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Emily Boles

Your next international adventure begins here! 🇵🇹🇮🇹✨

I specialize in creating personalized journeys through Italy and Portugal with a focus on meaningful, local experiences that go beyond the typical tourist path. I believe travel is at its best when it creates genuine connections, whether that’s sharing a meal at a family-run trattoria, discovering small coastal villages, or learning the stories behind a destination from the people who call it home. My approach is thoughtful, immersive, and tailored to each traveler, blending authentic experiences with seamless planning to create unforgettable trips.

How did you get involved in travel?

"My love for travel started when I was just 16 and got the chance to visit Costa Rica on a school trip. As soon as I returned, I knew I wanted to explore the world as much as I could! Since then, I’ve traveled to 15 countries, whether it was with groups of strangers, friends, or even solo. Each adventure has opened my eyes to different cultures and ways of life, and I’m so passionate about helping others have these amazing, transformative experiences, too!"

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"One of my favorite travel experiences was spending a day like a local in Porto. The people in Portugal have a wonderful balance between work and leisure, taking the time to enjoy life. I strolled through the Mercado do Bolhão, where I picked up some fresh bread, cheese, and olives for a lovely picnic. Then, I headed to Ribeira Square to sit by the water while I read a book, enjoyed my snacks, and watched the boats go by on the Douro River. I'll always remember how I took a moment to appreciate the beauty of my surroundings."

Emily is part of the following groups: Italy Travel Agents, Portugal Travel Agents
Top itineraries and travel advice
Family itineraries
Honeymoon itineraries

Recent trip reviews for Emily

Great itinerary, great guides and amazing sites
Italy | Oct 7 - Oct 22, 2026

D
David H.
Newark, NJ | Reviewed on Oct 29, 2026
We were very happy with our trip. Not a single booked experience was below expectations and many were above expectations. We stayed at two hotels in Rome. One was the Argentine Residenza Style Hotel. This had a great location and the room in the hotel's annex was very comfortable. It included snacks and some drinks in the room. The lobby was in a different building and the "restaurant" was a few tables that I never saw used. Fortunately, there were lots of choices nearby for dining. It was... Read more

We were very happy with our trip. Not a single booked experience was below expectations and many were above expectations. We stayed at two hotels in Rome. One was the Argentine Residenza Style Hotel. This had a great location and the room in the hotel's annex was very comfortable. It included snacks and some drinks in the room. The lobby was in a different building and the "restaurant" was a few tables that I never saw used. Fortunately, there were lots of choices nearby for dining. It was more a 3 star than 4 star hotel in services but the staff was very nice and helpful. We also stayed at the Hotel Artemide which was quite elegant. It felt like a five star hotel more than a four star hotel. We were there just one night before returning home. We had dinner in the restaurant which was excellent but did not have the chance to try the included breakfast because of our departure. In Sorrento we stayed at the Imperial Hotel Tramontano which had a spectacular location perched on a cliff with great water views. It had an old elegance feel to it with classic décor and art and complete with a room key that could double as a brass knuckle. The restaurant was excellent and the breakfast was most notable for its pastry selection. In Florence we stayed at the Hotel Kraft which had great food, friendly staff and a cool roof top pool and restaurant. It is a little out of the hustle of the center of town with plenty of food nearby.

Our tours were all private or small group and we appreciated the early access and skip the lines in the Vatican and Coliseum. We had a great private walking tour of Rome and the Pantheon with Massimo De Filippis. He was very knowledgeable with a delightful, warm personality. Maria Claudia from Liv Tours did an outstanding job with the Vatican tour. Gabriella from Liv Tours was also terrific for the Coliseum tour. Enrica Aschero was our guide during three days in Florence. She was a fabulous guide, passionate about her subject and with a wealth of knowledge. We had a spectacular 12 hour driving tour of the Amalfi coast. Our day trip to Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano was really worthwhile and included a visit to the Corbucci Winery which was delightful.

It was really nice to have arranged drivers for the transfers which all went smoothly. We wished we had known more about Italian trains. In business class some cars had baggage racks at ground level but in others it was overhead only which was a challenge with a heavy bag and a replaced shoulder joint. After the fact I realized that a large bag could also fit on the floor between seats that were positioned back to back. Fortunately, other passengers stepped in to help us.
Overall it was a great trip. We were grateful for the expertise of Emily, Grant and their colleagues at Kimkim for arranging everything.

Local specialist: Emily Boles
Emily
Emily Boles
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on Nov 01, 2026

Thanks so much for your review, David! I'm so glad you loved the trip -- it's so great to have everything preplanned for you, so all you have to do is relax and enjoy! It's good to hear about the hotels; even the one that may seem more like a 3-star than a 4-star, it's great to hear feedback directly from travelers. Grant and I appreciate your kind words, and we can't wait to see where you go next! - Emily

Wonderful trip. The guides and drivers were ...
Portugal | Oct 10 - Oct 20, 2026

Daniel
Daniel W.
Newark, NJ | Reviewed on Oct 21, 2026
Wonderful trip. The guides and drivers were excellent. Everyone contacted us via WhatsApp in advance and provided very comfortable rides with cheerful commentary. The accommodations were first-rate with exception noted below. All were well located, comfortable and interesting settings with very good breakfasts. The guides were remarkably good (and I write about heritage tourism and have a critical perspective!). We had three relatively minor issues. 1. Sintra is a mob tourist scene... Read more

Wonderful trip. The guides and drivers were excellent. Everyone contacted us via WhatsApp in advance and provided very comfortable rides with cheerful commentary. The accommodations were first-rate with exception noted below. All were well located, comfortable and interesting settings with very good breakfasts.

The guides were remarkably good (and I write about heritage tourism and have a critical perspective!). We had three relatively minor issues. 1. Sintra is a mob tourist scene that created a hour-long nightmare for the driver finding parking. He was terrific, but the wait was not. And Kim Kim organized a private guide for Pena Palace to isolate us a fair bit from the crowd. She was knowledgeable, though had the unenviable task of lionizing rather pedestrian royals! We thought the second castle quite beautiful but, with the parking delay, it made for a long day. We’d have been happy moving on to the coast town.
2. The Porto Tuk Tuk tour cancelled on us with short notice while we were in transit. The provider eventually offered us an inconvenient alternative, but we booked an alternative (excellent) Tuk Tuk tour and Kim Kim reimbursed us and responded promptly.
3. This was the major gaffe: the Porto hotel placed us in an apartment two blocks from its breakfast facility and on the third floor (4th to North Americans) up sixty steps and with no elevator. We are fit octogenarians but this was most inconvenient and constrained our touring. The hotel offered us an alternative ten minutes away (after we were in the apartment and unpacked), and repeatedly apologized for not having other alternatives. In fact, the apartment was very comfortable, but Kim Kim needed to make sure reservations included elevators, especially when clients are elderly.

