- Visit and explore three unique islands
- Enjoy vineyards, volcanoes and coastal views
- Options to climb Mount Pico on Day 2 and go whale watching on Day 3

Walking in the Azores
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Add your own reviewWalking in the Azores
Great holiday but should have been longer. Travellers for this trip need to be fit, prepared for steep climbs and humid weather, ‘moderate’ is not an accurate assessment of the walks. Admittedly 3 – 4mph is a bit of a give away, that said definitely a trip to repeat, this is a beautiful part of the world.
Most Inspirational Moment
All of it, a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Great personality, totally suited to working with people, a friend to all.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Read the small print, this is not for the faint hearted and the initial description does not really prepare you for what is to come - 'moderate / strenuous' would be more appropriate. Also prepare to acclimatise to humid conditions. Great holiday and to be thoroughly recommended.
Suggestions
Length of holiday needs to be extended, it is far too short.
A great way of seeing four islands
The Azores are beautiful, especially if you go when the hydrangeas are looking good. This trip is a great way of seeing four islands but, since you stay in only two hotels, you’re not repacking all the time. The accommodation was very good. A smart hotel in Ponta Delgada and a good enough hotel in Horta with each room having a balcony with amazing views of the harbour, Pico island and the sunrise. The breakfasts were pretty good and provided plenty of food before the walks. Both towns have plenty of interest and the nautical side of Horta is great. There were seven of us in the group plus our Sao Miguel guide (Tony) and our four islands guide (Filipe) both of whom were very good. We all got on well. If you’re fit and mobile, and strong enough going uphill and especially downhill, the walks are good exercise and not overly challenging. There’s plenty to see and photograph along the way and each walk is slightly different from the next. The group meals are the lunches with our guides having organised three picnics and three terrific restaurant lunches – local food in Sao Miguel and Pico and very good tuna in Peter’s Café on Faial. In the evenings we generally split into two or three smaller groups. Tip: it really pays off booking restaurants in advance. As The Azores are quite some way away, we decided to stay two weeks and so followed this trip with the self-guided ‘Cycling in the Azores’ on Terciera. So we ended up seeing five of the nine islands.
Most Inspirational Moment
The hydrangeas on Sao Miguel and Sao Jorge. The lunch on Pico. The sunrises over Horta. The whale watching trip. Good chats on the walks.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Both leaders were enthusiastic, knowledgeable, good fun and looked after everyone.
Advice for Potential Travellers
In Ponta Delgada try to visit the Museu Carlos Machado/Jesuit College (great ecclesiastical art and church) and in Horta the Museum of Whaling (it’s so well done). The whale watching trip from Horta is great too. We saw several sperm whales. See the comment above about reserving a table for the evening meal. This is pretty easy as you're only staying in two towns, one of which you return to at the end of the week (Ponta Delgada - perhaps book Alcides for the last evening).
Suggestions
The ferry crossings were quite smooth and didn't cause problems for my wife who occasionally gets sea sick. We had a problem with one of our inter island flights but were rescued by the Exodus staff in the UK who spotted that there was a problem and liaised with the local agent to find a solution - thank you Robyn.
Sunshine, rain and an earthquake in the Azores
The weather wasn’t very kind to us but we did get out walking on all the days.
Bruno our guide was very good. His knowledge of the islands was excellent and he made every effort to tailor the walks to the group. He also adapted the program when we were unable to visit Sao Jorge because of the earthquake.
Loved the botanical gardens and Lagoa do Fogo (although it was difficult to sit by the lake for very long because of the biting wind). I found the islands we visited very interesting.
I didn’t go whale watching in Horta, instead went to the whaling museum (Porto Pim Whaling) and did the circular walk on the hill (Monte da Guia) behind it. Both were excellent alternatives.
The food was very good and the hotels and various restaurants. The accommodation in Ponta Delgada was very good and an excellent location.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Bruno was excellent
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take all your wet gear if you go in May, and some warm clothing. The Azores are very 'green' for a reason!
Suggestions
The accommodation in Horta was a little 'tired', and WiFi reception poor in some rooms. A decent length coastal walk would be nice. Most of our walks were through trees or quite tall shrubs, so not many views.
Truly Wonderful
A really lovely trip to The Azores. A packed itinerary with whale and dolphin watching and exploring the island landscape, which is one of a kind! We saw tropical dolphins, playful bottle nosed and common dolphins and the small striped dolphins. Some played around the boat racing with us across the waves. We saw pilot whales and the magnificent sperm whales. It was a rigid inflatable boat so we were close to the water and it was both fun and exciting.
Most Inspirational Moment
The whales.
Thoughts on Group Leader
I have to tell you about the guide: Nuno Garcia. He is the nicest, most considerate and patient guide we have ever encountered. He was full of fun and always there to help anyone who needed it. He would stand at the harbour smiling and waving as we left to whale watch and he would be there ready with a smile and a wave when we returned. An excellent guide in every way.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take a variety of clothing because the weather can be very changeable.
Lovely walks in varied and interesting locations
This is a short but packed easy walking trip guided by the brilliant knowledgeable and fun Bruno.
From the lush heights overlooking lakes and craters to swimming in natural thermal pools to whale watching this trip has it all. Bruno’s enthusiasm for his country and love of his job meant he was totally engaged with the group. He probably would have crammed more into the itinerary if time had allowed.
The islands of the Azores are stunning and have to be walked to be fully appreciated .
Most Inspirational Moment
There were many wonderful views and no one that absolutely stands out. Laughing with Bruno and the group is a great tonic
Thoughts on Group Leader
Bruno as already mentioned could not have been more interesting , engaging and fun. as a group leader He excelled in holding the group dynamics so that we had fun together but also walked at a pace which suited all.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for a full on trip with little spare time or stops. That said, the walking though some longer but gentle uphill was paced well. The long ( 2 hours) down hill is challenging on the knees so would advise poles and decent rough terrain footwear. Take an additional small (folding variety backpack) to leave on the coach for swim wear. If prone to travel sickness take medication and be prepared to take it 2 hours before the late evening ferry trip ( 2 hour choppy trip)
Wonderful week in the Azores
I’ve been to Portugal before, and was looking forward to experiencing another aspect of this country. This was my first trip with Exodus, and it was very impressive, start to finish. The daily outings, meals together, hotel choices, etc. were A+. Each island was unique and physically beautiful. The walks took us to places off the beaten path, which was exactly why I selected this trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
It is hard to pick one moment - overall seeing how people have made these volcanic islands into beautiful locations is what impressed me.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Bruno was amazing! His knowledge and enthusiasm were infectious, and definitely made the trip above average.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The level of this trip was more difficult than I expected - it was trekking than walking. I'm a good walker, so distance wasn't an issue, but the terrain was often steep . One suggestion for the packing list: a towel is needed for the swimming opportunities.
Start
Finish
Availability
Adult Price From
Optional Single Supplement
Saturday Saturday
08 Jul 2023 08 Jul 2023
Saturday Saturday
15 Jul 2023 15 Jul 2023
Availability Guaranteed (On Request)
Adult Price From Usually USD 2,949Now USD 2,749Saving USD 200 Usually USD 4,074Now Saving USD 200
Optional Single Supplement +USD 455
Availability
This departure is guaranteed to go ahead and can be booked, although some components will need to be requested. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
09 Sep 2023 09 Sep 2023
Saturday Saturday
16 Sep 2023 16 Sep 2023
Availability Guaranteed (On Request)
Adult Price From USD 2,949
Optional Single Supplement +USD 455
Available upon Request
Availability
This departure is guaranteed to go ahead and can be booked, although some components will need to be requested. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesWould you like to include flights with your booking?
- ATOL protected
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- Full refunds in the event of FCDO cancellations or major disruption at your UK departure airport
- Specialist support to rearrange flights and transfers
- Regional flights available from many UK airports
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