Across Portugal

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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

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 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 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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!!!

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!

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.

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.

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

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

We had private sunset sail, which was beautiful.

Beautiful hot, amazing staff, and spacious rooms. It was so nice having two huge bathrooms and half bath with our family. The staff was so wonderful and the breakfast was great!

This apartment was in a wonderful location and was so comfortable as a landing pad during our time in Lisbon. We especially loved the bright living room with floor to ceiling windows. Only knocking off a star because it would be nice to have more than one bathroom in the two bedroom apartment.

Really nice hotel, however the front desk staff were not very friendly compared to our other accommodations. Beautiful views of the ocean and a nice pool, however, you do have to walk near a busy road to get to most of the restaurants and the beach in Cascais.

So informative and a great way to see the city! The wine tasting at the end was also exceptional.

The lunch was a highlight! Excellent food, service, and views from the restaurant. We enjoyed the tour where were learned more about wine making, saw the grounds, and the tasting at the end was nice! Our guide did a great job of including our kids.

Such beautiful views of Lisbon, the countryside and the castles! The gardens and grounds were also stunning in the spring time.

Despite the rain, our guide made this a wonderful experience with delicious Espumante, and we learned a lot about wine making and the region,

Andre took us all around Porto and shared hidden gems along the way. He even added an extra stop at a church I wanted to see and then gave us suggestions on how to spend the rest of our afternoon.

We lucked out with a beautiful day and had a marvelous time in the Douro Valley - from the picturesque drive, relaxing boat trip, and delicious lunch and winery tour at Quinta da Pacheca, it was a travel day we will remember for years to come. Ricardo was a wonderful driver who shared interesting facts along the way, and he felt like an old friend by the time he dropped us at our hotel in the evening. Antonio was our boat guide who was funny, personable, and knowledgeable about the wine industry and landscape of the Douro Valley.

Claudia was a wonderful and knowledgeable guide. We enjoyed learning so much from her, she is truly and expert on her city (and very funny to boot). And the wine and cheese tasting at the end was delicious!

Everyone loved the drive, the boat ride, and the lunch at the winery.

The food was delicious. The performance was moving. The venue was incredible. I would have liked the venue to provide some history of the establishment, the performance, and the artist, as well as a timeline of the evening.