Portugal

As with all our VBT experiences Portugal did not disappoint. The trips are planned well from the time you take off from home until you land back at home. The transfers, the accommodations, and the in between are well thought out and planned. Any necessary changes are planned for. Portugal is tourist friendly, they are ahead of the curve with the pandemic, follow the rules. It is tough to find a bad meal, the weather was great; there is a lot of history. The cycling was easily doable for all who cycle 25 miles with some wind or hills. If you take only a few trips, make this one.

The trip was a perfect way to visit southern Portugal. The guides were awesome, always there to lend a hand or offer guidance. The bikes were outstanding - brand new fleet. The routes were interesting and scenic with little traffic. The food and wine were great. And above all the opportunity to spend time with old friends and to meet new friends was rewarding. Thanks

What an amazing bike trip with my sister! We were blown away by all the incredible sights we have seen along the way. The quaint beach towns, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, and the beautiful fruit farms. The tranquil challenging routes that VBT chose have been so nice and peaceful and then arriving in a great town for lunch and shopping. VBT thought of everything--they chose perfectly placed hotels and towns along with great riding routes. My sister had an e-bike and I had a hybrid, additionally, we met the most interesting women from all around the world to have breakfast and a couple of dinners with. A++

Lovely part of Portugal in the off season. I don’t bike ride but with the e bikes and the moderate terrain, it was easy. Loved self guided and the Ride with GPS app!!!!

We thoroughly enjoyed our first VBT experience. The tour route was very well laid out and we cannot not say enough about how impressive our tour leaders, David and Frederico, both of whom are natives of Portugal. Kudos to VBT for the way they planned and conducted our tour!

We loved this trip! Beautiful and varied biking routes; knowledgeable, competent and engaging guides, top-notch hotels, delicious food and interesting cultural activities. I wish I could do it all over again!

Good route, and the ship, with unpacking once, makes it better. The guides were very good, and the food on the ship was excellent. The group of 18 were very enjoyable people.

This trip was the perfect combination of biking and cruising. The Emerald Radiance was a top-notch level Riverboat with a crew that felt like family by the end of the trip. The rooms were small but had every important amenity. In the evening were entertained by local dancers and singers that were an excellent representation of the local culture. This trip should be on everyone’s list.

We had a great time on the Camino. The routes were beautiful and scenic. Alberto and Pol were fantastic guides and kept us very busy. They were a very amusing tag team and complemented each other well. Our group was very congenial and supportive. The Paradors were all very comfortable and the food was great. A highlight was the pottery demo and luncheon and the sheephearding dogs were fantastic to watch. Santiago de Compostelo was a very exciting place to be and very inspirational seeing all the people arrive after their long journey.

Outstanding guides who make the days and evenings fun, stunning and variable terrain, lovely paradors - and beautiful, beautiful Northern Spain.

We had an absolutely fabulous trip through the Minho & Douro Valley with Helene & Rita as our guides. This was our second Country Walkers tour and our expectations were very high based on our experience with the first trip. This tour far exceeded our expectations. Portugal is a beautiful country and the itinerary for this trip truly showcases just how beautiful it is. We feel as though this was a perfect way to visit Portugal. Our accomodations were amazing. From a Manor House in Calheiros, to a 5 start hotel in the Duoro Valley, to a medieval village among castle ruins in Marialva, all were very unique. They were places that we never would have thought to stay at and they suited the itinerary very well. The hikes that we did were somewhat challenging at times as Portugal is a very hilly country. The itinerary accounts for this and is very well planned out so that it is all in all very manageable. The upside of the hilly terrain is that the views are just spectacular! Last but not least, our guides Helene & Rita were the best. They, along with Oscar our driver, made the trip as seamless as possible. They were so knowledgable about the country and it was clear that they are very proud Portuguese gals who are very enthusiatic about sharing the love for their country. They were always one step ahead of us and would answer any questions you may have had before you could even ask. While we were on the trip, we experienced the power outage which could have been very difficult to handle. Helene & Rita handled it like pros and it didn't effect us at all. If you are thinking about booking this trip, do not hesitate. Book now! It was absolutely one of our best vacations.

What a wonderful trip! Portugal was wonderful, the guides were also great, and the group of travelers were all so very nice! So many surprises, the places where we stayed were incredible, and the food was very good! Visiting Portugal brought back the realization of that culture’s historical importance as colonizers of so many places around the world in the days of the conquistadors. Such a rich heritage!