THE BEST OF PORTUGAL in 11 days
My Best of Portugal Tour provides a laid-back and worry-free experience while connecting the major destinations and landmarks in Portugal. There is a lot to see and do, but the travel distances are not far, the people are friendly, and the culture and ambiance are unmatched anywhere in Europe. We will visit the capital of Lisbon and connect its history with great explorers and navigators. Then we will get out into the countryside and seaside to learn about Portugal, its people, and its rich history that transformed the ancient world into the new world.
Your Adventure Starts Here!
| PRICE FROM | DATES | |
|---|---|---|
| $4589 + air | Apr 3-13, 2026 | |
| $4689 + air | Sep 27-Oct 7, 2026 | |
| $4689 + air | Apr 9-19, 2027 |  |
| $4689 + air | May 11-21, 2027 | |
| $4789 + air | June 18-28, 2027 | |
| $4789 + air | Sept 26-Oct 6, 2027 | |
Lisbon – 3 nights
Nazaré – 2 nights
Coimbra – 2 night
Duoro Valley – 1 night
Porto – 2 nights
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Single Room Additional Cost ~$910
ITINERARY
DAY 1: LISBON – Let’s meet at our hotel at 4:00 p.m. for greetings and introductions. A local guide will get you oriented with a walk around Lisbon’s Alfama and historic city center. Then let’s have dinner together. Sleep for 3 nights in Lisbon. Walking: Strenuous. Dinner.
DAY 2: LISBON & BELÉM –After breakfast, join your local guide for a visit to the Belém harborside neighborhood. Belém holds a few essential sights from Portugal’s dynamic “Age of Discovery.” Enjoy a waterfront stroll past the gigantic Monument of Discoveries, constructed in 1960 to commemorate Portugal’s famous explorer, Prince Henry the Navigator. Nearby, the Belém Tower stands all bright and white, still welcoming sailors to the harbor as it has done for 600 years. Across the street, we will take a look at the impressive Monastery of Jerónimos, built by King Manuel in the 1500s to commemorate Portugal’s early explorers. Don’t forget to pop into a nearby bakery to sample the famous pastries of Belém. Enjoy the afternoon and evening on your own, back in the heart of Lisbon. Walking: Moderate.
DAY 3: SINTRA & CABO DA ROCA – Today, we will take a driving tour west toward the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy Sintra by discovering mountaintop medieval fortifications, vibrant fairytale castles, lush forests, eccentric labyrinthine gardens, and the Sintra city palace. Later, we will see the cliffs of Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of the European continent. Then enjoy Cascais, a traditional fishing port and beach area. Returning to Lisbon, you’ll have the evening to explore independently.
DAY 4: MAFRA, ÓBIDOS, and FATIMA – Leaving the city, we will head to the countryside. In Mafra, we will visit the quirky village museum of José Franco and get our hands dusty making traditional chorizo bread. Then it’s on to Óbidos, a medieval walled town. Here you’ll find a well-preserved castle and a labyrinth of streets and houses, flowery windows, and small squares inside the walls. Later, we’ll head to Fátima, a pilgrimage site, and learn how three children shared a vision of the Virgin Mary in May 1917, calling for the end of WWI and world peace. Sleep for 2 nights in Fatima. Dinner.
DAY 5: CHÃS, OLIVE OIL, and LUNCH – Visit the salt pans of Rio Maior, where, for 900 years, the locals have extracted salt from the river. Then, tour a local olive oil producer and sample the products. Then, prepare for an amazing lunch in a small village with panoramic views of the mountains and countryside. Back in Fatima, you’ll have the evening to experience more of the town. Lunch.
DAY 6: COIMBRA AND AVEIRO – Join a walk this morning to Coimbra’s old university, which has been sitting here for over 700 years. The university library houses 30,000 books from the 18th century! Enjoy the afternoon and evening on your own. We’ll meet for an aperitif and fado performance in a unique style known only to Coimbra. Aveiro is a coastal town with a rich fishing history. Enjoy a floating tour in the typical multi-colored fishing boats known as Moliceiros. Tonight, you are free to wander the narrow lanes and cobbled squares in search of dinner and entertainment. Sleep for 1 night in Aveiro.
DAY 7: WINE AND THE DOURO VALLEY – We will drive to Portugal’s famous winemaking region and learn about the art of making wine. In Regua, you’ll have a chance to visit an old family estate, learn about growing vines, making wine, and taste it, too! Later, we will arrive at our hotel to enjoy dinner together. Sleep 2 nights in the Duoro Valley. Dinner.
DAY 8: LAMEGO and the DUORO VALLEY – Lamego is one of Portugal’s most historic and elegant towns, beautifully set in the heart of the Douro region. Enjoy a stroll through the charming old town, where graceful squares, baroque architecture, and traditional tiled façades reflect centuries of history and culture. The Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios is perched atop a hill and adorned with fountains, statues, and azulejos. Later, we will learn about and sample the famous sparkling wines of Lemego and the savory pastry, Bôla de Lamego.
DAY 9: AMARANTE and PORTO – We will travel through the lush, terraced wine country to Amarante. Nestled on the banks of the Tâmega River, you’ll stroll through its picturesque historic center, where elegant granite houses with wooden balconies overlook the river. Later, in Porto, enjoy a visit to a local Port wine cellar for a tour and tasting. After setting up at our hotel, you’ll have the afternoon and evening free. Sleep in Porto for 2 nights.
DAY 10: PORTO – Porto, the second largest city in Portugal, has a unique charm, with morning fog and beautiful sunsets on the banks of the Douro. Its colorful streets and tiled houses delight any walk through the historic center. See the Cathedral of Porto as we walk on Santa Catarina, one of the busiest streets in Porto. Enjoy the hustle and bustle of Bolhão, the city’s marketplace. After a free afternoon, let’s meet for a grand farewell dinner to celebrate your tour in Portugal. Dinner.
DAY 11: TOUR OVER AFTER BREAKFAST – Your tour guide will be happy to assist in making transportation connections to the airport or train station. Enjoy your journey, wherever it takes you!
Itinerary specifics are subject to change.
INCLUSIONS
Transportation by coach and/or minibus from your first hotel in Lisbon to your final hotel in Porto.
10 nights’ accommodation in traditional hotels, guesthouses, and B&Bs. All rooms have private en-suite baths.
All tips and gratuities to guides, drivers, restaurants, and hotel staff.
A guaranteed Small Group consisting of 6-18 participants.
All breakfasts and five other meals.
Traditional dining experiences at some of David’s personal favorite restaurants. Eating well is a priority and you’ll enjoy fine regional fare featuring the best the locale has to offer.
Water is included with all meals. Soda, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, and tea are your responsibility.
All tours and admissions at no extra cost: Comprehensive walking tour in Lisbon, a Fado music experience, Belém walking tour, Fátima orientation walk, Coimbra orientation walk and entrances, Duoro Wine Valley driving tour, several wine tastings, Porto walking tour, and much more!
A full-time Exploring Europe guide and local experts dedicated to bringing to life the art, history, and culture of the tour destinations.
David’s tour handouts are delivered electronically and detail each day’s historical and cultural experiences.
Free luggage tags and David’s custom-designed drawstring backpacks.
Our Unconditional Tour Price Guarantee, once locked in, will never change.
$50 Tour Alumni discount for each David McGuffin tour you’ve taken prior to this travel year.
EXCLUSIONS
Comprehensive Trip insurance. We strongly recommend comprehensive insurance for tour.
Fee for passports.
Beer, wine, spirits, and soda during the tour.
Laundry, phone, internet, and personal items
Extras and optional activities.
Anything not mentioned in the itinerary.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
CANCELLATION POLICY
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS:
Deposits- Deposits for tours are fully refundable for 30 days from your initial application and deposit date, unless otherwise noted. If you book a tour less than 90 days before its departure date, full payment is due immediately, and the entire tour cost becomes non-refundable after seven days. After these dates, deposits are not refundable and will be forfeited if you cancel your tour reservation.
Payments- Tour payments are due in full 90 days before your tour departure date. If you find you must cancel between 90-0 days before your tour departure, please contact us immediately. We will work with you to transfer your payments to another tour departing within 18 months. We strongly recommend that everyone purchase comprehensive travel insurance that covers tour cancellations, emergency medical, and other unexpected events.
Cancellations will be effective when the written notification is received at David McGuffin›s Exploring Europe by mail, e-mail, or fax.
SIGN UP BY EMAIL OR POST
If you do not want to sign up online:
You may download a tour application and send it to us with payment.
-OR-
You may return it by:
- FAX 1-800-570-1351
- Email – info@davidmcguffin.com
- email – take a photo of the form with your smartphone and attach it to an email
- TXT – take a photo with your smartphone and TXT to 904-612-8149
KEY TO WALKING & ACTIVITY
Walking and Physical Activity: We have planned this trip to provide maximum tour experiences. The basic nature of Europe does require some degree of physical activity to get out and see the sights, especially in the big cities. To help you plan, we’ve included a daily projection of physical activity. Here is the key for our walking activity ratings:
Light – Walking done on level surfaces with some hills and elevation gains. Two miles or less of required walking during the day.
Moderate – Walking done on paved and gravel paths and cobbled city sidewalks. To enjoy the full tour experience, some uphill and downhill walking is expected, as is standing while viewing sights or museums. Four to six miles of walking per day.
Strenuous – Walking done on rugged and rocky paths and city-cobbled sidewalks. There will be steps and stairs. Up to three hours standing in museums or experience sites. Up to eight miles of walking per day.
Your Choice – No matter what your walking ability, we will help you find alternative ways to enjoy and experience all Europe has to offer. To get the most out of our tours, you should be able to operate at the light level every day with spurts of moderate and strenuous.
PRE-TOUR RESOURCES
Now that you’ve decided to join this tour, we are sure you’ll have some questions. Don’t worry. We are here to help you through each aspect of your tour from start to finish.
DAVID’S 60 SECONDS DESTINATION VIDEOS
Join David as he shares impromptu moments from his travels in the United Kingdom. Watching these short 60-second segments are a great way to experience David’s travel style and adventures. Watch David Explores France here.
David’s TRAVEL TALK TUESDAY almost-weekly broadcast and Video Series Blog.
Every week, when David is not traveling in Europe, he presents a LIVE broadcast on Zoom and Facebook. Check it out on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.
Each Travel Talk Tuesday session is recorded. Watch them here.
DAVID’S BLOG ARTICLES
David and his team have answered many travel-related questions, and they are all tucked away on his blog. But, no need to go there. Just type in a keyword in the search box at the top or bottom of this page (it’s the gray rectangle with a small magnifying glass icon), and you will get results for your query.
PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL OR GIVE US A CALL.
We are happy to answer your travel questions and give advice and suggestions. tours@davidmcguffin.com or 800-570-1351.
Testimonials & Reviews of our Tours
The Scotland /Wales trip was wonderful. Scotland is so beautiful, and we loved the small towns where we stayed. Dave was a great guide and so willing to help us in whatever we needed. Ian was a great driver and so nice. His van was super comfortable. We really enjoyed getting to meet Jan and Bobby on the trip and finding out that they had known you for years. They are special people, and we hope they had an enjoyable time in London.
Thanks for doing the trip for such a small group, and I know we all felt that we were very blessed because of it.
We participated in the Best of Italy tour in June of 2026. This was our first David McGuffin tour, and certainly not our last. We were blessed to have an exceptional tour manager throughout our trip. Ilaria Mercuri was a gem! Not only did she provided insightful information about the places we visited, but she was also very flexible and accommodating to our needs and preferences. She became family! We can't imagine having this unique experience without her. Transportation between and within the cities was flawlessly arranged. We had two drivers in particular that really stood out (Angelo and Enzo). They were very personable and courteous. Each destination we visited was unique and had its own charm. Our accommodations were excellent! The dining experiences were carefully curated to showcase the local cuisine of each region. It took the pressure of "guessing" off, and enriched our experience. Our experience with the local guides began with Giulia, who was truly a wealth of knowledge, as she showed us around the Vatican. This was followed by Annie in Volterra who gave us an unbelievable historical presentation of this unique Tuscan city, culminating in a delightful wine tasting in a local tavern. Our final interaction with local guides was with Paola in Florence, who introduced us to so many incredible facts and nuances of the culture, including our first "wine window" experience. These local experts enriched our visits to this beautiful country. Every time we encountered a new location, it was definitely a "wow" moment for us. David gave us valuable information prior to and throughout our trip. This helped us prepare for what to expect on our trip. It also included important reminders to include when packing. We couldn't have asked for a better experience to commemorate our 32 wedding anniversary! Bucket list... CHECKED!!
We had an amazing time on this tour of London, Paris, and Rome! My husband, our grown daughter, and I loved the combination of guided sightseeing and free time to explore on our own.
The walking tours covered all of the must-see sites in each city, and we learned so much from the guides. A special thank you to our tour directors, Jamie and Leslie, who were absolutely wonderful. They were organized, knowledgeable, friendly, and always attentive to everyone in the group. They made the trip run smoothly and helped create such a fun, welcoming atmosphere. The local guides in each city were also excellent and shared fascinating history and stories that made every stop more meaningful.
We enjoyed delicious meals throughout the trip and appreciated having enough free time to wander, shop, and discover places on our own. We also had the pleasure of traveling with two other families, and getting to know them made the experience even more enjoyable.
The only minor disappointment was that our hotel in Paris wasn’t quite as nice as the accommodations in London and Rome. Even so, it was a small part of an otherwise fantastic experience.
This tour exceeded our expectations, and we came home with wonderful memories of three incredible cities. We would happily recommend it to anyone looking for a well-organized, enjoyable, and memorable European vacation. Thank you, Jamie and Leslie, for making our trip so special!
I can't thank David enough for an amazing trip! His knowledge of everywhere we went was terrific. He also had locals to do various tours and driving either around the island or Pompeii and Amalfi coast. The group was fun and easy going. I think that was my favorite part, we had a schedule, but we weren't over scheduled. It was a great mix of planned activities and time to explore, rest or whatever on our own. David helped to make this a fantastic trip! The best part was I didn't have to plan it or figure out how to get around. Will I use David's company, absolutely!
We took the Sicily and Amalfi/Islands tours back-to-back. Both were outstanding. Every time we saw a line of visitors with headphones following a guide with a flag on a stick we were reminded just how different the experience with David McGuffin's Exploring Europe (DMEE) is from other tours. Our travels with DMEE were very personal. The pace was comfortable and we were able to pause where we wanted to linger, plus we had plenty of time to wander about on our own.
Sicily was Italian, yet different. It seemed each city or area we visited had its own charm. The architecture, customs, people, and cuisine were so lovely. From the backstreet ristorante David knew about in Palermo to the views from Erice, the Dorian Temples in Agrigento, the passiggiata in Taormina, our Sicilian experience was outstanding!
Amalfi/Islands was very interesting too! Ischia has a beautiful castle and gardens to explore. Our group enjoyed a stunning view from the rooftop terrace, where we gathered for some relaxation time together. Procida was packed with stunning vistas, cultural uniqueness, and incredibly talented drivers, navigating the insanely narrow streets. Our favorite memory of Capri was boat ride that circled the island. Just beautiful.
The time in Sorrento included a drive along the world-famous Amalfi Coast Road…which was a great experience. But the best experience we had on the entire trip was our pizza cooking class.
Thank you DMEE for making this a truly once in a lifetime experience. If you’re thinking about a trip to Europe, you must contact DMEE! They treat you like family every step of the way! Ciao!
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