Azores in Depth: 11-Day Island Vacation

Oh my goodness, everything was so well done! There was not one moment of uncertainty. From the moment we landed off the plane, our very helpful, friendly driver/guide was there to assist. We had a total of three tour guides all week and each one of them was professional, friendly and fun! They were incredibly knowledgeable as they shared their true love for their country. The tours were well planned, thought out, and executed. We never felt scattered. We felt relaxed and knew we were in very capable hands.

The accommodations were perfectly located, close to everything, but not in the middle of it. We could not be more pleased with literally everything. Well done!!!

Thank you to Zicasso’s travel agent for his patience in the beginning. Us girls had a few challenges in the planning phase, but he stayed with us with grace and patience. Your professionalism is much appreciated!

Zicasso’s travel company did a great job planning the trip. All of their vendors were top-notch and high-quality. We were able to do so many amazing activities and they provided us with a lot of suggestions for really cool activities we hadn't thought of.

My only feedback was that there were a couple of details they made mistakes on, including sending us to the completely wrong location for something. But overall, they did a great job and I would highly recommend working with them!

Our travel company, in cooperation with Zicasso, did an incredible job of planning our seven-day Portugal extravaganza! We had the very best time and enjoyed the very best of this beautiful country, thanks to the planning of the travel company. We especially appreciated the excellent service and personal attention to detail we received. Our guides, our drivers, and our hotels were all wonderful!

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.

Thanks to Zicasso’s tour operator, we had an amazing visit to Portugal. Here are the main reasons for the visit being so exceptional.

Accommodations: The hotels recommended were outstanding. They were located in the perfect areas in the cities we visited. They were updated, the rooms were excellent, and the amenities were plentiful.

Tour Guides: This is the biggest reason for our five-star review. The tour guides did not feel like employees of the tour operator. They felt like they were our friends. Our guides were very knowledgeable about all the places we visited. They were able to provide information that allowed us to understand the history of the places we were visiting. They truly wanted to make sure we had a great experience. They consistently made recommendations around places to eat, other sights to see, etc. Superb job by these gentlemen!!!!

Communication: From our first interaction until the end of the trip, communication from the travel specialist was excellent. The planning on what we should see and the order of the trip was perfect. She communicated with us during the trip to make sure we were aware of every detail. Great customer satisfaction.

My wife, sister, and I had an incredible adventure in Portugal, thanks to Zicasso’s travel specialists. We spent 12 days exploring most of the UNESCO sites in the country. The weather was a challenge, but we got to see what we wanted and had some wonderful memories created along the way. The team really went out of their way to make sure we had the best possible trip.