Kimkim Trip Reviews for Portugal

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

I could not ask for anything more with regards to Pedro and his services during our Portugal trip. We would receive notifications as to who was going to pick us up and the designated time. If we had questions regarding our trip, we got our questions answered. So glad I was able to find Kimkim.com to customize our trip to fit our needs for 9 days. Will definitely use Kimkim.com again. read more

I could not ask for anything more with regards to Pedro and his services during our Portugal trip. We would receive notifications as to who was going to pick us up and the designated time. If we had questions regarding our trip, we got our questions answered. So glad I was able to find Kimkim.com to customize our trip to fit our needs for 9 days. Will definitely use Kimkim.com again.

Hotel Reviews

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Turim Santa Maria

Funchal

Authenticity & Character

The location

Location

Staff

Have staff in the pool area more receptive. Everyone else was nice and courteous.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Porto Royal Bridges Hotel

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Center of town

Staff

Very approachable and nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dinner with a Fado Performance

Lisbon

The Fado experience was great. The singing was amazing and an intimate experience since it was a small venue. The food and wine was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

The iberico pork, the cod fish and the steak

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very nice and knowledgeable.

Transport

Nice transportation

West Side Madeira Tour

Madeira

Nuno was very knowledgeable as he drove us to every point. He was very patient and gave us ample time in every location.

Quality of Experience

Our driver's skill in driving up and town the narrow roads.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledge and skills in driving

Transport

East Side Madeira Tour

Madeira

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nuno was able to accommodate our last minute Toboggan ride and cable car experience.

Transport

Exclusive Driver Tour in the Douro Valley

Portugal

The tour was better than we expected. The driver was friendly and prompt.

Quality of Experience

Would definitely recommend the boat ride because it was so scenic and memorable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver went out of his way to show us Porto and Gaia so we can experience Porto while there is still daylight.

Transport

The ride was very comfortable.

Boat Trip in the Douro River on a Traditional Rabelo Boat

Douro Valley

Quality of Experience

The scenic view from the boatride

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The guide even had restaurant recommendations.

Transport

The smooth boat ride.

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.

Tiago was an outstanding local specialist. He was very active in his communications throughout the booking process and during the trip itself. The roadbook he created was very helpful in navigating all the sights to see in Portugal. His recommendations for local spots to eat, drink and explore were spot on. His coordination of local guides, transportation and events was perfect. I would highly recommend you book Tiago for your next trip. read more

Tiago was an outstanding local specialist. He was very active in his communications throughout the booking process and during the trip itself. The roadbook he created was very helpful in navigating all the sights to see in Portugal. His recommendations for local spots to eat, drink and explore were spot on. His coordination of local guides, transportation and events was perfect. I would highly recommend you book Tiago for your next trip.

Activity Reviews

Canyoning in the Azores

the Azores

This dynamic duo was fantastic. Extremely knowledgable and skilled in their trade as guides. Felt more than safe the whole time. I would love to do this again. This is the adventure to book!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cascais & Sintra Guided Visit

Portugal

Pedro our tour guide was truly amazing! Extremely knowledgeable, personable and dedicated to his craft as a guide and historian. If you get the chance to book him for your small or large tour event please jump on the opportunity.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I can’t say enough wonderful things about our experience with KimKim and Pedro at Across Portugal. Thank you Kim Kim for connecting us with Pedro and his team. They understood immediately what kinds of experiences we wanted and were easy to communicate with and responsive- both in advance and while on the trip. My brother and I planned this trip with our mother to celebrate her birthday and It exceeded all our expectations. Each tour guide was better than the next, drivers were prompt... read more

I can’t say enough wonderful things about our experience with KimKim and Pedro at Across Portugal. Thank you Kim Kim for connecting us with Pedro and his team. They understood immediately what kinds of experiences we wanted and were easy to communicate with and responsive- both in advance and while on the trip. My brother and I planned this trip with our mother to celebrate her birthday and It exceeded all our expectations. Each tour guide was better than the next, drivers were prompt and lovely, and Fado and all food was delicious. Thank you. I’m sure to use Kim Kim for our next experience.

Activity Reviews

Guided Cultural Walking Tour in Lisbon

Lisbon

Dinner with a Fado Performance

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Knowledgeable, prompt and easy

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Personable, knowledgeable

Transport

Clean, spacious, prompt

Port Wine Cellar Visit with Tastings

Porto

Private Driver to Sintra with Tickets to Pena Palace

Portugal

It rained but that is not anyone’s fault but Mother Nature.

Private Guided Cultural Walking Tour in Porto

Porto

Such a fabulous guide. Such a gorgeous city.

Quality of Experience

The

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.

We were first time visitors to Portugal traveling to Porto, Lisbon and Madeira. The guides we had were all educated, knowledgeable and fun to spend the day with. In Porto we had the best day with Renata hiking the national park and visiting a small village that has remained mostly unchanged for hundreds of years. A day we will remember for a long time. In Lisbon we had a magical day with Nuno in Sintra. He surprised us with sweets from his favorite local bakery and also treated us to lunch... read more

We were first time visitors to Portugal traveling to Porto, Lisbon and Madeira. The guides we had were all educated, knowledgeable and fun to spend the day with. In Porto we had the best day with Renata hiking the national park and visiting a small village that has remained mostly unchanged for hundreds of years. A day we will remember for a long time. In Lisbon we had a magical day with Nuno in Sintra. He surprised us with sweets from his favorite local bakery and also treated us to lunch at a roadside diner that only the locals eat at. In Madeira, George guided us on our hike from Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. It can best be described as walking on clouds for seven hours. All were awesome experiences.

