Kimkim Trip Reviews

The trip was wonderful. Planning was as I requested. Joao was available to help me when I couldn’t locate a guide at a meeting point or had to change an arrangement. Outings were fantastic. Warren, was our guide for the Lagoa Fogo hike and he was a kind, knowledgeable, generous human being and guide. IPA, for the bike tour was fantastic. We visited a local cheese shop/restaurant in Furnas and ate cheese chocolates that were delicious. Patrick took us off roading in Sete Cidades in an open vehicle (highly recommended) and he was an excellent driver and source of local info. We saw dolphins and whales on the whale watching tour and the boat ride was fun. Unfortunately, we contracted a stomach bug that the locals are also getting and that they think arose from a bacteria in the usually very drinkable water (unsure where) although some think it was a virus. Who knows? We had to miss our canyoning experience which was unfortunate. Next time. Furnas is one of my favourite places. It’s so lush. We walked on a lava sand beach at Praia de Fogo. Gorgeous. And the geothermal ocean pool at Ponta de Feraria was possibly one of the most incredible places in the world. Kimkim helped me plan a wonderful vacation and supported us throughout the vacation. Thank you to Joao. Much appreciated.

Activity Reviews

Furnas Valley Bike Tour

the Azores

E bikes were fun and made the sites easier to access. Roads are dirt and can be steep. Stops to places were explained well by IPA, our guide. Cheese restaurant and tasting of local cheeses was a wonderful.

Quality of Experience

My

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whale-Watching in São Miguel

the Azores

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Good commentary during excursion.

Transport

Guided Hike in São Miguel

the Azores

Quality of Experience

Warren is very easy going and loves his work.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sete Cidades by Jeep - A Half-Day Off-Road Tour

the Azores

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angel did an excellent job to tailor the trip to our requirements. She adapted the planning based on our continous feedback and once we were on the trip she kept in touch to ensure we had the logistical details for the next day activities (if any). We did some on the go changes due to the weather and also based on things we saw while in the trip that we wanted to explore and had not originally planned
Overall we had a fantastic holiday thanks to her!

From initial planning and considering different options, through to the support we had before, during and after the trip, the service has been absolutely amazing. Our guide/trip concierge, Soleil, was wonderful - very patient with our changing plans, made suggestions based on our interests that we would never have thought of, and which were bang on the mark, communicated regularly on the app, by a messaging app, and video chat, and we were lucky enough to meet in person, when she was lovely and helpful. We could not have hoped for better and felt very well supported and looked after throughout. Fully recommend this service to anyone considering booking a trip abroad.

Activity Reviews

Absolute Osaka Food Tour

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kimono wearing and Tea ceremony (Sado) in Kyoto (Private)

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Welcome to Osaka

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome (Yokoso) to Tokyo!

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First time using kimkim and it was great. They catered to our every want and need. Everything was prepared and on time as they scheduled it. Their staff, Hoa and Phuong, were excellent made sure we did everything we wanted and within our budget. We will be using kimkim again.

The hotel in Lisbon was nice and no elevator and difficult stairs. The hotel in Cascais was wonderful and Porto’s was great location. The cooking class and dinner with locals were the best planned parts of the trip. The tour guide in Lisbon was a little boring. Overall it was a very smooth experience.

Activity Reviews

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Douro Valley Highlights: Wine, Olive Oil & River Cruise

Porto

Really nice day and lunch with good wine. I expected a little more of a boat excursion and maybe a smaller boat but it was nice. It is a lot of time in a van. The guide was very good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Petiscos Brunch & Market Experience in Porto

Porto

Really good food and wine. The guide was very pleasant. Only negative was maybe spending so much time within the market and not exploring Porto more.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dinner With Locals: A Homemade Portuguese Experience

Lisbon

Lovely and welcoming couple. Great food. One of the best meals we had in Portugal.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tracing Lisbon’s Jewish History: A Guided Experience

Lisbon

A little dull

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hands-On Cooking Class with a Local Chef

Porto

Excellent chef especially with our kids. This was our favorite night.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was another great trip planned by KimKim! Our local guides were all fabulous! They were very knowledgeable and personable as well as prompt.

