Knights of the Templar-Convents of Christ in Tomar, Portugal.

An Immersive One-Week Privately Guided Tour of Portugal

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

Portugal

Places Visited

Lisbon, Coimbra, Porto, Viseu...

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Suggested Duration

8 Days

Portugal has a history shrouded in mystery and legend. Stories are painted onto blue-ceramic mosaics, cities stoically cling to a bygone era, and a vivid atmosphere envelops you at every turn. This one-week tour celebrates the most important highlights, connects history with modern culture, and uncovers a very authentic country. You will hop between the major sights and explore the famous monuments, but also enjoy ambient evenings in the old cities, surrounded by the colors of Portugal.

Customizable Itinerary

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Trip Highlights

  • Fully immerse yourself in the cities from Portugal’s history, spending atmospheric nights in Oporto, Coimbra, and Viseu
  • Discover the iconic monuments of the country, with stops at places like Batalha Monastery, Belem, and Convento de Cristo
  • Explore all the contrasting colors of Lisbon, a vibrant capital city that mixes elegant plazas with distinctive neighborhoods connected by trams
  • Every old Portuguese city has its own style, experienced as you spend a week in the country: canals in Aveiro, port cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, the University of Coimbra, and the Baroque brilliance of Lamego
  • Taste your way through the tradition, from the freshness of the Atlantic fishing villages to the distinctive flavors of the rural interior
  • Travel with an expert private guide, their insider knowledge providing a new dimension to the discovery
  • Portugal’s history is wonderfully well connected, ensuring your week of highlights follows the languid rhythm that makes the country so enchanting
  • Meet the locals and connect with the culture throughout, whether haggling at a local market or listening to the footsteps on the cobbles of old pretty towns 

Detailed Description

Portugal wears its heart on its sleeve. Everywhere you go, it is impossible to avoid the scent of history and legend. Scenes are painted onto epic murals made up of thousands of individual blue ceramic tiles, and taverns and cobblestone streets keep an old-world atmosphere alive. Townhouses showcase a distinctive style in each of the cities, narratives of grandeur are found in palaces and monasteries, castles and cellars. In every destination, you can feel the passion and inhale the sense of a past era, from the city of canals to the port cellars to the churches. This is a country that excites, one that is very rare because it is packed with monuments, but also completely alive with atmosphere.

This one-week tour of highlights takes in most of Portugal’s important towns and cities, connecting the dots of history. It is a celebration of culture and a chance to explore the country’s living heritage, which you will find to be full of nuance. The tour is privately guided, and every day has a certain degree of flexibility, allowing you to spend more time in the destinations that most capture your imagination. Overnight stops have been handpicked to enhance the atmosphere, giving you the chance to sleep amid the lanes of an ancient destination.

After an opening overnight in Lisbon, you weave north along the coast. Stop at medieval Obidos, the incredibly colorful fishing village of Nazare, and then the 14th-century Batalha Monastery, all en route to a night in Coimbra. This university city on a hill dates primarily to the 13th century and reflects early Portuguese grandeur. You continue your journey north, stopping at Aveiro, the cute city of canals. As you reach into Northern Portugal, the blue tiles become omnipresent, beautiful scenes covering the sides of the buildings.

Porto is a city on two sides of the river. One side is labyrinthine and full of history, and the other is spacious and filled with port cellars. It is a city that symbolizes Portugal’s appeal, combining the monuments with an ambience that is particularly poignant during the evenings. Travel far north of the country, where Guimaraes, Braga, and Barcelos are among the stops that epitomize Portugal’s independence from the rest of Iberia. Staying in the north, you will travel down the Douro River, spend an afternoon in Lamego, and experience an evening surrounded by the Baroque glamor of Viseu.

Take a different road back to Lisbon. Tomar was at the heart of the Order of the Templar Knights, and their 12th-century castle is one of the finest in Europe. There are also churches and cloisters along the way as you drive south to Lisbon. Portugal’s capital is full of character, and you will need a day to traverse the distinctive neighborhoods, from the working-class lanes of Bairro Alto to the cathedrals on a hill, and the epic statues along the river. Like your other stops in Portugal, you will discover a city where culture and history survive into the present day. 

For unique Portugal itinerary ideas, see the best Portugal vacation packages that are on Zicasso.

Starting Price

$5,715 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service

4.93 stars based on 1022 reviews.

Portugal Trip Review: Lisbon, Porto, Obidos, Braga, Sintra,...
“We had a wonderful 11 nt. trip to Portugal…”

Reviewed By Nancy H.

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"We couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I would...

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Portugal Luxury Vacation Review: Lisbon, Douro Valley, Porto,...
"Every aspect of the trip flowed seamlessly. We hope we...

Reviewed By Michael R.

Portugal Luxury Trip Review: Lisbon, Porto, Douro River...
"I would rate this as one of our best family vacations –...

Reviewed By George T.

Portugal Trip Review: Lisbon, Porto, Douro Valley, Hiking,...
"I wouldn't change a thing that our agent and her crew planned!...

Reviewed By Andrea L.

Portugal Luxury Solo Trip Review: Porto, Lisbon, Sintra,...
"I loved everything, from planning my trip to the great...

Reviewed By NANCY G.

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