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.

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

We are experienced riders and found this trip to be moderately challenging. Ride very doable with ebikes for hills, cobblestones and gravel. Majority of ride on roads with little traffic while we were there. Back up support was available to assist with chain problem. Rides a mix of ocean views, small towns, and agricultural areas.

How much more than I could ever anticipated. Enjoyable and problem free!

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!

Perfect trip, VBT staff/guides above and beyond!!!

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.

The trip was fabulous, we explored northern Spain along different parts of the Camino. The local guides were fantastic; friendly, knowledgeable, confident, concerned for our well being and safety. Everyone got along really well. The tours of the towns with the pottery and goat cheese tours with lunch was a highlight. Food was abundant, we actually agreed that after the luncheons we only needed a very light dinner. Hotels were amazing. Absolutely loved this trip and our guides. I went into this trip thinking we were walking enough distance to obtain the Camino certification, we went to get one and the official man behind the counter told us “ impossible “ This was a disappointment for me. I would have liked that in the description of this trip. I was not the only one with this expectation. I called the office of country walkers when I realized it was not an official walk a few days prior to the trip and was told to just walk another 15 miles to reach the criteria. This was not possible on this tour. I am planning to return and walk the Camino as a pilgrim and obtain the Camino certificate. That is important to me and from this trip I realize it is doable. The trip was more than just the walk and I got so much out of this trip that I can say was well worth it and will be life changing.

This trip was perfectly balanced with a variety of activities. The walking sections were stunning! There were magnificent coastlines, ancient pathways into medieval villages, expansive mountain vistas, charming towns and beautiful moments under the canopy of verdant forests. Along the way you had the pleasure of greeting pilgrims or experiencing your own version of being a Camino pilgrim. Enhancing this walk with visits to local crafters and cultural activities was the highlight for me. The lodging was exceptional as it continued the theme of history with its location and the buildings itself. How fascinating to stay in a rectory or castle where centuries of stories now live. Finally our guides Manu and Diego were amazing. I have been on many guided trips, these two were the best team I have ever had on a guided tour. Their knowledge was excellent, they were attentive to everyones needs and took care of details with a happy and positive attitude. They bring humor and delight to a group dynamic, which made all of us comfortable, resulting in true bonds and friendship for our group. Essentially they created community. I give them 10 ⭐️ stars! By the end of the trip, I felt like I had been on an epic journey with friends that became family. Thank you Country Walkers Team for planning, creating and building a wonderful trip. I will be back for more next year.

We had the most wonderful time in Portugal. Our guides, Anna and David, were delightful and made our trip so enjoyable. They went over and beyond to make sure each one of us in our group was comfortable and had everything we needed. We loved the diversity of the tour in that we went to a lot of smaller towns we would never have known about. The accommodations were great especially the hotel in Lisbon. We will definitely be booking with Country Walkers again.

This trip far exceeded our expectations. Everything was perfect, especially our guides Ana and Helene.