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 1368 reviews

Clayton D.
Portugal Trip Review: Douro Wine Region, Algarve Beaches, Benagil Caves, Private Guide, Food Tour, Fado Performance, 10 Nights

The trip was very well organized; Zicasso's travel company listened to our wishes and delivered. We would definitely use you again and would highly recommend. We were very happy with Zicasso's travel designer's communication and quick responses.

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Allison L.
Portugal Tour Review: Douro Valley, Lisbon, Porto, Evora, Algarve, Braga, Guimaraes, Pena Palace, Pastry Experience, Food Market, Tile Workshop, Winemaking, 12-Day Trip

My husband and I traveled with our two adult children for 12 days through Portugal. Our trip was absolutely amazing, with every transfer, lodging, and tour detail seemingly tailored especially for us. Zicasso's travel expert was so wonderful to talk with as he planned our trip; he asked great questions to understand what kind of travelers we are and our interests. Our itinerary was perfect as we reviewed it prior to our trip, but as we experienced every transfer guide, tour specialist, and lodging, we could not have asked for a better experience. "Mahalo nui" (thank you so much) for helping us to experience your beautiful country and your even more beautiful and kind people. We can't wait for our trip back.

I wanted to make a special note of recognition about our transfer drivers/guides: they were absolutely amazing; so experienced and warm. We all enjoyed learning from them about Portugal and just felt so very well taken care of as they seamlessly transported us through your beautiful country and made sure we knew where to go and where to meet later. One of our drivers walked us through a local pastry shop to see the pastries being made; without him, we would have surely missed that experience. In Douro, another driver recommended a "locals" restaurant down the hill from our hotel. The owner was so kind he arranged for our server to drive us up the steep and winding hill to our hotel! These "special" experiences so reminded us of our beautiful Hawai'i and the spirit of "aloha" we felt so strongly in Portugal! At our departure, another driver walked us with our luggage into the airport departure terminal and showed us where to go (it was so much larger than any terminal we had been in). We would surely have been lost without his expert guidance.

Your tour guide selections were all simply amazing. We felt each guide's love ("aloha" for us) and attachment to each place we visited. We cannot thank you enough for all your work in planning so that we could truly enjoy and now have lasting memories until we return again.

With much "aloha" and gratitude, our "'ohana."

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Derek L.
Portugal Vacation Review: Benagil Caves, Hiking, Boat Tour, 1-Week

My wife and I recently returned from our trip to Portugal, booked with Zicasso's tour operator, and let me say, we could not have been happier. She helped us create an ideal trip in a little over a month, since we decided to book a relatively last-minute getaway.

Our travel expert was a pleasure to work with. We told her what we were looking for and she put together a fantastic itinerary for us. We were beyond happy with the hotels she suggested and booked, as well as every excursion, including private hikes and boat tours. Every part of the trip was well coordinated, including all the private transfers and guides, who were all exceptional themselves. She even met us at the airport when we arrived and even saw us off at the end of our trip, helping guide us around the airport to make that as efficient as possible.

Even on the days we had to ourselves without any planned excursions, she still put together a tentative itinerary, including suggestions of what to explore based on the location we were at.

Our travel expert was very responsive throughout our planning and you can tell she really cares about making her clients' experience the best it can possibly be. We cannot say enough good things about this company and therefore, highly recommend them if you are looking to travel to Portugal. Thank you again!

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Amanda B.
Portugal Trip Review: Douro River Valley, Grape Stomping, Dining Experiences, 10 Days

The trip was well planned by Zicasso's tour company, with only one scheduling snafu. The hotels were nice. The travel agents were very communicative and helpful.

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Bill B.
Portugal Trip Review: Porto, Lisbon, Douro Valley, Tagus River, Winery Tour, Porcelain Factory, Silversmith, Sunset Cruise, 1 Week

Zicasso's travel designer was a great travel agent. She came up with great options, found us some interesting and unusual experiences (a porcelain factory, a unique silversmith in Lisboa), and was incredibly available to help us through the inevitable glitches.

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Dawn H.
Portugal Trip Review: Lisbon, Faro, Walking Food Tour, Local Cuisine, Sunset/Sunrise Experiences, 9 Nights

Wow! Zicasso's travel designer put together a truly amazing trip, with some of the best drivers, guides, and tours we've ever had! I can't say enough good things about this trip! We really appreciated the close communication and the emergency number when we arrived, just in case we needed anything. Some of the experiences were beyond our imagination and I'm so glad we had her to plan this for us. I highly recommend her and the travel company!

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Customizable Itinerary

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

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