Culinary Vacation in Lisbon and Wine Country

Culinary Vacation in Lisbon and Wine Country :

Looking for a gourmet food and Wine Tasting Tour of Portugal? This vacation is available for private groups as small as two, and combines a city break in Lisbon with various wine tastings and a private cooking class in a medieval village in the glorious Alentejo region. You'll see the stunning countryside of Alentejo (full of cork trees, perfectly preserved castles and fortresses), and the historic towns of Evora and Sintra. As the focus of the tour is food and wine, you'll have plenty of gastronomic experiences enroute. Your private tour begins in Lisbon, where you'll be collected by Mercedes the moment you arrive to the airport. You'll be staying in one of the loveliest historic hotels in Portugal and will have free time to discover the city on your own. Plenty of sightseeing will follow, taking in the Palace of Queluz and gorgeous Sintra. You'll taste wines in a palace in Lisbon, a charming wine shop in Sintra, and the top estate in the Alentejo.

The Alentejo wine region is a beautiful region, seemingly trapped in time, and completely unique in Europe. Driving through the Alentejo you'll see cork forests, gentle hills dotted with olive trees, and colonial style chalk white churches. There are medieval villages (in amazingly good shape) crowned with Moorish castles, some striking examples being in Marvão and Portel. A special cooking lesson highlighting the cuisine of Alentejo will be a highlight on this tour, where you will taste extra virgin olive oils, artisan cheeses and fascinating local wines and also learn how to cook a 4 course Portuguese meal. If you are looking for a tour that gives you the true essence of the Portuguese countryside, its people and cuisine, this is marvellous introduction.

- Your chauffeur will collect you from the airport with a sign reading your name, and you'll be transported by Mercedes to your elegant 4 star hotel in Lisbon. Your chic little hotel is located in a tastefully converted 17th century convent.

- The rest of your day will be at leisure and you will have time to relax and rest. If you are an art lover, you can stroll next door to the Museum of Ancient Art.

- For dinner we suggest the Bica do Sapato Restaurant, co-owned by the actor John Malkovitch, overlooking the Tagus River.

Overnight:

4* Hotel

Meals Included in Price:

None

Transfers:

Lisbon airport- hotel- dinner- hotel

- Full Breakfast at the hotel

- Today is a superb day of sightseeing in some of Lisbon and the surrounding area's most beautiful corners. You'll see castles, fortresses, forests, and beautiful scenery. Your day begins when you are collected at the door of your hotel by your chauffeured luxury vehicle (Mercedes, similar). You'll first visit the beautiful 18th century Queluz Palace, reminiscent of Versailles.

- Next stop is to the charming and aristocratic village of Sintra (where Lord Byron lived and considered it to be "Paradise in Earth"). The latter part of the morning will be full of castles and lovely walks in Sintra, where you must visit the Palacio da Pena, one of Portugal's strangest and most exuberant palaces. In a romantic venue facing the Palace, you'll enjoy a wine tasting at the Loja do Vinho. A wonderful lunch will be organized for you as well, in Sintra.

- During the afternoon you'll see the best of lovely "Lisboa". You'll take in the 16th century St Jeronimo Monastery and 16th century Belem Tower, St George's Castle (dating back to the Moors), and the medieval Alfama.

- A special visit to the Solar do Vinho do Porto will be arranged for you, Lisbon's classy, 18th-century Wine Bar. This is one of our favorite wine bars, located in a historic mansion where you can taste hundreds of ports by the glass.

- You will be dropped off at the door of your Lisbon hotel at the end of the day. Dinner on your own.

Overnight:

4* Historic Hotel, Lisbon

Meals Included in Price:

Full lunch with wine tasting

Transfers:

Hotel- Queluz- Lisbon Tour- Sintra- Hotel

- Full breakfast at your charming hotel

- From your hotel, you'll be swept away by chauffeured Mercedes to the delicious Alentejo region. You'll pass through medieval villages and cork forests, before arriving to Reguengos for a special visit to Herdade do Esporão, one of the most emblematic wineries in Portugal where you will taste their outstanding wines. Lunch will be on your own at the excellent restaurant at the estate. The chef here is great and you can also taste the olive oils that Esporão produce.

- After lunch you'll visit the Unesco heritage town of Èvora. There is a lovely historic quarter where you can see the thousand-year-old Roman Temple of Diana. Pop into Anotionio, our favorite wine merchant in Èvora, whose little shop is right next to the beautiful Pousada hotel. He always has a bottle open to taste.

- After enjoying free time in Èvora, you'll head to your hotel for the evening. You'll be sleeping in a historic manor house located in a tiny medieval village with a castle in mint condition. Dinner at the hotel's restaurant (not included) will be a chance for you to sample Alentejo cuisine, paired with some of the local wines, which include the main grape varieties as: Periquita, Trincadeira, Tinta Roriz, and Moreto for red wines, and Roupeiro, Manteudo, Perrum, Rabo de Ovelha for the whites - all Portuguese varieties - as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz.

Overnight:

4* Country Manor Hotel

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast

Transfers:

Lisbon- Reguengos- Evora- Portel

- Full breakfast at the historic hotel

- Enjoy a walk around Portel, visiting the 13th century Crusader Castle and the Baroque Church. Today, you have a special treat in store- a private cooking lesson given by the Hotel's well-known chef.

- Cooking Class for Lunch: The Importance of Aromatic Herbs and Olive Oil in Portuguese Cuisine. You'll receive a fabulous cooking class, fun for both cooking experts and non-experts. Lunch will be the fruit of your labor, and you'll relax and taste the dishes you prepared, in the pretty restaurant or in the courtyard (in good weather).

- After lunch (which will be the fruit of your efforts in "class", you'll be transferred to Lisbon. Free evening, overnight in 4* elegant hotel.

Overnight:

4* Historic Hotel, Lisbon

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast, Lunch (cooking class) with wine

Transfers:

Alentejo- Lisbon Hotel

- Breakfast

- Transfer to airport/ next port of call in Lisbon

- End of services

- This concludes a wonderful, albeit short introduction to Portugal and its undiscovered cuisine and wines. We hope to see you again!

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast

Transfers:

Airport transfer

What's Included:

What's Not Included:

Prices:

This is a SAMPLE TOUR ITINERARY. Please note that our chauffeured luxury tours have the following starting prices:

More Information on this Culinary Vacation in Lisbon and Wine Country :

If you are interested in this Luxury Vacation, contact us today for more information. This tour can also be adapted for bigger groups with a substantial discount. All of our tours are available year round upon request for your private group of minimum 2 people. If you would like us to customize a luxury gourmet tour for you, contact us with your requirements, and we can send you a free itinerary and quote with no obligations. We organize cooking packages and wine tours from 1 day, to weekends to longer food and wine discoveries throughout Spain, Portugal & Italy.

Email us at: info@cellartours.com