Across Portugal

Across Portugal was fantastic! The tour groups they hired for us were all amazing! Everything went very smooth from planning to the day of.

We had a truly spectacular 7-day trip to Portugal early November 2024 -- our first not only to Portugal but to Europe. We credit the success of our trip to Pedro, who was the local specialist who consulted with us to truly understand what would work best to meet our needs. In our case, it was a balance of experiencing Portugal, its people, its history, its cities and more leisurely sights at a comfortable, low key pace that wasn't too overwhelming for us.

We arrived in Lisbon early on a Sunday morning, were greeted by a wonderful driver (Rui) who recommended some of the key places in the city and near our hotel (including several of his favorites). Our first stop was the Heritage Avenida Liberace hotel in Lisbon, which was a perfect and lovey location up the hill from downtown, a perfect place for exploring the city. The hotel was beautiful, filled with beautiful design inspiration. We were most grateful for the lovely and thoughtful welcome basket of wine, snacks and aromatic soaps Pedro had left for us. We strolled the city on Sunday, and were ready to do more on Monday when we were greeted by Rita for an amazing tasting tour throughout the city.

Rita introduced us to many favorite foods of Lisbon, and shared so many stories about the city and its history! Her thoughtful and delicious tour ended at the Time Out Market, where they were actually filming an episode of a Chef's show. Later that evening, we immersed ourselves in Portuguese culture by experiencing a Fado Dinner at Mesa de Frades, a delicious and moving experience we won't soon forget.

The next day, we were greeted by Helio, who was the main driver for the next several days of our visit. He was incredibly warm, flexible, knowledgeable and helpful! Funny, too. We visited the fairytale vila of Sintra and toured the Pena Palace and Gardens. Later in the day, we drove down through coast and returned to the Heritage hotel via Cascais. We had a most delicious lunch (Hello proactively made reservations for multiple meals on our behalf) of seabass and other local delicacies.

On our second day traveling with Hello, we traveled to Porto (via Obidas and the awe-inspiring Nazare, where Hello also proactively reserved a lunch of seaside delicacies (the tuna was amazing!) for us. We checked into the NH Collection of hotels in Porto, another centrally located hotel inviting many adventures on foot.

We were greeted by Bernardo for an historical walking tour the Porto . Talk about an incredibly passionate and knowledgeable tour guide! We would highly recommend Bernardo.

The next day Evol greeted us at the hotel for a day trip to the Douro valley, including a boat tour in Deltatur and a memorable and delicious lunch at the Quinta da Pacheco. Both are must-sees! Evol was a wonderful driver who shared many stories and tips about the Douro Valley and the sites we were seeing, and made a special stop so for photo opps, doubling as our photographer (thank you, Evol!).

We re-engaged with Helio on our final full day in Portugal, when he met us in Porto and drove us from the city all the way down to Cascais, via stops in Coimbra. We said a grateful farewell as we hiked into the Cascais Miragem hotel -- the views were spectacular and left us wanting to return to Portugal for more on a future visit!

Finally, Andre greeted us the morning of our last day and made sure we were all set for check in at the hotel in Lisbon. Another comfortable and pleasant drive and conversation about Portugal.

On last note of gratitude, Pedro used WhatsApp to manage our expectations with the perfect amount of detail a day ahead. He was always at the ready to respond to questions and requests, no matter how small or seemingly trivial.

A group of 4 of us just returned from a fabulous trip to Portugal arranged by João and his team, and wow, they did a wonderful job arranging our tour. All of the hotels were perfect for us, the drivers were professional and on time, and the experiences were well chosen and organized. There were a couple of minor glitches, including one tour guide who failed to take us to a port tasting, but travel is never about perfection. It is about caring people who do their best to provide a wonderful experience. And that is by and large what we got. We all feel like we got to experience some of the real Portugal: the kind people (including João himself), the amazing landscapes (Lagos, Portimao, the Douro River Valley) and fun activities (tile painting in Lisbon, port tasting and bridge climb in Porto, the convent hotel in Evora, the palace hotel in Cascais, e-bike rides on Lisbon and Cascais, farm and winery visits in the Alentejo and Douro). Put Portugal on your bucket list, and the planning in João's hands; you will not be disappointed! Thank you again João!

