Kimkim Trip Reviews for Portugal

Maryann was our Guide for Food and Wine tour.
Pedro Dias for our Porto City Tour who was both knowledgeable and accommodating.
Pedro for our Douro Valley and Wineries tour and Port Wine Tasting, very funny and nice guy.
Joao who went out of his way to pick us up from Coimbra upon learning we have left Porto the day before via Fatima to take us to Lisbon. Guillermo or Guill was our Amazing Tuk Tuk Lisbon City Tour Guide. Paulo Pires our Guide for the Day Excursion of Sintra, Cascais and Estoril, Very informative Historically of Lisbon and Portugal as a whole.

Carmen is FANTASTIC! My sister and I had so much fun on our Portugal trip. The excursions she had planned for us were phenomenal. All the guides were friendly and experts in their field which gave us a well-rounded experience. Carmen also checked on us from time to time via text messages and answered all our questions with patience and kindness. She was also able to make a last-minute change in our itinerary and handled it efficiently. All the hotels we stayed at were gorgeous and the staff were super helpful.

Hotel Reviews

Lisboa Prata Boutique Hotel

Lisboa

Central location with amazing history in the hotel itself. The staff is super helpful and kind. Loved the breakfast and the concept that it doesn't have specific timings like other hotels. You just let the staff know when to expect you in the mornings for breakfast and what you want, and they handle the rest.

Authenticity & Character

The archeological floor in the hotel is very nice- don't miss out!

Location

Very quick walk from the town center and right next to lot of good restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Évora Olive Hotel

Evora

Comfy and spacious rooms. Walking distance from must see attractions of Evora. There is a pool (ice cold so beware!) and free parking in the underground section which is very convenient. Staff was very nice and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marina Rio

Lagos

Convenient location, very walkable to number of activities. Extremely clean and spacious rooms. Staff is super friendly and helpful. Make sure to get a room facing the Marina!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

one word--- AMAZING!!! Our guide, Sophia was fantastic, she gave us insides of the history and introduced us to amazing food. It is a walking tour so make sure you have comfortable footwear and water.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Go West to Belém TukTuk Tour

Lisbon

Very fun and a must do in Lisbon! Our guide was funny and very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

Fantastic food and atmosphere. Great evening spent with authentic Fado. Must do!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Get ready for a full day! it is a must do. Our guide Bernard was kind, patient and very knowledgeable. The transport vehicle is comfortable and even has Wi-Fi. 10/10 recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Évora

Portugal

Very informative tour of Evora! a must do. The chapel of bones is a must see. Beautiful town with lots of Gothic and Roman history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour so make sure you have good shoes.

Algarve Kayaking Trip to Benagil Caves

Portugal

A must do fun activity on the water!! Benagil Caves is magnificent. The guides Patrick and Sam were great. If you can't kayak don't worry you have a small lesson before going out on the water and there are always two guides with the group. The tour guides give you a brief history of the caves and how they were formed. They take you to other smaller caves as well, that's what sets this tour apart from the rest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I had a fantastic time in Portugal and I think in large part due to the itinerary planned by Karenina. It was laid out beautifully, balancing between scheduled events/tours private or group and free time. Additionally, each hotel accommodation (4) and car rental process went smoothly. Finally, I loved the responsiveness and periodic check-in. I never had to worry because she provided ample information before our flight literally everything I needed to know from hotel, food recommendations, things to do, what to expect, etc. Definitely exceeded all my expectations! I would definitely recommend to others and use for future travel.

Hotel Reviews

Belmar Spa & Beach Resort

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Modern

Location

Loved the close walking distance to the beach

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Évora Olive Hotel

Evora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dom Carlos Park

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

I appreciated that they were able to accommodate my husband and I when I completely overlooked the scheduled tour. However, once we were able to reschedule an hour later, Alex gave a very in-depth explanation of Portugal’s history. I certainly learned a lot!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Petiscos & Wine Tour

Lisbon

Ilana did a wonderful job. The fist stop was a little shop - specialty on olive oil. Enjoyed the experience because I knew nothing about olive oil and the difference between green and black olives! Each place we stopped at was an experience. However, what I liked about the entire experience is the local and authentic Portuguese food and wine we had.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Small Group Excursion to Sintra & Pena Palace

Lisbon

Nuno was awesome! So knowledgeable, friendly, patient and kind. My husband and I were joined with a family with 2 kinds and grandparents. Very nice family. We had a great time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lovely Family Trip to Portugal

Carmen helped us arrange a 10 day, 3 city trip to Portugal that encompassed everything we wanted to see within the country.

We got to do wine tasting, a food tour, day trips to historic places of interest, and a had time by the ocean. It was a great mix of activities and relaxation.

I appreciated having the planning all squared away and taken care of for us. (We even had the additional challenge of having English and Spanish speakers in our group and that was no problem to accommodate.) I would absolutely recommend both the destination and trip planning experience!

Hotel Review

H10 Duque de Loule

Lisboa

Spacious and airy rooms in a boutique hotel + a great rooftop bar. Super lovely and would be booking here for any return trips to Lisbon!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

Best tour we did on our trip to Portugal. Our guide Joao was informative and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

In Porto, we were greeted at the airport by Ricardo. He drove for us all three days - which was nice. At each point he made sure to personally connect us with the next step. He even escorted us to the actual train platform when we left! Our first morning, Sara provided a historical walking food tour - ending at Taxca - where we were introduced to the bifana sandwich. We continued tasting bifanas throughout Portugal - Taxca was the best! Our hotel was riverfront and central for walking the city.
We toured the Quinta Da Pacheca vineyard, tasted wines and port, and had a beautiful lunch. Definitely a highlight and place I would like to visit again!
By the end of day 3, we had travelled by plane, train, automobile and boat!
When questions arose, Pedro and his team responded within minutes. I felt fully prepared and supported by the Kim Kim team.
Porto was definitely my favorite city! Loved hearing the live music throughout the city.
Other highlights from Portugal included Sintra, The Chapel of Bones, Lagos, boat ride through the grotto and Sangres for sunset.
Enjoyed the history and hotel in Lisbon. It definitely had more of a big city feel. Their practice of polishing the cobblestone sidewalks definitely made walking a bit harder and slippery. My favorite experience in Lisbon was Fado at Mesa de Frades Restaurant listening to Pedro de Castro play his Portuguese guitar! Amazing!
Wish I had more than our 10 days to spend in your beautiful country. Thank you Pedro for such a well planned visit!

Hotel Reviews

Pestana Vintage Porto Hotel & World Heritage Site

Porto

Great location - borders river and open plaza. Friendly English speaking staff. Wonderful breakfast with fresh fruits, juices, cured meats, local sheep cheese and breads.

Authenticity & Character

Original walls were visible in room

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Duque de Loule

Lisboa

Very warm and charming. Love the window seats overlooking the city streets.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Évora Olive Hotel

Evora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring Porto's Rich History on an Exclusive Gastronomic Tour Through Time

Porto

Thank you Sara for sharing your city and its history. You provided a great introduction to Porto!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sara was friendly and knowledgeable.

Transport

Roads in good condition - just steep! Be prepared for lots of stairs.

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service from Porto

Portugal

Thank you Ricardo for another wonderful day (and water!)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Car was clean and comfortable.

