Kimkim Trip Reviews for Portugal

We have traveled a great deal in our lives, but concerns about handling our own arrangements in light of the ever changing Covid restrictions led us to Kimkim, Espiritu Travel and Karin Exkhard our travel consultant. We were so pleased with every aspect of our trip, the attention to details, response time, selection of tours, guides, and flexibility when changes were either necessary due to inclement weather, or we decided to add a tour mid trip, or change a destination during the final days... read more

We have traveled a great deal in our lives, but concerns about handling our own arrangements in light of the ever changing Covid restrictions led us to Kimkim, Espiritu Travel and Karin Exkhard our travel consultant. We were so pleased with every aspect of our trip, the attention to details, response time, selection of tours, guides, and flexibility when changes were either necessary due to inclement weather, or we decided to add a tour mid trip, or change a destination during the final days of our trip. Karin and her team were exceptional and we will without question return to them again, and use Kimkim in the future for other destinations.

We loved our time in Portugal, the care being taken regarding Covid-19, the warmth, friendliness and knowledge of everyone we encountered. Hotel selections, tours and guides were all spot on, reflecting a genuine understanding of the interests we expressed for our trip.

Our exploration of the walled city of Evora, in the Alentejo region, was enhanced by the knowledge of Martin, our guide. Our visit to a Cork Estate and Vineyard in the Alentejo region with a 4 x 4 Jeep tour, was an excellent way to deepen our understanding of the growth and production of cork, the numerous products made from cork, and the importance put on the preservation of these trees. We really enjoyed learning about the Alentejo region and the exceptional wines produced in this large region of the country.

We also, with Martin, visited several of the impressive megalithic monuments discovered in the Alentejo region. These standing stones, which you can walk among, predate Stonehenge by 3000 years. This day also included an olive oil tasting at a small organic farm, that has been in operation for three generations. They create an extraordinary olive oil, Amore é Cego "Love is Blind" and truly witness the love this family has for the trees, the olives themselves, and the creative process used to protect the olives and create this extremely high quality olive oil through the use of sustainable agricultural processes. The opportunity to sit among the olive trees for our tasting and to share a beautifully prepared lunch with the family, (both teachers) and their beautiful daughters, was a high point of our trip.

From Evora we traveled by private transfer to Lagos, which we used as a base for our exploration of the Algarve. The recommendations on what to do in this area while on our own were also spot on. We explored many of the beaches on foot, even walking from town to Ponta da Piedade shortly after our arrival in Lagos.

Although we'd planned a trip inland to explore the Western Algarve, inclement weather prompted our guide Pedro Marreiros to propose an alternative coastal tour, which turned out to be the perfect decision. Pedro's knowledge of the area, and our opportunity to see some of the smaller and more wild coastal areas and to visit Cape St. Vincent was a perfect day.

The next day as rain was intermittent, our planned Catamaran trip was cancelled. We were informed as soon as this decision was made, and a refund was promptly issued. With proper rain gear, we walked the long beach in Lagos and set off on foot to explore many of the other beautiful beaches, some quite close to town.

Our last day in Portugal we requested a transfer from Porto to Lisbon with a stop off to visit the city of Aveiro, often described as the Venice of Portugal. Our driver Anna was excellent and she took the time to show us around the city, encouraged us to take the canal tour even when rain was threatening (it held off until we finished our boat trip) and then she took us to another nearby community, Praia da Costa Nova, to show us the beach and exceptional tile work on the houses. She was delightful, and offered us a truly memorable last day in Portugal.

A big thank you to everyone who helped to make our first visit to Portugal truly memorable. We look forward to returning!

Every guide we had, and there were several, was prompt, professional, engaging and courteous!
I’d never travel again without going through Kim Kim!

We could not have asked for a better itinerary. We saw so much in such a short amount of time, yet had enough time to ourselves to explore.

Every guide was friendly and professional. It was like meeting a new friend in Portugal everyday.

Thank you so much for the very well thought of tour for us. I will definitely recommend you to my friends and family!