Hotel Reviews

Exe Almada Porto

Porto

Hands down the friendliest staff of any hotel I have ever stayed in. The breakfast buffet was delicious and had plenty of choice to satisfy most travelers. The hotel also took cleanliness seriously as it was spotless. Well situated close to many amenities and tourist attractions. I would not hesitate to stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Proximity to restaurants, subway and attractions.

Staff

Friendly, helpful and efficient.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms and common areas were spotless.

Vincci Baixa

Lisbon

Centrally located one block outside the main tourist area down town. Most attractions, subways, streetcars are within walking distance. Rooms were comfortable, clean and spacious. I found the staff to be friendly and helpful when asking for directions or recommendations on restaurants, etc.. An awesome breakfast buffet with a broad range of choices to satisfy anyone. This is also the only place in Portugal that we were able to have a cup of filtered coffee ala North American style. This added a nice little taste of home to our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Spacious rooms with awesome showers.

Location

Good proximity to most tourist attractions including old town. Most things you can walk to.

Staff

Friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean with comfortable beds.

Pestana Promenade Ocean Resort Hotel

Funchal

This hotel was a disappointment for us. The common areas of the hotel looked to be upgraded recently. The rooms were tired and in desperate need of upgrading. The sofa looked to be old, it was stained and it had lost its shape. The hotel decor was probably in style back in the 90's but it looked like nothing had been done to keep it fresh. The beds were two single beds pulled together and they were not comfortable. Each bed was made up as its' own bed and pushed together. We stayed four nights. On our second night I phoned down to the front desk as our wifi was terrible for both nights. I asked that I be moved to a new room and was told that the hotel's wifi was knocked and nobody in the hotel had wifi so changing rooms would make no difference. On our third night, I went down to the front desk to again ask abut the wifi. I was told that it should work in the living room but probably not in the bedroom. I told them this was unacceptable. This was the third day in a row that we were required o use our own data packages rather than the hotel wifi. I asked if the hotel was able to resolve its wifi outage...the clerk had no idea what I was talking about. We managed to get our room changed and lo and behold the wifi was wonderful. This was a terrible customer service experience. The breakfasts were well done with plenty of choice. The outdoor grounds of this hotel are very nice with infinity pools, walking trails, etc..

Authenticity & Character

This hotel is tired and in serious need of upgrades to their rooms

Location

The hotel would be a 50 minute walk to the old town and most tourist attractions.

Staff

Please see comment above on how wifi inquiry was handled.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean. Comfort was lacking.

Activity Reviews

Hike & Cultural Excursion in Peneda-Gerês National Park

Porto

This excursion for us was our most favorite excursion we have ever done. Our guide Renata was exceptional. She was educated, knowledgeable on this park specifically and she was a pleasure to spend the day with. We hiked to two water falls. Had lunch in a local village where every serving was sourced from the local village (grown or raised in the village) and prepared in a traditional Portugese style. My wife and I were presented with 15 different dishes to eat. We later walked through he village and saw first hand their gardens/crops, the animals they raised, etc.. We thought this was a wonderful day.

Quality of Experience

See comment above.

Food

See comment above.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See comment above.

Transport

See comment above.

Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

A wonderful experience with our guide Nuno. The weather did not cooperate and we were unable to got to the Pena Palace due to the heavy fog. We adjusted our plans and visited Quinta da Regaleira. This was a spectacular estate complete with water falls, tunnels and many things you will not be expecting. Our guide surprised us when we exited with sweets from his favorite local bakery. He took us to a small road side diner where the locals eat. We visited several small towns on the coast line, saw awesome scenery along the way. All in all a great day.

Quality of Experience

See comment above.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See comment above.

Transport

See comment above.

Evening of Fado

Lisbon

This was first hand experience in appreciating this music style native to Portugal. The meal served at the Clube de Fado restaurant was exceptional. When the music started, all waiters exited the restaurant putting the focus solely on the Fado performers. The songs are sung in Portugese and my wife and I were wondering if anyone in the restaurant was able to understand the lyrics. At this point the singer said "everybody" and the entire restaurant (with the exception of 3/4 tables) sang the rest of the song for her in Portugese. We were not expecting that. This was a nice cultural experience, with great food and entertainment. Well done.

Quality of Experience

See comment above.

Food

Amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The wait staff was very efficient and professional.

Transport

We walked to this venue.

Bea was so patient and helpful in planning our trip to Portugal and Morocco! She checked in with us throughout the process and during the trip. The trip itself was incredible. All of the guides we had throughout the journey were fantastic, but particularly our two guides in Lisbon: Gisela Gouveia for our tour of the city and Paulo Pires for our day trip to Sintra. They were both so knowledgeable, kind, and fun. I would highly recommend them both to anyone who has never visited!

During our... read more

Bea was so patient and helpful in planning our trip to Portugal and Morocco! She checked in with us throughout the process and during the trip. The trip itself was incredible. All of the guides we had throughout the journey were fantastic, but particularly our two guides in Lisbon: Gisela Gouveia for our tour of the city and Paulo Pires for our day trip to Sintra. They were both so knowledgeable, kind, and fun. I would highly recommend them both to anyone who has never visited!

