Luxury Wine Tour in Northern Portugal: Lisbon, Porto, Vinho Verde, Douro Valley

Welcome to Lisbon! Your private wine tour in Portugal begins in this vibrant capital city at the mouth of the Tagus River. Known by several names—the City of Seven Hills, the City of Light, the Queen of the Sea—Lisbon dazzles with its famous natural luminosity, colorful exteriors, vibrant neighborhoods, and historic charm. Meet your private driver on arrival at Lisbon airport and transfer to your 5-star luxury accommodation in The One Palácio da Anunciada, located in the historic Baixa district just off the famous Avenida Liberdade.

After settling in, depart with your private guide to start exploring Lisbon’s Alfama district. Alfama is the oldest surviving area of Lisbon and lies under the walls of Castelo de São Jorge. Derived from the Arabic “al-Hama,” Alfama is Lisbon’s historic quarter. Once home to nobility, fishermen and craftsmen later settled here. Its narrow streets reveal interesting shops, cafes, frescoes, and scenic belvederes. Though downtown was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, Alfama retains its medieval charm and picturesque atmosphere.

Your private Lisbon tour today includes a ride on the city’s famous funicular tramway, climbing the steep, scenic streetscapes as you make your way to Castelo de São Jorge. Enjoy a visit to one of Lisbon’s most famous monuments, while taking in the amazing views over the city.

The evening is yours to sample Lisbon’s buzzing restaurant scene and get your first taste of Portuguese food and wine. We recommend the acclaimed restaurant Solar dos Presuntos, loved by locals and highly rated for its menu representing regional Portuguese specialties, particularly northern Portugal.

This morning is dedicated to exploring Lisbon’s history and culinary heritage. Enjoy a rich breakfast at your hotel before setting out with your private driver and guide to visit two of Lisbon’s UNESCO World Heritage sites—the Tower of Belém and the Jerónimos Monastery. These historical treasures epitomize the Manueline style that developed during the Portuguese era of discovery. Other important landmarks and districts you will visit in Lisbon this morning include the Parque das Nações, Alcantara, Santos, the Eduardo VII Park, and the Monument to Discoveries where you will take in spectacular views of Lisbon and the Tagus River estuary.

During your private Lisbon city tour, you’ll also stop at the historic Casa dos Pastéis de Belém to taste Lisbon’s highly craveable custard cream and puff pastry treats—Pastéis de Belém.

Finish your morning sightseeing in Lisbon in Cais do Sodré at the Ribeira Market. Dating to 1882, the Ribeira Market supplied Lisbon with fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, and meat. Today, the market houses around 30 different vendors offering petiscos (Portuguese tapas). Traditional Portuguese products on offer include cheeses, cured hams, smoked sausages, and preserved fish. Taste a petisco of your choice paired with a glass of Portuguese wine while soaking in the local ambiance.

The rest of the afternoon today is free for lunch and experiencing Lisbon on your own. You might choose to stay in the Ribeira Market to taste more local petiscos, or we can make a reservation for you at a nearby restaurant to taste traditional Portuguese specialties like fried cuttlefish, garlic prawns, Portugal’s signature codfish pancakes, green eggs, and many other delights. The restaurant’s wine cellar offers a wide variety of Portugues wines by the glass for pairings.

After breakfast at your hotel, your private driver will collect you for the journey north towards Porto. Leaving urban Lisbon, the greater Lisboa peninsula is a varied and productive Portuguese wine region. Long a co-op model of production focused mostly on quantity, beginning in the 1990s a few estates in the Lisboa wine region began recognizing their potential for cultivating Syrah and Touriga Nacional to produce high quality red wine, and for growing Arinto, Fernão Pires, and Vital for making quality white wine. This morning, you’ll visit Quinta de Chocapalha in the Alenquer DOC, where the Tavares da Silva family were among the first to see the greater potential of Lisboa’s terroir. Quinta de Chocapalha’s owners will welcome you for a private visit to their estate and a private wine tasting paired with traditional appetizers.

For lunch today, you have the option to stay at Quinta de Chocapalha for a traditional Portuguese lunch paired with more Lisboa wines or visit the city of Coimbra for lunch in a local restaurant. With its university founded in 1290, Coimbra is one of the oldest university towns in Europe.

As you arrive in Porto this afternoon, your driver will take you on a short panoramic tour to orient you to the city and its different districts, from the Ribeira with its lively bars and cafes to the beaches of Foz where the Douro River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Check in to your luxury accommodation at the spectacular 5-star Yeatman Hotel with the best views of Porto, then relax and settle in. In the late afternoon, meet your local guide at the hotel for a leisurely walk through Porto’s medieval quarter and along the riverbank until reaching the cable car that runs up to the famous Dom Luís Bridge. From the bridge, take in the amazing views while sipping refreshing Port cocktails.