But let us reiterate, it was an excellently organized trip, easily one of the best we’ve taken, and we happily recommend Kim Kim, Emily and the staff for responsive planning and support.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel da Baixa
Lisbon

Very good location on a pedestrian street within easy walk to Alfama.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Sapientia Boutique Hotel
Coimbra

Gorgeous setting with rooftop wine offerings daily. Easy walk to the University.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Torel 1884 Suites & Apartments
Porto

Lovely hotel but we were placed in an apartment two blocks away. It’s very comfortable but had no elevator and had none of the distinctive, historical charscter of the main facility

Authenticity & Character
We were not placed in the main faculty.
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Local Secrets Excursion by Van
Local Secrets Excursion by Van
Lisbon

Great guide. Informative and provided a good overview of the city.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Food Walk
Food Walk
Coimbra

Less a food tour than a meal with stops at a nice local cafe- lunch place and for dessert. But guide is excellent.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit
Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit
Lisbon

Both palaces are architecturally wonderful The driver was great; the private tour of Pena Palace most welcome given the mass tourism at the site; the lunch overlooking the sea in Cascai was great, though we’d have liked forewarning and we’d not have booked a major dinner experience for that evening.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Half Day Visit to the Schist Villages of Serra da Lousã
Half Day Visit to the Schist Villages of Serra da Lousã
Coimbra

Wonderfully surprising. Great scenery and vistas with fascinating settlements.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Joanina Library & University of Coimbra Visit
Private Joanina Library & University of Coimbra Visit
Coimbra

Amazing library with viewing of auxiliary buildings. But, note, no pix allowed in the library!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Self-Guided Local Markets
Self-Guided Local Markets
Porto

We travelled to Porto on a Saturday and had not planned thinking of closures on Sunday and Monday. In retrospect, I’d plan the trip to limit time in cities on Mondays and Tuesdays when many restaurants and museums are closed. Kim Kim should advise travelers in advance.

Quality of Experience
Local specialist: Emily Boles
Emily
Emily Boles
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on Oct 22, 2026

Thank you so much for leaving a thoughtful, detailed review! It really helps getting insight from travelers like you to help us improve for future trips. I'm sorry to hear the hotel in Porto was a bit further walk to breakfast; that's definitely something good for us to know. Despite that, I'm glad to hear the trip overall was very enjoyable! We hope to see you again soon for your next international trip 😄 - Emily

A Rich Itinerary, flawlessly executed! No hassles, no worries, my kind of travel!
Portugal | Sep 30 - Oct 16, 2026

Susan
Susan M.
Canada | Reviewed on Oct 19, 2026
I normally plan my own vacations but this year I decided to get some help - and working with Kim-Kim proved to be one of the best holiday decisions I've ever made! From the beginning of our planning sessions with our Portugal specialist, Emily, my husband and I felt that she really "got" what we were looking for in our dream vacation. Every hotel was beautiful and comfortable, the guides and drivers were first-class and the activities that we planned were well paced and really touched on... Read more

I normally plan my own vacations but this year I decided to get some help - and working with Kim-Kim proved to be one of the best holiday decisions I've ever made! From the beginning of our planning sessions with our Portugal specialist, Emily, my husband and I felt that she really "got" what we were looking for in our dream vacation. Every hotel was beautiful and comfortable, the guides and drivers were first-class and the activities that we planned were well paced and really touched on our travel interests (history, food tours, cooking classes and time to relax in the beautiful ambience of each destination. We loved staying in a Quinta (winery) in the Douro Valley, a former armoury in Lisbon and a former convent in Tavira - spectacular places that I wouldn't have found on my own. And each of our drivers and guides spoke of how much they valued working with Kim-Kim, a sign that Kim-Kim really gets to know the people "on the ground". Our operations gal, Summer, was mentioned several times by the guides - she took the exact tours that we did so she really knew how to recommend the best! Overall, I can't say enough about our experience with Kim-Kim! It has raised the bar for us for future travel and we will definitely work with them again on our next adventure!

Hotel Reviews
Lawrence's Hotel
Sintra

This is the oldest hotel in the Iberian Peninsula, rich in history and charm! We were delighted by our suite which was large and looked out onto the beautiful valley. The staff, especially Beatriz at the front desk, were so kind and gracious. We were pampered and loved every minute of our stay!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Beatriz
Cleanliness & Comfort
Pousada Convento
Tavira

Beautiful renovated convent overlooking the central core of Tavira! We enjoyed a comfortable room with a balcony/terrace and found it to be a perfect place to enjoy a glass of port before heading into town for dinner. The weather was perfect, blue sky and warm, so we did manage to lounge by the swimming pool - and enjoyed our soft robes afterwards!

Authenticity & Character
So beautifully renovated! Only disappointment was that there was an archeological dig going on in the cloisters!
Location
Outside of the "main drag", very quiet and easy to get to the main square and the bridge.
Staff
Very helpful at reception. Elton, in the dining room, made a point of personally talking to each guest and made us feel so welcome each morning at breakfast.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Super comfortable - and the breakfast was outstanding!!!
Jardim da Batalha Boutique Hotel by Shiadu
Porto

We had a comfortable room with a balcony overlooking the back garden which was a lovely place to relax after exploring the city all day. The staff are exceptional and very helpful. And the location is perfect. A very quiet place in the heart of the city!

Authenticity & Character
Lovely spot, not ostentatious, very comfortable.
Location
Easy to get to all the main sites - lots of good exercise walking up the hills!
Staff
Very helpful especially when I needed an Uber to go to the train station!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Albergaria do Calvário
Évora

A very comfortable room, spacious and clean. Not particularly fancy but had everything we needed. The breakfast was very good (best omelette of the trip!) and the front desk staff were exceptional, very pleasant and helpful. Only one issue came up and that wasn't the hotel's fault - because of the openness of the building layout, sound carries up. There was a group of very loud patrons drinking in the lounge until 3am on our first night and that likely kept most of the hotel awake!

Authenticity & Character
Beautiful renovation of the original olive oil facility. The front courtyard for dining is lovely.
Location
Convenient to all the sites in Evora
Staff
Very helpful and gracious.
Cleanliness & Comfort
AlmaLusa Baixa & Chiado
Lisbon

Such welcoming staff! And a beautiful comfortable room that was very quiet! Each night we received a gift: a bottle of wine, pens, custom soap - so unexpected but truly made us feel appreciated. GREAT location as well! And the staff were helpful in steering us in the right direction when we headed to Belem!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Very friendly and helpful!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Quinta da Salada
Cambres

Peaceful and beautiful! One of our favourite places during our trip. The location in the heart of the Douro Valley is spectacular! We would have loved more time to relax and enjoy the pool so next time, we'll stay an extra night! The grounds are beautiful, and the wine is delicious. They have an Honour's Fridge where you can help yourself to either the estate white or red wine. Please note, however, that there is no welcome glass of wine when you arrive as the app suggested. They do have a meal service - a choice of cold meat salads, side salad, excellent desserts, bread, cheese and charcuterie. Wine is extra but very reasonably priced. We ate in the garden both nights and it was so special!

Authenticity & Character
Beautiful room, the "deluxe" suite! Appreciated the extra space although we were outside all the time!
Location
Beautiful and peaceful. Worried about not having a car, but the owner arranges a taxi and that was excellent
Staff
Very attentive.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Traditional Portuguese Food Walk
Traditional Portuguese Food Walk
Lisbon

This was our first tour and we got off to a great start with Dani, our lovely guide! We not only got a fantastic history lesson about the different areas of Lisbon, but we sampled some of the most delicious delicacies which I never would have guessed were part of the Lisbon food scene - not just delicious charcuterie, but samosas, burrana sandwiches (my husband's favourite), and, of course, Pasteis de Nata! Lots of good beer and wine too! A great afternoon!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Very knowledgeable and fun!
Flavours & Stories of Porto: Private Walking Tour & Mercado do Bolhão Visit
Flavours & Stories of Porto: Private Walking Tour & Mercado do Bolhão Visit
Porto

Our guide, Joao, was one of the most articulate and interesting young men we met on our trip. His knowledge of Portuguese history and love of his home town, Porto, really stood out for us. We felt like he genuinely wanted to get to know us and understand our country as well as sharing what life is like in Portugal. It was a lovey exchange of ideas and perspectives. And the food at the market was fantastic! Again, very generous portions of charcuterie, main courses, desserts - and three types of vinho verde! Who knew there were so many variations. We finished with Pastel de Nada and a lovely Muscatel! Truly a memorable afternoon!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private transfer from Sintra to Porto with stops in Óbidos and Nazaré
Private transfer from Sintra to Porto with stops in Óbidos and Nazaré
Portugal

Our driver, Paulo, was much more than a driver! He should be a tour guide! At each stop, he encouraged us to take our time and told us about things we should look out for! As a result, we got to spend time in Obidos early in the day, before the major tours arrived, and we got to walk the ramparts with virtually no people in our way! It was wonderful! Paulo also took us to see some sites that were not on the "tour" but were on the way to Nazare, so we enjoyed beach views that were less crowded than those in Nazare itself.

Quality of Experience
Having a relaxed journey, able to spend as much time as we wanted in both Obidos and Nazare.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
So friendly and knowledgeable .
Transport
Very comfortable car and willing to stop anywhere we wanted to!
Private Alfama Walk &  Fado Dinner Performance
Private Alfama Walk & Fado Dinner Performance
Lisbon

Our driver, Miguel, was charming and really helped us to understand the power of Fado. The experience at the Fado restaurant was wonderful, great food and the singers were amazing, such deep sonorous voices. My husband managed to get some wonderful video so we can be reminded of the experience now that we are home!

Quality of Experience
Food, music
Food
LOVE sardines, and these were grilled to perfection
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Miguel was very attentive and drove us around Lisbon to see some other areas we would not have had a chance to see.
Transport
Lovely car, clean and excellent drier
Private Guided Trip to Prehistoric Sites & Stone Circles
Private Guided Trip to Prehistoric Sites & Stone Circles
Évora

Fascinating area and our guide, Paulo, was so knowledgeable! We really appreciated seeing a sight that is literally off the beaten track - the road to get there was quite a challenge! And as a result, we had the place to ourselves! Fantastic!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Very knowledgeable and a good "teacher".
Transport
Comfortable car for dealing with the rough roads
Private City Walk & Wine Experience
Private City Walk & Wine Experience
Évora

More time with Paulo, this time walking through the fascinating city of Evora. Paulo made each era of history come alive ! Later, we enjoyed drinking the very generous samplings of wine at the wine cellar. The wines of were all excellent and very different than the Douro wines we had sampled earlier in the trip.

Quality of Experience
Great guide, good wine!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Paulo took an interest in getting to know us and we appreciated that connection that we formed.
Transport
Private Tuk Tuk Full-Day Tour of Sintra with Guided Visits to Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira
Private Tuk Tuk Full-Day Tour of Sintra with Guided Visits to Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira
Sintra

This was a very full day! Our guide and tuk-tuk driver, Federico, was a lovely young man who provided us with lots of information and took us all over Sintra and beyond! If we had it to do over again, we would probably have skipped the Pena Palace - too many people and more interesting to look at from afar than from inside. Federico did take us to the Chalet on the Pena property - this was lovely and there were very few people there. The Regaleiria was much more interesting due to the beautiful gardens and the initiation well. And our highlight of the day was the visit to Capo de Roca, the western tip of Europe! Going there by tuk-tuk was so much fun and it was a great place to take in the marvel of the ocean - great photo ops!

Quality of Experience
Capo de Roca was amazing!!!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Lovely guide and driver, not as knowledgeable as some that we met on our trip, but a very kind and caring young man. We felt like we got to know him quite well after our long day together. It was a pleasure to spend time with him.
Transport
The tuk-tuk was pretty comfortable and really the only way to get up the mountain quickly! It was fun taking it on the highway to the ocean
Wonders of Fátima & Tomar
Wonders of Fátima & Tomar
Sintra

We really enjoyed the Convent of Christ in Tomar but found the Fatima part was not of as much interest. We would have been happy to skip that entirely and spend most of the time in Tomar.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Alex was a terrific guide, very knowledgeable and fun to be with
Transport
Comfortable van.
Scenic N222 Drive with Boat Ride & Wine Tasting
Scenic N222 Drive with Boat Ride & Wine Tasting
Peso da Régua (Douro Valley)

Really enjoyed our boat trip along the Douro. It was a beautiful afternoon and being on the river helped us to appreciate how immense it is! The port wine tasting afterward was very special - we learned so much about port during the tour and really enjoyed tasting the three very different offerings. We, of course, purchased some to take with us!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Vasco was very knowledgeable, and personable! We enjoyed hearing about his life in the Douro Valley and he provided us with some lovely little side visits that really made the trip fun!
Transport
Comfortable Land Rover - great driver!
Douro Valley Hike
Douro Valley Hike
Portugal

Once we sorted out where we were supposed to be to start the hike, it went well! Our guide, David, was great and took us on a moderate hike into the hills above Regua. We really enjoyed the vistas and learned a lot about living in the area.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Very good guide. David was knowledgeable and very personable.
Guided Azulejos Walk
Guided Azulejos Walk
Porto

Very interesting subject matter and I learned a lot during our time with Nuno. I did find him to be a bit aloof and at times, a bit crude - not sure if this was due to language issues or not. He did spend extra time with us and gave us some good recommendations re: restaurants and shops.

