Today, your driver will take you to Alentejo Region, to get to know the city of Évora and taste the local flavors. 

With the help from your expert guide, enjoy a panoramic tour through Évora historic center. You will be lectured on the city highlights and local monuments history, like the Roman Temple, the Bones Chapel and the Medieval Cathedral.  

”Evora is the finest example of a city of the golden age of Portugal after the destruction of Lisbon by the earthquake of 1755” Inscription criteria on the List of the UNESCO World Heritage (1985). Due to part of the town which being enclosed by ancient walls preserved in its original state and, to its monuments dating from various historical periods, Évora is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage list. 

Enjoy a private visit to wine cellars and a lectured wine and olive oil tasting. Savor the local cuisine and the local olive oils and cheeses, paired with their best wines, in scenery of tranquility, spotted by the greenery of the cork-oaks and olive trees.

 

Treat yourself with a gourmet lunch (not included) at the winery’s restaurant.

 

Besides producing a large quantity of top-quality wines, its prominence on export markets over the last decade has raised the profile of the Alentejo as a quality wine region outside Portugal, and no doubt has encouraged other producers to follow its lead.

 

Time to explore, on your own, the medieval town of Monsaraz village. It is a truly unique place where one can find all the peace and tranquility that have been forgotten by the modern era.

Today, your driver will take you to Alentejo Region, to get to know the city of Évora and taste the local flavors. 

With the help from your expert guide, enjoy a panoramic tour through Évora historic center. You will be lectured on the city highlights and local monuments history, like the Roman Temple, the Bones Chapel and the Medieval Cathedral.  

”Evora is the finest example of a city of the golden age of Portugal after the destruction of Lisbon by the earthquake of 1755” Inscription criteria on the List of the UNESCO World Heritage (1985). Due to part of the town which being enclosed by ancient walls preserved in its original state and, to its monuments dating from various historical periods, Évora is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage list. 

Enjoy a private visit to wine cellars and a lectured wine and olive oil tasting. Savor the local cuisine and the local olive oils and cheeses, paired with their best wines, in scenery of tranquility, spotted by the greenery of the cork-oaks and olive trees.

 

Treat yourself with a gourmet lunch (white menu) paired with wines.

 

Besides producing a large quantity of top-quality wines, its prominence on export markets over the last decade has raised the profile of the Alentejo as a quality wine region outside Portugal, and no doubt has encouraged other producers to follow its lead.

 

Time to explore, on your own, the medieval town of Monsaraz village. It is a truly unique place where one can find all the peace and tranquility that have been forgotten by the modern era.

Hit the road towards Douro Valley, the world’s oldest wine region. En-route, stop at a lovely property dating back the 13th century and enjoy a magic day around flavors and scents in the family old kitchen learning about Portuguese authentic recipes. 

A full menu, from starter to dessert, will be prepared by participants, who are invited to: Have a coffee and cookies in the garden; Take a basket and pick from the vegetable and herbs garden, the season products; Be dressed with hat and apron; Start the lesson: Taste tapas and wine during the lesson; have lunch in one of the places chosen according to the weather. Inside dining room of the rose garden or outside in the courtyard with a view to the Barrosas mountain.

During the afternoon, return to Porto, upon arrival indulge in a private guided visit to the largest wooden Port cellar in the historical area of Vila Nova de Gaia. Enjoy a lectured port wine tasting with selection cheeses.

 

As you walk into the Lodge you’ll be surrounded by rows of barrels of all shapes and sizes. This is the largest collection of oak barrels and wooden vats of any Port cellar in Porto. This is where they age all our Ports and in particular this is the home of our Special Reserve Port. Founded in the earliest 19th the Cockburn’s & Co family built themselves a remarkable reputation for fine Vintage Port. The records at the London auction houses show that in the early twentieth century, Cockburn’s Vintage Ports commanded the highest prices of any Port house.  

 

There you will have the unique opportunity to assist the coopers working real life (only available weekdays until 5pm) on the barrels. Indulge in a premium lectured wine tasting.

 

• Not feasible on Sunday’s afternoons, June 24th, December 24th, 25th and 31st and January 1st.
• For dinner (not included) enjoy a meal at lovely spot, where delicious and exquisite dishes are served elegantly by the owner and Chef.

Today adventure on a hiking tour through Janela do Inferno. 

This hike passes by an ancient aqueduct, in the shape of a tunnel, around 50m long. From here, the trail goes along Ribeira Seca, crossing several impressive aqueducts that used to supply the ancient Alcohol Factory of Lagoa and nowadays supplies water to the municipality. 

You will reach a particular point of interest – Janela do Inferno – a vertical wall, rich in water springs, where it is possible to spot Newts (Triturus cristatus) in different stages of their life cycle (aquatic larva, juvenile/eft and adult). Take the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of this place and to regain energy. 

Along this trail, enjoy the beautiful views over the municipality of Lagoa and Ponta Delgada. 

By the end of this experience, drive continues towards Furnas one of the most exotic areas of São Miguel, enjoy some leisure time to relax and enjoy the thermal waters.

Meet your private chauffeur at the lobby and indulge on an authentic gastronomic journey. 

Meet Maria at Graça Market and marvel with the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly pineapple, butcheries, fishmongers and of course the popular Rei dos Queijos (King of the cheese). 

Maria will be your guide and will teach you how to cook the best traditional Azorean dishes. Learn from the best, the art of local recipes where the history and resident roots are revealed. 

Allow yourself to create memories and stories that will last a lifetime, where cultural differences, smells, the mystic of the place, the way of living inside this volcanic island will be present.

Enjoy your flavoured and homemade meal plenty of history and love!

At the end of the activity, your driver will take back to your hotel.

Explore Sete Cidades, one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Portugal, that showcases the Green and Blue Lakes, which according to legend, were formed from the tears of a shepherd and a princess who shared a forbidden love. 

These lakes can be seen from the Vista do Rei (King’s View) Lookout, named after King D. Carlos and Queen D. Amélia to celebrate their visit to the island in 1901.

Venture on an jeep tour and learn about the fauna, flora, history, volcanic formation of the island and of course, the legendary love story behind the formation of the lake. 

Along the route, you’ll have superb views over several lakes in the region as well as the adjacent coastline.

Allow yourself to immerse in the breathtaking nature of Sete Cidades! 

Lunch (included) will be served as a regional and intimate picnic at a natural park with amazing natural surroundings. 

Sit back, relax and enjoy your meal while experiencing the nature at its best.

Your driver will take you to Cascais. Upon arrival, meet your private Chef and venture on a tour to the local market. Purchase fresh ingredients for your lunch preparation. 

The narrow maze of century-old streets opens up onto a splendid space lined with bars, cafés and fish restaurants on either side and market stalls down the center. While you stroll through the market, admire the vivid displays of flowers, candied fruit and seasonal produce. 

You will have the privilege of being a guest at one of the noblest houses in Cascais, with the sun and sea always present, it was, originally, an aristocratic residence dating from the XIX Century and now is a charming hotel located by the sea, the Cascais Bay. 

Portuguese cuisine is simple, characterized by a rich variety of regional dishes. You will have the opportunity to “get your hands dirty”. Under the guidance of the Chef and with the help of a booklet, you will see yourself preparing a recipe you thought were reserved only for the professionals. After you have prepared your dishes, you’ll be able to eat it, and drink some of our finest wines. Each one will have an apron so you can feel free to cook, without worries and at the end you will receive, further to the recipe a Diploma, proving your new skills. Good Luck!

After class, pamper your taste with lunch (pre-set menu with wines).

Afterwards, meet your expert guide and marvel with the quaint and aristocratic, World Heritage by UNESCO, town of Sintra – where Lord Byron lived and considered it to be “Paradise in Earth”. You’ll see castles, fortresses, forests, and beautiful scenery. 

Sintra and its mystical hills dotted with fairytale palaces and extravagant villas have bewitched visitors for centuries. The Romans made it a place of cult moon worshiping and named it “Cynthia” after the goddess of the moon. They were followed by the Moors who also fell in love with the lush vegetation and built a hilltop castle, a palace, and several fountains around the town. Later it became the summer residence of the Portuguese royal family and attracted a number of wealthy aristocrats who built huge mansions and villas.

You’ll visit the 19th century Pena Palace, one of Europe’s most fantastic palaces. It includes a drawbridge, a conglomeration of turrets, ramparts, and domes, and a gargoyle above a Neo-Manueline arch, all washed in an array of pastel shades. The extravagant interior is decorated in late Victorian and Edwardian furnishings, rich ornaments, paintings, and priceless porcelain preserved just as the royal family left them.

End your day with a stop at a wine-cellar and shop, located in Sintra’s historical center, with over 30 years’ history. There, you will have the opportunity to taste Sintra’s famous ‘Queijada’ and local cheese paired with a glass of Port Wine.

• Visit to local market only possible on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Not feasible on Sundays and Mondays. 

Boasting springtime temperatures during the winter and cool summers freshened by a breeze blowing in from the Atlantic, Costa de Lisboa, on the southwestern coast, offers a rich and impressively integrated diversity. The capital of Portugal since its conquest from the Moors in 1147, Lisbon is a legendary city with over 20 centuries of History.

 

Start your journey in Belém with a stop at a local pastry store dated back from early 19th century. Nowadays it serves an average 10,000 Pasteis de Belém (custard tarts) a day, a specialty made with a secret centuries-old recipe. Indulge in a special gourmet treat on one of their rooms covered with 17th-century tiles.

 

Follows a panoramic tour to Belem area with Discovery Monument and the XVI century Belem Tower. You will take into a private visit to the XVI century Jeronimos Monastery, the incomparable monastery that exemplifies the Manueline style, a highly decorative form of architecture that emerged during the reign of Manuel I (1495-1521). 

 

Lunch (not included) at one of the best fresh fish restaurants in Lisbon, created with the purpose to pay tribute to the old fish shops. Let yourself be seduced by their fresh fish and seafood display cabinet, by the charm of its cuisine and by the irreverent and funny ambiance that define this restaurant.

 

During the afternoon, enjoy a private guided visit to National Tiles Museum, one of the most important of the national museums by the singularity of its collection, Azulejo (tile), an artistic expression that differentiates Portuguese culture, and by the uniqueness of the building in which the Museum is set, former Madre de Deus Convent, founded in 1509 by Queen D. Leonor.

 

End your day at Alfama, the Lisbon’s heart during Moorish times. The Moors have moved on, but the neighborhood retains an exotic atmosphere. You’ll find yourself wandering through colorful XVIII century squares downtown and getting lost in the medieval maze of the Alfama district overlooked by an ancient castle. 

• Suggested dinner (not included) at a one Michelin star restaurant with a sober, sophisticated atmosphere, a discrete and attentive service, and a delightful cuisine. Its singular location at the historic center of Lisbon soon won over Lisbon’s elite who turned the Belcanto into the place to be seen (closed on Sundays and Mondays).

Not feasible on Sunday’s mornings, Mondays, January 1st, Easter Sunday, May 1st, June 13th and December 25th.

Your journey today begins with a stop on a charming family-owned wine estate, one of the best-known properties in the Douro and also one of the first to bottle wines with its own brand. 

 

This Wine Estate is mentioned for the first time in a document dated April 1738. However, it was only in 1903 that Dom José Freire de Serpa Pimentel decided to develop his interest in oenology, bought the property and began to devote to the winemaking business.

 

You will be warmly received and will enjoy a private tour through the cellars, followed by lectured wine tasting. 

 

Lunch (not included) will be served in the charming restaurant of the wine estate. The building, construction of the 18th century, is decorated in an authentic style, yet with modern conveniences, and offers a gourmet cuisine based on local products, with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

 

During the afternoon, marvel with a private river cruise aboard a typical Rabelo boat.

 

Until the end of the 19th century, the Douro River was the main access route to the interior regions and the only means of importing foreign products. A difficult river and risky to navigate, there was only one type of boat that could overcome its natural obstacles, the Rabelo Boat. The robustness of the boat and the ability of the first crews made it possible to carry large barrels of wine above the river. 

With the help of a local guide, discover the green vineyards, stratified culture and stunning natural beauty of the Douro Valley. Marvel at the beautiful slopes, heavily planted with vines, which offers breathtaking views of one of the most impressive man-shaped landscapes in the world.

• Possible winery and cruise upgrade;

• • Not feasible on December 24th and 25th;

• Suggested dinner (not included) at an elegant restaurant settled in a building of contemporary lines with a picket based that extends along an elegant wooden deck overlooking the river (closed on Tuesdays).

 

Stop at a charming, elegant and singular wine estate composed by 24 hectares with stunning vies over the Douro slopes. This property produces absolutely remarkable wines by treating its great terroir with the respect it deserves, and by the using the traditional methods updated in the light of the latest advances. 

Lunch (pre-set menu with wines) will be served at the terrace

After lunch, come aboard a vintage yatch and experience in first-hand the luxury of this exclusive river cruise. 

• Suggested dinner (not included) at an elegant restaurant settled in a building of contemporary lines with a picket based that extends along an elegant wooden deck overlooking the river (closed on Tuesdays).