Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Portugal – Guimaraes – Provesende – Coimbra – Monsaraz – Grandola
100% customisable for you
This morning, head to the airport, enjoy some nibbles in the lounge and board your direct flight to Porto, which takes around two-and-a-half hours.
When you land, pick up your hire car at the airport and drive the short distance north to Guimaraes, easing into the rhythm of the Portuguese roads over the 45-minute journey. You’ll be based in this historic city for two nights, so spend the rest of the day settling in, ready for more exploring tomorrow.
Today, set out to explore the Guimaraes on foot. As the first capital of Portugal, a UNESCO World Heritage site and, as of 2012, a European Capital of Culture, there’s plenty to see and do in this historic city.
The Medieval centre is compact and walkable, making it perfect for a leisurely wander. Visit the Collegiate Church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira, which anchors the main square, then venture just outside the city to the elegant Pousada de Santa Marinha, a restored convent.
For a wider view, drive or take the cable car up to Monte da Penha, where you can see the historic city spread out below in all its glory.
If you’d like to delve even further into the city’s history, we can arrange a guided tour of historic Guimaraes, its eponymous castle and the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza.
Today, make the one-and-a-half-hour drive east into the Douro Valley and check in for two nights at Provesende, a small hilltop village chock-full of orange-roofed houses and centuries-old vineyards.
The rest of the day is yours for the taking, so admire the views over the Douro River, whose terraced slopes have been producing Port wine long enough to earn a UNESCO listing, or simply get stuck into a spot of wine tasting. Saude…
This morning, explore the village at your own pace. Provesende is the kind of place that rewards an aimless wander, with baroque facades, a pretty 18th-century church and views that stretch across the valley. Make sure to stop by the mirador (viewpoint) at Sao Cristovao do Douro – it’s worth the short drive for the panoramas alone.
In the afternoon, board a traditional rabelo boat for a private cruise along the Douro. These flat-bottomed vessels were once used to carry barrels of Port downriver to Porto, and are now a considerably more leisurely way to see the valley’s most spectacular stretch. Cameras at the ready: the vineyards and quintas (wine estates) visible from the water are not accessible by road, allowing you to soak up the valley from an entirely new perspective.
Still raring to go? Take a 4x4 tour of the valley, complete with wine-tastings at two estates – a good way to cover more ground (and more glasses, of course).
Today, hit play on our expertly curated Europe playlist and drive two-and-a-half hours south to Coimbra, stopping en-route at Vila Real to see the dramatic Casa de Mateus palace. Flanked by formal gardens and a long reflecting pool that makes it look almost too good to be true, it’s definitely worth an hour of exploration before getting back on the road.
When you arrive, check into your hotel, where you’ll be staying for the next two nights. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy, whether you’d rather head out to explore or simply sit back and relax.
This morning, set out to explore Coimbra with a local guide. Built around Portugal’s oldest university, founded in the 13th century, Coimbra’s medieval centre winds uphill from the river to the university itself, where the baroque library stands proudly and the student traditions are still very much alive.
From here, your guide will lead you to Se Velha, the old cathedral below – it’s one of the most beautiful examples of Romanesque architecture in Portugal, but it can be easy to miss if nobody points you towards it.
This evening is all about fado, Portugal’s iconic traditional music genre. The Coimbra variety is usually performed by university students rather than professional singers, giving it a distinctive character and making for a lively evening.
Take a slightly longer drive today, journeying around three-and-a-half hours south into the Alentejo. Along the way, stop at Arraiolos, a village known for its hand-woven Moorish carpets and whitewashed houses trimmed with lavender-blue paint. If you fancy stretching your legs, the castle at the top of the hill is worth the short climb for beautiful views over the olive groves and plains below.
From here, continue to Monsaraz, a medieval walled village perched above the Guadiana River and the Alqueva Dam, the largest artificial lake in Western Europe. Check in for two nights in a designated Dark Sky area, a stargazing tourism hotspot where the darkness after dinner is genuinely worth staying up for.
Today, discover the wider Alentejo at your own pace. Begin with a leisurely morning in Monsaraz itself, wandering the walled village, soaking up views from the castle and strolling along the quiet main street, which offers a taste of the past.
Further afield, Estremoz is built around marble quarries that have supplied the region’s buildings for centuries, while Marvao boasts a maze of whitewashed houses and narrow streets with fantastic vistas that stretch all the way into Spain on a clear day.
Finish the day with a delicious dinner and glass of wine – our clued-up Concierge is on hand to recommend some local hotspots.
Today, make a two-hour drive west to Grandola, a quieter corner of the Alentejo about nine miles from the coast. Along the way, consider breaking up the drive with a stop at Evora, the UNESCO-listed regional capital. If you fancy it, we can arrange for a private guide to show you around the Roman Temple of Diana, the medieval cathedral, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption and the rather hauntingly-named Chapel of Bones.
When you arrive, check into your hotel and drop your bags. The afternoon is yours to enjoy, so soak up the sun, take a dip in the pool or indulge in a sundowner on the terrace – you are on holiday, after all…
It’s your final full day in Portugal, and where better to spend it than on the coast? Cape Espichel sits pretty on the southwestern tip of the Setubal Peninsula, an ancient pilgrimage spot complete with a lighthouse, clifftop views and even fossilised dinosaur tracks in the rockface below.
Next, pay a visit to the beaches of the Arrabida Natural Park. Running along the southern shore of the peninsula, this stretch of limestone cliffs, clear turquoise water and fine sand is a great place for a beachfront afternoon. Stop at the popular Portinho da Arrabida, which is perfect for a dip in the warmer weather.
Come evening, enjoy one final Portuguese dinner, toasting to ten days of incredible holiday memories.
It’s time to wave goodbye to Portugal. This morning, drive to Lisbon – about an hour from Grandola – return the car at the airport and board your two-and-a-half-hour flight back to the UK. You’ll land later today, ready to regale your friends and family with tales of your Portuguese road trip.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from checking you in for your flights to our network of local Concierges
