Eight Day Portugal Itineraries

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.

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.

The trip was simply amazing. It exceeded our expectations. The accommodations were first class and conveniently located in Lisbon and Porto. The guides were all top-notch. They were both informative and entertaining. We never felt like we were sitting in a lecture hall.

Also, my group just turned 70 in age and the guides and drivers accommodated our pace. In Porto, the guide acquired taxis to get us from the river up the hill to the cathedral. In the Douro Valley, the guide was able to arrange for us to be dropped off on the far shore to avoid some of the mountain roads. The drivers were also a delight and we felt safe with them at the wheel.

In addition, we would all recommend Zicasso’s travel company and, in particular, our travel specialist. He was easy to work with in laying out the itinerary and it was obvious he knew the best guides, drivers, and accommodations. He was always attentive. We experienced no problems at all on the trip and my only communication with him was to tell him how excellent everything was going.

Our trip to Portugal, via an itinerary planned and executed by Zicasso’s travel specialist, was perfect. We spent a significant amount of telephone time with the travel specialist prior to the trip and he was able to transform our travel wants into a program that aligned with our style and pace.

We were able to have three wonderful experiences—São Miguel, Porto, and Lisbon. He gave us just enough time in each location to see and feel, and eat and drink, the particular flavor of that region. The hotels were very nice and in great locations, and in some cases exceptional. The guides and drivers were all committed to making sure we were comfortable and having the experience we hoped for.

We cannot say enough about the quality of the local partners. All were of a very high standard of customer service.

Our guides in São Miguel made sure we had the true feeling of the islands.

Our guide in Porto was a force that we were able to enjoy. We loved her dedication to the local communities, especially the fishing villages. It was special spending that time with her.

Our guide was inspirational in the Douro Valley.

And in Lisbon, many thanks to our guide for bringing us close to his heart and sharing so much with us. He was very educational and fun. At the same time, no one could surpass our other guide. We loved her style and energy. We had such a wonderful experience with both of them. We would love to travel with them again.

Thank you for helping us make wonderful memories and we will spread the word about you to all of our traveling friends.

We will be back in touch for our next trip!

There were too many glitches: they didn't listen to us, and instead of an active trip, we spent three days in a car. One of the reservations for dinner was not made, and we only found out by accident. The worst was that our cab to the airport on Saturday 8/22 was scheduled for 8:30, although our flight was at 8:15. They missed the fact that we were taking a flight from Terceira to Ponta Delgada and then to Newark, and scheduled the ride as if we were taking an 11 AM flight from Terceira. They did have all of our travel information. Luckily, I caught it when I checked in for the 8:15 flight, but it could have been a disaster. Overall, although the islands were beautiful and we enjoyed the trip, there were too many errors and we would not use the travel company in the future.