Karenina Steinbach

Our trip to Barcelona was amazing in every way! Our hotel location and accommodation, our transportation and tours were all outstanding. Karenina, our local specialist, was making sure everything went smoothly every step of the way! We did a city tour and Sagrada tour our first day, Pablo, our guide, was very knowledgeable and helpful! Our second day tour was Gaudi’s architecture. Our guide Fernando was terrific. We also did a tour of Monserrat and our guide Adele was wonderful. Will be... read more

Our trip to Barcelona was amazing in every way! Our hotel location and accommodation, our transportation and tours were all outstanding. Karenina, our local specialist, was making sure everything went smoothly every step of the way! We did a city tour and Sagrada tour our first day, Pablo, our guide, was very knowledgeable and helpful! Our second day tour was Gaudi’s architecture. Our guide Fernando was terrific. We also did a tour of Monserrat and our guide Adele was wonderful. Will be using KimKim in the future!

Hotel Review

Hotel Regina

Barcelona

Outstanding location, walking distance to many city sights. Love the historic architecture and modern decor. The breakfast included with our room was the best; many delicious choices including hot foods. Friendly and accommodating staff. Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Historic and charming

Location

Walking distance to many sights

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and modern

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Pablo our guide was very informative and friendly. I’m so happy we took this tour on our first day to Barcelona. It was a great introduction to the city and we felt comfortable walking on our own afterwards. The tour of Sagrada was so interesting and beautiful. Pablo gave us many details about the architecture and symbolism. Highly recommend this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pablo was terrific, helpful and very knowledgeable

Transport

Barcelona & Gaudí; An Architecture Walk

Barcelona

Fernando our guide was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable and passionate about the architecture and history of Barcelona. He gave us many details on the history and symbolism that Gaudi used that we wouldn’t have otherwise known. Highly recommend this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Excursion to Montserrat

Barcelona

Adele, our guide, gave us a wonderful tour of Montserrat which included the cathedral and trip up the funicular for the view. She was very knowledgeable about the history and gave us many insights that we were not aware of. Highly recommend this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I had a fantastic time in Portugal and I think in large part due to the itinerary planned by Karenina. It was laid out beautifully, balancing between scheduled events/tours private or group and free time. Additionally, each hotel accommodation (4) and car rental process went smoothly. Finally, I loved the responsiveness and periodic check-in. I never had to worry because she provided ample information before our flight literally everything I needed to know from hotel,... read more

My husband and I had a fantastic time in Portugal and I think in large part due to the itinerary planned by Karenina. It was laid out beautifully, balancing between scheduled events/tours private or group and free time. Additionally, each hotel accommodation (4) and car rental process went smoothly. Finally, I loved the responsiveness and periodic check-in. I never had to worry because she provided ample information before our flight literally everything I needed to know from hotel, food recommendations, things to do, what to expect, etc. Definitely exceeded all my expectations! I would definitely recommend to others and use for future travel.

Hotel Reviews

Belmar Spa & Beach Resort

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Modern

Location

Loved the close walking distance to the beach

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Évora Olive Hotel

Evora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dom Carlos Park

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

I appreciated that they were able to accommodate my husband and I when I completely overlooked the scheduled tour. However, once we were able to reschedule an hour later, Alex gave a very in-depth explanation of Portugal’s history. I certainly learned a lot!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon Petiscos & Wine Tour

Lisbon

Ilana did a wonderful job. The fist stop was a little shop - specialty on olive oil. Enjoyed the experience because I knew nothing about olive oil and the difference between green and black olives! Each place we stopped at was an experience. However, what I liked about the entire experience is the local and authentic Portuguese food and wine we had.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Small Group Excursion to Sintra & Pena Palace

Lisbon

Nuno was awesome! So knowledgeable, friendly, patient and kind. My husband and I were joined with a family with 2 kinds and grandparents. Very nice family. We had a great time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

