Kimkim Trip Reviews for Portugal

4.9
Based on 504 ratings
Read 504 verified reviews by travelers who booked their trip to Portugal on kimkim. You can also read reviews about kimkim on 3rd party sites including Google, TrustPilot and Yelp.

This was an excellent trip!
Portugal | Jun 4 - Jun 12, 2022

Robert
Robert J.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Jun 17, 2022
This was an excellent trip from start to finish. James was instrumental in giving us choices for our time in Portugal and easily amended the trip when we added side adventures to the original itinerary.
Hotels were beautiful with friendly staff, comfortable rooms and wonderful morning breakfasts. The restaurants that we chose for each of the three main cities had excellent cuisine, great service and atmosphere. And, of course, first-rate Portuguese wines!
Our guides and drivers on this...
Read more

This was an excellent trip from start to finish. James was instrumental in giving us choices for our time in Portugal and easily amended the trip when we added side adventures to the original itinerary.
Hotels were beautiful with friendly staff, comfortable rooms and wonderful morning breakfasts. The restaurants that we chose for each of the three main cities had excellent cuisine, great service and atmosphere. And, of course, first-rate Portuguese wines!
Our guides and drivers on this trip were very knowledgable and friendly. Even entertaining! They love showing off their incredible country.
We had a bit of a problem at the end of the trip, but James' team came to the rescue and all was resolved in short order.
All in all, a fantastic trip, well-designed and gave us a great taste of Portugal. We'll have many pleasant memories for years to come.

Hotel Review
H10 Duque de Loule
Lisboa

The azulejos in the lobby were incredibly beautiful and they had a great breakfast for guests. Very friendly staff and a quiet, comfortable room. If you have time, make a reservation to watch the sunset go down from the top floor patio. Great way to end your day.

Staff
Very friendly.
Local specialist: James Monro
James
James Monro
Local specialist in Sevilla, Spain | Replied on Jun 18, 2022

Hi Robert & Vicente,
Planning the trip with you (over almost 2 yrs thanks to 'the' situation!) and hosting you for your trip to Portugal was a pleasure! Many thanks for your comments and kind words too. We're all so pleased that you had such a memorable trip and that it all came together just right!
Un abrazo from all the Tailormade Andalucia team!
Best,
James

I highly recommend booking a trip with Tiago!...
Portugal | May 29 - Jun 9, 2022

B
Beth S.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Jun 13, 2022
I highly recommend booking a trip with Tiago! His love of Portugal (and its history) was apparent from the very beginning. He was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, whether we were in Lisbon, Cascais or Sintra. His logistical skills were next level, ensuring we had enough time to see/experience the things at the top of our list. Admittedly, this was a new way of traveling for our group and not only did he tailor the trip to our interests, but he also succeeded in meeting the needs of each... Read more

I highly recommend booking a trip with Tiago! His love of Portugal (and its history) was apparent from the very beginning. He was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, whether we were in Lisbon, Cascais or Sintra. His logistical skills were next level, ensuring we had enough time to see/experience the things at the top of our list. Admittedly, this was a new way of traveling for our group and not only did he tailor the trip to our interests, but he also succeeded in meeting the needs of each of us individually. I am not one for completing reviews, but I (and my group) were so impressed and appreciative of Tiago’s time and expertise, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank him again! Looking forward to our next adventure in Portugal already!

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Dom Carlos Park
Lisbon
Hotel Internacional
Porto
Hotel Marina Atlântico
Ponta Delgada, São Miguel
Activity Reviews
Azulejo Tile Workshop
Azulejo Tile Workshop
Lisbon
Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music
Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music
Lisbon
Port Wine Tasting Tour
Port Wine Tasting Tour
Porto
Western São Miguel Guided Tour
Western São Miguel Guided Tour
Portugal
Central São Miguel Guided Tour: Lagoa Fogo, Caldeira Velha, Ribeira Grande & Gorreana
Central São Miguel Guided Tour: Lagoa Fogo, Caldeira Velha, Ribeira Grande & Gorreana
Portugal
São Miguel: Furnas Valley Tour
São Miguel: Furnas Valley Tour
Portugal
Sample Cozido das Furnas (Furnas stew)
Sample Cozido das Furnas (Furnas stew)
Portugal
Local specialist: Tiago Filipe
Tiago
Tiago Filipe
Local specialist in Lisbon | Replied on Jun 13, 2022

Dear Bethani,

Thank you so very much for your words. I must say that the groups spirit and your energy in particular made things very easy!

I am looking forward to seeing you in Alaska soon!!!

Best,

Tiago

PS: We're in touch!! Can you please text me the groundnuts/walnuts joke as I forgot how it ends?

