Two Delicious Weeks in Portugal: A Gourmet Getaway

Your first full day in Porto finds you heading away from the hustle and bustle of the city on a romantic and wondrous jaunt to the countryside. There you will be introduced to the region’s most famous and beloved libations, the most acclaimed of which is its signature Port wine.

Peruse the delicious provisions of the pristine Douro Valley, famous for producing the sweetest and succulent red wines. Throughout the entire day journey, you will visit private vineyards and estates where the wine is produced and explore the caves where the precious beverage is stored. The entire experience will be supported by fascinating facts about all things wine from your expert sommelier guide.

Awaken and prepare yourself for a real treat as you are picked up at your accommodations by your private guide, who will take you on a whirlwind morning tour of all of the best local fresh markets. As you make your way from one enclave to another, each bustling with commerce and boasting the freshest fruits, vegetables, fresh-caught seafood, farm-raised beef, and much more, you will see firsthand how each market is unique and offers its own characteristic charms.

Spend the morning collecting the choicest ingredients from only the most quality vendors and enjoy a lovely picnic lunch with provisions from the markets. You will spend the rest of the day concocting the city’s signature dish, Porto-style tripe, with the help of your gracious host. Upon completion of your prepared feast, you will get to sit down with your host and enjoy every morsel of your authentic Portuguese masterpiece.

Depart from Porto on day four and head south to Lamego, an affluent town nestled amid stunning scenery filled with verdant vineyards and thriving orchards offering a wonderful array of fruit. After being awed and inspired by the enchanting aesthetics of this region’s natural beauty, you will arrive at your luxury Lamego accommodations and have time to settle in before your day’s exciting excursion.

You will spend the remainder of the day discovering Quinta Da Pacheca, a gorgeous wine estate that dates back to the mid-1500s. After touring the impressive estate grounds, which boast a charming onsite chapel and impeccably manicured garden, you will get to sample the estate’s signature blend of vino and witness how the estate still produces wine the old-fashioned way. Men crush the grapes in a stone tank before aging the liquid concoction in traditional oak barrels. An al fresco dinner enjoyed within the spectacular estate garden then completes your tour.

Leaving Lamego the following morning, you will head to the medieval hamlet of Obidos, where an epic adventure of diving into the past, and a smattering of delicious fare, awaits. Upon arriving in Obidos, you will spend the day exploring the historical highlights of this enclave, while also sampling all of the region’s signature dishes en route.

After indulging in items like Obidos’ award-winning chocolates and renowned Ginja cherry liqueur, you will conclude this amazing and mouthwateringly gourmet tour with a lovely dinner at your choice of the city’s stellar local eateries. The highlight of the evening comes when you are taken to your night’s luxury accommodations, which are located within a castle-turned-hotel, ensuring that you will sleep like royalty this night.

Awakening in Obidos, you will spend the morning in nearby Mafra, where you will visit the iconic Mafra National Palace, an 18th-century palace and monastery that was once one of the residences of the Portuguese royal family. After touring Mafra, you will spend a sweet afternoon in Obidos with a local baker, as you will place yourself under their tutelage and learn how to make the artisan chocolate Obidos is famous for.

Chocolate is such a big deal here that, every year, over four weeks during March and April, Obidos hosts a grand event known as the “Festival de Chocolate.” Hence, this city means business when it comes to all things cocoa, making this private course in confectionery one for the books. You will not find a more apt tutor than your local host. After finishing your session, you will be returned to your ex-castle accommodations for one more night of sweet dreams.

After your sweet afternoon in Obidos, learning how to make artisan chocolate, you will spend the following morning finding your bliss at Buddha Eden, an idyllic enclave located about 10 minutes south of the city. A self-ascribed “Garden of Peace,” this impeccably landscaped nature oasis is filled with an abundance of buddhas, ranging from small to large. These buddhas are kept company by a collection of other aesthetically beautiful features, including ornate gates, fierce-looking dragons, and even a multitude of statues that depict China’s Terracotta Army.

After receiving a private tour of the garden, you will have some undisturbed time to wander around and enjoy the peace and stillness of this special place. It will then be time to head to your afternoon festivities, where you will meet a local winemaker at his family-owned estate and get the chance to see winepresses, cellars, and even a rare antique distillery. After your tour, you will sit down to share a meal with this remarkable sommelier, making for a thoroughly enjoyable and delicious end to the evening.

After spending a few delightful days in Obidos, you will head to Portugal’s capital of Lisbon the next morning. Upon your arrival, you will waste no time in exploring nearly every inch of the thriving culinary scene as you embark on a private food tour with a local gourmand.

Once you have encountered Lisbon’s most iconic sights, sampling sweet and savory signature Portuguese dishes en route, you will spend the evening enjoying a fantastic meal. What is unique about this feast is that it features all of the most famous Portuguese dishes in one meal, ensuring that each course is not only amazing to eat, but is also an education in itself.

Next, head to the countryside for a unique snail farm experience. You have undoubtedly heard how snails are sought-after among many elite chefs when looking to make the most impressive meals, but few people have ever witnessed how snails are produced and made ready for gourmet dishes.

Upon your arrival at the snail farm, you will be introduced to the owner, who will walk you through every step of his daily process. He will give you a tour of where the snails live and introduce you to all of the necessary equipment for producing unique snail products, such as snail “caviar.” During this hands-on presentation, you will be shown how to pick the best snails, followed by the conclusion of your tour, a lovely dinner made with some of the very residents you were just introduced to earlier in the day. It does not get any fresher than this.

Yet another culinary adventure awaits the next day. Your private guide meets you in the morning and whisks you away to a magical windmill, which will serve as the unique, fairytale-like setting of today’s experience. The windmill, perched high upon a majestic mountain, feels like it’s in a fantasy world of magic. The magic will take place in the kitchen that day.

You will spend the day learning how to bake bread from scratch, the old-fashioned way. Grind your own flour and bake it in a traditional wood-oven. While the bread is baking, you will have the rare opportunity to get intimately acquainted with your gracious host while enjoying an authentic homemade lunch. Once the bread is ready and you have devoured it, you will return to Lisbon, certainly with a big and satisfied smile on your face.

As you approach Evora, you can look forward to an amazing day filled with educational insight, delicious tastings, and a whole lot of fun as you visit a sixth-generation, family-owned olive farm. Upon your arrival at the farm, which is located just minutes outside of the city amid lush groves of thriving olives, you will be met by your gracious host and owner of the farm.

You will then be led on a fascinating private tour that will delve into the unique history of the farm’s origins and process that the olives go through as they are prepared for sale, from pit to full fruition. After wandering among the growing olives and being taught how to choose the best specimens, you will enjoy a lovely al fresco lunch featuring many fresh olive dishes before heading back to Evora.

Today you will visit a lush vineyard, where you will be given the unforgettable opportunity to produce your own bottle of signature wine under the tutelage of a master sommelier.

Concoct your own creative blend of vino that reflects your personal tastes and preferences at the estate just minutes outside of Evora. You will also get to take a tour of the unique winery, which still is one of the rare few continues the tradition of trodding grapes by foot. Armed with your one-of-a-kind wine blend, you will return to Evora for the night.

A perfect follow-up to yesterday’s wine-infused escapade, today finds you embarking on a lovely and equally unique farm-to-table experience in the charming Tavira area. After arriving on the outskirts of Tavira at a lovely privately-owned local estate and farm, you will spend the entire day knee-deep in an absolute whirlwind of educational, inspirational, and gastronomical bliss.

Your tour will begin with a comprehensive, hands-on introduction to the farm, where you will wander the grounds and pick out the choicest ingredients with the pleasure of hearing the growing process. After a light picnic lunch consisting of fresh ingredients from the farm, you will then spend the afternoon preparing the items you picked and whipping up a proper al fresco feast with your host. Enjoy the meal together at the end of the evening for a beautiful and delicious conclusion to the day.

After awaking on your last morning in Portugal, you will be met by an authentic Portuguese brunch. Then, after you have savored every last bite of your gourmet meal, your private driver will come to pick you up at your accommodations before taking to the airport.

As you make your way to your plane to head home to reality, you will surely already be reminiscing about the wonderful time you had here in this magical land of Portugal. Portugal will be awaiting your return.