So happy we found KimKim and Karenina as our tour specialist. We started with a broad vision and with Karenina's expertise she prepared an amazing 16 day detailed trip plan! We experienced 6 days in Barcelona, 3 days in the Costa Brava Region (the town of Begur), 3 days in Valencia, and 3 days in Madrid. There was a perfect mix of tours, and on our own time. We were able to reach out to Karenina and her team as needed with questions and/or changes. We could not have been happier with the... read more

So happy we found KimKim and Karenina as our tour specialist. We started with a broad vision and with Karenina's expertise she prepared an amazing 16 day detailed trip plan! We experienced 6 days in Barcelona, 3 days in the Costa Brava Region (the town of Begur), 3 days in Valencia, and 3 days in Madrid. There was a perfect mix of tours, and on our own time. We were able to reach out to Karenina and her team as needed with questions and/or changes. We could not have been happier with the KimKim team. All of the tour guides were exceptional in their knowledge and very friendly. The local foods were amazing, the people very welcoming, and the architecture stunning. Navigating the cities was very easy, great public transportation. We rented a car for the trip to Costa Brava and then on to Valencia, driving was very low stress. A car is a must to really experience the Costa Brava Region. We were very satisfied with all of the hotel accommodations. We took a trains from Valencia to Madrid and Madrid to Barcelona- a great way to see the country.
Key Highlights: Barcelona- La Sagrada Familia, Olympic Venues, Day trip to Montserrat and tour/tasting at Llopart Vineyard and Park Guell. Costa Brava Region- Day self-driving trips to Girona, Figueres, La Garrotxa, Besalu. Valencia- The Prince Phillip Science Museum and the open-air oceanographic park is a must. We also biked the old river basin which has been converted into 18 different parks. Madrid- Great local markets, and museums.

Hotel Reviews

Andante Hotel

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

One Shot Palacio Reina Victoria 04 Hotel

Valencia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alta House Begur

Begur, Girona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Petit Palace Puerta del Sol

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tapas Culinary Experience

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Montserrat & Penedès Region Wine Tasting

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

We would have liked more time at Montserrat

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuk Tuk City Tour - Valencia Historic Center

Valencia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Insider's Old Madrid Tour

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Booking the trip seemed almost too easy, yet the itinerary (Azores 6 days)was just about perfect for our family. The best parts were dinner with a host family on our day of arrival and the fabulous guides we had (Ruis, Deni, Diego) who took great care of us and taught us so much about the region. The scenery is spectacular, but they made us appreciate it on a deeper level. Each day was a new adventure, with different activities from the day before, and we enjoyed it all. Also loved our hotel (San Miguel Park), with great views of the city and easy walk to downtown.

Amazing and unforgettable time in Portugal!
It was our first time working with KimKim qnd can’t say enough about the experience. From the beginning, we were impressed at the level of responsiveness and the travel “quiz” to help build a memorable trip that was aligned with our level and activity and budget. We hit the jackpot with working with Karenina! She built a picture perfect trip- from beginning to finish. She included amazing excursions that we would have never experienced or known... read more

Amazing and unforgettable time in Portugal!
It was our first time working with KimKim qnd can’t say enough about the experience. From the beginning, we were impressed at the level of responsiveness and the travel “quiz” to help build a memorable trip that was aligned with our level and activity and budget. We hit the jackpot with working with Karenina! She built a picture perfect trip- from beginning to finish. She included amazing excursions that we would have never experienced or known about without her. She coordinated everything from excursions to private transfers. Each guide was wonderful, kind, knowledgeable and you can tell really enjoyed sharing the amazing culture, history and oftentimes - food with us! Karenina reached out two weeks ahead of time to confirm everything and provide helpful hints and she was there via the app throughout our time-
If we had any questions and just to check in with us. Can’t say enough about our experience and working with her. Friends have asked “how did you build such a great trip” and I simply answer- Karenina! We will certainly work with her again on our next trip to Portugal and hopefully other locations. Many thanks to Karenina and the KimKim team!

