Kimkim Trip Reviews

I was initially skeptical but Fabio and Kimkim did not disappoint! If you are reading this and maybe on the fence, don’t be, you won’t regret it. AND if you are lucky enough to have Fabio, you will be in great hands! We had high expectations and a short planning time and Fabio did amazing listening to our wants and must haves for our trip to Sicily. In the end we had a well thought out trip planned for us and everything coordinated, the usual stress was removed! We spent a little extra and Fabio did a great job at getting us drivers to take us to the sights we couldn’t walk to as well as we had some private tours vs. group. Highly recommend these in Sicily if in the budget! The tour guides (Max, Alessandra, Julia, Larissa and Greta!) were amazing and we felt like we were visiting friends who were giving us a tour. They were all so knowledgeable, fun and just great people. It was our anniversary and Fabio added some great touches to make the trip special as well. Lastly, the accommodations, were all in great locations, staff were super helpful and spoke English and made our stays easy and welcomed. We were so pleased with Fabio, and Kimkim, we will use the service again. We couldn’t have planned a better trip ourselves and this was so stress free! Don’t wait, see the world!

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Wagner

Palermo

We stayed here for less than 24 hrs due to flight schedule but so that is the only reason not giving 5 stars. The hotel has a more old world style than the others we stayed at but was really nice (not old world dirty). Staff were all very nice and helpful. If we stayed longer we could give more of a review

Authenticity & Character

Old world character

Location

Great location to shops and restaurants

Staff

Staff was great and polite and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was super clean

Hotel Villa Carlotta and Apartments

Taormina

Wonderful views, walk to all the shops and restaurants! Have breakfast looking outside at the water and Mt. Etna it was amazing! If you can, stay in the tower room! Definitely worth it and amazing! Would definitely recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Such a unique hotel with historically personality. Especially the tower room!

Location

Amazing location for walking to everything with wonderful views.

Staff

Staff were super helpful, polite and spoke English with us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The entire place was very clean and the room was super comfortable.

Grand Hotel et Des Palmes

Palermo

Such a great hotel! The interior is well done and its location is fantastic to walk to shops, sights in Palermo, and restaurants. The staff were all super helpful and very polite and accommodating. Of the places we stayed throughout Sicily (3 places) this was the best. Also, what really stood out was the breakfast and the staff at breakfast! They were amazing, polite and high attention to detail to help the customers. You will not be disappointed here.

Authenticity & Character

Just a beautiful hotel

Location

Perfect location for Palermo, shops, historic sites and food!

Staff

Super thoughtful and helpful. Especially the staff in the dinning room!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The best hotel we stayed at in Sicily (out of 3 hotels).

Activity Reviews

Evening Food Tour of Catania

Taormina

Great experience and definitely worth having a guide to show you the best places.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Greta our guide was so much fun! She was full of information and had us laughing a lot. We will always remember Greta and the fun we had eating the street food in Catania!

Transport

Mt. Etna Tour on a 4x4 Jeep with Lunch & Wine Tasting at a Local Winery

Taormina

Quality of Experience

The views of Etna and going into the cave was special

Food

Wine pairing and location was fantastic. Food was amazing that was paired.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very nice and knowledgeable.

Transport

Segesta & Erice Full Day

Palermo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Larissa was a book of knowledge! We learned so much for her during this visit, much of which was not the usual information.

Transport

Monreale & Cefalù | Full Day

Palermo

Two beautiful locations for very different reasons. Overall Cefalu was probably the winner with its amazing views and fun shops. Both are worth the visit and Julia our guide was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Palermo & Ballarò Market

Palermo

Max was amazing and such a knowledgeable person! He made this tour and was super accommodating so we could avoid what we already have seen and instead see Mondello.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Max our guide was so much fun and such a great person! By the end he was one of our friends we could just hang out and have dinner with!

