Amazing trip to Portugal - every last detail was attended to

Portugal | Jul 5 - Jul 14, 2025

Our trip to Portugal was amazing! We originally planned to go to visit the NOS Alive music festival and decided to build a family vacation around that. I literally knew nothing about Portugal, and in my research, stumbled upon the Kimkim site. I entered my goals - see the country, have a little adventure and a little relaxation, and Pedro worked his magic. With his expertise of the country, he planned a perfect itinerary for our trip (which included myself, my husband and our 13 year old). Communication leading up to the trip was very responsive and we felt totally prepared as we departed on July 4th.

We were first greeted by our driver Pepe - he messaged us when we landed to let us know where to meet him. It was a very warm welcome, complete with waters, snacks and a comfortable ride north to Porto. We stopped in a couple of towns along the way - Obidos and Najare - and Pepe gave us tips about what to see, what to eat/drink, and the best spots to do it. He also knew that by the time we had lunch in Najare, the jet lag would kick in so let us rest for the remaining hour and a half to Porto. The hotel in Porto was fabulous - perfectly located near restaurants and a short walk down to the river. The next morning we met our guide Bernardo who gave us a walking tour of the city. He was very knowledgeable (and passionate!) and we learned a lot about the city's history, architecture and even his childhood. We loved Porto - such a vibrant city! We even climbed the Porto Bridge so we could get a view of the river and city - so much fun!

We also did a tour of the Duoro Valley. Ricardo was our driver for this day-long adventure. He drove those squirrely roads with excellence while filling us in on information about the valley (and showed us the cork trees - so cool!). We did a river boat tour and then visited a winery where we enjoyed a delicious meal and then had a private tasting and winery tour lead by Fabio.

Ricardo was again our driver down to Lisbon. We were sad to say goodbye to him but checked into our apartment and geared up for a walking food tour in Lisbon. Pedro was our guide and took us to a few of his favorite good spots while also pointing out some highlights of the city. It really helped us get our bearings right away. The next day, we were happy to be reunited with Pepe who took us out to the lovely town of Sintra. Beautiful palace and grounds and then afterward took us back along the water, thru the lovely town of Cascais and - importantly - gave us tips for how to get to the music festival the next day.

As an aside, the festival was FABULOUS! So clean and well run - and my daughter had so much fun watching Mark Ambor, Noah Kahan, Benson Boone and Olivia Rodrigo.

The next day we were off to The Algarve. Pepe had fortunately given my husband driving tips which came in VERY handy! We did a boat tour to see the Ponto da Piedade Caves - so fabulous. Our boat guide was Joao and he was assisted by his daughter Priscilla. He was very good at navigating the tight spaces of the caves - we were quite impressed!

We ended our trip in Cascais. We stayed at the absolutely fabulous Miragem hotel - the perfect way to end! We enjoyed a delicious meal in Cascais at Clandestino, and stopped at Santini for gelato (Pepe's recommendation) before heading back to pack up.

Pepe drove us back to the airport - a full circle moment - the perfect way to end the trip.

Pedro, our guide, was totally attentive to every detail. Not only was everything planned perfectly, but he also sent reminders to us every day so we felt equipped for the next day's activities. We also asked to make a change to a pick-up time and Pedro and his team adjusted it with no issues. I would absolutely recommend Pedro to anyone looking to visit Portugal. If you do go, please say hi to Pepe and Ricardo for us!