Lisbon Beach Trips

The tour hit the highlights of the country. Tour guide Pedro, and local specialists filled in the historic information in an entertaining way. Pedro was particularly good. Stops at the horse ranch vineyards and wineries gave some insight into the local culture. The route gave us exposure to the beauty of the countryside. I enjoyed the old forts and the history surrounding them. As with other tours we toured more than enough churches for my liking but I know this is a big part of the history of Europe in general. Pedro was great. The local specialist in Lisbon explained the exploration exploits of the Portuguese in the 14-1500’s. History as taught when I went to school focused on the English French and Spanish. I had no idea of the part of Portugal. Great trip

All encompassing, felt like I saw everything Portugal has to offer. Gave you 5 stars, but really it was more like 4.3 because of these issues. I was disappointed in the Fatima stop as we arrived after 5, had little time to check in and report for the group dinner. I wasn't about to venture out in the dark to explore. Jorge did a nice job explaining the shrine, but I would rather we had skipped one of the stops that day to visit have more time at the shrine. Also, the last hotel we stayed in SMJ in Lisbon was not up the standards of the other hotels we stayed at. It was dated, not well maintained and in a dicey neighborhood (or so it seemed in the dark). To make matters worse, our farewell dinner was changed to a farewell lunch. We were on our own for dinner, in the dark, in an unsavory neighborhood, with only one restaurant close enough to walk too, and it was too crowded to even get a seat. The hotel could not provide dinner for 49 people, except for bar food with a one hour wait. Ended the trip on a bad note.

It is strenuous Itinerary. Early mornings and lots of walking up/down hilly venues. Cobblestone sidewalks and streets. While I expected a lot of walking, it was a lot on the uneven cobblestone/stone sidewalks and stairs. Definitely glad we booked this tour. The tour information could be more detailed about the venues, stone walkways and the early mornings.

Excellent , well thought through itinerary which gave a decent cross- section of the geographical areas of Portugal and highlighted the different lifestyles of people in the different regions, both rural and urban. Our Tour Director was outstanding

Excellent itinerary detailing the historic and scenic areas throughout Portugal. The itinerary also includes three two night stays which was very nice. The tour director (Pedro) did a fabulous job throughout the tour and made the trip extremely informative, educational and fun.

We saw lots but it was always a balance between listening to lots of history and wanting to have time to walk around. Accommodation was always good. Jorge our guide was very efficient.