Kimkim Trip Reviews for Portugal

Joao did an incredible job planning our trip to Portugal. The communication thru the WhatsApp was great! When our flights to Lisbon got cancelled and everyone in our group ended up landing the next day at different times Joao made sure that everyone was picked up when they landed. Taking the stress off of us at that point was greatly appreciated. Joao also sent us a message every day letting us know our schedule for the next day and what time the driver would be at the hotel to pick us up. The drivers were all very informative and professional. I would definitely recommend them to drive as I would not want to drive in Portugal. All of our excursions were fun, but I think the one that everyone liked the most was the visit to the Quinta da Pacheca winery. Our tour guide Fabio was great, and we learned a lot about port wine. The boat excursion thru the Douro valley was beautiful and they held the boat for us because our lunch at the winery took longer than expected. When they tell you that the trip is all about you, they mean it. They all went out of their way to make sure that we saw everything we wanted to see and try all of the local food and drinks. I really enjoyed all of the places that we stayed as well. Joao did a great job of putting us in the middle of the city in Lisbon & Porto, close to everything that we wanted to do and see. I would highly recommend Joao and his team at KimKim as they made our trip to Portugal very memorable to say the least.
Kelly & Susan Snyder

Hotel Reviews

Cascade Wellness

Lagos

The Cascade Wellness was good, but it didn't quite live up to the five-star rating in our minds, especially after staying at the Monumental Palace. The resort itself was beautiful, but some aspects, like the service and amenities, could be improved. We had some nice staff and some staff that didn't really care about what we were talking about. Also, they had just started adding a tip into your bill at the restaurant / bar but didn't tell you about it. So, if you didn't notice it then and you tipped them, they got double tips. It just would have been nice if they pointed it out.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel needs some TLC in places.

Location

Beautiful location but just a little far from town.

Staff

I think maybe they were short staffed at times.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds were two double beds put together. Why not just one king bed?

Maison Albar Hotels Le Monumental Palace

Porto

All of the employees at this hotel go out of their way to make sure that your stay is wonderful. Would highly recommend it and it is very centrally located in Porto.

Authenticity & Character

Absoulety beautiful hotel.

Location

Centrally located to a lot of really good restaurants and bars.

Staff

Everyone was so nice and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The entire hotel is very clean.

Cascais Miragem

Cascais - Portugal

Beautiful hotel - wish we could have stayed longer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Great location, the breakfast was really good, staff very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect location in Lisbon. A lot of places to see within walking distance.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

The Fado experience was something I think everyone should do when they visit Lisbon. The meal that we were served wasn't that good at all. Probably the worse meal that we had in the 12 days we were there.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

The palace was good to see, and we are glad that we went. Our driver, Petro, was very informative and the place he took us to for lunch was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Petro was informative and we saw a lot in that one day.

Transport

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

I wouldn't do this wine tour. Sandeman didn't give us very good Port wine to try and I have to tell you that all of us didn't want to have it ever again. We kept an open mind and the next winery we went to was so much better.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Portugal

Our driver, Ricardo, was great. It is kind of a long day in the car, but the scenery was beautiful, and we learned a lot along the way. The boat tour along the Douro River was fun, and we really enjoyed the wine tour and lunch at Quinta da Pacheca.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Panoramic Boat Tour to the Ponta da Piedade Caves

Portugal

Seeing the caves from the water was amazing. Glad we got to do it. They cancelled our original booking due to weather but we got to squeeze it in before leaving Lagos.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Portugal

Quinta da Pacheca was well worth it. Fabio was a great tour guide, and we got to see a group stopping the grapes. Their wine is amazing, and I think everyone should do this tour as the lunch that we had was incredible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver told us to keep an open mind about the Port wine we were going to try since we didn't like the last winery and he was absolutely right. Completely different experience than the day before.

Having spent time in many European countries, Portugal did not disappoint! I wish our trip would have allowed us to stay in Porto a bit longer to experience more of the city and it's fabulous views! However, we felt the eBike tour hit a good many of those spots in a short amount of time. Lisbon was also fantastic! I loved that our hotel was right in the city centre and in the middle of everything! We enjoyed be able to walk everywhere. Paulo was an awesome guide for our day trip out of the city! We enjoyed the sites and his knowledge of everything. So glad we had him as our guide!

El viaje ha sido espectacular!!!! Muy bien organizado y hemos aprovechado muchísimo las oportunidades.
Tuvimos que contactar a nuestras especialistas en el trayecto y siempre nos dieron respuestas prontas y oportunas. Estamos muy contentos y agradecidos. Utilizaremos este servicio nuevamente y lo recomendaremos mucho.
Muchas gracias.

Activity Review

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

Porto

Excelente experiencia, bellísimo lugar, recibimos muchísimo!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vineyard at Quinta da Pacheca was excellent. The guide we had, Fabio, was very well versed in the winemaking process, and answering many questions we had. The service was excellent for lunch, food and wine pairings was excellent. It was probably the favorite for us of our whole trip. Mary and Bruce

Hotel Reviews

Maison Albar Hotels Le Monumental Palace

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Such a Great 5 Star Hotel, everything from check in to check out Very attentive to our needs in the Hotel, our room, the amenities were excellent and the Bar staff was excellent.

Cascais Miragem

Cascais - Portugal

Great pool area and staff members did a great job. Wish we would have stayed there anther day longer.

Authenticity & Character

From lobby to pool was 5 star for sure, impressive elevator with view and sitting areas add luxury to this hotel.

Location

Ocean front view was amazing.

Staff

Very attentive to our dining pleasures.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxurious huge King bed, 5 star attentive cleaning staff before and after we arrived.

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascade Wellness

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleaning staff was insufficient to be rated 5 star, maybe better training to have essential items in room like tissues for our 3 night stay. No extra pillows or blankets. Curtain rods and toilet paper holder were broken from the start of our stay, which we did mention to staff twice.

Activity Reviews

Farewell

Lisbon Int. Airport (LIS)

Rush hour traffic on the freeway. Pick up was at 0730, Not sure if there was a better way to get to Airport. Luggage did not get on our connecting flight to London on time.

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was attentive to our needs.

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was pleasant, informative of area, and talkative

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

Portugal

Absolutely excellent experience

Quality of Experience

The guide Fabio, at Vineyard was very informative and interesting to listen to. The lunch service and wine pairings were wonderful.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

He pointed out interesting sites along the way.

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

Portugal

Excellent service, great food choices, 5 star service with wine pairings.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Portugal

Fun boat ride to see beautiful Duro River.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Captain was informative about area

Transport

Transfer from Porto to Lagos

Portugal

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was attentive to our needs for stops along the way.

Exclusive Panoramic Boat Tour to the Ponta da Piedade Caves

Portugal

Fun boat tour, saw amazing cave and cliff formations, along with waterfalls.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Captain was very good at guiding his boat in narrow spaces. Was exciting!

Transport

The trip was wonderful. The Azores and the Algarve were so different yet so beautiful.

As a couple in a group of 8 we had unfortunate hotel issues. Our hotel room in Terceira had a terrible musty smell, and no one worked with us to address it. We were surprised to learn the apartment suites in Lagos did not have locks on the bathroom or bedroom doors.

The guides were wonderful and worked with our large group to accommodate individuals needs. Jorge and Ivo made the touring days informative, fun and so enjoyable. The pilot and co-pilot on our sail cruise were also lovely. Thank you Leo and ‘Nunu’.

Please inform future clients there are limited taxis in Terceira. We had to walk home from dinners as we could only locate a single taxi, and the sidewalks were frequently blocked with parked cars or narrowed to a small strip-requiring we walk in the street with oncoming traffic in the dark.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Octant Furnas

Furnas, Povoação, Azores

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palacio Santa Catarina Hotel

Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal

Our room had a terrible musty smell and no resolution was offered-not a new room, air purifier, dehumidifier or moisture absorbing beads. Some staff were lovely-especially Leo, while others were not very hospitable. Front desk staff should be bilingual and more forthcoming with information re the island-such as there are no taxis after 9.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascade Wellness

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whale & Marine Life Watching from Terceira Island

Azores

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing whale watch! I didn’t realize we would go that fast and the ride would be so bumpy but It was amazing to see dolphins, false killer whales and a female sperm whale up close in their environment. Victor was very knowledgeable.

