Essence of Portugal & the Azores - 9 days

Reviews from other tours by On The Go Tours

• Donatella

  July 3rd, 2026
  Our guide, Juan Pablo, was amazing and incredibly knowledgeable. He did an outstanding job leading a group of...
  Our guide, Juan Pablo, was amazing and incredibly knowledgeable. He did an outstanding job leading a group of travelers from different countries, providing explanations in both Spanish and English so that everyone felt included. If I could choose a guide for my next trip, I would definitely choose him again. We visited so many beautiful places in just a few days, yet the itinerary never felt rushed. There was always enough time to enjoy each destination, get some rest, and even have free time to explore or relax as we wished. The hotels were all excellent and exceeded my expectations. The only suggestion I have is to ask travelers about any dietary restrictions before the tour begins. I don't recall being asked about this, and a few people were unable to eat some of the meals provided at different locations because of food allergies or intolerances. Taking dietary needs into account would make the experience even better for everyone.Show more
• MEGAN

  June 26th, 2026
  The trip went to some fabulous places, and covered a good variety of places. The hotels were clean and comfortable,...
  The trip went to some fabulous places, and covered a good variety of places. The hotels were clean and comfortable, full of the desired amenities and well organised. We had an issue with bedding configuration which was fixed, but an option should be confirmed on twin meaning single beds. A variety of optional tours were offered on the day, more notice would be preferred so you can organise you own activities as there was minimum numbers required. Some of the hotels were located a fair distance from the main centre and with limited time an additional cost for taxis, especially Barcelona. Being a coeliac travelling the assistance with suitable foods was limited at breakfasts and the options available limited due to amount of pastries and buffet style lack of labelling. The included dinners were not suitable and is really a waste of time and not the best. A few places an option to stay in town after tours would be good instead of rushing to the hotel to check in, due to distance away like Cordoba and Granada. options to add onto tour to see more. Also advance notice to book tickets ahead for certain places would be good in booking information. A few places were mentioned in tour that weren’t actually visited, drive by on the highway past the white villages. Being only 4 English speaking on part of our tour, found lack of English guide information and more Spanish speaking. Needed to prompt for English with some of the guides. We ended up leaving tour a day early and flying back from Barcelona due to time it takes to get back to Madrid from Barcelona, this should be offered as a option when booking as it is a whole day on a bus.Show more
• Michael

  June 21st, 2026
  Mixed Experience on the Porto to Marrakech Loop – Know What You’re Booking We recently completed the 18-day “Porto...
  Mixed Experience on the Porto to Marrakech Loop – Know What You’re Booking We recently completed the 18-day “Porto to Marrakech Loop” tour booked through TourRadar, operated by On the Go Tours, and ultimately subcontracted to VPT Tours in Spain. There’s a lot to like here, but travelers should go in with open eyes about what this tour really is. Language Clarity TourRadar advertised this as an English tour. On the Go said bilingual. In reality, the tour was heavily Spanish. VPT Tours is a Spanish company, and 90%+ of the guests were Spanish speakers. Sometimes we were the only English speakers. The guides were well-meaning but clearly geared toward Spanish customers. English explanations were often summaries or skipped. Group Size & Format The brochure mentioned “4–24 people,” but our group was often over 30 people, because multiple tours were combined. It wasn’t a cohesive group, and people joined/left in different cities. We had three different bus tour leaders across the 18 days. There was no Wi-Fi on the bus at any point, despite what was promised. Communication & Organization Communication needs work. Our handoff in Madrid consisted of a letter written entirely in Spanish, with no one available to clarify. We only learned the end-point hotel in Porto on Day 17. Some people were given WhatsApp contacts, others weren’t. Hotels This part exceeded expectations. Nearly all the hotels were excellent—clean, comfortable, and well located. Only negative was Sol Principe (Costa del Sol): rooms in the 3 main buildings are great, but if you're assigned to the back “family” building, it feels like a different (lower) hotel tier. Optional Excursions & Meals Highly recommend all Morocco excursions, especially the camel ride and Chez Ali show. Between two Flamenco options, choose the Granada caves show—much better atmosphere than Seville's. Be aware: water is not included with included meals, which feels stingy. Expect to spend a lot on optional excursions, drinks, and lunches. Morocco Experience Morocco was a highlight. The transitions (ferry, customs) were long and frustrating, but manageable. The local guide (Kareem) was excellent. Pro tip: do NOT drink the water or eat street food—everyone who did got sick. Included tours covered the key highlights and felt safe and well-managed. Downsides Madrid was just an overnight with no sightseeing. Long bus rides are frequent. Prepare for 6–8 hour travel days. The “included meals” varied from the brochure, so be flexible. The group dynamic can be hit or miss depending on who’s on your tour. Final Thoughts This tour packs in a lot and hits incredible locations. It’s a solid value, especially if you like structured travel and are OK with big groups and some logistical chaos. Just know this is a mass-market Spanish-run coach tour, not a boutique or English-first experience. We met great people, saw amazing places, and had mostly good support—but would have appreciated more transparency up front.Show more