Northern Portugal

"My experience with João was one that I will never forget. He was so extremely charismatic, laid-back and knowledgeable. I immediately felt as ease when he picked us up right outside of our hotel. His English is perfect and he is a great conversationalist. The trip itself was magnificent. I am so so glad I found this experience. João picked us up and we went to the Mateus palace. I learned so much just from talking with João. He went with us to do everything all day. From the private tour, to a great home cooked meal (that was one of the best meals of my life), to Port tasting in the Douro Valley, to going out on the river — João with us and made sure we were having a great time. It would not have been the same without him there! He was such a pleasure to be around. He brought us port and homemade custard pasteries that his family made. And was talk photos of me and my dad the entire time!! I had such a great time the entire day and I felt so taken care of and at ease. Every single penny was well worth it. I will never forget this day. And it was unforgettably amazing in a large part due to Joao. Thank you for everything. I cannot wait to return and have another tour! I cannot recommend this company and João enough!!!"

"I cannot overemphasise how worthwhile this experience was, while I planned this to be initially a birthday present for my girlfriend it evolved into a plan to propose to her and I could not have asked for a better day, customer focused staff, historical journey and A+ dining experience. The food was exquisite and personal while I'm not very fond of fish I would gladly dine on every dish that was served on our trip. The chefs and wait staff were super focused, courteous and helpful throughout the trip. The view, if you had to choose one thing about this trip it would be the views (but there is so much more to this experience) - the Douro Valley/River are simply stunning and you get a view so few get to enjoy, especially in such style, and appreciate through the day and into the evening. The vineyard you visit at the end is breathtaking and a step back into their history and information on how it works is perfectly provided in English and Portuguese by the owner Gonçalo Castel-Branco (Thank you!). This is simply one trip you cannot afford to miss and with the limited number of runs each year I highly recommend making this journey at the very least once in your life. To Sofia and staff - thank you. You made our engagement perfect and made planning it a very easy task. You will see us again at some point as this is now part of our life story and a part we will want to revisit."

"Even though the weather was not the best, it was a fantastic experience. The train is a museum piece that is worth a visit in itself, the views are beautiful and the food excellent. The quinta do Vesúvio and its porto wines was a cherry on the cake! If you can, do it."

"Everything was perfect !! Food, Wine, Staff, View, Weather. I recommend this trip to everyone because it’s so unique and delicious."

"This is a unique experience in every aspect! It starts with the Train, that has a special place in the modern history of Portugal, we had Chef Sá Pessoa that prepared a superb meal, the Niepoort wine selection had great surprises and the Vesúvio Estate is a special isolated place. Then there is the Douro river valley, providing a magical background to all this... Gonçalo and his team really make everything feel special. Highly recommended!! This is an experience that allows you to travel in time and enjoy the very best Portugal has to offer!"

"From the reservation to the end, we were treated like super guests! The train journey, which we already knew, became nothing short of glorious with fantastic food, excellent service and a memorable tour of the Vesuvio winery."