Portugal

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

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

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.

This is the only way I want to vacation from now on. I’ve never been a fan of the typical sightseeing vacations. I loved cycling through orchards, small villages, and along the coast. Weather was perfect and hotels top-notch. The equipment was excellent and the VBT staff were wonderful. Not a single complaint.

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!

The guides and the boat and staff were great. However, the trip did not meet the usual VBT expectations. The trip itinerary lists a warm up ride in Porto. This does not exist. The "warm up" and bike fitting are in a small parking lot the next day where there is no space to adequately test the bike. So you're immediately out on a road with no shoulder in heavy traffic for 16 miles along the river. No doubt there are some nice views, but when you're only concerned about safety and figuring out the bike, there is no time for scenery. The next couple days riding were moderately uninteresting scenery. The best ride was the Rails to Trails - Safe, beautiful, interesting. We were looking forward to the final ride to the Atlantic Coast but got rained out. Because of being on the boat there are daily transfers by bus of up to an hour each way to get to the biking areas and back to the boat. Too much time on a bus!! While it was nice to only unpack once, the trade off of charming hotels and villages with our bikes on the property was not worth it.

It was wonderful to visit rural parts of the Douro Valley on e-bikes. I was impressed with the challenging and scenic rides mixed with local tours to olive press, winery, port warehouse, and medieval city tour. We liked not having to pack our bags every morning for a hotel move and it was nice getting to know the service staff on the boat. Well done!

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.

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

This was an amazing trip! Beautiful country…castles, wonderful walks through the valleys, wine, delicious food and the best guides!

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!