Portugal Food Tours

• Private transfer from Lisbon Airport (LIS) to the hotel in Lisbon.
• Accommodation included (7 nights) in a twin or single room. 5 Nights in the city (4 stars hotels) and 2 nights in a lovely hotel in the quiet countryside.
• Delicious buffet breakfasts at your hotels.
• 2 lunches.
• 2 dinners.
• Lisbon: Enjoy a demonstration and tasting of the famous ‘pastéis de Belém’ (one cake and one coffee are included).
• The cooking lesson is in the country house, Casas da Li. The hotel’s owner is Lígia Santos, the first winner of Masterchef Portugal.
• Sintra: Pena Palace (ticket entrance included). Explore the vibrant culture, cobbled streets, and old-world architecture in Sintra. Wander through the spectacular and colorful painted Pena Palace, perched high on a hilltop, and its grand gardens.
• Piriquita Pastry: queijada (one local cake and one coffee are included).
• A brief presentation of the olive oil sector in Portugal. Technical proof of three Portuguese olive oils.
• Canned sardines factory tour. Included: a delightful taste – sardines, bread, and Portuguese wine.
• Wine tasting: Port Wine Cellar and The Best Winery of Vinho Verde.
• Tasting of Portuguese products. Included: olive oil, bread, sausages, cheeses, and one glass of wine.
• Braga: Entrances in the Cathedral of Braga & Bom Jesus do Monte Shrine.
• Guided Walking City Tour in Porto & Braga.
• Full-day sightseeing tour Lisbon, Sintra, Obidos & Nazare.
• Private transfers during the tours.
• Luggage transfer between accommodations: 1 large suitcase per person, a maximum of 20 kg (44 pounds) per bag, and 1 backpack per person.
• Guide throughout the tour (English-speaking).
• Private transfer from the hotel in Braga to Oporto Airport (OPO).

• 2 nights in a 4-star Lisbon Hotel, Turim Marquês Lisboa, or similar.
• 2 nights lodging in a 4-star Porto Hotel, Portobay Hotel Teatro, or similar.
• 2 nights lodging in a country house in Arcos de Valdevez (countryside – Casas da Li).
• 1 Night Lodging in a 4-Star Braga Hotel, Porta Nova Collection House, or similar.

The booking will be confirmed with you as soon as we get the final confirmation of hotel availability. 

Portuguese cuisine features many elements found in a Mediterranean-style diet. You’ll find delicious fresh fish, various types of meat, mouth-watering fresh fruit, and plenty of fresh and preserved legumes.

Some famous sweet treats include almond pastry desserts and a custard pastry known as “pastel de nata.”

Although the dishes enjoyed are different between regions, you’ll discover that some things don’t change throughout the county. This is a nation that truly appreciates quality food, fresh ingredients, and a bottle of great wine or two.

For our hands-on cooking classes, we’ll have gorgeous local food! In Portugal, special recipes are only cooked in one specific region. For example, the Cachena steak and rice with “tarrestre” beans are typical dishes in Arcos de Valdevez.

Cachena cattle are a triple-purpose breed from Portugal and Galicia, Spain. Cachena is considerably smaller than other cattle and known for its madly delicious meat. The reason is simple the cattle are not fed the feed! These cattle feed on natural meadows in both winter and summer in well-defined areas called ‘brandas’.

The tarrestre bean is very small. It is produced in the region and used almost exclusively in the diet of the population in Arcos de Valdevez. This bean can be found in various hues, but beige is the most commonly seen color. These highly nutritious beans grow on steep, terraced slopes, and there are no automated or mechanized cultivation methods. Harvesting must be done manually, as it has been for centuries before.

Only one small region in Portugal has this special dish; nobody in Lisbon or Porto cooks it! Why is that so special? Why do we recommend eating this dish? Because we are thinking globally and acting locally. If you eat this regional dish in Arcos de Valdevez, you will have a small ecological footprint. You will be promoting the local market and incentivizing the community to preserve your culture!

These traditional dishes are deeply rooted in Portuguese culture, and recipes are often passed down between generations and cherished for their authentic origins. For example, in our last cooking class, you will learn how to make cornbread with a lady who lives in this region. The bread will be cooked in an authentic wood-fired oven!

On this tour, we explore cities, beaches & the countryside! Come to Portugal with an open mind and an empty stomach to try some of the most flavorsome dishes you’ll ever experience, from a grilled fish in front of a lovely beach, arroz de pato (duck rice) to alheira (Portuguese Jewish sausage) and green broth (potato, onion and chorizo soup).

• Flight
• Travel Insurance
• Drinks and meals not specified
• Entrances other than mentioned
• City tax
• Telephone and personal expenses

• 21-September-2023 to 28-September-2023 – Only 2 spots left!
• 10-October-2023 to 17-October-2023
• 22-October-2023 to 29-October-2023 – Only 2 spots left!
• 2-November-2023 to 9-November-2023
• 7-December-2023 to 14-December-2023
• 18-January-2024 to 25-January-2024
• 15-February-2024 to 22-February-2024
• 07-March-2024 to 14-March-2024
• 21-March-2024 to 28-March-2024 – EASTER
• 04-April-2024 to 11-April-2024
• 08-May-2024 to 15-May-2024 – Only 8 spots left!
• 26-June-2024 to 03-July-2024
• 04-July-2024 to 11-July-2024
• 19-September-2024 to 26-September-2024
• 10-October-2024 to 17-October-2024
• 23-October-2024 to 30-October-2024
• 02-Novembro-2024 to 09-November-2024
• 21-November-2024 to 28-November-2024 – THANKSGIVING USA
• Other departure dates on request

DAY 1
Lisbon Airport (LIS)
Welcome to Lisbon! Arrive at any time, and a transfer will be waiting to whisk you away to the hotel. There are no activities planned for this day, so feel free to explore some of the city at your doorstep. Check-in at the hotel from 2 pm. onwards.

Accommodation: 4 stars hotel. Overnight in Lisbon.
Suggestion: Sunset Cruise on Tagus River or Lisbon Downtown Walking Tour. Check out our tour extension!

DAY 2
Lisbon – Sintra – Lisbon
Meeting point at the hotel lobby – 08h30 am.
Take the 30km drive to the permanently fresh and ever-romantic Sintra. Start at the National Palace before heading to the picturesque Pena Palace. Once you have finished taking in the views, head back to town to taste the Portuguese delicacy queijada at the world-famous Piriquita pastry shop.
Head back to Lisbon to visit the 16th-century Jeronimos Monastery, the Discoveries Monument along the banks of the Tagus River, and the impressive Belem Tower (Tickets are not included). Make a visit to Pastéis de Belem, world-famous purveyors of pasteis de nata, who have managed to hold on to their secret recipe for nearly 200 years. Enjoy a demonstration and tasting of this treasured treat.

Accommodation: 4 stars hotel. Overnight in Lisbon.
Meals: Breakfast, Pastry Pastel de Belém (one Portuguese custard tart and one coffee are included), and Pastry Piriquita (one cake and one coffee are included).

DAY 3
Lisbon – Obidos – Nazare– Porto
The meeting point will be at the hotel lobby – 09h00 am.
After a quick ride, our day begins in the medieval walled town of Obidos, most noted for its whitewashed houses. Visit handicraft stores, bookstores, and make sure to sample ginja. This liqueur is made by infusing sour cherry in brandy and adding sugar to create a potent yet enjoyable aperitif. A classic Portuguese drink.
Our lunchtime will be at the picturesque fishing village of Nazaré. It is an excellent opportunity to taste the grilled fish and rice seafood.
Nazaré is famous for its women who wear skirts with seven petticoats. Women would sit on the beach waiting for their fishermen to sail home. They’d wear several petticoats to fold the layers around their backs and legs.
In 2011, Garret McNamara (Surfer) changed the history of Nazaré! McNamara was towed into a 78-foot monster swell off the coast of Nazaré, Portugal. At the time, it was the giant wave ever-ridden! And some of the best surfers move to the Portuguese coast every winter.
Today Nazaré is the most famous fishing village in Portugal. It was always having drawn visitors to its beach and genuinely colorful life. Once you finish here, we will get back in the van and head to Porto.

Accommodation: 4 stars hotel. Overnight in Porto.
Meals: Breakfast.

DAY 4
Porto
Meeting point at the hotel lobby – 09h30 am.
Porto is known for its history, architecture, culture, gastronomy, trade, and famed port wine. We will start the day with a walking tour, visiting the historical center, including Clerigos Tower, Livraria Lello e Irmão, Avenida dos Aliados, Estação de S. Bento, Bairro da Sé, Ponte Luís I, and Ribeira (Tickets are not included).
We will then visit a small market to learn the secrets of olive oil in Portugal. Tasting some exceptional Portuguese products; cheese, sausage, ham, wine, and bread. After our culinary discoveries, we will cross the Douro River and visit a port wine cellar for a tasting in one of the oldest caves in the city. We will get to know these unique wines and begin to understand what makes them different and their cultural significance within the region (Included: standard two great wines).

Accommodation: 4 stars hotel. Overnight in Porto.
Meals: Breakfast, Olive Oil Tasting, Portuguese products tasting (sausages, ham, and cheeses), and Port Wine Tasting.

DAY 5
Arcos De Valdevez
Check-out at the hotel until 11 am. Free morning in Porto.
Meeting point at the hotel lobby – 11h30 am.
Our first stop will be the sardine cannery. On this factory tour, you will learn about the sardine industry in Portugal, from fisheries to canning to marketing and distribution. Don’t worry; the smell is not as strong as you might think! You will finish the tour with a delightful tasting of sardines, bread, and of course, Portuguese wine.
After visiting the cities, we will visit the real Portugal, off the beaten path and authentic. We will explore remote villages, authentic cultural heritage, and some of the greenest landscapes in the country. You will sleep in the heart of the Minho province and at the door of the Peneda-Geres National Park, surrounded by stunning mountains and forests.
During the journey, we might come across garrano, or wild ponies. These wild animals have been native to the region since the Celtic era during the first millennium B.C. The Portuguese government began to rebuild the herds in the 1940s in what is now the national park.
Dinner will be at our rural hotel. You can help Chef Vasco prepare dinner with a hands-on cooking class. This hotel works hard to incorporate slow food with the goal of promoting local small businesses while working against the globalization of agricultural products. Duration: 1/2 day.

Accommodation: Country House. Overnight in Arcos de Valdevez.
Meals: Breakfast, Canned sardines factory tour, and Dinner (cooking class).

DAY 6
Arcos De Valdevez
Visit an incredible local vineyard and expand your knowledge of the revered Vinho Verde. Enjoy the stunning landscape during our picnic lunch served alfresco. Dinner will be at our hotel. Once again, you can help Chef Vasco prepare dinner with a second cooking class. At the end of the class, dinner will be served in the dining room. The meal will consist of the dishes prepared during the cooking class and complemented with local wines. Duration: 1 day.

Accommodation: Country House. Overnight in Arcos de Valdevez.
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Wine Tasting, and Dinner (cooking class).

DAY 7
Arcos De Valdevez – Braga
Let’s make some traditional bread!
We will join Chef Vasco and friends one last time to discover the wonders of bread making. Our cooking class brings to life the traditional process while using several kinds of locally grown corn and wheat to create our own broa de milho.
In the afternoon, we will head out into the city for a guided walking tour of the historic towns of Braga and the Bom Jesus do Monte Shrine.

Accommodation: 4 stars hotel. Overnight in Braga.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch (cooking class).

DAY 8
Oporto Airport (OPO)
Our time of discovery will have come to an end. Check-out at the hotel by 11 am, after which we will transfer you to the airport.

Meals: Breakfast.
Suggestion: Interested in exploring more of the Douro Valley? Check out our tour extension!

• Please note that while we operate successful trips in this region throughout the year, some changes may occur in our itineraries due to inclement weather and common seasonal changes to timetables and transport routes.
• Flights are not included. Travelers will fly into Lisbon Airport (LIS) and out of Oporto Airport (OPO). Braga doesn’t have an airport. That is included the transfer hotel to Oporto airport.
  Sometimes, it is cheap to buy a ticket for flight arrival and departure from Lisbon. We advise you to buy a ticket for the speed train (Braga – Lisbon Santa Apolonia Train Station). That is comfortable and cheap. Don’t worry. We can change your last transfer from the hotel to Braga Train Station. Get in touch with us for more information.
• We reserve the right to change hotels based on availability and pricing.

What to bring

• You should bring comfortable footwear (please don’t wear slippers or high heel shoes), a camera, and a small water bottle. When it’s hot out, we recommend an application of sunscreen on exposed parts of the body and a pair of sunglasses. During the cooler seasons, it’s important to wear an extra layer of clothing. Don’t forget your footwear.

Food allergies

• We can accommodate dietary needs, such as food allergies. Please send us a message, and we will let you know if there is an issue.
• Our tours are not suitable for vegans or vegetarians.

Yes, of course! Your private transfer from the airport to the hotel is included with the earlier arrival.

For this tour, you can bring one large case per person, a maximum of 20 kg (33 pounds) per bag, and one backpack per person.

Yes, you can! Eco Trilha provides a free, flexible payment option for you to pay in installments. Click Book Now and then choose Pay 20% Deposit as a payment method during checkout. We will send you an email with the final payment one month before the departure date.

Apologies, but we are unable to accommodate your request for a room upgrade. Unfortunately, these hotels do not offer king-size beds for booking.