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Lisbon, Porto & the Douro Valley

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You are viewing the 2026 itinerary. Select your departure year
202520262027
8 days From £1,499 per person
3.9 stars(46 reviews)
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From Portugal’s capital of Lisbon to Porto, explore Sintra's palaces, travel by rail into the breathtaking Douro Valley and visit the coastal town of Cascais

Mobility Rating 2

2026 Tour code: 26OLF

About the tour

Immerse yourself in the rich history, diverse culture and beautiful landscapes of Portugal. Discover the vibrant city of Lisbon, with its stunning viewpoints, hill-top castle and magnificent squares. Experience the enchanting palaces of Sintra, explore the colourful harbour city of Porto and travel by rail into the terraced vineyards of the 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

Journeying through the scenic Douro Valley
Journeying through the scenic Douro Valley
Take an unforgettable trip through the scenic Douro Valley by rail, following the meandering route of the river, among lush vegetation and terraced vineyards.
Visiting magical Sintra
Visiting magical Sintra
In the fascinating town of Sintra, visit enchanting hill-top palaces and Moorish fortress, including the vividly-coloured Pena Palace – once a summer retreat of Portugal’s royal family.
Tasting port wines at an esteemed quinta
Tasting port wines at an esteemed quinta
On a visit to the wine estate of Quinta de São Luiz in the heart of the Douro Valley, we take a guided tour of historic vineyards before a tasting of its fine port wines.
Discovering Lisbon
Discovering Lisbon
Following a guided tour of the charming streets and sun-drenched squares of Portugal’s striking capital, there is plenty of time to explore this vibrant city at your own pace.
Exploring beautiful Cascais
Exploring beautiful Cascais
On an excursion to Cascais, one of Portugal’s best kept secrets, stroll along the sandy beaches and marina of this beautiful coastal town with its historic mansion-houses.

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival in Lisbon

Your holiday starts at London Gatwick where you meet the Tour Manager before boarding a flight directly to Lisbon. On arrival, we are transferred by coach to our hotel with four nights to explore this exciting city. Set in the heart of Lisbon's Old Town, our hotel is 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 striking architecture, superb food, and fascinating history, from its time as a Roman settlement to its rebirth as a major 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, head uphill to one of the city's stunning viewpoints, or simply soak up Lisbon's great atmosphere. For dinner, there are many eating options in the city's Old Quarter nearby, or you could venture into a surrounding neighbourhood.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 3 - Sintra’s vibrant palaces

We take the train to Sintra this morning, a historic city with a Moorish castle and a number of 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 several 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 using your Day Pass.

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

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 4 - The coastal town of Cascais

A rail trip to the coastal resort of Cascais awaits today, known for its golden beaches and pretty marina. The route follows the coast all the way and we pass the glitzy resort of Estoril.

In Cascais, you are free to explore this traditional 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 historic Porto

Our day begins with a three-hour rail trip to Porto. This scenic journey showcases beautiful vistas of the Portuguese countryside and picturesque cities like Coimbra and Aveiro, before following the Atlantic coast as we approach our destination. Our base for the next three nights is an elegant three-star hotel, centrally located.

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 some uphill walking but also 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 Quinta de São Luiz

We enjoy a highlight of our tour today, a rail journey into the stunning Douro Valley - the best way to experience this spectacular 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 produce some of the finest port wines in the world, and some of the most famous international 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 estate's excellent port wines.

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 the charming city of 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 option today is to 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 sit down to a farewell buffet dinner at our hotel.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 - Homeward bound

Our exploration of Portugal began with a guided tour of Lisbon and its vibrant neighbourhoods before time at leisure discovering the enchanting palaces of Sintra and the idyllic coastal town of Cascais. On a rail journey into the picturesque Douro Valley, we enjoyed a taste of fine port wines at the esteemed Quinta de São Luiz and ended our holiday discovering the unique historic sights of Porto. After breakfast this morning, a coach takes us to Porto's airport for our flight back to London Gatwick. On arrival, you are free to continue your journey home.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Discoveries collection

Our Discoveries range offers everything you need at a great price so you can travel with confidence. It provides comfortable, locally run accommodation*, standard rail or economy flights and expert-led group tours. You'll be in groups with an average of 30-35 travellers and a maximum of 40. *where available

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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Reviews

3.9 stars3.9 / 5 · 46 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (14)
  2. 4 stars
    (17)
  3. 3 stars
    (12)
  4. 2 stars
    (2)
  5. 1 star
    (1)

Robert Carter

5 stars

Submitted 28/May

Lovely itinerary at a good pace with plenty of time to do one's own thing. Beautiful scenery and great location for the hotels

from Great Rail Journeys
Hi Robert, Thank you for your review. I'm glad to hear you found the itinerary to be suitable and give you time to explore. Great photos, the Pastel de Nata look delicious! We hope to see you again soon. Richard
1 comment

Collected by Trustpilot

Robert Carter
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Mr Barry Chambers

5 stars

Submitted 26/May

Great tour, even though there were no trains due to strikes. We missed nothing, thanks to our tour manager's hard work in arranging replacement coaches.

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Mr Barry Chambers
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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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C Divall

5 stars

Submitted 18 Sep 2024

Excellent in all respects.

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john barker

5 stars

Submitted 18 Sep 2024

Wonderful holiday went to some loverly places at lisbon and porto our the holiday representative Simon was great kept us inform and up to date each day would consider another holiday with Simon in charge again.

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john barker
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