The trip was planned really well. Karin actually took into considerations my preferences and requests and planned it out well in a very short period of time. Karin and Marina were available even during the trip in case I had questions and were very prompt in their responses. They really were experts in the city and provided recommendations on what to do during my trip in a short period of tome with a blend of power packed days and free days for leisure so that it felt like a holiday. The... read more

The trip was planned really well. Karin actually took into considerations my preferences and requests and planned it out well in a very short period of time. Karin and Marina were available even during the trip in case I had questions and were very prompt in their responses. They really were experts in the city and provided recommendations on what to do during my trip in a short period of tome with a blend of power packed days and free days for leisure so that it felt like a holiday. The locals who were responsible for walking tours Pedro, Jose actually customized the tour based on my preferences which is different from the typical tours and also the Nelson and Marta customized the day tours very well. They were experienced, know what they are doing, checked with me what I prefer or would want to make of the day and made the tours fun. This is a rare ask as usually the tours are standardized and there is no flexibility. Karin planned every details with recommendations in each city and was a splendid experience. This was my first experience with Kimkim and I would definitely recommend it. Obrigada<3

The trip was great! Well planned in every respect. It made sense to stay in only 3 places and not move around every day. All 3 hotels were great - we especially loved Casa Balthazar, everything about it. We enjoyed all three cities. The excursions to the port distillery could have been done in an hour at most, they didn't have much to show or explain, it was mostly tasting the 3 different ports. The trip to the fishing village was nice but not much to see - lunch was good, but it didn't... read more

The trip was great! Well planned in every respect. It made sense to stay in only 3 places and not move around every day. All 3 hotels were great - we especially loved Casa Balthazar, everything about it. We enjoyed all three cities. The excursions to the port distillery could have been done in an hour at most, they didn't have much to show or explain, it was mostly tasting the 3 different ports. The trip to the fishing village was nice but not much to see - lunch was good, but it didn't need 1/2 day. I loved the walk around the University at Coimbra, learning about the culture of the place, and we arranged to hear good Fado there and had probably our best meal of the whole trip at No Tacho.
W e loved visiting Alviera and to Costa Nova on the trip between Porto and Coimbra, those were great stops. Between Coimbra and Lisbon we stopped at Tamor on the advice of people we met along the way, but it was closed. We went to Nazare, which was fun - the surfers and the ladies in their 7 skirts, and to Fatima as well. All the guides were good, they have done their homework and are well informed - our favorite was Tiago in Lisbon, took us to see lots of things one wouldn't ordinarily notice and was very personable. We learned a lot of history, ate a lot of great food and drank great wine, did a lot of walking (it seemed to be all up, rarely down), had amazing weather. It also made a big difference that most of the people, the younger ones at least, spoke English. Altogether a wonderful trip! Thank you!
Allyson and Bruce

Overall, our trip to Portugal was memorable! There were more positive things then negative. We loved the country, it's history, beauty and culture. All our local tour guides were friendly, knowledgeable, and very helpful. All the transfers were on time. However, there were a few things that were disappointing and that cost us some unexpected expenses, such as: one "free lunch" in Porto, that wasn't free; a "one hour Duro river cruise," that lasted only 45 minutes, and was not a tour-- it... read more

Overall, our trip to Portugal was memorable! There were more positive things then negative. We loved the country, it's history, beauty and culture. All our local tour guides were friendly, knowledgeable, and very helpful. All the transfers were on time. However, there were a few things that were disappointing and that cost us some unexpected expenses, such as: one "free lunch" in Porto, that wasn't free; a "one hour Duro river cruise," that lasted only 45 minutes, and was not a tour-- it was only circling around picking up other tourists on the opposite side of the river-- we did not see anything; and, most of the tourist attractions that we thought were included, we had to pay for unexpectedly on the spot to enter. The trip to Evora was the most memorable, and the tour guide/s, Carlos Mileu with his trainee Manuel DeSilva, were absolutely amazing: although, the scheduled visit to the winery we had to pay for unexpectedly -- it was mentioned as a part of the Evora tour -- the other tourists had it included, this was a disappointing additional expense! The Lisbon tour was great. Our tour guide, Joao Ramos, showed us Lisboa at its best! We hope to return to Portugal someday, as we fell in love with the country and its people!