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

S
Sara D.
| Reviewed on Jun 10, 2022

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

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

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

The BEST of Portugal - Custom Land Tour
Portugal | May 25 - Jun 8, 2022

Russ
Russ K.
Santa Ana, CA | Reviewed on Jun 10, 2022
We couldn't be more pleased with the KimKim process. They set us up with Marta, a destination specialist for our planned location, Portugal. We gave Marta a general idea of where we wanted to go, for how long, and for what kind of budget. The next day, we had our first draft of an itinerary!! The KimKim app allowed us to comment on each hotel, each tour, etc., so we could pick away at it. In the end, and after only a few rounds, we had the perfect match! Marta stayed in touch with us up to... Read more

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

Hotel Reviews
Premium Porto Downtown
Porto

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

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Oslo Coimbra
Coimbra

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

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Lisboa Prata Boutique Hotel
Lisboa

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

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

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

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Agua Hotels Vila Branca
Lagos

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

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Star Inn Lisbon Aeroporto
Lisboa

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

Authenticity & Character
Location
Walking distance from Terminal!
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Get to know Porto by E-bike
Get to know Porto by E-bike
Porto

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

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Douro Valley Excursion with Wine & Olive Oil Tastings & River Cruise
Douro Valley Excursion with Wine & Olive Oil Tastings & River Cruise
Porto

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

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Óbidos
Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Óbidos
Portugal

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

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

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

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Lisbon Guided Tour
Lisbon Guided Tour
Lisbon

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

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Fado Dinner Experience
Fado Dinner Experience
Lisbon

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

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

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

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Excursion to Alentejo - Jeep Safari Through a Cork Fork & Visit to an Olive Oil Estate
Excursion to Alentejo - Jeep Safari Through a Cork Fork & Visit to an Olive Oil Estate
Lisbon

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

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Wine Tasting & Lunch at a Portuguese Quinta
Wine Tasting & Lunch at a Portuguese Quinta
Portugal

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

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Catamaran Cruise to Benagil & Carvoeiro w/Snorkeling & SUP
Catamaran Cruise to Benagil & Carvoeiro w/Snorkeling & SUP
Portugal

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

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marta Trzeciakowska
Marta
Marta Trzeciakowska
Local specialist in Madrid, Spain | Replied on Jun 13, 2022

Hi Russ, thank you for your kind words and wonderful insight into the trip that we planned for your visit to Portugal. I am more than happy to see you enjoyed it and that you had fun throughout the whole journey. We are thrilled that you chose us and I hope our paths will cross again when planning your next adventure.

Portugal!
Portugal | May 28 - Jun 3, 2022

Ella
Ella D.
Bethpage, NY | Reviewed on Jun 06, 2022
We had a great time in Portugal! Marta was fantastic in helping us plan everything and was extremely responsive throughout our entire trip. The hotels she chose for us were in perfect locations in Lisbon and Lagos. The tours she booked were also great! We really enjoyed the walking tour of Lisbon with our guide Baptise and tuktuk tour with Claudio. In Lagos, the tour of Sagres was beautiful and highly recommended. I definitely will use this service for my next trips. Thanks! Read more

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

Thanks!

Hotel Reviews
Casual Belle Epoque Lisboa
Lisbon

Great hotel in a perfect location!

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

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

Activity Reviews
 Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk
Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk
Portugal
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour
Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour
Portugal

Great tour to see harder to walk parts of Lisbon!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Claudio was great!
Transport
Group Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril
Group Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril
Lisbon

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

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marta Trzeciakowska
Marta
Marta Trzeciakowska
Local specialist in Madrid, Spain | Replied on Jun 06, 2022

Ella and Lieza, thank you so much for taking the time to do a review. I am pleased to hear that you enjoyed your vacation in Portugal. It was my pleasure to help you plan this trip. Marta :)

Portugal Excursion
Portugal | May 27 - Jun 3, 2022

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

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

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

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

We had an amazing time in Portugal and Spain....
Portugal | Apr 18 - May 25, 2022

Ramon
Ramon T.
Thornton, CO | Reviewed on Jun 01, 2022

We had an amazing time in Portugal and Spain. Patricia booked great tours, good hotels, and covered pretty much all our requests. We traveled for 38 days and her app to keep us informed and on track worked very well. Communication was constant throughout the trip. Will definitely use her again for our next Spain trip

Local specialist: Patricia Marques
Patricia
Patricia Marques
Local specialist in Spain | Replied on Jun 20, 2022

Hello Ramon
Thank you for your kind words and your review. I had a blast helping you arrange your 40 days adventure in Portugal and in Spain!
And I can't wait to work with you again to help you plan a northern trip to Spain this time ;)
Best,
Patricia

Unforgettable Experience
Portugal | Apr 18 - May 25, 2022

Amalia
Amalia T.
Thornton, CO | Reviewed on Jun 01, 2022

Patricia orchestrated the most amazing 10-week journey through Portugal and Spain for us. She was professional, responsive, creative and, most importantly, a wonderful listener.
From cultural private tours and wine tastings, to picnics in vineyards, to hot air balloon adventures, this was an experience we will never forget.
We highly recommend Patricia!

