Across Portugal

Great location. Very spacious. Kids loved having both indoor and outdoor pools. Buffet breakfast was among the best we had. Decor was felt very over the top and gaudy - but otherwise, enjoyed this hotel.

Hotel was very spacious and comfortably accomodated our family of four. Really liked how it was close to hiking trails and had 2 big pools for our family to choose from. The kids especially appreciated the pool that had sand to mimic the beach. The decor felt a little bit gaudy / overdone. Also, if you're looking to be closer to the beaches or to the main town, may not be the best location as it requires a drive. Least favorite part of this hotel was the food and service at the restaurant. We had a buffet dinner the first night, and the food was not very good and overpriced. Staff also during dinner were not particularly friendly. Buffet breakfast was decent, but again, I would have expected more from such a nice hotel and for the price.

Favorite hotel during our stay! Plenty of space for a family of four. Very nice accomodations. Centrally located, easy to walk to many of the main tourist attractions. Also close to many restaurants. One complaint though around safety. One of the tiles on the wall next to the bathtub fell off the wall during our stay. Fortunately, no one was in the bathtub at the time, however, it could have been a major issue as our kids were often using the bathtub and could have led to a serious injury. Appreciated how they had onsite breakfast

Location is great, especially for first time in Lisbon. Right in the heart of Biaxa. Very walkable to many main attractions. Lots of space for a family of 4. Highly recommend! Just a note, may be challenging for people with limited mobility, as there is only 1 very skinny elevator servicing the building.

Great restaurant to try the Franchesca!

One of my favorite meals in Lisbon! Definitely get the paella - delicious and very large serving (the 1 person order was enough for my wife and I to share) Make a reservation or be prepared to wait in line

Great time to explore on our own. Appreciate the recommendations from the Across Portugal team

Our of our favorite activities! Loved how hands on it was ! Was great to be able to make our own souveniers from Portugal!

Overall was a nice overview of Lisbon. Did feel a bit rushed compared to some of our other tours. Guide was very friendly, but sounds like some of the information she shared was not entirely correct (especially after discussing/meeting with other tour guides on this trip). That said, was a nice way to get around Lisbon and navigate all the steep hills and see the main sights from the outside.

Great activity! Kids really enjoyed being able to drive along the coast and see the caves. They also loved being able to jump off the boat into the ocean!

Transfer was fine. Process of picking up the rental car took a little longer than expected. Pick-up station is small, with only 1 desk. Since there were 2 other people ahead of us, took us a while to get check in and get our car

Great experience with a local guide! Ricardo was really good at taking this at the pace we needed for our family. Very knowledable tour guide. Appreciated the individualized attention. Suggest you confirm which palaces you will be going to. We visited the Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira which were both great. Kids especially liked Auinta da Regaleira since they were able to run around the grounds and do more exploring and it didn't feel as crowded as Pena Palace. Just make note though that we did not get to visit the Moorish Castle, National Palace or Mosserate Palace - we were ok with that, but just need to make sure you're ok with not seeing those as well.

Great all day experience! Ivo, our driver, was an excellent guide! The boat ride was so much fun for the kids. And the private tour/tasting/lunch at Quinta da Pachea was excellent!

This tour was just ok. We had already done a whole day tour in the Douro valley the day before, and so this tour did not seem as impressive after the Douro valley. The Port here also was not as good as what we had in the Douro valley. If you're not going to the Duoro valley, then I would recommend. If you are going to Duoro valley, you can skip this.

This was a really nice tour. Our guide Sara was very friendly and knowledable. Loved that she was a local and able to give us her personal stories/insights. Also enjoyed that she was able to tailor the tour to what our family/kids were able to do. Really nice overview of Porto

Great activity! Very hands on! Easy to follow and understand. Great opportunity for the kids to do a cooking class.

It's an airport hotel. We were coming off staying at an amazing resort hotel so this was a big shift. But, it was clean. Good breakfast. And super close to airport. The shower head was broken in both our rooms but we weren't there long enough to be super bothered by it. It is what it is supposed to be - an airport hotel...somewhere to stay before a flight, not a destination.

Can I give this 6 stars?! Because I would. OMG. What a hotel. We had the family suite and it was perfect. I usually don't love huge hotels but this one was so amazing. Rooftop pool and family pool were great. Workout room and spa were also amazing. Food was great. Included breakfast might be the best "free" breakfast we've had. Outside the included breakfast, the restaurant menus were on the pricey side but that's expected from restaurants on the premise. We ate outside the hotel for the other meals and explored the local restaurants and had some of our best meals ever. We loved Madeira and will definitely be returning.

We also loved this hotel. We had a cute apartment and it was nice and spacious. The included breakfast was decent, not as good as our Lisbon hotel but it was still good. Location was excellent.

We loved this hotel. Very close to everything and clean and spacious. We had the family apartment and it was great for our family of 5. The breakfast was delicious as well and the hotel staff was very friendly.

Great food and restaurant!

It was fun, glad we did it. Shorter than we thought - you literally just climb up for 10 minutes, take some photos and climb back down. But, I am glad we did it. Just a little underwhelmed on the length of time. We had budgeted 4 hours with our driver and really only needed an hour. We had just done a walking tour in the morning so we didn't need the driver to also give us a tour as well.

We loved this tour too! Saw bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales. Tour guide was great.

Sarah was great! Informative and knowledgeable. She is passionate about Porto and it shows. Rainy and cold for the tour so not the best conditions but Sarah made it fun!

Ah, Pena Palace. Loved it. We had an amazing driver, Eduardo, who gave us a ton of history on the way there and back. He was easily the best driver we've ever had on these trips (and we've done quite a few). Pena Palace skip the line was perfect because the line was quite long and we got to skip it so it saved us time. I loved seeing this beautiful palace. Definitely recommend. Eduardo took us to this wonderful restaurant too and it was such a good meal. He added on some other stops so we could see more of the coastline. It was a great day.

Ricardo was AMAZING. So knowledgeable and we loved our tour. We have three teenagers who can be hard to keep entertained during tours and Ricardo had them all interested and engaged the entire time. It was hotter than normal in Lisbon and Ricardo found the shade, took breaks and gave us time to buy waters/snacks. He was great.

The location was excellent and staff were very helpful. Accommodations were “dated” or “charming” depending on your personal preference although the only minor inconveniences for us were slow elevators and hard room keys.

Location was excellent and staff was very helpful. One of the things which annoyed us most was the lack of outdoor non-smoking gathering places, but this may be a nationwide problem as we also encountered it in Lisbon. Breakfast was good except for the coffee and unfortunately, I could not find a nearby Starbucks or similar. Also, the step in bathtub without any handrails was treacherous.

Basically, the evening did not seem much beyond a dinner show. Perhaps, the experience might’ve been better at a different restaurant. It just did not feel authentic, but more of an activity designed solely for tourist and something locals have grown tired of. If I had a good friend that was going to Lisbon with limited time, I would tell them to investigate some of the other wonderful restaurants in the city and skip the Fado experience.

The day was a great mixture of a visit to historical beautiful palace with gardens, walking up the narrow inclined streets of a centuries old village and concluding with a lunchtime stop at a modern coastal resort.

The whole day was a wonderful experience and something that I would clearly recommend to anybody who includes Porto on their itinerary. The dining experience and lunch were superb as was the wine tasting. The only part that could’ve been improved was the boat trip down the Douro river as our guide did not really add much and it just felt like a perfunctory out and back trip.

I guess it’s something that you need to do in Porto, but it seemed like a typical tourist driven experience with diversions to the gift shop. We’ve been on Wine Tours before and there didn’t seem much to differentiate it from others we have been on. However, the most pleasant surprise was the cheese tray that was added in by Kim Kim. The tray was huge, and we passed it around to some of the other tasters at our table.

Bernardo was a superb guide and a wealth of information. We felt it in a 2 1/2 hours we spent with Bernardo that we received an excellent introduction to Porto and directions on how to spend some of our remaining time.

A comfortable place to stay, walkable to the core of PDL. Kind and helpful staff. Great wifi. Great breakfast. The spa, and its associated amenities, were superb.

A purely touristic hotel. While nicely located within the city, it lacks any kind of local vibe. Staff were generally uninterested and disengaged. Wifi was stable and breakfast was okay - the same offerings each day. If you like consistency and predictability, this is a fine hotel. If you prefer a more tailored, boutique experience, look elsewhere.

A purely tourist hotel. It is conveniently located within the city; within walking distance of a lot of sights and activities. However, it lacks any local charm or character. Wifi is mediocre. Breakfast was good though. Staff were attentive and kind. Construction works next to the hotel were disruptive, with noise and vibration that began early in the day and continued to the evening.

A beautiful property that's ideally situated, with a kind and helpful staff, great food and drink, solid wifi and amenities.

A beautiful reconstruction of an old sanitarium. Nicely situated within the park. Wifi strength was good. Breakfast was very good, although in the bar, food and service were both lacking. Staff were generally kind and helpful. It would be nice if tours were offered of the property given its history; to learn more about its use, layout, and reconstruction.

If you get the right room, the views can be amazing! Otherwise, it is a highly touristic hotel that lacks personalized service, and any cultural charm (views excepted). Wifi strength is marginal. Breakfast is a standard buffet. You are not centrally located within the Algarve,

A unique and quirky hotel that is very well located, with a tremendous staff that is quick and eager to please, and support its guests. Accommodations were clean and comfortable, breakfast was good, and the hotel itself is historic, with a great vibe.

Mr Bruno is an excellent guide (seems to be a recurring theme here!). We enjoyed our time with him as he walked us through the main sights of PDL, which is not an incredibly vast city. In that way, we held a more leisurely pace, taking our time at each stop to really engage, learn about it, and enjoy some local bites and drinks. Bruno was friendly, fun, and funny! Listening to him was a real delight, and he was happy to entertain the questions we asked.

It is a good restaurant, although I would suggest a lunchtime visit as opposed to a dinner one as they do not accept reservations. The food, service, drink, are all on point. The atmosphere is a little bland, though.

This was a great way for us to visit places we wouldn't have been able to access short of keeping the rental car. Still, to have someone else drive was kind of nice. Ricardo was once again phenomenal as he greeted us on time, and brought us to the places on our itinerary, sharing some of his knowledge about each location, and a few of the sights in between. We were all able to have lunch together, which was wonderful, as it gave us an opportunity to get to know each other a little better. The sights we visited were as we had requested, and I appreciate that Ricardo gave us time to explore at our leisure, while also offering suggestions on how we could make the use of our time. It was a great day!

This was an incredible experience to be offered. Thank you! Ricardo picked us up as scheduled in front of our hotel. He was delightful! As we drove around, we made a few stops, per the general itinerary. Here, I would have liked some more input to determine which stops would be made. Nevertheless, Ricardo was responsive to a few of our requests, which was greatly appreciated! We spent a lot of time in one location in particular, and Ricardo communicated to our hosts that we would be a little late. Once we arrived we were greeted warmly, and with Ricardo and their son ably translating for all of us, it was a wonderful evening. The meal prepared was delicious, and a vast spread of local dishes. The wine, and fire water, flowed easily, and in spite of the language differences, we were able to share our experiences in Portugal to that point, while also learning about our hosts, their backgrounds and experiences. In the end we ran out of time. It was such an enriching, joyful, dinner - one of the most impactful of our trip, and a lifelong memory! Thank you!!!

Bernardo is an excellent guide! He met us at our hotel on time, and introduced us to the main highlights of Porto on a route that was easily managed, and complete, considering the relative vastness of the city. He was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and fun to be with and listen to. He also made recommendations regarding other sights to see, places to eat, and addressed any questions we had along the way.

Tasty regional food that's worth the effort to get to! The cooking method embodies the region, and imparts a particular note that's very good. The restaurant bottles their own wines, which accompany the meal especially well. Good service, adds to the overall enjoyment!

To begin, I didn't know this was booked as a private activity. Maybe it wasn't and we got lucky that it was just the two of us and our guides. But if it was booked as such - thank you! Our guides, Daniel and Wolf were phenomenal! They took great care to assure our comfort and safety. For Lilian, this was especially important as this was her first canyoning experience. The course itself was great! Beautifully scenic, and challenging enough without being (too) overwhelming. Again, to Daniel and Wolf, your efforts in making the day safe, comfortable and fun, were much appreciated. The experience itself was great! We enjoyed witnessing the beauty of Madeira from an entirely unique perspective.

This was easily one of the best meals we had on our trip. Highly elevated, exceptional dining in a beautifully situated and sophisticated dining space.

This experience was incorrectly booked as just the boat trip, and not the boat and kayak trip combined. This was not a big deal and is not the reason behind my rating. I greatly appreciate your response to that situation. Rather, the boat is, just a boat. The ride upriver is scenic and that's really it. You don't go all that far. I'm glad we did not go upriver with the boat and then kayak downriver back to town. It's the same view, and the river channel is busy with a lot of boat traffic. It would not have been very relaxing. Doing the two separately allowed us to kayak down the other arm of the river which was, frankly, dirty and smelly. Not super great. I would skip this activity overall, and would rather do a private boat hire with a wine and cheese tasting that would travel a greater distance along the river. No kayaking. And spend more time exploring the wineries along the valley.

Nuno is an outstanding guide. It is clear he is passionate about the park, taking great pride in its beauty, diversity and fragility. His knowledge of its history, and biodiversity, was impressive. He took great care to assure our safety and comfort while in the park. Our lunch together was wonderful. He packed ham, bread and cheese, with jam and a bottle on wine (he forgot the glasses but that was easily handled). Sharing the day with him was a delight. I am glad we added more time, and that Nuno could accommodate us. Three hours would have been seriously limiting. He was willing to share suggestions for further exploration, and offered us insights on our hotel that the hotel staff themselves couldn't do.

A great way to experience this dramatic coastline. The equipment provided was of good quality, and the staff were each excellent! I was grateful the boat captain enabled us to take a quick swim on our return to the harbor. Our kayaking instructor was fun, kind, helpful to those in the group that needed assistance. His knowledge of the area was great to listen to. I would have enjoyed more time on the water, but for what it was, no big complaints.

This was a phenomenal restaurant! Well designed, curated, nice touches in plating and silverware. Attentive service. Delicious food! Great atmosphere. Terrific all around!

In hindsight, I should have communicated our plans more accurately. Timings for some of the places we wanted to get to weren't clear. For example. the Convent of Our Lady of Arrabida, was closed. The Forte de Albarquel had limited hours. Had we known those in advance we could have made better use of our time. We ended up visiting the Forte de Sao Filipe which was outstanding! From there we drove to Setubal for lunch, taking your suggestion for the choco frito. It seemed like there was a fair amount to see in Setubal, but again, it really wasn't discussed so we didn't know. We walked around a little before we continued our drive to the hotel.

Rui showed up to the hotel on time. Brought us to the rental car directly, and offered to stay until we were set up.

The Fado, was sublime. Beautiful. Haunting, in a way. You could close your eyes and feel the music. It was truly beautiful. The Portuguese guitar is a striking instrument, both in looks and sound. And those creating the music, playing the guitar, singing, were soulful, talented, and a joy to listen to. The dinner itself was okay. Good. Not as exceptional as the music. Restaurant staff were kind, but disorganized and rushed. In the end, they got everyone seated, meals and drinks ordered, and it all worked out. But it seemed like it was their first time doing it. The venue itself is nice, although I would suggest being seated away from the front entrance where the musicians will ultimately perform, as you're inches away, the music and singing would be loud.

This was great! To learn how to make this iconic pastry was a real "treat"! The class was good. Small enough to be personal and move along at a steady clip. Everyone was engaged and having a good time. Our instructor was funny, well prepared to teach the class, and helped all of us succeed in our endeavor. There were steps that were completed in advance, both for ease and timing. Personally, I would have liked to have participated in each step, even if that meant a longer overall class. But still, a really good time.

Sintra is a must-see destination if you're in Lisbon. We were paired with Rita once again, which we both were pleased with. The skip-the-line tickets were enormously helpful! Guides are not allowed within Pena Palace, which was a little disappointing, however, Rita was keen to answer our questions before and after our tour. Throughout the day, she was kind, eager to share her knowledge, and helpful. The only downside, for me, was the lack of visiting the Moorish Castle. I felt like there was time within the day to do so, being respectful of our timed entries elsewhere. We made a stop for lunch, which could have been shortened or skipped outright to make time for the castle. Rita didn't feel it was a worthwhile destination, but I disagreed with her assessment. Still, she and our driver Rui fulfilled our request to visit Cabo da Roca, which was also very appreciated as it lengthened the day.

Rita was an excellent guide. Funny. Engaging. Knowledgable. She put together a loop that traversed each neighborhood, sharing historical and cultural highlights along the way. I asked specifically if she knew of any Vhils works, and she was able to incorporate one as we walked, which was greatly appreciated. She introduced us to many foods and shops, making stops so we could sample them as we went. It was a wonderful introduction to Lisbon!

The Heritage Avenida Liberdade, was our favorite hotel - historic with lots of character, very comfortable, and the service, breakfast, and location was perfect.

We had private sunset sail, which was beautiful.

Margarida was a wonderful guide, sharing the history and culture of Lisbon and answering all our questions as we walked around.

We thought this was a wonderful hotel. All the comforts: great location, welcoming and friendly staff.

Wonderful staff. Very accommodating and friendly. Great location. Beautiful view. Delicious breakfasts.

While this hotel is right on the river, it feels very corporate and sterile in comparison to the other lovely hotels we stayed in while in Portugal.

This hotel is a real gem. The location was beautiful. The staff friendly and welcoming. The breakfasts delicious. We loved history and the art deco furnishings. One of the nicest boutique hotels we have ever stayed in.

The private walking tour in Lisbon was fantastic. Sylvia, our guide, was very knowledgeable and provided us with so much information that was almost overwhelming—but in a good way. We almost rehired her for another tour because we wanted more. The tour was very well done, and trying Pastel de Nata was a highlight.

Our day in the Douro Valley was absolutely magical. The winery we visited was the best wine tour we've ever been on, and the lunch there was incredible, probably one of the best meals of our trip. We had choices for our entrees, and all of them were accompanied by different wines. The scenery was beautiful, and our driver, Ricardo, made the experience even more enjoyable with his personal stories and history. It was a perfect day.