Highlights of Portugal

Most Inspirational Moment

There were too many inspiring moments to just pick one. However, any interaction we had with the Portuguese people was intriguing. We met university students in Coimbra, which was very engaging. The food was very delicious. The winery tour in Vila Nova de Gaia was quite stimulating.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Carla, was exceptional. She had a pretty good command of English - was extremely knowledgeable and compassionate. Highly recommend her.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring trail runners (or shoes with a very good grip) to wear everyday - especially for the day trips. The cobblestones get very slippery, even when dry. Regular sneakers were not very effective.

Most Inspirational Moment

I really liked the historic sights of Porto but the standout moment came from my first sightings of the Douro valley

Thoughts on Group Leader

Carla was a superb leader in all respects. Her knowledge and enthusiasm was always inspiring. She was very well organised and ensured that every minute of the tour was well spent. She had a friendly rapport with everyone of us and took care to meet our individual needs.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Expect some busy days with plenty of up and down walks

Most Inspirational Moment

Douro Valley with the port tasting and boat trip. Superb lunch at the vineyard. Also loved the Monestery at Batalha.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent her enthusiasm for her homeland was infectious. Great deal of information given at each venue and questions always answered to clarify our understanding. Always smiling and a delight to travel with!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Sturdy footwear to cope with all the cobbles which can be slippery

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed the day at Douro Valley. It was relaxed with the boat excursion and the lunch at the winery, and the group had time to relax and interact.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I have been on other Exodus tours and also from other companies. Though she was very nice and caring, also the most bossy, disorganized, and frustrating. A view shared by other travelers - who actually stopped the tour and complained. She became irritated if things changed or were not as she planned. Very controlling to the point of ordering us dinner. Did not stick to the itinerary and we spent too much time wandering aimlessly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you just want a quick run around Portugal - its a good introduction to then come back on another tour or on your own to places that seemed interesting. Be aware of a lot of travel by van, and ours was cramped.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good!

Most Inspirational Moment

Having lunch in the Duoro Valley in a winery staring at the vineyards and sampling wines

Thoughts on Group Leader

Marianna and Catarina are the two nicest guides I've ever had! They were extremely caring. Both were very knowledgeable about the sights & history. I do wish they were with us more often. I would have liked them to accompany us to dinner on more nights.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Wear comfortable walking shoes with good traction. There is the potential for a lot of walking in the cities during your free time. The polished stone sidewalks get slippery if it rains. Add on at least one day in Porto at the beginning and at the end in Lisbon. There is so much to see in both cities.

Most Inspirational Moment

Douro valley hotel and location was exceptional.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, although sometimes more information would be of benefit.

Advice for Potential Travellers

See summary.

Most Inspirational Moment

NONE

Thoughts on Group Leader

Terrible, uninformed, ditzy

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not book this particular tour with Exodus. Perhaps other local companies are better, but this one is not worth your hard earned money

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved Porto even though it was very busy with tourists. The included lunch at the port winery overlooking the Douro and Teda rivers was excellent with plenty of vegetarian options and nice wines. The tour beforehand was entertaining.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had Carlos Santos and Flavio as our leaders/drivers. They were both efficient, friendly, helpful and safe drivers. Carlos took me to a late night chemist when I needed some medication for a bad cough. He did this when we were actually settling into the restaurant for dinner - we still got back in time to eat! Flavio would always find out answers if he didn't know the answer immediately. We had a very enjoyable group dinner on Thursday with both of them as this was the last evening they would have been with us. The food was good - lots of veggie choices - Carlos played guitar and we all sang along. One small criticism is that some of the evening briefings were rather long.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I have raised this issue with Exodus already. The group flight home is very late. We were collected from our hotel in Lisbon at 5 p.m. on Saturday afternoon and I walked into my house at 1 a.m. on Sunday morning. Exhausting. I would have liked a bit more time to look round Obidos. We were there for two nights but went to Sintra to visit the Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle. Pena Palace was extremely busy, it took about an hour to get in and then you just had to shuffle round due to the amount of people inside.

Most Inspirational Moment

With all these tours, it is difficult to highlight just one moment that was inspirational, especially on a short tour like this. Lisbon was very inspiring especially as we stayed on for an extra 3 days as was our short stay in the village of Ferraria de Sao Joao.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Goncalo was an excellent guide who always made sure we were away early to avoid the worst of the crowds. This was particularly important in the case of the Pena Palace in Sintra. He explained the history of the various sites very concisely which kept our interest and he would always try to accommodate any of our requests.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The Fado evening was very good indeed being in a small establishment in the Alfama district of Lisbon so was not only authentic but was a very pleasant farewell evening, Strongly recommended. Also, I would certainly recommend staying on in Lisbon for some extra days as there is so much to do and see and the atmosphere is very appealing.