Cities of Portugal Tour

Seven nights, self-guided, linking three of Portugal’s main cities in one compact route. Caminos arranges the hotels and an economy hire car between Lisboa and Porto, so the driving is limited to two sensible hops along the country’s west side.

Caminos describes Lisboa as the height of fashion, with fado-filled taverns, charming neighbourhoods and trams struggling up steep hills. Coimbra, the smaller and more accessible stop, has Portugal’s oldest university, medieval convents and churches, museums and galleries. Porto, the second city, finishes the trip with its Old Town, the Ribeira and the wine lodges lining the Douro. The Atlantic coast is described as never far away.

Three nights in Lisboa and around cover the trams, Rossio square and its station, the Manueline monastery of Jeronimos, the bars of Bairro Alto and dinners in Chiado, with day trips to Sintra and the beaches at Cascais and Aldeia do Meco. Two nights follow in Coimbra, with the university, the Romanesque Se Velha, a Coimbra-style fado show, the Jewish Quarter and the Roman ruins at Conimbriga. The last two nights are in Porto, crossing the Dom Luis I bridge to the port lodges and taking the ferry to Afurada.

The price covers hotels on a bed and breakfast basis for two sharing a double room, an economy four-door hire car for those flying, a regional guide book and a personal travel app with restaurant suggestions and weather forecasts, and instructions for finding every hotel. Flights, one-way and cross-border car hire charges, extras such as a second driver, garage parking and local tourist taxes are not included. Caminos quotes about £1,150 per person as an indicative mid-season figure for 7 nights, and adapts the route, hotels and airports to each traveller.