During our stay in Morocco, we had a designated guide/driver with us throughout the trip which was really nice for consistency. Our guide in Marrakesh, Hamid, was fantastic. I was so impressed with his knowledge and ability to help us understand Moroccan culture. He was very kind and helpful. We also had a really great guide in Chefchaouen, also named Hamid. This was my favorite city in Morocco and he really helped us see so much of it's beauty. Overall, just an amazing vacation!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Dom Henrique Downtown

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Olissippo Castelo Hotel

Lisboa

We loved this hotel! On our way back through Lisbon before heading home, we ended up booking here again because we liked it so much. The staff was wonderful. We had some issues with lost luggage and they were so helpful in calling the airport to check on the status of our bags so we could go out and do some sightseeing. The rooms are lovely and it's a great location with a beautiful view of the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Chergui

Marrakech

This was probably my favorite hotel of the trip. It was in the middle of the medina so it was easy to walk to everything and the hotel itself is just gorgeous inside! I could have spent all day sitting in the courtyard.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oum Palace Hotel & SPA

Casablanca

Pretty average hotel. It was fine for just one night stay but it was really loud because of the street noise.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

Beautiful hotel. We only stayed one night but I would definitely go back.

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully decorated rooms and courtyard. Very clean.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Zahia

Old Medina, Tangier

I really loved this hotel--it's beautifully decorated and well cared for.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We had booked a twin room and when we checked in there was only one bed but the staff was very kind and accommodating when we asked to switch to a twin room with two beds.

Cleanliness & Comfort

VANCII HOTEL

Chefchaouen

Really nice hotel--very clean and well taken care of. They have a beautiful rooftop deck where they serve breakfast and a lovely sitting area where you can see the entire town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was really close to everything. We could easily walk to restaurants and shops. The only downside was the street noise at night, which was really loud.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Privately Guided Tour of Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen

This was my favorite city in Morocco, by far! I couldn't stop taking pictures! We had a really lovely guide, Hamid, who took us on a walking tour of the city. He led us up pretty high in the city so we could get a nice view of the whole area and led us down through all the shops. He was very patient as we stopped all the time to take pictures.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride over Marrakech

Marrakesh

Honestly, I was a little disappointed in this experience. We thought it was a sunrise hot air balloon ride but when we got to the area with the balloons they had already taken off with other passengers so we didn't get to watch the sunrise in the balloon. There was a lot of confusion about when we would get to take the balloon ride and, essentially, we spent almost an hour waiting around not knowing what was going on. After about an hour, our driver had us get back in the car and drive to another point to get in the balloon. The ride itself was nice but leading up to it was pretty disorganized and there was a lot of waiting around.

Quality of Experience

Organization and communication

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver was late picking us up so by the time we got to the balloon field the balloons had already taken off with other passengers. We missed seeing the sunrise in the balloon.

Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Beautiful drive and experience. We did a wine tasting and had the entire place to ourselves. We had a wonderful lunch and a scenic boat ride along the river.

Quality of Experience

Gorgeous area

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Nelson, was great!

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Overall, this was a really great tour. Our guide, Hamid, was incredibly knowledgeable and kind. Marrakech is an amazing city and we were able to see quite a bit in just a short time. The only criticism is that we were taken to two places (one that sells creams and perfumes and one that sells rugs) to basically sit for a sales pitch to buy things from these vendors. It was interesting to learn about how these things are made but this cut into our tour time significantly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Lisbon is such a beautiful city! We really enjoyed our tour with our guide, Gisela Gouveia. She really helped us get acclimated to the city and taught us a lot about Lisbon in such a short time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was fantastic!

Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

This was one of my favorite days during the whole trip. Our guide, Paulo, was friendly, kind, and knowledgeable. We really appreciated his good recommendations for food during our tour as well as other suggestions for food and sites to see in Lisbon. I really loved the visit to Pena Palace and the beautiful walk through the woods on the way back down.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver and guide, Paulo Pires, was fantastic!

Transport

Portugal was one of our favorite trips we have taken. Karina was wonderful throughout the process
and it was a long process during the tough covid period. She was always responsive and helpful throughout.
Karina laid out a very good itinerary of Lisbon, Porto, and Algarve region. The hotels were very consistent in quality and
the transportation provided to and from train stations and hotels was very efficient and friendly. We are already
taking about our next trip and thanks to Karina and our amazing Portugal experience we would certainly use KimKim again.

Tiago incorporated all the places we wanted to see and arranged tours to do all the things we we asked for. All the hotels were wonderful. The port tasting and food tours were great with the best one in being in Lisbon, but the cork farm was a highlight for me. Nothing would have been as seamless, if we didn’t have Diogo taking us all over Portugal and explaining the culture. As a bonus he took us to a bar to see a soccer game. He shared all the history of his beloved country and knew... read more

Tiago incorporated all the places we wanted to see and arranged tours to do all the things we we asked for. All the hotels were wonderful. The port tasting and food tours were great with the best one in being in Lisbon, but the cork farm was a highlight for me. Nothing would have been as seamless, if we didn’t have Diogo taking us all over Portugal and explaining the culture. As a bonus he took us to a bar to see a soccer game. He shared all the history of his beloved country and knew every building, statue, river, bridge etc. Diogo enhanced the whole experience.

