Kimkim Trip Reviews for Portugal

Staff was very kind and helpful

Our guide was so knowledgeable about the history and neighborhoods of Lisbon. We came away with a much greater understanding of Lisbon

Great guide, great food.

Clara, our guide, was outstanding. Fun, friendly and high- energy which was infectious. Her pride of Porto was clear and really engaging

Roi, our guide, was very knowledgeable and engaging. Really helped us understand the area well

Our guide, Paola, was outstanding. Fun, friendly, engaging and very knowledgeable. He showed us the highlights of course but it was all the out of the way authentic places he took us to and his personality that made this day so special for us. Hands down the best guide we had in Portugal.

Best breakfast and friendly staff. Good location for finding interesting restaurants, but located on a rather mixed ( some run down/empty buildings). Also room is worn down.. carpet was very stained, headboard fabric had several tears and the glass side tables had large chips in them.

First, keep in mind this is an apartment with daily room service. The front desk is only staffed from 9-6 and there are no elevators. Our room was on the third floor.. four flights of stairs. We didn’t mind the stairs except when lugging our suitcases up to the top floor. The aparthotel was very clean, located right on the central square and very spacious. We stayed in a one bedroom with small balcony views. The pictures on Casa Margot’s website are very accurate. Only downside is parking. You can park in a free lot. It is about 1/3 mile away, which is not bad. However, finding the lot is challenging. We got lost and had to drive though the insanely narrow, hilly one way streets, had to back up one time down a street and realized Apple Maps is useless within old towns. There are not street signs, just plaques on walls you can’t read. Anyway, very specific directions with pictures would have been helpful to find the lot. You can drive to the lot and circumnavigate the city, thus avoiding all the internal one way streets. Also, the lot is not paved , consisting of two connected areas on a slope. We found the lot one time, but my husband insisted that couldn’t be right. So off we went again looking for it. A picture of the lot would have helped too.

Keep in mind, my husband and I were running on fumes when we started this tour. Due to flight delays, we arrived a day late in Lisbon. We knew we’d miss an entire night of sleep traveling to Lisbon, but we also missed the night before starting to travel due to the cancellations, rebooking and a 6 am flight to start the journey. The guide brought several maps to show how Lisbon transformed over time. Interesting, but we spent about the first 15 minutes looking at maps. I’d also say I would never pair this guide with anyone making the pilgrimage to Fatima. She often commented negatively about the Catholic Church. Everyone has the right to his/her opinion, but please keep it to yourself ( or make comments about how expensive universities are in the USA). We worked very hard to save for this trip and yes pay for our children’s college education and their future careers engineering and marketing/Spanish . I had to hold my tongue at times .

Fabulous!!! FYI Nuno arrived at our hotel at 8 am, while Greg and I were enjoying a quick breakfast. At 8:30 someone knocked on my door to let me know Nuno was waiting .. I reread my notes which said 9 am pick up. Anyway, we hurried, Nuno hurried and we made on 9:45 ticket time for the tour of Peña palace. Next, we hiked through the neighboring woods about 3 miles, went to Cruz Alta then drove to Cabo da orca for an outstanding picnic lunch. Incredible. He then took us back the scenic route though cascais

Great lunch, scenic location, interesting concept. It’s more of a lunch and wine tasting.. with a very brief tour of the vines. Biggest negative, wasps were so bad at the end of the meal we couldn’t finish. We asked of there was something they could do, but they said no.

The rooms are spectacular - very spacious and light. The hospitality was wonderful and the location was perfect!

Nice people in the heart of Sintra. Wonderful views.

They made us feel like family visiting! I was very comfortable, clean, and in a good location. The dining room has the best pizza ever!!

The hotel was nice comfortable and clean.

This was a nice start to our visit - a quick tour of the local highlights

Sofia and Carlos were absolutely lovely - very hospitable and they shared their wonderful stories of their life in Portugal. It all sounded amazing. Sofia made a home-cooked meal that was the best meal of our entire trip! We won't forget this visit ever!

This was an amazing eco-friendly experience starting with the Jeep ride through the vineyards and then to their nature preserve. It was wonderful to hear how they were training the vineyards to grow deeper roots to access water so that no external watering would be needed. Then on the wonderful Olive Oil farm, where they produce the "Amor e' Cego" olive oil the traditional way eschewing modern mass farming techniques. João's message was inspirational and the tasting was intense. Finally, we went on a Cork tour where we all learned something about Cork and the multitude of products it can be made into. Did you know that the Cork tree is harvestable in 9 to 12 years? It is also sustainable without harming the tree.

Sintra was a magical experience made even more so by our fabulous guide, Paulo. He took us on the hidden route up to the castle while many others waited in cars. It was fantastic walking amongst there's ancient walls and then the castle was incredible. After the strenuous ascent, Palo made us a satisfying lunch of Iberian meats, cheeses, and wine. After we descended fully we had a small taste of the local liquor, ginjinha, and of course an espresso. It was incredible.

This was our first time on an e-bike and it was great. Our guide knew his stuff and we rode the entire way along the river. We stopped along the way for photos and some history lessons. Then we went through the park seeing the famous Rooster/ chickens roaming about in the verdant flora.

Peneda-Gerês National Park is an amazing nature preserve with a tranquil water pool, secluded and welcoming for a quick soak. We learned about the wolf trap and reviewed the ruins of the trap. Then it was time for a hand-prepared lunch with an assortment of Portuguese foods, soup, and desserts. Finally, on the way back we hiked down to a few more pools and all took a good long peaceful soak. We also saw a working water-powered Olive press that was still revitalized each season by the locals for use. A great memory that we will never forget.

Loved this hotel. Location the ambience surroundings and staff.

