Portugal Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 340

The locations on this tour are fantastic, from tiny towns and ancient villages, fields of grapes, olives and cork, to medieval castles and cathedrals. That being said, it was the people made this tour awesome. Bernardo, our guide, and Sonia, our support person, were outstanding. Both are very knowledgeable about the region and Portugal, and all logistics were seamless—they are a great team who put us all at ease. The hotels and meals were a highlight, we stayed in 2 converted convents, one of which was like staying in a museum but with a 4-star hotel inside! The restaurants that our guide chose were authentic and charming, the food and service were amazing. We sampled many local specialties and locally produced wines. Our guides dined with us, answering all of our questions about the food and region. The e-bikes were top notch, and any small issues were handled promptly by Bernardo. This is such a great way to see a country, very different than what most tourists will experience, we loved it!

Great, personable guides on the bike rides & wonderful service & food on the ship. My favorite part was cruising downhill on the windy roads through vineyards & olive orchards toward the river! Highly recommended!

The boat was great, staterooms were very comfortable and the staff all around very friendly, competent and thorough. The food was very good with a nice variety and just the table wine was fine for our taste. The young men running the bike portion were excellent, very friendly and thorough in their planning and communication, with everything executed in a timely manner. They were so kind, funny and personable! The food they provided was very good and everyone enjoyed the rides, which were mostly downhill! Make sure you bring bike gloves!
The only suggestion would be to have better correlation beforehand between the bike rides and boat excursions. It was very confusing when trying to look at both before we arrived and with the boat asking us to sign up for excursions at least 4 days before arrival, it made it hard to see if there were any excursions available to the bike riders. Bottom line is that you can sign up for excursions once you get there, so if you are in a riding group, I would wait until you arrive.
As far as excursions, and I only did a few, they were again well, executed, but on the one to Guimaraes, we did not go in anything, but were given 45 minutes to just walk around. I would have liked to go in a few places with the guide since we had so much time.

The guides were super engaging, and they carefully curated daily trips for our group that reflected our ability level. they also worked really well with the cruise ship to make our experience very special. I'd cycle and cruise with our guide team again, in a heartbeat!

Phenomenal trip. The bike rides were great but the guides made it fantastic. I can’t compliment them enough.

This trip was excellent overall. Tripsite was easy to work with ahead of the tour and then, even though we were self-guide, the tour operator was communicative, hands-on, and all their staff were friendly and helpful.

The app they use for directions is excellent, and even in the intricate streets of rural Portugal, we were able to easily find our way and knew within a couple minutes when we were off track. This also made it easier to find points of interest because they were clearly marked in the app. The points of interest were good and were a mix of "look at this" (roman ruins, churches, etc) and "get a tour here" (cork factory, several wineries, etc). If you are self-guided, the tour operator will help you book reservations for tours once you get there, but we missed a few because they needed to be booked more than a week in advance and we didn't know that. As soon as you get access to the app, take a look at what you want to do and either contact them yourself or ask the tour operator to book them. Some days only have a couple viewpoints/tours, and if they are both closed or not booked it could be disappointing.

The cycling was generally pretty flat. I've seen other reviews that there is a lot of climbing, we didn't find that. There are some long uphills, but the longest of these was clearly mentioned in the app before we started up to that point of interest. The bigger challenge for us was the routes that aren't asphalt - I think every route had us on gravel for several sections and sometimes it was quite sandy or rutted. The most difficult section we biked was marked as an "alternate more adventurous path", so we expected it. If you're worried about the hills, I would suggest an e-bike, although I did it with a normal bike.

The bikes were in excellent condition. We were provided with everything we needed - water bottles, repair kit, handlebar phone holders, chargers for e-bikes, and a bike jersey.

The dinners at the farmhouse were excellent. They were home-made and rich at the same time and are a highlight of the trip. The rooms are well appointed, and although the building is old, it worked very well for us once we realized you have to run the shower for 5 minutes to get hot water.

The trip was excellent. Starting with our local host Bernardo who explained everything clearly (the best we’ve had on any tour), to the brand new e-bikes and accessories, the fabulous accommodation (which was a highlight of the tour) right through to perfect weather, all went well.

Bernardo and Sonia were both fantastic. Bernardo created great routes each day with coffee stops in towns where we could explore a bit. Sonia made extraordinary picnics each day. The dinner venues, cuisine, and service were extraordinary. They both anticipated our needs and catered to every request. It was the best bicycle tour I have experienced!