Hotel Reviews

Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores

Porto

The Vintage House - Douro

Pinhão, Douro

Beautiful setting and view. Nice restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful view of the Douro river and vinyards.

Thomar Boutique Hotel

Tomar

The location ended up being good. We had a nice walk to the soccer bar from the hotel and also to another location the next day. They were very welcoming at check in with port.

Location

Staff

Cascade Wellness

Lagos

Beautiful hotel and setting. The nicest room.

Location

Staff

Hotel Britania

Lisboa

The art deco features were authentic and well done but the toilets and shower could be updated.

Authenticity & Character

Location

They were doing a big renovation across the street which was very noisy. There was so much traffic in that area it was hard to drive in and out. It was close enough to walk places but it was a long walk.

Staff

All the front desk people were very helpful

Hotel Hospes Puerta de Alcalá

Madrid

Good location and helpful staff. Sweet treats were delivered to the room every afternoon.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Culinary Tour of Porto

Porto

It was just ok. Nothing special. The food market was nice.

Food

Port Wine Cellars & Tasting Experience

Porto

The history was informative. The port was delicious.

Wine Estate Visit in the Douro Valley

Portugal

Not worth it. Repeat of the same info.

Cork farm visit

Portugal

Loved the enthusiasm of our guide. She explained in great detail how the farm worked and all the extra things that were done in addition to the details of cork harvesting and the many ways cork can be used.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lisbon Market, Food and Cultural Walk (morning)

Lisbon

Excellent food in welcoming places

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cascais & Sintra Guided Visit

Portugal

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lisbon - half day guided visit

Lisbon

Good overview of Lisbon. Loved seeing the old town and Jewish section, Belem, the Coach museum. Diogo took us to all the mentioned places plus the overlook of the whole multi colored buildings and river.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Diogo is the best!

Transport

Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

The fado was well done but no explanation. The food was terrible.

This was our first experience with a custom tour. Usually, we do all the planning ourselves or have relied on a small group tour provider. The plan Tiago put together was well organized logistically, incorporating our specific asks. Hotels were well chosen, in some cases exceeding our expectations. It was our driver/tour guide Diogo that made our trip so fabulous.
Since this was our first time in Portugal, we wanted to get a full sense of the country (as much as possible) in 12 days. ... read more

This was our first experience with a custom tour. Usually, we do all the planning ourselves or have relied on a small group tour provider. The plan Tiago put together was well organized logistically, incorporating our specific asks. Hotels were well chosen, in some cases exceeding our expectations. It was our driver/tour guide Diogo that made our trip so fabulous.
Since this was our first time in Portugal, we wanted to get a full sense of the country (as much as possible) in 12 days.
We started in Porto with a Port tasting and excellent food tour. With Diogo as a our driver and guide, we headed to the beautiful Douro Valley for a vineyard tour, staying at an iconic hotel. On following days we visited Obidos for Jinja, Coimbra ostensibly to see the library, which turned out to be a delightful town. As we pulled into Tomar, I had my doubts. Diogo hooked us up at a local bar where we had a great time with the local football fans watching Benfica beat Porto.
Over 3 days in the Algarve we hiked the cliffs, took a boat tour of the caves, went to surfer beaches and ate fresh caught fish along the beach before heading for 4 nights in Lisbon. As part of our excursion to Evora, Tiago arranged for us to tour a cork oak farm which was particularly interesting. We saw all the must-see spots in and around Lisbon - the Pena Palace, a Fado show, the Coach Museum . . .
Having Diogo as driver took the pressure off our group of four- we could easily enjoy the local beverages and take in the views. Plus we got to see/experience things I don't know we would have without him. His knowledge and obvious pride in his country was evident at all the cultural sites and while driving across the country.
Bottom line: we had a great trip!
Tiago provided us with a custom roadbook with local info and suggestions. It would have been nice to receive that info more than 3 days before departure.

Hotel Reviews

Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores

Porto

Pousada Porto-Rua das Flores was very comfortable. Rooms were small but nicely appointed - every bit of space was well utilized. Hotel was well located which made it easy to walk all over the city. The reception staff when we were there let us down a couple times - they were distracted, and made careless restaurant suggestions. Which is a strong reason to get friendly with locals and other travelers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

comfortable, well designed , albeit small rooms

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hospes Puerta de Alcalá

Madrid

Great room, candy delivered to the room twice daily. Well located. Excellent staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Culinary Tour of Porto

Porto

Tour guides were enthusiastic, had lots of local community knowledge. Wide ranging selection of foods. Arrive hungry.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cork farm visit

Portugal

This is a small vineyard with cork oaks. Our guide explained the interconnectivity between grapes, cork oaks and Iberian pigs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Market, Food and Cultural Walk (morning)

Lisbon

Food tours in Porto and Lisbon were two of the best we have anywhere - and we do alot of food tours. Great variety of foods and places. Heck, this tour started with the best chocolate cake in the world!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

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

Explore Porto In A Vintage Car

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

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

Tiago was an excellent planner who really took the time to understand what we were looking for. No detail was too small for him and he even made a personal apperance at the airport and picked us up, which was a nice touch after corresponding for months over email and phone. His responsiveness was fantastic (before, during, and even after the trip), his suggestions spot on, and his guidance was extremely helpful.