Transport

Palermo Street Food Tour

Palermo

Alessandra was so much fun and made this experience so enjoyable! It is worth checking out the markets and doing this tour to learn some background and history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Had the most amazing 10 day trip throughout Morocco! Starting with the superb itinerary by Sharon to our wonderful guide Amnay and driver Waleed. From the sites, food, experiences and awesome hotels, I definitely recommend Using KimKim

Our trip to Costa Rica was absolutely awesome thanks to the shuttle service, hotels and excursions we planned on Kimkim. We arrived at the airport and our driver from Ride CR was there to meet us as expected. Albeir was friendly, professional and attentive to our needs. When we requested a lunch stop on our 3 hour trip he chose a small restaurant overlooking Lake Arenal and the volcano that had delicious, affordable food and was just busy enough. ALL of the drivers at Ride CR were punctual, professional, friendly people (Tim, Albeir, Marcos, etc.) Each one was sure to point out sights and provide optional stops for photo ops, points of interest and tell short stories about life in Costa Rica. We enjoyed the travel within our vacation because of this.
All of the hotels we stayed at were as described. Check-in and check out were a breeze. The only excursions we chose were a night hike and a sea kayaking and snorkeling trip. The team that picked us up and guided these adventures were friendly, knowledgeable and supportive.
I would highly recommend Kimkim to plan another vacation for us. It was so easy and made what would have been a logistics nightmare as simple as clicking a button.
Thank you Brittni and Jessica at Kimkim for your time and energy answering questions and the support.

Hotel Reviews

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Clean, quiet and so convenient to the beach and shops and restaurants. The Karahe had the most comfortable beds and a balcony that just beckoned you to sit out on and listen to the birds, watch monkeys and hear the surf. This hotel was also very conveniently located- a brief walk down the beach (15 minutes) and you're in a little beach village that had a convenience store, beach shops and restaurants. If you wanted more options the bus takes you a quick 5-8 minute ride up the very steep hill for less than 50 cents per person to an abundance of options for dining and shopping or 20 minutes to Quepos for anything you would need or want. I would not recommend the restaurant here for dinner as the food was overpriced (even for a tourist spot) and rather unappetizing. (it seemed like they piled shredded lettuce and drizzled ketchup and mayo over our chicken tacos) The staff were helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable to dining and shopping options. Easy beach access

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless grounds and room. Super comfy beds

Mar Inn Costa Rica

Monteverde Costa Rica

The Mar Inn was clean, comfortable and had a fabulous view over the mountains and offered a peek at the pacific. Like most other places in Monteverde it is on a hill. Be prepared to walk down a decent hill to go into town (less than 10 minutes) and back up for a market, lots of shops and restaurants. When we checked in we were offered a 'free' upgrade to a slightly bigger room with an amazing balcony. Of course, we gratefully said 'yes!' . All was great until the following day we wanted to nap but it was hot in our room, we looked and looked for the remote for the wall mounted fan unit (no ceiling fan) and couldn't find it. We went to the front desk and were told that because we took the 'upgrade' it would be $10 per day extra for AC or the fan. We politely declined. I would recommend this place but be certain t ask for details if offered an upgrade.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Like anything else in Monteverde, on a hill

Staff

Responsive and available during posted hours

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were hard but if you like that you'll be fine

Catarata Eco Lodge

San Carlos, Costa Rica

The Catarata Eco Lodge was clean and had an amazing view of the volcano. The grounds were filled with beautiful flowers, lush greenery and was well groomed but still looked very natural. The pool was nice and was well maintained. We ate in the restaurant for dinner one night and the food was OK. Birds and howler monkeys were in abundance! They are a 10-15 minute walk downhill to the outskirts of La Fortuna whee there were a few restaurants, coffee shops a market and artisan shops. It was safe to walk to and from this area but at night we chose a cab due to our concerns with wildlife and walking on a dimly lit road that has cars at night. One negative to the Catarata Eco Lodge was that the rooms are all open near the top of the wall (there are screens) which makes privacy between the rooms is non-existent. We could hear our neighbors sneeze, use the bathroom and almost participate in their conversations. Luckily, we were only in our room at night and fell right to sleep from a busy day.

Authenticity & Character

Colorful, lush and clean

Location

10-15 minute hilly walk to shops and restaurants

Staff

Friendly, knowledgeable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean room, beds were hard but fine if you like that

Activity Reviews

Ocean Kayaking Adventure

Manuel Antonio

Had a great time. Charlie was a fabulous driver and Marcos was a knowledgeable and attentive guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was a buffet at the Tucanes restaurant. Delicious but a bit disorganized.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Night Walk

Monteverde

Knowledgeable guide found tree frogs, nesting birds and explained things about the flora and fauna of the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ummm…Kimkim was awesome. And I’ve already recommended them to my closest friends….people I’m very considerate of who I recommend. Easily THE best planning service we’ve used. And such great local market intel that made our trip. Every recommendation was spot on…and we took them all to make the trip of a lifetime. We will definitely use kimkim again!!!