Hotel Review

H10 Madison Hotel

Barcelona

The rooftop views, pool and bar were wonderful, although at times, the pool was overrun with small children. The staff was friendly and helpful and the breakfast each morning was delicious. Overall, we really liked the hotel. Our room was comfortable, but we would have liked a quieter location. We were on the 7th floor, right below the pool area. We could hear the movement of tables and chairs as they prepped for the day, although it wasn't too terribly early. The location of the hotel was great!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the Old City and Cathedral areas

Staff

Evelyn was particularly outstanding.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided Montjuïc & Tibidabo Walk

Barcelona

We really struggled to understand what all there was to see and do on Montjuic and how to get there. I am usually very good at planning these kind of things, but I couldn't figure out how to manage the funicular/cable car option. We ended up taking a taxi up to the castle and then walked to the Art Museum, Magic Fountain and Plaza de Espana from there. While we enjoyed the views near the castle, we decided not to visit the castle. We decided not to go to Tibadabo at all.

Quality of Experience

Local Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

We loved this experience. There were only 4 of us in the class, so we had a very private experience. The food was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Antonio, the chef was delightful. We got a lot of hands-on experience and the food and wine was abundant.

Food

Everything, especially the paella made with fresh seafood purchased at the market.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Antonio!

The team at Kim Kim Travel organised an amazing trip for us. Camellia was very proactive in responding to all our trip requests and ensuring our itinery was exactly how we wanted right down to the hotels, internal train and flights and wonderful tour guides.
Once in Vietnam the transfers were seamless, tours were wonderful and all the team responded to queries very quickly and were really helpfull.
A special mention to Win our tour guide in Hanoi who was very knowledgeable and super helpful right down to ensuring we got on the right cabin on our overnight train to Da Nang.
I would recommend Kim Kim travel whole heartedly to anyone who wishes to travel to the Far East.

We loved our trip to Indonesia! We especially appreciated having a local agent to interact with on WhatsApp while we were in country. Ciella's check-ins and help were invaluable, especially when an earthquake occurred and our plans had to be adjusted. She and the guides/drivers took care of us, made sure we were safe, and rescheduled our plans to make it possible for us to do as many activities as we could after the event. We appreciated our guides--Arif, Edi, and Ibnu--and their knowledge. They were patient and understanding of our family's needs, and they made sure we ate well, even with some who are more picky, and saw all we wanted to see. It was so nice to be able to go where we wanted (with a family of six!) and not worry about logistics, fees, and parking! In addition, our hotel accommodations were amazing! We were very impressed.

One of our favorite parts of the trip was the day of island hopping on Komodo Island and Padar Island. All of the stops were incredible, and even though we couldn't do any scuba diving, we enjoyed the sights and snorkeling. Arif was very patient with us in our snorkeling and helped the kids enjoy it. Another favorite part was the stop at the Jatiluwih rice terraces. We would have liked to spend more time there, though the 2-3 hours at sunset we had was magical. We appreciate that Edi and Parlan were willing to stay late with us and let us enjoy it even after dark. The monkey forest was better than anticipated, as was our visit to Borobudur.

If we were to do this trip again, we would choose not to go to Nusa Penida (this is something we arranged on our own on a free day), or we would snorkel and see the island from the sea instead of from land. We would also tour more around Nusa Dua, as Jessica suggested. If we had more time (perhaps 14 days instead of 12), we would include the sunrise volcano visit and Java cave rappelling that Jessica recommended, or add another day in Labuan Bajo to do more snorkeling/diving/exploring.

Hotel Reviews

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta - MGallery Collection

Yogyakarta

Great location near Malioboro Street, with wonderful character and decor. The pool was beautiful, and the breakfast buffet was amazing. Rooms were comfortable and worked well for our family.

Authenticity & Character

The artistic details throughout are one-of-a-kind.

