Sample of the cities of Northern Portugal This trip covered the cities with the most attractions and sights in Northern Portugal. Our guides Catarina and Marianna were wonderful and caring. Both spoke perfect English and shared a lot of historical information. Both were always available on WhatsApp during our free time. The tour allowed us to see many cities in just one week. We were kept on the move from city to city, but there was plenty of free time. The old towns were so interesting and unique. Strolling on the stone sidewalks and glancing at the tiled buildings is a memory I will never forget. Sintra’s palace and gardens were also a highlight. The wine tastings were very enjoyable. Portugal’s food is incredible and I tried many new dishes. I combined this trip with Walking Portugal’s Coasts and Beaches, which made a perfect holiday of historic sights and coastal beach scenery.
Beautiful region, great walks and wine The Douro Valley is a spectacular region to discover with stunning views and lovely walks. On either side of the Douro River terraced vineyards cover the landscape - this is the only area in the world where Port wine is produced and on this holiday we learnt about the Portuguese history and culture surrounding the process. Several of our walks ended up at a local Quinta (wine farm) where we had the opportunity for wine tasting with a lunch on the terrace which everyone enjoyed. It was a very relaxing and interesting week of walking, with varied routes each day. We barely saw another walker on any of the routes so it felt as though we had the region to ourselves!
Comments from Dave and Mary Good introduction to central Portugal. Moving on after one night at each location quite tiring. Extra time at each end of Porto and Lisbon necessary to give the cities justice. Could do with more time in Douro valley to enjoy the benefits of the hotel and location.