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Day Trips from Lisbon (Private or Group Tour? Itinerary?)

Posted by (Odessa, FL, USA) on

Four of us (two couples) are going to Portugal on April 23 --arriving in Lisbon the 24th -- and flying home on May 8th. We'll be in an apartment in Lisbon for six nights and then Porto for seven nights. We are not planning to rent a car. We want to go to Sintra and Cascais for one day trip from Lisbon; and Nazare, Fatima, and Obidos for another. The company that rents our Lisbon apartment offered to book private tours for us. They mentioned Sintra, but not Nazare, so we would probably do that with a group. I have three questions:
1. How would you plan the day for Sintra and Cascais? After a bad experience in Italy a couple of years ago, we want to give the guide very clear directions about what we would like to see.
2. What company would you recommend for Nazare, Fatima, and Obidos?
3. Can you recommend a food tour in Lisbon (not a cooking tour)?

Thanks in advance!

Posted by
1467 posts

Susan, I also went on a day tour with Lisbon Riders and recommend them. Here is an excerpt from my trip report

“ This day (10/5) was devoted to a tour by Lisbon Riders to Fatima, Obidos and Nazare. Our guide, Tanya, is a tiny little thing packing a big punch. I think she really loves her job because she was so animated talking about the huge waves and surfing scene of Nazare. Our small group of about 12 appreciated her concern at every stop of where the restrooms were and she gave tips on the good restaurants. Unfortunately, due to it being a holiday, some of us were quite challenged to find good restaurants open in Nazare. We were up on the hill in Sitio, so maybe it was different down by the beach.”

Posted by
106 posts

I read someone's review that said London Riders was good for Sintra but terrible for Nazare.

Posted by
909 posts

I havent been to Lisbon since pre-COVID (2019) so that mitagates my recommendations, somewhat.
I highly recommend a few Lisbon related adventures....Evora is an easy day trip from Lisbon and offers a wonderful and rewarding experience. Several companies offer small group tours from Lisbon. Sintra is a delightful day trip although easily managed on your own. Numerous train departures from Rossio station....about a 45 minute ride.
Cristina Duarte, a RS guide, offers Lisbon walking tours and other Lisbon opportunities with her husand, Pedro at "Lisbon and Beyond". When I was last there, several excellent food tours were offered by a variety of providers - some quite inexpensive.
Don't forget a Fado night....I went to "Duque da Rua" and had a wonderful time.

I have never seriously considered relocating to a European city and although I have had wonderful experiences all over Europe, if I was to reside in a Euro city, I think it would be Lisbon.

Posted by
3512 posts

My one complaint about the Nazare tour was my guide. I passed my complaint onto the company and hope they would have addressed the issue.

That is always the risk with tours—you might not like the guide or the people. But that wouldn’t stop me from taking a tour. And my experience, which was hopefully a fluke, has not stopped me from recommending Lisbon Riders or that tour.

Posted by
4 posts

We took a food tour with culinarybackstreets.com and the tour was Lisbon Awakens: A Culinary Crossroads, Reborn. We loved the tour! You learn a lot of history and how the Age of Discovery brought so much back to Portugal. Walk through some interesting neighborhoods, eat some delicious food, meet some nice people. Laura was a great guide. We plan to take another one of their tours next time.

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