Location

Walking distance to Malioboro Street, right near the Tugu Jogja monument.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sea Sand & Sun Villa

We loved this fantastic villa! It was so beautiful and comfortable--perfect for a family of six. The pool and patio were gorgeous, and the rooms very comfortable. Our agent arranged for a chef to come each morning and provide breakfast, which was so nice! The only thing to know ahead of time is that the villa isn't near any businesses or restaurants. So you'll need to book rides or order delivery from Gojek for meals. If a clothes washing machine were also available on the property, that would be ideal. But the overall experience was top notch.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It would be helpful if there were restaurants closer to the villa, but the privacy tradeoff is worth it.

Staff

Pande communicated well with us and made sure we had all we needed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sudamala Resort, Komodo, Labuan Bajo

Labuan Bajo

Beautiful resort with a great pool, beach, and restaurant. Rooms were separate villas. The private outdoor showers and toilets were a surprise, but not a bad one. The spa was great, as was the food on site. We enjoyed the resort's Indonesian buffet night. We especially loved the beautifully landscaped garden grounds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Jatiluwih Rice Terrace

Indonesia

This is one of the best things you can do in Bali. It's much larger than you might expect. Plan to spend plenty of time. We were there for three hours at sunset and wished we had more time to explore farther. It's simply breathtaking.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Ubud Art Market

Indonesia

A nice souvenir shopping experience. I expected more unique offerings, but you can find mostly the same items store to store (and in other locations in Bali).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Amelia Sea View

Indonesia

Great views!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Watch Ramayana Dance Show

Yogyakarta

The show is interesting, but very long. There are two 90-minute parts, with an intermission. It was too much for our teens and young adults, so we stayed only for the first half. Unless you pay for cushioned seating, you'll be sitting on the side on rough stone benches, which gets uncomfortable fast. That said, the artistry was nice, and there were some fun acrobatics and fireworks. The second half probably had more of this, but we did get a good amount in just the first half. We didn't regret leaving early.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Prambanan Temple

Indonesia

Cool temple! This is large and ancient and a must see. Our guide gave us plenty of great information, which was helpful because there isn't any explanatory info otherwise.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Ulun Danu Beratan Temple

Indonesia

The grounds and gardens are much larger and more elaborate than expected. It makes for a longer, beautiful experience. There are a few smaller attractions within the grounds as well. The animals were a big hit with our young teens. It's best to visit on a day that's not cloudy, so you can see the mountains behind the lake.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Goa Gajah

Indonesia

Very cool temple complex! There's more than just the elephant cave entrance. The ravine cascade was very nice. This won't be a long visit, but it's a nice one.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Ubud Palace

Indonesia

Public areas are smaller than expected, though elaborate and amazing. It's certainly worth a visit, but this site won't take a long time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Mirror Stone Cave

Indonesia

Not as large as expected, though not bad. If you've visited cave systems in the United States or parts of Europe, you've probably seen much more impressive caves. Don't go out of your way to visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

Indonesia

Better than anticipated. A very fun activity, and great with kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Klipoh Village Cycling Tour

Indonesia

For personal reasons, we didn't have time to do as much as we would have liked. We only stopped at one place: pottery. We enjoyed it and the bike riding. My husband and I actually enjoyed it most, and we were surprised that our teens and young adults weren't as engaged with the hands-on activity. We might have been better off choosing something more adventurous with them.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Banyumala Twin Waterfall

Indonesia

Beautiful waterfalls and a wonderful area. The hike down and back is steep, but doable. Most people only get in the water long enough to take a photo, and the site is wonderful even if you don't get wet. An excellent activity.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Campuhan Ridge Walk

Indonesia

Not as picturesque as expected, but still nice. It's a short walk, and it was neat to see the temple at the start. You can get glimpses of the ravines on each side, but jungle growth makes vista photos difficult. Overall, this isn't a must see, but it's nice if you have a little time or are staying nearby.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Tanah Lot

Indonesia

A beautiful site on the sea! Very picturesque.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Borobudur Temple

Indonesia

The way this site is organized to manage the flow of many visitors was impressive. We thoroughly enjoyed the temple, learned a lot from our guide, and felt we were able to get great photos despite the crowds--especially toward the end of our allotted hour. It's an impressive site!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Island Hopping in Komodo Island