Also to be praised are Diogo (our tour guide in Lisbon) and Paula (our guide... read more

Tiago was an excellent planner who really took the time to understand what we were looking for. No detail was too small for him and he even made a personal apperance at the airport and picked us up, which was a nice touch after corresponding for months over email and phone. His responsiveness was fantastic (before, during, and even after the trip), his suggestions spot on, and his guidance was extremely helpful.

Also to be praised are Diogo (our tour guide in Lisbon) and Paula (our guide in Porto). Both were friendly, patient, professional, knowledagble, and fun to be around. We thoroughly enjoyed their company, all of Portugal, and all of its lovely people (almost all of whom speak some English).

We drove over 700 miles in 10 days and it never seemed tedious or boring. Love the Douro Valley and Porto; Nazaré ansd Obidos are small towns not to be missed. Just surprise yourself sometimes; Portugal is cool everywhere. Wasn't too crazy about the Fado dinner in Lisbon, but 1 event of 50 is a negligible and to be expected on any vacation.

Thanks Tiago; you rock!!!

Hotel Reviews

Memmo Príncipe Real

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sintra Boutique Hotel

Sintra

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MouraSuites Hotel

Largo da Porta de Moura, 7000-647 Évora, Portugal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quinta de la Rosa

Pinhão

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pestana Porto - A Brasileira

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Olissippo Oriente

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon - half day guided visit

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour & Tasting at a Port Wine cellar

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

The host at the restaurant was pretty rude, claiming that we were late when we weren't/ The food, while authentic, was not too good and not generous. I think for $90 one could do much better.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Porto (Half-Day Guided Walking Tour)

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The guides and drivers were amazing. Patricia was always, and easily, accessible both before and during our trip.

My trip, one of 3, to Azores and Portugal was enchanting. From the ease with which we were able to organize our trip through Kimkim, their web portal and our guide/orchestrator of our itinerary just perfect. Diogo Lino was a good listener as to our desires, a strong and timely communicator and had a stunning sense of history, pride and a story telling. I and we felt he was watching over us throughout our trip until our arrival home . . . a seamless adventure.

Sao Miguel: the town of... read more

My trip, one of 3, to Azores and Portugal was enchanting. From the ease with which we were able to organize our trip through Kimkim, their web portal and our guide/orchestrator of our itinerary just perfect. Diogo Lino was a good listener as to our desires, a strong and timely communicator and had a stunning sense of history, pride and a story telling. I and we felt he was watching over us throughout our trip until our arrival home . . . a seamless adventure.

Sao Miguel: the town of Furnas, our home base at Terra Nostra, and meanering around the island all magical. Each day brought delights beyond my imagination. Once on the mainland, Coimbra and the Old University and Library brought goose bumps. An amazing octupus lunch in the hills of Nazarene and the intimate Fado experience in Lisbon unique and wonderful.

We were impressed and happy with Pedro's attitude and service.He was faced with surprises which he dealt with efficiently.The whole plan was according to our expectations: a good mixture of walking and driving.I want to especially recommend Jorge who went out of his way in complying with our needs and wishes.
I definitely will recommend Kim Kim read more

We were impressed and happy with Pedro's attitude and service.He was faced with surprises which he dealt with efficiently.The whole plan was according to our expectations: a good mixture of walking and driving.I want to especially recommend Jorge who went out of his way in complying with our needs and wishes.
I definitely will recommend Kim Kim

Hotel Review

Vila Galé Cascais

Cascais

Authenticity & Character

Location

The vicinity to the sea

Staff

The guys at the reception were curt.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean and the bed spacious

Activity Reviews

Dinner with a Fado Performance

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver couldn't bring us to the restaurant.Theplace was noisy to the point of disturbing the atmosphere.The acoustic was to intense.The food was not very good.But the music was wonderful and compensated.

Transport

Exclusive Driver to Braga and Guimarães

Porto

Quality of Experience

Everything!

Quality of Experience

Everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The drive, the view, the giudance.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The drive, the view, the giudance.

Transport

The car was clean and comfortable

Transport

The car was clean and comfortable

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.

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.

We had a great time in Portugal! The tour was well planned, so we were able to see a lot in a short period of time. Our guide, Diogo, was also fantastic! He was humorous and smart- we learned a lot and felt comfortable with our guide! read more

We had a great time in Portugal! The tour was well planned, so we were able to see a lot in a short period of time. Our guide, Diogo, was also fantastic! He was humorous and smart- we learned a lot and felt comfortable with our guide!

We had great guides and drivers, especially Valter, Francisco, Sophia, Ricardo and Daniel.

The trip was just the right combination of structure and spontaneity, and we didn’t get exhausted from doing too much.
read more

We had great guides and drivers, especially Valter, Francisco, Sophia, Ricardo and Daniel.

The trip was just the right combination of structure and spontaneity, and we didn’t get exhausted from doing too much.

Diogo, our guide and trip planner was a joy to work with. He understood our interests and did an outstanding job planning our long and varied itinerary. We had the pleasure of meeting him in Lisbon, as he was our tour guide for our last 4 days. He was patient and open to our requests. His historical and present day knowledge of Lisbon and the surrounding areas is astonishing! Our favorite visits included The Azores- truly a magical place! Nazare and the Pangaea Restaurant for the many octopus... read more

Diogo, our guide and trip planner was a joy to work with. He understood our interests and did an outstanding job planning our long and varied itinerary. We had the pleasure of meeting him in Lisbon, as he was our tour guide for our last 4 days. He was patient and open to our requests. His historical and present day knowledge of Lisbon and the surrounding areas is astonishing! Our favorite visits included The Azores- truly a magical place! Nazare and the Pangaea Restaurant for the many octopus dishes and the beach town feel. The Peña Palace and surrounding park will never be forgotten. The kind, caring people we met everywhere we went made our trip very special.