Local specialist: Patricia Marques
Patricia
Patricia Marques
Local specialist in Spain | Replied on Jun 20, 2022

Hello Amalia,
Thank you for your kind words and your review. I had a blast helping you arrange your 1 month adventure in Portugal and in Spain!
Our aim is to create lifetime memories, and I believe you will always remember this trip!
Thanks again.
Best,
Patricia

Excellent planning and guidance
Portugal | May 16 - May 24, 2022

L
Linda R.
Marblehead, MA | Reviewed on May 28, 2022
We had a fabulous trip to Portugal and were extremely grateful for the knowledge, organization, and attention of our local specialist, Tiago. I could not have organized or managed this trip with out your advice and help. Thank you so much! We thoroughly enjoyed all the places we visited We loved walking the streets of Lisbon, exploring the countryside out by Evora (and the Casa Do Governador was a fabulous recommendation!). Even with the difficulties we encountered along the way, the... Read more

We had a fabulous trip to Portugal and were extremely grateful for the knowledge, organization, and attention of our local specialist, Tiago. I could not have organized or managed this trip with out your advice and help. Thank you so much! We thoroughly enjoyed all the places we visited We loved walking the streets of Lisbon, exploring the countryside out by Evora (and the Casa Do Governador was a fabulous recommendation!). Even with the difficulties we encountered along the way, the addressing of which Tiago provided invaluable support, we were charmed by the southern coast and had great fun surfing -- even in the wind and cold! Also, your restaurant recommendations were excellent. I was initially pursuing those that I had researched myself, but once I tried one of yours, I realized that that was the way to go. Thank you for everything, Tiago, and we hope to visit Portugal again soon.

Hotel Reviews
Casa do Governador
Evora

This is an extraordinary hotel! I wish only that we had spent more than one night here.

Tips for future travelers

Make it more than one night!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Belmar Spa & Beach Resort
Lagos

This is a good hotel that perhaps comes more fully into its own during the high season. It seemed somewhat chaotic and understaffed, which may have been a result of coming back from Covid. Also, the pools outside are not heated so it's not pleasant for swimming if it's cool outside. The indoor pool isn't especially nice (though probably good for small children), so that's not a great option. Much was closed in the hotel while we were there also, which may have been due to it's not being high season. Our room with the sea view was lovely.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto
Lisbon

Excellent airport hotel. Had everything a traveller needs and extremely helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Tiago Filipe
Tiago
Tiago Filipe
Local specialist in Lisbon | Replied on May 28, 2022

Dear Linda,

Thank you very much for your feedback, I truly appreciate it!

The fact that you are easy-going and interested people contributed a lot to the outcome of your trip.

I left you a couple of messages on Whatsapp so we remain in touch!!

Please extend my regards to your family as, although briefly, I really enjoyed getting to know them!

Best Regards,

Tiago

I actually sent you a message on

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

Tyler
Tyler H.
Hawthorne, CA | Reviewed on May 28, 2022
Our culinary and wine tour of Portugal was excellent! Our specialist was always available for communications and everything went very smoothly. This was our second trip with Kimkim and they go above and beyond. It won't be our last! Read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Whirlwind of Portugal 12 days
Portugal | May 5 - May 16, 2022

Maryann
Maryann S.
North Ridgeville, OH | Reviewed on May 23, 2022

The tours, guides, chefs and places were beyond amazing!

Local specialist: Sam Lister
Sam
Sam Lister
Local specialist in Sevilla, Spain | Replied on May 24, 2022

Muito obrigado!

As mentioned in a text earlier, all the guide...
Portugal | May 5 - May 16, 2022

Maryann
Maryann S.
North Ridgeville, OH | Reviewed on May 21, 2022
As mentioned in a text earlier, all the guides, places, chefs, bus drivers were outstanding. They were kind and did their best to please us with recommendations. The hotels were excellent especially the Convent & the hotel at Algarve.
The wine tours, boat ride to Douro Valley was wonderful.
The cooking class outstanding, loved the place we learned and Hugo. Fatima was super, it was also nice to spend a day of leisure where we saw the beautiful coastline of Portugal, the caves etc. The...
Read more

As mentioned in a text earlier, all the guides, places, chefs, bus drivers were outstanding. They were kind and did their best to please us with recommendations. The hotels were excellent especially the Convent & the hotel at Algarve.
The wine tours, boat ride to Douro Valley was wonderful.
The cooking class outstanding, loved the place we learned and Hugo. Fatima was super, it was also nice to spend a day of leisure where we saw the beautiful coastline of Portugal, the caves etc. The tiny Villiage on top of the mountain (Monsaraz)was just gorgeous and amazing along with the cork harvesting farm/ tour .
The boat trip was special as it was so thoughtful of Sam to think of one of our passengers birthday, went on the secluded beach as well. Lisbon just wonderful and amazing sights am to see, love all the castle tours as well. Loved being near the water. All hotels provided outstanding breakfasts and dinners were wonderful! Unexpectedly to me we’re 4 of my group with physical challenges, and everyone went out if their way to accommodate. So thank you for such a fantastic itinerary & people, the kindness of everyone was outstanding.

