Marta Trzeciakowska

We admittedly were nervous entering our first experience with KimKim, not knowing whether the scheduled drivers and guides actually show up, what would the tours really be like, what about the hotels, would the restaurant reservations actually be reserved? Not to worry! Everything went exactly as scheduled, all drivers and guides were exceptional, the hotels were great (one spectacular), and the food astounding., and Marta was there every step of the way. The overall experience could not be... read more

We admittedly were nervous entering our first experience with KimKim, not knowing whether the scheduled drivers and guides actually show up, what would the tours really be like, what about the hotels, would the restaurant reservations actually be reserved? Not to worry! Everything went exactly as scheduled, all drivers and guides were exceptional, the hotels were great (one spectacular), and the food astounding., and Marta was there every step of the way. The overall experience could not be better. PS: We want especially to thank Marta for somehow getting us a New Year's eve reservation at José María after we had failed. It was a truly spectacular culinary experience. Marta is remarkable! Thank you.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Rector

Salamanca

This is a very small, boutique hotel is a perfect location related to the historic heart of Salamanca. The service was personalized and exceptional. The rooms were beautiful and well-appointed. We were greeted with champaign and some special treat every night. This is one of the best hotels we have experienced anywhere we have travelled. We cannot recommend it too highly.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful throughout; with very classy art and decoration.

Location

Staff

Carried bags to room before we knew they were gone. Nothing they would not do to be helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Simply perfect!

Hotel Palacio de Valderrábanos

Ávila

Perfectly located right next to the Cathedral in the heart of the old city. Nothing fancy, but very pleasant.

Authenticity & Character

In historic structure well repurposed.

Location

Could not be better located.

Staff

Professional and accommodating. Expect to carry your own luggage.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel San Antonio El Real

Segovia

We initially thought that the hotel was badly placed, outside the walls of the old city. It turned out to be a perfect location to follow the Roman aqueduct into town. For those with cars, it actually has a parking lot, which you will not find in the city center.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Expect to carry your own luggage. Facility with English was helpful. Accommodating in every way.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nothing special, but pleasant.

Hotel Madrid Alameda Aeropuerto, Affiliated by Meliá

Madrid

Much higher quality, more pleasant and less generic than your average airport hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

10 minutes to the terminal. In a neighborhood of apartment residences.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

This was the highpoint of our two weeks in Iberia. Coming from California wine country, BUT already hooked on Duoro red wines, we were not prepared for the steep hillsides and rugged beauty of the river. Second, the specific driver, Rui, was remarkable: Personable, knowledgeable, and responsive. He specifically approved of the choice of Quintos de S. Tiago in Mesâo Frio, which on the outside is a dump that no-one would pull off and visit on their own--burned out buildings, junky driveway, humblest of houses. But, upon entering the house through an open-hearth kitchen, we knew we were in for something special. The food, the wine, the atmosphere, and the host made this the Quinta an unforgettable experience. Keep using Rui and this particular Quinta.

Quality of Experience

It rained all day, and we didn't care. Even the river cruise was perfect.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everything you could want in a driver--and more. He really opened up after he became familiar with us.

Transport

Guided Visit of Salamanca

Spain

Our guide met us in a timely manner at the hotel and walked us through the University and Cathedral and associated areas. She was delightful, but overly detailed about things that interested her and not necessarily sensitive to whether or not it interested us. She was particularly absorbed with esoteric marginalia about the university. Eventually, after the tour was 30 minutes longer than scheduled, we (gently, I hope) asked her if we could have the opportunity to explore on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Didn't like: Driver knew very little about stops along the way.

Guided Visit of Ávila

Spain

With certificates in tourism and theology, our guide provided the perfect introduction to Avila and its two saints--Teresa and Juan de la Cruz. He quickly picked up our interest in them and shaped the tour and his message to our interests. For instance, at the chapel built in the room where Teresa probably was born, he emphasized the holiness of the space, not the art of the chapel, and he asked if we wanted some time just to sit in prayer and contemplation; we did. He also recommended the monastery where Teresa had trained and lived, and we found it to be a deeply moving experience. I was in the museum business for 40 years, and I deeply appreciated the simple presentations, the unprotected access to the "things," and the freedom to explore on our own time. Our guide reflected that receptive and trusting attitude and helped us discover meaning and treasures beyond the formal tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The tour guide provided the perfect introduction and shaped it to our obvious interests as we went. He was responsive and suggestive, with great integrity.

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Segovia

Spain

This was the most traditional tour of the trip. The handed us ear plugs, spoke into a microphone, and largely led with her back to us. She would have fit as a tour guide in San Francisco. At the same time, she provided a marvelous orientation to the city, not too detailed, but with enough off the wall items--like the first book published in Spanish--to make it fascinating. A special commendation: When she informed us that the Cathedral was closed New Year's Eve (the day of our tour) and New Year's Day, we noted that January 1st was a Sunday, she called a friend to check on service times, which we attended the next day. That is the kind of personal responsiveness you would seldom receive on a tour in the United States. She also helped us plan our walking for the next day. We are grateful for her tour and assistance.

Quality of Experience

There is so very, very much packed into this small city.

Quality of Experience

There is so very, very much packed into this small city.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Overall it was a great experience traveling with KimKim as our tour company and Marta was absolutely great. Loved all the communication tools and apps the company uses - very user friendly and easy access to the tour guides.
The only thing I would mention is to include more detailed explanation of the tour itself for example what exactly is included in the tour so that the client knows how to ask for customization.
Also please make note that the lady driver that took us from Porto to... read more

Overall it was a great experience traveling with KimKim as our tour company and Marta was absolutely great. Loved all the communication tools and apps the company uses - very user friendly and easy access to the tour guides.
The only thing I would mention is to include more detailed explanation of the tour itself for example what exactly is included in the tour so that the client knows how to ask for customization.
Also please make note that the lady driver that took us from Porto to Lisbon did not speak much English and we did not find her to be a safe driver. The ride was rough with her.
Thank you 🙏🏼

Hotel Review

Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa – A Leading hotel of the world

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathrooms need much improvement. The water from the shower went to the floors because there is not enough barrier

Activity Reviews

Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Explore Porto In A Vintage Car

Porto

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

Our trip to Portugal over the wintertime was fabulous and we are back with some wonderful memories and a good understanding of Portugal.
With exaggeration, Our family loved every minute of it. The accommodation suited as very well as with the entire itinerary . Our guides throughout were fabulous and were very insightful.
The local trips to Douro Valley, Sintra and rural Algarve will leave us with long lasting memories of the regions I would highly recommend this to other... read more

Our trip to Portugal over the wintertime was fabulous and we are back with some wonderful memories and a good understanding of Portugal.
With exaggeration, Our family loved every minute of it. The accommodation suited as very well as with the entire itinerary . Our guides throughout were fabulous and were very insightful.
The local trips to Douro Valley, Sintra and rural Algarve will leave us with long lasting memories of the regions I would highly recommend this to other tourists.

