Kimkim Trip Reviews for Portugal

We loved this trip. Our favorite stop was Douro Valley and Porto. The Quinta in Douro was amazing so beautiful and homey. Only issue was our map tried to take us up the backroad into the vineyard which was very scary on the small single lane, rocky road. The suggestions in the guidebook were great and made it very easy to check off the main tourist attractions in all of the smaller towns where we only had a night to visit.

Tiago was also great and answered all my questions and handled my covid anxiety before the trip very well! When the airline lost our baggage he even tried to help track it down for us and checked in with us multiple times during our trip. Overall a great experience.

Everything was planned well and met our expectations. Great support while we were in Portugal. Would highly recommend.

Hotel Reviews

Be Poet Baixa Hotel

Lisbon

Wonderful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Noble House

Evora

Beautiful hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Porto Charming Hotel

Porto

Wonderful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Carvi Beach Hotel

Lagos

Amazing restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

It was fine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Foodie Experience in Porto

Porto

Good time. Knowledgeable tour guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Excursion to Viana do Castelo

Porto

Awesome time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Coimbra

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Historic Coimbra

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Spain

Amazing day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Évora

Portugal

Not a great time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Catamaran Trip to Benagil Caves

Portugal

So beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marina was extremely helpful throughout the entire process of booking the trip, to answering questions during our trip and ensuring that any problems were promptly addressed. She helped me plan an unforgettable trip for my children and I. Some of the highlights were the culinary experiences in Barcelona and Lisbon , Montserrat, day trip to Fatima, Nazare & Obidos, olive oil estate, & trip to Douro Valley. We had amazing guides at each stop. If you’re planning a trip to Spain or Portugal, you must give Marina a call. Thank you, Marina!

Bea was supportive, accommodating and patient throughout our planning process and always cheerfully and promptly responded to our many questions and requests. We had an unexpected incident during the trip with one of transportation providers, and she was immediately available to support us. After the trip, she continued to follow up and provide updates regarding the incident. We enjoyed the trip, and I would recommend her and her agency without reservation to anyone planning on making a trip to Spain or Portugal in the future.

This was our first experience with KimKim.. Our local specialist Marta was superb! She was knowledgeable and utterly responsive, even on a Sunday afternoon when we contacted her because our flight to Lisbon was delayed. She also reached out to us during our time in Lisbon to ensure things were going well, something we very much appreciated.

We were grateful for Marta's recommendation of an outstandingly beautiful and relaxing Lisbon hotel (Torel Palace), her close coordination of many activities, and arrangements for an incredible guide/driver, Marta Sophia George David, for two amazing days of out-of-Lisbon tours--one to Obidos, Fatima, and seaside towns and the other to Sintra, Cascais, and Belem.

A word about our guide/driver: we cannot compliment her enough! A former journalist, Marta David has encyclopedic knowledge tempered by deep love of Portugal and the ability to speak to history and current events with deep insight. Her contextual passion touched our souls in an soul-expanding way. She also knew where to find the best gelato shops!

Based on our experience, we will use KimKim again and recommend it to others.

Hotel Review

Torel Palace

Lisbon

Torel Palace is an accessible retreat in the midst of Lisbon.

Authenticity & Character

Every part of this property is gorgeous! Beyond charming . . .

Location

The fact that we really could walk to various neighborhoods but nevertheless could retreat from the busyness in an extraordinarily beautiful place with some of the best views in the city!

Staff

So pleasant, helpful, caring, and accommodating!!!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathroom was a bit cramped, but then what can you expect in a 1902 palace?

Activity Reviews

Sunset Sailing Cruise

Lisbon

Interesting and informative--but the cruise was crowded, uncomfortable, and cold.

Quality of Experience

The traditional boat was way too crowded!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

That's just it: we had been in Lisbon for our first time for less than two hours before the cruise began, and finding transportation (cab) back to our hotel after the cruise was difficult.

Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour

Portugal

A good overview.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pick-up at the hotel (again, this was our first time in Lisbon).

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

Great music; too lengthy an experience.

Quality of Experience

Music was great! Timing was slow. Food was okay but not great. Probably not the experience for first-time fado attendees.

Food

Cod (the specialty of the house) has bones and gristle in it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our waiter literally disappeared!

Transport

Difficult to get to for newcomers to Lisbon. We tried to walk from the Torel Palace and ended up looking for a cab after getting hopelessly lost.

Cooking Class with Market Visit

Lisbon

A fun morning with an interesting an eclectic group!

Quality of Experience

A good experience, It would have been better if we'd been given copies (or received by email) the recipes we prepared.

Food

The lunch we prepared was great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The cooking teacher was personable and a good cook--but she didn't offer many explanations about what she was doing or why,

Private Excursion to Fatima

Lisbon

Our guide Marta was exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Group Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

Sintra is a must-visit. The castle in Old Sintra is incredible--a great self-tour. Our guide took us to a second palace/garden to tour in Sintra (not Pena Palace). It was breathtaking, but physically very, very challenging with steep, uneven cobblestone "steps" (or drop-offs). Lunch was at a local restaurant that was delightful! We loved visiting the westernmost point in mainland Europe; thought Cascais was interesting but little more than an overrated "mall" with a good gelato shop; did an Estoril drive-by, and were very grateful for an add-on, half-an-hour stop in Belem.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tiago and Joël expertly planned a most memorable trip to Lisbon and north. Tiago communicated with us immediately when we were in the planning stages and meet us the first day to settle us in and suggest a site seeing route appropriate for the jet lagged. For two days Joël shepherded is throughout old Lisbon, and a fun day to Cascais and Sintra. We experienced Lisbon and the Atlantic Coasts that we would not have seen by ourselves. Plus he introduced us to the Portuguese seafood and fish cuisine.

Once we rented a car, the itinerary develops for ids was varied and exciting; the accommodations were perfect.

Highlights: at the risk of listing them all, Douro Valley, Porto, Tomar, and Évora and the sites at those locations too my list.

We had a terrific experience through KimKim and we will recommend to others and hopefully take another trip with you soon.

Our guide who took us up the Duora Valley and recommended the lunch venue was terrific, so much so that we treated him to join us for lunch. Also, the wine tasting in the valley was terrific as well, as we bought a case of wine there.

Special thanks to Beatrice who made Kimkim the terrific company that it is. She was very easy to reach if we had questions, she planned a trip that we will never forget. We told her we had 12 days and she planned them perfectly, she is so knowledgeable. We will recommend Kimkim and tell our friends to ask for Beatrice.

Hotel Review

Flores Boutique Hotel

Porto

The crew that work there are very knowledgeable and helpful. Great location for restaurants and sites to visit. The buffet was fresh and generous. The room was good size and was accommodating.

Tips for future travelers

I did not pick or look up any hotels that Beatrice suggested as I trusted her choices and we were rewarded with excellent accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

Everything

Location

Center city for convenience

Staff

Knowledgeable and easy to talk to.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice count on sheets and comforters.

Activity Review

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Our tour was outstanding!! The River tour was very interesting and felt very privileged to be able to see the wonders of the area. The Port winery that our guide set us up with was amazing. Tour of vineyard and home of wine makers was fun. The restaurant that our guide took us to we had a chef that was outstanding. A very special remembered day.

Quality of Experience

All day trips were well planned into day.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable guides

Transport

Knew area and where they were to take us!

We had the absolute best trip! Tiago was so helpful in guiding us, with both taking suggestions and giving us lots of great ideas and feedback to make our trip successful and fun. We saw so much of the country and enjoyed every second of it.

Beatriz was very flexible and accommodating with the numerous changes to the itinerary. She was also very prompt and responsive to all our questions and needs. Beatriz also had many wonderful restaurant recommendations and things of interest to do while visiting the various cities.

Wow - another fantastic personalized trip planned by Kimkim! Marina helped design a trip for 3 couples with a focus on culture, food, and experience. Highlights included city walking tours of Porto and Lisbon, a very rich cultural food tour in Lisbon, wine country visit, and an interactive cooking class. Hard to say which was the favorite - we all loved it.

Hotel Reviews

Dear Lisbon Bordalo House

Lisboa

Charming boutique hotel in the historic district. We loved the location and the rooms were comfortable and spacious. The breakfast location was lovely - blue tile everywhere. The food was great, and so was the coffee.

Authenticity & Character

Very charming, and the rooms had fantastic views

Location

Walking to everything we wanted to see - it's in the historic area. Safe, clean, convenient

Staff

attentive and available as needed

Cleanliness & Comfort

Exe Almada Porto

Porto

Clean, comfortable, and well appointed rooms. Really had everything we needed and close to everything.

Authenticity & Character

Modern rooms in an older building, very well appointed

Location

Seemed to be close to everything for us - we walked the city and our events from the hotel. Quiet at night.

Staff

Everyone was so nice!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Foodie Experience

Lisbon

LOVED THIS! Book this event! Its a small group - I think we had 9 total. It was fun, cultural, and a great introduction to the city and its foods. We visited different neighborhoods and got a feel for their vibes. Our tour guide was so much fun and she knew everyone in town (native of Lisbon). Truly a fantastic experience for our group of 6.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very enthusiastic, fun, and provided so much history

Private Porto Cooking Class & Market Visit

Porto

Truly a trip highlight! This ended up lasting most of the day - market tour, interactive cooking class, eating and drinking. Our group was 6 and it was perfect for mixing up the cooking, prepping, and visiting. We all loved this. Would definitely recommend anyone interested in food or culture to book this - I would do it again!

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

A must-do to get the history of the city, better understand the culture, and get tips on where to dine and other sites to see.

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Definitely a great way to learn the history of the city and see it on foot. Our guide was a native English speaking but was raised in Porto. He was informative, and showed us some secret nooks and crannies of the city we wouldn't have found on our own. He also provided us with some options for other sites and restaurants to visit. I highly recommend this tour - especially on your first or second day in Porto.

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

It's a great experience - the location was in an old part of the city, the music was interesting and beautiful. The evening included dinner and that was good too - I had a traditional dish. Our waiter really made our night - he was fun to interact with and really added to our experience here.

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Our guide picked us up at our hotel and stayed with us the day as we visited a couple wineries and the Douro Valley area. Our guide was very fun, engaging, and helpful. The Douro Valley is very scenic and the little wineries we visited were charming and boutique. The river cruise was not that great - I would skip that. We felt we saw all the countryside by driving to the little wineries in the valley. We should have gone to another winery instead! The guide was great though, and made up for any short-comings of the river cruise. I gave it 4 stars because of the river cruise - otherwise the wine tasting was a 5/5!

Beatriz was SENSATIONAL planning every part of the trip and no request was too difficult for her to accommodate...and she always did it with a smile. She stayed in touch with us via text throughout the trip and was able to make some helpful suggestions. She was always responsive to our questions and concerns. Most importantly, the tours she arranged were memorable and the team she established made the trip memorable. For example, the Fada experience in Lisbon was awesome and the restaurant gave us front row seats. The Lisbon walking tour with Maria was perfect-she was fully prepared, arrived on time and provided a fascinating history of the Jewish Portuguese experience that we had requested. Likewise, our guide Paula led us on a Portuguese food tasting tour that was so much fun with a few other couples. All the hotels Beatriz suggested were great, particularly the Penha Longa Ritz Carlton where we enjoyed a fabulous round of golf-and all the arrangements tee times, for clubs and cart were perfect. At the beautiful Yeatman Hotel, overlooking the Douro in Porto, we experienced first class treatment along with a tasting experience that was "beyond beyond. " We ran into some rain in Douro but our guide brought us inside to the winery where we had a wonderful learning (and drinking!) experience. Finally, Porto was both beautiful and charming and our guide Daniel was charming and knowledgeable about history and in particular, the history of the Jewish people in Porto. All in all, a fabulous and memorable experience and Bea was with us every step of the way. Obrigado! Eric and Susan

Hotel Reviews

Penha Longa Resort

Sintra, Linhó

Fabulous staff, beautiful rooms and gorgeous golf course.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palácio Ludovice Wine Experience Hotel

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MW Douro Wine & Spa by TRIUS Hotels

Santa Marta de Penaguião, Cumieira

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Yeatman Hotel

Vila Nova de Gaia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Food and wine!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides Maria, Paula, Daniel were outstanding. Rai was good but we had bad weather in Douro, no fault of his

Transport

Transport was fine. Our driver to pick up at the airport in Lisbon was a half hour late as was the driver who picked us up in Lisbon to go to Sintra.

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Foodie Experience

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Arrival on time to our hotel in Lisbon to go to Sintra. Driver was a half hour late.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour of the palace with a guide who is knowledgeable of the palace. our guide dropped us off at the park and we got somewhat lost on our way to the palace and. had no guide for the palace itself.

Transport

Transfer from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}, via Belmonte

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Excursion to Douro Valley: Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All in all it was a good experience. The trip was all booked for me and all i needed to do was show up.
I liked the insider tips provided.

Activity Reviews

Porto Foodie Experience

Porto

Very good tour guide. Knowledgeable and passionate. Good tour

Quality of Experience

Service

Food

The places we went to

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

Too many people on the tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Ebike was not properly maintained. Seat too high for female rider

Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour

Portugal

Nice was to see Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The lady driver was lovely however her English wasn’t good so I couldn’t understand her well

Transport

Sunset Sailing Cruise

Lisbon

Couldn’t go on this trip due to rain and winds

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

My personal guide Susana was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Food

The guide cooked a Keto meal for me which was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Working with Marina Courtaut of Espiritu Travel was an absolute pleasure. During all the planning she was responsive and very helpful. She listened will to our interests and planned a vacation to match our needs.

During this vacation there were a couple of mishaps related to transfers, however, having Marina and Espiritu Travel on the other end of What’ App was very helpful. We simply advised Marian of the issues and she worked to get them corrected.

The first situation was that upon arrival in Portugal the car to transport the 5 of us to Porto fit only 2. It took about an hour, but the transfer vendor returned to the airport with a van to accommodate us all. The second situation occurred when the vehicle to transfer 5 of us from Lisbon to Lagos was also only for 2 people. While it took more than 2 hours to fix this, eventually a van arrived to transport all of us. Through out all of this Marina was engaged and provided information. Additionally, she took responsibility for the mistakes and accommodated us financially. I adhere to the wisdom that “people remember how you made them feel” and Marina made us feel that she deeply regretted the problems and worked very hard to rectify them. That approach left our family feeling satisfied and not unhappy with the service.

May 28
Due to the delay leaving Lisbon airport the pre-arranged plan for lunch in Coimbra no longer worked (too late in the day) however our driver found us a place to stop for lunch and that worked out well.

The Hotel Teatro in Porto was very nice. Upon arrival they did not know one of the rooms was to be configured as two twin beds however the were easily able to fix that; our 2 sons were sharing the room.

We had dinner that night at one restaurant recommended by Marina – DOP – and it was lovely.

May 29
Bluedragon Bike Shop did not know that we had prepaid for 5 for a guided bike visit of Porto. However, we put them in touch with Espiritu Travel and that was communicated. The Bike Shop charged my credit card and refunded the money in Euros. Our bike guide, Ana, was young and not very knowledgeable about the city. While very pleasant and nothing “went wrong,” she did not know as much as we have come to expect from city guides. FYI, the itinerary lists “water” as one of the things provided; it was not.

May 30
Our guide Pedro was terrific and our day trip to the Douro Valley was very nice. The boat tour wasn’t overwhelming, but not a problem either. Not sure I would recommend it to others. Pedro took us to a lovely restaurant for lunch and we all enjoyed the experience, however it was not, as the itinerary said, “”at a famous Quinta.” We also visited just one winery; the itinerary says, “visit traditional wineries.” We thought we would visit more than one.

May 31
The Lisbon hotel Duque de Loule was very nice. Turns out not as centrally located as we might have wanted, but as I recall that was due to the 3 rooms we needed, and another hotel being fully booked.

While we were making the 3-hour trip from Porto to Lisbon, at 10am, a person called me to say we were late for our 10am guided tour of Lisbon. However, we had no such tour scheduled; in fact, our tour was for 2:00 pm that afternoon. Marina was again very responsive. She learned that the company had mixed two tours and moved ours to 10am. Marina reassigned us to another tour vendor with a guide named Daniel at 2:30.

Daniel was a lovely young man, age 23, and while he did his job, it was clear he did not really know enough about the city and its history. We enjoyed him and our 21-year-old son and he had lots of conversation, but he was not the most informative tour guide. Daniel also provided us with 2 restaurant recommendations, and we ate at both places. It was nice of him to do so and helpful to us.

The pre-arranged Fado dinner this night was a very good choice.

June 1
Our day trip to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril was with a guide named Marta. She was very good; our family felt she was our best guide of the trip. We enjoyed both the pace of the day and the information. Unfortunately, the next day Marta shared she tested positive for COVID. None of the family tested positive, however, one should expect guides test themselves daily before taking a group out for a day in an enclosed vehicle.

June 2
As mentioned, the transfer to Lagos was not smooth, however Marina got it all fixed and made the offer to buy the family dinner in Lagos, which certainly made us all feel like she really cared about our experience.
The Cascade Resort did not have our rooms ready upon arrival however they shortly did, and the property and our stay there was terrific.

This night we had the Sunset Experience tour, not with Pedro as noted, but rather with Luis. We all very much enjoyed him and the tour. He was clearly passionate about the Algarve and his home area. Just to note, the itinerary mentioned binoculars however he did not offer any.

June 4
Our transfer from Lagos to Lisbon airport was fine. We left an item at the Cascade Wellness resort and Marina was very helpful in efforts to retrieve it and have it sent to our hotel in Lisbon upon our return a week later. Side note: the package did not arrive in Lisbon in time for us to take it home with us to the US. However, the front desk at Hotel Portugal was very helpful. When the package did arrive, 2 days after we left the country, the Hotel communicated this to us by email and connected us to a shipping company that is mailing us the package.

Our rental care pick up at the Valencia airport with Sixt went very smoothly.

Marina booked us at the hotel Hospes Palau De La Mar at my request. This boutique hotel was fine for us. It was in a nice neighborhood on a busy, but pretty street, and within walking distance of the Old City. When they brought us to the room they had for us the staff could not get the air system to work so they immediately moved us by their own choice to a different room. The hotel breakfast was very nice and they had outdoor seating.

June 5
We drove to Albufera easily but did get lost looking for the meeting spot for our boat tour. With a phone call to the boat operator, we received directions and we found the meeting spot. Our guide Anna was delightful, and she recommended a restaurant for paella. She made the 1:30pm lunch reservation for us and we thoroughly enjoyed the meal at El Redoli. Also, she led us to the bird preserve (flamingos), and we walked the paths, very nice. We drove a bit and walked to the beach.

This afternoon we chose on our own to do an historical walking tour of Old Valencia with GuruWalk (no fee; gratuity only). This 3-hour walk was excellent, and we learned about Aqua de Valencia (as a bonus); a drink we thoroughly enjoyed.

June 6
This morning we experienced our Local Market and Paella Cooking Class with “My First Paella” and it was very well done. While the attendees are obviously all tourists, the guide/cooking team was very funny, thoughtful, and instructive. We had fun and would recommend it.

This afternoon we had a private bike tour of Valencia with Jose. Bikes were provided by DoYouBike Rental. Jose was very nice and informative. We visited some of the places we had seen on our walking tour the day before but enjoyed the repetition, and we went inside to some places we really wanted to visit, including L’Almonia (archaeological artifacts), La Lonja and climbing one of the city’s old towers. We rode through the Turia Gardens (very nice) to the Science and Arts center, also very nice but we did not enter any buildings by our own choice.

June 7
We visited the Valencia beach and then drove at noon to Javea, stopping for lunch along the way. The Nomad Hotel was wonderful. The room had a beautiful view; Marina chose this hotel, and it was an excellent choice. The service as very good. Breakfast was delicious. We had dinner the first night at the hotel restaurant outdoors on the promenade and it was very nice.

June 8
We spend the day at Cala Grandella, beautiful beach spot 30 minutes away. As the beaches are mostly rocky, we chose to purchase 2 inexpensive beach chairs (which we left behind). A really nice hotel amenity would be to loan beach chairs to guests.

June 9
We chose to return to Cala Grandella having booked a 2.5-hour kayak tour with Siesta Advisor. We found the service and the kayak tour excellent. That afternoon we explored the nearby town of Moraira, for lunch and sandy beach. Great services (restroom and changing) at this public beach; very family friendly (lots of young children) and mostly European vacationers.

June 10
We drove to Valencia mid-day, stopping in the morning to see the castle in Cullero and then lunch near port in Valencia. Car return and flight to Lisbon were fine. We flew Vueling Air and had to pay quite a lot to check our luggage. While this was a surprise, it is understandable. The taxi from Lisbon airport to Hotel Portugal was on our own, which was fine. The Hotel was well located near the old district of the city and lovely.

June 11
The hotel room and the breakfast were very nice. They stored out luggage. They arranged to help us with our missing package. We would recommend this hotel due to location. Our transfer to the Lisbon airport was pre-arranged, on-time and fine, as was our flight home.

Hotel Reviews

Hospes Palau de la Mar

Valencia

Marina booked us at the hotel Hospes Palau De La Mar at my request. This boutique hotel was fine for us. It was in a nice neighborhood on a busy, but pretty street, and within walking distance of the Old City. When they brought us to the room they had for us the staff could not get the air system to work so they immediately moved us by their own choice to a different room. The hotel breakfast was very nice and they had outdoor seating.

Authenticity & Character

its very modern in style

Location

Depends on how near beach or near old city you want to be

Staff

Front desk and porter very pleasant and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

well appointed and cared for rooms

Nomad Xabia Port

Javea

The Nomad Hotel was wonderful. The room had a beautiful view; Marina chose this hotel, and it was an excellent choice. The service as very good. Breakfast was delicious. We had dinner the first night at the hotel restaurant outdoors on the promenade and it was very nice.

Tips for future travelers

While it is very eco-friendly (and the room lighting not great) there were both couples and families and it is right on the promenade so well located

Authenticity & Character

Lots of character which appealed to us

Location

beautiful view of Med

Staff

very helpful front desk and restaurant personnel

Cleanliness & Comfort

room and common areas very nice

Portugal Boutique City Hotel

Lisbon

The Hotel was well located near the old district of the city and lovely. The hotel room and the breakfast were very nice. They stored out luggage. They arranged to help us with our missing package. We would recommend this hotel due to location.

Authenticity & Character

it is modern and that appeals to some; we enjoyed it

Location

very close to old part of city

Staff

very helpful front desk

Cleanliness & Comfort

very nicely cared for

Activity Reviews

Panoramic Albufera Cruise

Valencia

We drove to Albufera easily but did get lost looking for the meeting spot for our boat tour. With a phone call to the boat operator, we received directions and we found the meeting spot. Our guide Anna was delightful, and she recommended a restaurant for paella. She made the 1:30pm lunch reservation for us and we thoroughly enjoyed the meal at El Redoli. Also, she led us to the bird preserve (flamingos), and we walked the paths, very nice. We drove a bit and walked to the beach.

Quality of Experience

the guide was knowledgeable and helpful, the experience unique

Guides, Drivers and Staff

as noted, very helpful

Transport

we drove ourselves and got a bit lost

Local Market Visit and Paella Cooking Workshop

Valencia

This morning we experienced our Local Market and Paella Cooking Class with “My First Paella” and it was very well done. While the attendees are obviously all tourists, the guide/cooking team was very funny, thoughtful, and instructive. We had fun and would recommend it.

Quality of Experience

the staff

Food

great fun participating in the cooking and then eating what was made

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very friendly

Valencia Seightseeing Bike Tour

Valencia

This afternoon we had a private bike tour of Valencia with Jose. Bikes were provided by DoYouBike Rental. Jose was very nice and informative. We visited some of the places we had seen on our walking tour the day before but enjoyed the repetition, and we went inside to some places we really wanted to visit, including L’Almonia (archaeological artifacts), La Lonja and climbing one of the city’s old towers. We rode through the Turia Gardens (very nice) to the Science and Arts center, also very nice but we did not enter any buildings by our own choice.

Quality of Experience

It is a very nice way to explore and feel the city

Guides, Drivers and Staff

our guide was excellent

My husband and I just went on a 10 day trip to Portugal. Beatriz did an excellent job of helping us plan. She helped us set up an itinerary that suited our interests perfectly. Beatriz was very responsive to any questions both before and during our trip. If she was out-of-touch, she gave me a number to call for assistance. I really can't say enough about what a positive experience this was for us. I loved the attention to details. Here is a short summary of our tours:

*Privately Guided Tour of Lisbon-Although we were late due to travel difficulties, our guide Julia was great! She gave us the highlights of Lisbon's key sites as we walked around the city. She was friendly, so positive, and informative. We learned a lot, and knew where we would want to return.

*Private Lisbon Brunch and Petiscos Tour: Our guide Alison walked us to many different cafes, shops, and the Market. We had delicious almonds and honey, delicious soup and cod, espresso and pastries, wine and charcuterie-all while learning about the city. We loved learning from Alison. This was another awesome tour.

*Dinner with Fado-So fun! Our seats were within an arm's length of the Fado singers. We enjoyed a delicious Portuguese dinner, and listened to beautiful, haunting music.

*Evora-Martin was our friendly guide for a walking tour of the historical sites in Evora. We again were delayed due to car trouble, but Martin adapted our tour so we could see the best sites. Such a remarkable place. Especially loved the Chapel of Bones.

*Discover Rural Algarve: Tour to the highest peak in the Algarve. Beautiful sites along the way in a comfortable jeep. Stopped to see and drink from a natural spring. At the top, visited a food truck. On the way back down, stopped at a place that made honey and honey liquor. So delicious!

*Algarve Sunset Experience-An evening experience to see the sunset in St. Vincent Cape. The best part were the stops along the way at the beautiful cliffs/beaches. A delicious glass of wine was served after sunset.

***Morgado Do Quintao-my favorite of all excursions. Lunch made with local products-so delicious -in a gorgeous setting. Picture green grass, a table set under the shade of old trees, a quiet pool right beside you, and food grown on the farm, It was great to meet other guests! The wine was great, too.

Every single excursion was great. I would highly recommend all of them. This was our first time to Europe. I felt so comfortable knowing I could contact Bea with any questions. All of the tour guides were friendly and knowledgeable. I would not hesitate to plan another trip with KimKim. Of course, I would really love if Bea would help me plan every trip. :). Thank you!

Marina was wonderful and very responsive through the entire process. I was a little dissapointed in having to upgrade two hotels used during our stay. However, Marina was quick to help resolve and get us where we needed to be, however the additional expense durning the trip wasn't ideal. I think perhaps discussing more room options and cost differences would be helpful during the reservation process and expectations of hotel quality and location should match the travelers desires.

Hotel Reviews

Cascade Wellness Resort

Lagos

We absolutely love our experience at Cascade Wellness Resort. It was exactly what we were looking for!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel HM Balanguera

Palma de Mallorca

I was not happy at all with the location of this hotel. It was very far from the beach or any location we would be wanting to visit. It was a big step down from the hotel in Portugal and after a full day of travel we were very disspointed to say the least. We ended up moving to another hotel which was much preferred.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff was very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a top sheet on the bed with no other blanket. It was also very small for two travelers that are not a couple. The pool area seating was soiled and felt dirty.

H10 Duque de Loule

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

It was a lovely hotel and the breakfast was wonderful.

Location

We could walk everywhere vs having to pay for an Uber.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Portugal

Nuno was a wonderful tour guide! We loved this day and we were able to see so much of the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was an excellent trip from start to finish. James was instrumental in giving us choices for our time in Portugal and easily amended the trip when we added side adventures to the original itinerary.
Hotels were beautiful with friendly staff, comfortable rooms and wonderful morning breakfasts. The restaurants that we chose for each of the three main cities had excellent cuisine, great service and atmosphere. And, of course, first-rate Portuguese wines!
Our guides and drivers on this trip were very knowledgable and friendly. Even entertaining! They love showing off their incredible country.
We had a bit of a problem at the end of the trip, but James' team came to the rescue and all was resolved in short order.
All in all, a fantastic trip, well-designed and gave us a great taste of Portugal. We'll have many pleasant memories for years to come.

I highly recommend booking a trip with Tiago! His love of Portugal (and its history) was apparent from the very beginning. He was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, whether we were in Lisbon, Cascais or Sintra. His logistical skills were next level, ensuring we had enough time to see/experience the things at the top of our list. Admittedly, this was a new way of traveling for our group and not only did he tailor the trip to our interests, but he also succeeded in meeting the needs of each of us individually. I am not one for completing reviews, but I (and my group) were so impressed and appreciative of Tiago’s time and expertise, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank him again! Looking forward to our next adventure in Portugal already!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Dom Carlos Park

Lisbon

Hotel Internacional

Porto

Hotel Marina Atlântico

Ponta Delgada, São Miguel

Activity Reviews

Azulejo Tile Workshop

Lisbon

Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

Port Wine Tasting Tour

Porto

Western São Miguel Guided Tour

São Miguel Island

Central São Miguel Guided Tour: Lagoa Fogo, Caldeira Velha, Ribeira Grande & Gorreana

São Miguel Island

São Miguel: Furnas Valley Tour

São Miguel Island

Sample Cozido das Furnas (Furnas stew)

Furnas

Our Guides were great and they presented opportunities and activities that we wouldn't have gotten on to connect with on our own.

We couldn't be more pleased with the KimKim process. They set us up with Marta, a destination specialist for our planned location, Portugal. We gave Marta a general idea of where we wanted to go, for how long, and for what kind of budget. The next day, we had our first draft of an itinerary!! The KimKim app allowed us to comment on each hotel, each tour, etc., so we could pick away at it. In the end, and after only a few rounds, we had the perfect match! Marta stayed in touch with us up to trip time, and even on WhatsApp during the trip. We had a couple of areas where we needed help, including setting up a Covid test on exit, and she was right there to help every step of the way. 5 stars is not enough!! Thank you, Marta!

Hotel Reviews

Premium Porto Downtown

Porto

Really nice, clean hotel, in a great location, within walking distance of most iconic sights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Oslo Coimbra

Coimbra

Super helpful staff. Small room, but not a problem for one night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lisboa Prata Boutique Hotel

Lisboa

Great location! Clean! Decent size room...small by American standards, though. Great staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Noble House

Evora

Very cool suites hotel. Tons of room! Location is great once there, but hard to get to by car.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Agua Hotels Vila Branca

Lagos

Very roomy apartment hotel. Tons of room! Location was pretty good. 20 min walk into old town center. Staff was nice, but not overly helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Star Inn Lisbon Aeroporto

Lisboa

Great airport hotel. We stayed here the night before our flight out, and it was an easy 5 minute walk from the hotel to the terminal!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance from Terminal!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

Great way to see Porto! And more of Porto than on a walking tour. Our guide was amazing, and followed up with her suggestions on where to eat!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Douro Valley Excursion with Wine & Olive Oil Tastings & River Cruise

Porto

This is a must do while in Porto. Small van experience with 8 other great people from all over the world. Our guide was friendly and knowledgable, and it was a perfect day of wine tasting and seeing the Douro Valley!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Óbidos

Portugal

This was fine, but our driver didn't speak english, so there was no conversation. Which is totally okay, but it just turned out to be a taxi ride, basically.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porto Foodie Experience

Porto

We love to do food tours when we arrive into a city. This one was great. We had two guides, both knowledgable about the food and the city! We were a group of 8 and it was very comfortable. We loved it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lisbon Guided Tour

Lisbon

Turned out, we were the only ones on this tour! So it was essentially a privately guided tour. Perfect for us. We saw many parts of the city, and learned much of the history of Lisbon. Highly recommended tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

Great night! Food good. Service good. Entertainment good. What else could you ask for!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Group Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

Had a tough time with this one. It was pouring rain in the morning, which didn't help, but regardless of the rain, the crowds and waiting lines at Sintra were ridiculous. We spent over 2 hours basically standing, moving 3-6 feet, standing again, etc. I would NOT recommend Sintra at all. On the contrary, I loved the rest of the tour. Cascais is an amazing place, and would have like to have spent much more time there. Lastly, the guide and bus driver were not aware that they needed to return us to our hotels, and basically left several travelers stranded, needing to Uber back to our hotels. Bad communication.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Alentejo - Jeep Safari Through a Cork Fork & Visit to an Olive Oil Estate

Lisbon

Our guide, Joanna, was great! Fun, bubbly, smart, and a great 4x4 driver! We loved this experience, primarily because of her!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting & Lunch at a Portuguese Quinta

Portugal

Loved this place! Family run and a beautiful location. Met some wonderful people from all over the world, and enjoyed a lovely lunch and wine outside.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Catamaran Cruise to Benagil & Carvoeiro w/Snorkeling & SUP

Portugal

My only comment on this one is that it wasn't long enough! I loved it. Great crew, great boat and beautiful scenery! I could have spent an entire day doing this!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great time in Portugal! Marta was fantastic in helping us plan everything and was extremely responsive throughout our entire trip. The hotels she chose for us were in perfect locations in Lisbon and Lagos. The tours she booked were also great! We really enjoyed the walking tour of Lisbon with our guide Baptise and tuktuk tour with Claudio. In Lagos, the tour of Sagres was beautiful and highly recommended. I definitely will use this service for my next trips.

Thanks!

Hotel Reviews

Casual Belle Epoque Lisboa

Lisbon

Great hotel in a perfect location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Carvi Beach Hotel

Lagos

Can’t beat this location! Minutes walk from one of the nicest beaches in Lagos!

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour

Portugal

Great tour to see harder to walk parts of Lisbon!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Claudio was great!

Transport

Group Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

Kind of a let down, for 2 reasons: the weather which is obviously no one’s fault but the tour guide herself was not good! Not a pleasant experience being with her for over 9 hours. Also this tour isn’t a small group, it is a huge tour bus

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport