Kimkim Trip Reviews for Portugal

The location was excellent and staff were very helpful. Accommodations were “dated” or “charming” depending on your personal preference although the only minor inconveniences for us were slow elevators and hard room keys.

Location was excellent and staff was very helpful. One of the things which annoyed us most was the lack of outdoor non-smoking gathering places, but this may be a nationwide problem as we also encountered it in Lisbon. Breakfast was good except for the coffee and unfortunately, I could not find a nearby Starbucks or similar. Also, the step in bathtub without any handrails was treacherous.

Basically, the evening did not seem much beyond a dinner show. Perhaps, the experience might’ve been better at a different restaurant. It just did not feel authentic, but more of an activity designed solely for tourist and something locals have grown tired of. If I had a good friend that was going to Lisbon with limited time, I would tell them to investigate some of the other wonderful restaurants in the city and skip the Fado experience.

The day was a great mixture of a visit to historical beautiful palace with gardens, walking up the narrow inclined streets of a centuries old village and concluding with a lunchtime stop at a modern coastal resort.

The whole day was a wonderful experience and something that I would clearly recommend to anybody who includes Porto on their itinerary. The dining experience and lunch were superb as was the wine tasting. The only part that could’ve been improved was the boat trip down the Douro river as our guide did not really add much and it just felt like a perfunctory out and back trip.

I guess it’s something that you need to do in Porto, but it seemed like a typical tourist driven experience with diversions to the gift shop. We’ve been on Wine Tours before and there didn’t seem much to differentiate it from others we have been on. However, the most pleasant surprise was the cheese tray that was added in by Kim Kim. The tray was huge, and we passed it around to some of the other tasters at our table.

Bernardo was a superb guide and a wealth of information. We felt it in a 2 1/2 hours we spent with Bernardo that we received an excellent introduction to Porto and directions on how to spend some of our remaining time.

like an art deco museum. Omar the bar tender had great stories

Manwel was a great host , answered all my questions and gave great recommendations. The place is a beautiful family home, decorated like a fine European mansion. Breakfast was incredible each morning !!!!!

Vazquez a local vineyard owner was full of knowledge about the wine industry !!!

David another great guide with a lot of local knowledge !!!!

chavier (sp) it's was just me, no one else signed up! we kept in contact at a few points but i made with his help!

nick was a great guide, perfect mix of history and scenery

Hotel was well located near the Avenida da Liberdade and the Principe Real neighborhoods. The hotel is beautiful and historic. We had to leave too early for the breakfast but they have an afternoon happy hour and the staff is lovely. We were upgraded to a spacious junior suite.

Hotel is located right in the middle of the historic part of town. It was a great location for exploring the city, accessing the marina on foot and accessing the Ponta da Piedade with a short walk. The pool was nice to have and there is a nice area to sit outside of your room. Room had ample space.

We loved the location of this hotel. The staff were extremely accommodating and left us a lovely gift every day. The only downside is that there is no common space to sit outside of your room. The breakfast was perfect and the room was small but comfortable.

The cave was slightly disappointing. It's small and crowded with other boats inside. It was also a 30 minute speedboat ride down the coast each way and it was chilly on the ride. We enjoyed seeing other towns on the return trip as the boat went a little closer to the shore. Pretty coastal views.

This was a nice morning boat trip. The guides were great and it's a lovely cruise at a relaxed pace and the views are gorgeous. Learned a lot about the area.

This was our favorite day. We went to a small winery in an old convent. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and drove us around the property and amongst the vines to see the grapes and learn about the topography. We went to the production facility and learned about how the wine is made. The tasting room was beautiful and they had great wines and a lovely cheese plate for us. We then went to a second and larger winery with a gorgeous patio where we did the tasting outside. We tasted a number of wines and had tapas with it. The scenery is beautiful and we loved learning about wines we were unfamiliar with.

Cannot say enough good things about this hike. We LOVED it. We had a lovely lunch at O Camilo - make a reservation as it was crowded and there was a long wait! The path has gorgeous views. It's also great for running and we went another night for a spectacular sunset, which was a very popular time there. The stairs to Praia de Camilo were unfortunately closed, and we read that's the best place to walk down to a beach. There is another set of stairs further down the path but they do not lead to a beach. Highly recommend.

This was a great food tour. It was less walking than I had expected and didn't include any hills! The tour description said we would have 16 tastes, but we had 12. The tour also lasted 30 minutes longer than noted, but this wasn't a problem for us. Our guide was great and we saw some new areas of the city on the walk. They also accommodated non meat-eaters and non-alcohol drinkers.

This was a great day. Unfortunately, we were not aware of how windy and chilly Sintra can be in May. We were freezing cold at Pena Palace, all of which is either outdoors or in the open. It was very different weather in Sintra than Lisbon. The town of Sintra is adorable and our tour guide, Philip, treated us to amazing pastries. We really enjoyed Quinta da Regaleira. It was warmer there and a beautiful day to walk around. We stopped at Cabo da Roca to take a quick picture, but didn't stay long as it was extremely windy. We had a nice afternoon in Cascais.

Stunning hotel. I was expecting something traditional from the outside but it was modern and elegant on the inside. The fountains and the birdsong added to the ambiance on the balcony. The breakfasts were lovely and relaxed. A true escape in a beautiful setting.

I didn't think I would really like Port wine, but after learning about it, I came home with 3 bottles. Our guide was enthusiastic and I appreciated the structure of a large, small and micro approach to port making. Definitely a must-do!

Location was great- within walking distance of the ferry terminal and town square of Madalena. The hotel was clean although a little “worn”. Free parking was a plus.

This hotel has stunning grounds and views of Monte Brazil. You can also access a sea walk from the property grounds. It is a 10-15 minute walk from the center of Angra do Heroismo.

A modern hotel within walking distance of the Ponta Delgada city square. Breakfast is served in its lovely restaurant which overlooks the port.

Felipe was a great guide! He appreciates the specialness of the Azores and imparted an amazing amount of information.

Algae do Carvao is an experience that is not to be missed and for me was the highlight of the cave experience. Greta do Natal was interesting but overshadowed by Algae do Cavo. Our guide did not take us to either Serra do Cume or Biscoitos.

Our guide Francesca gave us a great introduction to the sites and history of Angra do Heroismo. She also provided suggestions for restaurants.

Canceled

Our room was spacious by European standards and very comfortable. The patio was nice and the rooftop pool was awesome, beautiful views! The restaurant was also very good and this hotel has an amazing included breakfast; not just a buffet but menu ordering. A very easy walk to the harbor.

Our room was very tiny and I didn’t love the concrete floors. It was very clean though and had a mini fridge. The lobby is beautiful and the restaurant is quite good. If we had an upgraded room I think I would have enjoyed it more

Our room was very big for European standards and included a mini fridge. The hotel is a bit older but comfortable and everyone was very nice. The fifth floor terrace to hang out on was spacious and beautiful. An easy walk to all the riverfront activities and restaurants.

You will not leave hungry! Multiple courses paired with wine and all very good. A small tour after

This was such an incredible experience, probably our favorite of the trip. Without giving away too much this is far more than a normal winery visit

Very informative way to get to know the city

Wow! What a welcome to Portugal. The food was amazing, the music was magical, and you got unlimited wine; can’t beat it!!

A comfortable place to stay, walkable to the core of PDL. Kind and helpful staff. Great wifi. Great breakfast. The spa, and its associated amenities, were superb.

A purely touristic hotel. While nicely located within the city, it lacks any kind of local vibe. Staff were generally uninterested and disengaged. Wifi was stable and breakfast was okay - the same offerings each day. If you like consistency and predictability, this is a fine hotel. If you prefer a more tailored, boutique experience, look elsewhere.

A purely tourist hotel. It is conveniently located within the city; within walking distance of a lot of sights and activities. However, it lacks any local charm or character. Wifi is mediocre. Breakfast was good though. Staff were attentive and kind. Construction works next to the hotel were disruptive, with noise and vibration that began early in the day and continued to the evening.

A beautiful property that's ideally situated, with a kind and helpful staff, great food and drink, solid wifi and amenities.

A beautiful reconstruction of an old sanitarium. Nicely situated within the park. Wifi strength was good. Breakfast was very good, although in the bar, food and service were both lacking. Staff were generally kind and helpful. It would be nice if tours were offered of the property given its history; to learn more about its use, layout, and reconstruction.

If you get the right room, the views can be amazing! Otherwise, it is a highly touristic hotel that lacks personalized service, and any cultural charm (views excepted). Wifi strength is marginal. Breakfast is a standard buffet. You are not centrally located within the Algarve,

A unique and quirky hotel that is very well located, with a tremendous staff that is quick and eager to please, and support its guests. Accommodations were clean and comfortable, breakfast was good, and the hotel itself is historic, with a great vibe.

