Trees for Days
Help us spread love around the world — with trees! Together with Planeterra, we'll plant one tree in your name for every travel day.
Trees planted for this trip: 8
On the western edge of mainland Europe, Portugal packs an alluring punch for curious travellers. Embark on an exploration rich in scenic beauty, fascinating history, and vibrant cultural traditions. Venturing from ancient streets and meandering rivers to an array of UNESCO World Heritage sites, encounter the multilayered legacies of Portuguese royalty and Romantics, the Knights Templar and Franciscan monks—and meet port wine makers, cork farmers, and fado folk singers along the way.
Greater exploration, insider access, and the freedom to roam – all without sacrificing comfort.
Quality accommodations and more inclusions than on other G Adventures tours, like meals, private transport, and activities.
Light walking and hiking suitable for most fitness levels. Nothing too challenging.
Small group experience; Max 16, avg 12.
All travellers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Before booking, use our handy entry requirements tool so you know which documents you need to enter and travel through the countries on your trip.
View our Entry Requirements toolIn a number of impactful ways, your adventure directly benefits the local people and places we visit.
Help us spread love around the world — with trees! Together with Planeterra, we'll plant one tree in your name for every travel day.
Trees planted for this trip: 8
Want to create ripples that change lives? The higher the Ripple Score percentage, the more money stays in the local communities you visit.
Ripple Score for this trip: 99
There are new Health & Safety Protocols for National Geographic Journeys tours. Please see here for full details and up-to-date requirements as they may change.
Please note that the visit to the Joanina Library in Coimbra on day 6 will be replaced by a visit to the Lello bookstore in Porto on the same day, for the following departures in 2024: April 12, 19, 21 and 28, May 10, 12 and 24 and September 27.
Arrive at any time. This evening, savour a traditional Portuguese dinner and performance of fado, a local folk singing tradition, in one of Lisbon's oldest neighbourhoods.
Travel back in time to the fairytale castles and hills of Sintra, a 19th-century resort town and UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore the colourful manors, medieval palaces, and lush gardens that enchanted English Romantic poet Lord Byron as well as Portuguese royalty. Enjoy a short orientation walk followed be a free afternoon to discover Lisbon’s pastel-hued architecture and lively plazas. Opt to soar over Lisbon on the historic Santa Justa lift, an engineering marvel that ascends 147 feet to an epic viewing platform.
Head to medieval Évora, in the heart of the bucolic Alentejo region, for a fascinating foray into the past. Be mesmerized by the haunting Chapel of Bones, erected by 16th-century Franciscan monks. Then pay a visit to one of the best preserved Roman temples on the Iberian Peninsula, known as Diana’s Temple.
Venture into the Alentejo countryside, home to centuries-old cork forests. Join a local expert at a traditional farm, and learn about cork harvesting and production. Then sit down to a traditional cork stripper’s lunch at the cork farm. This afternoon, return to Évora and explore its UNESCO World Heritage–designated city centre on your own, walking past whitewashed houses decorated with azulejos and wrought-iron balconies.
Spend the day in Tomar and delve into the Crusades era in Portugal. Go on a guided walk with a local expert around the vast medieval complex of the Convent of Christ, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Templar Castle, founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais—grand master of the Knights Templar. Continue on to Coimbra for the evening.
This morning, enjoy a tour around the centuries-old University of Coimbra, Portugal's most prestigious university and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enter through the 10th-century Porta Férra, the old entrance to the citadel of Coimbra. Following mosaic cobblestone paths around campus, stopping to see the baroque stylings of the Joanina Library, elaborate azulejo wall tiles adorning the Chapel of São Miguel, and the 18th-century Botanical Garden. Later, catch the train to Porto on the coast.
Board a boat down Portugal's Douro River, or "river of gold". Float on the typical Rabelo Boat along the riverbanks of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia and marvel at the historical bridges connecting the two cities. Famous for centuries as a port wine shipper's centre, discover the rich tradition of port making at a local wine cellar, then cap off the day with a tasting of this distinct regional specialty. In your free time, explore the cobblestone streets of Porto’s medieval Ribeira district, marvel at the baroque São Francisco Church, and admire the palatial Palácio de Bolsa, a one time stock market.
Depart at any time.
Hotels (7 nts).
7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
Allow USD325-425 for meals not included.
Walking, bus, boat, train.
CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout, local guides.
If you're travelling solo and would prefer to have your own private room throughout your trip, select this option during the online booking process.
Book this tour as a private departure, with your own CEO and all the benefits of a G Adventures group tour.