Terceira Island: Sights & Scenery Day Trip

Azores

Ivo was wonderful! He customized the day so we had a slice of Terceira to sample. Joe Ferreira generously shared his vineyard and home with us. Lunch, including Alcatra, was great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour to Ponta da Piedade

Lagos (Algarve)

Luxury on the coast of the Algarve. An amazing view of the coast from a beautiful sailboat with many creature comforts. The staff were knowledgeable and added so much to the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Terra Nostra Thermal Water Pools - Recommended visit

São Miguel Island

Quality of Experience

Spectacular Lakes & Viewpoints! A Day trip to Lagoa do Fogo & Sete Cidades

São Miguel Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

São Miguel's Wild and Mountainous Northeast: Culture, Gastronomy & History

São Miguel Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private walking tour of Angra do Heroismo

Azores

Anga was lovely and so knowledgeable. She helped us appreciate the history of the island and shared personal stories that made it real.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We really enjoyed this trip. We loved Porto and wish we had more time there and in Cascais. When we had a problem at the Hotel Vila Gale in Cascais, Joao handled it for us. We had a terrific time with our drivers, Ivo and Joao. To note, the car was not clean when we picked it up and we had to clean the windshield in order to see when driving. Overall, this was a memorable, fabulous experience.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lisboa Plaza

Lisboa

Location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Off Liberty Avenue and close to everything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Hotel Porto Jardim

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Évora Olive Hotel

Evora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vila Galé Lagos

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vila Galé Cascais

Cascais

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had bedbugs and had to change rooms.

Activity Reviews

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey Walk

Lisbon

Thank you, Nadia!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Transfer from your hotel to a unique Fado Experience

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Thank you, Bernardo!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Exclusive Panoramic Boat Tour to the Ponta da Piedade Caves

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Farewell

Lisbon Int. Airport (LIS)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pedro, our guide in Lisbon was amazing! He was knowledgeable and fun. Our hotel, the Torel Palace Porto was spectacular and such a surprise, a beautiful bathroom set in a gorgeous room surrounded by mirrors and the poet after whom our room was named was carved in plaster over the bed. A beautiful country and wonderful people.

Such a wonderful trip!! The thing I like most about KimKim is the way they work with locals to create unique experiences and this trip shone in that area especially with my trips to the Douro Valley and Sintra/Cascais/Estoril and the dinner with locals. The drivers for the day-long excursions truly went above and beyond to ensure I had wonderful experiences and the couple who hosted the dinner were so warm. I left this trip feeling like I've made some friends in Portugal. I was disappointed my sunset experience was canceled but it was an unfortunate accident no one could have predicted and the company tried to reschedule - my plans just didn't allow for it. The unfortunate forest fires also impacted my visit but I didn't feel like I missed anything at all because plans were made to provide a beautiful alternative.

Hotel Reviews

Marina Rio

Lagos

The location was perfect - very walkable to everything. The room was lovely - having a balcony to sit out and enjoy the marina was my favorite part. The only thing I wasn't impressed by was the breakfast. It was pretty basic and the same thing every day. So if breakfast is important to you, I would simply plan to go to a local cafe.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pestana Porto - A Brasileira

Porto

The location was the best part of this hotel. The front desk staff was lovely but the staff running breakfast were not terribly friendly or helpful. There was one exception - a gentleman who I only saw once. Every other morning seemed to be the same women. The only other downside was the rooms had one-ply toilet paper. At a hotel of this quality I would expect better.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk staff was very nice. The women working breakfast were borderline unapproachable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Madalena by The Beautique Hotels

Lisbon

This was my least favorite hotel. It feels like it's trying too hard to be cool. The location is nice and central and the staff was cordial. But the room was extremely small, there was not near enough storage and the pillows were awful. Having everything electronic removed a lot of the character.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

This tour also felt like something I could have booked myself. The guide was fun and the places we went lovely, it just didn't feel special.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

This might have been my favorite experience of all. We got a late start due to traffic and the forest fires impacted one of the places I was to visit but Paulo most definitely made up for any snafu with his warmth and above-and-beyond generosity with his time. I even got to visit the family restaurant and meet his wonderful wife. If I'm able to go back I know I'll have friends to meet up with for a Pastel de Nata and cappuccino.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

4X4 Algarve Sunset Experience

Portugal

I was unable to do this one due to the driver getting in an accident. They would have rescheduled but it was my last night in Lagos so we weren't able to do that. I got a refund instead.

