Across Portugal

This was the first time we have traveled to Portugal and Spain and we wanted to have a very happy experience. We researched the Internet and various other travel documents and we found the tour company KimKim and how they focus on private tours that are tailor-made, and they use expertise and knowledge of people who actually live and work within the respective Countries. This was most important to us. A simple email initiated the process and we were delighted to make contact with Pedro our Portugal contact. Wow, how fun to have someone who listens, provides immediate responses and recommendations, and develops a plan that can be shared and discussed with travel companions. There were four people in our group and we all felt ownership in the travel plan that was developed. We booked a 21 day trip to Portugal that included a 3 day adventure to Seville, Spain.

Pedro and his working associates took the stress out of travel and provided us with opportunities to stay in Hotels that were centrally located, to have historical walking tours, to witness a Fado and Flamenco Dinner and Show, to have private wine tastings, to have Private Drivers that enabled us to visit wonderful locations throughout Portugal, to be on excursions of the Douro river and Lagos Grottos, and to have Portuguese foods at very nice restaurants. The weather was perfect and this really enhanced our trip of a lifetime!

Pedro always remained in constant communication with us using the electronic application called ‘WhatsApp’. This enabled us to always know the current plan; everything (and I do mean everything) was meticulously identified and always implemented to perfection. Our trip was a ‘5+ Star Day’ every day with many surprises along the way. Pedro made us feel welcome surprising us with a box of treats with a bottle of Port Wine at the hotel. Kind words were always expressed with immediate feedback which made every day special, and of course the use of knowledgeable people that really wanted to make our trip the best ever. Pedro and his associates did this to perfection!

Our Hotel accommodations were excellent. We stayed in Lisbon, Porto, Evora, Seville, and Lagos. Each stay included a very nice room, excellent breakfast, onsite bar and restaurant, and very professional staff.

Thank you goes to the many people we met along the way, who we now consider our Portugal Friends; private drivers, hotel staff, walking tour guides, Belem Tuk-Tuk driver, boat captains, and of course the wine tasting experts. A noteworthy ‘Job Well Done’ goes to Private Drivers Pepe and Helder; both really went out of their way to create lifetime memories. Also, a very special ‘Thank You and Job Well Done’ goes to Pedro, Joao, and their associated staff; YOU ARE THE BEST.

Your friends,
Greg & Nancy Hanson

Hotel Reviews

Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel

Lisboa

Perfect location with terrific hotel staff and accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

The best with character and charm

Location

Perfect location within easy walking distance major attractions

Staff

Very polite and most helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable

PortoBay Hotel Teatro

Porto

Perfect location with terrific hotel staff and accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

Very nice

Location

Great location within walking distance to all key parts of the City

Staff

Polite, helpful, and knowledgeable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean room and very comfortable

Évora Olive Hotel

Evora

The best of Evora. Very nice and within walking distance of all key locations.

Authenticity & Character

The best of Evora

Location

Within walking distance of all key locations and restaurants

Staff

Polite and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel is clean and comfortable. Great breakfast

H10 Casa de la Plata

Sevilla

Great location and within walking distance of key things to see and do

Authenticity & Character

Very nice with character

Location

Terrific location within walking distance of key things to see and do

Staff

Polite and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable

Lagos Avenida Hotel

Lagos

Great location within walking distance of all key things to see and do

Authenticity & Character

Roof top bar was a great place to hangout and socialize with friends

Location

Within walking distance of restaurants, bars, and excursions

Staff

Polite and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable

Tivoli Oriente Hotel

Lisbon

Great restaurant and close to the Lisbon Airport

Authenticity & Character

Very modern and terrific top floor bar

Location

Close to the Lisbon Airport

Staff

Polite and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable

Activity Reviews

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

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

Simple amazing experience and dinner. A must do.

Quality of Experience

Amazing 5 Star experience

Food

Very good food and Wine.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Easy Taxi ride from Hotel

Transport

Easy Taxi ride from Hotel

Discovering Belém's Charm on a Tuk-Tuk Ride

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Beautiful place with fast shuttle service from parking area

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Douro Valley

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Step Back in Time with a Private Guided Tour of Évora and the Bones Chapel!

