Straddling hills carved out by rivers and buffeted by Atlantic breezes, Portugal’s principal cities are heart-stealers, with medieval looks, youthful vigour and exciting food scenes. But cast a glance beyond Lisbon and Porto and you’ll find so much more. Strike out on a tour and you’ll encounter the Portugal few get to see, whether you’re hiking along wind-whipped, dune-flanked coastlines on the Fisherman’s Trail, feasting amid the vines and olive groves of rural Alentejo, or wine tasting in the terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley. Even the Algarve surprises on its west coast, where dunes give way to Atlantic surf and crowds are refreshingly few. Beyond the mainland, the volcanic Azores and subtropical Madeira entice. If it’s nature you’re after, cycling and walking tours take you deep into the wilds — and all with the lightest of footprints. Here are the pick of the tours to take you there.
Video: What’s it like on an escorted tour? We joined one to Tenerife to find out
Times Travel has partnered with Tourhub to bring our readers a wide selection of escorted tours from trusted travel partners. Here, we’ve selected the very best tours that showcase Portugal. For a bigger selection, visit Tourhub.
Main photo: the medieval village of Monsaraz in Portugal’s Alentejo region (Alamy)
1. Highlights of Portugal, Intrepid
This eight-day escorted tour presents Portugal’s greatest hits as it makes its way from Porto to Lisbon, leading through memorable landscapes and lending insight into the country’s history, culture and food. Port-tasting in Porto’s historic lodges, a performance of fado folk music in the medieval heart of Coimbra, walks in misty woodlands fringing the schist villages of Serra da Lousa, and a sunset picnic in Lisbon are all in the mix. Tours run from March to October and include accommodation with breakfast, transport and most activities.
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Group size 1-12
Price ££
2. Portugal walking and wine, Exodus
Beginning with peerless Porto, this gentle eight-day walking and wine tour leads you deep into the Unesco-listed Douro Valley, a phenomenally beautiful region where vineyards march down steep hillsides, hugging the contours of the Douro River as it snakes east to Spain. You’ll taste the Douro’s renowned reds and ports at adegas (wine cellars) and grand quintas (wine estates), among them the exquisite baroque Casa de Mateus palace, of rosé fame. Running from April to September, this tour includes accommodation with breakfast in four-to-five-star hotels, local transport and several dinners and wine tastings.
Group size 4-16
Price ££
3. Walking in the Azores, Exodus
Scattered like stepping stones in the mid-Atlantic, the Azores are geologically extraordinary, with crater lakes, hot springs, sunken volcanoes, hissing fumaroles and ancient laurel forests. This eight-day walking tour takes you to four islands and is packed with highlights: from the Terra Nostra botanical gardens and tea plantations to Lake Furnas, with its bubbling geothermal pools. There’s the option of climbing Portugal’s highest peak, 2,351m (7,713ft) Pico, and whale-watching in Faial. Tours run from mid-July to mid-September; accommodation with breakfast, most lunches, internal flights and transfers are all incorporated in the price. Flights are optional.
Group size 4-16
Price ££
4. Portugal real food adventure, Intrepid
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Santiago de Compostela in Galicia is the springboard for this eight-day culinary romp through Portugal, culminating in Lisbon. You’ll learn how to whip up Galician seafood in coastal Vigo, go on a food tour in Porto, taste Portugal’s most-fêted wines in the dramatically terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley and sample farm-to-fork cooking at an agriturismo deep in rural Alentejo. Pasteis de nata (custard tarts), ginjinha (cherry liqueur) and a fado dinner show round out this feast of a tour. Running from May to October, the tour includes accommodation, transport, some meals and most activities.
Group size 1-12
Price £££
5. Hike the Rota Vicentina, Intrepid
With the sea always in sight, the Fisherman’s Trail extends from Porto Covo to Sagres, on the southwest tip of mainland Portugal. It’s wild and peaceful, and best tackled on this eight-day hike. You’ll trek over ragged cliffs and along dunes and wave-lashed beaches on a coastal path that weaves from the Alentejo to the Algarve. A seafood lunch in Zambujeira do Mar, a visit to the ocean-facing chapel of Capela de Nossa Senhora as the sun sets over the Atlantic Ocean, and a hike to the precipitous cliffs of Cabo de Sao Vicente, where great Portuguese navigators once launched their caravels, are all part of the fun. The trail demands a good level of fitness and tours run in April and May, and September and October. Accommodation with breakfast, transport and a guide are all provided.
Group size 1-12
Price ££
6. Highlights of Portugal, G Adventures
This eight-day tour aims straight for Portugal’s big-hitters. First up is Lisbon, with its hilltop miradouros (viewpoints) and Unesco-listed sites such as Jeronimos Monastery and Belem Tower bearing the fantastical Manueline hallmark of the Age of Discoveries. From here, the tour edges north to Batalha’s ornate gothic monastery, medieval Coimbra and the high-spirited city of Porto on the banks of the Douro River. This year-round tour includes accommodation, transport and most activities, including a fado dinner and port wine tasting.
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Group size 12-16
Price £
7. The enchanting River Douro, Titan Travel
This eight-day river cruise lets you appreciate the gentle rhythm and rare beauty of the Douro Valley from the water. Sip a glass of port as views of near-vertical terraced vineyards and whitewashed 18th-century quintas slide into view. Offering total immersion in one of the world’s oldest demarcated wine regions, the tour embraces must-sees such as the baroque palace of Casa de Mateus and the lively Spanish city of Salamanca, a vision in golden sandstone. Tours run in May, June and October and include a seven-night river cruise, six shore excursions, the majority of meals, all-inclusive drinks, and a wine and port tasting.
Group size individual
Price £££
8. Hidden Portugal, Newmarket Holidays
This eight-day tour presents an off-the-beaten-track romp around Portugal. Using Porto as a springboard, you’ll weave north to the Costa Verde fishing town of Povoa de Varzim on the Atlantic coast, the gloriously unsung Minho region and its remote beaches, Vinho Verde vineyards and historic market towns. Some tours are included, while excursions to the Douro Valley, Barcelos, Braga and Santiago de Compostela are optional. Tours run year round and include return flights, accommodation with breakfast and dinner, transport and a carefully curated selection of guided tours.
Group size 25-49
Price £
9. Pousadas of Portugal, Newmarket Holidays
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Discover Portugal at its romantic best on this eight-day tour, revolving around a trio of pousadas (historic inns): Pousada de Queluz, snuggling up to the opulent baroque palace of the same name; grand 19th-century Pousada de Viseu; and Pousada Mosteiro de Amare, lodged in a spectacularly converted 12th-century Cistercian monastery revamped by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. Highlights include Lisbon, the elegant coastal town of Estoril, Sintra and its fanciful castles, the delightful medieval town of Obidos, historic Coimbra, the wild cliffs of Cabo da Roca, Europe’s westernmost point, and port tasting in Porto. The year-round tour includes return flights, accommodation with breakfast, escorted tours, transport and some other meals.
Group size 20-45
Price ££
10. Porto to Lisbon Atlantic ride, Exodus
The pounding surf, breezy coastlines and wide-open horizons of Portugal’s Atlantic coast feature heavily on this eight-day cycling holiday, which rolls from Porto south to Lisbon. The gentle pace means there’s ample time for café stops and swims. Natural wonders en route include the birdlife-rich Aveiro lagoon, the shifting dunes of the Sao Jacinto Nature Reserve and the Leiria pine forest. You’ll also stop off in the fishing town of Nazare and the fortified medieval town of Obidos. Tours run from March to October and include accommodation with breakfast, transfers and local bike hire.
Group size 4-16
Price ££
11. Madeira, the pearl of the Atlantic for solo travellers, Riviera Travel
Geared towards solo travellers, this eight-day tour takes a fascinating lap of Madeira. It kicks off in Funchal, with a spin round the capital’s historic heart and a tasting of Madeira wine. The rest of the week is largely devoted to the island’s natural beauty: from the subtropical Palheiro Gardens to the drama of the Curral das Freiras (Valley of the Nuns) nestling in the crater of an extinct volcano, the Unesco-listed Ribeiro Frio Forest Park and Cabo Girao, Europe’s highest cape, which rises 580m (1,900ft) above the sea. Running from March to June and September to November, tours include return flights, accommodation with breakfast and dinner, and all excursions.
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Group size 25-49
Price £-££
12. Self-guided cycling holiday in Portugal, Responsible Travel
This seven-day cycling tour reveals the Algarve in a whole new light. A lack of crowds, for one. Heading along back roads fringed with orange and cork oak trees at a leisurely pace, the tour knits together wild coastlines, whitewashed villages, tranquil countryside and hidden bays. Highlights include Silves and its Moorish castle, the forested Serra de Monchique mountains and the birdlife-rich Alvor Estuary, where flamingos can often be sighted. B&B accommodation in rural hotels, luggage transfers, maps and route descriptions are included. Bike rental is available at an additional cost. Tours run year-round, but avoid the sapping heat of August.
Group size self-guided
Price £
responsibletravel.com
13. Caminho Portugues, Camino Ways
There are holiday ambles, and then there are epic, month-long, self-guided, 394-mile treks along the Caminho Portugues (Portuguese Way) from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela. Have a guess which one this is. You’ll pass through rural villages, forests, olive groves and vineyards en route to towns such as Santarem, one of Portugal’s last Moorish bastions, medieval Coimbra, home to the country’s oldest university, and Porto. The 19th-century Puente Internacional (International Bridge) straddling the Minho River hops you over to Spain for the last 62 miles, where you’ll take in your stride Tui, with its magnificent Romanesque-Gothic cathedral; Arcade, famous for its oysters; and the cobbled old town of Pontevedra. April to October is best for walking. Accommodation, route notes and transfers are included.
Group size individual
Price £-££
caminoways.com
14. Alentejo coast family activity holiday, Responsible Travel
Moving to a more relaxed beat than the Algarve, lesser-visited Alentejo has a coastline studded with some of Europe’s most glorious beaches: golden sand, fizzing surf and cliffs rearing up behind. This is your backdrop for a week of full-on family fun, using the appealing small town of Vila Nova de Milfontes as a base. Your brood will need to be eight and over. If so, they can burn off steam with guided canoe rides along the Mira River, and surfing and stand-up paddleboarding on the beach in Milfontes. Tours run in July and August and include accommodation, transfers, a number of guided activities and equipment.
Group size average 8-12 (maximum 16)
Price £
responsibletravel.com
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