Hotel Reviews

Lagos Avenida Hotel

Lagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Across from the beautiful marina!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Wonderful hotel, amazing decor -right next to airport!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Marquês

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Steps away from the subway station/Metro and at a great location to walk and explore on the way towards the downtown area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Excursion to Fatima

Lisbon

A moving and memorable experience. Our private guide Paulo was superb. It was over an hour drive each way and yet he allowed as much time as we need at Fatima. We attended Mass, lit candles and he even ensured our statues/artifacts purchased were blessed by a priest. He went above and beyond and we are so grateful!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Paulo is amazing. A wonderful person, guide and now friend!

Transport

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alex was amazing- customized the pace to our needs and enjoyed seeing things in and off the beaten path— an especially understanding the history more

Discover Rural Algarve

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall a very good trip. Hotels were for the most part OK. Rooms were small as they tend to be in Europe. Last hotel in Lisbon was very dated. Tapas trip with guide in Barcelona was great. The one in Madrid was disappointing. Dinner at the host family in Lisbon was outstanding. Sightseeing suggestions were great. Flights, trains and transfers were all very good and on time. Thank you Karenina for setting up our vacation, thoroughly enjoyed. read more

Overall a very good trip. Hotels were for the most part OK. Rooms were small as they tend to be in Europe. Last hotel in Lisbon was very dated. Tapas trip with guide in Barcelona was great. The one in Madrid was disappointing. Dinner at the host family in Lisbon was outstanding. Sightseeing suggestions were great. Flights, trains and transfers were all very good and on time. Thank you Karenina for setting up our vacation, thoroughly enjoyed.

Hotel Reviews

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

Location

Needed an airport hotel and it was right at the airport

Cleanliness & Comfort

Andante Hotel

Barcelona

Good hotel with an excellent buffet breakfast every morning. Professional staff. Room was spotless.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near all the attractions

Staff

Every employee was courteous and friendly and provided excellent service

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

7 Islas Hotel

Madrid

Bathroom was very small. Old fashioned high tub, hard to get in and out of at my age. Breakfast was good each morning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good location near attractions

Staff

Staff was great. Friendly and efficient

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathroom tiny

Eurostars Regina

Sevilla

Our room was fine. Breakfast was of low quality. Eggs appeared to be microwaved, very tasteless. Suasage was a mini hot dog and bacon was often undercooked and raw.

Authenticity & Character

Nicely decorated

Location

in walking distance to everything

Staff

Staff was good

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dom Carlos Park

Lisbon

Very small room and bathroom. Had to put suitcase on the floor to open making it impossible to walk around the room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

What a beautiful church, should not be missed when in Barcelona. Advance tickets really helped out.

Quality of Experience

Tapas Culinary Experience

Barcelona

Our guide was Gislane ( I hope I spelled this correct ). She was the best. All five food stops were really good. I felt like I wouldn't need to eat or drink for a few days.

Quality of Experience

Guide and food

Food

Every stop we went to had delicious tapas

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gislane awesome!!!!!!!!!

Insider's Old Madrid Tour

Madrid

Jorge was our guide, very informative

Quality of Experience

Took us to all kinds of areas we would have never visited on our own.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jorge was great

Seville Culinary Experience

Seville

Wasn't much of a culinary experience. One place we had our tapas outside of the restaurant as there was no room for us. First stop was good with good and plentiful food, the rest were OK at best.

Quality of Experience

Food

Only the first stop was good tapas wise, last stop was a dessert that was very good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Avi was our guide. Did a good job.

Flamenco Experience

Spain

What a great experience. Dancers, singers and musicians were very entertaining and gave it their all.

Quality of Experience

Great performances by all involved, they were very passionate about their craft

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

Had a fantastic dinner at a host house. Margarita was our hostess and she was accompanied by her friend Amelia. They could not have been nicer. Three in our party arrived on time for the 7 o'clock dinner and three of us difficulty getting an Uber or a cab so we were about 20 minutes late. No problem with Margarita. She served wine to the early arrivals and waited for us to get there. The food and wine that Margarita served was wonderful. We had a vegetable soup appetizer, a cod casserole for dinner with a fresh salad and fresh cut fruit, coffee and cookies for dessert. We ate like royalty and both ladies made us very comfortable with good conversation in their home.

Quality of Experience

One of our best nights of the trip

Food

Outstanding!!!!!!!!!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our hostess was the best

We had a wonderful experience with Karenina (Kim Kim tours). She gave great suggestions for our free days. And great suggestions for restaurants. Karenina checked in daily to make sure everything was going smoothly and that we were enjoying ourselves. The tasting tours were with great tour guides and we got to taste authentic Spain dishes. In Portugal we are with Margarida and Emilia. Margarida welcomed us into her home and shared a delicious authentic Portuguese meal with us. It was a... read more

We had a wonderful experience with Karenina (Kim Kim tours). She gave great suggestions for our free days. And great suggestions for restaurants. Karenina checked in daily to make sure everything was going smoothly and that we were enjoying ourselves. The tasting tours were with great tour guides and we got to taste authentic Spain dishes. In Portugal we are with Margarida and Emilia. Margarida welcomed us into her home and shared a delicious authentic Portuguese meal with us. It was a fabulous trip! Highly recommend Karenina!

Activity Review

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Great tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Karenina was very helpful and responsive to our various changes, but the biggest takeaway I have is that six days are not enough for a visit to Portugal, with Porto in particular needing at least four days. That was our limitation, not hers, but when we come back, we will allow enough time for a proper visit. In Lisbon, the first day tour was comprehensive but a bit of a forced march to cover everything - we reached our daily step goal on the tour alone. Our guide for the Sintra side trip on... read more

Karenina was very helpful and responsive to our various changes, but the biggest takeaway I have is that six days are not enough for a visit to Portugal, with Porto in particular needing at least four days. That was our limitation, not hers, but when we come back, we will allow enough time for a proper visit. In Lisbon, the first day tour was comprehensive but a bit of a forced march to cover everything - we reached our daily step goal on the tour alone. Our guide for the Sintra side trip on the second day was great and very charming, making sure that we experienced everything from the 19th century palace to the westernmost point in Europe as well as the port of Caiscas. We took it a bit easier on the third day, visiting the flea market but managing to get on the ferry to Barreiro rather than Cacilhas. (A little more guidance on the Lisbon ferry terminals would have been helpful. Also, the suggestions for street markets should take into account the actual days of the visit.) We managed to find a decent seafood restaurant, where we ordered our fish by pointing at the dorade, a definitely non touristico place. The transit to Porto was excellent. We were too tired to visit the university but we had a good time with an outdoor lunch. Our guide to the Douro Valley was outstanding, making sure that we experienced everything, and his choice of a winery turned out to be inspired, with a home cooked meal to accompany the four wines that we tasted and great company and talk. We were fortunate on the last day to have the owner of the tour company guide us, as she was beyond exuberant and was a whole lot of fun for us both. The transfer back was fine and the airport hotel perfectly located for our early morning flight. All in all, one of our best vacations.

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Foodie Experience

Lisbon

The guide was excellent and the choice of restaurants very good

Get to Know Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

We had just completed a two week group tour of Morocco, so we were a little tired of touring, but the guide kept us moving and we saw a great deal of the central part of Lisbon.

Evening of Fado

Lisbon

The evening was okay but a bit commercial, like being on a cruise ship tour.

Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

The guide was great and helpful through out the day, getting us to three excellent spots with time on our own to enjoy each.

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

Portugal

The drive/guide was excellent but we were running out of steam after having been on the road and touring for almost three weeks, but we did enjoy our lunch and wandering the down town area.

Vintage Car Tour of Porto

Porto

I was doubtful about being a spectacle in the car, but both the drive and our guide, the latter the owner of the tour company, made the whole visit a fun time.

Day Excursion to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Porto

The drive/guide was outstanding in making sure that we experienced the Douro Valley, and his choice of a winery was excellent.

It was a nice trip overall. The tours were great and we enjoyed learning about the history of Portugal. The food tour with Ilana was awesome, especially as it catered to my friends taste being vegetarian.
The day trip to Sintra was also good. In hindsight I would probably just do only Sintra and spend the day there.

