We're signed up for Rick's Heart of Portugal tour in early October 2024. We like to add a few days at the beginning and/or end of the tour to explore more there in Portugal. We enjoy art, architecture, history and experiencing more of the culture. We prefer traveling by public transportation. We haven't made flight reservations yet but we're thinking about arriving in Lisbon and departing from either Porto or making our way back to Lisbon and leaving from there. We're a couple of healthy, mobil and curious seniors. Any suggestions are welcome! Thank you in advance.
Posted by
Michigan
505 posts
We did this tour in spring 2022 and added days at both ends. The tour itinerary is good, but your time in Lisbon and Porto is brief. The tour in Lisbon gets you to Belem and Jeronimo, the Gublienka Museum, as well as some walking through Alfama, Chiada and Biaxa. Lots of other things to see and do, and eat. In Lisbon, we would recommend Sintra palaces - Sintra National Palace, Moorish Castle, Pena Palace - plan for a day at least, accessible by train. Castillo de San Jorge has great views if the weather is nice and the walk up through the Alfama neighborhood is great. In Porto, you get a food tour which also serves as a city tour. We were scheduled to go to the big market hall, but it was under construction - we spent way too much time at the transportation museum, which we do not recommend (sorry all you trolley fanatics) There was a brief boat "tour" on the Douro river also - seemed to focus mostly on all the bridges. Make sure you go to a port lodge, - not included on the tour for some unfathomable reason. We did a tuk-tuk tour in Porto which was fun. Again, lots to see and do.