Spain Local culture Trips

If you’re lucky enough to have João as your tour manager… you’ve already won the trip. From the very first day, João didn’t just guide us—he elevated the entire experience in ways that are hard to put into words. His knowledge, passion, and pride for Portugal and Spain were incredible, but what truly set him apart was how deeply he cared about every single person on the tour. João has that rare gift—you feel like you’re traveling with a friend, not just a guide. He anticipated needs before we even knew we had them, handled every detail seamlessly, and somehow made a large group feel personal, connected, and special. Whether it was sharing stories on the bus, recommending hidden gems, or making sure every moment ran smoothly, he went above and beyond… every single day. And then there’s his energy—warm, genuine, funny, and endlessly patient. He brought the group together, created unforgettable moments, and made us all feel taken care of from start to finish. Because of João, this wasn’t just a tour… it was an experience I’ll never forget. Collette is lucky to have him—but we were even luckier to travel with him.

The tour was everything I had hoped it would be. From the welcome evening to the last cocktail hour everything went as smoothly as it co. Well paced travel and tours were mostly outstanding! The experiences were amazing! There were so many great ones: my first view of the Fouro River valley from the top of the canyon, the fairy tale atmosphere of Sintra, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, walking the St James trail. Most especially the dinner with Marta at her home with her family. It was such a warm and very tasty experience!

Our tour manager Joao was the best guide we have ever had. He went out of his way to make everyone feel like a family. We loved all the stops with just enough time to explore on your own. The highlight for me was Sintra and the stay in Douro Valley in the middle of the trip. It gave enough time to relax and recharge for the second part into Spain. Victor our driver who was with us the majority of the tour was excellent as well. Hight recommend this tour and Collette.

The tour was amazing! I really liked the medieval towns. I loved Cinque terre and Portofino. I enjoyed the truffle hunting with the dogs a lot! The tour manager Luke was absolutely amazing!

La Sagrada Familia was great. Hrd to believe that is taken over a hundred years to finish. What I didn't like was the time between flights. Not given enough time to go thru security and customs and recheck your bags.

Hard to pick a single favorite experience because there were so many great experiences. The food, the palaces and cathedrals were fantastic. So much history! Touring the wineries was a lot of fun as I had no experience with the wines we tried . It was fun to learn about Port and Rioja wines. The Douro Valley ( wine region ) was gorgeous. Staying at the winery hotel was an experience, the views of the terraced hills was amazing!