Amazing breakfast menu

Ricardo is an excellent guide .

Beautiful trip not to be missed.

Beautiful drive with amazing scenery of the step like Vineyards.

Boat trip not to be missed.

Lunch was great and well organized ,the wine tours were not well organized as the tour operators were not aware of the timings of the groups and the names of the groups. Had to go up and talk to the desk to start the tour much later as no one approached us .. Tour itself was good and the tour operator was very apologetic.

Andre our guide was excellent.

Well located. Cozy lobby, coffee and Tea as well as complimentary pastries at the lobby. Clean rooms. Friendly staff .

Classy, clean and beautiful hotel. Staff were professional and pleasant. The breakfast was always fresh and delicious.

Small group tour focused on food & culture. Our guide Dani was so lovely and passionate about her job. She went above and beyond with the details. Highly recommend. Great for day #1 in Lisbon.

Our guide Martha was so friendly and knowledgeable. We covered so much in 1 day. She provided suggestions and tips for the self-guided portions. She threw in some extra stops for must-try foods and scenic overlooks that enhanced the experience. One of the best days of our trip!

This was a day we will never forget! Our amazing guide Gustavo did not disappoint. He was extremely personable and knowledgeable. Our riverboat cruise on the Douro River was followed by a once-in-a-lifetime wine tasting and dining experience. Gustavo arranged for us to taste wine and have a meal with a local Portuguese family who owns and operates their own vineyard. We were invited into their home for a meal. The property owner himself did the wine tasting and coupled this was a genuine home-cooked 3-course meal to accompany each wine. We ate food that was not only authentic to Portugal but way more delicious than any restaurant food we had during our trip. This was by far my most favorite day of our trip.

They upgraded us to the best room in the hotel.

This was the best hotel of our entire Portugal trip. It was worth the extra money we paid (not that much money) and more in the service they gave us. The breakfast was stunning.

This was a wonderful side trip.

She knew her stuff and was very, very nice.

We enjoyed the evening. The dinner was just good. The male singer was excellent; the woman was good. It would have been nice to know what the songs were about..

Our favorite guide. Paolo was amazing. He first took us to his wife's cafe, very well situated. Out came the coffee and pastries, until we could eat no more. He was a font of knowledge.

The highlight of the day was a walled hill town which wasn't even on the schedule!!! By the time we got to Fatima, we could have gone 1/2 an hour to an hour less.

Very nice guide who really knew her stuff. She took us to a local cafe when we were lagging and even paid for it.

Very real experience in the quinta which was a highlight of our trip.

How did Bea find these people? Amazing day!!!

This hotel was lovely - we appreciated the extra space of a junior suite and the staff were very friendly and helpful. We wish it was located in the historic district instead of the outskirts of that area.

Location and a charming lobby were the highlights. Nice big bathrooms but the bedroom was tight.

Beautiful setting and luxurious accommodations. Wish we had more than one night there!

Our guide Marguerita was very knowledgeable and so much fun to talk to!

We were forewarned that dinner was not the highlight and that was the truth! We enjoyed the music.

We loved Belem - stayed longer with tickets for the monastery.

One of the highlights of our trip! We really liked our driver Miguel and appreciated his recommendations for lunch and activity after Peña Palace.

Lots of good information provided with an emphasis on the Jewish experience in Porto.

Another trip highlight. Gorgeous country, wonderful boat ride and delightful winery experience.

This hotel is small and charming. The breakfast and tea time included with our stay was great. The staff was kind and helpful.

This hotel was very busy and full of families with young children. The cleanliness was lacking in some areas. There were ants in our room even though we left the patio door closed.

All staff are friendly and very accommodating especially Rui and Gonzalo. We never get to meet Sonia unfortunately. It is 3 blocks away from the proximity of Main Avenue Rua Santa Catarina connecting streets to City Center

We did not stay here, We were at Sapientia Boutique Hotel. An Amazing and Beautiful Hotel in the Proximity of University of Coimbra, Old and New Cathedral, Royal Palace and of course Biblioteca Joanna. All of my Review of Location, Staff, Authenticity & Character and Cleanliness and Comfort pertains to SAPIENTIA BOUTIQUE HOTEL and not Hotel Mondego.

Central location with amazing history in the hotel itself. The staff is super helpful and kind. Loved the breakfast and the concept that it doesn't have specific timings like other hotels. You just let the staff know when to expect you in the mornings for breakfast and what you want, and they handle the rest.

Comfy and spacious rooms. Walking distance from must see attractions of Evora. There is a pool (ice cold so beware!) and free parking in the underground section which is very convenient. Staff was very nice and accommodating.

Convenient location, very walkable to number of activities. Extremely clean and spacious rooms. Staff is super friendly and helpful. Make sure to get a room facing the Marina!

one word--- AMAZING!!! Our guide, Sophia was fantastic, she gave us insides of the history and introduced us to amazing food. It is a walking tour so make sure you have comfortable footwear and water.

Very fun and a must do in Lisbon! Our guide was funny and very informative.

Fantastic food and atmosphere. Great evening spent with authentic Fado. Must do!

Get ready for a full day! it is a must do. Our guide Bernard was kind, patient and very knowledgeable. The transport vehicle is comfortable and even has Wi-Fi. 10/10 recommend!

Very informative tour of Evora! a must do. The chapel of bones is a must see. Beautiful town with lots of Gothic and Roman history.

A must do fun activity on the water!! Benagil Caves is magnificent. The guides Patrick and Sam were great. If you can't kayak don't worry you have a small lesson before going out on the water and there are always two guides with the group. The tour guides give you a brief history of the caves and how they were formed. They take you to other smaller caves as well, that's what sets this tour apart from the rest.