Custom Trips to Portugal's Algarve Region

Emily from Kim Kim was fantastic with all our Requests!!!

Pedro and his team from Across Portugal are an outstanding example of "professionalism , excellence in communication , and 5 star service " . Their attention to detail is superb .
We have traveled in 40 countries over the last 14 years , and as a result of Pedro's work , Portugal is right at the top of the list .
THANK YOU PEDRO !

I would concur with my husband. Pedro and his team were exceptional. The little surprises along the way added to our enjoyment. A charcuterie board at a wine tasting that others in the group did not get, a welcome box of goodies in our room, a daily note explaining the following days itinerary....the list goes on.

The holiday was seamless for us due to Pedro and his team's attention to detail.

A five star rating is the minimum I would give.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cascais Miragem

Cascais

Facilities on a par with every deluxe hotel we have ever experienced .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascade Wellness Resort

Lagos

Superb service .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M'ar de Ar Aqueduto

Évora

Amazing facilities .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NH Collection Porto Batalha

Porto

Inconsistency of staff performance reduces this rating to 4 stars . One day great , next day average . Facilities are average .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Excellent staff service and facilities .

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the heart of the city .

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Step Back in Time with a Private Guided Tour of Évora and the Bones Chapel!

Portugal

Excellent knowledge held by the guide !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Indulge in Elegance on a Guided Winery Tour Infused with Tastings and a Delicious Lunch

Portugal

Quinta de Pacheca is not to be missed ! The luncheon was one of the finest culinary experiences of my 74 years .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Voyage along the Douro River aboard an Exclusive Boat

Portugal

Our boat guide was great . I cannot say enough about his knowledge of the flora and fauna of the Valley , and of the many vineyards along the way .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seamless Discovery - The Ultimate Douro Valley Experience with Private Driver Service

Portugal

WOW ! An experience of a lifetime . Our boat guide was outstanding . Incredible knowledge far beyond just the Valley . Our driver for the day had a personal love for the Valley that he infused into every minute of the trip .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

Sandeman Cellars is a wine lover's little piece of heaven .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Simply excellent !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Wonderful insight into Portuguese history .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See review of Marco under Belem .

Transport

Half-Day Private Driver to Belém***

Lisbon

Marco was our driver and guide for 3 days . He is one of the best guides I have ever experienced across 40 countries . You felt like you were talking with your best friend at all times . Knowledgeable , articulate , personable and , intelligent .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Lisbon

Outstanding meal . Restaurant staff passionate about faldo music and pleased to offer as much info about the performers as you could wish .

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour & Tastings

Lisbon

Hugo was a great guide ! Outstanding knowledge and very personable .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a 12-night itinerary planned to include visits to Lisbon (5 nights), Evora (2 nights) and Algarve (5 nights). Hector, my travel agent, worked tirelessly with me to select the best itinerary patiently suggesting lodging and excursions that fit with my family interests which included biking, hiking, kayaking and experiencing the local culture.

Lisbon:
-Tuk-Tuk tour to learn about the neighborhoods and history of the city.
-Tile Museum - enjoyable and self-guided. Get timed tickets. We arrived for 10 AM tour (first tour of day) and there was a line of people waiting that had not purchased tickets.
-Restaurant Sancho - walking distance to our hotel. We ate here 3 times. Octopus is fabulous!
-Sintra - Loved this guided walking tour to Pena Castle...yes, walking tour! Honestly, it was not difficult. Paul, our awesome guide, had so much history to share which included history back to the 1100's through current day. He made a lunch of all local foods. At the beginning of the tour, he purchased pastries for us to try which were delicious! He tailored the speed of walking based on our needs. Although we had timed tickets, we opted not to tour the inside the rooms of the castle because we would have still had to wait in lines.
-Nazare - we returned to Lisbon prior to returning home so had a rental car. We went to Nazare the location of the tallest waves in the world. There is a small surfing museum at the Forte De S Miguel Arcanjo viewing site worth the euro to walk through. We also took beginner surf lessons at SURF4YOU school. Anna was our private (group of 3) guide for the 2-hour lesson. She successfully had us all riding the waves by the end of the lesson and has a bright and engaging personality. I highly recommend her.

Evora:
-Cork and Castle Tour - 3 hour private guided tour that I highly recommend. The tour guide, Joao Matos, a PhD student of history, was our guide for this tour. He was a wealth of knowledge including current and long ago history.

Lagos:
-Cascade Wellness Resort - great place to stay with a wonderful breakfast buffet. This was a 2 bedroom apartment living with washer/dryer which was perfect since our son joined us for the last week of the trip. They have several pools and gym and was a relaxing place to unwind in the late afternoons. It is within walking distance (~ 1 mile) to the historic town which we walked to and from for dinner each night.
-Lagos & Ponta da Piedade Bike Tour - We rented e-bikes and biked approximately 25 miles mostly away from traffic. Loved the ride and a nice change up from walking. Highly recommend. John was our guide and not only had fun in mind but safety. He would stop along the way and brief us on what was coming up in the next couple of miles insuring everyone was comfortable at the speed and distance of the trip.
-Algarve Kayaking Trip to Benagil Caves - Equally loved this trip, although more crowded. Once you are on the water you don't feel so overwhelmed with people. There are many tours going on at the same time. Raphael, our guide, was funny and engaging.
-Hiking - 1. Fisherman's Trail hikes above the Benagil Cave and along the coast. Many people do this hike. 2. Route of the Seven Hanging Valleys (All Trails App) was gorgeous and less traveled. The second trail was our favorite if you only have a choice of one.

Tips:
-Driving: Portugal is a right-side of the road driving. You need to get an International Driving License (which is easy to obtain). It would be best to review Portuguese road signs before traveling...while universal...there were many signs not frequently seen in the USA.

-Helpful to have Euros upon arrival: We primarily operated on credit cards but there are times you need small bills (5 euros and 1 and 2 euro coins for tipping). Review tipping guidelines in Portugal...they are very different from USA.

-MPC App - Mobil Passport Control App: this is worth downloading for your return to USA. It is an easily downloadable app that allows you to complete a short 6 question survey to get through customs into the USA. It allows you to add up to 11 people traveling in your party to expedite going through customs. It does not cost anything and there is a separate line when you enter customs area to fast-track you through customs.

-Trip Plans App: This was the first tour I have taken where my entire itinerary was at my finger tips in an app on my cell phone. It was amazing to have including phone numbers to contact the guides directly and a chat function that was invaluable to ask questions or communicate changes in the itinerary. For example: our surf lesson time was changes to coincide with low tide. The travel guides communicated this information in real time and immediately updated the itinerary on my phone to reflect the changes. It was perfect and reassuring to know I had someone to reach out to for guidance.

I highly recommend this company for travel plans to Portugal. They were great to work with. Thank you, Hector, and the team of people that supported us throughout our journey.

Activity Reviews

Surf the Big Waves of Nazaré

Portugal

Never did I think I would be able to stand on a surf board and ride a wave in at age 62 but this surfing outfitter succeeded in insuring the three of us taking a lesson did just that! The outfitter was well-organized moving a group of us to the beach, insuring we were warmed up, and knew the steps to standing on the board before we got on the water. Very organized while keeping it fun.

Quality of Experience

It was a first time attempt at surfing made fun by the instructor.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Anna was an amazing and encouraging guide. She successfully got all of us standing on the board and riding the wave to shore.

Algarve Kayaking Trip to Benagil Caves

Portugal

The tour operator was organized and had us set up for kayaking quickly. The beach launching the kayaks is a choke-point with numerous tour operators all negotiating getting their guests launched. It appears that each group going had a scheduled time of launch because although the operators were competing for clients, they all worked together to provide a good experience for all kayaking and enjoying their time on the water.

Quality of Experience

Raphael, our guide was great! He was funny but very attentive to safety which is important on the water.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Raphael was excellent and funny!

Scenic Algarve E-Bike Experience

Portugal

E-bike operator was organized and timely with getting the trip started. We biked ~25 miles that morning spaced with time for rest (if needed), stop for beverage and visit to beaches.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

John was kind and easy to converse with. We enjoyed riding along the beaches and cresting a hill to see 360 degree views of the area.

Évora Cork and Castle Tour

Évora

This was our second tour with Joao Matos and it was as interesting and engaging as the first. He is local to the area so adds in his personal experience growing up. His passion for the area is clearly felt as he speaks about the best aspects of Evora. It is obvious, Joao has experience with guiding as he seems to have great repoire with all the staff in the buildings we visited.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cannot say enough about Joao Matos. He was knowledgeable and attentive to our questions.

Transport

Our guide and driver had a very good repoire. We ended our trip on a hillside watching the sunset.

Guided Visit of Évora

Portugal

Joao Matos is a PhD student with the local university studying history. He utilizes his educational background to provide details of Portuguese history. He is kind and will tailor his speaking points to your interest. I found him to be open to discussion on topics both current and historical.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Joao Matos is amazing guide!

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

We chose to hike to the Pena Castle through a series of beautiful trails in park-like setting hidden from the crowds. Paul, our guide, was exceptional tailoring conversation and information to our interests. The lunch he prepared for the hike was made from all locally grown and prepared breads and vegetables and he even purchased pastries to sample on the trail.

Quality of Experience

Appropriate length of hike.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Paul was so knowledgeable, approachable and friendly.

Transport

Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour

Portugal

Picked us up at hotel and was a great way to begin our trip to Portugal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport