Illuminating Tour of Portugal’s Historic & Cultural Roots

Riverside of Ponte de Lima village in Portugal.

What to expect on this itinerary

The history of Portugal fascinates the world, and this 10-day Portugal tour immerses you in the storied history of the country. Attend a private yoga session by the river, marvel at the archaeological wonders of Citania de Briteiros, follow in the footsteps of the Knights Templar, and witness the location where Portugal’s first king was born.

Countries Visited

Portugal

Places Visited

Porto, Ponte de Lima, Braga, Guimaraes, Chaves, Coimbra, Tomar, Sintra

Suggested Duration

10 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Porto – Walking Tour of the City

Your trip will begin in Porto, where a private driver will greet and escort you to the comfort of your accommodation. After having some time to relax after your flight, your guide will lead you on a walking tour of the city. You will begin in Porto’s city center before being led to the Church of Santa Clara, Liberdade Square, the monument to King Peter IV of Portugal, the Ponte de Dom Luis I bridge, and Ribeira Square. After your tour concludes, your guide can provide you with excelling dining recommendations.

What's Included:

Accommodation
Tour
Transfer
Day 2

Ponte De Lima – Citania De Briteiros

Day 3

Ponte De Lima - Riverside Yoga

Day 4

Braga – Portugal’s Oldest Cathedral

Day 5

Guimaraes – Portugal’s First King

Day 6

Chaves – Sip the Wine of the Dead

Day 7

Coimbra – Portugal’s Oldest University

Day 8

Tomar – The Past of the Knights Templar

Day 9

Sintra – Visit Sintra and Cascais

Day 10

Sintra – Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Stroll through Porto on a walking tour that will introduce you to some of the city’s oldest sites
  • Take an evening stroll around Ponte de Lima and marvel at its iconic bridge
  • Indulge in a private yoga session by the river in Ponte de Lima before embarking on a tour centered around the region’s folklore
  • Visit the archaeological wonders of Citania de Briteiros
  • Witness the Bom Jesus sanctuary in Braga and visit the oldest cathedral in the country
  • Visit the location where Portugal’s first king was born before learning about the hamlet of Guimaraes
  • Be captivated by Coimbra’s ancient past and peruse the city’s oldest gems
  • Dive into the dramatic history of the Knights Templar on an interactive tour

Detailed Description

This 10-day Portugal tour has been catered to the history lover in you. This Portuguese escapade will begin in Porto, where you will have a private tour that will immerse you in the historical gems of the city. The following day, you will transfer to Ponte de Lima. En route, you will stop at Citania de Briteiros, which is a well-preserved Celto-Iberian village. Upon your arrival in Ponte de Lima, you will spend the afternoon and evening along the riverside and among the charming streets of the city.

After waking in Ponte de Lima, you will enjoy a private yoga session along the river before having a private tour of the city. The next day, you will venture to Braga, where you will witness the Bom Jesus. In Guimaraes, you will witness where Portugal’s first king was born.

Chaves will be your next destination. Here, you can indulge in the area’s natural springs before learning about and sampling the “wine of the dead.” The next day, you will transfer to Coimbra for a tour of the oldest university in Portugal, the Se Velha, and more. The Knights Templar and their storied past will present you with your next adventure.

Sintra and its architectural wonders will serve as your next point of interest before you transfer to Cascais. Here, the Pena Palace and the shoreline of Cascais are premier highlights.

Starting Price

$3,900 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

The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 1382 reviews

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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Pamela S.
Spain Vacation Review: Madrid, Granada, Seville, Barcelona, Costa Brava, Toledo, Cordoba, Flamenco, Sailing, Museums, Cathedrals, 11-Day Trip

My husband, our two adult sons, and myself had the pleasure of going to Spain for 11 nights. We didn’t know much about the country, so we relied on Zicasso’s travel specialist to guide us. From the start, she explained the history, culture, food, etc.

We traveled to Madrid, Granada, Seville, Barcelona, and Costa Brava! We also took day trips to Toledo and Córdoba. We had excellent tour guides and drivers. Our trip flowed nicely, as we were on the go a lot of the time.

It was a trip of a lifetime for our family. We looked forward to the tapas, paellas, Jamón Ibérico, gazpacho, empanadas, rabo de toro, and, of course, the seafood every evening. The Spanish people were great and some we’ll never forget!

We learned so much about the ancient and early history, including the Roman conquest through the Medieval and early modern history. We were taking in this information all week, including the Prado Museum, the Picasso Museum, and the Dalí Theatre-Museum!

A simple family moment was sitting on our rooftop in Seville by the pool looking out at this beautiful city, which was difficult to leave!

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Joyce G.
Portugal Travel Review: Douro Valley, 10-Day Trip

Zicasso’s travel specialist and her team were amazing! We developed a great itinerary that included diverse activities and beautiful accommodations. Everyone was knowledgeable, pleasant, attentive, and flexible to adjust to changing conditions, such as intermittent bad weather. We highly recommend the whole team!

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Mike K.
Portugal Trip Review: Porto, Lisbon, Wine Tasting, Golf, 2 Weeks

Our trip to Portugal was outstanding. Zicasso, the tour operator, and our travel specialist were excellent. I worked with our specialist for over a month planning our trip. We did this via email and one phone call. She responded to every change I requested promptly and organized the itinerary to exactly how my wife, Jacki, and I wanted it.

The hotels she picked were excellent. The private drivers we had were always on time and were very friendly and professional. The tour guides she provided were great; very informative on the history of Portugal. The wine tours and city tours were exceptional.

Jacki and I have the utmost gratitude for our specialist's efforts in organizing this vacation. I would rate her a 10 of 10. Her expertise was invaluable, which made our vacation so enjoyable. We experienced so much that we couldn't have done on our own.

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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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