Highlights of Porto & the Azores - 9 Days

On arrival at Porto Airport, you will be met by your driver and transferred to your hotel. After checking in, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy as you wish. You may like to take a leisurely walk through the city centre, browse the local shops, or stop at one of Porto’s many excellent restaurants to sample the region’s cuisine.

Today, we will meet our guide in the hotel lobby for a half-day sightseeing tour of Porto. In the city’s historic centre, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we will enjoy a relaxed walk through its charming streets while learning about Porto’s fascinating history and culture.

As we explore, we will see some of the city’s most remarkable landmarks, including the famous Lello Bookshop, said to have inspired the Harry Potter series, the ornate Church of St Francis, and the grand Palácio da Bolsa, admired for its detailed granite work and Neo-Arabic design (entrances not included).

The tour then continues to the scenic Douro riverfront, where we can take in the view of the iconic Dom Luis Bridge and the traditional Port wine cellars that brought international fame to the city. We will also stop at a few typical establishments to sample some of Porto’s best local delicacies.

Our day comes to an end with a visit to one of the Port wine cellars, where we will enjoy a guided tasting. We will then be transferred back to our hotel, and the rest of the day is yours to relax or explore at your leisure.

Porto - Pinhao - Douro Valley. This morning, we depart for Pinhao along the scenic Estrada Nacional 222, one of the most beautiful roads in Portugal. As we travel, we can enjoy the stunning views of the Douro River winding through the valley’s terraced hillsides.

On arrival, our guide will introduce us to Pinhao and the surrounding viewpoints that showcase the very best of the Douro Valley. We will then enjoy a traditional lunch at one of the region’s renowned wineries, where we can enjoy authentic local flavours.

In the afternoon, we will visit the vineyards for a guided tour and wine tasting, learning about the valley’s winemaking traditions. The day concludes with a one-hour cruise along the Douro River, a perfect opportunity to take in the spectacular scenery before returning to our hotel in Porto.

After breakfast, you will have free time to relax or enjoy personal activities at your own pace. Take in the peaceful surroundings or simply unwind before another memorable experience in the Douro Valley.

At lunchtime, we will enjoy one of the region’s most delightful experiences, a picnic set among the vineyards, followed by a wine tasting at one of the Douro’s renowned wineries.

Please note: If the weather does not allow the picnic to take place, lunch will instead be served in a traditional local restaurant, offering a taste of authentic regional cuisine.

Douro Valley - Ponta Delgada. This morning, we will depart for Porto Airport for our flight to Ponta Delgada. On arrival in the Azores, another transfer will pick us up and take us to our hotel in the heart of Ponta Delgada.

Ponta Delgada - Sete Ciudades - Ribeira Grande - Ponta Delgada. Today, the day starts with a visit to a traditional pineapple plantation, where the fruit is grown organically in greenhouses. Here, we can taste the island’s well-known pineapple liqueur before continuing along the west coast to the Pico do Carvao viewpoint, where we can admire sweeping views across both sides of the island.

Surrounded by lush greenery, we will reach the Vista do Rei viewpoint at the volcanic complex of Sete Cidades, offering magnificent views over the blue and green lagoons. Descending into the crater, we will also see the peaceful Santiago Lagoon. In the centre of Sete Cidades, we will visit the Church of Sao Nicolau before enjoying lunch in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, the journey continues along the coast, where we can take in the vibrant scenery and stop at the Escalvado viewpoint overlooking the village of Mosteiros. Travelling along the north coast, we will visit the historic centre of Ribeira Grande before heading towards Lagoa do Fogo.

Our final stop is at Caldeira Velha, a natural reserve where you can choose to bathe in the warm thermal waters flowing from a waterfall. A little further on, we will reach the spectacular Lagoa do Fogo, where we can take in the breathtaking views before returning to our hotel.

Ponta Delgada - Vila Franca do Campo - Furnas - Ribeira Grande - Ponta Delgada. After breakfast, we will set off to discover Furnas and the western part of Sao Miguel. The first stop is Vila Franca do Campo, the island’s original capital on the south coast, where we can admire the striking islet of Vila Franca with its crater lagoon. On arrival at Furnas Lake, we will see the geothermal activity of the fumaroles and learn how the famous Cozido das Furnas, a traditional Azorean stew, is slow-cooked underground using natural heat from the earth.

We will then visit Terra Nostra Park, where you can enjoy a relaxing thermal bath before stopping for lunch. Afterwards, in the centre of Furnas, we will explore the boilers, fumaroles, and bubbling springs, each with different mineral properties.

The journey continues towards the north coast, with a stop at Pico de Ferro viewpoint for sweeping views over Furnas Lake and the town below.

Our final stops are in Ribeira Grande, where we will visit the Gorreana tea plantation and factory to taste both green and black tea, followed by Santa Iria viewpoint, offering a magnificent panorama over much of the north coast before returning to our hotel.

Today, you are free to enjoy the island at your own pace. You may wish to spend the day relaxing at your hotel, taking a gentle stroll through Ponta Delgada, or exploring more of Sao Miguel’s scenic landscapes.

After our final breakfast, you will check out of the hotel and transfer to Ponta Delgada Airport for your flight to Porto or Lisbon.