Dinner tonight is at your leisure. For authentic northern Portuguese ingredients prepared in a modern style, we suggest DOP by Porto native Chef Rui Paula. We’re happy to assist you with reservations or make additional restaurant recommendations.

Start the day with a fabulous fresh breakfast overlooking Porto, then take a fun 50-minute sightseeing ride in an electric tuk-tuk through historic Porto’s narrow streets and along the banks of the Douro River. Leaving the tuk-tuk, continue on foot with a private guided tour in Porto’s UNESCO World Heritage city center to discover historical jewels and northern Portuguese culinary treats. Part historical walking tour, part Porto food tour, take a leisurely stroll to visit important monuments like the Clérigos Church, São Bento Railway Station, and the Bolsa Palace while stopping in local food markets, gourmet shops, and atmospheric cafes to taste northern Portuguese foodie favorites like presunto (dried cured ham), Chouriço (smoked sausage), traditional cheeses, olives, canned fish, bread, and northern Portuguese wine.

Take free time for lunch in one of Porto’s many excellent restaurants, or if you prefer, visit the historic fish market in Matosinhos to learn about northern Portuguese seafood. Start with a fish market tour to buy the day’s catch to be prepared and cooked right inside the market, then enjoy a fresh seafood lunch inside the market’s vibrant atmosphere.

After lunch, your private wine tour in Portugal continues to one of Porto’s legendary Port Wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. Deeply intwined with the history, culture, and economy of Porto and the Douro River Valley, Port is a complex fortified wine. Learn the secrets and traditions behind making and ageing Porto’s iconic global export during a private cellar tour and premium Port Wine tasting.

The rest of the afternoon is free to explore more of Porto on your own, relax by the pool at your hotel, or pamper yourself with a treatment in the Yeatman Wine Spa. Dinner tonight is included for you at the excellent Vinum Restaurant at Graham’s 1890 Lodge. Savor authentic northern Portuguese flavors in a romantic atmosphere overlooking Porto, paired with Portuguese wines from the Symington Family Douro estates and Graham’s port.

Savor your last breakfast in Porto before your Portuguese wine tour continues to Vinho Verde in Portugal’s northernmost Minho province. Vinho Verde is rapidly becoming one of Portugal’s most exciting wine regions. Like in many of Portugal’s winegrowing regions, the shift from quantity production to quality production is well underway. For Vinho Verde red wines, local varietal Vinhão predominates, which traditionally yields deep-purple, fruity wines but is increasingly used for producing rosé. The region’s famously fresh, low-alcohol, effervescent whites are typically a blend of Louriero, Arinto, Alvarinho, Trajadura, and Avesso.

Your Vinho Verde explorations begin with a private guided tour in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Guimarães, which holds an important place in Portugal’s cultural heritage. In addition to its exceptionally well-preserved Medieval buildings, many festivals, art galleries, and cultural spaces, Guimarães is considered the spiritual birthplace of the Portuguese nation. After time with your guide in the city, transfer to Casa de Sezim just outside Guimarães for the first Vinho Verde wine tasting of your private wine tour of northern Portugal. This estate has been in the same family since the 14th century. Take a private guided visit of the historical manor and the winery before your private wine tasting, then enjoy lunch on the terrace with a menu of regional recipes, paired with Casa de Sezim Vinho Verde wines.

After your wine tasting and lunch, transfer to the pretty town of Barcelos on the banks of the Cávado River to visit its famous weekly market, one of the oldest markets in Portugal. Sprawling over the main square, it offers everything from agricultural implements, ceramics, baskets and wine barrels to fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese and bread, shoes, clothes and hats. You will be amazed by the variety of typical ceramic figurines, which started as a side activity for pottery craftsmen who enjoyed using portions of leftover clay to make small toys for children. The distinctive, imaginative Barcelos figurines are unique as they represent musicians, everyday events, mythological beings, not to mention the famous Barcelos rooster. Enjoy a food tasting of Minho regional specialties during this Barcelos market tour.

In the late afternoon, arrive at the idyllic Terra Rosa Country House & Vineyards. Relax in the tranquility of the Vinho Verde vineyards for the rest of the afternoon. After today’s winery lunch and the food tasting tour in the Barcelos market, eat a light buffet dinner tonight of farm-to-table products from the Minho region.

Wake up in the Vinho Verde vineyards to a fresh breakfast of local farm products. This morning, travel to the village of Montaria where you will learn how to make one of the best corn breads in the world. Recognized by Slow Food, the process starts with locally grown corn carried to the village’s water mill to be ground into flour, then prepared for baking in old-fashioned wood ovens. You’ll be welcomed into a private home in this traditional Portuguese village to participate in hands-on preparation of this amazing bread. While the corn bread is baking, take a guided walk through Montaria’s forest, meadow, and running streams powering the tiny traditional watermills that make this region a model for sustainability.

