Iberian Gastronomy Delights: 7-Day Food Tour of Spain and Portugal

Logistics: We actually cleared customs and baggage claim very quickly in Lisbon upon arrival. We were able to get to the train station and change our ticket to a train two hours earlier. We were able to notify them such that our driver was waiting for us when we came in. In general, all our drivers and vehicles were top quality (especially our driver in Porto). Our only issue here is that sometimes the pick-up times were far too early for transport to rail stations, especially the one in Albufeira. We arrived well over an hour early in what is not one of the nicest train stations in Portugal.

Hotels: All of the hotels were well located. Some were a little unique, i.e., you opened the room door in Lagos and right in front of you was the toilet area, but all the rooms were adequate, with one exception. We found it somewhat frustrating there was no seating other than the bed in all three hotels, other than the desk chair, or in the case of Lisbon, the small hassock used at the desk. Yes, Lagos had a balcony, but it was not usable due to all the rain. This was especially true in Lisbon, where according to the pictures sent in our itinerary, there was a large sofa in the room for the class we picked, but there was nothing in the room we were assigned. One other little glitch is that when we changed our schedule to drop a night in Lagos and add one in Lisbon, the hotel told us we had our original four-night reservation and then a one-night reservation for the night we came in early. The desk clerk tried to tell us we could check in, but would have to check out in the morning and wait until check-in time the next day to get our new four-night reservation room. I did clear this up with the hotel supervisor the next morning, but if they would have held their position, it would have been very awkward.

Excursions: All the activities they put together were spectacular. They’ve really spoiled us to having travel that doesn’t include 20 to 30 people. The most amazing was the dinner at the winery, as we were the only ones there. The first tour in Porto was a little rough, as it was cold and rainy, and after an overnight flight the day before, we weren’t really expecting a food tour starting at 9am, but it all worked out. Also, the fado dinner was great, although I must say, I don’t usually finish dinner at 22:30.

We are so very thankful that we selected this travel company to be our go-to partner in Portugal. It was a pleasure working with them and they were able to put together a program with what we wanted, not some cookie-cutter program that we needed to comply with. I will be giving a strong recommendation to any of our friends who are considering Portugal as a destination and we’re hoping other Zicasso operators are of the same quality when we visit other destinations.

Thanks again for everything!

Just to clarify one thing, the dinner ending at 22:30 was not a complaint; it was an observation about having a new experience, especially since it was connected to the Fado dinner.

Bob F. and Conni A.

I'd make this 4.5 stars if I could. We had a five-star experience with a few glitches, but they were addressed quickly and kindly.

Zicasso’s travel specialist is a gem. She goes out of her way to clearly communicate what to expect, who you'll be with, and the times for meets and activities. She made us feel special, as though we were her personal guests rather than just clients. We had a luggage issue that she went out of her way to help resolve.

We asked to stay in nice places with AC and king-size beds, and she delivered. All places were great and a bit different from what we're used to and from each other. Most of the drivers were also a lot of fun to be with and spoke at least reasonably good English.

I offer two suggestions for those who use this service. One, always verify meet times and contact info that you receive. Two, don't pre-book two meals in a day if you're staying at a place that offers breakfast. It's just too much food too close together.

We had an 11-day vacation. We chose variety rather than immersion, so went from Porto to Douro Valley to Alentejo to Lisbon to Lagos in the Algarve area, with some stops in between and drivers who brought us everywhere. Next time, we'd likely choose two or three places for a more immersive experience.

I highly recommend this travel company and the travel specialist in particular.

We had an amazing trip to Portugal and Spain, and a huge thank you goes to Zicasso's travel specialist and the travel company team for putting it all together. From the wineries and hotels to the cooking classes and restaurant recommendations, everything felt carefully thought out and tailored to what we enjoy. It never felt like a generic itinerary. Every stop seemed to fit exactly what we were looking for.

Some of our favorite memories were the time we spent in the Douro Valley, Rioja, and San Sebastián. The cooking classes were fantastic, the wineries were outstanding, and we discovered so many great restaurants and wines along the way.

We also had excellent local guides and drivers who made the experience even better. Their knowledge and enthusiasm added a lot to the trip. Most importantly, the trip was completely stress-free. We were able to relax and enjoy ourselves because all of the details had been handled so well in advance.

We came home with great memories, a lot of bottles of wine, and a list of places we'd love to visit on our next trip. We wouldn't hesitate to work with our travel specialist and Zicasso's travel company again, and we'd gladly recommend them to anyone planning a trip to Portugal or Spain.

Zicasso’s travel specialist and company thought of everything. Everything was well planned and the private transportation and transfers to places and tours were excellent.

We particularly loved the food tours in Lisbon and Porto. The leaders were great and we learned so much while tasting and drinking delicious samples of Portuguese life and tradition.

We received information each day as to what to expect, with great detail. A “turnkey” operation without the crowds of large organized tour trips. The travel specialist did a great job! Thank you.

We enjoyed the trip. The guides were good, although our guide in Lisbon provided a little bit too much history. But he was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed his tours. The communication with the Zicasso company through WhatsApp was very good and they were very accommodating to upgrading our transport vehicle because our luggage was large. The food tours were good. We enjoyed all the sites that we saw. Barcelona, especially, was great.

We stayed at four hotels. Only the hotel in Porto was a disappointment. The other hotels were good and we were very comfortable. The breakfast that was served at the various accommodations varied in quality, but the breakfast buffet in Lisbon was extremely good. The hotel in Porto was definitely not a four-star facility. The local airline definitely does not have its act together. When we left Barcelona to come home, the line for the airline was about five or six times the length of every other line. I would have definitely been willing to pay a higher amount for a business class seat in order to use the very short line in the Porto airport.

I didn't understand the relationship between Zicasso and its travel company, and it took me a while to get the triangular reporting scheme. It was easier for me to reach out to someone directly, but we managed.

The people at the travel company were very accommodating. However, I learned a lot about my own travel preferences through this trip. We spent four days in Porto, the first being arrival from the US via Lisbon, so we did not do any touring that day. We only had half a day to explore on our own given the activities that were planned for us. I would like to have had more downtime in Porto to get to know the city.

The foodie tour that we took was fabulous. Our guide took us on a very personal tour, introducing us to her favorites and including all the things we wanted to achieve. Please send her our regards and personal thanks.

We spent a day in Vinho Verde. As the harvest had been completed the day before we arrived, the experience felt contrived. We could easily have skipped this.

The Douro Valley exploration was more interesting to us. We visited two wineries, the second of which was more special, so we enjoyed the tasting more thoroughly. Again, the guide was delightful!

We took a train back to Lisbon feeling like we had missed much of Porto. As we expressed interest in Jewish history, we booked our first morning tour through a tour booking platform to supplement what the travel company provided. While they said their guides would be knowledgeable in this area, there was no guide that provided that background.

Our train ride to Lisbon ended in a surprise. We were about to descend the stairs to the Oriente platform when the doors closed suddenly and the train left. Fortunately, the next stop was not far and we were able to turn ourselves around and return to our awaiting driver.

Our day in Sintra and Cascais was disappointing. We drove to Cascais and had 25 minutes to explore. We then continued to Sintra. We were not sure what access we were provided, but another couple had full access and their admittance was for 12:00, so we had to be there by then. While it is a spectacular site, it was way too crowded to see anything, and a guided tour of the site would have been desirable.

We were able to include a visit to an estate due to a working relationship that exists with them. They have cork forests on their property, so there was no reason to visit Évora for that purpose.

All in all, the drivers and guides we were given were thoughtful, professional, helpful, and concerned… always helping us with doors, luggage, footing. Having them immediately available was extremely useful. On the other hand, we learned that we were not as interested in camp for adults, where all of our activities were planned for us, as we were in learning and feeling the culture and spirit of the country. The country is beautiful and its people quite warm and friendly.

Special thanks to our travel coordinator for picking up the pieces of our trip and finalizing the details for us.