Across Portugal

The KimKim team, especially Pedro, made our trip to Portugal smooth, exciting, and fulfilling. We especially loved our walking tour guide in Porto (Bernardo - amazing) and our drivers (Miguel from Lisbon to Sintra + Porto & Pedro to the Douro Valley). Every location we saw was wonderful for its own reasons. Thank you for organizing a great trip with our group and making adjustments when we asked!

We are very glad that we used kimkim for our first time to Portugal! kimkim connected us to João, and kimkim's platform made it very easy to communicate with him as he assisted and advised on the itinerary for our trip. João was fantastic - very prompt in answering our many questions, provided options to accommodate our specific requests, and was all around super pleasant and friendly. We also didn't feel like he gave us any pressure, which was really appreciated.

After we decided to go with kimkim, we trusted João to arrange and book everything for us. He made everything super easy! While we were in the country, João set up a WhatsApp chat and sent daily check-ins with the plans for the next day. It was reassuring to know we always had a lifeline in case there were any issues (and there really weren't any - except for rare bad weather which is NOT in their control of course!). João's network of private transportation and guides were top notch - everyone was prompt, super friendly, knowledgeable, and very willing to share their personal/local experiences and opinions. That really made a huge difference in terms of our overall experience. Special shout out to our drivers - André, Ivo, Ricardo, and Fernando!

We loved our Portugal trip and went everywhere we wanted to go: Lisbon/Sintra, Porto, Douro Valley, and the Algarve. We highly recommend João and his team without hesitation!

A comment about the price - yes, you will probably pay more with kimkim than if you were to book everything on your own, but we felt it was worth it for the convenience, flexibility for 100% customization, level of service, and the high quality of the experiences.

João contacted both of us once or twice daily on Whats App. He sent a schedule for the next day on the prior evening. All communication was detailed and very helpful. Any questions we had were answered quickly. We were never without support, if we needed it. As it was, everyone in the schedule was on time, completed their roles very professionally and went above and beyond our expectations! "Pepe" picked us up from the airport and was our driver and tour guide for the first part of our trip. Ivo carried on with driving for the next couple days and finally Sandre (sp) drove us back to the airport. All drivers were excellent as they provided comprehensive information on each place that we passed or stopped at. Without their expertise we would be looking at places and have no real understanding of the history or what we were seeing and experiencing. A big thanks goes to all three!

We took walking tours with Margareta (sp), Bernardo and Daniel. We learned of history, architecture, culture, politics and social norms. All guides were very well educated and readily shared their knowledge and enthusiasm for their local areas. We came away inspired and awed by how much we had learned! We recommend that everyone who goes to Portugal tries to get a walking tour with one of these guides!

We had two winery tours and 3 tastings from which we learned a lot about the individual winery and we developed an appreciation for the excellent wines and ports in Portugal. Another truly wonderful experience!

Our hotels were all wonderful and unique in their styles and architecture. João picked excellent places to stay and recommended wonderful restaurants close by. Every detail was anticipated and planned for by João.

We rented a car for 3 days and both the pick up and return was smooth and had wonderful service. The vehicle was so much better than anything we expected to find as a rental! Thanks to Marta who was especially wonderful! Everyone assured us that driving in Portugal was easy and we found it to be true. Of course we did not challenge rush hour in Lisbon!

We hope that we did not miss thanking anyone for their excellent services for indeed everyone did an excellent job! The people of Portugal were kind, courteous and we highly recommend having João and the whole team set up your vacation experience! Thank you!

We had 3 nights in Lisbon, 3 in Porto, 2 in Evora and 1 in Cascais. We travelled to Sintra and toured the Pena Palace and Park, Obidos, and their walled medieval town, Nazare, Porto with a walking tour and a tour of Sandeman Winery, Douro Valley and Quinta da Pacheca (both restaurant and winery), Coimbra, Fatima, Evora (walking tour).

We connected with João Branco through KimKim, and we were so fortunate to have done so! From our earliest planning inquiries through to our final flight home, João was tremendously responsive, helpful (and patient, as we did often have trouble making decisions!). Every detail that he arranged, from airport greetings and guided tours to reservations at hotels and restaurants, was top-notch and perfectly executed, surpassing our expectations (and we travel a lot!) -- and if at any point we had encountered a glitch, we knew that he was right at hand to help us sort things out, because he used WhatsApp to check in with us regularly and find out how we were doing. Even someone as outstanding as João cannot control the weather, but he had given us a very accurate sense of what to expect in the Azores in March (i.e. Expect the Unexpected!) and was incredibly helpful in communicating with us and providing alternative suggestions when bad weather meant we had to cancel some planned water activities. Having someone so willing to facilitate for us, especially when we do not speak Portuguese nor know the area, made our entire trip so much more relaxing and hassle-free. We would absolutely use him again if we travelled in Portugal!

