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Signature Portugal Lisbon, Porto & Heritage

Overview

Trace Portugal’s story through azulejos, Templar Knights, fado songs and the Douro’s wine heritage

Let the three great cities of Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto frame your journey through Portugal. Begin among Lisbon’s azulejos and fado houses, then travel north through a country shaped by artistry, faith and tradition. Meet master ceramicists, musicians, winemakers and historians; decode the legacy of the Knights Templar with a leading expert; and settle into an 18th-century palace in the historic university city of Coimbra, with time to experience the local heritage and traditions. From Bussaco’s therapeutic forest, continue to Porto and the Douro, where family wine estates and historic cellars bring centuries of port-making to your present.

Venture to the very heart of each destination on our Signature Collection, where every journey is shaped by our unrivalled local connections and insider expertise. Step beyond the ordinary with private invitations, rare encounters, and experiences few will ever share. So when someone says, “I’ve been there,” you’ll simply smile, knowing you’ve experienced it differently.

Signature Day: Experience our distinctive Signature Day, choosing between carefully selected optional activities including culinary traditions along the Mondego River, Schist Village craftsmanship, Coimbra’s academic heritage, or a hands-on ceramics workshop.

Signature Stay: Unwind at Quinta das Lágrimas in Coimbra, an 18th-century palace where flourishing gardens preserve the history-shaping love story of Pedro and Inês.

Signature Guide: Let your hand-picked Signature Guide lead you to the country’s soul – sharing their home, heritage, and heart

Key Information

Travel Style Signature: Our most exceptional journeys, combining slow, ultra-immersive travel with distinctive stays and exclusive experiences: Signature
Activity: Culture
Activity Level: Easy & Moderate
See our Activity Level Guidelines to check if this holiday is right for you.
Trip Code: LPG
Ways to Travel: Guided Group, Signature
Countries: Portugal

Signature Exclusive Inclusions

Elegant, hand-picked hotels and a Signature Stay in a revamped palace
All breakfasts, four lunches, and four dinners, capturing authentic Alentejano cuisine
Signature Guide with outstanding knowledge and guest satisfaction
Complimentary transfers on arrival and departure, ensuring a smooth journey, plus comfortable private transport throughout
Gratuities for local support staff so every detail of your journey feels effortless

Positive Impact

We donate to our Foundation and rewild 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller. Find out more about how our adventures support nature and people to thrive.

Don't Forget To

Request a single room if required, purchase travel insurance and arrange any visas and vaccinations.

Signature Experiences

Signature Portugal | Lisbon, Porto & Heritage

Taste Lisbon on foot, sampling traditional dishes and regional liqueurs while tracing the people and stories behind the capital

Enter the Countess of Edla’s retreat, one of Sintra's lesser-known treasures, and explore on a privately guided tour

Decode the Knights Templar with historian João Fiandeiro, uncovering the symbols and architecture of Tomar’s UNESCO-listed Convent of Christ

Meet the Poças family in the Douro, walking their vineyards, tasting estate wines and sailing aboard a traditional rabelo

Itinerary

First Destination: Lisbon
Next Destination: Porto

Accommodation:Lisbon Chiado Hotel & Spa
Meals included:Dinner

Accommodation:Lisbon Chiado Hotel & Spa
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:Lisbon Chiado Hotel & Spa
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation:Quinta das Lagrimas
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:Quinta das Lagrimas
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation:Hotel Vincci Ponte de Ferro Porto
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:Hotel Vincci Ponte de Ferro Porto
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:Hotel Vincci Ponte de Ferro Porto
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Lisbon
Next Destination: Porto

Welcome to Lisbon, a city gilded by light where the scent of sweet pastries mingles with sea air. After your complimentary arrival transfer, settle into the Chiado Hotel & Spa, with time to relax before meeting your Signature Guide and fellow travellers.

As evening falls, gather for a welcome reception and dinner inside the former Monastery of Trindade. Founded in the 13th century and home to a restaurant since 1836, it provides a fitting introduction to the architecture, artistry and food traditions that have shaped the capital.

Accommodation:Lisbon Chiado Hotel & Spa
Meals included:Dinner

Signature Experience: Join master artisans in a family-run atelier for a deep-dive into one of Portugal’s most enduring artistic traditions: azulejos. Guided by an expert, we learn the history and symbolism behind these iconic ceramic tiles, before hand-painting our own to be fired and returned later in the journey – a lasting memento of our time together.

After, we embark on a culinary adventure through the mazey lanes of the Alfama neighbourhood. Led by our Signature Guide, we stop at carefully selected establishments to taste classic dishes: caldo verde, pastéis de bacalhau, bifanas, pastries and regional liqueurs while hearing stories of the people and places behind them.

After free time, gather inside a 19th-century Neo-Arab palace for an intimate introduction to Lisbon’s fado tradition.

Accommodation:Lisbon Chiado Hotel & Spa
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Head to the fairytale mountain town of Sintra early this morning, allowing us to enter the iconic manor house Quinta da Regaleira before the main crowds arrive. Explore it with a private guide, who reveals the symbolism woven through its gardens and architecture.

Signature Experience: Enjoy a privately guided visit of the Chalet and Gardens of the Countess of Edla, one of Sintra’s hidden treasures. Gain exclusive insight into the estate’s history, landscape and conservation work as you explore its romantic gardens, forested surroundings and beautifully restored chalet

Then, after a lunch at leisure, we head to the coastal wine region of Colares, where a unique microclimate is impacted by the Atlantic shores and Sintra’s hills. Here, we meet the winemaker at family-owned Viúva Gomes, established in 1808, for a tour and tasting.

Return to the hotel via Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe. After a quick stop at the hotel, we cross the Tagus River aboard a traditional public ferry (cacilheiros) for a seafood dinner in Cacilhas. Our return journey offers a memorable nighttime view of Lisbon’s illuminated waterfront.

Accommodation:Lisbon Chiado Hotel & Spa
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Signature Experience: Travel to Tomar, a city deeply connected to the legendary Knights Templar, elite soldiers who took strict monastic vows. Here, we join historian João Fiandeiro – a leading expert in the order – to explore the Convent of Christ, once the Portuguese headquarters of the Knights Templar. Decode its architecture and symbols before a gentle stroll through Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes, once the private gardens of the Grand Masters of the Knights Templar.

After a lunch inspired by the Templars’ medieval age, we step into their world with an exclusive longbow archery experience. Joined by a historical interpreter, we gain a hands-on insight into the martial traditions of the period.

Continue our journey via the former Templar outpost of Dornes, exploring the unique pentagonal tower, to Coimbra, famous for being home to one of the oldest operating universities in the world.

Here, we check into our Signature Stay, Quinta das Lágrimas, an 18^th-century palace that has played host to kings and emperors. Following a welcome drink, a private presentation introduces the estate’s connection to Pedro and Inês de Castro, whose forbidden union shaped the history of Portugal.

Accommodation:Quinta das Lagrimas
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Today is your Signature Day, inviting you to experience Coimbra and its surrounding region in greater depth. You could:

Taste the culinary traditions of the Mondego River, meeting a Carolino rice grower and traditional salt worker before cooking alongside a local chef and sharing a seafood rice lunch (9am-6pm)
Journey into Portugal’s Schist Villages, walking between stone-built communities, gathering your own piece of schist and transforming it into a handmade beeswax candle before visiting Lousã Castle (lunch included, 9am-4pm)
Step inside Coimbra’s academic traditions with a former university student, hearing the stories behind its black cloaks, rituals and medieval quarter before cruising the Mondego with regional wine and produce (9am-1pm)
Create alongside Coimbra’s ceramic artists inside an 18th-century former pottery, learning techniques rooted in the city’s decorative traditions before crafting your own piece to take home (2pm-4pm, maximum eight people)

Regroup for dinner at Cordel Maneirista, introduced by the chef and finished with its award-winning dessert.

Accommodation:Quinta das Lagrimas
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Enter Bussaco National Forest, recognised as the first certified Therapeutic Forest in the Iberian Peninsula, for a gentle experience centred on nature and wellbeing.

Follow the Trail of Remarkable Trees through a botanical collection shaped in part by Carmelite monks, pausing at Fonte Fria, the Valley of the Ferns, sections of the Via Sacra and the Wellington Olive Tree, where the Duke of Wellington is said to have tethered his horse before the Battle of Bussaco in 1810.

Finish near Bussaco Palace, one of the forest’s most spectacular viewpoints, for a picnic of Bairrada suckling pig accompanied by local sparkling wine. Full and relaxed, we continue to the historic port city of Porto.

Accommodation:Hotel Vincci Ponte de Ferro Porto
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Signature Experience: Travel into the UNESCO-listed Douro Valley to spend time at Quinta das Quartas, one of Portugal’s last great independent port houses. Join a member of the Poças family or estate team to walk the vineyards, visit the winery and cellars, and understand how schist soils, generations of knowledge and the landscape shape their wines. A guided tasting of carefully selected wines accompanied by stories and traditions of the estate is followed by lunch.

Later, take to the Douro aboard a traditional rabelo, the wooden boats once used to carry barrels of port downstream to Vila Nova de Gaia, seeing the valley from the river that sustained its wine trade.

Accommodation:Hotel Vincci Ponte de Ferro Porto
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Embark on a walking exploration of Porto, discovering the story of the merchants, explorers and entrepreneurs who transformed this medieval trading port into one of Europe’s great centres of commerce. Stops include the iconic Pérola do Bolhão, where we join a family member or long-term member of staff to discover how products arriving from across the Portuguese empire helped shape the city’s identity.

After time for lunch, cross the Dom Luís I Bridge to the Poças cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, continuing our Douro Valley story from yesterday. Discover how vintage port is aged and blended before concluding with a selected tasting.

This evening, gather beside the Douro for a farewell dinner at Cais-me Bem restaurant to dine on contemporary Portuguese cuisine.

Accommodation:Hotel Vincci Ponte de Ferro Porto
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Over a final breakfast in Porto, take time to reflect on the journey: Lisbon’s painted tiles and fado, the symbolism of Sintra, Templar history, Coimbra’s living traditions, Bussaco’s therapeutic forest and the Douro vineyards.

Your complimentary departure transfer is arranged for you, allowing the final morning to remain unhurried.

This chapter may close here, but Portugal’s stories of craft, food, wine and history have a way of continuing long after the journey itself.

Alternatively, extend your stay and continue your journey of discovery. Speak with your Signature Collection travel expert to explore the possibilities.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

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Accommodation

Experience the best of Portuguese hospitality

Every aspect of the Signature Collection is meticulously planned to take you deeper into the destination. That means your accommodation is a refined showcase of local hospitality, whether you’re staying in a pioneering luxury hotel or enjoying privileged access to a characterful stay designed to fully immerse you in the local culture.

Below are the accommodations we use on this adventure:

Lisbon: Lisbon Chiado Hotel & Spa (nights 1-3)

Lisbon Chiado Hotel & Spa

Begin in Chiado, with Lisbon’s historic centre immediately outside the door. Opened in 2025, Lisbon Chiado Hotel & Spa has just 40 rooms and suites, alongside an indoor pool, spa and rooftop bar overlooking the city. Rooms are generously proportioned, while the rooftop makes an inviting place to pause over a drink as Lisbon settles into evening.

Comibra: Hotel Quinta das Lágrimas (nights 4-5)

Hotel Quinta das Lágrimas

Our Signature Stay is an 18th-century palace surrounded by 12 acres of gardens and closely connected to the story of Prince Pedro and Inês de Castro. Once a private estate that received kings and emperors, Quinta das Lágrimas is now a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. During your stay, a private presentation reveals the history held within the estate and its gardens.

Porto: Vincci Ponte de Ferro (nights 6-8)

Vincci Ponte de Ferro

Conclude beside the Douro at Vincci Ponte de Ferro, built across a collection of buildings incorporating a former winery beside the Dom Luís I Bridge. Make time for the mini-pool or a drink at 6 Ponte Sky Bar, looking across the river and Porto, while the location in Vila Nova de Gaia places the city’s historic Port wine cellars close at hand.

Enhance your stay: Personalise your experience with curated room upgrades and additional nights tailored to your travel plans.

Essential Information

We have graded this trip Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page.

Driving times: The longest travel time takes place on Day 4 (two hours). All other journeys are under two hours.

Signature Day: Select from a curated menu of optional experiences to create a day that is personal to you or choose to slow the pace and enjoy the facilities of your accommodation. Simply prebook your chosen experience at least 60 days before departure through your Signature Collection travel expert.

Please note, some optional activities may have a minimum group size to operate. If minimum numbers are not reached by 60 days prior to travel, you will be contacted and offered an alternative optional activity.

As with all adventures in the Signature Collection, we take care of your arrival and departure transfers, allowing you to fully relax and immerse yourself in the local culture.

Arrival airport: Lisbon (LIS)
- Your adventure begins with a welcome reception at 6pm on Day 1 – meet at the Lisbon Chiado Hotel’s Beyond Rooftop Bar
Departure airport: Porto (OPO)
- Your adventure concludes after breakfast on the final day.

Complimentary arrival and departure transfers are included between the airport and the tour’s designated start and end hotels on the first and last day of your tour. If you book additional pre-tour or post-tour nights at the designated start or end hotel through Exodus, your complimentary transfer will also be valid for those arrival and departure dates.

Additional charges may apply for transfers on different dates or to and from alternative hotels within the same city. To ensure arrangements can be made, complimentary transfers must be requested through your Signature Collection Travel Expert at least two weeks before your tour departure date.

Portugal

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Portugal. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/portugal
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/portugal
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/portugal/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Portugal.html

Food and drink are woven throughout this journey, offering an authentic taste of Portugal’s regions, traditions and people. From a progressive tasting lunch through Lisbon’s historic neighbourhoods and family-run taverns to exclusive wine experiences in both Sintra and the Douro Valley, each culinary moment is rooted in local stories and craftsmanship. Along the way, enjoy regional specialities, fresh seafood, traditional pastries and locally produced wines, while meeting the people who help preserve Portugal’s rich gastronomic heritage. Where meals are not included, your Signature Guide will be on hand with thoughtful recommendations tailored to your tastes.

Portugal enjoys a Mediterranean climate. Spring and autumn bring mild days ideal for walking and outdoor dining, while summers are warm and dry. Winters are cooler yet often bright and pleasant.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

We also weave Signature Legacy moments into your itinerary, so the positive impact of your trip lasts long after your stay. These are moments to remember which help people and nature thrive, ensuring you build a harmonious, positive connection with the places you visit.

On this journey, you can:

Join master artisans at a family-run Lisbon tile atelier, learning traditional azulejo techniques and hand-painting your own tile while supporting the continuation of this centuries-old Portuguese craft.
Learn medieval archery with a historical interpreter in Tomar, gaining first-hand insight into the skills and traditions associated with the Knights Templar and helping keep this chapter of Portuguese history alive through specialist interpretation.