Local specialist: Sam Lister
Sam
Sam Lister
Local specialist in Sevilla, Spain | Replied on May 24, 2022

Hi Maryann,
Many thanks for your kind words!! Yours was a very special trip, as it took us over 2 years to actually run it due to Covid and I know the group were ecstatic to finally make it happen! It was such a pleasure to meet you all for dinner in Albufeira as well! Muito obrigado and big hugs!

Beatriz was a great organizer and took care o...
Portugal | May 5 - May 12, 2022

A
Anuradha B.
Canada | Reviewed on May 19, 2022
Beatriz was a great organizer and took care of all our needs and comfort. All the tours, along with the guides were just awesome. Except for one tour guide who took us on a trip to Sintra, Cascais, and Estoril. He did not give us the tickets for the shuttle along with the entrance tickets to Penna palace. He did not even mention that we have to buy those tickets. We had to waste 55 minutes back and forth.
We liked all the places in Portugal. My best pick would be Douro valley as well as...
Read more

Beatriz was a great organizer and took care of all our needs and comfort. All the tours, along with the guides were just awesome. Except for one tour guide who took us on a trip to Sintra, Cascais, and Estoril. He did not give us the tickets for the shuttle along with the entrance tickets to Penna palace. He did not even mention that we have to buy those tickets. We had to waste 55 minutes back and forth.
We liked all the places in Portugal. My best pick would be Douro valley as well as Cascais.

Activity Review
Fado Dinner Experience
Fado Dinner Experience
Lisbon

A romantic getaway. Beautiful music to hear along with good food. Worth the money spent. But, we should have been picked up from the hotel.

Quality of Experience
Food
All the food and ofcourse, the wine.
Local specialist: Beatriz De Pablo Rocha
Beatriz
Beatriz De Pablo Rocha
Local specialist in Madrid | Replied on May 20, 2022

Hi Anuradha! Thank you so much for your kind words and for letting me know these small details. Of course, we would have been able to include more private transfers to arrive at your activities if mentioned, as well as we did to reach the hotels and train stations. It's been a pleasure helping you plan this trip to Portugal and helping you along the way, I'm so glad you enjoyed the country :) Best regards, Bea.

An Extraordinary Trip to Portugal
Portugal | Apr 20 - May 1, 2022

B
Brigette B.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on May 17, 2022
First and foremost, accolades to kimkim, Espiritu Travel, and Karin Eckhard for planning my family’s trip to Portugal; it was extraordinary. We are still reminiscing about the culture, food, and people of Portugal. Karin did an incredible job developing our very thoughtful and organized trip plans. The tours and private transfers that Karin arranged were above outstanding. Our tour guides and private transfers were prompt, professional, and very personable. Our tour guides were extremely... Read more

First and foremost, accolades to kimkim, Espiritu Travel, and Karin Eckhard for planning my family’s trip to Portugal; it was extraordinary. We are still reminiscing about the culture, food, and people of Portugal. Karin did an incredible job developing our very thoughtful and organized trip plans.

The tours and private transfers that Karin arranged were above outstanding. Our tour guides and private transfers were prompt, professional, and very personable. Our tour guides were extremely knowledgeable about the various parts of Portugal that we visited and each one made our experience a true five-star delight: Porto (Sergio, Pedro), Douro Valley (Nelson), Aveiro (Marta), Coimbra (Marta), Tomar (Marta), Lisbon (Marta), Sintra (Nuno), Cascais (Nuno), Evora (Miguel), and other various locations in the Alentejo Region (Miguel, Joanna) and the Algarve (Pedro).

The hotel accommodations that Karin arranged were beyond expectation. The beauty and quaintness of Infante Sagres Hotel in Porto made us feel like we stepped back in history. Corpo Santo Hotel in Lisbon enveloped us in a part of history pampered by the staff and remarkable amenities. The M’ar de ar Aqueduto in Evora was classic and serene offering an exceptional gastronomy experience. The Tivoli Carvoeiro Algarve Resort was a beautiful, ocean paradise.

Special shout out to Marta for taking us to several quaint cafes off the beaten path that were special to her.

Karin was accessible throughout our trip. Her messages were timely and she assisted us with restaurant reservations on a number of occasions. She made us feel like VIPs. We are already talking about our next trip, and we will definitely want Karin to be our point person. We are also highly recommending kimkim, Espiritu Travel, and Karin to family, friends, and coworkers.

Obrigada!!!