We had an amazing trip through Portugal thanks to Pedro! Our expectations were exceeded in every way, from the drivers and tours to the hotel selections it was all top notch and professional. Pedro checked in each day and sent a reminder of what to expect the next day so we were always prepared. In Porto we had Ricardo as a driver all 3 days. He went out of his way to ensure we made it to correct train platform on last day. Sarah our walking tour guide was charming and fun with lots of history and stories. Porto was the favorite stop of our trip. In Lisbon we had Miguel as a driver and Rita our tour guide was so passionate about the city’s culture and history it made 3 hours of walking in the heat fly by! But by far our favorite event was the Fado dinner where we sat at the front table and had guitarist sitting with us. Amazing unforgettable performances! We finished in Lagos for a beach trip and enjoyed our more relaxed time. The tour of the grottoes was beautiful and we had great guides in Stefan and Bruno. The hotel here was our least favorite as it was packed with a lot of families and had an all inclusive plan making the breakfast a little more hectic. We were also a little removed from the city but very close to the beach which we did enjoy for half a day. Overall we cannot complain as everything from beginning to end went smoothly and created beautiful memories for us. we left Portugal wanting to return again as soon as possible! We will look to Pedro again when we return. We will also plan to use kimkim for other travel because it really made everything so easy. Thank you!!

Hotel Reviews

Pestana Vintage Porto Hotel & World Heritage Site

Porto

The Pestano in Porto was amazing and right on the river. The breakfast was our favorite of all the places we stayed. The room we had was wonderful with plenty of room for us to spread out. We loved being right on the river where all the action was.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Duque de Loule

Lisboa

H10 in Lisbon was also very nice. It was in a great location. Although it was a much smaller room it had everything we needed and we enjoyed the rooftop bar.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring Porto's Rich History on an Exclusive Gastronomic Tour Through Time

Porto

Sarah our guide was wonderful. She had lots of great stories and history and the tastings were just the right amount.. She took us to our favorite restaurant and introduced us to Bifana which became my favorite sandwich ever!! We went back for our last dinner in Porto to have it again!

Quality of Experience

Indulge in Elegance on a Guided Winery Tour Infused with Tastings and a Delicious Lunch

Portugal

We loved our tour of the Pacheca winery with Pedro. The port was amazing and our lunch was delicious! We ended up ordering a case of wine to send home as he was a very good salesman! 😃

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey Walk

Lisbon

Rita was a fabulous tour guide. We learned so much about Lisbon’s history while walking the city. She also knew nice shortcuts to help us minimize walking uphill all day!

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

This was highlight of our trip!! We ended up with the main guitarist sitting at our table and talking to us. Very hospitable and the performances were unbelievable!! We had no idea what the words meant but we were mesmerized all night.

Quality of Experience

Food

Pedro was incredible to work with. He planned the most fabulous trip for our family. Every driver and tour guide we had was also superb! I wouldn’t have changed a thing about this trip!
I highly recommend Pedro!

Our trip to Portugal was amazing. Marta reached out to check on us during the trip and also was very reliable and responsive to any requests or questions during. Our guide in Porto, Celia, was absolutely a highlight of the trip. And our hotels, especially in Porto and Lagos, were stellar. Marta capably planned a trip for 4 generations of family and we all had a memorable and exquisite time. Thank you!

We thorough enjoyed our time in Portugal and the itinerary that our local specialist, Pedro, put together. Each of the guides that were extremely helpful and wonderful travel companions, especially our main driver Eric. We have already recommended this experience to a number of our friends.

Hotel Review

Maison Albar Hotels Le Monumental Palace

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service from Porto

Portugal

Our driver was great. He even added another stop for us at the end. The vineyard was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was amazing.

Transport

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey Walk

Lisbon

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

The dinner was awesome. We even got to chat with the owner.

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Sintra is so beautiful. Eric was great too in dropping us off in the right spots and giving us tips.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Indulge in Elegance on a Guided Winery Tour Infused with Tastings and a Delicious Lunch

Portugal

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Portugal

Discovering Belém's Charm on a Tuk-Tuk Ride

Lisbon

I just returned from a group trip to Portugal organized by Across Portugal. From start to finish, the experience was nothing short of amazing. The attention to detail and thoughtful planning were evident in every aspect of the journey.

Our itinerary was well-balanced and accommodations were top-notch. What truly set this trip apart was the amazing service received from Joao, who coordinated every everything to perfection. Top notch customer service and communication, can't recommend enough when visiting Portugal.