Wow - our Portugal biking trip exceeded all our expectations. The biking logistics were excellent- top quality bikes, GPS to make the navigation easy and good local tips for dinners. All the tour guides were very helpful and knowledgeable. The taxi service for the luggage was always very prompt and Hugo was so friendly. We had booked this as a budget vacation and we were blown away by the accommodations. We stayed in a castle and several convents / monasteries. We felt very... read more

Wow - our Portugal biking trip exceeded all our expectations. The biking logistics were excellent- top quality bikes, GPS to make the navigation easy and good local tips for dinners. All the tour guides were very helpful and knowledgeable. The taxi service for the luggage was always very prompt and Hugo was so friendly. We had booked this as a budget vacation and we were blown away by the accommodations. We stayed in a castle and several convents / monasteries. We felt very spoiled and loved the living history. The riding was all very beautiful and just the right amount of challenge. We did a self guided biking tour in Provence France, several years ago and did not think it could be topped. But this tour was much more organized and the accommodations really made it special. I would book another tour with this tour operator in a heart beat. Thanks for a fantastic vacation

Thanks to KimKim I was able to arrange a bachelorette for 17 people within a month. It would not have been possible without the help, patience and cooperation of Karina (our local specialist). The tour was a perfect combination of planned moments and unplanned. It went above and beyond my expectations. Thank you so much!

Jorg was not our specialist. It was a woman Joanna, who was excellent.
The biking was fantastic. My only complaint is that the bike itself was too big for me, and it made it difficult to get on and off.. My understanding is that you only have 2 sizes for an E bike, but it actually felt a little dangerous. Generally , the bike trips I've been on before not only want your height, but your actual inseam (groin to ankle) to get the appropriate bike. It may have also helped it the... read more

Jorg was not our specialist. It was a woman Joanna, who was excellent.
The biking was fantastic. My only complaint is that the bike itself was too big for me, and it made it difficult to get on and off.. My understanding is that you only have 2 sizes for an E bike, but it actually felt a little dangerous. Generally , the bike trips I've been on before not only want your height, but your actual inseam (groin to ankle) to get the appropriate bike. It may have also helped it the saddle bag could have been on the side instead of the back, which just made it harder to get my leg over. I had to keep my water bottle in the saddle bag, as it would have made it even harder for me to get on and off if it was kept in the clips.

However, I still totally enjoyed the trip. The routes were great. / The hotels excellent/ the beeches beautiful. and the food delicious.

Karin was just great. She planned the best trip ever and help us get the most of Portugal in just 1 week. All the hotels, tours and transfers were perfect. She was always available and proactive while we were there.
The Kim Kim Team is also great. They have this great company that is always willing to satisfy and help their clients!

Almost all of the trip when exactly by the itinerary, except when one time a driver waited to pick us up at the train station where instead we were to be picked up at our hotel. Another time, one tour was rescheduled with no notification to Karin or us, but we were able to get in touch with the tour guide who cancelled and said our tour was rescheduled for the next day which still fit into our schedule. Most memorable places were the Douro Valley and wine and port tasting, and Tomar, the... read more

Almost all of the trip when exactly by the itinerary, except when one time a driver waited to pick us up at the train station where instead we were to be picked up at our hotel. Another time, one tour was rescheduled with no notification to Karin or us, but we were able to get in touch with the tour guide who cancelled and said our tour was rescheduled for the next day which still fit into our schedule. Most memorable places were the Douro Valley and wine and port tasting, and Tomar, the beautiful monastery. Also Sintra and walking up the old castle walls was memorable (it was very hot the day we went up, but we made it and the views were very rewarding.

All hotels were quite fine. Staff in hotels were great . The rooms assigned to me were underwhelming. All private guides were outstanding. Overall the trip was wonderfull.
Warren Finlay

Without doubt one of our favorite trip so far! Portugal is an awesome country to visit.

Upon arrival we were warmly welcomed by our driver , our names were mentioned on the board and we felt welcomed and with such a friendly atmosphere we had a fantastic start! The guides and tour were extremely good, very flexible (appreciate this!) and for that the organizer, Karin, deserves a special thanks. We had three great days in Porto and Porto area, which obviously also added up to the experience,... read more

Without doubt one of our favorite trip so far! Portugal is an awesome country to visit.

Upon arrival we were warmly welcomed by our driver , our names were mentioned on the board and we felt welcomed and with such a friendly atmosphere we had a fantastic start! The guides and tour were extremely good, very flexible (appreciate this!) and for that the organizer, Karin, deserves a special thanks. We had three great days in Porto and Porto area, which obviously also added up to the experience, and four days in Lisbon. Both our drivers/guides, Nelson and Rui deserve our special shout out. We had a fantastic time in both of the places. Nelson is a very intuitive guide, knew exactly what we like and we appreciate it. He has chosen a boutique wineries with such a idyllic scenery! The scenery was beautiful and it was a relieve to walk in such a quiet and peaceful environment. He also is quite a singer. So, if you would like a singing tour through the beautiful lands of Douro Valley,he is your guide!

