Experience the real, raw side of Portugal with local hosts.
Explore the best coastline, towns and secret spots around Lisbon on a private tour over 3, 5 or 7 nights.
Experience the real, raw side of Portugal with local hosts.
Explore the best coastline, towns and secret spots around Lisbon on a private tour over 3, 5 or 7 nights.
Everything about this tour is completely flexible. If you wish to make changes to the length, locations or activities – that’s no problem, just contact us.
Imagine sitting in the back of an open-top vintage jeep, the wind in your hair as we wind dirt tracks past medieval castles and mysterious forests. Imagine cracking a bottle of Portuguese wine with the sand between your toes and the sun setting over the ocean. Imagine dancing on the beach, kayaking in the sea, tasting Port wine at a historic cellar, savouring fish off a barbeque, marvelling at soaring high cliffs and eating the world’s best pastel de nata. You will do all of this and so much more when you get to know the real, raw Portugal on one of our private multi-day adventures.
One day with us is just a snack. Our multi-day tours are a chance to feast on our signature style of authentic small-group adventure. We’ll take you to secret lookouts, hidden beaches and lesser-known spots no other tourists reach. We’ll go off-road, snap Polaroid pictures at the coast, play epic tunes all day long and give you the chance to taste traditional sweets and liqueurs along the way.
Portugal isn’t just a place you see – it’s a place you feel with your heart and soul. Our adventures have always been about the journey. We want to show you the best our country has to offer, from stunning landscapes to friendly people. We’ll make sure you see, do and taste only the best in Portugal.
In 2020 all of our multi-day tours will be completely private for your group of family or friends. Portuguese tourism authorities have given us the Clean & Safe seal, our staff have had special hygiene and safety training and we only work with other businesses who also have the seal.
Choose your own adventure from our 3, 5 and 7-night tour options. On the 3-night tour you’ll see the best of Lisbon and Sintra. With 5-nights you’ll experience the famous surf town with the biggest waves in the world, and with 7-nights you’ll make it to Porto, Portugal’s second-biggest city. Every tour has a good balance of scheduled activities and free time, plus we can arrange extras or swap activities like your personal concierge. The first and last day of every tour have no planned activities, and most evenings will be yours to explore. We’ve highlighted the top things you will experience on each tour below. For a full day-by-day run down, click the itinerary tab at the top.
HIGHLIGHTS
3-nights
5-nights
All of the 3-night experience plus…
7-nights
All of the 3- and 5-night experience plus…
We’re fun, we’re relaxed. Want to change something on the itinerary? Let us know and we can customise the journey
All accommodation is included in the tour price. We prioritise hotels, but sometimes will stay at a guesthouse, apartment or local accommodation of similar quality. We only stay at accommodation with excellent ratings of 8/10 or higher. All stays include wifi, air conditioning and a private bathroom. Rooms will be double, single or twin bed (on request). The location will be near the centre and with good public transportation. Common areas may be shared.
If you have accommodation requests, we are flexible and can make changes as you wish but prices may vary.
price
All tours are completely private so if you have a bigger group, we are able to offer better prices – bring your family and friends! For single person or larger group rates, please send us a request.
3-NIGHTS
2 people – €399 per person (€798 total)
3 people – €333 per person (€999 total)
4 people – €324 per person (€1296 total)
5 people – €319 per person (€1595 total)
6 people – €316 per person (€1896 total)
5-NIGHTS
2 people – €750 per person (€1500 total)
3 people – €633 per person (€1899 total)
4 people – €599 per person (€2396 total)
5 people – €559 per person (€2795 total)
6 people – €549 per person (€3294 total)
7-NIGHTS
2 people – €1099 per person (€2198 total)
3 people – €899 per person (€2697 total)
4 people – €825 per person (€3300 total)
5 people – €799 per person (€3995 total)
6 people – €749 per person (€4494 total)
BOOKING TERMS
We’ve adapted in response to COVID-19
To keep our guests and staff safe while having fun we’ve added new safety and hygiene measures to our experiences and transfers. Our staff have received extra training and Portuguese authorities have given us the “Clean & Safe” seal. Read about our COVID-19 measures here.
