Similar to "Lisbon, Porto & the Algarve - 10 Days"
Portugal | May 5 - May 17, 2025

M
Michael M.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on May 18, 2025

This was a nice trip to Portugal and for the most part we enjoyed the itinerary put together by our local specialist. A couple notable issues with this trip however. First, our day tour of Sintra did not visit the locations as described in our itinerary. While we liked our guide Marta, she did not take us to Pena Palace which was specifically listed as the tour location. This was a disappointment for us. Second, due to the train strike in Portugal we had to book bus tickets on our own, even after we alerted Espiritu Travel that this was a situation and needed to be addressed. Their response was lax so we had to take matters into our own hands.
We really enjoyed our kimkim trip to Columbia (2024) but this time left us with a few concerns about booking through them again. This was still a nice trip, but was disappointed by a few of the mistakes.

Hotel Review
Boutique Hotel Vivenda Miranda
Lagos

This hotel was very nice and we enjoyed eating at the restaurant twice. Friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Get to Know Lisbon with a Local
Get to Know Lisbon with a Local
Lisbon

Knowledgeable guide although we visited many of these areas previously. Not the most interesting of our tours on this trip.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Lisbon Roots: A Walk Through Flavors & Tradition
Lisbon Roots: A Walk Through Flavors & Tradition
Portugal

We had a wonderful guide Daniel. His tour was an ideal way to begin our Portugal vacation.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private Guided Visit of Porto
Private Guided Visit of Porto
Porto

Celia was our favorite guide of the entire trip. She was friendly, knowledgeable and a great ambassador for Porto. This quickly became our favorite city in Portugal after spending time with Celia.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Douro Valley Highlights: Olive Oil, Wine, & River Cruise
Douro Valley Highlights: Olive Oil, Wine, & River Cruise
Porto

Our day in the Douro Valley with Michael was another highlight of the trip. He was fun, smart and great leading a large (and drunk) tour group. I highly recommend.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril
Private Day Excursion: Sintra, Cascais & Estoril
Portugal

We enjoyed our guide Marta but did not visit the sites as described. We were disappointed not to see Pena Palace.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Boat Excursion Inside Benagil Caves
Boat Excursion Inside Benagil Caves
Portugal

The tour was fine - not amazing. The Benagil Cave was a bit hyped up - we saw caves just a nice closer to Lagos.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Dinner With Locals at a Local Home
Dinner With Locals at a Local Home
Lisbon

Sofia and Carlos were wonderful hosts. We enjoyed this intimate experience with Lisbon locals as our last event in Portugal.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Beatriz De Pablo Rocha
Beatriz
Beatriz De Pablo Rocha
Local specialist in Madrid | Replied on May 29, 2025
Hi Michael! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback!
I'm sorry to learn that parts of the experience didn’t meet your expectations.
Regarding the Sintra day tour, the itinerary included as described, tickets to the Monserrate Palace in place of Pena Palace, as this is always thoughtfully chosen by our side to provide a more relaxed and less crowded experience compared to Pena Palace. While a visit to Pena was not requested at any point, we would have gladly included it if it had...
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Hi Michael! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback!
I'm sorry to learn that parts of the experience didn’t meet your expectations.
Regarding the Sintra day tour, the itinerary included as described, tickets to the Monserrate Palace in place of Pena Palace, as this is always thoughtfully chosen by our side to provide a more relaxed and less crowded experience compared to Pena Palace. While a visit to Pena was not requested at any point, we would have gladly included it if it had been of your interest :) - As for the train strike (something completely out of our control), our team was actively in communication with you at the time and working on alternative arrangements. We understand that you chose to book bus tickets on your own while that process was underway.
I'm grateful that you had such a positive experience on your Colombia trip with KimKim, and we truly hope to have the opportunity to support your travels again with the team!
Warm regards, Bea.