Boat Excursion Inside Benagil Caves

Portugal

The caves themselves were beautiful but I was hoping for something a little smaller. This tour felt like something I could have booked myself through Viator. The caves were also very touristy - we were never in one alone.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting Tour from Lagos

Portugal

This was one of my least favorite tours. The driver was late and I was unable to reach him to find out if I was in the wrong place or where he was. He was lovely and knowledgeable but it didn't start out good. I also felt very rushed in the village. I wish there'd been more time to explore. The winery was beautiful but a few slices of cheese and meat doesn't equal tapas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Porto by Tuk Tuk

Porto

This was a lot of fun. My driver was very sweet and made the best of modifying his original plan due to a marathon that kept us from exploring along the river. I feel his company should have done a better job preparing him for that - a marathon is scheduled months in advance and he was totally unaware. He felt bad he couldn't provide the experience he wanted and was very apologetic. I didn't feel jipped though - he showed me lots of fun nooks and crannies of Porto.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

My driver was wonderful. He went out of his way to tailor my experience and ensure I experienced Port the right way. The lunch we had with Rafael was very cool. I tried a lot of foods I never would have on my own and Rafael is an absolute jewel. The river cruise was wonderful but this is another experience I could have bought on my own via viator. I would have preferred something smaller. My driver, Rafael and the gorgeous scenery made up for it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Julia was lovely and clearly loves her city. This was obvious in the time she took explaining the history. She showed me areas I certainly wouldn't have found on my own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner With Locals at a Local Home

Lisbon

A perfect way to end my trip! Sofia and Carlos were just wonderful. It is clear they don't host these dinners to make money - they truly want to meet people and make them feel welcome in their country. There were issues with both my booking and the booking of the couples I ate with but Sofia and Carlos went out of their way to make sure we all still had a wonderful time. I will go out of my way to reach out to Sofia and Carlos if I make my way back to Lisbon. They could not have been lovelier.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Libson Winery tasting event was WONDERFUL! We also loved the Lagos grotto kayaking tour. I would have changed some of the other events had I known it was going to take 1 & 2 hours to get to the event. One of our tours was cancelled d/t weather and rescheduled to the next day, but WE could not cancel the tour Kim Kim had already scheduled for us the next day. I think I should have been notified of the driving situation in Evora. Part of the reason I chose to try Kim Kim was so I would not have to do so much leg work. Ultimately, I still had to do a lot of leg work...and a the last minute because vouchers were not provided until 2 weeks before the trip.

Hotel Reviews

The Noble House

Evora

Very limited parking and literally NO parking within the walls so you had to go a LONG way with luggage on cobblestone.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location was within medieval walls w/o parking. Parking, if available, was not included in the package price.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marina Club Lagos Resort

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Would have preferred something on the ocean

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Essential Sintra: Quinta da Regaleira, Pena Palace and Cascais - Full Day

Lisbon

The voucher provided little details regarding meeting place. When I called the tour providers number on our voucher, I was told we did not have a tour that day. Very frustrating. Then Kim Kim offered us a half day tour to Sintra, which we took. We still had to pay the full day tour price and did NOT get to go to Pena Palace. The tour itself sucked. Didn't care for the guide. All we saw was Sintra palace and then we had 20 minutes to 'explore' before we had to get back on the bus. At Cascais, we had 40 minutes to explore. We were extremely disappointed and wish we had NEVER agreed to accept this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Grottoes While Kayaking from Lagos

Lagos (Algarve)

We loved this activity

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Premium Portuguese Wine & Tapas Tasting at a Wine Bar

Lisbon

This was one of the highlights of our trip! And since it as our first event, I was very excited to experience the remainder of our events.

Quality of Experience

Private Wine Tour to Arrábida and Comporta with Horseback Riding

Lisbon

We enjoyed the horseback ride very much but had no idea it was going to take almost 2 hours to get there and back.

Quality of Experience

Lisbon Walking Tour

Lisbon

Loved our guide. Very enthusiastic and provided just the right amount of history and humor to hold our interest throughout the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Divers with experience Algarve

Albufeira

We had to cancel this tour because the Kayaking tour was rescheduled for the same day. My husband was not able to kayak and dive on the same day due to rotator cuff injuries. Kim Kim would not reimburse us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

An exceptionally great experience. Here is an event by event summary:
- Lisbon Food Walk...A
- Lisbon Architectural and Historical Walk...A+
- Lisbon Tuk Tuk Tour...A+ ( a half-a-day long tour with stops could be better)
- Day Tour of Sintra...A++
- Day Tour of Evora...A++
- Nazare...A+++
- Fatima Guided Visit...A
- Coimbra Guided Visit...A
- Douro Valley Exploration Drive...A+++
- Wine Tasting...A, an embarrassing misunderstanding but wine tasting event was enjoyable
- River Cruise...B-, this was not informative or enjoyable
- Quinta de la Rosa Winery Tour...C-, unattractive winery, uninspired guide.
- Quinta de la Rosa Lunch...Food A, Service B-, Attitude C---. It was somewhat uncomfortable to be there. Felt like we were uninvited guests. Did not make us feel welcome.
- Porto Guided Visit...A+
- Peneda-Geres National Park Excursion...A++
We liked all the hotels but we were exceptionally fond of the Ventozelo Hotel in Douro Valley. I also liked the Trip Plans App very much. It made it easy to follow the trip day by day without having to look at the paper itinerary. I had not seen this App before. Marina put together an excellent itinerary for us. We enjoyed the entire trip very much. We may even consider coming back to Portugal some day!
Subhash Mundle