Quality of Experience
Very interesting subject matter for me (not so much for my husband)
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide was knowledgeable, not as personable as some of our other guides, but certainly gave us a good tour.
Family Farm Cooking Experience & Dinner
Family Farm Cooking Experience & Dinner
Tavira (Algarve)

We enjoyed visiting the farm, learning about what they produce and cooking our meal! Will definitely be making a couple of the dishes here at home, especially the carrots! Anna was a very good instructor, gave us the experience of getting involved and learning about key ingredients in Algarve cuisine.

Quality of Experience
Wonderful to have a home cooked meal and the other members of the group were great!
Food
The carrot appetizer was SO good.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Very good cooking instructor and her assistant in the dining room was very attentive.
Self-guided Beach Day at Tavira
Self-guided Beach Day at Tavira
Tavira (Algarve)

We loved having a day to ourselves to explore the Islas da Tavira! Wonderful time playing in the waves and enjoying beer and seafood at the outdoor restaurants along the beach boardwalk. A real highlight of our trip.

Quality of Experience
Time to hang out and enjoy the beach and the sun - lucky to have great weather!
Local specialist: Emily Boles
Emily
Emily Boles
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on Oct 19, 2026

Thank you so much for writing such a kind review, Susan! Summer and I appreciate it so much, and we're so happy the trip was everything you hoped for and more!! The best thing about Portugal is getting to know the local guides, so I'm glad you got to experience their hospitality. 😊 We'd be so happy to plan another trip for you and Guy -- I can't wait to see where you go next! - Emily

Trip was planned out very well. All guides an...
Portugal | Sep 27 - Oct 3, 2026

Pavan
Pavan R.
Darien, CT | Reviewed on Oct 13, 2026
Trip was planned out very well. All guides and tours were on time and very professional and accommodating. Emily and team were very communicative and on top of planning the trip. Our accommodations on arrival and day before departure in Lisbon were excellent. The transportation drivers were great, friendly, and professional. The sunset tour in Lisbon and the speed boat tour in Lagos as well as the sunset 4wd tour was great and memorable. The walking tour in Lisbon was also very good and our... Read more

Trip was planned out very well. All guides and tours were on time and very professional and accommodating. Emily and team were very communicative and on top of planning the trip. Our accommodations on arrival and day before departure in Lisbon were excellent. The transportation drivers were great, friendly, and professional. The sunset tour in Lisbon and the speed boat tour in Lagos as well as the sunset 4wd tour was great and memorable. The walking tour in Lisbon was also very good and our guide was good. The Tuk Tuk tour was also good.

Hotel Reviews
The One Palácio da Anunciada
Lisbon

Very good accommodations, friendly staff, and centrally located

Authenticity & Character
Location
Central to restaurants and walking distance to most attractions
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Cascade Wellness Resort
Lagos

Hotel is central location to the beach nearby for walking distance and also walking distance to center city of Lagos, can walk or quick uber ride. Has good sunset views from the hotel trail. The front staff is friendly and helped with flower arrangements for my wife, however the overall state of the hotel does not appear to be on par with the other accommodations we have stayed at through Kim Kim. The hotel advertises as a 5 start hotel but really it is a 3 start hotel. Also, the housekeeping and room service staff is very rude.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The Ivens, Autograph Collection
Lisbon

Overall very nice hotel and accommodations, the welcome refreshments that were in our hotel room had hair in it, we ordered room service from Rocco restaurant that is associated with the hotel, the food had hair in it. Twice had hair in our food.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Private São Jorge Castle & Alfama Walking Tour
Private São Jorge Castle & Alfama Walking Tour
Lisbon
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Self-Guided Beach Day
Self-Guided Beach Day
Lagos (Algarve)
Quality of Experience
Ponta da Piedade by Boat Excursion
Ponta da Piedade by Boat Excursion
Lagos (Algarve)
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Rio Tejo Sunset Sailing Experience
Private Rio Tejo Sunset Sailing Experience
Lisbon
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Sagres & Sunset Off-Road Adventure
Sagres & Sunset Off-Road Adventure
Lagos (Algarve)
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Lisbon Eco Tuk-Tuk Tour with Local Food Tastings
Lisbon Eco Tuk-Tuk Tour with Local Food Tastings
Lisbon
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Emily Boles
Emily
Emily Boles
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on Oct 13, 2026

Thank you for taking the time to write a review, Pavan! I'm glad to hear you and Karen had such a great time celebrating her birthday in Portugal. 😄 I am sorry to hear about the Cascade Wellness Resort. We always want to make sure your hotel stays meet your expectations, so we really appreciate the feedback for future travelers! We hope we can see you again soon for another trip. Don't hesitate to reach out! - Emily

Overall, the experience exceeded our expectat...
Italy | Sep 22 - Oct 5, 2026

J
Joe G.
France | Reviewed on Oct 06, 2026
Overall, the experience exceeded our expectations. Emily put together a near perfect itinerary after a short conversation where I just brain dumped a bunch of ideas and was easy to work with to make adjustments at our request. One thing to note is making the lemon grove experience would not have been possible with the original itinerary. The time to get a ferry from the hotel in Positano and make it to the lemon grove in Amalfi (or even a taxi) would not have been possible. I... Read more

Overall, the experience exceeded our expectations. Emily put together a near perfect itinerary after a short conversation where I just brain dumped a bunch of ideas and was easy to work with to make adjustments at our request.

One thing to note is making the lemon grove experience would not have been possible with the original itinerary. The time to get a ferry from the hotel in Positano and make it to the lemon grove in Amalfi (or even a taxi) would not have been possible. I appreciate the flexibility and trying to fit everything we asked for but sometimes being told "no, this is too much" is better.

Highlights - cooking class in Tuscany, food tour in Florence, private boat tour in Positano, Vatican and Colosseum tours in Rome. All of the guides we had were remarkable - they were knowledgable, took time to answer any questions, and really helped us appreciate what we were looking at. We also really appreciated your support in Naples with the hotel situation.

The cooking class was our favorite experience of the entire trip with the private boat ride a close second. The chef was personable and made sure we had a lot of fun while we were there. The boat tour was the perfect way to end the trip - we got really lucky with the weather, the captain was great, and it was nice to sit and relax after 13 days of walking.

Misses - the self drive was a bit boring (we saw a lot of the scenery on the winery/olive oil tour) and if I were to plan this again I would have replaced this with another wine tour; going to the same vineyard for the wine tasting and the next day for the cooking class; Naples train station pickup and hotel; lemon grove experience.

For the transfer from the train station to the hotel in Naples, the driver was waiting for us across the street from the station instead of inside. It took 30 mins for me to get a hold of the company and driver to figure out where he was. When he saw us, he made no effort to come meet us to help with the bags. As we were crossing the street, my 70 year old aunt's bag got hung up on a manhole cover and she almost fell. And things went downhill from here.

The lemon grove experience was a bit boring. It was a lot of effort to get up to the orchard to only walk around for an hour and then leave. The staff was nice but the experience fell flat.

Overall, we really enjoyed the whole experience. Looking back, there will always be a few things we would have done differently or in a different order, or even cut a couple things out to go at a slower pace as we were all exhausted by the end. We will always look back fondly at this experience. Thank you for making this happen!

Details on each item:
Hotel Calimala Florence - great location, friendly staff. Only issue was street noise but hard to avoid this in a central location.
Accademia Gallery Visit with First Viewing of David - We really loved this. Getting into the museum before the crowds is the way to go and the guide was really good.
Uffizi Gallery Visit - the guide was very knowledgable about all the art and we learned a lot. Also good to do this in the afternoon as it's less crowded.
Morning Culinary Discovery Walk - This was the highlight of the Florence activities. The guide was great and all the food we got to try was really good.

Villa Lecchi - beautiful views, friendly staff. Our rooms were in the second building above the restaurant so it was noisy in the mornings and at night when there was activity in the kitchen. Overall, not a big deal but being in the main building would be quieter.
Self-Drive Through the Val d'Orcia: Vitaleta Chapel, Pienza & Tuscan Landscapes - If I were to cut one day from the trip it would be this day. The driving was enjoyable but and chapel was really cute (and a great spot for lunch) but doing a wine tour would have been a better option for us.
Private Tuscany Day Trip with Olive Oil Experience & Winery Lunch - Both were great and the driver, again, was really good.
Private Tuscan Countryside Cooking Experience - this was the highlight of our trip. Only downside was going back to the same winery we were at the day before. It would have been better to experience a different winery the day before for some variety.

Hotel Viminale - Good location, no complaints.
Wednesday Morning Sistine Chapel Visit - definitely the way to go for the chapel visit. The guide was really good and we beat the crowds. Would recommend.
Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Visit with Rooftop Aperitif - the guide was great, enjoyed this as well.
Private City Highlights Storytelling Walk - This was the least favorite activity in Rome but it wasn't bad. The guide usually does tours of the Vatican and felt a bit lost roaming the streets. She was much more comfortable inside the Pantheon and talked a lot about the art inside and the history of the building. We were also exhausted from the day before which didn't help.

Decumani Hotel de Charme - not anything like the photos. Thanks again for getting us out of here.
Private Day Trip to Pompeii - guide was an archaeologist who had been working at Pompeii for 15 years and knew everything. We really enjoyed this.

Hotel Conca D'oro - good views, really good breakfast, and friendly staff.
Lemon Grove Experience & Limoncello Tasting - least favorite of Amalfi coast.
Private Coastal Highlights by Boat with Snorkeling - perfect end to the trip

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Calimala Florence
Florence

Great location, friendly staff. Only issue was street noise (hard to avoid with a central location)

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Villa Lecchi
Tuscany

The views from the rooms are amazing and the breakfast was one of the best we had on the trip. Only downside was water pressure and sometimes lack of hot water when too many people were using the shower at the same time on the property.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Viminale
Rome

Good location. Had a small issue with mosquitos in the lobby and room as they keep the main doors open during the day.

Decumani Hotel de Charme
Naples

Hotel is very dated and photos are misleading. The rooms are in desperate need of a renovation.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Conca D'oro
Positano

Great location and views, staff is very friendly, good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Lemon Grove Experience & Limoncello Tasting
Lemon Grove Experience & Limoncello Tasting
Italy

You see some lemon trees and have a taste of Limoncello. It was interesting but nothing too special.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The staff was knowledgeable and friendly.
Accademia Gallery Visit with First Viewing of David
Accademia Gallery Visit with First Viewing of David
Florence

First visit to avoid the crowds is the way to go. Make sure you are there on time because if you are late, you'll miss the window and get stuck with the crowds. Sara (our guide) was knowledgeable and hustled us around crowds to get good photos.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Morning Culinary Discovery Walk
Morning Culinary Discovery Walk
Florence

Highlight of our time in Florence. highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private Tuscan Countryside Cooking Experience
Private Tuscan Countryside Cooking Experience
Italy

The chef was great and the food we had us make was simple and delicious. Come hungry because there will be plenty to eat.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Self-Drive Through the Val d'Orcia: Vitaleta Chapel, Pienza & Tuscan Landscapes
Self-Drive Through the Val d'Orcia: Vitaleta Chapel, Pienza & Tuscan Landscapes
Italy

The drive was enjoyable and the views were stunning but we saw a lot of the same going to wineries in the area. The highlight was the chapel and if there is an event planned on the day of your drive, you are out of luck. We were fortunate and it was open when we made the drive.

Quality of Experience
Private Tuscany Day Trip with Olive Oil Experience & Winery Lunch
Private Tuscany Day Trip with Olive Oil Experience & Winery Lunch
Italy

Olive oil tasting was unique and we learned how to properly taste oil and got to experience how different the oils can taste depending on how they are blended together. The winery lunch and tasting were also good.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private City Highlights Storytelling Walk
Private City Highlights Storytelling Walk
Rome

Overall, this was good. The guide (Anna) felt a bit lost during the walking part but excelled inside the Pantheon and another church she took us to.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private Day Trip to Pompeii
Private Day Trip to Pompeii
Naples

The guide you have will make or break this experience. Our guide had been studying and working at Pompeii for over a decade and was able to give us a lot of insights on what life was like there and what happened when the volcano erupted.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Wednesday Morning Sistine Chapel Visit
Wednesday Morning Sistine Chapel Visit
Rome

Great experience. Go early to avoid the crowds.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private Coastal Highlights by Boat with Snorkeling
Private Coastal Highlights by Boat with Snorkeling
Italy

Stunning views and a relaxing afternoon.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Uffizi Gallery Visit
Uffizi Gallery Visit
Florence

Going in the afternoon to avoid a lot of the crowds was a plus. We did run out of time and had to rush though the last few rooms as the museum was closing.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The guide knew a lot about art history and gave good explanations on how religious art evolved through the centuries but we ran short on time towards the end
Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Visit with Rooftop Aperitif
Private Colosseum & Roman Forum Visit with Rooftop Aperitif
Rome

A good way to see the Colosseum and Forum. Relaxed pace and the tour guide knew a lot about the history of both. He adjust the pace nicely as we were tired from a long day of touring but we didn't feel like we missed anything as he pointed out and explained a lot of the ruins in the Forum.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Emily Boles
Emily
Emily Boles
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on Oct 11, 2026

Thank you for writing such a great review, Joe! We really do appreciate all the details you provided about your trip, which allows us to make changes to improve the experience for future travelers. I'm sorry to hear that the hotel in Naples wasn't what we expected, but I'm glad we were able to quickly move you to a more comfortable one. 😊 I hope you returned with amazing memories and are already dreaming up your next international adventure together. We're looking forward to seeing you again in the future! - Emily

Everyone was amazing and showed up on time.
Portugal | Sep 7 - Sep 16, 2026

Christopher
Christopher J.
Richmond, VA | Reviewed on Sep 17, 2026

Everyone was amazing and showed up on time. The trip went perfectly! It really allowed us to get some local experiences that we would not have been able to do on our own. This saved us so much frustrations. I am not sure what they put on top of everything but whatever it is worth it.

Local specialist: Emily Boles
Emily
Emily Boles
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on Sep 20, 2026

Thank you so much for writing a review, Christopher! I'm so glad you had an amazing time and were able to enjoy your trip without any stress. We love taking care of everything for you so you can just relax and enjoy the beauty of Portugal! I hope you returned with amazing memories and are already dreaming up your next international adventure together. We're looking forward to seeing you again in the future! - Emily

Family trip to Portugal
Portugal | Sep 5 - Sep 12, 2026

H
Hanh B.
Shaker Heights, OH, USA | Reviewed on Sep 13, 2026
This was the first time we used KimKim for a family trip to Portugal. We worked with Emily to plan a trip that would work for everyone. Emily was very patience as we changed the plan a few times. She was very knowledgeable and advised activities based on our interests. There was an incident from a local vendor during the trip but we were able to contact KimKim and they addressed it timely to our satisfaction. Overall, it was a great trip. We will definitely use KimKim again for our... Read more

This was the first time we used KimKim for a family trip to Portugal. We worked with Emily to plan a trip that would work for everyone. Emily was very patience as we changed the plan a few times. She was very knowledgeable and advised activities based on our interests. There was an incident from a local vendor during the trip but we were able to contact KimKim and they addressed it timely to our satisfaction. Overall, it was a great trip. We will definitely use KimKim again for our future trips.

Hotel Reviews
Nicola Rossio Hotel
Lisbon

Great central location. Very friendly staffs. Great services.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Central to everything
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Jardim da Batalha Boutique Hotel by Shiadu
Porto

Great location. Easy walk to shopping, restaurants and interesting landmarks, Very quaint hotel. Staffs are very friendly and helpful. Great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean. However, we had some ants issues the last few days of our stay but the staffs addressed it quickly.
Activity Reviews
Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit
Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit
Lisbon

The private trip to Sintra & Cascais Day trip was fabulous. We were able to bypass the long line and get in to the park as soon as we get there. It made the visit more enjoyable. Pena Palace was amazing and worth the visit. Our local guide, Louis, was very pleasant and knowledgeable. We enjoyed his company and learned much about Portugal culture and history from this trip.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide Louis was awesome!
Transport
Private Transfer From {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Óbidos & Nazaré
Private Transfer From {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Óbidos & Nazaré
Portugal

It was one of our favorite days seeing Obidoas and Nazare on our way to Porto. Obidos was a charming medieval village and worth a stop to see. Nazare was a little busier and a surfing city so it was nice to see but we didn't spend much time there. Our driver was very pleasant and knowledgeable of the areas.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local Secrets Excursion by Van
Local Secrets Excursion by Van
Lisbon

It was a good exposure to everything Lisbon on our second day. Marta, our local guide, drove us to places that we would not know or be able to explore on our own. Since she was born and raised in Lisbon, her perspective and knowledge was greatly valuable.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Fish Market Visit with Seafood Lunch
Private Fish Market Visit with Seafood Lunch
Porto

This was our favorite activity of the trip! We started the day with a little car trouble but our guide used her personal car to take us on the trip so we don't get stuck in traffic. The fishing village was where she grew up so the tour was very intimate. We had an amazing seafood lunch in the local market. Everything was fresh and delicious! We were able to pick out our own fish from the market and the restaurant grilled it for us. We enjoyed this experience very much!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Would give it a 5 if it wasn't for the car trouble initially
Private Alfama Walk &  Fado Dinner Performance
Private Alfama Walk & Fado Dinner Performance
Lisbon

While the Fado dinner performance was great, the guide experience was not for us. We booked a private dinner but somehow, another couple joined us for dinner. The guide did not know where we stayed to pick us up nor he was aware of the number of people in our group so all of us didn't fit in the car. We ended up had to walk to the restaurant which we didn't have a change to explore the Alfama neighborhood. Also, we arrived late so the show already started. Because the group is larger than expected, we all share a table in a corner which then was very hot. Then after dinner, the guide told the group that we had to decide which group will leave first as his car doesn't fit everyone.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Porto’s Harry Potter Legends: Fact, Fiction & Inspiration
Private Porto’s Harry Potter Legends: Fact, Fiction & Inspiration
Porto

We actually didn't have the Harry Potter legends walk as my husband and daughter said they weren't big on HP. However, our local guide was flexible enough to give us a tour of the city instead which was great. Afterward, we did get into the famous bookstore which was worth seeing.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private Day Trip to Braga & Guimarães
Private Day Trip to Braga & Guimarães
Porto
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Self-Guided Local Markets
Self-Guided Local Markets
Porto

We walked to the market after check-in to our hotel. It was an easy walk from our hotel. Market was clean and had everything you could want. Great food options, local gifts, fruits and vegetables. We ended up bought some local treats and took it back to our hotel for dinner that night as it started to rain and we didn't want to walk in the rain that night for dinner.

Quality of Experience
Local specialist: Emily Boles
Emily
Emily Boles
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on Sep 14, 2026

Thank you so much for the kind review, Hanh! I'm so glad you and your family had such a wonderful time in Portugal, even despite the slight hiccup with the Fado Dinner & Walk activity. We'll be ready for you when it's time for your next adventure. Can't wait to see where you go! - Emily😄

Emily helped us to plan a terrific vacation
Portugal | Aug 13 - Aug 21, 2026

Megan
Megan H.
Ashburn, VA | Reviewed on Sep 02, 2026
Emily helped us to plan a terrific vacation in Portugal. We knew little about Portugal, and it was so wonderful to have her expertise to plan a trip that was truly enjoyable and memorable. The guided tours she arranged for us were superb and the guides were excellent. Read more

Emily helped us to plan a terrific vacation in Portugal. We knew little about Portugal, and it was so wonderful to have her expertise to plan a trip that was truly enjoyable and memorable. The guided tours she arranged for us were superb and the guides were excellent.

Hotel Reviews
Pátio do Tijolo
Lisbon

We were very happy with this hotel. It was located in a busy, popular area, but because of its setting it was a quiet oasis in a bustling area. The staff were friendly and helpful. The food was good. Our only complaint would be that the room had few surfaces on which to place our things. Still, I would stay here again.

Authenticity & Character
It was clean and comfortable but with unique art and a relaxing vibe.
Location
We could walk to many of the things we wanted to see and do, but once you went through the hotel gates, you were suddenly in a calm, quiet, private space. I loved that.
Staff
They made a great effort to help with any questions we asked.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The cleaning staff did an excellent job every day.
CBR Boutique Hotel
Coimbra

I loved this book/library-themed hotel. It was right up my alley. The bathroom was so cool!

Authenticity & Character
So cool and unique! Loved the decor! And it was quite comfortable.
Location
It was easy to get from there to wherever we wanted to go, with plenty of restaurants nearby.
Cleanliness & Comfort
All great.
Flores Boutique Hotel
Porto

This one had plusses and minuses. When we arrived at 1 pm they had apparently decided that was the time to repaint the front desk. There was not an obvious warning sign until I had approached the desk, and by that time my shirt was destroyed. It was oil-based paint. The shirt was a goner. They seemed less than sympathetic about it. Oh, well. The location was terrific. The room itself was kind of neat, and yet there was only one bedside light, no luggage racks or place to put luggage except the floor. My daughter's room had two lamps and a luggage rack. I asked if I could get even one luggage rack for our two-person room. I did not get one. The bathroom was ok, but the tub floor was 6 inches above the bathroom floor, so hazardous to get in for a shower. The breakfast was terrific. And the staff when we checked out at 5:30 am went out of their way to be helpful to us.

Authenticity & Character
But needed improvement to be more comfortable.
Location
Very centrally located for our activities, with lots of nearby shopping.
Staff
Some were amazing, some were adequate.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Better lighting, luggage racks, updated bathroom.
Activity Reviews
Traditional Portuguese Food Walk
Traditional Portuguese Food Walk
Lisbon

Our guide, Daniel, was wonderful. He was funny, well-informed, and made both the food and the city come alive. This was a great way to spend the morning.

Quality of Experience
The tour, the food, and the guide. 5 stars!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Daniel was a great guide - willing to share himself and his life while showing us the city and teaching us its history.
Flavours & Stories of Porto: Private Walking Tour & Mercado do Bolhão Visit
Flavours & Stories of Porto: Private Walking Tour & Mercado do Bolhão Visit
Porto

Our guide, Francisco, was wonderful -- the things and places he showed us, and the history and information he gave us were so engaging. The amount of food was enormous! And it was all delicious! I would totally do this again.

Quality of Experience
The tour, the food, and the guide. 5 stars!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Francisco was a great guide - willing to share himself and his life while showing us the city and teaching us its history.
Private Belém Walk with Jerónimos Monastery & Riverside Monuments
Private Belém Walk with Jerónimos Monastery & Riverside Monuments
Lisbon

I am glad we did this, but it was a very hot day and that impacted the experience. The monastery was lovely to visit. The riverside monuments were really interesting. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. It was a mistake to book this on the same day as the food tour. The food tour ran a little long, and it was a more than 30 minute cab ride to this tour. We barely made it, got no chance for water, bathroom, or any real lunch food.

Quality of Experience
When it is so hot, we needed more time in the shade and also water.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
She was knowledgeable and friendly, but didn't engage on as personal a level as other guides we had.
Evening Fado Show
Evening Fado Show
Lisbon

The location was amazing, but very difficult to find. We made it into our seats moments before the show began. The address took us to a building across from a park, but the location was actually a cistern underneath the center of the park. If the directions had told us it was actually in the park, that would have been immensely helpful. That being said, the look and sound in the cistern was amazing. (Unfortunately, it was also quite warm.) The musicians were terrific an the singer was amazing. I got less education about Fado than I expected, but I loved the music.

Quality of Experience
The location, the music. Wow!
Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit
Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit
Lisbon

Pena Palace was great, but it became outstanding when we were able to get a private tour with an official palace guide. We had access to all kinds of spaces that people normally cannot enter. Our palace guide was superb. What a fantastic experience. At our guide, Louis', suggestion, we did not visit the second palace. He advised it was too much to fit in and would require much strenuous walking. He disapproves of trying to visit these two palaces in one day. Instead, after a walk and lunch in Sintra, he took us to Cabo Da Roca, to a beach, and then dropped us off in Cascais.

Quality of Experience
The private guide at Pena Palace and the wonderful tour she gave.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Louis was knowledgeable (and opinionated). He was pleasant to be with.
Transport
The car was comfortable.
Lisbon to Coimbra with Stop in Fátima
Lisbon to Coimbra with Stop in Fátima
Portugal

I would not have thought of visiting Fatima, but I am so glad I did. It was a fascinating visit to a holy place that is very important to Roman Catholics.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The driver was friendly and told us about things we passed along the way.
Transport
There was plenty of room.
Private Joanina Library & University of Coimbra Visit
Private Joanina Library & University of Coimbra Visit
Coimbra

WE really enjoyed this. Our guide was fantastic and everything she showed us and told us about was so interesting.

Quality of Experience
THe guide was great.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
She was friendly, interesting, and knew everything about the university.
Douro River Sailing Trip
Douro River Sailing Trip
Porto

It was so nice to have a relaxing afternoon cruise.

Quality of Experience
The kindness of the staff
Guides, Drivers and Staff
They were so friendly and nice. And they gave us a nice drink and snack !
Transport
I lived that we ere on a small boat with only 2 other passengers,
Gaia Port Tasting Walk
Gaia Port Tasting Walk
Portugal

What a great tour! Our guide Alexandre was terrific! He mad the tour fun, informative, interesting, and something I would happily do again.

Quality of Experience
Alexandre - a primo guide!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
He was funny without making anyone uncomfortable. He built rapport in the group. He was patient and relaxed.
Local specialist: Emily Boles
Emily
Emily Boles
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on Sep 02, 2026

Thank you so much for the wonderful review! I love all the photos. 🤩 It was such a pleasure helping you discover Portugal and put together a trip that felt both enjoyable and memorable. I’m so happy to hear that you loved the guided tours and had such great experiences with your guides. I'm sorry to hear about the Flores Boutique Hotel, but I'm glad it didn't put a damper on the whole experience. Can't wait to see where you go next!

This was an AMAZING trip, From start to fini...
Portugal | Aug 15 - Aug 23, 2026

Nicola
Nicola S.
Nanuet, NY | Reviewed on Aug 26, 2026
This was an AMAZING trip,
From start to finish everything was perfect.
All the hotels were stylish, well equipped, functional, staff very accommodating.
Breakfast was delicious everywhere, and just got better at each location.
The intimate feel of a boutique hotel is very welcoming.
The excursions were so well coordinated, our guides were very knowledgeable about the country’s history, the landscape, food, wine, and we appreciated the fun Lisbon/ Porto rivalry…
Dennis from the...
Read more

This was an AMAZING trip,
From start to finish everything was perfect.
All the hotels were stylish, well equipped, functional, staff very accommodating.
Breakfast was delicious everywhere, and just got better at each location.
The intimate feel of a boutique hotel is very welcoming.
The excursions were so well coordinated, our guides were very knowledgeable about the country’s history, the landscape, food, wine, and we appreciated the fun Lisbon/ Porto rivalry…
Dennis from the kayaking tour was great, he made us all feel safe and included,
I even did the cliff jump for the first time ever! So exhilarating.
I loved tea and biscuits on the beach, it sounds strange but very necessary after being in the frigid waters,
The caves felt mystical, and the religious structure that was built, was unbelievable…
The e-bikes and chartered boat ride were both a fun and exciting way to see the city,
The train ride was a first for the family, it was comfortable and scenic,
Our private driver Filipe, did many of our transfers, he was very personable, gave great recommendations- for food, scenery. We went to Sintra which was stunning, every step worth it.
The beaches were fun, we did a public beach, then found a little hidden inlet in/ on the rocks, , small amount of people, lovely afternoon lounging.
The destinations are all beautiful, and offer a different vibe, loved them all.
Definitely return trip.
Food was amazing, loved the culinary tour, we were able to do some tastings in the Balhoa market, girls experienced oysters for the first time.,
Lots of first on this trip..
We met some very cool and interesting people, 2 airline pilots, students, and another lovely family.
The birthday dinner at during sunset was spectacular . Great food, nice atmosphere.
We went to a restaurant on the beach Zephyr, also spectacular food and great sunset.
We did a lot of walking, the hills were my cardio for the day, also didn’t feel so guilty about all the tasty desserts we consumed along the way.
We tasted many of the famous pastry, we didn’t get to sample the one in Belim, short on time, but it was fun sampling the different bakeries…in all the cities.

Trip planning this way is highly recommended… most of the work is planned, and space is left for one’s own curiosity or lounging.

Will definitely use the service again and recommend it to friends and family.
Thank you Emily for all your time and effort,
You helped to make my sweet girls 16th bday a lifetime memory.🥰

Hotel Review
Nicola Rossio Hotel
Lisbon
Authenticity & Character
Retro modern
Location
Center of town. Very quite,
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Emily Boles
Emily
Emily Boles
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on Aug 26, 2026

Olá, Nicola! Your review warmed my heart, thank you. 😊 I'm so happy the trip was so incredible, especially for the birthday girl. I remember my time traveling abroad when I was 16, and it stuck with me forever! Meeting people from all over is also what makes traveling so special. We'd love to help plan your next international adventure, wherever it may be. Can't wait to see where you and your family go next!🇵🇹 -Emily

Overview
Portugal | Jul 19 - Jul 25, 2026

Lauren
Lauren K.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on Aug 03, 2026
Each of our guides in the various parts of the trip were superb. We really enjoyed our two guides in Lisbon - especially the guide from "We hate tours" as he was really knowledgeable, hard working and informative. Food was delicious and we really enjoyed our tour of the 2 palaces in Sintra. We also enjoyed Obidos and Nazare before going to Porto. The accommodations were also wonderful - great locations and hotel selections. Areas of improvement:
- Recommendations of restaurants or areas...
Read more

Each of our guides in the various parts of the trip were superb. We really enjoyed our two guides in Lisbon - especially the guide from "We hate tours" as he was really knowledgeable, hard working and informative. Food was delicious and we really enjoyed our tour of the 2 palaces in Sintra. We also enjoyed Obidos and Nazare before going to Porto.

The accommodations were also wonderful - great locations and hotel selections.

Areas of improvement:
- Recommendations of restaurants or areas to visit when we had downtime; even scheduling some resevations ahead of time for us would have been helpful.
- We arrived at our hotel by 9am and breakfast was not included that day and we had a full day until rooms were ready at 3pm. They held our bags, but would have been nice to grab a meal included as most places were not even open yet.
- We had a full day in Lisbon on the day we arrived with no plans- would have been helpful to have our city tour this day instead of having that be day 3 of Lisbon. We ended up going to belem on our own but some guidance would have been helpful.
- Some of the Fado tour and the driving tour around lisbon overlapped so it felt a bit repetitive on where we went and what we did. Also the Fado location for restaurant and dinner was closed so our guide had to find another restaurant with Fado for us to go to. He worked hard and found a great place, but it was odd that our original place was closed without notice.
- The timing of the tours that were proposed were not accurate, especially the day trip to Sintra and surrounding areas. Due to high season, and major issues with finding parking in and around the palaces and town, we got back to our hotel 3 hours later than was intended on our guide. While we enjoyed the tours, we had to truly cut short our last city visit as we had dinner reservations that we would have been charged for had we not been there in time. In the future, the driver should either drop us off so he can find parking and we can walk around, or there should be better parking locations or have parking factored in somehow. It was more walking due to not parking close to city center in Sintra.
- would have been nice to have included a one day trip to the Duoro Valley. Our walking tour was great though and the port wine tour were great - they could have been combined on one day to allow for Duoro valley on one day.

Hotel Reviews
Torel Palace Porto
Porto

We were upgraded and really enjoyed our accommodations and the breakfast included.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
AlmaLusa Baixa & Chiado
Lisbon

Great location and great breakfast included

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit
Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit
Lisbon

We enjoyed this tour the most of any of the days on the trip. The Pena Palace tour was wonderful and not busy when we attended The full day was 3 hours longer than was planned due to travel times, parking locations being far away and requiring a lot of walking to get to and from starting locations.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Finding parking spots was difficult and added time to our tour
Hidden City Guided Walk
Hidden City Guided Walk
Porto
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Self-Guided Local Markets
Self-Guided Local Markets
Porto

We did this in about 30 min during our walking tour. Didn't need separate time for this

Private Transfer From {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Óbidos & Nazaré
Private Transfer From {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Óbidos & Nazaré
Portugal
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Alfama Walk &  Fado Dinner Performance
Private Alfama Walk & Fado Dinner Performance
Lisbon

The restaurant we went to was wonderful - it wasn't the one that you had planned for us as that one was closed and the guide had to find somewhere else.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local Secrets Excursion by Van
Local Secrets Excursion by Van
Lisbon
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Gaia Port Tasting Walk
Gaia Port Tasting Walk
Portugal

We thought this was supposed to be small group but there were 15-16 people on the tour. Would have liked a smaller group experience as we had discussed, but we enjoyed the 3 wineries selected.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Emily Boles
Emily
Emily Boles
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on Aug 05, 2026

Thank you so much for your thoughtful review, Lauren! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed your guides, accommodations, and experiences throughout Portugal. I also really appreciate your detailed feedback. Your suggestions about restaurant recommendations, arrival day planning, tour timing, and the Douro Valley are incredibly valuable, and I'll be sure to share them with our local team as we continue improving our itineraries. I'm so happy you had a wonderful trip overall, and I hope we have the opportunity to help you plan another adventure in the future! - Emily