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Vacations By Rail · Independent rail vacation

Cuisine & Culture: Lisbon & Porto

Seven-day independent rail journey through Lisbon and Porto with food tours and wine tastings

Illustration of Cuisine & Culture: Lisbon & Porto

Vacations By Rail operates this seven-day independent journey through Portugal's two historic waterside cities, Lisbon and Porto. Over six nights, you stay three nights in each city, connected by a three-hour high-speed train ride. On Day 1, a private walking tour introduces Lisbon's Jerónimos Monastery and Tower of Belem. Day 2 combines a food market tour, tapas dinner, and a Fado performance in Barrio Alto. Day 3 is free to explore Lisbon or take an optional excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Sintra. Day 5, from Porto, is a full-day private tour of the Douro Valley, the world's first demarcated wine region, with vineyard tastings in Lamego, a mountaintop lunch, and a boat cruise. Day 6 includes a Porto river cruise and a Port wine winery visit. The tour suits food-and-wine travellers, history lovers drawn to Portuguese landmarks, and independent explorers who value guided highlights with free time between activities. All private transfers, eight meals, and knowledgeable English-speaking guides are included.

What to know before you look closer

  • International flights are not included; book your own air travel to and from Portugal.
  • This is an independent tour with unguided free time on Days 2, 3, and 6; guided services are limited to specific walking tours and the Douro Valley excursion.
  • Optional excursions to Sintra and Aveiro are not included in the base price; confirm availability and cost with Vacations By Rail before booking.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Lisbon

    Lisbon

    Private transfer by luxury car to your hotel, then a private walking tour of Lisbon's landmarks, including the Monuments of the Portuguese Discoverers, Jerónimos Monastery, and the Tower of Belem.

  2. Day 2overnight: Lisbon

    Lisbon Food, Wine & Markets Experience

    Free morning, then a guided walking tour of Portuguese gastronomy: a food market tasting of Pasteis de Belem, a tapas dinner at a Portuguese tavern, and an authentic Fado performance in Barrio Alto.

  3. Day 3overnight: Lisbon

    Lisbon at Leisure / Optional Sintra Excursion

    Free day, or an optional full-day excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Sintra and the Lisbon coast.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Porto

    Lisbon to Porto by Train

    Private transfer to the rail station for a three-hour train to Porto; transfer to a centrally located hotel, then a private walking tour of Clerigos Tower and Porto Cathedral.

  5. Day 5overnight: Porto

    Douro River Valley

    Private full-day tour to the Douro River, the world's first demarcated wine region: a historical Quinta wine tasting in Lamego, a mountaintop Quinta tour and traditional lunch, and a boat cruise from Pinhão before returning to Porto.

  6. Day 6overnight: Porto

    Porto River Cruise & Wine Tasting

    Free morning, or an optional excursion to Aveiro ("the Venice of Portugal"). Afternoon Porto city river cruise, followed by a visit to a riverside Port wine winery.

  7. Day 7

    Return Home

    Private transfer from your hotel to the international airport after breakfast.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 1Private walking tour of Lisbon's Monuments of the Portuguese Discoverers, Jerónimos Monastery, and the Tower of Belem.
  • Day 2Guided food market tasting of Pasteis de Belem, tapas dinner at a Portuguese tavern, and an authentic Fado performance in Barrio Alto.
  • Day 5Full-day Douro Valley tour: wine tasting at a historical Quinta in Lamego, mountaintop Quinta tour with traditional lunch, and a boat cruise from Pinhão.
  • Day 6Porto city river cruise in the afternoon, followed by a visit to a riverside Port wine winery.

Included

  • Hotel accommodations for 6 nights
  • Standard class rail travel aboard high-speed trains
  • Private car transfers between the train stations, hotels and airports
  • 8 meals
  • Knowledgeable English-speaking guides for the tours

Not included

  • Flights
  • City taxes (paid locally, not included in the package price)

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?
Yes. The package includes standard class rail travel on the high-speed train from Lisbon to Porto (three hours). All other transport is by private car transfer.
Is this an escorted or independent tour?
Vacations By Rail calls it an independent rail vacation. You travel on your own following a planned itinerary. Guides lead specific walking tours and the Douro Valley excursion, but mornings and afternoons on several days are free.
Which hotels are included?
Janelas Verdes in Lisbon for three nights and Vila Gale in Porto for three nights. Hotel accommodations and private transfers to and from airports are included.
What meals are included?
Eight meals are included: the Fado dinner in Lisbon, market tastings, a Portuguese tavern meal, a traditional lunch in the Douro Valley, and other experiences. Breakfasts and most other meals are your own.
How much walking is involved?
The itinerary includes private walking tours of Lisbon and Porto landmarks, food market walking tours, and a mountaintop Quinta tour in the Douro Valley. Free time on Days 2, 3, and 6 allows you to set your own pace.
When does this trip run?
Vacations By Rail has not published specific departure dates in the available materials; contact them directly to confirm availability.

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