Portugal’s Best: Culinary Escapade for Seasoned Travelers

Traditional Portuguese dessert, Pastel de Nata

What to expect on this itinerary

Many people do not realize how remarkable Portugal’s cuisine is, and you can indulge in the best that this country has to offer during this luxurious 10-day journey that will lead to Portugal’s palate-pleasing establishments. Portugal has increasingly become one of the trendiest destinations in Europe and for excellent reasons. Every year, a plethora of tourists travel to Portugal to witness its magnificent castles, to stroll down its cobblestoned streets through charming villages, and to learn about its storied history.

Countries Visited

Portugal

Places Visited

Lisbon, Cascais, Constancia, Evora, Serpa

Suggested Duration

10 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Lisbon – Culinary Adventures

Upon your arrival in Lisbon, your private driver will be waiting for you at the airport to transfer you to your luxurious accommodation in the heart of the city. Once you have had some time to settle in, you will meet your private guide for a food tour of Portugal’s capital city. You will spend most of your time in Belem, where you will witness the iconic wonders of Jeronimos Monastery and Belem Tower. Afterward, you will stop at the famed Belem pastry shop, which is known as being the original bakery that introduced Pasteis de Nata to the country. After touring the bakery, you will be able to sample the dessert. Then, you will have the incredible opportunity to learn how to create your own Pasteis de Nata from scratch.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Tour
Day 2

Lisbon – Exclusive Wine Tour

Day 3

Lisbon – The World of Berries

Day 4

Lisbon – A Shiitake Mushroom Farm

Day 5

Cascais – Fishing with a Local

Day 6

Constancia – Amazed by Almourol Castle

Day 7

Evora – Break Bread with Locals

Day 8

Evora – Olive Oil Experience

Day 9

Serpa – Serpa’s Signature Cheese

Day 10

Serpa – Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Learn how to craft Portugal’s most beloved pastry, Pasteis de Nata, during a private baking class with a master baker
  • Savor every sip during a relaxing wine tour through the Cheleiros and Bucelas region
  • Craft Portuguese bread before sharing a meal with the locals in Evora
  • Venture to Lisbon’s countryside and harvest fresh berries in addition to being provided with a hands-on glimpse at the inner workings of a raspberry and blueberry farm
  • Marvel at the beauty of Almourol Castle before satisfying your sweet tooth in the charming village of Constancia
  • Indulge in a tour of Lisbon with your expert guide, lingering in the ancient alleyways while being inspired by the capital city’s wealth of history
  • Partake in a glamping experience at a fascinating shiitake farm, shadowing a farmer and his family through their local harvesting operation

Detailed Description

This luxurious, 10-day culinary adventure has been handcrafted with you in mind, ensuring that no gastronomical gem of Portugal goes undiscovered. From learning how to bake the country’s most beloved pastry in Lisbon to preparing Serpa’s world-famous, spicy sheep’s cheese, your palate and spirit will be delighted throughout every moment of this mouthwatering adventure.

Your European getaway will begin when you land in Lisbon, where you will spend your first afternoon and evening on a private tour, including visiting the site where the country’s most popular pastry, Pasteis de Nata, originated. Following your tour, you will be provided with the opportunity to bake your own Pasteis de Nata from scratch with the help of a master baker.

The following morning, you will leave the city behind and embark on an excursion that will delight the sommelier in you. You will journey through the Cheleiros and Bucelas wine regions, where you will sample the finest blends while visiting a pair of private wineries. Day three will find you diving into the flavorful world of fresh berries as you make your way to Lisbon’s surrounding countryside to visit two working berry farms. Whether you favor the red or blue variety, you will learn more than you ever thought possible about the two fruits. You will also be able to sample nearly endless treats that have been made with their juices, such as jams, syrups, and preserves.

An overnight luxury glamping experience will be waiting for you the following day, but before you indulge in your glamping experience, you will visit a shiitake mushroom farm. Far from roughing it, this outdoor adventure that has you sleeping under the stars in elite cabanas will have you wondering why you ever preferred to stay in a hotel.

On the morning of day five, your private driver will whisk you away to the stunning, seaside haven of Cascais. You will spend the morning on a boat with a master fisherman before learning the fascinating history of the area and trying your hand at casting out a line to catch some of the famed Cascais fish. Afterward, you will venture back to your gracious host’s home, and that evening, you will be taught how to prepare a local dish with your catch of the day. Once you have cooked your catch of the day, you will be wined and dined at your host’s personal abode.

The small enclave of Constancia will beckon to you on day six, and upon your arrival to this charming village, you will visit and admire the enchanting Almourol Castle before venturing back to Constancia to indulge in its signature treat of Queijinhos do ceu. Evora will be the next stop on your epicurean adventure, and as you depart Constancia on the morning of day seven, you will make your way to this lovely enclave that is known as the “Portugal’s Bread Basket.” Here, you will break bread with the friendly locals in addition to sharing a meal with them after they have graciously taught you how to bake some of their bread from a secret family recipe.

The following day will find you escaping to a nearby olive oil farm, where you will be able to witness every step of the process of olive oil production. Serpa is your final destination, and you will make your way here on day eight. Here, you will be able to sample and learn how to make Serpa’s world-famous sheep’s milk cheese, which will culminate your European adventure with a spicy kick.

Throughout every stop on your trip, you will be housed in luxurious accommodations and have every detail of your vacation absolutely taken care of in advance in addition to private transfers to and from all destinations. Nearly everything about this itinerary is entirely customizable, so you can adjust anything and everything to better suit your moods and desires once you are in Portugal.

Starting Price

$9,800 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.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 1413 reviews

Henry A.
Spain, Portugal Tour Review: Sevilla, Malaga, Food Tours, 3-Week Trip

Zicasso’s travel company took care of all our needs and if we needed to make changes or find reservations at great restaurants, they responded quickly and set us up in some fantastic restaurants.

The guides and drivers were all super-knowledgeable and nice. We would definitely use the travel company again for trips to Portugal and Spain, and also use Zicasso to help us find tour companies in other countries.

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Peggy C.
Spain, Portugal Travel Review: Douro Valley, Ronda, Sagrada Familia, Picasso Museum, Flamenco Show, Bullring, Bull Farm, Vineyard, River Cruise, 17-Night Trip

Zicasso’s travel company designed a fabulous 17-day Spain and Portugal tour for us. It was a pleasure to work with our travel specialist during the entire design process. First, the travel specialist spent time talking to us over the phone so she could get to know what each of us wanted to get out of the trip. Armed with that information, she was able to come up with a recommended agenda. We went back and forth a few times until she designed a trip that suited both of our interests. This trip turned out to be the perfect balance between learning about the history of the area, experiencing the culture, and enjoying our surroundings in rural and urban environments.

The week before we left on the tour, we reviewed our entire trip with the travel specialist over the phone. She wanted to answer any questions we may have had and to make sure we understood how to use our trip app. The trip app made it easy to see what we were doing each day. It contained descriptions of each tour and what was significant about the sites we were visiting. We had access to all our tickets through the app. There were Google Map links, so we could easily navigate to the location we needed to be. Recommendations for various restaurants and other things to do in the area were also included in the app.

The travel specialist provided her contact information and back-up contacts in case we needed anything during our trip. She made it clear to us that if our guide or driver was more than five minutes late to contact her. The travel company was there to support us 24/7.

The travel specialist pays attention to details. I highly recommend the travel company for designing a trip to Spain and Portugal.

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David B.
Spain, Portugal Trip Review: Douro Valley, Cordoba, Toledo, Madrid, Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Casa Batllo, Alhambra, 18 Days

It is hard not to be overly effusive in praise of the trip. The hotels, travel, guides, and itinerary were all wonderful. The trip was tailored to our needs and interests very well. We loved our app and Zicasso’s travel specialist checking in on us.

So what were the favorites for me? The Douro Valley, Córdoba, and Toledo. Not saying that I did not enjoy all the rest, but those were the standouts and might merit a return. I think being there during the Christmas season was special, though the crowds in Madrid were a little much for us. It was colder than we expected, but better than sweltering heat.

So what could I have lived without? The Metropol Parasol (recommended by someone else, not the travel company) was underwhelming and the Royal Palace in Madrid was not as interesting as other landmarks. The Alhambra and the Retiro Park in Madrid were more enjoyable.

That said, the travel specialist did a wonderful job accommodating our lifestyle and interests, making for a wonderful travel experience.

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Anna V.
Portugal Trip Review: 9 Days

We had one of the best trips. We never expected so much attention from any travel agency, from the beginning to departure.

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Jane M.
Spain, Portugal Vacation Review: Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Seville, Lisbon, Porto, 10 Nights

We loved our trip to Spain and Portugal! We enjoyed each of our private tours with our tour guides in the various cities we experienced. They went above and beyond to share their knowledge of the planned sites, plus they added in individual unique sites and information along our walking route.

Zicasso’s tour company took all of our requested activities, venues, and interests to customize a trip that fit us well. They were in communication with us during our trip when a planned site was not available due to construction. Our tour guide provided us with other possible replacement options and let us choose what was of interest to us rather than them making the decision.

We tremendously enjoyed all of the cities, Madrid, Toledo, Granada, and Seville in Spain and Lisbon and Porto in Portugal. Our trip went smoothly and the activities were scheduled at a good pace for us! An extra bonus for us was seeing King Felipe VI by being in the right place at the right time near the opera house in Madrid while we were on our walking tour. We highly recommend Zicasso and the tour company.

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Carole B.
Portugal Tour Review: Sintra, Obidos, Suspension Bridge, 9 Nights

Zicasso’s travel specialist was a class act, very responsive and reliable, and able to adjust on the fly when we needed. She was generous and an absolute class act. We asked for a more spacious room for part of the trip and she delivered, and, I believe, paid out of pocket for the upgrade (which we didn't expect and offered to pay). We were needy at times and she handled it all with professionalism and grace. Well done. I highly recommend the travel company!

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Customizable Itinerary

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

30,000+ Verified Traveler Reviews