Following your walk, sit down for a picnic lunch of fresh-baked corn bread, seasonal fruits and fresh juice, boiled eggs, local cow’s cheese, homemade jams, local honey, chorizo, cured hams, and Vinho Verde wines.

After your morning baking, walking, and picnicking, continue with your private driver to Ponte de Lima, the oldest village in Portugal. In the Middle Ages, the town played a pivotal role defending the Minho region from the Moorish invasion. Spend free time visiting Ponte de Lima’s charming streets and squares, shops, cafes, and shady riverwalk.

In the afternoon, your wine tour in Vinho Verde visits a pioneer of biodynamic winemaking in Portgual, Aphros, who cultivate local varietals Loureiro and Vinhão. Take a private tour of the Aphros vineyards and cellars to understand the biodynamic winemaking philosophy, then enjoy a private wine tasting under the vine-shaded pergola.

Return to Terra Rosa Country House & Vineyards for free time relaxing in the afternoon. Go for a dip in the heated outdoor pool, get a massage under the olive trees, or go for a bike ride in the vineyards. For dinner tonight, we will make reservations for you at a restaurant near the hotel.

Enjoy another farm-fresh breakfast amidst the scenic Vinho Verde vineyards at Terra Rosa Country House before departing with your private driver for a day of culture and wine tasting that will take you to Portugal’s northern border with Spain. Your first stop this morning will be Caminha, at the mouth of the Minho River where it enters the Atlantic Ocean. On the other side of the river is Galicia, Spain. Take a little free time to explore Caminha’s Gothic and Renaissance squares, cafes, and local coppersmith and lacemaker artisans.

Continue north to the walled fortress of Valença, one of the most impressive fortifications in all of Portugal. Several narrow streets, flanked by row upon row of attached houses, nestle together in a scenic and idyllic location above the Minho River that forms the natural border with Spain. As Valença bore the brunt of defending northern Portugal from its neighbor to the north, a massive fortification was constructed to deter invasion. Take free time exploring the extensive fort complex and the historic center and enjoy lunch in the lively atmosphere of shops and restaurants.

After lunch, your private wine tour in Vinho Verde will introduce you to some of Portugal’s best white wine, in the hills of Melgaço along the border with Galicia, where the terroir is perfect for growing the Alvarinho grape (Albariño in Spanish). Experience a private visit to Quinta do Soalheiro, one of Portugal’s best white wine producers, followed by an in-depth private tasting.

Following your private wine tasting at Soalheiro, return to Terra Rosa Country House and relax until dinner tonight at a nearby restaurant.

Savor a final breakfast in Vinho Verde before your northern Portugal wine tour continues into the spectacular and rugged Douro Valley, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Landscape. The Douro is the world’s first officially demarcated wine region, designated in 1756. Vineyards belonging to the famous Port houses—Ferreira, Cockburns, Taylors, Sandeman, and others— are marked by huge placards on the steep terraced hillsides. Long synonymous with fortified Port, the Douro now also produces outstanding table wines.

Begin your Douro Valley experience in the town of Sabrosa, birthplace of the great navigator Ferdinand Magellan, the first person to circumnavigate the globe. Your own navigation, slightly less ambitious, will be 28km by e-bike on a breathtaking downhill ride from Sabrosa to the riverside, until you arrive at one of the Douro’s great estates, and one of Portugal’s top wine producers, Quinta do Crasto. Enjoy a private tour of the estate’s vineyards, some with vines over 80 years old, as well as the cellars, before sitting down to a special lunch on the patio of the owner’s house. Taste traditional regional specialties, each course paired with Quinta do Crasto’s Douro wines and vintage ports.

After an incredible lunch, hop in one of the Quinta’s farm trucks for the short ride to the river. At the dock, you’ll board a typical wooden Rabelo boat for a relaxing cruise along the Douro River, taking in the incredible landscape covered in terraced vineyards. Reach Pinhão, a busy but beautiful village in the heart of the Douro where many of the most famous Port estates are concentrated. Take a brief visit of Pinhão before reconnecting with your driver for the short transfer to the authentic village of Provesende. Check in to your beautiful accommodation, the boutique wine hotel Casa do Santo.

Relax with free time in the tranquil vineyard setting of Casa do Santo until transferring back to Pinhão to visit Quinta do Bomfim. One of the Symington family’s Douro estates, Quinta do Bomfim is where their Dow’s brand of Port is produced. The Symington family’s presence here over many generations translates into a profound knowledge of the land as well as a long-term vision. Five members of the Symington family personally run this Quinta do Bomfim and several others they own in the region. The incomparable heritage of this private family vineyard is tangible, and you will experience it during a private visit to the winery, the vineyards, the old wine cellar, and when you taste the wines. Following your visit and wine tasting, dinner awaits you in their restaurant, Bomfim 1896, honoring the Douro tradition of wood-fired oven cooking. Tonight’s meal features 3 or 4 seasonal courses representing traditional Douro ingredients, paired with Symington wines and Port.

