The Best of Porto Walk - Private Tour

We had a private walking tour with Renato. It was a fun and informative afternoon, which gave us a great perspective on the history and culture of Porto, as well as the key history of Portugal. It was a great orientation and Renato also made a number of very useful suggestions for the rest of our stay.

Since it was non tourist season, there were only 2 of us on the tour. The guide was very good , took us to all good places and even gave us good suggestions on where to eat and what else to see.

Our guide Renato, just had the right balance of history and culture supported with anecdotes and facts. Our tour focused on the area round the Se, Liberdad Square and back down to the river. It gave us a good grounding of the layout and where to go to continue our exploration of Porto. Renato was passionate about Porto and Portugal and he passed his enthusiasm on to his group.

Great tour- there were only 3 of us so it was very intimate. Very knowledgeable guide with GREAT food recommendations for after the tour. HIGH RECOMMEND!

Great way to be introduced to Porto and the highlights of that beautiful city. Knowledgeable and personable guide. Well worth it.

A very well done tour even on a rainy day. The guide loved his city and was full of tips and advice for the rest of our trip. He introduced us to the culinary delight that is pastel de nata.

The tour is not as exhausting as one would think looking at the layout of Porto and there's a water bottle provided by the host : It's really a bargain especially considering that a coffee/tea, a pastry and a port in a chocolate cup was also included. Thankfully the tour is kept very small so that you get a much more personal feeling. Renato was an awesome guide and could tell us a lot about the history of Porto and Portugal in general. He was very open and easy to talk to.

Agnes did a great job of showing us the city. We did a lot of walking and it was well worth it. We got to know Porto in an intimate way and enjoyed all of our time on the tour from the knowledge shared to the port wine tasking - it was a fabulous tour. Ask for Agnes.

This review is a update of a previous walking tour with Viator and Blue Dragon in Porto last year. My daughter and I were lucky to be the only ones in the group due to a mix-up in scheduling Blue Dragon was wonderful in accommodating us after some crossed emails related to unavailability of tour guides in the morning we had scheduled for. Our extremely knowledgeable, personable and clear communicating tour guide Andrea met us at the Se Cathedral and walked us through the various neighborhoods of Porto - combining touristic interest with local stories, flavors and walks through residential areas where we saw few tourists We toured the various spots around old Porto - the Cathedral, Se Area, Ribeira Area, some of the cobbled streets and steps that thread the old neighborhoods and wend their way through old buildings that preserve the past. We stopped to have the Portuguese national dish Pastela Natas along with espresso coffee. We also had port wine in a chocolate cup. After touring the various cathedrals, churches and the amazing Sao Bento station with its tiled murals, we walked past the Livraria Lullo, some of the older gardens near the Palace of Justice, and the Carmo convents, the Clerigos Church and Tower, and many other sights. The walk was brisk paced with enough rest stops to keep us energized and relaxed. Andrea's excellent English coupled with her background as a archaeologist was a welcome gateway to the sights of Porto.

Viator and Bluedragon Tours never cease to impress! I had taken the walking tour last year with Sara. This year, my daughter and I took the small group tour with Andrea. Because of a mix up we were the only people on the tour for the afternoon and that was definitely lucky for us! Andrea started the tour at 2:30 PM and had thoughtfully brought us bottles of cool water. The day was hot definitely need hats, comfortable walking shoes, and plenty of water! We started at the Porto Cathedral Se and walked around the old parts of the city through winding streets of cobblestone, and steep steps that actually had street names! We toured all the spots close to the Cathedral - the venerable, beautiful Sao BEnto station with giant tile murals - the Ribeira neighborhood, the Se area with UNESCO heritage landscape of old buildings frozen in time, the Eiffel protege- built Infante bridge across the Douro and halfway to Vila Nova da Gaia, a stop for pastelas Natas and espresso macchiato coffee, a walk around the Aliados structures highlighting the difference in architecture between the old days and the years of Dr. Salazar - Portugal's dictator. We also got to see the Livraria Lullo - where J.K. Rowling reputedly got her inspiration for the Harry Potter books She has a character called Salazar! We also walked passed the Carmo Convents, University of Porto campus, the gardens where Portuguese noblemen rested and kept off the hordes the ancient trams, the Clerigos Tower and church with the unique oval interior design unlike the rectangles or circles of other churches We also walked down the shopping area Rua Caterina and saw the Majestic Cafe. Andrea was very knowledgeable and an excellent communicator - with a great sense of humor and great patriotism for her country and pride in its heritage. She herself is a graduate student in archaeology and her knowledge was both boundless and engrossing. The walking tour set the stage for the rest of our walks around Porto as we had a mental image of where everything was. Be warned that the streets are steep and the sun is hot. Andrea was more than willing to tailor the rigor of the tour for us but we were game for lots and lots of walking. We ended the tour around 5:30 PM and returned to our hotel tired but happy. We have always been pleased with the Viator tour offerings and Andrea and Blue Dragon made this yet another happy experience!