8 Nights / 9 days | Itinerary | $ 4,250.00/person

DAY One | Porto City Tour for Newcomers

Pick-up at the Airport. 

Small walk to the most beautiful bookstore in the world (Livraria Lello) an inspiration for Harry Potter’s writer (J.K. Rowling) followed by a small walk to one of the highlights for Portuguese tile artistry: the São Bento Train Station. Lunch with a twist by Michelin Star chef José Avillez and then check-in to your hotel in the UNESCO World Heritage Area of downtown Ribeira. Other sites in the area will be visited, namely some of its shops with handcrafted jewelry and Portuguese art if you feel like it. Otherwise, you can rest. Dinner will be at one of the most traditional restaurants in Porto with a cheerful, colorful and fragrant menu, with a wide variety of fish and seafood, traditional meats, soups and pastas.

DAY Two | Medieval Porto & Guimarães (Portugal’s Birthplace)

The morning will be free for you to enjoy some of the Hotel’s amenities such as the SPA or the Pool, before we head out to the other side of the Douro riverbank, walking the cobblestone streets and crossing King Luís I bridge by foot, where we will lunch at one of the oldest Porto winemakers, where you will also experience a wine tasting. Then, we will head to the historical and quaint town of Guimarães (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) to take in Portugal’s cradle as a nation (since 1143) and stroll its streets and squares and visit the main church and castle. There, dinner will be at a Michelin Star recommended restaurant at the heart of the city. Afterwards we will head back to the hotel in Porto.

DAY Three | Exquisite Experiences: Pastel de Nata Workshop + the Douro Wine Region

We will start our morning visiting the medieval part of Porto, following it with a Pastel de Nata workshop. You will learn how to make Portugal’s famous pastry and also enjoy eating them. As we travel to our next destination we will stop and lunch at a beach side location. We will travel on to Pinhão, and experience a wine tasting, overlooking the Douro River. After enjoying the wine notes and smells, we will check into our hotel. That evening we’ll prepare to dine with amazing views, surrounded by the Douro vineyards.

DAY Four | River cruise at the heart of the Douro Region (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Waking up to astonishing views you will have breakfast and options to enjoy at the hotel. The morning should play as an interlude to our sailing adventure up the river, in the afternoon. Our cruise will take us through breathtaking views of the Douro valley where we will also have lunch. After enjoying our day, we will arrive back at our hotel to dine in the Douro Valley region.

DAY Five | From Wine to Surfing - Nazaré + Óbidos + Santa Cruz

What is quite interesting about Portugal is how quickly one can arrive to different destinations that have no resemblance at all with each other.  You will experience that today. Welcome to the surf style, world renown big wave Mecca of Nazaré where we will have lunch, not far from where world record gigantic waves are surfed (86 feet wave is the record, at Nazaré, by German Surfer Sebastian Sleudtner). However, bare in mind that this is not the season for massive waves. On our way to the Hotel, we'll stop at the quaint & historical town of Óbidos, to stroll and shop around within its walled streets and castle. We will arrive at our hotel in Santa Cruz, settle in and prepare for a culinary surprise that evening.

DAY Six | A Beach & Coastal Day Awaits, with a Afternoon Slice of the Portuguese Versailles

It happens on a regular basis, having glorious beach days in October, in Portugal. So, if the weather allows, you can go for an early stroll by the sea or take yourself on an adventure in the ocean for a surf lesson or a yoga session. These are options available at the hotel, since we will have a free morning to enjoy, before lunch.

After having lunch, we will head to the Alcobaça Monastery, a Gothic architectural ensemble, where a tragic love story is immortalized by a Portuguese King. We will still find time to wine taste at a magnificent location, with sea views before we have another dinner by the sea.

DAY Seven | Europe’s Most Western Point + Lisbon 

In the morning, on our way to Lisbon, we will take the scenery route, making a stop at the most western European tip (Roca Cape). You will be closer to the United States than to any other place in Europe. You will experience the beauty of Portugal’s forest and beaches, along Cascais and Estoril, before arriving in Lisbon, Portugal’s capital. Here, we will start to make a stop at Graça neighborhood where we also have lunch with a view. Since we have already made eye contact with the Portuguese tile tradition (at São Bento Train Station in Porto), we will have a hands-on experience: a tile painting workshop, a personalized souvenir to take home! Of course, while sipping wine!

Before dinner time comes, you can still enjoy a wine tasting (not included in price) at the Hotel, since it was for years the Lisbon headquarters for the Port & Douro wine producers.  The evening will be free, and I strongly recommend you consider a Fado Show (the traditional Portuguese folk music) while dining in the Bairro Alto neighborhood, just a step away from the Hotel.

DAY Eight | Lisbon 

We will start our day in Lisbon by visiting the Tile Museum at Madre de Deus (Mother of God) Convent, to admire not only the tile artistry achieved in Portugal that is Muslim inspired, but also the wonderful architecture and painted ceilings of the Madre de Deus Church. Then we will head to the Terreiro do Paço area - the largest European square - by the Tagus River. We will visit one of the first Enlightenment urban developments to take place in Europe, after the Lisbon Earthquake (1775) while walking some of Lisbon’s trademark streets. We will visit the oldest Church in Lisbon (Cathedral), in the Alfama neighborhood, before we lunch. In the afternoon, we will go back to the Principe Real, passing through the Chiado streets and squares. We can enjoy an afternoon cocktail at one of its amazing rooftops, overseeing Lisbon and the Tagus River. The rest of the afternoon is free. As our final day comes to an end, we will casually dine at a very special and intimate restaurant, where some of our tour experiences and memories can be recalled while having a glass of wine and dinner cooked especially for you!

DAY Nine | Lisbon Airport

I will accompany you to the Lisbon Airport. Wishing you safe travels home. UNTIL YOUR NEXT VISIT TO PORTUGAL, ATÉ Á PRÓXIMA!