Córdoba Itineraries

We spent two wonderful weeks touring several of the best destinations in Portugal & Spain with a group of 16 people. Our guide (Fredy) was from Spain and intimately familiar with the region, including its rich history, attractions, and food/beverages. The tour was well-paced using a combinations of private vehicles (small buses and cabs), trains, and an airplane ride as well as a fair amount of walking to get around these two beautiful countries. We extended our stay in Lisbon to see more attractions and took a side trip to Fatima, Obidos, and Nazare that was also excellent. Would have liked to have a bit more time in a couple of the cities, but we'll just have to plan another trip!

This was our first VBT trip and we absolutely loved it. Every detail is thought of from your pick up at the airport to making sure your luggage reaches every hotel and recommendations of things to do in each location. Our guides were phenomenal. They were fun and kind but also super informative and helpful with anything we needed. We also met the most amazing people in our group and had such a good time getting to know them. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone considering it. And I plan to do another VBT trip in the future.

We had a wonderful trip to Spain with VBT. This tour had several shuttles to and/from places - just something to be aware of when booking. We had some issues with hotel in Jaen with air conditioning not working. It was quite warm in the rooms. A few of us opted to do the post trip to Malaga and there was a side trip en route to Malaga that took us over two hours to get to (Ronda). Then another hour and half to Malaga from Ronda. I would suggest to VBT that they do away with the Ronda side trip. We would have rather gone directly to Malaga. Ronda was extremely touristy and too far and long to spend on a bus. Guide in Ronda wasn’t one of the better ones we encountered. Guides on bike trip were great - bike route was good with varied terrain. Alhambra tour was fantastic! Enjoyed all the lunch spots that were set up along the route and hotels were in great locations in all the cities. Overall a fantastic trip.

Beautiful cities, hotels and countryside, as well as delicious food, wine and beer. Very historic buildings and cultural/religious places. Unfortunately climate change has hit Andalusia hard and the daytime highs were in the nineties even in mid October. Better quality road bike than Backroads'.

Of course we take for granted the stunning landscapes and climate of southern Spain. This is what we signed up for. But what made the experience of everything we encountered so easy to enjoy was the work of the various VBT teams to support our having a great time. Imagine not having to arrange a single detail of air and ground transportation for ten days in Spain. Done. Imagine being greeted the moment you step out of passport control and whisked directly to your charming, pre-booked hotel. Done. Imagine meeting up the next morning with two of the greatest, most charming, hard working, informed and informative tour guides you could possibly imagine. Done. Imagine every detail of your riding equipment being handled for you, such that all you have to do is show up and ride. Done. Imagine someone who knows the territory orchestrating the best routes through this marvelous countryside, for you to ride with turn-by-turn directions that never went wrong. Done. Imagine sharing your meals, mostly pre-arranged without your having to book a single reservation, with a congenial group of fellow cyclists, all interested in having the best time possible. Done. There is a whole lot to like about this way to experience a country. And VBT is very good at setting that up and executing. We had minor quibbles--could have done without a couple of the walking tours, especially first thing in the morning (we are on vacation!). We would have traded the trip to Ronda for more time in Malaga. Not every single pre-arranged meal menu was spectacular--but we were definitely fed! There is no faulting our guides, Jose and Jorge. I used to give tours, and these two were above and beyond in every way. Gems. Your best friends in Spain. We will do this again!
Important Safety Tip: this is hot, sometimes very sweaty riding. Be sure your electrolyte game is up to speed, especially sodium, and bring your own--the ones provided were 80% sugar (yikes!).

This was our 1st trip with VBT but it certainly won't be our last! Wow, what a fabulous vacation. Everything about it was top notch - the itinerary, hotels, rides, equipment and especially the guides. They were amazing and made the trip so special. This particular itinerary was so interesting and if you are a history lover, you will be amazed as you ride through regions that were critical to World History. Hanging out in the world's largest olive oil producing area was not bad either. We are already thinking about where we will go next with VBT!