Walk the Bussaco National Forest, the Iberian Peninsula’s first certified Therapeutic Forest, following the Trail of Remarkable Trees shaped by Carmelite monks. Pause at fern-filled valleys, the monumental Fonte Fria staircase and Wellington’s Olive Tree.

Conclude near the neo-Manueline palace with a picnic of Bairrada suckling pig paired to local sparkling wine, blending forest calm with regional gastronomy and battle-scarred history.

Step into Coimbra’s academic rituals with a former student who decodes black cloaks, serenades and time-honoured rites. Conclude by cruising the Mondego, sampling regional wine and produce against a backdrop of riverbanks and bell towers.

Offered as a Signature Day option at additional cost, this experience is bookable on tour with your Signature Guide.

Arrive to convivial Lisbon and join a welcome reception inside the storied Monastery of Trindade, a 13th-century convent reborn as a celebrated dining hall since 1836. Toast your journey with regional wines as you meet your Signature Guide and fellow travellers amid vaulted stone and shimmering azulejo panels.

Savour classic Portuguese flavours in an atmospheric setting that distils Lisbon’s blend of sacred and secular, past and present. The cloistered architecture and tilework frame a memorable first taste of the city’s culinary heritage.

Create your own azulejo under the guidance of master artisans at a family-run atelier. Learn about pigments, glazing and motifs before you hand-paint a ceramic tile to be kiln-fired and returned later on the tour, a tactile keepsake of Lisbon.

Trace how Moorish craft, Renaissance taste and Baroque exuberance shaped Portugal’s tile tradition. The workshop reveals centuries of symbolism while immersing you in a living craft central to Lisbon’s streetscapes.

Explore the mazey lanes of Alfama on a guided tasting walk that weaves local stories with flavour. Stop at handpicked taverns and counters to taste classic dishes—from caldo verde and pastéis de bacalhau to bifanas—paired with regional liqueurs and sweet pastries.

Between bites, hear how fishermen, fado singers and market traders shaped the neighbourhood’s identity. Stone alleys, laundry-strung balconies and the tang of the Atlantic set the scene for Lisbon’s edible heritage.

Step into a 19th-century salon to experience an intimate fado introduction, surrounded by stucco arches and Moorish motifs. Learn how this UNESCO-listed song tradition channels Lisbon’s saudade—melancholy, longing and pride—through voice and Portuguese guitar.

The ornate Neo-Arab palace setting heightens the drama, with stories of famed fadistas and neighbourhood casas de fado illuminating the music’s roots in working-class Lisbon and bohemian Chiado.

Decode the gardens and palaces of Quinta da Regaleira with a private expert who reveals hidden symbols, grottoes and the spiral descent of the Initiation Well. Wander terraces and tunnels that echo esoteric currents woven into Sintra’s landscape.

Part of the UNESCO Sintra Cultural Landscape, this romantic estate blends neo-Manueline flourishes with Masonic and Templar references, offering a richly layered encounter with Portugal’s fin-de-siècle imagination.

Enter the retreat of the Countess of Edla, created with King Ferdinand II, choosing between a gardener-led exploration of exotic plantings or a private operatic performance by a music student within the romantic grounds.

The Swiss-inspired chalet and botanical collection capture Sintra’s 19th-century spirit of art and nature intertwined, where curated landscapes and the performing arts were designed to delight the senses.

Meet the winemaker at Viúva Gomes, a family estate founded in 1808, to learn how ocean winds and sandy soils shape the Atlantic-swept appellation of Colares. Stroll the cellar and taste Ramisco wines grown on rare, phylloxera-resistant ungrafted vines.

Discover the challenges and rewards of preserving one of Europe’s most singular coastal terroirs, where tradition endures against the elements and time.

Cross the Tagus by cacilheiro ferry, gliding past views of the 25 de Abril Bridge and Cristo Rei before docking in riverside Cacilhas. Settle into a classic marisqueira to sample the day’s catch prepared simply and beautifully.

The working-waterfront atmosphere, salt air and Lisbon’s illuminated skyline across the river frame a relaxed evening where maritime tradition meets unfussy Portuguese cuisine.

Explore the Convent of Christ alongside João Fiandeiro, a leading scholar of the order, to trace the Knights Templar legacy from fortress to monastery. Enter the Charola and pause before the famed Manueline window, a stone tapestry of late-Gothic exuberance.

Wander the cloisters and the Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes, once the Grand Masters’ private gardens, for insight into piety, power and Portugal’s Age of Discoveries.

Handle a traditional longbow under expert supervision to experience medieval technique and stance. A historical interpreter explains equipment, training and battlefield roles as you practice period-inspired archery in a safe, structured setting.

This hands-on session connects Tomar’s martial past to embodied skill, illuminating the routines that once underpinned monastic-military life.

Visit the pentagonal tower of Dornes, a rare architectural form guarding a spur above the Zêzere River. Climb to take in forested bends and village rooftops shaped by centuries of frontier life.

Linked to Templar watch duties, Dornes distils Portugal’s riverine defenses and small-town rhythms, where granite, water and devotion have long intertwined.

Enter the storied world of Quinta das Lágrimas during a private presentation that unpacks the legendary love of Pedro and Inês. Stroll lawns and shaded paths to the spring known as the Fonte das Lágrimas, entwined with their 14th-century tale.

Palatial architecture, mature trees and romantic landscaping reveal an estate where Portuguese history and myth are written into the grounds themselves.

Walk the vineyards at Quinta das Quartas with a member of the Pocas family or estate team to learn how schist slopes, altitude and exposure shape Douro wines. Tour the working winery and cellars before a guided tasting accompanied by estate stories.

Generations of know-how and terraced hillsides reveal a valley where geology, climate and human endeavour have forged a singular wine culture.

Sail aboard a traditional rabelo, the wooden boat once used to ferry casks downstream to Vila Nova de Gaia. Glide past terraced vineyards and whitewashed quintas while guides recount the river’s pre-dam trading era and boatmen’s craft.

The gentle pace and shifting perspectives frame the Douro’s amphitheatre of schist and vine, a serene counterpoint to the valley’s rugged labour.

Join a guided walking exploration that traces Porto’s rise from medieval river port to global entrepôt. Step inside Pérola do Bolhão to hear how colonial goods and Atlantic routes shaped local tastes, then continue through artisan streets and riverfront lanes.

From merchant facades to iron bridges, the city’s built fabric narrates ambition and exchange, revealing Porto’s distinctive commercial character.

Cross the Dom Luís I Bridge to tour the Pocas cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, where vintage ports mature in seasoned oak and cool granite. Learn ageing and blending techniques before a tutored tasting that highlights style, year and wood influence.

Stories of harvests, rabelos and family stewardship place each pour within the wider Douro tradition of patience and precision.

Gather beside the river for a convivial finale and farewell dinner at Cais-me Bem. Share contemporary Portuguese dishes that spotlight Atlantic seafood, seasonal produce and culinary craftsmanship.

The Douro’s evening light, clinking glasses and easy conversation create a warm close to your northern journey, celebrating the flavours and friendships forged along the way.

Meet a Carolino rice grower in the Baixo Mondego and a guardian of traditional salt pans before heading to a countryside kitchen to cook seafood rice with a local chef. Taste how terroir and tides season central Portugal’s table.

This Signature Day option delves into river-to-plate connections and is offered at additional cost, bookable on tour with your Signature Guide.

Walk between stone-built Schist Villages tucked into the Lousã hills, meeting artisans and gathering a fragment of schist to shape into a handmade beeswax candle. Visit Lousã Castle for views that anchor centuries of mountain life.

This Signature Day experience blends nature, craft and heritage. It is at additional cost and can be booked on tour.

Join a hands-on ceramics workshop inside an 18th-century former pottery, learning Coimbra techniques from wheel to glaze. Guided by local artists, create your own piece inspired by historic patterns and city colours.

This small-group Signature Day activity is offered at additional cost and can be booked on tour; your finished work becomes a meaningful memento to take home.

Food and drink are woven throughout this journey, offering an authentic taste of Portugal’s regions, traditions and people. From a progressive tasting lunch through Lisbon’s historic neighbourhoods and family-run taverns to exclusive wine experiences in both Sintra and the Douro Valley, each culinary moment is rooted in local stories and craftsmanship. Along the way, enjoy regional specialities, fresh seafood, traditional pastries and locally produced wines, while meeting the people who help preserve Portugal’s rich gastronomic heritage. Where meals are not included, your Signature Guide will be on hand with thoughtful recommendations tailored to your tastes.