Activity Review

Manuel Antonio National Park Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide Linda was AWESOME and so easy to work with. We threw a lot at her -- lot of requests and preferences -- but she did a great job creating a great itinerary for us. And if we had any feedback or wanted to make any changes, she was so easy to work. We got to do everything on our travel wish list and would absolutely work with Linda again on our next Ecuador trip.

Activity Review

Visit Quilotoa Crater Lake, Transfer to Baños

Ecuador

This was one of the highlights of our entire trip! Such a stunning location (and a good hike/workout!)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed a most fabulous 10-day trip in Cambodia! The local expert Steve planned a wonderful multi-city stay that included famous sites and even a circus and all transfers were flawless. The hotels and resorts were 5-star, beautiful and clean with exceptional service. Most importantly, our guides were top notch! They were knowledgeable about the sites, flexible with requested changes and took us off the beaten path when we showed interest in something not on the itinerary. Many thanks to all and we will definitely book with KimKim.com again.

Activity Reviews

Phare, the Cambodian Circus (Seat A , reserved seating)

Siem Reap

The acrobats and performers showed their skills in a cute, engaging storyline. Really enjoyed this evening!

Apopo Landmine detecting rats (private tour)

Siem Reap

This facility and the rats are wonderful! The experience was eye-opening and holding the trained rat was incredible.

Angkor Thom (morning)

Siem Reap

Loved every minute of this place and wish we had more time, but we had to depart for lunch.

Just returned from our first trip to Italy and we couldn't have done it without the help of Alessandro. This was by far the best trip we have ever been on and are already planning when we are going back! Alessandro listened to exactly what our needs were with 2 teenagers and customized an amazing itinerary. From hotels, private drivers, trains, tours- Alessandro did it all for us! He was always available to answer questions and checked in daily during our trip. I am so happy I found KimKim and can't recommend them enough. The best 50th birthday gift for my husband and memories to last a lifetime!

Vishal impressed me from the moment I started our work together planning our Itinerary; helped by his excellent English.
He quickly had a good understanding of what we wanted to do and see in Bhutan and planned a really good varied trip given it was a our first visit to the Kingdom.
We had the most brilliant trip and everything worked so well; undoubtedly due to a lot of hard work behind the scenes by Vishal.
He was incredibly flexible and made last minute changes to our itinerary as needed/requested.
I was particularly taken by the care he took to ensure we acclimatised properly for the altitude we would experience on the Dagala trek which we chose because we wanted a real wilderness mountain experience with exceptional views where we would be unlikely to meet other tourists.
Vishal put together an excellent team to look after us. They provided a great service in really very challenging conditions on the trek given we had very cold unseasonal weather coupled with very strong winds/rain at nights and even woke to good snow cover one morning. Chelap , the cook, along with Daza and Doji his assistants produced excellent food every day including hot lunches on the trail. I was amazed at how versatile they were and managed to produce a roast chicken one evening! The horsemen Thinley and Sangay did a great job keeping their 10 ponies to task. Tashi , the guide, and driver Sonam were also great hosts and we really appreciated their company throughout our 2 weeks in the Kingdom.
We cannot thank Vishal and his team enough for all their hard work in making our trip so special. I can highly recommend him if you are thinking of a trip to Bhutan.

Hotel Review

Dhensa Boutique Resort

Punakha

An excellent choice of Hotel. Great views and very comfortable rooms with extremely friendly staff. The food was also very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

views coupled with peace and quiet.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Paro - Transfer to Punakha

Bhutan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver Komang was always very helpful and professional

We had an amazing time in Costa Rica and greatly appreciated the work Bryan did to plan and coordinate all of the incredible experiences. While we are traveling, any time we had a question, issue or needed to make a change, the Kim Kim team was responsive and helpful- which made us feel like we had a friend in Costa Rica to ensure we had a great time. Overall- truly amazing experience and once in a lifetime adventure for our family!

