Food, Wine, and Culture in Portugal

We had a wonderful trip to Portugal with an itinerary created by this travel agency based on our preferences. They met us at our first hotel in Porto with a programmed GPS, cell phone and a device to create a WiFi hot spot wherever we traveled. They offered a guide with a car to sites in Porto, Braga and Guimares and again in Lisbon and Sintra. This freed us to relax and enjoy the cities without a car but also learning so much of the history of Portugal provided by our guides. They secured a a rental car for us to continue through the Douro Valley Wine country then south visiting smaller towns with castles and fortifications as far back as the Romans. We chose mid level accommodations that were all unique. A restaurant and dinner reservation they arranged in Evora was intimate, family owned and the best culinary experience of the trip. Transport to and from airports, connections with guides, rental car pickup and drop off was all seamless and stress free.

We just returned from a 9-day honeymoon vacation through Portugal which exceeded expectations at every turn. We toured the northern loop of the country, including Obidos, Cuimbra, Porto, Douro Valley, Sintra, Cascais, and Lisbon.

Our travel agents could not have done a better job. From our first working with them months before our trip to plan and set our itinerary, to our warm airport greeting upon arrival, to their checking in during the trip to make sure that all was going well, to adjustments we asked for along the way, to being accompanied by our agent to a soccer game, Fado restaurant, and transfer to the airport, to our personal farewell at the airport -- all was done in such a warm and friendly way.

We could not recommend this excellent travel agency more highly for your trip to Portugal.

Jo and Rich

My husband and I worked with this travel agency to plan our honeymoon. We chose Portugal because neither of us had ever been but also because it's a country that has a lot to offer. Following our wedding we knew we wanted to relax but also wanted the opportunity to sight see, explore and learn new things. Over the course of twelve days we saw everything from Porto, Douro Valley, Algarve, Lisbon, Cascais and Sintra to lesser internationally-known towns such as Tomar, Evora and Amarante. We packed a lot into our short time, but with our agent's help, the trip was perfectly planned and stress-free. She even included 'free days' that gave us the opportunity to explore other things we had heard about from fellow travelers. Although it may sound like we saw it all, the trip left us wanting more and we very much look forward to returning to Portugal again soon!

Many people told us that if we liked Spain, we would love Portugal. This is a very accurate statement. This tour agency made our 15 day trip a memorable experience. Our guides/drivers were professional, personable, knowledgeable and passionate about their country and vocation. In addition, this tour agency arranged for a tour of the Lisbon Synagogue with a member of the congregation, and a special tour guide, for the Jewish Museum and Quarter in Belmonte.

Our Destination Expert, was very hands-on. Upon our arrival, she and our guide met us at the airport and provided us with a portable WI-FI and for our return flight, she even guided us through the airport to navigate check-in, baggage tagging, and security. She was always on top of our travels, especially notifying our guide when there were unplanned changes, such as the change in the time of the mass in Belmonte from Sunday to Saturday evening.

We visited the castles and villages in the East where you could see Spain in the distance. We toured and tasted wine from the Alentejo region. Our visit to the Douro Valley included a Port wine tasting and production tour. This area had spectacular vistas which we viewed from. the highest peak and from the boat tour on the river which gives you a very different perspective of the terrace grape vines. Next, we traveled to Porto, the second largest city in Portugal, and added a tour of the Casa da Musica built in 1999 and the Serralves Museum and sculpture garden. Lello bookstore was a magnificent surprise. What a beautiful interior! From Porto to Lisbon, we visited many beautiful seaside villages. We loved our tour of St George’s Castle and the Alfama area. Our evening at a Fado House with dinner and music was a special experience. Cooking Lisbon was tasty, and we can hardly wait to make some of the dishes at home.

Over the course of our trip we visited magnificent churches from the 13th to the 19th century and we never get tired of looking at the Azulejos. The pastries throughout Portugal are exceptional, though we are glad we waited until Belem to try the pasteis de nata, a delicious warm custard pastry. Of course, we sampled other treats during our travels.

The guides truly listened to us. When we expressed a delight in seeing the Roman Temple of Diana in Evora, our guide asked if we would like to take a short side trip to see a small Roman excavation, Ammaia. It was delightful. Also, when visiting Sintra. Our guide gave us a choice with the pro and cons about visiting Queluz National Palace rather than the Pena Palace. We decided on the Queluz National Palace. It was a wonderful and a relaxing tour.

If we attempted to tour Portugal on our own, we would not have visited the great range of sites that the agency provided. Moreover, without the expert commentary of our guides, we would not have understood the subtleties of Portuguese culture and history as well as we did.  This agency is an excellent resource and should we re-visit Portugal, we would not hesitate to use it again.