Culinary Portugal on a special tour / Temporarily unavailable

On this first day of your special tour 'Culinary Portugal', you will be welcomed at Lisbon airport by our expert English-speaking guide. From there, your private guide & driver will take you to your hotel so you can freshen up. Depending on the arrival time of your flight, a guided visit to one of Lisbon's districts is possible.

Put on your walking shoes, stretch your legs and enjoy this beautiful city. Lisbon is built on seven hills, so some of the streets can be quite steep. Also bear in mind that most of the streets are cobbled and have rather narrow pavements.

After or during this walk, when you have caught the Lisbon vibe, choose a restaurant for dinner. Ask your guide for tips!

• Welcome at Lisbon Airport
• Transfer to your hotel
• A short visit to one of the city districts, depending on your arrival time
• Overnight stay in Lisbon

Pack your bags, because today we head south. We drive across the Tagus River to the edge of the Arrábida Nature Reserve bordering the Alentejo region. With a visit to a family of winemakers with almost two centuries of experience, our culinary tour of Portugal begins immediately.

The family has several quintas, each with its own atmosphere and grape varieties. Today, we visit one of their vineyards and the accompanying wine museum. If desired, we can organise a wine tasting.

After this visit, we pass through the city of Setúbal on our way to a restaurant near the Estuário do Sado (mouth of the Sado River). This restaurant is known for its regional delicacies, a combination of the flavours of the Alentejo's interior and delicacies from the river and the ocean.

Overnight stay near the nature reserve, possibly in a castle hotel.

• Visit to a vineyard and wine museum, with or without wine tasting
• Stay and enjoy near the Estuário do Sado
• Overnight stay near the nature reserve

After breakfast, we continue our culinary tour of Portugal inland to visit a fantastic Herdade (estate) set in an enchanting, serene landscape. The wines have been repeatedly awarded for their premium quality. To complement the wine tasting, we recommend that you also have lunch here!

On the way to our next destination, we stop briefly to soak up the atmosphere of Beja. Today this is a peaceful town, but in the past it played an important role in defending Portugal's borders. The imposing 13th century castle, built on earlier fortifications by the Moors and Romans, bears witness to the conflict-filled history of this town. With 197 steps, the 40-metre-high tower is the tallest in Portugal. At the top, you will be rewarded with a sensational view over Beja and the rolling plains below.

We then continue to the historic city of Évora. Next to the Roman temple, you will find a luxury hotel, where you can book rooms if you wish. After you have settled in, you can go for a walk at your leisure, with or without our guide. Or would you rather just sit and relax? That's possible too!

For dinner in the evening, we can suggest an excellent restaurant, amidst the peace and quiet. Please let your guide know if you are interested, so he can make the reservation.

• Wine tasting and possibly lunch at a Herdade
• Short visit to the city of Beja
• Overnight stay in Évora

Leave your suitcase at the hotel this morning, as you will be sleeping here again tonight. Today we visit several vineyards in the Évora area, each with their own unique character. You will enjoy the extensive vineyards, olive groves and numerous fields of local crops, many of which are organically grown.

Not only will you have the opportunity to taste many different wines, but you will also have the chance to have lunch at one of the wineries.

After all the tasting and savouring, we will drive back to Évora, where you can rest or go for a short walk (accompanied by your guide if you wish). For dinner, our guide will suggest another excellent restaurant.

• Visits to various vineyards with optional wine tasting and lunch
• Free time or guided walk in Évora
• Overnight stay in same hotel in Évora

After a good night's sleep and breakfast, it's time to pack your bags. We head to a vineyard in the rolling hills north of Lisbon for a wine tasting. This vineyard also offers a delicious gourmet lunch. Let your guide know if he can reserve it for you.

Then we go to the Quinta dos Loridos located next to the famous Buddha Eden Garden. This exceptional oriental garden of 35 hectares, the largest in Europe, has numerous Buddha statues and other sculptures, pagodas and a real terracotta army. A monumental place to wander around and admire the works of art.

If there are at least 6 of you, your guide can book a wine tasting in the quinta's wine cellar.

After this visit, it is time to move on to our next destination: Óbidos. This medieval walled town is one of the most picturesque and best-preserved fortified towns in Portugal. You'll fall head over heels in love with its labyrinth of narrow, cobbled streets and charming huddled houses, guarded by a sturdy castle that is now a hotel. Your guide will tell you why this little town has acquired a romantic nickname. Also don't miss the chance to try a Ginjinha de Óbidos, a cherry liqueur uniquely served in a chocolate cup.

We suggest spending the night in Caldas da Rainha, in a 4-star hotel with an excellent restaurant.

• Visit to a vineyard north of Lisbon and wine tasting with optional gourmet lunch
• Visit to Buddha Eden garden with optional wine tasting
• Visit to the medieval town of Óbidos
• Overnight stay in Caldas da Rainha

After breakfast, enjoy some rest on a longer drive to the north of Portugal, where we visit a quinta near Viseu. The quinta is located in the heart of the Dão region, just south of the Douro valley. Dão wines are among the most highly regarded in Europe, so we will hold a tasting here.

For lunch, we recommend a high quality Portuguese restaurant in the heart of the historic city of Viseu. The founder of this restaurant searched all the villages of the region for old, indigenous recipes that have been passed on orally generation after generation. The result is a unique menu!

After lunch, it is time to discover the historic centre of Viseu with its narrow medieval streets. In the square by the cathedral, marvel at the many amazing granite buildings.

In the historical centre, your guide may recommend another gastronomic restaurant with a traditional and cosy atmosphere. The dishes may of course be accompanied by exquisite wines.

You can stay in a 5-star hotel outside the city centre where you can enjoy panoramic views of the landscape.

• Visit and wine tasting in the Dão region
• Guided walk in the historical centre of Viseu
• Overnight stay in Viseu

Today, we continue our culinary tour of Portugal northwards to the Douro Valley, a wine region recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. We visit a beautifully situated quinta on the right bank of the River Douro. Over the centuries, this quinta has perfected Douro and port wines. Moreover, they also produce one of the best extra virgin olive oils of the region.

We will definitely take the time for a wine tasting on the quinta. There are several possibilities for lunch in the area.

Although there is time for a cruise on the Douro River on a later day in the itinerary, you can also choose to go on a boat trip today. Or perhaps you would like to go straight to the 5-star hotel on the banks of the Douro that we have selected especially for you, and enjoy a room with a view of the river and the valley.

• Visit to and wine tasting in a quinta on the Douro river
• Possibility of a boat trip on the Douro
• Overnight stay in a 5-star hotel of our choice on the banks of the Douro

Enjoy some peace and quiet and make time to admire the beautiful views of the vine-covered landscape of the Douro valley. Take a dip in the hotel's heated swimming pool, follow one of the many nature trails and savour the scents and colours of the botanical garden. Or enjoy one of the luxurious spa treatments offered by the hotel.

You will be totally relaxed before dinner in the hotel's excellent restaurant, which serves local and home-grown vegetables and herbs and the best wines from the Douro Valley.

• Enjoy a relaxing day in this beautiful location
• Overnight stay in the same 5-star hotel

Today we continue to the northernmost point of Portugal at the border with Spain to visit a quinta in the Minho region. This quinta is a pioneer in the creation of Alvarinho wine, which is only made in this region. The quinta benefits from a protective mountain range that helps create the perfect conditions for growing grapes.

After the wine tasting, there will be time to have lunch in the area. Afterwards, our culinary tour of Portugal takes us south to Braga, where you can stay in a 5-star hotel outside the city centre.

Braga is one of the oldest cities in Portugal and is a vibrant student town. Its cathedral is the oldest in Portugal (12th century). In the afternoon, you have free time to explore the city on your own or with your guide. Relax, take time to stroll through the historic centre, admire the many churches and typical local houses. You may also want to have a coffee in the famous Café Brasileira.

Later in the evening, your guide will be happy to recommend one of the best restaurants in the city centre.

• Wine tasting in the Minho region
• Free time in Braga: explore alone or with your guide
• Overnight stay in Braga

It is time to pack your bags again, because today, after breakfast, we drive to Porto. You can stay in the heart of Porto in a 5-star hotel that was once a palace. This hotel is also conveniently located because many of the sights are close by.

Today, the focus is on port wine (or porto in Flemish). This type of wine is actually made in the Douro Valley, but the city of Porto has been somewhat eager to give it its name. The Port wine houses we visit are all located near the river. We can easily walk from one to another and you can taste and enjoy delicious snacks everywhere.

After these visits, there is free time for shopping, unless you prefer to visit some interesting sights with your guide.

In the evening, your guide will help you, if you wish, to choose a first-class restaurant for an unforgettable gastronomic experience. Most of the culinary restaurants are within walking distance of the hotel we suggested above.

• Visit to several Port wine houses in Porto
• Free time for shopping in Porto or a guided walking tour with your guide
• Overnight stay in Porto

No need to pack today, as you will be staying in the same hotel for the night.

This is your full last day, so why not end your culinary journey with a full day cruise on the Douro River! Lunch is also served during these cruises. Cruzeiros Douro offers several options.

You can also choose to spend another day exploring the city of Porto, with or without the guide.

In the evening, you can dine in another excellent restaurant in the gastronomic city of Porto.

• Full day cruise on the Douro or further exploration of the city of Porto with or without your guide
• Overnight stay in the same hotel in Porto

It is time to say goodbye. After breakfast, or later in the day depending on the departure time of your flight, we take you to the airport in Porto.

• Transfer to Porto airport