Food & Wine of Portugal

(9 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Porto, Douro Valley, Lisbon & environs

This private luxury tour features the best food and wine experiences in Portugal, as well as private touring of the country’s cultural highlights. Enjoy a cooking class, private wine tasting at top wine estates and cellars, meals featuring local food specialties, visits to noted culinary shops and markets, and much more.

Begin in Porto, the capital of Port wine and a city with a fascinating mix of architectural styles, including Roman, medieval, Baroque and contemporary. Stay in a luxurious hotel on a hillside overlooking wine cellars and the Douro River. During private touring, explore the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See highlights such as the Palacio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange), the Se do Porto (Porto Cathedral) and the Livraria Lello, a historic bookstore with ornate woodwork. Browse specialty shops selling porcelain and Portuguese design products, and perhaps opt to visit additional places such as the Serralves Museum, the Casa da Musica, attractions with beautiful Portuguese tiles, or the riverside neighborhood of Ribeira. Artisans of Leisure will also arrange a private tour and Port tasting at one of the city’s most renowned cellars.

Continue to the beautiful Douro Valley, a hilly wine region along the Douro River. Stay at a quinta (wine estate) converted into a luxurious resort among terraced vineyards. During private touring, enjoy private wine tasting at the best local wine estates and take an exclusive river cruise in a traditional rabelo boat. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can also arrange cooking classes, walks through villages, bird watching, kayaking, mountain biking and other activities in the region. Artisans of Leisure can also assist with spa and dining reservations.

Next, transfer to Lisbon. En route, stop in the Alenquer wine region for a private visit to a family-owned wine estate and a lunch of local specialties paired with some of the estate’s finest wines.

Experience Lisbon as an insider during private touring with an expert local guide. Tour the historic Alfama district, the sophisticated Bairro Alto and Lapa districts and the riverside Belem district. See St. George’s Castle, Mosteiro dos Jeronimos monastery, Belem Tower and other impressive monuments of Moorish and Manueline architecture. Browse select shops offering Portuguese specialties such as azulejo tiles, embroidered linens, Indo-Portuguese furniture, gold jewelry, Portuguese design products and antiques. Sample local food specialties such as pasteis de nata custard tarts. Also tour museums according to your interests, including options such as the National Tile Museum, the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, the National Coach Museum and the Museum of Folk Art. Other touring options include vibrant food markets, botanical gardens, scenic viewpoints overlooking the city and a private appointment to visit the Ricardo do Espirito Santo Silva Foundation, which is dedicated to the preservation and reproduction of traditional Portuguese design and decorative art. One evening, enjoy a memorable fado music performance at a local club. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can arrange dinner reservations at Lisbon's best restaurants.

One day, enjoy a private Portuguese cooking class in the upscale seaside town of Cascais. Also visit
Sintra, an aristocratic town of fairy-tale palaces and gardens among forested hills. During private touring in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, visit highlights including the romantic National Palace of Pena, the spectacular National Palace of Sintra and the narrow streets in the historic center of the town.

Spend another day exploring the highlights of the rural Alentejo region, known for its olive oil, wine, cheese and cork production. During a private tour of fascinating Evora, a beautiful city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, walk narrow streets lined with whitewashed houses, and see ancient Roman ruins and Moorish architecture. Also explore the historic Jewish quarter, and tour the city’s Chapel of Bones. A lunch reservation will be made at one of the leading wine estates in the area.

Daily touring can be fully customized to suit your interests. Artisans of Leisure will also assist with advance dining reservations at Portugal’s top restaurants.