I am immensely grateful to Across Portugal and especially to Joao for crafting such a memorable experience. If you're looking for a seamless, enriching, and downright amazing journey, I wholeheartedly recommend considering their trips.

We loved our trip to Portugal both in Lisbon and Algarve. Pedro was fantastic. He was fast to support and quickly understood our interest of both active and relaxing vacations. We enjoyed all our actives and hotels were great ! His restaurant recommendations were spot on and really gave us a sense fro different locations to experience. Everyone loved the Cave Kayaking in Lagos as our best experience but it was all excellent. Pedro also checked in with us daily to ensure we had a great time and remind us on what the next adventure would be. I literally didn’t have to think which is what I liked best. We will definitely return to Portugal where the weather was spectacular and the people were so friendly .

Hotel Reviews

The One Palácio da Anunciada

Lisbon

Beautiful hotel and very close to everything but quiet and serene. Breakfast was awesome in the beautiful outside garden.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palmares Beach House Hotel - Adults Only

Lagos

Beautiful view of the ocean (just note you can’t walk to it). Restaurant was fantastic and service was very helpful and attentive. We got a shuttle to the beach and rented beach beds for the day and it worked out well. Dinner at this restaurant was our favorite on our entire trip. Very quiet and peaceful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit far so you need a car or Uber but it balances the bush with quiet

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pestana Cidadela Cascais

Cascais

So cute and very Artsy! It was a great stop on our last night. Staff was very helpful and friendly. So many places to explore in the hotel and the art work was so great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Boat Voyage to the Spectacular Benagil Grottoes

Portugal

Highly recommend. It’s so beautiful and cool to see the caves.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

To Eat Suggestion: Luca´s Rooftop Restaurant

Portugal

Food was great, view beautiful and staff friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Enchanting Ponta da Piedade Grottoes on a Thrilling Kayaking Expedition

Portugal

Excellent guide and amazing way to see the caves. It was fun, easy going and beautiful. Blue fleet did a great job.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

The Fado as amazing once they started but they took a long break after 3 songs so why it goes for a long time into the night. Food is not worth it. We were told that was the case so all fine . I would suggest find a place to drink and listen to Fado so your not disappointed before the music starts.

Quality of Experience

Food

To Eat Suggestion: Baía do Peixe

Cascais

Very good. Friendly staff and overlooking the water. Excellent seafood

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Lisbon's Riverside on a E-Bike Adventure to Belém

Lisbon

Beautiful bike ride. And great views over the water and monuments.

Lisbon Walking Tour + Delicious Portuguese Flavours

Lisbon

Excellent guide and walk. He adjusted our walk based on what we had seen the day before which we loved. The wine tasting was a great way to end the walk and we covered a lot of ground.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Very crowded so just be prepared. Our driver was great and recommended a great restaurant for lunch which was outstanding over the ocean and away from the crowds of Sintra. Hiking in the Pena Palace was our favorite and I would recommend if the lines are too long explore all the outside area and gardens and you could skip the inside if you don’t want to give up too much time on your day. Outside is beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tiago helped me plan a perfect 12 day itinerary covering Portugal from the north to the south. My family is still raving about the trip! He was very helpful an extremely responsive. I wanted something partly guided and partly on our own with a driver. He was able to accommodate this and tailor the itinerary to our needs. Once in Portugal, our driver João took excellent care of us. He was very friendly and flexible with our plans. We had a great time chatting with him during our longer car rides between cities. Our guide Joel in Lisbon was also very good. Extremely knowledgeable and passionate about showing others his beautiful city. We started in Porto, went to Duoro Valley, then Lisbon and finally Algarve. Tiago had many suggestions for accommodations, and we were very happy with those we chose. 10/10 would recommend Kim Kim and the local company in Portugal.

Hotel Reviews

Sé Catedral Hotel Porto, Tapestry Collection By Hilton

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the heart of old city! Everything walking distance

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ventozelo Hotel & Quinta

São João da Pesqueira

This was by far my favorite hotel in Portugal. The location and views were stunning. It was a magical experience staying in this property in the Duoro Valley

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheraton Lisboa Hotel & Spa

Lisbon

Good location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascade Wellness

Lagos

Fantastic location with access to cliff walks. Great amenities. However, during the peak tourist season, the hotel needs more staff. Everyone was very friendly and doing they best they could, but service was slow. I would consider it more of a 4 star property, though my family and I had an amazing time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Porto (Half-Day Guided Walking Tour)

Porto

We had a great time doing the walking tour of Porto. We definitely covered areas we would not have made it to otherwise. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon - half day guided visit

Lisbon

Joel did an amazing job at showing us Lisbon in one afternoon. He knew to use a vehicle in order to cover more neighborhoods and included some stops for walking and getting some local drinks and pastais de Belém. He was extremely knowledgeable and very experienced. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cascais & Sintra Guided Visit

Portugal

Joel was also our hide for the day of visiting Cascais and Sintra. We saw many different areas on this beautiful drive. He even hooked us up with a lunch reservation at one of the most coveted restaurants by the beach, and we got the best table! We had an amazing day visiting all these areas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tiago is detailed, considerate, thoughtful and helped my wife and me plan a great trip around Portugal for our 5th wedding anniversary. He helped us research all the good hotels (AND book them) and multiple suggestions (food, wine, places to see, walking tours etc) for our 9-day trip. Tiago even picked us up from Lisbon airport, he is a super friendly and fun person - highly recommend him. Oh yes, he is very responsive too, it was very easy chatting with him and arranging everything prior to the trip - which gave a us a peace of mind as we were in Portugal for the 1st time.

I had a wonderful and memorable time in Madeira, in particularly in Funchal. Marina did an exceptional job in selecting my hotels, activities, and guides. I spent three unforgettable days with Lido, from Green Devil Safari. I left the island with tears in my eyes because I wasn't sure that people as nice, accommodating, and generous as Lido still existed in this world. Both Marina and Lido were instrumental in creating memories that will last me a lifetime and beyond. I can't thank them enough. I will be back to the island soon, and I won't hesitate to hire the services of Marina and hopefully Lino. I want to thank them both from the bottom of my heart. My vacation on the beautiful island of Madeira well exceeded my expectations. Thank you, Marina.

Hotel Reviews

Castanheiro Boutique Hotel

Funchal

The room was extremely clean. The location was perfect, and the staff was exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The fact that it was at a walking distance from the promenade.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eira Do Serrado Hotel & Spa

Funchal

Authenticity & Character

The view into the Valley of the Nuns was exceptional.

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Funchal: Dolphin and Whale Watching

Portugal

It was unfortunate that we got to see the dolphins just for a brief moment but I understand that there are very elusive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great trip. Everything worked well and having a driver for pick up and between cities was wonderful. Tours were excellent with Anabel and Paula as our tour guides. Take a tour!

Hotel Reviews

Vila Gale Ericeira

Mafra

Great hotel on the beach and close to town. Super staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casual Belle Epoque Lisboa

Lisbon

Great location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Older hotel.

Eurostars Porto Douro

Porto

Great hotel! Rooftop bar overlooking the river. It is off to the side of downtown, but the location was terrific. A funicular is close by and it is right next to the double pedestrian bridge.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sintra Boutique Hotel

Sintra

Wonderful hotel and staff! Hotel is super nice!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Jeronimos Monastery, Castle of San Jorge, Torre de Belem and Panoramic City Tour

Lisbon

Wonderful tour! Anabel was great! Very helpful to tour with a local who can navigate lines and point out the richness of the city!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monumental Porto Walking Tour

Porto

Paula was wonderful. Tour was great and wear sneakers! You will navigate windy, granite streets from hilltop to the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Really liked that we could make adjustments to our itinerary according to our needs, e.g. switching up order of countries, adding on/ removing activities, etc.. Our favorite activities were the boat excursion in Lagos, the Douro River Wine Tasting & River Cruise in Porto, and the Fado evening in Lisbon. Least favorite was the Algarve Sunset Experience, mostly because it was extremely windy and therefore cold and we weren't dressed appropriately. Please let future guests know they MUST take a jacket and dress warmly for this! All in all it was a great experience and appreciate all of Rita's help coordinating it! I'll use Kimkim again!

Hotel Reviews

Be Poet Baixa Hotel

Lisbon

It was warm in the room. Air conditioning was insufficient and would not go below a certain point.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Porto Charming Hotel

Porto

Door was locked when we arrived and no one answered when we knocked. We had to call Kimkim for help to call the hotel and let us in. It was early afternoon, so during normal work hours. Very basic room. Bathroom shower not great. It was what you expect for a 3 star hotel though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Mãe Lagos

Lagos

Amazing!! We absolutely loved this hotel! It was the highlight of our trip. Such a great vibe, food was good, property was beautiful. Loved all the health and wellness touches, like herbal tea, relaxing music, lavendar sachet for under your pillow. The welcome wine was great, as well as all the treats they left in the morning and at evening turn down. They kept the towels, water, coffee bar, etc. replenished twice a day. Highly recommend this hotel!!

Authenticity & Character

Wonderful, as per the overall review.

Location

Loved the Lagos town. Great hiking and beaches nearby.

Staff

Very professional and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room and the whole premises were super clean. Bed was comfortable, and all the spaces (dining area, pool, etc.) were relaxing and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

We definitely enjoyed it. Guide was very friendly and wanted to ensure we had a good experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

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

Porto

Really enjoyed this day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Enjoyed the lunch with Douro fish.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was great!

Transport

Catamaran Excursion to Benagil Caves & Carvoeiro Beach

Portugal

One of our favorite activities. Stunning coastline and this was the perfect way to see it up close.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

4X4 Algarve Sunset Experience

Portugal

They were 30 min late and we were put in the back of the van (not a Jeep Wrangler as specified) and it was uncomfortable and very hard to see back there. It was extremely windy and cold so we couldn't really enjoy it although the places he took us to were pretty. We could only run out of the car for a quick photo and run back in. It should have been emphasized that you need a warm jacket (at least) to enjoy it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis tried to make the experience as good as he could, but too many factors made it unenjoyable.

Transport

Should not put people in the back of this vehicle! A jeep (as advertised) would have been better.

Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour

Portugal

Enjoyed this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

Food & wine were great and singers were amazing. Really enjoyed it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our waiter was fantastic. Great sense of humour!

The trip planning process was very good, but with a little learning curve due to the more unique nature of the model. Pedro was very helpful, adaptive, and facilitative during this process... very accommodating and professional! One aspect that I had to adjust to, was the level of scheduled activities built into the initial plans, but in the end, we arrived at a good mix of planned and unplanned time. For reasons of managing kimkim's total cost (100% paid upfront for us) and maintaining our flexibility, we dialed back a considerable amount of planned activities. It seemed a bit much, and it would have been stressful to proceed as originally planned... especially traveling with a 20-year-old. But again, the final product was an appropriate level of planned (booked) activities.

We thoroughly enjoyed our hotels in Lisbon (PortoBay Marques), Lagos (BoaVista Bela Colina Village), Evora (MAR De AR Muralhas), and Porto (Hotel Dom Henrique)... tasty breakfast buffets AND separate rooms for us and our son (nice!).

