Highlights
- Sample Lisbon's famous pastéis de nata on a foodie walking tour
- Experience Alentejo gastronomy and lunch with a sommelier
- Visit a family-run estate and taste top-quality Iberian ham, cured on-site
- Taste different types of sherry at a top producer in Jerez
- Join a tapa crawl that goes where the locals do in Seville
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Lisbon (Portugal), Bohemian Lisbon Private Food Walk | Lisbon |
| Day 2 | Lisbon's Architectural & Historical Highlights | Lisbon |
| Day 3 | Transfer to Évora, Free Afternoon to Explore | Évora |
| Day 4 | Private Alentejo Wine & Gourmet Experience | Évora |
| Day 5 | Transfer to Aracena (Spain) via Alentejo Winery Lunch | Aracena |
| Day 6 | Iberian Jamón Tasting & Cave of Aracena | Aracena |
| Day 7 | Transfer to Jerez de la Frontera, Sherry Culture, Dinner & Flamenco | Jerez de la Frontera |
| Day 8 | Transfer to Seville, Afternoon City Tour | Seville |
| Day 9 | Seville Culinary Experience, Free Time to Explore | Seville |
| Day 10 | Depart Seville |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Lisbon (Portugal), Bohemian Lisbon Private Food Walk
Welcome to sunny Lisbon, the capital of Portugal! Medieval castles, cobblestone villages, captivating cities, and golden beaches await in Europe's second-oldest capital (after Athens). But first, a private driver will greet you at Lisbon airport and transfer you to your hotel. Freshen up before hitting the colorful streets of the "City of Seven Hills" with a local guide, who will lead you on a delicious cultural walking tour of the downtown that will blend stories and history with a few delicious stops.
Your two-hour Lisbon tour will start in trendy and sophisticated Chiado, before heading down to the reborn fisherman district, known as Cais do Sodré. Along the way you'll make three stops, visiting a revived food market, canned fish shop, and a top-rated Portuguese custard tart bakery. You'll taste delicious Portuguese cheese, charcuterie, canned fish and sweets paired with local wines and coffee. The fun ends at a casual and cozy restaurant in the heart of charming Bica neighborhood, where you'll sit down and share a few dishes.
Day 2: Lisbon's Architectural & Historical Highlights
This morning you'll explore the dense history of Lisbon in three architectural tales with a private walking tour. First, discover the "dreamed city." After the 1755 earthquake, the Marquis of Pombal created a world reference for seismic-resistant design in Lisbon's downtown district. Then, discover the "modern city" where from the 1940s, the powerful dictatorship ruled the national image and architectural style with middle-class housing projects, new markets, and the airport. Finally, step into the "future city" in Parque de Nações, an area developed during Lisbon's World Expo '98.
The rest of the day is yours to explore Lisbon. Get lost in the colorful city streets, seek out the sights of the Belém district, hunt for the best Portuguese custard tart, and explore day-to-day life at your pace. Visit the city's biggest traditional daily market, Mercado da Ribeira, and order lunch next door at the trendy Time Out Market food hall. Or visit the LX Factory, a former textile factory transformed into a buzzing district filled with small shops, restaurants, and bars. Stop for dinner here, or walk down to the waterfront Docas where restaurants and bars line the Tejo River.
Day 3: Transfer to Évora, Free Afternoon to Explore
This morning, after breakfast at your hotel, you'll be picked up for your 90-minute private transfer to Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the cultural and gastronomic capital of the Alentejo region. After checking into your hotel, set out to explore this ancient, compact city, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. Wander past the well-preserved Templo Romano ruins, proof of Évora's Roman past, and see the golden age of Portuguese maritime discoveries. The King of Portugal lived here during the 1400s, bringing the influence of the royal court to the small city.
Wander between whitewashed houses and pop into the cute shops that line its narrow streets. Discover the hauntingly beautiful Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones), an eerie yet fascinating ossuary adorned with human bones; delight in the architecture of the Sé de Évora (Évora Cathedral); and enjoy the grandeur of Praça do Giraldo, the city's lively plaza that is the perfect spot for an evening drink. Find a local tavern or tasca for dinner, and try hearty Alentejo dishes such as grilled black pork and seracaia (a flan-like dessert).
Day 4: Private Alentejo Wine & Gourmet Experience
The Alentejo is Portugal's largest region, and within, you'll find vast open plains dotted with cork trees and olive groves, hilltop castles and whitewashed villages, and dozens of unknown treasures. Along with the Douro Valley, the region is one of the world's leading destinations for wine lovers of quality and unique cuisine. Today you'll join a guided tour that will take you beyond the walls of Évora and out into the countryside to explore the heritage and culture of the land.
Start with a visit to a traditional vineyard and farm, enjoying a private guided tour and wine tasting with local snacks. Then return to Évora for an exclusive lunch with wines paired by a sommelier. Taste some excellent examples of Alentejo gastronomy harmonized with four different wines, some of the most emblematic of Évora.
Day 5: Transfer to Aracena (Spain) via Alentejo Winery Lunch
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Today you'll travel 2.5 hours from Évora in Portugal to Aracena in Spain with a private driver. En route you'll stop at a top Alentejo winery, close to the Spanish border. This contemporary quinta (estate) is one of Portugal's best and produces some exciting white wines. After a tour of the estate and wine cellars, enjoy an extensive tasting followed by a traditional Portuguese lunch.
After lunch, continue to Spain and the Andalusian countryside, into the Sierra de Aracena, a beautiful nature reserve punctuated by fertile valleys and high peaks. The sierra is renowned for producing top Jabugo air-cured ham. In medieval times hilltops here marked the northern boundary of Cordoba region. After a drive through one of the prettiest village, arrival at a fantastic boutique rural hotel.
Day 6: Iberian Jamón Tasting & Cave of Aracena
Iberian or Ibérico ham is well known as the best ham in the world, especially if it is the top-tier jamón made from acorn-fed black pigs. Today you'll drive through picturesque hilltop towns to visit a family-run pig farm in the mountainous area of Sierra of Huelva. You'll be given a personal tour of the grounds and facilities, learning about the breeding and production of Spain’s favorite and most coveted animal—the Iberian pig. You'll visit UNESCO Biosphere Reserve forests of cork oaks where the pigs graze freely, and see where thousands of hams are slowly curing.
Many people consider Iberian ham the jewel in the crown of Spanish gastronomy, and you'll have the opportunity to taste it at the source in the heart of the Natural Park of Aracena. A master carver will teach you how to differentiate various types of this cured ham as well as how to properly carve it. Finally, you'll sit down for a tasting and lunch. After, visit La Gruta de las Maravillas cave, one of the best-preserved caves in Europe, and return to Acarena.
Day 7: Transfer to Jerez de la Frontera, Sherry Culture, Dinner & Flamenco
Leave the Sierra de Aracena behind and travel through Andalusian countryside and whitewashed villages until you reach Jerez de la Frontera. Here the landscape changes again, with white chalk soils where grape varieties used in sherry thrive. A private driver will take you the two-hour drive, dropping you in Jerez by lunch. Use your afternoon to explore the old quarter, which surrounds the 11th-century Moorish Alcázar de Jerez fortress.
In the early evening you'll join a tour and tasting at a top sherry house, where only the best wines are transformed into the famous drink. You'll learn about the wine aging process and taste different styles of sherry wines before sitting down at a local restaurant for a taste of Andalusian cooking. After dinner it's time for flamenco! This region is the homeland of the art form, so make your way to Tablao Flamenco Puro Arte, a bodega dating from 1739, where you'll watch different styles of flamenco, such as martinetes, soleá, and bulerías.
Day 8: Transfer to Seville, Afternoon City Tour
Today, after breakfast, you'll transfer 70 minutes to Seville, the vibrant capital of Andalusia, with a private driver. Once in the city, drop your bags at the hotel and meet your local guide for a three-hour walking tour where you'll hear about the city's 2,000-year history. You'll pass by the Seville Cathedral, a 15th-century Roman-Catholic church home Christopher Columbus' tomb. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the largest gothic church in the world, and there's a mix of architecture influence. Look at the 12th-century bell tower, La Giralda, which was built as a mosque minaret.
Continue through the orange tree-filled Santa Cruz neighborhood, known as the Jewish Quarter, where you'll stop for a break at one of many tapas bars. You'll then visit the famous Alcázar, a grandiose UNESCO monument that shows a harmonious synthesis between Christian and Muslim culture in its palace and gardens, The walking tour ends by the banks of the Guadalquivir River.
Day 9: Seville Culinary Experience, Free Time to Explore
Wear your stretchy pants today—a local food expert is about to lead you across the city, taking you to the places you won’t find in any guide books. On this tapas crawl you'll experience the real Seville, going where the locals go. Your guide will take you five tapas bars where you'll enjoy the local specialty with a drink. Many of these bodegas and taverns seem frozen in time, making them true Sevillian spots where things are slow and relaxed.
As you explore, you'll gain insider knowledge and tips for the city and visit neighborhoods that many tourists never reach. Along the way you'll try cured ham, croquetas, oxtail, and much more. After your foodie adventure, the afternoon is yours to enjoy. You could pass through the colorful Plaza de España, a tiled square in María Luisa Park. Wander the square, rent a boat, and row around the makeshift river. Or get a bird's-eye view and walk above the city on the Metropol Parasol, an impressive wooden structure resembling a mushroom.
Day 10: Depart Seville
It's the final day of your trip, so after breakfast, pack your bags and get ready to depart. At the designated time, a private driver will collect you for the short transfer to the airport for your flight home or onward. Safe travels!
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