Welcome to Lisbon. We’ll pick you up from the airport and drop you at the hotel. Today is all yours to explore on your own, but before we leave you to settle we’ll get to know each other, provide some suggestions for your day and discuss your tour over a coffee or drink.
Ready for an unforgettable day of adventure, storytelling and laughs? Let’s GO! Climb aboard one of our vintage convertible UMM 4x4s to tackle the best of the Sintra region with our signature full-day experience. These restored ex-military jeeps look cool as hell, sure, but they’re also the best way to tackle the terrain west of Lisbon, passing from hilltop castles to the sheer coastline.
We’ll kick off at Quinta da Regaleira, a historic palace and lush gardens filled with mystery, metaphors and underground passages. Then we’ll bump along unmarked, off-road forest trails and drive by all five castles and palaces of the UNESCO World Heritage town, stopping by our favourite lookouts on our way to lunch.
Lunch is at a traditional Portuguese restaurant in one of the villages we grew up in. Expect a feast of grilled fish, meat or vegetables with plenty of vinho! We’ll teach you how and what to order in Portugal.
After lunch, we’ll take you to the edge of the earth: Cabo da Roca. Here the stunning cliffs and lighthouse mark the westernmost point on mainland Europe. We’ll taste Sintra’s century-old local sweet pastry, the “travesseiro”, with homemade “ginja” liqueur.
Next, it’s time to hike down to a secret beach. No trip to Portugal is complete without watching the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean, and it’s even better with delicious Portuguese wine and snacks. It takes 30 minutes to hike down to our beach – make sure you bring proper shoes as the path is steep with twists and turns.
Once we reach the soft, golden sand – just relax. We’ll set up a picnic spread of traditional Portuguese “petiscos” (that’s our word for tapas) stacked full of cheese, chouriço (chorizo), bread and other snacks. Watch the sky turn warm shades of gold with sand between your toes, salty hair, wine in one hand and a sweet soundtrack adding to the atmosphere. You might have 99 problems, but a beach ain’t one.
Dinner is your free time. We can make suggestions for where to eat in Sintra or Lisbon.
Please note: Transportation to and from Sintra is not included, but we can arrange it on request. The train from Lisbon to Sintra is easy, quick and cheap.
Yes, we like to go off-the-beaten-path, but when it comes to eating the world’s best pastel de nata we’re happy to follow the crowds. Open since 1837, Pasteis de Belém still uses a top-secret Portuguese custard tart recipe, which was invented by nuns at the nearby Jerónimos Monastery.
But Belém is about more than flaky pastry and egg custard. It’s from here that explorer Vasco da Gama set sail for India during Portugal’s Age of Discovery. He returned with riches and treasure that built Portugal’s global empire and now the riverside suburb is filled with ornate monuments that mark the history and glory of the time.
After we’ve kicked around Belém, we’ll embark on our own seafaring journey. All aboard our own sexy little speed boat who will zip us along the Tagus River and make you feel like the VIPs you are. Sure, Lisbon up close is stunning but seeing her from the water gives you a whole new perspective to the city. If you’re lucky we’ll spot local dolphins splashing around too. Portugal famously loves a long lunch so we’ll pull up for a seafood feast by the water.
Lisbon is the city of seven hills, and on top of every hill is a viewpoint or two. Called “miradouros” in Portuguese, these lookouts and public spaces offer excellent people-watching and photo-snapping opportunities. We’ll carve a route climbing from one hill to another so you can truly get to know the cobbled streets and tiled buildings in the City of Light while soaking in killer views.
The best way to feel the heart and soul of Portugal is with fado. You don’t need to know the language to understand the raw emotion, melancholy and joy of this musical genre. It’s so important to this country that it is recognised by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Tonight you’ll sit back and feel the city’s bohemian roots with a traditional dinner and show at a treasured local fado house.
If you booked the 3-night tour, today we say adeus.
Today we’ll get your heart racing with another off-road adventure in one of our restored convertible jeeps. Climb in the back and we’ll pass over the famous red suspension bridge to a stunning coastal forest with untouched beaches south of Lisbon. Its name is Arrábida, but we call it paradise.
You’ll soon see why the beaches of Arrábida Natural Park have been named Europe’s most beautiful. We’ll choose one of these idyllic sandy beaches to lay down a picnic rug. Today is about relaxing and exploring at your pace. Kick back on the sand, throw a football around or have fun snorkelling in the tranquil sea while we prepare a tasty spread.
After lunch there is no rush. Chill out on the sand before we embark on your choice of afternoon activity. We can hire kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, paddleboats or try coastering (the adventure sport of climbing, swimming, diving and walking around a coastline).
Dinner is your free time. We can make suggestions for where to eat in Lisbon.
5-night tour: see below
7-night tour: today is “free time” to explore solo in Lisbon.
It’s time to hit the road again. First stop, the legendary fishing village of Nazaré. Here mega-waves bigger than 30 metres high have attracted fearless surfers from around the world to this traditional seaside town. If we’re lucky the waves will be pumping, but either way we’ll drop into the São Miguel Arcanjo Fort. Inside you’ll learn about the underwater 5000 metre deep Nazaré Canyon, plus see the stories and surfboards of those crazy enough to take on the big waves.
There is no better spot for a fresh fish feast than at a local restaurant in a fishing village. Keep an eye out for the fishwives who still wear the traditional seven skirts!
After lunch we’ll discover a new mode of transport: horseback. Stopping by our friend’s small family farm, we’ll meet their stud of horses and saddle up for a magical ride along Praia do Norte in Nazaré. Not only will we get to connect with these beautiful animals, but we’ll get to kick up sand as we gallop down the famous beach and into the surrounding forest.
Next stop, the medieval town of Óbidos. Behind the towering fortress walls lies an untouched city. Get lost wandering the narrow cobbled streets, hopping between taverns and stores within white-washed houses. One of Portugal’s most famous drinks originated here, so we’ll definitely try “ginjinha” cherry liqueur while here (in a chocolate cup, of course).
If you are on the 5-night tour, we return to Lisbon tonight. Dinner is “free time” and we can give you suggestions on where to eat.
If you booked the 5-night tour, this morning we say adeus.
On Day Five of the 7-night tour you enjoyed “free time” to explore solo in Lisbon, so today we head to Nazaré and Óbidos. As we will continue north to Porto on this day, we’ll stop at Óbidos in the morning instead of the afternoon.
Bom dia, Porto! This morning we’re exploring Portugal’s second-biggest city with a personalised driving tour hitting the most beautiful and intriguing spots. We’ll roll over the city’s famous bridges, squeeze through narrow streets, pass by azulejo (tile) murals covering whole buildings, cruise the coastline and, if you like, stop by a traditional fish market by the sea. This is your first taste of Porto, and after you’ll be hungry for more.
And hopefully hungry enough to feast on Porto’s famous, calorie-dense sandwich: the francesinha. This four-meat sandwich layers steak, ham and two types of local sausage with cheese. It’s topped with an egg, covered in a beer sauce and served with fries. If you’re not vegetarian, it’s a must-try dish when in Porto. We’ll take you to one of our favorite spots. If you are vegetarian, we have other options!
Luckily the narrow cobbled streets of Porto are ideal for walking off a francesinha. If only the walls could talk in this curious city jam-packed with history. Luckily your guide can and will share some of the coolest and most intriguing stories about the Cidade Invicta, the nickname for a city that’s never been conquered. On foot is the best way to explore the UNESCO World Heritage city centre of this well-preserved and undefeated city, with ancient buildings and monuments that are easy on the eye.
After the walking tour, cross the narrow river to another city. Here at Gaia the riverfront is lined with cellars housing Portugal’s most famous export, port wine. We’ll dive headfirst into a century-old historic cellar to explore winemaking and taste a handful of ports.
Dinner is your free time. We can make suggestions for where to eat in Porto.
It’s the last day and you have a choice. Sometimes flights out of Porto are cheaper so we can leave you here, or you can return to Lisbon with your host, for free.