Rui is such a great personality and highly motivated guide (recommendable!), full of life and a great sense of humor. We truly enjoyed getting to know Lisbon and the surrounding areas in his company.

The atmosphere is so special that it really felt like home to us. All respect for Nelson and Rui who do a great job there; a true sample of excellent tour guides! And last but not least, thank you Karin for taking such a great care of us. The accommodations were great, and you made us feel like royals.
Iwona and Tad

Whilst i did not have to do much organising (just added myself and a friend to the original plan) i found that the KimKim team were excellent to interact and communicate with. My only complaint is that on the first two nights I was given a room made up as a double bed (who has instructed it to be this way??), the first night Nancy and i managed but the second night i asked for the beds to be separated - this was not possible but could be done (with a sigh and "is that necessary" )on the third... read more

Whilst i did not have to do much organising (just added myself and a friend to the original plan) i found that the KimKim team were excellent to interact and communicate with. My only complaint is that on the first two nights I was given a room made up as a double bed (who has instructed it to be this way??), the first night Nancy and i managed but the second night i asked for the beds to be separated - this was not possible but could be done (with a sigh and "is that necessary" )on the third night. I then rang and asked that all following hotels be changed to have single beds in the rooms - this was done.
The tour itself was very well organised and despite the 4 of us arriving at different times from different destinations our first meeting with our guide Diogo went very well. Diogo went out of his way to take us somewhere interesting for our lunch whilst on route to our accommodation. We visited a small 'fair' and sampled local food and wine. He suggested local foods to try during our stay and was very knowledgeable about the area we were visiting. He assisted us in setting us up with our bikes and gear - a very pleasant service.
Accommodation:
*Monte Prado Hotel & Spa - superb, excellent restaurant, friendly staff
*Pousada de Valenca - another superb hotel - we were given a glass of bubbles upon arrival (very nice touch). Apart from the bed situation, staff were pleasant, food was excellent.
* Hotel Design and Wine - would NOT recommend this hotel - for its rooms. Rooms had no natural airflow (due to how windows/doors opened), air con operating made musty smell even worse and we were concerned that air con would NOT be good for health. Mentioned to staff but nothing was offered as "all rooms were booked". Nancy has asthma and did not enjoy our room at all. We asked to sit outside in our cycling gear as our rooms were not ready upon arrival and this was also frowned upon. We did not want to sit in the restaurant when we were hot and not dressed as per the standard, however the staff did allow us to join garden furniture together to sit and eat and drink whilst we waited.
*Casa Melo Alvim Hotel - superb - staff excellent and could not do more to help us. Food was excellent, staff excellent, location excellent. Top rate hotel.
*Inlima Hotel & Spa - superb. Staff helpful although not much on offer to eat when we arrived (wine and potatoes chips), great location, good breakfast.
*Hotel Teatro - superb hotel (even though my eyes struggled with the light). Friendly and helpful staff, great location, excellent breakfast.

Tour: i very much enjoyed the cycling - did not find it too difficult (as i haven't done much more than a few kilometres each day since leaving NZ where i regularly cycled). The couple of BIG hills on the first day (going to visit the Castle ) did make me wonder if i should have booked an E-bike, but other than then i managed with grinding through the gears to get up the hills. The routes were absolutely wonderful - road riding, alongside the river, along tracks, cobbled roads, through towns - so much variety and enabled us to see so much more. The only track that we found difficult was along the beach front (Moledo) as the sand was too heavy for cycling through so we took a road route and joined track further on. The last day riding alongside farmers fields was interesting and quiet but also enjoyable. I think the variety of riding was a good idea so as to not be bored with it.
Our final guide was Carlos who collected us and took us to Porto - gave us great recommendations of places to go and eat (and see a Faldo show), he also was a wealth of knowledge for the area and tours.

i would definitely recommend this trip to anyone and would love to do it again.

Outstanding trip - our drivers Diogo and Carlos were helpful and friendly as were all the places we stayed on the trip.

This bike trip down the Green Coast in Porto was memorable for the people, the scenery, the gorgeous buildings and the great routes off main roads, along rivers and the coasts.

Can't recommend the destination or the organisation highly enough.