Portugal

Enjoyed this trip to Portugal. Good mix of easy and moderate riding to work off the fantastic food/beverages.

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.

Bikes were good , would have liked to have mirrors but were told they were not available. Routes were good , hotels were in great locations, in places we may not have visited on our own but quality not as nice as my last tour.VBT staff were available via what’s app and very nice. Enjoyed freedom of self guided tour.

Amazing experience - highly recommend! Beautiful countryside and stunning coastal views! I also recommend the E-bike due to some very challenging hills!! The bikes were high quality and held the charge! Great hotels and everyone was so kind and welcoming throughout the entire tour!! We are looking for our next VBT experience now!!

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!

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 really enjoyed this trip and would recommend it. The routes were scenic; the bikes excellent; the food very good; the leaders outstanding; the other experiences (tours, wine tasting, etc.) were fun and informative; the hotels at the beginning and end were very nice. We would suggest using the e-bikes as the terrain is hilly.

Thus was our 13th VBT trip and the combination of biking and a small cruise ship was wonderful. I had not anticipated the great food options on the ship. The guides, Manuel and Matayas, were amonst the pantheon of great VBT guides. The biking was challenging, but the electrics were appreciated by my 80 year old body.The roads were mostly low traffic. loved the lunches in the small towns on the daily rides.The bus rides to the rides were like a thrill ride at Disneyland-big bus-little road.

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.

The itinerary for this trip was very well thought out. The local guides, Diego and Pol, were beyond great. I would rate this trip as moderate, but you could elect to skip portions of the hikes to make it easier. The accommodations along the Camino were originally monasteries. The trip was so much fun. Thank you, Diego and Pol.

This walking tour was so well organized and well executed! I was very impressed. The guides, Ana and Helen, were probably the best I have ever encountered on tours. They worked well together and were very knowledgeable on the history and culture of the area we were traveling in. They always had a "can do attitude". And they were fun!! I was surprised on the amount of time we spent traveling on the bus. But after traveling to the area, I can understand that the distances between the 3 areas we walked in was too vast to have traveled any other way. The good news was we had a very luxurious bus that was comfortable, and we could spread out and enjoy the scenery as the bus traveled. My other surprise was the food. I did not find it very good. I am sure this is regional. The area is not by the sea. The people of the region eat a lot of meat. Country walkers did a good job to make sure that there were food options for everyone. There was always a fish option (cod) and a vegetarian option. But again, in my opinion, the food to the region was plain and simple. Not a lot of flavoring is used. I thought the food in Porto and Lisbon was different, there you can find some very savory palate pleasing meals. The walking part of the tour was well planned, and the length options were good. My favorite walking days were on the first and last days. I loved walking through the National Park. Most of the walks were downhill and on uneven surfaces. I would not recommend this tour if walking down hill or on uneven surfaces is an issue for you. The guides always discussed the walks the day before hand so one could make a decision to walk or not. And the guides were very safety conscious about the walks keeping everyone under a watchful eye. The other activities such as the boat ride and Port wine tasting were much appreciated and interesting! I would recommend this tour with a whole heart if you came in with knowing that the food may not be the best tasting. Go for the adventure of walking in beautiful areas where the history of long ago is still standing and to brush elbows with the local people who are lovely, friendly and very proud of their region and country. You will not be disappointed!

The sights were beautiful. The tour was very well organized with well thought out stops for snacks and bathroom breaks. Our tour guide, Helen and Luis, were both wonderful. They were very knowledgeable about the history, culture, plants and all the surroundings. I would love to travel with them again.