Indonesia

The Padar Island views were incredible and very worth the climb. Komodo Island was incredible. We saw half a dozen komodo dragons up close. We enjoyed the beauty of Pink Beach and all the snorkeling stops. Some of us were lucky enough to see sharks, mantas, and turtles, though the reefs and fish were incredible on their own. Even though an earthquake meant we had to reschedule our initial plans (and skip scuba diving), this was the best day of our trip to Indonesia and satisfied all ages in our family of six (teens, young adults, adults).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was an AMAZING trip,
From start to finish everything was perfect.
All the hotels were stylish, well equipped, functional, staff very accommodating.
Breakfast was delicious everywhere, and just got better at each location.
The intimate feel of a boutique hotel is very welcoming.
The excursions were so well coordinated, our guides were very knowledgeable about the country’s history, the landscape, food, wine, and we appreciated the fun Lisbon/ Porto rivalry…
Dennis from the kayaking tour was great, he made us all feel safe and included,
I even did the cliff jump for the first time ever! So exhilarating.
I loved tea and biscuits on the beach, it sounds strange but very necessary after being in the frigid waters,
The caves felt mystical, and the religious structure that was built, was unbelievable…
The e-bikes and chartered boat ride were both a fun and exciting way to see the city,
The train ride was a first for the family, it was comfortable and scenic,
Our private driver Filipe, did many of our transfers, he was very personable, gave great recommendations- for food, scenery. We went to Sintra which was stunning, every step worth it.
The beaches were fun, we did a public beach, then found a little hidden inlet in/ on the rocks, , small amount of people, lovely afternoon lounging.
The destinations are all beautiful, and offer a different vibe, loved them all.
Definitely return trip.
Food was amazing, loved the culinary tour, we were able to do some tastings in the Balhoa market, girls experienced oysters for the first time.,
Lots of first on this trip..
We met some very cool and interesting people, 2 airline pilots, students, and another lovely family.
The birthday dinner at during sunset was spectacular . Great food, nice atmosphere.
We went to a restaurant on the beach Zephyr, also spectacular food and great sunset.
We did a lot of walking, the hills were my cardio for the day, also didn’t feel so guilty about all the tasty desserts we consumed along the way.
We tasted many of the famous pastry, we didn’t get to sample the one in Belim, short on time, but it was fun sampling the different bakeries…in all the cities.

Trip planning this way is highly recommended… most of the work is planned, and space is left for one’s own curiosity or lounging.

Will definitely use the service again and recommend it to friends and family.
Thank you Emily for all your time and effort,
You helped to make my sweet girls 16th bday a lifetime memory.🥰

My husband and I recently took our first overseas trip since our 1977 honeymoon. We were fortunate to be guided toward working with Kimkim by a well traveled family friend.

Every person we encountered who was connected to Kimkim did an excellent job for us. We are extremely grateful. Rajat helped plan and organize the trip. He was very effective helping us. He gave us good "heads up" around paperwork and expectations. He made sure we were always up to date on everything we needed to know.

Saurahb, our first guide, gave us a wonderful day exploring Old Delhi shops and sights. He was very helpful to us, making local commercial sites, and especially religious sites, accessible and comprehensible to us. Our experiences with him were very moving.

Mr. Hemant, our second guide, was a deeply informed, thoughtful teacher who helped us understand the history and cultures we were engaging. It was also very hot and physically challenging for us, but he found a way for us to pace ourselves and have a joyful, meaningful experience.

All through this, Norindar drove many miles, keeping us safe, in astonishingly complex traffic. He was kind and charming as well.

We are so grateful to the wonderful people at Kimkim whose hard work and expertise gave us such a good experience of Wonderful Wonderful India. We will cherish our memories.