Hotel Reviews
Infante Sagres
Porto

The beauty and quaintness of Infante Sagres made us feel like we stepped back in history. Excellent breakfast and very lovely staff.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
M'ar de Ar Aqueduto
Évora

The M'ar de Ar Aqueduto hotel was classic and serene offering an exceptional gastronomy experience. The spa was great and the hotel grounds are beautiful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
M'ar de Ar Aqueduto
Évora

The M'ar de Ar Aqueduto hotel was classic and serene offering an exceptional gastronomy experience. The spa was great and the hotel grounds are beautiful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Privately Guided Visit of Porto
Privately Guided Visit of Porto
Porto

Embarking on our first full day in Portugal we met our lovely guide, Pedro, and immediately delved into Porto’s history through a walking tour. Pedro was warm and patient, adjusting the pace of our tour as necessary to help accommodate the elderly. He was extremely knowledgeable about Porto’s history, and he answered all of our questions along the way. Engaging in conversation was a breeze and very insightful. We truly felt Pedro went above and beyond. We highly recommend this tour!

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

Shortly after arriving to Portugal, we met with Sergio for a walking culinary experience. Sergio was very personable and knowledgeable about Portuguese cuisine (cod, sardines, traditional dishes, and pastries) and wine. Sergio guided us through the city center experiencing great dishes, cafes, and restaurants along the way, then he led us off the beaten path to experience more local treasures. This tour was an excellent way to begin our Porto experience!

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

Our excursion to Sintra and Cascais with our amazing guide, Nuno, was pretty magical. The Quinta da Regaleira that we visited in Sintra was like something out of a fanciful novel. Every bit of it was picturesque and at the risk of sounding corny, exploring the grounds was full of wonder. Nuno then took us to Restaurante da Adraga, the best beach-side, seafood restaurant we’ve ever been to. The food, wine, dessert, and service were top notch. After lunch, Nuno made sure we had an opportunity to visit and enjoy the shops and sights of Cascais. To top off our experience, this particular day was Freedom Day. Sharing in that moment with Nuno was a heart-warming experience. We feel blessed to have such wonderful and vivid memories of this day.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Transfer  {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}, via Tomar & Knights Templar
Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}, via Tomar & Knights Templar
Portugal

If you have a curiosity or enthusiasm for the Middle Ages, Tomar is a place that transports you to the period of the Knights Templar. Here, in Tomar, we visited the Castle of the Knights Templar. This site is an architectural marvel, and we were graciously allowed time to really take in the expanse of the castle and its grounds. Moments were powerful, serene, and haunting. A must-see for any history buff!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Guided Visit of Aveiro with Tuk-Tuk & Boat Tour
Guided Visit of Aveiro with Tuk-Tuk & Boat Tour
Portugal

The day in Aveiro and Costa Nova with Marta was a treat! Marta is an incredibly knowledgeable guide with a well-rounded repertoire of places to visit and things to try. First, we spent the morning and early afternoon touring Aveiro, learning about the city’s large array of Art Nouveau buildings as well as its history as a once, major exporter of sea salts. We viewed the active salt flats via tuk-tuk and visited local shops by foot to collect a variety of local salts, canned fish, and egg yolk treats. Perfect for culinary aficionados or home cooks! We also enjoyed a boat tour on the canals of Aveiro where we learned that many of the guides are indeed local fishermen. It was a charming city. After Aveiro, Marta took us to dine in another town called Costa Nova. Here we enjoyed a fresh and delicious seafood lunch at Canastra do Fidalgo. Conversation with Marta was intriguing. We felt like we understood Portugal and way-of-life in the country much more holistically through her insights.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Excursion to Alentejo - Jeep Safari Through a Cork Fork & Visit to an Olive Oil Estate
Excursion to Alentejo - Jeep Safari Through a Cork Fork & Visit to an Olive Oil Estate
Lisbon

Now into the wild: the safari cork tour was a quiet diversion from our city excursions, as we made our journey south to the Alentejo Region. Our safari’s guide, Joanna, was both personable and quite knowledgeable about the lands that produced cork and wine. Always interested in understanding origination, production, and distribution, our visit to a cork factory after our safari tour was appreciated. One of us is now happily awaiting a unique piece of cork furniture directly from Cortiçarte. Our primary guide in Alentejo/Evora was Miguel. Miguel was outstanding! He truly went above and beyond to maximize our experiences in the region with care, consideration, and kindness. Amongst the most enjoyable of the experiences that we shared in the Alentejo was our visit to the small olive orchard, the Monte da Oliveira Velha estate, where Amor é Cego is produced. There, our hosts João and family warmly greeted us and shared the history of the estate before welcoming us to their table for an olive oil tasting and lunch. This experience was truly special.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Transfer Hotel to Hotel
Porto
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Get to Know Lisbon
Get to Know Lisbon
Lisbon
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Fado Dinner Experience
Fado Dinner Experience
Lisbon
Quality of Experience
Food
Private Transfer Évora to Lisbon Airport
Évora
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
4X4 Algarve Sunset Experience
4X4 Algarve Sunset Experience
Portugal