Once again, thank you very much to Marta for the planning and for being with us through the journey. I will most definitely return for another trip with you.

We really enjoyed the pace and activities on our trip. The kids were not looking forward to the walking tour in Spain but Beatriz made it so much fun. The cooking class in Seville was wonderful too. So much fun for the whole family. The train rides to each destination was fun too. Between Seville and Granda we hiked/walked Caminito Del Rey. The kids really enjoyed this adventure. Each place we visited had something unique and memorable. read more

We really enjoyed the pace and activities on our trip. The kids were not looking forward to the walking tour in Spain but Beatriz made it so much fun. The cooking class in Seville was wonderful too. So much fun for the whole family. The train rides to each destination was fun too. Between Seville and Granda we hiked/walked Caminito Del Rey. The kids really enjoyed this adventure. Each place we visited had something unique and memorable.

Hotel Reviews

Dear Hotel Madrid

Madrid

Great location in the city. The accommodations for a family of four were good. Great breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very professional and nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petit Palace Puerta de Triana

Seville

Seemed out dated. Rooms were small and had tile floors. Would recommend a small carpet by the bed. Bathrooms and rooms need makeovers. Breakfast was lacking. Staff were great and rooms seemed clean however.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eurostars Puerta Real Hotel

Granada

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Madrid for Kids - Walking Tour with Activities & Snacks

Madrid

Beatriz is absolutely awesome! We had so much fun on this tour. We highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Flamenco Experience

Seville

Was fun to watch. Was one hour in length. We wish the couple would have danced more together as they spent a considerable amount of time dancing solo. Other than that, they put on a good show.

Family Tour of the Alhambra

Granada

Alberto was our guide. He is very knowledgeable about everything. This was a good thing and a bad thing as he would talk forever about tiny details. The kids got bored very quickly with our pace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Andalusian Market Visit & Cooking Class

Seville

Such a fun thing to do as a family. We are vegetarian and they helped us make dishes without meat. The kids were awesome and tried everything they made!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our destination specialist, Marta Trzeciakowska was amazing and did a great job in planning; reacting to our itinerary change requests, responded to any questions in a timely manner (very responsive), and available to assist when last minute coordination was required to unavoidable weather implications.

During our 9-day trip to Portugal, 3 days in Porto and 6 days on the island of Madeira, each and every planned event was amazing - a lifetime of memories. The guides who hosted our family... read more

Our destination specialist, Marta Trzeciakowska was amazing and did a great job in planning; reacting to our itinerary change requests, responded to any questions in a timely manner (very responsive), and available to assist when last minute coordination was required to unavoidable weather implications.

During our 9-day trip to Portugal, 3 days in Porto and 6 days on the island of Madeira, each and every planned event was amazing - a lifetime of memories. The guides who hosted our family of 7 on walking tours with various food tastings, wine tasting events in both the Douro Valley and Madeira, site seeing across the beauty of Madeira that included 4-wheel off road fun and mystical/magical views ...just cannot compliment enough on their fun personalities, flexibility, joy and laughter enjoyed by all.

Ce'lia Dias led a tour of Porto while raining, and yet the rain did not matter due to sites seen, fun and vibrant personality and flexibility due to late weather arrival.

Nelson spent about 8 hours with our family (7) leading the site seeing, wine tasting and family hosted meal through Douro Valley. What a day and the intimate experience of a meal and sharing Port/wine with a local experience was amazing.

While on the island of Madeira, two amazing day trips were enjoyed in 4-wheel drive vehicles (adventuremadeira.com) to Porto Moniz, Seixal's lava pools and Cabo Girao glass balcony with 580+ mt drop.... aaaaaahhhhhhhh. Francisco was our tour guide for 2 days and was Amazing - 5-stars!!! He was accomodating to needs of family members, flexible, so much fun and entertaining while throughout the events which also included a 4-wheel journey that was exhilarating and yet safe.

I can go on and on, Jacqueline led the family on a walking tour of the city market which concluded with a cooking experience which included savory food, wine, a delicious dessert and a chef who was skilled, artistic, creative and led us through a mouth-watering experience of delicious dishes.

This was our second trip planned and coordinated by Kim Kim. The first was a 9-day trip through Greece. Both have left us with lifetime memories and I highly recommend the organization as a trust worthy group with fantastic specialists and Services.

Very satisfying experience with our specialist Marta. She made sure to understand our goals and wishes for the trip, and was very accommodating in assisting us in fine tuning the itinerary so that we got the most of the trip. We were so happy with kimkim’s process that we’ve already scheduled another trip with them! Moreover, we have recommended kimkim to friends, and will continue to do so.

The kimkim process was simple yet thorough, and working with Marta was rewarding. We enjoyed the... read more

Very satisfying experience with our specialist Marta. She made sure to understand our goals and wishes for the trip, and was very accommodating in assisting us in fine tuning the itinerary so that we got the most of the trip. We were so happy with kimkim’s process that we’ve already scheduled another trip with them! Moreover, we have recommended kimkim to friends, and will continue to do so.

The kimkim process was simple yet thorough, and working with Marta was rewarding. We enjoyed the flexibility of being given suggestions, then identifying which components of the itinerary were most appealing. She helped us pick activities we might not have thought of on our own, and was great to communicate with during our time in country. If we had planned the entire trip ourselves, the amount of choices about what to do and where to stay would have been overwhelming. Using Marta, Espiritu, and kimkim, we had an excellent set of experiences and will look back fondly on this trip for many years to come.

