4 Star Portugal Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 50

This was a challenging ride, not because of the hills or the ponds we had to get through but because of the rutted sand, rock and gravel surfaces we biked on. I suppose it might be easy mountain biking , but not easy biking. Memorable though and great guides.

Pro:The selected routes and the varied countryside. VERY GOOD that a guide led us out of Porto

Con: often difficult for the lead to navigate out of the larger centers.

Communication at start and end could be improved. I called for times, locations and details that the whole group wondered what the plan was.

Portugal is beautiful and seeing it from a ship on the Douro River was perfect for me. I enjoyed the excursion to Castelo Rodrigo and comments from our ship guide. Food was delicious and ample. Ship staff were particularly helpful hunting down my lost luggage and offering first aid when I tripped on the sill to the bathroom.

The bike company was great to deal with, starting with having a pick up at the airport to take us into Porto. They provided us with way more gear than any other bike company we've dealt with over the years (e.g. chain repair link, 4 inner tubes) in part because the Douro valley does not have any bike shops to help us out if we ran into problems. Navigation was by a programmed Garmin GPS they provided, with a backup on Ride with GPS on my own phone. The best innovation was having a WhatsApp group with the bike team so that we could reach out to them quickly if problems arose. (Note: Have an eSim so you have a digital signal -- wifi is only at hotels).

Other reviews about this trip said the eBikes make it easy. Well, that's not quite the case ... there are some loooong days (80 km the first day!) and there are a lot of long, steep hills. And while it's easier biking up a hill with an eBike, when the hill is 15 km long, that is still a big hill. So do make sure you are in good shape, especially your tush!

The hotels/B&Bs chosen were pretty quirky, with great staff. And when we had one bad weather day (howling gale!) the Top Bike folks arranged for a taxi to take us and our eBikes to the next stop -- at their expense, since it would be unreasonable to expect us to bike in that weather. We really appreciated their attitude!

We had a couple of technical challenges that harshed our mellow. The GPS provided did not have the route for one day of our trip properly loaded. Because we had the Ride with GPS backup, we made it work, but still .... You do need to watch your battery charge on long days. And then on our last day, for the last few km, the GPS was not clear as to the route and it was quite frustrating. Because we could WhatsApp for help, solutions were found.

If you're used to biking around France seeing little towns with bistros every few km, then be aware that the Douro Valley is quite different. On one 70 km day, there was only one rest stop where we could get a hot chocolate and a snack. And if you want to pack a lunch, you will find it hard to get supplies. We appreciated the opportunity to see a very different side of Portugal, however, far from the madding crowds of Porto and Lisbon.

Seeing the village of Mosteiros was memorable. The hot springs were fun. The hikes were challenging and beautiful. Be sure to visit the Terra Nostra gardens in Furnace. It is not on the itinerary but unbelievably beautiful. Be prepared to have other options if things to do if it rains. The tea plantation hike was also good.

The landscape, ocean paths and excellent hotels are the best of this trip. I love cycling and do that regularly. This trip is classified as “easy” but I actually think it is very challenging. There is a variety of terrain, some parts are easy but others are very challenging with rocky hilly roads, passing streams and among walkers that do El Camino. The mountain bikes are great and I would not have been able to complete it without an electric mountain bike. Be prepared for many challenging hills. This is definitely not a trip for beginner or occasional cyclists.

Going through the smaller places of Portugal at a more leisurely pace.

First of all, the bikes were outstanding. My wife has used many e bikes and she loved this one. The mountain bike I was given was also excellent. The three Paradors, (Santiago, Baiona and Pontevedra) were each outstanding. The path was extremely varied. Everything from smooth pavement to loose gravel. Some walking is likely. The shore-side or through wooded paths or through small villages sites were great.

The rugged coastline and the castle at Baiona as well as the hotel on the rushing River Torro de Oro.

Staying at Quinta De Sao Tome. Great place to stay, great food and very friendly Hosts.

The most memorable part of the trip was the beautiful scenery of Portugal and seeing it from a variety of vistas. Also, we had a terrific group of people that was led by Joao and Telmo. Both guides provided excellent service, moving bags, as well as replenishing water and snacks. Joao was very informative about Portugal and as well helped us selecting menu items etc. Telmo has an infectious personality who kept a close eye on the group when guiding, was highly communicative during the rides and cheered us on. The guides did an excellent job of providing great stops, surprises (fada), and additional tours (distillery, wine tasting etc.) It truly gave us a glimpse into the culture of this beautiful country.

In terms of suggestions, I would upgrade sections of this trip from moderate to difficult. We encountered deep sand, rough, rocky terrain and a deep drop off a mountain that led to some dicey moments and a few spills. As well, I would suggest prior to getting into busy traffic, there is a clear safety plan in place that is communicated to the group. Not that there was a lot of traffic, but there was enough traffic and we did have one biker go into a ditch. The accommodations ranged from excellent to one that was not great (In the village) as our room smelled of mold. I understand with people joining at the last minute, accommodations may have had to change but maybe a more consistent range would be better. Overall, the trip was amazing and I would highly recommend it. I believe the few suggestions are very doable and would help with the comfort and safety of others. Thanks so much Telmo and Joao, hope we ride together again!

We had a great small group with our guides Telmo and Jian. Jian was very knowledgeable and Telmo took excellent care of us all. He is an exceptional guide. We had a wonderful time and really challenged ourselves. We had some great stops enroute and really enjoyed these side trips and surprises. Very well planned.
I would upgrade the difficulty of parts of this trip as Moderate to Difficult. We had one extremely long day with some very challenging climbs and descents on rough terrain with a sheer drop on one side. The soft sand and deep ruts in some areas could be difficult to manoeuvre as well.
Our accommodations ranged from excellent to unsatisfactory. Four beautiful, and three not so nice. An alternative choice would have been nice for the three substandard ones.
One suggestion would be to have an easy first day to get used to the bikes and the terrain. Maybe it was but it took a couple of rides for me to feel confident on the EBike.
All in all I would highly recommend this trip. The scenery is spectacular!

the bike rides were great. The service was good and the staff was wonderful. We can't wait to return next year.

The wonderful Douro River views and vineyards as seen up close via bicycling.

The farm house was a beautiful environment, the small group made for cozy chats in the evenings. We enjoyed the daily rides through small villages. A special treat was a day to kayak on the lake. The staff were all friendly and wonderful.

The farm inn and surrounding countryside and aqueduct were lovely. The staff were all super friendly and helpful. The antique car museum and Pedro were a real highlight for my husband and exploring the walled city of Évora was very enjoyable.
The 1st day of biking was frustrating because of recent rains, the gravel path was muddy at times with deep ruts. Following days the paths were greatly improved. Since we were on a self guided tour, it would have been helpful to have the individual segments of the tour labeled with their distances so you could tell how far each different loop would be.

Really enjoyable trip, beautiful scenery, from quiet fields to cliffs over the ocean and groves of trees. I appreciated that much of the riding was off the busy roads. The off road terrain required quite a lot of focus and energy as we road on gravel, thick sand, rocky paths, and some mud. At some point each of the four of us fell on the ride due to terrain. The distance and the elevation were in line with my ideas of the riding though the terrain was more challenging (I am not a mountain biker). I would rate this bike trip as moderate due to the terrain.

The hotels were adequate to very nice and comfortable. Two of hotels which were several kilometers out of town. They were my favorite hotels yet made dinner arrangements more challenging.

The support from the Portuguese crew was outstanding, they were quick, kind and helpful when we needed them. The bikes and gear were great. Instructions and directions were right on (and part of the adventure).

The four of us had a grand adventure!

The route was great, the bikes were great, good hotels and weather was challenging. We would definitely do this trip again.

Very good trip, views ,mix of road and trail cycling.
All accommodations were top notch.
Guides were very friendly and eager to assist.
I would probably rate the tour as moderate to say the least, loose sand and rocky trails can make it challenging.

Fantastic route and scenery! The Douro Valley is spectacular! Our hotels were special and for the most part very comfortable. We even stayed in a
Medieval castle! Our weather was a challenge with endless rain - not sure October is the best month to take this tour? Guides gave some interesting country and landmark history and bikes were good.

The most memorable part of the trip was the scenery of the terraced vineyards, and olive tree orchards against a clear blue sky. Mountain roads without cars winding through the landscape to the Douro River below.

Food on the Alva Rosa was excellent as was the service, the bar staff, cooks, and servers.

Tips: Use multi use water bottles as part of bike tour. Longer rides with a little more uphill as we had E bikes!

Beautiful scenery along the coast of Portugal. This trip was rated as easy and if certainly was not. We were on regular bikes and there were quite a few very steep hills on rough terrain. People in our group had to walk their bikes up.

The people in the group and the guides.

Bring Tabasco and pepper.

Accommodations on the boat and the food were spectacular. The biking trips were very short and mostly downhill. The guides did not provide much history or background for the sites that we visited.

We had a lovely stay at São Quinta Tome, our accommodation for six nights instead of the farm which was fully booked.
We enjoyed most of the routes although we the scenery would be more beautiful in spring if before harvest.

The scenery both on the boat and during the biking were spectacular. The food was fantastic. The rooms were really comfortable. I really loved the trip.

For improvements, having the guides know where bathrooms are along the way would be nice. A lot of people had to find bushes along the way. On your France barge I took we stopped in towns to walk around and sometimes had a coffee and people used the restrooms. More information on the towns would be gppd. Also, we had a very sick guide and maybe she should have been traded out at some point and not been eating and hanging out with us. She's a lovely person but if I were that sick I would stay away from people as much as possible. We all came home very sick.

The biking was lovely, the service on the boat was excellent.

But, communications between the boat and the bike guides was terrible. There was a lot of second guessing and lost time.

For the biking, more cultural information would have been good. Stops for coffee in interesting places would also heighten the experience.

The scenery was amazing! The guides were great about stopping for restroom breaks and great about taking photos and videos of the group. The bikes were top notch with thick tires and great shocks. A helmet was included which helped with packing. Saddle bags were also provided for carrying extra items like a windbreaker and sunscreen. Riding as a group meant we didn't lose a lot of time reading directions or getting lost. The meals we ate together were a lot of fun - I wish we had more of them! The hotels were very nice and most had good restaurants. Fresh fruit and other snacks were provided throughout the day. My only suggestion would be to set up a WhatsApp group at the beginning of the trip to allow people to communicate with the group and guides and to share photos. Overall a wonderful trip with great people and guides!

The parador in Baionne. Crossing to Spain. The last hotel before Arriving in Santiago

Great Trip!
Best part was night at Torre do Río hotel WOW. Second best was boat crossing into Spain. Third best was night at the castle Parador de Baiona.
The trip lost a star because of the death bridge Ponte Effle, the long walk across bridge Ponte Fao and riding in traffic of Vigo and Porto.
thx-mik Sep23