With this meticulously planned and executed 2-week Portugal itinerary, you will fly into and out of Lisbon and spend two delightful weeks exploring Central Portugal, Northern Portugal, the Alentejo region and Lisbon.
Take in must see sights and hidden gems as you savour the history, culture, landscapes, traditions and of course, Portuguese food and wine!
GET A QUOTE FOR YOUR DATESI’ve drawn on my 17+ years of expertise and explorations in Portugal to show you my favourite spots and experiences. This is the ideal vacation if you’re looking for a blend of boutique accommodations, private and small group guided tours with local experts, exclusive foodie experiences and some free time to explore major cities on your own.
With the professional service of my local partner travel agency, the logistics and bookings are taken care of and you’ll have 24-hour support throughout your trip, just in case the unexpected happens (e.g. a flight delay).
“Julie Dawn Fox in Portugal hooked us up with Catavino Tours and we were glad she did. I would recommend any first-timers to Portugal go on a guided tour. Everything was taken care of for us, all we had to do was enjoy and follow the Trip Plan App for the next part of the GREAT adventure! Thank you Julie for a great experience in Portugal.”
Soni K
Here are just some of the highlights of this Portugal tour:
- Discover the palaces and gardens of Sintra, medieval Óbidos and UNESCO World Heritage monuments such as Alcobaça Monastery and Coimbra University.
- Explore Portugal’s Roman heritage, hidden mountain villages and fishing villages.
- Savour Porto’s history and gastronomy as well as the stunningly beautiful Douro Valley wine region.
- Check out the gorgeous Minho cities of Braga and Guimarães in the north of Portugal.
- Swim, walk and breathe in the fresh mountain air in the stunning Peneda-Gerês National Park.
- Visit the chilling bone chapel and megalithic monuments in Evora and end your vacation in the vibrant and colourful city of Lisbon.
“Finding Julie’s website was a Godsend. We were planning a trip to Portugal when I found Julie’s website. Her itinerary almost matched mine and I didn’t have to make any reservations. My husband was so happy we had a driver. A stress-free vacation and no on-the-road arguments. Julie allowed me to add extra days to her 2 week itinerary as well as eliminate a few things that didn’t interest us. All of our small group tours and guides were first rate; our driver’s were conscientious, courteous, always early or prompt at our hotels, and the hotels were lovely and in great locations for walking around the cities and towns. Other than dealing with some extreme heat for several days, the trip was perfect. We would highly recommend working with Julie. You won’t be disappointed.”
Patricia A.
Learn more about this fully-managed, private 2-week Portugal itinerary.
MAKE AN ENQUIRYTour summary
Day 1. Saturday: Lisbon | Sintra
- Morning arrival at Lisbon International Airport
- Meet your private driver outside customs and leave towards Sintra
- During the afternoon explore Quinta da Regaleira Gardens and/or Sintra National Palace on your own (not included)
- Overnight in a boutique hotel in Sintra (2 nights)
Day 2. Sunday: Sintra
- Escape the crowds on a small group walking tour (with wine):
- This easy hike takes you through the forest to visit two wonderful gardens and Sintra monuments, the austere and mystically beautiful Capuchos Convent and the gloriously exotic and romantic gardens surrounding Monserrate Palace where you will enjoy a delicious picnic.
- To round off the day in style, you will visit one of the oldest wine regions in Portugal to visit the vineyards and two wineries to taste the high quality fortified wine from the Carcavelos Certified Wine Region.
NOTES (please specify your preferences in the enquiry form):
- This tour can be organised on a private basis
- We can organise this tour without the hike, with a private driver/guide and including a visit to the palaces and winery with wine tasting.
Day 3. Monday: Sintra | Nazaré | Alcobaça | Coimbra
- Meet your private driver at the hotel lobby and leave towards Coimbra
- On the way, stop at the picturesque medieval town of Óbidos for a short walk inside the medieval walls
- Leave towards your choice of Foz do Arelho beach or Nazaré for lunch (not included)
- After lunch, continue your drive north with one more stop to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Alcobaça Monastery where the twin tombs of Portugal’s real life Romeo and Juliet, i.e. Pedro and Inês, lie
- Arrive and check into your boutique hotel in Coimbra (3 nights)
Day 4. Tuesday: Coimbra
- A day at leisure to explore Coimbra at your own pace (note that if you would prefer a guide, this can be added to the itinerary)
- Suggestions include the UNESCO World Heritage University of Coimbra, an underground Roman city and stunning sculptures at the city museum and experience Coimbra’s unique style of fado music.
