My wife and I went on the Willamette Valley wine tasting tour and had a great time on our first wine tasting tour. Our particular tour group was full of people who enjoy wine but who weren't aficionado's. Jeff was able to gauge this by casually asking us what we knew about the area, and what we might be interested in seeing on the tour while on the way to the valley. We enjoyed the tastings, along with the beauty of the valley, and I now have a wonderful list of wines to order now that I'm back home. -Thank you Jeff read more

Had a spectacular scenic tour of vineyards in the Dundee/Forest Grove area. Jeff was a seasoned tour guide & provided excellent info on the area. Loved the wines we tasted,so much so the I bought a variety of bottles. read more

Did a Mt. St. Helens tour with Eco Tours today. Great presentation of background information, very informative. One of the highlights was listening to the taped personal accounts of the 1980 event in the vehicle on the way back to Portland. Highly recommended. read more

Eco Tours was great. My friends and I went on their Willamette Valley Wine Tour. It was fabulous. Jeff, the owner and tour guide, was very knowledgeable about the area, the wineries, and the wines. He was very willing to customize the tour to fit the needs of everyone in the van making the day enjoyable for everyone. He even put up with us after a full day of touring...when we were very happy to say the least. Jeff gave us the option of packing a lunch or eating somewhere on the tour--we chose to eat at a restaurant, so he had previously made reservations for us at a place in Dundee. He picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel. And the value was great. $60/person for a FULL day of touring--10am until almost 7pm. We went to 6 wineries! If you're looking for a wine tour in Oregon, this is a great option. He also does tours to other areas. Check the website for details on those: http://www.ecotours-of-oregon.com/. read more

This was a simply amazing full day tour. Jeff picked my girlfriend and I up on time from our downtown Portland hotel in the 15 passenger van. We proceeded to pick up another couple at a nearby hotel and then a short trip to suburbia to get a large group that rented a house. We had no idea where to go and just wanted to taste some excellent pinot noir, the large group had requests and Jeff was so knowledgeable that he discussed their choices to let them know which vineyards had the best year so that the experience not only tailored to their desires but would surpass it. We ended up visiting Elk Cove, Argyle, Willamette Valley Vineyards & Winter Hill. The lunch stop was also next to Ponzi tasting room, across from Argyle, so my girlfriend and I stopped in there also. Some places prefer a single payment from Jeff for a reduced rate which he adds to the bill which is great. In order to taste all the amazing wines without getting wasted my girlfriend and I often split a tasting and both Jeff and they vineyards were cool about it and actually recommend it. It's all about flavor. Settling up at the end of the day was totally smooth. This is by far the most affordable way to get an exceptional day at the vineyards. Keep in mind that this is a one man show so if you don't get Jeff on the phone during the day call back again after 6pm PST. read more

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A friend and I took the Brewery/Winery tour on a lark (and with a Groupon). Staff was quick with responses to questions prior to the tour. The day of the tour we met the van and our fellow tourists and received a fantastic day around the area with several different brewery and winery stops and learned a lot of about the area. Great wines and beers. Can't wait to go on another of EcoTours adventures (Sasquatch Tour next?). read more

We did a Willamette Valley wine tour and our guide was Jeff and he was amazing! As was our tour. They were professional, fun, responsive to the needs and wants of the group and flexible. They taught us a lot about the area. I know a fair amount about wine, but no matter what your level of familiarity with wine is, they will teach you! I would highly recommend this tour. It was priced much better than their competetors! Keep it up and see you again soon read more

We did the Columbia Gorge-Mount Hood tour on 4/22. It was the perfect mix of sights - waterfalls, views, lunch, salmon swimming, etc. The guide, Jeff, had a decidedly pro-green spin but it is called "Eco-tours," folks. Plus we are in Oregon and there is a lot to talk about in terms of environmental issues. Jeff had all kinds of visual aids and audio excerpts that he played throughout the 8.5 hour tour. I don't really have a complaint - got some fabulous pictures and learned a lot. Some might find him a tad snarky, but he has probably heard and seen it all and he cares passionately about the river, habitat, fish, views, etc. read more

I have worked with the public for many years and I have NEVER experienced such a rude man in my life as I have with Jeff of Eco Tours. He is absolutely horrible to deal with and his manners are atrocious. I hope to never cross paths with that man again. I would never recommend this company to anyone. read more

Took loop tour 4/24/15: Jeff and tour were wonderfully memorable.

We were in Portland for a few days after travelling from Australia, visiting family in San Fran. We booked with Jeff before we left Australia. Actually I telephoned Jeff at 9:00pm Portland time and he picked up to answer my questions about the tour and the weather. The tour was very informative with the insights that Jeff provided on the history of the area and the eco system. If anything, Jeff is an Information Overload. Can sincerely recommend the tour. Fantastic tour and guide. read more

Jeff, was very knowable about the history of the area especially the ecology (both past and present) of the forest and rivers. We had a great time. He enhanced the tour with visual aid handouts and engaged all participants of the tour. One of the best group tours I have been on in my life. read more

Our day trip of the water falls around Portland and of Mount hood was amazing. He took us to beautiful places and was very knowledgeable about the ecology and culture of the land my husband and I learned a lot. Our guide also spent two extra hours with us we were supposed to return to Portland at 5 and didn't get back till 7. It was a wonderful way to see the natural beauty of Oregon. read more

I did a Willamette Valley wine tour with Jeff on 8/16/14. Jeff guided the tour. Jeff did a TERRIBLE job as a wine tour guide. Below is the short list of my reasons why Jeff was a TERRIBLE wine tour guide. (1) Jeff picked up my group 45 minutes late. When I signed up for the tour, I told Jeff that my house was somewhat difficult to find & to please call me quickly if he felt lost. I had to call him after he was 20 minutes late and we didn't hear from him. He didn't arrive for another 25 minutes, which made him 45 mins late. (2) On our drive out to wine country, Jeff told us about some great history of the valley, which would have been nice for a short time, perhaps 20 minutes. But Jeff talked a LOT - the entire 50+ min trip to winery #1, which didn't allow for his guests to interact with each other very well & was just plain annoying. (3) At winery #1, Jeff repeatedly hurried us along. After picking us up 45 mins late, he grew obviously annoyed that we weren't hurrying ourselves during the tasting. He even stated "If I look like I'm in a hurry, I am." Jeff did not appear to care if we were having fun, he had a schedule to keep. (4) While driving to our second winery, he began bashing the remaining three wineries on our scheduled tour. When I first booked the tour with Jeff, he told me that I could select the wineries that we would go to that day because my party was the first to commit to his tour on that date. During the ride to winery #2, he began repeatedly, 8x or so, saying how darn expensive it was at winery #2, overstating the tasting fee by 50%, and literally not saying one single nice thing about winery #2. We hurried through winery #2, mostly because of Jeff hovering and periodically making annoying comments while we were tasting and enjoying ourselves. Because I am a club member at winery #2, I was able to get every person in our group a FREE tasting, even the folks that I didn't know! (5) After winery #2, we had lunch in Dundee at a nice bistro. Again, Jeff hovered and several times reminded us that we needed to speed things along, which was again annoying. (6) We arrived at winery #3 after hearing Jeff's many negative comments about winery #3 notwithstanding winery #3's extraordinary reputation worldwide (Domaine Serene) - if anyone from Domaine Serene reads this review, please know that Jeff poo poo'd your winery entirely and negatively told our group about your winery spending the "most in the valley on marketing" and he indicated that you buy your good reputation. Bollocks, you earn it. (7) On our way to winery #4, Jeff again talked a lot about the wine region, some of which was nice, until...he played a 15+ minute clip from the movie Sideways. Perhaps a 2 minute clip would've been ok, but the movie clip grew very annoying especially around the 15 minute mark. (8) Jeff profusely apologized to every single winery when our group of 8 arrived "late" for our tasting appointments. None of the winery folks minded and many told him and us that they expected groups to be late and it was absolutely no trouble. Jeff appeared embarrassed that we were late and did not focus on his guests' enjoyment of the day. (9) When Jeff dropped my group of 3 off at my house after the tour, we heard from another guest that he and his wife had dinner reservations to which they were likely to be late because of Jeff dropping my group of 3 off at my house. That made me think that Jeff hadn't told these folks that he would be picking up and dropping off my group of 3 at my house - he picked up that couple and another group of 3 in downtown Portland. I would also be irritated with Jeff for not telling me of the distant pick up if I was in the group picked up in downtown Portland - they had to drive around at least an additional 60+ minutes to come pick up my group of 3 at my house. We paid Jeff an additional $200 for the house pick-up, but the manner in which he handled it was unpleasant for the others in the van. (10) After Jeff showed up late at our pick up, bashed three of the wineries on the tour, hurried us along in an annoying fashion, and upset the other guests by not explaining the pick-up schedule to them ahead of time, we chose not to give Jeff a tip. When I paid and signed the credit card slip, I thanked Jeff as politely as possible and he was silent for the first time that day and then got back in the van slamming his driver's door. So....this day may sound terrible, but my friends and I enjoyed it very much despite Jeff. We chose his van service because of the reasonable price and the fact that he seemed very nice and knowledgeable about wine while I was scheduling the trip, but as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. I DO NOT RECOMMEND JEFF'S WINE TOUR SERVICE FOR ANYONE. Not a couple enjoying their anniversary like the couple in my group, not a group of friends enjoying the day, and certainly not a group from out-of-town. read more

We just finished a day-long tour with Jeff. He brought us to small, independent wineries we never would have discovered on our own and provided inside information on which wines truly stood out. He is knowledgeable and passionate about wine from within and outside Oregon. Throw any question at him and he can provide perspective and historical context. And to top it off Jeff made an excellent lunch suggestion. We will seek out Jeff again for our next tour and highly recommend him! Mike and Lisa read more

My husband and I took two (2) tours with Eco Tours-one to Columbia River Gorge/Mt Hood and another to Mt. St. Helen. Both were very informative and well organized. Our "guide" Jeff had lots of audio and visual information along with a well constructed and thorough narrative of the landmarks. We especially liked the police tapes from the day that Mt. St. Helen erupted and interviews with persons involved with the eruption. The tours were structured to give us ample time to see sights. Jeff pleasantly kept us on schedule, though. We liked the ecological emphasis and background. We both decided that these tours were the only way to go and will definitely take other Eco-Tours if we return. read more

Recently we joined Ecotours of Oregon for 2 days - the Columbia River Gorge/Mt. Hood Loop and the Mt. Saint Helens Volcano Tour. What wonderful experiences! We had considered renting a car and touring solo, but we never would have learned as much or enjoyed the sites as much as we did traveling with Jeff. It was apparent that Jeff had done extensive research on the areas. He provided commentary on what we were seeing and what we were about to see. He shared a vast collection of audio and visual interpretive materials on our rides and readily answered questions. (We're happy to say that the sound system in the van was excellent.) As an added bonus, Jeff set-up several spotting scopes that allowed us to see points of interest we would have missed otherwise, i.e. elk in the valley of Mt. St. Helens and hikers on its rim. We are looking forward to taking another Ecotour with Jeff the next time we visit our Portland family. read more

We took our second tour of the Willamette Valley with Jeff Davies of EcoTours on Fri.,Sept. 7th. The day started out with being picked up at our hotel around 10 a.m. in downtown Portland and taking a leisurely drive to the wine country. We toured four wineries and enjoyed a delicious lunch at Dundee Bistro. We toured Elk Cove, Colene Clemens, Thistle and Patton Valley Wineries. We were able to relax and enjoy the beautiful countryside of Willamette Valley without being worried about getting lost trying to find some of the smaller wineries. We returned back to our hotel around 6 p.m. Great trip and would highly recommend EcoTours. read more

We took two tours with Ecotours. The first trip was to Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge. We enjoyed that trip so much that we took another to Mt St. Helene. Each tour was a day trip. Our tour guide Jeff was very informative, and used visual aids, and sound tracks effectively. We were given plenty of stops for photos, restroom breaks, and a nice lunch. Jeff has the pacing on the tours down really well. He gives great tours. read more

This was hands down the best tour we have ever taken. Jeff was our tour guide for the Mount. St. Helen's tour and he is unbelievably knowledgeable. The entire 8 hour tour is full of fun and information. Jeff provided not only photos but also audio of interviews and actual 911 calls. There is not a moment when you are not being engaged. You will not be disappointed. Go on this tour, and ask for Jeff! read more

Whale watching tour with Jeff today. Great tour and a fantastic guide. Extremely knowledgeable and taught us so much about the area and nature. We saw a lot of whales too!! read more

I took the Columbia River Gorge/Mt Hood tour. I learned a lot, saw a lot, got some great pictures, and had a lot of fun. Jeff Davies is a good guy and he really knows his stuff, he gives us handouts to look at while we're in the van, he's patient, friendly, and fun...once you're on the tour. Till then, though, hang on, because it's gonna be a bumpy ride. Everything that Heather W.said a year ago in her review still seems to be true. Too bad. Jeff sorely needs to sharpen up his business skills, or get some smart help, or something. I had zero confidence that he had my reservation, made several weeks in advance, because he took it on the mobile phone when he was out somewhere and I never received a confirmation and had to call a couple of times. Other times that I spoke with him on the phone (except on the morning of the tour), I feared that whatever we decided would be forgotten. And, when we arrived back in the city after the tour, for some unfathomable reason he had to take more credit card information from each of us. That should all be automated. Fortunately it all worked out in the end, and I would do another tour with EcoTours because of the high level of knowledge and the great itineraries. But my expectations about business professionalism would be waaaay lowered. read more

This was my second time booking with Jeff because I had such an awesome first experience. My husband and I recently moved to Portland and have already had some visitors. Not being from the area, wine country (there are 500+ vineyards in Oregon!) can be overwhelming. It was so nice to sit back, relax and drink with our friends while Jeff toured us around to some great boutique and staple Oregon wineries. He is both informative and relaxed and has great connections everywhere he goes. He really does a good job making sure to ask people what they like and delivering an experience that appeases everyone in the group. He is SO knowledgeable, polite, professional and has a really cool vibe. I don't see any reason to not continue to book him for all upcoming wine country excursions. Highly highly recommend him! read more

I took the Columbia Gorge and Mt. Hood Loop tour with Jeff on 5/26, and had a wonderful time. For those visiting Portland without a car, this is a great (and affordable) way to learn about the area and see the sites without any of the stress. read more

We took the Mt. Hood Loop tour with Jeff today and had a fabulous time! Jeff was very nice, very friendly, on time and full of knowledge about the area. Highly recommended. read more

It would be hard for me to write an accurate review of Jeff Davies tours as he cancelled out on us two weeks before the tour and just 10 days before we were leaving for Portland. He said his van was broken and yet when I called his office to return his voice mail, he was offering two spots on his coast tour on an earlier day. He did try to fix us up with another company, but that company didn't call us until a few days before our departure. By that time, I had already scheduled with someone else. The company he wanted to take his place also cost considerably more. I was highly disappointed in the whole experience! read more

Did 2 tours, wine country and Columbia River Gorge/Mt Hood. Both were terrific; tour guide, Jeff, is knowledgeable, articulate, funny and really good-looking. Also extremely well organized, and punctual. Pay attention to times at stops or beware the duck call! read more

Jeff was our tour guide for the Mount St. Helens trip and was fantastic! He has a great knowledge of volcanoes and the events that took place there. The ride was very comfortable and the door-to-door service was better than I could have hoped for! I think the prices were also very reasonable. The ride up and back was full of discussion, pictures and recordings...it really gave you a lot of insight into what happened. Jeff picked key spots to visit so you were certainly looking at different perspectives all the time. Just enough time spent for lunch and then at the volcano. The trip was well planned and was right on time! There was never a dull moment and at the same time you never felt rushed. I will go again in a heartbeat! read more

I didn't think I was going to be able to see Mount St. Helens - but with a luck a few other people were also interested and Eco Tours got a tour together. It was fantastic! Jeff is both the owner and operator and he gives you amazing value on this tour! His enthusiasm is remarkable. You're not just riding up in the van, looking vainly at the window, wondering what you're looking at...you're being shown images from before and after the event and learning about the places you're passing through. He's obviously found sources from popular press, science lit, and locals which he shares - as you're driving up to the mountain. By the time you actually see the great, gray beast herself, you have some sense of what you're looking at! Jeff really has also looked the ecology of the region and will tell you about the impact of the lumber industry on the areas you're seeing and how to differentiate that from what is volcano damage. Even on the ride back Jeff provides audio clips of survivor stories...for further entertainment and edification. AND - a big treat - Jeff brought along special viewing lenses so we could get an up-close view of the crater, the plumes, and several herd of elk (which I wouldn't have known were there). It was totally worth the cost and I would recommend this tour to anyone who wanted a full day of learning about Mount St. Helens. read more