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Lisbon, Porto & The Douro Valley

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You are viewing the 2025 itinerary. Select your departure year
20252026
8 days From £1,599 £1,399 per person
4.1 stars(34 reviews)
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From Lisbon to Porto - explore Sintra's palaces, travel by rail into the breathtaking Douro Valley and visit the coastal town of Cascais

Save up to £200pp

Save up to £200pp on Europe 2025 holidays, when you book by 31st January 2025.

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Mobility Rating 2

2025 Tour code: 25OLF

About the tour

Soak up the rich history, laid-back culture and beautiful landscapes in Portugal. Discover the vibrant city of Lisbon, with its stunning viewpoints, old castle and fabulous squares. Experience the awe-inspiring palaces of Sintra, explore the colourful harbour city of Porto and travel by rail into the terraced vineyards of the breathtaking Douro Valley, following the meandering path of the river. Join us on this holiday, carefully crafted to showcase the best of Portugal.

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Unforgettable Experiences

Travelling through the Douro Valley
Travelling through the Douro Valley
Journey through the scenic Douro Valley by rail, following the meandering route of the river, among lush vegetation and terraced vineyards.
Visiting Sintra
Visiting Sintra
See its hill-top palaces and Moorish fortress, including the brightly coloured Pena Palace – once a retreat of Portuguese royalty.
Discovering Lisbon
Discovering Lisbon
Enjoy a guided tour of the charming streets and sun-drenched squares of the Portuguese capital, and time to explore at your own pace.
Exploring Cascais
Exploring Cascais
Wander around the sandy beaches, marina, and mansions-turned-hotels of this coastal town.

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival in Lisbon

Your holiday starts at London Gatwick where you meet the Tour Manager and group to fly to Lisbon. On arrival, we are transferred by coach to our hotel, with four nights to explore this exciting city. Our hotel is in the heart of Lisbon's Old Town, conveniently close to the public elevator, designed by Gustav Eiffel, which gives us easy access to the Bairro Alto, the higher part of the city.

Tonight we have our first dinner together at a local restaurant. Lisbon comes alive after dark and you could enjoy a walk through the Old Quarter around our hotel after dinner, visiting a local coffee shop or wine bar.

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 - Guided tour of Lisbon and an afternoon to explore

This morning we explore the historic heart of Lisbon on a guided tour by coach and on foot. Lisbon is full of diverse architecture, superb food, and fascinating history, from its time as a Roman settlement to its rebirth as a major elegant European city. Our tour starts at Rossio Square, Lisbon's central plaza and social hub. There is a fountain, and the statue of Dom Pedro IV looks across the wave-patterned mosaics, towards the impressive National Theatre of Lisbon.

We continue through the city's narrow streets to the district of Belém and then your afternoon and evening is free. You could sightsee some more or simply soak up Lisbon's great atmosphere. For dinner, there are many eating options in the Old Quarter or its surrounding neighbourhoods for you to choose from.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 3 - A visit to Sintra and its palaces

Today we board the train to Sintra, a historic city with a Moorish castle and fairytale palaces, nestled in the forested hills above the town. Sintra was the summer residence of Portugal's royal family for over 600 years. With its mixed history, the town has lots to explore, from its fantastical palaces and romantic architecture to its Moorish fortress walls.

Your Day Pass includes travel on Sintra's shuttle bus which takes visitors from the centre to the different palaces. The palace exteriors alone are impressive, but if you'd like to look inside, please note that entrance fees are payable. The town itself has a good choice of cafés and restaurants where you can find lunch. You're free to either travel back with the group to Lisbon, or return at your own pace with your Day Pass.

This evening you are at leisure to continue exploring and to find an interesting place to eat in Lisbon.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 4 - The coastal town of Cascais

Today we travel by rail to Cascais, a nearby coastal resort town known for its golden beaches and marina. The route follows the coast all the way and we pass the glitzy resort of Estoril. You are free to explore this traditional Portuguese fishing town which, like Sintra, was used by the royal families of Portugal when they wanted to escape the city. You could stroll down the pretty cobbled streets of whitewashed buildings, walk along the seafront to the picturesque port, relax on the golden sands or take a dip in the sea. Another option is to visit the town's Museum Quarter to learn about the town's local history and lighthouse. We travel back to Lisbon by train in the afternoon and this evening is free to dine independently.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 5 - Arrival in Porto

This morning we join the train to Porto. This scenic journey of around three hours showcases beautiful views of the Portuguese countryside and picturesque cities like Coimbra, and follows the Atlantic coast before we reach our destination. Our base for the next three nights is an elegant central 3-Star hotel.

After free time for lunch, rejoin the group on a guided city tour for the afternoon. We discover Porto's important landmarks and learn about its interesting heritage. The city is built on a set of hills, the peaks of Porto, which means plenty of stunning views. You are free to look around independently, before a buffet dinner at our hotel this evening.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 - The picturesque Douro Valley and touring Quinta de São Luiz

Today is a highlight of our tour as we take a special rail trip, travelling into the stunning Douro Valley - the best way to experience this UNESCO World Heritage region. Our route takes us through a landscape of terraced vineyards and lush vegetation, scattered with farmhouses and villages, as our train follows the meandering Douro River. The Douro flows from Spain, across Portugal and out into the Atlantic Ocean through Porto.

Our destination is Pinhão, a pretty town surrounded by rolling hills. The historic port wine estates, called quintas, and terraced vineyards around here produce some of the finest port wine across the world, and some of the world's most famous brands own estates which are hidden away in these hills. After free time to look around and find lunch independently, we visit the traditional estate of Quinta de São Luiz by coach. Here we enjoy a tour of the vineyards and a tasting of the Quinta's excellent local port.

At the end of the afternoon, we travel back to Porto by coach, with a free evening ahead.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 7 - At leisure in Porto

Today you are free to discover charming Porto on your own. You could continue sightseeing with a visit to the city's historic heart, medieval Ribeira or 'Riverside'. You could also ride on one of Porto's historic trams (known as Eléctrico) up and down the city hills. Another great thing to do is travel across the Douro to a district called Vila Nova de Gaia. This historic part of the city is where the very first port wine houses were established in the 17th century. This evening we have a farewell buffet dinner at our hotel.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 - Homeward bound

This morning we bid farewell, or 'tchau', to Portugal. Our coach takes us to Porto's airport for the flight back to London Gatwick, or to your local airport. Your holiday may be over but memories of this country's colourful cities and beautiful scenery will remain. A guided tour of Lisbon introduced us to its vibrant atmosphere before time at leisure at the enchanting palaces of Sintra and in the coastal town of Cascais. Travelling through the picturesque Douro Valley, we enjoyed a taste of Quinta de São Luiz and ended our week discovering Porto.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotels

Grande Hotel do Porto, Porto

Grande Hotel do Porto, Porto

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Turim Restauradores Hotel, Lisbon

Turim Restauradores Hotel, Lisbon

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Train

Regional Rail Services

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Reviews

4.1 stars4.1 / 5 · 34 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (12)
  2. 4 stars
    (15)
  3. 3 stars
    (7)
  4. 2 stars
    (0)
  5. 1 star
    (0)

Janer

3 stars

Submitted 21 Oct 2024

Terrible booking experience. Lack of porterage very difficult and hotel in Lisbon disappointing. Very good tour manager and Porto hotel very good .

Collected by Trustpilot

J Faulconbridge

4 stars

Submitted 21 Oct 2024

Well organised, well run tour with an excellent tour manager.

Collected by Trustpilot

J Sai

4 stars

Submitted 16 Oct 2024

Both hotels were in great locations, organised tours were well planned but the day trip to Douro Valley would have been better if a boat trip had been included rather than us all being left in the location with nothing much to do until being picked up at a later time. Nice group of people on the tour but a 'meet & greet' would have been a nice touch on the first day.

Collected by Trustpilot

Mrs K. McNeill

4 stars

Submitted 16 Oct 2024

A good introduction to Portugal, with the areas visited well covered. Lisbon and Porto both very interesting cities. Both hotels located very centrally. We were lucky to have an excellent tour manager, Della Cogan, whose professionalism and attention to detail throughout was second to none. We were less lucky with the weather in early October!! If seaside resorts with Marinas aren't for you, maybe skip the day visit to Cascais but still use the travel day-ticket to explore more of Lisbon instead - we felt like an extra day there would have been welcome. If you are planning to go late season, maybe check out wet-weather activities like museums/ markets in advance. Loved the Balhao food market in Porto, and Time Out in Lisbon is a real foodie experience (if you can get a seat to eat your treats!)

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Gerry

5 stars

Submitted 16 Oct 2024

Well balanced tour with a good mix of rail excursions and free time. The highlights were the Douro Valley excursion from Porto to Pinhao, the amazing Portugese seafood, and last but no means least Della our tour manager. She was brilliant. Excellent communications from beginning to end and always on hand if we needed any information or assistance. The only down side was the size of room in the Lisbon hotel. Seemed like a single size room with a double bed and very limited space for clothes.

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Mrs Hilary Daniels

5 stars

Submitted 18 Sep 2024

We had an amazing holiday in Portugal,from start to finish,a brilliant tour mananger,very nice group of people,good hotels in good locations,excellent tour guides in Lisbon and Porto. We would have have liked longer in Lisbon,maybe this could be an eight night break or start in Porto and have a whole free day in Lisbon. Many thanks to Simon for looking after us for the whole week,he is a credit to to the company!

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