Karenina was great - she answered all my questions prior to the trip. She also re-arranged things for us when things didnt go according to plan which was really nice of her. read more

It was a nice trip overall. The tours were great and we enjoyed learning about the history of Portugal. The food tour with Ilana was awesome, especially as it catered to my friends taste being vegetarian.
The day trip to Sintra was also good. In hindsight I would probably just do only Sintra and spend the day there.

Karenina was great - she answered all my questions prior to the trip. She also re-arranged things for us when things didnt go according to plan which was really nice of her.

Hotel Review

Hotel Dom Carlos Park

Lisbon

The service at the hotel was not good at all. My friend encountered a lovely receptionist on the first day. But the person we spoke to on the fourth night was very unhelpful and couldn't be bothered to help with us having a breakfast bag the next day as we were leaving early. We did have the breakfast bag only because the nice receptionist on the first day had made a note. But it did sour our experience of the trip just because of one person. Would definitely not be recommending this hotel to anyone or to have it as your place of stay in Lisbon.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Lisbon Roots, Food & Cultural Walk

Portugal

Good choice of food, especially catering to vegetarians.

Karenina organized a great 10 day tour around SW Spain. Of all the places I enjoyed Granada the most. Probably because the guide Marta put in the extra effort for the Tapas tour and the trip to the White Villages in the mountains. read more

Karenina organized a great 10 day tour around SW Spain. Of all the places I enjoyed Granada the most. Probably because the guide Marta put in the extra effort for the Tapas tour and the trip to the White Villages in the mountains.

Activity Review

Private Transfer Granada to Ronda, Hike Caminito del Rey

Spain

It was the first time my driver had been to the Camino Del Ray, so it took a little time to find the entrance. The entrance was not obvious; but the driver was determined asking several of the local guides, and personally walked with me to ensure I got to the right place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Planning and booking were just okay. I wouldn't use the service again. There were gaps between communication from Katerina which only became concerning as we were coming up on our travel date and hadn't received documentation. This was the most $ we had ever spent on a vacation and while I see the value of an app combined with some service from Katerina, I would have liked more hand holding. One of the main benefits I was hoping for and that was promoted was having someone local where we were... read more

Planning and booking were just okay. I wouldn't use the service again. There were gaps between communication from Katerina which only became concerning as we were coming up on our travel date and hadn't received documentation. This was the most $ we had ever spent on a vacation and while I see the value of an app combined with some service from Katerina, I would have liked more hand holding. One of the main benefits I was hoping for and that was promoted was having someone local where we were traveling who knew the ins and outs of where we were going and could recommend great experiences. Virtually all experiences that were booked for us were available on Viator. On some occasions there would be a driver who would take us around or pick us up at a train station or airport while on others we were on our own. I couldn't quite understand the difference. We were traveling over the holidays and Katerina told us everything would be closed on Christmas and New Year's. I was a bit nervous but absolutely everything was open so I ended up booking activities for us at additional cost. Unsure what happened there, and is just an example where local information didn't pan out. On a couple of occasions I had to reach out to Katerina on the app but others at Espiritu Travel responded as apparently she was on vacation as the same time as us. They were very helpful. Katerina was also on vacation while we were planning the trip so that was the explanation for the delay in communication and why our travel documents were delayed. We were traveling for 3 weeks so would need laundry services. Katerina indicated the hotels would be able to provide but none of our hotels had laundry service. We were able to find laundromats. There were some other things like a flamenco tour that was a 15-minute cab ride shortly after a 3.5 car ride to arrive in Granada. We just didn't go, it was too much driving and a rest after arriving would have been better timing. I had requested 3-star hotels to keep the budget down but would have liked to have more input to the location of the rooms or option to upgrade. We also had two adult children w/ us, boy and girl, and needed twin beds. That wasn't available at (just) one of the hotels, they said it hadn't been requested by KimKim. In Seville there was only 1 tour planned (e-bikes, really fun), and then in Porto there was nothing planned at all so I spent more to book things. It was New Year's but again, everything was open. All that being said, it was a really memorable trip, some of our guides were fantastic, others just average which was fine. Bumps in travel are always expected but I wouldn't use KimKim or Espiritu Travel again and now that I'm more experienced I'd feel comfortable just planning the whole trip on my own. I read a lot of reviews before booking with KimKim and others seem to have had a great experience so not sure what to make of it.

