Published on Sep, 2023

Cutting to the chase: we learned something new about each city and its historic sites that we had never had explained to us before. Two of us live in Portugal so that was saying a lot about Carlos. He planned our day carefully with a weather eye to maximize our comfort. We challenged him with our catlike ways of wandering and lingering in odd corners. We saw every item on the original itinerary. This is a tour that you should not miss. It was worth every penny. Details: Our day started with sprinkles as Carlos pulled up in vehicle a little early. The weather report had changed overnight. We four were the only clients and lived on the same block in Porto. His KIA seated the four of us nicely with cargo space for shoulder bags and cameras. There were bottles of water for each as well as hand sanitizer. As he pulled carefully and smoothly out, he explained that due to the expected rain in the afternoon we would visit Guimaraes first since it had fewer places under which we could take cover. The trip to Guimaraes went quickly as we watched cars stack up on the other side during rush hour into Porto. It was very interesting to see how the terrain changed as we proceeded northwards. During the drive, Carlos gave us insight into the history of Coimbra and some of the sights we were to see. We are not a shy bunch and peppered him with questions which he answered thoroughly. He took us to each of the locations on the itinerary and helped us find the ticket sellers. As we moved through each site, we sometimes had a designated guide and sometimes not. Carlos answered our questions as they popped up when there was no formal guide. We encountered heavy rain on the drive to Braga and Carlos, looking at the sky and his iPhone weather app, decided we would eat lunch in Braga after we saw the sites with the least rain coverage. This worked well. He continuously described what we were to see in Braga, why it was there and how its uses changed over time. Once again we peppered him with questions which he answered graciously and thoroughly. Then off to lunch which was Portuguese and delicious, meeting all of our party’s dietary restrictions. After a long lunch, we walked through some old town Braga including some lovely Praças and gardens. All too soon, so it seemed, it was time to leave for Porto.

Published on Sep, 2022

This was an excellent trip. We had Carlos as a guide/driver and he made the trip unforgettable. He is very knowledgeable about the north of Portugal and knows how to intrigue travelers. He accommodated our needs (being Croats, we mostly wanted to sit down and take a coffee in different cafes). We saw everything that was in the program and did not have to rush but were able to walk at our own pace. What I particularly appreciated is that even if he did not know something we asked, we would check it online and give us proper info. Not many guides do that. I have to say that if I return to Porto in the future and want to go for a private tour, I would contact Endless Weekend Tour and ask for Carlos.

Published on Nov, 2019

Great tour, Carlos was extremely helpful, informative...he showed us all hidden jewels and from the very beginning we felt we are with a friend rather then just a guide! Highly recommend!