Mr Bruno is an excellent guide (seems to be a recurring theme here!). We enjoyed our time with him as he walked us through the main sights of PDL, which is not an incredibly vast city. In that way, we held a more leisurely pace, taking our time at each stop to really engage, learn about it, and enjoy some local bites and drinks. Bruno was friendly, fun, and funny! Listening to him was a real delight, and he was happy to entertain the questions we asked.

It is a good restaurant, although I would suggest a lunchtime visit as opposed to a dinner one as they do not accept reservations. The food, service, drink, are all on point. The atmosphere is a little bland, though.

This was a great way for us to visit places we wouldn't have been able to access short of keeping the rental car. Still, to have someone else drive was kind of nice. Ricardo was once again phenomenal as he greeted us on time, and brought us to the places on our itinerary, sharing some of his knowledge about each location, and a few of the sights in between. We were all able to have lunch together, which was wonderful, as it gave us an opportunity to get to know each other a little better. The sights we visited were as we had requested, and I appreciate that Ricardo gave us time to explore at our leisure, while also offering suggestions on how we could make the use of our time. It was a great day!

This was an incredible experience to be offered. Thank you! Ricardo picked us up as scheduled in front of our hotel. He was delightful! As we drove around, we made a few stops, per the general itinerary. Here, I would have liked some more input to determine which stops would be made. Nevertheless, Ricardo was responsive to a few of our requests, which was greatly appreciated! We spent a lot of time in one location in particular, and Ricardo communicated to our hosts that we would be a little late. Once we arrived we were greeted warmly, and with Ricardo and their son ably translating for all of us, it was a wonderful evening. The meal prepared was delicious, and a vast spread of local dishes. The wine, and fire water, flowed easily, and in spite of the language differences, we were able to share our experiences in Portugal to that point, while also learning about our hosts, their backgrounds and experiences. In the end we ran out of time. It was such an enriching, joyful, dinner - one of the most impactful of our trip, and a lifelong memory! Thank you!!!

Bernardo is an excellent guide! He met us at our hotel on time, and introduced us to the main highlights of Porto on a route that was easily managed, and complete, considering the relative vastness of the city. He was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and fun to be with and listen to. He also made recommendations regarding other sights to see, places to eat, and addressed any questions we had along the way.

Tasty regional food that's worth the effort to get to! The cooking method embodies the region, and imparts a particular note that's very good. The restaurant bottles their own wines, which accompany the meal especially well. Good service, adds to the overall enjoyment!

To begin, I didn't know this was booked as a private activity. Maybe it wasn't and we got lucky that it was just the two of us and our guides. But if it was booked as such - thank you! Our guides, Daniel and Wolf were phenomenal! They took great care to assure our comfort and safety. For Lilian, this was especially important as this was her first canyoning experience. The course itself was great! Beautifully scenic, and challenging enough without being (too) overwhelming. Again, to Daniel and Wolf, your efforts in making the day safe, comfortable and fun, were much appreciated. The experience itself was great! We enjoyed witnessing the beauty of Madeira from an entirely unique perspective.

This was easily one of the best meals we had on our trip. Highly elevated, exceptional dining in a beautifully situated and sophisticated dining space.

This experience was incorrectly booked as just the boat trip, and not the boat and kayak trip combined. This was not a big deal and is not the reason behind my rating. I greatly appreciate your response to that situation. Rather, the boat is, just a boat. The ride upriver is scenic and that's really it. You don't go all that far. I'm glad we did not go upriver with the boat and then kayak downriver back to town. It's the same view, and the river channel is busy with a lot of boat traffic. It would not have been very relaxing. Doing the two separately allowed us to kayak down the other arm of the river which was, frankly, dirty and smelly. Not super great. I would skip this activity overall, and would rather do a private boat hire with a wine and cheese tasting that would travel a greater distance along the river. No kayaking. And spend more time exploring the wineries along the valley.

Nuno is an outstanding guide. It is clear he is passionate about the park, taking great pride in its beauty, diversity and fragility. His knowledge of its history, and biodiversity, was impressive. He took great care to assure our safety and comfort while in the park. Our lunch together was wonderful. He packed ham, bread and cheese, with jam and a bottle on wine (he forgot the glasses but that was easily handled). Sharing the day with him was a delight. I am glad we added more time, and that Nuno could accommodate us. Three hours would have been seriously limiting. He was willing to share suggestions for further exploration, and offered us insights on our hotel that the hotel staff themselves couldn't do.

A great way to experience this dramatic coastline. The equipment provided was of good quality, and the staff were each excellent! I was grateful the boat captain enabled us to take a quick swim on our return to the harbor. Our kayaking instructor was fun, kind, helpful to those in the group that needed assistance. His knowledge of the area was great to listen to. I would have enjoyed more time on the water, but for what it was, no big complaints.

This was a phenomenal restaurant! Well designed, curated, nice touches in plating and silverware. Attentive service. Delicious food! Great atmosphere. Terrific all around!

In hindsight, I should have communicated our plans more accurately. Timings for some of the places we wanted to get to weren't clear. For example. the Convent of Our Lady of Arrabida, was closed. The Forte de Albarquel had limited hours. Had we known those in advance we could have made better use of our time. We ended up visiting the Forte de Sao Filipe which was outstanding! From there we drove to Setubal for lunch, taking your suggestion for the choco frito. It seemed like there was a fair amount to see in Setubal, but again, it really wasn't discussed so we didn't know. We walked around a little before we continued our drive to the hotel.

Rui showed up to the hotel on time. Brought us to the rental car directly, and offered to stay until we were set up.

The Fado, was sublime. Beautiful. Haunting, in a way. You could close your eyes and feel the music. It was truly beautiful. The Portuguese guitar is a striking instrument, both in looks and sound. And those creating the music, playing the guitar, singing, were soulful, talented, and a joy to listen to. The dinner itself was okay. Good. Not as exceptional as the music. Restaurant staff were kind, but disorganized and rushed. In the end, they got everyone seated, meals and drinks ordered, and it all worked out. But it seemed like it was their first time doing it. The venue itself is nice, although I would suggest being seated away from the front entrance where the musicians will ultimately perform, as you're inches away, the music and singing would be loud.

This was great! To learn how to make this iconic pastry was a real "treat"! The class was good. Small enough to be personal and move along at a steady clip. Everyone was engaged and having a good time. Our instructor was funny, well prepared to teach the class, and helped all of us succeed in our endeavor. There were steps that were completed in advance, both for ease and timing. Personally, I would have liked to have participated in each step, even if that meant a longer overall class. But still, a really good time.

Sintra is a must-see destination if you're in Lisbon. We were paired with Rita once again, which we both were pleased with. The skip-the-line tickets were enormously helpful! Guides are not allowed within Pena Palace, which was a little disappointing, however, Rita was keen to answer our questions before and after our tour. Throughout the day, she was kind, eager to share her knowledge, and helpful. The only downside, for me, was the lack of visiting the Moorish Castle. I felt like there was time within the day to do so, being respectful of our timed entries elsewhere. We made a stop for lunch, which could have been shortened or skipped outright to make time for the castle. Rita didn't feel it was a worthwhile destination, but I disagreed with her assessment. Still, she and our driver Rui fulfilled our request to visit Cabo da Roca, which was also very appreciated as it lengthened the day.

Rita was an excellent guide. Funny. Engaging. Knowledgable. She put together a loop that traversed each neighborhood, sharing historical and cultural highlights along the way. I asked specifically if she knew of any Vhils works, and she was able to incorporate one as we walked, which was greatly appreciated. She introduced us to many foods and shops, making stops so we could sample them as we went. It was a wonderful introduction to Lisbon!

This is definitely a 5 Star Hotel! We loved everything from the character of the hotel, to the room we stayed in, all the staff we came into contact with, the coffee shop attached to the hotel. We will absolutely be coming back to this hotel.

The Views Of this Hotel are absolutely stunning! Who would not Love waking up to this beautiful hotel . This is a must stay hotel in Douro Valley.

Angela and the staff was absolutely amazing. We met some amazing people from all different places as we were cooking together. All the dishes that we cooked were delicious, and we were able to get the recipes to take home. This is a must do when in Lisbon Portugal.

The Heritage Avenida Liberdade, was our favorite hotel - historic with lots of character, very comfortable, and the service, breakfast, and location was perfect.

We had private sunset sail, which was beautiful.

Margarida was a wonderful guide, sharing the history and culture of Lisbon and answering all our questions as we walked around.

Gorgeous views!

Beautiful hotel with great service!

We had the same guy as before. See previous review on how amazing he was.