The local team in Porto did an excellent job. My ebike had two flat tires during the first hour, before we lever left the city. but they switched out the bike and the remaining 6 days of riding the bike was perfect! The navigation through the app - Ride GPS was flawless. Two of the hotels were beyond amazing, all the others were perfectly fine. The logistics of the airport pickup, luggage transfers, hotel reservations and transportation back to Porto all went off without a hitch. The only suggestion that I might make in terms of route is if a group is NOT staying in Vigo having the route go right though downtown which we hit during lunchtime rush seemed unnecessary, confusing and long.

This tour exceeded our expectations. We had completed the North Portugal tour 3 days earlier, resting in Porto, then jumped back on the bikes for this tour to Lisbon.
The route was a great balance of coastal areas & through nature parks. The hotels were a mix of boutique & larger premises.
Recommend using e-bikes to enhance the touring experience, & add an additional night at day 3 or 4 to freshen up with a light day.

Our Porto to Lisbon self-guided cycling tour was absolutely incredible. The scenery, accommodation and the Portuguese people were fantastic.
Dianna the receptionist in Porto did a great job of going through everything before we started. This was last minute for her due to the person who was meant to do it not showing up.
We were given a Garmin for the navigation, but the GPS app we found easier to use on our phones.
Our one ask is that some information and times be updated. A major bridge was closed to cyclists, so we had to turn around to get a ferry. Unfortunately, the ferry crossing time was different to the information we had been given.
That said this was a fantastic trip. Easy, mostly flat riding. Watch out for those Portuguese drivers when on the open roads though.

The scenery was amazing. Our guide explained the different topography pertaining to the vines and wines made at different levels. Very informative.

Sergio and Miguel, our knowledgeable and experienced tour guides, worked to make this journey the most memorable experience in our lives. This was our first guided tour and it certainly will not be our last one that we schedule with Tripsite. No words could adequately explain the beauty, landscape, architecture, food, history, and the people we met in Portugal and Spain. The cycling every day presented challenges with the headwind one day and the rain on another day, which made the adventure more challenging and rewarding, too. Every detail is taken care of from the bike fitting to the snacks at each stop to the magnificent hotels and restaurant options. We were taken care of with all of the support needed for an awesome trip. Don’t hesitate to reserve your chance for a one of kind experience. Thank you, Sergio, Miguel, and Philipe (transportation).

The most memorable part of the Madeira Multi-Adventure Tour was simply seeing so much of the island, with its many different landscapes. The hiking and biking tours took us through arid peninsulas, lush forests, rugged mountain peaks (specifically the impressive Pico Ruivo), and by majestic oceanside cliffs and towns nestled on rocky beaches. Our whale watch on the last "free day" allowed us to see the entire south side of the island by boat. We saw so much of the island during the week we were there.
What should be improved is communication on how the transfers to the starting points of each activity day worked, as well as transfers of the luggage. We went into the trip not quite fully understanding who was picking us up each morning, where they were dropping us off, and who to contact at the end of our activity day to pick us up. How our luggage would get to our next hotel was unknown too. However, after a few days we learned how things worked, but more description up front would be helpful to others doing this tour in the future. Additionally, we read the bike tours offered ebikes only - but ended up not getting them. We were given normal mountain bikes with a wide range of gears, which ended up being great due to the majority of our riding being downhill -- so no real need for the ebike. However, we may have paid more for something we did not end up getting. Overall, this trip was truly an adventure and we had tons of laughs and made lifelong memories! :)

We really thought the GPS could have been updated. We approached a few places where we could not continue on GPS route because there was a new road or bridge built, we had to stop and figure it out. I was injured the first day and ended up in the hospital with 6 stitches in my index finger. Turns out the endcap was missing from the handlebar which landed on my finger when I toppled over.
Portgugal is very bike friendly, which is nice. On the roads or bike paths next to the road it was nice. We also travelled on paths thru farm land that were gravel and full of potholes that we had to dart around.. Not fun. The last day, we were on a path that was very treachurous had we tried to ride our bikes on it. We had to get off and walk our bikes.

We thought the operating company could have done a better job.

We did this tour self guided on e-bikes and of the 3 we have done with Tripsite I think this was our best! The tour is so well organised, the partners in Portugal were so helpful! The scenery along the way is spectacular, from long coastal beaches to shady forests, waterfalls and all the little churches along the way. Riding amongst those walking the Camino was very special-- listening to some of the different reasons for doing it and making friends along the way. The hotels were good with two being amazing and one that was very average. We loved exploring the local towns to find somewhere to eat at night and loved the seafood rice on offer, always prepared a little differently. Also the pastel de nata were delicious! The Spanish and Portuguese were very friendly and I would love to do another tour in one of these countries. We had great weather which always makes for a memorable time.

1. The switch backs (hair pins), dirt road, pot holes, gravel road, flat road… various terrain.
2. The hotels and luggage transportation is very helpful. The luggage delivery is on time.
3. The seafood, including clams is yummy.
4. Each fishing town or beach town is unique.
5. Óbidos is a great final destination. We finally can take time to walk around the town.
6. Ferry time-it would be helpful to know the ferry schedule so that we can schedule our time earlier instead of waiting for 50 min.
7. A few roads and bridges are under construction or not for bikes. It would be great to know the updated notes to avoid the unnecessary turns.

Our trip was amazing and one of our favorite tours of the five Tripsite bike trips so far!  The Coastal views along the seashore in Portugal were beautiful, and majestic.  We shared the trails/roads/paths along other hiking Pilgrims, making the experience more communal. Our guides, Miguel and Felipe, planned for our meals with local restaurateurs who served delicious traditional Portuguese foods. They took very good care of us and were attentive to our needs including preparing us for any challenges we would experience along the way.  The hotels, especially the Parador de Baiona Hotel & the Torre do Rio Hotel offered an unforgettable experience overall. 

Hiking was spectacular! Accommodations good. Mountain biking not as described, much more difficult with very steep downhills, Rides not
“family friendly”. Apparent lack of communication between bike company and Madeira coordinator. However, coordinator was very responsive and helpful. Again, rides did not match description provided both before booking and during trip.

we only went to Obidos, but part of me wishes we would have done the longer tour to Lisbon!
i loved the route, and the variety of terrain on the route! The Garmin made it easy to not get lost! We loved seeing the Atlantic Ocean so much. we loved the towns... and Obidos being a walled city was something new and different too!
the terrain changed as we headed south.. that was nice. We also had perfect weather and a tailwind every day! we saw other bikers going from South to North and said they had headwinds every day! We loved the town of Costa Nova! we only passed through, but i wish we would have spent more time there!

We were with the biking group of 20 plus three guides so our time on the boat was a bit limited (meals and sleeping mainly). The boat was enjoyable, clean, a positive vibe throughout the week. The cabins were spacious enough and well designed for storage. The staff was polite, knowledgeable, and seemed to work together well.

Our biking guides were absolutely excellent, both at individuals as well as with their communications and coordination. We will consider another trip with them in the future.

The scenery was beautiful. Our guides, Horacio, Fabian and Sinan, without a doubt made this trip so memorable. They were so prepared everyday with our bikes ready to go, the planned rides with so much wonderful history and funny stories along the way. We had a delicious lunch prepared 1 on a lovely hillside one of the days! They looked out for our safety while making it fun. The boat was nice and clean and the food was very good.

Boat experience was excellent but the surprise was the cycling experience … beautiful vista views with spring wildflowers in bloom … just stunning. And our tour guides were fabulous … couldn’t think of a single negative about the trip. Highly recommend!

We did a bike tour and it was great. The rides are not super long but beautiful! The guides Horracio, Amos and Fabian were soooooo great. Our group just has the best time with them. Personable, safety focuses, professional, fun, knowledgable. The boat is very nice and rooms were perfect. We love the Staff on boat as well!!

We had a great time. The service and accommodations were fantastic. The country was beautiful. We e biked everyday. Trip site had all the T’s crossed. Went off without any issues. Our third trip with Tripsite.

The scenery and people were amazing. Guides weee incredible . Everything I dreamed of but I would not say the tide was easy to moderate

This trip was completely amazing from the natural beauty to the personalized activities designed by our guide.

The first day we were so excited to be on the coast- rugged beauty and good biking trails.
Our self guided trip relied on the provided GPS and the use of the phone app for better navigation.
Pedralva stood out for its uniqueness but each location chosen for lodging had its charms.
It would be nice to know in advance when food was not available right at the lodging as we might have planned beforehand for that.
We were lucky to avoid rain but did find lots of puddles on a couple of days but really overall, everyone was happy with the route and very glad we went.

The trip was beautiful, unforgettable! We loved the trails along the beaches and forests. Passing through small towns and alleys in old neighborhoods was welcoming. We were very well received in the excellent hotels and restaurants suggested. Walking through the cities we passed through was very pleasant. Taking raincoats was very important for the first day.

The ARosa Alva is a beautiful ship with an outstanding crew. The town of Porto is charming.
The biking tour guides; Horacio, Fabian and Amos were outstanding. The riding was fun, though mostly downhill. The scenes along and above the Duoro were the kind that pictures cannot do justice to. A great trip to learn about Port winemaking. Outstanding!