Tour privato: Viana do Castelo, Ponte de Lima e Braga da Porto

We contacted Viator before our trip to ask if we could shorten the excursion a bit in order to make it back to our cruise ship on time. Our guide Joao responded and was very accommodating, as he even planned to start the day earlier, so we had the most time for our excursion. He suggested modifying the trip a bit to include time in Porto, which was perfect. We began by walking the grounds of the Bom Jesus Sanctuary, which was why we chose this excursion. The grounds of this area, as well as the cathedral, were just amazing to see. Then, Joao took us to explore the beautiful city of Braga, and we stopped for lunch. We said we were happy to experiment and try the local food, so Joao suggested trying roasted kid goat (we think it was called cabrito). We're glad we did, because it was delicious. We also tried a giant prawn dish, which tasted sort of like lobster to us. Then, we had time to explore the city of Porto and take in the stunning view from the bridge over the Douro River. We had a lovely day in Braga and Porto, and it felt like we were just sort of hanging out with our Portuguese pal Joao for the day. Thank you!

Joao was a great guide. He picked us up at the hotel in the morning and spent the whole day showing us the Minho region. We took the scenic route wherever possible, often detouring to visit local fishing villages or vistas. Joao was also vocally pro photo and was an enthusiastic photographer anywhere we wanted a memory.

Joao, our guide, was an excellent historian/educator and driver. He found a place for the best seafood meal we had in Portugal and took us to many extra places to help us understand the evolution and growth of Portugal. The history is rich and diverse. This tour is HIGHLY recommended.

The entire trip was wonderful! Joao is an excellent guide who shared the lovely area with us. Great personality.

Excellent one-day tour with Joao, who is a very professional, knowledgeable and affable person. Thank you for a great experience, Joao!

Very nice trip, starting in Porto with stops in Matosinhos, Ponte de Lima, and Braga. The sites are so beautiful and so much history. Our guide Joao was great, knowledgeable, happy to tell us all about the plqces to see, very accommodating. I would highly recommend this tour, and specially Joao as a guide.

Our day with Joao was one of the highlights of our trip to Portugal. He was friendly, fun, on time and had interisting stories and information. An accomplished tour guide and knowledgable local! He questioned us about our interests and watched the rain forcast, allowing us to do everything we wanted, without walking in the rain!

Having Joao show this beautiful part of the Minho to me was the best, he is an excellent guide and knows the area, history of the towns - as he is a local Braga man. Ponte de Lima and Braga my favorite places. And Joao's knowledge of the best place to eat the best pastry was very special. Highly recommend Joao and this trip to anyone staying in Porto. Great day out.

João lead two of the best and memorable private tours we have experienced, Minho and Trás-os-Montes, one day each. First our tours were essentially for 12 hours. Second, we explored over twice the advertised territory with constant description. Third, he tailored the tours to our interests and knowledge; we have been to Portugal dozens of times and found his narrative fresh. Fourth, we were not taken to gift shops or other content-less places while were taken to OUTSTANDING restaurants. Finally, João’s sense of humor, generosity, and authenticity are an inspiration. We strongly recommend him and look forward to another visit guided by him.

Do you wish you had a good friend in Portugal that could show you around? Joao is the good friend you didn’t realize you had. He speaks perfect English and Portuguese. Many English speakers will mispronounce his name, which translates to “John." If it's easier, you can call him John. His name, Joao—is pronounced “jj-whoa-m,” in one syllable. 
 Joao is originally from near Lisbon, and now lives in Braga (near Porto) with his family. He can show you all the best places, best food, and local secrets in any city. He has a strong understanding of the lovely culture and extensive history of Portugal (and other countries like Spain). He doesn’t just drive either. He is willing to come with you at every site and show you all the best spots and take your pictures. Again, he lets you decide what you are most comfortable with. He never rushes you, and he only books tours with your private group (even if you are just a couple, like my wife and me) and he lets you choose how you want to spend your day.

 From the moment we met Joao, we felt we had a great friend in Portugal. He is polite, humorous, and has a wonderful attitude. He made us laugh and smile a lot, which we really appreciate. He is also a man of many talents—we joked that he could also be a professional photographer. He took the best photos of us in Portugal. He always offered to take pictures of us and made us feel so comfortable. His Mercedes van is also very comfortable. He keeps it very clean, safe, and well maintained. He always makes sure the temperature is comfortable for you. He even keeps a beverage cooler with water and other drinks for his guests. We spent 23 days in Europe. We had probably our best day of the entire trip with Joao. We spent 10 hours with him in one day! He went from a stranger to a wonderful friend during that time. He’s not just a guide, he’s a great person and a family man with a warm personality. We HIGHLY recommend Joao, who runs Portugal Trips and Tours! Advice: Book a tour with Joao early on in your trip. He does many types of tours. You might have so much fun that you want to do another tour with him. If we had more time, we would have done Duoro Valley or Geres National Park with him.