Portugal

As with all our VBT experiences Portugal did not disappoint. The trips are planned well from the time you take off from home until you land back at home. The transfers, the accommodations, and the in between are well thought out and planned. Any necessary changes are planned for. Portugal is tourist friendly, they are ahead of the curve with the pandemic, follow the rules. It is tough to find a bad meal, the weather was great; there is a lot of history. The cycling was easily doable for all who cycle 25 miles with some wind or hills. If you take only a few trips, make this one.

Portugal was our 11th VBT trip and 12th biking trip. It was the best or at least equal to our other great trips. The guides were the best ever and the hotels , especially the Farm House, were excellent. The biking was challenging at times but very good overall. We highly recommend the trip and very much want to return to Portugal. Great food, great wine and a beautiful country. We felt very safe on the roads and highways as Portugal drivers are very courteous to bikers. Absolutely nothing to complain about and as with all VBT trips, a great value.

This was my first trip with VBT, but it won't be my last! Some of their excellent attention to detail: two days into the trip they sent a mechanic to fine tune any issues with the bikes (in general, there really wasn't much he needed to do); created a WhatsApp group prior to the start of the time to make communication with other members as well as VBT quick and efficient; "Ride with GPS" had the 'regular instuctions' plus great details like "turn at sign with green background that says..."; head towards the bright yellow house; you might like to walk your bike here; etc. AND, on our last day, we unfortunately had a thunderstorm forecast so the majority of our group didn't want to ride. VBT quickly organized transport for us to our last destination - at no extra cost. Very professional and dedicated organization!

Portugal was culturally rich and the people were warm and friendly. The self guided tour worked well and the routes were well marked. I didn't realize that October was the foggy season or might have scheduled the trip at a different time.

We loved this trip! Beautiful and varied biking routes; knowledgeable, competent and engaging guides, top-notch hotels, delicious food and interesting cultural activities. I wish I could do it all over again!

We thoroughly enjoyed our first VBT experience. The tour route was very well laid out and we cannot not say enough about how impressive our tour leaders, David and Frederico, both of whom are natives of Portugal. Kudos to VBT for the way they planned and conducted our tour!

Very enjoyable trip. Guides were excellent. The meals on the River Boat were also excellent. Would highly recommend this trip.

Wonderful trip! Biking along the Douro and surrounding areas was amazing. We were able to go to some remote places and really experience the area without a lot of tourists around. The meals we had in the small towns were top notch! We had wonderful tours as well. Matyas and David were excellent guides. Riding an ebike on this tour enabled me to enjoy the multiple steep hills.

This trip was perfectly balanced with a variety of activities. The walking sections were stunning! There were magnificent coastlines, ancient pathways into medieval villages, expansive mountain vistas, charming towns and beautiful moments under the canopy of verdant forests. Along the way you had the pleasure of greeting pilgrims or experiencing your own version of being a Camino pilgrim. Enhancing this walk with visits to local crafters and cultural activities was the highlight for me. The lodging was exceptional as it continued the theme of history with its location and the buildings itself. How fascinating to stay in a rectory or castle where centuries of stories now live. Finally our guides Manu and Diego were amazing. I have been on many guided trips, these two were the best team I have ever had on a guided tour. Their knowledge was excellent, they were attentive to everyones needs and took care of details with a happy and positive attitude. They bring humor and delight to a group dynamic, which made all of us comfortable, resulting in true bonds and friendship for our group. Essentially they created community. I give them 10 ⭐️ stars! By the end of the trip, I felt like I had been on an epic journey with friends that became family. Thank you Country Walkers Team for planning, creating and building a wonderful trip. I will be back for more next year.

We had a great time on the Camino. The routes were beautiful and scenic. Alberto and Pol were fantastic guides and kept us very busy. They were a very amusing tag team and complemented each other well. Our group was very congenial and supportive. The Paradors were all very comfortable and the food was great. A highlight was the pottery demo and luncheon and the sheephearding dogs were fantastic to watch. Santiago de Compostelo was a very exciting place to be and very inspirational seeing all the people arrive after their long journey.

We loved every aspect of the trip, but we would have really preferred more daily walking.

This was a great trip! Our guides Helene and Anna, were well versed in the history and culture of Portugal. The trails were great and the scenery spectacular! Great food, wine and accommodations. The extensions were also great. Highly recommend this trip.