Hotel Review

Nayara Tented Camp

Fortuna

What a dream…I cannot recommend of express more how incredible this hotel and their staff is, every aspect of the stay was well thought out, and executed. From the facilities to the food to the little things (like providing free laundry service and frog exploration tours at night with their amazing driver) this place sets the bar for excellence.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Canopy Zip Line Tour and Fauna Exihibitions at Selvatura

Monteverde

The absolute best experience- we LOVED it!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Surf Lesson in Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Going through kimkim made planning the trip so much simpler. I told them what we wanted and they made the necessary arrangements. It was nice not having to research hotels, activities, or transportation. It took a few days, even a week at times to get a response through the website regarding our trip, but they were able to provide satisfactory answers to my questions before we began our trip. It was my first time traveling to Egypt, so I was unaware of the checkpoints and permits required when leaving the cities to places like the Giza Plateau or the Sphynx. The specialists and guides ensured that all the required permits and information were already provided, so that when we were stopped it was just a minor delay (we didn't have to anything, the driver and our guide handled all the interactions). For all of our excursions we were met in the lobby of our hotel by our specialist. This is very important, because I made the mistake of thinking the taxi outside the hotel was our transfer to the airport. It was not! So I ended up paying almost $50USD for something that was already arranged. Our specialist contacted me after we left, alerting me that they were in the lobby waiting for us. I explained that it was my error and not theirs. They remined me that a representative would always meet us in person in the hotel lobby each time. About halfway through our trip we decided to change some of the experiences we originally paid for. After some communication the kimkim team was able to accommodate our requests and change our itinerary.

Overall Egypt was an incredible place to visit. The history is legendary and to see first-hand the Sphynx, Giza Plateau, Valley of the Kings, and the thousands of artifacts in the museums was incredible! The only note of caution I have is that when you travel to these places, there will be lots of people wanting to help you (maybe to get a better view or a better picture, or to offer to take a picture for you). They are generally polite, but very pushy. If you allow them to assist you in any way they will ask for compensation. If they assist you and you refuse I've had them follow me through the area (we were in the tombs at the Valley of the Kings) or bring out their "boss" who simply wants me to take care of their "employees" (this was at the Giza Plateau). Sometimes they will hand you trinkets for "free" but then pester you for a donation. We refused them and the person literally placed them in our hands and then asked for money. Even in some gift shops someone will offer to help you and in return they'll ask for a commission after paying for the merchandise. We're fairly polite so we were taken advantage of. To avoid this, simply don't allow them to assist you at all (don't let them touch anything of yours), and don't engage in any conversation with them.

Beatriz was awesome to work with and made our trip smooth sailing. Teresa in Sevilla was very congenial and informative. we enjoyed her company and insights on our tour . unfortunately i have lost the name of the lady who took us to the flamenco show but she was delighful and showed great enthusiasm for the dance and explained some of the intricacies of the dance. Our tour of Cadiz was also exemplary and Adriana did a great and energetic presentation of the sights. i would say, in retropect, that i would have taken only one day in Cadiz and added it to either Sevilla, Ronda or Malaga. These three cities were the best.

Hotel Review

Gran Hotel Miramar

Málaga

Beautiful; the staff was amazing . the food was great. The room was awesome.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

An Evening of Spanish Guitar

Ronda

Tapas & Flamenco Experience

Seville

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing trip! Guides that deserve special mention were Teresa, our bike tour guide in Seville and Vincente our guide at the Alhambra.

Hotel Reviews

Smart Suites Albaicin Apartments

Granada

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Only YOU Hotel Atocha

Madrid

Great location opposite train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Opposite train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Taste Valencia: Wine & Tapas

Valencia

Guide Maria was lovely but didn't have much information about us or what we were expecting from the tour. From our perspective, we thought we'd be part of a bigger group going to a variety of tapas bars. We enjoyed the tour, due to our lovely guide, but probably needed more information about this tour.

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Needed more information about where to meet our guide. We didn't have a voucher and were told where the meeting place was. There were so many guides and it was confusing trying to find which group we were with.

Seville by Bike Like a Sevillano

Seville

Very good tour with Teresa. Great having a local showing us around. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Soufiane, our driver and day-to-day guide, had excellent food recommendations, kept us hydrated with fresh water in the car each day, and was a friendly and welcoming. He was flexible with our wants and schedule and tried hard to make our travel as seamless as possible. We would certainly recommend him to others! His company, Original Tours, a local KimKim partner, selected first-rate accommodations.

Hanan, our food tour and Marrakesh guide, was outstanding! We especially enjoyed the food tour where she found us excellent local spots to sample a wide variety of local dishes. Friendly and informed, a tour with Hanan is a must for visitors to Marrakesh!

Activity Reviews

Ait Benhaddou to Marrakech via Tizi N'Tichka pass

Morocco

Soufiane was a great driver for all of our transfers. We always felt comfortable with him at the wheel, even on small mountain roads. On our way to Marrakesh, he shared more about what makes the city special to him, and it was a welcome preview for our time in there. We appreciated his invitation to dinner at his house even though we were unable to go given our schedule.