There was no better way to end an amazing trip to Portugal than with an Algarve sunset experience guided by Pedro! Pedro was very personable, courteous, and possessed a wealth of knowledge of the Algarve. En route to St. Vincent Cape of Sagres via a 4WD jeep, Pedro took us to see some of the most picturesque views of beaches and breathtaking landscapes, particularly Cordoama Viewpoint! Pedro planned our experience perfectly giving us plenty of time to take in these views along the way. Our trip concluded at St. Vincent Cape of Sagres where we witnessed the most captivating sunset while enjoying great wine and bread with chorizo.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise
Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise
Porto

Our day started with meeting our incredible tour guide, Nelson, who guided us on our day excursion to Douro Valley. He filled us with the history of Douro Valley; Portuguese history and culture; and, insight on the vineyards' planting, harvesting, and production. One of the highlights of our tour was our lunch at Toca da Raposa, a quaint, family-owned restaurant that featured an excellent menu and wine selection. The wine tasting at Quinta da Pacheca was a charming experience, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Karin Eckhard
Karin
Karin Eckhard
Local specialist in Madrid, Spain and USA | Replied on May 18, 2022

Brigette & family, this review leaves me almost leaves me without words. It truly was a pleasure working with you and your family to create this fantastic trip Thank you so much for taking this much time to give reviews not only for the overall trip but all the services we don't often get this complete review. I will be forwarding this message to all the guides you had during your trip. I hope to help you great another amazing trip in the future. Warmest and sincerest regards, Karin :-)

KimKim is the service I needed and didn't eve...
Portugal | Apr 29 - May 6, 2022

Emma
Emma H.
Canada | Reviewed on May 07, 2022
KimKim is the service I needed and didn't even know it! We were super impressed from start to finish with the KimKim format and the complete ease of booking with the help of Bea. I used to work as a travel agent and like to plan our trips with a lot of detail and thought...but frankly I just don't have the time to do all the necessary research on a new destination every time anymore. KimKim exactly fit the niche that I needed. Bea was great to work with - super responsive and helpful as... Read more

KimKim is the service I needed and didn't even know it!

We were super impressed from start to finish with the KimKim format and the complete ease of booking with the help of Bea. I used to work as a travel agent and like to plan our trips with a lot of detail and thought...but frankly I just don't have the time to do all the necessary research on a new destination every time anymore. KimKim exactly fit the niche that I needed.

Bea was great to work with - super responsive and helpful as we planned this last minute trip to Portugal.

Portugal was amazing! We're so glad we went and are already talking about going back. Highlights were the walking food tour in Lisbon (which sadly my husband missed due to jetlag but he feels like he was there because I haven't stopped talking about it) and the entire stay in the Douro valley. Porto has some really charming elements, but we found it to be overwhelmingly flooded with tourists that this relatively new tourist destination hasn't figured out how to envelope yet. One day there is plenty. We did an e-bike tour there which we would not recommend. The guide was perfectly nice, but conceptually a bike tour in Porto just doesn't make sense. We were biking on crowded sidewalks and through narrow streets where it felt rude and/or unsafe to be biking.

Hotel Reviews
Casual Belle Epoque Lisboa
Lisbon

Location couldn't be better - hotel was clean and had a great breakfast. Room was pretty small, but you expect that in Europe.

Tips for future travelers

There are two "secret" elevators nearby that locals use to avoid the hills. We found them towards the end of our stay - both are a left turn as you leave the hotel.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Quinta de la Rosa
Pinhão

Stunning hotel! We would be very happy to stay there again. Our room was very recently refinished (it smelled like they had finished that morning) and had a couple of odd quirks. Namely the front door was abnormally short such that my husband had to duck to come in. And despite the room being HUGE, the bathroom didn't have a door on it which we found uncomfortable. Views were incredible, breakfasts were great.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Add a door to the bathroom
chic&basic Gravity
Porto

Great location, friendly staff, very clean, good breakfast. Almost too trendy...looks like it was designed to be instagrammed. A small thing, but they could use sheer curtains on the windows, it was either blackout or be fully exposed to the courtyard and guests on the other side of it.

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

Amazing! Loved it! Highlight of my trip (I say "my" because my husband missed it due to jetlag). I learned so much, the guide Daniela was superb, and it was the perfect way to spend four hours in Lisbon.

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

So, the destinations were lovely. But our "guide" Rui on this was really pretty terrible. This was originally meant to be a small group tour and we really wish it had been. Rui was our private "guide" but he was really more like a driver. He didn't have anything to tell us about about the sights even we asked him really easy questions. As soon he picked us up he started to try to sell us on booking a walking tour with him in Lisbon and using him to book stuff for Douro where we were going next. Since he didn't have anything useful to say about the sights he was more like an awkward third wheel that we wanted to ditch. We overheard some of the stuff other guides were telling their guests and really felt like we missed out.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
He was a fine driver.
Get to know Porto by E-bike
Get to know Porto by E-bike
Porto

Our guide was nice and the bikes were in good condition, but we would not recommend this excursion. Porto is not at all a cycling city. We were riding bikes on crowded sidewalks and through narrow streets where it felt alternately super rude and super unsafe to be biking. Our guide mentioned that we were a small group (seven of us) and I literally cannot imagine having any more of us do that at once. Avid cyclists will be mortified and anxious cyclists will panic. Stick to walking tours.

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

This was a good tour of the city and our guide was very knowledgeable and personable. Through no fault of her own though she followed the SPECTACULAR guide I had had for the food tour, who is a hard act to follow and had already shared a lot of the same information. At this point we had already walked some of these spots as well, albeit with less context. I would recommend doing this tour before the food tour to help set overall context for Lisbon.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Fado Dinner Experience
Fado Dinner Experience
Lisbon

This vastly exceeded our expectations. I really expected this to be a tourist trap dinner and a show type deal - and I mean yes, mostly there were tourists there, but the quality of the performances and the food were very high. And a few locals even came in later on! Definitely recommend.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Wine Cellar Guided Visit with Lunch
Wine Cellar Guided Visit with Lunch
Douro Valley

We loved everything about Quinta de la Rosa - I would just recommend leaving out the lunch portion of this or adding some expectation setting. It was a huge (delicious) lunch that ended up being the same thing as I had ordered for my dinner at their restaurant the night before. It was huge and lengthy and ended up taking a huge chunk of the day when I think we would have preferred a light salad and to move on to another tasting instead.

Quality of Experience
Food
Food was amazing, just a bummer that it was the same dish I had the night before without knowing.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Beatriz De Pablo Rocha
Beatriz
Beatriz De Pablo Rocha
Local specialist in Madrid | Replied on May 09, 2022

Hi Emma, thank you SO much for your comprehensive feedback and review of your trip! I really appreciate the details you put into it. All this information will be really helpful for us as we are constantly trying to improve, especially to have in mind to set some activities during peak seasons and bank holidays, like was your case with the e-bike tour in Porto. Again, thank you so much for all the information given, it's been a pleasure to help you plan this trip! Best regards, Bea.

Portugal - One for the books!
Portugal | Nov 6 - Nov 14, 2021

I
Isabel M.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on May 06, 2022
I cannot stress enough how happy I am with our experience with kimkim and our local specialist Tiago Filipe. Our trip evolved from start to finish. And at each step of the way Tiago was patient and accomodating to ensure that the end result was exactly what we wanted. The trip met all our asks and more. We traveled from Lisboa to Porto and everywhere in between. I am so glad I found this service and recommend it to anyone I know who is traveling. My friend and I appreciated him checking... Read more

I cannot stress enough how happy I am with our experience with kimkim and our local specialist Tiago Filipe. Our trip evolved from start to finish. And at each step of the way Tiago was patient and accomodating to ensure that the end result was exactly what we wanted. The trip met all our asks and more. We traveled from Lisboa to Porto and everywhere in between. I am so glad I found this service and recommend it to anyone I know who is traveling. My friend and I appreciated him checking in with us to make sure we arrived safely at our next destination or if we returned back to hotel safely after a day of making a day trip. Loved our experience!!

Local specialist: Tiago Filipe
Tiago
Tiago Filipe
Local specialist in Lisbon | Replied on May 07, 2022

Dear Isabel,

Very nice to hear from you! Especially with such a lovely message as this!!

You had already told me you had enjoyed your trip when we last spoke, but it's always nice to get a "confirmation"!!

I hope everything is fine with you and Rachel. By the way, please send her my regards!

Best wishes,

Tiago

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

Bob
Bob B.
Chanhassen, MN | Reviewed on May 06, 2022
Marina was outstanding in our quest to get to Portugal and Spain. She listened to our feedback and am made adjustments as needed. Marina’s quick responses took the worry out of planning our trip. Once we arrived in Lisbon, it was clear to us just how much work Marina put into our trip. From the food and historical tours to the highlight of the trip of cooking a dinner with a Portuguese chef we had an outstanding week. Thank-you Marina and Kim Kim. You are a top notch travel agency. ... Read more

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

Hotel Reviews
Dear Lisbon Bordalo House
Lisboa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Lisbon Foodie Experience
Lisbon Foodie Experience
Lisbon

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

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

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

Don’t plan a trip without KimKim! So pleased to have found this service
Portugal | Apr 12 - Apr 17, 2022

Kristen
Kristen C.
Canada | Reviewed on May 06, 2022
Bea planned an incredible itinerary and worked with us so closely to develop the perfect, custom plan for our trip. She suggested activities and accommodations we would have never found they made our trip unique and extremely memorable.
It was such a positive experience, the team was so responsive to feedback and we were so thrilled with the outcome. I had incredible peace of mind knowing every detail was taken care of and they were always there if we needed assistance.
I recommend KimKim to...
Read more

Bea planned an incredible itinerary and worked with us so closely to develop the perfect, custom plan for our trip. She suggested activities and accommodations we would have never found they made our trip unique and extremely memorable.
It was such a positive experience, the team was so responsive to feedback and we were so thrilled with the outcome. I had incredible peace of mind knowing every detail was taken care of and they were always there if we needed assistance.
I recommend KimKim to all of my friends and we will definitely use them again.

Hotel Review
Quinta de S. Bernardo Winery & Farmhouse
Mesao Frio

This was our most favourite place of our whole trip and we adjusted our itinerary to meet their 2-night requirement because nothing else compared in the Douro. The facilities, the views, the wine, the food, the amenities and the service were unparalleled. It’s a most special place that we’d want to return to every year. Truly a hidden gem.

Tips for future travelers

Allow yourself a few days here to enjoy the property and surrounding areas

Authenticity & Character
Third generation family working the land and making wine - so authentic
Location
Most incredible and breathtaking views of the Douro
Staff
The staff were amazing - such attention to detail and always moving in the background
Cleanliness & Comfort
Every last detail was thought of and attended to
Activity Review
Privately Guided Visit of Porto
Privately Guided Visit of Porto
Porto

We had the most fantastic tour with our private guide. It was hands and away the best way to experience Porto. The four hours we had together flew by and the tour was one of the highlights of our trip.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Beatriz De Pablo Rocha
Beatriz
Beatriz De Pablo Rocha
Local specialist in Madrid | Replied on Jul 07, 2022

Hi Kristen! Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your lovely memories with us! It's been a pleasure helping you plan this trip to Portugal and I'm so glad you enjoyed every part of it :) Best regards, Bea.

I really appreciated the service that went in...
Portugal | Apr 16 - Apr 25, 2022

K
Karen S.
San Leandro, CA | Reviewed on May 06, 2022
I really appreciated the service that went into planning our trip. We stayed in Estoi at Palacio de Estoi. I appreciated staying out of the way of the more touristed areas. The food was good, the room and view was lovely, the pool was very nice. Taking a car to where we wanted to go worked out really well. We had a really nice boat trip out of Rio Formosa with a guide Joao from Fantastikspirit out of Olhao. Loved the hotel Almalusa hotel in Lisbon. The breakfast at the Almalusa was really... Read more

I really appreciated the service that went into planning our trip. We stayed in Estoi at Palacio de Estoi. I appreciated staying out of the way of the more touristed areas. The food was good, the room and view was lovely, the pool was very nice. Taking a car to where we wanted to go worked out really well. We had a really nice boat trip out of Rio Formosa with a guide Joao from Fantastikspirit out of Olhao. Loved the hotel Almalusa hotel in Lisbon. The breakfast at the Almalusa was really nice and the location perfect. We rented electric bikes and rode to Belem to see the monuments and monastery which was great. We also saw a a great exhibit at the Museum Colecao de Berardo- Berardo's personal collection. We did have to call a couple of times for some minor hiccoughs and the team handled it. We are vegetarians and it was easy to find good food in Lisbon.

Hotel Review
Pousada Palacio De Estoi—Monument Hotel & SLH
Faro

The palace is away from the most touristed areas but nestled in the hills of the Algarve with lovely grounds and view. It was really nice to stay away from a crowded area. It felt special. The restaurant was good. The pool has a lovely open view. The location was good and we drove to all the spots we wanted to see- old town Faro, Lagos, Sagres and Cabo Sao Vicente, Rio Formosa. We even drove to Sevilla Spain - 1.5 hour away to spend the day.

Tips for future travelers

You need to book your dinner meals as the restaurant has limited seatings.

Authenticity & Character
What's not to like about a restored Roman villa?
Location
On a hillside with amazing grounds and views.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
the room was large
Activity Review
Nature Excursion in Ria Formosa
Nature Excursion in Ria Formosa
Portugal

Beautiful ride. We didn't see a lot of birds but the excursion was beautiful.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Karin Eckhard
Karin
Karin Eckhard
Local specialist in Madrid, Spain and USA | Replied on May 06, 2022

Karen, Thank you very much for taking the time to do a review. I am pleased to hear that your family. had a lovely vacation in Portugal. It was my pleasure to help you plan this trip. Karin :-)

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

S
Sue T.
Wayne, PA | Reviewed on Apr 25, 2022
This trip was curated well. I would give it 5 stars had the hotel in Lisboa have been better. Turim Restoradores was well situated however, the rooms are painfully outdated. My bathroom was so narrow( and dirty on our last night). Both rooms' temperature was not regulated and when asked, we were told that there is NO AC just heat. I'd hate to be in that hotel in the summer. Imagine dreading going back after a full day of walking(I would have given 5 stars otherwise)As a tour company, I... Read more

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

Hotel Review
¡NO USAR! Turim Restauradores Hotel
Lisboa

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

Tips for future travelers

Do not stay if you like AC

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

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

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

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