Wake up in the peaceful vineyards at Casa do Santo and take in the sweeping vistas of the Douro Valley during breakfast. Your northern Portugal wine tour begins today with a short visit of Provesende, a beautiful winemaking village in the Douro. Walk through the quaint historic streets to reach a local bakery in operation since the 1940s. Enjoy a tasting of their artisanal bread made from corn and rye, freshly-baked in the wood oven, along with a baked meatball that is another local specialty.

Continue through Provesende, walking a scenic wine trail through the vineyards, vine-covered terraces, stone houses, and stunning views of the Douro Valley until reaching a small olive farm. At this small local olive oil producer, visit their press to learn how extra virgin olive oil is produced, then taste their Douro Vally olive oils along with other local delicacies.

For lunch today, a very special Portuguese food and wine experience awaits you. Visit a very old winery, referenced in the original 18th century maps when the Douro Wine Region was first officially demarcated. Here, the owner produces old Port Wines, carefully matured in casks over tens of years, and sells only small quantities for use in blending the finest Tawny Ports. This estate is not normally open to visitors. You’ll be welcomed privately for lunch and for a unique behind-the-scenes tasting of Old Tawny Ports, Old White Ports, and very rare Ports that are not commercially available on the market. Your private Douro wine tasting at this remarkable house will include 10-, 20-, 30 and 40-year-old Tawny Ports, White Ports, and tastings of very rare Ports up to 100 years old.

Return to your hotel in the afternoon for free time to relax. For dinner tonight, a local family will host you at their small winery for a hands-on Portuguese cooking class. This cozy wine estate that today produces excellent Douro table wines and Ports, was once a small monastery dating to the 12th century. The owner will welcome you to her kitchen for a cooking lesson to prepare a full 3-course dinner of classic Douro dishes. Depending on the season, recipes you’ll learn might include traditional spinach soup with ham and quail eggs, codfish fritters, Alheira sausage meatballs, slow cooked veal with rice and turnip greens, Abade de Priscos pudding with orange sauce, or chocolate cake with blueberry sauce. Enjoy another wine tasting of the family’s red and white Douro table wines and their Old Tawny Port.

Enjoy another lovely breakfast at Casa do Santo before embarking on a very special day of your northern Portugal wine tour. Start by seeing the Douro from a new vantage point—the train. Completed in 1887, the Douro railway line is a spectacular feat of engineering. The train allows you to reach less visited sections of Douro wine region. After a scenic rail journey of about one hour, arrive in a secluded area where you will then transfer to one of the most superb lookout points in the entire Douro Valley. Take a little time for photos and to admire the view, then continue with another short transfer until the start of a trail leading to a special village.

Proceed on foot for an easy nature walk, with more stunning views. Passing small family farms growing olives, almonds, vegetables, and grapes, you’ll arrive in the center of a bucolic village whose residents still live a rural communitarian lifestyle. Since the 8^th century, the village economy has been centered around making wine, pressing olives, and raising goats. You’ll help the locals prepare a communitarian lunch in which each resident contributes their agricultural specialty, then share the bounty together in the authentic atmosphere of this rustic village. This is a rare experience, not available to the general public.

After lunch, return to your hotel via the scenic Route 222 with some of the best views of the Douro Valley. Enjoy some time to relax in the hotel’s tranquility. Later in the afternoon, depart with your private driver for a short transfer to the Douro estate Wine & Soul. In a sense, your wine tour in Portugal has come full circle. Wine & Soul is the passion project of renowned winemaker Jorge Serôdio Borges and his wife Sandra Tavares da Silva, herself a winemaker. In fact, Sandra is the Chief Winemaker at Quinta de Chocapalha in the Lisboa wine region, where you had your first tasting during your journey from Lisbon to Porto. Wine & Soul has won multiple awards for winemaking excellence in Portugal, with a philosophy of minimal intervention, giving way for nature and terroir to speak for themselves. Sandra will host you for a private guided visit of their estate while sharing the story of this very personal project. You’ll then enjoy a private tasting of their Douro red wines, white wines, and Tawny Ports.

Your final dinner tonight will be at a scenic restaurant built on a pier over the river with fabulous views of the water and the terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley. The restaurant specializes in regional cuisine, with a seasonal menu, and an excellent wine list. Both the setting and the cuisine will make for a memorable bookend to your journey through northern Portugal.

Savor your final breakfast among the vineyards this morning before bidding a reluctant farewell to the beautiful Douro Valley.

Private transfer to either Porto airport or Lisbon airport, depending on your flight.