New Tour

Central Portugal by Road Bike

DestinationsPortugal
Tour MeetsGuarda
Tour EndsLisbon
Fly in toFrancisco Sá Carneiro Airport (Porto Airport)
Fly out ofHumberto Delgado Airport (Lisbon Airport)
Group Size4-16 riders
Minimum Age18 (on scheduled departures)
547kmTotal cycling distance
79kmAvg distance / day
1345mAvg climbing / day

Trip Profile

This tour covers 547 km over 7 days of riding in Central Portugal. The first 5 cycling days cover mountainous and plateaus with steady climbs and stunning views. The remaining days are spent along lower relief areas through picturesque valleys and rural areas. The last cycling day is mostly along the rugged Atlantic coast with thrilling ascents and descents.

The trip is fully supported, and your guide’s expert knowledge of the area and terrain means that you always know what is coming up in terms of distance and difficulty. This makes a tremendous difference, as does the constant supply of water and refreshments along the way.

Suitability: This is a challenging tour designed for cyclists with a high level of physical fitness comfortable on hilly and mountainous terrain. Fitness will be a huge asset on consistent 5 to 10 km climbs throughout. The tour is guided and fully supported, and a transfer is possible for those that find the riding too difficult. As the tour visits many scenic villages, towns, ruins, and natural areas, riding is not the only focus and a fair amount of time will be spent off-saddle to explore these fascinating and picturesque places.

Biking Conditions: We ride an average of 79 km a day with average climbs of 1345 m. The roads are 100% tarmac and overall in good condition. Most climbs are steady with 6-8% grade but there will be some short but more steep climbs. To compensate there are also long and exciting descents, of course!

What's Included

  • SpiceRoads jersey
  • Water bottle
  • Support vehicle
  • Guide(s)
  • Meals (as indicated)
  • Airport drop off
  • Hotel drop off
  • Accommodation
  • Snacks and drinks
  • Entrance fees

What's Excluded

  • International flights
  • Domestic flights
  • Airport pick up
  • Visa fees
  • Alcohol
  • Tips

Nuts & Bolts

Bikes

Because some people can't imagine going on a trip without their own beloved bicycle, we do not provide them as part of this tour. However, you can hire bikes locally for the price listed in the tour pricing section.

If you bring your own bike, please make sure it is a road bike in good mechanical order.

Bike Repairs

Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.

Safety

Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.

Guides

You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.

The Nitty Gritty

Passports and Visas

Visa requirements for Portugal vary depending on the traveler's nationality and the purpose of their visit. Citizens of the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) do not need a visa and can freely enter and stay in Portugal. Additionally, citizens from certain countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand can enter Portugal for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days within a 180-day period without a visa. For many other nationalities a visa is generally required to enter Portugal. Visitors need to apply for a Schengen Visa, which allows travel within the Schengen Area, including Portugal. See here for more information.

Health

See here for recommendations and detailed information.

Weather

Portugal has a Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The country enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with temperatures averaging around 15°C (59°F) in winter and 25°C (77°F) in summer. The northern region experiences more rainfall and cooler temperatures, while the south has a drier and warmer climate. Coastal areas benefit from refreshing sea breezes, while inland regions can be hotter. Overall, Portugal's climate is generally pleasant, making it an attractive destination for sunseekers and outdoor enthusiasts.

Food

Meals are included as per the itinerary where B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner.

Portuguese food combines fresh ingredients, bold flavors, and a delightful blend of Mediterranean and Atlantic influences. Seafood plays a prominent role, with dishes like bacalhau (salted cod) and sardines being popular. Meat lovers can savor dishes such as grilled meats and cozido à portuguesa (a hearty meat stew). Portuguese cuisine also features delicious pastries like pastéis de nata (custard tarts) and regional desserts like arroz doce (rice pudding). Don't miss out on trying local specialties like caldo verde (kale soup), feijoada (bean stew), and the famous port wine.

Any special dietary requirements can also be catered for as well. Please let us know at the time of booking.

Drink

Keeping you completely hydrated is a job we take very seriously. Water and a regular supply of refreshments are included in the tour price while riding. Soft drinks and other beverages during meals are not included. But you may also want to bring electrolyte in powder or tablet form. Alcoholic drinks are available everywhere, but are NOT included in the price.

Solo Travelers

SpiceRoads does not require you to pay a surcharge for travelling alone. We will arrange for you to share accommodation with another traveller of the same gender and if we can not match you up we will provide a single room at no extra charge. If you prefer not to share a single supplement is payable to guarantee your own room. The cost of the single supplement is listed above.

Extra Expenses

We recommend that you tuck away a few extra Euros for possible incidentals that might arise. It is always wise to have some paper currency in case of ATM absence or credit card problems. This will save you a lot of unnecessary worries. It is also customary to tip local tour guides and drivers; however, the amount you give should be dependent on the level of service you receive. As a general guide we suggest that €5-10 per person per day is appropriate.

Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted throughout the country, but that is not a guarantee, especially in mom & pop shops in rural areas.

A Note on Portugal's Tourist Tax: The tourist tax in Portugal varies depending on the region and the type of accommodation. The fee is between 1 - 5 Euros per person/per night. This amount needs to be paid directly and in cash - hence why we do not include it in the tour price and you will be expected to pay this where necessary. See here for more information.

Money

The currency used in Portugal is the Euro (€).

General booking info

If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:

FLEXIBLE BOOKING CONDITIONS

Booking a SpiceRoads cycling adventure is easy and we try to do everything possible to make sure you have full flexibility and peace of mind. We do not require a deposit to hold your place on a tour and once full payment has been made your money is protected in our client account and you have the flexibility to cancel or change your booking if needed.

CONFIRMING YOUR BOOKING

Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.

You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.

TRIP STATUS

There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.

BOOKING ONLINE

From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).

If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.

BOOKING OFFLINE

Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.

DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS

We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.

The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.

In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.

In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.

The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.

FULL FLEXIBILITY FOR TOUR CANCELATIONS

If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).

If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).

Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.

If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.

Loyalty Riders Club

For those who have been on several long tours with us, we reward customer loyalty by offering repeat customers a special discount off the tour price (excludes single supplement and bike rental). If this is your fourth scheduled tour or more you will receive a 5% discount. If this is your eighth scheduled tour or more we will extend a 10% discount. The discount will be reflected in your online booking, but please contact us if any questions. Loyalty discounts cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Note: Only tours of 7 days or more will be applicable for a loyalty discount.

International Flights

International flights, to and from the start and finish points are not included in the tour price. Once your tour is Guaranteed to Depart you can book your flight. Please contact us for advice before arranging flights for the best arrival and departure times. We would only cancel a trip for an extreme circumstance, but in that case, where we cancel your trip, we cannot be liable for losses incurred relating to any flight booking you have made. Please claim any losses from your travel insurance that you acquired when you booked your holiday.

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