Hotel Reviews

Terra Nostra Garden Hotel

Furnas

NH Collection Porto Batalha

Porto

Thomar Boutique Hotel

Tomar

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

Activity Reviews

Tour & Tasting at a Port Wine cellar

Porto

Guided Tour of Lisbon

Lisbon

Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

The location is like being in someone’s kitchen. It is a tiny spot and little space to move around. The food was good. Mostly like small tasting menu. The singers and musicians were excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cascais & Sintra Guided Visit

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Évora guided day trip

Portugal

Charming town with a long history. Loved the drive through this area. Stopping to visit the mystery stones, seeing the cork trees, wineries and unique sites in Evora was an unexpected fabulous day. Diogo, our guide , has so much information about everything ! He answered every single question! We had many..

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My group and I had such an amazing time in Portugal. We visited many places/towns around Lisbon and Porto. We got to see many wonderful local and historical places. The whole experience was memorable including the wine tasting, sunset cruise, and Fado dinner. Diogo very professional, extremely knowledgeable, accommodating, and had a great sense of humor.
read more

My group and I had such an amazing time in Portugal. We visited many places/towns around Lisbon and Porto. We got to see many wonderful local and historical places. The whole experience was memorable including the wine tasting, sunset cruise, and Fado dinner. Diogo very professional, extremely knowledgeable, accommodating, and had a great sense of humor.

I would like to thank Tiago for preparing a amazing road book, there was a lot to see and do but that is exactly what I asked for in my early conversation with Tiago.
Highlights of the trip:
Two fantastic days with Joel guiding us around Lisbon and Sintra and picking incredible lunch restaurants - thank you Joel he was very helpful introducing us to Portugal

Staying at Quinta do Tedo in the Douro Valley, great small hotel and vineyards- amazing views and a great diner

Porto- great... read more

I would like to thank Tiago for preparing a amazing road book, there was a lot to see and do but that is exactly what I asked for in my early conversation with Tiago.
Highlights of the trip:
Two fantastic days with Joel guiding us around Lisbon and Sintra and picking incredible lunch restaurants - thank you Joel he was very helpful introducing us to Portugal

Staying at Quinta do Tedo in the Douro Valley, great small hotel and vineyards- amazing views and a great diner

Porto- great Hotel, Mercure Porto Centro, wonderful location and a very informative 1/2 day walking tour with Debora, she did a great job showing us the city

Probably one of the major highlights of the trip was spending the afternoon at Herdade de Coelheiros, near Evora,touring the cork farm, vineyards, olive trees and walnut orchard , this is a amazing 800 hectares of working farm. We toured the entire property by jeep with a wine tasting afterwards. This place is not to be missed!

Lagos - a very good half day catamaran tour along the coastal cliffs and caves- this was another wonderful day with Discovery Tours.

In general the trip was fantastic due Portugal being such a clean beautiful country with very happy and helpful people. In most cases everyone I met were always happy to help, direct, guide, suggest and always willing to make our stay enjoyable- the people are wonderful! The food was always well prepared and delicious either in a fancy restaurant or a small bar. This was the best seafood I have ever eaten. Tiago had some great recommendations for dining- thank you!

Absolutely Perfect! James was spot on with all of our requests and interests in visiting certain spots in Portugal. All of our transfers ran smoothly and the tour guides Frank, Sophia, Daniel, Ricardo, Sonia, Fransisco, Malia and Valter were fantastic! They all were extremely informative, warm, friendly and provided lots of laughs! I would highly recommend Kim Kim's services. Our local contact Chaima, was always available and frequently checked in with us to be sure we were doing well. ... read more

Absolutely Perfect! James was spot on with all of our requests and interests in visiting certain spots in Portugal. All of our transfers ran smoothly and the tour guides Frank, Sophia, Daniel, Ricardo, Sonia, Fransisco, Malia and Valter were fantastic! They all were extremely informative, warm, friendly and provided lots of laughs! I would highly recommend Kim Kim's services. Our local contact Chaima, was always available and frequently checked in with us to be sure we were doing well. We would not have been able to cover so much had we done this on our own. We enjoyed every highlight from the history in old Lisbon, bakeries, walking tours, Fados, wineries, magnificent views of the Douro Valley, resort town of Cascais...the list is endless! Deepest thanks to James for organizing such a magical, memorable trip!

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Liberdade

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pestana Cidadela Cascais

Cascais

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Take a Tuk-Tuk Tour to Spectacular Lookout Points

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Lisbon with a Private Walking Tour

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Fado & Tapas

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

more choices for dinner ...we only had 2 choices

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Trip to Sintra & Pena Palace

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Lisbon to Porto

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy a Private Walking Tour of Porto

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to the Douro Valley for a Wine Tour & River Cruise

Porto

Amazing day with Fransisco! The vineyards and the Douro River cruise were just beautiful. The view were breath taking. The day was magical!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

everything!!!! Trip is a must on your visit to Porto

Day Trip from Porto to Coimbra & Nazaré, End in {{end_location}}

Portugal

Spectacular day with Valter! He made the day so much fun with stops in Coimbra, Nazare and then with final stop in Cascais. The views were amazing, the stops were great ...can not say enough !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Melia who gave us the tour in Coimbra was delightful. She knew so much about the university ...it was all so interesting !