Activity Review

Full Day Jaipur City Tour

Jaipur

Before going to India, I had never thought about Jaipur. It was amazing. First of all, it isn't one place, it is a city-identity that has reinvented itself over and over depending on what needed to happen. As an American, a person who is used to thinking 2 to 3 hundred years old is old, the layers of antiquity are hard to fathom. The trips we made through the different iterations of Jaipur were mind expanding. I took pictures of a part of the city where people had been living for more than 1000 years. There were convenience stores selling things I buy regularly. The experience was such a lesson in enduring daily life. It was very moving.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first experience using a travel agent so we weren't really sure what to expect, but my husband researched kimkim and we decided to use them to plan our family trip to Belize. We have always planned our trips ourselves and it is stressful, overwhelming and not very relaxing while you're there (unless you're doing a cruise, or all-inclusive).

We started by filling out some information about our destination, what we wanted to do, accommodation preferences, length of stay, areas we wanted to visit, etc. Kimkim then matches you with local professionals who know the area(s). So, Esteban came back with a very appealing itinerary in what felt like one day! I did extra research and verified his suggestions via TripAdvisor, etc. We made a few tweaks to the plan based on preferences (switching accommodation for instance) but it was a very easy, pain-free process, which is exactly what we wanted. The only thing we had to do ourselves was book our flights. As soon as that was taken care of, Estenban worked with us diligently to confirm all plans. He was a great communicator and very responsive. When it came to leaving for our trip, he connected us with the Operations & Logistics team via WhatsApp who would be our daily contacts while we were away. We had a call with them the day before we left to go over the itinerary and ask any questions. This was invaluable and made us feel very comfortable that we were in good hands. Thank you Catherina and Fabian!

Once we were in Belize, the group texted us daily to confirm plans for the next day and they always followed up with us at the end of each day. We felt reassured knowing that if we encountered any issues, they would be easy to reach and would help us. Luckily, everything was seamless. The only issue with had was with our first hotel and the cost of their shuttle service into the local town...it was extortionate, so we texted our contacts and within a few minutes they responded with a solution. They arranged a driver for us at less than half the cost of the hotel....a driver/tour guide we had already met! All of their tour guides and drivers were excellent - genuine, interesting, timely, professional.

My only suggestion as an area of improvement: when booking our first hotel, I asked if we could switch to something I thought suited my family more - to a hotel I had seen online but thought might be unavailable. They were able accommodate this request, for which I was thankful. However, once we were there, I realized that this hotel was a mistake...the hotel was very nice, but it was far from the local town and even further from 90% of the activities we were doing. In this case, I encourage kimkim to probe a bit more as we saw plenty of options while we were there. Not knowing the area at all, we would have welcomed them to challenge us on this hotel request since they are the experts.

If you're looking for someone to help you plan your dream vacation, or you simply want a hassle-free experience and no headaches while you're away, then we'd definitely recommend kimkim. You will pay a little extra for the privilege but this was well worth it!! We hope to use them again in the future.

We both really enjoyed our trip to Japan. It was a long time dream trip that finally happened.
KimKim was introduced to us by a mutual friend who had benefited from your services before on a trip to Japan. We decided to contact you and are very glad we did.
Judy was very helpful, patient, accommodating and understanding as our primary liaison/contact with KimKim. She responded quickly when we had questions and showed flexibility when we suggested changes to the itinerary. In short, she was wonderful to deal with and we would not hesitate to work with her again.
All of our guides were superb!
Yuki, Hiroshi, Mayumi, and Moto were informative, friendly and courteous. We liked them all!

Thank you again for an amazing experience!

Rajat helped me plan a solo 5 day trek in Ladakh. He was great a communicating and organizing. The people he hired were professional, timely, friendly and knowledgable. They communicated well. It was an amazing experience!