Activity Reviews

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

We had done another tapas tour in Barcelona and while there was zero history shared, the guide was a lot of fun. Here was the opposite, he talked too much, not allowing enough time for the group to interact. The food and drinks were really good, however, and a couple in our group were vegetarian which was handled really nicely, there were good options.

Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Visit of Toledo, Train Toledo to Madrid

Madrid

Toledo was a highlight of our trip and our guide Natalia was wonderful. She was born and raised in Toledo and was very knowledgeable and generous with information, even sharing her phone number with us if we had a problem while we were traveling. The train ride to Toledo was fine and Natalia and a driver picked us up. We took a cab back to the station at the end of the day and met a really fun cab driver. We were curious about the 'new' Toledo and we asked him to take us through that part of town which he obliged. Just a really nice person and we had a lot of fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Visit of Granada Through Its Scents

Granada

This was a really unique idea but I think they just haven't figured out the execution yet. It's intended to be a tour of the 'smells' of the city. The guide takes you around and pulls out small papers for you and then sprays them with a scent he referenced in his talk. He was very passionate about the idea, and we even ran into him later at Alhambra and he was very friendly, offering to help with any questions. I had asked our tour planner about this one a couple times because I didn't think it was a good fit for us but she thought it was. I wish I had more strongly declined.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour of the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens

Spain

The guides really make all the difference and this was a first-class experience. We toured with a group through all of the beautiful grounds. This is a must when you're in Granada.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Seville by E-Bike

Seville

Super fun. Be aware you don't actually cover much ground and you do need to drive through crowds. But really a lot of fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day trip to Córdoba

Seville

We were first time visitors to Portugal traveling to Porto, Lisbon and Madeira. The guides we had were all educated, knowledgeable and fun to spend the day with. In Porto we had the best day with Renata hiking the national park and visiting a small village that has remained mostly unchanged for hundreds of years. A day we will remember for a long time. In Lisbon we had a magical day with Nuno in Sintra. He surprised us with sweets from his favorite local bakery and also treated us to lunch... read more

We were first time visitors to Portugal traveling to Porto, Lisbon and Madeira. The guides we had were all educated, knowledgeable and fun to spend the day with. In Porto we had the best day with Renata hiking the national park and visiting a small village that has remained mostly unchanged for hundreds of years. A day we will remember for a long time. In Lisbon we had a magical day with Nuno in Sintra. He surprised us with sweets from his favorite local bakery and also treated us to lunch at a roadside diner that only the locals eat at. In Madeira, George guided us on our hike from Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. It can best be described as walking on clouds for seven hours. All were awesome experiences.

Hotel Reviews

Exe Almada Porto

Porto

Hands down the friendliest staff of any hotel I have ever stayed in. The breakfast buffet was delicious and had plenty of choice to satisfy most travelers. The hotel also took cleanliness seriously as it was spotless. Well situated close to many amenities and tourist attractions. I would not hesitate to stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Proximity to restaurants, subway and attractions.

Staff

Friendly, helpful and efficient.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms and common areas were spotless.

Vincci Baixa

Lisbon

Centrally located one block outside the main tourist area down town. Most attractions, subways, streetcars are within walking distance. Rooms were comfortable, clean and spacious. I found the staff to be friendly and helpful when asking for directions or recommendations on restaurants, etc.. An awesome breakfast buffet with a broad range of choices to satisfy anyone. This is also the only place in Portugal that we were able to have a cup of filtered coffee ala North American style. This added a nice little taste of home to our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Spacious rooms with awesome showers.

Location

Good proximity to most tourist attractions including old town. Most things you can walk to.

Staff

Friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean with comfortable beds.

Pestana Promenade Ocean Resort Hotel

Funchal

This hotel was a disappointment for us. The common areas of the hotel looked to be upgraded recently. The rooms were tired and in desperate need of upgrading. The sofa looked to be old, it was stained and it had lost its shape. The hotel decor was probably in style back in the 90's but it looked like nothing had been done to keep it fresh. The beds were two single beds pulled together and they were not comfortable. Each bed was made up as its' own bed and pushed together. We stayed four nights. On our second night I phoned down to the front desk as our wifi was terrible for both nights. I asked that I be moved to a new room and was told that the hotel's wifi was knocked and nobody in the hotel had wifi so changing rooms would make no difference. On our third night, I went down to the front desk to again ask abut the wifi. I was told that it should work in the living room but probably not in the bedroom. I told them this was unacceptable. This was the third day in a row that we were required o use our own data packages rather than the hotel wifi. I asked if the hotel was able to resolve its wifi outage...the clerk had no idea what I was talking about. We managed to get our room changed and lo and behold the wifi was wonderful. This was a terrible customer service experience. The breakfasts were well done with plenty of choice. The outdoor grounds of this hotel are very nice with infinity pools, walking trails, etc..

Authenticity & Character

This hotel is tired and in serious need of upgrades to their rooms

Location

The hotel would be a 50 minute walk to the old town and most tourist attractions.

Staff

Please see comment above on how wifi inquiry was handled.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean. Comfort was lacking.

Activity Reviews

Hiking & Cultural Excursion in Peneda-Gerês National Park

Porto

This excursion for us was our most favorite excursion we have ever done. Our guide Renata was exceptional. She was educated, knowledgeable on this park specifically and she was a pleasure to spend the day with. We hiked to two water falls. Had lunch in a local village where every serving was sourced from the local village (grown or raised in the village) and prepared in a traditional Portugese style. My wife and I were presented with 15 different dishes to eat. We later walked through he village and saw first hand their gardens/crops, the animals they raised, etc.. We thought this was a wonderful day.

Quality of Experience

See comment above.

Food

See comment above.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See comment above.

Transport

See comment above.

Private Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Lisbon

A wonderful experience with our guide Nuno. The weather did not cooperate and we were unable to got to the Pena Palace due to the heavy fog. We adjusted our plans and visited Quinta da Regaleira. This was a spectacular estate complete with water falls, tunnels and many things you will not be expecting. Our guide surprised us when we exited with sweets from his favorite local bakery. He took us to a small road side diner where the locals eat. We visited several small towns on the coast line, saw awesome scenery along the way. All in all a great day.

Quality of Experience

See comment above.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See comment above.

Transport

See comment above.

Evening of Fado

Lisbon

This was first hand experience in appreciating this music style native to Portugal. The meal served at the Clube de Fado restaurant was exceptional. When the music started, all waiters exited the restaurant putting the focus solely on the Fado performers. The songs are sung in Portugese and my wife and I were wondering if anyone in the restaurant was able to understand the lyrics. At this point the singer said "everybody" and the entire restaurant (with the exception of 3/4 tables) sang the rest of the song for her in Portugese. We were not expecting that. This was a nice cultural experience, with great food and entertainment. Well done.

Quality of Experience

See comment above.

Food

Amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The wait staff was very efficient and professional.

Transport

We walked to this venue.

We thoroughly enjoyed the food tour and the guide was great. Same goes for the trip to Toledo and also the hike to Roque Nublo with Paco. He went above and beyond with being flexible and really doing a great tour of practically the whole perimeter of the island! The boat excursion was a little disappointing as I think we expected more from the description and although labeled as a catamaran tour with a bbq lunch, it was more a powerboat with no bbq but more a Spanish omelette/macaroni... read more

We thoroughly enjoyed the food tour and the guide was great. Same goes for the trip to Toledo and also the hike to Roque Nublo with Paco. He went above and beyond with being flexible and really doing a great tour of practically the whole perimeter of the island! The boat excursion was a little disappointing as I think we expected more from the description and although labeled as a catamaran tour with a bbq lunch, it was more a powerboat with no bbq but more a Spanish omelette/macaroni salad/boiled potato lunch. The captain was also confused initially about us not having tickets for the excursion so we almost didn’t get to do the trip but I showed the itinerary with the information Karenina sent and it seemed fine. The e-bike tour was great and the guide was also very nice. We didn’t get to complete the planned route as it became too challenging but it was still wonderful. We were not expecting to peddle so much! The e-bike name made us think it would be more an electric scooter type tour so I think that could be explained better in the future in case there are those who don’t ride bikes very well.

Hotel Reviews

Dear Hotel Madrid

Madrid

We were very impressed with the hotel and staff overall. Great location, lovely room, great amenities and very helpful with any questions we needed answered. The only reason this is not a 5-star review is due to the lack of flexibility when it came to scheduling breakfast which was included and which we had paid for. Due to the schedule of the breakfast and needing to reserve a breakfast time prior we were unable to utilize this benefit. We were able to make arrangements with the front staff to have breakfast packed and sent to our room for one of the days due to our excursion being early, but they would not do this for us for both days which doesn’t make sense.

Authenticity & Character

Decor was nice, room was bright.

Location

Central location and easy to get to landmarks.

Staff

Very helpful and accommodating overall

Cleanliness & Comfort

Love how green it is with the room key being needed to turn on the lights!

AC Hotel Gran Canaria by Marriott

Gran Canaria

The staff was great and very helpful with assisting us with any questions we had. We were able to navigate public transport and get to our excursions without taxis thanks to their assistance and that saved us a lot. The room was very nice and comfortable. Minor issues were not having the water bottles replaced daily as stated, trash not emptied every day, not being able to move the tv screen as it faced the window and the glare was terrible to watch it if the curtains were open, and that the shower design was not optimal as it allowed for water to leak out onto the floor. The food was amazing and we utilized the lounge for both breakfast and dinner. Amazing views of the island from the lounge area. Would still recommend utilizing this hotel in the future.

Authenticity & Character

Nice decor!

Location

Close to the beach and shopping district

Staff

Very polite and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

Absolutely. Phenomenal. The guide made this trip as he is a local and he knew all the good spots! The best food we ate on our whole trip hands down from start to finish. Not a complaint at all and highly recommend for all travelers.

Quality of Experience

Everything

Food

All of it!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All locations in walking distance

Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Visit of Toledo, Train Toledo to Madrid

Madrid

Great trip from start to finish and Daniel was wonderful. Very knowledgeable and very proud of his connection to the city! He did an amazing job with the tour and giving us plenty of background about the city and buildings. The train ride was great and easy to navigate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran boat trip in Gran Canaria

Spain

Seeing dolphins up close was very fun and a great experience. The boat was definitely not a catamaran as advertised and the lunch provided also not a bbq as advertised. Due to the smaller nature of the boat, it was too crowded for all passengers to be on the deck and in clear viewing area of the dolphins when they appeared.

Quality of Experience

Making sure the trip description is accurate to what is provided.

Food

Disappointing lunch of some fruit, boiled potatoes, cheese slices and a so-so Spanish omelette.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boat captain was confused about our needing tickets and there was a language barrier. Luckily remedied by the boat stew who did speak English.

Transport

If all buses could have maps on board to indicate the stops, that would be very helpful as we ended up getting off the transport too early a couple of times.

Full-Day Trip to the Peaks of Gran Canaria

Spain

Paco was phenomenal and absolutely wonderful to spend the day with. He is extremely knowledgeable and clearly loves his job. It was great to have the personalized touch and hearing about his history too with where he lived and grew up on the island. The hike to Roque Nublo was wonderful and the timing weather wise was great. We enjoyed visiting the farmers market, cave museum, Tejeda and also the northwest coastal region too. The drive around was gorgeous and scenery so beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Expert driver! Plethora of knowledge.

Transport

E-Bike Mountain Tour with Tapas Tasting in Maspalomas

Spain

I’m glad it was not a group tour otherwise it would’ve been awkward since we could not finish it as planned! The guide, Anthony, was great and very accommodating. He allowed us to borrow a backpack after ours broke and helped us make sure we were as safe as possible. The scenery was beautiful and landscape was worth the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Knowing the location of excursion relative to hotel would’ve been nice. Very expensive taxi ride to location but we were able to navigate the bus back.