Lisbon & Porto Classic Discovery

InBound Portugal representative meets the group at the arrivals hall with personalised signage. Luggage coordination and group briefing. Private minivan (10 pax) standing by at the dedicated group exit. 20-minute transfer to hotel.

Check-in at a 4-star superior hotel in the heart of Lisbon. Rooms pre-blocked for early access. Group welcome pack and program booklet distributed at reception. Brief orientation by group leader.

First meal in Lisbon at a traditional Portuguese restaurant steps from Praça do Comércio. Menu: cured meats and cheese board to share; grilled sea bass or slow-cooked lamb; regional wines from Alentejo; dessert selection with pastel de nata. Duration: approx. 90 minutes.

Licensed bilingual guide leads the group through Lisbon's elegant Pombaline downtown. Key stops: Praça do Comércio (Terreiro do Paço) with views over the Tagus estuary; Rua Augusta arch and pedestrian street; Praça da Figueira; Rossio square and National Theatre. Relaxed pace with frequent stops. Duration: 90 minutes.

Group moves through the Chiado neighbourhood — Largo do Carmo viewpoint overlooking the Carmo Convent ruins; Rua Garrett (Lisbon's literary street); optional visit to the Bertrand Bookshop (oldest operating bookshop in the world). Free time in Príncipe Real for shopping and coffee. Guide available throughout.

Group returns to hotel. 90-minute rest period before dinner. Group leader confirms evening logistics.

Private dining room reserved in a traditional Bairro Alto tasca. Menu: petiscos sharing starters (presunto; alheira; pataniscas de bacalhau); bacalhau à brás; roasted black pork; house red wine; ginjinha as digestif. Live acoustic guitar during dinner — not a formal Fado show; background ambiance only. Duration: approx. 2.5 hours.

Private minivan from Bairro Alto to hotel. 10-minute drive. End of Day 1.

Full buffet breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Departure briefing by group leader at 08:45.

Minivan drops group at the foot of Alfama. Licensed guide leads through Lisbon's oldest neighbourhood: Largo das Portas do Sol viewpoint; São Vicente de Fora church and cloister (interior visit); Santa Luzia viewpoint; descent through traditional alleyways; Sé Cathedral exterior. Duration: 2 hours. Comfortable flat shoes strongly recommended — cobblestone throughout.

Transfer to the Graça viewpoint — one of Lisbon's most authentic belvederes with panoramic views over the city and the Tagus. Coffee and pastry at the esplanade. 20-minute stop. Guide provides orientation overview of the city from this elevated vantage point.

Private minivan from Graça to Belém waterfront. 20-minute drive along the riverfront.

Private guided visit of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos — UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cloisters (one of the finest examples of Manueline architecture in existence); church interior; tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões. Guide contextualises Portugal's Age of Discoveries and the Manueline style. Duration: 75 minutes. Entry fees included.

Pre-booked restaurant on the Belém waterfront with outdoor terrace and Tagus views. Menu: açorda de marisco (seafood bread stew) or grilled Atlantic fish; meat alternative available; regional Vinho Verde; seasonal dessert. Pastéis de Belém from the original 1837 bakery on Rua de Belém served as a dedicated dessert stop after lunch (5-minute walk). Duration: approx. 90 minutes.

Guided exterior visit of the Torre de Belém on the Tagus riverfront. Walk to the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries) — guide explains the figures depicted and the historical context. Optional interior visit to the Monument (lift to roof terrace with river views). Duration: 45 minutes.

Private minivan from Belém to hotel. 25-minute drive. 90-minute rest before Fado evening.

Mouraria neighbourhood

Private minivan from Mouraria to hotel. 10-minute drive. End of Day 2.

Buffet breakfast at hotel. Luggage to be left outside rooms by 08:00 for loading. Group leader confirms Porto transfer logistics at breakfast.

Private minivan departs hotel with luggage on board (luggage will travel to Porto later; hand luggage only for Sintra day). 45-minute drive to Sintra town centre.

Arrival in Sintra town centre. Private guided visit of the Palácio Nacional de Sintra (interior included) — the best-preserved medieval royal palace in Portugal; distinctive twin chimneys; azulejo-lined rooms; royal dining hall. Guided walk through the historic vila: Rua das Padarias with traditional queijadas and travesseiros pastry shops. Duration: approx. 2 hours.

15-minute transfer from Sintra to Cabo da Roca. Clifftop viewpoint at 140m above the Atlantic Ocean. Free time for photographs. Guide provides geographic and historical context. Certificate of visit available at the local posto (optional purchase). 30-minute stop.

Transfer to Cascais town centre (25 minutes). Brief orientation walk: Largo Luís de Camões; Mercado da Vila; fishing harbour area. Lunch in a traditional seafood restaurant on or near Rua Frederico Arouca — grilled catch of the day; razor clams; regional white wine; seasonal dessert. Duration: approx. 2 hours.

Group disperses in Cascais village. Shopping along the old town streets; optional visit to the Museu do Mar (Sea Museum); espresso at a traditional café on the main square. Group reassembles at minivan at 15:30 sharp.

Dedicated private coach (10 pax + luggage) departs Cascais for Porto. Route via A1 motorway. Distance: approx. 300km; journey time: 3 to 3.5 hours depending on traffic. Refreshment stop at a service area midway. Driver provides estimated arrival time on board.

Ribeira / Aliados area

Dinner in Porto's iconic riverside quarter. Traditional Portuguese restaurant with outdoor terrace overlooking the Douro River and the Dom Luís I Bridge illuminated at night. Menu: caldo verde soup; grilled bacalhau com broa (salt cod with cornbread); francesinha (Porto's signature dish) available as an alternative; regional Douro wines; arroz doce as dessert. Duration: approx. 2 hours.

Optional guided evening stroll along the Cais da Ribeira and across the lower level of the Dom Luís I Bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia for views back over Porto's illuminated skyline. 30-minute walk. Return to hotel independently or by group. End of Day 3.

Full buffet breakfast. Departure briefing at 09:00.

Licensed Porto guide leads the group through the city centre. Key stops: Avenida dos Aliados and the City Hall; Torre dos Clérigos (exterior and optional climb for panoramic views); Livraria Lello — one of the world's most beautiful bookshops (timed entry included); Praça da Batalha; São Bento railway station — interior azulejo panels depicting Portuguese history (one of the finest tile displays in the country). Duration: 2 hours.

Visit to the Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto) — Romanesque origins; Gothic cloister with 18th-century azulejo panels; panoramic terrace with views over the Douro gorge and Gaia hillside. Duration: 45 minutes. Entry fees included.

Lunch in a traditional tasca in the historic centre below the cathedral. Menu: tripas à moda do Porto (Porto's iconic tripe stew) for the adventurous; grilled dourada (sea bream) as alternative; house Vinho Verde; traditional bread and olive oil; leite creme as dessert. Duration: 90 minutes.

Transfer by foot across the lower level of Dom Luís I Bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia. Private guided visit to one of the historic Port wine lodges along the Gaia waterfront (Cais de Gaia area). Tour of the cellars: ageing barrels; explanation of the Port wine production and classification system (Ruby; Tawny; LBV; Vintage). Tasting session: 4 Ports including a Vintage. Duration: 90 minutes.

Free time in Vila Nova de Gaia. Optional: additional Port wine tastings at independent lodges along the waterfront; visit to the World of Wine (WOW) cultural district. Group reassembles on the Ribeira side at 17:30.

Transfer to the recently restored Mercado do Bolhão — Porto's iconic covered market (1914). Walk through the fresh produce stalls; artisan food producers; traditional grocery vendors. Duration: 30 minutes. Return to hotel to freshen up before dinner.

Group returns to hotel. 90-minute rest before dinner. Group leader confirms final day logistics.

Private transfer (15 minutes) to the Foz do Douro neighbourhood — where the Douro meets the Atlantic. Dinner at a premium seafood restaurant overlooking the ocean or the river mouth. Menu: fresh oysters or amêijoas à Bulhão Pato (clams in garlic and coriander); whole grilled lobster or fresh turbot; dessert selection; Douro white wine and Vinho Verde; Port wine with dessert. Dress code: smart casual. Duration: approx. 2.5 hours.

Private minivan from Foz do Douro to hotel. 15-minute drive. End of Day 4.

Early breakfast. Luggage to be placed outside rooms by 08:00. Hotel stores luggage for the day (checkout completed; storage arranged). Group leader confirms airport transfer time.

Private coach departs Porto hotel. Route via A4/IP4 eastward into the Douro Valley. Distance: approx. 120km; journey time: 90 minutes. Guide provides commentary on the landscape as the valley opens up from the Marão mountains into the terraced vineyards of the UNESCO-classified Douro wine region.

Pinhão area

Douro Valley

Coach departs the Pinhão area. Scenic return via the N222 road along the Douro riverbank — voted one of the most beautiful roads in the world. Guide points out key quintas and viewpoints along the route. Stops at Régua viewpoint (Peso da Régua) and one photo stop at a miradouro overlooking the terraced valley. Journey: approx. 90 minutes to Porto.

Coach stops at Porto hotel for luggage collection. 20-minute stop. Final refreshment and farewell moment for the group in the hotel lobby. Group leader distributes any final documentation.

Final private coach transfer from hotel to Porto Airport (OPO). 20-minute drive. InBound Portugal representative accompanies group to departure check-in. Luggage offloaded and tagged. Group briefed on terminal and check-in procedures. End of program.