Working with KimKim and our agent Olivia was a fantastic experience. Being in the USA, we were very far from and unfamiliar with Japan. Having local experts plan our trip made all the difference. We were able to provide some highlights that we wanted, including a game at the Tokyo Dome, and Olivia made it all happen. The hotels (B Asakusa in Tokyo and Vischio Kyoto by Granvia in Kyoto) were perfect. The included breakfasts made it even better, and laundry on site was extremely helpful for our week and a half trip.
Drivers and ground transportation were arranged by Olivia and we had fantastic tour guides, Moto in Tokyo and Taku in Kyoto who shared so much knowledge with us. Ten out of ten all the way! Thank you team KimKim!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA

Kyoto

Great, clean hotel. Located across the street from the train station. Don't get it confused with the other Granvia. We walked to the wrong hotel to start. Laundry on site and amazing breakfast to start your day! Be careful of the robot that wanders the lobby.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

the b asakusa

Tokyo

Great, clean hotel. Easy access to Asakusa area which has tons to do. Right next to subways. Laundry on site and good breakfast to start your day!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Daikoku Car Meet & JDM Culture Experience

Tokyo

This was wild. We didn't really know what to expect, but my son is at the age where he is really into cars, so we had to try it. Our guide Mike was great and is really knows a lot about cars! He first took us to a mega auto store where many people meet up and then head out to other locations for the night. Fair warning, there is a lot of driving around! From Tokyo we went to Yokohama which is about 40minutes away. We stayed at the meetup for about an hour and then went to another location, back towards Tokyo. Don't expect to get in early once you set out on this adventure! A must for any car enthusiast. You never know what vehicles you might see!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Samurai Sword Experience in Kyoto (Family & Kid Friendly)

Kyoto

The museum was fun, but the sword experience was unreal. We got hands on katana training from a real samurai instructor, Yama. He was fantastic and made sure we got the most out of our brief experience. It was an event to remember.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Tour to Hiei Mountain & Lake Biwa

Kyoto

The shrine is out of the way, up in the mountains. It's really cool to do things that most tourists don't get to. It was very peaceful and the views were great. The highlight of the day was Lake Biwa. The paddle board trip was excellent, the guides were so nice, and a swim in the lake at the end just made for the perfect day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Asakusa Sumo Club: Sumo Show Admission with Chankonabe in Tokyo

Tokyo

Loved it, absolutely a must do if you are in Japan. I believe it is a chain, we saw the show in Tokyo but also saw a club when we were in Kyoto. So fit it in whenever or wherever your travel plans allow. Not only was everyone friendly and awesome, they also let you try and wrestle the professionals at the end of the match. Highly recommend!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shout out to Alicia, I just want to say how great it was working with Alicia. She had a great amount of information about Iceland that helped us plan our hikes, sights, and provided details that only someone with personal knowledge of Iceland could provide. She had endless patience and was a critical part of planning our family trip for 6 adults. We drove from the Westman Islands to the South, the Golden Circle, the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Westfjords, and Reykjavik and loved it all.

Joao D. and the My Lisbon Holidays team are absolutely amazing. Joao is incredibly knowledgeable, resourceful, easygoing, funny and just an all-around pleasure to work with.

With only about three weeks’ notice, he planned an unforgettable nine-day trip to Portugal for me, my wife, and our teenage daughter, including stops in Madeira, Porto, and Lisbon. Everything was incredibly well thought out. The hotels were perfect, the details were thoughtful, and every experience and restaurant he recommended was right on point.

One of the absolute highlights was our day trip to Sintra. We had asked Joao to arrange a local guide for us, and we were so pleasantly surprised when Joao himself showed up to be our guide! He knows the area incredibly well, and hearing his personal stories about growing up there, along with the history and local insights he shared throughout the day, made the experience truly special. The whole family agrees he made the difference from a great trip to a spectacular one.

From start to finish, the entire trip was seamless, thoughtful, and memorable. We can’t recommend Joao and My Lisbon Holidays highly enough, and we will absolutely be working with him again the next time we return to Portugal.

I can't recommend Kimkim highly enough. From start to finish, our Denmark-Norway-Sweden trip was managed like clockwork. Every detail was thought through, every connection lined up perfectly, and we never once had to worry about logistics. That kind of seamlessness doesn't happen by accident—it's the result of careful planning and real expertise.

Krista clearly knows the region inside and out. The itinerary flowed beautifully, the timing on everything from transfers to reservations was spot on, and we were free to just enjoy the trip instead of stressing over the details. It made all the difference.

If you're planning a trip to Scandinavia, do yourself a favor and work with Kim. You'll be in great hands.