Hi Marta, Thank you so much for our vacation. It was outstanding. Anne Lynne and I appreciated every detail, and wouldn’t change a thing. Everything flowed so smoothly, thanks to you, which is no small feat when traveling ! We enjoyed a perfect mix of nature, culture, history, art, hiking and exploring, food and wine, music and adventure. The iPhone app you provided was terrific, making communication and logistics seamless. Our guides informative, professional and really interesting. We... read more

Hi Marta, Thank you so much for our vacation. It was outstanding. Anne Lynne and I appreciated every detail, and wouldn’t change a thing. Everything flowed so smoothly, thanks to you, which is no small feat when traveling ! We enjoyed a perfect mix of nature, culture, history, art, hiking and exploring, food and wine, music and adventure. The iPhone app you provided was terrific, making communication and logistics seamless. Our guides informative, professional and really interesting. We will certainly use kimkim again and recommend it to friends and family too. Very best, Melody

Hotel Review

Vincci Baixa

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

Guide was perfect. Hike, picnic, history, nature excellent

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I can’t remember what Marta arranged or what I arranged so I will tell you our favorites with only one negative.
Cuenca - great tour with Daniel
Cartegena - we did not enjoy our time with
Gemma
Venice - great hotel Helen Berger, good bike tour, great restaurant Tagomago
Girona - excellent history & food tour with Gina
Huesca - amazing Castello de Corvinos
San Sebastián - excellent hotel Villa Favorita, excellent tour with Diego
read more

I can’t remember what Marta arranged or what I arranged so I will tell you our favorites with only one negative.
Cuenca - great tour with Daniel
Cartegena - we did not enjoy our time with
Gemma
Venice - great hotel Helen Berger, good bike tour, great restaurant Tagomago
Girona - excellent history & food tour with Gina
Huesca - amazing Castello de Corvinos
San Sebastián - excellent hotel Villa Favorita, excellent tour with Diego

Activity Reviews

San Sebastian Pintxo Experience

San Sebastián

This tour was cancelled for us prior to our trip but I would book it with Diego if we go back.

Hiking Cuervo River and Callejones de las Majadas

Cuenca

Daniel was a great guide. Nice to get out & walk. Went a little long.

Privately Guided Tour of Cartagena

Cartagena

Our guide seemed quite nervous & uncomfortable & had a hard time answering specific questions. We moved much slower than we wanted.

Hiking through Mount Galeras + Christmas Fort

Cartagena

We did not hike but took the boat which was fine. Same problems with the guide as the other tour.

Valencia Seightseeing Bike Tour

Valencia

Excellent guide, good speed of tour, good information, felt safe riding

Food & Market Tour

Girona

Our favorite. Gina was great & we did have a very compatible group. The places we stopped were diverse & were well prepared & awaiting us. Wouldn’t want to change a thing.

Guided Visit of San Sebastian

San Sebastián

Diego gave us an excellent tour of the city with lots of interesting information. We moved quickly which works best for us. Would love to go on another tour with him.

Susan and I have had a wonderful time exploring Granada, Ronda, Seville and Cordoba, thanks to Martha's professional planning and organising of our trip.
Which place was our favourite? That is very difficult to say, as all four places held something special and are a 'must see'.
We loved the choice of hotels which were all in the perfect location for getting about to see all the sights. We took on some of your recommendations for where to eat which was very helpful.
The guided tours and... read more

Susan and I have had a wonderful time exploring Granada, Ronda, Seville and Cordoba, thanks to Martha's professional planning and organising of our trip.
Which place was our favourite? That is very difficult to say, as all four places held something special and are a 'must see'.
We loved the choice of hotels which were all in the perfect location for getting about to see all the sights. We took on some of your recommendations for where to eat which was very helpful.
The guided tours and guides were highly professional and knowledgeable. Without them, we wouldn't have come away from the trip with all the interesting information we received and I don't think a guide book can compete with having a very knowledgeable local guide. If I have to say something, we missed having a guided tour in Cordoba.
The tour taking us through the scented areas of Granada was so special and different and we love the scents we were given at the end - what a surprise!
Many thanks to Marta and Karenina who were there throughout our trip supporting us.
I would definitely recommend KimKim and travel with them again.
With all best wishes,
Gillian Mitchell

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Comfort Dauro 2

Granada

Good, clean place that covers the basics but the lack of regular receptionists was confusing. However, the bar people were super helpful, as was the general manager, who provided us with a picnic because we had to miss breakfast one day!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Access to public transport

Staff

Very nice once located

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean

Hotel Montelirio

Ronda

Beautiful hotel in style with the surroundings we'd come to visit. Incredible views from my bed of the gorge!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sacristia Santa Ana

Seville

A converted church with lovely features and atmosphere. We had a patio off our roo which was a real bonus. Breakfast was the best of all hotels as it wasn't your usual breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit of Granada Through Its Scents

Granada

I loved this tour. It was different and our guide was excellent and we were presented with a box of different scents.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens

Spain

This was an amazing tour - not to be missed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Spanish Cooking Experience

Granada

So much fun and our cookery teacher Rocio was so knowledgable about local produce and where to eat and shop. I will definitely try some of the recipes myself.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Tour of Ronda

Ronda

Our guide Jose Antonio was extremely knowledgeable about his home town. Beautiful place and so much to see. Spectacular views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Teresa was our guide and she brought the history of the areas of Seville alive. She told and showed us so many little details we would never have found out ourselves. She is highly knowledgeable about her home city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train Seville to Córdoba, Self Guided Visit of Córdoba, Train Córdoba to Seville

Spain

Cordoba is beautiful, but I think we missed quite a lot as this was a self guided tour, so I would definitely recommend a guided tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We could not be more pleased with the trip that Marta arranged for us to visit Portugal. From our time in Lisbon, our spectacular hike along the coast in the Sintra Region and our final days in Porto, we were consistently impressed with the high levels of service, the lovely accommodations and the ease of executing the trip as planned via the travel App. We were able to stay in touch with Marta the entire time and she was always available to connect with us if we had any questions. We... read more

We could not be more pleased with the trip that Marta arranged for us to visit Portugal. From our time in Lisbon, our spectacular hike along the coast in the Sintra Region and our final days in Porto, we were consistently impressed with the high levels of service, the lovely accommodations and the ease of executing the trip as planned via the travel App. We were able to stay in touch with Marta the entire time and she was always available to connect with us if we had any questions. We found the Tour group for our hike to be exceptionally kind and flexible. We had a possibility of poor weather and every day; the team was willing to reschedule pick up's and or modify our trek so we could avoid any issues. The GPS App for the treks was very easy to use and we were able to follow along the paths with confidence. We want to say a special thanks to Marta as she was EXTREMELY helpful to us as we had to delay our trip slightly. She graciously helped us to reschedule all of our plans and we could not have been more grateful for her patience. We have used KimKim in the past and we will absolutely use them for our next trip.

