João Daniel

Joao's experience and advise were invaluable - guiding my wife and I through the planning process as well as while we were on the trip. All were glitch-free - quite important for us first-timers to Portugal. Traveling in the cities and in the regions we were in - as well as traveling to them/and through the country - was simple and stress-free. Of particular note are the service providers - transport and local guides - Joao used. They were knowledgeable, friendly, and engaging - well done to all. We began our trip in Lisbon, then on to Porto via high-speed rail, then to Lagos via rented car and finished our trip for our flight home back in Lisbon. Doing so allowed us to see a great deal of this beautiful country. Like many others before us - allowing 2 weeks would have been better than our 10 days, but maybe another trip sometime!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lisboa Plaza

Lisbon

Great location in all respects - sites, restaurants, guides and other supporting providers. Many are easily walked to while others are just a short ride. Staff was very friendly and helpful - well-versed in English! (Thank you!)

Authenticity & Character

Boutique in nature, very much portrays the Portuguese culture.

Location

Great location in all respects - sites, restaurants, guides and other supporting providers.

Staff

With our limited knowledge of Portuguese - their English language skills were welcoming and welcome.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Exe Almada Porto

Porto

Located in the university area - very walkable to many of the sites of Porto. Highly recommend for this alone, but all other aspects of this hotel were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located in the university area - very walkable to many of the sites of Porto.

Staff

While all of the places we stayed at had helpful, friendly staff - this one really stood out. Whether questions about laundry service, places to eat, getting around town, etc - staff was fantastic .

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vila Galé Lagos

Lagos

Great location in terms access to the beach. A bit of a walk (not quite 2k) into town, but the walk is beautiful along the beach walkway. A large facility built to accommodate large touring groups and the summer throngs of visitors to the Algarve. The hotel lacks the cozy feel that boutique hotels have - but the pool and beach access are hard to beat. Food was so-so - especially the buffet-style dining built to for the masses. The smaller two non-buffet restaurants were better both for food and ambience.

Authenticity & Character

Large facility built to handle large numbers of guests.

Location

If you want the beach - hard to beat!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

Hard to beat the proximity the airport - very walkable to terminal 1 - though a free shuttle to the airport is provided.

Authenticity & Character

Location

If you want close to the airport this one is for you.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Guided Tour of Cascais & Sintra

Portugal

The #1 best thing about this trip was our guide. Thoughtful, informative, flexible to our needs, fluent in English and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour

Porto

Eat very lightly for this food tour - plenty of food and beverage along the way. Be prepared to walk a bit, but not excessive as a fair portion of the tour is at one market.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro is a great ambassador for Portugal!

Transport

All walking' of course, but not overly hilly or lengthy, Short distance between stops.

Cave Boat Tour

Portugal

A short excursion that is well worth the trip. The cliffs and caves were gorgeous from a distance and from within!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Funny, engaging and safe!

Transport

Guided day trip to the Douro Valley with visit to wineries and Rabelo boat River Cruise with lunch

Portugal

A must-do for anyone visiting Portugal. Beautiful valley, great port wine and meet/visit wonderful places and people along the way.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro was energetic, engaging and an encyclopedia of all-things Portugal.

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Lisbon

Lisbon

We ended up not doing this excursion, but Jaoa did give us an abbreviated driving tour of Lisbon! Thank you Jaoa!

Of all the places we visited in Portugal, Madeira was definitely the highlight—a must-visit destination. The island’s beauty left us in awe, and having such wonderful guides there made the experience even more memorable. They went out of their way to ensure we saw the most breathtaking sights and views.

In Porto, we were fortunate to have Jelena as our guide, and she was truly one of the best I’ve ever had. She was incredibly informative, knowledgeable, and thoroughly prepared, which made exploring the city an absolute pleasure.

We also loved our time in the stunning Douro Valley, where we enjoyed a peaceful boat trip along the river—a perfect way to take in the scenery.

I left all the hotel suggestions up to João and the ones he booked were all well located.

João was wonderful to work with, he was extremely knowledgeable and helped steer us in the right direction in terms of tours and main attractions. He was also very responsive and helpful whenever I had any questions or comments both prior to the trip and during the trip, which was much appreciated! He provided a clear and transparent Road Book that listed all the activities with guide names and contact information, which made it very easy to find the right people (in a foreign country) and helped us plan out our day. Lastly, he personally drove from Lisbon to Lagos to pick us up, which we greatly appreciated and helped us maximize our time in Lagos stress-free. It was a pleasure working with him and I would reach out to him again the next I'm in Portugal.

We worked with very knowledgeable guides in each city, which helped us feel more connected to the people and culture of Portugal. Francisco in Lisbon was a great guide who was very knowledgeable about the history of the city and provided useful tips to help us avoid major tourist lines and optimize our time. He also recommended a wonderful restaurant that turned out to be our favorite meal of the trip. He accompanied us to Sintra and was a huge asset in helping us navigate crowded sites and optimize our day. He provided a ton of interesting background information on Pena Palance and Quinta de Regalaeria, which helped us appreciate the experience much more. He also insisted we try the local pastries in Sintra (which was a highlight of the day) and advised us to tour the National Palace of Sintra, which is a must-see and not too crowded.

In Porto, we worked with Manuel, who was very passionate about Porto and very eager to show us his home city. He gave us great advice on what to see or do in our down time and is very knowledgeable of the history of Porto. We felt very comfortable with and thought he was very patient with us as we took our multiple photos! He even gave me a small token to remember my trip, which I greatly appreciated the thought and gesture. In Porto, we did a Duorro Valley wine tour and had the best driver/guide Andres. He had such great energy, and was funny, lively, and passionate about the port wine industry! He gave us great tips of what to see and overall made our Duorro Valley experience more enjoyable!

Overall, we had a great time booking with Kim Kim, which allowed us to work with local experts on planning a customized action-packed itinerary. Kim Kim also took care of most of our transportation needs to and from the airport, train station, and hotels, which made our vacation much more enjoyable and comfortable. Lastly, all the guides were very knowledgeable, professional, and passionate about their job, which added to our overall experience! We would definitely work with Kim Kim again.

João planned an amazing trip for my group for our first time to Portugal! Originally we were supposed to be 2 people, but then added my mom halfway through the planning process and he was very accommodating in adjusting the reservations. He kept in contact with us the entire time we were there and was very knowledgeable everywhere we went. The excursions were perfect for our group and a great balance between activity/free time enjoying the cities we were in. We can’t wait to go back and thank you again to João for making our first trip to Portugal unforgettable!

Hotel Reviews

Villa Zawaia B&B

Lagos

Beautiful hotel but staff wasn’t consistently there to assist.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Someone being present more often throughout the day

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lisboa Plaza

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

No

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eurostars das Artes

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Cave Boat Tour

Portugal

Nice easy way to see the beautiful caves in Lagos! Not too long of a tour so you still have the rest of your day to explore!

Quality of Experience

No

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing time visiting Portugal! Our travel Guide, João was the best and helped us plan the perfect trip! He was very knowledgeable and helpful in all our planning and was very accessible via text to answer any questions throughout our trip.
He was also our guide in Lisbon which was wonderful!
We couldn’t have had a better experience!

Hotel Reviews

Casa dos Lóios by Shiadu

Porto

Very nice boutique hotel. The staff was very friendly and helpful, and spoke English which was a plus!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Within walking distance to most everything!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lisboa Plaza

Lisbon

Located in the center close to shopping, and most of the sights you would want to see in Lisbon. Staff was friendly and helpful. Great breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belmar Spa & Beach Resort

Lagos

Great resort with beautiful rooms, 3 pools , a nice gym, and beach access! Breakfast was great! Very friendly and helpful staff. Would definitely stay there again!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cascais & Sintra Guided Visit

Portugal

Our guide João drive us out to Cascais and Sinatra and even booked a lunch for us at this very quaint restaurant on the beach! It was amazing! The beaches in Cascais are beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Algarve Caves Boat Tour

Portugal

A must when you are in Lagos! Loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour

Porto

Our guide Andre was great! Very knowledgeable and did a great job explaining the history of Porto and the wine and food we tried! Loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Six Bridges Douro Cruise

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Port Wine Tasting Tour

Porto

Visited Ferreira winery and loved it! The Port wine tasting was excellent and brought a bottle home!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Lisbon

Lisbon

João our guide was excellent! Got a very nice tour of the city, and a lot of the history of Lisbon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

João planned this for us and it was a great experience! The food was authentic Portuguese food that was delicious! The Fado was amazing!

Quality of Experience

K

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel in Porto was very passionate about the city and gave us some good tips!
Andreas our guide to Douro valley was very funny and kept us engaged throughout!!

Joao did an amazing job planning our two week adventure and was very patient and accommodating of all our requests and revisions. While we were sad not to meet him in person, he was great about checking in with us throughout our trip.
Highlights in Lisbon were Casa Balthazar, dinner with locals, cooking class and shopping the open air market on Avenida da Liberdade.
Highlights in Porto were dinner at Cantinha de Avillez, the food tour and gelato! Unfortunately we didn't have the intel that we needed to purchase tickets to the Lello bookstore way in advance, and Cafe Magnifico had too long a line to wait.
We had high expectations for Nazare and Obidos, and sadly, because of the number of tourists and a Renaissance Fair, respectively, these two stops were the most disappointing of the trip.
Highlights in Monsaraz were the beautiful Montimerso Skyscape (though we were there when the famed restaurant was closed) and the cork tour. The olive oil tour was good, but not exceptional because the oil wasn't being produced at that time, and the ceramics class was good but frustrating, for we couldn't take home our creations.
The Algarve highlight was by far the sailing excursion with Skipper Rob and spending time in Lagos. The Aldeia de Pedralva is great for a family with children, but not super conducive for a couple looking for privacy and quiet.
We visited a friend in Setubal and getting there by ferry was an awesome suggestion. The 34 Guest House was lovely.

We learned some important things to consider when planning our next trip:
1. We were interested in learning about the Portuguese culture overall, but many of the recommended stops and sights centered on visiting castles, palaces, monasteries, convents and fortresses. While we understand that they are deeply rooted in the history of the country, we completely tired of them mid-trip. We found out during our ceramics class, for example, that that part of the country is famous for making pottery, with many, many pottery shops. We would have loved to explore those, but found out about them too late.
2. When renting a car, we need to request a mid-size vehicle since my husband is very tall and could barely fold himself in and out of the Kia Stonic.
Overall, we had an amazing adventure and certainly plan to use Kim Kim again in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Balthazar

Lisbon

Fantastic hotel and the most delicious breakfast of the trip. Concierge Ruth went above and beyond and was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thomar Boutique Hotel

Tomar

Great hotel and location. Loved the free parking and the roof deck.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Torel Palace Porto

Porto

Over the top hotel in a great location with a good breakfast. Our room had some maintenance issues: broken lamp and towel bar and electrical sockets falling off the wall in the bathroom. Surprisingly they updated us to a room with jacuzzi on the balcony, which we definitely took advantage of, but could not figure out how to drain

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada Castelo de Óbidos

Óbidos

Dark, dingy room with musty, mildew smell and a terrible, cold breakfast. Accessibility and parking were very difficult, especially in the middle of a Renaissance Fair.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Tomas and Pedro went above and beyond. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have ended up staying there.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maintenance, updating and a more comfortable bed. Serve pancakes and waffles hot, rather than ice cold.

Montimerso SkyScape

Monsaraz​

Beautiful location and accommodations. We would have loved to try their famed restaurant, but sadly it was closed during our stay. Good breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aldeia da Pedralva - Slow Village

Vila do Bispo

This was an interesting choice for a couple, as this village is more geared to families with children that stay up late and are very loud. There is no privacy - the windows need to stay open for air circulation (no AC) but the windows, including in the bedroom, are at eye level, so passers by can look straight into the bedroom and living area! The restaurants in the village are good, but breakfast was not - it was cold and they did not replenish the food during serving hours, so we were frequently left with very few choices.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was never cleaned during our stay and there is a severe lack of lighting.

34 Guesthouse Setúbal

Setúbal

Great hotel with very accommodating staff. Parking was difficult.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Market Visit & Cooking Class

Lisbon

A great way to learn about the local cuisine and meet others!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The chef ended up being great, but he started off surly and nasty

Dinner With Locals

Portugal

Sofia and her husband Carlos welcomed us into their home with warmth and grace and served us a deliciously authentic meal, from appetizers to dessert with wine pairings throughout. We had a wonderful meal with awesome people who we can now call friends!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Food Tour

Porto

Loved beginning at the market and having the opportunity to walk the city and sample such a great variety of food typical to the region. Ricardo was exceptional about his knowledge of the region and the food/wine. Very highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cork Farm Visit

Portugal

We learned so much about this local resource and it was super interesting to visit and learn about the forest and estate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was very knowledgeable but a bit pompous.

Transport

Pottery Workshop

Portugal

This was a fun activity with an awesome instructor, but we couldn't take home our creations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Olive Oil Tasting

Monsaraz

We learned a lot about olive oil and had even more fun tasting it! Unfortunately they weren't producing the oil when we visited.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half Day Sailing Tour

Portugal

Skipper Rob and first mate Anatoli were incredible! They made this trip an absolute pleasure, and even served us tapas! A true highlight of our two week vacation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gorgeous, beautifully maintained boat!

We had an amazing trip to Portugal planned by Kim Kim. The hotels in every city we visited were in the best areas of each city. We had an awesome food tour in Porto, and a great guide for our time in Lisbon. I would highly recommend Kim Kim to anyone who is looking for a stress free vacation.

Our guide Joel in Lisbon was amazing . Professional and very knowledgeable . Hotels were great and everyone was friendly.