Explore the steep lanes of Sintra’s old quarter, a fairy-tale hill town set within the UNESCO Cultural Landscape of Sintra. From leafy lookouts, admire the pastel silhouette of Pena Palace and the crenellations of the Moorish Castle ramparts above a cloak of forest.

Learn how Romanticism shaped Sintra’s whimsical villas and gardens, nurtured by mountain mists and ocean breezes. Treat yourself to a warm travesseiro pastry and feel the dreamy atmosphere that captivated poets and kings alike.

Savour Lisbon’s culinary spirit at a hosted farewell feast, where petiscos and coastal flavours anchor a final night together. Share platters of grilled seafood, market-fresh salads, and custard-kissed sweets as you sample regional wines and toast the journey.

Expect convivial Portuguese hospitality in a lively neighbourhood eatery—perhaps in Bairro Alto or by the riverfront. Raise a glass to toasting new friends and the sun-washed memories you’ve gathered across Portugal.

Cross the Douro to Vila Nova de Gaia for a guided tour and tasting inside atmospheric granite lodges. Learn how barrels slumber in the cool, river-breezed Vila Nova de Gaia cellars before sampling ruby and tawny styles from the Douro Demarcated Region (1756).

Discover blending traditions, terroirs stepped into schist terraces, and notes of dried fruit, caramel, and spice. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Enjoy priority entry to the storied Livraria Lello, a neo-Gothic, Art Nouveau gem famed for its stained-glass skylight and curving staircase. Step into an atmosphere where carved wood, bookish hush, and old-world elegance set a cinematic scene.

Hear how Porto’s literary heritage and local rumors link the shop to a certain wizarding world, then linger among curated shelves and soaring details. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Ride the Atlantic from Peniche to the Berlengas Nature Reserve on a scenic boat trip. Drift by translucent coves and sculpted cliffs, weaving into sea caves where emerald light dances on the rock. Conditions permitting, enjoy a swim in sheltered waters.

Spot seabirds along the rugged coastline and view the 17th-century Fort of São João Baptista perched on a basalt outcrop. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Suit up for a coached surf lesson on Peniche’s golden arc of beaches—Baleal’s forgiving sands or the famed tubes of world-class breaks at Supertubos, chosen to match the day’s conditions. Practice paddle-out, stance, and pop-up as you read the Atlantic swells.

Local instructors provide boards, wetsuits, and safety tips tailored to beginners and improvers. Feel the thrill of catching your first green wave. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Sail the channels of the Ria Formosa Natural Park near Tavira on a relaxed catamaran cruise. Skim past sandbanks and lagoon shallows, pausing for swims and strolls on quiet barrier-island beaches, where clear water laps pale, powdery sand.

Glide through a protected wetland alive with herons, egrets, and seasonal flamingos, and learn about traditional shellfishing communities. This optional island hopping experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Walk through the Moorish walls of whitewashed Óbidos, where bougainvillea spills over lanes leading to the castle-crowned ridge. Pass the Porta da Vila azulejos and wander cobbles lined with craft shops and flower-trimmed doorways made for slow, appreciative steps.

Hear how Portuguese queens once received Óbidos as a royal wedding gift, lending the town its romantic aura. Sample a sip of cherry ginjinha served in a chocolate cup, and admire battlements that frame rolling countryside.

Step inside UNESCO-listed Évora to trace centuries of history within 14th-century walls. Meander to the Roman Temple and the Gothic-Romanesque cathedral, then pause on graceful Praca do Giraldo as whitewashed alleys radiate into the Alentejo light.

Absorb the region’s cork-harvesting heritage and deep agricultural traditions while admiring arcaded squares and noble townhouses. Glimpse the somber Capela dos Ossos and feel the continuity of Roman, medieval, and Baroque layers woven through this scholarly, sun-drenched city.

Marvel at the Atlantic’s raw power from the headland above Nazaré, where you can pause for photos and reflection over the amphitheatre of Praia do Norte. Gaze toward the red-topped fort as sets unload across the Praia do Norte big-wave break, a natural arena carved by the Nazaré Canyon.

Hear how winter swells have produced record-breaking waves and transformed this once-quiet fishing village into a mecca for big-wave surfers. The cliff-top vantage offers sweeping coastal views, sea spray on the wind, and a palpable sense of the ocean’s scale.

Explore Coimbra’s terraced hillside and cobbled lanes, strolling from the riverfront to the historic University of Coimbra. Pass stone archways and tiled facades as views open over the Mondego River, and feel the scholarly pulse that has shaped this city for centuries.

Learn how Coimbra blossomed as Portugal’s medieval capital and seat of learning, home to timeworn colleges and Baroque halls. The maze of medieval lanes invites you to linger in shaded squares, hear buskers’ melodies, and soak up the stately academic atmosphere.

Glide through Aveiro’s palm-lined waterways on a traditional moliceiro as you board a colourful boat in the so-called “Venice of Portugal”. Drift past Art Nouveau balconies, tiled townhouses, and salt-tinged lagoons while the skipper shares stories of life along the canals.

Discover how these slender boats once hauled seaweed for local fields, and spot working salt pans that gave Aveiro its maritime character. Savour the gentle pace and consider sampling ovos moles, the city’s custard-filled specialty, after your cruise.

• 1 Dinner (D)
• 8 Breakfast (B)

• Coimbra: Explore the riverfront city and stroll the cobbled streets of its old town. Then cool off with a relaxing beer in the sun. 
• Nazare: This tiny town is making big waves (literally!). We’ll check out Nazare – a coastal gem famous for surfing and being home to the largest underwater canyon in Europe. Expect some of the tallest waves you’ve EVER seen.
• Aveiro: Board a colourful boat in the ‘Venice of Portugal’ and sail past candy-striped buildings and palm-tree lined streets.  
• Obidos: A Moorish Medieval castle, cobbled streets and colourful houses pepper the landscape of this fairytale-like Portuguese town. 
• Évora: Take a casual stroll around the medieval town. You’ll feel yourself grow wiser as you soak up all that lovely art, history and culture. 
• Sintra: There are plenty of UNESCO heritage sites to see in this colourful Portuguese town.

Contiki