Transport

THE BEST TRIP !! Every aspect was top notch. All of our drivers were wonderful very nice, friendly and leaving us with so much information and history. So many great moments.
Thank you! read more

THE BEST TRIP !! Every aspect was top notch. All of our drivers were wonderful very nice, friendly and leaving us with so much information and history. So many great moments.
Thank you!

I think everyone (Francisco, Ricardo, Andre, Nelson, Diego, another Andre, Joao (and Daniel) and Claudia - all of whom were phenomenal in their treatment of 3 ladies visiting Portugal for the first time. Each and every one of them engaged in thorough and pleasant conversations teaching us about their country and sharing stories of great interest to us all.
History lessons accompanied by a genuine desire to let us learn about Portugal and its peoples were carefully and easily given.
I cannot... read more

I think everyone (Francisco, Ricardo, Andre, Nelson, Diego, another Andre, Joao (and Daniel) and Claudia - all of whom were phenomenal in their treatment of 3 ladies visiting Portugal for the first time. Each and every one of them engaged in thorough and pleasant conversations teaching us about their country and sharing stories of great interest to us all.
History lessons accompanied by a genuine desire to let us learn about Portugal and its peoples were carefully and easily given.
I cannot say enough about the welcomeness felt by all and the easiness to get around with help from our Portuguese guides.
It was a trip we will recommend to many of our friends. Pedro listened to all of our needs and fulfilled them all. His constant check-in of how things were going made us all very cared for! Thank you so much and we look forward to visiting your beautiful country with beautiful people once again.

Hotel Reviews

Madalena by The Beautique Hotels

Lisbon

Small but unique in all its lovely working personnel. We were welcomed with open arms and always being accompanied with directions, our personal needs, restaurant suggestions and information etc. Truly a home away from home......Helpful in every way! Breakfast crews were delightful...... We would recommend Madalena highly....also location was perfect!

Authenticity & Character

Attention to detail.....

Location

Easy to walk everywhere from there!

Staff

All of them.....so very willing to help in any way.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable rooms and clean!

Pestana Porto - A Brasileira

Porto

Great location and lovely rooms. Dining on the sidewalk or inside had an interesting menu and staff was extremely cordial.

Authenticity & Character

Feeling of old and new.

Location

Easy walk to the river and train station.

Staff

Attentive!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Easy access to amenities and bar...plenty of room for two.

The Noble House

Evora

Architecturally magnificent with an antiquated feel. Plenty of room to relax in a somewhat small setting. It has a lovely small courtyard in front to sit and breakfast can also be taken outside on the deck. Very quiet!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pestana Cidadela Cascais

Cascais

Magnificent art work in large open lobby with a library to sit and ponder how they made this fortress into lovely rooms with outside sky views. Very interesting and easy walk to the beach and town . Hard not to like Cascais and where it is but the fortress sealed our fondness.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Exclusive Driver Tour in the Douro Valley

Portugal

The views, the driver, the winery and wine! A relaxing day in the vineyards of Douro cannot be missed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ability to talk to the driver and hear easily the stories of Duoro Valley.

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.

We were impressed and very pleased with each contact we made ...The trip was planned beautifully. We loved our hotel accomodations. We were so impressed with Portugal as a whole. The country works so well...health care, environmentally sustainable, education...a relaxed friendly affordable country read more

We were impressed and very pleased with each contact we made ...The trip was planned beautifully. We loved our hotel accomodations. We were so impressed with Portugal as a whole. The country works so well...health care, environmentally sustainable, education...a relaxed friendly affordable country

Hotel Reviews

Madalena by The Beautique Hotels

Lisbon

excellent location...excellent service..delicious breakfast...lovely room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pestana Porto - A Brasileira

Porto

Great location...excellent breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Noble House

Evora

Pestana Cidadela Cascais

Cascais

Wow..What a beautiful hotel Great location..modern and cool

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Cultural Walking Tour in Lisbon

Lisbon

We loved it and our guide was excellent

Quality of Experience

Dinner with a Fado Performance

Lisbon

It was wonderful...the music was beautiful

Quality of Experience

Food

Private Driver to Sintra with Tickets to Pena Palace

Portugal

We loved our driver Nelson..we enjoyed the entire day with him. He was excellent...great smooth ride..relaxed..beautiful playlist of music

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Cultural Walking Tour in Porto

Porto

Andre was very nice and informative

Quality of Experience

Port Wine Cellar Visit with Tastings

Porto

We were surprised it was private tour...It was wonderful...and tasting was great..served with delicious cheese

Quality of Experience

Exclusive Driver Tour in the Douro Valley

Portugal

I was concerned at first that Andre had a cold but he explained it was just an allergy. He was a fast driver but drove well. He was very engaging and gave us an excellent all day tour. We enjoyed getting to know him and share stories

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Winery Tour & Wine Tasting + Traditional Portuguese Lunch

Douro Valley

We were again surprised it was a private tour...It was excellent. What a beautiful vineyard and winery....so beautiful. We LOVED our lunch

