When is the best time to visit?

April through June and September through November are ideal. The Douro harvest (mid-September to mid-October) is spectacular — the valley is alive with activity and colour. Spring brings wildflowers and cooler temperatures. July and August are manageable in the north, though the valley can be very hot; Porto stays comfortable thanks to the Atlantic.

Can I skip Coimbra for more time in the Douro?

You can, though most guests who weren't sure about Coimbra in advance leave saying it was a highlight — the Biblioteca Joanina alone justifies the stop. A third night in the Douro is a popular alternative; your specialist will adjust the route and pricing.

What happens after I request this trip?

You'll complete a short planning form with your dates, group size, and any preferences. A travel specialist will respond within one business day with a personalised proposal and exact pricing. No obligation — it's a conversation.

9-Day Private Package Journey

North of Portugal

Lisbon, Sintra, Coimbra, Douro Valley & Porto

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided

From €3,650 per person 9 days / 8 nights

View Itinerary

Tour Overview

9 days across Portugal.

Nine days to travel the length of Portugal, from the tiled capital to the vineyard-terraced north. This private journey begins in Lisbon and works steadily northward through the fairy-tale palaces of Sintra, the medieval university city of Coimbra, two immersive nights in the Douro Valley — the oldest demarcated wine region in the world — and finishes in Porto, the granite riverside city that gave port wine its name. Every transfer is private, every guide a specialist in their city, and the itinerary is paced to give the landscape time to change around you.

Detailed Itinerary

Your journey, day by day.

Every day is designed with breathing room. Sleep in, take a detour, linger at lunch — the itinerary flexes around you, not the other way around.

Day 1

Arrival in Lisbon

The Atlantic capital, where the light is always golden.

Your private driver meets you at Humberto Delgado Airport and delivers you into Lisbon — a city built on seven hills above the broadest estuary in Europe, with light that painters have been trying to capture for five centuries. After settling into your hotel in the historic centre, the rest of the day belongs entirely to you. The Alfama neighbourhood, spreading uphill from the river, is the best place to start: narrow lanes between tiled facades, the sound of fado from a tasca doorway, and a miradouro at every turn where the whole city and the silver Tagus open below. We'll share our curated list of favourite restaurants for your first evening in Portugal.

Private airport transfer into central Lisbon
Curated restaurant recommendations for your first evening

4–5★ centrally located hotel, Lisbon historic centre

Day 2

Highlights of Lisbon

Moorish ramparts, baroque churches, and a city that rebuilt itself from rubble.

Your private guide meets you after breakfast for a panoramic walking tour that unfolds Lisbon's most essential layers. Begin at Restauradores Square, where the monument to Portuguese independence from Spain stands at the foot of the Avenida da Liberdade. A ride on the famous Bairro Alto funicular lifts you above the rooftops for views over the Mouraria and São Jorge Castle before you descend through Chiado — its bookshops and cafés unchanged since Fernando Pessoa wrote there — and into Baixa, the Pombaline grid that rose from the ruins of the catastrophic 1755 earthquake. Through Rossio Square the route continues into the Alfama, Lisbon's oldest quarter, where you'll visit the Sé Cathedral and emerge into the sun-filled Commerce Square facing the Tagus. The afternoon is free — perhaps the tram to Belém for Jerónimos Monastery and a custard tart at the famous bakery, or simply a long lunch in the shade of a Mouraria courtyard.

Private guided walk through Alfama, Chiado and Baixa
Bairro Alto funicular and panoramic views
Sé Cathedral and Commerce Square
Rossio Square and 1755 earthquake reconstruction history

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Lisbon historic centre

Day 3

Sintra Excursion & Belém

Fairy-tale palaces in the clouds, then the monuments of the sea.

Your driver and guide collect you after breakfast for a day that covers two of Portugal's most unforgettable sites. First, the Serra de Sintra — a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of ancient forest, mist, and royal palaces rising above the Atlantic plain. Pena Palace is the centrepiece: a gloriously eccentric confection of canary-yellow walls, Moorish towers, and Gothic battlements perched above the treeline with the ocean visible on clear mornings. Your guide leads you through the palace gardens and the town of Sintra below, where cobbled lanes wind past convents and quintas unchanged since the Moorish era. On the return to Lisbon, your driver stops in Belém — the maritime quarter where Portugal's Age of Discovery began. Jerónimos Monastery, whose Manueline stone carvings celebrate the sea with ropes and armillary spheres, stands beside the Tower of Belém and the Monument to the Discoverers on the Tagus waterfront. End with a pastéis de nata from the bakery where the recipe has been a closely guarded secret since 1837.

Pena Palace — Sintra's royal fantasy above the treeline
UNESCO World Heritage Sintra landscape
Jerónimos Monastery and Tower of Belém
Monument to the Discoverers

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Lisbon historic centre

Day 4

Lisbon to Coimbra

One of Europe's oldest universities, on a hilltop above the Mondego.

After breakfast, your private vehicle heads north through the Ribatejo — flat plains of cork oak, olive groves, and the long bends of the Tagus — before the landscape greens into the Mondego valley and Coimbra appears on its hill above the river. Founded in 1290, the University of Coimbra is one of the oldest in Europe, and it still sets the tempo for the city: students in black capes drift through the streets, the bells of the old church mark the hours, and the coffee bars in the student quarter are open from before dawn. Your guide — a former academic who knows these lanes with the ease of someone who spent years in them — leads you up through the Almedina gate into the upper town to the crown jewel: the Biblioteca Joanina, a baroque library whose gilded shelves rise three storeys in a room saturated with the smell of old books and history. The Mondego River views from the university terrace take in the whole valley, and dinner tonight is at a quiet restaurant near the water where the caldo verde comes with a view.

Biblioteca Joanina — one of the world's great baroque libraries
University of Coimbra — founded 1290
Mondego River views from the university terrace
Coimbra student quarter atmosphere

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Coimbra

Day 5

Coimbra to the Douro Valley

Into the oldest wine region in the world.

After a final coffee in Coimbra, your private driver heads north through the Beira Alta — granite hills, pine forest, and the landscape steadily becoming more dramatic as the road approaches the Douro. The valley announces itself gradually: first the glimpse of a terraced hillside between the pines, then a full panorama of UNESCO-inscribed vineyards stepping down to the river in stone-walled tiers sculpted over centuries by families who have been farming this land for generations. At Pinhão, the valley's most picturesque village, you'll board a Douro River cruise that drifts east past wine-producing quintas, terraced farmhouses, and vineyards reflected in the water — the air warm with wild lavender and sun-heated stone. Your wine estate lodge sits above the river, and the first evening in the Douro is spent watching the light change on the terraces from a terrace of your own.

Scenic drive through the Beira Alta countryside
Douro Valley UNESCO World Heritage vineyard landscapes
Douro River cruise past terraced quintas
Overnight at a wine estate with river views

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ wine estate lodge, Douro Valley

Day 6

Douro Valley Wine Experience — Full Day

A river, terraced hills, and time to do nothing but taste.

A full day given entirely to the Douro Valley — one of the great slow days of any Portugal itinerary. Your English-speaking guide leads an enchanting journey through the breathtaking wine country, beginning at a renowned family quinta where the vine rows are still harvested by foot in September. The wine-maker walks you through the winery — from the stone lagares where grapes are trodden to the cool cellars where barrels sleep for years — before pouring an exclusive tasting paired with a vineyard lunch that captures the valley in every glass. The afternoon takes you through the terraced landscape to villages where the winemaking tradition is older than Portugal itself, the hillsides reflected in the river and the air smelling of hot stone and wild herbs. Dinner is on the estate again, under a sky that is darker and more star-filled than anything you'll see in the cities.

Private quinta winery tour and exclusive tasting
Vineyard lunch with panoramic valley views
UNESCO terraced vineyard landscapes
Second night in the Douro Valley

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ wine estate lodge, Douro Valley

Day 7

Douro Valley to Porto

From the vines to the city of granite and port wine.

After a final breakfast with the Douro below you, your private driver heads west toward Porto. The road follows the river as the terraced valley gradually gives way to the outskirts of the city, and by midday the granite skyline of Porto appears above the water — church towers, tiled facades, and the Dom Luís I Bridge arcing across the Douro in a single iron span. Check into your hotel in the historic centre, then join your guide for a welcome walking tour that begins at the Palácio da Bolsa and leads along the riverfront to the iconic bridge itself. In the afternoon, cross to Vila Nova de Gaia — technically a separate city, but spiritually inseparable from Porto — where the great port wine lodges have been ageing their barrels since the seventeenth century. A private tasting at a local winery works through the styles that made this river famous: the pale dry whites, the ruby, and the aged tawny that carries twenty years of the Douro in every glass.

Scenic drive from the Douro to Porto
Welcome walking tour along the riverfront
Dom Luís I Bridge and Ribeira waterfront
Port wine tasting at a Vila Nova de Gaia lodge

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Porto historic centre

Day 8

Porto Highlights

Twenty thousand tiles, one extraordinary bookshop, and a city built on wine.

Your guide meets you after breakfast for a walking tour of Porto's UNESCO World Heritage old town. The morning begins at São Bento Railway Station, whose entrance hall is lined with 20,000 azulejo tiles depicting Portuguese history in sweeping panoramic scenes — from medieval battles to the corn harvest, rendered in blue and white with a precision that makes the entire room feel like stepping inside a painting. From there the route winds through the medieval quarter to the Lello Bookshop, whose dramatic neo-gothic staircase and carved wooden galleries have made it the most celebrated bookshop in Portugal. Continue past the Clérigos baroque belltower to Porto Cathedral, perched on its granite promontory above the river, and down through the narrow lanes to São Francisco Church, whose interior is so thick with gilt carving that the stone beneath has disappeared entirely. The afternoon is yours — perhaps the Bolhão market, the Serralves museum, or one last walk along the Ribeira as the light turns the river to copper.

São Bento Station's 20,000 azulejo tile hall
Lello Bookshop — Portugal's most famous bookshop
Porto Cathedral and Clérigos Tower panorama
São Francisco Church's gilt interior

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Porto historic centre

Day 9

Departure

The north stays with you — in the taste of the wine, the colour of the tiles.

Your last Portuguese morning: perhaps a final coffee at a pastelaria in the Cedofeita neighbourhood, or a walk down to the Ribeira to watch the light on the Douro one more time. At the agreed time, your private driver transfers you to Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport. Your travel specialist remains reachable until you're home — and a few days later we'll follow up to hear which corner of Portugal, from the Lisbon tiles to the Douro terraces, you're already planning to return to.

Final morning at leisure in Porto
Private transfer to airport

Meals: Breakfast

Where You'll Stay

Hand-picked hotels, every night.

We choose properties for character, location, and the kind of service that makes you feel looked after — not just checked in. Every hotel can be swapped for an alternative if you prefer.

Lisbon

3 nights

4–5★ centrally located hotel

Historic centre

Walking distance to Alfama, Chiado, and the Tagus waterfront — base for city and Sintra day trip

Coimbra

1 night

4–5★ centrally located hotel

City centre

Steps from the university hill and the Mondego River promenade

Douro Valley

2 nights

4–5★ wine estate lodge

Pinhão / Douro Valley

Overnight at a quinta with river or vineyard views — the most immersive Douro experience

Porto

2 nights

4–5★ centrally located hotel

Historic centre

Moments from the Ribeira waterfront, São Bento Station, and the city's best walking streets

Hotels shown are indicative of the standard we book. Upon request, we will provide a detailed itinerary with specific hotel options tailored to your preferences and budget.

What's in the Price

Included

8 nights in 4–5★ hotels and a Douro Valley wine estate lodge (double occupancy)
Daily breakfast at each hotel
Private airport transfers in Lisbon and Porto
All inter-city and regional transfers in private vehicles
Private expert guides in Lisbon, Sintra, Coimbra, and Porto
Douro River cruise
Private wine tasting and quinta tour in the Douro Valley
Port wine tasting at a Vila Nova de Gaia lodge
Skip-the-line access at major sites
All entrance fees included in guided visits
24/7 travel specialist support throughout your trip
Hamilton & Chase digital travel booklet with restaurant and local recommendations

Not Included

International flights to Lisbon / from Porto
Travel insurance (required — we can arrange coverage on request)
Lunches and dinners
Personal expenses (shopping, additional drinks, spa treatments)
Gratuities for guides and drivers (optional but appreciated)
City tax (collected directly by hotels, typically €1–2 per person per night)

Good to Know

This itinerary is a starting point — every day, hotel, and experience can be tailored to your preferences and pace.
The Douro Valley wine estate accommodation is one of the most memorable parts of this trip; upgrades to five-star estates are available on request.
All guides and experiences are arranged exclusively for your group — never shared with other travellers.
September and October offer the grape harvest season in the Douro Valley — a spectacular and lively time to visit.
Flexible booking: adjust or postpone your dates up to 60 days before departure at no charge.

Make It Yours

Optional add-ons & upgrades.

Every trip is different. These extras can be woven into your itinerary — just let your travel specialist know what catches your eye.

Fado dinner in Lisbon's Alfama

A traditional dinner at a historic tasca with live fado performance — authentic, intimate, and the definitive Lisbon evening

From €95 pp

Cabo da Roca extension

Visit the westernmost point of mainland Europe on the Sintra day — dramatic clifftop views over the Atlantic

From €85 pp

Douro Valley harvest experience

In September–October, join the grape harvest at a quinta — treading grapes the traditional way, followed by a celebration with the estate family

From €150 pp

Porto culinary tour

A guided tasting walk through Porto's markets, tascas, and wine bars — tripas à moda do Porto, francesinha, and everything in between

From €120 pp

Private Lello Bookshop visit

Early-morning private access to Porto's famous neo-gothic bookshop before the crowds arrive

From €45 pp

Professional photo session

A portrait session at iconic Lisbon or Porto locations with a local photographer — the best possible way to remember the trip

From €350

"Starting in Lisbon and working north was the perfect way to see Portugal change around us. Coimbra's library was breathtaking, the two nights in the Douro were the highlight of any trip we've taken, and Porto was the most beautiful city either of us had seen. Hamilton & Chase put together something genuinely special."

Mark & Patricia D.

Boston, MA · North of Portugal, September 2025

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

Can I fly into Lisbon and out of Porto?

Yes, and this is exactly how most guests book it — an open-jaw routing that follows the natural direction of the itinerary and avoids any backtracking. TAP Portugal and most European carriers offer this option at reasonable fares. We'll plan everything around your flights.

Is the Douro Valley worth two nights?

For most guests, unanimously yes. The valley is an hour from Porto, but it feels like a different world, and having a morning there without needing to rush back to the city is one of the most memorable parts of this itinerary. That said, if you'd prefer to stay in Porto, we can do the Douro as a day trip.

Private Package Journey

North of Portugal

9 days / 8 nights

From €3,650

per person

Ready to go?

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