Most Inspirational Moment
Porto
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Trip very well designed
Guides brilliant. Trip very well designed. Would have preferred more boutique hotels like in Porto rather than faceless international style hotels. I understand that preserving rooms is difficult in boutique hotels, but it was achieved in Porto.
thoughtfully designed itinerary
The itinerary was thoughtfully designed, allowing us to explore a wide range of fascinating destinations throughout the trip.
Activity level was 1, not 3 as advertised.
The hotels were comfortable, with two exceptions:
Hotel SUI Kyoto Kiyomizu in Kyoto – Situated on a busy main road, the hotel suffered from significant noise even during nighttime hours due to poor sound insulation. Breakfast was consistently overcrowded.
Route Inn Kawaguchiko – The room was small and dimly lit, with a window facing a concrete wall just two metres away. The décor was dated; it felt like the last renovation was done in the 1980s, and the breakfast offering was disappointing in both quality and variety.
In contrast, Hotel Monterey Akasaka in Tokyo stood out as the best accommodation – stylish, comfortable, and well located.
Dining independently was a highlight of the trip. We enjoyed excellent meals at various local restaurants, often at very reasonable prices. However, the two complimentary dinners provided in Takayama were surprisingly poor in quality. In hindsight, it would have been preferable to explore dining options on our own that evening as well.
Public transportation was generally a positive experience and added to the trip’s authenticity. That said, the day spent navigating Kyoto’s local buses and trains resulted in more time waiting than sightseeing. Additionally, the transfer from Kawaguchiko to Tokyo consumed most of the day. A chartered bus would have significantly reduced travel time to under two hours, and allowed for a more relaxed and efficient transition.
Most Inspirational Moment
Highlights: Nijo Castle and Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto, Nara, Miyajima island, Kenrokuen Gardens in Kanazawa, Higashiyama Walkway and the floats museum in Takayama, Matsumoto City Museum of Art, Oishi Park, and Itchiku Kubota Art Museum in Kawaguchiko, Tokyo National Museum.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Harou, our leader, was an efficient organiser; he ensured we never missed a train or bus, and kept us up to date on the daily schedule and weather forecast. While the logistical aspects were well managed, I feel the experience would have been enriched by more contextual information about Japan’s history, contemporary society, and local customs. Insights into the significance of the places we visited would have added depth to the journey.
Excellent trip
Lovely cycling, great scenery, well-guided
Most Inspirational Moment
25% climb Aljezur
Thoughts on Group Leader
10/10 all round
Advice for Potential Travellers
Suitable for a range of cyclists - mixture of road/off-road, plenty of time
Best holiday ever!
Just back from a fabulous trip cycling in Sicily lead by Davide . Davide went above and beyond to make sure that we all had the best possible experience cycling in Sicily, above all ensuring our safety, well being and enjoyment of this wonderful area. Davide was born, grew up and has studied in this gorgeous landscape. Davide can tell you the history, geography and culture of this land which he loves so passionately .
Most Inspirational Moment
Day 6, the hardest cycling day but the most amazing experience in terms of the natural beauty of the area and my personal sense of achievement
Thoughts on Group Leader
Davide was outstanding in creating a safe, trusting and harmonious group of cyclists from different nations, ages and abilities and enabled us all to have the most fantastic week exploring Italy by bike.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do not miss going on this trip!
Beautiful Tuscan countryside, good wine, delicious food, and history
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. It was a great blend of walking through the beautiful Tuscan countryside, tasting organic wines, sampling delicious local foods, and getting a bit of Renaissance and medieval history with visits to Sienna, Florence, and San Girmignano.
Most Inspirational Moment
Witnessing the passion of the younger generation who have chosen to continue the legacy of small family run wine and olive farms. This is very heartening in an over commercialized world.
Thoughts on Group Leader
I can’t say enough about Roberta. She has a wonderful, positive energy and sincere passion for the area. She is extremely caring and has a natural ability to make everyone feel included without it feeling forced at all.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Bring your appetite,
A special experience
A great group of people with a fabulous guide created a wonderful experience.
Most Inspirational Moment
Arriving in to Santiago de Compostela. As always, when you have put in the time and effort, reaching the destination is so satisfying and rewarding.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our leader Aitor was top notch. He was full of knowledge, bonded really well with us and made sure we all had the best experience possible. An absolute superstar.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure your shoes are well worn in and you should escape blisters. The walking isn’t on difficult terrain just long days but taken at a relaxing pace. That said plenty of training walks and a good level of fitness always helps for a better experience. Take time to talk and bond with your fellow travellers but also take time for yourself on the walks. The hotels are a good standard and the food excellent everywhere we went.
Journey through nature, history and old medieval towns!
This trip was an inspiring fast paced adventure through Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland! Each day packed with highlights. Leisurely walks to take in the beauty of the old towns, coastal and forest views.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking the stunning Saaretirp trail on Hiiumaa, and climbing Tahkuna Lighthouse was unforgettable and those views are going to stick with me forever!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our guide Inna enriched the journey with her knowledge and personal experience - making each stop special and meaningful!.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be ready to embrace the pace, there’s a lot to see and do across four countries! Bring comfortable shoes, layers, snacks, and an open mind to make the most of your time!
Very good exposure to several religions
Great scenery and very good oversight of Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism . Some long road travel days that exceeded the stated drive times .
Most Inspirational Moment
Visiting Dharamshala
Thoughts on Group Leader
Anil was an excellent leader, kind, informative, patient and provided daily activity schedule . Clearly wanted to ensure safety and well being of guests on the tour.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Some of the road travel days exceed trip note times by several hours , so be prepared . Always listen to advice from Leader regarding photography in temples , wearing of head covering and removal of shoes ( sometimes also socks )
Amazing Vietnam Family Adventure
This was my first Exodus cycle tour and an amazing way to get a real feel for Vietnam – I absolutely loved it. We did it as a family with our 19 and 21 yr old daughters and it was a huge success all round. From the first meet we felt super looked after by our amazing guide Lok, drivers Sau and Nhan and the mechanic Zee who was so often supporting me at the back of the group! Everything about the tour was very well organized and so good that 2 of the group were on their 3rd and 4th times respectively.
Most Inspirational Moment
Probably completing the Hi Van Pass climb in really challenging heat, and then again the 30km decent a few days before was pretty inspiring
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader Lok worked tirelessly to ensure everything ran smoothly and couldn't have been a nicer guy, as well as being very professional and informative .
Advice for Potential Travellers
Try and spend a couple of days in Ho Chi Mihn city before the start and in Hanoi at the end - both really interesting cities and Choose this tour it's a cracker!
Great cycling, crappy accomodations
I guess that old adage is true, you get what you pay for. This trip was cheaper than other cycling trips I have been on but it was also in a more inexpensive country. From sagging mattresses to sewer smells to non-functioning AC or heating the housing was awful.
Reply from Exodus
We’re grateful to Maggie for sharing her feedback about her Cycling Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast trip. We’re really glad to hear that she enjoyed the cycling experience, but are genuinely sorry to learn that the accommodations didn’t meet her expectations.
While we strive to offer great value, we also aim to maintain a high standard across all aspects of the trip. Based on feedback we’ve received throughout the year, our clients have rated accommodation on this departure an average of 4.14 out of 5, with the majority scoring it as “Good” or “Excellent.” The wider group on Maggie’s departure were also generally positive about the hotels we used, although we have identified one property which sadly was mentioned by several travellers as needing improvement, and we will speak to the hotel’s management and strongly consider replacing it for future tours if standards are not raised.
We’d like to again thank Maggie for her honest review, as it helps us maintain and improve the quality of our trips.
- The Exodus Product Team