Custom Tours in France, Spain and Portugal

The Best of Portugal

Please Note! This is a suggested itinerary for a private tour. There are no scheduled departure dates.

Day 1- Arrival in Lisbon and private transfer to the hotel. Your driver will meet you at the Lisbon Airport and take you to your accommodations conveniently located in the city center. You can rest up from your flight or begin exploring the city on your own. You will stay four nights at the Hotel Britania (4-star) or similar.

Day 2 - Guided visits of Lisbon, Sintra and the Estoril Coast. This morning your tour guide will introduce you to the history and heritage of Lisbon. Settled over the centuries by such different civilizations as the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Visigoths and the Moors, the city is set on seven hills overlooking the river Tejo. From the hilltop of the castle and the Alfama, where sailors lived during the Portuguese maritime discovery period, small houses and narrow streets cascade towards the water,. It was during this period that some of the most impressive monuments were built: the Monastery of Jerónimos (16th century), the Tower of Belém (16th century) and the evocative Monument to the Discoveries (20th century).

After lunch you will tour Sintra and the Estoril Coast. Sintra, a World Heritage Site, will enchant you with the lush vegetation that surrounds the small houses and 19th century chalets along the mountain. Visit the medieval Vila Palace, built as a summer residence by Portuguese royalty, with an excellent display of the famous Portuguese glazed tiles called azulejos. Return to Lisbon via Estoril and Cascais.

Day 3 - Day at leisure to enjoy the city of Lisbon on your own or...

Optional full-day private tour to Alcobaça or Batalha, Fátima, Nazaré, and Óbidos. This tour takes you to some of the most important cultural jewels of Portugal. You can visit Fátima, the religious capital of Portugal, plus either Alcobaça or Batalha. Or, if you are not interested in Fátima, you can visit both Batalha and Alcobaça.

Start the day with a visit to the Sanctuary of Fátima, the site where Our Lady of Fátima appeared in 1917. Since then, millions of pilgrims have gone there to fulfill vows, to pray or just to feel its mystical strength. The Sanctuary Square, with a capacity of 300,000 visitors, is twice the size of St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.

From Fátima continue to the Monastery of Batalha, the best example of the late Gothic Portuguese style. If you choose to go to Alcobaça instead, you will visit the famous 12th-century monastery. This monastery is not only a beautiful example of Portuguese architecture, but it also contains magnificent stone monuments in memory of King Don Pedro I and Dona Inês de Castro (characters of a true romantic Portuguese story from the 14th century, very similar to "Romeo and Juliet").

For lunch, you can enjoy fresh grilled fish and amazing ocean views in the quaint fishing village of Nazaré. The last stop on the Tour will be Óbidos, a magnificent medieval town that you can explore on foot with your guide. This town will take you back centuries in time, with its white- washed houses completely surrounded by the old castle walls. After walking through the town and maybe climbing up to the ramparts to enjoy the incredible view it will be time to return back to Lisbon for a relaxed evening.

Day 4 - Guided visit to the Alentejo Region, including Évora and a traditional wine estate. Morning departure towards the plains of the Alentejo region, embellished by olive trees, cork oak trees and immense wheat fields. In Évora, another World Heritage Site, you'll see evidence of the city's imposing past: the Roman temple, the white-washed Moorish houses and Christian churches, including the Church of Saint Francis and the famous "Chapel of the Bones."

After lunch, continue on to a private visit of a local winery. After visiting the wine cellars, you'll have time to taste the local fruity and intense wines and discover why this area is considered one of the best wine regions in Europe. Return to Lisbon.

Day 5 - Lisbon to Porto. Today you will travel to Porto by first class train, a 3-hour trip. After checking into your hotel you'll have the rest of the day free to start exploring Porto. Your hotel for the next three nights will be the 4-star Hotel do Teatro or similar.

Day 6 - Full-day private tour of Porto. Today, you'll have a driver and car at your disposition for the whole day (9 AM to 6 PM). You'll also have a private guide available for the morning to show you the most important monuments.

Start with a panoramic tour of the trendiest areas of the city called Boavista and Foz. This is where some of the best museums of the city are located and also where some of the nicest residential neighborhoods can be found. Once you reach the historical city center, also a World Heritage Site, you'll want to tour the Church of São Francisco. This old simple Gothic-style Franciscan church is sometimes called "the cave of gold" due to the sheer amount of the precious metal used in the Baroque décor of the interior.

Next door you'll find the Stock Exchange Palace with incredible granite work and magnificent neo-Arab influences. Stop to admire the interesting blue and white glazed tiles of the São Bento Railway Station on your way to the 12th-century Cathedral, where you'll be able to look across the Douro River and see all of the port wine lodges that brought fame and fortune to the city.

After crossing the D. Luis Bridge you will start to smell the aroma of the slowly aging port wine. The massive vats improve the quality of a wine that can last for more than 100 years. During a guided visit of the wine cellars you will learn about its production, storage methods and all the secrets that make this nectar one of the most appreciated in the world.

After free time for lunch in a traditional restaurant of Porto you will head to another part of the city: the aristocratic Avenida dos Aliados famous for its banks and trendy shops near Santa Catarina Street and also to take a look at the Clérigos Church. It will be then up to you to decide if you'd like to spend the rest of the day shopping or visit one of the main museums of contemporary art in Portugal, the magnificent Serralves Foundation.

Day 7 - Visit to Guimarães and Braga with driver. Today your driver-guide will take you to Guimarães in the Minho region. Guimarães is considered the "cradle" of Portugal. On top of the "sacred hill" of the city is the castle where tradition says that the first Portuguese king was born. Next to the castle is the magnificent Ducal Palace. Next, you'll walk through the narrow streets of the city with its small squares that make Guimarães one of the most interesting cities of Portugal.

After lunch in Guimarães, you'll continue to Braga to visit the famous Sanctuary of "Bom Jesus" and the oldest Cathedral in Portugal, right in the center of Braga. Return to Porto in time for dinner.

Day 8 - Private transfer to Porto airport.

Optional Day 8: Return to Lisbon by first-class train and overnight at the Hotel Olissippo Oriente, which is in the newest part of Lisbon and close to the airport for departure in the next morning.

Optional Day 9: Private transfer to Lisbon airport.

Included with basic program

Included with optional extra day

Not Included

Price - Start Dates - Questions: Please contact us for details.

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If you prefer a custom tour, please tell us where and when you want to travel and we will create a tailor-made tour that fits your specific interests, schedule and budget.

Your tailor-made package will include ground transportation, guided tours and hotel rooms.

The price of your program will depend on your needs (scheduled group tours, private guides...) and the number of participants in your group, the length of the trip, the category of hotels, the number of places visited, the time of year, etc.

We will do all the bookings and pay each individual provider on your behalf. In other words, you go and have fun and we'll take care of the details for you.

Statue of Christ, Lisbon

Cloister at Alcobaca

Blue tiles (azulejos)
Porto train Station

Roman temple, Evora

Boats in Nazare

Fatima