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

Excellent! Camel ride was a highlight.

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Hanan did an excellent job contextualizo fue the history and day-to-day life of Marrakesh. Would highly recommend!

Private Transfer from Merzouga to Aït Benhaddou via Dades Valley

Morocco

Excellent stop! A highlight of our trip worth 2-4 hours depending on your interest in local history. A beautifully preserved location!

Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

One of the top three experiences of our trip! Hanan was an excellent guide. Want to see the real Marrakesh? Do a food tour.

I have absolutely no complaints. Everything was so well planned. The hotels were outstanding. Except the Amalia. It was a bit cramped for 3 people but we managed. My hat off to Christos and all his tour guides and drivers. They were outstanding 👏 👌

Hotel Reviews

Amalia Hotel Athens

Athens

A little cramped for 3 people and the bathtub was a bit high for elderly people. We had to be very cautious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness of the bathroom. Lots of hair on the floor behind door.

De Sol Hotel & Spa

Thera

Love the view and the breakfast. Outstanding. Room was very comfortable with 3 people.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belvedere Hotel Mykonos

Mýkonos City

Breath taking. Fabulous view, room service was excellent 👌

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathroom

Activity Reviews

Private Santorini Driving Panorama

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Santorini Wine Tour

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Mykonos Island Driving Tour

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Catamaran Caldera Cruise

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acropolis & Flavors of Athens

Athens

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiara did a great job understanding what we wanted from the trip and help set it up to match the interests of our party. The guides we had all along the trip were great and very knowledgeable. They were able to gauge the specific interests of our group and play more to them. We didn't have a single bad tour or guide. Really appreciate the small group setting. We had one small issue with flights arriving and she was quickly able to accommodate handling transfer for the group that got delayed.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Dei Mellini

Rome

The location was super and the staff were very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy walking distance to everything you needed - shopping, the Colliseum, Vatican City and restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Orto de' Medici

Florence

The hotel is in a great location and the staff were very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lancaster Hotel

Milan

The location of the hotel was great. It is just a little tired and needs some refreshing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk to many of the historical sights and shopping. Lots of restaurants and cafes nearby.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel is a bit tired and needs some updating.

Activity Reviews

Lake Como and Bellagio – Full Day Trip from Milan with Cruise

Italy

This is a must do tour. Getting a full tour of Lake Como is amazing and a great way is via boat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican Tour & Sistine Chapel

Rome

The tour guide was very knowledgeable and again, adapted the tour to our specific interests. Being able to do this first thing in the morning ahead of the crowds is a must.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuscany Vespa Tours

Florence

We absolutely loved this tour. The company was great and did a great job making sure that everyone was competent in driving. The scenery was amazing and it was a great way to tour the Tuscany area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum Tour with Underground, Arena & Gladiator Gate with Roman Forum

Rome

The guide we had was very knowledgeable and did a great job of understanding our specific interests and could easily adapt her focus to our interests. Also was very good about giving restaurant suggestions and other must see things in the City.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim put us in touch with Pedro at Across Portugal Tours in Lisbon. He is INCREDIBLE. We have never worked with such a responsive, helpful, knowledgeable, and competent travel agent and we have been around the world. The process of developing our tour was collaborative, taking into account our budget and physical needs and our desire to see a lot of Portugal but at a slower pace. The choice of hotels was spot on (Heritage in Lisbon, Portobay Teatro in Porto, and the Miragem in Cascais). He even sent photos of the showers so that concern about stepping in them was directly addressed. When we arrived, there was a care package waiting with port, cookies, and soaps. The drivers were excellent and we had the same driver for most of the trips; the walking tours were truly informative and fun. Everything went very smoothly. Pedro checked in with us daily on WhatsApp to make sure everything was OK and gave us the names and contact info for the drivers. He would offer suggestions for daily activities and for restaurants. There are not enough superlatives to describe the services offered by his agency. Working with Kimkim was also easy, clear, efficient, and responsive. We are so happy that we discovered the Kimkim website and services.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cascais Miragem

Cascais

Wow! Stunning hotel facing the ocean. Public rooms are breathtaking with art and sculptures everywhere. The outdoor infinity pool overlooking the sea was stunning. Also, the Water Lounge with a family pool, adult pool, salt water pool, steam room, and sauna. The spa massage was top-notch. This is definitely a five-star experience. The breakfasts were enough to fill you for the day and the staff were exceptionally warm and welcoming. The pool bar and cafe around the school made for a lovely dining experience for breakfast and lunch. Our room was huge, with sea views a dressing area, and a modern bath. As we were leaving at 6:15 AM they woke us with a call at five and then came by at 5:15 to make sure we were up. Also brought us breakfast bags with cappuccino as room service was not as yet open. Highest recommendation!