Day 5. Wednesday: Coimbra with excursion(s)
Choose one of these half-day excursions from Coimbra (also available as private tours if you prefer):
Option 1: Small group Conimbriga Roman Heritage half day tour
Visit the ancient site of Conímbriga, which was populated by the Romans around 139 B.C.. During the rule of Emperor Augusto, Conímbriga grew into a more urban scale including an amphitheater, thermal baths and Roman Forum. The most impressive remains of that períod are the domus (manor houses) with their decorative mosaics.
Option 2: Small group Schist Villages half day tour
Visit two of the 27 historic villages that form part of Portugal’s Schist Villages network, namely Candal and Talasnal. You’ll see the beautiful rust-coloured stone cottages and functional structures such as community laundry tanks and water mills dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. These charming villages are nestled within the Lousã Mountains, a few kilometers away from the city of Coimbra.
GET A QUOTE FOR YOUR DATESDay 6. Thursday: Coimbra | Bussaco | Aveiro | Porto
- 9 am Meet your private driver at the hotel lobby and head towards Bussaco national forest, palace and convent
- Arrive and enjoy a shaded walk in Bussaco and visit the stone-studded Carmelite convent
- Leave towards Aveiro, city of canals and Art Nouveau
- Lunch at a local restaurant (not included) in Costa Nova, the fishing village of houses painted in colourful stripes with ocean beach on one side and the lagoon on the other
- Discover the village within a factory and the history of porcelain manufacture in Portugal at the Vista Alegre Museum in Ílhavo
- Enjoy a short panoramic tour of Aveiro’s attractive city centre before continuing your journey north to Porto
- Late afternoon arrival and check in at a boutique hotel located in Porto city center (4 nights)
Day 7. Friday: Porto
- Small Group Porto Walking Food Tour: You’ll be taken to several tasting locations to enjoy ten traditional and iconic Portuguese foods. Learn about the families and history behind each of the restaurants, cafes, and specialty food shops that you’ll visit. In between tastings, you will hear about the history, architecture and culture while you walk the streets of Porto
- Rest of the afternoon at leisure. Suggestions include exploring the Port wine lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia on your own, visiting one of the city’s unique monuments or doing some shopping
Day 8. Saturday: Porto | Guimarães | Braga | Porto
- Small group Guimarães & Braga tour
- After joining the group in Porto, your driver will take you to visit the delightful medieval city of Guimarães, nicknamed the cradle of Portugal because the country’s first king was from there. The historical centre has preserved a medieval atmosphere and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will visit the imposing 10th century castle, the majestic Dukes of Bragança Palace and the historical center.
- After a relaxing lunch (included), head to Braga, a city that was an extremely important one for the Romans and is known as the religious capital of Portugal. Visit the 11th century cathedral to see the amazing high choir and secret cloisters, followed by a visit to Bom Jesus Sanctuary, located atop one of the hills surrounding the city.
- Return to Porto at the end of the afternoon
Day 9. Sunday: Porto | Douro Valley | Porto
- Meet your English-speaking driver at your hotel lobby and join a luxury small group tour of the Douro Valley, the land of port wine
- Start with a guided visit to a boutique Douro quinta with wine tasting (table wines)
- Lunch is a gastronomic experience at a riverside restaurant where the sommelier will combine the food with Douro wines
- After lunch, enjoy a guided visit to a boutique port wine winery where the grapes are still trod by foot. Here you’ll have the chance to taste a vintage port among others
- Before returning to Porto, experience a one hour mini-cruise along the Douro on one of the charming traditional wooden boats that used to transport the barrels of port wine from the Douro Valley to Vila Nova de Gaia wine cellars
- Return to your Porto hotel at the end of the day.
Day 10. Monday: Porto or Peneda-Gerês National Park
Option 1: Keep the day free so that you can explore Porto on your own.
Option 2: Join a small group tour of Peneda-Gerês National Park and spend the day amid glorious mountains and swimming in waterfalls. A short hike is part of the adventure, as is lunch at a local restaurant with local specialities and local vinho verde wine.
Overnight in your Porto hotel.
Day 11. Tuesday: Porto | Lisbon
- Check out of your hotel in Porto and make your way to the train station (not included).
- Take the fast train from Porto to Lisbon
- Take a taxi or Uber to your Lisbon hotel (not included)
- Arrive and check into your boutique hotel in Lisbon (5 nights)
- Optional: Private Historic Cafés tour The tastes, aromas and atmosphere that permeate certain special places, not the museums, palaces, monuments or the beautiful churches, but rather the old cafés of Lisbon and the century-old bakeries, witnesses of the cultural life of the city. This experience takes you to meet some of the oldest and most genuine Lisbon neighborhoods, where we find cafés, coffee shops and bakeries full of history and glamour.
- Rest of the day at leisure
Day 12. Wednesday: Lisbon | Évora | Lisbon
- Small group Évora full day trip:
- On this tour, you will visit an entirely different Portugal with magnificent vineyards, wheat plains, cork and olive trees. Start by visiting the oldest cromlech in southern Europe, a mystical stone circle that’s over 7,000 years old.
- Next, visit Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you will visit a Roman Temple and the largest Gothic cathedral in Portugal. You will have time to stroll through the streets of Évora and get to know the local crafts before lunch. Try the very rich local cuisine based mainly on pork, olive oil, soups, Alentejo bread and codfish dishes. Delicious!
- Continue your journey in the afternoon to the Church of San Francisco and the famous Chapel of Bones. End the day with a regional Alentejo olive oil tasting before returning to Lisbon.
Day 13. Thursday: Lisbon
- Meet your English-speaking local expert guide at the hotel lobby and leave towards Belém area by taxi (included) for a private half-day tour of Belém
- Take a panoramic tour of Belém Tower and the Discovery Monument before your private guided visit to the National Coach Museum
- Lunch is on your own at a local restaurant (not included)
- Afternoon at leisure to explore Lisbon on your own or enjoy one of the contemporary art museums in Belém
Day 14. Friday: Lisbon
- Countryside lunch near Lisbon. During this countryside barbecue served at an exclusive organic farm and private estate, you will be able to unwind, enjoy the farm, and cook if you feel so inclined in a serene and charming environment that brings together local food and local chefs who are experts in bringing the freshest ingredients to the table in creative and unique ways. Food will consist of authentic and rustic Portuguese flavors, highlighting fresh fish and seafood, meats and smoked sausages, and diverse and colorful salads and roasted vegetables. Traditional Portuguese desserts will conclude your dinner on the sweetest of notes.
- Late afternoon and evening at leisure in Lisbon
Day 15. Saturday: Departure
- Check out of your hotel in Lisbon
- Private transfer from hotel in Lisbon to Lisbon International Airport
- Flight home (not included)
Note: If your dates for two weeks in Portugal don’t match a Saturday to Saturday itinerary, don’t worry. We may need to rearrange some things to account for opening times and tour availability but will do our best to keep the itinerary content the same.
“The 2 week Discovery Tour was a perfect introduction to Portugal! We found most of the guides very knowledgeable and happy to answer amy questions we had. And we had lots! Julie, we had an absolutely FABULOUS trip and we love the itinerary you put together for us and all the tips in your Newsletters. What a wonderful country this is! Full of spectacular beauty, interesting history, and gracious and kind people (who speak really good English). Thank you for your guidance and informed advice!”
Price
Price for this 2-week Portugal itinerary: From €5,950 per person based on 2 people sharing a double room in a 4-star hotel in low season. For an accurate quote for your specific dates and preferences, please use the enquiry form below.
What’s Included?
- 2 nights at a 4-star boutique hotel in Sintra in Double Standard Room with breakfast included;
- 3 nights at 4-star boutique hotel in Coimbra in Double Standard Room with breakfast included;
- 5 nights at 4-star boutique hotel in Porto in Double Standard Room with breakfast included;
- 4 nights at a 4-star in Lisbon in Double Standard Room with breakfast included;
- Private arrival and depart transfer by Deluxe Mercedes Sedan with English-speaking driver;
- 2 Full-day (8 hours) Deluxe Mercedes Sedan with English-speaking driver at disposal as per itinerary from Sintra to Coimbra & Coimbra to Porto;
- Half day (4 hours) Expert local guide service at disposal as per itinerary in Lisbon (Belém);
- Small Group The Unexpected Gardens Walk (with wine);
- Small group Conimbriga Roman Heritage half day tour OR Small group Schist Villages half day tour;
- Entrance fees at Vista Alegre Factory and Museum;
- Small group walking food tour in Porto;
- Small group Guimarães & Braga tour;
- Small group Douro Valley tour;
- 1st class train tickets from Porto to Lisbon;
- Small group Évora full day trip;
- Countryside lunch in Bucelas, with private transfers;
- Welcome information pack, restaurant recommendations, our 24-hour contact number;
- Expert, fully licensed local travel agent coordination & support
What’s Not Included
- Lisbon Tourist Taxes (2€ per person per night, paid directly to the hotel at the end of your stay)
- Porto Tourist Taxes (2€ per person per night, paid directly to the hotel at the end of your stay)
- Gratuities
- Personal expenses
- Flights
- Travel insurance
Make an enquiry
Please complete this form so that my partner travel agency can calculate the price for your specific dates and options.
Or visit the hub page to see all of the fully managed Portugal itineraries I have created for you.
Can’t see an itinerary that fits just right?
If you need to make more than just a couple of tweaks to this, or any of my other ready-made itineraries, you can use my Custom Itinerary Design service to plan a Portugal trip that’s absolutely perfect for you and your companions.
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