We travelled Portugal from Porto to the Algarve and back to Lisbon between 7 and 24 August 2026 — eighteen days, eleven hotels, and a route that took us from the vineyards of the Douro to the cliffs at Cabo de São Vicente and the vast headlands of Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe. It was a birthday gift for my partner, which meant the pressure to get it right was entirely self-inflicted and entirely real :). João and the KimKim team delivered something better than we'd imagined.

On João
What sets João apart is that he plans like someone who actually knows the country rather than someone reading it off a map. The roadbooks weren't generic — they were routed with real thought about where the light falls, where the crowds are at 9am versus 3pm, and where you should slow down. The N222 between Régua and Pinhão came with a simple instruction: take it slowly and stop often. He was right. Small notes like that appeared throughout, and they were consistently correct.
He was also honest in a way that's rare in travel planning. When something in the Arrábida was likely to be chaotic in August, he said so and suggested skipping it. When a stop was worth an extra hour of driving, he explained why. That kind of candour builds trust fast.

The hotels — and three in particular
The accommodation selection was the strongest part of the trip. Every single property was chosen with a clear reason behind it, and several were genuinely extraordinary.
Quinta de la Rosa in the Douro was the emotional heart of the trip. Two nights on a working family estate that's been in the same hands since 1906, perched above the river, with the pool looking out across terraced vineyards. It doesn't feel like a hotel — it feels like being let into somewhere private.
Heritage Avenida Liberdade gave us central Lisbon done properly — an 18th-century townhouse on the grandest boulevard in the city, with Bairro Alto and Chiado on foot. The Petite Pool and a perfect gym after a long day of walking Belém was a small mercy we appreciated more than expected.
Santiago de Alfama was the perfect final night. A restored 15th-century building tucked into Alfama's cobbled lanes, eight minutes from São Jorge Castle, with the Tagus in view. After two and a half weeks of driving, arriving somewhere that quiet and that beautiful for the last night was exactly the right note to end on.
Special mention about: Montebelo Mosteiro de Alcobaça, a five-star hotel built inside a UNESCO monastery, with an indoor pool set among original medieval pillars — surreal and wonderful. Fortaleza do Guincho, a 17th-century cliffside fortress with the Atlantic crashing below and a Michelin-starred kitchen. Pousada Sagres, positioned on Ponta da Atalaia with sunsets that genuinely stopped any conversation.

The activities - perfectly planned and flexible.
The Douro day was close to perfect: a tasting and picnic at Quinta da Rôeda in the morning, then a private boat out of Pinhão in the late afternoon. Our skipper was wonderful — he found us a quiet stretch of river and let us swim right there, surrounded by terraced vineyards rising on both sides and the light going gold on the water. Floating in the middle of that landscape is the single image we'll carry longest from the whole trip.
The Lagos coastal cave tour with BlueFleet was the other. Threading through the grottoes at Ponta da Piedade in the morning, the golden cliffs and the water impossibly clear. Worth every minute of the early start.

The logistics
Airport transfers at both ends, every hotel confirmed, parking notes for each stop — including which car parks to use and roughly what they'd cost. The trip ran without a single logistical problem across eighteen days and eleven properties. That is not luck.

Would we book again?
Without hesitation. We layered our own restaurant bookings on top of KimKim's framework, and having that framework solid meant we could spend our energy on the fun decisions rather than the boring ones. João built us a route that was ambitious without being exhausting, and beautiful without being too obvious. And gave us a true taste pf Portugal from north to the south and back.
If you're planning Portugal — particularly if you want the Douro and the southwest coast done properly as well as all super tips on Lisbon and Porto — talk to João. And we are looking froward to the next one :)

Hotel Reviews

Santiago de Alfama - Boutique Hotel

Lisbon

Santiago de Alfama was the perfect final night. A restored 15th-century building tucked into Alfama's cobbled lanes, eight minutes from São Jorge Castle, with the Tagus in view. After two and a half weeks of driving, arriving somewhere that quiet and that beautiful for the last night was exactly the right note to end on.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Heritage Avenida Liberdade gave us central Lisbon done properly — an 18th-century townhouse on the grandest boulevard in the city, with Bairro Alto and Chiado on foot. The Petite Pool after a long day of walking Belém was a small mercy we appreciated more than expected.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quinta de la Rosa