We had an amazing trip. Pedro our specialist listened to us when we initially spoke about our interests and what we enjoy doing when we travel. He tailor made a trip that incorporated the things that make a trip special for us. Throughout our trip he would check in on us to assure we we satisfied with all aspects of our travels and reminded us of our upcoming events. Very attentive to detail. Our trip started in Porto with Ivo our driver who was so much more then a driver as he shared so much about the areas we visited. Our time together generated a friendship which became part of our Portugal experience. Our guide in Porto, Sarah and in Lisbon, Margarette were awesome. They shared so much information about not only the sights but also the culture and history, we both enjoyed their insight and willingness to share. It helped us get a better understanding of Portugal.
When traveling from Algarve to Lisbon and Sintra Helios was much more then a driver but an excellent guide sharing his insights and pointing out sights and their significance.
The hotels that were booked for us were also well located and exceptional. The staff very attentive. All these aspects led to a great experience, a desire to return to Portugal and no reluctance to using Kim Kim again to book our next adventure.
Thank you

Hotel Review

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Awesome location, beautiful building and great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Transfer from Porto to Algarve

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ivo was just great, more then a driver

Transport

We had a wonderful vacation in Portugal. Pedro and his team made our vacation truly memorable. They planned a great itinerary for us based on what we wanted to do and would update us every day. The hotels that were booked for us were all outstanding as were the local guides and drivers. Thanks Pedro!

We had an amazing time visiting Lisbon, Lagos & Cascais. The history, people & food were all spectacular. Highly recommend private driver Gold car services for day trip to Sintra. Nuno was great to spend the day with us. Marissa was in contact with us throughout the booking process & all suggestions and activities were spot on. It was great being able to keep in touch every day as she checked in each day to assure all was going smoothly. Any little request was addressed with the greatest efficiency. We could not have asked for more. We will definitely use Kim Kim again!

Hotel Reviews

Bairro Alto Hotel

Lisboa

Great location & amazing breakfast with city views. Staff was wonderful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

D. Manuel I - Charming Residence

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascais Miragem

Cascais - Portugal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Lisbon

Our guide as terrific. History & details walking all over the city, followed by the wine tasting. Overall great

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Belém on a Scenic 2-Hour Tuk Tuk Tour

Lisbon

Great way to see Belem, monastery & the wonderful custard tarts!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exclusive Panoramic Boat Tour to the Ponta da Piedade Caves

Portugal

Beautiful way to see the caves & coast

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit: Cascais

Portugal

Marissa suggested this stop. What a great town/ city. Love the mix of the charming town with the beach & coast.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was great from beginning to end. Pedro was excellent!!! Stayed in touch with us daily with information and updates. Had the best time. Portugal was amazing

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

The staff was so friendly and helpful. Location was perfect

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Condes de Azevedo Palace

Porto

This was a 2 bed, 2.5 bath apartment in a great location. Beautiful old palace updated with all modern amenities. Would definitely stay again on my return to Porto ❤️

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

So friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apartment was spotless

NEXT - by Savoy Signature

Funchal

Great location and amenities. Very modern with young hip vibe

Authenticity & Character

Modern

Location

On the water and could walk to restaurants and shops

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable

Activity Reviews

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

Lisbon

Had a great time with Ana. Very knowledgeable and sweet.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ana is fantastic

Transport

Walking

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

Food was great. Music beautiful ❤️

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Beautiful Sintra. Great dsy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Viviana was awesome. Knowledgeable, helpful and friendly

Transport

Comfortable car

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

Portugal

Wonderful day in the beautiful Douro valley. Ivo was a great driver and tour guide. Had so much fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Portugal

Stunning!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nonu was a great captain

Transport

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Had a wonderful walking tour in Porto. A stunning city. Even in the rain

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sara was wonderful. Knew everything thing about the history of Porto and the architecture. Really rnjoyed

Transport

Walking in the rain

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

Portugal

Beautiful vineyard. The tour so interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Victor was so much fun and very knowledgeable

Transport

Unveil the Western landscapes of Madeira Island on a Small Group Tour

Madeira

What an adventure. We had a great time. Small fishing village, off roading in beautiful forests that smelt like eucalyptus, swimming in volcanic pool, visiting a black sand beach and waterfalls. And that wasn’t everything ❤️

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro was fantastic, friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and a great driver

Transport

4 wheel drive jeep

Pedro was exceptionally patient and flexible with our every-changing plans and dates. He kept us informed all the time and was easily accessible and always pleasant and upbeat. I'm grateful to have followed his recommendation to download Whats App so I always knew what where we were supposed to be and what we were to do. We are very pleased with our Kimkim experience. Thanks for everything!

We were very pleased with the walking tour in Lisbon (guide Ana was amazing), walking tour of Porto (guide Bernado was very good). Our driver for two of our day trips, Carlos was fantastic...very knowledgeable, information, professional and went out of his way to provide us service. We found the 2 hour Tuk Tuk tour to be too long and uncomfortable. Private Douro Valley boat trip and winery tour was excellent. Unfortunately, can't say the same for our driver as he was late on both ends of the trip, not very professional and perhaps hung over.
Overall, it was an amazing trip and I would definitely use Kim Kim again for future trips.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisboa

Great boutique hotel right in the city centre. Great room and breakfasts.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pestana Porto - A Brasileira

Porto

Great hotel in Porto city centre. The rooms were small but well equipped.

Authenticity & Character

USB ports in the room for easy recharging devices

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Évora Olive Hotel

Evora

Centrally located in the old city centre but due to road closures, it was difficult to get around by car. The beds were incredible hard and the pillows non-existant. The restaurant, bar and breakfasts were excellent. The pool and outdoor garden were excellent and nice quiet respite from the business of Evora.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

More pillows and USB charging ports in the rooms

Vila Galé Lagos

Lagos

Having a beautiful sea view room with a balcony was wonderful. The room was large and the beds comfortable. The pool and surrounding decks were amazing. Great poolside bar. Easy access to the ocean beach as well. Only complaint would be the dinner buffet. The food was mostly lukewarm and over cooked. We ate at the two other restaurants and this was much better than the buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vila Galé Cascais

Cascais

Excellent location with easy walk to the historic city centre of Cascais. The room was large and we had a large, private balcony overlooking the pool and ocean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Our driver Carlos definitely made this trip amazing. Pena Palace was beautiful and well worth it, but there are a lot of tourists making the viewing of the palace slow. The grounds are amazing. Our driver suggested we go to the National Palace in the centre of Sintra as it was much more interesting and not as busy. I am glad he suggested it as it was truly excellent. Carlos went out of his way and bought us some local treats of Sintra for the ride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carlos was professional, knowledgeable and able to give us suggestions on how to make the trip better.

Transport

The driver and the comfort of the vehicle

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Our guide, Bernado was very knowledgeable about the different architecture and the history of historic Porto. Only issue was that he was very soft spoken and sometimes it was difficult to hear him, especially when in the old train station where there were many other large tours taking place

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Portugal

The entire day was very good with a boat tour and a winery visit included. However, our driver was late picking us up, said he was feeling under the weather. Later he mentioned that he was a wedding the night before and had little sleep. His driving was erratic and he again was late picking us up at the end of the day. First he blamed a car event taking place in the town and then later said he had been sleeping while we were on the winery tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The car was comfortable, driver was not professional

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Portugal

Great boat pilot and his guide. They both were very knowledgeable and engaging. What could beat cruising the river on a beautiful day, sipping on some sparkling wine?

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Portugal

Beautiful winery and a very delicious 3 course meal with wine pairings. The staff were excellent and the views outstanding. After lunch we had a winery tour with 4 tastings of various wines.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey Walk

Lisbon

Our guide, Ana was amazing. We learned so much about the history of Lisbon and Porto.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Belém on a Scenic 2-Hour Tuk Tuk Tour

Lisbon

Two hours in a Tuk Tuk to Belem was painful. Most of the trip is rushing thru traffic to get to Belem and then a quick tour around. Our guide was fine and we were able to stop and get the original Pasties de Nata.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

Enjoyable night out. The food was good and the fado singers were very talented.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Took a taxi and the driver was rude and extremely reckless driver

Exclusive Panoramic Boat Tour to the Ponta da Piedade Caves

Portugal

Our boat pilot Marta and her guide were excellent. It was pretty rough but we never where worried because of Marta's skills. Because of the rough water, there was one cave she didn't go into but we appreciated her safety-minded attidtude. The rock faces and scenery were amazing and a must see in the Algarve.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

Interesting tour of Sandeman's winery. We learned a lot about Port and had excellent tastings after.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

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.

Cascade Wellness

Lagos

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?

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 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.