Our Portugal Travel Specialists

Zicasso's travel specialist was incredibly responsive and accessible. The trip was very well planned and included train travel and rental car. We simply could not have done this trip without them.
Our travel specialist was "with us" every day via WhatsApp. Even though we had the itinerary, she texted us every morning with the plan for the day. Every guide was informative, warm, and a joy to be with. Every driver arrived on time or even before the appointed time. Questions were answered within 15 minutes. We would work with this travel company again, in a heartbeat.

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.

Zicasso's travel company was top-notch. From the first contact through the entire planning process and during our trip, the company was always responsive and a pleasure to deal with. They booked us excellent tickets for all events and restaurants.
The guides were all terrific, knowledgeable, and kind. Recommendations were all excellent. I would recommend our travel company to all. Thank you to Zicasso's travel specialist and team!

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.

Well planned and executed. Very responsive. Guides, drivers, and accommodations were all first-rate.

Everything worked like clockwork. Very pleased. Zicasso's travel specialist negotiated free room upgrades at each hotel. Tour guides were always on time and outstanding. The itinerary met all of our expectations. It was clearly one of the best trips that we have ever taken. Would use the travel company again for Spain or Portugal.

Zicasso's travel specialist put together our trip, paying close attention to our (three couples) criteria. We returned with no regrets about the choices he/we made. Our coordinator was amazing: professional, timely, courteous, and responsive. I would recommend our travel specialist and his team to anyone looking to travel anywhere their company is available. Five-star-plus!

We loved our trip. Zicasso's travel specialist was responsive to our questions. The trip plan app that we used during our trip was great! Someone always reacted immediately to our questions or issues.
Our driver was great! Personable, fun, and helpful. He coordinated all our activities with the guides.
The one thing that we thought could have been better was the choice of riads.