One-Week Best of Lisbon Tour

We spent a brief, but very memorable, 8 days exploring Portugal: Oporto, Duoro Valley, Lisbon, Sintra with a few stops in Coimbra, Batalha and Obidos.  Our travel team were awesome.  They were extremely friendly & truly appeared as if they loved their jobs and were excited to show their country to us.  (and in all honesty, EVERYONE in Portugal was extremely friendly- really a nice, nice people) They were punctual (never one late pick-up), responsive (returned or answered every query/ phone call promptly) and amenable to last minute changes (we decided to forgo a tour of Lisbon at the last minute to return to Sintra on one of the days for a hike as it was hot & crowded & we wanted to get off the beaten track a bit!).  Two of our guides were like walking encyclopedias.  Our guide had an enthusiasm about people and his country that is rare and wonderful.  He showed us the small towns of Coimbra, Balalha and Obidos and seeing them through his eyes made them some of our favorite stops.  Our other guide was calm & thorough and easy going- perfect for seeing Sintra and Lisbon.  Though we had a few VERY minor mishaps (lost reservations at a restaurant, no veggie option which we were told there would be at the Fado house)- these were more than made up by apologies and extras!  I would over-all I give our agent & her crew FIVE stars for a wonderful trip & introduction to Portugal and a lovely tailored service.

The travel agent from Zicasso's tour company planned for my family of four the most spectacular and luxurious two-week trip around Portugal. We traveled to and enjoyed the highlights of Lisbon, the romantic architecture in Sintra, the incredible history of Évora, the beautiful coastline of the Algarve, the laid-back atmosphere and gorgeous scenery of Madeira, the beautiful, historical, bustling city of Porto, and the stunning scenery of the Douro Valley. 

The travel agent's suggestions and bookings were all perfectly aligned with what we envisioned and the accommodations booked were all beautifully appointed and family-oriented – five-star hotels that catered to the entire family, with indoor pools and kids greeted with backpacks and toys at the door, and nightly treats on pillows.

The tour guides booked were all very knowledgeable and kind. They were patient with my two- and four-year-olds, and taught us all so many new, amazing things.

Every day was a highlight, but I would say my girls really enjoyed the tile painting as well as the pastel de nata-making workshops.

My husband and I really enjoyed Évora and Sintra, and truly seeing the beauty and history of it all.

We absolutely fell in love with Portugal, the culture, and the food. My only regret is not having more time so we could’ve seen the Azores as well and stayed even longer. 

We so look forward to this travel agent planning us another perfect vacation in the near future!

One of the best decisions I made was to select a travel agency in the Country I wanted to visit.  My current agency in the United States could not have put together such a fantastic itinerary as did this travel agency.

I visited Lisbon, Madrid & Barcelona.  In addition to Sintra, Obidos, Alcobaca, Batalha, Evora, Elvas, Sevilla, Cordoba, Toledo, Segovia, & Girona.  I had  private tour guides in each region I visited.  If this will be your first trip to Spain or Portugal, I would not do it without a tour guide.  They get you into all the major sites without waiting in line!!! 

That's worth the money alone.

My tour designer and his staff could not have been more gracious, professional and knowledgeable.  The tour guides were very knowledgeable in each region I visited.  I learned more in my 3 week visit than I could of ever learned on my own.

When I had an issue on the hotel room in Madrid, one phone call to my representative's office and it was corrected.  Not only in Madrid, but he made sure the rest of my hotel rooms throughout my trip were the same standards.

Thanks again to this travel company for designing a trip that I will remember for the rest of my life.