Marta and Karin were amazing to work with. They were patient, ultra responsive and accommodating. It was a relaxed trip with lots of time for us to explore on our own and at our pace, given that we were traveling with a 5 year old. All the excursions were well timed to beat the crowds and the hotels were very conveniently located. As vegetarians, Marta made it a point to let the hosts know and also made some nice recommendations for local vegetarian friendly spots.
This was our second time planning with KimKim and we'd certainly do it again.

We had a 7 day trip to North Portugal booked in June but due to personal circumstances had to change it to early September. Marta was very understanding and helped us reorganize all the bookings.
We started off in Porto and had a good introduction into the city - doing a food tour , followed by an e-bike tour. We got opportunity to view the city ourselves and had a lot of great recommendations on what to do/ and where to eat. We also got to do different things like go to the National park!... read more

We had a 7 day trip to North Portugal booked in June but due to personal circumstances had to change it to early September. Marta was very understanding and helped us reorganize all the bookings.
We started off in Porto and had a good introduction into the city - doing a food tour , followed by an e-bike tour. We got opportunity to view the city ourselves and had a lot of great recommendations on what to do/ and where to eat. We also got to do different things like go to the National park! The highlight of the trip was the trip to Douro valley where we stayed at a vineyard and did a few wine tastings around the different Quinta's. Thiago was a great guide taking us across the various quintas, with a boat ride and a celebratory drink at an awesome view point.

Hotel Reviews

Premium Porto Downtown

Porto

The hotel was clean and functional and close to a lot of restaurants. The breakfast had a wide spread and service was quite prompt.

Authenticity & Character

Apart from the food, not really sure there was character/authenticity to the hotel.

Location

Was good walking distance to most of the tourist spots

Staff

Very prompt service and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quinta Da Timpeira

Lamego

The overall look and feel of the Quinta is that of a period property with heavy antique furniture. We had a bigger room as that was the only one available so had the option of twin or a double bed. The quinta had lovely grounds, with a garden and a swimming pool though we were never around long enough to enjoy the grounds as much. The dinner we had there was quite homely and had large portions.

Authenticity & Character

Had the charm of a period property

Location

The only way to get around was by car- which was arranged for us but would have been hard otherwise.

Staff

Attentive and willing to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were clean but because of the heavy furniture and low ceiling it did feel very dark and dinghy in the evenings. Would have liked option of tea/coffee in the room.

OPOHotel Porto Aeroporto

Maia

For spending a night before our flight the next day morning - this hotel was perfect. Functional with all the basics and quite large rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great for the airport and they offered free shuttle.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

Claudia was a very enthusiastic and warm guide and made the tour really enjoyable. Not to mention all the food we tried was amazing and was nice to hear the stories behind them. loved that we got to try most of the city's famous dishes over the course of this tour and the company was great.

Quality of Experience

All the food options and the guide!

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Claudia was really warm and followed up with recommendations and trip photos!

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

Didnt know what to expect but was great! Apart from the first few minutes of fumbling around on how how to use the bike, the rest of actually biking was quite smooth. We covered a lot of ground and got to see some great views....and also catch in some exercise. An electric bike is probably the best way to see the city though I did get a sore backside due to all the pebbled roads!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike & Cultural Excursion in Peneda-Gerês National Park

Porto

We enjoyed the serenity of the national park and opportunity to do a bit of trek and bathe in the clear pool of water which was followed by a great lunch. The second half of the day had a walk through the village and a another mini trek to another waterfall with a further opportunity to swim. I was probably the least fit person of the group - but the guide made sure we went at a decent pace. Maybe two swims was not required as they were people in our group who were not keen on swimming and we could have done a viewing point instead.

Quality of Experience

The parts we liked - were opportunity to trek and swim and the food was good. There were also good breaks in between the drive which was helpful. Didnt enjoy as much the walk around the village

Food

The lunch served in the village was good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all our questions about the park as she had lived within the park herself.

Transport

The car was a bit old and since it was packed with 7 people with a good 3-4 hours on the road - not entirely comfortable for people with long legs.

Wine Cellar Guided Visit with Lunch

Douro Valley

This was the highlight of the trip - was a very relaxed experience of getting a tour of the process of wine making and getting an opportunity to taste quite a few of the wines at the quinta. Our guide Rui also made it really memorable.

Quality of Experience

The tour, wines and the setting was great.

Food

It was little light on the food as compared to the other places but still good!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Had some really good conversations with Rui.

Wine Experience in the Douro Valley & River Cruise

Douro Valley

Was a great day filled with a opportunity to taste and see a bit of behind the scenes of winemaking and wine tasting at one Quinta , followed by a set lunch paired with different wines at another. The post food coma stage was great time to do the river cruise down the Douro and we got whisked to another amazing view point for a further celebratory drink! Thiago was very informative and so pleasant to be around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall a great trip and your recommendations of places to visit and tour guides to use were excellent. Particularly liked the Duro Valley and Belman tours as the guides did a great job ensuring that we saw the best attractions without wasting time in long lines. Pickup and drop off at the airport and hotel was fairly seamless and our driver got us right to the baggage drop off before sending us on our way.

Would certainly utilize Kim Kim again on our next trip. So much time and energy... read more

Overall a great trip and your recommendations of places to visit and tour guides to use were excellent. Particularly liked the Duro Valley and Belman tours as the guides did a great job ensuring that we saw the best attractions without wasting time in long lines. Pickup and drop off at the airport and hotel was fairly seamless and our driver got us right to the baggage drop off before sending us on our way.

Would certainly utilize Kim Kim again on our next trip. So much time and energy is saved by having the private tours and destinations prearranged.

Thanks for all the assistance in making our Portugal trip a memorable one.

Activity Reviews

Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Fantastic views and Rui made the trip extra special with stops at Port tasting and lunch at locations off the tourist trail that were amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledge of the area, wines, and personality

Transport

Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

Marta did a great job bringing us to the best locations to visit while still showing us the big attractions. Loved the lunch with locals and the knowledge Marta shared throughout the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marta was amazing. The vacation was amazing. We really enjoyed Rui, Paolo and Sandra are very high recommends! The ladies that took us on the food tours were great as was the gal that took us on a history tour of Lisbon. The gentleman that took us on the Algarve wine tour was knowledgeable but not so good as a guide. He was pleasant but not so good at making it a personal experience. Bea was very helpful when she was able to get the extra room at the Algarve hotel. That hotel is very... read more

Marta was amazing. The vacation was amazing. We really enjoyed Rui, Paolo and Sandra are very high recommends! The ladies that took us on the food tours were great as was the gal that took us on a history tour of Lisbon. The gentleman that took us on the Algarve wine tour was knowledgeable but not so good as a guide. He was pleasant but not so good at making it a personal experience. Bea was very helpful when she was able to get the extra room at the Algarve hotel. That hotel is very Bohemian and offered no privacy and thank you so much for fixing the issue. That made the experience so much better!
One suggestion is that I didn’t realize that the meeting point for the catamaran trip was more than 30 minutes drive from the hotel. I wish that the instructions were a little more clear about that. We ended up not making it on that trip because (my fault) I assumed that the departure point was Marina across the street from the hotel. The boat company let us take another cruise the following day but it wasn’t the great cruise that we had booked. But at least it was something.
Overall the trip was planned and managed very well. There are not enough amazing words to describe how happy I am with the trip. I will only use Kim Kim to plan vacations from now on. I have already recommended it more than 5 times and will continue to do so.
Also one final shout out again to Rui, Sandra and Paulo. And of course to Marta and Bea. Thank you so much! Hope to be in touch soon for my next adventure!
Best Regards
Christy

Hotel Reviews

AlmaLusa Baixa/Chiado

Lisbon

This hotel is beyond amazing. It’s gorgeous the staff are very helpful. The food was great. The room was so nice. This is located in a nice location definitely recommend!!!

Authenticity & Character

So gorgeous inside

Location

Easy to get to restaurants and points of interest.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean. Room seemed new

Hotel Carris Porto Ribeira

Porto

This was ok. The food was great. The staff were nice. The room was ok. It suited the purpose

Authenticity & Character

It was ok

Location

Porto

Staff

They were nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was ok

Lagos Avenida Hotel

Lagos

This is a beautiful bohemian hotel if you are a single traveler. The rooms were clean and well maintained. The issue is that there is no privacy to use the shower, dress/ undress and very little privacy for the toilet. But my experience was that the room was lovely as long as I was the only one staying in the room. The restaurant, bar and lobby are gorgeous - but I would not want to stay in a room with another person due to lack of privacy

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful lobby

Location

Right across from Marina and very near the old downtown and beautiful shops and restaurants

Staff

Very friendly and exceptionally helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The lack of privacy makes me rate it lower - very bohemian

Hotel Star Inn Lisbon Aeroporto

Lisboa

This hotel was ok - there was a mediocre restaurant and bar - it was close to the airport so that was very convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Nothing great except that the management provided a lovely welcome snack and cherry liquor shots

Location

Right next to airport with feee shuttle

Staff

They were ok nothing really spectacular

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was an older property with zero personality and the bar and restaurant were not nice

Activity Reviews

Architectural & Historical Highlights of Lisbon

Lisbon

I enjoyed all the historical stories about Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Food and fun

Transport

I like walking.

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

Marion was very knowledgeable. The places w we went and quality of tastings were high. I would definitely recommend her and the tour

Quality of Experience

The stories that went along with the food tastings.

Food

The quality of food and drinks was first rate

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marion was great and we enjoyed the tour. She was personable and knowledgeable

Explore Porto In A Vintage Car

Porto

This was a lot of fun. Sandra’s extensive knowledge about Porto and her ability to tell the story made this a fun adventure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Both Sandra and our driver were a lot of fun

Transport

Super cute vintage car

Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Definitely one of the best tours and days I have had on vacations ever! Rui was great. He arranged for a wonderful meal with a wine maker where we bought several cases of wine. I loved this day. Rui is super knowledgeable and definitely a recommended guide.

Quality of Experience

The wine, port and food at the Quinta was amazing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rui

Transport

Very clean vehicle

Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

Paulo is amazing. His plan of visiting Sintra and Monserrate made sense based on the day’s weather and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Paulo also gave us some great recommendations for our trip to Algarve. He is great. Highly recommend him as a private guide

Quality of Experience

Such a gorgeous day. Paulo is very knowledgeable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Paulo

Transport

Very clean

Catamaran Sailing Cruise to Benagil & Carvoeiro

Portugal

We ended up missing the original cruise. I didn’t realize that the meeting point was 30-40 minutes from the hotel. We took a cruise the next day. It was nice

Quality of Experience

The boat was nice the crew was fun

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting & Lunch at a Portuguese Quinta

Portugal

This was wine tasting in Algarve. There was no lunch included. The guide was ok. He was knowledgeable but the wines we tried were low end and well it wasnt great at all . Was lunch supposed to be included?

Quality of Experience

The wines were meh confused about the lunch since it wasn’t included

Food

There was no food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This wine tasting was nothing like the one we had with Rui

Transport

We drove ourselves

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

This was fun and the food was good

Quality of Experience

The guide was great and the food was too

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I like walking

I know some people who plan trips on their own and feel travel agents don't add value. I have to say that Marta and Karin proved their worth as travel agents every step of the way. it was easy to message them during the planning process. They figured out pretty quickly what kind of hotels I liked. They provided a very nice mixture of activities (in city food and cultural tours, hikes, day trips to surrounding areas, kayaking etc.). Every detail of the trip was planned perfectly. Having... read more

I know some people who plan trips on their own and feel travel agents don't add value. I have to say that Marta and Karin proved their worth as travel agents every step of the way. it was easy to message them during the planning process. They figured out pretty quickly what kind of hotels I liked. They provided a very nice mixture of activities (in city food and cultural tours, hikes, day trips to surrounding areas, kayaking etc.). Every detail of the trip was planned perfectly. Having drivers already scheduled and ready to go saved us so much time and were hassle free. The app they used to store all of our travel plans was fabulous. During our trip, they were available by phone or by chat. Everything went off without a hitch. Our tour guide in Porto, Tommy, was entertaining, friendly and knowledgable. Our hiking guide Carlos, who to us to Peneda-Geres National Park was so knowledgable about nature. Bernardo our guide to our Sintra day hike was great! Ana-Luisa, our food and cultural tour guide in Madeira was fabulous too! Luis who led our kayaking snorkeling adventure was great too. Thanks for a fabulous trip. We can't wait to use you again when we travel to Spain!!!

Hotel Reviews

AlmaLusa Baixa/Chiado

Lisbon

The location of this hotel is its finest attribute. This hotel is within walking distance to a ton of restaurants, outdoor cafes, shopping, the waterfront, the tram.......pretty much everything! The rooms were beautiful. My only issue is the rooms were on the small side but other than that, this is a lovely hotel. The staff and concierge were very helpful in finding restaurants or anything we needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fabulous!!! It is so close to many attractions and we really did not have to get in a cab to go where we wanted to go. We walked everywhere from this hotel

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Yeatman Hotel

Vila Nova de Gaia

This is a first rate hotel. We would go back again and take advantage of the World of Wine tour. We didn't have time this time around. The only issue with this hotel is it is about a 17 minute cab ride to most places. Ideally I like to stay in hotels where I can walk to restaurants and shopping. Other than that, it was fabulous. Also, net time we will definitely book their one Michelin star restaurant. Also I did not realize until we got there that this is a Relais & Chateaux property. Every detail of your stay is thought out and fabulous! I forgot to mention the breakfasts, which are included, were the bomb. Everything was delicious and plentiful. My favorite detail was the decorations they would put on top of the cup of cappuccino!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful and spacious property. First class attention to all details of the stay.

Location

Beautiful views. Wish it were closer to town though

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Reid's Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Madeira

Funchal, Madeira

What can I say other than it was like I died and went to heaven. This hotel is soooooooo gorgeous. They were also very accommodating at this hotel and very attentive to service. We had an early flight to Madeira so we arrived at our hotel around 9:30am. They sent us to have a fabulous breakfast by the pool while we were waiting for our room. They were able to get us in our room by 11am. They also let us have a late check out on our last day of 1:30pm. I know these sound like small things but when you only have two days in Madeira, you want to maximize. The entire facility was gorgeous. It is set on a cliffside over looking the ocean. The rooms weren't spacious but so gorgeously decorated. Lovely gifts were left in the room, like a travel journal, a beach bag and a water bottle. They had two pools, a salt water and a chlorine pool. They were both large and gorgeous. The vegetation on the property was gorgeous. They breakfasts, which were included were fab. They had plenty of outdoor shaded seating for breakfast and lunch. The William, which is a one Michelin star restaurant was top notch. There was a deck down by the ocean, which you need to take a long stair case to reach. That was absolutely a gorgeous place to just to lounge!~ and watch the ocean and listen to the surf. This is such a special place! I can't wait to return!

Authenticity & Character

This is a renovated mansion. They kept photos and details of a previous area. You definitely felt you were at a very special place.

Location

Set on a cliff overlooking the ocean with absolute gorgeous views!

Staff

Attention to every detail and sooooooo polite and lovely!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfection!

Lisbon Marriott Hotel

Lisbon

Perfect for our purpose. We had one last night in Lisbon and wanted to be super close to the airport to catch a 5 am flight in the morning. The only thing that just meh, was the restaurant. That is typical of Marriotts however. Anyway, this hotel was perfect if you need a place close to the airport and want a good night sleep.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Porto Foodie Experience

Porto

We loved Sergio our tour guide. He was friendly, knowledgable and entertaining. It was a nice format so that we were able to chat with the other people in the small group. The wines we had were really good. My only criticism is that the food was just ok. The cheese and the sardine courses were good. The desserts/food they paired with the port were just meh. Some of the other courses, I plain old can't remember because they weren't memorable. In summary, the tour guide was great, the wine and port, really good and the food could be improved.

Quality of Experience

Food

Please improve the food that is paired with the port at the end.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sergio was funny, entertaining and knowledgable.

Private Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Tommy Hogg reached out two days before the tour via What's app just to connect. He was easy to find at our meeting point because we were already connected on What's app. He was knowledgable and entertaining. He asked us a lot of questions to get us engaged with the subject matter and the tour. At the end of the tour, he helped us with directions for our next stop, a restaurant which was close by. I would highly recommend Tommy and the tour!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hike & Cultural Excursion in Peneda-Gerês National Park

Porto

This was a lovely trip to add on to a City stay. Having a day trip to a national park day trip to be outside with nature was a nice contrast to restaurants, tours and shopping. Carlos was a great guide. He was very knowledgable about nature. Everything about the day went smoothly, including the picnic, which was a nice touch. Carlos found out we had never been to Spain, so he took a little extra time to drive over the border, so we could say we have been to Spain!

Quality of Experience

Hiking and being outdoors with nature. The hike was challenging enough but not overly so.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carlos is just a very nice likeable and knowlegable guide!

Transport

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}, Guided Visit of Coimbra

Portugal

This was a nice way to get from Porto to Lisbon and squeeze in a day trip to Coimbra too. The only glitch we had was the driver didn't really know the game plan as to where we should be dropped off and he didn't speak much English, which would have been ok, we were just thrown off because most of the other drivers were able to communicate well. Anyway, that was the only hiccup. Fabiana was a great tour guide and she also went out of her way to make sure we got reconnected with our driver as the tour was done. Coimbra is a university city and home to the country's most prestigious university. It was a nice bonus that Fabiana was a graduate of that University and she also is returning in the fall for her Master's degree. Coimbra is another picturesque city in Portugal! What is not to love! Fabiana was multi lingual (Portuguese, Spanish, English and I'm sure other languages). She was very knowledgeable! Thanks for the great tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fabiana receives 5 stars, the driver receives 3 for not knowing where we were supposed to go and not reaching out to the company for information.

Transport

The drive was fine but as stated above, it is important that the driver be sure about where to drop tourists off in Coimbra. He just dropped us off at a random gate and it was really hard to figure out where to go from there.

Lisbon by Tuk-Tuk

Portugal

This was a fabulous way to get around Lisbon. If you haven't been on a Tuk Tuk tour, it is essentially being driven around on a golf cart type vehicle. This is the perfect way to get around Lisbon to see the highlights. I love walking but Lisbon is pretty spread out and very hilly. Ines was our tour guide and was so friendly and knowledgable. I know the tram (cable car) is famous and really cool but I have to say it was super crowded, which doesn't seem like a good idea during COVID times. The Tuk tuk tour was still ourdoors/open air but it was just the three of us and our driver. They essentially followed the same route as the tram tour. This trip was definitely worth doing and I would recommend it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ines was great!

Transport

Loved the Tuk Tuk. It is perfect for the narrow and bumpy roads of Lisbon !

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

Sintra is a must see if you are in Lisbon. The car ride was only 35-40 minutes. You could do the bus tour to get up to the palace and the fortress but hiking was much more enjoyable and we really had great weather. The line to get into the palace was insanely long/crowded so we opted not to go inside. People were packed in like sardines. It was still well worth the trip to see everything from the outside however. Bernardo was knowledgable and guided everywhere so we didn't get lost. Hiking the stairs up to the fortress was a little scary. Once you make it to the top, the stairs back down are way less scary. People without guides didn't know there was a back staircase to get back down. Our guide was very helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Introducing Funchal - Food & Cultural Tour

Madeira

We had only a few days in Madeira and this tour really hit all the food and cultural highlights. It was a small group and a nice way to meet tourists from all over the world. It is essentially a walking tour throughout Funchal with several stops at restaurants and cafes along the way. The quality of the food was great. Ana Luisa, our guide was very welcoming, knowledgable and fun. She was multi lingual also able to switch from English to German to Spanish. Don't eat much before you go on this tour because you will be absolutely full by the end!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Garajau Nature Reserve: Kayaking, Snorkeling & Cliff Diving (optional)

Portugal

The description of this made it sound like we were going somewhere remote. It actually started from a hotel water front. This was fine with us however because our hotel did not have this option. This was a fun activity and my first time kayaking. The guide was great and I felt safe. Going out was easy because we were with the current. Save you energy for the way back against the current. The water was a little too rough to snorkel at the half way point (which was a more remote location)so we snorkeled close to the hotel when we returned. It was still lovely and the guide was very smart to be safe.

Quality of Experience

Super fun, out in nature

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis was great and entertaining and he kept us safe

Transport

Driver who picked us up and dropped us off was great

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

The attention to detail she sent was amazing. Not only that, but she made sure I had all my documents way in... read more

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

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

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

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

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

Our family had an amazing trip to Spain! It was so well organized and everything went very smoothly. We have never had a travel agent plan a trip and I am so glad we did. It will be hard to travel any other way especially for a long trip in another country. I really felt like I was on vacation as all of the details of planning were taken care of and the itinerary was easily referenced in the app. All of our transportation and transfers were prearranged which was so helpful since we were a... read more

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

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cortezo

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk to sites or metro

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acta Splendid

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palacio de Santa Inés Hotel

Granada

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Petit Palace Marqués Santa Ana

Seville

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Rector

Salamanca

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

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

Cleanliness & Comfort

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

Activity Reviews

Private Tapas Experience in Madrid

Madrid

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hector was very knowledgeable and friendly. Great tour!

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roman Tarragona and Sitges Fishing Village Day Trip

Barcelona

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens

Spain

Loved this tour!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hiking Excursion in the Andalusia Countryside

Spain

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas & Flamenco Experience

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit of Seville

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Guided Visit of Salamanca

Spain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was our first experience with KimKim.. Our local specialist Marta was superb! She was knowledgeable and utterly responsive, even on a Sunday afternoon when we contacted her because our flight to Lisbon was delayed. She also reached out to us during our time in Lisbon to ensure things were going well, something we very much appreciated.

We were grateful for Marta's recommendation of an outstandingly beautiful and relaxing Lisbon hotel (Torel Palace), her close coordination of many... read more

This was our first experience with KimKim.. Our local specialist Marta was superb! She was knowledgeable and utterly responsive, even on a Sunday afternoon when we contacted her because our flight to Lisbon was delayed. She also reached out to us during our time in Lisbon to ensure things were going well, something we very much appreciated.

We were grateful for Marta's recommendation of an outstandingly beautiful and relaxing Lisbon hotel (Torel Palace), her close coordination of many activities, and arrangements for an incredible guide/driver, Marta Sophia George David, for two amazing days of out-of-Lisbon tours--one to Obidos, Fatima, and seaside towns and the other to Sintra, Cascais, and Belem.

A word about our guide/driver: we cannot compliment her enough! A former journalist, Marta David has encyclopedic knowledge tempered by deep love of Portugal and the ability to speak to history and current events with deep insight. Her contextual passion touched our souls in an soul-expanding way. She also knew where to find the best gelato shops!

Based on our experience, we will use KimKim again and recommend it to others.

Hotel Review

Torel Palace

Lisbon

Torel Palace is an accessible retreat in the midst of Lisbon.

Authenticity & Character

Every part of this property is gorgeous! Beyond charming . . .

Location

The fact that we really could walk to various neighborhoods but nevertheless could retreat from the busyness in an extraordinarily beautiful place with some of the best views in the city!

Staff

So pleasant, helpful, caring, and accommodating!!!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathroom was a bit cramped, but then what can you expect in a 1902 palace?

Activity Reviews

Traditional Boat Sunset Sailing Cruise

Lisbon

Interesting and informative--but the cruise was crowded, uncomfortable, and cold.

Quality of Experience

The traditional boat was way too crowded!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

That's just it: we had been in Lisbon for our first time for less than two hours before the cruise began, and finding transportation (cab) back to our hotel after the cruise was difficult.

Lisbon by Tuk-Tuk

Portugal

A good overview.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pick-up at the hotel (again, this was our first time in Lisbon).

Evening of Fado

Lisbon

Great music; too lengthy an experience.

Quality of Experience

Music was great! Timing was slow. Food was okay but not great. Probably not the experience for first-time fado attendees.

Food

Cod (the specialty of the house) has bones and gristle in it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our waiter literally disappeared!

Transport

Difficult to get to for newcomers to Lisbon. We tried to walk from the Torel Palace and ended up looking for a cab after getting hopelessly lost.

Cooking Class with Market Visit

Lisbon

A fun morning with an interesting an eclectic group!

Quality of Experience

A good experience, It would have been better if we'd been given copies (or received by email) the recipes we prepared.

Food

The lunch we prepared was great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The cooking teacher was personable and a good cook--but she didn't offer many explanations about what she was doing or why,

Private Excursion to Fatima

Lisbon

Our guide Marta was exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Group Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

Sintra is a must-visit. The castle in Old Sintra is incredible--a great self-tour. Our guide took us to a second palace/garden to tour in Sintra (not Pena Palace). It was breathtaking, but physically very, very challenging with steep, uneven cobblestone "steps" (or drop-offs). Lunch was at a local restaurant that was delightful! We loved visiting the westernmost point in mainland Europe; thought Cascais was interesting but little more than an overrated "mall" with a good gelato shop; did an Estoril drive-by, and were very grateful for an add-on, half-an-hour stop in Belem.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All in all it was a good experience. The trip was all booked for me and all i needed to do was show up.
I liked the insider tips provided. read more

All in all it was a good experience. The trip was all booked for me and all i needed to do was show up.
I liked the insider tips provided.

Activity Reviews

Porto Foodie Experience

Porto

Very good tour guide. Knowledgeable and passionate. Good tour

Quality of Experience

Service

Food

The places we went to

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

Too many people on the tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Ebike was not properly maintained. Seat too high for female rider

Lisbon by Tuk-Tuk

Portugal

Nice was to see Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The lady driver was lovely however her English wasn’t good so I couldn’t understand her well

Transport

Traditional Boat Sunset Sailing Cruise

Lisbon

Couldn’t go on this trip due to rain and winds

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

My personal guide Susana was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Food

The guide cooked a Keto meal for me which was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We couldn't be more pleased with the KimKim process. They set us up with Marta, a destination specialist for our planned location, Portugal. We gave Marta a general idea of where we wanted to go, for how long, and for what kind of budget. The next day, we had our first draft of an itinerary!! The KimKim app allowed us to comment on each hotel, each tour, etc., so we could pick away at it. In the end, and after only a few rounds, we had the perfect match! Marta stayed in touch with us up to... read more

We couldn't be more pleased with the KimKim process. They set us up with Marta, a destination specialist for our planned location, Portugal. We gave Marta a general idea of where we wanted to go, for how long, and for what kind of budget. The next day, we had our first draft of an itinerary!! The KimKim app allowed us to comment on each hotel, each tour, etc., so we could pick away at it. In the end, and after only a few rounds, we had the perfect match! Marta stayed in touch with us up to trip time, and even on WhatsApp during the trip. We had a couple of areas where we needed help, including setting up a Covid test on exit, and she was right there to help every step of the way. 5 stars is not enough!! Thank you, Marta!

Hotel Reviews

Premium Porto Downtown

Porto

Really nice, clean hotel, in a great location, within walking distance of most iconic sights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Oslo Coimbra

Coimbra

Super helpful staff. Small room, but not a problem for one night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lisboa Prata Boutique Hotel

Lisboa

Great location! Clean! Decent size room...small by American standards, though. Great staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Noble House

Evora

Very cool suites hotel. Tons of room! Location is great once there, but hard to get to by car.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Agua Hotels Vila Branca

Lagos

Very roomy apartment hotel. Tons of room! Location was pretty good. 20 min walk into old town center. Staff was nice, but not overly helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Star Inn Lisbon Aeroporto

Lisboa

Great airport hotel. We stayed here the night before our flight out, and it was an easy 5 minute walk from the hotel to the terminal!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance from Terminal!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

Great way to see Porto! And more of Porto than on a walking tour. Our guide was amazing, and followed up with her suggestions on where to eat!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Porto

This is a must do while in Porto. Small van experience with 8 other great people from all over the world. Our guide was friendly and knowledgable, and it was a perfect day of wine tasting and seeing the Douro Valley!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Óbidos

Portugal

This was fine, but our driver didn't speak english, so there was no conversation. Which is totally okay, but it just turned out to be a taxi ride, basically.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porto Foodie Experience

Porto

We love to do food tours when we arrive into a city. This one was great. We had two guides, both knowledgable about the food and the city! We were a group of 8 and it was very comfortable. We loved it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lisbon Guided Tour

Lisbon

Turned out, we were the only ones on this tour! So it was essentially a privately guided tour. Perfect for us. We saw many parts of the city, and learned much of the history of Lisbon. Highly recommended tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Evening of Fado

Lisbon

Great night! Food good. Service good. Entertainment good. What else could you ask for!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Group Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

Had a tough time with this one. It was pouring rain in the morning, which didn't help, but regardless of the rain, the crowds and waiting lines at Sintra were ridiculous. We spent over 2 hours basically standing, moving 3-6 feet, standing again, etc. I would NOT recommend Sintra at all. On the contrary, I loved the rest of the tour. Cascais is an amazing place, and would have like to have spent much more time there. Lastly, the guide and bus driver were not aware that they needed to return us to our hotels, and basically left several travelers stranded, needing to Uber back to our hotels. Bad communication.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Alentejo -Jeep Safari through a Cork Fork & Visit to a Olive Oil Estate

Portugal

Our guide, Joanna, was great! Fun, bubbly, smart, and a great 4x4 driver! We loved this experience, primarily because of her!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting & Lunch at a Portuguese Quinta

Portugal

Loved this place! Family run and a beautiful location. Met some wonderful people from all over the world, and enjoyed a lovely lunch and wine outside.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Catamaran Sailing Cruise to Benagil & Carvoeiro

Portugal

My only comment on this one is that it wasn't long enough! I loved it. Great crew, great boat and beautiful scenery! I could have spent an entire day doing this!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great time in Portugal! Marta was fantastic in helping us plan everything and was extremely responsive throughout our entire trip. The hotels she chose for us were in perfect locations in Lisbon and Lagos. The tours she booked were also great! We really enjoyed the walking tour of Lisbon with our guide Baptise and tuktuk tour with Claudio. In Lagos, the tour of Sagres was beautiful and highly recommended. I definitely will use this service for my next trips.

Thanks! read more

We had a great time in Portugal! Marta was fantastic in helping us plan everything and was extremely responsive throughout our entire trip. The hotels she chose for us were in perfect locations in Lisbon and Lagos. The tours she booked were also great! We really enjoyed the walking tour of Lisbon with our guide Baptise and tuktuk tour with Claudio. In Lagos, the tour of Sagres was beautiful and highly recommended. I definitely will use this service for my next trips.

Thanks!

Hotel Reviews

Casual Belle Epoque Lisboa

Lisbon

Great hotel in a perfect location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Carvi Beach Hotel

Lagos

Can’t beat this location! Minutes walk from one of the nicest beaches in Lagos!

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon by Tuk-Tuk

Portugal

Great tour to see harder to walk parts of Lisbon!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Claudio was great!

Transport

Group Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

Kind of a let down, for 2 reasons: the weather which is obviously no one’s fault but the tour guide herself was not good! Not a pleasant experience being with her for over 9 hours. Also this tour isn’t a small group, it is a huge tour bus

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport