Day 1 - Arrive Lisbon

Upon arrival at Lisbon airport you are welcomed to Portugal by your local Guardian Angel as you exit customs into the arrivals hall, and transferred to your hotel where you are assisted with check-in procedures.

Later you enjoy a food-and-wine-focused walking tour on which you experience the perfect balance between sightseeing, cultural context and, of course, food and wine tastings! Your foodie guide meets you and together you go on an exploration of the capital through the areas of Chiado and Bica. Start the tour on a short walk to some of your first food stops, trying Lisbon’s traditional pastel de nata (custard tart) and a bifana (fried pork sandwich) at a little mom-and-pop spot, considered the pit stop for all locals looking for their delicious snack fix. Explore the Bica district, take a stroll through some offbeat streets and sit down at a restaurant specialized in petiscos (the Portuguese cousin of tapas) where you taste and share an assortment of small dishes with some delicious sangria and amazing views of the city and the river.

This foodie walking tour fully replaces dinner (or if you are a true epicurean, let’s call it a progressive dinner where each tasting stop comes filled with new flavours and traditional Portuguese dishes) and immerses you in Portuguese culture in a unique and extremely fun way!

Overnight: Pousada de Lisboa

Day 2 - Lisbon - Coimbra

Today head about an hour north to Óbidos, a picturesque citadel that for many centuries was ceded to queens in their wedding dowries. Containing a castle, churches, medieval defensive walls, an aqueduct, white-washed houses, flowers and handicraft shops, it is also known for its annual chocolate festival and cherry liqueur. Next continue to Alcobaça to visit the huge 12th-century Cistercian monastery. Previously, monks administered and farmed the region from here, living in great comfort until the state confiscated all church assets in the 19th century. The vast Romanesque church contains the flamboyant Gothic tombs of King Pedro I and his lover Inês de Castro, the main characters of a tragic and passionate 14th-century love story. In addition, the huge kitchen, dormitory, cloisters, refectory and Hall of the Kings are all of great interest.

Continue on for a leisurely stop in the fishing port of Nazaré - from Sítio, the section of the town perched high on a promontory that is also a pilgrimage site, you can admire fine views of the coast and port. As you wander the streets here you notice that the women of Nazaré, often found mustering stands of dried fruit, still wear traditional tartan skirts above the knee, and, on feast days, seven petticoats. From here continue to the university city of Coimbra.

Overnight: Quinta das Lagrimas Hotel

Meal Plan: B

Day 3 - Coimbra

From a count of 27 historic villages that make part of the 'Schist Villages Network', your visit today focuses mainly on two of them - Candal and Talasnal – which contain constructions dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. These are located near the Lousã Mountain, a few kilometres away from the city of Coimbra!

Candal is the most developed of the mountain villages and more familiar with receiving visitors due to its accessible location. Here the air is pure, with only 7 permanent inhabitants and their respective four-legged companions! Start your tour with a walk through the centre of the village, going all the way up to the panoramic view spot, and enjoy the breath-taking views over the valley and Ribeira do Candal.

Continue to Talasnal, described as a faithful representation of 'a magical world of luxurious vegetation in which deer, bucks, boar and other species can be seen wandering around!' This village is composed of many restored houses, and, at any given day of the week, it's a very natural reaction to just stop and listen so you can hear the hum of the bees or the water that runs across it. During the weekend the village gains another life: the restaurants and shops open for business, the visitors show up from various mountain trails, and you can listen to the echoes of the people who are just enjoying themselves on the streets of this charming place!

In the evening, discover the importance of the “Song of Coimbra” during a pedestrian walk through the historic city centre, where you discover that there are two types of Portuguese fado (street serenades and monumental serenades) and visit enigmatic places that include the houses where important poets and musicians lived while they were simple students of Coimbra. 

At the end of the guided tour enjoy a live Coimbra fado show, played by students and former students of the oldest university in the country, and finish the day with a taste of port in the company of the musicians.

Overnight: Quinta das Lagrimas

Meal Plan: B

Day 4 - Coimbra - Douro Valley

Today you are privately transferred north to the Douro Valley. En route, your driver-guide makes a stop in Bussaco, a treasure of the country's central region. Bussaco's National Forest is a protected area planted by the Order of the 'Carmelitas Descalços', to whom these lands had been granted at the beginning of the 17th-century for them to build a spiritual retreat and convent.

In 1888, the Portuguese Crown initiated the construction of a Royal Palace at the same location as the convent, which had to be partially demolished in order to make way for the newer Neo-Manueline-style building. Enjoy a walk through the forest and then continue to your hotel.

Overnight: The Vintage House Hotel

Meal Plan: B

Day 5 - Douro Valley

The Douro Valley is a World Heritage Site and home to some 240,000 hectares of vineyards, producing equal quantities of wine and port, boasting the breath-taking landscape of terraced hills overlooking the River Douro. Accompanied by your driver and guide, visit the stunning Quinta do Seixo, where you enjoy a hike showcasing the excellent views the valley has to offer. Continue from here to the river port of Pinhão to see the attractive glazed tiles of the railway station. Time permitting, head north towards the city of Vila Real. Here you have the opportunity to visit the Casa de Mateus, a Baroque masterpiece of a mansion designed by the Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni, set in equally sumptuous gardens. Return to Porto from here.

Overnight: The Vintage House Hotel

Meal Plan: B

Day 6 - Douro Valley - Setubal

Today you are privately transferred to your new destination of Setubal, less than an hour south of Lisbon. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Overnight: Hotel Casa Palmela

Meal Plan: B

Day 7 - Setubal

This morning enjoy a guided hike through the Arrábida Natural Park. The park was created in 1976 and endowed with supervisory powers over the area proposed for UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the slopes of the Arrábida Chain are covered by Mediterranean maquis, the most characteristic vegetation of the region. The starting point of your hike is in the plateau of Cape Espichel where you begin a descent to a flatter area, located by a southern cliff that provides unique landscapes due to its geographical position and slope terrain. Along the way, observe testimonies of local history, such as the Forte de S. Domingos da Baralha. (5 kilometres soft hike).

The rest of the day is at leisure for you to enjoy the hotel facilities and its surroundings.

Overnight: Hotel Casa Palmela

Meal Plan: B

Day 8 - Depart Setubal

After breakfast you are privately transferred to Lisbon airport for your departure flight.

Meal Plan: B