Évora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner with Flamenco Show in Seville

Seville

Amazing. Great food with a terrific Flamenco Show

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Douro Valley

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic Boat to the Ponta da Piedade Grottoes

Portugal

Exceptional experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

To Eat Suggestion: Tábua & Barro do Naldo

Évora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pedro and his team did a remarkable job in the design and execution of our approximate 3 week trip to Portugal which included a 3 day stay in Seville Spain. In the beginning stages of planning last autumn Pedro listened to us and set up an itinerary that included walking guides, knowledgable drivers, and free days that allowed us to explore on or own. I believe that the outline of our travels will be a template for future customers. Having personal drivers to get us from city to city was also a key attribute that allowed us to remain worry free. No rental cars or public transportation other than a cab now and then worked very very well. The drivers were always on time and polite. The hotels were also top notch. Almost all of the scheduled tours were set aside for the 4 of us exclusively. We were able to interact with our drivers and guides on a personal level. Speaking of a personal level, it was my 75th birthday on May 4th and Pedro arranged a boat trip for the four of us to the grottos of Lagos that included champagne. When we returned to the hotel a bottle of wine and a personal note from Pedro were the proverbial icing on the cake. Pedro communicated with us via WhatsApp on a daily basis to make sure we knew the next day's itinerary and to simply check in. We would recommend KimKim and Pedro to anyone traveling to Portugal. It just doesn't get any better.

Steve and Karen Clemens

Our itinerary provided us with a good overview of Portugal. The cities that we visited were all interesting. The guides did a nice job of explaining the history of the country.

We provided Pedro with the name of a driver and guide that we particularly enjoyed. However, I wish to especially praise Pedro for the service that he provided to us. When we needed help, he was instantly there. He gets 6 stars from us.

Pedro was, and is, an Excellent specialist for planning and executing our trip to Portugal. During the trip preparation phase, Pedro guided us through exploring what we like, our expectations, interests, time in country, budget considerations and personal preferences. From there, we conducted a series of reviews and revisions until we, and Pedro, were satisfied with our trip. Prior to our travel, Pedro made final coordination with us and answered any final questions we had. Additionally, Pedro walked us through our daily rhythm of communication with him via WhatApp. During execution of our vacation, the communication were smooth and Pedro took care of any issues that arose.
A couple of highlights and accolades;
Personal Guided Tours of Lisbon and Porto were interested and helped us understand the history and culture of Portugal. Day trips to Cintra (City of Palaces), and Obidos/Nazare were fascinating and we highly recommend these visits. If you like Wine: the Douro Valley Experience is a Must Do! However, been cognizant of the Port wine, it has a kick and they serve it like water ; >
One of our Favorite Parts of the visit: Algarve and Lagos. The scenery of the Southern Coast of Portugal is BreathTaking and the weather was beautiful (Sunny, Warm, and low Humidity). We highly recommend a boat tour of the Coast thru the Caves with Panoramic Views….it was wonderful. We could have stayed in the Algarve area another week and still would want more time!
A couple of shout outs:
Pepe: Our Driver for most of the Trip - Absolutely Outstanding - He took care of us and provided details of Portugal throughout our travels.
Evo: Our Driver in the Porto area - congenial, caring, and knowledgable. Evo would not quit until we were fully satisified
Margarida: Our walking tour guide in Lisbon. Fantastic! She set the standard for the right mix of history, stories and culture and took care of us through rainy weather.
Joao: Our tour guide and story teller in Evora was a delight;

Pedro: We haven’t been this satisfied since we had a whole lemon meringue pie to ourselves. Thank You Pedro!

Constructive Comments: There is a lot of walking, which we enjoyed, but be prepared. Hotels in which we stayed were First Rate, Five Star; however, anything short of two nights in one place became challenging and we felt rushed. We recommend to slow your pace and enjoy the Portugal culture.

Overall an Outstanding Trip and Experience from Planning thru Exectuion.

Hotel Reviews

Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa—A Leading Hotel of the World

Lisbon

We enjoyed our stay at Tivoli Avenida Liberdade. It was very nice and we experienced a great customer service. The only downside was having to wait for the check-in, but they let us use the spa before the check-in to compensate the waiting time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maison Albar Hotels Le Monumental Palace

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M'ar de Ar Aqueduto

Évora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascade Wellness

Lagos

A Great Retreat with Breathtaking Views of the Southern Coast and Atlantic Ocean!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascais Miragem

Cascais - Portugal

This hotel was the last one of our trip and it was very unique being right on the coast, the view was amazing. I highly recommend staying at least two nights to have time to recharge.

Activity Review

To Eat Suggestion: Baía do Peixe

Cascais

The boat tour on the coast of the Algarve was a pleasant activity to do to enjoy the views of the coasts. However, we couldn't enter the cave for safety due to weather conditions, which made the activity be shorter and less interesting.