Pinhão

Quinta de la Rosa in the Douro was the emotional heart of the trip. Two nights on a working family estate that's been in the same hands since 1906, perched above the river, with the pool looking out across terraced vineyards. It doesn't feel like a hotel — it feels like being let into somewhere private. Dinner at Cozinha da Clara on the estate was one of our best meals of the eighteen days.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Boat Tour in the Douro River

Portugal

The Douro day was close to perfect: a tasting and picnic at Quinta da Rôeda in the morning, then a private boat out of Pinhão in the late afternoon. Our skipper was wonderful — he found us a quiet stretch of river and let us swim right there, surrounded by terraced vineyards rising on both sides and the light going gold on the water. Floating in the middle of that landscape is the single image we'll carry longest from the whole trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Judy was a perfect support provider during all the trip phases, from planning with suggestions till supporting during day by day trip (reminding all the steps for coming day).

He replied to any question before and during the trip with professionalism and competency.

Hotel Reviews

Candeo Hotels Osaka Shinsaibashi

Osaka

We stayed only 2 night in this hotel during our trip. Very nice position close to main street and Dotonbory area. Service provided was good, any particular claim to share.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

we liked the position close to the downtown area of Kyoto and to the Geisha's area. Very easy to move to any touristic places in Kyoto using Metro, busses and JR Trains. Laundry service was perfect. The hotel is an eco-sustainability very careful to any consume of plastic, etc.

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to downtown area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GINZA HOTEL by GRANBELL

we stayed in this hotel for 2 + 1 days during the trip. The first 2 days we had a comfortable room. For last night we had a good room but not same level of the first one. At the end, we were satisfied by the comodations provided.

Authenticity & Character

Location

the position close to local restaurant and metro stops.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

We appreciated the organization, the preparatory ceremony that put us in the right mood, and the selection of the kimono and accessories. The ceremony provided the historical and cultural background needed to fully experience the event.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

1-Day Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tour [Return by Shinkansen] With Lunch (From Shinjuku)

Tokyo

The full esperience was really nice but unfortunately due to the wheather conditions, we were not able to see the top of Fuji all day. However we spent a very good day across Fuji and Hakone mountains.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour

Japan

We arrived to Hiroshima station from Osaka and our Guide (Masako) was waiting for us to the track. Then we moved to Miyajima Island for a wonderful experience. With the knowledge of Masako, we were able to reach all main points like planned avoiding big affluence of tourists.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Kyoto to Osaka via Nara

Japan

Driver picked up us in the hotel in Kyoto. Then we moved to Nara to vistit shine and temple area like scheduled. We spent a nice day in Nara visiting this amazing area and meeting the famous Nara's deers too. Driver suggested us what visit, provided us main historical and cultural information but then we were able to visit the areas alone with our timing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto's Cultural Treasures: Fushimi Inari-Taisha, Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji

Japan

Amazing trip around the Kyoto city main monument to visit. We spent a fantastic day with our lovely guide TAKU, very competent and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Taku has been a fantastic guide. He drived us to many interesting places explaining the Japanese History too to allow use to better understand what we were visiting. Fluent English speaker, we suggest to spend a day with him.

Transport

easy to take ad fast to move from different places.

The trip to Quebec City was amazing! Starting with the on-time pick up at the airport, by a wonderful gentleman in a very clean SUV and wearing a suit! The hotel was perfect, all the tours staffed by interesting knowledgeable guides, all the transfers were on time. It would have been nice to have 1 or 2 more days! KimKim and Ryan did a wonderful job. Very happy with the service!

Hotel Review

Hôtel Le Germain Québec

Québec City

Great location. Clean, old school and classic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the middle of it!

Staff

Didn't interact much with staff - but when we did, they were great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Historical walking tour of Quebec City

Québec City

Very knowledgeable guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff