Grand Designs of Portugal

Our nationwide shared chauffeur service collects you from home for your flight to Lisbon. On arrival, transfer to the town of Vila Viçosa and check in to your pousada, a luxury 16th-century converted convent, right next to the palace and full of history and character.

Meals: Dinner

Explore this small, marble-clad town today. Known as the ‘Princess of Alentejo’, it features a splendid palace, charming streets and a spacious plaza lined with orange trees. A guided tour reveals the Renaissance-style Palácio Ducal, or Duke’s Palace – a defining symbol of the city and once home to one of Portugal’s most important noble houses. Its 110-metre façade, entirely clad in local marble, makes it one of the region’s most distinctive landmarks.

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy a morning tour of Arraiolos, a small town overlooked by the ruins of a Moorish castle, to discover the town’s history and famous carpet-making tradition. In the afternoon head to Évora, a picturesque UNESCO World Heritage city that dates back to Roman times. Your guide will bring the history of this bustling university town to life with a visit to the cathedral, San Francisco Church, university and the Chapel of Bones.

Meals: Breakfast

Depart Vila Viçosa and head to medieval Viseu. Stop to stretch your legs among the tree-lined squares and boulevards of Castelo Branco, the provincial capital. This evening, arrive in Viseu and check into an imposing pousada, once a 19th-century hospital.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Today is at leisure. Perhaps take a walk in the park, around the town, or relax at the pousada.

Meals: Breakfast

Another day to do as you please in Viseu, or you can join our full-day optional excursion to the Serra da Estrela Mountains. The highest mountains in Portugal, this range forms a beautiful park of craggy peaks, hidden lakes, thick forest and historic villages full of character. Look out for the iconic Estrela Mountain Dog.

Meals: Breakfast

Continue north and stop en route in coastal Aveiro, known as the Venice of Portugal due to several canals crossing the town. Continue to your next historic pousada, high above Viana do Castelo’s sailing port and the estuary on which it lies.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Take a morning tour of the coastal town of Viana do Castelo, with its opulent mansions, winding streets and intimate squares, and rich Minho folklore. Explore the Santa Luzia Basilica and the Costume Museum. The nearby towns of Ponte de Lima, named after the Roman bridge that aided pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela, and Valença do Minho, are included on this tour.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Discover Porto today, a city that gave its name to Port wine, rising across hills that tumble down to the Douro River. Traditional wooden barcos rabelos once carried barrels of wine along these waters, while the skyline is defined by the striking two-tier Ponte de Dom Luís I.

Begin with a guided tour of the historic Ribeira district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where cobbled streets, grand churches and impressive buildings hint at the city’s Roman past. After the tour, enjoy time at leisure to explore further at your own pace. In the afternoon, visit a historic Port cellar for a tasting, before returning to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.

Meals: Breakfast