Luxury Portugal Tours & Vacations

Portuguese wine is famous throughout the world. For food and drink aficionados, a visit to its wine-growing regions is not to be missed. Our favorite region to include our tours is the beautiful Douro Valley, flanked on either side of the Douro River, stretching through Portugal’s interior from the Spanish border right down to Porto. This UNESCO-protected region produces full-bodied reds, fresh whites, and is the home of sweet, sticky, fortified Port. Also around Porto, to the northwest, you’ll find the Vinho Verde region which produces Portugal’s famously fruity and fresh easy-drinking whites.

Portugal has nearly 2,000km of coastline along which you’ll find some of Europe’s finest beaches. They range from fascinating natural formations like Algar de Benagil which is only accessible by water, to wide sandy stretches with great facilities for a family day at the beach like Praia do Zavial. Portugal has also become well-known for some of the world’s best surf spots, like Coxos in Ericeira and North Canyon in the region of Nazaré.

The two major cities – Lisbon and Porto – are undoubtedly the must-see places to visit in Portugal. The former, Portugal’s atmospheric capital, oozes history and charm, with pretty cobbled streets leading to elegant castles, graceful gardens, and vibrant cultural attractions. Porto is famed primarily for its wine, but you’ll also find more fine architecture and stunning views alongside the Porto River. The Douro Valley is heaven for wine lovers, and Braga – knowns as the spiritual heart of Portugal – is similar for those enthused by history and culture. All of these locations should be included on a typical highlights tour.

A basic highlights tour of Spain and Portugal would take in the principal cities of both: Madrid and Barcelona in the former; Lisbon and Porto in the latter. Such as trip would be a compact 10-11 days with a key focus on culture, history, and urban sightseeing. With more time to play with travelers could also focus on the foodie highlights of Iberia, bringing the Douro Valley in Portugal, and perhaps a trip up to San Sebastian and the Basque region in Spain. A ‘Grand Tour’ could include Braga and Evora either side of Lisbon, then perhaps Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, or the southern Spanish jewels of sophisticated Seville and breathtaking Granada.

A tricky question to answer. The main point to address is that Portugal is the smaller country, with less geographical variation through its regions. It has been a single state for far longer, and all told has a more homogeneous culture countrywide. Spain however is a collection of vastly diverse regions: there is much more difference between, say, the Galicia and Andalusia than there is between either and Portugal. Of course, the best way to educate yourself on the differences between the two Iberian states is by examining in-depth on a tailor-made tour!

100% yes! The humble egg custard tart is an icon of Portugal. The crisp flaky pastry and soft, sweet, sugary filling is a true thing of joy – you’ll easily find yourself snacking on 2 or 3 a day which touring around Portugal! Pastel de Nata are sold all over Portugal, but the recipe originates from the Jeronimos Monastery in Belem, a western neighborhood of Lisbon. The nuns and monks used egg whites to starch their clothes, and needing to find a use for excess egg yolks, came up with this magnificent sweet treat! Pasteis de Belem, right next to the monastery, claims to serve the best Pastel de Nata in the world (we have tried, and think they might have a case!).