Authenticity & Character

More of a modern-style hotel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Teatro

Porto

Center of Porto. Modern hotel with lovely rooms and a great restaurant. Breakfasts are very ample and delicious. Helpful and warm staff. Surprised us with a bottle of champagne and a birthday cake for my wife! Highly recommended.

Authenticity & Character

More of a modern-style hotel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Elegant, has a great location in the center of Lisbon, has great breakfasts, and warm and very helpful staff. Beautiful historical room with modern facilities. Highly recommended.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit: Cascais

Portugal

We stayed at a five-star hotel here near the ocean which offered convenient access to the center of town which was great for walking to shops.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit: Porto

Porto

We participated in a port wine tour and an olive oil tour in Porto and even brought home some olive oil. Our exceptional driver ensured that we visited all the lesser-known tourist attractions before departing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Our guide, Bernardo, was an archaeologist and provided a wealth of information. The tour was very enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Lisbon

Our guide was a woman who was incredible, thoughtful, and nice. She modified the tour as necessary to accommodate our walking abilities on the cobblestone streets.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit: Sintra

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The guides we had were all excellent and most of all very kind. Marina did a great job for us. The only hotel that we found to be just ok was the Don Carlos. Uber drivers we contacted for a ride to some of our tours did not want to come to our hotel but asked us to come out to a very busy circle. The problem with that was that we had no internet out there and had a difficult time identifying our drivers. The traffic around the Don Carlos is very congested. We might have preferred staying closer to the start of our food and walking tours.
We were challenged by driving directions. Our GPS in the rental car did not work. Because we are of a certain age this was our first time traveling with our phone as our primary guide. My understanding is that Portugal Trails does map out your trip with specific directions via GPS which would have been helpful. My big takeaway from Portugal was the kindness of the Portuguese people.

Owen and Emily did an excellent job planning our trip to Liverpool, which they had to plan twice since the soccer game we had planned to attend was cancelled. Everything ran smoothly and the guides and hotel were excellent. So happy I went with kimkim instead of planning on my own.

Hotel Review

Hope Street Hotel

Liverpool

Liked the location and choice of restaurants. Enjoyed the free buffet breakfast and the Spa. Would have like to have utilized more of the spa services but they were totally booked before we arrived,

Authenticity & Character

not sure what this means but was a modern high end hotel.

Location

walkable, plenty of restaurants, beautiful churches

Staff

responsive, supplied refrigerator when requested

Cleanliness & Comfort

everything immaculate

Activity Reviews

Liverpool Football Hospitality

Liverpool

Enjoyed the hospitality suite but would probably book in the Kop next time for a more real soccer experience

Quality of Experience

food was not great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

staff very helpful at stadium

Transport

Adrian was on time, very personable

Liverpool FC Stadium Tour

Liverpool

enjoyed stadium tour

Quality of Experience

got to see pitch, did not get to see actual dressing rooms as we had been told

Guides, Drivers and Staff

tour guide personable and knowledgeable. Driver excellent

Transport

Enjoyed riding with Adrian (sp?) gave us an interesting perspective of liverpool

Welcome to Manchester

England

Tour guide Neil extremely knowledgeable and accommodating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Neil was an excellent guide

Transport

comfortable ride,

Late to review. Life got crazy upon my return but trip met all expectations. Excellent drivers, guides and truly memorable people in a lively country. Very personalized, great accommodations and sights. All in all pretty much perfect!

Hotel Reviews

Merzouga Dunes Camps

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Madada Mogador

Essaouira

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riyad el Cadi

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chez Ichou

Dades Gorge

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad & Spa Dar Bensouda

Fes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Marrakech to Essaouira

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Guide was not very interactive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver great. Guide less so

Dades Valley to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking the Road of 1000 Kasbahs

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Merzouga to Dades Valley Via Todgha Gorge

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Merzouga via Ifraine and Azrou - Camel Trek to Desert Camp

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Excellent guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport