Reviews from guests
Mateus was a knowledgeable and passionate young man! His knowledge of the history of Coimbra, Portuguese history and the University is outstanding!
We enjoyed the personal anecdotes and appreciated the coffee break where he treated us to local specialty tarts….delicious!
Good luck and we hope you can travel the world as you intend.Knowledge and Passion
Our tour with Mateus began in the beating heart of the center of Coimbra: the university! Mateus took us through the highlights of the history of the city and its significance to the country as a whole. This was the first activity we did upon arriving in Coimbra for a short stay, and made for a great jumping off point to explore further on our own. Obrigada, Mateus!A great start to our stay in Coimbra!
Mateus was very pleasant, engaging and seemed well informed. He was comfortable and confident, had a good command of our language and was polite and considerate. Great Guide
We had a lovely 2 hours with João. We learned a lot about the history of Portugal and Coimbra. He went to University there so was able to give his perspective too. Coimbra
We had a wonderful 2 hours with John walking the streets of Coimbra. Very informative and easy to listen to.Great guide John
Seeing the university was incredible. It was a great way to learn about the city and places we wanted to explore. He was incredibly knowledgeable. Great introduction to Coimbra
João is a great guide. Reacting very fast to our last minute request. Very knowledgeable and nice storytelling! Perfect Quick Start
Our walking tour around Coimbra with João was exactly what we hoped it would be. He gave us a great foundation from which we could (and did) explore on our own. Coimbra is a fascinating place but the terrain, with its many hills and winding narrow streets, requires an expert to decipher. We really enjoyed learning the secrets of Coimbra from João, then we were most appreciative of his knowledge when we struck out on our own. Thank you, João for a wonderful memory of Coimbra! Wow João
Joao was very knowledgeable about both Jewish history and the general history of Coimbra. He patiently answered all my questions and made the history of the Jewish community of Coimbra come alive.
Joao was a terrific guide and very informative. We had ventured out on our own the day before but we experienced so much more on our tour with Joao. We also took him up on his recommendations for dining and Fado, both of which were excellent. Highly recommend! Excellent Tour of Coimbra
Had a wonderful time with Daniel!would rexomend him.
Jaoa is extremely knowledgeable about Coimbra and enjoyed sharing its stories and sights with us. We let him know at the last minute that we would be 30 minutes late and he was very flexible and gracious. Would highly recommend himJaoa is very knowledgeable and flexible
Mateus was excellent!
He picked us up at our hotel on time, and took time to discuss what we might like to see in Coimbra.
As he was a student there, he was quite familiar with the history of the University. With each stop, he carefully took the time to inform us, not only about what we were seeing, but also about its history and evolution. His knowledge of Coimbra and the role that the University played was very impressive.
We never felt rushed, He was fun, comfortable to be with, and very attentive to answering any questions we had. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting him, and his tour of Coimbra. On our trip to Portugal, we had a number of guides, he was clearly exceptional, and one of the best guys we have ever had.
Thank You.
Best Guide
Mateus made our custom tour of the university and Coimbra a perfect day. He is a beautiful storyteller, sharing history all along the way. Weaving in the past and present to bring this amazing location to life. He was a gift to connect with you easily making it feel like you have known him for years, becoming part of your family in a mere 3 hours. He communicated important information before and after our time with him. You will be grateful for the time you have spent with Matheus learning about Coimbra and Portugal history. Mateus is a Treasure
What a fun 4 hour stop in Coimbra that included a private tour with Mateus! Not only was he knowledgeable, personable, and passionate, but he excelled at reading his audience, tailoring both content and pace to meet our interests and schedule. We so enjoyed his many historical tales and facts as we toured the city, but also how he easily contrasted those with current events or conditions. And so many hidden gems…a personalized and exceptional tour! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rebecca
We took the Highlights and Hidden Gems tour in Coimbra with João yesterday. He was extremely knowledgeable, spoke perfect English, and was able to answer every question we threw at him - including many that were far afield from the sights of Coimbra. We chose João because we are a group of senior Jews, and we noticed that he also had a tour of Jewish Coimbra. When we asked him to show us a few places of Jewish interest, he cheerfully modified our tour according to our interests. He also checked frequently to make sure we were feeling up to another three flights of steps before proceeding (note to those new to Portugal - expect hills *everywhere*.) I can’t speak highly enough about both João and the tour itself. Highly recommended!A++++ Exceptional tour with João
We found Mateus to be very knowledgeable, easy going, and very willing to adjust his plans to meet our interests. Mateus was easy to understand, patient, and fun to be with. We highly recommend him and thank you for making our experience in Coimbra more enjoyable!Mateus was an excellent guide
We had a delightful tour with João in Coimbra. He was indeed a local, having spent his entire life in the city, and his family has lived there for generations. He arrived promptly for the six-hour walking tour (we requested the longer tour) with a big smile and speaking perfect English. Since we knew little about the city other than from our guidebook, he was eager to share the history, lore and unique customs of this ancient university town. We asked many questions, and he answered them flawlessly. He was sensitive to the pacing of the tour, following our lead in terms of taking photos, bathroom breaks, and providing good cheer during climbs of the town’s steep cobblestone streets (mostly downhill!). He also selected a good place for lunch.
A small side note: He mentioned in passing that he sometimes gave Jewish tours of the city. The Jewish population is long gone, and almost no vestiges remain since the Jews of Portugal were either expelled or murdered in the Inquisition centuries ago. We told him that we were Jewish, and he responded in a respectful and sensitive manner, which we deeply appreciated, particularly now.
We recommend João without hesitation.
Fascinating history from a true local!
We had a wonderful time with our discovery walk in Coimbra. Mateus was a great guide with all the stories about the history of Coimbra & the students 😀
He made even my teen age son enthusiastic on the city & the activity as such! Great stories
Mateus is an amazing and professional guide. He is extremely knowledgeable of Coimbra. My friend and I had a fantastic time exploring heritage sites as well as off the beaten track sites. I highly recommend Mateus as your Coimbra guide! Wonderful time and a fabulous guide
Highly recommend Joao. He was very friendly and knowledgeable as well as easy to work with. We enjoyed all that he had to share about Coimbra and the University. We had originally tried to book with Tiago who did not respond until several weeks after the inquiry with a decline the day before the tour date. Joao was empathic with my frustration and reassuring to make it a positive experience. Great experience
We had a fantastic three-hour tour of Coimbra with João! The tour was well tailored so that we could see the main sights. We've learned a lot about Coimbra and fell in love with this beautiful city! João is very knowledgeable and easy to communicate with. Highly recommend him!Tour in Coimbra with João