Our Captains were so accommodating. A relaxing experience with gorgeous views. We sipped wine while laying on the catamaran with pillows they provided. When it got cold, they had blankets ready for us. Great experience

Our tour guide was amazing as I described in the earlier review. But the helicopter ride was horrible. We could hear all chatter from the communication chatter and it was screeching in our ears. The pilot did not describe any of the sites we were flying over. We paid quite a bit of money for this helicopter ride and could not be more disappointed.

Fun to see some of the off the beaten path areas of Lisbon. Learned about portuguese food and wine pairings. Love hearing the history behind the places we visited.

Very central location within walking distance to everything.

Beautiful location with amazing views of the Douro river. The on-site restaurant was delicious! It was nice that they included a free tour and port tasting.

Great location. Comfortable rooms. Good quality and selection of foods at breakfast. Staff was helpful and friendly.

Very fun to walk the old city and taste local foods.

It was great to get a historical perspective of the city and to see the main sites and neighborhoods.

Lovely cocktails

Great location in downtown Lisbon, with great bar and restaurant. The rooms are very small and no space in the bathroom for personal stuff. Staff were very attentive and friendly

Nice big rooms with beautiful view of the ocean and hotel pool. Towels were thread bare, no shampoo or conditioner was in the bathroom. The pool bar serves a small menu of choices for lunch and dinner but closes around 9:30, which is odd for a country that usually eats very late dinners.

This was an amazing trip! Joao was our driver and guide and he was very informative and knowledgeable. We visited a castle and medieval town where there was a beautiful little church, and sweet little town. The wine tasting included a charcuterie board and several very good wines. In the town of evora we saw the church of bones and a Roman ruin. Beautiful day!

The tour had 6 passengers, all of us senior, and in a regular jeep, so 2 of us had to sit in the jumper seat in the back. I would not have booked this tour if I’d known what the vehicle arrangement was. Tour was nice though, in terms of views and photo ops. Guide was nice and friendly

This was so much fun. We enjoyed a catamaran with just 13 guests and 6 crew members. The vista was beautiful, the food and drinks were excellent (I even tried the sardines). And the staff was extremely accommodating and fun.

Relaxing river cruise with winetasting Breath-taking heights and winding roads Beautiful wineries and food Highly recommended

Highly Recommended Great Guide Fascinating information Well organized SMALL GROUP - this was a huge benefit. We saw large groups parading down the streets behind a guide with an high-flying flag. No thank you. In small group tours, one gets to meet and enjoy others in the group. In small groups you can hear the guide and ask questions as they arise. It was all very enjoyable.

The staff was kind and helpful in helping me plan routes to walking excursions that I did on my own. The hotel was beautiful, comfortable, and served amazing food.

It was wonderful to go back in history to the places where Portugal started. We explored, beautiful cathedrals, castles, and other import important historical sites.

Raquel, was a perfect tour guide for me and I had her all to myself. She took me to so many hidden secrets that I never would’ve found on my own. She knew that I loved history and culture, so she took me to places he knew that would be of interest to me.

This was a fabulous tour with a great guide who loved this area, because he enjoyed surfing here. He knew a lot of people and even introduced me to a man in his 80s who used to run the lighthouse at the most southwestern point in Europe.

It was wonderful to visit all of these small towns that were so important to the fishing industry and tourism industry in the Algarve.

The title of this adventure is a little misleading, because there was no barbecue, but it was still a phenomenal journey. I met some wonderful people on the catamaran ride to the Bengali caves.

Being a jeep owner myself, I loved this small group trip into the heart of the Algarve. Upward driver stopped at at least a dozen times to pick leads from plants along the way and help us learn how to identify them.

Once again, I had a wonderful female tour guide to myself. We took a deep ride through the acres of olive trees, vineyards and finally ended in the beautiful court forest where we even saw some albino deer.

I had my personal guide to myself all day. She knew that I had taught ancient civilizations, so she was ready to answer my questions and even learned a few things from me, I think! She had lived in Evora, her whole life, so she knew the people and the places we visited extremely well.

Having taught about knights and castles, this tour was like a living textbook. I couldn’t believe I was seeing things that I had taught about for so many years.

Going to Sintra was like walking into a fairy tale, and our guide was so knowledgeable about the area, because he was born and raised here. I met three wonderful young ladies from Belgium and one from Australia that assisted me on the steep hills and stairways. We had a lot of fun together!

This was my first tour and an awesome way to be able to meet a few people and get appetizer-sized tastes of great Portugal foods and wines. It helped me make decisions about what to order for the rest of the trip.