I highly recommend KimKim and in particular Pedro if you are planning a trip to Portugal! The entire experience beginning with the initial planning to enjoying 10 days “on the ground” was exceptional. Portuguese love their country and that passion was evident in all the guides, drivers, walking tours, wine and port tastings we experienced.
I was nervous about planning a trip but doubts immediately disappeared when I began talking with Pedro. There’s nothing like talking to someone who lives in the country and has the knowledge and resources to make the best trip happen!
I will definitely use KimKim for our next trip.
Leslie Breaux

Pedro and his team were great to work with. They listened to ours needs and made adjustments when necessary. Our trip was streamlined and organized. It was a once in a lifetime trip!

Pedro was fantastic to work with in planning a memorable trip for our family of six. We set up a couple phone calls to make sure we were on the same page for our itinerary. His tips were very appreciated. He gave us ideas for restaurant reservations, shopping, and activities well in advance of our departure. Everything from hotels, drivers, and at least one daily activity was thoughtfully planned. And it was so helpful to have him easily reachable via WhatsApp as we traveled, so we could make plans and ask questions on the fly.
A superstar moment was helping us arrange a boat tour of the Douro river on New Year's Day, when most places were closed.

Hotel Reviews

Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa—A Leading Hotel of the World

Lisbon

By far, our favorite of the three hotels we stayed at while in Portugal. We arrived prior to our check-in time, but the front desk staff got us into two of the three rooms within 30 minutes. And they suggested a place for lunch within walking distance. The concierge was equally helpful with dinner reservations a couple days later. The breakfast buffet was outstanding: no need to seek out breakfast anywhere else. All service encounters were professional and courteous.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Infante Sagres

Porto

Recently remodeled but still full of historical charm. Good breakfast and great staff.

Authenticity & Character

historical charm

Location

lots of historic sights and attractions within walking distance

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascais Miragem

Cascais - Portugal

We were only in this hotel for about 12 hours due to an early-morning international flight, so we didn't experience much. The rooms are spacious and the staff was friendly and courteous.

Activity Reviews

Tickets to Lello Bookshop

Porto

This cute bookshop has exploded in popularity thanks to Harry Potter, but we would like it regardless.

Discovering Belém's Charm on a Tuk-Tuk Ride

Lisbon

Driver was fun with lots of stories. He drove us to some nice viewpoints and sights.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Nelson was the perfect driver for this experience: since he grew up in Sintra, his knowledge of the area was astounding. The line moving through the palace moves at a comfortable pace, allowing time for reading the signage along the way. The palace is so well-maintained and is a captivating snapshot of 19th century regal life. We loved the gardens and especially the Valley of Lakes area. We also made a quick visit to the Moorish Castle, walking a portion of the wall. Amazing to see Neolithic artifacts and tombs from a thousand years ago.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

This was probably the overall favorite activity of our trip. The food was great (lots of fish and seafood, as expected) and very attentive service. Even if you don't speak Portuguese, the music is gorgeous. We had front row seats and enjoyed watching the guitarists. There were three singers, each performing about 20 minutes, with breaks in between. One of those breaks allowed for the dessert course to be served. Yum.

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Unfortunately we had a rainy morning for this tour, but rain jackets helped a lot. Sara was a trooper, and tried to get us out of the rain whenever possible, but she could tell we were tired of being soggy. We appreciated her knowledge of the city and specifics about various churches, government buildings, the train station and monuments. Her recommendation for lunch (francesinhas!) was spot-on.

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour & Tastings

Lisbon

Elsa was so fun! Kept us moving at a comfortable pace, making a loop from our hotel down the Avenida Liberdade to the riverside, up through the Chiado neighborhood, and back to the Avenida for a tasty lunch. So much history and culture to see, and she gave us pointers for visiting other places on our own, such as the best funicular routes, the easiest way to the Castelo de Sao Jorge, and using the Metro escalators to climb hills.