Portugal 9-Day Tours and Trips

The trip to the Douro Valley was excellent in its variety of terrains, wine tastings and walks. But what made the trip were the 2 leaders -Carla and Fernando. Carla not only has a wealth of info to share but she really cared that we all were getting the experience we wanted. She took so much of her personal time for us and totally extended herself to make our time memorable. Fernando was always there when we needed him. He seemed to pop out of the corner at just the right moments-in our walks or when guiding us. He’s a fabulous naturalist and photographer. I can’t speak more highly about the two of them!

This is our 6th Back Roads tour. The itinerary was well put together giving a taste of all things Portugal. The accomodation was excellent 4-5 star. Meals provided were of a high standard especially those in the D’Ouro valley. The welcome and farewell dinners included local entertainment. Laura, our tour guide, provided detailed commentary and no “Challenges” were a problem. She even added in a few sites not listed in the itinerary. Finally our driver, Rui, safely drove us around the countryside.

Ester Galindo was a very good guide, she was very welcoming, approachable and took time to check that everyone on the trip was okay and felt comfortable with the planned walks. She also researched and provided information for things for us to do on our free day. I feel that she really cared and wanted all involved to have a enjoyable and positive trip.

I had never been on a tour planned by a company before so did not know what to expect. That is the only way I will travel from now on - pay my money, get on the plane and have enjoy! I think the memory that I least expected, was enjoying and learning about cork. I had NO idea you could make so much with cork! I also liked that all the businesses we toured were family run operations. They have a passion for what they do, they know their product from start to finish and could answer any question thrown at them.

A beautiful island, great itinerary felt I’d experienced what the island has to offer. Loved the variety of experiences walks, tastings, whale watching, rock pool swimming even the bus rides which were not too long to the various locations. Amazing local tour guide - Joao -great knowledge and with lots of restaurant suggestions.

Felepe was our tour leader. He was friendly, organized, always on task, very patient, and very knowledgeable about Madeira. He had a very strong passion for his country and the people. He taught us many things about the culture and ways of living in Madeira. It was a very enjoyable week