Emily Boles

Each of our guides in the various parts of the trip were superb. We really enjoyed our two guides in Lisbon - especially the guide from "We hate tours" as he was really knowledgeable, hard working and informative. Food was delicious and we really enjoyed our tour of the 2 palaces in Sintra. We also enjoyed Obidos and Nazare before going to Porto.

The accommodations were also wonderful - great locations and hotel selections.

Areas of improvement:
- Recommendations of restaurants or areas to visit when we had downtime; even scheduling some resevations ahead of time for us would have been helpful.
- We arrived at our hotel by 9am and breakfast was not included that day and we had a full day until rooms were ready at 3pm. They held our bags, but would have been nice to grab a meal included as most places were not even open yet.
- We had a full day in Lisbon on the day we arrived with no plans- would have been helpful to have our city tour this day instead of having that be day 3 of Lisbon. We ended up going to belem on our own but some guidance would have been helpful.
- Some of the Fado tour and the driving tour around lisbon overlapped so it felt a bit repetitive on where we went and what we did. Also the Fado location for restaurant and dinner was closed so our guide had to find another restaurant with Fado for us to go to. He worked hard and found a great place, but it was odd that our original place was closed without notice.
- The timing of the tours that were proposed were not accurate, especially the day trip to Sintra and surrounding areas. Due to high season, and major issues with finding parking in and around the palaces and town, we got back to our hotel 3 hours later than was intended on our guide. While we enjoyed the tours, we had to truly cut short our last city visit as we had dinner reservations that we would have been charged for had we not been there in time. In the future, the driver should either drop us off so he can find parking and we can walk around, or there should be better parking locations or have parking factored in somehow. It was more walking due to not parking close to city center in Sintra.
- would have been nice to have included a one day trip to the Duoro Valley. Our walking tour was great though and the port wine tour were great - they could have been combined on one day to allow for Duoro valley on one day.

Hotel Reviews

AlmaLusa Baixa & Chiado

Lisbon

Great location and great breakfast included

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Torel Palace Porto

Porto

We were upgraded and really enjoyed our accommodations and the breakfast included.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Gaia Port Tasting Walk

Portugal

We thought this was supposed to be small group but there were 15-16 people on the tour. Would have liked a smaller group experience as we had discussed, but we enjoyed the 3 wineries selected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Secrets Excursion by Van

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Alfama Walk & Fado Dinner Performance

Lisbon

The restaurant we went to was wonderful - it wasn't the one that you had planned for us as that one was closed and the guide had to find somewhere else.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer From {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Óbidos & Nazaré

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Local Markets

Porto

We did this in about 30 min during our walking tour. Didn't need separate time for this

Hidden City Guided Walk

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit

Lisbon

We enjoyed this tour the most of any of the days on the trip. The Pena Palace tour was wonderful and not busy when we attended The full day was 3 hours longer than was planned due to travel times, parking locations being far away and requiring a lot of walking to get to and from starting locations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finding parking spots was difficult and added time to our tour

i'm sure the spelling of names will be wrong? nick of e motion good historian and guide. chavier of the second tour to Fatima by e bike..... thanks for introducing me to google maps and whatsapp🤣 He also inspired me to do the tour alone, no one else signed up🤷‍♂️. Valez was very knowledgeable about the wine business, he owns one!
As usual i had Emily as backup for everything . Everyone showed up on time. I can't wait to use Kim Kim for my next adventure 👍😄

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Britania Art Deco

Lisbon

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

Authenticity & Character

remolded to the original design

Location

it's near all the high end shopping and walking distance to everything.

Staff

they let me park right outside the front door!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa de São Domingos

Peso da Régua

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 !!!!!

Authenticity & Character

like a fine family home.

Location

it's on hill side near a main road

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Scenic N222 Drive with Boat Ride & Wine Tasting

Peso da Régua (Douro Valley)

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

Quality of Experience

i

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike Through The Vineyards

Portugal

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycle from Nazaré to Fátima

Nazaré

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!

Quality of Experience

it was spiritually moving

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

guide functioned as a sag wagon

E-Bike the Atlantic Road Cycling Path

Nazaré

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

Quality of Experience

the group was a good mix.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

nick was very personable, informative and he chose a great breakfast stop

Transport

This trip to southern Portugal represented an add-on to our original trip, and as such, was a bit more challenging to plan since we were already a bit tired. The boat tour was the highlight for me, and the hotel in Lagos was lovely. Also enjoyed the ATV drive—the driver was particularly sensitive and kind, so he stood out for me as well. Unfortunately, I succombed to a cold by the end and missed the last day’s activities, but I understand it was very much appreciated by my group.

We booked a 4 day trip with Kimkim to the southern part of Portugal as an extension to another tour we had in Porto. Emily and the team at Kimkim was very helpful, prompt at answering my questions, and very enthusiastic about helping us with our tour. I will definitely use them again. But, I will be asking more questions regarding the specifics of each tour that is booked….

We flew down to Faro and were picked up by a driver who took us to our hotel in Lagos. We had 2 day tours while in Lagos, the classic boat tour along the coast and a 4 wheel off road sunset tour to Sagres. We then had a driver take us to Lisbon where we had a night of fado music and dinner and a full day trip to Évora.

The boat trip in Lagos was awesome. Beautiful coastline with a very experienced boat captain. The boat was small enough to get into the smaller areas around the rocks.
The 4 wheeler trip to Sagres was just beautiful except the vehicle was very lacking. There were beautiful views with lots of photo ops but we were in a standard sized jeep with jumper seats in back and there were 6 passengers booked! All 6 of us were seniors and we took turns in the far back seat and none of us could easily get in or out of that area. My legs were sore the next day from all the contortions getting in and out. I would not have chosen this particular set up if I had known the details of the vehicle.

Our fado and dinner tour was tolerable. The driver and tour guide seemed overly eager to please, but the car was dirty and smelled. The place where the fado and dinner was held was small, I could not see the folks who were performing at all, and a full bus load of folks piled in and filled the room completely right before the start and were very loud. I know there must be better experiences in the Fado area than what we had.

The best tour we had, without a doubt, was the day trip to Evora. Joao from Delighted Tours was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable. His English was very good and he was very attentive. We went on a wine tasting, toured Monsaraz castle and medieval town, and toured the old areas of Evora. It was a private tour, so only 4 of us and the car was clean and very comfortable. Thoroughly enjoyed that day

Hotel Reviews

Hotel da Baixa

Lisbon

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

Authenticity & Character

Boutique hotel

Location

Super location in the heart of old city center

Staff

Super nice and helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean but rooms were very small so that we had to put our suitcases on the bed to open them, so not very convenient.

Lagos Atlantic Hotel

Lagos

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.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Hotel is near the beach but a couple of miles from the town center.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Évora Day Trip & Monsaraz Wine Tasting

Lisbon

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!

Quality of Experience

Tour guide knew so much about the area that it really made it special

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Joao was great!

Transport

Car was clean and comfortable

Sagres & Sunset Off-Road Adventure

Lagos (Algarve)

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

My husband did all of the interacting with Emily, but everything went very smoothly on our end, so she did do an excellent job!

Hotel Review

Nicola Rossio Hotel

Lisbon

This was such an adorable boutique hotel! The staff was wonderful, answering all of our questions and helping with directions. Our room overlooked the square and we had a fabulous view. Loved that breakfast was included and it offered everything you could think of. When we walked in the waitress asked for our choice of coffees and they made them from scratch every morning. In the evening that restaurant offered wonderful options. We loved the seafood platter and sausage plate!

Authenticity & Character

Decor

Location

Right in the middle of town on the square. Music all over at night and lots of outside dining.

Staff

Everyone

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and cozy. Rooms were small and we would have liked 2 chairs, but there wasn’t really any room for one.

Activity Reviews

Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit

Lisbon

Loved having a comfy car tour instead of a standard bus tour! Our guide was amazing! He shared a lot about each local and even suggested two different options when the second stop on our schedule had a really long wait due to the number of people and gave us those options. Loved the seaside visit and one palace. It was just enough of each to make it enjoyable. The guide at Peña Palace was exceptional. He took us to the most amazing restaurant for lunch in a place we would never have found ourselves! The food he recommended as local fare was great and something we hadn’t experienced before.

Quality of Experience

A fun and most enjoyable day!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Such a friendly knowledgeable driver!

Transport

Elegant roomy vehicle. We felt spoiled!

Traditional Portuguese Food Walk

Lisbon

This far exceeded our expectations! The guide and her trainee were very knowledgeable and we loved every minute. We recommended it to our friends that would be in Portugal in a few days and they were excited to try it too!

Quality of Experience

Everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Perfect

Transport

Experience the Real Life of a Local in the City

Lisbon

This tour was not what the description said it would be. We were supposed to meet and talk with locals as we walked through town. We had one guide the entire time who was extremely knowledgeable and a great guide, but toward the end he was checking his phone quite often. All in all it was excellent, but not what I thought it would be.

Quality of Experience

Loved the streets and locals we walked through.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable and likeable

Transport

Easy and seamless.

Overall everything was excellent. The experience the real life with locals was very good. The guide was very knowledgeable and took us on the back streets. What was lacking was the information indicated that we would be introduced to locals that were share information on their daily lives. We did not meet any locals on the tour. The guide did an excellent job on the history of Lisbon.
Traditional Portuguese Food Walk - exceeded expectations. The guide(s) were great. Took us to a number of places and we did get to talk with some of the shop/store owners and the food and drinks were excellent.
Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip also was excellent. The guide was A+++. We did tour the Pena Palace which was great, the line for Quinta Regaleira was very long and the guide suggested some other visits instead. We agreed and were glad we did. He also took us to an excellent out of the way place for lunch we were able to talk with the owner was made it special.
Our arrival pick up was on time and told us somethings about the city on our trip to the hotel.
The hotel was A+++. From the outside it does not look like much but once you open the doors it was really amazing inside. The breakfast way exceeded expectations and the staff was every so friendly.
I was concerned with our departure with the 3:00 AM pick up, but the driver was 10 minutes early. Yea
Do have to add, not very impressed with the Lisbon airport. Not many employees that can help you.
Need to add, that we did not have any communication issues, english worked fine and most menus had english.
Highly recommend KimKim

emily was wonderful. made sure i had all the information in a timely fashion and kept me on task during the entire time. events were planned perfectly and all went on with no issues. a great trip!

Activity Review

Backroads of Cascais & Sintra on E-Bike

Cascais

this is a true bike ride. even with an e- bike- be prepared to work, navigate some interesting terrain and gates- and have the time of your life. it's a long trip with lots of hills, traffic and animals. not for the faint of heart. a great ride!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

more communication

Transport

picked up at hotel

Overall our guides were excellent. Coimbra was by far my favorite city. Our guide at the university did a great job of explaining the history without going into information we are not interested in.
Our hotel in Coimbra was fantastic!

Hotel Reviews

CBR Boutique Hotel

Coimbra

One of the nicest hotels ever! Super comfortable and loved the decor of books!

Authenticity & Character

The books in the walls was amazing! Heated floors, amazingly views from the 5th floor

Location

Right out the door is the town square

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Could not be nicer!

Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central and walking distance to sites

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AlmaLusa Baixa & Chiado

Lisbon

Great location walking distance to everything. Good breakfast and nice staff.

Authenticity & Character

Clean, nice staff

Location

Central and easy to walk to sites

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bussaco Forest Walk

Coimbra

We loved it! It was a big hike so important to be in good shape. Our guide took us on a longer hike and we so enjoyed the sites

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Walk

Coimbra

Wonderful guide and good selection of local foods

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Joanina Library & University of Coimbra Visit

Coimbra

The best guide. Fascinating tour of the university and library Bats in the library…. Amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Food Walk

Porto

Wonderful guide! Took us to places we would not have found on our own

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private River Cruise with Wine & Food Platter

Porto

It was a highlight. Lovey cruise with the sails up for a bit

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tuk-Tuk Experience Along the 28 Tram Route

Lisbon

Since we had been on Lisbon for two days and had walked the streets the ride was repeatedly what we had seen

Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit

Lisbon

Turned out it was not private so Kim Kim refunded the cost. The tour guide could not stop talking. Not very professional

Private Alfama Walk & Fado Dinner Performance

Lisbon

Sure did not need to dress up for the event. Dinner was just ok but wonderful to be with the locals

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I appreciated that they contacted me the day before to confirm pickup

Transport