Portugal Natural landmarks sightseeing Trips

I've worked in the adventure tourism industry for three decades and know a little bit about the industry. This itinerary was absolutely spot on and suited everyone in the group. Our guide was however the reason the trip was so fantastic. Joao Camara's was born in Funchal and his local knowledge regarding the islands geography, fauna, history etc was amazing. Having worked in tourism in other countries his professional, informative and amusing approach was brilliant. I will definitely be back in Madeira that's for sure

We had an excellent travel director in who did an amazing job of moving our full busload of 51 travelers around. We certainly saw the best of Portugal and the local travel guides were extremely knowledgeable providing a very educational trip as well. We chose to do all the optional activities which meant we were busy but we experienced so much more by doing so .

Well organised, thoughtfully managed, great days out walking and seeing all around the island. We had fantastic weather, could hike every day, and through our guide Joao, Madeiran born and proud of his home, learnt about the history, flora and fauna of Madeira. Everything from hotels, transport, daily itinerary, food and meals in the evening made the experience fun and memorable. I’ll be going back in the Spring when the wildflowers bloom. Very good value and an excellent hiking trip.

This trip gave us a wonderful journey through Portugal North and South, including so much history and culture. We enjoyed trying the different foods, our first funicular ride, centuries old various architectures and wineries and tasting their wines. The sunset river cruise was a highlight and Mass at Fatima topped off the trip for me.

Our tour guide & our driver were amazing! For us though, we learned that it's too difficult for us to get up early everyday and be on the move. Even though we got to see so many things and experience a lot, it isn't the kind of traveling for us. We need to go at a slower pace and have more time to relax. It might be nicer to have some days where the excursions start a little later so folks can sleep in and then maybe have more time in between sightseeing to have ample time in the hotel room for the next outing. We felt rushed at times where we couldn't even change clothing for the dinner events in the evening. We still enjoyed the trip immensely but not sure if we can travel at a fast pace like that again.

For the third time in a year, Trafalgar not only meet our expectations, they exceeded them! From the detail of the pre-trip communication, the expertise, passion and personality of our Travel Director and the expertise of our Driver , Trafalgar came through. Overall the local guides were knowledgeable and showed their true love for their country and area a expertise. The only exception was the first one who seemed more annoyed and bothered, however it did not detract from the experience. The food was outstanding at ever included meal and the Be My Guest experiences were amazing! Great stories and really gave us a sense of what it would be to live in such a beautiful country. The one downside was the very apparent abilities of the fellow travelers. The size, 52 was complicated by the fact that more than 30% had GREAT difficulty throughout the trip. The roads and hills proved very challenging, and Trafalgar as well a mentioned this throughout the trip, providing options for those who might be challenged. Unfortunately, virtually everyone 'thought' they could do it. Even getting on and off the Coach was an 'experience'. Too much time was spent waiting around for everyone to get on an off, and then when on a walking tour, the group had to constantly stop and wait for others to catch up. This happened throughout the trip and was compromised by having 52 travelers. I 'jokingly' commented that Trafalgar should have a ability/agility test, especially for trips that might be a bit more strenuous. Realizing that this is not possible practical, it was unfortunate that so many were on this trip. Not surprisingly, these same individuals were always late to the Coach, sometimes more than 10 minutes... kind of like they had no concern for their fellow travelers and they were on their own private tour. We realized that this is 'part of the travel experience' and did our best to make the best of it.