We really enjoyed our planned activities and respective guides.
* The Lisbon Walking Tour was very well rounded - enjoyable and educational, and tasty at the end (wine, cheese, etc). Our guide Margarida was wonderful, and provided a true two-way experience. She even went "overtime" with us!
* The kayak tour of the grottoes around Lagos was extremely fun and beautiful (a little strenuous too :-), and our guide Bruno was a delight... engaging, thoughtful, and a character too.
* The Porto Walking Tour was good and interesting, but we all thought that our guide Bernardo was too heavy with the lecturing - it was quite one-sided, with little room for questions and engagement. Our son said it felt like he was sitting in History class.
* The Porto Bridge Climb was fun and provided beautiful vistas. Our guide Kika was a great, personable host, and allowed us to join a bit late after our delayed arrival to the starting point.

Our two drivers, around Lisbon and from Porto to Lisbon, were fantastic... very professional, flexible, and generous with their knowledge and travel tips!

We truly enjoyed soaking in Portugal... the kind people (everywhere), the pharmacist helping me out of a jam with my meds, the meals!, the wine, the architecture and history, the geology of Ponta da Piedade and Benagil, and the vibrant downtown city life... especially in Porto. Evora and its history was a nice stopping point along our trek to the North. Overall, it was a rich travel experience, and we're grateful for the opportunity.

The glue for this entire travel adventure was Pedro Luis! He is awesome... very knowledgeable, connected, forward thinking, extremely adaptable, and quite personable. He worked with us the entire way, answered important questions quickly and at all hours, anticipated issues before we knew of them, made on-the-fly changes to planned activities as we learned more about what we wanted to do, how, and when. He really got to know us, and is the ultimate in travel advocate. Thank you, Pedro!

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boavista Golf & Spa—Bela Colina Village

Sítio da Atalaia - Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M'AR De AR Muralhas

Evora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dom Henrique Downtown

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Walking Tour + Delicious Portuguese Flavours

Lisbon

Guide Margarida was wonderful, and provided an interesting and interactive tour. She was professional and personable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit: Lagos

Portugal

Old town Lagos was fun and vibrant... and delicious! The beach was nice, though didn't spend much time there.

Quality of Experience

Explore the Enchanting Ponta da Piedade Grottoes on a Thrilling Kayaking Expedition

Portugal

Interesting and beautiful scenery among and in the grottoes of Ponta da Piedade. And it was nice to get some exercise paddling the kayak. Our guide was fantastic and funny.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit: Évora

Évora

Interesting old town with historic sites, like the Chapel of Bones.

Quality of Experience

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Interesting, with lots of history and context. But this tour was too heavy on the lecture, and it became one-sided. Needs to mix it up some with more client interaction.

Quality of Experience

Less one-way lecturing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit: Porto

Porto

Great city, with great sites and vibrant activity. Warm and welcoming people.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Scaling New Heights Ascending Arrábida Bridge for a Truly Unique Adventure Experience

Porto

Fun activity, with very nice views, and a great host.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Transfer from Porto to Lisbon with Scenic Stop***

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Transport

Our trip to Portugal was perfectly planned out with much attention to details. Our drivers, including Josef and Rui, were very informative and went out of their way to make our outings and long drives comfortable. We had an amazing walking tour in Lisbon with Elsa, who was very knowledgeable and managed to answer the many questions our son had. Pedro was our super star who kept in touch with us daily, updating is on our next day and all the activities planned. He answered all questions and made excellent suggestions. Obrigado!!

Portugal-- what an amazing country. The people, the food, the culture and the beauty. We both felt like home in Portugal and loved our whole experience. Our local specialist Joao checked in daily and had us in the most beautiful hotels, with wonderful transportation and drivers who were very engaging and knowledgeable. He was available for any last minute changes and had great recommendations. From start to end it was a wonderful holiday and we look forward to visiting again with our children some day. Thank you.

All drivers were courteous and prompt and some were most entertaining. We trusted them to get us safely to our destinations. Your staff made speedy contact as necessary but really everything went without a hitch. Vivenda Miranda was heavenly. The tours of Porto were memorable as were the areas around our hotel.
We touched 13 countries in almost three months of travel. Our favourite is Portugal! Please thank Racquel and her support team.
Wendy McTavish