberti was an excellent hotel with great service read more

We really had great tours and guides. The cooking class was lord of fun with great instructors. Jospeh our hiking guide and Pedro our 4x4 guide did an excellent job as well. The can Alberti was an excellent hotel with great service

Hotel Review
Casa Albertí Boutique Hotel
Mahón
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Review
Boquería Market Visit & Cooking Class
Barcelona
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Apr 26, 2022

Hi Margaux,
Thank you for your review. It was a pleasure helping you organize your dream trip to my beautiful country! I really appreciate all your feedback and I'm delighted to read that you had such a good time and enjoyed all our guides. It was a real pleasure to host you here in Spain! Warmest regards, Marina

Incredible Trip to Portugal!
Portugal | Apr 8 - Apr 14, 2022

R
Rich E.
Glade Hill, VA | Reviewed on Apr 18, 2022

Had an absolutely amazing time thanks to the great planning by Marina. Hotels were fantastic as were the guides that were arranged. The driving trip to Sintra is a can’t miss event and our guide Rui was incredible, making it feel like a trip with our Portuguese cousin. All our other guides (Miguel and Pedro in Porto) and Felipa in Lisbon were top notch.
Truly had a great experience thank you Marina! read more

Had an absolutely amazing time thanks to the great planning by Marina. Hotels were fantastic as were the guides that were arranged. The driving trip to Sintra is a can’t miss event and our guide Rui was incredible, making it feel like a trip with our Portuguese cousin. All our other guides (Miguel and Pedro in Porto) and Felipa in Lisbon were top notch.
Truly had a great experience thank you Marina!

Hotel Review
Portugal Boutique Hotel
Lisbon

Very nice hotel. Great service. Very central to all key Lisbon locations

Tips for future travelers

No controllable AC

Activity Review
Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril
Lisbon

The guide really makes the trip. Rui was our guide replacing Nuno at the last minute. I couldn’t think of a better and more enjoyable person than him he was terrific!

Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Apr 18, 2022

Rich, thank you so much for taking the time to write a review! It was a pleasure helping you plan your family trip to Portugal and I am thrilled that you had such a fantastic time :) I will pass your kind words to all our team in Portugal. I look forward to helping you plan another trip in the future. Warmest regards, Marina :)

An amazing trip to Portugal!
Portugal | Apr 3 - Apr 10, 2022

H
Hillary P.
Pleasant Grove, UT | Reviewed on Apr 11, 2022

We really enjoyed everything that was planned. All of our guides were great. Sintra was probably our favorite outing. The accommodations were perfect. The hotel in Porto was very beautiful but it was a little far from everywhere we saw or ate. It felt like it was a 20 minute walk everywhere we went. It would have been nice to be a bit closer. The hotel in Lisboa was in the perfect location. There was no way to change the weather. As we could see a couple of days in advance that there... read more

We really enjoyed everything that was planned. All of our guides were great. Sintra was probably our favorite outing. The accommodations were perfect. The hotel in Porto was very beautiful but it was a little far from everywhere we saw or ate. It felt like it was a 20 minute walk everywhere we went. It would have been nice to be a bit closer. The hotel in Lisboa was in the perfect location. There was no way to change the weather. As we could see a couple of days in advance that there was a 99% chance of rain, I should have made a backup plan in Porto. It would have been fun to do the tile making or cooking class instead of just walking around the city seeing more sights. Really everything else could not have gone better. We appreciated the restaurant recommendations. It was so nice to be able to check in with you with questions. You were very accessible and easy to work with. Thank you so much for helping us have such a wonderful trip.

Hotel Review
Rossio Boutique Hotel
Lisbon

This hotel is in the perfect location. It is centrally located and close to almost everything we wanted to see. It was clean, had a good breakfast and the staff were nice to work with. The rooms on the Main Street are noisier but our room that wasn’t on the Main Street was quiet.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Lisbon Foodie Experience
Lisbon

This exceeded our expectations. The food was good, the guide was knowledgeable and interesting. We learned a lot about the history of Lisbon, the different neighborhoods as well as tasted good food. We even went back to one of the restaurants later in the trip.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Sunset Sailing Cruise
Lisbon

It was a beautiful way to see the city. We really enjoyed it. The employees were nice and accommodating. It felt like it could have been a little shorter, just because it was chill. We were there with our kids and it felt like we watched people get more and more drunk. It would be nice if there was an option that didn’t involve wine, maybe geared for families.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets
Portugal

We loved this outing! Our guide Susannah was wonderful. She was happy and fun to talk to and very knowledgeable. We loved where she took us to the castle and palace and the way down through the forest. She made us a yummy picnic lunch which we really enjoyed. We would highly recommend her and this excursion.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Get to know Porto by E-bike
Porto

This is a great way to see Porto. The bikes make it so easy to get around and see a lot of places. Our guide was fabulous. She knew a lot and was fun to inerrant with. We highly recommend.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Apr 12, 2022

Hillary, thank you so much for taking the time to do this review! I am glad to read you enjoyed your family trip to Portugal despite the weather. You will have to come back to do the Hike to Peneda ;) I will pass your kind words to all the team in Portugal, it's been a pleasure helping you plan your family trip to Portugal. Warmest regards, Marina.

A Stellar First Visit to Spain
Spain | Mar 26 - Apr 2, 2022

Lynn
Lynn K.
St. Petersburg, FL | Reviewed on Apr 08, 2022

This was our first experience planning travel with kimkim and we will definitely use you again. The trip was really flawless due in large part to Marina and the kimkim team listening to what we thought we wanted to do and acting on, and enhancing, our ideas. Our local guides in Madrid (Geza, fun, enthusiastic, knowledgeable), Cordoba (Olivia, extremely knowledgeable, loved her visual aides), and Sevilla (Raul’s love of the city and the Alcazar really came through), were OUTSTANDING. Each... read more

This was our first experience planning travel with kimkim and we will definitely use you again. The trip was really flawless due in large part to Marina and the kimkim team listening to what we thought we wanted to do and acting on, and enhancing, our ideas. Our local guides in Madrid (Geza, fun, enthusiastic, knowledgeable), Cordoba (Olivia, extremely knowledgeable, loved her visual aides), and Sevilla (Raul’s love of the city and the Alcazar really came through), were OUTSTANDING. Each hotel was more charming than the last and I am ready to move in permanently to the H10 Casa de La Plata in Sevilla. Gorgeous lobby, great room, A+ staff. The hotel staff in Madrid were also top-notch. We found the tour and olive oil tasting at Hacienda Guzman to be another highlight: our guide there, again, knowledgeable and engaging. But the overarching positive was Marina and her hands-on attention to every detail. She anticipated everything we needed and was readily available via messaging, even phone, on the occasions we needed anything while we were there. Marina helped us have the perfect introduction to Spain. We are grateful to have had her guidance throughout the trip.

Hotel Review
Hotel H10 Casa de la Plata
Sevilla

Location, lobby, room, bathroom, breakfast, staff members, were all exceptional. You really cannot improve on the location: walkable to so much shopping, dining, sites.

Tips for future travelers

Be aware that it is not accessible by car. Your taxi/Uber driver will need to drop you about a block or so away and you will walk through the narrow streets to the hotel.

Authenticity & Character
Beautiful decor, elegant and updated.
Location
Staff
Very friendly, professional, accommodating, spoke excellent English.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Perfectly clean.
Activity Review
Visit an Andalusian Olive Oil Estate
Seville

Our private tour guide was engaging and knowledgeable. The tour and tasting were both so enjoyable.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Apr 08, 2022

Hi Lynn! Thank you SO much for writing such a detailed review and for your kind words! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Spain and I am so glad you had such a fantastic trip. The olive oil experience is one of my favorites visits in Spain and I am glad you enjoyed it too. I will share your review with our team in Spain ;) It's been wonderful working with you to plan this trip to Spain and I look forward to helping you plan another adventure in the future! :). Warm regards, Marina.

Portugal Trip
Portugal | Feb 15 - Feb 24, 2022

John
John Q.
Carson, CA | Reviewed on Feb 25, 2022

We had the best time! All of our guides and transfers were amazing. Thank you Marina for helping us book an amazing trip. You were the best.

John and Donna

Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Feb 25, 2022

John and Donna, thank you for taking the time to do the review! It was my pleasure helping you plan your family trip to Portugal and I am thrilled that you had a fantastic time in Portugal. I look forward to helping you plan another trip in the future. Marina :)

Marina was a wonderful trip planner! She was ...
Spain | Dec 20 - Dec 25, 2021

M
Mika K.
Pecan Grove, TX | Reviewed on Dec 28, 2021

Marina was a wonderful trip planner! She was knowledgeable about the cities in Spain we wanted to visit, offered detailed guidance, took care of all the details and was exceptionally responsive. She selected hotels that were perfect for us and provided all the resources and information we needed to have a wonderful trip. She checked in with us all week, even on Christmas day! Thank you, Marina! read more

Marina was a wonderful trip planner! She was knowledgeable about the cities in Spain we wanted to visit, offered detailed guidance, took care of all the details and was exceptionally responsive. She selected hotels that were perfect for us and provided all the resources and information we needed to have a wonderful trip. She checked in with us all week, even on Christmas day! Thank you, Marina!

Hotel Review
H10 Casa de la Plata
Seville

Beautiful, clean, fresh, excellent service, amazing location.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Dec 28, 2021

Mika, thank you so much for such a fantastic review and kind words! I am pleased to read that you had a blast and have left Spain with lovely memories of your family Christmas trip. It certainly was a pleasure to help you plan this trip and look forward to working with you in the future. Have a lovely end of the year! Marina :-)

Marina was great help in selection of cities ...
Spain | Nov 15 - Dec 15, 2021

J
Jim and Carol D.
Sequim, WA | Reviewed on Dec 16, 2021

Marina was great help in selection of cities and help along the way. Our first stop in Girona was magnificent and Carmen was an elegant host.

Salmanca was also excellent. Hotel Rector was amazing.

Local specialist: Marina Courtaut
Marina
Marina Courtaut
Local specialist in Madrid | Reviewed on Dec 16, 2021

Jim and Carol, thank you for taking the time to do the review! I am pleased to read that you enjoyed your stay at Girona and Salamanca. It has been my true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Spain. I look forward to working with you in the future. Marina:-)