Bike Tour Reviews  Castles And Wines Of Portugal


Castles and Wines of Portugal

COUNTRY: Portugal

7 nights
4.7/5 (35)
Rider Level: Active Electric bike tours Client favorites
Rider Level: Active Electric bike tours Client favorites

4.7/5 (35)
7 nights

Guided from EUR € 3000
Self guided from EUR € 1120

Guided:
Supported: Saturdays: Jan 1 - Dec 15, 2025.
Group: Mar 22; May 17, 24; Oct 4; Nov 1, 2025.
Private: Saturdays: Jan 1 - Dec 15, 2025.

Self-guided:
Jan 1 - Dec 15, 2025.

Description:
Find yourself surrounded by the finer things in life on this tour of tantalizing wine tastings and classy castles. Explore the grandeur of Portugal by day and pass the nights in ambiant castles or old convents, now converted into gorgeous hotels. Along…

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  • Castles and Wines of Portugal
    (5/5) Kathy Kinney Bowman 21 hours ago

    Gorgeous scenery and a very authentic experience

    If you are looking for beauty and authenticity, this trip is for you. Our group of 16 had a wonderful time biking through rolling hills overlooking sweeping vistas of wild flowers, vineyards, olive and cork oak groves. The whitewashed and marble hill towns with their castle walls and ruins were charming and authentic. The food was local and delicious and the wines were excellent. But best of all were our guides, Mario, Videl, and Joana, who were fun, informative, well organized, and always enthusiastic. A good example is a rainy day in Monsaraz where we spent the morning walking around the castle and village, ate lunch, then half of the group rode in the van to a nearby pottery village while the others walked to a nearby convent and megalith, then we swapped and when the sun came out around 4:00 any who wanted took a two hour ride in the rolling hills surrounding the castle. Our guides worked it all out over lunch!

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Typical scenery (photo by Kathy Kinney Bowman)
    • Megalith (photo by Kathy Kinney Bowman)
    • Picnic lunch (photo by Kathy Kinney Bowman)
    • Main square of Vila Vicosa viewed from the castle (photo by Kathy Kinney Bowman)
    • Olive trees and wild flowers (photo by Kathy Kinney Bowman)
    • Monsaraz castle (photo by Kathy Kinney Bowman)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Joelle R 2 days ago

    wonderful experience

    Great trip - the cycling area was beautiful and the guides were excellent. There was SO MUCH delicious food each day. Everything was well organized and communicated and we didn't have to worry about anything. I highly recommend this trip.

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • View from a castle (photo by Joelle R)
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac May 7, 2025

      Hey Joelle,

      Thank you so much for your lovely review - we're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the trip, the scenery, and of course, all the delicious food! And thank you for sharing that beautiful photo! We hope to welcome you on another adventure soon!

      Bozena

    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) David Hodgson 6 months ago

    Great scenery in Alentejo

    Very nice self-guided tour of the Alentejo region. Very good hotels and itinerary, decent bikes, good support from the tour company. We went in October 2024 and it was a bit wet.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Richard Riddell 7 months ago

    A great time in Alentejo

    A great self guided tour in Alentejo region of Portugal.

    Great e-bikes, accommodation in the pousadas and excellent restaurant recommendations from our guides, and were brilliant making reservations in the restaurants we chose. The staff were on the whole very friendly and helpful and accommodated our extraordinary request on the last day - thank you.

    The only reason they didn’t receive 5 stars for us was we thought the farmhouse stay for 2 nights was not necessary, and the owner of the business perhaps shouldn’t front the customers/clients. A tad too direct in her manner which made us feel we were doing her a favour by being there!

  • (5/5) Deb S 11 months ago

    Great way to see the real Portugal

    This was a wonderful trip. We rented hybrid bikes and they were of great quality-only suggestion is it would have been nice to have a second water bottle holder for the hot days. There was a rear rack with pannier to hold a modest amount of stuff-pretty much what you need for the day (having your luggage transferred of course. The route was so picturesque. We averaged over 40km a day with 2 days close to 60km. Two days were hilly. You need to be in reasonable shape to do this tour-not expert but a regular exerciser. It was well planned out. The accommodations were very lovely-old convents, farm, small inn-really got the feel of Portugal. All of the breakfasts were very good and fueled us for the day ahead. I would highly recommend this tour.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Sue Larson 12 months ago

    Exceptional Way to Experience the Glories of Portugal!

    Our week spent on bikes in Portugal was a dream come true! Every detail was taken care off. The bikes were superlative, the accommodations were great, the food and beverages were yummy, and most especially, our guide Manuel and his assistant Joana, did a magnificent job of leading our small group, and introducing us to various aspects of the region’s culture. Their upbeat personalities, joyful spirits, and skillful knowledge made us feel so welcomed, informed, and valued. The rides were fabulous and this week will live in our memories and hearts for the rest of our days. Two thumbs way, way up!!

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    •  (photo by Sue Larson)
    •  (photo by Sue Larson)
    •  (photo by Sue Larson)
    •  (photo by Sue Larson)
    •  (photo by Sue Larson)
    •  (photo by Sue Larson)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Catherine Buckley April 26, 2024

    Honeymoon biking

    This was such a a great way to see Portugal. Because of the bike trip we stayed in some towns much less travelled - full of culture, wonderful people and astounding views/ old castles.
    Would highly recommend

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    First bike tour ever
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Patrick Fenton April 17, 2024

    Portugal bike trip

    It was a great trip. We loved learning about castles, marble, cork, wine and Portuguese food.

    What was the date of your tour?
    February 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Patrick Fenton February 29, 2024

    Portugal bike trip

    It was a great trip. We loved learning about castles, marble, cork, wine and Portuguese food.

    What was the date of your tour?
    February 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) Ashley Douglas October 18, 2023

    Awesome Trip and No Shame in Using Ebikes!

    Thoroughly enjoyed this trip in spite of not riding bikes at all at home. Having ebikes allowed us to enjoy the scenery and navigate without overextending our physical capabilities. Hotels were excellent and perfect for the areas we were visiting. Some of them were in buildings thousands (?) of years old so don't expect elevators in all, but amazingly they all had swimming pools which we enjoyed after a hard day peddling ebikes!

  • (3/5) Anne Stanek October 11, 2023

    Challenging but interesting tour.

    This was a particularly challenging trip for us as we biked in 92 degree heat every day of the tour. The rides were long, there were many hills and it was extremely dry. Luckily, a couple of us used EV bikes which made a big difference. I think this trip would feel very different with cooler weather. All the folk who we dealt with were so warm, welcoming, helpful, etc. We visited some very cool towns - Evora and Monsaraz were my favorites. We stayed in some lovely hotels - ancient buildings fixed up comfortably with modern conveniences and a working farm. We ate fabulous breakfasts. We stopped at some interesting sites - monoliths, pottery factory, marble quarry were three favorites. It was a good trip despite the challenges.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • View of the Castle at Arraiolos from our Casa do Platano, our hotel. (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • Wall next to a distillery in a small village. (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • View from our hotel room in Monsaraz - Alqueve Reservoir. (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • Lantana on a dirt road in a small village. (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • Marble quarry in Extremoz (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • Riding the roads amongst cork trees. (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Lisa Sobieniak May 29, 2023

    Great Trip

    Local guides were excellent, responsive and knowledgable. He went out of his way to make everything work for us.
    Only problem was that bike tours .com did not let us know we needed to book winery tours in advance. Local guide did his best to fit us in.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    •  (photo by Lisa Sobieniak)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Ajit Venkatraman May 19, 2023

    Turaventur is a great your company

    From start to finish the tour was excellent . Service was outstanding . Mario and Joanna were perfect hosts and guides . Deena at Evora farms house was great cook . Mario was very knowledgeable and gracious and is a perfect bike tour guide

    • Coffee break (photo by Ajit Venkatraman)
    •  (photo by Ajit Venkatraman)
  • (5/5) Gail Skutezky November 8, 2022

    Best bike trip ever - so much history! Beautiful weather

    The trip was very interesting, lots of very beautiful scenery, warm weather, we saw places that you cannot get to by car. An incredible marble quarry, beautiful cork oak tree forests and chromalechs you don't see from a car road. The cafes were so quaint and welcoming. The hotels were 15th century convents, and a beautiful farmhouse with animals, one night we stayed in a beautiful palace attached to a castle that you could climb.
    The bikes were excellent. We had ebikes and they were very light. The food was excellent. The Portuguese love to please you!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 24
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) Reigh Walling November 8, 2022

    A rich historical past and a vibrant and diverse present. That's Portugal.

    If you told most people that you were going to cycle Portugal, they would only think of Lisbon. Well, that is a beautiful city, but an hour's train ride took us from coastal topography to a totally different landscape of rolling hills topped with cork trees and vineyards. The tour was a nice mix of ancient walled cities and rural rolling roads. Cows graze amid the monoliths. Sheep browse for grass under the olive trees, each wearing a tiny tinkle bell around its neck -- their movement producing a melodious windchime symphony. Accommodations ranged from a rustic farmhouse to an actual palace, and the route and attributes of the tour also bridged history and modern culture. But it's Portugal's people who are the real stars of the tour. And of course, the food.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    8
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Vickie Brunstetter November 7, 2022

    Central Portugal is delightful by bike

    It was wonderful to ride through vineyards, cork trees and small towns. Staying in the posadas and other quaint accommodations really added to the trip. Of course the wine tastings were wonderful as well. It was very educational to visit different wineries. Our only issue was with the bikes that did not consistently maintain the power assist.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 2/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Kenneth Crossman October 26, 2022

    Portugal Adventure!!

    We enjoyed our ride! The vistas, the accommodations and all the people we met along the way were great!! Wish it had not rained our last two days, but what can you do. We were able to ride with our luggage the day it was unsafe to ride our bikes, which was very much appreciated. Overall, a wonderful experience.

  • (4/5) Astrid Kaulitz October 13, 2022

    Great week on the bike in a beautiful countryside

    The combination of plan, map and digital tour-advise was great to find our way.
    The tour was all in all beautiful and interesting. The planning had been done before covid and was not adjusted now. Some recommondations were wrong this way. day2 : Cafe Pola could not be found, Manizolas Farm could not be passed. There was a huge fence. day 4: there was no leather factory any more, day 7: Tasca do Anotonio dos Potes does not exist any more.
    Mario was always to be reached and helped promptly. Very nice!
    Hotels were a good choice, every spot was different. only the Solar de Alqueva in Reguengos de Monsaraz was a bit uncomfortable. Breakfast poor.
    I had expected more knowlege about the wine. The wine tasting was mostly in the day either in the morning (wine and bike is not that becomming) or in the early afternoon. You never really could plan how long the trip was - so we had to taste the wine at night with the meal, but had no instructions.

    Anyway we had a great week.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    8
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 3/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Christy Porucznik September 28, 2022

    Excellent way to see a part of rural Portugal

    It happened that my husband and I were the only ones on this self-guided itinerary. We were able to follow the provided maps and GPS tracks with the occasional assistance of Google maps. The lodgings were excellent, likely nicer than we would have selected on our own, and the provided breakfasts ranged from adequate to amazing. I should not have been surprised about the hills, after all, castles were built on hills, but I have never spent so much time in first gear. I was glad not to have my kids along on this trip because the cycling was sometimes difficult, and we had to ride with traffic sometimes. Other times were on eco-trails and quiet country roads, so it wasn't constant traffic stress, but there was some riding with cars each day. There was also frequent riding on cobblestone and bumpy village streets, could be tough on tender joints. The provided bicycles were not fancy, but they got the job done, and once we got into the rhythm of when people eat in Portugal it wasn't hard to plan for coffee breaks and lunch. It happened to be quite hot the week we rode, and the sun is intense without much shade for breaks. Overall the support and logistics were well done, and I would recommend this itinerary for someone in fairly good shape who is interested in wine, neolithic sites, castles, and spending time in rural Portugal. It was a shock taking the bus back to Lisbon at the end.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection