The Portuguese Palate: Lisbon, Porto & the Douro River Valley with a Chef

Arrive in Porto airport where our Premier representative will meet you after customs and escort you to your accommodations in Porto for the following four nights, including daily breakfast.

Enjoy your afternoon at leisure. Connect with the group this evening for a Welcome Dinner.

Enjoy a private, guided walking tour of Porto this morning, including the historic center that was designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring sites such as the Porto Cathedral, São Bento station, Lello Bookstore, and Clérigos Church. Continue with a guided Petiscos tour, including exploration of Balhao Market, with hand-selected tastings of regional delicacies. The balance of the day will be at leisure to explore “Cidade Invicta,” the Invincible City.

Today, experience the sun-drenched vineyards, captivating villages, and historical landmarks of the Douro River Valley on a full-day tour. A tour to Portugal would be incomplete without meandering through some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes of this UNESCO World Heritage Site and experiencing some of the finest vineyards in the world. Visit Quinta do Bomfim (or similar) — owner of such leading port houses as Graham’s, Dow’s, Ware’s, and Cockburn’s, as well as a portfolio of Douro wines. Enjoy a wine tasting in the vineyards to bask in the fruits of this exceptional producer followed by a picnic on the terrace overlooking the Douro River, including regional dishes and wine. Gain a real sense of where the wines come from on a vineyard walk. Return to Porto for evening at leisure.

Enjoy time at leisure today to shop, visit museums, or simply relax in a cafe. Mid-afternoon, reconnect with the group to embark on a relaxing boat tour on the Douro River with stunning views of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia from the water. After boarding, view such iconic sites as the Arrábida Bridge, the old customs house (Alfandega), the port wine cellars, and the iconic Dom Luis I Bridge. Feel the sea breeze as you head towards the confluence of the river and the Atlantic Ocean and enjoy views of Foz do Douro.

Following, cross the Douro River to Vila Nova de Gaia (simply ‘Gaia’ to locals). Gaia transports you back to the 17th-century beginnings of port-wine production, when British merchants transformed wine into the post-dinner tipple of choice by adding a dash of brandy.

Learn more about the history of port at one of the most iconic, renowned port houses. Enjoy a guided tour of lodge from a port expert followed by a port tasting of three distinct vintages.
The evening finale will be a hand-selected dinner where you can bask in the views from the restaurant.

Today, the adventure continues from Porto to the amazing city of Coimbra with its preserved medieval old town and the famous University of Coimbra -one of the oldest continuously operating universities in the world. Enjoy a guided tour of the University. Stroll the magical streets and gaze upon the multitude of architectural styles, from Romanesque Old Cathedral to the Baroque University Tower. Enjoy lunch at leisure. Reconnect with the group and check into your one-night accommodations and dinner at the property.

Enjoy breakfast before continuing on your Portuguese adventure.

Taking into consideration that Quinta das Lágrimas is the scenario where one of the most well-known love stories of Portugal took place — the love between Ines de Castro and the King Dom Pedro — stop enroute to Lisbon stop in Alcobaça, where the tombs of these two lovers are located, inside the Monastery of Alcobaça, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Monastery of Santa Maria d’Alcobaça was founded in the 12th century by King Alfonso I. Its size, the purity of its architectural style, the beauty of the materials and the care with which it was built make this a masterpiece of Cistercian Gothic art.

A visit to Alcobaça cannot be complete without stopping at one of its cafes to taste de delicious conventual sweets, which follow the traditional recipes of the monks.

Continue on to Lisbon by with a visit to Óbidos enroute. Óbidos draws visitors with its tranquil lagoon, charming old town, and rustic traditional cuisine. It offers everything you could want from a quaint Portuguese town – a Medieval castle, ambient cobblestone streets, and leafy squares. The cobbled “main” street in Óbidos leads from the Porta da Vila to the castle, past whitewashed walls decorated with tumbling bougainvillea and geraniums. Following your guided visit, continue to your final destination of Lisbon.

Make yourself at home in our accommodations for the following five nights where you are well-positioned to explore the many sites in and surrounding the capital city of Portugal. Enjoy a traditional Chef’s dinner with our favorite local chef.

Today, become acquainted with Lisbon on a guided panoramic and walking tour and experience why Lisbon is nicknamed the “White City’ as you bask in the sunshine reflected onto the city from the Tagus River. Explore iconic sites throughout the old town. Visit Belem, home to two UNESCO world heritage sites: the Tower of Belem and the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. Learn about the legacy of Prince Henry the Navigator and receive detailed information on Portugal’s role as a seafaring nation on the forefront of naval exploration in the 15th and 16th century. Vasco da Gama, Pedro Alvares Cabral and Bartolomeu Dias are some of the many great explorers that will be addressed on this tour. Finish your tour with a tasting of the world famous “Pasteis de Belem,” created in the same location since 1837 while exploring the Time Out Market. The balance of day is at leisure.

Return to our accommodations for this evening’s Chef’s dinner.

Experience a full day meandering through some of the most mystical, romantic mountain and seaside towns a short ride away from the hustle and bustle of Lisbon. Feel like royalty in Sintra – a longtime royal sanctuary with its forested landscapes studded with pastel-colored villas and palaces. View the Palacio Nacional da Pena and see why the king of fairytales, Hans Christian Anderson called Sintra “the most beautiful place in Portugal.” Visit Palacio de Queluz, considered to be the “Portuguese Versailles.” Meander the cobbled streets through the historical center of town, visit shops, take pictures of Palacio Nacional de Sintra. Stop for a visit in Estoril and Cascais, on the Portuguese Riviera. Enjoy lunch at leisure before returning to the accommodations to relax and refresh before this evening’s Chef’s dinner.

Make a visit to the renowned local market, Mercado do Livramento, in Arrabida today. Following visit Jose Maria da Fonseca, one of the oldest wine producers in Portugal, just across the Tagus River. Explore the museum and enjoy a tasting of their wines followed by light lunch. Make a visit to a local workshop of azulejos where you can learn how to make these pieces of Portuguese art. Enroute, enjoy a photo stop to see the Cristo Rei and enjoy spectacular views of Lisbon from across the river.

Return to the accommodations for a Chef’s dinner.

Spend today enjoy a well-deserved day at leisure in Lisbon to do any final sightseeing, shopping, or relaxing. Ride the famous Tram #28 in Lisbon, take TukTuk tour, visit the Mercado de Benfica, visit the Lisbon Castle, or visit the Coach Museum. The day is yours to meander as you prefer.

The grand finale will be our Farewell dinner this evening.

Private group transfers will be provided to the Lisbon airport. We hope you enjoyed Portugal!

Boa viagem!