Trip Report: Heart of Portugal in 12 Days, 4 - 15 September, 2023

Most of the clothing choices worked as well as I had hoped. The linen pants were a disappointment, though. They were heavier than I wanted, and looser in the legs than I like. I bought them to replace a beloved pair of linen pants that I had traveled with for literal decades, and which finally fell apart on the South Italy tour last year. The former pair was very light, great for warm weather travel. The new ones were actually heavier than the other pants I took.

I bought the ankle boots anticipating the infamously slick cobbled streets of Lisbon and Porto. I liked them very much, and never slid once, but they weigh twice as much as my other shoes, and are wider in the heel area than usual. I had to wear thicker socks and lace them tight to keep my heel from slipping in them.

My main mistake was packing for Amsterdam and Paris in October, rather than Lisbon in August and September. All my tops were long-sleeved, and there were times when I wished I had packed at least one short sleeved top. And the blousy white top? It didn’t layer as well as I had hoped, and I didn’t really like the way it looked on its own. I ended up wearing it only twice on a 7-week trip.

Also in my bags were toiletries for both of us, our 3-1-1 bag, my supplements, useful odds and ends such as tweezers, safety pins, and a tiny sewing kit, my journal, and all the paperwork we would need. I also carried a number of OTC medications, mostly pain killers (aspirin, acetaminophen) but also some antihistamines and tummy settlers (pepto equivalent.) OTC painkillers are very expensive in much of Europe, and some can only be bought in pharmacies.
I also packed a small cross-body bag, about 6”x9”x2”, with a surprising number of pockets and compartments. This was my regular day bag. I also packed a very small cross-body bag, about 6” x 6.5” and very thin, made of heavy tapestry fabric, with an amazing number of zippered pockets. It's big enough to hold a small wallet, a credit card, and a few tissues. I can just barely squeeze my phone into it, but prefer not to.
• I also brought my tablet and a cell phone. My weight splurge was a bluetooth keyboard. I knew I’d be doing a lot of typing on the trip, and am willing to carry the extra pound to have the convenience of a real keyboard. I’m not as cell phone savvy as most folks are, but am trying to get used to carrying it. We did not have cell service, only using the phone when wifi was available. I did use Google maps and CityMapper, with varying degrees of success, as well as WhatsApp, which I used to keep up with friends at home and abroad, and communicate with some hotels and restaurants. I did use the phone to take photos, although I don’t take very many.
Stan carried all his clothes. Including what he wore on the plane, that included
• 3 pairs of slacks (one dark, 2 light,) 4 shirts (3 short sleeved, 1 long,)
• 2 knit shirts which he wore when he needed an extra layer or as his sleep shirt,
• 2 pairs of shoes,
• undies, socks, and comfy lounge pants,
• a hooded jacket
• a windbreaker
• 1 cap
He also carried his supplements, the maps, and the guidebooks. He also carried a small digital camera. The windbreakers had been sprayed with water-proofing, and served as lightweight rain jackets.

Hotels: The hotel styles differed wildly, from stark and simple to character filled and picturesque, to downright fancy. Most (maybe all) had a/c, I think, and most had an elevator. As usual, breakfast was provided at all hotels. The breakfast was usually a buffet with breads, cheeses and meats, cold cereals, pastries, and hot and cold beverages. If a breakfast was particularly noteworthy, I’ll mention it below.

From this point, I’ll switch to day-by-day, but I may throw in a sidebar or two every now and then, as the spirit moves me or a topic seems to raise questions.

Pre-tour, Lisbon: We flew into Lisbon from London on the Friday before the Monday tour start. As usual, we did not stay in the tour hotel, opting for a smaller place, the Be Poet Hotel Baixa. I still hope to post a mini-trip report of our pre-tour Lisbon stay, so I won’t go into details here, but I will say we particularly enjoyed the Tile Museum, and had a first-rate food tour with Eating Europe. We also bought Viva Viagem public transport cards when we first arrived in the city; they were convenient and very easy to use.

Day 1, Monday: We checked out of the Be Poet Baixa after breakfast, and walked to the nearby tour hotel, My Story Tejo. The hotel is very nice, and the staff was welcoming. Our room, on the fourth floor up, was also nice, with adequate room for us and our belongings. One minor annoyance: the TV and A/C came on automatically as soon as we opened the door with the key card. Every time. I suppose some folks might consider this a convenience, but I found it oddly intrusive. (Controlling, maybe?)

We met our guide Rafael and the group at 5:00; covid tests were not required, but we did have to show our CDC cards. As soon as Rafael had presented an overview of the tour, and we had chosen our “buddies,” we set off on a neighborhood walk. Your “buddy” on a RSE tour is just someone you don't know, but whose presence you will check whenever the guide or bus driver says “Buddy check!” It's easier and more efficient that counting heads, and works very well. It does not mean you have to be best friends; in fact, it’s better if you aren’t. We were also provided with transit cards, good for 6 rides, and our audio devices, which we would use for the entire tour.

Then on to our first group dinner, at Cozinha da Estação. The meal was surprisingly meat heavy. This was true for much of the tour, which surprised me. Our first dinner we had a mixed meat tray, with roast beef, chicken, and pork sausages, all of which were good. There were potatoes, as well, and what was for many of us the star of the evening, an amazingly good sautéed spinach with lots of olive oil, salt, and garlic. After dinner, it was back to the hotel, where most people opted for an early bedtime, some of the group having arrived just that day.

Day 2, Tuesday: After a good breakfast at the hotel, the group gathered for a walking tour of the Alfama area of Lisbon. The Alfama is the oldest neighborhood in the city, and was the Moorish section. After the Moors were expelled or moved to another area, it became the Jewish section. It was also one of the few areas of the city that was not destroyed by earthquake in 1755, so is now the most evocative and historic part of town. There are lots of twisting lanes, interesting side streets, and colorful corners. It was here the tour members were treated to their first taste of ginjinha, a local liqueur made of ginja berries. The taste is similar to sour cherries, and the liqueur is often served in tiny chocolate cups, which of course add to the enjoyment.

This was also a “back door” moment, with Rafael buying the treat from a neighborhood woman who had set up her booth in the street, not from a bar, as he had intended. We all enjoyed the experience; watching him interact with the woman was a treat.
The group disbanded shortly after this, with a free afternoon. We’ll meet again this evening for another group activity.

Day 2, continued: Stan and I wandered back to the hotel neighborhood, specifically to the Praça da Figueira. We had lunch at a tiny local eatery where we had delicious fish sandwiches and very good beer. After this light meal, we took the bus to the Museum of Ancient Art, where we spent about 2 hours. Many of the items displayed are Portuguese treasures, but there are also many works by renowned artists from the rest of Europe, including Holbein, Dürer, Cranoch the Elder, and more.

Then we wandered through the Praça where many seemingly permanent booths were set up, most selling some kind of food, including take away. There was a large covered section with tables and chairs where anyone could sit and relax or have a snack. We treated ourselves to a couple of classes of local white wine, and enjoyed watching the crowd. There were many tourists and students, but a lot of locals had stopped for lunch or a break, as well.

That evening the group went to dinner and a private fado show at Café Nicole, near our hotel. The food was copious; we had pumpkin bisque, great bread with a selection of patés and butters, a choice of meat mains, and fried potatoes. The fado performance was very good. We particularly enjoyed the chance to get to know our fellow tour members at the dinner and on the walk back to the hotel. The group is coming together.

Day 3, Wednesday. This morning the group went to nearby Belem. There we toured the Jeronimos monastery with local guide João. The monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an architectural and cultural treasure, dating from the 1500s. Vasco da Gama is entombed there, along with other Portuguese historical figures.

After a short break for authentic pasteis de Belem, we walked to the nearby Monument of the Discoveries, a tribute to Henry the Navigator and the Age of Exploration of the 15th and 16th centuries, when Portugal ruled the seas and accumulated great wealth.

This was my “wow moment” of the tour. Not because the monument itself was remarkable, but because of Rafael’s masterful presentation of the historic, social, cultural, and economic importance of that period in European, and indeed world, history. Outstanding. It was obvious that he had studied this intensely, and wanted us to understand how Portugal’s explorations and advances in navigation changed the world.

We then headed back to Lisbon proper, where we were taken to the Gulbenkian Museum. We first had lunch there on our own (I had some amazing cod fritters) then regrouped to tour the museum. We were split into two groups; ours went with João again, while the other went with Rafael. After Rafael’s remarkable performance earlier, we all wanted to get in his group. João did well, though. After our guided tour, we were left on our own. Stan and I, being museum junkies, stayed for quite a while to explore the collection in more detail.

We got back to our own neighborhood by metro, and found dinner at Restaurante Derby, Rua das Portas de Santo Antão 125, behind the Hard Rock Café. This place looked a bit sketchy, but we had a lovely meal, which began with complementary glasses of port. I enjoyed chicken piri-piri, while Stan had calamari. We also had some local vinho verde, and followed that with more port. The food was good, and the staff was very friendly and helpful.

Back at the hotel, we joined some tour mates in the bar, getting better acquainted and anticipating leaving Lisbon the next morning.

Day 4, Thursday. After breakfast we met the group, and our driver José for the approximately 2 hour drive to Évora. The bus had to park outside the city wall, but our hotel, the Aqueduto, was quite near. Our rooms weren’t yet ready, so we all dropped off our bags and met for a tour with local guide Maria. Rafael had joked that all Portuguese women are named Maria, and it did seem close to the truth. This Maria was not the usual local guide for the RSE tour; she was stepping in for the other Maria, who was unavailable that day.

Évora is an interesting city. The wall surrounding the old town is medieval, but the builders incorporated parts of the old Roman aqueduct, still visible as you meander through town. Évora was settled by Celts, followed by Romans, Visigoths, and Moors, until it was taken over during the Reconquest in the medieval period. Major tourist sights include the remains of a Roman temple, the Cathedral, and the Franciscan Chapel of Bones. The town itself, or the old center, is very pretty, with whitewashed houses and stores.
After the tour we were on our own for most of the afternoon. We found lunch on a small side street full of eateries, where we had very good smoked salmon, and more cod fritters. I must say I was surprised at how much I liked bacalhau, the dried salted cod that is a staple in Portugal. Although I’m very fond of fish, I couldn’t imagine how tasty bacalhau would be, or how many ways the Portuguese can prepare it.

We then returned to the hotel, claimed our luggage, and checked into our room. The room was quite nice; the hotel is evidently in the process of being modernized, and everything is sleek and spare.

We all regrouped at the hotel’s bar for a happy hour and “buddy introductions.” This is another RSE activity that is not well-liked by the tour members, but is useful. Each person presents a short, 2 or 3 minute talk about his or her tour “buddy.” These can be stressful, but are useful and informative.

The happy hour included a lot of snacks, with meats and cheeses, so we felt no need to find dinner. We did go for a long walk back into town, though, then returned to the hotel to visit and have a drink with tour members before calling it a day.

Day 5, Friday. This was a great day. After a good breakfast at the hotel (lots of cheeses, breads and pastries; some fruit) we all headed back to the bus, off on the next leg of our adventure.

Most of our day was spent at a cork oak farm. This was my runner-up “wow” moment on the tour. We spent quite a while being driven and walking through the forest, with owner Sofia explaining all. We saw trees in all stages of growth and exploitation, and had fun searching the forest floor looking for baby trees. I love learning new things, and we certainly learned a lot about how the cork is grown, harvested, and marketed.

We then went to the farmhouse, where we were treated to a very good, and very generous, lunch. We had fish soup, chicken pie, fruit, ice cream and cake, and lots of their very own wine. The wine was for sale in the nearby shop; Stan and I bought a bottle as well as a new corkscrew.

We all waddled back to the bus, which took us to Óbidos, a small town with a colorful history and an equally colorful walled old town. Like Évora, the town was founded by Celts, but was also inhabited (or conquered) by Romans, Visigoths, and Moors before being claimed by the Portuguese king in the 12th century. The old town is now a tourist Mecca, with many tiny shops and eateries.

Day 5, Continued: Our hotel, the Hotel Real d’Óbidos, was fantastic, my favorite on the tour. The building, which is just outside the city wall, dates back to the 14th century. The décor is, well, funky, in a good way. Think medieval. Our room had dark, heavy furniture, with a 4-poster bed, 2 nightstands, a dresser, a table, two chairs, and a wardrobe, all heavy wood. It was wonderful!

The public areas were similar, with medieval artifacts (including helmets and suits of mail) and heavy, comfortable furniture. We were all agog, enjoying every nook and cranny.

As soon as we had checked in, Rafael led us on a walk through the neighborhood inside the wall, where he again treated us to ginjinha, then left us on our own. Stan and I wandered a bit, then headed back to the hotel to do some laundry in our room. After that huge lunch we weren’t interested in dinner, so we took a short walk, then had a drink in the hotel bar. What a great day!

Day 6, Saturday. Breakfast was great. We’re the only people staying in this hotel at the moment, and they laid out a huge spread just for us: several breads, 3 or 4 cheeses, 3 or 4 meats, lots of fruit, eggs both scrambled and boiled, beans, sausages, mushrooms, and crepes, as well as tea, coffee and 4 or 5 juices.

After breakfast, we were off on the bus to visit the Cistercian Monastery of Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery dates from the 12th century, and holds many tombs, including those of the star-crossed lovers, Pedro and Inês.

After spending some time at the local market, we were off to Nazaré for our free time, where Stan and I lucked into a procession and ceremony honoring their patron saint, Nossa Senhora da Nazare. The views from the upper Sitio area were spectacular, but we did not get to see any of the famous giant waves, the sea being very calm. Stan and I did find a great lunch back in the lower level of the town, at Maria Matos Mariscos, Largo das Caldeiras 9a, near the base of the funicular. Stan had a shrimp and calamari skewer, and I had grilled calamari. Both dishes had excellent sides, and we shared a bottle of delicious vinho verde.

We found the rest of the group, and were bused back to Óbidos, where we had free time for the rest of the day. Stan and I did take a walk back up into the walled town, but soon headed back to the hotel for a quiet evening.

Day 7, Sunday. After an early breakfast, we packed up and left for Batalha, the site of a magnificent example of Flamboyent Gothic, the Monastery of Batalha. It was built in the 14th and 15th centuries to commemorate a major Portuguese military victory. To reinforce the tradition, a military honor guard stands watch over the tombs of two Portuguese unknown soldiers from World War I. Rafael once again wowwed us with his comments and explanations, leading me to write in my notes:

Rafael does an excellent job of giving historical and social meaning
and context to buildings, which we saw again and again on this tour.

We then went on to Fatima; Rafael had promised several of us that we’d be able to attend Mass there, and we did, but just barely. We had very little time in Fatima, which I think is a shame. Stan and I grabbed a sandwich at a snack shop, and I ran to catch the start of Mass. As soon as Mass was over, I found Stan and my now soggy sandwich (note to self: tuna salad is not a good choice for a sandwich if you can’t eat it right away.) We got back to the meeting place just in time, as the bus was preparing to leave for Coimbra, our next stop.

On arrival, the group members checked into Hotel Riversuites. Our room is large and clean, but sparsely furnished. It looks to be a family room, with 2 single beds folded up into the wall. It had just started raining, and as we were leaving to rejoin the group, we noticed a leak running down the outside wall. We did, of course, report it to the staff.

Day 7, continued: It was time for a group tour with local guide Cristina. We stayed on the bus for an overview of the area, then toured the univeresity on foot, especially the Grand Hall, the St Michael Chapel, and the beautiful library, Biblioteca Joanina. After the tour, the group went to dinner at Solar do Bacalhau, where we had a very good dinner of sea bream. I noted the potatoes were particularly good, and Stan enjoyed the apple pie, which resembled a Tarte Tatin. After dinner we walked back to the hotel, for a quiet evening.

Day 8, Monday. The breakfast was a buffet again, but sparser than we’ve become accustomed to. There were several meats and cheeses, as well as scrambled eggs and cereals. No fruit though.

We had the chance for a free morning, but a number of us joined Rafael for a couple of optional excursions. The first was to visit a local ceramics factory. The fellow who owns it is their designer, and aims for useful but out-of-the-ordinary items. Rafael had warned us the owner was a bit of a misanthrope, but one of our women charmed him instantly, and he was warm and friendly throughout the visit. Oh, funny thing: two of his biggest customers in the States were Nieman-Marcus and Home Goods. Evidently he sold the same items to both of them, with a significantly different markup!

Then back we went toward Coimbra, stopping at Conímbriga, an amazing Roman site. This was another “wow” moment for me; I guess that makes three so far? The site is huge, and people are free to wander around. One of the best mosaics I have ever seen, anywhere, is here, out in the open, as well as outstanding house remains. There’s also a small museum on the site. I almost skipped this optional excursion day, but I am so glad I didn’t.

Back to town for lunch on our own. Stan and I followed the main drag and ended up at a small sidewalk cafe that was still serving lunch. I’m not sure of the name (I have both “Barcelona” and “Estrella” in my notes, but google doesn’t find either one in that location,) but the food was great. I tried bochecha do porco, pig cheeks, and Stan had bolinoa de bacalhau, salted cod and potato dumplings. We do like to try new things, and on this trip we encountered a lot of them!

Later the entire group went out for another fado show. Coimbra fado differs from Lisbon fado in a number of ways; a major difference is fado in Coimbra is sung mostly by male students. I wasn’t crazy about the singing, (the “students” were professional singers, and hadn’t been students in decades. I found it difficult to suspend disbelief for long) but the man who played Portuguese guitar was fantastic.

Then it was back to the hotel; we’re moving on early in the morning.

Day 9, Tuesday. Breakfast at the hotel, much like yesterday, but I did manage to find some fruit and yogurt. Our main stop today was the Quinta de Santa Eufémia, a family owned vineyard specializing in port, in the Douro region. We walked through some of the vineyards, led by one of the members of the family, then went back to the winery where some of our group, including guide Rafael, helped stomp grapes. Evidently stomping grapes by hand – well, by foot – is still done to some extent. Stomping grapes keeps the seeds from being crushed, and allows the winemaker more control over how the grapes are crushed. Machine crushing is faster, but more ruthless.

After the grape stomping, which the participants said was much harder than they had thought it would be, we were treated to an excellent lunch, with one Douro red, and three of the four kinds of port the winery makes. The meal consisted of local specialties, starting with “salty bites,” then feijoada, a bean and meat stew; an excellent codfish dish, using an old family recipe; and an orange cake with carmelized cream and fruit. The food was good, and the port was excellent.

Day 9, Continued: Oh, a bonus for you, tips on port from our host: Pay attention to the harvest date and the bottling date. If they are close, drink the port within a week of opening the bottle. If the dates are 3 years or so apart, drink it within a 3 week period. If it is blended or an older vintage, you can take your time finishing the bottle; it is already fully oxidized and will keep.

Once again waddling to the bus (with many folk having bought some port at the quinta,) we headed for nearby Lamego, where we booked into the Hotel Lamego. This was another favorite of many of our tour members. It’s very nice, luxurious even, with huge public areas, a spa, a swimming pool, bars, lounges, a barbecue pit, a clubhouse, and more. Our room was nice, very big with a king bed, night stands (one combined with a desk,) a chair, a padded bench for seating or storage, an open shelf wardrobe, a mini-fridge, and a big window.

While Stan rested, I explored the hotel and then went for a short walk. Rafael had said there were several sights worth seeing, but by the time I actually left the hotel, it was too late to make the longish but pretty walk into town.

Dinner was provided at the hotel: a buffet of soup, sandwiches, little fried things, sausages, and an interesting beet and nut dish. Fruit and pudding were served for desert, and wine was provided. We chatted with friends for a while, but after this long and active day, we were ready for an early bedtime.

Day 10, Wednesday. The hotel breakfast was very good (my notes say “lots of everything.”) Then we loaded the bus; to many people’s chagrin, we’re only here for one night. Rafael confided that he’s been lobbying to make this a 2 night stay, but the other Portuguese guides don’t think there are enough interesting things to do or see in Lamego.

Today we’re off to Porto, the last stop on our tour. The bus dropped us at our hotel, the Porto Bay Hotel Teatro, but we didn’t unload our bags or check in. Instead, we were divided into two groups to take a food tour with Taste Porto. Our group was with André, one of the owners of Taste Porto. Our first stops were at the Bolhão Market, a huge indoor market. We had vinho verde with canned sardines and mackerel, which are Portuguese specialties; charcuterie; “petiscos” – little fried things including codfish fritters; and wild game and potato sausages, all these with appropriate wines. We finished up at a small local bar, where we had sweet and savory pastries served with port. The food tour was very good.

After both groups had completed the food tour, we all went to take a Douro River cruise. I found this one of the least interesting parts of the tour; the trip was short, and the recorded information on what we were passing was hard to hear on the crowded boat.

We finally went back to the hotel to check in. The hotel is very nice, another business class hotel. Our room was strangely laid out, though. There was a long hallway inside the room; the bathroom did not have a door. I finally figured out that the shower door would swing back and act as the bathroom door, but that left a problem when I took a shower later. I could either close the shower or the bathroom, but not both. I opted to close the bathroom, which made for a very wet and slippery floor.

Back to the room itself: the bed was big, there was one comfy chair, and one desk chair, with one nightstand doubling as a desk. The closet had open shelves, with a safe and mini-fridge taking up much of the room. There were two big windows that only opened from the top, and when opened they admitted mechanical noise from the hvac system, but not enough to keep us from sleeping.

After dumping our bags, we went out for a walk and to buy some wine. We spent some time chatting with friends at the convenient café across the street from the hotel, then went up for some rest (and a messy shower.)

Day 11, Thursday. This is the last full day of the tour! Breakfast at the hotel, with the same fare we’ve been served at most of our hotels: bread, meats and cheases, fruit, cereals, and some hot foods: probably eggs, bacon, and sausages.

After breakfast the group went for a walking tour with local guide Maria, who is also a Rick Steves guide. We caught her in between tours, and were glad we did. The tour was good, covering the major local sights, including the beautifully tiled train station, St Francis Church, and the magnificent Stock Exchange building. All these are beautifully decorated with Portuguese tiles, or lushly and lavishly decorated. Maria also pointed out a number of points of interest, as well as shopping and eating areas.

After our tour with Maria, we were on our own for the afternoon. Although both Maria and Rafael had suggested places for lunch, we chose another place, Bufete São Domingos, Largo São Domingos 59, at the foot of Rua das Flores. This became our favorite place to eat in Porto for the rest of our stay. The food was delicious, the portions more than generous, and the prices significantly cheaper than the recommended eateries just across the street. That first time Stan had very good grilled salmon; I had bifana (spicy pork) on a plate, rather than in a sandwich, the more typical presentation. Both were excellent, and the servings so generous we couldn’t finish our meals. Cash only, by the way.

A side note: I just looked this place up on the internet to verify the address, and the most of the reviews are terrible. Go figure.

We dragged ourselves back up the hill to get to our hotel and rest after the busy day. Our final dinner together is tonight, but first we all gathered in a private area in the hotel to share toasts and memories. I think everyone was as impressed with Rafael as we were, and he was touched by the tributes the tour members offered, including the music teacher in the group leading us in an impromptu performance of a slightly reworked version of “We Love You, Conrad, (Rafael)” from Bye Bye Birdie. Does that tell you the average age of the group?

After this touching interlude, the dinner itself, at Guarany, was a bit of a letdown. The food (soup, sea bass, potatoes, and sautéed cabbage) was just okay, at best, and the ambiance left a lot to be desired. We weren’t the only group dining there that evening, and we weren’t even close to being the loudest. Some of us winced, thinking how usually the RSE groups are so very loud; we were on the receiving end this time. Nobody lingered after the meal, although most of us did say our good-byes before returning to the hotel.

Stan and I did go back to the café across from the hotel to enjoy the neighborhood one last time, but most people went back to their rooms. It had been a long, full, day.

Day 12, Friday. There are no group activities on the final day of RSE tours, but we saw most of our tourmates and Rafael in the breakfast room. Stan and I went back to our room to pack – we’re moving to a different hotel today. See my review of our new hotel at https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/portugal-reviews/na-travessa-suites-in-porto

My comments: Favorite things about Portugal: Friendliness and helpfulness of locals. I was thrilled that they let me try to speak Portuguese, without laughing or rolling their eyes.

The food and wine are wonderful, and the prices are low. Vinho verde, a local wine, is much better there than it is here in the States. We’ve noticed this before, with Chianti in Italy and rosé in Provence. I was surprised at how much I liked the salt cod so commonly used as the main ingredient. I was also surprised at how much we liked port.

Be prepared for hills, though, especially in Porto. Everywhere you want to go is either uphill or downhill from where you are. Sometimes both. And grippy shoes are a must.

The tour. Best thing about it? Rafael. He is definitely one of the best tour guides we have ever had. When we made toasts before our final dinner, mine was dedicated to Rafael, who, I said,

“has the brain of a historian, the heart of a teacher, and the soul of
a poet.”

He so much wanted us to understand Portugal and the Portuguese, stressing cultural and historical aspects that set Portugal apart for other European countries. I learned so much about Portugal on this tour. I knew very little about the country or its people going in, and am still marveling at how much information we garnered in such a limited time.

Favorite tour hotel? Hotel Real d’Óbidos. The building is ancient, the décor evocative of what we consider the medieval times to be. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the breakfast was great.

Least favorite tour activity? The boat ride on the Douro. I didn’t see any value in it at the time, and still don’t see much.

Suggestions? Get rid of one of the one night stays; for me, that would be Evora. It’s lovely, and interesting, but with a long guided tour, slow lunch service (not the tour’s fault), late afternoon group activities planned, and an early start the next morning, there was no time to enjoy what the town had to offer. We would also have like a little more time in Fatima. And as always, all of us thought the tour should have been longer.

Do I recommend this tour? Absolutely. It was delightful. I am so glad we chose it.

Love reading your thoughts on the Portugal tour, Jane. It was the 2nd tour we ever took with RS and your report brings back great memories. Interesting to read the different towns the tour stays in now, we stayed in Nazare (hotel was like staying overnight in an IKEA store, ugh) and envy your stay in charming Obidos, and we stayed in Pinhao in the Douro Valley. Our hotel there was luxurious and had pretty gardens too.

Totally agree how wonderful and inventive the Portuguese food is! Thank you for this great report.

Jane, love your report! I think there is room for short and sweet and deliciously long and detailed on this forum!

What was your favorite town/ city?

I’m bookmarking this for the future! You always do such wonderful, detailed reports.

Tammy, I'd have to say Porto. Whenever I think about going back to Portugal, Porto is what leaps into my mind. Óbidos was cute, Évora has possibilities. Coimbra just didn't feel right, somehow. We did love Lisbon, and I'd be glad to visit it again, but Porto is calling me back.

It could be that's because that's where we spent the most time. We stayed on for several days after the tour, and had a wonderful time.

This brings back wonderful memories of our September 2022 tour. We loved Rafael as well.
We had fun with the introduction of our buddies. We all had a great laugh as most added some pretty funny stuff!

I really enjoyed reading this. I felt like I was with you on your trip!

Wonderful report--so very informative! I do however, feel very full just from reading it. Is it possible to forgo some of the meals on a tour, or eat less of what is served? Also--it seems pretty meat-centric. Are there usually seafood or vegetarian options? We are planning on a 2025 trip--though not sure if it will be tour or on our own. Really interesting your impression of the Douro cruise too. Good to know. Thank you for all the detail--it seems like you had an incredible experience.

Jane! Every time I've noticed you posting lately I've been thinking...no posting allowed until the TR is done, hahaha!! Well, you've done a marvelous job as usual!

"Oh, funny thing: two of his biggest customers in the States were Nieman-Marcus and Home Goods. Evidently he sold the same items to both of them, with a significantly different markup!"

That is hilarious! And yes, running to Home Goods to see if I can figure out which is from his pottery!

And...my ignorance is showing...I had no idea there were some areas in Portugal that were settled by the Celts! Wow....

What an outstanding time you had! Thanks so much for the interesting and detailed report!

Hi, Pete: Yes, there was a lot of food on this tour. And of course you can skip meals, or skip courses, or just say "No, thank you" when it is served. A lot of people simply didn't clean their plates, stopping when they'd had all they wanted.

The emphasis on meat suprised us; at home I fix meat maybe once a month, poultry about the same. Your guide should ask if people are vegetarian or vegan or have other food issues. I think we had one vegetarian on this tour, one pescatarian, and one who couldn't have dairy. They were accommodated. There are always vegetarian or pescatarian options, or almost always. At some of the meals provided by wineries or farms, it may be harder to get a special meal, but your guide should try.

Pam, I have felt you glaring at me ever since we got home! As I told someone else today about a different issue, life is what happens while you're making other plans.

I don't know, though, why this one took me so long. Well, I do; there are some other reviews or reports I need to do that I'm having trouble with, and I let that feeling interfere with the Portugal report. Mea culpa.

And yes, we had a wonderful time. The best part of writing these reports is reliving the good time. And looking up some of the details about some of the sights helps plump out my notes, which tend to be pretty sparse. Believe it or not.

Now, on to the next one... I hope the next one won't take as long...

Your trip report brought back wonderful memories of our Portugal tour with Rafael and I can still picture all of us standing around the map at the Monument of Discoveries and in that short amount of time learning more about Portugal history than I thought possible. He was a great guide and I'm glad you had a wonderful time with him.

Leslie, that really was the highlight of the trip for me. I was absolutely awestruck with his presentation. I have a photo, but the sun was in his eyes and he was squinting.

And he kept up that level of educating us throughout the tour, but was never pedantic or boring. What a great experience, and a good role model.

Great report, thank you for sharing all the details! This tour is on my someday list, if only we could pre-select our guide...Rafael sounds perfect.

"I have felt you glaring at me ever since we got home!"

You know I would NEVER glare at you!

So what was that burning on the back of my neck for the last 3 weeks, hmmm????? It sure felt like it came straight from Idaho.

Jane, thank you for a wonderful trip report. You always make your trip reports so detailed and interesting. It’s like being on your tour with you.

Thanks to all of you who had comments and questions. That's part of the fun of doing these reports.

Great report, love the details, Jane.

Jane, thank you for this lovely and thorough report. We were on the tour immediately following you, with Claudia. Along with Rafael, she was an excellent guide (if worried about not having Rafael, relax).
We loved this tour, though our initial tour of Obidos was cut short by pouring rain. We returned the next afternoon and it was so fun. I did do the grape stomping—a highlight!

Again, thank you for bringing back such lovely memories.

I did the same tour in May 2023. Outstanding!!! I absolutely loved visiting the family owned cork farm. My impression is that all the Rick Steves Portugal tour guides are exceptional...and passionate about sharing their country with others.

We all regrouped at the hotel’s bar for a happy hour and “buddy introductions.” This is another RSE activity that is not well-liked by the tour members, but is useful. Each person presents a short, 2 or 3 minute talk about his or her tour “buddy.” These can be stressful, but are useful and informative.

I think this bit is so ridiculous. It comes in various forms. Not necessary. We aren't 10 year olds.

Jane, thank you for the great trip report. You always make me want to take the tour you describe even though beforehand I had no interest in Portugal! I have your Feb tour of London bookmarked even though I thought I’d ‘ been there done that’ when it came to London 😁.

Two things, I find it interesting to ponder countries that had been such major players on the world stage and now are not and how they view their history. I’m just back from Vienna and of course Austria fits that description perhaps even more so than Portugal. But Portugal was so important and their level of exploration was incredible. The history must have been very compelling to learn about.

And the other thing is I’ve been on 6 RS tours and never did the introduce your buddy thing. I’ve done various names games but never that. Wonder why….

"And the other thing is I’ve been on 6 RS tours and never did the introduce your buddy thing. I’ve done various names games but never that. Wonder why…."

You probably had guides that were willing to ignore some of their instructions. I hate buddy introductions and the name game. I don't need a forced situation to be social with others. I know many find it fun...it just doesn't suit my personality.

I also packed a small cross-body bag, about 6”x9”x2”, with a surprising number of pockets and compartments. This was my regular day bag.

Jane, I'm loving the trip report so far! I have not been to Portugal (yet) but this will be so useful when I make my way there. Thank you! But one quick question: do you mind telling me which crossbody bag you've described above? I'm still searching for one for my next trip and that looks like it might fit what I need.

Thanks for another wonderful trip report, Jane. You really take us along with you.

When you talked about Rafael, and his explaining so beautifully about history and culture and economic and seafaring history, and you mentioned he had obviously invested time in researching and preparing . . . All i could think was and he’s doing this in his second (or third) language. It would already be impressive to give such a wonderful presentation in one’s native language ! But to do it in a foreign language — well it just boggles the mind to think of the intellect and expertise of some of these RS guides.

I’m sorry that Pam has been glaring at you Hahahahahahahahahahaha

You know, what Pam said is true, some guides do their own thing. On my Prague Budapest tour last month we all stood in a circle and had a shot of slivovitz on about day 3 of the tour and said our name and the name of the person on each side, which was easy and fun by day 3. So your guide checks the box (if there is such a thing) that they’ve done the name game.

Lyndash, I think I would like something like that rather than the 2-3 minute bio. I especially like that alcohol is involved, lol!

Jane, I finally read through the whole report and just loved it. There is so much good information here. I especially enjoyed reading your likes and disliked about the tours. Never having been on one, it's hard to know how to pick one, so reading TRs like this is very helpful for me.

So many new comments! Easy one first: Mardee, the bag is an EastSport, and my husband found it somewhere; I mean literally "found." It wasn't new, but he thought I would find it useful. I think someone left it in a vacant rent house. (I got a great coat that way once, something whose price new was way out of my comfort zone.)

I checked EastSport's website, and the closest thing I can see is the shoulder bag that comes along with a commuter bag, as a kind of bonus. https://eastsport.com/products/2-for-1-universal-commuter-backpack-w-matching-shoulder-bag?_pos=2&_sid=ff114e8b4&_ss=r

I hate buddy introductions and the name game. I don't need a forced
situation to be social with others. I know many find it fun...it just
doesn't suit my personality.

Pam, I don't find them fun, and they definitely don't fit my rather private and introverted self, but they work, especially the name game.

Buddy introductions: I think we've only done these 4 times, out of 19 RSE tours. I hate them, but always end up learning interesting things about people. On our South Italy tour we found out a lovely young Mexican-American woman was the manager of a national rodeo; on our 21 Day Best of Europe we found out another young woman had won a log rolling tournament. Alcohol seems to make the process easier. Buddy intros, not log rolling.

The name game is another one people hate, but when entered into in a generous spirit, they work. Most people think it's competitive, and are terrified of flubbing someone's name, but it does work best when it's cooperative, and everyone is rooting for whomever is on the spot, often helping by repeating the names as the game progresses. One of our guides once told me that he does the name game, even though people hate it, because it helps him to quickly learn the names and associate them with faces. And it never takes more than 10 minutes. I don't like doing it, but I appreciate that it works. And I think fewer than half the guides we've had have done the name game anyway. 5 or 6 maybe.

Kim, you're right about the guide doing all this learning, explaining, elaborating, etc. in a language not his/her own. I've been very impressed with the language skills of the tour guides. I think we've only had one whose English was not as good as it should have been.

My impression is that all the Rick Steves Portugal tour guides are
exceptional...and passionate about sharing their country with others.

Elizabeth, most of the RSE guides are indeed excellent; we've had one who wasn't ready to be on her own yet, one who was too lax about following protocol (not playing the name game is one thing; losing tour members because the guide doesn't call for buddy checks is something else. Not to mention turning the tour into a "best shopping opportunities" experience.)

Most of them are indeed passionate about sharing their country with us, even those who are not native to the area or didn't grow up there. Two of the Italy tours we've taken were led by non-Italians, and they were definitely concerned that we come to appreciate the nuts and bolts of the culture of the regions we were in.

Alcohol seems to make the process easier. Buddy intros, not log rolling.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Portugal and the Portuguese people are my favorites in all of my travels. I mentioned to a guide we had in a museum in Porto that we had never been treated so kindly anywhere in the world. She was surprised and said we are their guests and guests are or should be treated with special warmth and attention. Then she asked if we were French because we have blue eyes!