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boat Trip in the Douro River on a Traditional Rabelo Boat

Douro Valley

It was beautiful..hot and just beautiful country

Quality of Experience

Private History & Cultural Guided Tour in Évora

Évora

It was a beautiful town and our guide was calm and interesting We had a little mix up in the chapel of Bones..too crowded for us...and we lost our guide for a while..waited outside..It was nice

Beatriz found us some great places to stay. A stone house in a small farming village near Portugal's national park; and in Morocco, Riad Fes was one of the nicest hotels I've been in. The drivers and guides in Morocco were all friendly and well informed. read more

Beatriz found us some great places to stay. A stone house in a small farming village near Portugal's national park; and in Morocco, Riad Fes was one of the nicest hotels I've been in. The drivers and guides in Morocco were all friendly and well informed.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Fès - Relais & Châteaux

Fès

Incredible architectural details, small, personal scale, and probably the best food we had in Morocco.

Authenticity & Character

Fancy because the craftsmanship is so beautiful, not just because things are expensive

Location

Staff

Really polished service

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores

Porto

Fine -- clean, nice bathrooms, small balcony onto courtyard. But cramped, and on an overwhelmingly touristy crowded street.

Authenticity & Character

It's pretty generic.

Location

It's really not fun to be on the single most crowded touristy street in all of Porto.

Staff

They were somewhat understaffed, and had signs everywhere trying to push breakfast attendance earlier.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Zyo

Rabat

It was fine, and in a convenient location. Not extensive service and no food. Certainly nowhere near as nice as Riad Fes, though I imagine it is a lot cheaper.

Casa das Afonsas

Barral, Portugal

Very basic in some ways -- the stone house has almost no windows and bad flurescent lights -- but this was a surprise hit on the itinerary. It's in a super-cute town that's mostly stone houses and farming, sheep everywhere. The town cafe is a sister of the Casa das Afonsas family, super friendly, with all just locals hanging out. Pretty short drive to a part of the park where nothing is touristy at all -- the hikes are just from one tiny stone village to another, with few people around.

Authenticity & Character

Don't send people here who want luxury every night, but escaping tourisim into a beutiful landscape is its own luxury.

Location

Close to a gorgeous but totally untouristed part of the national park.

Staff

Friendly family hosting.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oak Nature

Vieira do Minho, Portugal

Extremely half-baked. Amazing sunset views from the pool, which is also really nice. Terrible sewer gas smells in bathrooms. Cheesy construction quality. Inexplicable mistakes like ugly sponsored ice cream brand umbrellas screwed to the deck smack in the middle of the best view. No real dinner, but a major hassle to drive up and down the mountain to get to restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Cheesy modernism, poorly constructed.

Location

Amazing view from the pool. Really hard to get to and far from food. Rooms are mostly overgrown by trees and do not really have views, though the trees are pleasant. The town is on a pretty lake in a beatiful valley and near some of the park's best hikes like Poco Azul (really bonkers) but the town itself is kind of a junky crowded tourism hub.

Staff

What staff there were were really nice. There's not supposed to be dinner, but they made us snacks off hours anyway.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The place is visually clean, but they never really figured out the sewer gas stench in the bathroom, and other rooms they offered us were musty plus they try to hide the must and sewer smell with aggressive electric air fresheners.

Activity Review

Half-Day Guided Tour of Fes Medina

Fes

Hakim was great -- informative, happy to tailor the walk to what we cared about, knew the medina incredibly well.

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.

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.

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.

Guides: Martin, in Evora, Andrea in Silves Sara, Coimbra were most excellent on top of their game both in knowledge and story telling. The accommodations in general were just right. The Noble House (Evora) provided a good room and breakfast however parking is very limited and the walk to and from is not for the older. read more

Guides: Martin, in Evora, Andrea in Silves Sara, Coimbra were most excellent on top of their game both in knowledge and story telling. The accommodations in general were just right. The Noble House (Evora) provided a good room and breakfast however parking is very limited and the walk to and from is not for the older.

This was an amazing trip, Exceptionally well-planned, with all the details accounted for. For the most part, the guides were extremely knowledgeable and a great source of information. The pre-trip material gave many suggestions on things to do on free days and kimkin was extremely responsive when we had questions about logistics, meeting drivers, etc. The places kimkin picked for us to stay were not in the touristy mainstream, which is just what we wanted, so our experience felt very... read more

This was an amazing trip, Exceptionally well-planned, with all the details accounted for. For the most part, the guides were extremely knowledgeable and a great source of information. The pre-trip material gave many suggestions on things to do on free days and kimkin was extremely responsive when we had questions about logistics, meeting drivers, etc. The places kimkin picked for us to stay were not in the touristy mainstream, which is just what we wanted, so our experience felt very authentic.

The only thing I would say that was a let-down was that there was absolutely no transparency as to pricing, and my sense is that as a result, the mark-up may have been more than the quoted 5%.—I suppose that extra markup is what you pay for local knowledge and a bit of laziness on our part to plan the trip. But all in all, we were very satisfied.

Hotel Review

Loule Jardim Hotel

Loule

What a charming location. Small room, but the staff was very friendly and located on a tiny community square a ten minute walk to the center.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very small room

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bigger room

Activity Review

Private Tour of Évora

Portugal

This guide was exceptional, great story teller, knowledgeable about history, local folklore and culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide