Blue Dragon Porto City Tours

Local Guides Exploring Porto on Foot and on Wheels

Blue Dragon Porto City Tours runs its own guided tours in Porto: walking and food tours, bike and e-bike tours, Segway and tuk-tuk tours, self-drive GoCar tours and bike rentals. The footer says "Bluedragon" is a "Brand of Boost, Urban Thrills, SA," registered as "RNAT 42/2008," with a Porto address at Rua Alexandre Herculano, 251 and a separate Lisbon address for Boost. The same footer links to the group's Lisbon tours (boats, tuk-tuks, e-bikes, Segways, scooters and a walking tour), but this site covers Porto. Prices are in euros.

The company leans on its guides, whom it calls "local Storytellers." The homepage says "Everybody can learn the history and speak about a monument or a place of interest but, it is not everybody that can tell a story." It also says it is "Extremely proud to be amongst the top 10% of listings around the world on Tripadvisor for our Porto Tours," and tags two products with traveler figures: the food tour "Recommended by 96% of travellers" and the tuk-tuk tour "Recommended experience by 97% of travellers."

The Tours and Their Prices

The homepage cards list each tour with its length, languages and a price:

• The Best of Porto Walking Tour: "historic streets, river views and iconic houses," 3h, in PT, EN, FR and ES, €29.
• Unforgettable Food Tour and Wine Tasting Porto: "local delicacies, fine wines, and rich stories," 3h, PT, EN, FR, ES, €70. The homepage says the food and wine tour samples wines "from smaller, artisanal producers." A Porto Gastronomy Walking Tour "Pay As You Go" also appears in the menu.
• Porto Top Highlights E-Bike Tour: 3h, PT, EN, FR, ES and NL, €41.
• Porto Riverside Panoramic Bike Tour: "Explore Porto, 'The City of Bridges'," along the riverside and old neighborhoods, 3h, PT, EN, FR, ES, NL, €41. The bike page lists both bike tours "From €41 Per Person / Vehicle."
• Best of Porto by Segway Tour: 3h, PT, EN, FR, ES, €69, with a "Quick training session." The shorter Porto Highlights Segway Tour is 2h, €60.
• Unforgettable Tuk Tuk Ride: Clérigos, Viewpoints and Seaside: a half-day tuk-tuk tour, listed as "3/4h," in PT, EN, FR, ES and NL, with three prices shown on the card (€30, €60 and €75) and no note on which applies to what.
• Porto Tuk Tuk Tour: Monastery and Wine Cellars: a ride to Serra do Pilar for the views plus a Port wine tasting, 2h, €60.
• Porto Highlights Tuk Tuk Tour: 2h on an electric tuk-tuk, €35. A Shared Tuk Tuk Tour is also in the menu.

The GoCar page describes a self-drive option, a "GPS guided car" that is "a 3 wheeled, 2 seated vehicle where the passengers sit side by side," with a "50cc scooter engine." It routes past the Dom Luís I Bridge, São Bento station and the Monastery of Serra do Pilar and stops at a large urban park. The team-building FAQ says GoCar tours come in "1, 2, 3, or 4-hour tours, as well as special all-day experiences." E-bike and city bike rentals are sold separately.

How the Tours Work

The bike page is the most detailed. It says the join-in bike tours "have a limit of 10 participants per guide," that private bike tours are available for a group or family, and that the company has "premium bikes and electric bikes of different sizes suitable to children and all adults." It adds "A helmet will also be provided for everyone on the tour," that guides give "a brief explanation on how to use the system" to first-time e-bike riders, and that assistance is offered on all guided bike tours. The Old Town & Riverside route is described as "a mostly flat area, along the river Douro until you reach its mouth," then up the Atlantic coast to the Porto City Park.

The GoCar terms are spelled out: "Maximum of 2 people per vehicle"; "Any children under 7 years are not legally permitted to ride on a GoCar"; children from 7 to 12 "must be accompanied by an adult and cannot drive"; "The driver must be eligible with a valid driver's license"; and "All GoCar rentals require a deposit of 100€ per car and a valid ID." Included are the car, a briefing, "Company liability insurance and Personal injury insurance," and helmets, which are mandatory. A Collision Damage Waiver costs "an extra 10€."

The homepage says the tours suit families "with or without children (from 0 to 18yold)," friends, solo travelers who can join shared tours, couples and co-workers, and that at the end of a tour guides "will provide you their contact in case you need any information or help during your stay." It lists "Small Groups" among its selling points, and the team-building FAQ says those activities "cater to various fitness levels."

Booking and Private Options

Each tour card has a "Check Availability" button for online booking, and the GoCar page has a request form asking for group size and date. Private tours have their own page, described as "ideal for first-time visitors to Porto or for those looking for an exclusive experience," and the bike page invites tailor-made requests such as "A full day tour with lunch" or a Port wine cellar visit. Team building has its own page, with tuk-tuk, food and wine, and e-bike formats for groups and a "Request a Quote" button. The site lists a fixed-line number, a mobile number (+351 912 562 190) and an email address, links to an electronic complaints book, and offers a free downloadable Porto tourist map in PDF.

What the Site Leaves Open

The site does not state a cancellation or refund policy for the guided tours, and apart from the GoCar deposit it does not describe payment terms. The tour cards do not give meeting points, so the start point has to be checked at booking. The Unforgettable Tuk Tuk Ride card shows three prices without saying what each covers, and the site does not say whether tuk-tuk and Segway prices are per person or per vehicle. It gives no group cap for walking, food, Segway or tuk-tuk tours, and no minimum age for Segways.

For travelers who want to see Porto several ways, a 3-hour walk for €29, e-bikes or a tuk-tuk up to Serra do Pilar with Port wine, the range and the published prices make comparison easy. Families get clear rules for GoCars and bikes sized for children, and groups have private and team-building routes to ask about.