My wife and I had an unexpected ending to a planned two week trip to Portugal with Kim Kim. On our fifth day in country my wife Kathi tripped on a stair step at our hotel in Porto. She broke her shoulder in three places. Now here is the huge kudo to our travel guide João.

Upon hearing of the accident he arrived at the hospital late evening. When the orthopedic doctor prescribed four meds to ease her pain he went on his own to a 24 pharmacist to get the prescriptions filled and met us back at our hotel at 2:30 am. The next day he drove us back to Lisbon to catch our rescheduled flight home to the states. We cannot say enough high grades for Joaos help in planning our itinerary and his support on the ground.

Best possible review for KimKim and João! Jim And Kathi Manke in Minneapolis.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Balthazar

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Flores

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

When my wife tripped on a hotel stair the front desk manager Fabio was quick to react and got an ambulance to the scene quickly. He also contacted our tour guide João to meet us at the hospital. When we arrived back at the hotel at 2am the front desk person Diago was extremely helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Food tour

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Danial was a terrific tour guide.

Transport

Full-Day Guided Tour of Cascais & Sintra

Portugal

Our KimKim guide João selected a wonderful lunch spot. He made the trip very informative and fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

João is the best!

Transport

Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

Food was so so . Music was wonderful in a very small setting. About 30 seats.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cab driver drive like a nut ball!

Port Wine Tasting Tour

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Experience the Canals of Aveiro

Aveiro

João found a wonderful spot on the waterfront. Little Venice of Portugal!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

João Was in touch with us at all times which gave us peace of mind that if we needed to ask anything . That ensure a sense of security in a foreign country that someone was there .
All the drivers were very good . Carlos seemed to be able to explain the important landmarks in detail.

My wife and I were looking to visit Portugal for the first time as a pre-trip before spending a week in Greece. Joao was incredibly helpful in capturing our wants and needs and incorporating everything into a wonderful experience in Portugal. His hotel bookings were perfectly aligned with our wants, and the detailed planning for our day trips were amazing. I would highly recommend kimkim to anyone looking to book a wonderful travel experience. I will use them again in the future for sure.

Our trip to Portugal was wonderful. We worked with Tiago from Kimkim in planning and booking our trip. Tiago was terrific to work with. We exchanged numerous texts and also had a couple of phone calls with Tiago, and he listened to our interests and he made several suggestions in planning our very memorable trip. We flew into Porto and the next day we had a half day guided tour with Manual. Manual was really great. He was very knowledgeable about the area and really fun to be with. We then drove from Porto to Lisbon and made a few stops along the way that Tiago suggested. In Lisbon, we had a two guided tours wit Joao. The first day Joao showed us the many sites within Lisbon. The second day he showed us around the many interesting sites outside of Lisbon. Joao was really great and made sure we hit on all of our interests. After two days with Joao, we felt like we made a new friend. We then drove to Lagos and toured around the Algarve. The Algarve was beautiful and our only regret was we needed more time in Lagos to enjoy and relax on one of the many beaches, Every aspect of our trip went off without any issues from our pick up at the airport, connecting with our guides, our hotel reservations and our car rentals. Tiago was available anytime we had a question or issue and he followed up with us several times to make sure our trip was going well . We would definitely work wit Tiago again if we make another trip to Portugal.

James the trip was truly amazing, Mark and I enjoyed everything about it . It was a pleasure to work with you .

Trip was very well planned by Jaoa. All details were well thought out. Ivo and Carlos did a great job in driving us everywhere and providing detailed information about each site including all historical facts. The best part of the trip was cultural immersion by visiting a local fishing village, a small time wine maker, and participating in a cooking class!

Overall I was very pleased with the accommodations except the place in Sintra. We wee in the basement and the smell of mildew was overpowering. I got sick there and i think the dampness and mold didn’t help. The guiding in Sintra was excellent. I was impressed with all the guides knowledge and education regarding history and sites. When we arrived in Porto after a long, long day I was exhausted and had no energy for walking around. Aviero was a delight and Coimbro was fascinating for the Knights Templar history. I loved exploring the churches, particularly the very old one and seeing the signs of the original templars. I also loved the recreation of Solomon’s temple. Boggles the mind it could be so beautiful. The lodgings again were beautiful. I loved the history of the castle we stayed inn in Coimbro and also loved the hotel in Evora as it had a. Living suite. That makes it so much nicer when traveling.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Quinta das Lágrimas

Coimbra

This is visually the most beautiful place we stayed. Our room was small but we were only there one night and really didn’t have time to enjoy any of the grounds. The decorations inside the building are fabulous and the story associated with it is so interesting. Quite lovely and the staff are lovely also.

Authenticity & Character

Well, I wasn’t in love with it. We had a guide/driver so it was okay but we love to be able to walk into town

Location

Well, i

Staff

Very accommodating and pleasant, especially the reception area and the bartender.

Cleanliness & Comfort

These bathtubs all over Portugal are death traps for older people especially as there are no grab bars and are so slippery. This was true for all but one place we stayed where there was a walk in shower. Don’t remember which one but that is a real hazard and not just for really old people like me

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Decor fabulous and staff very nice and accommodating

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful hotel and location

Location

Loved it. We could walk out the door and were right in the middle of things.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Again, bathtub is dangerous

Chalet Saudade

Sintra

Our stay at Chalet Saudade in Sintra had its ups and downs. We were put in the basement, which had an overwhelming smell of mold and was quite damp. I complained to the landlady, but her solution to keep the doors open wasn't practical since we were out during the day. However, the receptionist was exceptionally kind and helpful, and our room setup with a living room and big bedroom was nice. The location was good for walking into town.

Activity Reviews

Porto Douro Cruise

Porto

This wasn’t really a big deal and I could have skipped it without missing anything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I was impressed with the level of education, all graduates of college and post graduate work.

Transport

The cars were fine.

Half-Day Walking Guided Tour of Porto

Porto

On the day we arrived in Porto, I was pretty exhausted and hungry. Our guide was really nice and took me to a market where I found something delicious to eat, a breaded dome with chicken inside. Unfortunately, I didn't have much energy for the walking tour itself.

Tomar - the Military and Religious Base of the Knights Templar

Tomar

I absolutely loved visiting the Military and Religious Base of the Knights Templar in Tomar. I'm a big history buff, and this place was a highlight for me. The guide even found a book on the Knights Templar for me that I took home to my grandson. Reading it opened up a whole new world for me to explore.

Discover Magical Sintra

Portugal

Sintra was wonderful and I particularly liked our guide for his temperament and humor. I would definitely recommend it to anyone!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The trip was very well planned by João and his team. Carlos and Ivo our driver/guide went out of their way to make sure we weee comfortable during the travel. Both are very knowledgeable and made our experience unforgettable.

Hotel Reviews

Cascais Miragem

Cascais - Portugal

Authenticity & Character

Great ambiance

Location

Close to the ocean

Staff

The entire staff was very courteous

Cleanliness & Comfort

Montebelo Lisbon Downtown Apartments

Lisboa

Great location, very convenient to walk to various restaurants. Apartment was clean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to many great restaurants

Staff

Very courteous and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Place was clean

Condes de Azevedo Palace

Porto

Nice place. The first apartment that we were given was not comfortable for two couples. The management changed it for us for the next two days. Nice rustic feeling condos. Breakfast was amazing. Nice fresh salads, juice, cheese, pastries, bread.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable distance to the river and cathedral

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Discover Lisbon: Private 4-Hour Historic Center Driver Tour

Lisbon

The trip was good, wish we had a guide to explain is the details

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The vehicle was very spacious and clean

Marina planned the most fantastic memorable Portugal vacation. I could not have asked for more. Each event was VERY nice. All of the drivers were professional and prompt. The hotels were located in the center of all of the fun.
Filipe gave is a very informative historical tour of Lisbon with so much to learn.
Paulo made sure that we missed nothing on our way to and through Sintra and Cascais. What a phenomenal lunch and tour. I felt like family there.
I also truly enjoyed a solo toru in Coimbra.
Celia provided a great overview of Porto and I did not want the tour to end.
The Douro Wine Valley tour- truly the highlight. Pedro demonstrated his love for his country and it's history with wine. He made it so much fun and our group was the envy of others on the boat.
Marina hit a 10+ on planning this tour. I will never forget this vacation...

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

In the heart of everything with excellent amenities. Professional staff and everyone was so welcoming. 10+

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very inviting

Hotel Oslo Coimbra

Coimbra

RIght next to the train station and close to everything that I wanted to see. Close walk to the river and great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Premium Porto Downtown

Porto

Right in the heart of everything. Hotel staff stored our bags until check in and offered suggested things to do until checkin. Great breakfast and Amazing rooftop bar.

Authenticity & Character

This hotle fit in with the location with all of the stores and restuarants in walking distance.

Location

I walked to everything in just a matter of minutes.

Staff

Friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pillows too soft.

Activity Reviews

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

I learned so much about the history of Lisbon from Filipe She was sooooo informed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Paulo made this a very special and memorable day. He is a very special person with a wealth of knowledge. He made sure that we got the most form each stop.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Smooth ride, wifi, great converstation and views.

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Celia was so personable and excited to share her home town. I did not want the tour to end, Very special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

This was a great and fun food tour, Each stop offered a true culinary experience with wine. The sardine and mackeral blew me away.

Quality of Experience

Food

The wine pairings were perfect!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Porto

WOW. I was blown away by the views. Pedro made sure that we got pics of each event and made it so much fun. It did not feel like 8 hours at all. We were the envy of other groups on our boat because of Pedro.

Quality of Experience

Food

The fish at lunch......Soooo good. All of the wine... delish

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro made it fun. Each stop was ready for us.

Transport

Couple things to note:
- I do not write reviews unless something blows my mind - good or bad
- I was with my family, our teenagers close in age but very different in preferences. (Had our work cut out for us)

Let’s break this down into parts:
- KimKim process / portal (intro to AP)
- Across Portugal Experience
- Our Portugal itinerary
- Experiences & People
- Lodging

1. KimKim: I stumbled upon KimKim having given up on our standard (and unresponsive) travel agency. It was the perfect way to explore experiences without feeling alone or winging it on details that matter when you are jetlagged and out of your comfort zone. And now I am absolutely spoiled having met Pedro. He sets the bar so high that I am totally willing to try KimKim again but wary that anyone can match his care. That said - KimKim provided a super user-friendly interface, reliable communication and time lines. The payment and plan finalization was a breeze. Great platform, totally recommend.

2. Across Portugal: I cannot express how delightful our experience was. Pedro was so communicative and thoughtful in every interaction. And not just during or after the trip. The whole time. Any time I had a question, he answered within hours. What I appreciate most is that I came with ideas and Pedro listened and asked “why” to a couple of my accommodation and tour requests.
He gently redirected me and I am so glad he did. The first was hotel location in Lisbon. I had one neighborhood in mind and he suggested where we ended up staying. (I’ll explain more below). Another was, “mehhh, I don’t know if we need the cultural walking tour day after Sintra” and I am so glad he said “yeah…you do”. First of all, we had the same delightful guide Mariana as with Sintra (and Carlos, who I will get to as well!). We saw parts of the city which would have felt too far or not known how to navigate. Net/net - every single recommendation was SPOT ON. We were greeted by a thoughtful care package of treats. We ended each day with a reminder of our itinerary and time lines. The perfect combination of attention and space. Lovely lovely lovely. I wish he could do every country on our list!

3. Our Portugal itinerary: Probably not that uncommon but we have a history buff and a beach bum - so we chose to stay in Lisbon for 4 days and Algarve (Albufeira) for 5 days leaving 1 day close to the airport back in Lisbon. Day 1 we attempted all Anthony Bourdain spots on our own. Day 2 we went to Sintra and Caiscais. Day 3 was a private walking tour and wine tasting. Day 4 was on our own. Perfect balance of activity and time to explore or just stare. I love that city! From there we went to a private resort outside Albuferia - we could have walked to town but didn’t. We rented a car and it was easy (another recommendation from Pedro and glad we did) back to Lisbon for low stress.

4. People and Experiences: We started by meeting Carlos. What a guy. He was so kind and fun. A gentleman, historian. He cares so deeply. Carlos was chief transportation officer and so much more. He was ALWAYS early, everything handled with care, personal touches regarding recommended restaurants and experiences. He was so fun to be around we asked him to join us for a cliff jump in Algarve (he smartly declined - it was steep). Needless to say we spent nearly 16 hours across the span of our trip and we didn’t stop talking. We learned a ton, shared a ton. That said, I bet if you said - “I need to sleep” he would have lullaby music. Just a gem. We enjoyed his company so much I now call him our friend.
Then Mariana! “PORTUGAL!!!” Was her enthusiastic picture quote and she actually got our 15 yo daughter to smile. Repeatedly which is no small feat. Mariana was so kind and a great conversationalist as well. Not only with us but with everyone around her. She took our pictures and then if others asked, she just did. And when people were bustling by, she just let them pass. She had such a calm yet radiantly positive vibe that made hikes, crowds, decisions feel effortless. She and Carlos pivoted when we needed to at the end of our day tour with such ease. We also LOVED the walking tour the following day. You could really spend a week exploring Lisbon but when you cannot - find Mariana. She’ll show you what you need to see so you can make tough decisions on where to spend your time later. She didn’t blink at taking pics and took care to find the right angles and spaces. So grateful. The Lisbon Winery was a great place to end the day trip as it was calm, cool, great wine and very relaxing vibe. My only regret is that we couldn’t buy some wine.

5. Lodging: In Lisbon we stayed in Heritage Avenida Liberdade Boutique Hotel. Just like real estate. Location location location. We walked everywhere and with ease. The hotel was welcoming clean, comfortable. We received adjourning rooms so our teens had space. It was perfect. It is also a hotel in a historic city not a “resort”. So manage buffet and size expectations appropriately. We have done a fair bit of travel and found it to meet our needs entirely. Highly recommend. While in Algarve we went to Vilalara Thalassa resort. Shout out Nitin! He was our favorite human at that resort. Beautiful views, pickleball, pool, bountiful breakfast, beach access, ample parking, sunset on the deck, great restaurants within 5-10 mins drive. Amazing.

I am so wildly grateful to have met and worked with Pedro, Carlos, Mariana. Such a tremendous experience from beginning to end. Obrigata!

Hotel Reviews

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Perfect location. Delightful blend of artistic influence with old world charm. Friendly and attentive staff. Ticked all of our boxes.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vilalara Thalassa Resort

Lagoa

Perfect for those seeking a resort experience. Typical of a resort, we waited a bit for check in but quickly forgot about a room when we hit the pool, beach, sangria on the deck. Great parking, pickleball courts, comfortable clean and quiet!

Authenticity & Character

Clean, quiet, not crowded.

Location

5-10 mins drive to GREAT restaurants

Staff

NITIN!!! We adore you! Nitin was so kind and courteous. We enjoyed spending time with him. Also Rueben. I did a “Hail Mary” to seek a cliff to jump from. Rueben happened to be a former life guard (he was at the front desk). Took time out of his day to drive me to a safe spot, shared best time for the tide. What a guy! We did it! (Estimating 55-60 FT - it was fabulous)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were cleaned when we asked, we had onsite laundry with a drying rack.

Tivoli Oriente Hotel

Lisbon

Great spot for low-stress airport transport. Also, we were knackered after 10 days travel so we opted to do “the hotel bar” and wow, it was not a typical hotel joint. Roof-top, Fresh sushi, fun fusion recipes, great GTs, really refreshing sangria. We forgot that we just stayed at the hotel - it was a fun experience

Authenticity & Character

It was a little tired but it served its purpose

Location

Perfect for an easy trip to airport

Staff

Very kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Again, a little tired. The shower was small with a leaky glass door but it’s not atypical and we just needed to lay our heads for 8 hrs.

Activity Reviews

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

What made this special were Carlos and Mariana. Sintra and Caiscais were delightful, don’t get me wrong but what we learned and sa along the way was priceless lightening in bottle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See my review on the trip and Trip Advisor - 10 stars

Transport

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour & Tastings

Lisbon

Great way to see a lot with 1/2 day. It gives great perspective on things you want to come back and dig into in more detail later!

Quality of Experience

Mariana was so generous with her time and knowledge

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vibe! Chill yet exciting. We just fell into a rhythm. Effortless and yet accomplished so much

Transport

We walked everywhere! Up and down and it was great. Forget the heels at home.

Small Group Boat Trip to the Timeless View of the Benagil Caves

Portugal

So glad we did this. Short yet long enough. At first I was bummed it wasn’t a kayak then quickly saw the beauty of the boat approach. We zoomed in and out of way more than would have been feasible in a kayak. Our guides were fun.

Quality of Experience

Great way to see natural beauty in Algarve while not sacrificing a beach day!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fun, jocular

Transport

Quick, easy - late enough for a nice breakfast and back by lunch to enjoy the sun