Exploring Portugal’s Stunning Coastlines: Active Senior Vacation

My trip to Portugal was absolutely amazing. Zicasso’s travel company went above and beyond my expectations. The itinerary was amazing and all the guides were incredible. Everything was on time, the accommodations they booked were five-star and in great locations, and enough time was built in for me to be able to explore on my own. I feel the cost was well worth the value. Should I ever go back to Portugal, I would certainly use this travel company again, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to have a great experience on a Portugal vacation.

Zicasso’s travel company designed a fabulous 17-day Spain and Portugal tour for us. It was a pleasure to work with our travel specialist during the entire design process. First, the travel specialist spent time talking to us over the phone so she could get to know what each of us wanted to get out of the trip. Armed with that information, she was able to come up with a recommended agenda. We went back and forth a few times until she designed a trip that suited both of our interests. This trip turned out to be the perfect balance between learning about the history of the area, experiencing the culture, and enjoying our surroundings in rural and urban environments.

The week before we left on the tour, we reviewed our entire trip with the travel specialist over the phone. She wanted to answer any questions we may have had and to make sure we understood how to use our trip app. The trip app made it easy to see what we were doing each day. It contained descriptions of each tour and what was significant about the sites we were visiting. We had access to all our tickets through the app. There were Google Map links, so we could easily navigate to the location we needed to be. Recommendations for various restaurants and other things to do in the area were also included in the app.

The travel specialist provided her contact information and back-up contacts in case we needed anything during our trip. She made it clear to us that if our guide or driver was more than five minutes late to contact her. The travel company was there to support us 24/7.

The travel specialist pays attention to details. I highly recommend the travel company for designing a trip to Spain and Portugal.

We had a wonderful experience, a handheld adventure with local guides with a great understanding and ability to share the history and culture of this amazing country. Zicasso's travel agents supported each part of the adventure and were flexible with weather changes, and provided alternatives when needed. We highly recommend traveling with them!

We recently returned from two fabulous weeks in Portugal. This was the first time we had used an agency to help plan, book, and manage a trip. We could not be more pleased and I highly doubt we will ever go back to handling all of that ourselves.

Zicasso’s travel specialist and his team (most notably our guide) were incredible. The travel specialist listened to our hopes for this trip (as well as what we like to do when traveling) and put together an awesome itinerary. Our main stops were Lisbon, the Algarve, Porto, and the Douro Valley.

Major highlights included four-hour walking and food tours in Lisbon and Porto (the first of which was the day we arrived from the United States. I didn’t think we could do it, but it was the best way to start our trip), the tile museum and tile workshop, a boat ride through the cave formations in the Algarve, a wonderful farm-to-table lunch and wine pairing under a 2,000-year-old olive tree in the Algarve, and an 18-mile e-bike ride in the mountains of the Douro (I definitely didn’t think we could do it).

The sites, the food, the hotels! We did so many things and had so many unforgettable experiences, but in the end, it was the kindness and generosity of all the people we met that will stay with us.

We received very personable service; it was so great to have met Zicasso's travel designers. They provided the transportation in Lisboa and acted as our personal concierge. We loved the friendly service they gave.

They listened to our needs and desires, and created the best itinerary to cover a lot in Portugal. They changed our hotel one month prior to our visit after listening to other clients who thought the original hotel service had declined.

There was great communication and accessibility, and they were very responsive.

They provided a hotspot, with no extra charge, for us to use during our trip.

We loved the phone app that was provided, with the final, detailed itinerary and any updates during the trip. They also provided any last-minute changes via text messages. The itinerary provided details of every location we visited. There was so much information. We loved it!

They always gave detailed information on how to navigate the airport, train, etc., which made travel very simple and hassle free.

They acted more like a friendly acquaintance rather than just a business, with personable correspondence via emails and text messages. They really care about their clients. They requested a message when we landed back in the US after our trip. We feel we now have a friend in Portugal! We would highly recommend their services to anyone.

A close friend recommended Zicasso upon learning about our tentative plans to visit Portugal. He said he had used Zicasso on three trips and had just booked his fourth.

My wife and I, along with two close friends, began booking our trip to Portugal and were provided contact information for two separate tour companies in the country. While both companies seemed professional and experienced, we selected this tour company. Our travel agent, seemed more intuitive when it came to interpreting our preferences and expectations for the trip. He was very personable, professional, and knowledgeable. He was also able to incorporate some of the suggestions we had received from a close friend who had traveled to Portugal many times. Our travel agent was personable and enjoyable to talk to during our three phone conversations. He was very patient with our questions. We had a few concerns about the itinerary and he was never defensive; he made sure we knew it was our vacation and he would make changes as requested, yet he also asserted himself if he felt like we didn't understand the itinerary or were making a serious mistake. Our communication with the travel agent and his team was easy and effective using the Zicasso portal. It also allowed us to communicate clearly in spite of the time difference.

Once we arrived in Portugal, we learned just how effective our travel agent and his team were and how well they understood our preferences. We spent 15 days touring Portugal, from Lisbon to Porto. We stayed in five hotels in different areas of the country. Each of them had their own personality and charm, and were close to our many activities or to accessing them easily by car. Our many guides and drivers were all skilled and professional. And with some, we became friends.

The few problems we encountered were minor and to be expected in international travel. Some potential problems were resolved by the tour company staff before they became more serious. It was a wonderful experience all around.