Discover Northern Portugal - Premium Adventure

Begin your adventure in coastal Aveiro, which is known as the Portuguese Venice for the network of canals that criss-cross the city. If you have a bit of time to spare, you can make use of the indoor swimming pool at the hotel.

Around 6pm, say olá to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.

Your tour leader then ensures a big Portuguese welcome by arranging a group dinner together.

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Premium accommodation: Hotel Meliá Ria
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Transfer (approximately 40 minutes) to the Cais do Bico quay this morning. Here, we board a moliceiro, a traditional gondola-style boat, for a scenic two-hour cruise, exploring the channels and islands of the Ria de Aveiro, while learning about the region’s history and culture.

Arriving in Ovar, we disembark for lunch before a guided walking tour. Ovar is known as the City of Tiles, with many of the 19^th– and 20^th-century public buildings decorated in azulejo tiles. We follow the Azulejo Route for around 1mi (1.5km), exploring the historic streets at a gentle pace.

We then visit a pão de ló workshop, indulging in a culinary treasure as we sample the famous Portuguese sponge cake and see how it’s ­­made. We then transfer (30 minutes) back to the hotel in Aveiro.

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Take a one-hour transfer to the city of Figueira da Foz this morning, where we visit the salt flats for a guided visit led by a marnoto (salt harvester) who shares the traditional methods of saliculture (salt production). Their ancestral techniques, which date to the 12^th century, are entirely done by hand and are differentiated according to the environmental conditions.

We then have a relaxing picnic lunch at an old farmhouse, now converted into a charming space with a wood-fired oven. It will be a light lunch where salt and flor de sal feature prominently, along with regional specialties from Figueira da Foz. After, we transfer (approximately 1hr 30min) to Viseu. You have the rest of the afternoon to unwind in the hotel pool and spa or explore this beautiful hilltop city.

Premium accommodation: Montebelo Viseu Congress Hotel & Spa
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Embark on a guided tour of Viseu this morning. Our 1hr 30min to two-hour tour takes in the highlights of the city, from the impressive Viseu Cathedral to the Solar do Vinho do Dão, the headquarters of the Dão Regional Wine Commission.

We then transfer (35 minutes) to Quinta Da Comenda, a farm that has been growing produce without synthetic pesticide or any chemical fertilisers since 1987. The quinta is a historic agro-vinicultural farm with roots that date to before the foundation of the country, as it belonged to D. Teresa, the mother of Portugal’s first king, D. Afonso Henriques.

Here we take a guided tour of the farm with the owners, before a picnic lunch of local delicacies and a wine tasting. After, we return to the hotel in Viseu, where we have the rest of the day free to explore.

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Bid farewell to Viseu this morning and transfer (one hour) to the Douro, one of Portugal’s great wine-making regions. We head straight to the Douro Museum, which showcases the history of wine production in the region from a converted wine warehouse.

After Régua, we board a train to Pinhão where we have free time for lunch. It’s a scenic journey alongside the Douro River, where carefully cultivated slopes leading to the river are striped with terraced vineyards. We also see historic wine estates and grand manors. In Pinhão there is the option of a boat ride (additional cost) or a walk along the river.

Following a transfer (45 minutes) to the hotel, we have a dinner of Douro specialities.

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We explore Lamego today, a small yet historic town in the Alto Douro region. Here, we tour the highlights, including Lamego Castle, the magnificent 12^th-century cathedral, and the Nossa Senhora dos Remédios Sanctuary – an ornate two-spired church at the top of a baroque staircase with 686 steps.

After, we visit the village of Raposeira for a light lunch and wine tasting. We then have the rest of the afternoon free to enjoy the hotel facilities.

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We transfer (1hr 45min) this morning to Porto, where take a guided tour of the historic centre. Our adventure takes us to the highlights, from the grand São Bento Station to the double-deck Luís I Bridge over the Douro River.

After lunch, we head to our hotel to check-in and then have the rest of the afternoon free to explore the city. There are various options you can choose, including a boat tour along the river, a visit to the Palácio da Bolsa, or a coffee at the Majestic Café, a Belle Époque establishment that opened in 1922.

At 7pm, we have a farewell dinner, an excellent chance to enjoy more great food and relive some of the adventures we’ve had together.

Premium accommodation: Moon & Sun Porto

The trip draws to end this morning, and the tour leader is available to provide recommendations if you have planned to extend your stay in Porto. If you’d like more time in this fascinating city, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.